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Background The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of cancer cachexia and its prognostic impact in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods The prevalence of cancer cachexia was analyzed according to the follow-up periods during the first year after curative initial treatment. Recurrences, noncancer health events (NCHEs), and cause-specific survival outcomes were also analyzed according to the incidence of cancer cachexia during follow-up. Results Cancer cachexia was identified in 22 (6.1%), 148 (41%), 66 (18.4%), and 65 (18.7%) of 361 enrolled patients at pretreatment, immediately after treatment, 6-months after treatment, and 12-months after treatment, respectively. Sustained or newly developed cachexia at 6 and 12 months showed a significant association with recurrence and NCHE occurrence ( p < .05). In cause-specific survival analysis, patients with cachexia had a higher probability of cancer-specific death, noncancerous death, and overall death ( p < .05). Conclusion Cachexia prevalence at 6 and 12 months after treatment for HNSCC indicates a higher chance of recurrence, NCHE, and death. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 716-723, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the prognostic significance of lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression in laryngeal cancer. Study Design Retrospective chart review and histologic analysis. Setting Tertiary referral academic center. Subjects and Methods Patients (N = 100) underwent surgical treatment for laryngeal cancer and had tissue specimens available. Immunohistochemical staining for LOX was performed on laryngeal cancer tissue microarrays, and the proportion and intensity of staining were evaluated. Patients with LOX scores ≤6 were classified into the low LOX group, while those with scores >6 were classified into the high LOX group. We analyzed the correlation between LOX expression and clinical factors as well as prognosis. Results LOX was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm and nuclei of tumor cells. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the high LOX group had worse overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates than the low LOX group ( P < .05). LOX expression exhibited marginally significant correlation with lymph node metastasis. In the Cox regression analysis, LOX expression and lymph node metastasis were significant factors correlated with overall survival rate (odds ratio [OR] = 3.92, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.35-11.37, P = .012; OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 0.93-1.43, P = .024, respectively). LOX expression was related to distant metastasis free survival rate (OR = 7.72, 95% CI: 1.02-19.18, P = .048). Conclusion A high expression level of LOX is associated with lymph node and distant metastasis as well as poor prognosis among patients with laryngeal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur is extensively used to increase the bandgap of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGSSe) solar cells and to improve the open circuit voltage ( VOC) in order to optimize the characteristics of the devices. This study uses a sulfurization process to obtain a double-graded bandgap profile. Selenization was carried out on Cu(In,Ga) precursors, followed by one sulfurization process or two consecutive sulfurization processes on top of the CIGSe absorber layer surface. The optimum two-step sulfurization process provides an increase of VOC of 0.05 V and an improvement of conversion efficiency of 1.17%. The efficiency of the 30 × 30 cm2 monolithic module, which has 64 CIGS cells connected in series (aperture area: 878.6 cm2), is 15.85%. The optical and electrical properties of the phase and the work function distribution were investigated using the depth profiles of the absorber layer as a function of the sulfurization conditions. The CIGSSe thin film formed by two-step sulfurization with a high sulfur concentration exhibits a single work function peak, better crystallinity, and higher conversion efficiency than those of the thin film formed by two-step sulfurization at low sulfur concentration. In terms of the Raman spectra depth profile, the phase areas for the CIGSSe thin film that underwent the optimized high sulfur concentration two-step-sulfurization appeared to have less of Cu2-xSe phase than that with low sulfur concentration. Consequently, surface and interface phase analysis is an essential consideration to improve cell efficiency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CZTSSe thin-film absorbers were grown by stacked ZnS/SnS/Cu sputtering with compound targets, and the precursors were annealed in a furnace with a Se atmosphere. We controlled the thickness of the ZnS precursor layer for the CZTSSe thin films in order to reduce the secondary phases and to improve the performance of the devices. The optimal value of the ZnS precursor thickness was determined for the CZTSSe absorbers, and this configuration showed an efficiency of up to 9.1%. In this study, we investigated the depth profiles of the samples in order to determine the presence of secondary phases in the CZTSSe thin films by Raman spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy. Cu2SnSe3, ZnSe, and MoSe2 secondary phases appeared near the back contact, and the work function distribution of the CZTSSe thin-film surface and the secondary phase distribution were different depending on the depths of the absorber layer. This phase characterization allows us to describe the effects that changes in the thickness of the ZnS precursor can have on the performance of the CZTSSe thin-film solar cells. Although it is important to identify the phases, the effects of secondary phases and point defects are not yet fully understood, even in optimal devices. Therefore, phase identification that is based on the work function and the results obtained from the Raman spectra in terms of the depth profile are instrumental to improve the surface and interface of CZTSSe thin-film solar cells. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study focusing on technical feasibility of transoral arytenoid adduction (AA) with minimal cervical incision. The findings include technique less invasive than conventional AA as it makes the dividing of inferior pharyngeal constrictor and excessive rotation of the larynx unnecessary, reduction in postoperative pain, swelling, and dysphagia in patients, and clinical usefulness of the transoral AA.

Objectives: Endoscope-assisted surgery is becoming the standard and most frequently preferred technique in a number of surgical disciplines because of its advantages of leaving a minimal or concealed postoperative scar compared with the conventional approaches. However, such operations are not yet standard in submandibular gland (SMG) surgery due to the anatomic complexity of this region.Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective comparative analysis of the clinical outcome of patients who underwent SMG resection using the hairline approach versus the conventional transcervical approach. We evaluated the feasibility of the procedure by comparing the operation (operation time, hospital stay) and patient (drainage, complications) variable and the cosmetic satisfaction of the patients in each group.Results: Twenty patients underwent the hairline approach and 20 underwent the conventional transcervical approach. Among the operation factors, only the operation time in the hairline approach group was longer than in the conventional group (P<0.003); we observed no other significant differences in the overall operation and patient factors between the two groups. Cosmetic satisfaction evaluated with a graded scale showed much better results in the hairline approach group (P<0.001).Conclusion: SMG excision using endoscope assisted hairline incision is a feasible method for treating SMG disease with excellent cosmetic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses unique challenges due to its complex nature and the need for more effective treatments. Recent studies showed encouraging outcomes from combining paclitaxel (PTX) with programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) blockade in treating TNBC, although the exact mechanisms behind the improved results are unclear., Methods: We employed an integrated approach, analyzing spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing data from TNBC patients to understand why the combination of PTX and PD-1 blockade showed better response in TNBC patients. We focused on toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a receptor of PTX, and its role in modulating the cross-presentation signaling pathways in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) within the tumor microenvironment. Leveraging insights obtained from patient-derived data, we conducted in vitro experiments using immunosuppressive bone marrow-derived macrophages (iBMDMs) to validate if PTX could augment the cross-presentation and phagocytosis activities. Subsequently, we extended our study to an in vivo murine model of TNBC to ascertain the effects of PTX on the cross-presentation capabilities of TAMs and its downstream impact on CD8+ T cell-mediated immune responses., Results: Data analysis from TNBC patients revealed that the activation of TLR4 and cross-presentation signaling pathways are crucial for the antitumor efficacy of PTX. In vitro studies showed that PTX treatment enhances the cross-presentation ability of iBMDMs. In vivo experiments demonstrated that PTX activates TLR4-dependent cross-presentation in TAMs, improving CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor responses. The efficacy of PTX in promoting antitumor immunity was elicited when combined with PD-1 blockade, suggesting a complementary interaction., Conclusions: This study reveals how PTX boosts the effectiveness of PD-1 inhibitors in treating TNBC. We found that PTX activates TLR4 signaling in TAMs. This activation enhances their ability to present antigens, thereby boosting CD8+ T cell antitumor responses. These findings not only shed light on PTX's immunomodulatory role in TNBC but also underscore the potential of targeting TAMs' antigen presentation capabilities in immunotherapy approaches., Competing Interests: Competing interests: G-HN and I-SK are the cofounders, and YC, EK, YKK, SK, and JK are employees of SHIFTIBIO. HC is a cofounder, and DL is an employee of Portrai. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)