Tourism-Oriented Cultural Product Design: A Case Study of Yami Culture in Lanyu

Due to the prevalence of modern commerce and mainstream culture, many indigenous cultures around the world are rapidly diminishing. These cultures, with their unique primitiveness distinct from modern culture, often attract tourists. This study integrates the indigenous Yami culture of Lanyu Island, Taiwan Region, into innovative designs from the perspective of tourists’ understanding of the local culture. In this way, tourists can experience the harmonious coexistence of the Yami tribe and nature, while these culturally rich products foster deeper experiential and emotional resonance. This study employs the Mandala thinking method for concept expansion and the Osborn checklist method for the analysis and transformation of design elements. Subsequently, designers were invited to conduct on-site travel experiences, leading to the creation of a series of Yami cultural products. Through the evaluation and validation of cultural product assessment indicators, functional commercialized products were ultimately produced. This study aims to establish a design process for cultural products through this design case. It seeks to help users recall their Lanyu Island travel experiences and appreciate the often-overlooked cultural beauty, thereby raising awareness of cultural preservation.

Outcomes of combined mitochondria and mesenchymal stem cellsderived exosome therapy in rat acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis

BACKGROUND The treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)complicated by sepsis syndrome(SS)remains challenging.AIM To investigate whether combined adipose-derived mesenchymal-stem-cells(ADMSCs)-derived exosome(EXAD)and exogenous mitochondria(mitoEx)protect the lung from ARDS complicated by SS.METHODS In vitro study,including L2 cells treated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and in vivo study including male-adult-SD rats categorized into groups 1(sham-operated-control),2(ARDS-SS),3(ARDS-SS+EXAD),4(ARDS-SS+mitoEx),and 5(ARDS-SS+EXAD+mitoEx),were included in the present study.RESULTS In vitro study showed an abundance of mitoEx found in recipient-L2 cells,resulting in significantly higher mitochondrial-cytochrome-C,adenosine triphosphate and relative mitochondrial DNA levels(P<0.001).The protein levels of inflammation[interleukin(IL)-1β/tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α/nuclear factor-κB/toll-like receptor(TLR)-4/matrix-metalloproteinase(MMP)-9/oxidative-stress(NOX-1/NOX-2)/apoptosis(cleaved-caspase3/cleaved-poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase)]were significantly attenuated in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-treated L2 cells with EXAD treatment than without EXAD treatment,whereas the protein expressions of cellular junctions[occluding/β-catenin/zonula occludens(ZO)-1/E-cadherin]exhibited an opposite pattern of inflam-mation(all P<0.001).Animals were euthanized by 72 h post-48 h-ARDS induction,and lung tissues were harvested.By 72 h,flow cytometric analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid demonstrated that the levels of inflam-matory cells(Ly6G+/CD14+/CD68+/CD11b/c+/myeloperoxidase+)and albumin were lowest in group 1,highest in group 2,and significantly higher in groups 3 and 4 than in group 5(all P<0.0001),whereas arterial oxygen-saturation(SaO2%)displayed an opposite pattern of albumin among the groups.Histopathological findings of lung injury/fibrosis area and inflammatory/DNA-damaged markers(CD68+/γ-H2AX)displayed an identical pattern of SaO2%among the groups(all P<0.0001).The protein expressions of inflammatory(TLR-4/MMP-9/IL-1β/TNF-α)/oxidative stress(NOX-1/NOX-2/p22phox/oxidized protein)/mitochondrial-damaged(cytosolic-cytochrome-C/dynamin-related protein 1)/autophagic(beclin-1/Atg-5/ratio of LC3B-II/LC3B-I)biomarkers exhibited a similar manner,whereas antioxidants[nuclear respiratory factor(Nrf)-1/Nrf-2]/cellular junctions(ZO-1/E-cadherin)/mitochondrial electron transport chain(complex I-V)exhibited an opposite manner of albumin among the groups(all P<0.0001).CONCLUSION Combined EXAD-mitoEx therapy was better than merely one for protecting the lung against ARDS-SS induced injury.

A Model for Analyzing the Transshipment Competition Relationship Between the Port of Hong Kong and the Port of Kaohsiung

The transshipment is an important issue in the current marine transportation. This paper constructed a mathematical programming model to elaborate the transshipment port selection for the shipping company. This model is tested by the data collected from the ports of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung. The results show that this model can be used to explain the transshipment competition relationship between the ports of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung well. A sensitivity analysis was also executed. The sensitivity analysis results showed that both the port of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung should decrease the charges of port and increase the effi- ciency of loading and discharging. Based on the sensitivity analysis results, some interesting conclusions and helpful suggestions were obtained for the managers of the ports of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung to improve their port management.

The Effects of Facilitating Vocational University＇s Web-Based Language Portfolio in Taiwan

Nowadays, language education has become increasingly focusing on the potential roles that portfolios play in language learning and teaching. However, most of the literature review tackled the implementation issues of portfolios in the language classroom and lacked of information about the ELP （European Language Portfolio） Project. In Europe, the CE （Council of Europe） promoted a series of projects for the coming of lifelong learning era. Among these projects, the CEFR （Common European Framework of Reference） and ELP projects, are two most prominent language projects in facilitating lifelong learning language. As a matter of fact, the language scholars in Taiwan are much familiar with CEFR than ELP. It is because that Taiwan Residents Ministry of Education used the CEFR as a reference framework of English proficient assessment in Taiwan. Howev experience of language learning that is founded on the principles of enhancing er, life the ELP Project provides an long learning, flexibility, and learner autonomy. This research includes two stages. During the first stage, this research aims to incorporate ELP to construct the WLP （Web-Based Language Portfolio） in Taiwan. The second stage research used the action research to examine the effects and challenges faced in the authentic Taiwan Residents EFL settings. Three teachers and 220 students participated in this research and practiced this WLP constructed from the first stage research. As a result, the research results can help to understand the process of practicing the WLP in Taiwan, and will fill the gaps by providing the outcomes for international comparison

Effects of areca nut consumption on cell differentiation of osteoblasts, myoblasts, and fibroblasts

Areca nut is used worldwide as a hallucinogenic addicting drug along the tropical belt.Arecoline,a toxic compound,is the most important alkaloid in areca nuts.The adverse effects of oral uptake and chewing of areca nut are well known.For example,the possibility of cancer caused by chewing areca nuts is widely discussed.Chewing areca nut has other adverse effects on other organs,including abnormal cell differentiation,oral cancer,and several other diseases.The use of areca nut is also associated with low birthweight.Skeletal musculature is the largest organ in the body and is attached to the bones.During embryo development,the differentiation of bone and muscle cells is critical.In this article,we reviewed the effects of areca nut and arecoline on embryonic cell differentiation,particularly osteoblasts,myoblasts,and fibroblasts.

Artificial Intelligence in Internet of Things System for Predicting Water Quality in Aquaculture Fishponds

Aquaculture has long been a critical economic sector in Taiwan.Since a key factor in aquaculture production efficiency is water quality,an effective means of monitoring the dissolved oxygen content(DOC)of aquaculture water is essential.This study developed an internet of things system for monitoring DOC by collecting essential data related to water quality.Artificial intelligence technology was used to construct a water quality prediction model for use in a complete system for managing water quality.Since aquaculture water quality depends on a continuous interaction among multiple factors,and the current state is correlated with the previous state,a model with time series is required.Therefore,this study used recurrent neural networks(RNNs)with sequential characteristics.Commonly used RNNs such as long short-term memory model and gated recurrent unit(GRU)model have a memory function that appropriately retains previous results for use in processing current results.To construct a suitable RNN model,this study used Taguchi method to optimize hyperparameters(including hidden layer neuron count,iteration count,batch size,learning rate,and dropout ratio).Additionally,optimization performance was also compared between 5-layer and 7-layer network architectures.The experimental results revealed that the 7-layer GRU was more suitable for the application considered in this study.The values obtained in tests of prediction performance were mean absolute percentage error of 3.7134%,root mean square error of 0.0638,and R-value of 0.9984.Therefore,thewater qualitymanagement system developed in this study can quickly provide practitioners with highly accurate data,which is essential for a timely response to water quality issues.This study was performed in collaboration with the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute and a local fishery company.Practical application of the system by the fishery company confirmed that the monitoring system is effective in improving the survival rate of farmed fish by providing data needed to maintain DOC higher than the standard value.

Implementation of Rapid Code Transformation Process Using Deep Learning Approaches

Our previous work has introduced the newly generated program using the code transformation model GPT-2,verifying the generated programming codes through simhash(SH)and longest common subsequence(LCS)algo-rithms.However,the entire code transformation process has encountered a time-consuming problem.Therefore,the objective of this study is to speed up the code transformation process signi􀀀cantly.This paper has proposed deep learning approaches for modifying SH using a variational simhash(VSH)algorithm and replacing LCS with a piecewise longest common subsequence(PLCS)algorithm to faster the veri􀀀cation process in the test phase.Besides the code transformation model GPT-2,this study has also introduced MicrosoMASS and Facebook BART for a comparative analysis of their performance.Meanwhile,the explainable AI technique using local interpretable model-agnostic explanations(LIME)can also interpret the decision-making ofAImodels.The experimental results show that VSH can reduce the number of quali􀀀ed programs by 22.11%,and PLCS can reduce the execution time of selected pocket programs by 32.39%.As a result,the proposed approaches can signi􀀀cantly speed up the entire code transformation process by 1.38 times on average compared with our previous work.

Underrecognition and un-dertreatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders in physicians:Determinants,challenges,and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Medical practitioners’duties are highly stressful and performed in a particularly challenging and competitive work environment.Stress and burnout among physicians have emerged as a worldwide public health problem in recent years.A high level of distress and burnout can lead to clinically significant behavioral health problems,such as stress-related psychiatric disorders.Mounting evidence shows that physicians have higher risks of insomnia,anxiety,and depression than the general population,especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.However,the behavioral health problems of these vulnerable healthcare professionals are noteworthy for being underrecognized and undertreated.In this minireview,we summarize the current progress of studies on the prevalence and determinants of distress and stress-related psychiatric disorders among physicians and their healthcare-seeking behaviors.We discuss future research directions and the clinical approach that may maximize self-awareness and promote prompt and adequate treatment for clinically significant behavioral health problems of physicians.

Medium-term surgical outcomes and health-related quality of life after laparoscopic vs open colorectal cancer resection: SF-36 health survey questionnaire

BACKGROUND Previous studies that compared the postoperative health-related quality of life(HRQoL)outcomes after receiving laparoscopic resection(LR)or open resection(OR)in patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)have different conclusions.AIM To explore the medium-term effect of postoperative HRQoL in such patients.METHODS This study randomized 567 patients undergoing non-metastatic CRC surgery managed by one surgeon to the LR or OR groups.HRQoL was assessed during the preoperative period and 3,6,and 12 mo postoperative using a modified version of the 36-Item Short Form(SF-36)Health Survey questionnaire,emphasizing eight specific items.RESULTS This cohort randomly assigned 541 patients to receive LR(n=296)or OR(n=245)surgical procedures.More episodes of postoperative urinary tract infection(P<0.001),wound infection(P<0.001),and pneumonia(P=0.048)were encountered in the OR group.The results demonstrated that the LR group subjectively gained mildly better general health(P=0.045),moderately better physical activity(P=0.006),and significantly better social function recovery(P=0.0001)3 mo postoperatively.Only the aspect of social function recovery was claimed at 6 mo,with a significant advantage in the LR group(P=0.001).No clinical difference was found in HRQoL during the 12 mo.CONCLUSION Our results demonstrated that LR resulted in better outcomes,including intra-operative blood loss,surgery-related complications,course of recovery,and especially some health domains of HRQoL at least within 6 mo postoperatively.Patients should undergo LR if there is no contraindication.

Unknown DDoS Attack Detection with Fuzzy C-Means Clustering and Spatial Location Constraint Prototype Loss

Since its inception,the Internet has been rapidly evolving.With the advancement of science and technology and the explosive growth of the population,the demand for the Internet has been on the rise.Many applications in education,healthcare,entertainment,science,and more are being increasingly deployed based on the internet.Concurrently,malicious threats on the internet are on the rise as well.Distributed Denial of Service(DDoS)attacks are among the most common and dangerous threats on the internet today.The scale and complexity of DDoS attacks are constantly growing.Intrusion Detection Systems(IDS)have been deployed and have demonstrated their effectiveness in defense against those threats.In addition,the research of Machine Learning(ML)and Deep Learning(DL)in IDS has gained effective results and significant attention.However,one of the challenges when applying ML and DL techniques in intrusion detection is the identification of unknown attacks.These attacks,which are not encountered during the system’s training,can lead to misclassification with significant errors.In this research,we focused on addressing the issue of Unknown Attack Detection,combining two methods:Spatial Location Constraint Prototype Loss(SLCPL)and Fuzzy C-Means(FCM).With the proposed method,we achieved promising results compared to traditional methods.The proposed method demonstrates a very high accuracy of up to 99.8%with a low false positive rate for known attacks on the Intrusion Detection Evaluation Dataset(CICIDS2017)dataset.Particularly,the accuracy is also very high,reaching 99.7%,and the precision goes up to 99.9%for unknown DDoS attacks on the DDoS Evaluation Dataset(CICDDoS2019)dataset.The success of the proposed method is due to the combination of SLCPL,an advanced Open-Set Recognition(OSR)technique,and FCM,a traditional yet highly applicable clustering technique.This has yielded a novel method in the field of unknown attack detection.This further expands the trend of applying DL and ML techniques in the development of intrusion detection systems and cybersecurity.Finally,implementing the proposed method in real-world systems can enhance the security capabilities against increasingly complex threats on computer networks.

Image Steganography by Pixel-Value Differencing Using General Quantization Ranges

A new steganographic method by pixel-value differencing(PVD)using general quantization ranges of pixel pairs’difference values is proposed.The objective of this method is to provide a data embedding technique with a range table with range widths not limited to powers of 2,extending PVD-based methods to enhance their flexibility and data-embedding rates without changing their capabilities to resist security attacks.Specifically,the conventional PVD technique partitions a grayscale image into 1×2 non-overlapping blocks.The entire range[0,255]of all possible absolute values of the pixel pairs’grayscale differences in the blocks is divided into multiple quantization ranges.The width of each quantization range is a power of two to facilitate the direct embedding of the bit information with high embedding rates.Without using power-of-two range widths,the embedding rates can drop using conventional embedding techniques.In contrast,the proposed method uses general quantization range widths,and a multiple-based number conversion mechanism is employed skillfully to implement the use of nonpower-of-two range widths,with each pixel pair being employed to embed a digit in the multiple-based number.All the message bits are converted into a big multiple-based number whose digits can be embedded into the pixel pairs with a higher embedding rate.Good experimental results showed the feasibility of the proposed method and its resistance to security attacks.In addition,implementation examples are provided,where the proposed method adopts non-power-of-two range widths and employsmultiple-based number conversion to expand the data-hiding and steganalysis-resisting capabilities of other PVD methods.

Is ypTNM staging a comparable predictor as pTNM staging for survival in non-metastatic rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiation therapy?

Abstract:Background:The pTNM staging system is widely recognized as the most effective prognostic indicator for cancer.The latest update of this staging system introduced a new pathological staging system(ypTNM)for patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(NACRT).However,whether the prognostic value of the ypTNM staging system for rectal cancer is similar to that of the pTNM staging system remains unclear.This study was conducted to compare the ypTNM and pTNM staging systems in terms of their prognostic value for patients with nonmetastatic rectal cancer undergoing proctectomy.Material and Methods:This study was conducted at a large teaching hospital.Between January 2014 and December 2022,542 patients with rectal cancer were analyzed(median follow-up period,60 months;range,6–105 months).Of them,258 and 284 were included in the pTNM and ypTNM groups,respectively.Inverse probability of treatment weighting(IPTW)was performed to account for the effects of confounders.Cox proportional-hazards regression was performed for the between-group comparison of overall survival(OS).Results:The crude model revealed that OS was similar between the two groups(p=0.607).After performing IPTW,we found that patients with the same ypTNM-and pTNM-classified stages had similar overall survival(hazard ratio=1.15;95%CI=0.76–1.73;p=0.5074).Conclusions:For patients with rectal cancer who have received preoperative NACRT,the prognostic value of ypTNM staging appears to be similar to that of pTNM staging,mostly because of the downstaging effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy。

Applying an Ordinal Priority Approach Based Neutrosophic Fuzzy Axiomatic Design Approach to Develop Sustainable Geothermal Energy Source

Geothermal energy is considered a renewable,environmentally friendly,especially carbon-free,sustainable energy source that can solve the problem of climate change.In general,countries with geothermal energy resources are the ones going through the ring of fire.Therefore,not every country is lucky enough to own this resource.As a country with 117 active volcanoes and within the world’s ring of fire,it is a country whose geothermal resources are estimated to be about 40%of the world’s geothermal energy potential.However,the percentage used compared to the geothermal potential is too small.Therefore,this is the main energy source that Indonesia is aiming to exploit and use.However,the deployment and development of this energy source are still facing many obstacles due to many aspects from budget sources due to high capital costs,factory construction location,quality of resources,and conflicts of the local community.In this context,determining the optimal locations for geothermal energy sites(GES)is one of the most important and necessary issues.To strengthen the selection methods,this study applies a two-layer fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making method.Through the layers,the Ordinal Priority Approach(OPA)is proposed to weight the sub-criteria,the main criterion,and the sustainability factors.In layer 2,the Neutrosophic Fuzzy Axiomatic Design(NFAD)is applied to rank and evaluate potential locations for geothermal plant construction.Choosing the right geothermal energy site can bring low-cost efficiency,no greenhouse gas emissions,and quickly become the main energy source providing electricity for Indonesia.The final ranking shows Papua,Kawah Cibuni,and Moluccas as the three most suitable cities to build geothermal energy systems.Kawah Cibuni was identified as the most potential GES in Indonesia,with a score of 0.46.Papua is the second most promising GES with a score of 0.45.Next is the Moluccas,with a score of 0.39.However,the three least potential sites among the 15 studied sites are Lumut Balai,Moluccas and Patuha,with scores of 0.08,0.11 and 0.17,respectively.The conclusion of this study also classifies positions into groups to aid in decision-making.

Behcet's disease-related panuveitis following COVID-19 vaccination:A case report

BACKGROUND Behcet's disease(BD)is an inflammatory disorder known for various symptoms,including oral and genital ulcers and ocular inflammation.Panuveitis,a severe eye condition,is rare as the first sign of BD.CASE SUMMARY We present an unusual case of a 30-year-old man who developed panuveitis after receiving the mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)vaccine(Moderna).Laboratory tests ruled out infections,but he had a positive HLA-B51 result and a history of genital ulcer and oral ulcers,leading to a BD diagnosis.Treatment with corticosteroids improved his condition.Interestingly,he had another episode of panuveitis after the second mRNA vaccine dose,which also responded to corticosteroids.CONCLUSION This case highlights the rare onset of BD following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination,suggesting a potential link between these vaccines and BD's eye symptoms,emphasizing the importance of quick treatment in similar cases.

Dengue outbreaks in northern Nigeria: Evaluating the recommended Takeda vaccine and future prevention strategies

Dengue fever,caused by the dengue virus(DENV),poses a significant public health challenge globally,with Nigeria experiencing sporadic outbreaks.A clear understanding of the dengue burden has not been achieved in Nigeria,just as in other African countries.Understanding the epidemiology and burden of dengue fever is essential for effective prevention and control strategies.This paper examines the recent dengue outbreaks in northern Nigeria,particularly in Sokoto state,and evaluates the recommended Takeda dengue vaccine(TDV)along with future prevention strategies.Despite limited surveillance and underreporting,dengue fever is endemic in Nigeria(with over 5 million cases and 5000 dengue-related deaths in 2023),with recent outbreaks indicating a growing concern.The TDV,a live attenuated tetravalent vaccine,has shown promise in preventing dengue fever,but challenges such as vaccine acceptance and access-ibility need to be addressed.Global urbanization contributes to the disease's spread,which is influenced by factors such as population density,cultural beliefs,water storage practices,hygiene,and water supply accessibility.Future prevention strategies must focus on government intervention,community practices,and innovative vector control measures to mitigate the spread of DENV in Nigeria.This study will serve as a valuable reference for policy-makers,researchers,and clinicians in the management and control of DENV in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Dual specimens increase the diagnostic accuracy and reduce the reaction duration of rapid urease test

AIM:To evaluate the influence of multiple samplings during esophagogastr oduodenoscopy(EGD) on the accuracy of the rapid urease test,and the validity of newly developed rapid urease tests,HelicotecUT plus test and HelicotecUT test,CLO test and ProntoDry test.METHODS:A total of 355 patients undergoing EGD for dyspepsia were included.Their Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) treatment status was either nave or eradicated.Six biopsy specimens from antrum and gastric body,respectively,were obtained during EGD.Single antral specimens and dual(antrum+body) specimens were compared.Infection status of H.pylori was evaluated by three different tests:culture,histology,and four different commercially available rapid urease tests(RUTs)-including the newly developed HelicotecUT plus test and HelicotecUT test,and established CLO test and ProntoDry test.H.pylori status was defined as positive when the culture was positive or if there were concordant positive results among histology,CLO test and ProntoDry test.RESULTS:When dual specimens were applied,sensitivity was enhanced and RUT reaction time was signif icantly reduced,regardless of their treatment status.Thirty minutes were enough to achieve an agreeable positive rate in all the RUTs.Both newly developed RUTs showed comparable sensitivity,specif icity and accuracy to the established RUTs,regardless of patient treatment status,RUT reaction duration,and EGD biopsy sites.CONCLUSION:Combination of antrum and body biopsy specimens greatly enhances the sensitivity of rapid urease test and reduces the reaction duration to 30 min.

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection: Current options and developments

Accurate diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection is a crucial part in the effective management of many gastroduodenal diseases. Several invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tests are available for the detection of H. pylori and each test has its usefulness and limitations in different clinical situations. Although none can be considered as a single gold standard in clinical practice,several techniques have been developed to give the more reliable results. Invasive tests are performed via endoscopic biopsy specimens and these tests include histology,culture,rapid urease test as well as molecular methods. Developments of endoscopic equipment also contribute to the real-time diagnosis of H. pylori during endoscopy. Urea breathingtest and stool antigen test are most widely used noninvasive tests,whereas serology is useful in screening and epidemiological studies. Molecular methods have been used in variable specimens other than gastric mucosa. More than detection of H. pylori infection,several tests are introduced into the evaluation of virulence factors and antibiotic sensitivity of H. pylori,as well as screening precancerous lesions and gastric cancer. The aim of this article is to review the current options and novel developments of diagnostic tests and their applications in different clinical conditions or for specific purposes.

Relationship between genetic polymorphisms of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk in males

AIM： To investigate the association between the genetic polymorphisms of ADH2 and ALDH2, lifetime alcohol consumption and esophageal cancer risk in the Taiwan Residents men. METHODS： Between August 2000 and June 2003, 134 pathologically-proven esophageal squamous cell carcinoma male patients and 237 male controls were recruited from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital and Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital in southern Taiwan. ADH2 and ALDH2 polymorphisms were genotyped using PCR-RFLP. RESULTS： Compared to those with ADH2＊2/＊2, individuals with ADH2＊1/＊2 and ADH2＊1/＊1 had 2.28- and 7.14-fold, respectively, increased risk of developing esophageal cancer （95%CI = 1.11-4.68 and 2.76-18.46） after adjusting for alcohol consumption and other covariates. The significant increased risk was also noted among subjects with ALDH2＊1/＊2 （adjusted OR （AOR） = 5.25, 95%CI = 2.47-11.19）, when compared to those with ALDH2＊1/＊1. The increased risk of esophageal cancer was made greater, when subjects carried both ADH2＊1/＊1 and ALDH2＊1/＊2, compared to those with ADH2＊1/＊2 or ADH2＊2/＊2 and ALDH2＊1/＊1 （AOR = 36.79,95%a = 9.36-144.65）. Furthhermore, we found a multipticative effect of lifetime alcoholic consumption and genotypes （ADH2 and ALDH2） on esophageal cancer risk. CONCLUSION： Our findings suggest that polymorphisms of ADH2 and ALDH2 can modify the influence of alcoholic consumption on esophageal cancer risk.

Low-power laser irradiation promotes the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells via cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Retaining or improving periodontal ligament （PDL） function is crucial for restoring periodontal defects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological effects of low-power laser irradiation （LPLI） on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human PDL （hPDL） cells. Cultured hPDL cel Is were irradiated （660 nm） daily with doses of O, 1, 2 or 4 J .cm-2. Cell proliferation was evaluated by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay, and the effect of LPLI on osteogenic differentiation was assessed by Alizarin Red S staining and alkaline phosphatase （ALP） activity. Additionally, osteogenic marker gene expression was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. Our data showed that LPLI at a dose of 2 J.cm-2 significantly promoted hPDL cell proliferation at days 3 and 5. In addition, LPLI at energy doses of 2 and 4 J.cm-2 showed potential osteogenic capacity, as it stimulated ALP activity, calcium deposition, and osteogenic gene expression. We also showed that cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） is a critical regulator of the LPLI-mediated effects on hPDL cells. This study shows that LPLI can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hPDL cells. These results suggest the potential use of LPLI in clinical applications for periodontal tissue regeneration.

First-week clinical responses to dexlansoprazole 60 mg and esomeprazole 40 mg for the treatment of grades A and B gastroesophageal reflux disease

AIM To compare the one-week clinical effects of single doses of dexlansoprazole and esomeprazole on grades A and B erosive esophagitis.METHODS We enrolled 175 adult patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). The patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two sequence groups to define the order in which they received single doses of dexlansoprazole(n = 88) and esomeprazole(n = 87) for an intention-to-treat analysis. The primary endpoints were the complete symptom resolution(CSR) rates at days 1, 3, and 7 after drug administration.RESULTS Thirteen patients were lost to follow-up, resulting in 81 patients in each group for the per-protocol analysis. The CSRs for both groups were similar at days 1, 3 and 7. In the subgroup analysis, the female patients achieved higher CSRs in the dexlansoprazole group than in the esomeprazole group at day 3(38.3% vs 18.4%, P = 0.046). An increasing trend toward a higher CSR was observed in the dexlansoprazole group at day 7(55.3% vs 36.8%, P = 0.09). In the esomeprazole group, female sex was a negative predictive factor for CSR on post-administration day 1 [OR =-1.249 ± 0.543; 95%CI: 0.287(0.099-0.832), P = 0.022] and day 3 [OR =-1.254 ± 0.519; 95%CI: 0.285(0.103-0.789), P = 0.016]. Patients with spicy food eating habits achieved lower CSRs on day 1 [37.3% vs 21.4%, OR =-0.969 ± 0.438; 95%CI: 0.380(0.161-0.896), P = 0.027]. CONCLUSION The overall CSR for GERD patients was similar at days 1-7 for both the dexlansoprazole and esomeprazole groups, although a higher incidence of CSR was observed on day 3 in female patients who received a single dose of dexlansoprazole.