[Bibliometrics Analysis of Studies on Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy From 2018 to 2022].

Objective To analyze the research progress and hot topics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy from 2018 to 2022.Methods The publications in the field of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy from January 1,2018 to December 31,2022 were retrieved from Web of Science core collection database and included for a bibliometric analysis.Results A total of 6355 publications were included,with an average citation frequency of 7 times.The year 2021 witnessed the most publications (1406).The analysis with VOSviewer showed that the research on sudden death related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,especially the predictive value of late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac MRI in sudden death,was a hot topic.In addition,gene detection and the new drug mavacamten became hot research topics.The United States was the country with the largest number of publications and the highest citation frequency in this field.Chinese scholars produced the second largest number of publications,which,however,included few high-quality research results.Conclusions Risk stratification and prevention of sudden death is still an important and hot research content in the field of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.Chinese scholars should carry out multi-center cooperation in the future to improve the research results.

Phase Error Reduction for a Structured-Light 3D System Based on a Texture-Modulated Reprojection Method.

Fringe projection profilometry (FPP), with benefits such as high precision and a large depth of field, is a popular 3D optical measurement method widely used in precision reconstruction scenarios. However, the pixel brightness at reflective edges does not satisfy the conditions of the ideal pixel-wise phase-shifting model due to the influence of scene texture and system defocus, resulting in severe phase errors. To address this problem, we theoretically analyze the non-pixel-wise phase propagation model for texture edges and propose a reprojection strategy based on scene texture modulation. The strategy first obtains the reprojection weight mask by projecting typical FPP patterns and calculating the scene texture reflection ratio, then reprojects stripe patterns modulated by the weight mask to eliminate texture edge effects, and finally fuses coarse and refined phase maps to generate an accurate phase map. We validated the proposed method on various texture scenes, including a smooth plane, depth surface, and curved surface. Experimental results show that the root mean square error (RMSE) of the phase at the texture edge decreased by 53.32%, proving the effectiveness of the reprojection strategy in eliminating depth errors at texture edges.

LSTM Short-Term Wind Power Prediction Method Based on Data Preprocessing and Variational Modal Decomposition for Soft Sensors.

Soft sensors have been extensively utilized to approximate real-time power prediction in wind power generation, which is challenging to measure instantaneously. The short-term forecast of wind power aims at providing a reference for the dispatch of the intraday power grid. This study proposes a soft sensor model based on the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network by combining data preprocessing with Variational Modal Decomposition (VMD) to improve wind power prediction accuracy. It does so by adopting the isolation forest algorithm for anomaly detection of the original wind power series and processing the missing data by multiple imputation. Based on the process data samples, VMD technology is used to achieve power data decomposition and noise reduction. The LSTM network is introduced to predict each modal component separately, and further sum reconstructs the prediction results of each component to complete the wind power prediction. From the experimental results, it can be seen that the LSTM network which uses an Adam optimizing algorithm has better convergence accuracy. The VMD method exhibited superior decomposition outcomes due to its inherent Wiener filter capabilities, which effectively mitigate noise and forestall modal aliasing. The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) was reduced by 9.3508%, which indicates that the LSTM network combined with the VMD method has better prediction accuracy.

Analysis and evaluation of patient-specific three-dimensional printing in complex septal myectomy.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of three-dimensional printing (3DP) in patients with complex hypertrophic cardiomyopathy requiring combined transaortic and transapical septal myectomy. METHODS: We created 3DP models for 7 patients undergoing this surgery approach between June and October 2022 using silicone-like resin and conducted mock operations. The models were compared with echocardiography to identify abnormal muscle bundles and heart structures. These patients were then compared with a 1:2 matched group without 3DP, considering age, sex and additional operations. RESULTS: The models mostly presenting with midventricular obstruction showed high consistency with original computed tomography data (r = 0.978, P < 0.001). 3DP identified more abnormal muscle bundles than echocardiography, primarily between the interventricular septum and apex. Excised specimens in mock operations mirrored those in actual myectomies. While cardiopulmonary bypass time was not significantly different, a near-20-min decrease was observed in the 3DP group (135.5 ± 31.1 vs 154.4 ± 36.6 min, P = 0.054). CONCLUSIONS: While no significant differences in surgical outcomes were observed, 3DP appeared to enhance the visualization and understanding of spatial structures (average Likert scale score 4.0), potentially contributing to surgical proficiency (overall rating score 3.9). The use of 3DP may offer additional value in the preparation and execution of operations for complex hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cases.

Mitral annular calcification in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Incidence, risk factors, and prognostic value after myectomy.

BACKGROUND: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a risk factor for cardiac surgery, but there is limited study on the prognosis value and the impact for valve function of MAC based on computed tomography (CT) diagnosis after myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (OHCM). METHODS: Consecutive OHCM patients underwent septal myectomy were compared according to the existence of MAC and its severity in preoperative CT scans. The survival data were evaluated and compared by Kaplan Meier analysis and log rank test. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of MAC on endpoint events. RESULTS: From the entire cohort of 1035 patients, 10.8% had MAC. In multivariate regression, female (OR = 2.23), age (OR = 1.07), aortic annular calcification (OR = 2.52), aortic calcification (OR = 2.56), systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM) (OR = 0.42), mitral valve thickening (OR = 2.13), and tricuspid regurgitation (OR = 3.12) were independent predictors of MAC. All-cause mortality (3.57% vs. 1.08%, p = 0.031), major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (23.32% vs. 13.65%, p = 0.014), recurrent MR > 2+ (8.04% vs. 2.49%, p = 0.001) and NYHA III-IV (11.61% vs. 5.53%, p = 0.012) were more frequent in OHCM patients with MAC after myectomy. MAC was discovered to be an independent predictor of postoperative recurrent MR > 2+ after other risk factors were taken into account (HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.08-5.67, p = 0.0329). Moderate-to-severe MAC was an independent risk factor (HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.09-3.75, p = 0.0244) for long-term major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). CONCLUSION: MAC was detected in one-tenth of OHCM patients in preoperative CT scanning and is mainly associated with aging and atherosclerosis. OHCM patients with MAC had a worse prognosis and more recurrent mitral valve regurgitation than those without MAC after septal myectomy.

Adaptive autonomous emergency braking model based on weather conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Vehicle active safety systems can improve vehicle security by avoiding collisions. An autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system's safety distance calculation is usually based on normal weather conditions. The AEB system's early warning capabilities decrease during adverse weather conditions. METHODS: A multilayer perceptron (MLP) model is used to obtain data from accident and weather data sets. The MLP model is trained and the severity of accidents is predicted. The severity is used as a parameter to build an adaptive AEB system algorithm that considers adverse weather conditions. RESULTS: The adaptive AEB system algorithm increases safety and reliability under adverse weather conditions. Prescan and a driver-in-the-loop system are used to test the adaptive AEB model. Both tests show that the adaptive AEB model has better performance under adverse weather than the traditional AEB model. CONCLUSIONS: The experimental results demonstrate that the adaptive AEB system can increase the safety distance in rainy weather and avoid collisions under hazy conditions.

High-Burden Premature Atrial Contractions Predict New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Surgical Septal Myectomy.

Although increased premature atrial contractions (PACs) reportedly predict atrial fibrillation (AF) in both general and specific (e.g., patients with stroke) populations, early postoperative AF (POAF) risk in patients with increased PAC burden who require cardiac surgery remains unclear. We examined the correlation between different preoperative PAC burdens and POAF in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHCM) who underwent surgical treatment. We analyzed 304 consecutively admitted patients with OHCM without previous AF who underwent isolated septal myectomy between January 2015 and December 2018. All patients underwent preoperative 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram monitoring. PACs were present in 259 patients (85.20%) and absent in 45 patients (14.80%). According to the cut-off PAC number of 100 beats/24 hours, there were 211 patients (69.41%) with low-burden PACs and 48 patients (15.79%) with high-burden PACs. AF after septal myectomy occurred in 73 patients, which consisted of 3/45 in the non-PAC group (6.67%), 47/211 in the low-PAC-burden group (22.27%), and 23/48 in the high PAC burden group (47.92%). POAF incidence was higher in both low- and high-burden patients than in patients without PAC (p <0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that high-burden PACs (p = 0.02) and age (p <0.01) but not low-burden PACs (p = 0.22) independently predicted POAF in patients with OHCM. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for preoperative PACs was 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.79, p <0.01, sensitivity: 68.49%, specificity: 69.26%). In conclusion, POAF incidence was significantly higher in patients with preoperative high-burden PACs and can predict POAF in patients with OHCM.

Atrial high-rate episode burden and stroke risks for patients with device-detected subclinical atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Atrial high-rate episode (AHRE) and stroke are related; however, the magnitude of the correlations between different AHRE burdens and stroke remains unknown. We analysed studies that evaluated this relationship. METHODS: We searched for observational controlled studies that reported the associations of different AHRE burdens with stroke in populations with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). The primary endpoint was stroke or thrombosis during follow-up. We performed subgroup analyses according to the classification criteria and research design of the included studies. RESULTS: Of the 5985 studies identified, 9 met the eligibility criteria and included 42,958 patients. Patients with low and high AHRE burdens had a 1.2-fold risk of stroke (no heterogeneity) and a 2.52-fold risk of stroke (moderate heterogeneity), respectively. After excluding studies analysing the atrial fibrillation history, no significant difference in progressive stroke risk was observed for patients with a low AHRE burden (without significant heterogeneity). An increased likelihood of stroke was observed for patients with a high AHRE burden (decreased heterogeneity). Four of the nine studies classified high and low AHRE burdens using the longest AHRE time. Five studies classified high and low AHRE burdens based on the median of the total AHRE time as the cutoff value. Low and high AHRE burdens were more closely related to stroke when classified by the total AHRE duration than when classified by the single longest AHRE duration. CONCLUSIONS: For populations with CIEDs without an atrial fibrillation history, a high AHRE burden was significantly associated with stroke.

Impact of Body Mass Index on Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Undergoing Septal Myectomy.

Background Obesity is an established cardiovascular risk factor in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is one of the most common complications after surgery in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHCM). We aimed to determine the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the occurrence of POAF in patients with OHCM who underwent septal myectomy. Methods and Results In all, 712 OHCM patients without previous atrial fibrillation who underwent septal myectomy were identified. Patients were stratified into 3 groups based on BMI. Of these, 224 (31.5%) had normal weight (BMI<24 kg/m2), 339 (47.6%) were overweight (BMI, 24 to <28 kg/m2), and 149 (20.9%) were obese (BMI≥28 kg/m2). Overweight and obese patients had increased levels of left atrial diameter (P<0.001) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (P<0.001), compared with patients with normal weight. Among 184 patients (25.8%) developing POAF, 32 cases (14.3%) occurred in the normal weight group, 100 cases (29.5%) occurred in the overweight group, and 52 cases (34.9%) occurred in the obese group (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that overweight (odds ratio [OR]: 2.161, 95% CI, 1.333-3.503; P=0.002) or obesity (OR, 2.803; 95% CI, 1.589-4.944; P<0.001), age (OR, 1.037; 95% CI, 1.018-1.057; P<0.001), and left atrial diameter (OR, 1.060; 95% CI, 1.027-1.095; P<0.001) were independently associated with the occurrence of POAF in patients with OHCM. Conclusions Overweight and obesity are strong predictors of POAF in patients with OHCM. Strategies aimed at lowering BMI may be a potential way to prevent POAF.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in children.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) characterized by asymmetric ventricular septal hypertrophy, is the commonest cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the young. The underlying etiology of HCM in the childhood and adolescent patients is diverse. Moreover, the prognosis of pediatric HCM depends on the age of presentation and etiology. Despite the complexity of children with obstructive HCM, surgical treatment results in a favorable outcome for carefully selected patients in experienced tertiary referral center in contemporary era. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) remains the most effective and reliable treatment to prevent SCD. New pediatric SCD risk prediction model, which has good discrimination and calibration and can distinguish patients who are most benefit from an ICD implantation, is expected to be further refined in the future.

Left ventricular basal muscle bundle in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: insights into the mechanism of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

AIMS: Many factors cause left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Previous studies reported that left ventricular basal muscle bundle (BMB) may be associated with LVOTO. We aimed to evaluate the role of BMB in LVOTO by echocardiography. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-six patients diagnosed with HCM were recruited. The morphologic characteristics of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) were analysed. BMB was detected in 178 (69.5%) patients by echocardiography. Patients were separated by a resting or provocative LVOT gradient ≥30 mmHg or not. Compared to patients without LVOTO, patients with LVOTO had a significantly thicker basal septum, elongated anterior mitral leaflet (AML), shorter distance between the AML-free margin and the septum or BMB (M-sept/bundle), larger angle between the plane of the mitral valvular orifice and the ascending aorta (MV-AO angle), and higher prevalence of BMB (P < 0.05). According to multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of LVOTO were the presence of BMB, a large basal septum thickness, a short M-sept/bundle, a large MV-AO angle, and a large AML [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 5.207 (1.381-19.633), 1.386(1.141-1.683), 0.615(0.499-0.756), 1.113(1.054-1.176), and 1.343(1.076-1.677), respectively, P < 0.05]. Of the 256 included patients, 139 underwent surgical myectomy. The transthoracic echocardiography, compared with surgical specimen, showed: sensitivity 98.3%, specificity 82.3%, positive predictive value 97.6%, negative predictive value 87.5%, and accuracy 96.4% to detect BMB. CONCLUSIONS: BMB is common in HCM. BMB is a risk factor for LVOTO.

Impact of septal myectomy on diastolic function in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The impact of septal myectomy on diastolic function in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is not well studied. METHODS: A transcatheter hemodynamic study was performed before and 3 to 6 months after septal myectomy in 12 patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). RESULTS: Postoperative hemodynamic studies were done 4.4±1.2 months after myectomy. The left ventricular outflow tract peak-to-peak gradient decreased from 83.2±43.3 mmHg preoperatively to 11.6±4.3 mmHg after myectomy (P<0.00). The left ventricular diastolic time constant (Tau) was 64.2±26.1 ms before surgery and 42.2±15.7 ms postoperatively (P=0.029). The average left atrial pressure (LAP) decreased from 20.2±7.0 to 12.1±4.5 mmHg after myectomy (P=0.008). Pulmonary artery hypertension was present in 6 patients preoperatively and remained in 2 patients after myectomy. Mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 29.3±16.2 to 20±6.7 mmHg after surgery (P=0.05), and the systolic pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 46±26.9 to 30.5±8.3 mmHg (P=0.048). Pulmonary vascular resistance decreased from 5.7±4.1 to 3.6±1.6 wood after surgery (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Septal myectomy improved left ventricular diastolic function and subsequently relieved the right ventricular congestion in patients with obstructive HCM.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Cox-Maze IV Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

Objective: Atrial fibrillation is the most prevalent persistent arrhythmia in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Comparative analyses of the safety and effectiveness of septal myectomy with and without surgical ablation are limited. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of septal myectomy with and without the Cox-maze IV procedure in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation. Methods: Ninety-four patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation who underwent septal myectomy were analyzed, we divided it into concomitant Cox maze surgery (Cox-maze group) and no concomitant Cox maze operation (no Cox-maze group). Freedom from atrial fibrillation recurrence and all-cause mortality after surgery were assessed. Results: Freedom from all-cause mortality after septal myectomy at 1, 3, and 5 years was 98.5 ± 1.5% each in the Cox-maze group and 90.8 ± 6.3%, 85.1 ± 8.1%, and 85.1 ± 8.1%, respectively, in the no Cox-maze group. Patients in the no Cox-maze group had lower survival, freedom from atrial fibrillation recurrence off antiarrhythmic drugs, and arrhythmia control rate (including patients with successful antiarrhythmic drug conversion) than those in the Cox-maze group (P = 0.046, P = 0.040, and P = 0.012, respectively). Patients who underwent the Cox-maze IV procedure had lower atrial fibrillation recurrence rate than those who did not (hazard ratio, 0.141; 95% confidence interval, 0.042-0.479; P = 0.002). Post-operative increases in left atrial diameters (hazard ratio, 1.099; 95% confidence interval, 1.024-1.179; P = 0.009) were associated with atrial fibrillation recurrence. Conclusions: The Cox-maze IV procedure combined with septal myectomy improved mid-term survival and reduced mid-term atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation. The concomitant Cox-maze IV procedure was associated with a lower atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients with surgical hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation.

Myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial bridging (MB) is associated with various forms of arrhythmia. However, whether MB is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) remains unknown. This study aimed to identify the relationship between myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery (MB-LAD) and AF in patients with HOCM. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 1925 patients diagnosed with HOCM at Fuwai Hospital from January 2012 to March 2019. Patients with coronary artery disease, a history of heart surgery, and those who had not been subjected to angiography were excluded. Finally, 105 patients with AF were included in this study. The control group was matched in a ratio of 3:1 based on age and gender. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were diagnosed with MB-LAD in this study. The presence of MB was significantly higher in patients with AF than in those without AF (19.0% vs. 7.3%; p = 0.001), although MB compression and MB length did not differ between the two groups. In conditional multivariate logistic analysis, MB (odds ratio [OR] 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-5.01; p = 0.03), pulmonary arterial hypertension (OR 2.63; 95% CI 1.26-5.47; p = 0.01), hyperlipidemia (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.12-3.00; p = 0.016), left atrial diameter (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.05-1.13; p < 0.001), and interventricular septal thickness (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.003-1.12; p = 0.037) were independent risk factors for AF in patients with HOCM. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of MB is an independent risk factor for AF in patients with HOCM. The potential mechanistic link between MB and the development of AF warrants further investigation.

Preoperative ventricular late potentials and the risk of adverse events in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy undergoing septal myectomy.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular late potentials (VLPs) detected by signal-averaged electrocardiogram are considered as an indicator of electrical instability in diseased myocardium. Little information exists about the VLPs and their effects on clinical prognosis in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHCM) undergoing septal myectomy. METHODS: Patients with OHCM who underwent septal myectomy from January 2019 to December 2019 were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent signal-averaged electrocardiogram. Patients were subsequently divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of VLPs. All patients were followed up after surgery to obtain information of survival status and adverse events, including all-cause mortality, congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization, new-onset stroke, and unexplained syncope. RESULTS: In total, 128 patients (47.5±12.8 years, 57.8% male) were enrolled. There were 21 (16.4%) individuals in the VLPs-positive group and 107 (83.6%) individuals in the VLPs-negative group. There were no statistically significant differences in non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and late gadolinium enhancement on cardiovascular magnetic resonance images between the two groups. Eight adverse events were reported at the 14.9±4.1 months follow-up. The rates of adverse events in groups of VLPs-positive and VLPs-negative were 23.8% (5/21) and 2.8% (3/107) of cases, respectively. These events included three patients hospitalized for heart failure, two who experienced ischemic strokes, and three with unexplained syncope, respectively. Patients in the VLPs-positive group had a higher risk of adverse events than those in the VLPs-negative group (P<0.001). The presence of positive VLPs (hazard ratio =9.095, 95% confidence intervals: 2.080-39.776, P=0.003) was a strong independent risk factor of adverse events by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Cardiac function Class III or IV, as defined by the New York Heart Association classification, was also an independent risk factor of adverse events (hazard ratio =13.756, 95% confidence intervals: 1.667-113.510, P=0.015). CONCLUSIONS: VLPs may increase the risk of adverse events in patients with OHCM after septal myectomy, which may be used as a screening test for further risk stratification.

Risk Factors of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Its Relationship With Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) is a common complication in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHCM). The risk factor of PH in patients with OHCM has not been fully elucidated, and even atrial fibrillation (AF) was considered a risk factor of PH. Thus, our study aimed to investigate risk factors of PH and the relationship between PH and AF in patients with OHCM. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 483 consecutive patients diagnosed with OHCM at Fuwai Hospital (Beijing, China) from January 2015 to December 2017. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters were compared between patients with and without PH. Results: Eighty-two (17.0%) patients were diagnosed with PH in this study. Compared to patients without PH, those with PH were significantly older, had a lower body mass index (BMI), were more likely to be female and more symptomatic [New York Heart Association Class 3 or 4 symptoms], and had a higher AF prevalence. A multivariate analysis indicated that AF was an independent risk factor of PH (odds ratio [OR] 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-5.20, p = 0.042). Moreover, PH was independently associated with a higher AF incidence after adjusting for age and left atrial diameter (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.07-4.72, p = 0.034). Conclusion: AF was independently associated with PH in patients with OHCM. Further, PH was significantly associated with an increased risk of AF, which suggested that AF could aggravate PH and that PH may promote AF processes, forming a vicious circle.

Manipulating Ferromagnetism in Few-Layered Cr2 Ge2 Te6.

The discovery of magnetism in 2D materials offers new opportunities for exploring novel quantum states and developing spintronic devices. In this work, using field-effect transistors with solid ion conductors as the gate dielectric (SIC-FETs), we have observed a significant enhancement of ferromagnetism associated with magnetic easy-axis switching in few-layered Cr2 Ge2 Te6 . The easy axis of the magnetization, inferred from the anisotropic magnetoresistance, can be uniformly tuned from the out-of-plane direction to an in-plane direction by electric field in the few-layered Cr2 Ge2 Te6 . Additionally, the Curie temperature, obtained from both the Hall resistance and magnetoresistance measurements, increases from 65 to 180 K in the few-layered sample by electric gating. Moreover, the surface of the sample is fully exposed in the SIC-FET device configuration, making further heterostructure-engineering possible. This work offers an excellent platform for realizing electrically controlled quantum phenomena in a single device.

Relationship Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Late Gadolinium Enhancement and Their Effect on Cardiac Arrhythmias in Patients with Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and myocardial fibrosis are associated with cardiac arrhythmia. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between OSA and myocardial fibrosis, as well as their impact on cardiac arrhythmia in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) patients. METHODS: We prospectively studied 151 consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of HOCM at the Fuwai Hospital between September 2017 and 2018. Polysomnography, Holter electrocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were performed on all patients. Myocardial fibrosis was reflected by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), detected using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Myocardial fibrosis, measured using LGE%, was found to increase with increasing OSA severity [6.8% (3.6-12.9%), 6.1% (3.4-10.0%), 9.6% (5.5-14.5%), and 15.5% (9.3-20.0%) for no-OSA, mild OSA, moderate OSA, and severe OSA, respectively; p=0.003]. LGE% correlated with the New York Heart Association functional classifications (p=0.018), septal thickness (p=0.026), and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (p<0.001). The prevalence of isolated premature ventricular contraction (PVC) (p=0.028), paired PVC (p=0.036), ventricular bigeminy (p=0.005)/trigeminy (p<0.001), non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) (p=0.001), isolated premature atrial contraction (PAC) (p=0.032), and supraventricular tachycardia (p=0.029) was significantly higher in patients with OSA. Additionally, LGE% and AHI were independent risk factors for isolated PVC (OR: 1.04, p=0.001 and OR: 1.07, p=0.039, respectively), ventricular bigeminy (OR: 1.04, p=0.003 and OR: 1.26, p=0.002, respectively)/trigeminy (OR: 1.07, p=0.040 and OR: 1.06, p=0.001, respectively), and NSVT (OR: 1.17, p<0.001 and OR: 1.08, p<0.001, respectively) after adjustment for age, sex, and other parameters. CONCLUSION: Both OSA and LGE% were associated with a greater likelihood and increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias (including NSVT) in patients with HOCM. Thus, the severity of OSA was independently associated with more severe myocardial fibrosis in patients with HOCM.