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Li-xing Hu, Min Tang, Wei Hua, Xiao-qing Ren, Yu-he Jia, Jian-min Chu, Jing-tao Zhang, Xiao-ning Liu Center of Arrhythmia, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiao-ning Liu, Center of Arrhythmia, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 167 North Lishi Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100037, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86 10 8839 6965, Email ning_christina@126.comObjectives: This study aimed to assess the depression and anxiety status and their association with sleep disturbance among one single center Chinese inpatients with arrhythmia and help cardiologists better identify patients who need psychological care.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 495 inpatients with arrhythmia treated in Fuwai Hospital from October to December 2019. The psychological status and sleep quality were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the potential risk factors for anxiety and depression.Results: The mean age of the participants was 52.8 ± 14.4 years, and 58.0% were male. Approximately 18.3% were in an anxious state, and 33.5% were in a depressive state. In multivariate logistic regression, age from 50 to 59 (p = 0.03), unemployment (p = 0.026) and sleep disturbance (p < 0.001) were the risk factors for anxiety status. Cardiac implanted electronic devices (CIEDs) (p = 0.004) and sleep disturbance (p < 0.001) were the risk factors for depression status. A total of 150 patients (30.3%) were categorized as having poor sleep quality (PSQI > 7). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of having poor sleep quality was 4.30-fold higher in patients with both anxiety and depression (OR: 4.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.52– 7.35); 2.67-fold higher in patients with depression (OR: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.78– 4.00); and 3.94-fold higher in patients with anxiety (OR: 3.94; 95% CI: 2.41– 6.44).Conclusions: Psychological intervention is critical for Chinese inpatients with arrhythmia, especially for patients aged 50– 59, unemployed, or those using CIEDs. Poor sleep quality could be an important risk factor linked to psychological disturbances.Keywords: anxiety, depression, arrhythmia, sleep disturbance

Photoionization of atoms in intense,few-cycle laser pulses is inversion asymmetry.An asymmetric parameter is used to quantitatively analyze the asymmetry degree.By means of a non-perturbative quantum scattering theory and employing a three-mode laser field to mimic the short pulse,the variation of the asymmetric parameter are researched with the carrier-envelope phase and duration of the pulses.It is found that the asymmetry degree varies with the carrier-envelope phase as a sine-like pattern,and the maximum of asymmetry degree varies with pulse intensity and pulse duration.Along with the increasing laser intensities,the maximal asymmetry firstly decreases and then increases after it reaches a minimal value.At higher intensities,the asymmetry is still distinctive for relative-long few-cycle pulses.Thus,increasing the pulse intensity is helpful to observe the carrier-envelope phase-dependence.

Jing-Tao Zhang, Ke-Ping Chen, Ting Guan, Shu Zhang Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Background: Aliskiren is a widely used therapy for patients with hypertension, however, the effect of aliskiren on major cardiovascular outcomes is a matter of debate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of aliskiren therapy on major cardiovascular outcomes by this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods: We searched PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for relevant literature. All eligible studies were randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of aliskiren therapy compared with patients without aliskiren therapy. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to measure the effect of aliskiren therapy on major cardiovascular outcomes with a random-effect model. Results: We included six trials reporting data on 12,465 patients. These studies reported 1,886 occurrences of major cardiovascular events, 1,074 events of total mortality, 739 events of cardiac death, 366 events of myocardial infarction, and 319 events of stroke. Aliskiren therapy had no effect on major cardiovascular events (RR, 0.93; 95% CI: 0.77–1.13; P=0.47), total mortality (RR, 1.00; 95% CI: 0.77–1.29; P=1.00), cardiac death (RR, 1.01; 95% CI: 0.79–1.29; P=0.95), myocardial infarction (RR, 0.71; 95% CI: 0.36–1.38; P=0.31), or stroke (RR, 0.87; 95% CI: 0.48–1.58; P=0.64). Conclusion: Aliskiren therapy does not have an effect on the incidence of major cardiovascular events, total mortality, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Keywords: aliskiren, cardiovascular disease, stroke, systematic review, meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to perform a meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness and safety of anticoagulation to antiplatelet therapy for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). MEDLINE, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies published through May 31, 2014. Randomized controlled trials comparing anticoagulants (warfarin) and antiplatelet therapy in patients with AF were included. The primary outcomes were the rates of stroke and systemic embolism. Secondary outcomes included the rates of hemorrhage/major bleeding and death. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Nine reports of 8 trials that enrolled 4363 patients (2169 patients received anticoagulation and 2194 antiplatelet therapy) were included. All of the studies compared adjusted-dose warfarin or with aspirin, and the majority of the patients were >70 years of age. Anticoagulants were titrated to an international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.0 to 4.5, and aspirin was administered at a dosage of 75 to 325 mg/d. Death occurred in 206 participants treated with an anticoagulant and 229 participants treated with antiplatelet therapy. There was no significant difference in the overall stroke rate between the groups (OR = 0.667, 95% CI 0.426–1.045, P = 0.08); however, patients with nonrheumatic AF (NRAF) treated with an anticoagulant had a lower risk of stroke (OR = 0.557, 95% CI 0.411–0.753, P

The photoionization of H atoms irradiated by few-cycle laser pulses is studied numerically. The variations of the total ionization, the partial ionizations in opposite directions, and the corresponding asymmetry with the carrier-envelope phase in several pulse durations are obtained. We find that besides a stronger modulation on the partial ionizations, the change of pulse duration leads to a shift along carrier-envelope (CE) phase in the calculated signals. The phase shift arises from the nonlinear property of ionization and relates closely to the Coulomb attraction of the parent ion to the ionized electron. Our calculations show good agreement with the experimental observation under similar conditions.