Recurrent and Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer: Mechanisms of Treatment Failure, Treatment Paradigms, and New Horizons.

Head and neck cancer is a deadly disease with over 500,000 cases annually worldwide. Metastatic head and neck cancer accounts for a large proportion of the mortality associated with this disease. Many advances have been made in our understanding of the mechanisms of metastasis.

Alcohol Alters Skeletal Muscle Bioenergetic Function: A Scoping Review.

Bioenergetic pathways uniquely support sarcomere function which, in turn, helps to maintain functional skeletal muscle (SKM) mass. Emerging evidence supports alcohol (EtOH)-induced bioenergetic impairments in SKM and muscle precursor cells. We performed a scoping review to synthesize existing evidence regarding the effects of EtOH on SKM bioenergetics.

Creating a Risk Score for Prolonged Length of Stay Following Pediatric Lung Transplants.

Background: Pediatric lung transplant (LT) outcomes correlate with prolonged length of stay (pLOS), yet a paucity of research exists predicting pLOS in this population. We aim to identify factors associated with pLOS following pediatric LT, and to create a risk score identifying individual patients at increased risk of pLOS.

Methods: Using the OPTN database, we analyzed 733 pediatric patients who received an LT between January 2000-July 2022.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Conditioned Media-Loaded Microparticles Enhance Acute Patency in Silk-Based Vascular Grafts.

Coronary artery disease leads to over 360,000 deaths annually in the United States, and off-the-shelf bypass graft options are currently limited and/or have high failure rates. Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) present an attractive option, though the promising mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based implants face uncertain regulatory pathways. In this study, "artificial MSCs" (ArtMSCs) were fabricated by encapsulating MSC-conditioned media (CM) in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles.

Controlled Release of Molecules to Enhance Cell Survival and Regeneration.

Controlled release or controlled drug delivery comprises the set of techniques and approaches to improve bioavailability through improved safety and/or efficacy using a carrier material for the molecule of interest. The predictability and tunability of these carriers make them ideal for protection, localization, and sustained presentation of a wide range of therapeutics, including growth factors implicated in cell survival and regeneration. Here we provide a method for encapsulating epidermal growth factor in a degradable polymer matrix for delivery to the cornea.

Demography and environment modulate the effects of genetic diversity on extinction risk in a butterfly metapopulation.

Linking genetic diversity to extinction is a common goal in genomic studies. Recently, a debate has arisen regarding the importance of genetic variation in conservation as some studies have failed to find associations between genome-wide genetic diversity and extinction risk. However, only rarely are genetic diversity and fitness measured together in the wild, and typically demographic history and environment are ignored.

A Surgical Collaborative to Empower Medical Student Research.

Mini abstracts: Faculty at the Baylor College of Medicine have developed a flexible research collaborative through which students gain research skills and individualized mentorship. This division has produced 86 trainee first author publications, 64 manuscripts by 34 different medical students with an average Scimago Journal Rank of 1.293 (range: 1.

Microvascular reconstruction of midface osteoradionecrosis.

Background: Head and neck osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the midface requiring free flap (FF) reconstruction is uncommon. This multi-institutional study was designed to review outcomes for this rare patient population.

Methods: Retrospective multi-institutional review of FF reconstruction for midface ORN (2005-2022; n = 54).

Early and Late Complications of Mandibulectomy Free Flap Reconstruction: Does the Selective Use of Soft Tissue Only Flaps Reduce Complications?

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the factors most associated with early and late complications following microvascular free tissue transfer (MVFTT) after mandibulectomy.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing MVFTT after segmental mandibulectomy from September 2016 to February 2021 was performed across a single academic institution. Surgical variables were collected, including the location of the resultant mandibular defect (anterior vs posterior) and flap type (osseous or non-osseous).

An Atypical Migration Pattern of Tattoo Pigment.

Unwanted diffusion of pigment past the original margins of a tattoo, termed "tattoo blowout," appears as a blurred rim classically surrounding the original tattoo borders. The darkened skin is visibly noted within hours to days following the tattooing procedure. Although this complication is not largely covered in literature, in prior cases, blowout has been shown to occur in areas of thin skin such as the dorsum of the foot.

A novel risk score for predicting prolonged length of stay following pediatric kidney transplant.

Background: Kidney transplants (KT) are accepted as the kidney replacement therapy of choice for children with kidney failure. The surgery itself may be more difficult especially in small children, and often leads to significant hospital stays. There is little research on predicting prolonged length of stay (LOS) in children.

Ocular biodistribution of cysteamine delivered by a sustained release microsphere/thermoresponsive gel eyedrop.

The objective of the investigation was to determine the ocular biodistribution of cysteamine, a reducing agent used for treatment of cystine crystals in cystinosis, following topical administration of a sustained release formulation and traditional eyedrop formulation. To the right eye only, rabbits received a 50 µL drop of 0.44% cysteamine eyedrops at one drop per waking hour for 2, 6, 12, and 24 h.

Effects of environment and genotype on dispersal differ across departure, transfer and settlement in a butterfly metapopulation.

Active dispersal is driven by extrinsic and intrinsic factors at the three stages of departure, transfer and settlement. Most empirical studies capture only one stage of this complex process, and knowledge of how much can be generalized from one stage to another remains unknown. Here we use genetic assignment tests to reconstruct dispersal across 5 years and 232 habitat patches of a Glanville fritillary butterfly () metapopulation.

Factors Impacting Discharge Destination Following Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction.

Objective: Determine which variables impact postoperative discharge destination following head and neck microvascular free flap reconstruction.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected databases.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing head and neck microvascular free flap reconstruction between January 2010 and December 2019 (n = 1972) were included.

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover.

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors.

Novel Combined Lidocaine/Povidone Iodine Delivery System for Preintravitreal Injection.

Intravitreal injection has become a popular treatment for various retina disorders and dramatically increased over the past few years. In traditional preintravitreal injection, the preparation steps are time consuming for practitioners who perform a significant number of injections per day. Besides, lidocaine gel (L-Gel) shows a potential absorption barrier on the antibacterial effect of povidone iodine (PI).

Improved chromosome-level genome assembly of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) integrating Pacific Biosciences long reads and a high-density linkage map.

Background: The Glanville fritillary (Melitaea cinxia) butterfly is a model system for metapopulation dynamics research in fragmented landscapes. Here, we provide a chromosome-level assembly of the butterfly's genome produced from Pacific Biosciences sequencing of a pool of males, combined with a linkage map from population crosses.

Results: The final assembly size of 484 Mb is an increase of 94 Mb on the previously published genome.

Impact of preoperative and intraoperative management on outcomes in osteoradionecrosis requiring free flap reconstruction.

Background: Perioperative management of advanced osteoradionecrosis of the head and neck requiring free flap (FF) reconstruction varies. Our objectives included assessment of practice patterns and outcomes.

Methods: Multi-institutional, retrospective review of FF reconstruction for head and neck osteoradionecrosis (n = 260).

CCL2 loaded microparticles promote acute patency in silk-based vascular grafts implanted in rat aortae.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, often associated with coronary artery occlusion. A common intervention for arterial blockage utilizes a vascular graft to bypass the diseased artery and restore downstream blood flow; however, current clinical options exhibit high long-term failure rates. Our goal was to develop an off-the-shelf tissue-engineered vascular graft capable of delivering a biological payload based on the monocyte recruitment factor C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) to induce remodeling.

Age and Comorbidities Impact Medical Complications and Mortality Following Free Flap Reconstruction.

Objective: Determine if age correlated with surgical or medical complications following head and neck free flap reconstruction.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected databases.

Methods: Patients undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction at three tertiary care institutions were included (n = 1972).

Microvascular Reconstruction of Osteonecrosis: Assessment of Long-term Quality of Life.

Objective: Review long-term clinical and quality-of-life outcomes following free flap reconstruction for osteonecrosis.

Study Design: Retrospective multi-institutional review.

Setting: Tertiary care centers.

A Differential Metabarcoding Approach to Describe Taxonomy Profiles of and in the Saltern of Margherita di Savoia (Italy).

Microorganisms inhabiting saline environments are an interesting ecological model for the study of the adaptation of organisms to extreme living conditions and constitute a precious resource of enzymes and bioproducts for biotechnological applications. We analyzed the microbial communities in nine ponds with increasing salt concentrations (salinity range 4.9-36.

The effect of summer drought on the predictability of local extinctions in a butterfly metapopulation.

The ecological impacts of extreme climatic events on population dynamics and community composition are profound and predominantly negative. Using extensive data of an ecological model system, we tested whether predictions from ecological models remain robust when environmental conditions are outside the bounds of observation. We observed a 10-fold demographic decline of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) metapopulation on the Åland islands, Finland in the summer of 2018 and used climatic and satellite data to demonstrate that this year was an anomaly with low climatic water balance values and low vegetation productivity indices across Åland.

Progress in the Analysis of Food Allergens through Molecular Biology Approaches.

Food allergies associated with class E immunoglobulins (IgE) are a serious health problem that affects between 1% and 10% of the population of developing countries, with a variability that depends on the geographical area and age range considered. These allergies are caused by a cross-link reaction between a specific food protein (the allergen) and the host IgE. Allergic reactions can range from mild itching to anaphylactic shock and there are no clues to predict the effects of an allergen.