Objective:To explore the dosimetry optimization strategy based on filter thickness and shape selection for the bulb superficial X-ray radiotherapy unit.Methods:Monte Carlo code TOPAS was used to model tubular equipment, and the dose distribution from six X-ray energies (50-150 kV) and five conventional aluminum filters (0.5-3.0 mm) with different thickness were simulated in the water model. The percentage depth dose (PDD) curve along the central axis, the center-axis profile dose at different depths, and the lateral dose distribution were analyzed. The dose distribution of three different designs of aluminum filters (conventional cylindrical, conical and oblique cylindrical filters) was compared to evaluate the effect of dosimetric optimization of different filter shapes.Results:Under the same energy, increasing the thickness of the filter can optimize the superficial skin dose, and the optimization effect of depth dose uniformity can be increased by 26% at a depth of 5.5 mm at 70 kV energy. The raised, flat and inclined dose distribution modes can be achieved by using conventional cylindrical, conical and inclined aluminum filters.Conclusions:By selecting the appropriate X-ray energy and filter thickness, an ideal dose distribution matching the tumor depth can be achieved. The application of personalized filters is also of great significance for diverse target areas.

Objective To develop a deep learning-based denoising model for accelerating Monte Carlo(MC)simulation of electronic portal imaging device(EPID)transit dose images.Methods A total of 500 EPID fields were collected from 100 lung cancer patients undergoing 5-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy,with 400 fields randomly selected as training set,50 fields as validation set,and 50 fields as test set.EPID transit dose image datasets with low particle counts(1×107)and high particle counts(1×109)were simulated using the GPU-accelerated MC dose calculation engine ARCHER.A denoising network model named SUNet was constructed based on Swin Transformer and U-Net,and trained using low-particle-count images as input and high-particle-count images as output.Following training,SUNet model was used to denoise low-particle-count EPID images in the test set.Denoising performance was evaluated using structural similarity index(SSIM),peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR),and Gamma passing rates(3%/2 mm),and the computational efficiency of MC simulation combined with SUNet model was analyzed.Results Compared with the original low-particle-count images,the SUNet-denoised images showed significantly improved quality,reduced noise points,and smoother dose distribution.When benchmarked against high-particle-count images,the SUNet-denoised images achieved an average SSIM greater than 0.9,an average PSNR higher than 32 dB,and an average gamma passing rate exceeding 90%.The MC simulation combined with SUNet model required only 1.88 s to simulate a single EPID transit dose image,representing an approximate 40-fold improvement in computational efficiency as compared with high-particle-count MC simulation.Conclusion The deep learning-based denoising model substantially accelerates MC simulation of EPID transit dose images while preserving both image quality and dose accuracy,which provides possibilities for EPID-basedin vivodose verification.

Objective:To explore the dosimetry optimization strategy based on filter thickness and shape selection for the bulb superficial X-ray radiotherapy unit.Methods:Monte Carlo code TOPAS was used to model tubular equipment, and the dose distribution from six X-ray energies (50-150 kV) and five conventional aluminum filters (0.5-3.0 mm) with different thickness were simulated in the water model. The percentage depth dose (PDD) curve along the central axis, the center-axis profile dose at different depths, and the lateral dose distribution were analyzed. The dose distribution of three different designs of aluminum filters (conventional cylindrical, conical and oblique cylindrical filters) was compared to evaluate the effect of dosimetric optimization of different filter shapes.Results:Under the same energy, increasing the thickness of the filter can optimize the superficial skin dose, and the optimization effect of depth dose uniformity can be increased by 26% at a depth of 5.5 mm at 70 kV energy. The raised, flat and inclined dose distribution modes can be achieved by using conventional cylindrical, conical and inclined aluminum filters.Conclusions:By selecting the appropriate X-ray energy and filter thickness, an ideal dose distribution matching the tumor depth can be achieved. The application of personalized filters is also of great significance for diverse target areas.

Objective To explore the effects and mechanism of Dahuang Tangluo Pills on intestinal inflammatory injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)rats based on TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods Eight ZDF(fa/+)rats were used as the blank group,and 40 ZDF(fa/fa)rats were fed with high-fat diet and then randomly divided into model group,metformin group(0.18 g/kg metformin)and TCM high-,medium-and low-dosage groups(2.16,1.08,0.54 g/kg Dahuang Tangluo Pills),respectively.The medication groups were gavaged with corresponding dosages for 12 consecutive weeks.The body mass and fasting blood glucose(FBG)of rats before and after intervention were detected.After the intervention,an oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)was performed,the serum glucose(GLU),glycosylated serum protein(GSP),triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)contents were detected.ELISA was used to detect serum fasting insulin(FINS),free fatty acids(FFA)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-6,IL-22,lipopolysaccharide(LPS),secreted immunoglobulin A(SIgA)contents in colonic tissue.HE staining was used to observe the morphology of colonic tissue,and Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Toll like receptor 4(TLR4),nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65),p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB inhibitor α(IκBα),p-IκBα,myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)and zona pellucida protein-1(ZO-1)in colonic tissue.Results Compared with the blank group,the body mass and FBG significantly increased in the model group(P<0.01),blood glucose significantly increased at all time points of OGTT(P<0.01),serum GLU,GSP,TG,TC,LDL-C,FINS,FFA and TNF-α,IL-6,IL-22,LPS contents in colonic tissue significantly increased,serum HDL-C and colonic tissue SIgA contents significantly decreased(P<0.01),with colonic tissue nuclear condensation,cytoplasmic dissolution,inflammatory cell infiltration.The protein expressions of TLR4,NF-κB p65,p-NF-κB p65,p-IκBα and MyD88 in colonic tissue significantly increased,while the protein expressions of IκBα and ZO-1 significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the body mass and FBG significantly decreased in metformin group,TCM high-and medium-dosage groups(P<0.01),blood glucose decreased at different time points of OGTT,and serum GLU,GSP,TG,TC,LDL-C,FINS,FFA and TNF-α,IL-6,IL-22,LPS contents in colonic tissue significantly decreased,serum HDL-C and colonic tissue SIgA contents significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),with significant improvement in colonic tissue structure and reduction in inflammatory cell infiltration.The protein expressions of TLR4,NF-κB p65,p-NF-κB p65,p-IκBα and MyD88 in colonic tissue significantly decreased,while the proteins expression of IκBα and ZO-1 significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Dahuang Tangluo Pills may inhibit the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway,reduce the release of inflammatory factors,improve intestinal inflammatory injury,restore intestinal homeostasis,thereby improving glucose and lipid metabolism and exerting therapeutic effects on T2DM.

Objective To develop a deep learning-based denoising model for accelerating Monte Carlo(MC)simulation of electronic portal imaging device(EPID)transit dose images.Methods A total of 500 EPID fields were collected from 100 lung cancer patients undergoing 5-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy,with 400 fields randomly selected as training set,50 fields as validation set,and 50 fields as test set.EPID transit dose image datasets with low particle counts(1×107)and high particle counts(1×109)were simulated using the GPU-accelerated MC dose calculation engine ARCHER.A denoising network model named SUNet was constructed based on Swin Transformer and U-Net,and trained using low-particle-count images as input and high-particle-count images as output.Following training,SUNet model was used to denoise low-particle-count EPID images in the test set.Denoising performance was evaluated using structural similarity index(SSIM),peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR),and Gamma passing rates(3%/2 mm),and the computational efficiency of MC simulation combined with SUNet model was analyzed.Results Compared with the original low-particle-count images,the SUNet-denoised images showed significantly improved quality,reduced noise points,and smoother dose distribution.When benchmarked against high-particle-count images,the SUNet-denoised images achieved an average SSIM greater than 0.9,an average PSNR higher than 32 dB,and an average gamma passing rate exceeding 90%.The MC simulation combined with SUNet model required only 1.88 s to simulate a single EPID transit dose image,representing an approximate 40-fold improvement in computational efficiency as compared with high-particle-count MC simulation.Conclusion The deep learning-based denoising model substantially accelerates MC simulation of EPID transit dose images while preserving both image quality and dose accuracy,which provides possibilities for EPID-basedin vivodose verification.

Objective To explore the effects and mechanism of Dahuang Tangluo Pills on intestinal inflammatory injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)rats based on TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods Eight ZDF(fa/+)rats were used as the blank group,and 40 ZDF(fa/fa)rats were fed with high-fat diet and then randomly divided into model group,metformin group(0.18 g/kg metformin)and TCM high-,medium-and low-dosage groups(2.16,1.08,0.54 g/kg Dahuang Tangluo Pills),respectively.The medication groups were gavaged with corresponding dosages for 12 consecutive weeks.The body mass and fasting blood glucose(FBG)of rats before and after intervention were detected.After the intervention,an oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)was performed,the serum glucose(GLU),glycosylated serum protein(GSP),triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)contents were detected.ELISA was used to detect serum fasting insulin(FINS),free fatty acids(FFA)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-6,IL-22,lipopolysaccharide(LPS),secreted immunoglobulin A(SIgA)contents in colonic tissue.HE staining was used to observe the morphology of colonic tissue,and Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Toll like receptor 4(TLR4),nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65),p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB inhibitor α(IκBα),p-IκBα,myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)and zona pellucida protein-1(ZO-1)in colonic tissue.Results Compared with the blank group,the body mass and FBG significantly increased in the model group(P<0.01),blood glucose significantly increased at all time points of OGTT(P<0.01),serum GLU,GSP,TG,TC,LDL-C,FINS,FFA and TNF-α,IL-6,IL-22,LPS contents in colonic tissue significantly increased,serum HDL-C and colonic tissue SIgA contents significantly decreased(P<0.01),with colonic tissue nuclear condensation,cytoplasmic dissolution,inflammatory cell infiltration.The protein expressions of TLR4,NF-κB p65,p-NF-κB p65,p-IκBα and MyD88 in colonic tissue significantly increased,while the protein expressions of IκBα and ZO-1 significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the body mass and FBG significantly decreased in metformin group,TCM high-and medium-dosage groups(P<0.01),blood glucose decreased at different time points of OGTT,and serum GLU,GSP,TG,TC,LDL-C,FINS,FFA and TNF-α,IL-6,IL-22,LPS contents in colonic tissue significantly decreased,serum HDL-C and colonic tissue SIgA contents significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),with significant improvement in colonic tissue structure and reduction in inflammatory cell infiltration.The protein expressions of TLR4,NF-κB p65,p-NF-κB p65,p-IκBα and MyD88 in colonic tissue significantly decreased,while the proteins expression of IκBα and ZO-1 significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Dahuang Tangluo Pills may inhibit the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway,reduce the release of inflammatory factors,improve intestinal inflammatory injury,restore intestinal homeostasis,thereby improving glucose and lipid metabolism and exerting therapeutic effects on T2DM.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects and mechanisms of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang on hepatic oxidative stress injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） rats based on the nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） axis. MethodSix ZDF （fa/+） rats were as assigned to the blank group， and 30 ZDF （fa/fa） rats were used to induce the T2DM model by feeding a high-fat diet. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， metformin group （0.18 g·kg^-1）， and low， medium， and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （0.54， 1.08， 2.16 g·kg^-1）， with six rats in each group. After 12 weeks of drug intervention， the body mass， liver mass， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， and oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） levels were measured. Serum total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） levels were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， and the level of malondialdehyde （MDA） in liver tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Nrf2 in the liver. Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in liver tissues. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in body mass， liver mass， and liver index （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and the medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed a significant decrease in body weight， liver mass， and liver index （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased TC， TG， and LDL levels （P<0.01）， and significantly decreased HDL levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced TC levels （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced TG levels （P<0.05）. The medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced LDL levels （P<0.05）. The metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased HDL levels （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased ALT and AST activities （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang and the metformin group showed significantly reduced ALT activities （P<0.05） and significantly reduced AST activities （P<0.01）. Compared with normal group， the model group showed significantly increased FBG at all time points （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced FBG at 8， 10， 12 weeks. The OGTT results showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly increased blood glucose at all time points （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group showed significantly reduced blood glucose at all time points （P<0.01）， and the medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced blood glucose at 90， 120 min （P<0.01）. HE pathology showed clear and regular liver cell structure in the normal group， while the model group showed disordered liver cell structure with visible fat vacuoles and a large number of deformed necrotic cells. The liver tissue structure improved in the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang， with fewer necrotic cells. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly reduced SOD and GSH-Px levels （P<0.01）， and significantly increased ROS and MDA levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased SOD and GSH-Px levels （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced MDA levels （P<0.01）. The medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced ROS levels （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly reduced Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA expression levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and the medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA expression levels （P<0.05）. Immunohistochemistry showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly reduced positive expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed increased positive expression of Nrf2 and HO-1， with a significant increase in brown-yellow granules around the cell nucleus （P<0.05）. Western blot results showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly reduced protein expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased protein expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang can significantly improve the general condition and pathological changes of liver tissues in T2DM model rats. This improvement is likely achieved through ameliorating hepatic oxidative stress injury via regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 axis.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang on mitochondrial autophagy and browning of visceral adipose tissue in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model ZDF rats. MethodForty ZDF rats were induced with a high-fat diet to establish an obese T2DM model. The rats were randomly divided into five groups： Model group， metformin group （0.18 g·kg^-1）， and high， medium， and low dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （2.16， 1.08， 0.54 g·kg^-1）， with eight rats in each group. Additionally， eight ZDF （fa/+） rats were assigned to the normal group. All groups received an intragastric volume of 10 mL·kg^-1， with the model and normal groups receiving the same volume of purified water once daily for 12 weeks. Fasting blood glucose （FBG） was regularly measured. After 12 weeks of intervention， the body weight， epididymal fat weight， and serum levels of glucose （GLU）， glycated serum protein （GSP）， triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in epididymal fat tissue. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was employed to observe mitochondrial autophagy in adipocytes. Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein 3 （BNIP3）， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B （LC3B）， p62/SQSTM1， uncoupling protein 1 （UCP1）， iodothyronine deiodinase 2 （Dio2）， and PR domain containing 16 （Prdm16） in epididymal fat. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of HIF-1α， BNIP3， LC3B， p62， and UCP1 in epididymal fat. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed pathological changes in epididymal fat， with adipocyte mitochondrial condensation and numerous autophagosomes indicating mitochondrial autophagy. The model group also exhibited significantly increased body weight， epididymal fat weight， FBG， GLU， GSP， TC， TG， and LDL-C levels （P<0.01）， significantly decreased HDL-C levels （P<0.01）， significantly elevated mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α， BNIP3， and LC3B （P<0.01）， significantly reduced mRNA and protein expression of p62 and UCP1 （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced mRNA expression of Dio2 and Prdm16 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all intervention groups showed varying degrees of improvement in epididymal fat pathology. The metformin group and high-dose modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang group displayed intact mitochondrial morphology， clear cristae， uniform matrix， and few autophagosomes and autophagosomes in the adipocyte cytoplasm. The metformin group and high- and medium-dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced body weight and epididymal fat weight （P<0.01）. The epididymal fat index was reduced in all intervention groups （P<0.05）， and FBG was lowered in all intervention groups （P<0.01）.Serum GSP， GLU， TG， and LDL-C levels were reduced in the metformin group and the high- and medium-dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum TC level was significantly reduced in the metformin group and high-dose group of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.01）， and HDL-C levels were significantly increased in all intervention groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α， BNIP3， and LC3B were significantly reduced， and UCP1 protein expression was significantly increased in the metformin group and high- and medium-dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of p62， Dio2， and Prdm16 were significantly increased in the metformin group and high-dose group of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang may inhibit mitochondrial autophagy and promote the browning of visceral adipose tissue through the HIF-1α/BNIP3/LC3B pathway， thereby improving glucose and lipid metabolism in obese T2DM rats.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） is based on insulin resistance （IR） and insulin secretion deficiency， with the specific mechanisms still unclear. Current research involves mechanisms such as glycolipid toxicity， inflammatory response， oxidative stress damage， and mitochondrial dysfunction. Modern traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） scholars have named it "blood glucose collateral disease" based on the clinical characteristics and natural progression of T2DM. This condition is primarily manifested as abnormal blood sugar levels in the early stages， and as the disease progresses， it gradually causes widespread damage to the body's veins and collaterals， ultimately leading to lesions in vessels and collaterals. Among these， "spleen heat" （obesity type） is the most common clinical type of T2DM. The concept of "internal heat-induced elimination" runs through both the onset and complications of T2DM， with internal heat being a key factor in its pathogenesis. The clinical application of Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang and its modifications has achieved significant therapeutic effects. This paper reviews the origins and treatment characteristics of Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang， along with clinical application research and experimental studies related to T2DM treatment， involving mechanisms for regulating glucose and lipid metabolism disorders， improving IR， modulating inflammatory responses， combating oxidative stress damage， regulating autophagy-related signaling pathways， modulating intestinal flora， inhibiting pyroptosis， and alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress， with the purpose to provide direction for further research on the prevention and treatment of T2DM and its related complications， to offer reference for developing Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang as a rapid hypoglycemic Chinese patent medicine for obese T2DM， and to better guide the clinical promotion of this drug.

Objective To develop a GPU-based Monte Carlo dose calculation module for helical tomotherapy(TOMO),and integrate it into the commercial software ArcherQA to achieve fast and accurate dose verification in clinic.Methods The TOMO treatment head was modeled using TOPAS to obtain phase space files,and a fast weight tuning algorithm was used to simulate particle transport in multi-leaf collimator for improving computational efficiency,and finally,GPU-based Monte Carlo algorithms in ArcherQA were used to simulate particle transport in patients.To verify the model accuracy,the ArcherQA calculated results in water tank were compared with measured data for different open fields.In addition,multiple comparisons among ArcherQA results,TPS results and ArcCHECK results were conducted on 15 clinical cases(5 cases in the head and neck,5 cases in the chest and abdomen,and 5 cases in the whole body).Results In the water tank tests for 40 cm×5.0 cm,40 cm×2.5 cm and 40 cm× 1.0 cm radiation fields,the average global relative errors of the percentage depth dose,transverse dose distribution,and longitudinal dose distribution calculated by ArcherQA with the corresponding measured values were 0.72％,0.66％,and 0.54％,respectively.Over 98％of the voxels had a global relative error of less than 1％.As for 15 clinical cases,in 2％/2 mm criteria,the mean Gamma passing rate was 98.1％between ArcherQA and TPS,99.1％between TPS and ArcCHECK,and 99.4％between ArcherQA and ArcCHECK.The uncertainty of the simulation maintained less than 1％,and the average time taken for calculation based on patient CT vs ArcCHECK phantom was 87 s vs 64 s.Conclusion ArcherQA can be used for independent dose validation for TOMO plans for it can provide fast and accurate dose calculations.