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Quantitative detection of the biological properties of living cells is essential for a wide range of purposes, from the understanding of cellular characteristics to the development of novel drugs in nanomedicine. Here, we demonstrate that analysis of cell biological properties within a microfluidic dielectrophoresis device enables quantitative detection of cellular biological properties and simultaneously allows large-scale measurement in a noise-robust and probeless manner. Applying this technique, the static and dynamic biological responses of live B16F10 melanoma cells to the small-molecule drugs such as N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and [(dihydronindenyl)oxy]alkanoic acid (DIOA) were quantitatively and statistically examined by investigating changes in movement of the cells. Measurement was achieved using subtle variations in dielectrophoresis (DEP) properties of the cells, which were attributed to activation or deactivation of K(+)/Cl(-) cotransporter channels on the cell membrane by the small-molecule drugs, in a microfluidic device. On the basis of quantitative analysis data, we also provide the first report of the shift of the complex permittivity of a cell induced by the small-molecule drugs. In addition, we demonstrate interesting quantifiable parameters including the drug effectiveness coefficient, antagonistic interaction coefficient, kinetic rate, and full width at half-maximum, which corresponded to changes in biological properties of B16F10 cells over time when NEM and DIOA were introduced alone or in combination. Those demonstrated parameters represent very useful tools for evaluating the effect of small-molecule drugs on the biological properties of cells.

A conservative parotidectomy is defined as any procedure that is less than a classic superficial parotidectomy, and where less than a full facial nerve is dissected. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncologic effects of a conservative parotidectomy in a series of patients with malignant tumors of the parotid gland. The medical records of 43 patients treated at Severance Hospital from 1992 to 2002 who had been diagnosed with parotid cancers confined to the superficial lobe, and had also undergone conservative parotidectomies were reviewed. There were 16 males and 27 females, ranging in age from 8 to 84 years. Sixteen tumors (37%) were high-grade and 27 tumors (63%) were low-grade cancers. Twenty-four patients underwent neck dissection simultaneously with the primary lesion. Surgical treatment was followed by radiotherapy in 10 patients. The follow-up period ranged from 8 to 130 months, with a mean duration of time at 57.7 months. The overall survival rate and the disease-free rate at five years were 88% and 79%, respectively. Univariate analyses showed histologic tumor grade (p = 0.003) and pathologic neck node metastasis (p0.001) to be significant variables. Based on multivariate analysis, only the presence of pathologically positive lymph nodes proved to be significant (p = 0.001). Occult metastases rates was 25% (3 of 12 cases) for high-grade tumors and none of the low-grade tumors had microscopic metastases. Recurrences developed in eight cases (19%). Four cases (9%) had a local or locoregional failure. Of these cases, two cases were high-grade tumors (13%, 2 of 16) and the other two cases were low-grade tumors (7%, 2 of 27). The six cases (14%) of which four cases were high-grade (25%) and two cases were low-grade (7%) had positive surgical margin but showed no evidence of local recurrence after additional postoperative radiotherapy. The incidence of postoperative facial nerve paralysis (HB1) was 12% (5 out of 43) for a temporary deficit, but there was no permanent paralysis. Conservative parotidectomy with appropriate postoperative radiotherapy may be an acceptable procedure without potential morbidity, such as postoperative facial palsy, in the treatment of low-grade parotid cancers confined to the superficial lobe if the facial nerve is sufficiently distant from the tumor.

Objectives: It is well established that tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas have a high probability of disseminating to the neck. An ipsilateral neck treatment is mandatory during initial treatment of stages II to IV tonsillar carcinomas. However, as of yet, no consensus exists whether to perform elective contralateral neck management. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 43 N0-3 tonsillar cancer patients with contralateral clinically negative necks from 1992 to 2002 was performed. All patients had a contralateral elective neck dissection. Surgical treatment was followed by postoperative radiotherapy in 33 patients. The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 120 (mean 38) months. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to calculate the disease-specific survival rates and prognostic significance of contralateral occult lymph node metastasis. Results: Clinically negative, but pathologically positive, contralateral lymph nodes occurred in 16% (7 of 43). Of the 33 cases with an ipsilateral node positive neck, contralateral occult lymph node metastases developed in 21% (7 of 33), in contrast with 0% in ipsilateral N0 necks. On the basis of the clinical staging of the tumor, 5% (1 of 22) of the cases showed lymph node metastases in T2 tumors, 36% (5 of 14) in T3, and 25% (1 of 4) in T4. None of the T1 tumors (3 cases) had pathologically positive lymph nodes (T1 + T2 vs. T3 + T4, P < .05). Patients with no evidence of contralateral nodal cancer had significantly improved disease-specific survival over patients with any pathologically positive nodes (5 year disease-specific survival rate 92% vs. 28%, P = < .05). Conclusion: The risk of contralateral occult neck involvement in above T3 staged tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas with unilateral metastases was high (approximately 21%), and patients who present with a contralateral metastatic neck have a worse prognosis than those who are staged as N0. Therefore, we advocate an elective contralateral neck treatment in tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma patients with ipsilateral node metastases.

To identify age-related changes in voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels that contribute to temporal processing in neurons of the central auditory system, we investigated the distribution of Kv1.1 and Kv3.1 in the auditory brainstem of adult and aged rats.Immunohistochemistry was performed in accordance with the free-floating method described earlier.Among the auditory nuclei, only the posterior ventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN) showed age-related changes. Kv1.1 immunoreactivity was increased in the octopus cell bodies, while the staining intensity was significantly decreased in the neuropil. Image analysis demonstrated the specific increase in Kv1.1 immunoreactivity in aged cochlear nucleus neurons although the mean density of the entire selection was significantly decreased. In contrast, the number of Kv1.1-immunoreactive neurons was not significantly different between control and aged groups. The immunoreactivity for Kv3.1 was decreased in the octopus cells and neuropil of aged PVCN, which was confirmed by image analysis. The number of Kv3.1-positive cells was also significantly decreased in aged PVCN.This study may provide useful data to compare age-related changes in Kv1.1 and Kv3.1 with known physiological properties of auditory neurons.

Epidermoid cysts are benign developmental anomalies that are rarely observed in the oral cavity of neonate. If large in size, especially in the developing fetus or newborn infant, they can cause swallowing difficulty and occasionally respiratory difficulty. We report a case of epidermoid cyst in the oral cavity detected prenatal sonography. The sonographic finding was large cystic mass, measuring 30×25 mm. In this case, supplies and equipment for an emergency tracheostomy were made available prior to the delivery. However, the infant did not require intervention to secure the airway. The lesion was surgically excised, and histologic diagnosis was epidermoid cyst. After 6 months of follow up, the cyst had not recurred. This case illustrates the value of accurate prenatal diagnosis and planned perinatal management using a team approach.

Two-pass internal cooling passage with rib turbulators has been investigated for convective heat/mass transfer under rotating conditions. The flow and heat transfer characteristics in the cooling passage are very complicated so that it is required the detail analysis to design more efficient gas turbine blades. A naphthalene sublimation technique is employed to determine detailed local heat transfer coefficients using the heat and mass transfer analogy. The local heat/mass transfer and flow pattern in the cooling passage are changed significantly according to rib configurations, duct turning geometries and duct rotation speeds. Four different rib configurations are investigated to obtain the combined effects of the angled rib, duct turning and rotation. The results show that the duct rotation generates the heat/mass transfer discrepancy between the leading and trailing walls due to the secondary flows induced by the Coriolis force. The angled ribs generate a single rotating secondary flow with the cross-rib arrangement and the duct turning makes a strong Dean-type vortex. These vortices affect significantly the heat/mass transfer on the duct wall. The overall heat transfer pattern on the leading and trailing surfaces for the first and second passes are dependent on the duct rotation, but the local heat transfer trend is affected mainly by the rib arrangements. In addition, the present study observes the rotating effect in the two-pass smooth duct to obtain the baseline data in comparison with the ribbed duct for various rib arrangements.

We reported an automated dielectrophoretic (DEP) tweezers-based force spectroscopy system to examine intermolecular weak binding interactions, which consists of three components: (1) interdigitated electrodes and micro-sized polystyrene particles used as DEP tweezers and probes inside a microfluidic device, along with an arbitrary function generator connected to a high voltage amplifier; (2) microscopy hooked up to a high-speed charge coupled device (CCD) camera with an image acquisition device; and (3) a computer aid control system based on the LabVIEW program. Using this automated system, we verified the measurement reliability by measuring intermolecular weak binding interactions, such as hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals interactions. In addition, we also observed the linearity of the force loading rates, which is applied to the probes by the DEP tweezers, by varying the number of voltage increment steps and thus affecting the linearity of the force loading rates. This system provides a simple and low-cost platform to investigate intermolecular weak binding interactions.

The random walk of spherical living cells on a silicon dioxide glassy substrate was studied experimentally and numerically. This random walk trajectory exhibited erratic dancing, which seemingly obeyed anomalous diffusion (i.e., Levy-like walk) rather than normal diffusion. Moreover, the angular distribution (−π to π) of the cells' trajectory followed a “U-shaped pattern” in comparison to the uniform distribution seen in the movements of negatively charged polystyrene microspheres. These effects could be attributable to the homeostasis-driven structural resilient character of cells and physical interactions derived from temporarily retained nonspecific binding due to weak forces between the cells and substrates. Our results provide new insights into the stochastic behavior of mesoscopic biological particles with respect to structural properties and physical interactions.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the thyroid is very rare. There are no reports of metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) converting to SCC in cervical lymph nodes following total thyroidectomy due to conventional PTC. An 86-year-old woman with a remote history of total thyroidectomy due to PTC underwent palliative neck surgery to treat recurrent bleeding originating from a metastatic tumor of the cervical lymph nodes. The resected mass was composed of mixed SCC and PTC. Although primary SCC rarely occurs in the thyroid, conversion of PTC to SCC should be suspected if preexisting PTC exhibits highly aggressive behavior.

Treatment of the symptomatic lingual thyroid is typically accomplished through surgical resection using a transcervical approach, which carries a high risk of treatment-related morbidity and leaves a visible scar on the neck. In order to reduce morbidity and eliminate visible scarring, this study utilized transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in performing lingual thyroidectomy.Between October 2009 and October 2010, three patients with symptomatic lingual thyroid were enrolled in this prospective study. Primary symptoms included dysphagia (two patients) and hemorrhage (one patient). A da Vinci robotic system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) was used to perform TORS in all patients. A face-up 30° endoscope was inserted through the oral cavity, and two instruments were positioned on either side of the endoscope. We evaluated the robotic set-up time, operating time, volume of blood loss, surgery-related complications, postoperative symptomatic improvement, and cosmetic results.The transoral robotic lingual thyroidectomy was successfully performed in all patients. The mean operating time was 43 minutes (range 35-50 minutes), and an average of 11 minutes (range 10-15 minutes) was required to set up the robotic system. All patients were satisfied with their cosmetic results and the improvement of their symptoms after the operation. There were no perioperative complications or significant bleeding. The average volume of blood loss during the operation was 25 mL.The use of TORS for lingual thyroidectomy was both technically feasible and safe, suggesting that it may be considered a viable alternative to other invasive surgical approaches in patients with symptomatic lingual thyroid.

We used high-resolution Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) to investigate the immobilization of a prostate specific antigen (PSA) antibody by measuring the surface potential (SP) on a MoS2 surface over an extensive concentration range (1 pg/ml–100 μg/ml). After PSA antibody immobilization, we demonstrated that the SP on the MoS2 surface characterized by KPFM strongly correlated to the electrical signal of a MoS2 bioFET. This demonstration can not only be used to optimize the immobilization conditions for captured molecules, but can also be applied as a diagnostic tool to complement the electrical detection of a MoS2 FET biosensor.

We performed transoral robotic surgery (TORS) or conventional surgery via a transoral or mandibulotomy approach in patients with tonsillar cancer and prospectively analyzed the oncologic outcomes and functional recovery of the 3 groups.Between May 2008 and October 2011, 57 patients were enrolled in this prospective study.Although there was no significant difference in the survival rate of the TORS group (100%) and the conventional surgery group (96.7%), a higher rate of margin negativity was observed in the TORS group, especially in cases in which the tumor extends inferiorly. Patients who received TORS or conventional transoral procedures showed more rapid recovery of swallowing, shorter hospitalization, and shorter operation time than the mandibulotomy group.Despite the weakness of this nonrandomized trial and the differences in T classification, TORS seemed to have distinct advantages over conventional transoral surgery and other conventional open surgery, but further studies are needed.

Objective: Conventional surgical approaches for hypopharyngeal carcinomas have a great risk for developing treatment-related morbidity. To minimize this morbidity, hypopharyngectomy by transoral robotic surgery (TORS) was performed, and the efficacy and feasibility of this procedure were evaluated.Method: TORS was performed using Surgical Robot in 18 patients with T1 or T2 pyriform sinus cancer. Pyriform sinus was totally resected. Laterally, the inner perichondrium of the thyroid cartilage was peeled off to make sure of the safe margin. We evaluated the surgical margins, swallowing, decannulation, and surgery related complications.Results: Transoral robotic hypopharyngectomy was performed successfully in all eighteen patients. The mean robotic operation time was 62.4 minutes, and an average of 17.5 minutes was required for the setting of the robotic system. There was no significant perioperative complication in the cases. Swallowing function returned to all patients within 8.3 days average. Decannulation...

Sei-Young Lee1,2, Ana-Maria Zaske3, Tommaso Novellino1,4*, Delia Danila3, Mauro Ferrari1,5*, Jodie Conyers3, Paolo Decuzzi1,6*1Department of Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA; 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; 3CeTIR – Center for Translational Injury Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA; 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Campus University of Rome, Italy; 5MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; 6BioNEM – Center of Bio-Nanotechnology and Engineering for Medicine, University of Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy; *Currently at Department of Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering, The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX, USAAbstract: TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that regulates the permeability of blood and lymphatic vessels. The plasma concentration of TNF-α is elevated (> 1 pg/mL) in several pathologies, including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer, pre-eclampsia; in obese individuals; and in trauma patients. To test whether circulating TNF-α could induce similar alterations in different districts along the vascular system, three endothelial cell lines, namely HUVEC, HPMEC, and HCAEC, were characterized in terms of 1) mechanical properties, employing atomic force microscopy; 2) cytoskeletal organization, through fluorescence microscopy; and 3) membrane overexpression of adhesion molecules, employing ELISA and immunostaining. Upon stimulation with TNF-α (10 ng/mL for 20 h), for all three endothelial cells, the mechanical stiffness increased by about 50% with a mean apparent elastic modulus of E ~5 ± 0.5 kPa (~3.3 ± 0.35 kPa for the control cells); the density of F-actin filaments increased in the apical and median planes; and the ICAM-1 receptors were overexpressed compared with controls. Collectively, these results demonstrate that sufficiently high levels of circulating TNF-α have similar effects on different endothelial districts, and provide additional information for unraveling the possible correlations between circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and systemic vascular dysfunction.Keywords: endothelial cells, atomic force microscopy, cytokines, elastic modulusCorrigendum for this paper has been published&nbsp

Non-spherical nano-/micro-particles can drift laterally (hydrodynamic margination) in a linear laminar flow under the concurrent effect of hydrodynamic and inertial forces. Such a feature can be exploited in the rational design of particle-based intravascular and pulmonary delivery systems and for designing new flow fractioning systems for high-throughput particle separation. A general approach is presented to predict the marginating behavior of non-spherical particles. The lateral drift velocity is shown to depend on the particle Stokes number St(a) and to grow with the size, density and rotational inertia of the particle. Elongated particles, in particular, low aspect ratio discoidal particles, exhibit the largest propensity to marginate in a linear laminar flow. In the blood microcirculation, at low shear rates (S100 s(-1)), non-spherical particles oscillate around their trajectory and margination can only be achieved through the application of external force fields (gravitational, magnetic); whereas for larger S (100 s(-1)S10(4) s(-1)), micrometer particles can achieve drift velocities in the order of 1-10 microm s(-1). In the pulmonary circulation, hydrodynamic margination can be observed even for sub-micrometer particles. Finally, the inherent propensity of non-spherical particles to drift laterally can be effectively exploited for designing microfluidic devices, based on the flow fractioning approach, for particle separation without using external lateral force fields.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is controversial as a causative factor in oral tongue cancer. This study aimed to clarify whether HPV directly affects the carcinogenesis and biological behaviour of oral tongue cancer by analyzing HPV prevalence, the physical status of the virus and clinicopathological parameters. Archival tissue was obtained from 36 patients diagnosed with T1 and T2 oral tongue cancer and 25 normal controls. HPV genotyping chip and real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to determine the prevalence, phenotype and physical status of HPV to clarify whether HPV directly affects oncogenesis. The results were also compared with clinicopathological parameters. HPV was detected in 36% (13/36) of oral tongue cancer patients, compared with 4% (1/25) of the control. In the HPV-positive group of oral tongue cancers, HPV-16 was the most common type and its prevalence rate was 85% (11/13). Of the HPV-16 infected oral tongue cancers, the integration rate of HPV-16 was 55% (6/11). The HPV-16 positive group showed shallower stromal invasion than the HPV-16 negative group (p = 0.045). HPV-16 may be one of the causative factors in early squamous cell oral tongue carcinoma and be associated with its depth of invasion.

The majority of particle-based delivery systems for the ‘smart’ administration of therapeutic and imaging agents have a spherical shape, are made by polymeric or lipid materials, have a size in the order of few hundreds of nanometers and a negligibly small relative density to aqueous solutions. In the microcirculation and deep airways of the lungs, where the creeping flow assumption holds, such small spheres move by following the flow stream lines and are not affected by external volume force fields. A delivery system should be designed to drift across the stream lines and interact repeatedly with the vessel walls, so that vascular interaction could be enhanced. The numerical approach presented in [Gavze, E., Shapiro, M., 1997. Particles in a shear flow near a solid wall: effect of nonsphericity on forces and velocities. International Journal of Multiphase Flow 23, 155–182.] is, here, proposed as a tool to analyze the dynamics of arbitrarily shaped particles in a creeping flow, and has been extended to include the contribution of external force fields. As an example, ellipsoidal particles with aspect ratio 0.5 are considered. In the absence of external volume forces, a net lateral drift (margination) of the particles has been observed for Stokes number larger than unity (St>1); whereas, for smaller St, the particles oscillate with no net lateral motion. Under these conditions, margination is governed solely by particle inertia (geometry and particle-to-fluid density ratio). In the presence of volume forces, even for fairly small St, margination is observed but in a direction dictated by the external force field. It is concluded that a fine balance between size, shape and density can lead to EVI particles (particles with enhanced vascular interaction) that are able to sense endothelial cells for biological and biophysical abnormalities, mimicking circulating platelets and leukocytes.

Perineural invasion (PNI) by cancer cells is associated with significant patient morbidity and poor prognosis. Despite recognition of the clinical significance of PNI, the mechanisms underlying it remain poorly understood and no targeted therapies exist to date. Modern theories of PNI pathogenesis have placed significant focus on the active role of the nerve microenvironment with PNI resulting from well-orchestrated interactions between cancer and host. Inflammatory monocytes (IMs) play a critical role in mediating peripheral nerve repair and facilitating cancer metastases by differentiating into tumor-associated macrophages. Here we explore their role in PNI. CCR2 expressed by IMs is a receptor for ligands CCL2 and CCL7, and mediates IM recruitment in infections and other cancer models. A murine model of nerve invasion in which pancreatic cancer (Panc02) is injected into the distal sciatic nerve, was utilized in mice genetically deficient in CCL2, CCL7, or CCR2. Validated functional and histopatholgic endpoints were used to quantify PNI. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed on specimens to assess IM and macrophage recruitment. Adoptive transfer experiments with labeled IMs were performed to elucidate the signaling pathways involved in homing to the nerve. Genetically modified green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged reporter mice were utilized to identify cellular sources of the relevant chemokines. IHC was performed on human tumors with PNI to assess for macrophage recruitment. The recruitment of IMs is dependent on CCL2 synthesized within the nerve. IMs recruited to the nerve differentiate into macrophages within 24-72 hours upon arrival. Mice deficient in CCL2 or CCR2 have impaired IM recruitment and reduced macrophage differentiation in the nerve at the site of PNI, and significantly impaired invasion. Furthermore, PNI was restored in CCR2 KO mice after multiple adoptive transfers of wild type IMs with intact CCR2. By contrast, CCL7 KO mice have only a modest, non-significant decrease in PNI. In the presence of cancer, CCL2 but not CCL7, is expressed locally in the nerve, likely by Schwann cells responding to the cancer invasion. IMs recruited to the nerve serve as an alternate source of CCL2. Human tumors with PNI demonstrate CD68+ macrophages at the site of nerve invasion. These results implicate the immune response as a key mediator of PNI and thereby further our mechanistic understanding of this ominous cancer behavior. Our data identify potential novel therapeutic targets for treating PNI. Citation Format: Richard Bakst, Huizhong Xiong, Chun-Hao Chen, Sylvie Deborde, Yi Zhou, William McNamara, Sei Young Lee, Eric Pamer, Richard J. Wong. CCL2 recruits inflammatory monocytes to facilitate perineural invasion. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3167. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3167

This study investigated the oncologic safety of preserving level IIb lymph nodes in ipsilateral and/or contralateral elective neck dissection (END) in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Fifty-one oropharyngeal SCC patients who underwent surgery as an initial treatment were reviewed. Twenty-one patients had clinically node negative necks (cN0) while 30 patients had ipsilateral clinically node positive necks (cN+). Of the cN0 patients, bilateral or ipsilateral END was performed in 15 and six patients, respectively. For the cN+ cases, ipsilateral therapeutic neck dissection with contralateral END was performed in 24 of 30 patients. In the cN0 patients, nodal metastasis to level IIb lymph nodes was not observed in any ipsilateral (21) or contralateral necks (15). Of the 24 cN+ patients who underwent contralateral END, two cases (8.3%) showed contralateral occult level IIb lymph node metastasis. Our data suggest that in cN0 oropharyngeal cancer patients, level IIb lymph nodes may be preserved in ipsilateral and contralateral neck dissection. However, caution is advised when preserving contralateral level IIb nodes in ipsilateral cN+ cases.

Purpose: We examined human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype distribution and prevalence from routine Pap smear cases in Korean women using DNA Chip. Patients and Methods: A total of 2,470 cervical specimens from women attending routine Pap smear cytology screening in local hospitals was subjected to HPV test. HPV detection and genotyping were done using DNA Chip. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 44.8% of the patients and in 58.7% of the 861 atypical lesions based on the Bethesda system, including 52.6% of 627 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 69.0% of 168 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), and 89.4% of 66 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) cases. The most frequently found genotypes in all HPV-positive cases were HPV-16, HPV-52, and HPV-58. HPV-16 was the most prevalent type in within normal limits, ASCUS, and HSIL categories, whereas HPV-51 was most frequently found in LSIL. Multiple infection was identified in about 20% of HPV-positive cases and most of them were that by two different types. HPV-16 was present in the majority of multiple infection cases. A significant decrease in the percentage of multiple infection was observed in HSIL cases compared with ASCUS and LSIL. Conclusions: The distribution of HPV genotypes in Korean women was revealed to have differences to that of other regions, showing higher frequencies of HPV-52, HPV-58, and HPV-51. HSIL cases were mostly infected by sole HPV-16 whereas LSIL that by various HPV types, suggesting a certain type may become dominant over others as the disease progresses.

Purpose To determine the effects of nonthermal plasma (NTP) induced by helium (He) alone or He plus oxygen (O2) on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death in anaplastic thyroid cancer cells. Materials and Methods NTP was generated in He alone or He plus O2 blowing through a nozzle by applying a high alternating current voltage to the discharge electrodes. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to identify various excited plasma species. The apoptotic effect of NTP on the anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines, such as HTH83, U-HTH 7, and SW1763, was verified with annexin V/propidium staining and TUNEL assay. ROS formation after NTP treatment was identified with fluorescence-activated cell sorting with DCFDA staining. The mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways and caspase cascade were investigated to evaluate the molecular mechanism involved and cellular targets of plasma. Results NTP induced significant apoptosis in all three cancer cell lines. The plasma using He and O2 generated more O2-related species, and increased apoptosis and intracellular ROS formation compared with the plasma using He alone. NTP treatment of SW1763 increased the expression of phosphor-JNK, phosphor-p38, and caspase-3, but not phosphor-ERK. Apoptosis of SW1763 as well as expressions of elevated phosphor-JNK, phosphor-p38, and caspase-3 induced by NTP were effectively inhibited by intracellular ROS scavengers. Conclusion NTP using He plus O2 induced significant apoptosis in anaplastic cancer cell lines through intracellular ROS formation. This may represent a new promising treatment modality for this highly lethal disease.

Local heat/mass transfer and friction loss in a square duct roughened with various types of continuous and discrete rib tabulators are investigated. The combined effects of the gap flows of the discrete ribs and the secondary flows are examined for the purpose of the reduction of thermally weak regions and the promotion of the uniformity of heat/mass transfer distributions as well as the augmentation of average heat/mass transfer. The rib-to-rib pitch to the rib height ratio (p/e) of 8 and the rib angles of 90 and 60 deg are selected with e/Dh=0.08. The vortical structure of the secondary flows induced by the parallel angled arrays are quite distinct from that induced by the cross angled arrays. This distinction influences on heat/mass transfer and friction loss in all the tested cases. The gap flows of the discrete ribs reduce the strength of the secondary flows but promote local turbulence and flow mixing. As a result, the fairly uniform heat/mass transfer distributions are obtained with two row gaps.

Objectives To elucidate the presence of neutrophil chemotactic factor (NCF) and characterize them in the bronchial trees of symptomatic patients with bronchial asthma. Methods Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids were concentrated by ultrafiltration. Differential counts of BAL cells was performed upto 500 cells on the cytocentrifuge-prepared slides. NCF activities in concentrated BAL fluids were measured by using microchemotactic chamber. These NCF activities were characterized by heat-stability, sensitivity to try sin and solubility into organic solvent. Results NCF activities were significantly higher in low molecular weight (LMW)-BAL fluid fraction below 5000 dalton than those in high molecular weight (HMW)-BAL fluid fraction. The NCF activities were significantly higher in the patients with bronchial asthma when compared to those of normal subiects. The LMW-NCF and HMW-NCF activities were correlated with the percentages of neutrophils in BAL fluid in the patients with bronchial asthma. The LMW-NCF activities were extractable into ether, stable to heat and resistant to trypsin. Conclusions Main NCF activities in BAL fluid are suggested to be lipid substances with low molecular weight less than 5000 dalton and these substances may recruit neutrophils into the bronchial trees of patients with bronchial asthma.

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDC) are the most common congenital cervical abnormality, resulting from the remnant epithelial tissue of the thyroglossal duct, occuring in up to 70% of all congenital neck abnormalities. TGDC can be found anywhere in the midline between the foramen cecum and the thyroid gland, but are most frequently found below the level of the hyoid bone (65%), and may occur above the hyoid (20%) or at the level of hyoid (15%). Although they are commonly found near the hyoid bone, they can also be located on the base of the tongue (2%) or lower in the neck (10%). But TGDC found on the posterior surface of the thyroid, the location of parathyroid, is rare. Here, we report a case of a 43-year-old man with TGDC in the posterior of the right thyroid lobe, which was misdiagnosed as a parathyroid adenoma. � Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2012;55:46-9 Key WordsZZThyroglossal duct cyst ㆍParathyroid adenoma.

Ever since human papillomavirus (HPV) has known to be associated with head and neck cancer, there have been many studies investigating the role of HPV as its causative factor. The most important thing among studies for HPV is to obtain HPV from cancer tissue and find out whether the obtained HPV is related to the development of cancer. However, until now, there has been no standardized method in diagnosing HPV infection. The various detecting methods for HPV and difference in sensitivity among experimental methods are one of the reasons for the controversy over the role of HPV. In this review, we present the advantages and disadvantages of HPV detection methods those are currently used and suggest standardized methods that may be used to detect HPV in head and neck cancer in the future. � Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2012;55:8-13

Daniela P Boso1, Sei-Young Lee2, Mauro Ferrari3, Bernhard A Schrefler1, Paolo Decuzzi31Department of Structural and Transportation Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; 2Global Production Technology Center, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Republic of Korea; 3The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Department of Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering, Houston, TX, USABackground: Nanoparticles with different sizes, shapes, and surface properties are being developed for the early diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of a range of diseases. Identifying the optimal configuration that maximizes nanoparticle accumulation at the diseased site is of vital importance. In this work, using a parallel plate flow chamber apparatus, it is demonstrated that an optimal particle diameter (dopt) exists for which the number (ns) of nanoparticles adhering to the vessel walls is maximized. Such a diameter depends on the wall shear rate (S). Artificial neural networks are proposed as a tool to predict ns as a function of S and particle diameter (d), from which to eventually derive dopt. Artificial neural networks are trained using data from flow chamber experiments. Two networks are used, ie, ANN231 and ANN2321, exhibiting an accurate prediction for ns and its complex functional dependence on d and S. This demonstrates that artificial neural networks can be used effectively to minimize the number of experiments needed without compromising the accuracy of the study. A similar procedure could potentially be used equally effectively for in vivo analysis.Keywords: nanoparticle, optimal configuration, vascular adhesion, laminar flow, wall shear rate, artificial neural networks

Actinomyces are gram positive anaerobes which exist as normal flora in the oral and diges tive tract. Actinomycosis is a very rare subacute or chronic infectious disease that causes sinus fistula, tract or abscess due to the invasion of surrounding soft tissue when normal mu cosa is damaged by inflammation. Clinically, it is categorized into cervicofacial, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and systemic infection, in which cervicofacial infection accounts for 50% of all actinomycosis. With various nonspecific clinical manifestations and uncertain results of fine needle aspiration cytology and culture examination, treatment may be difficult since it may be misdiagnosed as malignancy or tuberculosis. Along with literature, we present a case of a 57-year old male patient with cervical actinomycosis in the submandibular mass, which was mistaken for malignancy. � Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2011;54:427-30 Key WordsZZCervicofacial actinomycosis ㆍMalignant neoplasms.

Objectives To investigate expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and to correlate expression profiles with clinicopathological characteristics. Methods Paraffin blocks were obtained from 45 tonsil squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients, who underwent surgery as an initial treatment between 1994 and 2004, and from 20 normal controls. Expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-13, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 were investigated immunohistochemically. Results The expressions of MMPs (except MMP-2) and TIMPs were found to be significantly different in tonsil SCC and normal control tissues. Furthermore, MMP-13 expression was found to be correlated with tumor invasion (P=0.05), and the expressions of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 with nodal metastasis (P=0.048, 0.031). No relation was found between MMP or TIMP expression and recurrence. However, MMP-9 expression was found to be significantly associated with 5-year survival in tonsil SCC patients by multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 3.853; P=0.013). Conclusion Significant overexpressions of multiple MMPs and TIMPs were found in tonsil SCC tissues. Furthermore, our findings suggest that MMP-9 expression might be a useful prognostic factor.

Background and Objectives : Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been recognized as having an important role in the pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), there is no simple and reliable screening test of HPV infection in HNSCC to date. In the present study, we investigated the usability of p16 immunohistochemical staining as a screening test for HPV infection in HNSCC. Subjects and Method : Paraffin blocks were obtained from 45 tonsil SCC patients, who underwent surgery as an initial treatment between 1995 and 2004. Paraffin blocks were also obtained from 20 normal controls. Expression of p16 was investigated immunohistochemically and these results were compared with results of HPV genotyping and the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay of viral oncoprotein to validate p16 staining as a reliable diagnostic tool of HPV infection. Results : The expression of p16 was found to be significantly different between tonsil SCC (32/45, 71.1%) and normal control tissues (0/20, 0%)(p