Objective To explore the effects of image registration using various regions of interest(ROI)on the setup error for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)patients who were immobilized individually.Methods Forty-three NPC patients who required radiotherapy were enrolled.The patients were immobilized with customized plastic foam and thermoplastic mask,and CBCT verification was performed once a week.In CBCT images,ROI was divided into the whole ROI(ROIPTV)and 7 local ROI containing different cervical structures(ROIsphenoid sinus,ROIatlantoaxial,ROIneck3,ROIneck4,ROIneck5,ROIneck6,and ROIneck7),which were then used for registrations with localized CT image.The setup errors in superior-inferior(SI),left-right(LR),anterior-posterior(AP),Pitch,Roll,and Yaw directions were recorded.Results In SI direction,the setup errors within 0.3 cm accounted for 89.74%for ROIneck7,and more than 90%for the other ROI.The proportion of setup errors within 0.3 cm gradually increased with the neck upward in LR direction,and they were 76.78%,81.70%,85.26%,and above 90%for ROIneck7,ROIneck6,ROIneck5,and the other ROI,respectively.In AP direction,the proportions of setup errors within 0.3 cm were less than 90%,except for ROIatlantoaxial and ROIneck3.The setup errors of ROIsphenoid sinus,ROIatlantoaxial,ROIneck3,and ROIneck4 were significantly positively correlated with ROIPTV in SI direction,and the correlation coefficients(R)were 0.94,0.95,0.90,and 0.83,respectively.In LR direction,there were positive correlations between the setup errors of ROIatlantoaxial and ROIsphenoid sinus(R=0.95),ROIneck3 and ROIsphenoid sinus(R=0.91),ROIPTV and ROIneck3(R=0.91).The setup errors of ROIPTV in AP direction were positively correlated with ROIatlantoaxial vertebrae and ROIneck3(R=0.88,0.90).The margins of all ROIs ranged from 0.38 cm to 1.01 cm.The extension of ROIneck6 and ROIneck7 in AP direction exceeded 0.9 cm,and the extension of ROIneck7 reached 0.95 cm in SI direction.Conclusion ROIPTV and ROIsphenoid sinus,ROIatlantoaxial,ROIneck3 are significantly correlated in SI,LR,and AP directions.The setup error of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients gradually increases with the neck down.The nasopharyngeal and cervical regions need to be expanded in segments when patients are immobilized individually.

Objective:To explore the evaluation effect of ultrasonography and Pirani score on tarsal deformity, treatment effect and pseudo-correction of congenital clubfoot in infants and young children, and the correlation between the two methods.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 26 children (40 feet) with congenital clubfoot who were evaluated by ultrasonography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 16 males and 10 females. The age at the first ultrasound examination was ( M(IQR)) 9.0 (18.0) days (range: 1 to 46 days). All patients were treated with Ponseti method by the same physician. The Pirani scores before and after treatment and at the last examination, and the talonavicular angle, calcaneocuboid angle and tibiocalcaneal angle measured by ultrasound were collected, and the treatment and follow-up were recorded. Paired sample t test, repeated measures analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data comparison, and Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the efficacy of ultrasound in evaluating different Pirani scores. Results:The number of plaster fixation in 26 children was 4.0 (1.0) times (range: 2 to 8 times). The medial talonavicular angle and posterior tibiocalcaneal angle were significantly improved after treatment and at the last follow-up compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). There was no difference in lateral calcaneocuboid angle before and after treatment and at the last follow-up ( F=1.971, P>0.05). Pseudo-correction occurred in 2 cases (2 feet) during the treatment, with an incidence of 5%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between talonavicular angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.480, P<0.01). There was no correlation between calcaneocuboid angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.114, P=0.105). There was a moderate negative correlation between tibial heel angle and Pirani hindfoot score ( r=-0.566, P<0.01). The cut-off point of Pirani midfoot score of 1.5 was 38.78°, the sensitivity was 0.90, the specificity was 0.56, and the area under the curve was 0.75. The cut-off value of angle was 27.51 °, the sensitivity was 0.16, the specificity was 0.92, and the area under the curve was 0.44.The cut-off points of Pirani midfoot score of 3.0 were 45.08°and 9.96°, the sensitivity was 0.94 and 0.91, the specificity was 0.37 and 0.42, and the area under the curve was 0.59 and 0.62, respectively. The cut-off values of Pirani hindfoot score of 2.0 and 3.0 were 167.46° and 160.15°, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.75 and 0.67, the specificity was 0.81 and 0.83, and the area under the curve was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusion:Ultrasound can complement with Pirani score, visually and dynamically observe the morphology and position changes of talonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint and tibiotalocalcaneal joint, monitor the recovery and pseudo-correction of tarsal bones, and better evaluate the therapeutic effect.

Objective:To explore the evaluation effect of ultrasonography and Pirani score on tarsal deformity, treatment effect and pseudo-correction of congenital clubfoot in infants and young children, and the correlation between the two methods.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 26 children (40 feet) with congenital clubfoot who were evaluated by ultrasonography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 16 males and 10 females. The age at the first ultrasound examination was ( M(IQR)) 9.0 (18.0) days (range: 1 to 46 days). All patients were treated with Ponseti method by the same physician. The Pirani scores before and after treatment and at the last examination, and the talonavicular angle, calcaneocuboid angle and tibiocalcaneal angle measured by ultrasound were collected, and the treatment and follow-up were recorded. Paired sample t test, repeated measures analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data comparison, and Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the efficacy of ultrasound in evaluating different Pirani scores. Results:The number of plaster fixation in 26 children was 4.0 (1.0) times (range: 2 to 8 times). The medial talonavicular angle and posterior tibiocalcaneal angle were significantly improved after treatment and at the last follow-up compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). There was no difference in lateral calcaneocuboid angle before and after treatment and at the last follow-up ( F=1.971, P>0.05). Pseudo-correction occurred in 2 cases (2 feet) during the treatment, with an incidence of 5%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between talonavicular angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.480, P<0.01). There was no correlation between calcaneocuboid angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.114, P=0.105). There was a moderate negative correlation between tibial heel angle and Pirani hindfoot score ( r=-0.566, P<0.01). The cut-off point of Pirani midfoot score of 1.5 was 38.78°, the sensitivity was 0.90, the specificity was 0.56, and the area under the curve was 0.75. The cut-off value of angle was 27.51 °, the sensitivity was 0.16, the specificity was 0.92, and the area under the curve was 0.44.The cut-off points of Pirani midfoot score of 3.0 were 45.08°and 9.96°, the sensitivity was 0.94 and 0.91, the specificity was 0.37 and 0.42, and the area under the curve was 0.59 and 0.62, respectively. The cut-off values of Pirani hindfoot score of 2.0 and 3.0 were 167.46° and 160.15°, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.75 and 0.67, the specificity was 0.81 and 0.83, and the area under the curve was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusion:Ultrasound can complement with Pirani score, visually and dynamically observe the morphology and position changes of talonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint and tibiotalocalcaneal joint, monitor the recovery and pseudo-correction of tarsal bones, and better evaluate the therapeutic effect.

Objective To investigate the clinical application of 3D printed bolus with specific density in breast cancer radiotherapy,and to evaluate its effects on dose distribution and positioning.Methods Forty post-mastectomy patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy were randomly enrolled for 3D printed bolus(n=20)and conventional bolus(n=20),and all patients were fixed in the supine position using styrofoam.Conventional positioning was performed based on in-room lasers and body markers,with daily Catalyst HD optical surface monitoring combined with weekly CBCT verification.The absolute dose,patients'skin surface dose,surgical incision,planned field,target area doses(VCTV50Gy,VPTV50Gy)and organs-at-risk doses in patients with different boluses were recorded,and the conformity index and homogeneity index were calculated,and the setup errors using CBCT and Catalyst HD were also analyzed.Results The difference in absolute dose between different boluses was trivial,but the skin surface dose with 3D printed bolus was significantly higher than with conventional bolus[(54.83±0.44)Gyvs(54.43±0.51)Gy,P<0.05].Patients with 3D printed boluses had a higher conformity index than with conventional boluses(0.69±0.04 vs 0.65±0.02).For different boluses,there was no significant difference in VCTV50 Gy,while the VPTV50 Gy and organs-at-risk doses were lower in those with 3D printed bolus than conventional boluses(P<0.05),with heart Vmean of 9.68%±3.24%vs11.43%±3.60%.In patients with 3D printed boluses,both planned field arrangement and surgical incision affected the target doses,and the doses of the target area without an internal breast wrap was greater than those with internal breast wrap(P<0.05).When the field was not wrapped around the internal breast,the surgical incisions only affected VPTV50 Gy,and the VPTV50 Gy was greater with the transverse fusiform incision than with the oblique vertical incision(P<0.05),which were 95.58%±0.51%vs95.44%±0.71%.The optical monitoring accuracies with different boluses differed only in the left-right direction(P<0.05),with(0.08±0.57)cm and(-0.15±0.46)cm for 3D printed and conventional boluses.Conclusion Compared with conventional bolus,3D printed bolus can improve dose distribution and optical monitoring accuracy.The surgical incision and planned field arrangement under 3D-printed bolus would exert effects on target doses.

Objective To systematically search,evaluate and summarize the best evidence for prevention and management of extravasation in peripheral intravenous infusion in NICU neonates,and provide a reference for clinical practice and standard formulation.Methods A comprehensive systematic search of websites and databases was conducted to explore literature on prevention and management of extravasation in NICU neonates,including clinical decisions,guidelines,expert consensuses,evidence summaries and systematic reviews.The search encompassed the entire period from database inception to July 2023.2 researchers independently evaluated the quality of the literature,extracted and integrated the evidence.Results The study included a total of 9 articles,comprising 1 clinical decision,3 guidelines,3 expert consensus documents,and 2 evidence summaries.Ultimately,25 pieces of evidence were synthesized,covering risk factors,catheter indwelling and maintenance,extravasation assessment and treatment,and team building,education and training.Conclusion The evidence provided practical and specific recommendations that can guide healthcare institutions in formulating strategies to prevent and treat extravasation during peripheral intravenous infusion in NICU neonates,while also offering evidence-based guidance for applying the evidence in clinical practice.

Due to the limitations of current anti-HBV therapies, the HBV core (HBc or HBcAg) protein assembly modulators (CpAMs) are believed to be potential anti-HBV agents. Therefore, discovering safe and efficient CpAMs is of great value. In this study, we established a HiBiT-based high-throughput screening system targeting HBc and screened novel CpAMs from an in-house marine chemicals library. A novel lead compound 8a, a derivative of the marine natural product naamidine J, has been successfully screened for potential anti-HBV activity. Bioactivity-driven synthesis was then conducted, and the structure‒activity relationship was analyzed, resulting in the discovery of the most effective compound 11a (IC₅₀ = 0.24 μmol/L). Furthermore, 11a was found to significantly inhibit HBV replication in multiple cell models and exhibit a synergistic effect with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and IFNa2 in vitro for anti-HBV activity. Treatment with 11a in a hydrodynamic-injection mouse model demonstrated significant anti-HBV activity without apparent hepatotoxicity. These findings suggest that the naamidine J derivative 11a could be used as the HBV core protein assembly modulator to develop safe and effective anti-HBV therapies.

Objective:To explore the influence of the contours of different parts of the human body on the setup errors of Catalyst HD optical surface imaging (OSI) system-guided radiotherapy.Methods:Using the 3D printing technology, arc- and oval arc-shaped phantoms with base angles of 5°-45° (step length: 5°) were designed to simulate the contours of different body parts of patients. A Catalyst HD system was employed for monitoring, during which the gains and integration time of the system were adjusted. The treatment couches were manually moved (range: -5 mm to 5 mm, with a step length of 2 mm). The ratios of transverse to longitudinal dimensions of all phantoms were recorded. The recorded items also included couch value errors in the anterior-posterior (AP), inferior-superior (SI), and left-right (LR) directions for transversely and longitudinally placed phantoms, as well as the setup errors monitored using the Catalyst HD system. Then, this study presented an analysis of the correlation between phantoms for different body contours and the gains and integration time of the Catalyst HD system. The purpose was to compare the setup errors under the two different placement conditions of phantoms and to analyze the correlation between the monitored values of the Catalyst HD system and couch values.Results:There was a significant linear negative correlation between the gain and the logarithm of integration time required for monitoring using the Catalyst HD system, with a slope of -0.001. There was a certain functional relationship between the intercept and the ratio of the transverse to longitudinal dimensions of the phantoms. Under the same gain, the integration time decreased with an increase in the base angles of phantoms. The Catalyst HD system showed different monitoring accuracy under different placement conditions of the phantoms ( Z = -8.59 to -0.02, P < 0.05), with the monitoring accuracy in the LR and AP directions higher in the transverse position. The correlation between the monitored values of the Catalyst HD system and the actual couch values increased in the LR and SI directions with an increase in the base angle of the phantoms, showing a strong correlation in the case of base angles of ≥ 25°. Furthermore, the correlation was always significant in the AP direction ( R > 0.9). Conclusions:When the best surface images are obtained using the Catalyst HD system, the gains and integration time of the system are correlated with body surface contours. The Catalyst HD system shows high monitoring accuracy in the AP direction. This system shows high accuracy in all directions when the ratios of transverse to longitudinal dimensions are ≤ 2 or the base angles ≥ 25°.

Alcoholic liver disease(ALD)is the most frequent liver disease worldwide,resulting in severe harm to personal health and posing a serious burden to public health.Based on the reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of scutellarin(SCU),this study investigated its protective role in male BALB/c mice with acute alcoholic liver injury after oral administration(10,25,and 50 mg/kg).The results indicated that SCU could lessen serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)levels and improve the histopathological changes in acute alcoholic liver;it reduced alcohol-induced malondialdehyde(MDA)content and increased glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),catalase(CAT),and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity.Furthermore,SCU decreased tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β messenger RNA(mRNA)expression levels,weakened inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)activity,and inhibited nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain(NOD)-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome activation.Mechanistically,SCU suppressed cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily E member 1(CYP2E1)upregulation triggered by alcohol,increased the expression of oxidative stress-related nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)pathways,and suppressed the inflammation-related degradation of inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)-α(IκBα)as well as activation of NF-κB by mediating the protein kinase B(AKT)and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)pathways.These findings demonstrate that SCU protects against acute alcoholic liver injury via inhibiting oxidative stress by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and suppressing inflammation by regulating the AKT,p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathways.

Objective:To compare and analyze the differences of exercise cardiopulmonary function and the correlation of different cardiopulmonary function indexes among different aircraft types in pilots.Methods:Retrospective study was used. The exercise cardiopulmonary function of 68 Air Force pilots who were qualified for flight in aeromedical identification were tested with the Italian Cosmed exercise cardiopulmonary function tester at a power increasing rate of 25 W/min. The subjects were divided into fighter group and other aircraft group according to aircraft types. The differences of exercise cardiopulmonary function between 2 groups were compared. The correlation between maximal oxygen uptake and age, body mass index, and the correlation between heart rate recovery and exercise endurance were analyzed.Results:There were significant differences in maximal heart rate, respiratory quotient and heart rate recovery value at 1 min after exercise between fighter group (32 cases) and other aircraft group (36 cases) ( t=2.28, 2.50, 2.37, P=0.026, 0.049, 0.021). There was no significant difference in other indexes. The maximal oxygen uptake was negatively correlated with age and body mass index ( r=-0.329, -0.339, both P<0.001). The values of heart rate recovery at 2 min and 3 min after exercise were positively correlated with maximal oxygen uptake and maximal exercise power ( r=0.284, 0.290, 0.306, 0.268, P=0.001, 0.026, 0.002, 0.002). Conclusions:The indexes of exercise cardiopulmonary function have significant differences among pilots in different aircraft types, and there are significant changes with age and weight gain. The heart rate after exercise can monitor the changes of cardiopulmonary function under different training conditions.

Objective:To provide references for the vestibular function stability training of military pilots by evaluating the stability of vestibular function of military pilots.Methods:An electric swivel chair was used to train the vestibular function stability of military pilots. According to the order of admission, they were divided into 21-30 years old, 31-40 years old, 41-50 years old and ≥51 years old group, with 30 pilots in each group. The changes of excellent rate, good rate, qualified rate, unqualified rate and tolerance time of the stability of vestibular function by training were compared among different age groups, and the correlation between age and tolerance time was analyzed.Results:There were significant differences of unqualified rate in pilots aged 31-40 and ≥51 years group before and after training ( χ2=4.32, 4.80, Ρ=0.038, 0.028). The failure rate after training was lower than that before training, with a significant difference ( χ2=13.02, P<0.001). The total tolerance time was higher than that before training, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=17.61, P<0.001). The stability tolerance time of pilots in different age groups after vestibular function training were increased compared with that before training, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=6.50, 8.82, 9.48, 13.56, all P<0.001). The stability of vestibular function of military pilots gradually declined with the increase of age, and there was a negative correlation between age and training tolerance time ( r=-0.38, P<0.001). Conclusions:The training of electric swivel chair can improve the vestibular function stability of military pilots, increase the tolerance time, and enhance the tolerance ability of military pilots when vestibular function is stimulated.