Objectives
There is currently no consensus on the prognostic significance of the histological subtype of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of ...histological subtype on survival in NPC patients based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.
Methods
Patients with NPC were identified within the SEER database (2004–2015). The effects of histological subtype on cause‐specific survival (CSS) in NPC patients were evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Subgroup analysis according to histological subtype in NPC patients was carried out by 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM).
Results
A total of 4085 NPC patients were selected from the SEER database, including 1929 with keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (KSCC), 2203 with nonkeratinizing carcinoma (NKC), and 53 with basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC). The 3‐year and 5‐year CSS rates were 61.76% and 55.07% for KSCC patients, 79.57% and 72.09% for NKC patients, and 77.55% and 74.03% for BSCC patients, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified sex, age, marital status, race, T stage, N stage, M stage, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and histological subtype as significant prognostic factors for CSS in NPC patients. KSCC was found to be associated with worse CSS than NKC on Kaplan‐Meier analysis and subgroup analysis after 1:1 PSM.
Conclusions
Histological subtype determines the long‐term survival outcomes of patients with NPC. Moreover, the NKC subtype has the best prognosis, while the KSCC subtype has the worst prognosis.
Level of Evidence
NA
Laryngoscope, 130:E83–E88, 2020
Controlling aeolian desertification is a key ecological target on the Tibetan Plateau, especially within the widespread river valleys. Vegetation recovery can change the near-soil surface ...characteristics, which thus may influence wind erodibility of soils. However, these potential effects are not sufficiently evaluated for aeolian sandy soils. This study selected the Shannan valley of the Yarlung Zangbo River on the southern Tibetan Plateau as a case to investigate the variations in wind erodibility of aeolian sandy soils impacted by different vegetation restoration, since many ecological measures have been implemented in recent decades in the river valley. Eight vegetated sandy lands with different restoration types and ages and two bare sandy lands (as controls) were chosen as test sites. Four vegetated sandy lands were covered by
Artemisia wellbyi
,
Hedysarum scoparium
,
Sophora moorcroftiana
, and
Populus
L. with the similar restoration age of 10 years. For
Sophora moorcroftiana
and
Populus
L. communities, two restoration ages of 6 and over 30 years were also selected respectively. Wind erodibility was reflected by wind erodible fraction (EF), mean weight diameter of dry aggregates (MWD), capillary water capacity (CWC), soil cohesion (CS), and soil penetration resistance (PR) from different aspects. A comprehensive wind erodibility index (CWEI) was further produced by a weighted summation method to combine those five indices together and comprehensively quantify the effects of vegetation restoration on wind erodibility of aeolian sandy soils. The results showed that revegetation was efficient to reduce wind erodibility of aeolian sandy soils. EF generally decreased, while MWD, CWC, CS, and PR increased after vegetation restoration on the aeolian sandy lands. The CWEI of vegetated sandy lands varied greatly from 0.850 to 0 under different restoration types and ages and decreased by 14.4% to 100% compared to the control. Under the four different restoration types,
Populus
L. had the relatively minimum CWEI, followed by
Artemisia wellbyi
,
Sophora moorcroftiana
and
Hedysarum scoparium.
With succession from 6 to over 30 years, CWEI gradually declined for both the
Populus
L. and
Sophora moorcroftiana
restored sandy lands. The decreases in wind erodibility (reflected by CWEI) on vegetated sandy lands were dominantly controlled by the improvement of soil texture and the increases of organic matter and calcium carbonate contents with vegetation restoration. The combined vegetation measure of
Populus
L. mixed with shrubs and grasses was suggested as the optimal restoration type for mitigating wind erodibility of aeolian sandy soils in the Shannan valley of the Yarlung Zangbo River.
Radiotherapy improves the survival rate of cancer patients, yet it also involves some inevitable complications. Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is one of the most serious complications, ...especially the radiotherapy of thoracic tumors, which is characterized by cardiac oxidative stress disorder and programmed cell death. At present, there is no effective treatment strategy for RIHD; in addition, it cannot be reversed when it progresses. This study aims to explore the role and potential mechanism of microRNA-223-3p (miR-223-3p) in RIHD.
Mice were injected with miR-223-3p mimic, inhibitor, or their respective controls in the tail vein and received a single dose of 20 Gy whole-heart irradiation (WHI) for 16 weeks after 3 days to construct a RIHD mouse model. To inhibit adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) or phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D), compound C (CompC) and AAV9-shPDE4D were used.
WHI treatment significantly inhibited the expression of miR-223-3p in the hearts; furthermore, the levels of miR-223-3p decreased in a radiation time-dependent manner. miR-223-3p mimic significantly relieved, while miR-223-3p inhibitor aggravated apoptosis, oxidative damage, and cardiac dysfunction in RIHD mice. In addition, we found that miR-223-3p mimic improves WHI-induced myocardial injury by activating AMPK and that the inhibition of AMPK by CompC completely blocks these protective effects of miR-223-3p mimic. Further studies found that miR-223-3p lowers the protein levels of PDE4D and inhibiting PDE4D by AAV9-shPDE4D blocks the WHI-induced myocardial injury mediated by miR-223-3p inhibitor.
miR-223-3p ameliorates WHI-induced RIHD through anti-oxidant and anti-programmed cell death mechanisms
activating AMPK by PDE4D regulation. miR-223-3p mimic exhibits potential value in the treatment of RIHD.
This study aimed to establish a simplified T classification based on the 8th edition of the Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer (UICC/AJCC) staging system for ...nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
In total, 325 patients with NPC were included in this study. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging, and the staging criteria were recorded. These patients were subjected to staging with the 8th edition of the UICC/AJCC staging system for NPC.
Involvement of the oropharynx, nasal cavity, adjacent soft tissue (medial pterygoid, lateral pterygoid, and prevertebral muscles), cervical vertebra, orbit, and hypopharynx were always accompanied by other equivalently or more advanced T-stage classifications. All cases with involvement of the paranasal sinuses showed skull base erosion. The majority of cases with involvement of the pterygoid structure showed skull base erosion.
According to the simplification principle, the following new T classification based on the 8th edition of the UICC/AJCC staging system was established: T1, tumor confined to nasopharynx, or beyond the nasopharynx without parapharyngeal involvement; T2, tumor with extension to the parapharyngeal space; T3, tumor with infiltration to bony structures at the skull base; T4, tumor with intracranial extension, involvement of the cranial nerves or parotid gland, and/or extensive soft tissue infiltration beyond the lateral surface of the lateral pterygoid muscle. Validation with a large series of patients is needed.
Nanoporous metals have been widely used in recent years for energy storage, catalysis and sensors due to their special structure and functional properties. One useful way to produce nanoporous metal ...is the dealloying approach. In this paper, the authors used seignette salt (NaKC
4
H
4
O
6
) as a coordinating agent to electrodeposit CuZn alloys under alkaline conditions, and then prepared the nanoporous copper foil through chemical corrosion dealloying. In order to study the electrochemical behaviour of the CuZn alloy electrodeposition process, cyclic voltammetry testing was carried out. The results show that the CuZn alloy electrodeposition is an irreversible reaction under diffusion control and follows the initial three-dimensional nucleation mechanism. The nucleation process is dominated by continuous nucleation. In addition, the surface crystal grains and zinc content increase with the increase of current density. After dealloying the CuZn alloy, the existence of nanoporous structure was confirmed by SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Under the optimum technical conditions, the pore size of the nanoporous copper foil is about 200-800 nm with thickness of the porous layer 2-5 μm. It is believed that this research offers an alternative pathway for designing nanoporous copper foil materials and related high performance for numerous applications.
To evaluate efficacy and safety of nimotuzumab combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy in women with locally advanced cervical cancer.
Women with locally advanced cervical cancer (stage IIB, III, ...or IVA) who experienced relapse after first-line chemoradiotherapy and one or more lines of palliative chemotherapy were enrolled. All patients received nimotuzumab weekly at 200 mg/m
as single agent for 4 weeks (induction phase), then concurrent with 6 cycles (21-day per cycle) of gemcitabine (800 mg/m
) or cisplatin (50 mg/m
) for 18 weeks (concurrent phase) and then once every 2 weeks (maintenance phase). Overall response rate (ORR) was assessed after 4 weeks of induction therapy and then every 3 months according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors version 1.1 (primary end point). Secondary end points include progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and drug toxicity. Descriptive statistics was used for ORR, and Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for OS and PFS.
A total of 80 women with locally advanced cervical cancer were enrolled and evaluated for safety and efficacy. Our results demonstrated that none of the patients had a complete response (0%), 11 patients had a partial response (14%), and 10 patients had progressive disease (13%), giving a tumor response rate of 14%. A total of 59 patients had stable disease (74%), giving a disease control rate of 88% (70/80). Median PFS was 8.21 months (95% confidence interval CI: 5.09-12.45). Median OS was 11.96 months (95% CI: 8.11-23.95). The most common adverse events were mucositis, myelosuppression, and gastrointestinal disturbance.
Our study results suggested that nimotuzumab in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy is well tolerated, and could be a better treatment alternative in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.
BackgroundWe aimed to assess the endorsement of the Consolidation Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement by Chinese journals of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its incorporation ...into their editorial processes.MethodsPubMed, Embase and major Chinese databases were searched to identify journals of TCM from China for inclusion. The latest ‘instruction for authors’ (IFA) of each included journal was obtained and any text mentioning CONSORT or CONSORT extension papers was extracted. Subsequently, the editor of each of the included journals was surveyed about their journal's endorsement of the CONSORT recommendations and their incorporation into editorial and peer review processes.ResultsSixty-three journals of TCM from China were examined. Of these, only three (5%) and one (2%) of the 63 journals mentioned the CONSORT statement and extension papers, respectively, in their IFA. Fifty-four of 63 (86%) of surveyed journals responded, with the majority of respondents being editors. Only 20% (11/54) of the respondents reported that they had any knowledge of the CONSORT statement. Only 6% (3/54) of the editors reported that they required authors to comply with the CONSORT statement or that they incorporated it into their peer review and editorial processes.ConclusionsTCM journals in China endorsing the CONSORT statement constituted a small percentage of the total. The majority of editors surveyed were not familiar with the content of the CONSORT statement and extension papers. We strongly recommend that the China Periodicals Association issue a policy to promote the endorsement of the CONSORT statement and conduct relevant training for journal editors in China.
Offshore wind turbine is facing with extremely complicated climatic environment. The accurate prediction of wave movement caused by strong typhoons and its action on foundation of wind turbine are ...crucial. To disclose hydrodynamic characteristics of foundation structure of wind turbine under typhoon-wave-current coupling effect on the sea, a 10 MW super-large offshore wind turbine in Wailuo Wind Farm, Guangdong was chosen as a research object and a real-time meso-scale WRF-SWAN-FVCOM (W-S-F) coupling simulation platform was constructed by using Model Coupling Toolkit The spatial-temporal evolution of typhoon-wave-current in the offshore wind farm was simulated when a super typhoon “Rammasun” passed through. Next, the hydrodynamic load distribution characteristics of single pile foundation of wind turbine were analyzed by combining the meso-micro scale nested method. Extreme load model of foundation piles under different wave phases was proposed. Results demonstrated that the constructed W-S-F platform increased the simulation precision of typhoon path by 42.51% than single WRF model. The horizontal wave force of the foundation pile reached the negative and positive peaks at phases T0 and T4 under typhoon-wave-current coupling, and it presented symmetric distribution circumferentially around the 180° angle of wave attack. The phase T4 was the most adverse phase for the strength design of single pile foundation of offshore wind turbine. At the bottom of foundation, the maximum shear reached the 7.68 × 106 magnitude and the maximum bending moment reached the 5.2 × 108 magnitude.
To explore the protective mechanism of L-arginine against T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis in mouse Leydig cells, we investigated whether L-arginine can prevent T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis in mouse Leydig ...cells and explored the underlying mechanisms. Leydig cells were isolated and cultured with control, T-2 toxin (10 nM), L-arginine (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mM), and T-2 toxin (10 nM T-2 toxin) + L-arginine (0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mM) for 24 h. Cells and supernatants were harvested to examine proliferation of the cells, the apoptosis rate, activity of caspase-3 and mitochondria, and the gene expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, PARP, and caspase-3. Results showed that proliferation and mitochondrial activity of Leydig cells were inhibited by administration of T-2 toxin. Bcl-2 gene expression levels was decreased, while the gene expression levels of Bax and PARP were increased, which could trigger mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, activate downstream caspase-3, and then increased caspase-3 at both activity and gene expression levels. The expression of the Bcl-2 gene was upregulated and the expression of Bax, caspase-3, and PARP gene were downregulated when L-arginine was added to the cultured cells. The results of this study showed that L-arginine could block T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis in mouse Leydig cells by regulating specific intracellular death-related pathways.
To study the surgical management of fatal hemorrhage following head and neck surgery for cancer.
The clinical data of 32 cases of fatal hemorrhage following head and neck surgery from 1976 to 2008 in ...our department were analyzed retrospectively.
Hemorrhage was caused by carotid blowout in 20 cases. The carotid ligation was performed in 13 cases, only 6 cases got long-term survival. In 12 cases, hemorrhage was caused by tracheo-innominate artery fistula, only 2 cases received surgical management, and no long-term survivors.
Fatal hemorrhage following head and neck surgery is an uncommon but frequently fatal complication, and the successful management of it depends on early diagnosis and correct treatment.
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