Background and purpose:Single-week ultra-hypofractionated whole breast irradiation(WBI)after breast-conserving surgery could shorten the treatment duration while ensuring efficacy and safety,making it a viable option for WBI.However,ultra-hypofractionated WBI requires daily image-guided radiotherapy(IGRT),and its impact on setup errors remains unclear.This study aimed to identify factors associated with set-up errors in ultra-hypofractionated WBI guided with daily cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)and calculate margin expanded from clinical target volume(CTV)to planning target volume(PTV).Methods:This study included patients enrolled in a prospective trial that explored the safety of single-week ultra-hypofractionated WBI(NCT04926766)in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital,which was approved by Shanghai Ruijin Hospital Ethics Committee(No.2020-352).All patients received CBCT1 after positioning.After correcting errors,patients received CBCT2.CBCT3 was conducted after radiotherapy was completed.The translational errors between CBCT1,CBCT2,and plan CT were initial and residual inter-fractional errors.The translational error between CBCT2 and CBCT3 was an intra-fractional error.The PTV margin was calculated according to the van Herk formula.Results:A total of 34 patients were enrolled in this study,and 510 CBCT images were collected.Daily CBCT significantly reduced set-up error in anterior-posterior(AP),superior-inferior(SI)and right-left(RL)directions(initial inter-fractional error vs residual inter-fractional error:AP,2.8 mm vs 0.4 mm;SI,1.6 mm vs 0.5 mm;RL,1.8 mm vs 0.3 mm,all P＜0.001).Higher CTV volume(＞402.5 cm3 vs≤402.5 cm3)was associated with larger residual inter-fractional error(0.5 mm vs 0.3 mm,P=0.023)and intra-fractional error(0.5 mm vs 0.2 mm,P=0.001)in AP direction.Higher CTV volume was also associated with larger residual inter-fractional error in the SI direction(0.6 mm vs 0.5 mm,P=0.037).Higher BMI(＞23.2 kg/m2 vs≤23.2 kg/m2)and larger weight(＞60.0 kg vs≤60.0 kg)were associated with larger intra-fractional error in AP direction:0.7 mm vs 0.2 mm(P＜0.001)and 0.5 mm vs 0.2 mm(P=0.033),respectively.Under guidance with daily CBCT,the recommended margins were 2.3 mm in AP direction,2.8 mm in SI direction,and 2.0 mm in RL direction.However,in patients with CTV volume＞402.5 cm3 and BMI＞23.2 kg/m2,a larger margin was recommended in SI direction:3.1 mm and 3.4 mm,respectively.Conclusion:The 3 mm margin was feasible under guidance with daily CBCT.The CTV to PTV margin should be larger in patients with higher BMI or CTV volume.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of a 3D printed guide plate in the placement of a hinged external fixator for treatment of elbow terror triad.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 10 patients with elbow terror triad who had been treated at Department of Orthopedics, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University from July 2021 to July 2023 by the hinged external fixator placement assisted by a 3D printed guide plate. There were 6 males and 4 females, aged (48.2±19.7) years. The range of elbow motion and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score in the patients were recorded and compared between preoperation and the last follow-up. Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) and complications were also recorded at the last follow-up.Results:The central axis of the elbow rotation was successfully located at one time under the assistance of the 3D printed guide plate in the 10 patients. Intraoperative fluoroscopy and postoperative CT computer simulation verified that the rotation center of the hinged external fixator was consistent with that of the elbow joint. All patients were followed up for 12.0 (5.5, 13.5) months. The elbow flexion and extension at the last follow-up in the 10 patients were 126.2°±6.1° and 153.2°±5.9°, respectively, significantly better than those before operation (23.3°±6.7° and 121.2°±5.7°) ( P<0.05). Their VAS pain score was 1 (0, 1) point at the last follow-up, significantly lower than that before operation [3 (2, 3) points] ( P<0.05). Their MEPS score at the last follow-up was (88.0±6.8) points, giving 6 excellent and 4 good cases. No patient experienced such complications as pin tract infection, loosening or breakage of fixation needles, or radial nerve injury. Ectopic ossification occurred in 2 patients, and 1 patient underwent a secondary nerve release due to ulnar nerve symptoms. Conclusion:In the surgical treatment of elbow terror triad, application of a 3D printed guide plate to assist the placement of an external fixator can quickly and accurately locate the central axis of the elbow rotation, which promotes the early functional exercise of the patients to obtain a satisfactory functional prognosis.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of three-dimensional(3D) printing-assisted fenestrated/branched endovascular aortic repair (F/B-TEVAR) for the treatment of endoleak after open surgery for type A aortic dissection.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series analysis was conducted on 16 patients with anastomotic leakage following Stanford type A aortic dissection open repair, admitted to 12 medical centers between January 2019 and December 2023. All surgeries were led by the vascular surgery team from Department of Vascular Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. The study included 12 males and 4 females, with an age of (58.1±8.2) years (range: 42 to 75 years). Preoperative patient-specific 3D-printed models or 3D parametric surface topological guides were created based on aortic CT angiography data. These models assisted intraoperative external positioning of fenestration sites, combined with stent diameter selection and inner branch techniques to complete endovascular repair. Surgical procedures, complications, and clinical outcomes were evaluated, with follow-up CT imaging to assess efficacy.Results:All patients successfully underwent surgery without conversion to open repair. One patient had distal stent migration from a prior open repair, requiring intraoperative coverage of the main stent window and conversion to an in situ fenestration procedure. The mean operative time was (332.6±111.2)minutes (range: 80 to 460 minutes). No renal failure, paraplegia, or branch artery loss occurred. Postoperative follow-up ( M(IQR)) was 18(18) months(range: 6 to 36 months), with follow-up rates of 16/16 at 6 months, 10/16 at 12 months, 8/16 at 24 months, and 2/16 at 36 months. During follow-up, endoleak occurred in 3 patients, cerebral infarction in 1 patient, and death in 1 patient. The remaining patients demonstrated stable stent positioning, patent branches, and no endoleak. Conclusion:3D technology-guided F/B-TEVAR shows favorable mid-to short-term outcomes in treating anastomotic leakage after open repair of type A aortic dissection.

Background and purpose:Single-week ultra-hypofractionated whole breast irradiation(WBI)after breast-conserving surgery could shorten the treatment duration while ensuring efficacy and safety,making it a viable option for WBI.However,ultra-hypofractionated WBI requires daily image-guided radiotherapy(IGRT),and its impact on setup errors remains unclear.This study aimed to identify factors associated with set-up errors in ultra-hypofractionated WBI guided with daily cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)and calculate margin expanded from clinical target volume(CTV)to planning target volume(PTV).Methods:This study included patients enrolled in a prospective trial that explored the safety of single-week ultra-hypofractionated WBI(NCT04926766)in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital,which was approved by Shanghai Ruijin Hospital Ethics Committee(No.2020-352).All patients received CBCT1 after positioning.After correcting errors,patients received CBCT2.CBCT3 was conducted after radiotherapy was completed.The translational errors between CBCT1,CBCT2,and plan CT were initial and residual inter-fractional errors.The translational error between CBCT2 and CBCT3 was an intra-fractional error.The PTV margin was calculated according to the van Herk formula.Results:A total of 34 patients were enrolled in this study,and 510 CBCT images were collected.Daily CBCT significantly reduced set-up error in anterior-posterior(AP),superior-inferior(SI)and right-left(RL)directions(initial inter-fractional error vs residual inter-fractional error:AP,2.8 mm vs 0.4 mm;SI,1.6 mm vs 0.5 mm;RL,1.8 mm vs 0.3 mm,all P＜0.001).Higher CTV volume(＞402.5 cm3 vs≤402.5 cm3)was associated with larger residual inter-fractional error(0.5 mm vs 0.3 mm,P=0.023)and intra-fractional error(0.5 mm vs 0.2 mm,P=0.001)in AP direction.Higher CTV volume was also associated with larger residual inter-fractional error in the SI direction(0.6 mm vs 0.5 mm,P=0.037).Higher BMI(＞23.2 kg/m2 vs≤23.2 kg/m2)and larger weight(＞60.0 kg vs≤60.0 kg)were associated with larger intra-fractional error in AP direction:0.7 mm vs 0.2 mm(P＜0.001)and 0.5 mm vs 0.2 mm(P=0.033),respectively.Under guidance with daily CBCT,the recommended margins were 2.3 mm in AP direction,2.8 mm in SI direction,and 2.0 mm in RL direction.However,in patients with CTV volume＞402.5 cm3 and BMI＞23.2 kg/m2,a larger margin was recommended in SI direction:3.1 mm and 3.4 mm,respectively.Conclusion:The 3 mm margin was feasible under guidance with daily CBCT.The CTV to PTV margin should be larger in patients with higher BMI or CTV volume.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of a 3D printed guide plate in the placement of a hinged external fixator for treatment of elbow terror triad.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 10 patients with elbow terror triad who had been treated at Department of Orthopedics, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University from July 2021 to July 2023 by the hinged external fixator placement assisted by a 3D printed guide plate. There were 6 males and 4 females, aged (48.2±19.7) years. The range of elbow motion and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score in the patients were recorded and compared between preoperation and the last follow-up. Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) and complications were also recorded at the last follow-up.Results:The central axis of the elbow rotation was successfully located at one time under the assistance of the 3D printed guide plate in the 10 patients. Intraoperative fluoroscopy and postoperative CT computer simulation verified that the rotation center of the hinged external fixator was consistent with that of the elbow joint. All patients were followed up for 12.0 (5.5, 13.5) months. The elbow flexion and extension at the last follow-up in the 10 patients were 126.2°±6.1° and 153.2°±5.9°, respectively, significantly better than those before operation (23.3°±6.7° and 121.2°±5.7°) ( P<0.05). Their VAS pain score was 1 (0, 1) point at the last follow-up, significantly lower than that before operation [3 (2, 3) points] ( P<0.05). Their MEPS score at the last follow-up was (88.0±6.8) points, giving 6 excellent and 4 good cases. No patient experienced such complications as pin tract infection, loosening or breakage of fixation needles, or radial nerve injury. Ectopic ossification occurred in 2 patients, and 1 patient underwent a secondary nerve release due to ulnar nerve symptoms. Conclusion:In the surgical treatment of elbow terror triad, application of a 3D printed guide plate to assist the placement of an external fixator can quickly and accurately locate the central axis of the elbow rotation, which promotes the early functional exercise of the patients to obtain a satisfactory functional prognosis.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of three-dimensional(3D) printing-assisted fenestrated/branched endovascular aortic repair (F/B-TEVAR) for the treatment of endoleak after open surgery for type A aortic dissection.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series analysis was conducted on 16 patients with anastomotic leakage following Stanford type A aortic dissection open repair, admitted to 12 medical centers between January 2019 and December 2023. All surgeries were led by the vascular surgery team from Department of Vascular Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. The study included 12 males and 4 females, with an age of (58.1±8.2) years (range: 42 to 75 years). Preoperative patient-specific 3D-printed models or 3D parametric surface topological guides were created based on aortic CT angiography data. These models assisted intraoperative external positioning of fenestration sites, combined with stent diameter selection and inner branch techniques to complete endovascular repair. Surgical procedures, complications, and clinical outcomes were evaluated, with follow-up CT imaging to assess efficacy.Results:All patients successfully underwent surgery without conversion to open repair. One patient had distal stent migration from a prior open repair, requiring intraoperative coverage of the main stent window and conversion to an in situ fenestration procedure. The mean operative time was (332.6±111.2)minutes (range: 80 to 460 minutes). No renal failure, paraplegia, or branch artery loss occurred. Postoperative follow-up ( M(IQR)) was 18(18) months(range: 6 to 36 months), with follow-up rates of 16/16 at 6 months, 10/16 at 12 months, 8/16 at 24 months, and 2/16 at 36 months. During follow-up, endoleak occurred in 3 patients, cerebral infarction in 1 patient, and death in 1 patient. The remaining patients demonstrated stable stent positioning, patent branches, and no endoleak. Conclusion:3D technology-guided F/B-TEVAR shows favorable mid-to short-term outcomes in treating anastomotic leakage after open repair of type A aortic dissection.

Background and Aims:Rupture is the most serious complication of abdominal aortic aneurysm,requiring rapid diagnosis,emergency surgery,and posing significant surgical challenges,with high mortality rates. Currently,there is very limited reporting on ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) in our country,which presents numerous difficulties for the prevention and treatment of rAAA. This study collected the data of epidemiological characteristics,treatment outcomes,and prognosis of rAAA patients from multiple centers with a large sample size,analyzing the current status and trends of rAAA surgery in China over the past decade,aiming to provide reference for clinical practice.Methods:The clinical and follow-up data of 161 rAAA patients treated at five major vascular surgery centers (50 from Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to the Medical School,Nanjing University;19 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University;33 from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University;31 from Qilu Hospital,Shandong University;and 28 from the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China) were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among the 161 patients,124 (77.02％) were male and 37 (22.98％) were female,with an average age of 68.27 years. The median age at diagnosis was 70 years for males and 71 years for females. The overall mean aneurysm diameter was 7.11 cm,with males at 7.72 cm and females at 6.82 cm,showing a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The main comorbidities were hypertension and coronary artery disease. Over 80％ of patients presented with abdominal pain as the initial symptom,while 15％ presented with low back pain,and 8 patients sought medical attention for dizziness or visual disturbances. Among the 161 patients,86 underwent open surgical repair (OSR),and 75 received endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). The proportion of EVAR has increased annually,reaching nearly 70％ in the past five years,and up to 90％ in patients aged over 70 years. All OSR procedures were performed under general anesthesia,while 20 EVAR cases used local anesthesia and 55 used general anesthesia. Compared to the OSR group,the EVAR group showed significant differences in operative time (231.77 min vs. 162.49 min),intraoperative blood transfusion volume (1578.56 mL vs. 843.87 mL),length of hospital stay (21.21 d vs. 15.34 d),ICU stay duration (8.28 d vs. 5.49 d),and hospitalization costs (108500 CNY vs. 132800 CNY) (all P<0.05). No significant differences were found between the EVAR and OSR groups in total complications or perioperative mortality rates (both P>0.05). The main causes of perioperative death included respiratory and circulatory failure,acute myocardial infarction,and severe infections. Postoperative follow-up was effectively conducted for 92 patients,with follow-up durations ranging from 10 to 142 months. Survival analysis revealed no significant difference in survival rate between the OSR and EVAR groups (P=0.3182).Conclusion:rAAA is a rare and high-risk disease,with certain clinical differences between male and female patients. The number of EVAR procedures has increased rapidly;however,EVAR has not shown a significant advantage over OSR in improving long-term survival rates.

Objective To identify the N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-related characteristic genes analyzed by gene clustering and immune cell infiltration in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI) after cardiopulmonary bypass through machine learning. Methods The differential genes associated with m6A methylation were screened by the dataset GSE132176 in GEO, the samples of the dataset were clustered based on the differential gene expression profile, and the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of the differential genes of the m6A cluster after clustering were performed to determine the gene function of the m6A cluster. R software was used to determine the better models in machine learning of support vector machine (SVM) model and random forest (RF) model, which were used to screen m6A-related characteristic genes in MI/RI, and construct characteristic gene nomogram to predict the incidence of disease. R software was used to analyze the correlation between characteristic genes and immune cells, and the online website was used to build a characteristic gene regulatory network. Results In this dataset, a total of 5 m6A-related differential genes were screened, and the gene expression profiles were divided into two clusters for cluster analysis. The enrichment analysis of m6A clusters showed that these genes were mainly involved in regulating monocytes differentiation, response to lipopolysaccharides, response to bacteria-derived molecules, cellular response to decreased oxygen levels, DNA transcription factor binding, DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase Ⅱ specificity, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, interleukin-17 signaling pathway. The RF model was determined by R software as the better model, which determined that METTL3, YTHDF1, RBM15B and METTL14 were characteristic genes of MI/RI, and mast cells, type 1 helper lymphocytes (Th1), type 17 helper lymphocytes (Th17), and macrophages were found to be associated with MI/RI after cardiopulmonary bypass in immune cell infiltration. Conclusion The four characteristic genes METTL3, YTHDF1, RBM15B and METTL14 are obtained by machine learning, while cluster analysis and immune cell infiltration analysis can better reveal the pathophysiological process of MI/RI.

Objective To establish a genetic monitoring method for laboratory quails.Methods Quail microsatellite loci were searched in the literature,and microsatellite DNA loci suitable for quails were screened by an interspecific transfer method in closely related species,namely chickens and ducks.Quail liver DNA was extracted as a template,and the corresponding loci were screened by PCR amplification and agarose gel electrophoresis.On the basis of amplification of the selected microsatellite loci,the number of alleles,polymorphisms,and microsatellite loci combinations for quail genetic quality detection were selected and detection method were developed.Results We preliminary determined 23 microsatellite loci for genetic monitoring of closed-colony laboratory quails.Conclusions A genetic monitoring method for laboratory quails was preliminary developed.