Purpose To compare the wireless flat-panel detector with gadolinium oxide coating in X-ray photography in the small joints of the limbs compared with conventional flat panel detector with cesium iodide coating. Materials and Methods Comparison was randomly performed between gadolinium oxide coated sulfur wireless flat-panel detector and cesium iodide coated conventional flat-panel detector for 80 patients who received routine X-ray photography, and scoring data were applied with statistical analysis. Results There was no significant difference between the scoring data from two film-reading people (P>0.05). The resolution of anatomical structure of small joint of limbs and tube current showed no significant difference for two types of imaging systems (P>0.05). Conclusion Wireless flat panel detector sulfur with gadolinium oxide coatings can obtain satisfactory image quality at a reasonable inspection doses in the X-ray photography of small joint of limbs. The imaging quality and inspection doses are similar to conventional flat panel detector device with cesium iodide coating, but the posture is more convenient.

Objective To explore the optimal dose ratio set in the hip digital tomosynthesis (DTS),and to reduce patient's examination dose as low as possible.Methods Ninety patients who received hip DTS examination were randomly divided into 3 groups,with the dose ratio as 6,7 and 8,respectively.One-way ANOVA test was used to compare.the image quality and radiation dose among 3 groups.Results The values of entrance surface dose (ESD),dose-area product (DAP) and image quality score of 3 groups were [(3.76 ± 1.89) mGy,(18.41 ± 11.71) dGy·cm2,3.03 ± 0.24],[(5.24±2.76)mGy,(26.99±13.34)dGy·cm2),3.60±0.11],and [(6.39±1.75)mGy,(36.96± 22.49) dGy· cm2,3.64 ± 0.09],respectively.The difference among three groups was statistically significant (F =10.94,9.45,139.26,P ＜ 0.05).The S-N-K test showed that both ESD values and DAP values in 6,7,and 8 time-dose ratio group was from small to large.The image quality score of 6 time-dose ratio group was lower than that of the other groups with no significant difference.Conclusions Dose ratio is one of the important parameters to result in the radiation dose of DTS.Dose ration 7 is optimal in hip DTS,which could match the image quality and radiation dose best and finally protect patients from unnecessary radiation damage.

Objective To explore the effects of different processing parameters of mobile digital radiography (DR) on image quality of bedside chest radiography.Methods Post processing parameter on 150 cases bedside DR chest image like multi frequency laplasse transform (MLT),image processing (IP) were modified,and the optimization scheme of post-processing parameters were analyzed and summarized.The paired sample t test was used to compare the difference of the imaging quality score and optical density between the default parameter group and the post processing parameter optimization group through measure the optical density of lung related area.Results Brightness,contrast and the low density in dynamic range were the main factors affecting the quality of bedside chest radiography.After modifying and optimizing the post-processing parameters,the density value of the second intercostal area was 1.68±0.04,the density value of the hilum was 0.77±0.46,the density value of pulmonary peripheral (near chest wall 1 cm and overlap with a single rib) was 0.62± 0.06,the density value of cardiac shadow was 0.44 ± 0.04,the density value of subphrenic was 0.37 ± 0.04,the lung markings was clearly showed in the lateral field of lung and was visible in the spine and heart shadow area which meet the diagnostic requirement.The density value of those parts before modify were lower than the modify value which was more closer to the reference density value,and the difference had statistically significant.The image quality score of the postprocessing parameter optimization group was 3.53 ± 0.14,which was higher than 3.02 ± 0.23 of the default parameter group,and the difference had statistically significant.Conclusion The appropriate post-processing parameters is the key to guarantee the reasonable density of lung areas image quality and the optimization post-processing parameter can improve the image quality of bedside chest radiography by the mobile DR.

Objective:To compare the differences in radiation dose and image quality between cone-beam CT (CBCT) and multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) applied to atlantoaxial spine imaging.Methods:Head and neck phantom was scanned at 30 exposure parameter combinations using Pramerica CBCT scanner and 15 parameter combinations using Toshiba 320-row MSCT. The effective dose ( E) of CBCT was calculated based on the Monte Carlo dose estimation software PCXMC, the E value of MSCT was obtained by multiplying the dose length product (DLP) by the related factor. t-test for two independent samples or Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for comparison of radiation dose and subjective and objective image quality between two modalities. The subjective evaluation was a 5-point subjective scale using double-blind method for edge sharpness, contrast, soft tissue level, and artifacts of the images. The signal and noise in the region of interest (ROI) were measured and the contrast signal-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated. Results:For radiation dose, the volumetric dose index and E values of 2.9 mGy and 27.61 μSv for CBCT were lower than those of 8.8 mGy and 433.16 μSv for MSCT, and the differences were statistically significant( z=-3.05, -5.25, P<0.05). For objective evaluation of image quality, the noise and CNR were 27.74 HU and 3.69 in CBCT group, 7.84 HU and 27.1 in MSCT group. The difference between them were statistically significant( z=-5.39, -5.42, P<0.05). The overall image quality, contrast and artifact scores of the CBCT group were 3.5, 3.0 and 5 were higher than those of the MSCT group at 2.0, 2.0, and 4.0, respectively ( z=-2.32, -2.46, -3.31, P<0.05). Conclusions:Both atlantoaxial CBCT and MSCT scans provide image quality that meets diagnostic requirements. Compared to MSCT, CBCT atlantoaxial scans can effectively reduce radiation dose according to the principle of optimization of radiation protection.

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of wrist joint ulnar deviation supination 45° palmar oblique posi-tion in the diagnosis of scaphoid waist fracture and displacement.Methods The imaging and clinical data such as digital radiography(DR),CT of 93 wrist joint trauma patients were analyzed.The four position views including wrist joint anteroposterior+lateral view,scaphoid position,wrist joint ulnar deviation supination 45° palmar oblique position,scaphoid position+wrist joint ulnar devia-tion supination 45° palmar oblique position were analyzed by three readers.The consistency of the evaluation among different readers and the diagnostic efficiency of the diagnosis of scaphoid fracture and displacement were compared.Results The inter-observer agreement,sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,and other diagnostic efficiency of scaphoid waist fracture and displacement was evaluated,wrist joint ulnar deviation supination 45° palmar oblique position+scaphoid position and wrist joint ulnar deviation supination 45° palmar oblique position were better than those of scaphoid position and wrist joint anteroposterior+lateral view.The combination of wrist joint ulnar deviation supination 45° palmar oblique position+scaphoid position obtained the best diagnostic efficiency.Conclusion The wrist joint ulnar deviation supination 45° palmar oblique position shows the long axis of the scaphoid,which has a high diagnostic efficiency in the diagnosis of scaphoid waist fracture and displacement and would be used as a useful supplement to other scaphoid imaging.

Objective To investigate the optimal scanning parameters for cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)of the nasal bone,to achieve low-dose scanning of the nasal bone CBCT.Methods Utilizing Prangmerka CBCT 3D single-tooth sequence,nasal bone scans were performed on two human-equivalent phantoms using two dose protocols,five body types,and five resolutions,resul-ting in 50 scanning sequences.The dose area product(DAP)and volume CT dose index(CTDIvol)were recorded.Objective image quality assessment was conducted by calculating the contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR),signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),noise,and figure of merit(FOM)in region of interest(ROI)set on sagittal images.Subjective scoring was performed using a five-point Likert scale.Differences in radiation dose and image quality among various scanning parameters were compared and analyzed.Results(1)Signifi-cant differences in DAP were observed among different dose modes,body types,and resolutions(P＜0.05),with the lowest DAP values recorded for the XS body type.(2)Statistically significant differences in CNR,SNR,noise,and FOM were found among differ-ent dose modes and resolutions(P＜0.05).The XS body type exhibited the highest SNR and FOM values and the lowest noise.The 200 μm resolution demonstrated the higher CNR value and the highest SNR value,with moderate noise and FOM value.(3)Signifi-cant differences in image quality,contrast,sharpness,and noise were observed among different dose modes,body types,and resolu-tions(P＜0.05).Higher subjective scores were assigned to the 200 μm and 150 μm resolutions,indicating clear anatomical details.Conclusion The scanning parameters of 200 μm resolution combined with an ultra-low-dose protocol for the XS body type achieve a balance between low radiation dose and high image quality,making them suitable for low-dose nasal bone CBCT examinations.

Objective To investigate the removal of metal artifacts caused by different metal implants in different parts of the human body using dual-energy CT and to select the best method for metal artifacts reduction.Methods Forty-three patients with metal implants underwent dual-energy CT scans.Reconstructed images were obtained to produce eight sets of imaging data:conventional image(CI),120 keV,140 keV,160 keV,180 keV,200 keV,Orthopedic metal artifact reduction algorithm(O-MAR),200 keV+O-MAR.The optimal spectral monoenergetic images was selected based on the trend of changes in artifact index(AI)values with different keV monoenergetic images and subjective evaluation.One-way ANOVA was used to analyze and compare objective image evaluation indi-cators and subjective evaluations of image quality among different groups.The intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)was used to evaluate the consistency and reliability of subjective evaluations of image quality among different observers.Results The AI values of differ-ent keV monoenergetic images showed a decreasing trend with increasing keV,and the virtual monoenergetic images at the 200 keV level had the smallest AI value.There were statistically significant differences in objective indicators for the removal of high-density artifacts and low-density artifacts among the groups(P＜0.05).Pairwise comparison showed statistical differences between CI and O-MAR,CI and O-MAR+200 keV,200 keV and O-MAR,200 keV and O-MAR+200 keV(P＜0.05),with O-MAR+200 keV demon-strating the best objective indicators.The ICC for subjective evaluation among different observers was 0.97％,and the ICC within observers was 0.91％.There were statistically significant differences in subjective image scores among the groups(P＜0.05),with the CI had the lowest score[(1.04±0.24)points]and the O-MAR+200 keV combination had the highest score[(4.57±0.78)points].Conclusion Dual-energy CT virtual monoenergetic 200 keV spectroscopy combined with O-MAR technique can be used as the best technique for removing metal implant artifacts and achieving better contrast in the surrounding soft tissue of prostheses.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Chuanshanlong granule on Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/myeloid differentiation protein 88 （MyD88）/nuclear transcription factor -κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway， and to explore the mechanism of its treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT） in rats. MethodForty AIT models were established following excess iodine and injection of porcine thyroglobulin and Freund's adjuvant into Lewis rats for six weeks. Then the rats were randomly divided into the model group， Chuanshanlong granule low-， medium- and high-dose group （0.52， 1.03， 2.06 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with ten in each group. Rats in the Chuanshanlong granule low-， medium- and high-dose groups were separately given 0.01 mL·g^-1·d^-1 Chuanshanlong granule， and those in the normal group and the model group were given the same volume of deionized water for eight weeks. Serum of rats was taken to measure thyroglobulin antibody （TgAb） and thyroid peroxidase antibody （TPOAb） by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the concentrations of free triiodothyronine （FT₃）， free thyroxine （FT₄） and thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH） were detected. The rat thyroid lobes were stained with hematoxylin and eosin （HE）， and the pathological changes were observed under light microscope. In addition， the relative expression of TLR4， MyD88， NF-κB protein and mRNA was determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultCompared with the conditions in the normal group， the serum concentrations of TPOAb and TgAb （P<0.01） and FT₃ and FT₄ （P<0.01） increased and TSH decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. Compared with the conditions in the model group， the concentrations of TPOAb and TgAb in the Chuanshanlong granule treatment groups reduced （P<0.01）， and the concentrations of FT₃ and FT₄ were lowered （P<0.01） while TSH increased （P<0.01） in the Chuanshanlong granule high-dose group. HE staining showed that there was lymphocyte infiltration in the thyroid follicular space， a large number of destroyed or diminished follicular cavities， decreased colloid content， and thinned or destroyed follicular wall in the model group， while the thyroid lymphocyte infiltration in the Chuanshanlong granule treatment groups was significantly less and the structure of thyroid follicles was more complete than those in the model group. Compared with the normal group， the model group had up-regulated relative expression of TLR4， MyD88 and NF-κB protein （P<0.01） and mRNA （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Chuanshanlong granule high-dose group had down-regulated relative expression of TLR4 protein and mRNA （P<0.05）， MyD88 protein （P<0.01） and mRNA （P<0.05）， and NF-κB protein and mRNA （P<0.01）. ConclusionChuanshanlong granule may play a therapeutic role in AIT by inhibiting the activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of the water extracts of Trichosanthis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma at different ratios on glucose and lipid metabolism in KKAy mice with spontaneous type 2 diabetes and explore the mechanism of the extract in alleviating insulin resistance based on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/forkhead box O1 （FoxO1） signaling pathway. MethodThe 8-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were taken as the normal control group， and KKAy male mice of the same age were randomly assigned into a model group， a metformin group， Trichosanthis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma groups at the ratios of 1∶1 （Trichosanthis Radix 30 g， Polygonati Rhizoma 30 g）， 1∶3 （Trichosanthis Radix 15 g， Polygonati Rhizoma 45 g）， and 1∶5 （Trichosanthis Radix 10 g， Polygonati Rhizoma 50 g） according to blood glucose level and body weight， with 6 mice in each group. The administration lasted for 8 weeks， and the body weight （BW） and fasting blood glucose （FBG） of mice were recorded at the same time points of the 2nd， 4th， 6th， and 8th weeks， respectively. Oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was performed at the 7th week. After drug administration， the serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， and fasting insulin （FINS） were measured， and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） index was calculated. The liver tissue samples were stained with hematylin-eosin （HE） and periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） for observation of the fat distribution and glycogen content. The protein levels of PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， FoxO1， and p-FoxO1 in the liver were determined by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increased food intake， FBG， glucose tolerance， FINS， HOMA-IR， TC， TG， and LDL-C （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein levels of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylaison （p）-Akt， FoxO1， and p-FoxO1 in the liver （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Trichosanthis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma lowered FBG and HOMA-IR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In particular， the combination at the ratio of 1∶3 showed the best performance （P<0.01） comparable to metformin. Furthermore， Trichosanthis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma at different ratios lowered blood glucose at different time points of OGTT （P<0.05） and TC and LDL-C （P<0.01）. Additionally， the combination at the ratio of 1∶3 reduced TG （P<0.01）. The liver of mice in the drug administration groups showed regular morphology， with few lipid droplets and rich glycogen. Western blot showed that Trichosanthis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma up-regulated the protein levels of PI3K and p-Akt， down-regulated the protein level of FoxO1， and up-regulated the protein level of p-FoxO1 （P<0.05）. ConclusionTrichosanthis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma， especially at the ratio of 1∶3， lowered the FBG， TC， LDL-C， and HOMA-IR index， promoted liver glycogen synthesis， and reduced steatosis in KKAy mice， which may be related to the regulation of PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway in the liver.