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To analyze the effect of different endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEAs) on nasal airflow and heating and humidification in patients with pituitary adenoma (PA) by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A three-dimensional pre-surgical model (Pre) of the nasal cavity and 6 that were post-EEA surgery were created from computed tomography scans as follows: small posterior septectomy (0.5 cm, sPS), middle posterior septectomy (1.5 cm, mPS), large posterior septectomy (2.5 cm, lPS), and sPS with middle turbinate resection (sPS-MTR), mPS-MTR, and lPS-MTR. Simulations were performed by CFD to compare the changes in different models. The temperature in the nasal vestibule rose more rapidly than in other parts of the nasal cavities in all models. There were no apparent differences in temperature and humidity among the models in sections anterior to the middle turbinate head (C6 section). MTR significantly influenced airflow distribution between the bilateral nasal cavities and the different parts of the nasal cavity, while changes in temperature and humidity in each section were mainly affected by MTR. The temperature and humidity of the choana and nasopharynx of each postoperative model were significantly different from those of the preoperative model and the change in values significantly correlated with the surface-to-volume ratio (SVR) of the airway. Changes due to the different nasal structures caused different effects on nasal function following the use of EEA surgery for the treatment of PA. CFD provided a new approach to assess nasal function, promising to provide patients with individualized preoperative functional assessment and surgical planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the instantaneous particle deposition in nasal cavity, effects of two injection models on particle deposition characteristic were discussed in this paper. Based on a realistic human nasal cavity geometry obtained from CT scans, a comparison of deposition pattern in the nasal cavity between single injection and continuous injection was investigated through the Lagrangian approach. The instantaneous airflow field was simulated with the tidal volume of 159 and 318 mL by two sine wave curves at inlet. For the case of single injection, particles have finished deposition in the first half of inhalation, and a negative correlation between the tidal volumes and deposition can be observed when the particle diameter was larger than 10 µm. Moreover, particles were mainly deposited in the turbinate area that was beneficial for aerosol therapy. The inertial parameter was not suitable to predict the particle deposition in the case of single injection. With respect to continuous injection, a reduction in total deposition caused by the deceleration process of inhalation can be observed after 1.5 s. The deposition was closely associated with the time-varying flow field, and particles were mainly deposited in the anterior region and turbinate area. Besides, the particle deposition increased with the inertial parameter for continuous injection. The results indicated that the injection modes had an influence on both the total deposition and local deposition pattern in the nasal cavity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been widely used in tissue engineering. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate- co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) scaffolds coated with polyhydroxyalkanoate binding protein fused with arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (PhaP-RGD) to promote the proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of hUC-MSCs seeded on them. The PhaP-RGD fusion protein was expressed by Escherichia coli. PHBHHx films were coated with PhaP-RGD fusion protein and the physiochemical properties were examined. hUC-MSCs were seeded on PHBHHx films with or without PhaP-RGD precoating and tested for changes in morphology, viability, and chondrogenic differentiation. We found that PhaP-RGD-coated PHBHHx films had similar surface morphology to uncoated PHBHHx. The water contact angle of the coated PHBHHx surface was lower than that of the uncoated surface (10.63° vs. 98.69°). At 7 and 14 days after seeding, the PhaP-RGD-coated PHBHHx group showed greater numbers of viable cells compared to the uncoated PHBHHx group. The expression levels of aggrecan and collagen II were enhanced in the PhaP-RGD-coated PHBHHx group relative to the uncoated PHBHHx group. Histological analysis using toluidine blue staining showed elevated formation of proteoglycan producing chondrocytes in the PhaP-RGD-coated PHBHHx group. Additionally, the synthesis of proteoglycan and collagen was significantly enhanced within the PhaP-RGD constructs. Taken together, PhaP-RGD coating promotes the proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of hUC-MSCs seeded on PHBHHx films. PhaP-RGD-coated PHBHHx may be a useful scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 1169-1175, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Administering aerosol drugs through the nasal pathway is a common early treatment for children with adenoid hypertrophy (AH). To enhance therapeutic efficacy, a deeper understanding of nasal drug delivery in the nasopharynx is essential. This study uses an integrated experimental, numerical modelling approach to investigate the delivery process of both the aerosol mask delivery system (MDS) and the bi-directional delivery system (BDS) in the pediatric nasal airway with AH. The combined effect of respiratory flow rates and particle size on delivery efficiency was systematically analyzed. The results showed that the nasopharyngeal peak deposition efficiency (DE) for BDS was approximately 2.25–3.73 times higher than that for MDS under low-flow, resting and high-flow respiratory conditions. Overall nasopharyngeal DEs for MDS were at a low level of below 16 %. For each respiratory flow rate, the BDS tended to achieve higher peak DEs (36.36 % vs 9.74 %, 37.80 % vs 14.01 %, 34.58 % vs 15.35 %) at smaller particle sizes (15 µm vs 17 µm, 10 µm vs 14 µm, 6 µm vs 9 µm). An optimal particle size exists for each respiratory flow rate, maximizing the drug delivery efficiency to the nasopharynx. The BDS is more effective in delivering drug aerosols to the nasal cavity and nasopharynx, which is crucial for early intervention in children with AH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers are prominent within head and neck malignancies. The diagnosis of distant metastasis (DM) invariably signals poor prognosis, underscoring the need to optimize current treatment approaches. Methods: Patient data for metastatic laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer were extracted from the SEER database (2000-2020). Cox regression and propensity score matching (PSM) analyses identified independent prognostic factors and performed stratified survival analyses based on the receipt of primary tumor surgery and radiotherapy. A random survival forest (RSF) model was subsequently developed to predict patient survival. Results: A total of 1,626 patients were included. PSM-based stratified analysis revealed that primary tumor surgery significantly improved survival in patients under 70 years and those with primary laryngeal cancer. Radiotherapy enhanced survival across all age groups, with a benefit primarily for patients with primary laryngeal cancer and squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC). The RSF model demonstrated robust predictive performance, highlighting chemotherapy, primary tumor surgery, and radiotherapy as the top three factors influencing patient survival. Conclusion: The clinical and pathological features of metastatic laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer were systematically analyzed using an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict survival. Subgroup analyses identified patients most likely to benefit from primary tumor surgery and radiotherapy. These findings may guide the development of personalized treatment strategies, potentially improving the prognosis of patients with DM., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Objective: The nasal swell body（NSB） consists of the nasal septal cartilage, nasal bone, and swollen soft tissue, all of which are visible during endoscopic and imaging examinations. Although the function of the NSB remains uncertain, there is evidence to suggest that it plays a vital role in regulating nasal airflow and filtering inhaled air. Based on anatomical and histological evidence, it is hypothesized that the NSB is indispensable in these processes. This study aims to investigate the impact of NSB on nasal aerodynamics and the deposition of allergen particles under physiological conditions. Methods: The three-dimensional （3D） nasal models were reconstructed from computed tomography （CT） scans of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity in 30 healthy adult volunteers from Northwest China, providing basis for the construction of models without NSB following virtual NSB-removal surgery. To analyze the distribution of airflow in the nasal cavity, nasal resistance, heating and humidification efficiency, and pollen particle deposition rate at various anatomical sites, we employed the computed fluid dynamics（CFD） method for numerical simulation and quantitative analysis. In addition, we created fully transparent segmented nasal cavity models through 3D printing, which were used to conduct bionic experiments to measure nasal resistance and allergen particle deposition. Results: ①The average width and length of the NSB in healthy adults in Northwest China were （12.85±1.74） mm and （28.30±1.92） mm, respectively. ②After NSB removal, there was no significant change in total nasal resistance, and cross-sectional airflow velocity remained essentially unaltered except for a decrease in topical airflow velocity in the NSB plane. ③There was no discernible difference in the nasal heating and humidification function following the removal of the NSB; ④After NSB removal, the deposition fraction（DF） of Artemisia pollen in the nasal septum decreased, and the DFs post-and pre-NSB removal were（22.79±6.61）% vs （30.70±12.27）%, respectively; the DF in the lower airway increased, and the DFs post-and pre-NSB removal were（24.12±6.59）% vs （17.00±5.57）%, respectively. Conclusion: This study is the first to explore the effects of NSB on nasal airflow, heating and humidification, and allergen particle deposition in a healthy population. After NSB removal from the healthy nasal cavities: ①nasal airflow distribution was mildly altered while nasal resistance showed no significantly changed; ②nasal heating and humidification were not significantly changed; ③the nasal septum's ability to filter out Artemisia pollen was diminished, which could lead to increased deposition of Artemisia pollen in the lower airway., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

Objective: To investigate the causal relationship between the minimum cross-sectional area of nasal cavity and nasal resistance. Methods: Thirty transparent detachable 3D printing nasal cavity models were made. The airway was completely blocked with sealing material at different anatomical sections. Then ventilatable nasal drainage tubes with different cross-sectional areas were used to pass through the nasal cavity. Nasal resistance was measured. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Results: ①The postoperative nasal resistances of patients and 3D printing nasal cavity models were （0.38±0.15）Pa· s/mL and （0.39±0.02）Pa· s/mL respectively. There was no statistical difference between the two groups.The preoperative nasal resistance of patients was （0.56±0.09）Pa· s/mL, and the postoperative nasal resistance of the models was significantly descreased by 31% compared with preoperative nasal resistance of the patients, with statistically significant difference（ P <0.05）. ②When the ventilatable nasal drainage tubes with a cross-sectional area of 3.14 square millimeters was located in the the upper part of common meatus and the nasal valve area, the nasal cavity is moderately blocked, and the nasal resistances were （1.80±0.30） times and （2.02±0.36） times of that before the obstruction respectively. When the ventilatable nasal drainage tube was located in the lower part of common meatus,the nasal resistance was （1.68±0.28） times of that before the obstruction. ③When the ventilatable nasal drainage tubes with a cross-sectional area of 6.28 square millimeters and were located in the lower part of common meatus, the upper part of common meatus and nasal valve area, the nasal resistances were （1.44±0.23） times, （1.50±0.25） times and （1.60±0.27） times of those before obstruction, respectively. ④When the ventilatable nasal drainage tubes with a cross-sectional area of 9.42 square millimeters were located in the above areas, nasal ventilation was nearly normal without obvious nasal obstruction. The nasal resistances were （1.17±0.18） times, （1.26±0.21） times and （1.33±0.24） times of those before obstruction, respectively. ⑤The nasal resistance was statistically significant correlated with the cross-sectional area of the ventilation tubes and the obstruction sites. The correlation coefficients were -0.895 and 0.339, respectively （ P <0.05）. Conclusion: ①3D printing can quickly and accurately replicate anatomical structure of the nasal cavity, and can be used as a research method for quantifitative measurement of nasal resistance. ②The minimum cross-sectional area of nasal cavitiy is the main determinant of nasal resistance. ③The obstruction site is the secondary determinant of nasal resistance. When the degree of nasal obstruction is the same , the nasal resistance in the nasal valve area is sightly higher than that in the common meatus., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an important non-invasive index for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Serum sialic acid (SA) level was known to be related with tumor progression. Rta protein antibody IgG (Rta-IgG), early antigen antibody (EA-IgA) and viral capsid antibody (VCA-IgA) levels in serum can also be used to effectively monitor the progression of cancer. This study investigated serum level of SA, Rta-IgG, EA-IgA and VCA-IgA in nasopharyngeal cancer patients and the diagnostic value of combined assay. A total of 64 nasopharyngeal cancer patients were recruited, in parallel with 60 benign rhinitis and 60 healthy individuals. Serum SA, EA-IgA, Rta-IgG and VCA-IgA levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic value of these indexes was further evaluated by ROC curve analysis. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the diagnostic implication of combined assay. The expression levels of SA, EA-IgA, Rta-IgG, and VCA-IgA were highest in nasopharyngeal cancer patients. Those indexes were also increased with advanced TNM stage of cancer. The overall diagnostic efficacy was ranked as: VCA-IgA, Rta-IgA, EA-IgA and SA. The combined diagnosis increased the sensitivity to 98.44% and the negative predictive value to 99.03%, without compromising specificity. SA, EA-IgA, Rta-IgG and VCA-IgA expression levels were elevated in nasopharyngeal patients. The combined diagnosis of those serum indexes may improve the diagnostic efficacy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The aim of this study is to report our experience in the diagnosis and treatment of tracheobronchial foreign bodies (TFBs). We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 2,000 TFB patients (1,260 males and 740 females) who were treated between January 2010 and December 2013. Chest radiography and computed tomography were performed to diagnose TFBs. The location and type of foreign bodies (FBs), anesthesia methods, and treatment outcomes and complications were analyzed. Overall, 72.5% of our patients with TFB were aged between 1 years and 3 years. Plant-based FBs are the most common FB type, accounting for 91.5%. Almost 52.1% of the FBs were encountered in the right bronchus. The coincidence rate for computed tomography-based three-dimensional reconstruction was significantly greater than that for chest X-ray examination (98.7% vs 82.0%, P<0.01). Under general anesthesia, the FBs were removed by rigid bronchoscopy. Neither anesthesia complication nor intraoperative hypoxemia occurred. There were seven deaths from acute obstructive asphyxia and eight from residual FB-induced chronic asphyxia and respiration-circulation failure. In conclusion, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of TFBs with rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia is effective in reducing complications and mortality in affected children.

Objective: To investigate the effect of IL-17 and IL-23 in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis(AR) and non. allergic rhinitis(NAR)., Method: Selected 156 cases of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR group) and 59 cases of patients with non-allergic rhinitis (NAR group), 60 cases of healthy people (control group). All cases in AR group and NAR groups were evaluated by a visual analog scale (VAS) score of nasal symptoms. Collected peripheral blood and nasal secretions in all cases and then detected IL-17 and IL-23 expression levels., Result: There was no significant difference in VAS score of AR group and NAR group (P>0. 05). IL-17 and IL-23 levels of serum and nasal secretions in AR group and NAR group were both higher than control group, with a highly significant difference (P <0. 05). The research showed a clear correlation between expression of IL-17 and IL-23 both in serum and nasal secretions of AR group and NAR(P<0. 05)., Conclusion: IL-17 and IL-23 may be important cytokines and IL-23/IL-17 pathway may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis.

Objective: To investigate the expression and significance of related receptors of Notch signaling pathway in mouse model of allergic rhinitis (AR)., Method: Sixteen BALB/c mice of seven-eight weeks old were randomly assigned to two groups,including controls group and model group. AR model mice was sensitized with ovalbumin(OVA). Symptom score, hematoxylin-eosin for pathological alteration and infiltration of inflammatory cells in nasal mucosa were analyzed as well as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was taken to detect IgE in pe- ripheral serum. Nasal septum mucosa and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 16 BALB/c mouse(8 Allegic rhinitis,8 controls). Notch 1-4 were checked by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry from different levels., Result: BALB/c mice model of allergic rhinitis was established successfully. The mRNA of Notch1, Notch3, Notch4 in nasal septum mucosa of allergic rhinitis mice model groups were obviously higher than that in normal controls, and the difference were statistically significant (P < 0.01). However, The expression of Notch2 is lower than the control group and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In line with the above, the protein expression of Notch1, Notch3, Notch4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of model groups were significantly higher than that in health controls, and the difference were statistically significant (P < 0.01). But comparing control, expression of Notch2 was lower and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: There were significant changes of Notch genes in mouse model of AR. This intimated that related genes of Notch signaling pathway may paly important roles in the development and progression of AR and provide ideas for in depth study of the pathogenesis of AR.

Objective: To establish more efficient method to isolate of dermal papilla cells (DPCs) from back skin of SD rats, and then to study the growth ability and characteristics of SD rat dermal papilla cells in vitro., Method: DPCs were separated from back skin of SD rats according to the modified method of two-step enzymatic digestion. The DPCs morphological observation under inverted microscope, the growth kinetics by cells number, the cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry analysis and determine the surface epitopes by immunohistochemical staining and flow cytometry analysis., Result: Cultured DPCs were similar to fibroblasts in appearance, but generally and periodically exhibited an aggregative growth pattern. The growth kinetics showed that the number of DPCs presented progressive increase in a logarithm mode in the first 3 days and entered into plateau after 9 days, P1, P3, P5 multiplication time was 68 h, 52 h and 36 h, respectively. The flow cytometrical analysis showed that DPCs of P1, P3, P5 G0/G1 stage were (90.21 +/- 5.13)%, (81.23 +/- 1.85)% and (75.16 +/- 5.32)%, respectively. G0/G1 stage cells became less following passage subculture and elongation of culture time, but most of the DPCs stayed resting stage still. The cultivated dermal papilla cells expression of alpha-smooth muscle and CD44 on cell surface was positive, CK and CD34 were negative., Conclusion: DPCs can be separated by the modified method of two-step enzymatic digestion successfully. The cultivated dermal papilla cells vitro show the feature of stem cells and has important potentially as a new seed cell source for cell engineering.

Objective: To clone Atoh1 gene coding sequence of SD rat and construct the Eukaryotic expression plasmid pAtoh1-IRES2-EGFP,and to study its expression in 293T cells., Method: Total RNA was extracted from colon of SD rat. Atoh1 cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR amplification and subcloned into PMD-19T vector. The purified digested fragment was connected into Eukaryotic expression vector pIRES2-EGFP to construct the recombinant plasmid. The recombinant expression plasmid was identified by enzyme digestion and sequence analysis and then transfected into 293T cells with Lipofectamine. The expression of green fluorescent protein was detected through fluorescence microscope., Result: Compared cloned DNA sequence of Atoh1 gene CDS area with the reference sequences published in GeneBank, there were two base nonsense mutation in the sequence, deduced amino acid of cloning sequences as the same as reference sequences. Two bases should be single nucleotide polymorphism. Results of enzyme digestion and sequencing confirmed the successful construction of the recombinant plasmid. The expression of the green fluorescent protein was observed in the transfected 293T cells 24 h after transfection by fluorescence microscope., Conclusion: pIRES2-EGFP-Atoh1 can be constructed and expressed successfully in the 293T cells, which will guide further research on gene therapy for sensorineural hearing loss.