Compared with conventional radiotherapy fields, small field has unique dosimetry characteristics such as high dose gradient, charged particle imbalance, and dose effect caused by source occlusion. These characteristics increase the difficulty of dose measurement and thus the uncertainty of clinical dose measurement, far exceeding the requirement of < 5% measurement error in ICRU 24 report. In recent years, with the development of new radiotherapy technologies, the minimum radiotherapy field can reach the millimeter level, and the single irradiation dose of hypofractionated radiotherapy can exceed 6 Gy. The larger dose gradient at the edge of radiotherapy field requires higher accuracy of dose measurement, and accurate small field dosimetry technologies have gradually become a research hotspot in the field of precision radiotherapy. In order to ensure the high accuracy of measurement, this paper reviews the research on small field dosimetry worldwide, and summarizes the key points of small field dosimetry. In this paper, the characteristics of small field dosimetry are introduced, and the current small field dosimetry technologies and optimization methods are summarized, including the optimization of detector selection and detector sensitive volume. The field output correction factor technologies are analyzed. In view of the difficulty in small field dosimetry, this paper provides suggestions on dosimetry based on clinical needs and the characteristics of medical linear accelerators. Our suggestions provide a scientific reference for small field dosimetry in clinical practice in radiotherapy institutions, and facilitate the development of radiotherapy dose verification.

Three-dimensional ordered porous carbon materials exhibit potential application prospects as excellent drug supports in drug delivery systems due to their high specific surface area, tunable pore structure, and excellent biocompatibility. In this study, three-dimensional ordered porous carbon materials were prepared using Acanthopanax senticosus herbal residues as raw material and KOH as activating agent through a one-step pyrolysis method. The prepared carbon-based material was systematically characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption-desorption and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The results show that the three-dimensional ordered porous carbon materials prepared with KOH as the activator via pyrolysis possess abundant functional groups, high porosity, and high specific surface area, with a specific surface area of 1 471.6 m²·g^-1. The three-dimensional ordered porous carbon materials prepared at 800 ℃ exhibits a high drug loading capacity (78.0%) and drug release rate (86.8%) for 5-fluorouracil. Three-dimensional orderly porous carbon materials show significant application advantages in drug construction, and their high specific surface area and adjustable pore size structure significantly improve the drug load rate and drug release rate, providing a solid foundation for the development of efficient and accurate drug delivery system.

BACKGROUND: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and prior stroke history have a high risk of cardiovascular events despite anticoagulation therapy. It is unclear whether catheter ablation (CA) has further benefits in these patients. METHODS: AF patients with a previous history of stroke or systemic embolism (SE) from the prospective Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry study between August 2011 and December 2020 were included in the analysis. Patients were matched in a 1:1 ratio to CA or medical treatment (MT) based on propensity score. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death or ischemic stroke (IS)/SE. RESULTS: During a total of 4.1 ± 2.3 years of follow-up, the primary outcome occurred in 111 patients in the CA group (3.3 per 100 person-years) and in 229 patients in the MT group (5.7 per 100 person-years). The CA group had a lower risk of the primary outcome compared to the MT group [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.47-0.74, P < 0.001]. There was a significant decreasing risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.31-0.61, P < 0.001), IS/SE (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.54-0.97, P = 0.033), cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.19-0.54, P < 0.001) and AF recurrence (HR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.30-0.37, P < 0.001) in the CA group compared to that in the MT group. Sensitivity analysis generated consistent results when adjusting for time-dependent usage of anticoagulants. CONCLUSIONS In AF patients with a prior stroke history, CA was associated with a lower combined risk of all-cause death or IS/SE. Further clinical trials are warranted to confirm the benefits of CA in these patients.

Objective: To investigate current use of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy and influencing factors among coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in China. Methods: Results of this study derived from "China Atrial Fibrillation Registry Study", the study prospectively enrolled atrial fibrillation (AF) patients from 31 hospitals, and patients with valvular AF or treated with catheter ablation were excluded. Baseline data such as age, sex and type of atrial fibrillation were collected, and drug history, history of concomitant diseases, laboratory results and echocardiography results were recorded. CHA₂DS₂-VASc score and HAS-BLED score were calculated. The patients were followed up at the 3rd and 6th months after enrollment and every 6 months thereafter. Patients were divided according to whether they had coronary artery disease and whether they took OAC. Results: 11 067 NVAF patients fulfilling guideline criteria for OAC treatment were included in this study, including 1 837 patients with CAD. 95.4% of NVAF patients with CAD had CHA₂DS₂-VASc score≥2, and 59.7% of patients had HAS-BLED≥3, which was significantly higher than NVAF patients without CAD (P<0.001). Only 34.6% of NVAF patients with CAD were treated with OAC at enrollment. The proportion of HAS-BLED≥3 in the OAC group was significantly lower than in the no-OAC group (36.7% vs. 71.8%, P<0.001). After adjustment with multivariable logistic regression analysis, thromboembolism(OR=2.48,95%CI 1.50-4.10,P<0.001), left atrial diameter≥40 mm(OR=1.89,95%CI 1.23-2.91,P=0.004), stain use (OR=1.83,95%CI 1.01-3.03, P=0.020) and β blocker use (OR=1.74,95%CI 1.13-2.68,P=0.012)were influence factors of OAC treatment. However, the influence factors of no-OAC use were female(OR=0.54,95%CI 0.34-0.86,P=0.001), HAS-BLED≥3 (OR=0.33,95%CI 0.19-0.57,P<0.001), and antiplatelet drug(OR=0.04,95%CI 0.03-0.07,P<0.001). Conclusion: The rate of OAC treatment in NVAF patients with CAD is still low and needs to be further improved. The training and assessment of medical personnel should be strengthened to improve the utilization rate of OAC in these patients.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Atrial Fibrillation/drug therapy* ; Coronary Artery Disease/complications* ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use* ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Risk Factors ; China ; Administration, Oral ; Stroke

Objective: To investigate the morphology and immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of pseudostratified ependymal tubules in ovarian mature teratoma (MT). Methods: Five cases of ovarian MT with pseudostratified ependymal tubules were collected from Shenzhen Hospital(Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and the Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from March 2019 to March 2022. In addition, 15 cases of ovarian MT with monolayer ependymal epithelium from Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine and seven cases of immature teratoma (IMT) from Hainan Provincial People's Hospital from March 2019 to March 2022 were collected as control. The morphologic characteristics and immunophenotypes of pseudostratified ependymal tubules, monolayer ependymal epithelium, and primitive neural epithelial tubules were observed and compared by H&E stain and IHC expression pattern of genes related to the differentiation status of neuroepithelium, namely SALL4, Glypican3, nestin, SOX2, Foxj1, and Ki-67. Results: Mean age of the five patients of ovarian MT with pseudostratified ependymal tubules was 26 years (range from 19 to 31 years). Two tumors were located in the left ovary and three in the right. All five cases were excised, and clinical follow-up was available (mean follow-up 1.5 years; range 0.5 to 3 years). No recurrence was noted in any cases. The pseudostratified ependymal tubules of ovarian MT, which were lined with columnar or oval epithelia up to 4-6 layers, were morphologically similar to the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT and different from monolayer ependymal epithelium of ovarian MT. By immunohistochemistry, SALL4 and Glypican3 were negative, Foxj1 was positive and Ki-67 index was lower in the pseudostratified ependymal tubules and the monolayer ependymal epithelium of ovarian MT. However, the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT showed variably expression of SALL4 and Glypican3, were negative for Foxj1 and high Ki-67 index. All the above three groups expressed nestin and SOX2. Conclusions: The pseudostratified ependymal tubules of ovarian MT, which have morphological similarities to the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT, are similar to the monolayer ependymal epithelia of the MT in immunophenotype. IHC assessment of Foxj1 and Ki-67 is helpful to differentiate the pseudostratified ependymal tubules of ovarian MT from the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT.
Female ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Nestin ; Ki-67 Antigen ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology* ; Teratoma/pathology*

The paper reviews the inheritance, innovation and development of heat-sensitive moxibustion; and explores the path for the clinical development of moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine moxibustion (TCM). Practice has shown that the laws of clinical research on TCM moxibustion refer to phenomenon discovery, exploration of rules, technological innovation, verification of curative effects, theory sublimation, returning to clinical practice, discipline construction, and experimental research. It is deeply realized that TCM research should be based on clinical practice, originated from classics, focused on theoretical innovation and in serve of clinical practice.
Moxibustion ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Hot Temperature

In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) were combined with non-targeted metabonomic analysis based on multivariate statistics analysis, and the content of five indicative components in nardosinone was determined and compared by UPLC. The main chemical components of Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma with imitative wild cultivation and wild Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma were comprehensively analyzed. The results of multivariate statistical analysis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) and GC-MS were consistent. G1 and G2 of the imitative wild cultivation group and G8-G19 of the wild group were clustered into category 1, while G7 of the wild group and G3-G6 of the imitative wild cultivation group were clustered into category 2. After removing the outlier data of G1, G2, and G7, G3-G6 of the imitative wild cultivation group were clustered into one category, and G8-G19 of the wild group were clustered into the other category. Twenty-six chemical components were identified according to the positive and negative ion modes detected by LC-MS. The content of five indicative components(VIP>1.5) was determined using UPLC, revealing that chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid C, linarin, nardosinone, and total content in the imitative wild cultivation group were 1.85, 1.52, 1.26, 0.90, 2.93, and 2.56 times those in the wild group, respectively. OPLS-DA based on GC-MS obtained 10 diffe-rential peaks. Among them, the relative content of α-humulene and aristolene in the imitative wild cultivation group were extremely significantly(P<0.01) and significantly(P<0.05) higher than that in the wild group, while the relative content of 7 components such as 5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7-megastigmen-9-one, γ-eudesmol, and juniper camphor and 12-isopropyl-1,5,9-trimethyl-4,8,13-cyclotetrade-catriene-1,3-diol was extremely significantly(P<0.01) and significantly(P<0.05) lower than that in the wild group, respectively. Therefore, the main chemical components of the imitative wild cultivation group and wild group were basically the same. However, the content of non-volatile components in the imitative wild cultivation group was higher than that in the wild group, and the content of some volatile components was opposite. This study provides scientific data for the comprehensive evaluation of the quality of Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma with imitative wild cultivation and wild Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Obesity is an important health problem in our society today, which can lead to the chronic low-grade inflammation state, to be an inducement for many chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As a common oral chronic infectious disease, periodontitis is mainly characterized by gingival inflammation, periodontal pocket formation, alveolar bone resorption and tooth mobility. The ultimate goal of periodontitis treatment is to achieve periodontal tissue regeneration in the defect area. As a major risk factor for periodontitis, obesity can alter the periodontal inflammatory microenvironment in multiple ways, affecting the effects of periodontal tissue regeneration ultimately. Therefore, this paper will review the relationship between obesity and periodontal tissue regeneration, mechanism of obesity affecting periodontal tissue regeneration and the therapeutic strategies of periodontal tissue regeneration, providing new ideas for periodontal tissue regeneration treatment in obesity.

Objective: Explore the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) reoccurrence and new-onset ischemic stroke (IS) in patients with nonvalvular AF, and explore whether there is a high-risk period of IS after recurrent episodes of AF. Methods: A nested case-control study design was used. A total of 565 nonvalvular AF patients with new-onset IS after a follow-up of at least 2 years in the China-AF cohort were enrolled as the case group, and 1 693 nonvalvular AF patients without new-onset IS were matched as the control group at a ratio of 1∶3. Frequency and types of recurrent AF in the previous 1 or 2 years were compared between two groups, and the adjusted associations of AF reoccurrence with new onset IS were explored using conditional logistic regression analysis. The proportion of recurrent AF was compared between the case period and control period, and conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate adjusted associations of case-period AF with IS. Results: The nested case-control study design results showed that the proportion of at least one record of recurrent AF in the previous 1 year was higher in the case group than in the control group (72.0% vs. 60.8%, P<0.05), and the recurrent AF was positively correlated with new-onset IS (adjusted OR=1.80, P<0.001). Similar results were also observed in the previous 2 years period. The case-crossover study design analysis showed that among 565 patients with new-onset IS, recurrent AF in the case period was positively correlated with IS (adjusted OR=1.61, P=0.003). Conclusion: Recurrent AF is associated with IS, and there may be a high-risk period of IS after recurrent episodes of AF.
Humans ; Atrial Fibrillation/epidemiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Over Studies ; Ischemic Stroke ; China/epidemiology*

Objective: Explore the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) reoccurrence and new-onset ischemic stroke (IS) in patients with nonvalvular AF, and explore whether there is a high-risk period of IS after recurrent episodes of AF. Methods: A nested case-control study design was used. A total of 565 nonvalvular AF patients with new-onset IS after a follow-up of at least 2 years in the China-AF cohort were enrolled as the case group, and 1 693 nonvalvular AF patients without new-onset IS were matched as the control group at a ratio of 1∶3. Frequency and types of recurrent AF in the previous 1 or 2 years were compared between two groups, and the adjusted associations of AF reoccurrence with new onset IS were explored using conditional logistic regression analysis. The proportion of recurrent AF was compared between the case period and control period, and conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate adjusted associations of case-period AF with IS. Results: The nested case-control study design results showed that the proportion of at least one record of recurrent AF in the previous 1 year was higher in the case group than in the control group (72.0% vs. 60.8%, P<0.05), and the recurrent AF was positively correlated with new-onset IS (adjusted OR=1.80, P<0.001). Similar results were also observed in the previous 2 years period. The case-crossover study design analysis showed that among 565 patients with new-onset IS, recurrent AF in the case period was positively correlated with IS (adjusted OR=1.61, P=0.003). Conclusion: Recurrent AF is associated with IS, and there may be a high-risk period of IS after recurrent episodes of AF.
Humans ; Atrial Fibrillation/epidemiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Over Studies ; Ischemic Stroke ; China/epidemiology*