Primary or metastatic branchial cleft carcinoma?: a case report

The brachial cleft carcinoma is an extremely rare head and neck facial malignancy, and there is some disagreement about its differential diagnosis. In this paper, we report a 63-year-old male patient who had a mass on the left side of the neck and diagnosed as the brachial cleft carcinoma by intraoperative biopsy pathology. However, this patient was diagnosed with the carcinoma of the left soft palate more than 20 days after surgery and esophageal cancer 2 years later, and was treated accordingly. Therefore, it is hard to confirm whether the branchial cleft carcinoma is primary or metastatic. In fact, the diagnostic criteria for primary squamous cell carcinoma of branchial cleft cysts are very rigorous. Confirmation of the diagnosis is based on pathological examination of the branchial cleft cyst epithelium lined with squamous cells, meanwhile, a thorough examination should also be performed to exclude the presence of other primary cancers

Higher weight-adjusted waist index is associated with increased likelihood of kidney stones

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to evaluate the association between weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and the prevalence of kidney stones among adults in the United States.MethodsThe cross-sectional study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning the years 2007-2018. A total of 31,344 participants were categorized into two groups: those with kidney stones and those without. WWI was determined by dividing waist circumference (cm) by the square root of body weight (kg). To examine the relationship between kidney stones and WWI, multivariate logistic regression models, smoothed curve fitting, and weighted generalized additive model (GAM) regression were employed. Subgroup analysis and interaction tests were conducted to explore the stability of this association across different groups.ResultsThe final analysis comprised a total of 31,344 participants, including 2,928 individuals who had a history of kidney stones. In the fully adjusted model, an increase in WWI exhibited a positive correlation with the prevalence of kidney stones (OR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.18-1.51). When WWI was converted into quartiles (Q1-Q4), participants in the highest quartile (Q4) had a 69% greater risk of developing kidney stones compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.28-2.25). This positive association was particularly notable among non-diabetic patients.ConclusionOur study demonstrates a significant positive association between weight-adjusted waist index levels and an elevated prevalence of kidney stones among US adults. Furthermore, this research highlights the potential utility of weight-adjusted waist index in the prevention of kidney stones in the overall population. This relationship is limited and further research is needed to test this hypothesis

Direct conversion of cellulose into C-6 alditols over Ru/C combined with H+-released boron phosphate in an aqueous phase

Non-edible cellulose has attracted considerable attention to be converted into valuable platform chemicals. Direct transformation of cellulose to C-6 alditols (mannitol and sorbitol) provides a sustainable route. A productive approach is presented in this work using a Ru/C catalyst combined with H+-released boron phosphate in an aqueous phase. A yield of C-6 alditols as high as 74.9% with a 91% conversion of cellulose is achieved. By adding silica-alumina materials, the yield of C-6 alditols can be improved to 93.5% with complete conversion. The acid sites gradually released from boron phosphate under hydrothermal conditions could promote the hydrolysis of cellulose without significant degradation of glucose. Furthermore, the interaction of boric acid with C-6 alditols may form borate-polyol complexes, which can enhance the stability of the C-6 alditols to avoid further hydrogenolysis and dehydration of the C-6 alditols formed. Due to the adsorption ability of the substrate, the addition of silica-alumina materials with a high content of silica leads to improved performance