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Intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is a promising solution for enabling the control of wireless environments. Most of existing works consider that an IRS consists of a large number of reconfigurable passive elements and each of them can reflect the signal independently. However, it is difficult and costly in practice to manufacture this kind of large-scale IRS. In this paper, we propose a practical electromagnetic-compliant reflection coefficient model for element-grouping IRS, which configures each sub-surface (including multiple homogeneous elements) but not each single element. Under this model, the reflection amplitude and the phase shift are coupled, which brings new challenges for optimizing the IRS configuration. We study a phase shift optimization problem to maximize the received power in an IRS-aided wireless system. As this problem is difficult to solve due to the complicated coupling in the practical model, we transform it into a vector composition problem equivalently. By constructing a geometry-based phase analysis model, we analyze the relationship of the vectors in a two-dimensional space to maximize the length of the sum vector. By exploiting the geometrical properties, we propose a low-complexity phase control algorithm to find the optimal phase shifts of IRS. Simulation results reveal that substantial performance gains are achieved by the proposed algorithm compared to the conventional schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate clinical outcomes of MRI-guided adaptive brachytherapy (MR-IGABT) for each brachytherapy fraction in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis was performed on 97 consecutive patients with LACC treated with 44.0–50.4 Gy external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) ± concurrent platinum-containing chemotherapy followed by 4 × 7 Gy MR-IGABT between September 2014 and April 2019. Intracavitary (IC)/interstitial (IS)/hybrid intracavitary and interstitial (IC/IS) brachytherapy was used in MR-IGABT. Brachytherapy planning and dose reporting followed the GEC-ESTRO recommendations. Clinical outcomes including overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC), and treatment-related toxicity evaluated by the RTOG criteria were analyzed. Kaplan–Meier and univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the prognostic factor. Results: Median follow-up was 21.1 months. Median dose to 90% (D90) of the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) was 91.7 Gy (range 76.7~107.2 Gy). Two-year OS, CSS, PFS, and LC were 83.5%, 84.1%, 71.1%, and 94.8%, respectively. Four patients (4.1%) suffered from grade 3 late gastrointestinal radiation toxicity, and no other grade 3 or greater radiation toxicity occurred. Initial HR-CTV was an independent factor of OS (p = 0.001, HR = 1.018/cm3), PFS (p = 0.012, HR = 1.012/cm3), and LC (p = 0.011, HR = 1.028/cm3). The HR-CTV D90 (p = 0.044, HR = 0.923/Gy) was an independent factor of PFS. Age was an independent factor of LC (p = 0.010, HR = 1.111/year). Conclusion: For patients with LACC, MR-IGABT was effective and safe. It showed favorable LC, OS, and minimal toxicity. Moreover, initial HR-CTV, HR-CTV D90, and age were significant prognostic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To establish a dose volume–effect relationship for predicting late rectal complication (LRC) in locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) followed by combined intracavitary/interstitial brachytherapy (IC/IS-BT). Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in 110 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who underwent definitive radiotherapy combined with IC/IS-BT from July 2010 to September 2018. We report the 90% of the target volume receiving the minimum dose for high risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV D90) and intermediate risk clinical target volume (IR-CTV D90), and the minimum doses to the most exposed 0.1, 1, and 2 cm³ D 0.1 c m 3 , D 1 c m 3 , D 2 c m 3 doses at the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (DICRU) for organs at risk (OARs). The total dose of EBRT plus brachytherapy was transformed to the biologically equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) with α/β value of 10 Gy for target, 3 Gy for organs at risk using the linear quadratic model. The morbidity was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria. The Probit model was used to establish a prediction model on rectum between the organs at risk for dose and LRC. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of dose volume parameters for LRC. Results: The median follow-up time was 72.3 months. The mean (± standard deviation) D 2 c m 3 , D 1 c m 3 , D 0.1 c m 3 , and DICRU values of rectum were 64.72 ± 7.47 GyEQD2, 70.18 ± 5.92 GyEQD2, 79.32 ± 7.86 GyEQD2, and 67.22 ± 7.87 GyEQD2, respectively. The Probit model showed significant relationships between D 1 c m 3 or D 0.1 c m 3 , and the probability of grade1–4, grade 2–4 rectal events at 1 year, and between D 1 c m 3 and the probability of grade2–4 rectal events at 3 and 5 years. The dose values for 10% complication rates (ED10) of D 1 c m 3 were 74.18 (70.42–76.71) GyEQD2, 67.80 (59.91, 71.08) GyEQD2, 66.37 (52.00, 70.27) GyEQD2 for grade 2–4 with rectal morbidity at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Conclusion: Our study proved that D 1 c m 3 and D 0.1 c m 3 were considered as useful dosimetric parameters for predicting the risk of grade1–4 and grade2–4 LRC at 1-year, and D 1 c m 3 might be an indicator for predicting grade2-4 LRC at 3/5years. The patients with rectal D 1 c m 3 >66.37–74.18 GyEQD2 should be closely observed for grade2–4 LRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report applicator insertion-related acute side effects during brachytherapy (BT) procedure for cervical cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Between November 2017 and December 2019, 407 BT fractions were performed in 125 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Acute side effects recorded comprised anesthesia-related side effects, mechanical-related side effects and infection, whose frequency and degree were recorded. Pain was assessed using numeric rating scale; vaginal bleeding volume was counted by weighing gauze pieces used in packing. The BT procedure comprised eight stages: anesthesia, applicator insertion, image acquisition, transport, waiting for treatment, dose delivery, applicator removal, and removed which denoted 0.5–12.0 h period after removal, with time of each stage recorded. Factors influencing acute side effects were assessed by Spearman correlation and Mann–Whitney U test. Results: The most common acute side effect was pain, followed by vaginal bleeding. The mean scores for pain were highest during removal time, 4.9 ± 1.6 points. The mean vaginal bleeding volume was 44.4 ml during removal time. Mean total procedure time was 218.8 (175–336) min, having positive relationship with frequency of acute side effects. The total procedure time with acute side effects was longer than that without acute side effects. The longest procedure time was waiting time, 113.0 (91.0–132.0) min. More needles generated higher pain scores and larger volume of vaginal bleeding. Conclusion: Pain and vaginal bleeding were the most common acute side effects, especially during removal time, which physicians should focus on. Shortening patients' waiting time helps to reduce the total procedure time, thus, reduce acute side effects. While meeting dose requirement, less needles are helpful to reduce acute side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the dosimetric advantage of combining intracavitary/interstitial applicator with distal parametrial free needle interstitial brachytherapy (IC/IS+ISBT DP) based on MRI for locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: 77 IC/IS+ISBT DP treatment plans were developed for 34 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer from June 2016 to January 2020 in this study. We removed the free needles and devised a new IC/ISBT treatment plan based on the same principle. We then compared the dosimetric differences of D90, D98, V100, V150, V200 for HR-CTV (high-risk clinical target volume), D90 for IR-CTV (Intermediate risk-CTV) and D2cc for OARs (organs at risk) between the two groups of treatment plans for the same patient, and the paired T test was performed in parallel. Further, the dosage differences between the two group plans under different parametrial extension widths (the maximum distance of HR-CTV from the vertical direction of the uterine tandem at coronal position) were compared. The survival rate was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined by Cox regression method. RTOG/EORTC criteria were used to grade toxicities. Results: A total of 297 free needles were used, with a weight ratio of 15.8% ± 0.11, and a mean insertion depth of 6.52cm ± 2.8cm. D90, D98, V100 for HR-CTV, and D90 for IR-CTV for IC/IS+ISBT DP were significantly higher than IC/ISBT for which free needles were removed (p<0.05). And the V200 for HR-CTV and D2cc for bladder, rectum and sigmoid were decreased (p<0.05). When the parametrial extension widths were greater than 3cm, the HR-CTV D90 and the D2CC for rectum, bladder and sigmoid colon for IC/IS-ISBT DP were advantageous compared to IC/ISBT (p<0.05). The 2-yr OS, PFS and local control rate (LC) were 82.3, 66.8, and 93.1%, respectively. Parametrial extension widths was the only statistically prognostic factors for PFS (p = 0.002) on univariate analysis. No grade 3 or 4 Treatment-related toxicities were observed. Conclusion: Our institutional experiences showed that IC/IS+ISBT DP is an effective treatment for cervical cancer patients with distal parametrial extension. IC/IS-ISBT DP had dosage advantage and clinical feasibility in locally advanced cervical cancer with distal parametrial extension when the parametrial extension widths were greater than 3cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound (US) in determining the positions of parametrial implants by comparing US with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for advanced cervical cancer. Methods: Patients undergoing brachytherapy with parametrial implantation for cervical cancer from February 2017 to February 2019 were involved in the study. The transverse section of the cervix (surface S1) and the transverse section 1 cm above the external cervix (surface S2) were selected from MRI and US images as the observation planes. In the MRI observation plane, the distances between the uterine titanium needles and the uterine tube/implanter were set as M1 to M4; in the US observation plane, the distances between the uterine titanium needles and the uterine tube/implanter were set as D1 to D4. The differences and consistency in M and D of each group were then compared. Results: There were no significant differences between M and D in each group (P =.058; P =.821; P =.870; and P =.936, respectively). The intraclass correlation coefficients of M and D in each group were 0.970, 0.968, 0.952, and 0.956. A regression analysis showed that the relationships between M and D in each group were as follows: M1 = 0.9449D1 + 0.1812; M2 = 0.9463D2 + 0.0965; M3 = 0.9176D3 + 0.1233; and M4 = 0.9253D4 + 0.1224. Conclusions: In parametrial brachytherapy for cervical cancer, US can accurately determine the positions of parametrial implantation needles, which is already applicable on MRI, and can provide assistance in parametrial brachytherapy for advanced cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carrier concentration of ZnO film is determined by resonant Raman spectroscopy. • Raman method gives a relatively accurate result for high concentration. • Our work paves a way for non-destructive carrier concentration determination for ZnO. • This method can be further applied in samples of other wurtzite semiconductors. For Raman-based carrier concentration determination in thin film semiconductors, above-band-gap excitation is necessary, as the interference from underlying substrate is eliminated by limited photon penetration depth. With resonant Raman spectroscopy, this study investigates the plasmon-phonon coupled modes in n-type ZnO films to non-destructively probe the carrier concentration. The observed coupled mode slightly redshifts from A 1 (LO) frequency and fails to show monotonic carrier concentration dependency, which differs from the behavior under non-resonant conditions. The correlation between point defects and abnormal behaviors is studied both experimentally and theoretically. The second order LO phonons (2LO) instead of 1LO ones are applied in carrier concentration determination process, in order to avoid the influence from point defects. Reasonable results, especially in high carrier concentration range, are extracted from Raman spectra with the help of Lindhard-Mermin framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas hydrophila can pose a great threat to survival of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila infection could decrease blood cell numbers, promote blood cell damage as well as alter the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lysozyme (LZM), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in immune-related tissues of red crucian carp (RCC, 2 N = 100) and triploid cyprinid fish (3 N fish, 3 N = 150). In addition, the significant alternation of antioxidant status was observed in PBMCs isolated from RCC and 3 N following LPS stimulation. The core differential expression genes (DEGs) involved in apoptosis, immunity, inflammation and cellular signals were co-expressed differentially in RCC and 3 N following A. hydrophila challenge. NOD-like receptor (NLR) signals appeared to play a critical role in A. hydrophila- infected fish. DEGs of NLR signals in RCCah vs RCCctl were enriched in caspase-1-dependent Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion, interferon (IFN) signals as well as cytokine activation, while DEGs of NLR signals in 3Nah vs 3Nctl were enriched in caspase-1-dependent IL-1β secretion and antibacterial autophagy. These results highlighted the differential signal regulation of different ploidy cyprinid fish to cope with bacterial infection. • Blood cells of triploid cyprinid fish exhibited a higher resistance against A. hydrophila -induced cell damage. • Acute A. hydrophila infection could dramatically alter non-specific immunity in different ploidy cyprinid fish. • Acute A. hydrophila infection could trigger the difference in signal regulation in different ploidy cyprinid fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas hydrophila can pose a great threat to survival of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila challenge could promote the erythrocyte hemolysis, increase free hemoglobin (FHB) level and generate malondialdehyde (MDA) production in plasma but decrease the levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lysozyme (LZM) of red crucian carp (RCC, 2 N = 100) and triploid hybrid fish (3 N fish, 3 N = 150) following A. hydrophila challenge. Elevated expression levels of heat shock protein 90 alpha (HSP90α), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), free fatty acid receptor 3 (FFAR3), paraoxonase 2 (PON2) and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) were observed in A. hydrophila- infected fish. In addition, A. hydrophila challenge could significantly increase expressions of cortisol, leucine, isoleucine, glutamate and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in RCC and 3 N, while glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle appeared to be inactive. We identified differential fatty acid derivatives and their metabolic networks as crucial biomarkers from metabolic profiles of different ploidy cyprinid fish subjected to A. hydrophila infection. These results highlighted the comparative metabolic strategy of different ploidy cyprinid fish against bacterial infection. • Erythrocytes of triploid cyprinid fish exhibited a higher resistance against A. hydrophila -induced hemolysis. • Acute A. hydrophila infection could dramatically decrease antioxidant status in different ploidy cyprinid fish. • Acute A. hydrophila infection could trigger the difference in fatty acid derivatives in different ploidy cyprinid fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a deadly form of altitude sickness, and there is no effective treatment for HAPE. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a type of mesenchymal stem cell isolated from dental pulp tissues and possess various functions, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress. DPSCs have been used to treat a variety of diseases, but there are no studies on treating HAPE. In this study, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to acute low-pressure hypoxia to establish the HAPE model, and SOD1-modified DPSCs (DPSCs HiSOD1 ) were administered through the tail vein. Pulmonary arterial pressure, lung water content (LWC), total lung protein content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung homogenates, oxidative stress, and inflammatory indicators were detected to evaluate the effects of DPSCs HiSOD1 on HAPE. Rat type II alveolar epithelial cells (RLE-6TN) were used to investigate the effects and mechanism of DPSCs HiSOD1 on hypoxia injury. We found that DPSCs could treat HAPE, and the effect was better than that of dexamethasone treatment. SOD1 modification could enhance the function of DPSCs in improving the structure of lung tissue, decreasing pulmonary arterial pressure and LWC, and reducing the total lung protein content of BALF and lung homogenates, through anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, we found that DPSCs HiSOD1 could protect RLE-6TN from hypoxic injury by reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Our findings confirm that SOD1 modification could enhance the anti-oxidative stress ability of DPSCs through the Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway. DPSCs, especially DPSCs HiSOD1 , could be a potential treatment for HAPE. Schematic diagram of the antioxidant stress mechanism of DPSCs in the treatment of high-altitude pulmonary edema. DPSCs can alleviate oxidative stress by releasing superoxide dismutase 1, thereby reducing ROS production and activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway to ameliorate lung cell injury in HAPE., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Atherosclerosis (AS), a chronic inflammatory disease of blood vessels, is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are capable of exerting immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects by secreting cytokines and exosomes and are widely used to treat autoimmune and inflammation-related diseases. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a key role in many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases., Aim: To modify DPSCs with HGF (DPSC-HGF) and evaluate the therapeutic effect of DPSC-HGF on AS using an apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE -/- ) mouse model and an in vitro cellular model., Methods: ApoE -/- mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 wk and injected with DPSC-HGF or Ad-Null modified DPSCs (DPSC-Null) through tail vein at weeks 4, 7, and 11, respectively, and the therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms were analyzed by histopathology, flow cytometry, lipid and glucose measurements, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at the different time points of the experiment. An in vitro inflammatory cell model was established by using RAW264.7 cells and human aortic endothelial cells (HAOECs), and indirect co-cultured with supernatant of DPSC-Null (DPSC-Null-CM) or DPSC-HGF-CM, and the effect and mechanisms were analyzed by flow cytometry, RT-PCR and western blot. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activators and inhibitors were also used to validate the related signaling pathways., Results: DPSC-Null and DPSC-HGF treatments decreased the area of atherosclerotic plaques and reduced the expression of inflammatory factors, and the percentage of macrophages in the aorta, and DPSC-HGF treatment had more pronounced effects. DPSCs treatment had no effect on serum lipoprotein levels. The FACS results showed that DPSCs treatment reduced the percentages of monocytes, neutrophils, and M1 macrophages in the peripheral blood and spleen. DPSC-Null-CM and DPSC-HGF-CM reduced adhesion molecule expression in tumor necrosis factor-α stimulated HAOECs and regulated M1 polarization and inflammatory factor expression in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway., Conclusion: This study suggested that DPSC-HGF could more effectively ameliorate AS in ApoE -/- mice on a HFD, and could be of greater value in stem cell-based treatments for AS., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To present a new technique for the treatment of vaginal cuff recurrences using 3D-printed vaginal cylindrical template (3D-PVCT) with curved needle channels in brachytherapy., Material and Methods: Two patients with vaginal cuff tumor treated with external beam radiotherapy and MRI-guided interstitial brachytherapy were selected for the present study. Prior to treatment, a vaginal cylinder with the same size as 3D-PVCT was inserted into the vagina. Magnetic resonance scan was performed to identify target volumes and organs at risk (OARs). By registration techniques, the implantation angle was determined, appropriate needle channels were selected, and the depth of each needle position was recorded. During the actual treatment, patients were under general anesthesia, and real-time guidance of trans-rectal ultrasound was applied referring to a pre-determined treatment plan., Results: For patient No. 1, 9 needles were inserted into the tumor, with 4 curved needle channels and 5 straight channels. For patient No. 2, 7 needles were inserted into the vaginal cuff tumor, with 6 curved needle channels and 1 straight channel. Doses delivered to volumes of targets and OARs for both patients met the EMBRACE II dose constraints. After follow-up of 15 and 18 months, respectively, both patients showed complete response, with no evidence of tumor recurrence. No significant acute or late toxicities were reported., Conclusions: With careful pre-planning, 3D-PVCT provides good target coverage and sparing of OARs. The results from these two patients indicate that this approach is very promising due to its flexibility and potential widespread application in the future., Competing Interests: This work was partially supported by a grant from Horizontal Project of Jilin University (approval No.: 2023YX0188). The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Termedia.)

Purpose: External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) combined with brachytherapy (BT) is the standard mode of radical radiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. The cumulative equivalent doses in 2 Gy per fraction (EQD 2 ) is an important basis for estimating the probability of local control of tumors and monitoring the occurrence of side effects in normal tissues. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictive value of Excel forms based on an automatic calculation in radical adaptive BT for cervical cancer., Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 119 patients suffering from cervical cancer, treated with radical radiotherapy. All patients were treated with EBRT and adaptive BT. EBRT prescribed dose was 42.0-50.4 Gy in 21-28 fractions. BT nominal prescribed dose was 28 Gy in 4 fractions, separated by one week. Total EQD 2 prediction at nth ( n = 1-3) BT (TEPB n ) or actual cumulative EQD 2 (ACEQD 2 ) can be calculated automatically by inputting the physical dose based on an in-house designed application. The relationship between TEPB n and ACEQD 2 was evaluated, and the predictive value of Excel forms based on the automatic calculation was analyzed., Results: For the volume of high-risk clinical target, there was a significant decrease between BT1 and BT2. Similarly, for the volume of intermediate-risk clinical target, there was a significant decrease between BT2 and BT3. The sensitivity ranges of TEPB 1 , TEPB 2 , and TEPB 3 prediction were 74.5-91.3%, 83.7-95.7%, and 92.9-99.1%, respectively, and the specificity ranges were 46.7-80.0%, 53.3-90.5%, and 66.7-90.5%, respectively., Conclusions: The in-house designed application has the function of quickly reading dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters from the treatment planning system, which allows for balance between the total dose to target volumes and organs at risk (OARs). Excel forms based on EQD 2 automatic calculation presents high predictive accuracy., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Termedia.)

Purpose: To analyze the results of clinical utilization of ring applicator for combined intracavitary (IC)/interstitial (IS) image-guided brachytherapy (BT) technique in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), and to explore the application conditions of IC/IS BT approach with this applicator for Chinese patients., Material and Methods: IC/IS BT was performed in total of 95 LACC patients, who already received external beam radiotherapy. In forty-three of these patients, utilization of ring applicator in brachytherapy was done, including IC/IS BT approach with ring applicator for 65 fractions. Clinically optimized IC/IS BT plan with ring applicator (IC/IS treatment) and additionally generated optimized plan without needle use (IC research) were designed, respectively. Dosage differences in target regions and organs at risk (OARs) were analyzed between both the plans. Four planes were selected in the longitudinal direction of uterine cervix and divided the 360° area around the tandem into eight equal sectors. Tumor target features and prescription dose distributions on different planes were described., Results: The usage rate of ring applicator with most suitable ring diameter of 26 mm was 45.3% in Chinese cervical cancer patients. The high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) D 90 /D 98 and intermediate-risk CTV (IR-CTV) D 90 /D 98 in IC/IS treatment were significantly higher than IC research. As compared with IC research plan, the D 2.0 cm 3 of bladder and rectum in IC/IS treatment were significantly lower ( p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in D 2.0 cm 3 of sigmoid and small bowel between two plans. When the target volume was larger than 36 cm 3 , IC alone had an inadequate coverage of target., Conclusions: Nearly half of Chinese patients with LACC could be treated with the ring applicator. The application conditions of IC/IS BT approach with ring applicator for Chinese patients were achieved. Combined IC/IS image-guided BT based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) planning is clinically feasible in Chinese patients., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Termedia.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the 100 most cited research articles in prostate cancer brachytherapy (PCB) and to review the characteristics of these citation., Material and Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection was used to identify the 100 most cited articles in PCB as of December 31 st , 2019. The following important information was extracted: year and month of publication, title, journal, country of origin, authors, type of article, treatment modality, and topics., Results: The 100 most cited articles in PCB were published between 1999 and 2018, and the number of citations ranged from 455 to 54; these articles had collectively been cited 10,331 times at the time of search. These articles were from 11 countries, with most publications being from the United States ( n = 61), followed by Canada ( n = 10), the United Kingdom ( n = 8), and Germany ( n = 5). The "International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics" published the most articles ( n = 47), followed by the "Journal of Urology" ( n = 11), "Radiotherapy and Oncology" ( n = 10), "Cancer" ( n = 7), and "Urology" ( n = 6). Permanent interstitial brachytherapy ( n = 52) was the most widely used treatment modality, followed by temporary brachytherapy ( n = 45). Disease control ( n = 51) was the most common topic, followed by side effects ( n = 44) and quality of life ( n = 27)., Conclusions: The bibliometric analysis presents a detailed list of the 100 most cited articles in prostate cancer brachytherapy. There are clear recommendations for treatment with prostate cancer brachytherapy. The goal of prostate cancer brachytherapy is to improve long-term outcomes and quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest. Supplemental Tables are available online at the journal homepage., (Copyright © 2020 Termedia.)