Thyroid Abscess: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Objective: In this retrospective case series, we chronicle six patients presenting with acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) with progression to thyroid abscess in a single institution.

Methods: Patients ranged in age from 16 to 74 years of age. The most common presenting symptoms were progressive unilateral neck pain, swelling, and odynophagia.

Impact of Giving Patients Your Personal Phone Number in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Objective: Patient-provider communication is a major barrier to care, with some providers giving their personal phone number (PPN) to patients for increased accessibility. We investigated participant utilization of provider's PPN, its effect on participant satisfaction, provider's ability to predict abuse of this practice, and evolving provider perceptions.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Flash chemistry enables high productivity metalation-substitution of 5-alkyltetrazoles.

Tetrazoles play a prominent role in medicinal chemistry due to their role as carboxylate bioisosteres but have largely been overlooked as C-H functionalisation substrates. We herein report the development of a high-yielding and general procedure for the heterobenzylic C-H functionalisation of 5-alkyltetrazoles in up to 97% yield under batch conditions using a metalation/electrophilic trapping strategy. Through the use of thermal imaging to identify potentially unsafe exotherms, a continuous flow procedure using a flash chemistry strategy has also been developed, allowing products to be accessed in up to 95% yield.

Immune Reconstitution following High-Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation with or without Pembrolizumab Maintenance Therapy in Patients with Lymphoma.

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a standard of care for patients with chemosensitive, relapsed/refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Whereas the clinical benefit of ASCT has traditionally been attributed solely to cytoreduction from intensive chemotherapy, ASCT has important immunogenic effects that may contribute to its antitumor efficacy and could provide a favorable immune environment for post-ASCT immune-based maintenance treatments. We previously reported clinical results of a phase II trial (ClinicalTrials.

Prostate Cancer Characteristics and Outcomes after Prostatectomy in Asian-American Men.

Background: Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men, with striking differences between ethnic groups. Given the potential for lifestyle or genetic variations between subsets of Asian-American men to impact prostate cancer behavior, we sought to define the outcomes after radical prostatectomy among various Asian groups treated at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.

Methods: The City of Hope IRB-approved prostatectomy database was searched from 2003 to 2015 to identify Asian-American men.

Diagnostic Yield of Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Immunocompromised Children.

Results from early studies in the diagnostic yield of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in immunocompromised adults and children were variable. This prospective study aimed to determine the diagnostic yield of BALs in immunocompromised children over the first 18 months of service at a newly established children's hospital. Relationship between BAL results and changes in antimicrobial management was also studied.

Optimizing the biosynthesis of oxygenated and acetylated Taxol precursors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using advanced bioprocessing strategies.

Taxadien-5α-hydroxylase and taxadien-5α-ol O-acetyltransferase catalyze the oxidation of taxadiene to taxadien-5α-ol and subsequent acetylation to taxadien-5α-yl-acetate in the biosynthesis of the blockbuster anticancer drug, paclitaxel (Taxol®). Despite decades of research, the promiscuous and multispecific CYP725A4 enzyme remains a major bottleneck in microbial biosynthetic pathway development. In this study, an interdisciplinary approach was applied for the construction and optimization of the early pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, across a range of bioreactor scales.

Author Correction: Complete biosynthesis of cannabinoids and their unnatural analogues in yeast.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Lithiation Substitution of Unprotected Benzyltetrazoles.

1-Tetrazoles occupy an important role in modern medicinal chemistry, but few methods for their modification exist. Many extant protocols require the use of a difficult to remove -alkyl-protecting group, precluding the products from use as carboxylate bioisosteres, the major role of tetrazoles in pharmaceuticals. We herein report a convenient, protecting-group-free lithiation-substitution protocol for benzylic tetrazoles.

Batch Versus Flow Lithiation-Substitution of 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles: Exploitation of Unstable Intermediates Using Flow Chemistry.

1,3,4-Oxadiazoles are a common motif in pharmaceutical chemistry, but few convenient methods for their modification exist. A fast, convenient, high yielding and general α-substitution of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles has been developed using a metalation-electrophilic trapping protocol both in batch and under continuous flow conditions in contradiction to previous reports which suggest that α-metalation of this ring system results in ring fragmentation. In batch, lithiation is accomplished at an industrially convenient temperature, -30 °C, with subsequent trapping giving isolated yields of up to 91 %.

Complete biosynthesis of cannabinoids and their unnatural analogues in yeast.

Cannabis sativa L. has been cultivated and used around the globe for its medicinal properties for millennia. Some cannabinoids, the hallmark constituents of Cannabis, and their analogues have been investigated extensively for their potential medical applications.

Pathway enrichment analysis and visualization of omics data using g:Profiler, GSEA, Cytoscape and EnrichmentMap.

Pathway enrichment analysis helps researchers gain mechanistic insight into gene lists generated from genome-scale (omics) experiments. This method identifies biological pathways that are enriched in a gene list more than would be expected by chance. We explain the procedures of pathway enrichment analysis and present a practical step-by-step guide to help interpret gene lists resulting from RNA-seq and genome-sequencing experiments.

De novo synthesis of the sedative valerenic acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) root extracts have been used by European and Asian cultures for millennia for their anxiolytic and sedative properties. However, the efficacy of these extracts suffers from variable yields and composition, making these extracts a prime candidate for microbial production. Recently, valerenic acid, a C15 sesquiterpenoid, was identified as the active compound that modulates the GABA channel.

High-titer production of lathyrane diterpenoids from sugar by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Euphorbiaceae are an important source of medically important diterpenoids, such as the anticancer drug ingenol-3-angelate and the antiretroviral drug prostratin. However, extraction from the genetically intractable natural producers is often limited by the small quantities produced, while the organic synthesis of terpene-derived drugs is challenging and similarly low-yielding. While transplanting the biosynthetic pathway into a heterologous host has proven successful for some drugs, it has been largely unsuccessful for diterpenoids due to their elaborate biosynthetic pathways and lack of genetic resources and tools for gene discovery.

Liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography as a predictor on posthepatectomy outcomes.

Background: Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis are well-known risk factors for morbidity after hepatectomy. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using transient elastography is a new method for detection of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis with high accuracy. Whether LSM can predict posthepatectomy outcomes has not been studied.

Pre-operative predictors of post-hepatectomy recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma: can we predict earlier?

Backgrounds And Purpose: To determine the predictors for recurrence in patients receiving curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: From January 2001 to July 2007, all patients having hepatectomy for first occurrence HCC with curative intent were identified from a prospectively collected database. Prognostic factors for recurrence and survival after resection were analyzed.

Surgical ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma with 2.45-GHz microwave: a critical appraisal of treatment outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new generation of 2.45-GHz microwave to ablate hepatocellular carcinoma by surgical approach. DESIGN; Case series with prospective follow-up.

Comparison of postoperative pain between single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy: prospective case-control study.

Background: Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is an emerging technique used in cholecystectomy. Nevertheless, studies on the difference in postoperative pain between SILC and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy are lacking in the literature.

Patient And Methods: From August 2009 to July 2010, 20 consecutive patients who underwent SILC (SILC group) were compared with a prospective cohort of 20 patients who underwent conventional 4-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC group) during the same period.

Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: from four wounds to one.

Objective: To review the initial results and surgical outcomes of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Design: Prospective case series.

Setting: A university teaching hospital and a regional hospital in Hong Kong.

Long-term results of laparoscopic hepatectomy versus open hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a case-matched analysis.

Background: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) is established as a safe and feasible treatment option for liver tumors. However, whether the adoption of laparoscopic approach for malignant tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), will compromise the long-term result is still unknown. This study was designed to evaluate the long-term results of LH compared with a cohort of case-matched open hepatectomy (OH).

Modification of right hepatectomy results in improvement outcome: a retrospective comparative study.

Objective: To evaluate any change in the operative and survival outcomes in patients undergoing a right hepatectomy after adoption of the no-clamp technique using a radiofrequency dissecting sealer (TissueLink™) in liver resection.

Methods: In all, 58 consecutive patients who underwent a right hepatectomy from July 2003 to December 2007 (Group 1) were compared with 66 consecutive patients who underwent a right hepatectomy from January 1999 to June 2003 (Group 2). In group 1, a liver transection was performed with a cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) and TissueLink™ without hilar clamping whereas in group 2, a liver transection was performed with CUSA and diathermy with routine continuous hilar clamping.

Resection margin in laparoscopic hepatectomy: a comparative study between wedge resection and anatomic left lateral sectionectomy.

Background: Experience from open hepatectomy shows that anatomic liver resection achieves a better resection margin than wedge resection. In recent years, laparoscopic hepatectomy has increasingly been performed in patients with liver pathology including malignant lesions. Wedge resection (WR) and left lateral sectionectomy (LLS), which also represent non-anatomic and anatomic resection respectively, are the two most common types of laparoscopic hepatectomy performed.

Ambulatory blood pressure before and after adenotonsillectomy in children with obstructive sleep apnea.

Introduction: Hypertension is found to be associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in both children and adults. But data on the effect of blood pressure after adenotonsillectomy (AT) for children with OSA are limited and controversial.

Objective: To assess the impact of AT on different parameters of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children with OSA.