A reliable circulating tumor marker, appropriate for head and neck malignancy, is not yet available. This manuscript reports the efficacy of using circulating squamous cell carcinoma antigen in evaluating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Serum samples from 89 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were obtained before treatment and at intervals following treatment. Squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. Elevated pretreatment serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen were identified in 39 of 89 patients (44%) who had head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Of the 16 patients evaluated from this group with recurrent or persistent disease, 15 (93.5%) demonstrated elevated levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen. However, of the 21 evaluable patients who remained disease free, only 10 (48%) had post-therapy levels within the normal range. The possible use of this marker in aiding the clinical follow-up of head and neck cancer patients is discussed.

IMPORTANCEThe monoclonal antibody combination of casirivimab and imdevimab reduced viral load, hospitalization, or death when administered as a 1200-mg or greater intravenous (IV) dose in a phase 3 COVID-19 outpatient study. Subcutaneous (SC) and/or lower IV doses should increase accessibility and/or drug supplies for patients. OBJECTIVE To assess the virologic efficacy of casirivimab and imdevimab across different IV and SC doses compared with placebo. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled, parallel-group, dose-ranging study included outpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection at 47 sites across the United States. Participants could be symptomatic or asymptomatic; symptomatic patients with risk factors for severe COVID-19 were excluded. Data were collected from December 15, 2020, to March 4, 2021. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to a single IV dose (523 patients) of casirivimab and imdevimab at 300, 600, 1200, or 2400 mg or placebo; or a single SC dose (292 patients) of casirivimab and imdevimab at 600 or 1200 mg or placebo. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary end point was the time-weighted average daily change from baseline (TWACB) in viral load from day 1 (baseline) through day 7 in patients seronegative for SARS-CoV-2 at baseline. RESULTS Among 815 randomized participants, 507 (282 randomized to IV treatment, 148 randomized to SC treatment, and 77 randomized to placebo) were seronegative at baseline and included in the primary efficacy analysis. Participants randomized to IV had a mean (SD) age of 34.6 (9.6) years (160 [44.6%] men; 14 [3.9%] Black; 121 [33.7%] Hispanic or Latino; 309 [86.1%] White); those randomized to SC had a mean age of 34.1 (10.0) years (102 [45.3%] men; 75 [34.7%] Hispanicor Latino; 6 [2.7%] Black; 190 [84.4%] White). All casirivimab and imdevimab treatments showed significant virologic reduction through day 7. Least-squares mean differences in TWACB viral load for casirivimab and imdevimab vs placebo ranged from -0.56 (95% CI; -0.89 to -0.24) log 10 copies/mL for the 1200-mg IV dose to -0.71 (95% CI, -1.05 to -0.38) log 10 copies/mL for the 2400-mg IV dose. There were no adverse safety signals or dose-related safety findings, grade 2 or greater infusionrelated or hypersensitivity reactions, grade 3 or greater injection-site reactions, or fatalities. Two serious adverse events not related to COVID-19 or the study drug were reported.

This paper describes the mechanism and cleaning results of a dry cleaning technology using CO2 cryogenic aerosols. The cleaning mechanism relies on momentum transfer from the aerosol particles to overcome the force of adhesion of the contaminant particles on the surface. Particle removal is possible without degradation or etching of underlying film or the need for drying with IPA as in wet cleaning. A theoretical model of particle removal based on momentum transfer is described, predicting higher removal efficiency for sub-micron particles compared to larger particles. Experimental results with Si3N4 particles on silicon wafers show that removal of sub-micron particles is 10% higher than larger particles upto 30 as predicted by the model. The paper also shows experimental results of various types of contaminant particle removal in photomask cleaning. Results of post mechanical repair cleaning of photomasks show effective removal of the quartz particles without damage to the adjacent chrome lines. Inorganic contaminants such as ammonium sulphate, commonly known as "haze", is removed by cryogenic aerosol cleaning with 99% efficiency as seen using optical inspection tool. The effect of cleaning on the phase and transmission of the mask is measured with multiple cleaning. The results show that over 16 cleaning cycles, the change in transmission is 0.04% and the change in phase is 0.37°. Thus a non-invasive cleaning for sub-micron particles from photomasks is possible with CO2 cryogenic aerosols.

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