BACKGROUND The emotional status of cancer patients is associated with disease course and treatment outcomes. In this study, the authors evaluated associations between the presence of pretreatment depression and pretreatment quality of life (QOL), nutritional status, and survival outcomes in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS For this prospective study, 241 patients with previously untreated HNSCC who underwent curative treatments were enrolled. Patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)‐II, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 30‐item Core QOL Questionnaire (QLQ‐C30), and the EORTC QLQ Head and Neck Cancer module (QLQ‐H&N35). EORTC QLQ scores were compared between depressive and nondepressive patients, as determined according to pretreatment BDI‐II scores ≥14 and <14, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess whether the presence of depression was associated with overall survival, disease‐free survival (DFS), or posttreatment changes in nutritional status and laboratory data. RESULTS Pretreatment depression was present in 60 patients (24.9%). In depressive and nondepressive patients, the 3‐year overall survival rates were 70.8% and 82.7%, respectively (P = .045), and the 3‐year DFS rates were 63.5% and 79.1%, respectively (P = .015). After controlling for clinical factors, the presence of depression was predictive of 3‐year DFS (P = .032). EORTC QLQ‐C30 and QLQ‐HN35 scores on all items except feeding tube, nutritional supplement, and problem with mouth opening differed between depressive and nondepressive patients (P < .05). Depressive patients had lower pretreatment serum albumin levels than nondepressive patients (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS There was a significant correlation between pretreatment depression and pretreatment QOL, nutritional status, and survival outcomes in patients with HNSCC. Cancer 2016;122:131–140. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

[reaction: see text] A new iterative strategy for the synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted polyynes has been developed. The starting bromoalkyne is homologated by one acetylene unit through palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling with a TIPS-protected terminal acetylene and a subsequent in situ one-pot AgF-mediated desilylative bromination. The utility of this new synthetic method is demonstrated by its application to the total synthesis of (S)-(E)-15,16-dihydrominquartynoic acid.

A diameter-modulated silicon nanowire array to enhance the optical absorption across broad spectral range is presented. Periodic shape engineering is achieved using conventional semiconductor processes and the unique optical properties are analyzed. The periodicity in the diameter of the silicon nanowires enables stronger and more closely spaced optical resonances, leading to broadband absorption enhancement.