Sarcopenia accompanied by systemic inflammation can predict clinical outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing curative therapy.

Objectives: Evaluation of sarcopenia accompanied by systemic inflammation status is a more beneficial prognostic marker than sarcopenia alone in various cancers. However, few studies have focused on this combination in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). In this study, we investigated how the combination of sarcopenia and systemic inflammation could affect survival in patients with HNSCC. Moreover, we explored which systemic inflammation markers could be better prognostic indicators when accompanied by sarcopenia. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with HNSCC treated between 2012 and 2016. Sarcopenia was defined by the skeletal muscle area measured on a computed tomography image slice at the level of the third cervical vertebra. The neutrophil/lymphocyte, platelet/lymphocyte, and lymphocyte/monocyte ratios (NLR, PLR, and LMR, respectively) were used as systemic inflammation markers that were combined with sarcopenia to evaluate prognosis. Results: A total of 100 patients were enrolled, and 71 patients were considered sarcopenia. Patients with sarcopenia had significantly lower LMR and higher NLR and PLR. They also showed worse overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The comparative assessment of multiple combination patterns of sarcopenia and systemic inflammation indices proved that sarcopenia plus LMR considered as most reliable indicator for prognosis in HNSCC patients. Sarcopenia plus low LMR was a significantly poor prognostic factor both for OS and PFS with greater HR values than sarcopenia alone. Conclusions: The combination of sarcopenia and LMR was considered the most sensitive prognostic factor in patients with HNSCC, suggesting it might be beneficial for identifying poor outcome risks.

Utility and optimal management of planned drug holidays during lenvatinib treatment in patients with unresectable differentiated thyroid cancer: a real-world multi-center study.

PURPOSE: Lenvatinib achieves favorable therapeutic outcomes for patients with radioactive iodine therapy refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC); however, its use is associated with a high incidence of adverse events. To avoid severe adverse events, planned drug holidays (PDH) have been proposed. This study aimed to evaluate treatment effects, identify prognostic factors, and investigate the usefulness of PDH in patients with unresectable DTC who received lenvatinib across the multi-institutions. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with unresectable DTC treated with lenvatinib were evaluated retrospectively. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated, and prognostic factors were assessed. OS, PFS, and time to treatment failure (TTF) were compared between patients with and without PDH. Lenvatinib administration schedule was evaluated in PDH. RESULTS: The 3-year OS and PFS rate were 53.5% and 42.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that presence of maximum size of lung metastasis ≥10 mm was independent prognostic factor for poorer OS and PFS, and histology other than papillary thyroid carcinoma was the independent prognostic factor for poorer PFS. Twenty-five patients (49%) treated with PDH. There were significant differences in OS, PFS, and TTF between patients with and without PDH. Various schedules were used in PDH. Eight (32%) patients required switch to the different administration schedule. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that PDHs may extend OS, PFS, and TTF. In patients with PDH, various schedules used for lenvatinib administration highlight the difficulty in determining a uniform administration schedule. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the optimal lenvatinib administration schedule on a case-by-case basis.

Bilobed Flap for Reconstruction of Skin Defects after Excision of Parotid Carcinoma: A Case Report.

OBJECTIVES: Local flaps, pedicled flaps, and free flaps are used to reconstruct medium-sized skin defects after excision of parotid carcinoma. The bilobed flap is a local flap primarily used by plastic surgeons for small defects of nasal skin. We report a case of parotid carcinoma with skin infiltration successfully treated by skin reconstruction with a bilobed flap. METHODS: An 84-year-old man presented with a parotid mass he had noticed 2 months earlier. Parotid carcinoma with skin infiltration was diagnosed and he underwent radical surgery. The skin defect was round (diameter, 6 cm) and was resected and reconstructed with a bilobed flap designed to be caudal to the defect. RESULTS: Postoperative facial nerve palsy improved within 6 months. The postoperative course was otherwise uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 7. Pathological examination revealed a sarcomatoid salivary duct carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Bilobed flaps are useful for reconstructing skin defects with a diameter of 6 cm or less.

A large deletion within intron 20 sequence of single-copy PolA1 gene as a useful marker for the speciation in Oryza AA-genome species.

Oryza AA-genome complex comprises five wild species, O. rufipogon, O. barthii, O. longistaminata, O. glumaepatula, and O. meridionalis. Evolutionary relationships among these five wild species have remained contentious and inconclusive. We found that intron 20 of PolA1, a single-copy nuclear gene, was short (S-type: 141-142 bp) in O. rufipogon, O. barthii, and O. glumaepatula, while long (L-type: ca. 1.5 kb) introns were apparent in O. longistaminata and O. meridionalis. Because Oryza species containing BB, CC, EE, FF, and GG genome showed L-type introns, the S-type intron was probably derived from the L-type intron by the deletion of a 1.4 kb fragment through intramolecular homologous recombination between two tandem TTTTGC repeats. Excluding the large deletion sequence, intron 20 sequence of O. barthii was identical to that of O. longistaminata. As more than 3,470 accessions of O. rufipogon and O. sativa also contained the same intron 20 sequence with O. longistaminata except for single T-nucleotide deletion, which was shared with O. glumaepatuala, the deletion of the T-nucleotide probably occurred in the L-type intron 20 of O. logistaminata. Deletions of a large 1.4 kb fragment and single T-nucleotide within the intron 20 of PolA1 gene were considered as useful DNA markers to study the evolutionary relationships among Oryza AA-genome species.

Volume-Outcome Relationship in Cancer Survival Rates: Analysis of a Regional Population-Based Cancer Registry in Japan.

BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the relationship between hospital volumes and outcomes with respect to cancer survival in Japan. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hospital volume on cancer survival rate using a population-based cohort database. METHODS: Using the Kanagawa cancer registry, propensity score matching was employed to create a dataset for each cancer type by selecting 1:1 matches for cases from high- and other-volume hospitals. The 5-year survival rate was estimated and the hazard ratio (HR) for hospital volume was calculated using a Cox proportional hazard model. Additional analyses were performed limited to cancer patients who underwent surgical operation, chemotherapy, and other treatments in each tumor stage and at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS: The number of cases with complete data, defined as common cancers (prostate, kidney, bladder, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, colon, breast, and lung), was 181,039. Adjusted HR differed significantly among hospital volume categories for the most common cancers except bladder, and the trends varied according to cancer type. The HR ranged from 0.76 (95%CI, 0.74-0.79) for stomach cancer to 0.85 (0.81-0.90) for colon cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that a relationship may exist between hospital volume and cancer survival in Japan.

Raman Fingerprints of Rice Nutritional Quality: A Comparison between Japanese Koshihikari and Internationally Renowned Cultivars.

Raman spectroscopy was applied to characterize at the molecular scale the nutritional quality of the Japanese Koshihikari rice cultivar in comparison with other renowned rice cultivars including Carnaroli from Italy, Calrose from the USA, Jasmine rice from Thailand, and Basmati from both India and Pakistan. For comparison, two glutinous (mochigome) cultivars were also investigated. Calibrated and validated Raman analytical algorithms allowed quantitative determinations of: (i) amylopectin and amylose concentrations, (ii) fractions of aromatic amino acids, and (iii) protein content and secondary structure. The Raman assessments non-destructively linked the molecular composition of grains to key nutritional parameters and revealed a complex intertwine of chemical properties. The Koshihikari cultivar was rich in proteins (but with low statistical relevance as compared to other investigated cultivars) and aromatic amino acids. However, it also induced a clearly higher glycemic impact as compared to long-grain cultivars from Asian countries. Complementary to genomics and wet-chemistry analyses, Raman spectroscopy makes non-destructively available factual and data-driven information on rice nutritional characteristics, thus providing customers, dietitian nutritionists, and producers with a solid science-consolidated platform.

Trapezius muscle branch of the spinal accessory nerve without penetrating the sternocleidomastoid muscle as a pitfall in neck dissection: prevalence in a Japanese institution and a protocol for the prevention of iatrogenic injury.

BACKGROUND: The spinal accessory nerve (SAN) has several anatomical variations, which may be a pitfall in neck dissection (ND). These include the trapezius muscle branch (TB), which stems from the common trunk before entering the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM). AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of this variation and suggest a protocol for preventing unexpected injury of the TB in ND. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study for 93 patients who had undergone neck dissection (117 sides) without resection of the SCM nor SAN. We recorded the division of the TB after and before penetration of the SCM by the common trunk (penetrating type TB [PTB]) and non-penetrating type TB [NPTB], respectively). RESULTS: Among NDs, PTB and NPTB were observed in 61 (52%) and 56 (48%) sides, respectively. In the subgroup of 24 cases with bilateral ND, PTB/PTB, NPTB/NPTB, and NPTB/PTB were observed in eight (33%), nine (38%), and seven (29%) cases, respectively. The prevalence of PTB/NPTB did not differ according to age, sex, or laterality. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: NPTB is a common anatomical variation. The presence or absence of a branch from the common trunk must be initially checked to avoid unexpected damage to the TB.

Raman Molecular Fingerprints of Rice Nutritional Quality and the Concept of Raman Barcode.

The nutritional quality of rice is contingent on a wide spectrum of biochemical characteristics, which essentially depend on rice genome, but are also greatly affected by growing/environmental conditions and aging during storage. The genetic basis and related identification of genes have widely been studied and rationally linked to accumulation of micronutrients in grains. However, genetic classifications cannot catch quality fluctuations arising from interannual, environmental, and storage conditions. Here, we propose a quantitative spectroscopic approach to analyze rice nutritional quality based on Raman spectroscopy, and disclose analytical algorithms for the determination of: (i) amylopectin and amylose concentrations, (ii) aromatic amino acids, (iii) protein content and structure, and (iv) chemical residues. The proposed Raman algorithms directly link to the molecular composition of grains and allow fast/non-destructive determination of key nutritional parameters with minimal sample preparation. Building upon spectroscopic information at the molecular level, we newly propose to represent the nutritional quality of labeled rice products with a barcode specially tailored on the Raman spectrum. The Raman barcode, which can be stored in databases promptly consultable with barcode scanners, could be linked to diet applications (apps) to enable a rapid, factual, and unequivocal product identification based on direct molecular screening.

Raman spectroscopic analysis of polysaccharides in popular Japanese rice cultivars.

Analytical algorithms based on Raman spectroscopy are proposed for the determination of amylopectin and amylose concentrations in polished white rice, and applied to characterize and compare linear and branched polysaccharide structures in nine different types of Japanese rice. A selected algorithm used symmetric bending vibrations of the COC glycosidic linkage from a relatively narrow spectral zone between 830 and 895 cm-1. It specifically compared the intensity of Raman signals from two types of bending common to both starch components (C1-O-C5 and C1-O-C4 at 868 and 855 cm-1, respectively) and that at the branch point peculiar to amylopectin (C1-O-C6 at 844 cm-1). Raman data were confronted with data collected by conventional amylose-iodine colorimetry method. Consistency was found between Raman and colorimetric methods over the entire series of tested rice cultivars, thus validating the newly proposed spectroscopic algorithm. The amylose content of the tested rice species broadly varied between 1.2 and 20.4%. The proposed Raman algorithm allows fast and nondestructive determination of amylose content in rice with minimal sample preparation. These characteristics might be key in the development of portable Raman devices capable to promptly screen polysaccharides in different rice cultivars with respect to their interannual and plantation-related fluctuations.

Genetic diversity of preserved rice seed samples from the Mikawa area, Japan, stored in the Meiji era.

Preserved rice (Oryza sativa L.) seeds stored for nearly a century as an emergency food stocks from the Mikawa area were investigated for their genetic diversity. Morphologically, the seeds appeared to be typical Japonica. One chloroplast INDEL petN-trnC, two nuclear INDELs Acp1 and Cat1, and three SNP markers in Starch synthase IIa were amplified to characterize the molecular profile. The efficiency of amplification varied among the markers. Most of preserved seeds were classified as Japonica, but some were identified as Indica. The heterozygous genotypes detected suggested a high frequency of outcrossing at that time. On the other hand, 21 SSR markers showed quite a high degree of amplification efficiency. Principal coordinate analysis and STRUCTURE analysis based on the SSR polymorphisms proved that the preserved seeds contained alleles that were not detected among current landraces and breeding varieties, and there were the expected three subpopulations among 96 preserved seeds. These results indicated that these preserved seeds from Mikawa area in Meiji era had high genetic diversity and consisted of some subpopulations including Indica landraces with typical Japonica seed shape. These lines were considered to have been lost from current genetic resources.

Selective EP2 and Cox-2 inhibition suppresses cell migration by reversing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and Cox-2 overexpression and E-cadherin downregulation are implicated in neck metastasis of hypopharyngeal cancer.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) has been shown to promote cancer initiation and progression through pleiotropic functions including induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via its predominant product prostaglandin E2 that binds to the cognate receptor EP2. Hence, pharmacological inhibition at the level of EP2 is assumed to be a more selective alternative with less risk to Cox-2 inhibition. However, little is known regarding the anti-cancer effect of an EP2 antagonist on the malignant properties of cancers including hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC). The present study found that both the Cox-2 inhibitor celecoxib and the EP2 antagonist PF-04418948 upregulated CDH-1 expression, restored membranous localization of E-cadherin, and reduced vimentin expression, by downregulating the transcriptional repressors of E-cadherin in BICR6 and FaDu cells. Such Cox-2 or EP2 inhibition-induced EMT reversal led to repressed migration ability in both cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of surgical HPSCC specimens demonstrated an inverse relationship in expression between Cox-2 and E-cadherin both in the context of statistics (P = 0.028) and of reciprocal immunolocalization in situ. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that overexpression of Cox-2 (P < 0.001) and downregulation of E-cadherin (P = 0.016) were both independently predictive of neck metastasis. These results suggest that suppression of cell migration ability via reversing EMT by inhibiting the Cox-2/EP2 signaling may contribute to preventing the development and progression of lymphatic metastasis. Collectively, targeting Cox-2/EP2, especially using EP2 antagonist, can be a promising therapeutic strategy by exerting an anti-metastatic effect via EMT reversal for improving the treatment outcomes of patients with various cancers including HPSCC.

Genetic variation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm from northern Laos.

We assessed genetic variation in rice germplasm in northern Laos and Vientiane province from polymorphism data of SSR markers. We classified 314 accessions into three clusters; Ia (corresponding to the lowland Japonica Group), Ib (upland Japonica Group) and II (Indica Group). The accessions of cluster Ib grew mainly in mountainous fields, and those of cluster II grew commonly in basins and along rivers. The few accessions of cluster Ia grew in only three provinces: Houaphanh, Xiangkhouang and Vientiane. Lowland cultivars in cluster II were predominant in Vientiane. Variations in heading date under short-day conditions in 2014 and long-day conditions in 2015 indicate that many accessions were sensitive to the photoperiod on account of complex genetic mechanisms underlying both photoperiod sensitivity and basic vegetative growth. A total of 219 among whole accessions were classified into 6 groups: E1-3 and L1-3. E2 and E3 were dominant in clusters Ib and II; E1 and L1-3 were minor groups. These results demonstrate characteristic distributions of the Indica and Japonica Group's germplasms in northern Laos and their genetic variation in heading date.

VEGF-C/Flt-4 axis in tumor cells contributes to the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma via upregulating VEGF-C itself and contactin-1 in an autocrine manner.

Tumor cell-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C has been primarily implicated in promoting lymphangiogenesis by activating Flt-4 (VEGFR-3) expressed on lymphatic endothelial cells via a paracrine mechanism. Flt4 has also been shown to be expressed selectively in subsets of cancer cells. However, little is known about the functional role of VEGF-C/Flt4 signaling via an autocrine mechanism, as well as the clinicopathological implication of the VEGF-C/Flt4 axis and its downstream effector molecules, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the present study, we detected Flt-4 expression selectively in several HNSCC cell lines by quantitative PCR, and its internalization reflecting receptor activation was confirmed by immunocytochemistry in SAS and HO1U1 cells. Flt-4 stimulation upregulated the expression of contactin-1 (CNTN-1, a neural cell adhesion molecule) and VEGF-C itself in SAS cells, while Flt-4 inhibition downregulated the expression of CNTN-1 in both SAS and HO1U1 cells and that of VEGF-C itself in SAS cells. In vitro cell proliferation and migration assays using SAS cells demonstrated that both cell proliferation and migration were promoted by Flt-4 stimulation, while those were suppressed by Flt-4 inhibition. Clinicopathological factors and immunohistochemical expression of Flt-4, VEGF-C, and CNTN-1 in tumor cells were evaluated using surgical specimens from patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma. We found a significant correlation of CNTN-1 expression with both VEGF-C and Flt-4 expression, but not between VEGF-C and Flt-4. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that T classification (P = 0.003), lymphatic invasion (P = 0.024), and Flt-4 expression in tumor cells (P = 0.046) were independently predictive of neck lymph node metastasis. These results suggest that the VEGF-C/Flt-4 axis in tumor cells enhances tumor cell proliferation and migration via upregulating the expression of VEGF-C itself and CNTN-1 in an autocrine manner, thereby contributing to cancer progression of OSCC, including neck metastasis. Hence, targeting the VEGF-C/Flt-4 axis in tumor cells can be an attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer.

Pretreatment monocyte counts and neutrophil counts predict the risk for febrile neutropenia in patients undergoing TPF chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is the most serious hematologic toxicity of systemic chemotherapy. However, accurate prediction of FN development has been difficult because the risk varies largely depending on the chemotherapy regimen and various individual factors. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed diverse clinical factors including pretreatment hematological parameters to clarify the reliable predictors of FN development during chemotherapy with a docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil (TPF) regimen in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. RESULTS: Among the 50 patients, grade ≥3 neutropenia, grade 4 neutropenia, and FN developed in 36 (72%), 21 (42%), and 12 (24%) patients, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a pretreatment absolute monocyte count (AMC) <370/mm3 is an independent predictor of TPF chemotherapy-induced FN (odds ratio=6.000, p=0.017). The predictive performance of the model combining AMC and absolute neutrophil count (ANC), in which the high-risk group was defined as having an AMC <370/mm3 and/or ANC <3500/mm3, was superior (area under the curve [AUC]=0.745) to that of the model with a cutoff for AMC alone (AUC=0.679). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our results, we recommend primary prophylactic use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and/or antibiotics selectively for patients predicted to be at high risk for TPF chemotherapy-induced FN.

Pyoderma gangrenosum on the nose.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare ulcerative condition associated with various systemic diseases. Lesions on the lower extremities and the trunk are common, but lesions on the nose are rare. Here we report a case of pyoderma gangrenosum on the nose. A 33-year-old woman presented with fever, nasal obstruction, and painful swelling on the nasal bridge. Physical examination revealed swellings on the nasal septal mucosa bilaterally. Computed tomography showed a septal abscess and a subcutaneous abscess on the nasal bridge. The lesions worsened despite treatment with intravenous antibiotics and abscess drainage. Meanwhile, the patient also complained of bloody stools and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Therefore, pyoderma gangrenosum on the nose was suspected, and was diagnosed by exclusion of other diseases. Treatment with systemic corticosteroids was started and the nasal lesions improved rapidly. However, saddle nose deformity occurred. A review of the literature reveals that pyoderma gangrenosum on the nose can cause ulcerations, septal abscess, and sinusitis. Further, there is a high likelihood of nasal complications, including saddle nose deformity, septal perforation, and skin defects. Pyoderma gangrenosum should be included in the differential diagnosis when nasal ulceration, abscesses, and sinusitis do not improve with antibiotics and drainage.

Diverse genetic variation in maternal lineages with high heterogeneity among in situ-conserved wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) developed in Thailand.

Wild rice, Oryza rufipogon, is a genetic resource that can be used to improve cultivated rice, but its populations are now decreasing in terms of both size and number. Extensive research on wild rice has been conducted in Thailand, where two in situ conservation sites have been preserved in natural areas where perennial wild rice predominates. The genetic structure of wild rice populations was investigated by examining both the chloroplast and nucleus genomes at sites of in situ conservation site in Thailand. One accession from an in situ-conserved site was re-sequenced against the chloroplast genome of O. sativa cv. 'Nipponbare' to develop chloroplast insertion/deletion (cpINDEL) markers. These cpINDEL markers revealed unique maternal lineages in the in situ-conserved populations upon comparison with other Asian wild rice accessions. Diverse genetic variation was also detected with SSR markers throughout the genome. Three populations differed from each other and also within single populations. The sub-populations within an in situ-conserved population showed a complex population structure due to their multiple maternal lineages and relatively higher number of haplotypes when they maintained a relatively large population size. Such a heterogeneous population would serve as a unique gene pool for rice breeding.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment outcomes for parapharyngeal space schwannomas: A single-institution review of 21 cases.

BACKGROUND: Because the incidence of schwannoma arising from the parapharyngeal space (PPS) is very low, no studies have analyzed extirpation methods and postoperative neurological complications exclusively in PPS schwannomas. METHODS: The preoperative diagnosis and clinical outcomes of surgical treatment in 21 patients with PPS schwannoma who underwent surgery were investigated. RESULTS: Neurological deficit of the involved nerve developed in all patients regardless of the extirpation method used. However, the incidence of first bite syndrome in sympathetic chain schwannoma was significantly lower after intracapsular enucleation (40%) than after total resection (100%; P = .045). Furthermore, the incidence of postoperative complications unrelated to the involved nerve was lower after intracapsular enucleation (0%) than after total resection (42.9%; P = .055). CONCLUSION: Although postoperative neurological deficit of the involved nerve was unavoidable in PPS schwannoma, intracapsular enucleation could be beneficial by reducing its severity and the incidence of complications unrelated to the involved nerve.

Clinical outcomes of transoral videolaryngoscopic surgery for hypopharyngeal and supraglottic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Transoral videolaryngoscopic surgery (TOVS) was developed as a new distinct surgical procedure for hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) and supraglottic cancer (SGC) staged at up to T3. However, long-term treatment outcomes of TOVS remain to be validated. METHODS: Under a straight broad intraluminal view provided by combined use of a distending laryngoscope and a videolaryngoscope, we performed en bloc tumor resection via direct bimanual handling of the ready-made straight-form surgical instruments and devices. We retrospectively analyzed functional and oncologic outcomes of 72 patients with HPC (n = 58) or SGC (n = 14) whose minimum follow-up was 24 months or until death. RESULTS: The cohort comprised nine patients of Tis, 23 of T1, 33 of T2, and 7 of T3. Among 36 patients (50%) who underwent neck dissection simultaneously, all but one were pathologically node-positive. Twelve patients underwent postoperative concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) as adjuvant treatment, and another four patients underwent radiation or CCRT for second or later primary cancer. The endotracheal tube was removed in an operation room in all but two patients who underwent temporary tracheostomy. Pharyngeal fistula was formed transiently in two patients. The median time until patients resumed oral intake and could take a soft meal was 2 and 5 days, respectively. Eventually, 69 patients (96%) took normal meals. The 5-year cause-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), larynx-preserved CSS, and loco-regional controlled CSS were 87.3%, 77.9%, 86.0%, and 88.0%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed N2-3 as an independent prognostic factor in both CSS (hazard ratio [HR] = 25.51, P = 0.008) and OS (HR = 4.90, P = 0.022), which indirectly reflected higher risk of delayed distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Considering its sound functional and oncological outcomes with various practical advantages, TOVS can be a dependable, less invasive, and cost-effective surgical option of an organ-function preservation strategy for HPC and SGC.

Temporal coordination between ground reaction forces generated by leading and trailing limbs for propulsion during double stance phase in human walking.

Although it was reported that ground reaction forces (GRFs) are generated simultaneously by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase, the finding was not examined by temporal analyses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to clarify how GRFs can act to propel the body in a forward direction during the double stance phase. GRFs were recorded during the double stance phase in eleven healthy volunteers. We calculated the instantaneous phase of the GRFs for vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leading and trailing limbs for each component. The relative phase of the vertical component was approximately 180° (i.e., anti-phase), indicating that the lower limb transfers weight smoothly from the trailing limb to the leading limb. The relative phase of the AP component ranged from 40 to 55°, indicating that the AP component of the forces do not occur simultaneously, but instead has a lag. This finding suggests that the forces exerted by the leading and trailing limbs would temporally coordinate to propel the body in the forward direction.

Understanding and monitoring the consequences of human impacts on intraspecific variation.

Intraspecific variation is a major component of biodiversity, yet it has received relatively little attention from governmental and nongovernmental organizations, especially with regard to conservation plans and the management of wild species. This omission is ill-advised because phenotypic and genetic variations within and among populations can have dramatic effects on ecological and evolutionary processes, including responses to environmental change, the maintenance of species diversity, and ecological stability and resilience. At the same time, environmental changes associated with many human activities, such as land use and climate change, have dramatic and often negative impacts on intraspecific variation. We argue for the need for local, regional, and global programs to monitor intraspecific genetic variation. We suggest that such monitoring should include two main strategies: (i) intensive monitoring of multiple types of genetic variation in selected species and (ii) broad-brush modeling for representative species for predicting changes in variation as a function of changes in population size and range extent. Overall, we call for collaborative efforts to initiate the urgently needed monitoring of intraspecific variation.