Background and purpose:Internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy(IMSLNB)is a minimally invasive diagnostic technique for regional lymph nodes in breast cancer,which can provide accurate lymph staging and guide adjuvant treatment decision,but its clinical application has been controversial.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognosis of IMSLNB in early breast cancer.Methods:In this study,a retrospective cohort of 7 949 patients with breast cancer from January 1,2016 to December 31,2021 was analyzed.After applying propensity score matching,the patients were divided into IMSLNB group and no-IMSLNB group,and the regional recurrence-free survival(RRFS),local recurrence-free survival(LRFS),distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS),disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)of the two groups were compared.This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shandong First Medical University(approval number:SDTHEC20130324).Results:A total of 990 patients were included in the final analysis(330 in the IMSLNB group and 660 in the no-IMSLNB group).IMSLN metastasis was found in 54 patients in the IMSLNB group,including 47 patients with axillary lymph node(ALN)metastasis and 7 patients with IMSLN metastasis only.The IMSLN transfer rate was 16.4%.The median follow-up of 41 months showed that the IMSLNB group demonstrated better 3-year DFS[98.4%vs 94.2%,hazard ratio(HR)=0.509;95%CI:0.312-0.828,P=0.007]and 5-year DFS(92.5%vs 87.3%,HR=0.214,95%CI:0.206-0.222,P=0.011)compared with no-IMSLNB group.However,no significant differences were observed in 3-year OS(99.1%vs 99.4%,HR=0.618,95%CI:0.231-1.655,P=0.338)or 5-year OS(98.5%vs 99.1%,HR=0.52,95%CI:0.51-0.53,P=0.392)between the two groups.The 3-year RRFS in the IMSLNB group was better compared with the no-IMSLNB group(99.09%vs 97.73%,HR=0.066;95%CI:0.061-0.071,P=0.048),while no significant differences were observed in 3-year LRFS(99.70%vs 98.19%,HR=0.209;95%CI:0.201-0.217,P=0.130)or DMFS(95.76%vs 96.06%,HR=0.865,95%CI:0.858-0.872,P=0.820)between the two groups.The exploratory subgroup analysis of DFS revealed that patients in the following subgroups could significantly benefit from IM-SLNB(P＜0.05):diagnosis age(≤50 years),premenopausal status,BMI(≤24),lymphovascular invasion(LVI,present),tumor location(lateral),molecular subtype[hormone receptor positive(HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative(HER2-)],histological type(invasive ductal carcinoma),and axillary lymph node status(positive).Conclusion:IMSLNB can provide more accurate regional lymph node staging for early breast cancer,help optimize adjuvant radiotherapy strategies,and improve patients'DFS and RRFS.It can be promoted as a minimally invasive staging technique for regional lymph nodes.

Background and purpose:Internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy(IMSLNB)is a minimally invasive diagnostic technique for regional lymph nodes in breast cancer,which can provide accurate lymph staging and guide adjuvant treatment decision,but its clinical application has been controversial.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognosis of IMSLNB in early breast cancer.Methods:In this study,a retrospective cohort of 7 949 patients with breast cancer from January 1,2016 to December 31,2021 was analyzed.After applying propensity score matching,the patients were divided into IMSLNB group and no-IMSLNB group,and the regional recurrence-free survival(RRFS),local recurrence-free survival(LRFS),distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS),disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)of the two groups were compared.This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shandong First Medical University(approval number:SDTHEC20130324).Results:A total of 990 patients were included in the final analysis(330 in the IMSLNB group and 660 in the no-IMSLNB group).IMSLN metastasis was found in 54 patients in the IMSLNB group,including 47 patients with axillary lymph node(ALN)metastasis and 7 patients with IMSLN metastasis only.The IMSLN transfer rate was 16.4%.The median follow-up of 41 months showed that the IMSLNB group demonstrated better 3-year DFS[98.4%vs 94.2%,hazard ratio(HR)=0.509;95%CI:0.312-0.828,P=0.007]and 5-year DFS(92.5%vs 87.3%,HR=0.214,95%CI:0.206-0.222,P=0.011)compared with no-IMSLNB group.However,no significant differences were observed in 3-year OS(99.1%vs 99.4%,HR=0.618,95%CI:0.231-1.655,P=0.338)or 5-year OS(98.5%vs 99.1%,HR=0.52,95%CI:0.51-0.53,P=0.392)between the two groups.The 3-year RRFS in the IMSLNB group was better compared with the no-IMSLNB group(99.09%vs 97.73%,HR=0.066;95%CI:0.061-0.071,P=0.048),while no significant differences were observed in 3-year LRFS(99.70%vs 98.19%,HR=0.209;95%CI:0.201-0.217,P=0.130)or DMFS(95.76%vs 96.06%,HR=0.865,95%CI:0.858-0.872,P=0.820)between the two groups.The exploratory subgroup analysis of DFS revealed that patients in the following subgroups could significantly benefit from IM-SLNB(P＜0.05):diagnosis age(≤50 years),premenopausal status,BMI(≤24),lymphovascular invasion(LVI,present),tumor location(lateral),molecular subtype[hormone receptor positive(HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative(HER2-)],histological type(invasive ductal carcinoma),and axillary lymph node status(positive).Conclusion:IMSLNB can provide more accurate regional lymph node staging for early breast cancer,help optimize adjuvant radiotherapy strategies,and improve patients'DFS and RRFS.It can be promoted as a minimally invasive staging technique for regional lymph nodes.

Objective To understand the changing trend of nutritional status of children undergoing liver transplantation within 6 months after discharge,and to explore its influencing factors,in order to provide guidance for the clinical formulation of personalized nutritional intervention programs.Methods By the convenient sampling method,153 children undergoing liver transplantation admitted to the liver transplantation center of a tertiary A hospital in Hangzhou from January 2023 to January 2024 were selected as the research subjects.Their basic and clinical data were collected.The nutritional status at the 1 day before surgery and 1 month,3 months,and 6 months after discharge was evaluated by the standard deviation evaluation method of children's nutritional status.According to the changing trend of their nutritional status,they were grouped.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of the changing trend of nutritional status in children undergoing liver transplantation.Results A total of 144 children who underwent liver transplantation were ultimately included in the study.The incidence of malnutrition at 1 month,3 months,and 6 months after discharge was 66.0％,54.9％,and 53.5％,respectively.According to the changing trend of nutritional status of children undergoing liver transplantation,they were divided into 3 groups:54 cases(37.5％)in the good nutritional status group,24 cases(16.7％)in the fluctuating nutritional status group,and 66 cases(45.8％)in the poor nutritional status group.The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight,feeding method within 6 months after birth,age of caregivers and learning situation of nutritional knowledge were the influencing factors of the changing trend of nutritional status in children undergoing liver transplantation(P＜0.05).Conclusion The incidence of malnutrition in children undergoing liver transplantation is high within 6 months after discharge;medical staff should closely collaborate with families to formulate and implement staged personalized nutritional intervention measures based on the specific conditions and influencing factors of the children to effectively improve the nutritional status of the children after transplantation.

BACKGROUND:Polyether ether ketone has the advantages of elastic modulus close to human cortical bone,good ray transmission,chemical stability,and biocompatibility.Polyether ether ketone is expected to be applied in the field of oral implants.However,polyether ether ketone is bioinert and is difficult to integrate with surrounding bone tissue.Therefore,how to improve the surface bioactivity of polyether ether ketone remains a major issue.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the osteogenic and vasogenic effects of polyether ether ketone surface bone forming peptide 1 and polydopamine composite coating.METHODS:Polyether ether ketone titanium sheets were immersed in dopamine solution for 24 hours to prepare polyether ether ketone-polydopamine materials.Polyether ether ketone-polydopamine material was immersed in the bone forming peptide 1 solution for 24 hours to prepare polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide 1 material.The micromorphology,hydrophilicity,and elemental composition of the material were characterized.Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were injected on the surface of polyether ether ketone,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine,and polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide-1 materials.Cell viability and adhesion status were evaluated by live/dead cell staining and cytoskeleton staining.Cellular osteogenic differentiation ability was detected by alizarin red and osteocalcin immunofluorescence staining.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were inoculated on the surface of three groups of materials.Cell viability and angiogenesis level were assessed by live/dead cell staining and immunofluorescence staining of cytoskeleton/vascular endothelial growth factor.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Under scanning electron microscope,the surface of polyether ether ketone material was smooth;the surface of polyether ether ketone-polydopamine material had uneven deposits,and the surface of polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide 1 material had small particles protruding.The results of contact angle test showed that the hydrophilicity of polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide-1 material was better than the other two materials.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that bone forming peptide 1 had been successfully modified on the surface of polyether ether ketone material.(2)Live/dead cell staining and cytoskeleton staining exhibited that compared with the other two materials,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone-forming peptide 1 material could improve the viability and adhesion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Alizarin red and osteocalcin immunofluorescence staining showed that compared with the other two materials,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide-1 materials could promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(3)Live/dead cell staining and immunofluorescence staining showed that compared with the other two materials,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide 1 material could improve the viability and adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor protein.(4)The results show that the modification of bone forming peptide 1 and polydopamine composite coating on polyether ether ketone surface can improve the osteogenesis and angiogenesis.

BACKGROUND:Polyether ether ketone has the advantages of elastic modulus close to human cortical bone,good ray transmission,chemical stability,and biocompatibility.Polyether ether ketone is expected to be applied in the field of oral implants.However,polyether ether ketone is bioinert and is difficult to integrate with surrounding bone tissue.Therefore,how to improve the surface bioactivity of polyether ether ketone remains a major issue.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the osteogenic and vasogenic effects of polyether ether ketone surface bone forming peptide 1 and polydopamine composite coating.METHODS:Polyether ether ketone titanium sheets were immersed in dopamine solution for 24 hours to prepare polyether ether ketone-polydopamine materials.Polyether ether ketone-polydopamine material was immersed in the bone forming peptide 1 solution for 24 hours to prepare polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide 1 material.The micromorphology,hydrophilicity,and elemental composition of the material were characterized.Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were injected on the surface of polyether ether ketone,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine,and polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide-1 materials.Cell viability and adhesion status were evaluated by live/dead cell staining and cytoskeleton staining.Cellular osteogenic differentiation ability was detected by alizarin red and osteocalcin immunofluorescence staining.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were inoculated on the surface of three groups of materials.Cell viability and angiogenesis level were assessed by live/dead cell staining and immunofluorescence staining of cytoskeleton/vascular endothelial growth factor.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Under scanning electron microscope,the surface of polyether ether ketone material was smooth;the surface of polyether ether ketone-polydopamine material had uneven deposits,and the surface of polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide 1 material had small particles protruding.The results of contact angle test showed that the hydrophilicity of polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide-1 material was better than the other two materials.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that bone forming peptide 1 had been successfully modified on the surface of polyether ether ketone material.(2)Live/dead cell staining and cytoskeleton staining exhibited that compared with the other two materials,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone-forming peptide 1 material could improve the viability and adhesion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Alizarin red and osteocalcin immunofluorescence staining showed that compared with the other two materials,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide-1 materials could promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(3)Live/dead cell staining and immunofluorescence staining showed that compared with the other two materials,polyether ether ketone-polydopamine-bone forming peptide 1 material could improve the viability and adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor protein.(4)The results show that the modification of bone forming peptide 1 and polydopamine composite coating on polyether ether ketone surface can improve the osteogenesis and angiogenesis.

Objective To understand the changing trend of nutritional status of children undergoing liver transplantation within 6 months after discharge,and to explore its influencing factors,in order to provide guidance for the clinical formulation of personalized nutritional intervention programs.Methods By the convenient sampling method,153 children undergoing liver transplantation admitted to the liver transplantation center of a tertiary A hospital in Hangzhou from January 2023 to January 2024 were selected as the research subjects.Their basic and clinical data were collected.The nutritional status at the 1 day before surgery and 1 month,3 months,and 6 months after discharge was evaluated by the standard deviation evaluation method of children's nutritional status.According to the changing trend of their nutritional status,they were grouped.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of the changing trend of nutritional status in children undergoing liver transplantation.Results A total of 144 children who underwent liver transplantation were ultimately included in the study.The incidence of malnutrition at 1 month,3 months,and 6 months after discharge was 66.0％,54.9％,and 53.5％,respectively.According to the changing trend of nutritional status of children undergoing liver transplantation,they were divided into 3 groups:54 cases(37.5％)in the good nutritional status group,24 cases(16.7％)in the fluctuating nutritional status group,and 66 cases(45.8％)in the poor nutritional status group.The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight,feeding method within 6 months after birth,age of caregivers and learning situation of nutritional knowledge were the influencing factors of the changing trend of nutritional status in children undergoing liver transplantation(P＜0.05).Conclusion The incidence of malnutrition in children undergoing liver transplantation is high within 6 months after discharge;medical staff should closely collaborate with families to formulate and implement staged personalized nutritional intervention measures based on the specific conditions and influencing factors of the children to effectively improve the nutritional status of the children after transplantation.

Objective To explore the effect of exercise preconditioning on inflammatory response in ischemic stroke brain tissue which mediated by miR-146a in extracellular vesicles in rats with middle cerebral artery oc-clusion(MCAO),and its mechanism.Methods Sixty 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divid-ed into a non-exercise group and an exercise group.The non-exercise group was further divided into a sham-operation control group(C,n=15)and an MCAO model group(M,n=15),while the exercise group was further di-vided into an exercise only group(E,n=15)and an exercise plus MCAO model group(EM,n=15).Rats in the E and EM groups underwent 8 weeks of treadmill exercise,6 days per week,30 minutes per day.Then rats in the M and EM groups received MCAO to induce ischemic stroke,while the C and E groups underwent a sham surgery.Twenty-four hours after the surgery,neurobehavioral tests were performed.Plasma was collected to ex-tract extracellular vesicles,and brain tissue was collected to measure the volume of cerebral infarction by using the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining.Moreover,the Nissl staining was conducted to observe neuronal and Nissl body.Mean while,the content of miR-146a in plasma extracellular vesicles and brain tissue was mea-sured by using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR),and the expression of TNF receptor associat-ed factor 6(TRAF6),nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in brain tissues were determined using Western blotting.The targeting relationship between miR-146a and TRAF6 was detected by using the dual luciferase reporter gene assay.Results(1)The neurological behavioral scores of the EM and M groups were higher than those of the C group(P<0.01 and P<0.01),with that of the EM group lower than the M group(P<0.01).(2)TTC staining showed that the infarct volume of the EM and M groups was larger than that of the other two groups(P<0.01 and P<0.01),with that of the EM group smaller than the M group(P<0.01).(3)Nissl staining results showed that the neuronal arrangement was loose,the number of neurons re-duced,and the Nissl bodies were lightly stained and decreased in the M group compared with the C and E groups.Moreover,compared with the M group,the number of neurons and Nissl bodies increased in the EM group.(4)The qPCR analysis showed that the expression of miR-146a in the plasma-derived exosomes and brain tissues of the EM and M groups decreased compared with the C group(P<0.05 and P<0.01),with that of the EM group higher than the M group(P<0.05).(5)According to Western blotting,compared with the C group,the expression levels of TRAF6,NF-κB,and TNF-α proteins increased significantly(P<0.05 and P<0.01),with that of group EM signfiicantly lower than group M(P<0.05 and P<0.05).(6)Dual-luciferase report-er gene assay showed that miR-146a had a specific binding site with TRAF6.Conclusion Eight weeks of exer-cise preconditioning reduces the infarct area and the extent of brain damage,which may be mediated by miR-146a via exosomes,increasing the expression of miR-146a in brain tissue,targeting TRAF6,negatively regulat-ing TRAF6/NF-κB,and reducing the expression of TNF-α,thus alleviating the inflammatory response in brain tissue and exerting a protective effect on ischemic brain injury.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignant tumor affecting the head and neck region (Leemans et al., 2018). It is often diagnosed at a later stage, leading to a poor prognosis (Muzaffar et al., 2021; Li et al., 2023). Despite advances in OSCC treatment, the overall 5-year survival rate of OSCC patients remains alarmingly low, falling below 50% (Jehn et al., 2019; Johnson et al., 2020). According to statistics, only 50% of patients with oral cancer can be treated with surgery. Once discovered, it is more frequently at an advanced stage. In addition, owing to the aggressively invasive and metastatic characteristics of OSCC, most patients die within one year of diagnosis. Hence, the pursuit of novel therapeutic drugs and treatments to improve the response of oral cancer to medication, along with a deeper understanding of their effects, remains crucial objectives in oral cancer research (Johnson et al., 2020; Bhat et al., 2021; Chen et al., 2023; Ruffin et al., 2023).
Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Luteolin/therapeutic use* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/drug therapy* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Cell Line, Tumor

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of deep learning reconstruction (DLR) compared with hybrid iterative reconstruction (Hybrid IR) in improving the image quality in chest low-dose CT (LDCT).Methods:Seventy-seven patients who underwent LDCT scan for physical examination or regular follow-up in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2020 to March 2021 were retrospectively included. The LDCT images were reconstructed with Hybrid IR at standard level (Hybrid IR Stand) and DLR at standard and strong level (DLR Stand and DLR Strong). Regions of interest were placed on pulmonary lobe, aorta, subscapularis muscle and axillary fat to measure the CT value and image noise. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Subjective image quality was evaluated using Likert 5-score method by two experienced radiologists. The number and features of ground-glass nodule (GGN) were also assessed. If the scores of the two radiologists were inconsistent, the score was determined by the third radiologist. The objective and subjective image evaluation were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Bonferroni test was used for multiple comparisons within the group.Results:Among Hybrid IR Stand, DLR Stand and DLR Strong images, the CT value of pulmonary lobe, aorta, subscapularis muscle and axillary fat had no significant differences (all P>0.05), but the image noise and SNR of pulmonary lobe, aorta, subscapularis muscle and axillary fat had significant differences(all P<0.05), and the CNR of images had significant difference( P<0.05), too. The CNR of Hybrid IR Stand images, DLR stand images and DLR strong images were 0.71 (0.49, 0.88), 1.06 (0.78, 1.32) and 1.14 (0.84, 1.48), respectively. Compared with Hybrid IR images, DLR images had lower objective and subjective image noise,higher SNR and CNR (all P<0.05). The scores of DLR images were superior to Hybrid IR images in identifying lung fissures, pulmonary vessels, trachea and bronchi, lymph nodes, pleura, pericardium and GGN (all P<0.05). Conclusions:DLR significantly reduced the image noise, and DLR images were superior to Hybrid IR images in identifying GGN in chest LDCT while maintaining superior image quality at relatively low radiation dose levels. Thus DLR images can improve the safety of lung cancer screening and pulmonary nodule follow-up by CT.

Objective:To explore the effect of deep learning reconstruction (DLR) on radiation dosage reduction and image quality of CTPA compared with hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR).Methods:A total of 100 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (APE) or indications for CTPA due to other pulmonary artery diseases in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 2020 to April 2021 were prospectively enrolled and divided into HIR group and DLR group according to block randomization, with 50 cases in each group. The patient′s gender, age and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. HIR group and DLR group underwent standard deviation (SD)=8.8 and SD=15 CTPA protocols in combination with HIR and DLR algorithm respectively. Other scanning parameters and contrast medium injection plan were the same. The effective dose (ED) and size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) were calculated. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn in the lumen of Grade 1-3 pulmonary arteries and bilateral paravertebral muscles. The corresponding CT and SD values were recorded to acquire signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast noise ratio (CNR). Based on a double-blind method, two radiologists evaluated the subjective noise, visualization of pulmonary arteries, and diagnostic confidence of the two groups by 5-point Likert scales. The inconsistent results were judged comprehensively by the third radiologist. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the demographic data, radiation dosage and quantitative image quality of the two groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the subjective noise, visualization of pulmonary arteries and diagnostic confidence between the two groups. Linear weighted Kappa coefficient was calculated to analyze the consistency of the qualitative scores between the two radiologists. Results:There were no significant differences in gender, age and BMI between the two groups ( P>0.05). The CT values of Grade1-3 pulmonary arteries and paravertebral muscle had no significant differences ( P>0.05). Compared with HIR group, the ED and SSDE in DLR group decreased by about 35% to 1.3 mSv and 4.20 mGy respectively, while the SNR (30±5) and CNR (26±5) of CTPA images were higher in DLR group than those in HIR group (23±5 and 20±5, with t=-6.60 and -5.90, respectively, both P<0.001). The subjective noise score was higher in DLR group than that in HIR group ( Z=-7.34, P<0.001). In addition, two radiologists showed excellent interobserver agreement in DLR group (Kappa=0.847, 95%CI 0.553-1.000). No significant differences were found in visualization of pulmonary arteries and diagnostic confidence between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:DLR further reduced the radiation dosage and improved the image quality of CTPA, with no detriment to diagnostic confidence. Thus DLR is worthy of clinical promotion.