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Objective:To explore the effect and mechanism of different processing motivation on college students' intergroup interaction willingness by technology of eye movement.Methods:Sixty college students conforming to the study conditions were selected from Northwest Normal University and randomly divided into ingroup motivation group ( n=30) and outgroup motivation group ( n=30) according to the random number table method. Subjects of the two groups first participated in the eye movement task, and then participated in the partner selection task.In the eye movement task, the percentage of time that subjects looked at faces of different groups was recorded.And in the partner selection task, the number of selections that subjects selected faces from different groups was recorded.SPSS 20.0 software was used for repeated measurement analysis of variance. Results:(1) In the eye movement task, there was a significant interaction of group and face group type ( F=13.37, P<0.001), but the main effects of group( F=3.23, P=0.077), and face group type ( F=0.09, P>0.05) were not significant. Further simple effect analysis showed that the percentage of time that the ingroup motors looked at the yellow race((16.00±0.06)%) was significantly higher than that of the outgroup motors ((12.00±0.04)%), and the percentage of time that the outgroup motors looked at the white race((17.00±0.06)%) was significantly higher than that of the ingroup motors ((9.00±0.04)%). (2) In the task of partner selection, there was a significant interaction among group, face group type and face old and new types( F=4.38, P=0.041), and the main effect of face group type was significant( F=14.87, P<0.001). The main effect of old and new types of face was significant( F=8.88, P=0.004), but the main effect of group was not significant ( P>0.05). Further simple effect analysis showed that the two groups of college students had statistically significant differences in the selection times of familiar faces from different groups( F=11.51, P=0.001). The number of times that the ingroup generator (5.51±1.14) selected the familiar yellow race as its partner was significantly greater than that of the outgroup generator (2.30±0.65). The number of times that the outgroup generator (5.40±1.00) selected the familiar white race as its partner was significantly greater than that of the ingroup generator (3.47±0.94). (3)Preferential attention to the ingroup members was a mediator between processing motivation and intergroup interaction willingness (mediating effect=0.20, 95% CI=0.02-0.31). Conclusion:Ingroup processing motivation has a threatening effect on college students' intergroup interaction willingness, outgroup processing motivation has a promoting effect on college students' intergroup interaction willingness, and processing motivation affects intergroup interaction willingness through ingroup bias.
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Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be detected with enlarged lymph nodes on imaging, but their benignity and malignancy are difficult to determine directly, making it difficult to stage the tumor and design radiotherapy target volumes. The clinical diagnosis of malignant lymph nodes is often based on the short diameter of lymph nodes ≥1 cm or the maximum standard uptake value ≥2.5, but the sensitivity and specificity of these criteria are too low to meet the clinical needs. In recent years, many advances have been made in diagnosing benign and malignant lymph nodes using other imaging parameters, and with the development of radiomics, deep learning and other technologies, models of mining the image information of enlarged lymph node regions further improve the diagnostic accuracy. The purpose of this paper is to review recent advances in imaging-based diagnosis of benign and malignant enlarged lymph nodes in NSCLC for more accurate and noninvasive assessment of lymph node status in clinical practice. .
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Humans , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology , Diagnostic Imaging , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Lymph Nodes/pathology , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Progressive functional deterioration in the cochlea is associated with age-related hearing loss (ARHL). However, the cellular and molecular basis underlying cochlear aging remains largely unknown. Here, we established a dynamic single-cell transcriptomic landscape of mouse cochlear aging, in which we characterized aging-associated transcriptomic changes in 27 different cochlear cell types across five different time points. Overall, our analysis pinpoints loss of proteostasis and elevated apoptosis as the hallmark features of cochlear aging, highlights unexpected age-related transcriptional fluctuations in intermediate cells localized in the stria vascularis (SV) and demonstrates that upregulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperon protein HSP90AA1 mitigates ER stress-induced damages associated with aging. Our work suggests that targeting unfolded protein response pathways may help alleviate aging-related SV atrophy and hence delay the progression of ARHL.
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Mice , Animals , Transcriptome , Aging/metabolism , Cochlea , Stria Vascularis , PresbycusisABSTRACT
The incidence of esophageal cancer ranks third among all malignant tumors in China. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Whether the tumor lesions can achieve complete pathological remission after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy provide profound guidance for subsequent treatment. In this article, research progresses on the application of pathological, radiological and biological approaches to evaluate and predict the tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were reviewed.
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Thymic epithelial tumors are the most common tumors in anterior mediastinum. They are used to be considered rare in incidence, with an indolent nature of biological behaviors, which led to the lack of high level evidence obtained from prospective randomized controlled trials to guide the clinical treatment. At present, the experience of diagnosis and treatment of thymic tumors varies greatly in different regions. And there are still many problems remain to be solved. This paper aims to establish a standardized surgical treatment based on the latest researches in surgical indications, resection extent, surgical approach, lymph node dissection and postoperative management of thymic tumors.
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ViewRay magnetic resonance (MR) guided radiotherapy system not only solves the problem of imaging dose,but also can set up accurately,online adaptive radiotherapy and gated irradiation according to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).The development of this system provides a new technical means of accurate radiotherapy.This review describes the main structure of the ViewRay system,and summarizes quality assurance (QA),dosimetric comparison,respiratory motion management,online adaptive radiotherapy,and preliminary treatment effect.
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Objective To compare the short-term clinical efficacies of Da Vinci robotic surgical systemassisted and laparoscopy-assisted radical gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer (GC).Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 162 patients who underwent minimally invasive radical gastrectomy for locally advanced GC in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University between September 2016 and September 2017 were collected.Of 162 patients,65 undergoing Da Vinci robotic surgical system-assisted radical gastrectomy were allocated into the robotic group and 97 undergoing laparoscopyassisted radical gastrectomy were allocated into the laparoscopic group.According to Japanese gastric cancer treatment guidelines,patients with upper GC and with middle or lower GC underwent respectively total gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection and distal subtotal gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection,and then Billroth Ⅱ or Roux-en-Y digestive tract reconstruction.Observation indicators:(1) surgical and postoperative situations;(2) detection of lymph node;(3) follow-up and survival situations.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as x±s,and comparisons between groups were analyzed using the t test.Comparisons of count data were done using the chi-square test.Ordinal data were analyzed by the nonparametric test.Results (1) Surgical and postoperative situations:all 162 patients underwent successful surgery,without conversion to laparoscopic or open surgery,and pathological resection margins were confirmed as R0.Volume of intraoperative blood loss,levels of amylase in peritoneal drainage fluid at day 1,2 and 3 postoperatively,levels of serum amylase fluid at day 1,2 and 3 postoperatively were respectively (123±39) mL,(557± 181) U/L,(357± 127) U/L,(183±86) U/L,(181±47)U/L,(123±29)U/L,(85±22)U/L in the robotic group and (142±40)mL,(793±284)U/L,(497±199)U/L,(279±157) U/L,(218±45) U/L,(162±37) U/L,(120±31) U/L in the laparoscopic group,with statistically significant differences between groups (t =-3.015,-2.817,-2.364,-2.132,-2.372,-3.338,-3.720,P＜0.05).Cases with distal subtotal gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection and with total gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection,cases with Billroth Ⅱ and Roux-en-Y of digestive tract reconstruction,time of distal subtotal gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection,time of total gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection,cases with anastomotic leakage,pulmonary infection,wound infection or liquefaction and delayed gastric emptying,cases in grading Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ and Ⅴ of postoperative complications,time of postoperative drainage-tube removal and duration of postoperative hospital stay were respectively 47,18,40,25,(222±37) minutes,(274±43) minutes,1,1,1,1,2,1,0,0,(6.5-± 1.5) days,(10.0±4.0) days in the robotic group and 74,23,69,28,(213±40) minutes,(262±39)minutes,2,4,1,0,4,1,0,1,(6.9±1.7)days,(10.0±5.0)days in the laparoscopic group,with no statistically significant difference between groups (x2=0.326,1.628,t =1.272,0.960,x2=2.501,Z=-1.342,t=-1.142,-0.115,P＞0.05).One and 1 patients in the robotic and laparoscopic groups who were complicated with esophagus-jejunum anastomotic leakage after total gastrectomy + Roux-en-Y anastomosis were cured by nutrition support therapy using feeding tube placement under gastroscopy,and 1 patient in the laparoscopic group who were complicated with gastrojejunal anastomosis leakage after distal subtotal gastrectomy +Billroth Ⅱ anastomosis received the second surgical exploration and jejunal feeding tube placement.Patients with pulmonary infection,wound infection or liquefaction and delayed gastric emptying were cured by conservative treatment.Levels of amylase in peritoneal drainage fluid and serum amylase fluid at day 1,2 and 3 postoperatively were not higher than 3 times of upper limit of normal,without treatment interventions.(2) Detection of lymph node:overall number of lymph nodes detected in the robotic and laparoscopic groups were respectively 36.82±13.41 and 35.21 ± 11.52,with no statistically significant difference between groups (t =0.786,P＞ 0.05).Results of further analysis showed that numbers of lymph node dissected in the 2nd station and upper region of pancreas in patients undergoing distal subtotal gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection were respectively 6.04±3.98,13.51±6.53 in the robotic group and 4.45±3.12,11.40±5.30 in the laparoscopic group,with statistically significant differences between groups (t=2.461,1.986,P＜0.05).Numbers of lymph node dissected in No 7 and 8 groups and upper region of pancreas in patients undergoing total gastrectomy + D2 lymph node dissection were respectively 5.44±2.63,2.92±1.87,10.81±4.78 in the robotic group and 3.11±1.82,1.62±1.33,7.76±3.34 in the laparoscopic group,with statistically significant differences between groups (t =3.340,2.689,2.522,P＜0.05).(3) Follow-up and survival situations:of 162 patients,148 were followed up for 2-14 months,with a median time of 8 months.During the follow-up,patients in the 2 groups had tumor-free survival.Conclusions Da Vinci robotic surgical system-assisted radical gastrectomy is safe and feasible.Compared with laparoscopy-assisted radical gastrectomy for locally advanced GC,it has advantages of clear vision of the local anatomy,less intraoperative bleeding,more numbers of lymph nodes dissected in the upper region of pancreas and lighter pancreatic injure,meanwhile,it has also certain operating advantages around the great vessels and in the deep and narrow spaces.
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Artificial intelligence is a man-made device that simulates intellectual work such as human thinking and judgment. There are many successful applications of artificial intelligence in the fields of medicine, healthcare, agriculture, education, finance, service, news and machinery. Intelligent computer hospital management systems, intelligent medical diagnostic expert systems and intelligent surgical robots have revolutionized the medical field. Therefore, the attentions which are paid to artificial intelligence in cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment are on the rise. Some breakthroughs have also been made in the application of imaging diagnosis, pathological diagnosis, oncology surgery, oncology radiotherapy, drug development and cancer screening. Artificial intelligence is gradually changing the traditional medical model, which is a future direction and trend of human medical development. Here, we delineate the concept and development of artificial intelligence, and its application and prospect in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors.
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Background and purpose: The prognosis of completely resected stage ⅢA(N2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a significant concern. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates range from 10% to 30%. This study aimed to analyze the patterns of first failure in completely resected stage ⅢA(N2) NSCLC and to assess the actuarial risk of developing metastasis at different sites and to guild standard clinical practice. Methods: Patients withⅢA(N2) NSCLC who had undergone radical surgery in our hospital from Jan. 2005 to Jul. 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The progression-free survival (PFS), the OS, patterns of first failure, the actuarial risk were analyzed. The cumulative incidence of first failure was determined using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Among 357 patients who met the eligibility criteria with completely resected stage ⅢA(N2) NSCLC, 5-year OS was 36.9%. There were 284 (77.6%) patients experiencing disease failure: 61 with local failure, 197 with local and distant failures, and 26 patients with local recurrence as the first failure. Brain, bone and lung were the main sites of distant failure as the first failure, while brain was the most common site. There were 67 patients developing brain metastases (BM) as the first site of failure. The median time of local failure as the first site of failure was 13.6 months, and the time to develop distant recurrence was 15.1 months. 92.5% BM developed in 3 years after the complete resection. Conclusion: As the first failure, the rate of distant failure was much higher than that of local failure in completely resected stage ⅢA(N2) NSCLC. Brain was the most common site of distant failure as the first failure. These results can be helpful in guiding standard clinical practice and evaluating the outcome of comprehensive treatment.
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Objective To investigate the consensus and controversies on the delineation of radiotherapy target volume for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC).Methods Questionnaires including 15 questions on the delineation of radiotherapy target volume of NSCLC were sent to 12 radiation departments in China in November 2015.A patient with LA-NSCLC was selected by Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and simulation CT images and medical history data were sent to the 12 radiation departments.Twelve radiation oncologists from the 12 radiation departments showed and explained the delineation of radiotherapy target volume of their own, and the patient was discussed by all experts in the sixth multidisciplinary summit forum of precise radiotherapy and chemotherapy for tumor and lung cancer.Results All receivers of the questionnaire answered the questions.The standard lung window width/level for the delineation of lung cancer was 800-1600/-600 to-750 HU, and the mediastinum window was 350-400/20-40 HU.Respiratory movement was measured by stimulator, 4D-CT, and stimulator+4D-CT with 2-5 mm expansion based on experience.The primary clinical target volume (CTV) was defined as gross target volume (GTV) plus 5-6 mm for squamous carcinoma/5-8 mm for adenocarcinoma.The metastatic lesion of mediastinal lymph nodes was delineated as 5 mm plus primary lesion in 6 departments and as primary lesion in another 6 departments.Of the 12 departments, 10 applied 5 mm of set-up error, 1 applied 3 mm, and 1 applied 4-6 mm.For V20 of the lungs, 10 departments defined it as<30%, 1 as<35%, and 1 as 28%.Nine departments defined the radiation dose of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for LA-NSCLC as 60 Gy in 30 fractions, 62.7 Gy in 33 fractions in 1 department, 50-60 Gy in 25-30 fractions in 1 department, and 60-70 Gy in 25-30 fractions in 1 department.For the delineation of target volume for the LA-NSCLC patient treated with CCRT, the primary planning target volume (PTV) was defined as GTV plus organ movement (IGTV) and set-up error (GTV→IGTV→PTV) in 3 departments, as CTV plus organ movement (ITV) and set-up error (GTV→CTV→ITV→PTV) in 8 departments, and as CTV plus set-up error/IGTV plus 5-6 mm for squamous carcinoma/5-8 mm for adenocarcinoma (CTV) and set-up error (GTV→CTV→PTV/GTV→IGTV→CTV→PTV) in 1 department.For the delineation of PTV in the mediastinal lymph node, GTV→IGTV→PTV was performed in 3 departments, GTV→CTV→ITV→PTV in 8 departments, and GTV→CTV→PTV in 1 department.For 10%-100% patients with LA-NSCLC, the radiation field needed to be replanned when 38-50 Gy was completed.There was no unified standard for the optimal standardized uptake value (SUV) of positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) simulation and delineation.Seven departments had applied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) simulation and 10 departments had applied stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of early-stage NSCLC.For the delineation of PTV for early-stage NSCLC (T1-2N0M0), GTV→IGTV→PTV was performed in 5 departments, IGTV→PTV in 3 departments, and GTV→CTV→ITV→PTV in 2 departments.In all the 12 departments, peripheral early-stage NSCLC was given 6.0-12.5 Gy/fraction, 3-12 fractions and central early-stage NSCLC was given 4.6-10.0 Gy/fraction, 5-10 fractions.The results of discussion on the delineation of target volume for the patient were as follows:respiratory movements should be measured by 4D-CT or simulator;the lung window width/level is 1600/-600 HU and the mediastinal window width/level is 400/20 HU;the primary controversy is whether the involved-field irradiation or elective nodal irradiation should be used for the delineation of CTVnd in the mediastinal lymph node.Conclusions Basic consensus is reached for the delineation of target volume in LANSCLC in these aspects:lung window width/level, respiratory movements and set-up error, primary lesion delineation, the radiation dose in CCRT, and the optimal time for replanning the radiation field.There are controversies on the optimal SUV in the delineation of target volume based on PET-CT simulation, the optimal dose fractionation in SBRT for early-stage NSCLC, and the delineation of CTVnd.
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Objective To investigate the effects of hyperfractionated radiotherapy versus hypofractionated radiotherapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy on the prognosis of limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).Methods A total of 188 patients with limited-stage SCLC were enrolled in this study and divided into hyperfractionated group (n=92) and hypofractionated group (n=96).The hyperfractionated group received thoracic radiotherapy at 45 Gy in 30 fractions twice a day, while the hypofractionated group received 55 Gy in 22 fractions once a day.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates, and the Cox model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis.Results There were not significant differences in 1-, 2-, and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates and 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates between the hyperfractionated group and the hypofractionated group (82% vs.85%, 61% vs.69%, 59% vs.69%, P=0.27;85% vs.77%, 41% vs.34%, 27% vs.27%, P=0.37).The multivariate analysis showed that the time from the initiation of chemotherapy to the initiation of thoracic radiotherapy ≤43 days was favorable prognostic factor for PFS (P=0.005).The time from the initiation of chemotherapy to the end of thoracic radiotherapy ≤63 days and prophylactic cranial irradiation were favorable prognostic factors for OS (P=0.044;P=0.000).There were significant differences in incidence rates of grade 2 and 3 acute radiation esophagitis between the two groups (28% vs.16%, 9% vs.2%, P=0.009).Conclusions Both hyperfractionated radiotherapy and hypofractionated radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy can improve the PFS and OS of patients with limited-stage SCLC.The time from the initiation of chemotherapy to the initiation of thoracic radiotherapy ≤43 days and the time from the initiation of chemotherapy to the end of thoracic radiotherapy ≤63 days are favorable prognostic factors for PFS and OS, respectively.However, the hyperfractionated group has significantly higher incidence rates of grade 2 and 3 acute radiation esophagitis than the hypofractionated group.
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Radiomics utilizes the high-throughput extraction of large amounts of quantitative features from radiographic images,giving a comprehensive quantification of tumor phenotype.Thus it can provide complementary and interchangeable information for clinical usage,such as differentiating malignant nodules from benign ones,predicting response to treatment,identifying lymph node metastasis,improving individualized treatment selection and monitoring.The advantages of radiomics give it great potential in precise treatment.But much work needs to be done before it could be used in practice.It is imperative that a standard research procedure is needed to verify its reliability and clinical value via multi-central prospective clinical trials.
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Background and purpose:Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the most important therapeutic tools for esophageal cancer. Because tumors are heterogeneous, including for18F-FDG uptake and, most likely, for radioresistance, selective boosting of high FDG uptake zones within the tumor has been suggested. Therefore, it is critical to know whether the location of these high FDG uptake patterns within the tumor remains stable during RT.Methods:Twenty-two patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with concurrent chemo-radiation underwent repeated18F-FDG PET-CT scans before RT and after 20 fractions of RT. On all scans, the high and low FDG uptake regions were auto-delineated using several standard uptake value (SUV) thresholds, varying from 40% to 70% of SUVmax on the pretreatment scan [gross tumor volume (GTV)40%pre, GTV50%pre, GTV60%pre, GTV70%pre] and from 70% to 90% of SUVmax on the dur-treatment scan (GTV70%dur, GTV80%dur, GTV90%dur) and ifxed thresholds of 2.5 and 5 (GTV2.5pre, GTV5pre). The volumes and overlap fractions (OF) of these delineations were calculated to demonstrate the stability of the high FDG uptake regions during RT.Results:The high uptake regions within the tumor during RT largely corresponded (OF>70%) with the 50% SUVmax high FDG uptake area (GTV50%pre) of the pretreatment scan. The hotspot within the residual area (GTV90%dur) was completely within the GTV and pre-radiotherapy high uptake regions (OF=100%). Although the location of the high FDG uptake patterns within the tumor during RT remained stable, the delineated volumes varied markedly.Conclusion:The location of the high FDG uptake areas within the tumor remained stable during RT. This knowledge may enable selective boosting of high FDG uptake areas within the tumor.
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Objective To analyze radiation induced alterations of vitronectin and collagen expressions in fibroblasts at different times post-irradiation,so as to evaluate the potential to apply vitronectin as a biomarker of radiation-induced lung fibrosis.Methods The human fibroblast cells WI-38 and IMR-90 were irradiated with 137Cs γ-rays at doses of 0 (control),4,6,8,10 and 12 Gy,respectively.The cells and its supernatant were collected at 6,12,24,36,48 and 60 h post-irradiation.The expressions of vitronectin and collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ were analyzed by Western blot,PCR and ELISA.Results After irradiation,the expressions of vitronectin and collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ were positively correlated (r=0.40-0.79,P＜0.05) and were all significantly higher than that in control group (t =3.04-25.45,P ＜0.05) and reached the highest expression levels at 48 h after 8-10 Gy of irradiation (t =2.92-18.86,P ＜ 0.05).Analyses of Real-time PCR and ELISA assay showed that expressions of vitronectin mRNA and its protein level in the cell lysis were significantly increased by radiation (F =27.09-42.62,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The expressions of vitronectin in cellular supernatant and its mRNA may be a potential biomarker of radiation-induced fibrosis,and 48 h after 8 Gy irradiation may be an optimum condition of measurement.
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BACKGROUND:Nanostructure formation on titanium surface by anodic oxidation has good biocompatibility with bone tissue. OBJECTIVE:To observe the surface morphology and crystal ine constitution of nanopores microstructure on titanium surface formed by anodic oxidation and to further observe its influence on the MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells’ biological behavior and the gene expression of osteoprotegerin. METHODS:Nanopores forming on titanium surface by anodic oxidation was prepared as experimental group and polished titanium as control group (12 samples for each group). Mouse MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were co-cultured with polished pure titanium plate group and anodic oxidation nanopores group. After 7 days of inoculation, cellmorphology was observed using scanning electron microscopy, MTT method was used for the cellproliferation test and the growth curve was made. Gene expression of osteoprotegerin was also detected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After anodic oxidation, a homogeneous and uniform array of nanopores formed;however it had no significant influence on the crystal ine phase of the titanium sample surfaces. Titanium surface with nanopore structure was more favorable than polished titanium surface for cellattachment and spreading. cells on the anodized surface with nanopores had higher celldensity and bigger metal coverage area. cells on the nanopores surface also exhibited a polygonal shape with many filopodia extending in al directions. MTT method showed that the anodized nanopore surface had higher cellamount than the as-polished titanium, and the former was about 1.4 times of the latter group after 7 days of culture. The gene expression level of osteoprotegerin in the MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on anodized titanium surface with nanopores was significantly higher than that on the as-polished titanium (P<0.01). The anodic oxidation treatment is more advantageous for the osteoblasts adhesion and gene expression of osteoprotegerin, thereby promoting the growth of osteoblasts.
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Background and purpose:We investigated whether lfuorine-18 lfuorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) maximal standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the primary tumor (SUV-T), SUVmax of the regional lymph nodes (SUV-N) or the overall loco-regional lesion SUVmax (SUV-TOTAL) was related to survival of patients with stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received Cetuximab and combined definitive chemoradiotherpay. Methods:From September 2009 to July 2012, seventeen patients with unresectable stageⅢNSCLC receiving cetuximab with cisplatin/vinorelbine (NP) followed by concomitant NP and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were enrolled onto a prospectively study. All patients received positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) scans within 2 weeks before enrolment. Univariate analysis were used to assess the correlation between SUV-T, SUV-N, SUV-TOTAL, gender, age, histology, tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, performance status (PS) as well as smoking status and survival. The factors which showed statistical signiifcance entered into multivariate Cox-regression model. Survival functions of different populations were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by Log-rank test. Results:In the univariate analysis, SUV-T, SUV-N, SUV-TOTAL, PS and smoking status were prognostic factors. The best cut-off values for SUV-T, SUV-N and SUV-TOTAL were 11, 11 and 20, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that SUV-TOTAL (P=0.012), SUV-T (P=0.025), and SUV-N (P=0.033) were independent predictors of survival with hazard ratio (HR) of 14.7, 11.2, and 6.2, respectively. Conclusion:Local, regional and locoregional maximal SUVs deifned by 18F-FDG PET-CT scanning may have a strong correlation with survival in this patients setting, which merits further study.
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Objective To investigate the advantage of the intensity-modulated radiotherapy treatment (IMRT) by allowing dose heterogeneity in the target volume in esophageal cancer treatment planning.Methods Two sets of 5-field IMRT planning were designed for 10 esophageal cancer patients upon the condition of appropriate clinical tolerance level with the prescription dose of 60 Gy to 95% of the planned target volume (PTV) and the maximum dose of 45 Gy to the spinal cord:the IMRT with rigid restriction of the maximum homogeneous dose to the PTV within 63 Gy prescribing a homogeneous dose ( IMRThom ) and the IMRT allowing dose heterogeneity by loosening the constraints on maximum dose in the PTV to 69 Gy ( IMRTinhom ).Dosimetric comparison was conducted by using dose-volume histograms.Results Compared to IMRThom, the minimum dose (t = -3.37,P =0.012), maximum dose (t = - 23.58,P = 0.000), mean dose ( t = - 4.95, P = 0.002 ), and heterogeneity index ( t = - 11.06, P =0.000) in PTV of the IMRTinhom were all significantly increased, and the values of V5 (t = 6.96, P =0.000), V10(t=5.24,P=0.001) , V15(t=4.73,P=0.002) , V20(t=8.08,P=0.000) , V25(t=8.58,P = 0.000), and mean dose (t = 7.28,P = 0.000) of the normal lungs were all significantly lower.There were no significant differences in all the indexes for the mean dose to the heart and maximum dose to the spinal cord between these 2 set of planning.Conclusions The IMRT plan allowing dose heterogeneity in the PTV escalates the prescription dose and decreases the doses to the lungs.
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Objective To assess the rotational set-up errors in patients with thoracic neoplasms. Methods 224 kilovohage cone-beam computed tomography (KVCBCT) scans from 20 thoracic tumor pa-tients were evaluated retrospectively. All these patients were involved in the research of " Evaluation of the residual set-up error for online kilovohage cone-beam CT guided thoracic tumor radiation". Rotational set-up errors, including pitch, roll and yaw, were calculated by 'aligning the KVCBCT with the planning CT, using the semi-automatic alignment method. Results The average rotational set-up errors were -0.28°±1.52°, 0.21°± 0.91° and 0.27°± 0. 78° in the left-fight, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior axis, respective-ly. The maximal rotational errors of pitch, roll and yaw were 3.5°, 2.7° and 2.2°, respectively. After cor-rection for translational set-up errors, no statistically significant changes in rotational error were observed. Conclusions The rotational set-up errors in patients with thoracic neoplasms were all small in magnitude. Rotational errors may not change after the correction for translational set-up errors alone, which should be e-valuated in a larger sample future.
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Objective To investigate whether the change of beam set-up methods will influence the dosimetric quality of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods Twenty-one stage Ⅰ-Ⅲ NSCLC patients were selected for this study.The technique of step and shoot was used and three different beam set-up methods were chosen for IMRT planning,including IMRT-7 with nine equal-spaced beams angled 0°,51°,102°,153°,204°,255°and 306°; IMRT-5 with five equal-spaced beams angled 0°,72°,144°,216°and 288°; and IMRT-5m which was created from IMRT-7 but excluded 2 fields (51°and 102° were omitted if there was lesion in the right lung,while 255°and 306° were excluded if there was lesion in the left lung).The dose constrains ofnormal lungs for IMRT were set according to V5-V60 of normal lungs obtained from the same patient's actually treated 3D-CRT dose volume histogram.The prescription dose for IMRT started from 65 Gy,and then escalated or decreased step by step by 2 Gy once a time until the best plan was obtained.Results For normal lung dose,IMRT-5m had lower V5-V25 than the other two groups; but there was no significant difference in V30-V40.IMRT-5 was the worst for V45-V60; and mean lung dose was lowest in IMRT-5m.Dose parameters of esophagus and spinal cord,target conformity index,and total monitor units were all similar among difference plans.IMRT-5m had lowest heart V40 compared to the other two groups.For target heterogeneity index,IMRT-5 was higher than IMRT-7,but there were no significant differences among IMRT-5m,IMRT-5 and IMRT-7.Compared to 3D-CRT,the prescription dose could be increased by (5.1 ±4.6) Gy for IMRT-7,(3.1 ±5.3) Gy for IMRT-5,and (5.5 ±4.8)Gy for IMRT-5m.Conclusion Fewer beams and modified beam angles could result in similar,even better plan quality.
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Objective To study the effect of different dose fractionation on overall survival in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). Methods LS-SCLC patients treated with radical combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) between January 2001 and Dec 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the dose fractionation schemes, patients were divided into three groups:conventional fractionated RT (1. 8 -2.0 Gy,once daily), hyperfractionated RT (1.4 Gy, twice daily) and hypofractionated RT (2. 5 Gy,once daily). Overall survival, disease free survival and pattern of failures of the three groups were compared. A total of 177 patients were enrolled, including 63 patients in conventional fractionated RT group, 79 in hyperfractionated RT group and 35 in hypofractionated RT group. Results The overall follow-up rate was 96. 6%. The patient numbers with follow-up of more than 2 and 5 years were 153 and 92, respectively. The median survival time of the entire group was 22. 4 months, and the 2-and 5-year survival rates were 43.4% and 23. 5%, respectively. The 2-year survival rates for three groups were 31%, 46% and 59% (x2 =7.94,P=0.019), respectively. The 2-year disease free survival for three groups were 20%, 31% and 40% ( x2 = 4. 86, P = 0. 088 ), respectively. In the pairwise comparisons,patients in hypofractionated RT group have better survival than those in conventional fractionated RT group ( x2 = 7. 81, P = 0. 005 ), the effect of hyperfractionated RT group lies between the hypo-and the conventional fractionated RT groups, but no significant differences were detected ( x2 = 2. 31, P = 0. 128; x2 = 2. 95, P =0. 086). The mildest side effect was found in the hypofractionated RT group. No statistically significant differences were found in the patterns of first failure. Conclusion The hypofractionated RT scheme showed potential survival benefits for patients with LS-SCLC and should be considered in the setting of randomized clinical trials.