Objective To evaluate the effect of para-esophageal and para-gastric vessels(PEPGV)on endoscopic secondary prophylaxis for varices.Methods The clinical data of patients with cirrhosis-related esophagogastric varices(EGV)who underwent endoscopic variceal ligation and/or obliteration,and had hepatic venous pressure gradient(HVPG)result between January 2020 and December 2020 in Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into a group without PEPGV and a group with PEPGV based on CT imaging of the portal vein.The main outcome was 2-year re-bleeding.Results A total of 69 patients were included,and 27 of them had PEPGV.There was no statistical difference in baseline characteristics,blood indexes(included hemoglobin level,prothrombin time and albumin level),HVPG,and the secondary prophylactic endoscopic treatment ways between the two groups.A total of 25 patients experienced re-bleeding within 2 years after endoscopic treatment,including 15 in the group with PEPGV and 10 in the group without PEPGV.Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative 2-year re-bleeding rate was significantly higher in the group with PEPGV than in the group without PEPGV(60.07％vs 32.79％,P=0.022).Further multivariate Cox analysis showed that PEPGV was an independent predictor of re-bleeding after endoscopic treatment in EGV patients(HR=2.33,95％CI 1.01-5.39,P=0.047).Conclusions The PEPGV is an independent predictor of re-bleeding after endoscopic treatment in EGV patients.It is suggested that when patients with EGV receive endoscopic treatment to prevent re-bleeding,portal vascular CT is suggested to evaluate PEPGV.For patients with giant extraluminal vascular masses,fully evaluating other treatment options such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt,or adjusting endoscopic treatment ways is recommended.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder in treating dyslipidemia by regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodSixty patients with dyslipidemia （syndrome of combined phlegm and stasis） treated in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from May 2021 to June 2022 were selected in this study and randomized into two groups according to the randomized， double-blind control principle. The control group was treated with Xuezhikang capsules + Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder placebo and the observation group with Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder + Xuezhikang capsules placebo for 6 weeks. The clinical efficacy， traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， and liver and kidney function indicators were evaluated at weeks 0， 3， and 6. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to determine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， kinase insert domain receptor （KDR）， epidermal growth factor （EGF）， and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） in the peripheral serum. Quantitative Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of KDR， EGFR， PI3K， and Akt in the mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood. ResultThe observation group （83.33%） showed the total effective rate comparable to that of the control group （89.66%） and no adverse reactions. Compared with before treatment， the patients in the observation group showed decreased TCM syndrome score and serum levels total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and after being treated for 3 and 6 weeks （P<0.05）， the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） showed an upward trend, but the difference was not statistically significant. After treatment， the two groups showed no significant differences. Compared with that before treatment, the mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt and EGFR in peripheral blood mononuclear cell and the expression of EGF, VEGF and KDR in serum of the observation group showed a downward trend with time, in which the mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, VEGF and KDR decreased more significantly (P<0.05)，The expression levels of KDR mRNA and serum EGFR show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.Compared with the control group after treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, EGFR, and KDR, as well as serum levels of EGF, EGFR, VEGF, and KDR between the two groups of patients at the same time point. ConclusionNotoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder is safe and effective in correcting dyslipidemia. It may inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by down-regulating the expression of VEGF/KDR to lower the blood lipid level.

Objective Based on the lanthanum bromide scintillator detector, the calculation method of G(E) function was developed to measure the air absorbed dose rate. Methods Firstly, the gamma energy spectrumof the lanthanum bromide detector were simulated and the response functions with different energies were determined with Monte Carlo simulation method. Then, the G(E) function was calculated by the least square method. Finally, the air absorbed dose rate measured by the lanthanum bromide detector using G(E) function conversion method was compared with the theoretical calculation value based on the point source experiments. Results The experimental verification results showed that the relative deviation between thecalculated value with G(E) function and the theoretical calculation value wasmostly controlled within ± 6%, which verified the accuracy of G(E) function. Conclusion The results showed that the method of G(E) function could be applied to calculate the gamma radiation dose rate based on the in-situ the gamma spectrum with LaBr₃ detector.

Objective:To explore the biological effects of the targeted nanocomposite on breast cancer 4T1 cells with hepatitis B virus-like particles (HBc-RGD-VLPs) as a carrier for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs, and to provide a new theoretical basis for reducing the toxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) anti-tumor drugs and changing the path of administration.Methods:The hepatitis B pseudoviral particles prepared in the early stage of this laboratory enveloped DOX to form a target nanocomposite HBc-RGD-VLPs/DOX. The homogeneity and morphology of particles were detected by transmission electron microscopy and granular size analyzer, and applied to 4T1 cells for in vitro bioactivity exploration.Results:The structure of the target nanocomposite HBc-RGD-VLPs/DOX was detected by means of a transmission electron microscope, in a homogenous form, and the particle size distribution was 30-35 nm. In vitro cell experiments showed that the safety of target vector HBc-RGD-VLPs was better, the cell survival rate was more than 80%, and the HBc-RGD-VLPs/DOX after encapsulation had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of 4T1 cells, and the effective inhibitory concentration (IC50) for half of 4T1 tumor cells was 1.445 g/ml. Fluorescence microscopy showed that HBc-RGD-VLP/DOX can be specifically targeted to tumor cells relative to the isolated DOX.Conclusions:The safety of target vector HBc-RGD-VLPs is better, HBc-RGD-VLPs/DOX showed good proliferation inhibitory effect and certain tumor-targeting effect on tumor cells.

Objective To investigate the incidence and risk factors for rod fracture after correction surgery with satellite rod in severe spinal deformity.Methods A retrospective analysis was made including 234 cases who underwent correction surgery using satellite rod technique for severe spinal deformity in our hospital from July 2012 to June 2017.At the last follow-up,a total of 6 patients were found to have rod fracture.All the patients had complete clinical and imaging data at the time of preoperation,postoperation,rod fracture occurring,post-revision and the last follow-up.The Cobb angle,the Global kyphosis (GK),the coronal balance (distance between C7 plumb line and center sacral vertical line,C7PL-CSVL) and the sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were measured respectively in the 6 patients with rod fracture during the follow-up process.The time,incidence and position of the broken rod were recorded,and the reasons of rod fracture were analyzed for each patient.Results The incidence of rod fracture was 2.6％ (6/234) in the current study.The 6 patients included 3 males and 3 females with an average age of 34.5±15.4 years at initial surgery.The mean time of rod fracture was 24.0±17.7 months,of which 3 cases (50％) occurred within 1 years after operation.A total of 7 rods were broken,including 4 (57％) rods located at the single-rod-fixed side with stress concentration and 3 (50％) rods at the adjacent segment of the satellite rod.The average loss of correction was 20.8°±29.4° for Cobb angle and 34.0°±21.4° for GK.The potential reasons for rod fracture were listed as follows:3 cases for residual kyphosis;2 cases for pseudarthrosis;3 cases for long fusion construct crossing lumbosacral junction;1 case for trauma.Of the 6 patients with rod fracture,3 (43％) patients underwent revision surgery by replacing the broken rods,adding satellite rod at the opposite side of pre-existing satellite rod and bone graft at the rod-breakage area.The other 3 patients underwent observation and no deterioration was found during follow-up.Conclusion The incidence of rod fracture after correction for severe spinal deformity with satellite rod is 2.6％.The broken rods are mainly located at the single-rod-fixed side with stress concentration or the adjacent segment of the satellite rod.Residual kyphosis,pseudarthrosis,long fusion construct crossing lumbosacral junction and trauma are the significant risk factors of rod fracture.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of preoperative Halo-gravity traction (HGT) in the treatment of severe kyphoscoliosis secondary to neurofibromatosis type Ⅰ (NF1). Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients with severe kyphoscoliosis secondary to NF1 at Department of Spinal Surgery, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University between July 2007 and May 2016. A total of 29 patients including 17 males and 12 females were finally enrolled and the age was (13.7±2.9) years. The Cobb angle of major coronal curve and global kyphosis were measured before and after HGT. The forced vital capacity (FVC)and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) before and after traction were also recorded. The paired t test was used for comparison analysis. Results: The average maximum traction weight of HGT was (12.2±2.8) kg and the traction duration was (10.2±6.6) weeks. The coronal Cobb angle before HGT was (87.5±36.5)°, which improved to (68.4±25.9)° after HGT with a correction rate of (21.9±12.1)% (t=9.14, P<0.001); the average global kyphosis before HGT was (79.1±27.1)°, which improved to (59.9±19.4)° after HGT and the correction rate was (20.2±14.1)% (t=8.55, P<0.001). One patient had transient brachial plexus palsy which resolved completely after reducing the traction weight. After HGT treatment, FVC increased from (0.83±0.16) L to (0.89±0.19) L (t=1.48, P=0.12) and FEV₁ increased from (0.72±0.16) L to (0.78±0.20) L (t=0.49,P=0.63). FVC predicted and FEV₁ predicted improved from (42.9±20.1)% and (40.6±19.6)% to (46.9±20.5)% (t=0.98,P=0.33) and (43.6±25.8)% (t=1.24,P=0.22), respectively. Conclusion Preoperative HGT in the treatment of severe kyphoscoliosis secondary to NF1 can improve spinal deformity and pulmonary function to some extent, which can further benefit the patients by improving their surgical tolerance.

Objective To study the method of dose reconstruction in human body under the photon external radiation accident condition,and to verify the accuracy of the method for the local dose distribution.Methods Based on the open source Monte Carlo tool kit Geant 4 and using the human voxel phantom recommended by ICRP Publication 103,the dose reconstruction method under the condition of external radiation accident was studied to evaluate the average absorbed dose,organ absorbed dose and local dose distribution.To validate the code,several irradiation experiments were implemented in some standard radiation fields by putting TLDs in the tissue equivalent physical phantom ART.A voxel phantom was used to reconstruct the radiation doses,which was created based on the CT scan image of the ART phantom with resolution of 1.57 mm× 1.57 mm× 10.00 mm.The result of experiment were compared with those of dose reconstruction simulation.Results The relative uncertainty of the measured values was 10.9％.The relative uncertainty of the dose reconstruction simulation values was 7.10％ at the non-tissueinterface area and 16.6％ at the tissue-interface area.For 451 measuring points,the average of the simulated value divided by the measured value was 0.972,with the standard deviation of 0.083 8.In the range of 0.95-1.05,0.90-1.10 and 0.80-1.20,and the proportions were 49.2％,79.4％ and 96.4％,respectively.Conclusions The method of Monte Carlo dose reconstruction based on human voxel phantom meets the accuracy requirement of actual uses both at the whole body or organ level and at the local dose distribution level.It can be used as a powerful tool for dose assessment of the exposed people in an external radiation accidents and provide support for diagnosis and treatment.

Objective: To evaluate the radiographic and clinical outcomes of Scoliosis Research Society(SRS)-Schwab Grade IV osteotomy in type I congenital kyphosis. Methods: All of 28 patients with type I congenital kyphosis who underwent SRS-Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy from June 2015 to June 2017 were retrospectively reviewed,including 21 males and 7 females aged 10 to 28 years old, with an average of 13.6±8.5 years. On standing wholespinal X-rays at pre-operation, post-operation and each follow-up, global kyphosis(GK), thoracic kyphosis(TK), lumbar lordosis(LL) and sagittal vertical axis(SVA) were measured. The intra-operative and post-operative complications were recorded for each patient. The Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaires(SRS-22) and visual analog scale(VAS) for back pain were collected from patients elder than 12 years old at pre-operation and last follow-up. The comparison analysiswasperformed by paired samples t test. Results: At pre-operation, the GK, TK, LL and SVA were 47.0°±4.9°, 16.8°±3.7°, 36.6°±7.7°, (-31.9±13.6) mm, respectively. At 3 months post-operation, the average values improved to 3.7°±2.3°, 36.8°±4.0°, 46.5°±4.4°, 4.0±19.1 mm, respectively. Significant differences were found in all parametersbetween pre- and post-operation. The post-operative follow-up was 12 to 24 months, with an average of 13.2±5.2 months. At the last follow-up, the GK, TK, LL and SVA were 4.0°±2.4°, 38.0°±6.0°, 45.9°±5.4°, 7.6±15.3 mm, and no significant correction loss was found during follow-up. The scores of each domain of SRS-22 questionnaire improved at different level during follow-up, of which the improvement in self-imagewas statistically significant (P<0.001). The scores of VAS for back pain improved significantly after operation (P<0.001). One patient hadabnormal intra-operative monitoringwhile no neurological defectwas detected at post-opera tion. Proximal junctional kyphosis occurred in 2 patients at 3 months follow-up while no patients needed revision surgery. There wereno implant-related complicationsduring follow-up. Conclusion The SRS-Schwab Grade 4 osteotomycould provide satisfying correction with relatively low rates of complications in type I congenital kyphosis. Thus, the SRS-Schwab Grade IV osteotomy is a safe strategy for type I congenital kyphosis.

Objective In order to understand which kind of function genes play an important role for es-timating wound age, the variation of difference genes’ mRNA expression were compared after injury. Methods T he mRNA expression levels of seven candidate genes (ICAM-1, NF-κB, MX2, MT1, MT2, sTnI, and Cox6c) were analyzed in contused rat skeletal muscle at different time points using real-time fluorescent quantitative PC R (R T-qPC R ). T he rawC t values were normalized relative to that of RPL32 mRNA , and converted to standard C t values. A t each time point after injury, the standard deviations (SD ) of the standard C t values were calculated by SPSS. Results T he expression trends of the seven genes were all found to be related to wound age, but there were lower variation coefficients and greater reliability of sTnI and Cox6c when compared with other genes. Conclusion T he genes encoding struc-tural proteins or proteins that performbasic functions can be suitable for wound age estimation.

Objective T o investigate the relationship betw een the expression of secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFR P5) m RNA and the tim e interval after skeletal m uscle injury in rats by real-tim e PC R . Methods A total of ninety SD rats w ere random ly divided into the contusion groups at different tim es including 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 16 h, 20 h, 24 h, 28 h, 32 h, 36 h, 40 h, 44 h, 48 h after contusion, incision groups at different tim es including 4h and 8h after incision and the control group. T he sam ples w ere taken from the contused zone at different tim e points. T he total RNA w as isolated from the sam ples and re-versely transcribed to analyze the expression levels of SFRP5 m RNA . Results C om pared to the control group, the expression of SFRP5 m RNA in contusion groups w ere dow n-regulated w ithin 48 h after con-tusion and reached the low est level at 20 h, and the expression of SFRP5 m RNA gradually increased from 20 h to 48 h after contusion. T he expression of SFRP5 m RNA in the incised groups w ere signifi-cantly low er than that of the contusion groups at 4 h after injury. A t the tim e of 8 h, the expression levels betw een the contusion and incision groups show ed no statistically significant difference. Conclusion It is suggested that SFRP5 m RNA analysis m ay show regular expression and can be a m arker for estim ation of skeletal m uscle injury age.