HNSCC is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the prognosis is still poor. Here, we investigated the prognostic implications of CDK7 and pMED1. Both proteins affect transcription, and their expression is altered throughout different tumor entities. pMED1 is phosphorylated by CDK7. Importantly, CDK7 and MED1 have been ascribed prognostic implications by various studies. However, their prognostic value in head and neck squamous-cell cancer (HNSCC) remains elusive. We applied immunohistochemical staining of CDK7 and pMED1 on our large and clinically well-characterized HNSCC tissue cohort comprising 419 patients. Software-aided quantification of staining intensity was performed as a measure of protein expression. The following results were linked to the clinicopathological features of our cohort and correlated in different tissue types (primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, recurrence). Upregulation CDK7 was associated with worse 5-year overall survival as well as disease-free survival in HNSCC while being independent of other known prognostic factors such as p16-status. Also, CDK7 expression was significantly elevated in immune cell infiltrated tumors. In HNSCC CDK7 might serve as a novel prognostic marker to indicate the prognosis of patients. Furthermore, in vitro studies proved the feasibility of CDK7 inhibition with attenuating effects on cell proliferation underlining its remarkable translational potential for future therapeutic regimes.

Cardiovascular health at a young age has implications for preventing cardiovascular disease, and it is associated with improved physical and cognitive performance during the aging process. Sports are well known to prevent cardiovascular disease; however, school-based interventions have mostly been neglected. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare groups of high school students, stratified by the amount of physical activity in their high school curriculum and downtime. Comparisons concerning physical and cognitive performance and arterial stiffness were made. A total of 63 senior-year students were investigated. Arterial stiffness was assessed using the oscillometric technique with Arteriograph^TM detection. Three-kilometer and pendulum runs were conducted as typical training loads. Cognitive performance was evaluated via the visual and verbal memory and number connection tests. Regarding cognitive skills, extracurricular physical activity improved the number connection test in male participants (p = 0.004). For physical performance, female students with a sports-focused curriculum were faster in the 3 km run (p < 0.001). Concerning arterial stiffness, the measurements yielded a lower mean arterial pressure (p = 0.015) and aortic pulse wave velocity (p = 0.04) in male students with a sports-focused curriculum. In summary, extracurricular physical activity and enrollment in a sports-focused curriculum may be associated with lower cardiovascular risk due to lower arterial stiffness and better physical and cognitive abilities.

Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection. Evidence of smoking behavior during the pandemic is ambiguous with an increase. In this context, Google Trends data monitors real-time public information-seeking behavior and is therefore useful to characterize smoking-related interest over the trajectory of the pandemic. Special attention was paid to the influence of lockdowns, vaccinations, and incidence. The weekly relative search volume was retrieved from Google Trends for England, Germany, Italy, and Spain during the period from 31-12-2017 to 18-4-2021. Data was collected for keywords concerning cessation, treatment, and consumption. Trend curves were generated, and the relative search volume of keywords before and during the pandemic was compared and short-term changes linked to lockdowns flexible scan statistics were used to identify clusters. Country-wise minor differences were observed while overarching tendencies prevailed. Overall trend curves and statistical comparison revealed a decline in interest in cessation. Also, e-cigarettes and most consumption-related keywords showed decreased relative search volume during the pandemic. Substantial clusters of increased interest were sparsely linked to lockdowns, vaccination campaigns, or incidence. Generally, fewer clusters for cessation were present during the pandemic. This study reports a substantial decline in overall relative search volume and clusters for cessation interest and underline the importance of intensifying cessation aid during times of crisis. Lockdowns, vaccination, and incidence had less impact on information-seeking behavior.