Objective To obtain the protective performance parameters of barium sulfate mortar against positron nuclide γ-rays, provide reference data for precise shielding calculations, and guide the design, evaluation, and construction of radiation shielding. Methods The FLUKA program was used to build a model for simulating the dose equivalent rate variation around points of interest under the irradiation of the most commonly used positron nuclide ¹⁸F with changes in the thicknesses of lead and barium sulfate mortar. The transmission curves of lead and barium sulfate mortar were fitted, and the half-value layer (HVL) and lead equivalence of barium sulfate mortar were calculated based on the fitted curves. Results The ambient dose equivalent rate coefficient of positron nuclide ¹⁸F was 1.339 4×10⁻¹ μSv·m²/MBq·h and the HVL for lead was 4.037 mm, with deviations of 0.043% and 1.53% compared to the values provided in the AAPM Report No. 108, respectively. The HVLs for γ-rays produced by ¹⁸F, using barium sulfate mortar with apparent densities of 4.20, 4.00, and 3.90 g/cm³ mixed with 35.2-grade cement in a 4∶1 mass ratio, were 2.914, 2.969, and 3.079 cm, respectively. The lead equivalences were 0.1385, 0.1360, and 0.1311 mmPb/mm, respectively. Conclusion The three types of barium sulfate mortar can provide good protection against γ-rays in positron imaging locations. As the apparent density of barium sulfate increases, its protective effect improves slightly but remains significantly better than common construction materials like concrete and solid bricks.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of platelet-albumin-bilirubin （PALBI） score on the textbook outcome （TO） of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） after hepatectomy， as well as the association of different PALBI scores before surgery with the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the data of HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Ziyang Central Hospital from January 2013 to January 2022. TO was defined as no serious complication within 30 days after surgery， no death within 90 days， no rehospitalization within 30 days after discharge， no blood transfusion in the perioperative period， RO resection， and no prolongation of hospital stay. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curves of HCC patients， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison. ResultsA total of 3 599 patients were included in this study， among whom 2 369 （65.8%） achieved TO. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that PALBI grade （PALBI grade 2： odds ratio ［OR］=1.562， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.308‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.864， P<0.001； PALBI grade 3： OR=2.216， 95%CI： 1.463‍ ‍—‍ ‍3.359， P<0.001） was an independent risk factor for achievement of TO after surgery in HCC patients. The proportion of patients achieving TO decreased with the increase in PALBI grade. Among the patients with PALBI grade 1， 2 or 3， the patients achieving TO accounted for 70.2%， 54.2%， and 38.4%， respectively （χ²=106.295， P<0.001）. The incidence rate of serious complications within 30 days， the mortality rate of patients within 90 days after hepatectomy， readmission rate within 30 days after discharge， perioperative blood transfusion rate， and the rate of prolonged hospital stay all increased with the increase in PALBI grade （all P<0.05）. For the patients achieving TO， the 1-， 3-， and 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 79.5%， 60.6%， and 51.5%， respectively， and the overall survival rates were 92.1%， 80.0%， and 71.1%， respectively； for those who did not achieve TO， the 1-， 3-， and 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 68.5%， 52.7%， and 46.2%， respectively， and the overall survival rates were 83.3%， 66.0%， and 57.1%， respectively. The patients who achieved TO had significantly better relapse-free survival rate and overall survival rate than those who did not achieve TO （χ²=18.936 and 79.371， both P<0.001）. ConclusionPreoperative PALBI grade can affect the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients， and it is more difficult for patients with a higher PALBI grade to achieve TO. Preoperative PALBI score can be used to early identify the patients with a high risk of postoperative complications， provide early intervention， and enhance perioperative management， thereby improving the perioperative safety and long-term prognosis of HCC patients after hepatectomy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the fastest growing cancers in the world, ranking fourth among the causes of cancer-induced death in the world. At present, the field of HCC treatment is developing rapidly, and immunotherapy has been recognized as a promising treatment method, in which T cells play a key role in HCC immunotherapy. However, in the case of virus infection or in tumor microenvironment (TME), T cells will be continuously stimulated by antigens and then fall into the state of T cell exhaustion (Tex). This state will not only reduce the immunity of patients but also lead to poor efficacy of immunotherapy. Therefore, to deeply analyze the mechanism of Tex and to explore effective strategies to reverse Tex is the key point in the immunotherapy for HCC. This review aims to summarize the mechanism of Tex in HCC patients, and the current situation and shortcomings of drug research and development to reverse Tex at this stage, in order to provide theoretical basis for the optimization of immunotherapy regimen for HCC patients.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy* ; Liver Neoplasms/therapy* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Animals ; T-Cell Exhaustion

Objective:To explore the mechanism of TLR4/ERK1/2 signaling pathway in progesterone regulating expression of IL-8 in decidual stromal cells(DSCs).Methods:Human DSCs on early pregnancy were isolated and cultured in vitro.The cells were treated with 0.01 μmol/L,0.1 μmol/L and 1 μmol/L progesterone,respectively.Expressions of IL-8,TLR4,ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 were detected by Western blot.TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242 and ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 were further treated,and expression of IL-8 in progesteron+inhibitor group,progesterone group and control group was detected by Western blot.Results:With the increase of pro-gesterone concentration,expression of IL-8 in DSCs decreased gradually.Expressions of DSCs IL-8,TLR4 and p-ERK1/2 in 0.01 μmol/L progesterone group were lower than those in control group(P=0.035 8,P=0.019 4 and P=0.047 1).Expressions of IL-8,TLR4 and p-ERK1/2 in DSCs in 0.1 μmol/L progesterone group were significantly lower than those in control group(P=0.003 5,P=0.004 0 and P=0.009 9).Expressions of IL-8,TLR4 and p-ERK1/2 in DSCs in 1 μmol/L progesterone group were significantly lower than those in control group(P=0.003 3,P=0.001 6 and P=0.005 0).Expression of IL-8 in progesterone+TAK-242 group was signifi-cantly lower than that in progesterone group(P=0.009 1),and expression of IL-8 in progesterone+U0126 group was significantly lower than that in progesterone group(P=0.004).Conclusion:TLR4/ERK1/2 signaling pathway is involved in the physiological process of progesterone regulating expression of IL-8 in DSCs,and progesterone reduces IL-8 expression by inhibiting expression of TLR4 and phosphorylation activation of ERK1/2.

Objective To investigate the influence of platelet-albumin-bilirubin(PALBI)score on the textbook outcome(TO)of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)after hepatectomy,as well as the association of different PALBI scores before surgery with the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the data of HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Ziyang Central Hospital from January 2013 to January 2022.TO was defined as no serious complication within 30 days after surgery,no death within 90 days,no rehospitalization within 30 days after discharge,no blood transfusion in the perioperative period,RO resection,and no prolongation of hospital stay.The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curves of HCC patients,and the Log-rank test was used for comparison.Results A total of 3 599 patients were included in this study,among whom 2 369(65.8%)achieved TO.The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that PALBI grade(PALBI grade 2:odds ratio[OR]=1.562,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.308-1.864,P<0.001;PALBI grade 3:OR=2.216,95%CI:1.463-3.359,P<0.001)was an independent risk factor for achievement of TO after surgery in HCC patients.The proportion of patients achieving TO decreased with the increase in PALBI grade.Among the patients with PALBI grade 1,2 or 3,the patients achieving TO accounted for 70.2%,54.2%,and 38.4%,respectively(χ2=106.295,P<0.001).The incidence rate of serious complications within 30 days,the mortality rate of patients within 90 days after hepatectomy,readmission rate within 30 days after discharge,perioperative blood transfusion rate,and the rate of prolonged hospital stay all increased with the increase in PALBI grade(all P<0.05).For the patients achieving TO,the 1-,3-,and 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 79.5%,60.6%,and 51.5%,respectively,and the overall survival rates were 92.1%,80.0%,and 71.1%,respectively;for those who did not achieve TO,the 1-,3-,and 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 68.5%,52.7%,and 46.2%,respectively,and the overall survival rates were 83.3%,66.0%,and 57.1%,respectively.The patients who achieved TO had significantly better relapse-free survival rate and overall survival rate than those who did not achieve TO(χ2=18.936 and 79.371,both P<0.001).Conclusion Preoperative PALBI grade can affect the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients,and it is more difficult for patients with a higher PALBI grade to achieve TO.Preoperative PALBI score can be used to early identify the patients with a high risk of postoperative complications,provide early intervention,and enhance perioperative management,thereby improving the perioperative safety and long-term prognosis of HCC patients after hepatectomy.

Objective:To explore the effect of supervised home-based pulmonary rehabilitation by wearable devices on moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Method:A total of 70 patients with moderate COPD in the stable stage who visited the Respiratory Rehabilita-tion Center of Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2020 to October 2021 were randomly divided into a control group and a study group,with 35 cases in each group.The inter-vention lasted for 10 weeks.Cardiopulmonary exercise tests(FEV1,FEV1/FVC％,FEV1％pred,VO2max,VO2AT,maximum power),COPD Assessment Test(CAT),St.George's Respiratory Questionnaire(SGRQ)and modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale(mMRC)were compared between the two groups before and after rehabilitation.After the study was completed,the compliance of the two groups was compared.Result:A total of 15 subjects dropped out of 70 cases,and finally 27 cases were included in the control group and 28 cases in the study group.There was no significant improvement in FEV1,FEV1/FVC％,and FEV1％pred after rehabilitation in the two groups(P＞0.05).After rehabilitation,VO2max,VO2AT,maximum power,SGRQ,CAT and mMRC[(14.2±2.2vs.18.4±1.6)and(13.9±2.4vs.17.7±1.9),(10.6±1.3vs.11.9±1.6)and(10.3±1.3vs.11.9±1.4),(69.9±7.5vs.88.3±8.4)and(68.6±9.0vs.86.4±9.7),(45.4±9.9vs.35.4±7.5)and(45.3±12.1vs.36.3±8.4),(19.2±3.4vs.12.8±3.5)and(19.5±3.7vs.13.3±3.7),(2.5±0.9vs.1.5±0.6)and(2.6±1.0vs.1.8±0.7)]were significantly improved(P＜0.01),but there were no significant differences between the groups(P＞0.05).The stop training rate of the control group was significantly higher than that of the study group(37％vs.11％,P＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference between the two groups in the proportion of peo-ple who did not reach the target time and target intensity[(15％vs.21％)and(15％vs.29％)](P＞0.05).Conclusion:There is no significant difference between home-based pulmonary rehabilitation and traditional out-patient pulmonary rehabilitation in improving exercise capacity,symptoms and quality of life,but the compli-ance is better.

Objective To explore the value of dual-energy CT Bone Marrow Edema in quantitatively evaluating the timing of rib fracture evolution.Methods Sixty patients with thoracic trauma were scanned by dual-energy CT.Using CT Bone Marrow Edema technique,bone marrow CT values were standardized and quantified in both the Bone Marrow Edema area at the rib fracture site and in normal areas 1 cm on both sides of the fracture.The increments of standardized CT values for Bone Marrow Edema and VNCa were obtained for three stages of healing.The numerical variables were statistically described,and both the standardized CT value increments and VNCa standardized CT value increments were compared between the three stages and between each pair of stages.Diagnostic efficacy for stages with significant differences was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC),and Cut-offvalues were calculated.Results There were significant differences in standardized CT value increments and VNCa standardized CT value increments across the three stages of Bone Marrow Edema(H=10.788,p=0.005;F=115.787,p=0.000).The standardized CT value increment of Bone Marrow Edema showed significant differences between the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)and the bony callus-remodeling stage(H=54.958,p=0.003),while the other pairwise comparisons showed no statistical significance(H=-25.603,p=0.183;H=29.354,p=0.113,respectively).However,the VNCa standardized CT value increments showed statistical significance across all three pairwise comparisons(all p=0.000).The ROC curve for differentiating the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)from the bony callus-remodeling stage using Bone Marrow Edema standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.652,with a Cut-offvalue of 81.575 Hu.The ROC curve for distinguishing the hematoma inflammation stage from the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)using VNCa standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.668,with a Cut-offvalue of 55.700 Hu.The ROC curve for differentiating the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)from the bony callus-remodeling stage using VNCa standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.905,with a Cut-offvalue of 37.625 Hu.Conclusion Dual-energy CT Bone Marrow Edema can quantitatively evaluate the timing of rib fracture evolution,and the differences in standardized CT value increments at different stages can provide a theoretical basis for forensic identification of fractures at different time periods.The Cut-offvalues of standardized CT value increments can,to some extent,predict the time stage of a fracture,providing quantitative evidence for forensic experts in the identification of rib fractures.

Objective To observe the value of follicular thyroid imaging reporting and data system(F-TIRADS)for differentiating benign and malignant follicular thyroid lesions.Methods Totally 502 patients with follicular thyroid lesions were retrospectively enrolled,including 104 patients with single malignant lesion(malignant group,containing 77 follicular thyroid carcinomas[FTC]and 27 follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinomas[FVPTC])and 398 patients with 416 benign lesions(benign group,containing 197 follicular thyroid adenomas[FTA]and 219 thyroid adenomatous hyperplasia).Ultrasonic features of lesions were recorded,and F-TIRADS scores were assigned by 1 junior and 1 senior ultrasound physicians.Taken histopathology results as gold standard,receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy for differentiating benign and malignant follicular thyroid lesions using F-TIRADS.Results Significant differences of composition,internal echo,boundary,calcification and trabecular structure of lesions were found between groups(all P＜0.001).Taken F-TIRADS score≥ 7 as the optimal cut-off value,the sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value for differentiating benign and malignant follicular thyroid lesions by the junior physician was 76.92％,77.40％,77.31％,93.06％and 45.98％,while by the senior physician was 78.84％,81.25％,80.76％,93.89％and 51.25％,respectively.The efficacy of the latter was higher than of the former(AUC was 0.827 and 0.859,respectively,P＜0.05).Conclusion F-TIRADS could effectively identifying benign and malignant follicular thyroid lesions.

Objective To explore the value of dual-energy CT Bone Marrow Edema in quantitatively evaluating the timing of rib fracture evolution.Methods Sixty patients with thoracic trauma were scanned by dual-energy CT.Using CT Bone Marrow Edema technique,bone marrow CT values were standardized and quantified in both the Bone Marrow Edema area at the rib fracture site and in normal areas 1 cm on both sides of the fracture.The increments of standardized CT values for Bone Marrow Edema and VNCa were obtained for three stages of healing.The numerical variables were statistically described,and both the standardized CT value increments and VNCa standardized CT value increments were compared between the three stages and between each pair of stages.Diagnostic efficacy for stages with significant differences was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC),and Cut-offvalues were calculated.Results There were significant differences in standardized CT value increments and VNCa standardized CT value increments across the three stages of Bone Marrow Edema(H=10.788,p=0.005;F=115.787,p=0.000).The standardized CT value increment of Bone Marrow Edema showed significant differences between the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)and the bony callus-remodeling stage(H=54.958,p=0.003),while the other pairwise comparisons showed no statistical significance(H=-25.603,p=0.183;H=29.354,p=0.113,respectively).However,the VNCa standardized CT value increments showed statistical significance across all three pairwise comparisons(all p=0.000).The ROC curve for differentiating the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)from the bony callus-remodeling stage using Bone Marrow Edema standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.652,with a Cut-offvalue of 81.575 Hu.The ROC curve for distinguishing the hematoma inflammation stage from the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)using VNCa standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.668,with a Cut-offvalue of 55.700 Hu.The ROC curve for differentiating the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)from the bony callus-remodeling stage using VNCa standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.905,with a Cut-offvalue of 37.625 Hu.Conclusion Dual-energy CT Bone Marrow Edema can quantitatively evaluate the timing of rib fracture evolution,and the differences in standardized CT value increments at different stages can provide a theoretical basis for forensic identification of fractures at different time periods.The Cut-offvalues of standardized CT value increments can,to some extent,predict the time stage of a fracture,providing quantitative evidence for forensic experts in the identification of rib fractures.

Objective To explore the value of improved ResNet18 lightweight deep learning(DL)models for automatically detecting gouty arthritis(GA)based on ultrasonogram of the first metatarsophalangeal joint(MTP1).Methods A total of 2 401 ultrasonograms obtained from 260 patients with suspected gout who underwent MTP1 ultrasound examination were included and divided into training set(1 910 ultrasonograms from 209 cases)and test set(491 ultrasonograms from 51 cases)at the ratio of 4∶1.GA lesions on ultrasonograms were manually labeled.After preprocessing,ResNet18 lightweight network was used to construct DL models for identifying the ultrasonogram category was normal or abnormal(with any manifestation of GA).Five-fold cross-validation method was adopted to evaluate the efficacy of the DL models constructed with 2,3,4 or 6 residual blocks,i.e.model 1,2,3 and 4,respectively,and the computational cost and the amount of parameters of each model were recorded.The efficacy of the models were verified using test set,and the best DL model was screened.Results The computational cost of model 1,2,3 and 4 was 7 558.27,2 963.73,4 012.33 and 6 093.39 M,respectively,while the amount of parameters was 4.61,4.91,4.91 and 5.28 M,respectively.Model 2 had the least computational cost with parameters only slightly more than model 1.In test set,no significant difference of accuracy nor the area under the curve was found among 4 models(all P＞0.05).The sensitivity of model 2 was higher than that of model 3,while its specificity was lower only than that of model 3(both P＜0.05),hence model 2 was the best DL model.Conclusion Improved ResNet18 lightweight DL models could be used for automatically detecting GA based on ultrasonogram of MTP1,among which model 2 was the best one.