Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. It remains one of the leading causes of death, and its early detection is crucial. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising tool for ...detecting and monitoring the disease status of patients with early and advanced cancers. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and exosomal miRNAs have received enormous attention because of their apparent clinical implications. Analyses of these circulating biomarkers have paved the way for novel therapeutic approaches and precision medicine. A growing number of reports have implicated the use of circulating biomarkers for detection, treatment planning, response monitoring, and prognosis assessment. Although these new biomarkers can provide a wide range of possible clinical applications, no validated circulating biomarkers have yet been integrated into clinical practice for head and neck cancer. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of circulating biomarkers in this field, focusing on their feasibility, limitations, and key areas of clinical applications. We also highlight recent advances in salivary diagnostics and their potential application in head and neck cancer.
Abstract
GRAPES-3 is a mid-altitude (2200 m) and near-equatorial (11.°4N) air shower array, overlapping in its field of view for cosmic-ray observations with experiments that are located in the ...Northern and Southern Hemispheres. We analyze a sample of 3.7 × 10
9
cosmic-ray events collected by the GRAPES-3 experiment between 2013 January 1 and 2016 December 31 with a median energy of ∼16 TeV for study of small-scale (<60°) angular-scale anisotropies. We observed two structures, labeled A and B, that deviate from the expected isotropic distribution of cosmic rays in a statistically significant manner. Structure A spans 50°–80° in R.A. and from −15° to 30° in decl. The relative excess observed in structure A is at the level of (6.5 ± 1.3) × 10
−4
with a statistical significance of 6.8 standard deviations. Structure B is observed in the R.A. range 110°–140° and at decl. from −10° to 30°. The relative excess observed in this region is at the level of (4.9 ± 1.4) × 10
−4
with a statistical significance of 4.7 standard deviations. These structures are consistent with those reported by Milagro, ARGO-YBJ, and HAWC. These observations could provide a better understanding of the sources of cosmic rays, their propagation, and the magnetic structures in our Galaxy.
The GRAPES-3 extensive air shower (EAS) array has been designed to study cosmic rays from 10
13
–10
16
eV. It employs 400 scintillator detectors spread across 25,000 m
2
, mainly of cone-type and ...fiber-type, each covering a 1 m
2
area. These detectors record EAS particle densities and arrival times, which are crucial for determining primary particle energy and direction. A decade (2013–2022) of EAS data is analyzed to investigate the dependence of particle densities on ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. Notably, ambient temperature exhibits a delayed response, with a more pronounced delay in fiber-type detectors, while cone-type detectors exhibit a higher observed temperature coefficient. In contrast, atmospheric pressure instantly and uniformly affects both detector types, with Monte Carlo simulations backing the observed pressure coefficient. These findings established a reliable pressure coefficient for EAS within this distinctive energy range and contributed to the refinement of correction algorithms, ultimately improving particle density precision for more accurate shower parameter estimates.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Aims. We seek to identify the primary agents causing Forbush decreases (FDs) in high-rigidity cosmic rays observed from the Earth. In particular, we ask if these FDs are caused mainly by coronal mass ...ejections (CMEs) from the Sun that are directed towards the Earth, or by their associated shocks. Methods. We used the muon data at cutoff rigidities ranging from 14 to 24 GV from the GRAPES-3 tracking muon telescope to identify FD events. We selected those FD events that have a reasonably clean profile, and can be reasonably well associated with an Earth-directed CME and its associated shock. We employed two models: one that considers the CME as the sole cause of the FD (the CME-only model) and one that considers the shock as the only agent causing the FD (the shock-only model). We used an extensive set of observationally determined parameters for both models. The only free parameter in these models is the level of MHD turbulence in the sheath region, which mediates cosmic ray diffusion (into the CME for the CME-only model, and across the shock sheath for the shock-only model). Results. We find that good fits to the GRAPES-3 multi-rigidity data using the CME-only model require turbulence levels in the CME sheath region that are only slightly higher than those estimated for the quiescent solar wind. On the other hand, reasonable model fits with the shock-only model require turbulence levels in the sheath region that are an order of magnitude higher than those in the quiet solar wind. Conclusions. This observation naturally leads to the conclusion that the Earth-directed CMEs are the primary contributors to FDs observed in high-rigidity cosmic rays.
Background
Transanal (Ta) pelvic exenteration is a promising, minimally invasive method for treating locally advanced colorectal cancer. However, since it is technically difficult to perform, Ta ...pelvic exenteration is rarely reported in locally advanced T4 rectal cancer cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of transabdominal laparoscopy-assisted Ta pelvic exenteration.
Methods
Six patients (4 males and 2 females) had laparoscopy-assisted Ta total or posterior pelvic exenteration for locally advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer cases at the Nagasaki University Hospital between September 2018 and August 2019. Clinical and pathological outcomes were measured and analyzed.
Results
The median operation time and intraoperative blood loss were 481 (range 456–709) minutes and 352.5 (range 257–1660) ml, respectively. R0 resection was achieved in all cases, and no patient required open surgery. Two patients had grade 3 complications (Clavien-Dindo) or higher. There was no mortality, and no reoperation was required.
Conclusions
The results suggest that laparoscopic-assisted Ta pelvic exenteration is an acceptable procedure, may help overcome the current technical difficulties, and may improve outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Baryon/Charge Cumulant Ratio at Second Order Kitazawa, M.; Esumi, S.; Nonaka, T.
Acta Physica Polonica. B, Proceedings Supplement,
2023, Letnik:
16, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Cosmic rays are energetic charged particles from extraterrestrial sources, with the highest-energy events thought to come from extragalactic sources. Their arrival is infrequent, so detection ...requires instruments with large collecting areas. In this work, we report the detection of an extremely energetic particle recorded by the surface detector array of the Telescope Array experiment. We calculate the particle’s energy as
244
±
29
stat
.
−
76
+
51
syst
.
exa–electron volts
(~40 joules). Its arrival direction points back to a void in the large-scale structure of the Universe. Possible explanations include a large deflection by the foreground magnetic field, an unidentified source in the local extragalactic neighborhood, or an incomplete knowledge of particle physics.
Editor’s summary
Cosmic rays are charged particles from space. At low energies, they mostly originate from the Sun, whereas at high energies, they are expected to be emitted by nearby active galaxies. The Telescope Array Collaboration now reports the detection of a cosmic ray event with an energy of about 240 exa–electron volts, more than a million times higher than that achieved by artificial particle accelerators. Such high-energy particles should experience only small deflections by foreground magnetic fields, but tracing back the arrival direction shows no obvious source galaxy. The authors suggest that the foreground magnetic fields might be stronger than expected, or there could be unknown particle physics at high energies. —Keith T. Smith
Detection of a highly energetic cosmic ray is traced back to its arrival direction, but no source galaxy is evident.
TDP-43, a nuclear factor that functions in regulating transcription and alternative splicing, was recently identified as a component of the ubiquitin-positive, tau-negative inclusions specific for ...frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-U) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the present study, we carried out immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses of brains of Guamanians with the parkinsonism-dementia complex (G-PDC) using anti-TDP-43, anti-tau and anti-ubiquitin antibodies. Immunohistochemistry with anti-TDP-43 antibodies revealed various types of positive structures in the frontotemporal and hippocampal regions of G-PDC cases. Most of these structures were negative for tau. By immunoblot analysis with the TDP-43 antibody, an abnormal 45 kDa band, as well as a diffuse staining throughout the gel, was detected in the sarkosyl-insoluble fractions of G-PDC brains. Dephosphorylation has shown that abnormal phosphorylation takes place in the accumulated TDP-43 seen in FTLD-U and ALS. These results suggest that accumulation of TDP-43 is a common process in certain neurodegenerative disorders, including FTLD-U, ALS and G-PDC.
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