Pathological and molecular studies on elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus haemorrhagic disease among captive and free-range Asian elephants in India.

In the present research pathology and molecular diagnosis of elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus-haemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) among Asian elephants was studied. Out of 76 cases, 20 were positive for EEHV infection in PANPOL and POL1 based semi-nested PCR. Out of 20 samples, 10 samples were fatal cases of EEHV-HD while 10 were of either subclinical or latent infection. Acute onset haemorrhagic disease with EEHV-HD had anorexia, facial and neck swelling, cyanotic buccal mucosa and tongue, nasal and ocular discharge, and colic. The hallmark of gross finding in all cases were severe haemorrhagic lesions in the internal organs viz. cyanosis of tongue with multifocal petechial haemorrhages, diffuse epicardial and endocardial haemorrhages, swollen liver (rounded edges) with parenchymal haemorrhages, serosal and mucosal haemorrhages in gastrointestinal tract, congested kidneys with corticomedullary haemorrhages, highly congested meninges, and brain capillaries with haemorrhages. Microscopic findings in all the cases had severe vascular changes in the visceral organs. Microthrombi was present in the vasculature of tongue, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and brain. The endothelial lining of most of the blood vessels were swollen with apoptotic changes. Amphophilic to basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed in the endothelial cells. Immunostaining using anti-EEHV DNAPOL hyperimmune sera revealed intense positive signals in the endothelium of blood vessels and their walls. Quantification of viral load in necropsy tissue samples revealed highest in the heart (7.4 × 106/µg of sample) and least in the brain (9 × 103/µg of sample). The PCR amplicons from EEHV1 specific genes (POL1(U38) and TER were subjected to partial genome sequencing which had 99.9% similarity with the EEHV1A subtype. It was concluded that Asian elephants in India are latently infected for EEHV1 and in all the fatal EEHV-HD cases, EEHV1A subtype was the causative agent with characteristic pathomorphological changes in visceral organs.

An outlook on procedures of conjugating folate to (co)polymers and drugs for effective cancer targeting.

Folate receptors (FRs) are expressed in vast majority of cancers. Selective targeting of the FRs is, therefore, one of the most popular and sought-after strategies for improving the efficacy of cancer therapeutics. Variety of approaches involving folate conjugation to several well-known and novel, nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible (co)polymers have been attempted and successfully applied to a large number of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (micelles, liposomes, nanoparticles, quantum dots, mesoporous silica-based materials, and others) in the last decade-and-a-half. Standard and novel synthetic approaches were utilized for the conjugation, followed by the formulation of the drug delivery modality. In most of the cases, the targeted system lived up to its reputation, validating its usefulness in targeted cancer therapeutics. The present review summarizes the progress and state-of-the-art synthetic methodologies for folate conjugation to (co)polymers, drugs, and nucleic acids. The limitations of the FR targeting are discussed in brief to give the reader the other side of the story. Finally, the information on marketed folic acid conjugates highlight their industrial applications.

Phonons, phase transitions and thermal expansion in LiAlO2: an ab initio density functional study.

We have used the ab initio density functional theory technique to understand the phase transitions and structural changes in various high temperature/pressure phases of LiAlO2. The electronic band structure as well as phonon spectra is calculated for various phases as a function of pressure. The phonon entropy used for the calculations of Gibbs free energy is found to play an important role in the phase stability and phase transitions among various phases. A sudden increase in the polyhedral bond lengths (Li/Al-O) signifies the change from the tetrahedral to octahedral geometry at high-pressure phase transitions. The activation energy barrier for the high-pressure phase transitions is calculated. The phonon modes responsible for the phase transition (upon heating) from high pressure phases to ambient pressure phases are identified. Moreover, ab initio lattice dynamics calculations in the framework of quasi-harmonic approximations are used to study the anisotropic thermal expansion behavior of γ-LiAlO2.

Investigating anomalous thermal expansion of copper halides by inelastic neutron scattering and ab initio phonon calculations.

We investigate the detailed lattice dynamics of copper halides, CuX (X = Cl, Br, and I), using neutron inelastic scattering measurements and ab initio calculations aimed at a comparative study of their thermal expansion behavior. We identify the low energy phonons which soften with pressure and are responsible for negative thermal expansion. The eigenvector analysis of these modes suggests that softening of the transverse-acoustic modes would lead to NTE in these compounds. The calculations are in very good agreement with our measurements of phonon spectra and thermal expansion behavior as reported in the literature. Our calculations at high pressure further reveal that a large difference in negative thermal expansion behavior in these compounds is associated with the difference in the unit cell volume.

Utility of Superiorly Based Masseter Muscle Flap for Postablative Retromaxillary Reconstruction.

PURPOSE: Resections in the posterior component of the oral cavity usually lead to severe functional compromise and lower quality of life for patients. Notable advances in reconstruction of the posterior part of the mouth and of the oropharynx have occurred in recent decades. The anatomic and physiologic rehabilitation of the defect to a reasonable outcome with low morbidity and mortality remains the founding basis of any surgical reconstruction, which also holds true for oral oropharyngeal and retromaxillary reconstructions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review study of all patients who underwent surgery for retromaxillary malignancy at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Swargiya Dadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti Dental College and Hospital (Nagpur, India) from 2006 to 2015 was performed. Patients underwent selective neck dissection of levels I to IV using wide local excision. The decision for the type of maxillary resection (marginal ostectomy, partial posterior maxillectomy, or hemimaxillectomy) depended on the degree of osseous infiltration of the tumor. Reconstruction was performed in all cases using the regional masseter muscle flap and advancement of the palatal flap into the defect. The necessary findings and observations were tabulated. RESULTS: Of 76 patients who presented at the hospital, 69 had biopsy specimens positive for squamous cell carcinoma and 7 had biopsy specimens positive for verrucous carcinoma. Twenty-three patients with lesions extending and encroaching into the infratemporal fossa or skull base, distant metastasis, or guarded prognosis were not included in the study. Also excluded from the study were those patients in whom flaps other than the masseteric flap were used primarily for reconstruction. In the remaining 53 patients who underwent resection of retromaxillary malignancy with masseter muscle reconstruction, 48 showed a satisfactory outcome. Postoperative infection was noted in 5 patients and 2 of these patients needed debridement. Postoperative wound contracture with muscular spasm and decreased mouth opening in the early postoperative period were a general observation. In all patients, the vitality of the flap was excellent, with epithelization and adequate mouth opening within 3 weeks. Postoperative speech, swallowing, and facial esthetics were satisfactory and acceptable. CONCLUSION: The masseter muscle flap is a promising reconstruction alternative for retromaxillary reconstruction because of advantages such as regional access, ease of harvesting, optimum bulk, flexibility, pliability for larger defects, and minimum postoperative morbidity.

What accounts for ethnic differences in newborn skinfold thickness comparing South Asians and White Caucasians? Findings from the START and FAMILY Birth Cohorts.

OBJECTIVE: South Asians are a high-risk group for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. We sought to determine ethnic differences in newborn adiposity comparing South Asians (SA) to White Caucasians (Whites). METHODS: Seven hundred ninety pregnant women (401 SA, 389 Whites) and their full-term offspring from two birth cohorts in Canada were analyzed. Pregnant women completed a health assessment including a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test to assess for dysglycemia. Birthweight, length, waist and hip circumference, and triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness (a surrogate measure of body adiposity) were measured in all newborns. Multivariate regression was used to identify maternal factors associated with newborn skinfold measurements. RESULTS: South Asian women were younger (30.1 vs 31.8 years, P<0.001), their prepregnancy body mass index was lower (23.7 vs 26.2, P<0.0001) and gestational diabetes was substantially higher (21% vs 13%, P=0.005) compared with Whites. Among full-term newborns, South Asians had lower birthweight (3283 vs 3517 g, P=0.0001), had greater skinfold thickness (11.7 vs 10.6 mm; P=0.0001) and higher waist circumference (31.1 vs 29.9 cm, P=0.0001) compared with Whites. Risk factors for newborn skinfold thickness included South Asian ethnicity (standardized estimate (s.e.): 0.24; P<0.0001), maternal glucose (s.e.: 0.079; P=0.04) and maternal body fat (s.e.: 0.14; P=0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: South Asian newborns are lower birthweight and have greater skinfold thickness, compared with White newborns, and this is influenced by maternal body fat and glucose. Interventions aimed at reducing body fat prior to pregnancy and gestational diabetes during pregnancy in South Asians may favorably alter newborn body composition and require evaluation.

Extraction of nano-crystalline cellulose for development of aerogel: Structural, morphological and antibacterial analysis.

In the present decades, nanocellulose has been very popular in the field of nanotechnology and is receiving much attention from researchers because of its advantageous physicochemical properties, high aspect ratio, and high specific strength and modulus. The available non-eco-friendly conventional methods for the extraction of nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC) use highly concentrated chemicals and are time-consuming as well. The present adopted cost-effective method for the extraction of nano-crystalline cellulose involves minimum usage of chemicals and is environmentally friendly and relatively fast compared to other conventional methods. The nano-crystalline cellulose from sisal (NCC-S) fibers were extracted by steam explosion-assisted mild concentrated chemical treatments followed by mechanical grinding. The Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization confirmed the size of extracted NCC-S. A high aspect ratio was observed as 19.23, which signifies it could be a promising reinforcing material in developing nanocomposites for advanced applications. An increase in crystallinity and the removal of amorphous materials for NCC-S were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, respectively. Antibacterial study shows that NCC-S did not show any antibacterial properties against E. coli and S. aureus. The calculated yield of extracted nanocellulose was about 50 %. The aerogel with a porosity of 95.1 % and a density of 0.075 g/cm3 was prepared by vacuum freeze-drying method using extracted nanocellulose and chitosan. The cross-linking network structure and thermal stability of the aerogel were also confirmed by FTIR and TGA analysis respectively.

An efficient approach to extract nanocrystalline cellulose from sisal fibers: Structural, morphological, thermal and antibacterial analysis.

Nanocellulose has been proposed by many researchers as a suitable bio-reinforcement material for the development of sustainable bio-nanocomposites in advanced applications due to its excellent properties. Conventional techniques for extracting nanocellulose from plant biomass are time-consuming and involve chemical wastage. This study aims to extract nanocellulose using simple processes with minimal consumption of chemicals in a minimum time. In the present work, cellulose nanocrystalline has been extracted from sisal fibers efficiently by chemical treatment assisted with steam explosion and mechanical grinding. The morphology of extracted sisal cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC-S) was analyzed by FESEM, whereas the DLS, TEM and AFM confirmed its nanosize. The average aspect ratio and zeta potential (ζ) of CNC-S were measured as 7.4 and -14.3 mV, respectively. The XRD analysis indicated that the crystallinity of the fibers considerably improved from 48.74 % for untreated fibers (UT-S) to 74.28 % for CNC-S. The chemical structure of the fibers was changed as hemicellulose and lignin were found to be eliminated after the chemical treatment which FTIR confirmed. From TGA-DTG results, it was observed that CNC-S has good thermal stability. It was also noticed that CNC-S did not show any antibacterial properties against E. coli and S. aureus due to the complete removal of lignin. This study suggests that the present extraction process can be considered as an efficient process to convert fibers into high performance nanocellulose to be used as potential reinforcing material in advanced applications.

Role of pinch in Argon impurity transport in ohmic discharges of Aditya-U Tokamak.

We present experimental results of the trace argon impurity puffing in the ohmic plasmas of Aditya-U tokamak performed to study the argon transport behaviour. Argon line emissions in visible and Vacuum Ultra Violet (VUV) spectral ranges arising from the plasma edge and core respectively are measured simultaneously. During the experiments, space resolved brightness profile of Ar1+ line emissions at 472.69 nm (3p44s 2P3/2-3p44p 2D3/2), 473.59 nm (3p44s 4P5/2-3p44p 4P3/2), 476.49 nm (3p44s 2P1/2-3p44p 2P3/2), 480.60 nm (3p44s 4P5/2-3p44p 4P5/2) are recorded using a high resolution visible spectrometer. Also, a VUV spectrometer has been used to simultaneously observe Ar13+ line emission at 18.79 nm (2s22p 2P3/2-2s2p2 2P3/2) and Ar14+ line emission at 22.11 nm (2s2 1S0-2s2p 1P1). The diffusivity and convective velocity of Ar are obtained by comparing the measured radial emissivity profile of Ar1+ emission and the line intensity ratio of Ar13+ and Ar14+ ions, with those simulated using the impurity transport code, STRAHL. Argon diffusivities ~ 12 m2/s and ~ 0.3 m2/s have been observed in the edge (ρ > 0.85) and core region of the Aditya-U, respectively. The diffusivity values both in the edge and core region are found to be higher than the neo-classical values suggesting that the argon impurity transport is mainly anomalous in the Aditya-U tokamak. Also, an inward pinch of ~ 10 m/s mainly driven by Ware pinch is required to match the measured and simulated data. The measured peaked profile of Ar density suggests impurity accumulation in these discharges.

A simple screening method for individuals at risk of developing type 1 diabetes: measurement of islet cell autoantibodies (GADA, IA-2A, and IAA) on dried capillary blood spots collected on filter paper.

There is limited information regarding the use of dried capillary blood spots collected on a filter paper (FP) to test for islet cell antibodies. The aim of this study was to validate the use of dried capillary blood spots collected on a FP for the analysis of islet cell antibodies. FP eluates were tested using both single and combined assay for antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA) and/or to the protein tyrosine phosphatase like IA-2 (IA-2A), and a single assay for antibodies to insulin (IAA). The results were compared with those of serum assays. Ninety-one subjects were studied. Forty had Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and 51 were first-degree relatives (FDR) of patients with T1DM. The GADA and IA-2A were measured by radio-binding assays, which utilize 35S-labeled GAD65 and IA-2. IAA was measured by a microtiter plate assay using 125I-labeled insulin. Twenty-six of those with T1DM (65%) and 5 of the FDRs (10%) had at least 1 positive test on the single serum assays. The FP combi-assay for GADA and IA-2A had 97.8% concordance rate when compared with serum single assays for GADA and IA-2A. The concordance rate for individual assays were 96.7% for GADA, and 100% for both IA-2A and IAA There was significant correlation of the antibody levels between FP and serum specimen for all 3 antibodies. We conclude that antibody screening performed using dried capillary blood spots collected on a FP correlates well with serum assays, and provides an easy alternative for population screening.

Large area multi-filamentary plasma source for large volume plasma device-upgrade.

This paper discusses the salient features and plasma performance of the newly installed Large Area Multi-Filamentary Plasma Source (LAMPS) in large volume plasma device-upgrade. The plasma source is designed to exhibit a plasma electron density of ∼1018 m-3, low electron temperature (∼eV), and a uniform plasma cross section of 2.54 m2. The directly heated LAMPS emits accelerated primary energetic electrons when it is biased with a negative discharge voltage with respect to the anode. The hairpin shaped tungsten (W) filaments, each of diameter 0.5 mm and length 180 mm, are heated to a temperature of 2700 K by feeding ∼19.5A to each filament. The LAMPS consists of 162 numbers of filaments, and it has been successfully operated with a total investment of 50 kW of electrical power. The LAMPS as a laboratory plasma source is characterized by large operational life, ease of handling, better compatibility to high pressure conditions, and advantages over other contemporary plasma sources, viz., oxide coated cathodes, RF based sources, and helicon sources, when producing plasma over large cross sections and fill volumes. Pulsed argon plasma is produced with quiescence (δnene≪1%) using LAMPS for the duration of 50 ms and a reasonably good radial uniformity (Ln = 210 cm) is achieved. Good axial uniformity is also observed over the entire length of the device. Initial measurements on plasma parameters have yielded plasma density of ∼2×1017m-3 with existing set of filaments. A plasma density of ∼1018 m-3 is envisaged for larger thickness of filaments, such as 0.75 and 1.0 mm, with the existing plasma source assembly setup.

Investigating the effect of density variation on pitch angle scattering events of runaway electrons as observed through electron cyclotron emission diagnostic at Aditya-upgrade tokamak.

Nascent observations about the influence of kinetic instabilities on electron cyclotron emission (ECE) from runaway electrons (REs) have been detected and explored at the Aditya-Upgrade (Aditya-U) tokamak. The developed broadband ECE radiometer system offers wideband measurements by integrating several radio frequency units with a fixed intermediate frequency receiver with multiple channels, which is a novel approach to meet the needs of the localized measurements at various toroidal fields and extend the system dynamic range. The low density (ne ≤ 1 × 10-19 m-3) plasma discharges at Aditya-U are consistently accompanied by a 20%-40% increase in the ECE radiometer signal amplitude within 100 µs and sporadic step-like modulations. The Pitch Angle Scattering (PAS) of REs induced by kinetic instabilities is a potential candidate for their occurrence. This steep jump in the radiometer signals was detected due to its high temporal resolution of 10 µs. A "PREDICT" code that employs the relativistic test particle model validates these experimental findings of the radiometer diagnostic for the first time for Aditya-U tokamak. Preliminary observations of the ECE radiometer signals also show that additional gas puffs can be used to vary the trigger timings of such PAS events or even lead to their complete avoidance.

Initial results from time-resolved LaBr based hard x-ray spectrometer for ADITYA-U tokamak.

Runaway electrons (REs) are passively studied by hard x-ray (HX) emissions generated by REs. A LaBr3(Ce) detector-based HX spectroscopic diagnostic (operational within ∼75 keV to 3.5 MeV) has been set up on the ADITYA-U. The diagnostic acquisition software utility is upgraded to obtain the temporal evolution of the HX spectrum to understand the RE energy distribution in plasma during its various phases. The peak position moves to lower energy for Ohmically heated discharges (200-80 keV), indicating a relative increase in the thermal particle content in the plasma. The peak position of RE energy shows a decreasing tendency with increasing ne with Ne gas puffing and termination of the electron cyclotron resonance pulse.

Distribution and molecular characterisation of Lactobacilli in the oral cavity of children.

BACKGROUND: Dental caries is a chronic and multifactorial disease mainly caused by microorganisms that are accumulated on soft and hard tissues of oral cavity. Lactobacillus is one of that kind, produces acid after metabolic breakdown of dietary sugar and reduces the pH of oral environment, resulting in teeth demineralisation or dental caries. AIM: The present study focuses on the distribution and characterisation of lactobacilli in the oral cavity of children which are associated with dental caries formation. METHODS: Total 116 swab samples were collected from different age groups of children by swabbing the caries surface of teeth. Physiological, morphological and biochemical characteristics of Lactobacillus were analysed. Whole cell protein profiling using SDS-PAGE was also performed for their characterisation. Molecular characterisation of selected isolates was done using 16S-rRNA sequencing for identification. RESULTS: Total 269 isolates were successfully isolated and identified by physiological and biochemical tests according to Bergey's Manual Systematic Bacteriology, which belongs to the seven species of Lactobacillus i.e., L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. delbrueckii, L. helveticus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. salivarius. All the isolates were further differentiated by whole cell proteins profiling and species level identification was done by 16S-rRNA gene sequencing method. CONCLUSIONS: The present study, suggested that the occurrence of the species of Lactobacillus changes with the age of the individual, but L. rhamnosus (20.54%) and L. acidophilus (18.21%) were abundantly found in age group of 3-12 yr which could be the possible causative agent of dental caries formation in the children of Central India.

Sex Determination in Western Indian Population by Limb Measurements.

For individual identification, the principal biological element is sex determination from disfigured and amputated limbs or body fragments in forensic investigation. Diverse dimensions and proportions affect the anthropometric assessment of sex in different populations. A cross-sectional study was conducted during July 2014 to June 2016 on five hundred and four healthy individuals of age-group 22-40 years of Western India to see the degree of sexual dimorphism in limb measurements. The forearm length, whole upper limb length, tibial length and whole lower limb length of both sides were measured by the universal anthropometric criteria. Demarking points, sexual dimorphism indices and discriminant functions were developed for each measurement. The sexual dimorphism was observed in all variables and males have a higher value than females (p<0.001). The tibial length showed the highest accuracy in sex determination and the highest sexual dimorphism, followed by whole lower limb length. The range of Cross-validated sex classification precision was between 58-90% for the individual variables, 91.7% for the stepwise method and 95.4% for all measurements taken together. The established prototypes delivered effective and consistent sex estimates with high precision rates and low prediction errors.

Two-Point versus Three-Point Fixation in the Management of Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures: A Comparative Study.

Introduction: The zygoma plays an important role in the facial contour for both cosmetic and functional reasons; therefore, zygomatic bone injuries should be properly diagnosed and adequately treated. Comparison of various surgical approaches and their complications can only be done objectively using outcome measurements that require a protocol for management and long-term follow-up. The objectives of this study were to compare the efficacy of zygomatic bone after treatment with open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) using two-point fixation and ORIF using three-point fixation and compare the outcome of two procedures. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients were randomly divided equally into two groups. In Group A, ten patients were treated by ORIF using two-point fixation by miniplates and in Group B, ten patients were treated by ORIF using three-point fixation by miniplates. They were evaluated with their advantages and disadvantages and the difference between the two groups was observed. Results: We found that postoperative facial and neurological complications are minimum in two-point fixation group. Based on this study, open reduction and internal fixation using two-point fixation by miniplates is sufficient and the best available treatment of choice for the management of zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures. Discussion: Alignment of the fracture at three points and fixation at two stable points provide the most accurate and satisfactory postoperative results. Two-point interosseous fixation at the "buttress" fracture and the frontozygomatic (FZ) fracture is suitable for routine surgery. The results of these studies confirm with the present study that two-point fixation provided better stability in patients with clinical and radiological evidence of fracture in FZ and zygomaticomaxillary buttress area.

Microsphere antioxidant and sustained erythropoietin-R76E release functions cooperate to reduce traumatic optic neuropathy.

Wild-type erythropoietin (EPO) is promising for neuroprotection, but its therapeutic use is limited because it causes a systemic rise in hematocrit. We have developed an EPO-R76E derivative that maintains neuroprotective function without effects on hematocrit, but this protein has a short half-life in vivo. Here, we compare the efficacy and carrier-induced inflammatory response of two polymeric microparticle (MP) EPO-R76E sustained release formulations based on conventional hydrolytically degradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-degradable poly(propylene sulfide) (PPS). Both MP types effectively loaded EPO-R76E and achieved sustained release, providing detectable levels of EPO-R76E at the injection site in the eye in vivo for at least 28 days. Testing in an in vitro oxidative stress assay and a mouse model of blast-induced indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (bITON) showed that PPS and PLGA MP-mediated delivery of EPO-R76E provided therapeutic protection. While unloaded PLGA MPs inherently increase levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bITON model, drug-free PPS MPs have innate antioxidant properties that provide therapeutic benefit both in vitro and in vivo. Both PLGA and PPS MPs enabled sustained release of EPO-R76E, providing therapeutic benefits including reduction in inflammation and axon degeneration, and preservation of visual function as measured by electroretinogram. The PPS-based MP platform is especially promising for further development, as the delivery system provides inherent antioxidant benefits that can be harnessed to work in complement with EPO-R76E or other drugs for neuroprotection in the setting of traumatic eye injury.

Relationship of depth of invasion to survival outcomes and patterns of recurrence for T3 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Current research is elucidating how the addition of depth of invasion (DOI) to the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma influences its prognostic accuracy. However, there is limited research on survival in pT3N0M0 oral tongue SCC (OTSCC) patients when stratifying by DOI. OBJECTIVES: Determine 5-year overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) for patients with pT3N0M0 oral OTSCC based on shallow DOI (<10 mm) and deep DOI (10-20 mm). METHODS: Retrospective review involving three tertiary care cancer centers in North America. cT3N0M0 OTSCC patients receiving primary surgical treatment from 2004 to 2018 were identified. Inclusion: age > 18 years old and confirmation of pT3N0M0 OTSCC on surgical pathology. Exclusion: patients undergoing palliative treatment or previous head and neck surgery/radiotherapy. Analysis comprised two groups: shallow pT3 (tumor diameter > 4 cm, DOI < 10 mm) and deep pT3 (DOI 10 mm-20 mm). RESULTS: One hundred and four patients with pT3N0M0 OTSCC were included. Mean age was 59.1 years (range: 18-80.74). Age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). Recurrence, LVI, PNI, and positive margins were more common in deep T3 tumors (P < 0.05). 5-year OS (50% vs 26%, p = 0.006) and CSS (72% vs 24%, p = 0.005) were worse in deep pT3 tumors. Deep pT3 disease was an independent predictor of OS (p = 0.004) and CSS (p = 0.01) on Cox-Regression analysis. CONCLUSION: DOI is an independent predictor of poor survival in pT3N0M0 OTSCC patients. Consideration should be given to escalating adjuvant therapy for deep pT3N0M0 OTSCC patients.

Structural, elastic, vibrational and optical properties of energetic material octanitrocubane studied from first-principles theory.

We present a thorough density functional theory based computational study of crystalline properties of cubane caged potential energetic material octanitrocubane (ONC). As expected for a layered molecular solid, van der Waals corrections are inevitable and the same has been incorporated to capture the ground state properties more accurately. Study of Born effective charge and zone centered phonon frequencies using density functional perturbation theory reveals the important role of N2, N4 type nitrogen and associated oxygen atoms in contributing to the high intensity infrared modes. From the calculated electronic band structure we can conclude that ONC is an insulator with a band gap of 5.31 eV. The optical properties of ONC are found to be nearly isotropic in low energy region in spite of strong anisotropic crystal structure.