Objective To summarize the clinical efficacy of robotic-assisted left thoracic small-incision minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting(MIDCAB).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the procedures and treatment outcomes of robotic-assisted MIDCAB in the Army Medical Center of PLA from October 2016 to June 2023.Baseline clinical information,MIDCAB-related data,perioperative conditions and data during follow-up were collected and analyzed.Results There were 23 patients subjected,including 21 males and 2 females,with a mean age of 58.17±7.49 years,and a body mass index(BMI)of 23.99±3.25 kg/m2.All of them experienced angina pectoris,and 1 had a history of myocardial infarction,1 had dilated cardiomyopathy,2 patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),and 10 had a history of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Robotic-assisted MIDCAB procedure was successfully completed.No internal mammary artery injury or transformation of the procedure occurred in these cases,and excellent bridging vessel flow was achieved after anastomosis of the internal mammary artery to left anterior descending branch.The incision length in the left chest was 8(8,8)cm,the operation time was 380(300,465)min,the intraoperative bleeding volume was 300(100,400)mL,the length of ICU stay was 3(2,3)d,the amount of thoracic drainage was 780(525,1 040)mL,and the postoperative length from surgery to discharge was 11.17±2.38 d.No mortality was observed during or within 30 d of hospitalization,and 1 patient was readmitted due to pericardial effusion within 30 d,and was discharged after symptomatic treatment including pericardiocentesis and drainage.No deaths,major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCE),or re-revascularization occurred in all patients during outpatient and telephone follow-up.Conclusion Robotic-assisted internal mammary artery dissection is a delicate and safe technique,and coronary artery bypass grafting in minimally invasive small-incision off-pump is effective,safe and feasible,with satisfactory short-and mid-term outcomes.The technique is suitable for minimally invasive coronary artery disease surgery and is worthy of popularization and application.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of BRCA gene mutations in patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma and fallopian tube carcinoma, and to investigate the impact of mutations in the functional domains of the BRCA genes on the prognosis of patients.Methods:This research collected a total of 273 patients diagnosed with primary ovarian epithelial carcinoma or fallopian tube carcinoma by pathological examination at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2009 and December 2023.Data on their BRCA gene mutation status, clinicopathological data, and follow-up information were collected. A retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between BRCA gene mutations and patients' prognosis, including progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) time.Results:Among the 273 patients with ovarian or fallopian tube carcinoma, 101 cases (37.0%, 101/273) were positive for BRCA gene mutations (BRCA-positive group), while 172 cases (63.0%, 172/273) were negative for BRCA gene mutations (BRCA-negative group). (1) Clinicopathological characteristics: compared with the BRCA-negative group, the BRCA-positive group had a younger age at diagnosis, lower proportion of postmenopausal status, and lower recurrence rate (all P<0.05). Additionally, the BRCA-positive group showed a higher prevalence of family history of gynecological malignancies and a higher rate of no visible residual disease (R0) resection, all with statistical significance (all P<0.05). (2) Characteristics of BRCA gene mutations: among the 101 BRCA-positive patients, 74 cases (27.1%, 74/273) had BRCA1 gene mutations, 26 cases (9.5%, 26/273) had BRCA2 gene mutations, and 1 case (0.4%, 1/273) had indeterminate mutation records. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) 2015 guideline, mutations of uncertain significance accounted for 22.8% (23/101), likely pathogenic mutations accounted for 10.9% (11/101), and pathogenic mutations accounted for 59.4% (60/101), with 5.9% (6/101) unclassifiable. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have three (RING, DBD, BRCT) and two (RAD51-BD, DBD) major functional domains, respectively. Among the 89 BRCA-positive patients with detailed domain mutation data, the overall domain mutation rate was 40.4% (36/89), distributed as follows: DBD 14.6% (13/89), BRCT 12.4% (11/89), RING 4.5% (4/89), and RAD51-BD 9.0% (8/89). (3) Association between BRCA gene functional domain mutations and prognosis: among 77 patients with advanced stage (Ⅲ-Ⅳ) ovarian epithelial carcinoma in the BRCA-positive group with functional domain mutation data, the median PFS time was significantly longer in the 31 patients with domain mutations compared to the 46 patients with non-domain mutations (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 26.0 months; P=0.035). However, there was no significant difference in median OS time between the two groups (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 67.0 months; P=0.513). Median PFS time was longer in 13 patients with mutations in the DBD functional domain than that in 64 patients with mutations outside the DBD functional domain (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 28.0 months; P=0.042), whereas there was no significant difference in the comparison of median OS time between the two groups (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 67.0 months; P=0.321). (4) Association between BRCA gene functional domain mutations and efficacy of poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance therapy: among 51 advanced stage ovarian epithelial carcinoma patients who received PARPi maintenance therapy in the BRCA-positive group, 20 patients with domain mutations demonstrated significantly longer median PFS time compared to 31 patients with non-domain mutations (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 31.0 months; P=0.039). However, no significant difference was observed in median OS time between the two groups (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 53.0 months; P=0.178). PARPi maintenance therapy was more effective in the 9 patients with mutations in the DBD functional domain than that in the 42 patients with mutations located outside the DBD structural domain, with significant differences observed in both median PFS time (both not reached during the follow-up period; P=0.007) and median OS time (both not reached during the follow-up period; P=0.037). In contrast, patients with mutations in the BRCT or RAD51-BD domains showed no significant differences in either median PFS or OS time compared to patients with mutations outside these domains (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma and fallopian tube carcinoma who harbor BRCA functional domain mutations exhibit significantly longer median PFS time compared to those with non-domain mutations. Moreover, among patients received PARPi maintenance therapy, those with mutations in the DBD domain have a better median PFS and OS time benefit.

This paper presents an automatic acquisition and analytic procedure of acupuncture manipulation based on optical navigation, aiming at solving the shortcomings of existing acquisition methods of acupuncture manipulation. An acquisition holder installed at the handle tail of filiform needle was designed to display the movement trajectory of the needle during acupuncture delivery by collecting the movement trajectory of holder. The 3-month old male Bama miniature pig was selected as the experimental subject, and 6 points, "Bojian" "Qiangfeng" "Housanli" "Xiaokua" "Huiyang" (BL35) and "Baihui" (GV20), were selected during acupuncture manipulation. The optical navigation system was used to collect the real-time data, and these data were per-processed and analyzed using mean filtering and Fourier transform. The acupuncture procedure was divided into 3 stages, inserting, lifting-thrusting, and twisting. The results showed that the accuracy was 96.3% at lifting-thrusting stage, and that was 100.0% at twisting stage. The decomposition effect of the entire procedure was satisfactory. This study provides a new approach to the quantitative analysis of acupuncture manipulation. In the future, it needs to further optimize the algorithm and expand the sample size so as to improve the accuracy of this analytic technique.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Male ; Animals ; Swine ; Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Swine, Miniature ; Needles

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of BRCA gene mutations in patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma and fallopian tube carcinoma, and to investigate the impact of mutations in the functional domains of the BRCA genes on the prognosis of patients.Methods:This research collected a total of 273 patients diagnosed with primary ovarian epithelial carcinoma or fallopian tube carcinoma by pathological examination at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2009 and December 2023.Data on their BRCA gene mutation status, clinicopathological data, and follow-up information were collected. A retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between BRCA gene mutations and patients' prognosis, including progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) time.Results:Among the 273 patients with ovarian or fallopian tube carcinoma, 101 cases (37.0%, 101/273) were positive for BRCA gene mutations (BRCA-positive group), while 172 cases (63.0%, 172/273) were negative for BRCA gene mutations (BRCA-negative group). (1) Clinicopathological characteristics: compared with the BRCA-negative group, the BRCA-positive group had a younger age at diagnosis, lower proportion of postmenopausal status, and lower recurrence rate (all P<0.05). Additionally, the BRCA-positive group showed a higher prevalence of family history of gynecological malignancies and a higher rate of no visible residual disease (R0) resection, all with statistical significance (all P<0.05). (2) Characteristics of BRCA gene mutations: among the 101 BRCA-positive patients, 74 cases (27.1%, 74/273) had BRCA1 gene mutations, 26 cases (9.5%, 26/273) had BRCA2 gene mutations, and 1 case (0.4%, 1/273) had indeterminate mutation records. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) 2015 guideline, mutations of uncertain significance accounted for 22.8% (23/101), likely pathogenic mutations accounted for 10.9% (11/101), and pathogenic mutations accounted for 59.4% (60/101), with 5.9% (6/101) unclassifiable. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have three (RING, DBD, BRCT) and two (RAD51-BD, DBD) major functional domains, respectively. Among the 89 BRCA-positive patients with detailed domain mutation data, the overall domain mutation rate was 40.4% (36/89), distributed as follows: DBD 14.6% (13/89), BRCT 12.4% (11/89), RING 4.5% (4/89), and RAD51-BD 9.0% (8/89). (3) Association between BRCA gene functional domain mutations and prognosis: among 77 patients with advanced stage (Ⅲ-Ⅳ) ovarian epithelial carcinoma in the BRCA-positive group with functional domain mutation data, the median PFS time was significantly longer in the 31 patients with domain mutations compared to the 46 patients with non-domain mutations (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 26.0 months; P=0.035). However, there was no significant difference in median OS time between the two groups (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 67.0 months; P=0.513). Median PFS time was longer in 13 patients with mutations in the DBD functional domain than that in 64 patients with mutations outside the DBD functional domain (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 28.0 months; P=0.042), whereas there was no significant difference in the comparison of median OS time between the two groups (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 67.0 months; P=0.321). (4) Association between BRCA gene functional domain mutations and efficacy of poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance therapy: among 51 advanced stage ovarian epithelial carcinoma patients who received PARPi maintenance therapy in the BRCA-positive group, 20 patients with domain mutations demonstrated significantly longer median PFS time compared to 31 patients with non-domain mutations (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 31.0 months; P=0.039). However, no significant difference was observed in median OS time between the two groups (not reached during the follow-up period, vs 53.0 months; P=0.178). PARPi maintenance therapy was more effective in the 9 patients with mutations in the DBD functional domain than that in the 42 patients with mutations located outside the DBD structural domain, with significant differences observed in both median PFS time (both not reached during the follow-up period; P=0.007) and median OS time (both not reached during the follow-up period; P=0.037). In contrast, patients with mutations in the BRCT or RAD51-BD domains showed no significant differences in either median PFS or OS time compared to patients with mutations outside these domains (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma and fallopian tube carcinoma who harbor BRCA functional domain mutations exhibit significantly longer median PFS time compared to those with non-domain mutations. Moreover, among patients received PARPi maintenance therapy, those with mutations in the DBD domain have a better median PFS and OS time benefit.

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.

Objective To understand the current situation of reprocessing reusable sterilized items in the central sterile supply departments(CSSD)of hospitals and provide a scientific basis for further standardized management.Methods Using the convenience sampling method,a self-designed questionnaire on the current situation of reprocessing of reusable disinfection items in CSSDs was used to conduct a survey in 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities)from June 11th to 23rd,2024.The questionnaire covered 2 aspects,including the basic situation of the hospital and the reprocessing of disinfection items.Results A total of 1 835 questionnaires were distributed,and 1 603 valid questionnaires were retrieved.Regarding the use of reusable disinfection items,with the most frequently used items being humidification bottles,tourniquets,breathing bags and their accessories,and ventilator tubing systems etc.Among them,1 558 hospitals(97.19％)established standardized disposal procedures,and 996 hospitals(62.13％)assigned dedica-ted personnel to be responsible.In terms of the reprocessing procedures of reusable disinfection items,all 1 603 hospitals carried out drying process for the items;the main packaging method was plastic self-sealing bags(59.95％),and 541 hospitals(33.75％)sterilized the packaging materials.Additionally,935 hospitals(58.33％)used oil-free air compressors;among them,51 hospitals(58.62％)installed activated carbon filters at the end of the compressors.Conclusion The current situation of reprocessing reusable sterilized items in CSSDs of nationwide hospitals needs improvement.It is recommended to strengthen the training of professional disinfection knowledge,unify the sterilization standards for plastic self-sealing bags,develop a storage management system,and adopt a medical air compressor system without oil and water to reduce the risk of hospital infections.

Objective To understand the current situation of reprocessing reusable sterilized items in the central sterile supply departments(CSSD)of hospitals and provide a scientific basis for further standardized management.Methods Using the convenience sampling method,a self-designed questionnaire on the current situation of reprocessing of reusable disinfection items in CSSDs was used to conduct a survey in 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities)from June 11th to 23rd,2024.The questionnaire covered 2 aspects,including the basic situation of the hospital and the reprocessing of disinfection items.Results A total of 1 835 questionnaires were distributed,and 1 603 valid questionnaires were retrieved.Regarding the use of reusable disinfection items,with the most frequently used items being humidification bottles,tourniquets,breathing bags and their accessories,and ventilator tubing systems etc.Among them,1 558 hospitals(97.19％)established standardized disposal procedures,and 996 hospitals(62.13％)assigned dedica-ted personnel to be responsible.In terms of the reprocessing procedures of reusable disinfection items,all 1 603 hospitals carried out drying process for the items;the main packaging method was plastic self-sealing bags(59.95％),and 541 hospitals(33.75％)sterilized the packaging materials.Additionally,935 hospitals(58.33％)used oil-free air compressors;among them,51 hospitals(58.62％)installed activated carbon filters at the end of the compressors.Conclusion The current situation of reprocessing reusable sterilized items in CSSDs of nationwide hospitals needs improvement.It is recommended to strengthen the training of professional disinfection knowledge,unify the sterilization standards for plastic self-sealing bags,develop a storage management system,and adopt a medical air compressor system without oil and water to reduce the risk of hospital infections.

Objective To explore the short-term and long-term efficacy of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) under microscopic assistance for patients with focal ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). Methods A total of 105 patients with focal OPLL treated between February 2020 and February 2022 were retrospectively selected. They were divided into microscope group (n=56) and conventional group (n=49) based on whether ACDF was assisted by microscopy. Perioperative indicators, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores, spinal canal cross-sectional area at the narrowest point, anteroposterior diameter of the spinal cord, cervical range of motion, intervertebral height, joint function[Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) cervical spine disease score and Neck Disability Index (NDI)], and occurrence of complication were observed. Results The average operative time and average hospital stay in the microscope group were shorter than those in the conventional group[(141.85±18.35) min and (10.18±1.58) d versus (159.46±21.42) min and (12.03±1.82) d, P < 0.05]. The average intraoperative blood loss in the microscope group was (80.65±7.28) mL, which was less than that (103.52±10.43) mL in the conventional group (P < 0.05). The VAS score and SF-36 score at six months postoperatively were better in the microscope group compared to the conventional group [(2.82±0.53) and (79.56±5.68) versus (3.51±0.60) and (72.35±4.77), respectively, P < 0.05]. Spinal canal area and anteroposterior diameter of the spinal cord between the two groups postoperatively showed statistically significant differences [(138.24±24.32) mm versus (123.62±18.74) mm, (5.42±0.46) mm versus (4.73±0.51) mm, P < 0.05]. The cervical range of motion at six months postoperatively in the microscope group showed significant difference compared with that in the conventional group[(25.21±3.37) °versus (28.65±3.56) °, P < 0.05]. The complication rate in the microscope group was lower than that in the conventional group (5.36% versus 18.37%, P < 0.05). Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA) and National Death Index (NDI) scores showed statistically significant between-group and time-point difference (P < 0.05). Conclusion Microscopic assistance during ACDF for focal OPLL provides a clear field of vision and facilitates effective decompression of the spinal cord by using a drill to remove and thin the ossified focus, thereby improving short-term pain and joint function while reducing the risk of spinal cord injury and other complications.

Objective:To investigate the effect and adverse reactions of radiotherapy combined with targeted drugs for the treatment of multiple brain metastases (MBM) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the changes in serum tumor marker levels.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Eighty-six patients with NSCLC-MBM who were admitted to the Fifth People's Hospital of Datong from June 2019 to June 2022 were selected, and the patients were divided into the study group and the control group according to different treatment methods, with 43 cases in each group. The study group was given radiotherapy to the tumor primary focus combined with erlotinib or gefitinib targeted therapy, and the control group was given radiotherapy to the tumor primary focus based on conventional chemotherapy with pemetrexed combined with platinum-based drugs. The efficacy, overall survival rate and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups at 1 month after treatment; the levels of serum tumor markers S100-β, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results:The study group was aged (55±5) years old, ranging from 39 to 75 years old, including 15 (34.88%) males and 28 (65.12%) females; the control group was aged (54±5) years old, ranging from 38 to 72 years old, including 17 (39.53%) males and 26 (60.47%) females. The general data such as age and gender of patients were compared between the two groups, and the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The objective remission rate [53.49% (23/43) vs. 32.56% (14/43)] and disease control rate [93.02% (40/43) vs. 69.77% (30/43)] at 1 month after treatment, and 1-year overall survival rate [58.14% (25/43) vs. 46.51% (20/43)] of the study group were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2 values were 10.91, 5.76 and 11.02, respectively; P values were 0.001, 0.016 and 0.001, respectively). Before treatment, the differences in serum S100-β, CEA and SCCA levels between the two groups of patients were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). At 1 month after treatment, the serum S100-β, CEA and SCCA levels of the study group were lower than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with adverse reactions in the study group was lower than that in the control group [13.95% (6/43) vs. 39.53% (17/43)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 8.35, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Radiotherapy combined with targeted drugs therapy may prolong the survival of NSCLC-MBM patients, reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions and decrease the levels of serum tumor markers, which is worthy of clinical promotion.