ObjectivesPrevious reports suggest a strong association between human papillomavirus (HPV) and the etiology of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). However, clinical data regarding the HPV infection rate among LSCC patients remain largely inconsistent.MethodsIn total, 674 LSCC patients from three major hospitals in Shanghai were enrolled in this study. We determined the patients' HPV infection status using immunohistochemistry and the GenoArray HPV genotyping assay and calculated their long-term survival rate using the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsThe total P16-positive rate according to immunostaining results was 7.57% (51/674). None of the P16-negative patients were HPV-positive according to the HPV genotyping test. The rate of HPV infection among patients with LSCC was 4.9% (33/674). HPV infection was more common among nonsmokers (P<0.05), nondrinkers (P<0.05), and patients with supraglottic LSCC (P<0.05). Of the 33 HPV-positive patients, 28 (84.8%) were infected with HPV-16, 2 with HPV-18, 1 with HPV-31, 1 with HPV-33 and 1 with HPV-45. The 3-year overall survival rate and progression-free survival rate were higher in HPV-positive than HPV-negative patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (76.3% vs. 70.7%, P = 0.30 and 65.1% vs. 58.3%, P = 0.37, respectively).ConclusionHPV was not a main causal factor in LSCC carcinogenesis in this Chinese population. HPV infection did not alter patients' overall survival or progression-free survival rates in this study.

The design and fabrication of a tellurite glass multimode optical fiber for magneto-optical applications are presented and discussed. The analysis of the polarization shows that an optical beam, linearly polarized at the fiber input, changes to elliptically polarized with an ellipticity of 1∶4.5 after propagating down the fiber. However, the elliptical distribution remains unchanged with or without an applied magnetic field, demonstrating that no circular dichroism occurs within the fiber. The Verdet constant of the tellurite glass in the fiber is measured to be 28±0.5  rad·(T·m)-1, diverging by less than 3% from the Verdet constant found on the same glass composition in bulk form. These results demonstrate the feasibility to develop reliable tellurite glass fibers by the preform drawing method for magneto-optical applications.

Comparing with the traditional test system based on a QDC and TDC and scaler, a test system based on waveform sampling is constructed for signal sampling of the 8”R5912 and the 20”R12860 Hamamatsu PMT in different energy states from single to multiple photoelectrons. In order to achieve high throughput and to reduce the dead time in data processing, the data acquisition software based on LabVIEW is developed and runs with a parallel mechanism. The analysis algorithm is realized in LabVIEW and the spectra of charge, amplitude, signal width and rising time are analyzed offline. The results from Charge-to-Digital Converter, Time-to-Digital Converter and waveform sampling are discussed in detailed comparison.

The acceptable noise level (ANL) was defined by subtracting the background noise level (BNL) from the most comfortable listening level (MCL) (ANL = MCL − BNL). This study compared the ANL obtained through different methods in 20 Chinese subjects with normal hearing. ANL was tested with Mandarin speech materials using a loudspeaker or earphones, with each subject tested by himself or by the audiologist. The presentation and response modes were as follows: (1) loudspeaker with self-adjusted noise levels using audiometer controls (LS method); (2) loudspeaker with the subject signaling the audiologist to adjust speech and noise levels (LA method); (3) earphones with self-adjusted noise levels using audiometer controls (ES method); and (4) earphones with the subject signaling the audiologist to adjust speech and noise levels (EA method). ANL was calculated from three measurements with each method. There was no significant difference in the ANL obtained through different presentation modes or response modes sound. The correlations between ANL, MCL, and BNL obtained from each two methods were significant. In conclusion, the ANL in normal-hearing Mandarin listeners may not be affected by presentation modes such as a loudspeaker or earphones nor is it affected by self-adjusted or audiologist-adjusted response modes. Earphone audiometry is as reliable as sound field audiometry and provides an easy and convenient way to measure ANL.