External Carotid Artery Ligation Versus Selective Artery Ligation in Transoral Surgery for Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Objective: Prophylactic ligation of the external carotid artery (ECA) during oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) resection is known to reduce severe postoperative oropharyngeal bleeding events, however, there is limited research on whether bleed rates vary between selective ligation of individual vessels or total ligation of the ECA. This study assesses outcomes related to total versus selective ligation of the ECA in patients who underwent transoral resection for OPSCC of the base of tongue or palatine tonsils.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Active Control of Contact Angles of Various Liquids from the Response of Self-Assembled Thiol Molecules to Electric Current.

The ability to change wettability in situ would realize active surfaces that can change their functionality and adapt to different environments. This article reports a new and easy method that controls surface wettability in situ. In doing so, three hypotheses were to be proven.

Pride and Uncertainty: A Qualitative Study of Danish Nursing Staff in Temporary COVID-19 Wards.

There is limited knowledge about the psychosocial stress among the nursing staff working on the COVID-19 wards. This article reports on the experiences of frontline health care workers as it was described to supervisors counseling the nursing staff engaged in the response to the outbreak of COVID-19. Frontline health care workers, nurses, and nurses' aides experienced major work changes.

Chaco Canyon Dig Unearths Ethical Concerns.

The field of paleogenomics (the study of ancient genomes) is rapidly advancing, with more robust methods of isolating ancient DNA and increasing access to next-generation DNA sequencing technology. As these studies progress, many important ethical issues have emerged that should be considered when ancient Native American remains, whom we refer to as ancestors, are used in research. We highlight a 2017 article by Kennett et al.

Lymph Node Yield in Therapeutic Neck Dissection: Impact of Dissection Levels and Prior Radiotherapy.

Objective: Lymph node yield in therapeutic neck dissection is clinically significant and incompletely studied. We quantified node yield based on extent of neck dissection and presence of preoperative radiation. We also evaluated factors affecting incidence of extracapsular spread (ECS).

Preliminary Evaluation of Functional Swallow After Total Laryngectomy Using High-Resolution Manometry.

Introduction: Understanding of swallowing pressures after total laryngectomy (TL) and what constitutes a "functional" swallow are limited. Mobile structures are altered or removed after TL, with consequent effects on pressure profiles. High-resolution manometry (HRM) can characterize these pressures.

Metastatic synovial sarcoma of the scalp: Case report.

Background: Synovial sarcoma is a malignant tumor of soft tissue that is rarely found in the head and neck. Even less common are metastasis within the head and neck.

Methods: We describe a case of a delayed metastatic synovial sarcoma to the scalp.

Care of pediatric tracheostomy in the immediate postoperative period and timing of first tube change.

Objective: To analyze the safety of a standardized pediatric tracheostomy care protocol in the immediate postoperative period and its impact on tracheostomy related complications.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Subjects: Pediatric patients undergoing tracheotomy from February 2010-February 2014.

In-office biopsy of upper airway lesions: safety, tolerance, and effect on time to treatment.

Objectives/hypothesis: Definitive tissue diagnosis for lesions warranting biopsy is shifting from the operating room to the office. Safety, tolerance, factors related to successful biopsy, and time to treatment are not well-defined.

Methods: Retrospective review of 116 patients undergoing in-office biopsy of oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx were included.

Secondary tracheoesophageal puncture in-office using Seldinger technique.

Objective: Evaluate the safety and efficacy of in-office secondary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) technique using transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) and the Seldinger technique in conjunction with a cricothyroidotomy kit for placement.

Study Design: Case series with chart review.

Setting: Academic medical center.

A Study on the Quality and Identity of Brazilian Pampa Biome Honey: Evidences for Its Beneficial Effects against Oxidative Stress and Hyperglycemia.

We characterized, for the first time, the quality and identity of Brazilian Pampa biome honey and its antioxidant properties in vitro (FRAP, DDPH and ABTS). The potential protective effect of honey against oxidative stress induced by iron (Fe) and paraquat, (PQ) in a Drosophila melanogaster model (in vivo) was also tested. The results indicated that all honey samples tested showed antioxidant activity in vitro.

Glove and gown effects on intraoperative bacterial contamination.

Objective: Experiments were performed to determine the risk of bacterial contamination associated with changing outer gloves and using disposable spunlace paper versus reusable cloth gowns.

Background: Despite decades of research, there remains a lack of consensus regarding certain aspects of optimal aseptic technique including outer glove exchange while double-gloving and surgical gown type selection.

Methods: In an initial glove study, 102 surgical team members were randomized to exchange or retain outer gloves 1 hour into clean orthopedic procedures; cultures were obtained 15 minutes later from the palm of the surgeon's dominant gloved hand and from the surgical gown sleeve.

Defining TNF-α and IL-1β induced nascent proteins: combining bio-orthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging and proteomics.

An impediment in the development of new therapeutic strategies for chronic inflammatory diseases is the limited understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms. The objective of this study was to identify newly synthesized (nascent) proteins induced by critical inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in human monocytic THP-1 cells. We optimized methods to combine two different approaches, bio-orthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) along with proteomics using isobaric tags (iTRAQ).

Modulation of interleukin-1β-induced inflammatory responses by a synthetic cationic innate defence regulator peptide, IDR-1002, in synovial fibroblasts.

Introduction: Innate defence regulator (IDR) peptides are synthetic cationic peptides, variants of naturally occurring innate immune effector molecules known as host defence peptides. IDR peptides were recently demonstrated to limit infection-associated inflammation selectively without compromising host innate immune functions. This study examined the impact of a 12-amino acid IDR peptide, IDR-1002, in pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β-induced responses in synovial fibroblasts, a critical cell type in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis.

Relaxin enhances the collagenolytic activity and in vitro invasiveness by upregulating matrix metalloproteinases in human thyroid carcinoma cells.

In this study, we identified differential expression of immunoreactive matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2)/gelatinase A, membrane-anchored MT1-MMP/MMP14, and human relaxin-2 (RLN2) in human benign and malignant thyroid tissues. MMP2 and MT1-MMP were detected in the majority of thyroid cancer tissues and colocalized with RLN2-positive cells. MMP2 was mostly absent in goiter tissues and, similar to RLN2, may serve as a marker for thyroid cancer.

Clinical, histopathologic, and radiographic indicators of malignancy in head and neck paragangliomas.

Objective: The goal of this study is to review our series of head and neck paragangliomas to identify factors that may help in predicting malignancy.

Study Design: Case series with chart review.

Setting: Academic medical center.

Immunofluorescence localization of levopimaradiene/abietadiene synthase in methyl jasmonate treated stems of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) shows activation of diterpenoid biosynthesis in cortical and developing traumatic resin ducts.

Conifers produce terpenoid-rich oleoresin in specialized resin ducts as a main line of defence against pests and pathogens. In spruce species (Picea spp.), axial resin ducts are either present constitutively in the cortex tissue (cortical resin ducts, CRDs) or are formed de novo as traumatic resin ducts (TRDs) in the cambial zone upon attack by insects, fungi or treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA).

Adverse effects of long-term proton pump inhibitor use: a review for the otolaryngologist.

Objective: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the mainstay of current medical management for laryngopharyngeal reflux, and treatment often involves long-term use of this class of medications. The long-term adverse effects of PPI use have not been studied extensively, but several analyses have demonstrated epidemiological links between PPI use and adverse outcomes. These include altered mineral and vitamin absorption, orthopedic injury, acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and infectious risks.

Defining the membrane proteome of NK cells.

The present study was initiated to define the composition of the membrane proteome of the Natural Killer (NK) like cell line YTS. Isolated membranes were treated with reagents that have been reported to remove peripheral membrane proteins. Additional steps involving trifluoroethanol (TFE) were introduced in an effort to remove remaining nonintegral membrane proteins.

Targeted proteomics using selected reaction monitoring reveals the induction of specific terpene synthases in a multi-level study of methyl jasmonate-treated Norway spruce (Picea abies).

Induction of terpene synthase (TPS) gene expression and enzyme activity is known to occur in response to various chemical and biological stimuli in several species of spruce (genus Picea). However, high sequence identity between TPS family members has made it difficult to determine the induction patterns of individual TPS at the protein and transcript levels and whether specific TPS enzymes respond differentially to treatment. In the present study we used a multi-level approach to measure the induction and activity of TPS enzymes in protein extracts of Norway spruce (Picea abies) bark tissue following treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA).

Intracellular receptor for human host defense peptide LL-37 in monocytes.

The human cationic host defense peptide LL-37 has a broad range of immunomodulatory, anti-infective functions. A synthetic innate defense regulator peptide, innate defense regulator 1 (IDR-1), based conceptually on LL-37, was recently shown to selectively modulate innate immunity to protect against a wide range of bacterial infections. Using advanced proteomic techniques, ELISA, and Western blotting procedures, GAPDH was identified as a direct binding partner for LL-37 in monocytes.

Analysis of the poplar phloem proteome and its response to leaf wounding.

Phloem exudate collected from hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x Populus deltoides) was estimated to have more than 100 proteins, of which 48 were identified using LC-MS/MS. Comparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated that two phloem exudate proteins were significantly (P<0.05) upregulated 24 h after leaf wounding.

Thermodynamic effects of noncoded and coded methionine substitutions in calmodulin.

The methionine residues in the calcium (Ca2+) regulatory protein calmodulin (CaM) are structurally and functionally important. They are buried within the N- and C-domains of apo-CaM but become solvent-exposed in Ca2+-CaM, where they interact with numerous target proteins. Previous structural studies have shown that methionine substitutions to the noncoded amino acids selenomethionine, ethionine, or norleucine, or mutation to leucine do not impact the main chain structure of CaM.