ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy （SBRT） combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （uHCC） and related prognostic factors. MethodsA total of 42 patients with uHCC who underwent SBRT combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in Department of Radiation Oncology， The Fifth Medical Centre of PLA General Hospital， from March to December 2022 were enrolled. The prescribed dose of planning target volume was 36‍ ‍—‍ ‍50 Gy in 5‍ ‍—‍ ‍6 fractions for continuous irradiation， followed by the regimen of sintilimab and bevacizumab. Each course of treatment was 3 weeks until the presence of tumor progression or serious adverse events. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival （OS） rate and progression-free survival （PFS） rate， and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups； the Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the influencing factors for prognosis. ResultsThe median follow-up time was 21.6 months， with an objective response rate of 69%， a disease control rate of 85.7%， a median PFS of 10.0 months （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 6.7‍ ‍—‍ ‍13.0）， and a median OS of 23.3 months （95%CI： 14.7‍ ‍—‍ ‍31.8）. Most adverse events were grade 1‍ ‍—‍ ‍2 events， and there were no fatal adverse events. At 6‍ ‍—‍ ‍8 weeks after treatment， the AFP response group had a significantly better OS than the non-AFP response group （not reached vs 11.8 months， P=0.007）. The multivariate analysis showed that AFP response was associated with the good prognosis of patients （hazard ratio=0.31， 95%CI： 0.13‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.75， P=0.009）. ConclusionFor patients with uHCC， SBRT combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab can improve survival with a manageable safety profile， and a >50% reduction in AFP at 6‍ ‍—‍ ‍8 weeks after treatment can be used as a potential prognostic indicator.

BACKGROUND:Some patients still have unsatisfactory improvement of operative limb fatigue and pain after total knee arthroplasty.Clinical findings show that Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula can promote recovery after total knee arthroplasty,but the specific efficacy remains to be studied. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula on the muscle strength and pain of the operated limb after the primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:A total of 74 patients undergoing primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty were randomly divided into a trial group and a control group with 37 patients in each group.All patients received the same prostheses and surgical methods during the operation.Patients in the control group were treated with routine analgesics,anticoagulant drugs and functional exercise after the operation.The trial group received Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula after the treatment in the control group.Both groups were treated continuously and followed up for 1 month.The changes in isokinetic muscle strength(peak torque and total work amount of extensor and flexor),visual analog scale score and the hospital for special surgery score of the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The trial group had better improvement in peak torque and total work amount of extensor and flexor and the hospital for special surgery score than the control group 14 days and 1 month after surgery(P<0.05).(2)In contrast to the control group,the visual analog scale score of the trial group improved better at 7 and 14 days and 1 month after surgery(P<0.05).(3)It is indicated that Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula can effectively improve the muscle strength of the operated limb,enhance the degree of postoperative joint pain,and promote functional rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND:MRI is important for the diagnosis of early knee osteoarthritis.MRI image recognition and intelligent segmentation of knee osteoarthritis using deep learning method is a hot topic in image diagnosis of artificial intelligence. OBJECTIVE:Through deep learning of MRI images of knee osteoarthritis,the segmentation of femur,tibia,patella,cartilage,meniscus,ligaments,muscles and effusion of knee can be automatically divided,and then volume of knee fluid and muscle content were measured. METHODS:100 normal knee joints and 100 knee osteoarthritis patients were selected and randomly divided into training dataset(n=160),validation dataset(n=20),and test dataset(n=20)according to the ratio of 8:1:1.The Coarse-to-Fine sequential training method was used to train the 3D-UNET network deep learning model.A Coarse MRI segmentation model of the knee sagittal plane was trained first,and the rough segmentation results were used as a mask,and then the fine segmentation model was trained.The T1WI and T2WI images of the sagittal surface of the knee joint and the marking files of each structure were input,and DeepLab v3 was used to segment bone,cartilage,ligament,meniscus,muscle,and effusion of knee,and 3D reconstruction was finally displayed and automatic measurement results(muscle content and volume of knee fluid)were displayed to complete the deep learning application program.The MRI data of 26 normal subjects and 38 patients with knee osteoarthritis were screened for validation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The 26 normal subjects were selected,including 13 females and 13 males,with a mean age of(34.88±11.75)years old.The mean muscle content of the knee joint was(1 051 322.94±2 007 249.00)mL,the mean median was 631 165.21 mL,and the mean volume of effusion was(291.85±559.59)mL.The mean median was 0 mL.(2)There were 38 patients with knee osteoarthritis,including 30 females and 8 males.The mean age was(68.53±9.87)years old.The mean muscle content was(782 409.18±331 392.56)mL,the mean median was 689 105.66 mL,and the mean volume of effusion was(1 625.23±5 014.03)mL.The mean median was 178.72 mL.(3)There was no significant difference in muscle content between normal people and knee osteoarthritis patients.The volume of effusion in patients with knee osteoarthritis was higher than that in normal subjects,and the difference was significant(P<0.05).(4)It is indicated that the intelligent segmentation of MRI images by deep learning can discard the defects of manual segmentation in the past.The more accuracy evaluation of knee osteoarthritis was necessary,and the image segmentation was processed more precisely in the future to improve the accuracy of the results.

Objective To analyze the diagnostic utility of combining susceptibility-weighted imaging(SWI)with arterial spin labeling(ASL)in patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).Methods Fifty AIS patients who admitted to Yongchuan Hospital,Chongqing Medical University from July 2020 to July 2021 were selected.Scans were performed using a 3.0T MRI scanner,including sequences such as FLAIR,DWI,3D-TOF-MRA,3D-ASL,and SWI.The perfusion status of the infarction core,the grading of draining veins around the infarction core,compensation by collateral circulation,the occurrence of hemorrhagic transformation,and prognosis were assessed.Results The grading of draining veins around the infarction core was significantly correlated with NIHSS scores(r=0.869,P＜0.05)and prognosis(r=0.825,P＜0.05).In addition,significant correlations were found between the perfusion status of the infarction core and the occurrence of hemorrhagic transformation(r=0.873,P＜0.05),compensation by collateral circulation and prognosis(r=0.883,P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of SWI and ASL provides accurate indications of the hemodynamic conditions around the infarction core in AIS patients,and it can accurately assess the prognosis of AIS patients,contributing valuable information for clinical diagnosis and the selection of treatment strategies.

Objective:To explore the value of preoperative diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in predicting motor function outcomes in patients with moderate-volume basal ganglia cerebral hemorrhage after minimally invasive puncture and drainage.Methods:A retrospective study was performed; 54 patients with moderate-volume hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage (30-50 mL) admitted to Department of Neurosurgery, First People's Hospital of Chenzhou from March 2018 to December 2019 were enrolled. All patients accepted DTI within 24 h of onset; fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of the bilateral cerebral peduncles were measured and converted to relative FA (rFA) and relative MD (rMD). Patients accepted minimally invasive puncture and drainage within 24 h of DTI. Motor function score (MFS) was used to evaluate the prognoses of limb motor function 90 d after puncture and drainage; and these patients were divided into good motor function outcome group (MFS scores of 0-3) and poor motor function outcome group (MFS scores of 4-8). The clinical data and DTI indexes were compared between the 2 groups; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the efficacy of rFA in preoperative DTI in predicting limb motor function 90 d after puncture and drainage.Results:Fifty-four patients successfully completed minimally invasive puncture and drainage, without intracranial infection or obvious rebleeding. Twenty-two patients (40.7%) had good motor function outcome and 32 (59.3%) had poor one 90 d after puncture and drainage. No significant difference in age, gender, Glasgow coma scale score at admission, preoperative hematoma volume or postoperative residual hematoma volume was noted between the good function outcome group and poor function outcome group ( P>0.05). Compared with the good function outcome group, the poor function outcome group had statistically lower FA and rFA in the affected side of cerebral peduncles ( P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of preoperative rFA in predicting motor function 90 d after puncture and drainage was 0.984, with cutoff value of 0.78, sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 96.9%. Conclusion:Preoperative DTI can effectively predict limb motor function 90 d after minimally invasive puncture and drainage in patients with moderate-volume hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage.

Objective:To observe the application effect of BOPPPS combined with scenario simulation in standardized training of residents for "ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia" (UGRA).Methods:The anesthesiology students enrolled in 2019 for standardized resident training were selected as research objects. A total of 44 students were randomly divided into observation group ( n=22) and control group ( n=22). The control group received traditional teaching and the observation group received the BOPPPS combined with scenario simulation teaching. The differences in comprehensive theoretical knowledge and comprehensive ability of UGRA between the two groups were analyzed through the final assessment. The satisfaction of the two groups of students with teaching process was analyzed using the teaching feedback questionnaire. SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used for the t-test, and the non-parametric test was used in cases of unequal variance. Results:Compared with the control group, the observation group showed significantly higher scores of comprehensive theoretical knowledge [(75.86±9.31) points vs. (64.00±7.76)points] and ultrasonic image interpretation [(37.73±4.60) points vs. (30.86±4.57) points] ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group showed significantly reduced time of ultrasonic localization of target nerve [(92.00±22.67) seconds vs. (107.32±23.35) seconds] and the puncture time of simulated teaching aids [(67.82±17.83) seconds vs. (103.18±19.15) seconds] ( P<0.05). The overall satisfaction of students was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The teaching method of BOPPPS combined with scenario simulation is helpful to improve students' comprehensive ability of UGRA such as comprehensive theoretical knowledge, the interpretation of ultrasound image, and the localization of target nerve.

Objective:To investigate the effect and associated mechanism of tumor tissue-infiltrating NK cells after receiving radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:A HCC tumor-bearing mouse model was constructed using human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (SK-Hep-1) and divided into four groups: control, radiotherapy, NK cell clearance, and NK clearance combined with radiotherapy. Tumor growth condition was simultaneously recorded. The NK cell ratio in peripheral blood and the NK cell intratumoral infiltration condition were detected by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Lentiviral-constructed SK-Hep-1 cells was used to detect the effect of radiotherapy on the regulation of CXCL10 and NK cell chemotaxis following EZH2 overexpression. SK-Hep-1 cells were irradiated in vitro and in vivo. The expression levels of EZH2 and CXCL10 mRNA and protein in the two groups of cell lines and mouse tumor tissues were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting (WB), and immunohistochemistry. The chemotaxis and blocking experiments were used to validate the chemotaxis effect of CXCL10 on NK cells. The independent sample t-test was used to compare the groups. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The HCC tumor-bearing mouse model experiment showed that HCC tumor growth was most remarkable in the NK clearance combined with the radiotherapy group compared to the radiotherapy group ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the number of NK cells in the peripheral blood of nude mice in the radiotherapy group was significantly reduced, while the NK cell intratumoral infiltration was significantly increased ( P<0.05). Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry showed invitro and invivo expressional alterations. The average expression levels of EZH2 mRNA and protein in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and tumor tissues were decreased in the radiotherapy group than the control group and mouse tumor tissues ( P<0.05), while the mRNA and protein expression levels of CXCL10 increased ( P<0.05). The cell supernatant following radiotherapy enhanced NK cell chemotaxis but inhibited CXCL10 neutralization. EZH2 overexpression validated that radiotherapy up-regulated CXCL10 mRNA and down-regulated protein expression levels in in vitro and in vivo experiments ( P<0.05). The chemotactic effect on NK cells was significantly weakened with EZH2 overexpression following radiotherapy. Conclusion:NK cells, as immune effector cells, are directly involved in radiotherapy- activated anti-HCC immunity. Importantly, radiotherapy inhibits EZH2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma, thereby upregulating CXCL10 expression and enhancing intratumoral NK cell invasion.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of echo intensity of ultrasound image for quality of quadriceps femoris in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MethodsFrom March to December, 2021, 33 patients with unilateral KOA in Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were included. Ultrasound was used to observe the cross sections of rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL), and the images were saved. Two independent raters analyzed the average gray value of the picture with the Image J. One of the raters repeated the measurement. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimum detectable change (MDC) and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated and the Bland-Altman charts were drawn. ResultsThe gray value was higher in the RF, VM and VL in the affected side than in the healthy side (t > 2.262, P < 0.05). The inter-rater reliability was excellent, with ICC 0.982 to 0.995, SEM 1.60 to 3.82, CV 1.49% to 5.90%, and MDC value 4.43 to 10.59. The test-retest reliability of the rater was excellent, with ICC 0.969 to 0.990, SEM 2.37 to 5.41, CV 2.22% to 4.84%, and MDC value 6.57 to 15.00. Bland-Altman charts analysis showed that the consistency was good. ConclusionThe quadriceps femoris muscle quality is different between the affected and the healthy sides in patients with unilateral KOA. It is reliable to evaluate muscle echo intensity by Image J.

ObjectiveTo investigate the survival and adverse reactions of patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma after stereotactic body radiation therapy （SBRT）. MethodsA total of 27 patients with unresectable solitary cholangiocarcinoma without metastasis who underwent SBRT in The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from February 2012 to July 2020 were enrolled. The prescribed dose to planning target volume was 42-60 Gy in 5-8 fractions， with 5-11 Gy/fraction. Among these patients， five patients were also treated with chemotherapy and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. The 6-， 12-， 18-， and 24-month overall survival （OS） rates， progression-free survival （PFS） rates， and local control （LC） rates were used as the assessment indices for treatment outcome； Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v.4.03 was used to evaluate adverse reactions； the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate OS， PFS， and LC rates. ResultsThe median follow-up time was 17 months. For all 27 patients， the 6-， 12-， 18-， and 24-month OS rates were 100%， 88%， 57.5%， and 47.9%， respectively； the 6-， 12-， 18-， and 24-month PFS rates were 74.1%， 58.6%， 47.9%， and 35.9%， respectively； the 6-， 12-， 18-， and 24-month LC rates were 96.3%， 91.9%， 84.8%， and 76.4%， respectively. No grade 3 or above toxic reactions were observed. Five patients were diagnosed with radiation-induced liver injury， but there was no death due to radiation-induced liver injury. ConclusionSBRT is safe and effective in the treatment of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma， with relatively high survival rate， PFS rate， and LC rate and low toxicity， and therefore， SBRT can be used as an alternative treatment method for patients with cholangiocarcinoma who are not candidates for surgery.

ObjectiveTo test the inter-tester reliability and test-retest reliability of MyotonPRO for evaluating neck and shoulder muscle performance parameters in patients with unilateral chronic neck pain, observe the difference of muscle performance between the healthy and affected sides of patients with chronic neck pain, and analyze the factors that cause the imbalance of muscle performance in patients with chronic neck pain. MethodsFrom January to June, 2023, 32 patients with unilateral chronic neck pain in Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were selected. Two testers used the same MyotonPRO equipment to measure the muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity on both sides of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the upper trapezius muscle in the relaxed position. Tester 1 repeated the measurement after an interval of 30 minutes, and Tester 2 was measured within the time interval between the two measurements of Tester 1. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of mean (SEM) and minimum detectable change (MDC) were calculated simultaneously. The measurement results were plotted into Bland-Altman diagram and systematic bias analysis was performed. The difference in muscle characteristics between the affected side and the healthy side was compared. At the same time, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and body mass index (BMI) of the subjects were collected for correlation analysis. ResultsExcept the sternocleidomastoid muscle elasticity of the affected side (ICC = 0.697), the inter-tester reliability of all other parameters was high to very high (ICC = 0.719 to 0.952, SEM = 0.04 to 6.53, MDC = 0.12 to 18.11). The test-retest reliability of all parameters was high (ICC = 0.883 to 0.981, SEM = 0.03 to 5.72, MDC = 0.09 to 15.84). Bland-Altman plot analysis showed that the scatter distribution was consistent. The muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity of sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper trapezius muscle were higher on the affected side than on the healthy side (t > 2.846, P < 0.05). The asymmetry index of tension, hardness and elasticity of upper trapezius muscle and sternocleidomastoid muscle was significantly positively correlated with VAS score and BMI (r > 0.385, P < 0.05). ConclusionMyotonPRO has good inter-tester reliability and retest reliability in evaluating the muscle performance of both sides of patients with chronic neck pain. The muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity of sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper trapezius muscle on the affected side were higher than on the healthy side, and the difference of muscle performance was positively correlated with pain and BMI.