Publications by authors named "Sumer B"

Background: Lymph node count (LNC) from neck dissection has been associated with undernutrition and survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). As local components of the immune system, cervical lymph nodes may reflect anti-tumor immune status. This study investigates the relationship between decreased LNC, formation of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), and primary tumor infiltration by lymphocytes in undernourished patients.

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Invasive aspergillosis is a rare but severe fungal infection primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals. The Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced new complexities in managing aspergillosis due to the widespread use of corticosteroids for treating COVID-19-related respiratory distress, which can increase susceptibility to fungal infections. Here, we present a challenging case of progressive cerebral aspergillosis complicated by cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) in a 67-year-old male with a history of COVID-19.

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Thin-film electrode arrays (TFEAs) have been developed as an alternative to conventional electrode arrays (CEAs) used in cochlear implants. However, TFEAs produced by microfabrication techniques have not yet been used clinically because their structural and mechanical properties are far from those of CEAs. The aim of this study is to design, fabricate, and investigate the mechanical and tribological behavior and evaluate the performance of different TFEA designs.

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Purpose: Traditional radiation therapy for early-stage larynx cancer irradiates the whole larynx over 5.5 to 6 weeks. Phase 1 data suggest that stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a viable strategy to reduce the irradiated volume and compress treatment time.

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While local nanoparticle delivery to lymph nodes is well studied, there are few design criteria for intravenous delivery to the entire lymph node repertoire. In this study, we investigated the effect of NP pH transition on lymph node targeting by employing a series of ultra-pH-sensitive (UPS) polymeric micelles. The UPS library responds to pH thresholds (p 6.

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Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a high mortality rate. In this study, we developed a Stokes-vector-derived polarized hyperspectral imaging (PHSI) system for H&E-stained pathological slides with HNSCC and built a dataset to develop a deep learning classification method based on convolutional neural networks (CNN). We use our polarized hyperspectral microscope to collect the four Stokes parameter hypercubes (S0, S1, S2, and S3) from 56 patients and synthesize pseudo-RGB images using a transformation function that approximates the human eye's spectral response to visual stimuli.

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Extracellular pH impacts many molecular, cellular and physiological processes, and hence is tightly regulated. Yet, in tumours, dysregulated cancer cell metabolism and poor vascular perfusion cause the tumour microenvironment to become acidic. Here by leveraging fluorescent pH nanoprobes with a transistor-like activation profile at a pH of 5.

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Article Synopsis
  • - STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) is a crucial immune protein that detects danger signals from DNA, leading to immune responses such as activation of interferons and cell death, but its roles in various immune and cancer cells are not fully understood.
  • - Research using a new nanoparticle called PolySTING revealed that conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) are vital for STING-induced rejection of tumors, while the STING status in these immune cells, rather than in the tumors themselves, is key to effective anti-cancer responses.
  • - The study found that specific chemokine responses in cDC1s were linked to patient survival, and the presence of STING-activated cDC1
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Article Synopsis
  • STING is an immune protein that detects danger signals from DNA, playing a key role in activating immune responses and is found in various cell types including cancer cells.
  • The study shows that type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1) are crucial for STING-mediated rejection of tumors, and the effectiveness of a special nanoparticle treatment (PolySTING) relies on the presence of STING in these immune cells, not the cancer cells.
  • Research highlights that the presence of activated cDC1 correlates with patient survival in lung cancer and can be indicative of the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments like pembrolizumab.
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Significance: Polarized hyperspectral microscopes with the capability of full Stokes vector imaging have potential for many biological and medical applications.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate polarized hyperspectral imaging (PHSI) for improving the visualization of collagen fibers, which is an important biomarker related to tumor development, and improving the differentiation of normal and tumor cells on pathologic slides.

Approach: We customized a polarized hyperspectral microscopic imaging system comprising an upright microscope with a motorized stage, two linear polarizers, two liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVRs), and a compact SnapScan hyperspectral camera.

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Importance: Transoral robot-assisted surgery (TORS) continues to have a major role in the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer. As new iterations of robotic technology are increasingly utilized, it is important to share learning experiences and clinical outcomes data, to optimize technical efficiency and clinical care.

Observations: This was a retrospective review of a large academic institution's initial clinical use of the da Vinci Single Port (SP) compared with the da Vinci Si (Si) system.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sinonasal neoplasms (both benign and malignant) are complex issues for clinicians, highlighting the need for collaboration to improve patient care, as presented in the International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Sinonasal Tumors (ICSNT).
  • The ICSNT document organizes findings into four main sections: general principles, benign neoplasms, malignant neoplasms, and quality of life, covering 48 specific topics and providing evidence-based recommendations and summaries based on their rigor.
  • This comprehensive document reflects a collective effort from an international team to advance understanding and intervention methods for sinonasal neoplasms, while also identifying future research opportunities.
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Importance: Oncologic outcomes are similar for patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treated with primary surgery or radiotherapy. However, comparative differences in long-term patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between modalities are less well established.

Objective: To determine the association between primary surgery or radiotherapy and long-term PROs.

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Purpose: Shortening the overall radiation therapy (RT) treatment time has advantages in cost and treatment burden, but data on hypofractionated RT in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are limited. This study assessed the safety of moderately hypofractionated RT in the postoperative setting.

Methods And Materials: Patients with completely resected stage I-IVB squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx with intermediate risk factor(s) including T3/4 disease, positive lymph node(s), close margin(s), perineural invasion, and/or lymphovascular invasion were enrolled on a rolling 6-design phase 1 study.

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Purpose: Elective neck irradiation (ENI) has long been considered mandatory when treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with definitive radiotherapy, but it is associated with significant dose to normal organs-at-risk (OAR). In this prospective phase II study, we investigated the efficacy and tolerability of eliminating ENI and strictly treating involved and suspicious lymph nodes (LN) with intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC of the oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx were eligible for enrollment.

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Significance: This third biennial intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) conference shows how optical contrast agents have been applied to develop clinically significant endpoints that improve precision cancer surgery.

Aim: National and international experts on IMI presented ongoing clinical trials in cancer surgery and preclinical work. Previously known dyes (with broader applications), new dyes, novel nonfluorescence-based imaging techniques, pediatric dyes, and normal tissue dyes were discussed.

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The study established the water quality modelling of the Bosphorus system, based on hydrodynamic data as well as the results of the water quality survey carried out in the last five years. The model revealed significant decrease in the magnitude of pollutant loads in the upper layer at the exit into The Marmara Sea providing numerical proof that no pollutant transport would take place from sewage discharges to the upper layer. A similar modelling approach was implemented at the Bosphorus/Marmara interface, a significant hotspot as it included two major deep marine outfalls.

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Purpose: Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) are at high risk for financial toxicity (FT), but the nature, extent, and predictors of FT experienced after primary radiation therapy (RT) or surgery are poorly understood.

Methods And Materials: We used a population-based sample of patients from the Texas Cancer Registry with stage I to III OPSCC diagnosed from 2006 to 2016 and treated with primary RT or surgery. Of 1,668 eligible patients, 1,600 were sampled, 400 responded, and 396 confirmed OPSCC.

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The study is to incorporate polarized hyperspectral imaging (PHSI) with deep learning for automatic detection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissue slides. A polarized hyperspectral imaging microscope had been developed in our group. In this paper, we firstly collected the Stokes vector data cubes (S0, S1, S2, and S3) of histologic slides from 17 patients with SCC by the PHSI microscope, under the wavelength range from 467 nm to 750 nm.

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We developed a polarized hyperspectral microscope to collect four types of Stokes vector data cubes (S0, S1, S2, and S3) of the pathologic slides with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Our system consists of an optical light microscope with a movable stage, two polarizers, two liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVRs), and a SnapScan hyperspectral camera. The polarizers and LCVRs work in tandem with the hyperspectral camera to acquire polarized hyperspectral images.

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Expressing Left-Right relations is challenging for speaking-children. Yet, this challenge was absent for signing-children, possibly due to iconicity in the visual-spatial modality of expression. We investigate whether there is also a modality advantage when speaking-children's co-speech gestures are considered.

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Lactate is a key metabolite produced from glycolytic metabolism of glucose molecules, yet it also serves as a primary carbon fuel source for many cell types. In the tumor-immune microenvironment, effect of lactate on cancer and immune cells can be highly complex and hard to decipher, which is further confounded by acidic protons, a co-product of glycolysis. Here we show that lactate is able to increase stemness of CD8 T cells and augments anti-tumor immunity.

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Purpose: To characterize the significance of patient-level influences, including smoking history, on oncologic outcomes in human papillomavirus (HPV)-mediated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC).

Materials And Methods: A bi-institutional retrospective cohort study of previously untreated, HPV+ OPC patients who underwent curative treatment from 1/1/2008 to 7/1/2018 was performed. The primary outcome was disease-free survival (DFS) and the primary exposure was ≤10 versus >10-pack-year (PY)-smoking history.

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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore adherence to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) Survivorship Care Guideline and their outlined 33 recommendations among posttreatment HNC survivors.

Methods: A bi-institutional, retrospective, nested cohort study of mucosal or salivary gland HNC survivors diagnosed in 2018 was designed. Guideline adherence was assessed via retrospective chart review between 0 and 13 months after completion of oncologic treatment according to 4 categories: (1) problem assessed, (2) problem diagnosed, (3) management offered; (4) problem treated.

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