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Abstract Objective To evaluate how pediatric indications for tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy relate to gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Methods Included consecutive pediatric patients who underwent tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy from a single tertiary academic institution between 2012 and 2019. Logistic regression analysis was used to measure association between the indication for tonsillectomy and the demographic variables gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Results Of the 1106 children included in this study, 53% were male and 47% were female. Half of the children were White, 40% were African American, 6% were Hispanic and 4% were other. The most common indication for surgery was upper airway obstruction alone (66%), followed by obstruction and infection (22%), and recurrent infections (12%). We found that male gender (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.24–2.04), African American race (OR 2.76, 95% CI 2.08–3.65), and younger age were associated with greater odds of presenting with upper airway obstruction as the indication for tonsillectomy. Conversely, male gender (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.44–0.92), African American race (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.26–0.61), and younger age were associated with lower odds of presenting with recurrent infection as the indication for tonsillectomy. Conclusions Male gender, African American race, and young age are risk factors for tonsillar surgery due to airway obstruction. Female gender, White race, and older age are risk factors for tonsillar surgery due to recurrent throat infections. Level of Evidence 3

Abstract Aberrant migration of parathyroid glands from their embryologic origin may result in undescended parathyroid glands. We present a case of an ectopic parathyroid adenoma at the level of the pyriform sinus. A 41‐year‐old female was evaluated for primary hyperparathyroidism. Following non‐localizing ultrasound and planar sestamibi imaging, the patient underwent SPECT/CT and 4‐D computed tomography demonstrating evidence of an ectopic parathyroid adenoma. The surgical approach was modified based on the location. Following extirpation, PTH fell from 80 to 16 pg/mL, and the 15‐min post‐excision level remained stable at 14pg/mL, indicating a biochemical cure. While rare, undescended parathyroid adenoma should be considered when preoperative imaging fails to identify a target adenoma or after unsuccessful surgery. The combined use of 99m Tc‐MBI or 4D CT and other anatomical scans may improve diagnostic accuracy. Due to the potential need to perform a second incision to conduct a four‐gland exploration, preoperative patient discussion regarding surgical risks may differ from that of a standard parathyroidectomy.

Graphene and topological insulators are promising platforms for near-field nanotechnology on a subwavelength scale. Authors present the highly confined nature of Dirac plasmon-polaritons in graphene, topological insulator, and hybrid systems.

Terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) is a sensitive approach to material characterization. It critically relies on a sufficiently large bandwidth, which is not straightforwardly available in typical THz-TDS systems that are often limited to below 3 THz. Here, we introduce a hybrid THz-source concept based on a spintronic THz emitter (STE) deposited onto a thin, free-standing GaSe nonlinear crystal. By tuning the magnetic state and the phase-matching parameters of the hybrid emitter, we generate an ultrabroadband spectrum covering the full range from 1 to 40 THz. We achieve significantly enhanced spectral amplitudes above 10 THz compared to the bare STE, resulting in ultrashort THz-pulse durations down to 32 fs. Finally, we demonstrate the straightforward tunability of the shape of the few-cycle pulse from symmetric to antisymmetric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Head and neck radiation therapy (HNRT) has traditionally been considered a contraindication to vocal fold medialization procedures. Although safety has been demonstrated, we hypothesize that actual management varies. This study evaluates practice patterns of otolaryngologists regarding vocal fold medialization in patients after HNRT. Methods: A 25‐question survey evaluating respondents' management of patients status post HNRT with vocal fold paresis/paralysis was distributed to 357 otolaryngologists. Practice patterns regarding injection laryngoplasty (IL), medialization thyroplasty (MT), and arytenoid adduction (AA) were queried. Results: Eight‐two clinicians (23%) completed the survey. Ninety‐one percent of respondents were laryngologists, 9% head and neck surgeons, 3% comprehensive otolaryngologists, and 3% "other." Eleven (15%) had been in practice <5 years, 19 (25%) for 5–10 years, and 46 (61%) for >10 years. No respondents considered HNRT a contraindication to IL, and 11 (14%) reported complications from the procedure. Hyaluronic acid (58, 75%) was most commonly injected. Twenty percent considered HNRT a contraindication to MT, and 37% considered it a contraindication to AA. Gore‐Tex was used most commonly (65%). Twenty‐seven percent reported major complications after MT. All complications occurred in the >10‐year practice group, and this group was more likely to delay surgery after HNRT (p = 0.022). Respondents with complications were more likely to perform MT in HNRT patients (p = 0.0191). Conclusions: Otolaryngologists generally do not consider HNRT to be a contraindication to IL, but some consider it a contraindication to MT/AA. Previous complications do not appear to deter surgeons from performing MT. Level of Evidence: NA (Survey Study) Laryngoscope, 135:183–190, 2025 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in multimodal treatment for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, recurrence rates remain high, providing an opportunity for new therapeutic modalities that may improve oncologic outcomes. Much recent attention has been paid to the molecular interactions between the tumor cells with the adjacent peritumoral microenvironment, in which immunosuppressive molecular changes create a landscape that promotes tumor progression. The rationale for the introduction of immunotherapy is to reverse the balance of these immune interactions in a way that utilizes the host immune system to attack tumor cells. In the preoperative setting, immunotherapy has the advantage of priming the unresected tumor and the associated native immune infiltration, supercharging the adaptive anti-tumor immune response. It also provides the basis for scientific discovery where the molecular profile of responders can be interrogated to elucidate prognostic markers to aid in future patient selection. Preoperative immunotherapy is not without limitations. The risk of surgical delay due to immune adverse events must be carefully discussed by members of a multidisciplinary treatment team and patient selection will be critical. One day, the discovery of predictive biomarkers may allow for algorithms where pre-surgical immunotherapy decreases the size of surgical defect and impacts the intensity of adjuvant therapy leading to improved patient survival and decreased morbidity. With further study, immunotherapy could become a key component of future treatment algorithm.

This study combines an artificial neural network (ANN) and a random search to develop a system to recommend process conditions for injection molding. Both simulation and experimental results are collected using a mixed sampling method that combines Taguchi and random sampling. The dataset consists of 3600 simulations and 476 experiments from 36 different molds. Each datum has five process and 15 geometry features as input and one weight feature as output. Hyper‐parameter tuning is conducted to find the optimal ANN model. Then, transfer learning is introduced, which allows the use of simultaneous experimental and simulation data to reduce the error. The final prediction model has a root mean‐square error of 0.846. To develop a recommender system, random search is conducted using the trained ANN forward model. As a result, the weight‐prediction model based on simulated data has a relative error (RE) of 0.73%, and the weight prediction using the transfer model has an RE of 0.662%. A user interface system is also developed, which can be used directly with the injection‐molding machine. This method enables the setting of process conditions that yield parts having weights close to the target, by considering only the geometry and target weight.

Metalenses comprised of artificial subwavelength structures known as meta-atoms have demonstrated abilities beyond conventional bulky optical components by modulating the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light in an ultrathin planar form factor. In this Tutorial, we present the fundamental principles and practical design procedures to exploit the abilities of metalenses, including achromaticity, high numerical aperture, and tunability. The fundamental principles include both plasmonic and dielectric meta-atoms, which require different physics to describe their light–matter interactions. In the phase modulation section, we compare the methods of physically implementing phase via meta-atoms including both the propagation and geometric phase methods. Next, we cover the recent progress of nanofabrication procedures from the perspective of the metalenses using materials such as titanium dioxide, gallium nitride, and hydrogenated amorphous silicon. We further compare the various fabrication methods with regard to the resolution, size, cost, and optical properties of fabricated metalenses. Then, we describe the critical considerations of metalenses including aberration-correction, numerical aperture, and tunability for advanced flat optics. Herein, we provide a practical guide for the design, fabrication, and critical considerations of metalenses with examples of research from early works to more recent developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threshold voltage (VT) is the most important parameter in semiconductor devices. To control the VT of the thin‐film transistors (TFTs), we propose heterojunction structure of p‐type Tellurium (Te) and n‐type Aluminum‐Doped Indium‐Zinc‐Tin‐Oxide (Al:IZTO) which acts as electron blocking layer and carrier transporting layer, respectively. We investigate the effect of adding the heterojunction layer on the Al:IZTO and demonstrate VT shift up to +20V by adjusting the thickness and single / double deposition of the heterojunction Te layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]