High Superior-Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor Muscle Mean Dose Correlates with Severe Late Lung Infection and Survival in Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients.

Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate 1) the correlation of doses of swallowing-related organs at risk (OAR) with severe swallowing-related late adverse effects (AE) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and 2) the effect of high mean doses of OARs on overall survival (OS).

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled non-metastatic Stage I-IV NPC patients from January 2012 to June 2017. OAR mean doses and severe (≥G3) swallowing-related late AE (xerostomia, dysphagia, and lung infection) were evaluated by -test and validated using receiver operating characteristic curves.

Contralateral lymph node recurrence rate and its prognostic factors in stage IVA-B well-lateralized oral cavity cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the contralateral lymph node recurrence rate (clLNRR) of stage IVA to IVB well-lateralized oral cavity cancer. To evaluate the risk factors of clLNRR.

Materials And Methods: Pathologic stage IVA-B squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity, originating from buccal mucosa, gingiva, or retromolar trigone were retrospectively recruited.

[An experience applying the teaching strategies of cooperative learning and creative thinking in a mental-health nursing practicum for undergraduates at a technical college].

Lack of knowledge and experience is prevalent in undergraduate students who are taking their clinical practicum for mental-health nursing. This issue negatively affects the learning process. This article shares an experience of implementing a practicum-teaching program.

Influence of prenatal nicotine exposure on development of the ventilatory response to hypoxia and hypercapnia in neonatal rats.

In a recent study (Huang YH et al. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 143: 1-8, 2004), we showed that prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) increased the frequency of spontaneous apneic events on the first 2 days of life in unanesthetized neonatal rats. Here we test the hypothesis that PNE blunts chemoreceptor reflexes.

Anatomic consequences of intrinsic tongue muscle activation.

We recently showed respiratory-related coactivation of both extrinsic and intrinsic tongue muscles in the rat. Here, we test the hypothesis that intrinsic tongue muscles contribute importantly to changes in velopharyngeal airway volume. Spontaneously breathing anesthetized rats were placed in a MRI scanner.

Influence of prenatal nicotine exposure on postnatal development of breathing pattern.

To determine if prenatal nicotine exposure alters the postnatal development of the ventilatory pattern and the frequency and duration of apneas, we recorded respiratory airflow with head-out body plethysmography in awake neonates on postnatal days 1, 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18. Data from 12 nicotine-exposed animals were compared with data from 12 saline-exposed animals. Nicotine (6 mg/kg of nicotine tartrate per day) or saline exposure was induced by osmotic minipumps that were implanted subdermally on the fifth day of gestation in Sprague-Dawley Dams.