Prognostic value of sarcopenia and myosteatosis alterations on survival outcomes for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma before and after radiotherapy.

Objective: We assessed the impact and prognostic significance of alterations in muscle quality and quantity (myosteatosis and sarcopenia, respectively) in patients with esophageal cancer treated with radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: We retrospectively pooled 258 patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer who underwent RT. Myosteatosis and sarcopenia were determined based on the skeletal muscle index derived from the muscle area and attenuation at the L3 level from computed tomography images.

Topological phases, local magnetic moments, and spin polarization triggered by C-line defects in armchair graphene nanoribbons.

The topological and magnetic properties induced by topological defects in graphene have attracted attention. Here, we study a novel topological defect structure for graphene nanoribbons interspersed with C-line defects along the armchair boundary, which possesses topological properties and is tritopic. Using strain engineering to regulate the magnitude of hopping at defects, the position of the energy level can be easily changed to achieve a topological phase transition.

Reproducible and High-Performance WOLEDs Based on Independent High-Efficiency Triplet Harvesting of Yellow Hot-Exciton ESIPT and Blue TADF Emitters.

Hot exciton organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emitters can balance the high performance of a device and reduce efficiency roll-off by fast reverse intersystem crossing from high-lying triplets (hRISC). In this study, an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophore of 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4-(pyren-1-yl)phenol (PyHBT) with the typical characteristic properties of a hot exciton is developed. With high efficiency of utilization of the exciton (91%), its yellow OLED exhibited high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 5.

Prognostic value of sarcopenia in patients with lung cancer treated with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Objectives: It remains controversial whether sarcopenia has any significant impact on the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess the association between sarcopenia and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving EGFR-TKIs or ICIs as a first-line therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 131 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line EGFR-TKIs or ICIs between 1 March 2019 and 31 March 2021.

Post-treatment serum triglyceride: An effective biomarker for body fat mass and overall survival in esophageal squamous cell cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Objectives: Although lipids have been assessed for their possible roles in cancer survival prediction, studies on the association between serum triglyceride (TG) levels and the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients are limited. This study aimed to evaluate whether serum TG is associated with outcomes in patients with ESCC and investigate any interaction between serum TG and clinical parameters, especially body fat mass.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective case study on patients diagnosed with ESCC between March 2012 and November 2018.

Lymph drainage and cervical fascia anatomy-oriented differential nodal CTV delineation at the supraclavicular region for esophageal cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer.

Purpose: To determine the differences in supraclavicular lymph node metastasis between esophageal cancer (EC) and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and explore the feasibility of differential supraclavicular clinical target volume (CTV) contouring between these two diseases based on the involvement of different fascial spaces.

Materials And Methods: One hundred patients with supraclavicular nodes positive for EC or NPC were enrolled, and their pre-treatment images were reviewed. The distribution patterns of nodes between the two diseases were compared in the context of node levels defined by the 2017 Japanese Esophageal Society and 2013 International Consensus on Cervical Lymph Node Level Classification.

Level Ib CTV delineation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on lymph node distribution and topographic anatomy.

Background And Purpose: To analyze the distribution pattern of lymph nodes (LNs) metastasis of level Ib in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and propose shrinkage of clinical target volume (CTV) boundaries to avoid unnecessary radiation for some space with very low-risk of involvement.

Materials And Methods: Pretreatment images of pathologically proven NPC patients were reviewed and those with positive level Ib LN metastasis was enrolled. The geometric center of each level Ib LN in the neck was marked on a template CT.

Unresected small lymph node assessment predicts prognosis for patients with pT3N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The role of unresected small lymph nodes (LNs) which may contain metastases for thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) has not been addressed. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of unresected small LNs assessment using computed tomography (CT) in prognostic estimates of pT3N0M0 TESCC patients.

Methods: Between January 2009 and December 2017, 294 patients who underwent esophagectomy with R0 resection at Sichuan Cancer Hospital were retrospectively examined, and the last follow-up time was July 2018.

Pyocyanin Inhibits Chlamydia Infection by Disabling Infectivity of the Elementary Body and Disrupting Intracellular Growth.

The obligate intracellular bacterium is a widespread human pathogen that causes serious problems, including (but not limited to) infertility and blindness. Our search for novel antichlamydial metabolites from marine-derived microorganisms led to the isolation of pyocyanin, a small compound from Pyocyanin is an effective antichlamydial for all three spp. tested.

Association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and differentiated thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis.

The association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is undecided. To rectify this question, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis based on 7 prospective cohort studies published between 2013 and 2015, comprising 7349 patients. Six of these cohorts included pretreatment (baseline) NLR data for patients with thyroid nodules.

[CT and MR imaging differences between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma with invasions to billary tracts].

Objective: To identify the CT and MR imaging differences between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with invasions to biliary tracts.

Methods: Eighteen patients with ICC and 32 HCC patients with invasions to biliary tracts confirmed by postoperative pathological diagnosis were enrolled in the study. All of the patients underwent CT or MR examinations.

[Biological relativity of imaging of CT perfusion for pancreases to pancreatic cancer].

Objective: To explore the relationships between perfusion values of pancreatic cancers and the microvessel density of tumors (MVD) and vessel endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and the clinical value of multiple-slice spiral CT perfusion imaging in diagnosing pancreatic cancers.

Methods: Forty-two people with normal pancreas and eighteen patients with pancreatic cancers underwent multiple-slice spiral CT perfusion examinations. The time-density curve (TDC) of the region of interest (ROI) was drawn with the software equipped in the spiral CT.