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Vertical partial laryngectomy is a well-established surgical procedure for early glottic cancers with acceptable functional and oncological outcomes. However, on a long-term basis, aspiration might be a serious problem with aging. Here we presented two cases of refractory aspiration pneumonia after vertical laryngectomy. Case 1: A 76-year old gentleman with a past history of malignant lymphoma treated by chemotherapy and radiotherapy had glottic cancer, which was treated by repeated vertical partial laryngectomies. Although glottic caner had been well controlled, he started to suffer from refractory aspiration pneumonia. Since his cervical skin was very thin and hard and his general condition was poor, we employed modified Kano's method for glottic closure. Case 2: A 87-year old Japanese male had a past history of glottic cancer treated by radiotherapy and vertical partial laryngectomy. He was repeatedly hospitalized for severe aspiration pneumonia. At the age of 87, he had second primary oropharyngeal cancer. Kano's method was simultaneously performed at the time of resection of oropharyngeal cancer. Postoperative courses were uneventful without sign of leakage in both cases. The patients started oral intake 2 weeks after the surgery. They have been alive without aspiration pneumonia and takes normal diet.

Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) usually have good prognosis, while those with advanced disease have poor clinical outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the antitumor effects of combination therapy with lenvatinib and 131I (CTLI) using three different types of DTC cell lines with different profiling of sodium iodide symporter (NIS) status. The radioiodine accumulation study revealed a significantly increased radioiodine uptake in K1-NIS cells after lenvatinib treatment, while there was almost no uptake in K1 and FTC-133 cells. However, lenvatinib administration before radioiodine treatment decreased radioiodine uptake of K1-NIS xenograft tumor in the in vivo imaging study. CTLI synergistically inhibited colony formation and DTC cell migration, especially in K1-NIS cells. Finally, 131I treatment followed by lenvatinib administration significantly inhibited tumor growth of the NIS-expressing thyroid cancer xenograft model. These results provide important clinical implications for the combined therapy that lenvatinib should be administered after 131I treatment to maximize the treatment efficacy. Our synergistic treatment effects by CTLI suggested its effectiveness for RAI-avid thyroid cancer, which retains NIS function. This potential combination therapy suggests a powerful and tolerable new therapeutic strategy for advanced thyroid cancer.

A polymer photocatalyst system was synthesized using a poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) containing TiO2 gel without calcination, and its activity characteristics were assessed with methylene blue (MB) photodegradation test in water under visible light irradiation. The initial photodegradation activity was controllable by the polymer chain length and PAA/PS molar ratio. The longer polymer chain length provoked the activity decrease by macromolecular crowding effect. The lower molar ratio did an increase in the photocatalytic surface area by generation of a large number of anatase TiO2 crystal nuclei, leading to the activity increase. The copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) loading remarkably improved the activity. A higher active site was formed on the interface and showed good recycling performance.

A polymer photocatalyst system was synthesized using a poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) containing TiO

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, Aβ 1-42 (Aβ42) and Aβ43, in particular, have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Rebamipide (REB), a gastrointestinal protective drug, can cross the blood-brain barrier after oral administration; however, the effects of REB on neuronal cells have not yet been reported. In this study, we investigated the effects of REB on Aβ43-induced cytotoxicity (monomers, 10μM) in cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Addition of REB (10-1000nM) into the media partially ameliorated the reduced cell viability observed after Aβ43 treatment, which was determined by the MTT assay. REB reduced the levels of intracellular Aβ oligomers (100-150kDa) that were formed from the exogenous addition of Aβ43 monomers. In addition, REB (30nM) reduced endogenous Aβ42 secretion, which was analyzed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, REB enhanced the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme/a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17, neprilysin, matrix-metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14)/membrane type-1 MMP, cyclooxygenase-2, and sirtuin 1, even in cells challenged with Aβ43. These results suggest that REB improves the cell viability by inducing genes that regulate Aβ levels and also genes that are cytoprotective. The secondary use of REB may have potential in the prevention of Aβ-mediated diseases, particularly AD.

The selective electroless deposition on metallic electrodes of a micro-passive-chip component was investigated. We performed three pretreatments: (a) alkaline degreasing, (b) acid activation, and (c) catalytic activation by the double alternate-dipping method consisting of two steps, i.e., sensitization (SnCl2) and activation (PdCl2). Catalytic conditions such as the concentration of PdCl2, activation time, and number of activation times were optimized to achieve the selectivity of electroless deposition. The mechanism of the selectivity of electroless deposition was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Tetravalent Sn and metallic Pd are observed on the inner electrode of the sample. On the other hand, metallic Sn and tetravalent Pd are mainly observed in certain areas except the inner electrode areas. These results indicate that the sensitization is performed well in the inner electrode region because Pd must be in a metallic state to validate its catalytic activity.