Normal Weight Central Obesity is a Poor Prognostic Factor for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objectives: To investigate the role of normal weight central obesity (NWCO) in the prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

Methods: We retrospectively investigated 807 cases of SSNHL from January of 2008 to August of 2019 from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital in southern Taiwan. We analyzed the association between overweight and obesity, NWCO, and the prognosis of SSNHL.

Predictive Factors and Audiometric Outcome Comparison Between Titanium Prosthesis and Autologous Incus in Traumatic Ossicular Injury.

Objectives: To investigate the etiology and ossicular pathology of traumatic ossicular injury in Taiwan and examine the hearing outcomes and predictive factors between the titanium prosthesis and autologous incus groups.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with traumatic ossicular injury from 2011 to 2020 in Taiwan. Patients were divided into the titanium or autologous group according to the surgical materials used.

Growth Regulated Oncogene-α Upregulates TNF-α and COX-2 and Activates NOD1/RIPK2 mediated-MAPK Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

The long-term prognosis and survival rate of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are poor, although the identification of specific biomarkers that reveal its nature and aggressiveness has improved it. Growth-related oncogene alpha (Groα) and NOD1 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1) can be used as prognosis markers to identify subgroups of HNSCC patients with low survival rates and as potential therapeutic targets for HNSCC patients. However, the mechanism associated with the Groα-mediated NOD pathway in HNSCC progression remains unclear.

Study on Tungsten Metallization and Interfacial Bonding of Silicon Nitride High-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Substrates.

For the first time, SiN HTCC has been prepared using W as the metal phase by high-temperature co-firing (1830 °C/600 KPa/2 h) as a potential substrate candidate in electronic applications. It was discovered that the addition of SiN to the W paste has a significant impact on thermal expansion coefficient matching and dissolution wetting. As the SiN content increased from 0 to 27.

I-Promoted In Situ Cyclization-Rethiolation Reaction: Synthesis of 2-Aliphatic- or Aromatic-Substituted Indolizines.

An efficient I-promoted one-pot one-step three-component reaction for the synthesis of sulfhydryl indolizines from methyl ketones, 2-pyridylacetate derivatives, and sulfonyl hydrazides via an in situ cyclization-rethiolation strategy has been developed. This protocol shows excellent substrate compatibility, including for chain and cyclic aliphatic methyl ketones, natural product pregnenolone acetate, and phosphorus-containing methyl ketones, affording a series of valuable aliphatic-substituted indolizines in good yields.

Downregulation of Calreticulin and Annexin A2 Expression in Acquired Middle Ear Cholesteatoma by 2-DE Analysis.

Background: Many factors are thought to be associated with the development of cholesteatoma, while the mechanisms of its formation remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the potential mechanisms of the proliferation and growth of cholesteatoma by analysis of the differential expressions of proteins in cholesteatoma and retroauricular skin tissue collected from the same patients.

Methods: The present study is a retrospective study performed in an academic medical center.

Growth regulated oncogene-α contribute to EMT/MMPs pathway by binding its receptors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck and generally detected in the late stages when the cancer has advanced, and therefore has a poor prognosis and survival rate. A high expression of growth-related oncogene alpha (Groα) is associated with tumor metastasis and invasion and the poor survival rate of patients. Microarray reveals that Groα exhibits a cancer-specific response in HNSCC.

Coagulation dysfunction of severe burn patients: A potential cause of death.

Background: Research on coagulation dysfunction following burns is controversial. This study aimed to describe the coagulation changes in severe burn patients by examining coagulation parameters.

Methods: Patients with third-degree total body surface area (TBSA) burns of ≥30% were enrolled between 2017 and 2020.

Accumulation of Experience and Newly Developed Devices Can Improve the Safety and Voice Outcome of Total Thyroidectomy for Graves' Disease.

Total thyroidectomy (TT) in patients with Graves' disease is challenging even for an experienced thyroid surgeon. This study aimed to investigate the accumulation of experience and applying newly developed devices on major complications and voice outcomes after surgery of a single surgeon over 30 years. This study retrospectively reviewed 90 patients with Graves' disease who received TT.

Secondary primary malignancy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: 27-year experience from the perspective of diagnostic tools.

Background: The survival rate of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with secondary primary malignancy (SPM) showed no significant improvement for decades, however, the impact of advances in diagnostic tools is rarely mentioned. This study investigated the clinical characteristic of HNSCC with SPM over a 27-year period especially from the perspective of diagnostic tools.

Methods: This study evaluated 157 HNSCC patients with SPM.

Improving Voice Outcomes After Thyroid Surgery - Review of Safety Parameters for Using Energy-Based Devices Near the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve.

Technological advances in thyroid surgery have rapidly increased in recent decades. Specifically, recently developed energy-based devices (EBDs) enable simultaneous dissection and sealing tissue. EBDs have many advantages in thyroid surgery, such as reduced blood loss, lower rate of post-operative hypocalcemia, and shorter operation time.

The association of genetic polymorphisms in interleukin-1 receptors type 1 and type 2 with sudden sensorineural hearing loss in a Taiwanese population: a case control study.

Background: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a disease with an unknown etiology; damage to the auditory nerve from inflammation due to viral infection or vascular incidents has been implicated. According to several studies, cytokines, including interleukins, are associated with SSNHL in terms of serum expression and genetic polymorphisms. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) plays a key role in inflammation and may be associated with SSNHL.

New Developments in Anterior Laryngeal Recording Technique During Neuromonitored Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.

A recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury resulting in vocal fold paralysis and dysphonia remains a major source of morbidity after thyroid and parathyroid surgeries. Intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) is increasingly accepted as an adjunct to the standard practice of visual RLN identification. Endotracheal tube (ET) surface recording electrode systems are now widely used for IONM; however, the major limitation of the clinical use of ET-based surface electrodes is the need to maintain constant contact between the electrodes and vocal folds during surgery to obtain a high-quality recording.

Association of sudden sensorineural hearing loss with dementia: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Impaired cochlear blood perfusion and microvascular damage can cause sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), which is a potential risk factor for dementia. This study explored the association between SSHL and dementia.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used a random sample of 1000,000 individuals from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.

Prospects for improving cosmological parameter estimation with gravitational-wave standard sirens from Taiji.

Taiji, a space-based gravitational-wave observatory, consists of three satellites forming an equilateral triangle with arm length of 3×10 km, orbiting around the Sun. Taiji is able to observe the gravitational-wave standard siren events of massive black hole binary (MBHB) merger, which is helpful in probing the expansion of the universe. In this paper, we preliminarily forecast the capability of Taiji for improving cosmological parameter estimation with the gravitational-wave standard siren data.

Direct Binding of Cisplatin to p22phox, an Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Membrane Protein, Contributes to Cisplatin Resistance in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) Cells.

Prolonged treatment with cisplatin (CDDP) frequently develops chemoresistance. We have previously shown that p22phox, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein, confers CDDP resistance by blocking CDDP nuclear entry in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells; however, the underlying mechanism remains unresolved. Using a fluorescent dye-labeled CDDP, here we show that CDDP can bind to p22phox in both cell-based and cell-free contexts.

Comparative Study of Endoscopic and Microscopic Type I Tympanoplasty in Terms of Delayed Facial Palsy.

Objective: Delayed facial palsy is a complication of otologic surgery. Tympanoplasty is commonly employed in chronic otitis media. We compared the incidence and characteristics of delayed facial palsy and hearing restoration between endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty for the treatment of simple chronic otitis media.

Peculiar anatomic variation of recurrent laryngeal nerve and EMG change in a patient with right substernal goiter and pre-operative vocal cord palsy-case report.

We report a patient with right substernal goiter and preoperative vocal cord palsy (VCP). During dissection, an anatomic variation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and a prolonged EMG were detected by intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM). Symmetrical vocal cord movement was recorded one month after surgery.

U-shaped strap muscle flap for difficult thyroid surgery.

Background: Open thyroidectomy via conventional midline approach can be challenging in complex thyroid surgeries. This study proposes a U-shaped strap muscle flap (USMF) technique that provides adequately wide exposure of the surgical field.

Methods: Strap muscles were cut close to the clavicle and along the anterior margin of both sternocleidomastoid muscles followed by total thyroidectomy in 20 patients as USMF group, and surgical outcomes were compared with 40 patients who had received total thyroidectomy via midline approach.

Tris(8-Hydroxyquinoline)iron induces apoptotic cell death via oxidative stress and by activating death receptor signaling pathway in human head and neck carcinoma cells.

Background: 8-Hydroxyquinoline derivatives have highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensors for metal ions, which are associated with anti-oxidant, anti-tumor and anti-HIV-1 properties. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is associated with a high rate of mortality and novel anti-HNSCC drugs must be developed. Therefore, effective chemotherapy agents are required to address this public health issue.

Stratification of venous thromboembolism risk in burn patients by Caprini score.

Background: The purpose of the research was to determine the efficacy of the Caprini risk assessment model for the guidance of prophylactic treatments for a 3-year period in the burn center of the Inner Mongolia region.

Methods: From July 2014 to August 2017, the Caprini score for every admitted patient was calculated to evaluate venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk. Subjects with a Caprini score between 0 and 2 were not administered a chemical VTE prophylaxis, and subjects with a score of 3 and above were administered low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH).