Application of temperature-sensitive liquid embolic agent loaded with oxaliplatin in the TACE procedure for rabbit VX2 gastric cancer.

As a promising drug delivery system, the temperature-sensitive liquid embolic agent (TempSLE) has yet to be reported in animal experiments in treating gastric cancer. We observed and compared computed tomography (CT) imaging changes, tumor volume, HE staining, and immunohistochemistry after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment in rabbit VX2 gastric cancer models to clarify the effectiveness of TempSLE loaded with oxaliplatin (TempSLE/Oxa) in treating gastric cancer. One milliliter TempSLE can be loaded with 20 mg oxaliplatin. The accumulative drug release rate at 30 min was 38.76%, and after 24 h, it reached more than 90%. CT examination 1 week after TACE revealed that the TempSLE/Oxa group presents unenhanced hypodense necrotic foci, the iodinated oil loaded with oxaliplatin (Ioil/Oxa) group presents shrinking tumors but still visible speckled foci of enhancement, and the normal saline (NS) group presents heterogeneous enhancement with larger tumors than before. In the postoperative autopsy of TACE, the tumor volumes of TempSLE/Oxa, Ioil/Oxa, and NS groups were 0.15 ± 0.06 cm3, 0.37 ± 0.11 cm3, and 1.19 ± 0.16 cm3, respectively, all of which were statistically different. The positive vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression percentages in the TempSLE/Oxa, Ioil/Oxa, and NS groups were statistically different and lowest in the TempSLE/Oxa group. In conclusion, the TempSLE can load a high dose of oxaliplatin to meet the demand of clinical applications. TempSLE/Oxa could effectively inhibit tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. This study provides experimental evidence for the further clinical application of the TempSLE/Oxa.

Safety and efficacy of iodine-125 seed strand for intraluminal brachytherapy on ureteral carcinoma.

Objective: Our aim is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of iodine-125 seed strand for intraluminal brachytherapy on ureteral carcinoma. Methods: From November 2014 to November 2021, 22 patients with ureteral cancer not suitable for surgical resection were enrolled. Iodine-125 seed strand was inserted under c-arm CT and fluoroscopic guidance. The technical success rate, complications, disease control rate, and survival time were evaluated. Hydronephrosis Girignon grade and ureteral cancer sizes before and after treatment were compared. Results: A total of 46 seed strands were successfully inserted and replaced, with a technical success rate of 100% and median procedure time of 62 min. No procedure-related death, ureteral perforation, infection, or severe bleeding occurred. Minor complications were observed in eight (36.4%) patients, and migration of seed strand was the most common complication. Six months after seed strand brachytherapy, one complete response, three partial responses, and five stable diseases were evaluated, and the disease control rate was 64.3%. The Girignon grade of hydronephrosis was significantly improved 1 to 3 months after seed strand insertion. Disease control rates were 94.4, 62.5, and 64.3% at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up. Twenty patients were successfully followed up, with a mean follow-up of 18.0 ± 14.5 months. The median overall survival and progress-free survival were 24.7 and 13.0 months, respectively. Conclusion: Iodine-125 seed strand is safe and effective for intraluminal brachytherapy and can be used as an alternative to patients with ureteral carcinoma who are not suitable for surgical resection or systemic combined therapy.

Combined transjugular/percutaneous intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (cTIPS) for cavernous transformation of the portal vein after conventional transjugular approach TIPS failure.

This study aim was to compare the safety and efficacy of combined transjugular/percutaneous intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (cTIPS) and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in cirrhotic patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) after conventional transjugular approach TIPS failure. Cirrhotic patients who were diagnosed as CTPV and treated by cTIPS or TIPS between July 2012 and April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients' characteristics and clinical data were recorded. The clinical outcomes, long-term survival rates and patency rates between the 2 groups were compared. A total of 68 patients with CTPV were enrolled, of whom 23 were treated with TIPS and 45 with cTIPS. The initial technical success was 30.9% in TIPS group and 91.1% in cTIPS group. The hospitalization days increased significantly in the cTIPS group compared with TIPS group (P = .0131). However, the complication rate, patency rates and survival rates were similar between the 2 groups. In conclusion, cTIPS appeared to be safe and effective in cirrhotic patients with CTPV after conventional transjugular approach TIPS failure.

Performance Evaluation of a Full-Duplex Relaying-Enabled Satellite Sensor Network.

This paper investigates the performance of a full-duplex (FD) relaying-enabled satellite sensor network under residual loop interference, where the satellite uplink and the downlink transmissions simultaneously occur over the same frequency band. Specifically, the closed-form expressions for the outage probability and ergodic capacity of the FD relaying satellite sensor network are derived by considering residual loop interference, channel statistical property, propagation loss, geometric satellite antenna pattern, and terminal elevation angle. Simulation results show the achieved performance gains of a full-duplex relaying satellite sensor network over traditional half-duplex relaying, and highlight the impact of key system parameters on the performance of the considered FD relaying satellite sensor network.

On the Performance of Cognitive Satellite-Terrestrial Relay Networks with Channel Estimation Error and Hardware Impairments.

This paper investigates the joint impact of channel estimation errors (CEEs) and hardware impairments (HIs) on the performance of a cognitive satellite-terrestrial relay network (CSTRN), where the terrestrial and satellite links are considered following Rayleigh fading and shadowed Rician (SR) fading distributions, respectively. Besides, the terrestrial relay is working in half-duplex decode-and-forward (DF) mode. By employing a general and practical model to account for both the CEEs and HIs at each link, the end-to-end signal-to-noise-plus-distortion-and-error ratio (SNDER) is first obtained for the CSTRN. Then, closed-form expressions for the outage probability (OP) and throughput of the CSTRN are obtained, which allows us to demonstrate the aggregate impact of CEEs and HIs. In order to gain insightful findings, we further elaborate on the asymptotic OP and throughput at the high signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) condition and quantitatively determine the fundamental performance ceiling. Finally, Monte Carlo (MC) computer simulations are provided to verify the correctness of the analytical results. Besides, with representative numerical analysis's help, interesting findings are presented.

Performance Analysis of Two-Way Satellite Multi-Terrestrial Relay Networks with Hardware Impairments.

In this paper, we investigate the performance of a two-way hybrid satellite multi-terrestrial cooperative network with hardware impairments (HIs). Particularly, opportunistic relay selection scheme is employed in the considered network, which can substantially enhance the spectral efficiency and spatial diversity gain. By considering both the amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) relay protocols, the closed-form expressions of the outage probability (OP) and throughput for the system are derived. Furthermore, in order to observe the effects of HIs level and the number of terrestrial relays on the system performance at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the asymptotic expressions of the system performance are also derived. Finally, computer results are presented to reveal the correctness of the analytical results.

[The stress distribution of the temporomandibular joint under four types of inter-arch elastics--a three dimentional finite element model analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of four types (class II long elastic, class II short elastic, class III long elastic, class III short elastic) of inter-arch elastics on the stress distribution and displacement of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). METHODS: To reconstruct a three-dimensional element model of left craniofacial bones with TMJ, maxilla, mandible and dentition with MBT straight wire appliance by CT images, Mimics, Ansys software. The influence of four types elastic on the model was analyzed by simulating the clinical conditions. RESULTS: The stress distribution and displacement of TMJ under four types of elastics have been acquired. The stress distributed rule of condition 1 and 2 was similar, compression stress centred on the frontal surface of the condyle, while stretching stress centred on the posterior surface. The stress distributed rule of condition 3 and 4 was similar too, the frontal surface of the condyle was most stretching stress, while posterior surface was most compression stress. The displacement of the condyle of condition 1 and 2 was overall forward and downward with a clockwise rotation, the displacement of the condyle of condition 3 and 4 was overall backward and upward with a anticlockwise rotation. CONCLUSION: Class II long elastic and short elastic, class III long elastic and short elastic, the stress distributed rule was similar, the strength under short elastics was gentle under the same strength value. Overall displacement was downward and forward under class II elastics, the condyloid made a clockwise rotation. Overall displacement was upward and backward under class III elastics, the condyloid made a counterclockwise rotation.