BACKGROUND: Reducing health disparities is a public health issue. Identification of low-health-interest populations is important, but a definition of people with low health interest has not yet been established. We aimed to quantitatively define low-health-interest populations.
METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional internet survey was conducted in 2022. We compiled regression tree (RT) analyses with/without adjustment for age, sex, and socioeconomic status with the 12-item Interest in Health Scale (IHS, score range 12-48) as an explanatory variable and the 10 composite health behaviors as a dependent variable. We defined the first IHS branching condition from the root node as a lower-health-interest group and the terminal node with the lowest health behaviors as the lowest-health-interest group.
RESULTS: The mean IHS value of 22,263 analyzed participants was 32.1 ± 5.6; it was higher in females and in those who were aged over 45 years, had a high education, a high income, or a spouse. The first branching condition was IHS 31.5, and the terminal node branched at 24.5, before/after adjustment for covariates.
CONCLUSIONS: We determined the cutoff values of the IHS as <32 for a lower-health-interest group and <25 for the lowest-health-interest group. Using these cutoffs might enable us to reveal the characteristics of low-health-interest populations.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure exceeding 20 mmHg. There is limited research on the suitability of adult-based methods for estimating PH in pediatric populations. Using established formulas for adults, this study aimed to evaluate the correlation between echocardiographic estimates of systolic, diastolic, and mean pulmonary arterial pressures, and mean right atrial pressures in children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
METHODS: A prospective study was conducted involving children with CHD undergoing cardiac catheterization without prior cardiac surgery. We used echocardiography to estimate pulmonary and right atrial pressures and compared these with invasively measured values. Four reliable regression equations were developed to estimate systolic, diastolic, and mean pulmonary arterial pressures, and mean right atrial pressures. Cutoff values were determined to predict the occurrence of PH. Linear regression, Bland-Altman analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed to assess the accuracy of echocardiography and establish diagnostic thresholds for PH.
RESULTS: The study involved 55 children (23 with normal pulmonary arterial pressure and 32 with PH) with acyanotic CHD aged 1 to 192 months. Four equations were developed to detect high pulmonary arterial pressures, with cutoff values of 32.9 for systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, 14.95 for diastolic pulmonary arterial pressure, and 20.7 for mean pulmonary arterial pressure. The results showed high sensitivity and moderate specificity but a tendency to underestimate systolic and mean pulmonary arterial pressures at higher pressures.
CONCLUSIONS: The study provides valuable insights into the use of adult-based echocardiographic formulas for estimating PH in pediatric patients with acyanotic CHD.

BACKGROUND: Premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) is prevailing. We aimed to investigate the evaluation value of atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) for the occurrence and severity of coronary artery lesion in PCAD patients.
METHODS: PCAD (PACD group)/non-PCAD (control group) patients were enrolled. The coronary artery lesion degree was evaluated using Gensini score (GS). PCAD patients were allocated into the low/medium/high GS groups, with general clinical baseline data analyzed. Plasma hs-CRP/AIP levels were compared in PCAD patients with different disease degree. Correlations between plasma hs-CRP/AIP with Gensini score, independent risk factors affecting the occurrence of PCAD, and the predictive value of hs-CRP/AIP/their combination for the occurrence and degree of PCAD were evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis/Logistic multivariate regression/receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The differences in the area under the curve (AUC) were compared using MedCalc-Comparison of ROC curves.
RESULTS: Plasma hs-CRP/AIP levels in the PCAD group were increased. Plasma hs-CRP/AIP levels varied significantly among PCAD patients with different disease degree. Plasma hs-CRP/AIP levels were markedly positively correlated with the Gensini score. Smoking history/homocysteine/fasting blood-glucose/hs-CRP/AIP were all independent risk factors affecting PCAD occurrence. The AUC of hs-CRP and AIP combination predicting the occurrence of PCAD was 0.950 (90.80% sensitivity/93.33% specificity). hs-CRP/AIP combination assisted in predicting the disease degree in PCAD patients.
CONCLUSIONS: AIP and hs-CRP are independent risk factors for the occurrence of PCAD, and their combination has high predictive value for PCAD occurrence and disease degree, which are both positively correlated with coronary artery lesion degree.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent cancer type in clinical settings; its early signs can be difficult to detect, which often results in late-stage diagnoses in many patients. The early detection and diagnosis of CRC are crucial for improving treatment success and patient survival rates. Recently, imaging techniques have been hypothesized to be essential in managing CRC, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spiral computed tomography (SCT) playing a significant role in enhancing diagnostic and treatment approaches.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of MRI and SCT in the preoperative staging of CRC and the prognosis of laparoscopic treatment.
METHODS: Ninety-five individuals admitted to Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University underwent MRI and SCT and were diagnosed with CRC. The precision of MRI and SCT for the presurgical classification of CRC was assessed, and pathological staging was used as a reference. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of blood volume, blood flow, time to peak, permeability surface, blood reflux constant, volume transfer constant, and extracellular extravascular space volume fraction on the prognosis of patients with CRC.
RESULTS: Pathological biopsies confirmed the following CRC stages: 23, 23, 32, and 17 at T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. There were 39 cases at the N0 stage, 22 at N1, 34 at N2, 44 at M0 stage, and 51 at M1. Using pathological findings as the benchmark, the combined use of MRI and SCT for preoperative TNM staging in patients with CRC demonstrated superior sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy compared with either modality alone, with a statistically significant difference in accuracy (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed the predictive values for laparoscopic treatment prognosis, as indicated by the areas under the curve for blood volume, blood flow, time to peak, and permeability surface, blood reflux constant, volume transfer constant, and extracellular extravascular space volume fraction were 0.750, 0.683, 0.772, 0.761, 0.709, 0.719, and 0.910, respectively. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity values were also obtained (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: MRI with SCT is effective in the clinical diagnosis of patients with CRC and is worthy of clinical promotion.

UNASSIGNED: During the past decade, the frequency of extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis (TB) has increased. These forms are often miss-diagnosed. This statement of the TB epidemiological profile modification, conduct us to reflect about the utility of the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) in active TB detection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy performance of the TST for active tuberculosis detection.
UNASSIGNED: This was a case-control, multicenter study conducted in 11 anti-TB centers in Tunisia (June-November2014). The cases were adults aged between 18 and 55 years with newly diagnosed and confirmed tuberculosis. Controls were free from tuberculosis. A data collection sheet was filled out and a TST was performed for each participant.Diagnostic accuracy measures of TST were estimated using Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) curve and Area Under Curve (AUC) to estimate sensitivity and specificity of a determined cut-off point.
UNASSIGNED: Overall, 1050 patients were enrolled, composed of 336 cases and 714 controls. The mean age was 38.3±11.8 years for cases and 33.6±11 years for controls.The mean diameter of the TST induration was significantly higher among cases than controls (13.7mm vs.6.2mm; p=10 -6). AUC was 0.789 [95% CI: 0.758-0.819; p=0.01], corresponding to a moderate discriminating performance for this test. The most discriminative cut-off value of the TST, which was associated with the best sensitivity (73.7%) and specificity (76.6%) couple was   ≥ 11 mm with a Youden index of 0.503. Positive and Negative predictive values were 3.11% and 99.52%, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: TST could be a useful tool used for active tuberculosis detection, with a moderate global performance and accepted sensitivity and specificity at the cut-off point of 11 mm. However, it cannot be considered as a gold standard test due to its multiple disadvantages.

BACKGROUND: To develop and evaluate a predictive nomogram for polyuria during general anesthesia in thoracic surgery.
METHODS: A retrospective study was designed and performed. The whole dataset was used to develop the predictive nomogram and used a stepwise algorithm to screen variables. The stepwise algorithm was based on Akaike\'s information criterion (AIC). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the model\'s discrimination ability. The Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) test was performed to check if the model was well calibrated. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to measure the nomogram\'s clinical usefulness and net benefits. P < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
RESULTS: The sample included 529 subjects who had undergone thoracic surgery. Fentanyl use, gender, the difference between mean arterial pressure at admission and before the operation, operation type, total amount of fluids and blood products transfused, blood loss, vasopressor, and cisatracurium use were identified as predictors and incorporated into the nomogram. The nomogram showed good discrimination ability on the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.6937) and is well calibrated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful.
CONCLUSIONS: Individualized and precise prediction of intraoperative polyuria allows for better anesthesia management and early prevention optimization.

UNASSIGNED: This study aims to investigate the agreement between the Huaxi Emotional Index (HEI) and the Nurses\' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR) in assessing high suicide risk and to explore the predictive value of HEI in identifying high suicide risk among patients with depression.
UNASSIGNED: Convenience sampling was used and 386 inpatients with depression were included in this cross-sectional study. All patients were admitted to the Mental Health Center, West China Hospital between June and December 2023. The inclusion criteria were as follows, a diagnosis of depression according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), age over 18, and completion of both NGASR and HEI assessments. According to the exclusion criteria, depression patients who had other comorbid mental disorders or those who had severe cognitive impairments and were unable to communicate effectively were excluded. The study was approved by the Biomedical Ethics Review Committee of West China Hospital (Approval No. 647, 2021). Demographic data such as age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, and educational attainment were collected using a self-designed questionnaire. Both the HEI and NGASR were applied to evaluate the patients. We conducted statistical analyses with SPSS 27, employing Spearman\'s rank correlation for correlation analysis, Kappa tests for consistency between the two instruments, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for evaluating the predictive performance of HEI scores for high suicide risk, with the optimal HEI cutoff value determined on the basis of the Youden Index.
UNASSIGNED: The study included 386 depression inpatients with an average age of 32 years and an average length-of-stay of 14 days. Of these participants, 252 were female (65.3%) and 134 were male (34.7%). Regarding ethnicity, most of the participants were Han Chinese (89.4%), Tibetans accounted for 7.3%, and other minorities, 3.3%. Regarding marital status, 51.3% of the participants were married, 41.2% single, 6.5% divorced, and 1.0% widowed. Regarding educational attainment, 26.2% had an undergraduate or graduate education, 20.7% had junior college education, 24.8% had high school or secondary technical school education, and 28.2% had middle school education or less. The NGASR identified 57.3% of the participants as being at high suicide risk, while the HEI identified 53.6% as having severe emotional distress. There was a moderate agreement between the HEI and the NGASR scores, with a Kappa value of 0.518 ( P<0.001), indicating statistically significant differences. At an HEI score of 17, the Youden Index peaked at 0.52, predicting high suicide risk with a specificity of 76.36%, a sensitivity of 76.02%, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.829 (95% CI: 0.787-0.871), demonstrating statistically significant differences.
UNASSIGNED: HEI and NGASR demonstrate moderate agreement in assessing high suicide risk among depression patients. The HEI questionnaire effectively predicts high suicide risk in patients with depression, with 17 being the optimal cutoff value for assessing high suicide risk.

Depression is a serious psychiatric illness that causes great inconvenience to the lives of elderly individuals. However, the diagnosis of depression is somewhat subjective. Nontargeted gas chromatography (GC)/liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) was used to study the plasma metabolic profile and identify objective markers for depression and metabolic pathway variation. We recruited 379 Chinese community-dwelling individuals aged ≥ 65. Plasma samples were collected and detected by GC/LC‒MS. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and a heatmap were utilized to distinguish the metabolites. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of these differential metabolites. Additionally, metabolic pathway enrichment was performed to reveal metabolic pathway variation. According to our standard, 49 people were included in the depression cohort (DC), and 49 people age- and sex-matched individuals were included in the non-depression cohort (NDC). 64 metabolites identified via GC‒MS and 73 metabolites identified via LC‒MS had significant contributions to the differentiation between the DC and NDC, with VIP values > 1 and p values < 0.05. Three substances were detected by both methods: hypoxanthine, phytosphingosine, and xanthine. Furthermore, 1-(sn-glycero-3-phospho)-1D-myo-inositol had the largest area under the curve (AUC) value (AUC = 0.842). The purine metabolic pathway is the most important change in metabolic pathways. These findings show that there were differences in plasma metabolites between the depression cohort and the non-depression cohort. These identified differential metabolites may be markers of depression and can be used to study the changes in depression metabolic pathways.

UNASSIGNED: To examine the correlation of neutrophil CD64 (nCD64) index with neurosyphilis (NS) across different stages of syphilis.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 1243 syphilis patients at different stages (344 of primary, 385 of secondary, and 514 of tertiary) included in this study were divided into NS and non-NS (NNS). Correlations of nCD64 index with currently used syphilis biomarkers were explored using Spearman correlation test. Relationships between nCD64 index and NS at different stages were investigated by stratified analysis and restricted cubic spline model. The diagnostic performance of nCD64 index for NS was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
UNASSIGNED: Significant statistical correlations of nCD64 index with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NS indicators were found in secondary and tertiary syphilis. Increased nCD64 index was associated with increased risk of NS in secondary and tertiary syphilis. ROC analysis values further confirmed the diagnostic potential of nCD64 index for NS. Marked decrease of nCD64 index was observed in NS patients after effective antisyphilitic treatments.
UNASSIGNED: The nCD64 index may help to the diagnosis of NS in secondary and tertiary syphilis.

In many modern machine learning applications, changes in covariate distributions and difficulty in acquiring outcome information have posed challenges to robust model training and evaluation. Numerous transfer learning methods have been developed to robustly adapt the model itself to some unlabeled target populations using existing labeled data in a source population. However, there is a paucity of literature on transferring performance metrics, especially receiver operating characteristic (ROC) parameters, of a trained model. In this paper, we aim to evaluate the performance of a trained binary classifier on unlabeled target population based on ROC analysis. We proposed Semisupervised Transfer lEarning of Accuracy Measures (STEAM), an efficient three-step estimation procedure that employs (1) double-index modeling to construct calibrated density ratio weights and (2) robust imputation to leverage the large amount of unlabeled data to improve estimation efficiency. We establish the consistency and asymptotic normality of the proposed estimator under the correct specification of either the density ratio model or the outcome model. We also correct for potential overfitting bias in the estimators in finite samples with cross-validation. We compare our proposed estimators to existing methods and show reductions in bias and gains in efficiency through simulations. We illustrate the practical utility of the proposed method on evaluating prediction performance of a phenotyping model for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on a temporally evolving EHR cohort.