Applying artificial intelligence for cancer immunotherapy

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a general term that refers to the use of a machine to imitate intelligent behavior for performing complex tasks with minimal human intervention, such as machine learning; this technology is revolutionizing and reshaping medicine. AI has considerable potential to perfect health-care systems in areas such as diagnostics, risk analysis, health information administration, lifestyle supervision, and virtual health assistance. In terms of immunotherapy, AI has been applied to the prediction of immunotherapy responses based on immune signatures, medical imaging and histological analysis. These features could also be highly useful in the management of cancer immunotherapy given their ever-increasing performance in improving diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatment planning, predicting outcomes of care and reducing human resource costs. In this review, we present the details of AI and the current progression and state of the art in employing AI for cancer immunotherapy. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges, opportunities and corresponding strategies in applying the technology for widespread clinical deployment. Finally, we summarize the impact of AI on cancer immunotherapy and provide our perspectives about underlying applications of AI in the future.

Influence of respiratory motion on image quality of 4D-CBCT / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the relationship between the image quality of 4D cone beam CT (4D-CBCT) and the characteristic parameters of respiratory motion.@*Methods@#Catphan 500 was fixed on the Mapcheck XY/4D table by a fixation device. The control platform was utilized to simulate the static and 19 motion states. A synergy accelerator was adopted to perform 4D-CBCT scan of the image quality detection module under different motion states. By analyzing the geometric accuracy, spatial resolution, low-contrast visibility, CT value uniformity and motion position accuracy of the images of the 10 phases of the reconstructed images, the relationship among the image quality of 4D-CBCT, motion direction, amplitude and cycle was analyzed.@*Results@#4D-CBCT images could not be properly reconstructed in the static state or only in the left-right (LR) direction. The image quality was significantly worse than that in the SI direction. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was decreased as the motion cycle was increased. When the cycle was increased from 2 s to 6 s, the CNR was significantly declined from 3.33 to 1.72(P<0.01), whereas respiratory motion exerted no significant effect upon the geometric accuracy, spatial resolution and sagittal position.@*Conclusions@#The CNR, horizontal and vertical geometric accuracy and motion position accuracy of 4D-CBCT image quality are significantly affected by respiratory motion, whereas spatial resolution and sagittal geometric accuracy are not significantly influenced by respiratory motion.4D-CBCT requires the intervention of periodical motion in the SI direction. Excessively slow or absence of periodical motion can influence the image quality and even the images cannot be accurately reconstructed.4D-CBCT image reconstruction equally requires the intervention of periodical motion in the SI direction. The image quality is simultaneously affected by the amplitude and cycle of respiratory motion. For 4D-CBCT scan, the respiratory cycle of<6 s and an amplitude of>0.75 cm are recommended.

Determination of dexmedetomidine in human plasma by solid phase extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To develop the analytical method of dexmedetomidine in human plasma by solid phase extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(SPE-GC/ MS). Methods The human plasma were extracted with a solid phase extraction(SPE) and determined by GC/MS. Results The lowest detectable limit was 0.05μg/mL, the standard curve was linear over the range of 0.2μg/mL~5μg/mL. The absolute recovery was 86.1%~91.5%. The intra-and interday precision was within 7.86% at three concentrations. Conclusion Since the procedure proved to be simple, quick and sensitive, it could be used for the determination of dexmedetomidine in human plasma.

Study on quality control of Xinnaoling granules / 药学实践杂志

Objective To establish quality control of Xinnaoling granules .Methods Thin layer chromatography (TLC) methods were used to identify Rhizoma Corydalis ,Radix Angelicae dahuricae ,Cortex Magnoliae officinalis ,Radix Glycyrrhi-zae ,Rhizoma Ligusticum ,Ligusticum wallichii ,Schisandra Chinensis ,Dendranthema morifolium .The concentration of salvi-anolic acid B was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) .The method employed a column of Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18 (4 .6 mm × 250 mm ,5 μm) with a mobile phase of 0 .5% formic acid (A)-acetonitrile (B) at a temperature 25℃ .The gradient elution program was as follow :0~5 min 24% B ,5~6 min 24% ~19% B ,6~25 min 19~20% B .The flow rate was 1 .0 ml/min ,and the injection volume was 10μl and the detection wavelength was 286 nm .Results The spots in TLC plates were clear and specific .As for salvianolic acid B ,the linear range was 20-1 280 μg/ml and the equation of linear regres-sion of salvianolic acid B was Y=13 .304 X -117 .50 (r=0 .999 9 ,n=7) .The average recovery rate was 96 .17% (RSD=1 . 10% ) .Conclusion The method was proved to be simple ,reliable ,reproducible ,and could be used in the quality control of Xinnaoling g ranules .

Effects of variance reduction techniques on the efficiency and accuracy of Monte Carlo simulation for the single source channel of Gamma Knife / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To evaluate the effects of four types of variance reduction techniques ( ring counter grid, high electron cutoff energy, termination of electron tracking in some structures, and emission direction?biased sampling of source) on the efficiency and accuracy of Monte Carlo simulation for the single source channel of the Leksell Gamma Knife. Methods The single source channel of the Leksell Gamma Knife was modeled using Monte Carlo software MCNP . Four types of variance reduction techniques were used to simulate the dose distribution in the water?like phantom. The computation efficiency and simulation result were compared between the four techniques. Results All techniques substantially improved the computation efficiency and had little effect on the accuracy of the simulation ( relative error less than 2. 5%) . However, if the electron cutoff energy was above 50 keV, the simulation became quite inaccurate due to neglect of the scattering of high?energy electrons and their dosimetric contribution to the penumbra. When the scattering of high?energy electrons and their dosimetric contribution to the penumbra were ignored, the dose to the Profile platform was overestimated and the dose to the penumbra was underestimated. Conclusions Rational use of variance reduction techniques can substantially improve the efficiency of Monte Carlo simulation for the single source channel of the Leksell Gamma Knife. However, the impact of variance reduction techniques on the accuracy of the simulation should be carefully evaluated.

Salt Effect in High-voltage Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry / 分析化学

Salteffectinhigh-voltageassistedlaserdesorptionionizationmassspectrometry(HALDI-MS)has been studied under both positive and negative ion modes using L-tyrosine, β-cyclodextrin, α-lipoic acid, as well as the complex formed between α-lipoic acid and β-cyclodextrin as the test analytes. Compared the mass spectra obtained with and without the addition of salt, it is found that HALDI-MS can tolerate a higher amount of salt than electro spray ionization mass spectrometry ( ESI-MS) . Also, the addition of salt can enhance the HALDI-MS signal intensity of the complex ion of α-lipoic acid and β-cyclodextrin, and we suggest that such signal-enhancement effect is due to the formation of the three component complex consisting of α-lipoic acid,β-cyclodextrin and the positive ion of the salt.