Exclusively Endoscopic Resection of Nasopharyngeal Adenocarcinoma

We reported two patients with nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma resected by using the exclusively endoscopic approach. Case reports and a review of the world literature concerning nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma. The tumors were resected successfully via the exclusively endoscopic approach and no conversions to the conventional approach were necessary. The two patients were followed up for 26 and 18 months respectively, and no recurrence was noted without postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of endoscopic resection of nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma. Our experience revealed that not only for the early recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the exclusively endoscopic nasopharyngectomy can be expanded for the resection of selected nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma

Modified Weekly Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy Is Acceptable in Postoperative Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

Background. Triweekly cisplatin-based postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) has high intolerance and toxicities in locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC). We evaluated the effect of a modified weekly cisplatin-based chemotherapy in postoperative CCRT. Methods. A total of 117 patients with LAHNC were enrolled between December 2007 and December 2012. Survival, compliance/adverse events, and independent prognostic factors were analyzed. Results. Median follow-up time was 30.0 (3.1–73.0) months. Most patients completed the entire course of postoperative CCRT (radiotherapy ≥ 60 Gy, 94.9%; ≥6 times weekly chemotherapy, 75.2%). Only 17.1% patients required hospital admission. The most common adverse effect was grade 3/4 mucositis (28.2%). No patient died due to protocol-related adverse effects. Multivariate analysis revealed the following independent prognostic factors: oropharyngeal cancer, extracapsular spread, and total radiation dose. Two-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 70.9% and 79.5%, respectively. Conclusion. Modified weekly cisplatin-based chemotherapy is an acceptable regimen in postoperative CCRT for LAHNC

Scalable and Programmable Phononic Network with Trapped Ions

Controllable bosonic systems can provide post-classical computational power with sub-universal quantum computational capability. A network that consists of a number of bosons evolving through beam-splitters and phase-shifters between different modes, has been proposed and applied to demonstrate quantum advantages. While the network has been implemented mostly in optical systems with photons, recently alternative realizations have been explored, where major limitations in photonic systems such as photon loss, and probabilistic manipulation can be addressed. Phonons, the quantized excitations of vibrational modes, of trapped ions can be a promising candidate to realize the bosonic network. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a minimal-loss phononic network that can be programmed and in which any phononic states are deterministically prepared and detected. We realize the network with up to four collective-vibrational modes, which can be straightforwardly extended to reveal quantum advantage. We benchmark the performance of the network with an exemplary algorithm of tomography for arbitrary multi-mode states with a fixed total phonon number. We obtain reconstruction fidelities of 94.5 $\pm$ 1.95 % and 93.4 $\pm$ 3.15 % for single-phonon and two-phonon states, respectively. Our experiment demonstrates a clear and novel pathway to scale up a phononic network for various quantum information processing beyond the limitations of classical and other quantum systems

Taiwan Oscillation Network

The Taiwan Oscillation Network (TON) is a ground-based network to measure solar intensity oscillations to study the internal structure of the Sun. K-line full-disk images of 1000 pixels diameter are taken at a rate of one image per minute. Such data would provide information onp-modes withl as high as 1000. The TON will consist of six identical telescope systems at proper longitudes around the world. Three telescope systems have been installed at Teide Observatory (Tenerife), Huairou Solar Observing Station (near Beijing), and Big Bear Solar Observatory (California). The telescopes at these three sites have been taking data simultaneously since October of 1994. Anl – v diagram derived from 512 images is included to show the quality of the data

Effectively increased efficiency for electroreduction of carbon monoxide using supported polycrystalline copper powder electrocatalysts

Many electrocatalysts can efficiently convert CO_2 to CO. However, the further conversion of CO to higher-value products was hindered by the low activity of the CO reduction reaction and the consequent lack of mechanistic insights for designing better catalysts. A flow-type reactor could potentially improve the reaction rate of CO reduction. However, the currently available configurations would pose great challenges in reaction mechanism understanding due to their complex nature and/or lack of precise potential control. Here we report, in a standard electrochemical cell with a three-electrode setup, a supported bulk polycrystalline copper powder electrode reduces CO to hydrocarbons and multicarbon oxygenates with dramatically increased activities of more than 100 mA cm^(–2) and selectivities of more than 80%. The high activity and selectivity that was achieved demonstrates the practical feasibility of electrochemical CO or CO_2 (with a tandem strategy) conversion and enables the experimental exploration of the CO reduction mechanism to further reduced products

Effectively increased efficiency for electroreduction of carbon monoxide using supported polycrystalline copper powder electrocatalysts

Many electrocatalysts can efficiently convert CO_2 to CO. However, the further conversion of CO to higher-value products was hindered by the low activity of the CO reduction reaction and the consequent lack of mechanistic insights for designing better catalysts. A flow-type reactor could potentially improve the reaction rate of CO reduction. However, the currently available configurations would pose great challenges in reaction mechanism understanding due to their complex nature and/or lack of precise potential control. Here we report, in a standard electrochemical cell with a three-electrode setup, a supported bulk polycrystalline copper powder electrode reduces CO to hydrocarbons and multicarbon oxygenates with dramatically increased activities of more than 100 mA cm^(–2) and selectivities of more than 80%. The high activity and selectivity that was achieved demonstrates the practical feasibility of electrochemical CO or CO_2 (with a tandem strategy) conversion and enables the experimental exploration of the CO reduction mechanism to further reduced products