Objective To explore the value of intensity ratio(IR)of lesion to non-tumor liver parenchyma on contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)Kupffer phase for differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(IHC)/metastatic liver carcinoma.Methods Totally 54 patients with HCC(HCC group),30 with IHC and 51 with liver metastatic carcinoma(non-HCC group)diagnosed by pathology were retrospectively enrolled.Quantitative parameters derived from CEUS time-intensity curves,including peak intensity(PI),time to peak(TTP),wash-in area under the curve(WiAUC),wash-out area under the curve(WoAUC),wash-in and wash-out area under the curve(WiWoAUC)of lesion in vascular phase and IR of lesion to non-tumor liver parenchyma in Kupffer phase were compared between groups,and a combined diagnostic model was established based on parameters being significantly different between groups using binary logistic regression analysis.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted,and the area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the efficacy of each CEUS parameter alone and the combined model for differentiating HCC and IHC/liver metastatic carcinoma.Results In HCC group,PI,WoAUC and WiWoAUC were all higher(all P＜0.001),while IR was significantly lower than those in non-HCC group(P＜0.001).The AUC of PI,WoAUC,WiWoAUC and IR for differentiating HCC and IHC/metastatic liver carcinoma was 0.673,0.741,0.738 and 0.736,respectively,all lower than that of combined model(0.862,all P＜0.05).Conclusion IR of lesion to non-tumor liver parenchyma on CEUS Kupffer phase could be used to differentiate HCC and IHC/metastatic liver carcinoma.Combining with quantitative parameters on CEUS vascular phase could improve differentiating efficiency.

Owing to the insidious onset and limited awareness of early screening,many patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)are diagnosed at an advanced stage.Immunochemotherapy is the current standard first-line treatment for advanced ESCC;however,survival outcomes remain suboptimal.Radiotherapy,with its precise local control and potential immunomodulatory effects,is anticipated to act synergistically with immunochemotherapy,offering a novel direction for overcoming survival limitations.This review systematically sum-marizes the progress in the use of radiotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced ESCC and discusses the synergistic mechanisms,clinical applications,and challenges associated with its combination with immunochemotherapy.

To explore the cultivation path of excellent physicians in regional medical universities, a horizontal integration of clinical courses was performed to construct a curriculum centered on systemic diseases. Clinical courses adopted bedside rotation teaching with small class (30-40 students, 3-4 students/group). A comprehensive approach was designed and implemented, covering overall framework, organizational guarantee, teaching arrangement, teaching method, and assessment system. The effectiveness of the reform was evaluated through the comprehensive exams during the basic stage and national clinical medicine proficiency test. Despite no significant differences in the basic stage, the national clinical medicine proficiency test scores of the C2E class with teaching reform increased continuously from 2017 to 2020. The theoretical examination score of the C2E class was higher than that of regular classes 1 in 2017, 2019, and 2020. With continuous optimization, the skill examination score of the C2E class was significantly higher than that of regular class 1 in 2020. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the teaching reform and provide a foundation for the teaching reform of large class in five-year clinical medicine programs.

To explore the cultivation path of excellent physicians in regional medical universities, a horizontal integration of clinical courses was performed to construct a curriculum centered on systemic diseases. Clinical courses adopted bedside rotation teaching with small class (30-40 students, 3-4 students/group). A comprehensive approach was designed and implemented, covering overall framework, organizational guarantee, teaching arrangement, teaching method, and assessment system. The effectiveness of the reform was evaluated through the comprehensive exams during the basic stage and national clinical medicine proficiency test. Despite no significant differences in the basic stage, the national clinical medicine proficiency test scores of the C2E class with teaching reform increased continuously from 2017 to 2020. The theoretical examination score of the C2E class was higher than that of regular classes 1 in 2017, 2019, and 2020. With continuous optimization, the skill examination score of the C2E class was significantly higher than that of regular class 1 in 2020. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the teaching reform and provide a foundation for the teaching reform of large class in five-year clinical medicine programs.

Objective To explore the value of intensity ratio(IR)of lesion to non-tumor liver parenchyma on contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)Kupffer phase for differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(IHC)/metastatic liver carcinoma.Methods Totally 54 patients with HCC(HCC group),30 with IHC and 51 with liver metastatic carcinoma(non-HCC group)diagnosed by pathology were retrospectively enrolled.Quantitative parameters derived from CEUS time-intensity curves,including peak intensity(PI),time to peak(TTP),wash-in area under the curve(WiAUC),wash-out area under the curve(WoAUC),wash-in and wash-out area under the curve(WiWoAUC)of lesion in vascular phase and IR of lesion to non-tumor liver parenchyma in Kupffer phase were compared between groups,and a combined diagnostic model was established based on parameters being significantly different between groups using binary logistic regression analysis.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted,and the area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the efficacy of each CEUS parameter alone and the combined model for differentiating HCC and IHC/liver metastatic carcinoma.Results In HCC group,PI,WoAUC and WiWoAUC were all higher(all P＜0.001),while IR was significantly lower than those in non-HCC group(P＜0.001).The AUC of PI,WoAUC,WiWoAUC and IR for differentiating HCC and IHC/metastatic liver carcinoma was 0.673,0.741,0.738 and 0.736,respectively,all lower than that of combined model(0.862,all P＜0.05).Conclusion IR of lesion to non-tumor liver parenchyma on CEUS Kupffer phase could be used to differentiate HCC and IHC/metastatic liver carcinoma.Combining with quantitative parameters on CEUS vascular phase could improve differentiating efficiency.

Owing to the insidious onset and limited awareness of early screening,many patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)are diagnosed at an advanced stage.Immunochemotherapy is the current standard first-line treatment for advanced ESCC;however,survival outcomes remain suboptimal.Radiotherapy,with its precise local control and potential immunomodulatory effects,is anticipated to act synergistically with immunochemotherapy,offering a novel direction for overcoming survival limitations.This review systematically sum-marizes the progress in the use of radiotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced ESCC and discusses the synergistic mechanisms,clinical applications,and challenges associated with its combination with immunochemotherapy.

Objective:To investigate the effects of radiation dose to the host immune system during radiotherapy on disease progression and survival in patients with peripheral early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).Methods:Clinical data of pathologically confirmed ES-NSCLC patients who were treated with SBRT at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between January 2007 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The prognostic significance of the estimated dose of radiation to immune cells (EDRIC) in ES-NSCLC patients undergoing SBRT was cited and validated. EDRIC was calculated using the model developed by Kong et al. and improved by Ladbury et al. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression were adopted to estimate cancer-specific survival (CSS), progression-free survival (PFS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Pearson's correlation was used to assess the correlation between variables. Results:The median prescription dose/fraction was 60 Gy/5 fractions (range: 48-60 Gy in 3-10 fractions). The median follow-up time was 52.17 (1.17-154.77) months. The median gross tumor volume (GTV) and EDRIC were 10.98 (0.91-120.34) cm 3 and 2.064 (0.426-6.015) Gy, respectively. Person's correlation analysis showed that GTV was positively correlated with EDRIC ( r=0.712, P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, EDRIC was an important prognostic variable of CSS and DMFS. Higher EDRIC was significantly associated with worse CSS ( HR=1.763, P=0.004) and DMFS ( HR=1.902, P=0.004). Compared to patients with EDRIC ≤ 1.56 Gy, those with EDRIC > 2.64 Gy and EDRIC between <2.06-2.64 Gy exhibited significantly lower CSS ( P<0.001, P=0.049). There were significant differences in DMFS among the groups divided by quartiles of EDRIC (compared to EDRIC ≤1.56 Gy, the P values were <0.001, 0.004, and 0.022 respectively). Conclusions:EDRIC is an important predictor of CSS and DMFS in ES-NSCLC patients treated with SBRT, suggesting that radiation dose to the immune system is a critical determinant of treatment outcomes. EDRIC can be used to quantify the effects of radiation therapy on the host immune system.

Objective:To investigate the variations in peripheral lymphocyte count (PLC) and evaluate the impact of PLC on clinical prognosis of patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) during stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).Methods:Clinical data of early-stage NSCLC patients who received SBRT at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2007 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The PLC of early-stage NSCLC patients was recorded at four different time points: 1 week before SBRT, 1 week after SBRT, 1 month after SBRT, and 3 months after SBRT. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were used to estimate cancer-specific survival (CSS), progression-free survival (PFS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and their influencing factors. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation among different variables. The optimal cut-off value of nadir-PLC is determined using the 'maxstat package' in R language.Results:Throughout the treatment process, the nadir-PLC generally occurred approximately at 1 week after SBRT, and was gradually increased thereafter, and almost restored to the level before SBRT at approximately 3 months after SBRT. The median nadir-PLC was 1.03×10 9/L, significantly lower than the baseline value of 1.90×10 9/L before treatment ( P<0.001). The nadir-PLC in patients with central NSCLC was lower compared with that of patients with peripheral NSCLC ( P=0.030). The median survival for the entire group was 91.5 months, and 89.8%, 78.6%, 93.2%, and 82.5% for the 2-year CSS, PFS, LPFS, and DMFS rates, respectively. In multivariate analysis, nadir-PLC ≥1.01×10 9/L was an important favorable prognostic factor for CSS, PFS and DMFS. Pearson correlation analysis showed that gross tumor volume (GTV) was negatively correlated with nadir-PLC ( r=-0.55, P<0.001). Conclusions:In early-stage NSCLC patients treated with SBRT, PLC will decline after treatment. The nadir-PLC is an important favorable prognostic factor for CSS, PFS and DMFS.

With the rapid development of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS),Sonazoid,a new generation of ultrasound microbubbles contrast agent came into being.The unique Kupffer phase of Sonazoid could greatly prolong the intrahepatic developing time,hence providing more valuable information for diagnosis,treatment and follow-up of liver diseases.The progresses of Sonazoid applicated in liver diseases were reviewed in this article.

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pharmacology （PTCM） is a discipline that studies the interactions between Chinese medicines and the human body， as well as their underlying mechanisms， under the guidance of TCM theories while employing modern scientific techniques and methods. This article reviews the historical development and achievements of the PTCM discipline at the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences， and outlines the reform measures undertaken in recent years to advance the construction of the graduate course system in PTCM. Building upon the foundation of the "Special Topics in PTCM" course， the curriculum has been expanded through reforms to include a series of self-designed courses， such as foundational advanced courses， experimental pharmacology courses， pharmacological research tools courses， and applied TCM research courses. Along with enriching the graduate course system， the study explores innovative approaches and methods for graduate education and teaching in PTCM， and reflects on the challenges in course system construction and teaching， serving as a reference for improving the quality of graduate training， promoting the development of the PTCM discipline， and advancing teaching reform practices.