OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of different scanning conditions on the image quality of medical electron accelerator cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and provide a reference for the selection of scanning conditions for different body parts. Methods Set different scanning conditions, the Catphan 503 phantom was scanned using CBCT parameters to analyze the influence of spatial resolution, noise, uniformity, spatial geometric accuracy, and low-contrast resolution on the image quality of CBCT. RESULTS: For the head, chest, and abdomen, with the increase in scanning parameter values, the noise value decreased by 47.4%, 26.1%, and 51.3% respectively, and the uniformity values decreased by 30.2%, 26.6%, and 47.9% respectively. The low-contrast resolution values decreased by 50.6%, 34.2%, and 12.0%. The influence of different scanning conditions on spatial geometric accuracy and spatial resolution is not significant. CONCLUSION Different scanning parameters have a certain influence on the image quality of medical electron accelerator CBCT. Lower scanning parameters can be selected based on individual patients to reduce the additional radiation dose, providing a reference for the safe application of CBCT image guidance in radiotherapy.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/instrumentation* ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Particle Accelerators

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of sacral canal posterior wall reconstruction in the treatment of symptomatic sacral canal cysts.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted.The clinical data of 80 patients with symptomatic sacral cysts who underwent surgical treatment at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, between June 2018 and September 2024 were collected. There were 19 males and 61 females, with an average age of (49.0±11.3) years (ranged from 23-76 years). The patients were divided into the traditional group ( n=30) and the reconstruction group ( n=50) based on the surgical approach. The traditional group underwent the conventional surgical method without reconstruction of the posterior wall of the sacral canal, while the reconstruction group underwent posterior wall reconstruction of the sacral canal. Postoperative observations included the integrity of the sacral canal posterior wall, wound healing, and symptom improvement in both groups. Measurement data with normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation( ± s). Independent samples t-test was used for comparisons of measurement data between groups. Categorical data were compared using the chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test. Ordinal data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between variables. Results:Among the 80 patients, the sacral bone integrity score in the reconstruction group was (1.42±0.49) scores, compared to (3.00±0.00) scores in the traditional group, the reconstruction group showed significantly better results ( P<0.05). Symptom improvement was also significantly different between the two groups ( P=0.038): in the traditional group, 17 patients experienced complete symptom resolution, 6 partial improvement, 7 no improvement, and 0 worsening; in the reconstruction group, 37 had complete symptom resolution, 11 partial improvement, 2 no improvement, and 0 worsening. The effective improvement rate (complete+ partial improvement) in the reconstruction group was significantly better than that in the traditional group ( P=0.012). In terms of wound healing, 76 cases healed well, 4 had delayed healing, and 0 had infections. In the traditional group, 27 healed well, 3 had delayed healing, 0 infections; in the reconstruction group, 49 healed well, 1 had delayed healing, and 0 infections. There was no significant difference in wound healing rate between the two groups ( P=0.146). A significant positive correlation was found between sacral canal posterior wall integrity and symptom improvement ( r=0.288, P=0.010). Conclusion:Sacral canal posterior wall reconstruction significantly improves postoperative anatomical integrity and clinical outcomes without increasing complications, supporting its adoption as a preferred surgical approach for symptomatic sacral canal cysts.

Objective:s To investigate the risk factors for delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP) in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning (ACOP) and to develop predictive models based on machine learning algorithms.Methods:Patients with ACOP hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from August 2019 to October 2024 were included, with the occurrence of DEACMP as the outcome measure. The dataset was randomly divided into training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3. Lasso regression was used to select features influencing the outcome in training sets. Nine machine learning models—including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Support Vector Machine (SVM)—were constructed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted and the area under the curve (AUC) calculated for each model. Calibration curves were used to assess accuracy, and decision curve analysis (DCA) was applied to evaluate clinical utility. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was employed to visualize and interpret the best-performing model.Results:A total of 264 ACOP patients were included, of whom 54 (20.5%) developed DEACMP. Lasso regression identified eight key feature variables. Based on these factors, predictive models were constructed, showing good AUC stability across the nine machine learning models in both training (0.92–0.99) and validation sets (0.85–0.91). The RF model performed best, with an AUC of 0.99 in the training set and 0.90 in the validation set; its calibration curve and DCA curve also demonstrated excellent performance. SHAP analysis of the RF model revealed the importance ranking of factors from highest to lowest as follows: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, duration of coma, age, history of coronary heart disease, CK-MB level, monocyte count, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and drinking history.Conclusions:The RF model exhibited the highest predictive performance for DEACMP occurrence in ACOP patients. The influencing factors, ranked in order of importance from highest to lowest, are as follows: GCS score, duration of coma, age, history of coronary heart disease, CK-MB level, monocyte count, DBP, and drinking history.

Objective:To compare and analyze the differences in positioning errors and placement outside the target area between two different image-guided systems(Halcyon and Synergy)in radiotherapy for cervical cancer.Methods:The data of 40 patients with cervical cancer who received treatment in Dezhou People's Hospital from March 2023 to June 2023 were retrospectively selected.Each patient was treated respectively with Halcyon linear accelerator and Synergy linear accelerator,with 20 cases for each treatment method.All patients underwent cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)at kV level to conduct image scanning before radiotherapy,and the obtained CBCT images were matched with the positioned CT images by online.The registration results of left and right(x),head and foot(y)and front and back(z)of three translation direction,and pitch(Rx),rotation(Ry)and deflection(Rz)directions of rotation direction were respectively obtained.The margin of planning target volume(MPTV)was calculated according to positioning expansion formula.The differences of positioning errors and target area expansion between Halcyon and Synergy image-guided systems were compared and analyzed.Results:Halcyon and Synergy image-guided systems obtained respectively 479 and 447 sets of CBCT images.The translational errors of Halcyon image-guided system on x,y,and z directions were respectively(-0.03±0.21),(0.12±0.63)and(0.02±0.15)cm,and the rotational errors of that on Rx,Ry and Rz directions were respectively(0.38±1.26)°,(-0.40±1.02)°,and(0.07±1.07)°.The translational errors of Synergy image-guided system were respectively(-0.07±0.18),(0.08±0.49)and(0.11±0.22)cm on the three directions,and the rotational errors of that were respectively(0.28±1.29)°,(-0.29±1.29)° and(-0.16±1.20)°.The translational error values on the y direction of both image-guided system were larger than that on x and z directions,and the absolute values of the range of translational errors of them were basically within 5 mm.There were no statistically significant difference in the positioning errors of rotation on Rx and Ry directions between Halcyon and Synergy image-guided systems(P＞0.05),while there was a statistically significant difference in the positioning error of rotation on Rz direction between them(t=-3.06,P＜0.05).The MPTV values of Halcyon image-guided system on x,y and z directions were respectively 0.4,1.4 and 0.3 cm,and those of Synergy image-guided system were respectively 0.4,0.9 and 0.5 cm.The expansion boundary of target area of Halcyon image-guided system on the y direction was larger than that of Synergy image-guided system,and that on other directions were all less or equal to 0.5 cm.Conclusion:The MPTV values of Halcyon and Synergy image-guided systems can meet clinical requirements in radiotherapy.The positioning errors and the tube current of the scan of Halcyon image-guided system were larger than those of Synergy image-guided system,but the scanning time and treatment time of that were significantly lower than those of Synergy image-guided system.Different treatment systems can be selected individually for patients according to their different conditions.

AIM:To explore the causal association between the counts of five types of white blood cells—neutrophils,monocytes,eosinophils,baso-phils,and lymphocytes—and venous thromboem-bolism(VTE).METHODS:Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis method was used,with genetic vari-ants associated with the five types of white blood cells as instrumental variables,and venous throm-boembolism occurrence risk as the outcome vari-able,inverse variance-weighted(IVW)method was employed as the primary analysis method,with MR-Egger regression,weighted median(WM),sim-ple model,and weighted mode methods used as supplements,to analyze the causal association be-tween the counts of five types of white blood cells and VTE,followed by reverse MR analysis.RE-SULTS:Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts are caus-ally associated with the risk of VTE.For neutrophil count,the IVW estimate(OR=0.867,95%CI:0.761-0.981,P=0.031),MR-Egger estimate(OR=0.754,95%CI:0.571-0.996,P=0.048),weighted median es-timate(OR=0.846,95%CI:0.729-0.981,P=0.027),and weighted model estimate(OR=0.748,95%CI:0.595-0.942,P=0.014)were calculated.For lympho-cyte count,the IVW estimate(OR=0.838,95%CI:0.741-0.949,P=0.005)and weighted median esti-mate(OR=0.024,95%CI:0.718-0.977,P=0.024)were calculated.Reverse MR analysis showed a causal association between the risk of VTE and neu-trophil count,the IVW estimate(OR=0.989,95%CI:0.980-0.999,P=0.024).CONCLUSION:Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts are related to the risk of VTE,and decrease in neutrophil and lymphocyte numbers may increase the risk of VTE.VTE occur-rence risk is associated with neutrophil count,and reducing the risk of VTE occurrence may increase neutrophil count.Further research is needed to un-derstand the underlying biological mechanisms be-hind this relationship.

Vacuum compression molding (VCM) is a novel technology supporting the research and development of pharmaceutical solid dispersions. It is widely applied due to its precision and convenience in sample preparation. This technology integrates the principles of heating, melting, cooling, and vacuum compression to transform solid powders into shaped solids directly. By selecting different molds, temperatures, and pressures, researchers can prepare samples with diverse characteristics. This paper presents an overview of the equipment composition and working principles of VCM technology, demonstrating its distinct advantages in the formulation screening process of amorphous solid dispersions through comparative analysis with hot melt extrusion using case studies, and introduces its applications in the development of drug delivery systems and rheological characterization analysis, with a perspective on the future development of its functions.

Background and Aims:Elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer often experience decreased sleep quality,which may hinder postoperative recovery.Although pharmacological interventions are commonly used in clinical practice to improve postoperative sleep,conventional medications may lead to adverse effects such as delirium and dependence.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a non-pharmacological intervention—buccal acupuncture combined with ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block(SGB)—on postoperative sleep quality in elderly patients.Methods:A total of 60 elderly patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer at the Forth Hospital of Changsha from February to August 2024 were enrolled.Using a random number table,the patients were divided into two groups:30 in the control group(SGB alone)and 30 in the study group(SGB combined with buccal acupuncture).Perioperative mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scores,and the incidence of adverse events were recorded and analyzed.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups(all P>0.05).The study group showed significantly lower intraoperative and postoperative HR and MAP compared to the control group(all P<0.05).VAS scores at 6,24,and 48 h postoperatively,as well as PSQI scores on postoperative days 1,3,and 5,were significantly lower in the study group(all P<0.05).Additionally,the incidence of drowsiness was significantly reduced(P<0.05).No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of nausea,vomiting,or agitation(all P>0.05).Conclusion:The combination of buccal acupuncture and SGB during the perioperative period can effectively improve postoperative sleep quality,alleviate pain,and reduce adverse reactions in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer.This safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention holds promising clinical application value.

Objective:To investigate the value of carotid，radial and podalic artery intima thickness（CIT，RIT，PIT）combined with monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio（MHR）in predicting the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with premature coronary artery disease（PCAD）.Methods:A total of 80 patients with PCAD who received treatment in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from October 2023 to May 2024 were prospectively recruited，and they were divided into high group（≥41 score，40 cases）and low group（＜41 score，40 cases）according to the median dichotomy of Gensini score. Thirty-four gender，age and body mass index（BMI）-matched healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. The CIT，RIT，PIT，media and intima media thickness of carotid，radial artery and podalic artery（CMT，RMT，PMT，CIMT，RIMT，PIMT）were measured using 24 MHz ultra-high frequency ultrasound probe，and the ratio of intima to media thickness（CIT/CMT，RIT/RMT，PIT/PMT）was calculated. The differences of general clinical data，laboratory indexes and ultrasonic parameters among the three groups were compared. Risk factors affecting the severity of coronary stenosis in PCAD patients were explored by binary logistic regression. Subject working characteristic curves were plotted，area under the curve（AUC）was calculated，and the values of each ultrasound parameter and MHR in the independent and combined diagnosis of the severity of coronary artery stenosis in PCAD patients were evaluated.Results:①There were no statistically significant differences in age，gender，BMI，total cholesterol，CMT，RMT and PMT among the three groups（all P＞0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in the comparison of smoking，hypertension，diabetes mellitus，systolic blood pressure，diastolic blood pressure，low-density lipoprotein cholesterol，total cholesterol，and triglycerides between the two subgroups of the PCAD（all P>0.05）. ②CIT，CIMT，CIT/CMT，RIT，RIMT，RIT/RMT，PIT，PIMT，PIT/PMT were thickened in the high group compared with the low group，and MHR was higher than in the low group（all P<0.05），the differences in the above parameters remained statistically significant when comparing the PCAD group with the control group（all P<0.05）. ③The AUC values for MHR，CIT，RIT and PIT alone to predict the severity of coronary stenosis in patients with PCAD were 0.781，0.767，0.780 and 0.722，respectively. The combined diagnostic efficiency of the four parameters was better than the independent diagnostic efficiency（AUC = 0.885）. Conclusions:CIT，RIT and PIT are thicker in PCAD patients with high Gensini score and the combination of artery intima thickness and MHR has good efficacy in predicting the severity of coronary artery stenosis in PCAD patients.

Objective:To evaluate the changes of carotid intima thickness（CIT）and stiffness parameters in ankylosing spondylitis（AS）patients by 24 MHz ultra-high frequency ultrasound probe and RF-data based quantitative analysis on vessel stiffness（R-VQS），and to explore its influencing factors.Methods:Sixty patients with AS who underwent consultation at Henan Provincial People's Hospital from November 2023 to May 2024 were prospectively collected as AS group，54 healthy volunteers matched for sex，age，and body mass index were collected as control group. CIT were measured using a 24 MHz ultra-high frequency ultrasound probe，hardness coefficien（HC）and pulse wave velocity（PWV）were measured by R-VQS，the differences of the parameters between the two groups were compared. The changes of carotid artery elasticity and intima thickness and their influencing factors in patients with AS were explored by univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis.Results:①C-reactiveprotein，erythrocyte sedimentation rate（ESR），neutrophil count and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio（NLR）were elevated in the AS group compared with the control group，and the differences were statistically significant（all P < 0.05）. ②CIT，carotid intima-media thickness（CIMT），HC，PWV and epicardial adipose tissue thickness（EATT）were all increased in the AS group compared with the control group，and the differences were statistically significant（all P < 0.05）. ③Multifactorial linear regression analysis showed that EATT，ESR were the main influencing factors of HC，PWV and CIT（ β=2.192，0.031；1.792，0.002；0.097，0.001；all P＜0.05）. Conclusions:Carotid CIT，CIMT，HC，PWV and EATT are all higher in the AS patients，and ESR and EATT are the main influencing factors of HC，PWV，and CIT，suggesting that more attention should be paid to the detection of ESR and EATT in patients with AS when interventions are performed clinically.