Immunotherapy has been widely used in cancer treatment in recent years and functions by stimulating the immune system to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy (RT) uses radiation to induce DNA damage and kill tumor cells. However, this activates the body's immune system, promoting the release of tumor-related antigens from inactive dendritic cells, which stimulates the recurrence and metastasis of tumors in immune system tissues. The combination of RT and immunotherapy has been increasingly evaluated in recent years, with studies confirming the synergistic effect of the two antitumor therapies. Particularly, the combination of RT by dose adjustment with different immunotherapies has positive implications on antitumor immunity as well as disease prognosis compared with respective monotherapies. This review summarizes the current research status, progress, and prospects of RT combined with immunotherapy in cancer treatment. It additionally discusses the prevalent concerns regarding the dose, time window, and toxicity of this combination therapy.
Humans ; Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Radiotherapy/methods*

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential link between myopia in adolescents and exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). METHODS: This investigation included 1971 subjects with accessible PFAS level data, myopia status, and associated variables from four cycles of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). The investigation focused on specific PFAS compounds found in the serum, including perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), chosen for their frequent detection. Owing to the skewed nature of the PFAS level data, the PFAS levels were log-transformed (Ln-PFAS) prior to analysis. Logistic regression, restricted cubic spline modeling, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were used to examine the associations between exposure to PFASs and the onset of myopia. RESULTS: PFOA levels were significantly associated with myopia risk (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.05-1.69; P = 0.019). More specifically, with respect to the first quartile, the second quartile (OR_Q2: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.16-2.46; P = 0.007), third quartile (OR_Q3: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.03-2.03; P = 0.035), and highest quartile (OR_Q4: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.12-2.21; P = 0.010) of participants presented with increased myopia risk. Mediation analysis revealed that PFOA and myopia risk were partially mediated by serum albumin (ALB), with a mediation percentage of 22.48% (P = 0.008). A nonlinear inverted U-shaped relationship was identified between the level of PFOA and myopia risk (P for nonlinearity = 0.005). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest a potential link between exposure to PFOA and the likelihood of myopia development in young individuals and a mediating effect of serum ALB on this relationship. Notably, PFOA was identified as a key PFAS significantly contributing to the observed link between PFAS exposure and myopia risk. The potential threat of PFOA to myopia should be examined further.
Humans ; Fluorocarbons/adverse effects* ; Myopia/blood* ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Prevalence ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; United States/epidemiology* ; Alkanesulfonic Acids/blood* ; Caprylates/blood* ; Serum Albumin/metabolism* ; Child ; Sulfonic Acids

This article summarizes Professor Li Ziyong's clinical experience with the round-sharp needle.As one of the core needle types in the Huang Di Nei Jing(The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic)nine-needle system,the round-sharp needle has long been marginalized in clinical practice due to historical discontinuities in its transmission and insufficient research on its morphological characteristics,resulting in its unique therapeutic value remaining largely unrecognized.Through nearly three decades of clinical practice,Professor Li innovatively proposed the acupuncture concept of"unblocking passages and guarding the pivotal mechanism",guided by the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic principle that"ordinary practitioners focus on the joints,while superior practitioners focus on the pivotal mechanisms".Under this theoretical framework,he has extensively applied the round-sharp needle in clinical settings.With its unique design combining rounded and sharp features,the round-sharp needle demonstrates remarkable clinical efficacy by intervening at the fascial layer and releasing local fascial adhesions.It exhibits rapid onset and stable therapeutic outcomes.This article systematically reviews Professor Li's understanding of the round-sharp needle,its key operational techniques,and clinical case studies,aiming to establish a replicable paradigm for its modern application and promote the clinical translation of classical acupuncture theory.

The view of"inferior practitioner guarding the gate while the superior practitioner keeping the trigger"during the clinical practive was recorded in in Huang Di Nei Jing(Huangdi's Cannon of Medicine).This paper probes into the diagnosis and treatment of bi-syndrome from the perspecitve of"guarding the gate"and"keeping the trigger".It is proposed that the lesion of five body constituents(i.e.,skin,vessel,muscle,tendon,and bone)constitutes the injured"gate"of bi-syndrome,and the disharmony of qi and blood constitutes the"trigger"of the onset of bi-syndrome.The location of lesions will be found through examining the gate,and the state of qi and blood will be confirmed after checking the trigger.For the treatment of bi-syndrome,"guarding the gate"is to enable the normality of five body constituents,and"keeping the trigger"is to maintain the abundance and harmony movement of qi and blood,which cover the consideration of focal lesions and the regulation of holistic qi and blood."Guarding the gate"is as important as"keeping the trigger",and the two are interrelated.Only by carefully examining the gate of the lesions and strictly checking the trigger of qi-blood movement,it is possible to identify the deficiency of healthy qi and the excess of the pathogens,the nature of the pathogens and the severity of illness of bi-syndrome,and then the corresponding therapeutic methods can be performed to achieve the efficacy.The view of"guarding the gate"and"keeping the trigger"expands the clinical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of bi-syndrome.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of rapamycin-eluting vertebral artery stent in the treatment of severe ostial vertebral artery stenosis(OV AS),and to analyze the incidence of postoperative in-stent restenosis(ISR).Methods A total of 96 patients with severe OVAS,who received stenting angioplasty at authors'hospital between November 2020 and May 2022,were retrospectively collected.The patients were divided into the observation group(n=48)and the control group(n=48).For the patients of the observation group implantation of rapamycin-eluting vertebral artery stent was carried out,while for the patients of the control group implantation of peripheral balloon dilatation bare metal stent(BMS)was performed.The perioperative basic data,the incidence of complications during follow-up period,and the postoperative incidence of ISR were compared between the two groups.Results Successful stent implantation was achieved in all patients of both groups.During perioperative period no complications such as transient ischemia attack(TIA),dropping-off or fracture of the stent,vertebral artery or stent-related stroke occurred.No statistically significant differences in the length and the diameter of the implanted stents,in the preoperative vertebral artery stenosis ratio,and in the postoperative residual stenosis ratio existed between the two groups(all P＞0.05).In both groups,the postoperative residual stenosis ratio was＜20％.The patients were followed up for a mean period of(12.33±5.82)months(range of 6-18 months),the incidence of postoperative vertebral artery or stent-related stroke in the observation group and the control group was 0％and 4.17％respectively,the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The improvement of clinical symptoms such as dizziness,vertigo,etc.was observed in 47 patients of the observation group and in 45 patients of the control group,and no recurrent posterior circulation TIA or stent-related thrombotic event occurred.The incidence of postoperative restenosis in the observation group was 10.42％,which was significantly lower than 29.17％in the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Rapamycin-eluting vertebral artery stent can safely and effectively treat severe OVAS and reduce the incidence of postoperative ISR.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:275-279)

The accumulation of fatigue during military operations may lead to decreased operational efficiency and non-combat attrition,which can impact combat effectiveness.On-site monitoring and evaluation of fatigue during military operations,as an important means to keep track of military operations and bring about quick changes in training,underlie the combat effectiveness of military personnel.Focusing on the on-site monitoring and evaluation methods of fatigue during military operations,this paper reviews the determinants of such fatigue as well as on-site monitoring and comprehensive evaluation methods so as to provide reference for accurate and efficient evaluation of fatigue during military operations and for early warning of such fatigue.

Objective:To investigate genetic variation profiles of δ-globin (HBD gene) and hematological phenotypes in Guangdong population.Methods:Retrospective case analysis was performed in this study. Blood samples of 11 616 couples who participated in free thalassemia screening in Guangzhou from July 2020 to December 2022 were collected which underwent blood routine tests and hemoglobin (Hb) capillary electrophoresis. According to the results, 154 samples were enrolled in this study: (1)group of 35 cases with HbA 2 <2.0% but no HbF band; (2)group of 64 cases with HbA 2 < 2.0% and HbF band; (3)group of 25 cases with HbA 2 <2.0% and suspected HbA 2 variants; (4) group of 25 cases with HbA 2 ≥2.0% and <3.5% and HbF band, as well as abnormal blood routine report [mean corpuscular volume (MCV) <82 fl and/or mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) <27 pg]; (5)group of 5 cases with HbA 2 ≥2.0% and <3.0% accompanied with β thalassemia gene carriers Sanger sequencing was used to detect single nucleotide variants of δ-globin. Results:(1) A total of 22 genetic variations were detected, including 6 de novo variations, and the top 3 genetic variations were respectively c.-127T>C (57.02%, 65/114), c.-80T>C (9.65%, 11/114), c.349C>T (7.89%, 9/114). (2) In group of patients with HbA 2 <2.0% but no HbF band, 22 cases (62.85%, 22/35) had HBD gene variation, including 7 cases with MCV and MCH lower than reference values, 4 cases with α thalassemia; 13 cases had no HBD gene variation, including 12 cases with lower MCV and MCH. Among 19 cases with abnormal blood routine test results, levels of HbA 2 in patients (7 cases) with HBD gene variation were lower compared with those without HBD gene variation (12 cases) ( P<0.01%). (3)In group of patients with HbA 2<2.0% with HbF band, 59 cases (92.18%, 59/64) had HBD gene variations whose mutations all occurred in promoter region, and the HbF were all lower than 5.0%; 5 cases with HbF >5.0% had no HBD gene variation. (4) In group of patients with HbA 2 <2.0% and suspected HbA 2 variants, the detection rate was 100% (25/25) and δ-globin variants <1.0%. (5) In group of patients with HbA 2 ≥2.0% and <3.5% and HbF band accompanied with abnormal blood routine results, no HBD gene variation was found. (6) In group of 5 patients with HbA 2 ≥2.0% and <3.0% with β thalassemia gene carriers, HBD gene variation were found in all cases, and the level of HbA 2 was (2.62±0.17)% and HbF was (3.62±2.22)%. Conclusions:There are various genotypes of HBD gene variation, among which HBD: c.-127T>C is the most common in Guangdong population in China. Mutations in the promoter region may cause decrease in HbA 2 and increase in HbF which is mostly less than 5% but exceeds 5.0% when combined with β thalassemia. Our study enriched the gene mutation profiles of HBD gene in Guangdong population.

【Objective】 To explore the effectiveness and safety of polyglycolic acid (PGA) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) composite materials in distal pancreatectomy postoperative suturing. 【Methods】 We selected 36 healthy adult beagles and divided them randomly into observation group and control group, with 18 distal pancreatectomy surgeries in each group. The observation group used PGA+HPMC composite materials for incision reinforcement while the control group used NEOVEIL for incision reinforcement. 3 days before surgery, 3 days after surgery, and before dissection, blood routine tests were performed on each group of experimental dogs. Observation periods of 2-week, 4-week and 8-week were set, and six animals at each observation point were evaluated for histological examination of heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissues, hard tissue slice pathological diagnosis, and safety evaluation. 【Results】 There was no significant difference between the observation group and the control group in the preoperative blood routine test. Repeated measures ANOVA results showed differences in the mean values of white blood cell count (WBC) ( F=14.875, P=0.001), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (F=5.049,P=0.009), neutrophil percentage (Neu%) (F=4.794, P=0.011), red blood cell count (RBC) (F=6.591, P=0.002), hemoglobin (HGB) (F=8.154, P=0.001), hematocrit (HCT) (F=5.281, P=0.007), platelet count (PLT) (F=6.560, P=0.014), red blood cell distribution width coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) (F=33.950, P=0.039), or lymphocyte percentage (Lym%) (F=3.299, P=0.043) at different time points. However, the observation group and the control group did not differ, and the interaction between time and group had no significant effect on the above indicators, suggesting that both groups of dogs had inflammatory response or surgical stress. For the 8-week postoperative hard tissue pathological section score, there was no significant difference between the observation group and the control group in the inflammation and necrosis related score, fibrosis, repair or other related scores and total score (P>0.05). In the dissection at 8 weeks after surgery, no obvious damage to the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, or other organs was found in both groups, nor was there any residual suture material, pancreatic fistula, or pancreatitis, indicating that the suture materials in both groups had been completely absorbed and metabolized, and the incision healed well without causing adverse effects on the visceral organs. 【Conclusion】 PGA and HPMC are effective and safe postoperative suture materials, with good biodegradability, biocompatibility, suture strength, and wound healing quality. They can be comparable to traditional absorbable reinforcement materials in distal pancreatectomy postoperative suturing, thus providing scientific basis for their clinical application.

Objective To investigate the effect of silk fibroin hydrogel loaded with developmental endothelial locus-1(Del-1)nanoparticles on the healing of chronic skin wounds in mice.Methods The back skin of BALB/c mice(6-8 weeks old)was pressed with a magnet for 12 h and then relaxed for 12 h,for 4 consecutive days to establish a chronic pressure ulcer wound.After infliction,the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups(n=8),and the skin wounds were treated with PBS,silk fibroin hydrogel or Del-1 nanoparticles/silk fibroin hydrogel.The wound healing was recorded with camera to calculate the wound healing rate.In 9 d after treatment,HE and Masson staining were used to observe the wound healing,and immunofluorescence staining for CD 14 and TNF-α was used to compare the appearance frequency of skin macrophages and the expression of inflammatory factors.After Tert-butyl peroxide(TBHP)was used to stimulate mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and mouse vascular endothelial C166 cells,C166 cells were transfected with lentival vector to overexpress Del-1.Crystal violet staining was used to observe the migration of macrophages.RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of inflammatory factor IL-6.Results The wound healing was significantly faster in the Del-1 nanoparticles/silk fibroin hydrogel group than the silk fibroin hydrogel group and the PBS group(P＜0.01).The expression levels of TNF-α and CD14 in the wound surface were lower(P＜0.01),but collagen deposition and tissue repair were better in the Del-1 nanoparticles/silk fibroin hydrogel group than the silk fibroin hydrogel group and the PBS group(P＜0.01).In vitro experiments,macrophages migrated to endothelial cells stimulated by TBHP,but the migration rate of macrophages was significantly lower in the Del-1 overexpression group(P＜0.01).RT-qPCR confirmed that Del-1 inhibited the transcription of IL-6(P＜0.01).Conclusion Del-1 nanoparticles/silk fibroin hydrogel can significantly accelerate the healing of skin wounds,and its mechanism may be through promoting the regression of inflammation and tissue repair.

Abstract: Objective To observe the curative effect of thread-hanging combined with cotton plug on stage Ⅲ paronychia. Methods Sixty-one patients with stage Ⅲ paronychia were selected and randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group (n=31) was treated with thread-hanging and tampon under local infiltration anesthesia, and changed dressing and tampon every day after operation. After the wound healed, the patient soaked his feet in warm water every day and changed the tampon himself until the symptoms subsided, and the knot did not receive special treatment, and the nail plate would naturally shed as it outgrew the paronychia. The control group (n=30) was treated with thread-hanging and nail groove reconstruction under nerve block anesthesia, and the dressing was changed every day after operation. After thread removal, the patients soaked their feet in warm water every day until the symptoms subsided, and the knot was not specially treated, and it naturally fell off with the growth of the deck beyond the nail groove. The postoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score, pain duration, wound healing time, cure rate, effective rate and recurrence rate of paronychia, and patients' satisfaction with the operation were compared between the two groups. Results Compared with the control group, the treatment group had lower VAS pain scores on the first and third postoperative days (2.1±0.3) and (0.2±0.1) vs. (6.3±0.1) and (3.2±0.2), respectively, shorter duration of pain and wound healing time (3.3±0.3) days and (10.1±0.5) days vs. (5.2±0.3) days and (15.2±0.3) days, respectively, higher cure rate (87.1% vs. 66.7%), lower failure rate (12.9% vs. 33.3%), lower recurrence rate (7.4% vs. 20.0%), and higher patient satisfaction (97.0% vs.75.3%). The treatment group showed significant superiority over the control group in all outcomes. Conclusion For patients with stage Ⅲ paronychia, thread-hanging combined with cotton tampon without nail groove reconstruction is advantageous as it avoids additional skin trauma, and does not affect the nail appearance and normal periungual barrier after healing, , reduces patient discomfort, and shortens the time off work, resulting in a higher cure rate. This treatment approach is therefore worth promoting in clinical practice.