Objective To evaluate the safety of mesohepatectomy for centrally located large hepatic tumors.Methods The clinical data of 37 patients who underwent hepatectomy for centrally located large liver tumors in our hospital from October 2010 to August 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.During the operation,the left and right hemilivers were mobilized.Slings for the improved liver hanging maneuver and for selective hepatic vascular occlusion were placed.These slings were used when necessary in order to minimize occlusion and ischemia time to the residual liver,and to maximize the volume of functional liver remnant.Mesohepatectomy was carried out using a microwave hemostatic separator.The feasibility,its effects on preventing hemorrhage,the degree of liver damage and the postoperative complications were evaluated.Results The mean diameter of the neoplasms was (12.6 ± 7.2) cm.The vascular inflow occlusion time of the left and right hemilivers were (12.2 ±3.5) min and (18.5 ±7.1) min,respectively.The blood loss was (487 ± 352) ml.The amount of red blood cell transfusion was (2.7 ± 1.9) U.The operation time was (215 ± 72) min.TBIL,ALT and AST reached their peak levels on the 1 st day after operation and they were higher than before surgery (P ＜ 0.01).The levels were then significantly decreased on the 3rd day after operation.However,the TBIL (P ＜ 0.05),ALT (P ＜ 0.01) and AST (P ＜ 0.05) were higher than the preoperative level,and only returned to normal or were close to the preoperative value on the 7th day after operation (P ＞ 0.05).The initial increase in ALT was quick and then it slowed down,while the initial increase in AST was slow but it decreased quickly.Conclusions Mesohepatectomy for centrally located large hepatic tumors could safely be carried out using the liver hanging maneuver combined with selective hepatic vascular occlusion and a microwave hemostatic separator.This method has the advantages of causing less bleeding,liver damage and rapid recovery.

Objective To commission a Mobetron intra-operative mobile accelerator and analyze the characteristics of its electron beams. Methods The dosimetrie characteristics of the electron beams genera-ted by Mobetron accelerator were measured and compared with those generated by conventional accelerator (Primus, Siemens). M oberton accelerator can generate electron beams of nominal energies of 4,6,9 and 12 MeV. The measurement items were as followings : percentage depth dose perpendicular to water phantom sur-face and beam profiles parallel to water phantom surface, output factors, applicator leakage, electron beam at-tenuation made by lead blocks,and machine output calibration. The measurement devices included a three-dimensional ( 3 D) water scanning phantom, an electrometer, a 0.6 cm3 Farmer ionization chamber, a parallel-plate ionization chamber and solid water slabs. During measurement, all applicators of different tilt angles and diameters were attached to the machine head,and their ends were adjusted to be tangent to the phantom surface. Results Except for the 12 MeV,skin dose for all energies was no more than 90%. The skin dose was higher for Mobetron accelerator electron beams than for regular electron beams. The Dmax depth in water for a 10 cm flat applicator were 0.7,1.3,2.0 and 2.2 cm for the 4 energies,respectively. The depths of 90% dose were 1.0,1.8,2.7 and 3.6 cm, respectively. The selected flat applicator was just 1 cm larger than the tumor bed. But for the beveled applicators,the field flatness and symmetry became worse,and con-sequently,the applicator size had to be selected based on the isodose distribution. The leakage dose at 1 cm outside the applicator was 1.2% ,5.1%, 10.0% and 9.1%, respectively. The lead thickness for full block was 1.5,3.0,4.5 and 6.0 mm,respectively. Conclusions Through the commissioning of Mobetron accel-erator, the machine characteristics are understood, and the data for clinical implementation and routine quality assurance are acquired.

Correspondinga uthor:Wan Chun, Email:mdchunwan@163.com
[Absrt act] Obj ective To summarize the clinical experience with isolated complete resection of he-patic caudate lobe in 14 patients. Mte hods The clinical data of 14patients with isolated complete resection of hepatic caudate lobe carried out in our hospital from December 2007 to March 2015 were retrospectively analyzed .During the operation , selective hepatic vascular occlusion slings , and supra-and infra-hepatic in-ferior vena cava slings were placed after full mobilization of the liver .Isolated complete resection of the he-patic caudate lobe was performed through the left and /or the right , the anterior liver-splitting or the retro-grade approaches .Results The mean operation time was (227 ±64) min.The mean amount of blood loss was (530 ±325) ml.The mean vascular occlusion time was (19.5 ±18.6) min.The mean diameter of ne-oplasm was (15 4.±9 .2) cm. All the operations were successfully carried out .There were no massive hem-orrhage, bile leakage or perioperative death .Hydrothorax occurred in 3 patients and ascites in 2.The mean stay in hospital was (21 ±9) days.All the patients were cured and discharged home .Conclusion Isolated complete resection of hepatic caudate lobe was feasible in clinical practice .

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) simulator (MRI-Sim) can provide superior images for radiotherapy.Due to the complexity of MRI technology and the safety problem caused by strong magnetic field, the acquisition and implementation of MRI simulation is more complicated than CT simulation.In order to ensure the introduction of MRI-Sim, this paper reviews the selection, installation, and acceptance test of MRI-Sim, including the selection of host and auxiliary equipment, installation site preparation, and safety precautions,as well as MRI-Sim acceptance test and commissioning.

Interleukins (ILs) and associated cytokines serve as the means of communication for immune cells and non-immune cells. The use of ILs in harnessing the immune system to cancer treatment has been a promising approach. ILs not only nurture an environment enabling cancer growth but also simultaneously trigger a productive tumor-directed immune response. These properties of ILs are increasingly being explored as a strategy to improve the outcomes of cancer. Here, we describe recently innovative technological approaches that have been developed to improve the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacies of IL-2, 15, 10, and 18 in the treatment of melanoma. Furthermore, the combination of ILs and immune checkpoint inhibition may synergize to reshape the tumor environment, thus yielding better clinical benefits in the future.
Cytokines ; Humans ; Interleukins ; Melanoma/drug therapy*

Objective To examine the incidence of radiation-induced lung injury(RILI)after involved-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT)in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC),and to evaluate the predictability of different models.Methods The clinical data of 242 inoperable or unresectable stage Ⅲ NSCLC patients treated in our hospital from 2007 to 2011 were reviewed. Grade 2 and grade 3 RILI that occurred within 6 months after IMRT were selected as outcome events in this study. The principal component analysis(PCA)model,Lyman-Kutcher-Burman(LKB)model,and mean lung dose(MLD)model were each used to establish a predictive model of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP)for evaluating the dosimetric parameters of IMRT. Results Four principal components were used in the PCA model. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUCs)of grade 2 and grade 3 RILI were 0.652 and 0.611,respectively. For the LKB model, the fitted parameters were m=0.46, n=1.35, and D50=23.59 Gy for grade 2 RILI,and m=0.36,n=0.27,and D50=72.67 Gy for grade 3 RILI. The AUCs of grade 2 and grade 3 RILI in the LKB model were 0.607 and 0.585, respectively. For the MLD model, the estimated parameters were γ50=1.073 and D50=24.66 Gy for grade 2 RILI,and γ50=0.97 and D50=48.45 Gy for grade 3 RILI.The AUCs of grade 2 and grade 3 RILI in the MLD model were 0.604 and 0.569,respectively. Conclusions The use of large data set from a single patient population with the same mode of treatment is very important for improving model predictability and stability. Both the LKB model and PCA model can predict the probability of RILI,whereas the MLD model is less effective in predicting grade 3 RILI.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the distnioution of cerebral atherosclerotic stenosis and early neurologic deterioration (END) in patients with acute large artery atherosclerotic stroke.Methods Patients with acute large artery atherosclerotic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from March 2017 to May 2018 were enrolled retrospectively.END was defined as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score increased by 2 from the baseline within 72 h of admission,or the NIHSS consciousness level score increased by 1,or the NIHSS motor score increased by 1,or having any new neurological deficit.According to whether the patients had END or not,they were divided into END group and non-END group.According to cerebral artery stenosis (stenosis degree ＞ 50％) identified by head and neck CT angiography,magnetic resonance angiography or digital subtraction angiography,they were divided into single artery stenosis group and multiple artery stenosis group.Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors for END.Results A total of 371 patients were enrolled in the study,of which 92 (24.8％) had END.In the single artery stenosis group,the incidence of END varies with the distribution of vessel stenosis:anterior cerebral artery (2.3％),middle cerebral artery (54.4％),posterior cerebral artery (9.1％),basilar artery (4.5％),intracranial internal carotid artery (11.4％),intracranial vertebral artery (6.8％),extracranial internal carotid artery (6.8％),and extracranial vertebral artery (4.5％).The incidence of middle cerebral artery stenosis was significantly higher in the END group than that in the non-END group (54.5％ vs.21.2％;x2=17.615,P ＜ 0.001).In the multiple artery stenosis group,the incidence of END was the highest in patients with only intracranial stenosis (66.7％),followed by patients with intracranial and extracranial stenosis (29.2％),and patients with only extracranial stenosis (4.2％).The incidence of only intracranial multi-artery stenosis was significantly higher in the END group than that in the non-END group (66.7％ vs.47.6％;x2 =5.262,P =0.022).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that middle cerebral artery stenosis (odds ratio,1.805,95％ confidence interval 1.217-2.676;P=0.003) was an independent risk factor for END.Conclusions END was associated with the distribution of cerebral atherosclerotic stenosis in patients with acute large artery atherosclerotic stroke.The middle cerebral artery stenosis was an independent risk factor for END.

Objective:To investigate a time series deep learning model for respiratory motion prediction.Methods:Eighty pieces of respiratory motion data from lung cancer patients were used in this study. They were divided into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 8∶2. The Informer deep learning network was employed to predict the respiratory motions with a latency of about 600 ms. The model performance was evaluated based on normalized root mean square errors (nRMSEs) and relative root mean square errors (rRMSEs).Results:The Informer model outperformed the conventional multilayer perceptron (MLP) and long short-term memory (LSTM) models. The Informer model yielded an average nRMSE and rRMSE of 0.270 and 0.365, respectively, at a prediction time of 423 ms, and 0.380 and 0.379, respectively, at a prediction time of 615 ms.Conclusions:The Informer model performs well in the case of a longer prediction time and has potential application value for improving the effects of the real-time tracking technology.

Objective:To investigate the pseudo-CT generation from cone beam CT (CBCT) by a deep learning method for the clinical need of adaptive radiotherapy.Methods:CBCT data from 74 prostate cancer patients collected by Varian On-Board Imager and their simulated positioning CT images were used for this study. The deformable registration was implemented by MIM software. And the data were randomly divided into the training set ( n=59) and test set ( n=15). U-net, Pix2PixGAN and CycleGAN were employed to learn the mapping from CBCT to simulated positioning CT. The evaluation indexes included mean absolute error (MAE), structural similarity index (SSIM) and peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), with the deformed CT chosen as the reference. In addition, the quality of image was analyzed separately, including soft tissue resolution, image noise and artifacts, etc. Results:The MAE of images generated by U-net, Pix2PixGAN and CycleGAN were (29.4±16.1) HU, (37.1±14.4) HU and (34.3±17.3) HU, respectively. In terms of image quality, the images generated by U-net and Pix2PixGAN had excessive blur, resulting in image distortion; while the images generated by CycleGAN retained the CBCT image structure and improved the image quality.Conclusion:CycleGAN is able to effectively improve the quality of CBCT images, and has potential to be used in adaptive radiotherapy.

Objective To analyze the interactions between different structural types of volatile oil compo-nents(VOCs)and skin lipid molecules,and investigate the mechanism of volatile oil in Chi-nese materia medica(VOCMM)as penetration enhancers. Methods In this study,210 different structural types of VOCs were selected from the VOCMM penetration enhancer database,and the molecular docking experiments were conducted with three main lipid molecules of skin:ceramide 2(CER2),cholesterol(CHL),and free fatty acid(FFA).Each VOC was docked individually with each lipid molecule.Cluster analysis was used to explore the relationship between the binding energy of VOCs and their molecular struc-tures.Nine specific pathogen-free(SPF)Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided in-to Control,Nootkatone,and 3-Butylidenephthalide groups for in vitro percutaneous experi-ments,with three rats in each group.The donor pool solutions were 3%gastrodin,3%gas-trodin+3%nootkatone,and 3%gastrodin+3%3-butylidenephthalide,respectively.The pen-etration enhancing effects of VOCs with higher binding energy were evaluated by comparing the 12-hour cumulative percutaneous absorption of gastrodin(Q12,μg/cm2). Results(i)Most of the VOCs were non-hydrogen bonded to the hydrophobic parts of CHL and FFA,and hydrogen bonded to the head group of CER2.Among them,sesquiterpene ox-ides showed the most pronounced binding affinity to CER2.The VOCs with 2-4 rings(in-cluding carbon rings,benzene rings,and heterocycles)demonstrated stronger binding affini-ty for three skin lipid molecules compared with the VOCs without intramolecular rings(P<0.01).(ii)According to the cluster analysis,most of the VOCs that bond well to CER2 had 2-3 intramolecular rings.The non-oxygenated VOCs were bonded to CER2 in a hydrophobic manner.The oxygenated VOCs were mostly bonded to CER2 by hydrogen bonding.(iii)The results of Franz diffusion cell experiment showed that the Q12 of Control group was 260.60±25.09 μg/cm2,and the transdermal absorption of gastrodin was significantly increased in Nootkatone group(Q12=5 503.00±1 080.00 μg/cm2,P<0.01).The transdermal absorption of gastrodin was also increased in 3-Butylidenephthalide group(Q12=495.40±56.98 μg/cm2,P>0.05).(iv)The type of oxygen-containing functional groups in VOCs was also an influencing factor of binding affinity to CER2. Conclusion The interactions between different types of VOCs with different structures in the VOCMM and three skin lipid molecules in the stratum corneum were investigated at the molecular level in this paper.This research provided theoretical guidance and data support for the screening of volatile oil-based penetration enhancers,and a simple and rapid method for studying the penetration-enhancing mechanism of volatile oils.