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Abstract Background Although laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) has advantages over open surgery, postoperative seroma formation remains an issue. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors and clinical outcomes of seroma formation in patients undergoing LIHR. Methods From January 2016 to March 2023, clinical data of patients who underwent LIHR were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who developed seroma and those who did not were classified into the seroma and non-seroma groups, respectively. The demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed for variables of interest. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the risk factors of the binary logistic model, and the cutoff value for each risk factor was obtained. Results Data of 128 patients were evaluated. Compared with patients in the non-seroma group, those in the seroma group had a higher body mass index (BMI) (P 24.5 kg/m2), hernial orifice size (> 2.5 cm), TEP, and PSAL (

Abstract Background Both genetic and environmental factors play crucial roles in the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicide attempts (SA). However, the interaction between both items remains unknown. This study aims to explore the interactions between the genetic variants of the serotonin 2 A receptor (HTR2A) and the nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) and environmental factors in patients who experience MDD and SA. Methods A total of 334 patients with MDD and a history of SA (MDD-SA) were recruited alongside 518 patients with MDD with no history of SA (MDD-NSA), and 716 healthy controls (HC). The demographic data and clinical characteristics were collected. Sequenom mass spectrometry was used to detect eight tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) in HTR2A (rs1328683, rs17068986, and rs3125) and NOS1 (rs1123425, rs2682826, rs3741476, rs527590, and rs7959232). Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to analyze the gene-environment interactions. Results Four tagSNPs (rs17068986, rs3125, rs527590, and rs7959232) exhibited significant differences between the three groups. However, these differences were not significant between the MDD-SA and MDD-NSA groups after Bonferroni correction. A logistic regression analysis revealed that negative life events (OR = 1.495, 95%CI: 1.071–2.087, P = 0.018), self-guilt (OR = 2.263, 95%CI: 1.515–3.379, P

Abstract Uncoupling of biological nitrogen fixation from ammonia assimilation is a prerequisite step for engineering ammonia excretion and improvement of plant-associative nitrogen fixation. In this study, we have identified an amino acid substitution in glutamine synthetase, which provides temperature sensitive biosynthesis of glutamine, the intracellular metabolic signal of the nitrogen status. As a consequence, negative feedback regulation of genes and enzymes subject to nitrogen regulation, including nitrogenase is thermally controlled, enabling ammonia excretion in engineered Escherichia coli and the plant-associated diazotroph Klebsiella oxytoca at 23 °C, but not at 30 °C. We demonstrate that this temperature profile can be exploited to provide diurnal oscillation of ammonia excretion when variant bacteria are used to inoculate cereal crops. We provide evidence that diurnal temperature variation improves nitrogen donation to the plant because the inoculant bacteria have the ability to recover and proliferate at higher temperatures during the daytime.

Geothermal energy is a kind of clean energy with a large amount of energy. Some energy problems can be solved by collecting its heat and using thermoelectric generators. This paper studies a thermoelectric generator that utilizes shallow geothermal energy to generate electricity. Its physical model is built including heat exchanger, generator and radiator. The heat exchanger adopts gravity heat pipe, the generator adopts thermoelectric module, and the radiator adopts fin. To improve its efficiency, the effects of different working fluids and heat pipe diameters on heat transfer and the effects of different numbers of thermoelectric modules on power generation are considered. This paper considers the effects of different working fluids, heat pipe diameters and different numbers of thermoelectric modules on heat transfer and power generation. The study found that the heat transfer effect of the heat pipe can be better when water is used as the working fluid and the large pipe diameter. Properly increasing the number of TEMs can improve the power generation. This generator does not require energy consumption and moving equipment, thus reducing maintenance requirements.

Due to the fact that thermoelectric generation (TEG) system commonly operates in environment where temperature distribution is non-uniform, consequently the output characteristic curve P–V for centralized TEG systems gives rise to several local maximum power points (LMPP). The paper suggests a COOT algorithm-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method for centralized TEG system, by imitating the collective behavior of Coot water birds, which involves their leadership structures and chain movements, to enhance its capability of jumping out the local optima. Furthermore, it integrates a dynamic reverse learning strategy and a dynamic termination condition, which shortens the iteration times and convergence time of the algorithm. To evaluate its performance, this paper conducted distinct case studies that included engine speed at 1000, 2500, and 4000 rpm, step changes and randomly changes. The effectiveness of the COOT algorithm is evaluated by comparing its performance with that of the traditional Perturbation and Observation (P&O) algorithm as well as the meta-heuristic algorithms Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). It is shown that the COOT algorithm can achieve optimum power output and effectively reduce fluctuations in output power, while converging to the optimal solution more quickly.

Abstract Our previous study has shown that ATP action on P2X7R could be the second signal to induce the onset of gouty arthritis. However, the functional changes of P2X7R single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the effects of ATP-P2X7R-IL-1β signaling pathway and uric acid remained unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between the functional change of P2X7R containing the Ala348 to Thr polymorphisms (rs1718119) and the pathogenesis of gout. First, 270 gout patients and 70 hyperuricemic patients (without gout attack history in recent 5 years) were recruited for genotyping. In addition, the changes of ATP-induced pore formation were assessed in HEK-293T cells overexpressing different mutants in P2RX7, and the effects on P2X7R-NLRP3-IL-1β pathway activation were explored in P2RX7 overexpression THP-1 cells. The risk allele for gout was A at rs1718119, and the AA and AG genotypes exhibited a higher risk of gout. Furthermore, Ala348 to Thr mutants increased P2X7-dependent ethidium+ bromide uptake, upregulated IL-1β and NLRP3 levels as compared to the wild-type. We suggest that genetic polymorphisms of P2X7R containing the Ala348 to Thr are associated with the increased risk of gout, showing an enhanced gain-of-function effect on the development of this disease.

Background/purpose: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a progressive fibrotic oral mucosal disease associated with betel quid chewing. This study evaluated whether Taiwanese male OSF patients with folic acid (FA) deficiency (the serum FA level ≤6 ng/mL, so-called FA-deficient OSF patients) had high frequencies of blood hemoglobin (Hb) and serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity. Materials and methods: The blood Hb and serum iron, vitamin B12, FA, and GPCA concentrations in 59 Taiwanese male FA-deficient OSF patients were measured and compared with the corresponding data in 118 age-matched healthy male control subjects. Results: We found that 3 (5.1%), 35 (59.3%), and 7 (11.9%) of the 59 FA-deficient OSF patients had blood Hb (

The lithium-ion battery is now abundantly available in the market due to its excellent performance. However, battery overheating is increasingly prominent when the battery discharges at high speed. In this study, an active-passive BTMS (Battery Thermal Management System) combining PCM (Phase Change Material) and TEC (Thermoelectric Cooler) was proposed. The effects of different TEC currents and delayed cooling at different PCM melting rates were analyzed under the 4C discharge condition to enhance the thermal performance. The results demonstrate that battery temperature gets effectively controlled as the TEC current increases, but the temperature difference and PCM utilization are poor. However, applying a delayed current after the PCM melting rate reaches 80% reduces energy consumption and provides better temperature uniformity. Considering the large battery heat under 4C discharge, combined with the transient supercooling effect of TEC, a continuous pulse current was used to provide additional cooling power. Results show that the battery with TEC pulsed current operates 57.8% longer at 40 °C with a temperature difference maintained at 2.5 K under 4C discharge conditions compared with the PCM model.

The thermal management of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is an essential guarantee for the smooth operation of fuel cell vehicles. Most typical fuel cell cooling systems are controlled by threshold control, resulting in a strong coupling relationship between the inlet temperature and the difference of temperature between import and export. To address this problem, this paper proposes a decoupled control strategy and establishes a pump flow controller and a Fuzzy-PID fan controller. According to the fuel cell parameters, a Simulink-GT fuel cell cooling system model is built to verify the optimization strategy in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and compared with the traditional threshold control strategy. The results show that the decoupled control strategy works well under the NEDC cycle test conditions. The fuel cell temperature can be stabilized around the set target value at all times, keeping the fuel cell operating in the high-efficiency range.

The proper operating temperature is inextricably linked to the efficient operation of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In this study, a model predictive control (MPC) method for PEMFC water cooling system was proposed to control fans and pump. Firstly, the electrochemical model of PEMFC and thermal model of the system were established, and the electrochemical model was verified by experimental data. Then the MPC controller is designed by linearizing and discretizing the thermal model, and a joint simulation model was built through MATLAB/Simulink and GT Suite. Finally, the performance of MPC controller was evaluated under three different operating conditions (step load, dynamic load, and variable target situation), and its effectiveness was compared to that of a rule-based controller. From the co-simulation results, the MPC controller can accurately adjust the speed of the pump and fans, keep the stack temperature within ±0.5°C of the setpoint, and realize the tracking control of the change target.

In this study, a hybrid BTMS (battery thermal management system) that combines TEC (thermoelectric cooler) and PCM (phase change material) is shown. The PCM absorbs heat and occurs in phase change, which stores the heat from batteries. The TECs act as a heat pump, takes away the excess heat in the PCM through the fins, and control the temperature of the PCM below the phase transition temperature as much as possible, which can prevent it from melting completely and losing the ability to keep the battery temperature stable. By comparative analysis, the addition of PCM can obtain better temperature uniformity, the temperature difference was controlled below 6 °C, and CPCM with higher thermal conductivity was more suitable for the hybrid BTMS, at 1200 s, the maximum temperature of the model with 30% EG/RT44HC was 10.3 °C lower than that with pure RT44HC. When the fill thickness of CPCM increases, the temperature control time can be extended, but the performance of TEC will decrease. For this model, the arrangement direction of the fins should be perpendicular to the direction of the battery which has higher thermal conductivity, heat from batteries can be effectively transferred to the fins more and faster.

Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) in automobiles is a promising way to recover the exhaust heat, and can effectively increase energy utilization. The integration of a Three-Way Catalytic converter (TWC) and TEG can improve the performance by using the heat generated during catalytic operation but still has poor compatibility. Therefore, it is essential that how to improve the compatibility between TWC and TEG. This paper proposed a new method of the coupled carrier of the TWC to enhance the catalytic efficiency and increase the output of TEG. The new TEG was tested under steady and transient conditions. The results showed that the temperature uniformity of TEG is improved. The maximum output power of TEG is increased when TWC with the coupled carrier is working stably. The new TEG with coupled TWC carrier has the highest conversion efficiency for CO, NO, and H2gases. Under the steady and transient conditions, reaction energy is transferred to the hot side of TEG and the performance of the one-sixth TEG output power can be increased to 306.2W by using the appropriate coupled carrier. Theoretically, this research provides the basis for further study.

The Automotive Thermoelectric Generator (ATEG) aims to recycle the heat in vehicle exhaust, and transforms it into electricity. This paper proposes a specific structure of an automotive direct contact thermoelectric generator (ADCTEG) system. With no space among the TEMs, exhaust gas and coolant water, this automotive direct-contact configuration works in favor of system integration, minimizing the contact thermal resistance, and maximizing thermal efficiency. In this new TEG system, the thermoelectric modules (TEMs) expose the hot side surface on the automotive waste gas, while another surface directly contact with the cooling water. For the purpose of revealing output characteristics of the ADCTEG and the heat transfer performance, several numerical simulations and bench test are carried out to predict the temperature distribution, flow field and output power generation. Meanwhile, the influence of experimental parameters on ADCTEG power generation performance is studied also, the output characteristics of ADCTEG under vehicle on-board environment are discussed. The net output power of ADCTEG under different engine rotation speed is calculated. The researches on output characteristics of liquid–solid–gas ADCTEG system has guiding significance for the structure design of heat exchanger and the optimization design of thermal resistance and heat transfer of the system, and also has reference value for the potential application of automotive TEG.

In commercial vehicles, the power consumption of the traditional air conditioning system used to cool an entire cab is high. In most cases, there is only one driver in vehicle, so adjusting the local thermal environment around the driver can reduce much energy waste. In this paper, a localized air conditioning system based on thermoelectric cooling (TEC) devices was constructed, and its performance characteristic were studied to find the optimal operating conditions in practice. The relationship between the refrigeration power and the operating current of the device was studied. A bench test was carried out to evaluate the performance of the device and the accuracy of the simulation. This paper selected a commercial vehicle cab for the application of the TEC system. The thermal comfort of human body in cab and the economy of local air conditioning system was analyzed by the method of computational fluid dynamics. The driver’s thermal comfort was analyzed based on equivalent temperature and thermal comfort deviation. The results show that when the cooling power is 3000 W, the overall thermal comfort deviation of human body under local thermoelectric refrigeration is 7.94% higher than that under traditional refrigeration. When the duty ratio of the centrifugal fan governor is about 40%–60%, the semiconductor cooling device has excellent refrigeration performance and low energy consumption, which can not only ensure the thermal comfort of the driver but also reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioner.

Background/purpose: WEE1 is a mitotic inhibitor at G2 checkpoint of the cell cycle that negatively regulates cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) through inhibitory phosphorylation. This study assessed whether the expressions of both WEE1 and phosphorylated CDK1 in specimens of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) might predict the OSCC recurrence and progression. Materials and methods: This study used immunohistochemistry to examine the expressions of WEE1 and phosphorylated CDK1 proteins in 75 specimens of OSCC and 30 specimens of normal oral mucosa (NOM). Results: The mean WEE1 labeling index (LI) was significantly lower in 75 OSCC samples than in 30 NOM samples (P

Background: At present, the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced secondary brain injury (ISB) is limited, and the curative effect is not good. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play a role in ISB after ICH. We preliminarily monitored the induction effect of lncRNA-pseudopodium-enriched atypical kinase 1 (PEAK1) on neuronal cell apoptosis after ICH through our previous study and further experimental verification. However, the specific role and mechanism of lncRNA-PEAK1 in neuronal cell apoptosis after ICH have not been reported. Methods: ICH cell models were established with hemin. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, respectively. Moreover, lncRNA expression associated with apoptosis was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The biological functions of lncRNA-PEAK1, miR-466i-5p, and caspase8 were conducted in vitro. Further, we used bioinformatics, a dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue experiments to understand the mechanisms of competitive endogenous RNAs. Results: qRT-PCR revealed that lncRNA-PEAK1 was markedly upregulated in ICH cell models. LncRNA-PEAK1 knockdown decreased the interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, promoted cell proliferation, weakened cell apoptosis, and downregulated the key molecular protein levels involved in the cell apoptosis pathway. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that lncRNA bound to miR-466i-5p, and caspase 8 was a target of miR-466i-5p. The mechanistic analysis demonstrated that lncRNA-PEAK1/miR-466i-5p promoted neuronal cell apoptosis by activating the apoptosis pathway through caspase8 after ICH. Conclusion: Collectively, our investigation identified that the lncRNA-PEAK1/miR-446i-5p/caspase8 axis is closely related to neuronal cell apoptosis after ICH. Additionally, lncRNA-PEAK1 may be a potential target for ICH intervention.

Automobile exhaust contains a large amount of heat loss, which has a high potential for energy saving. In order to recover the heat in the exhaust gas and improve the compatibility of thermoelectric generator (TEG), muffler and catalytic converter, an integrated automobile exhaust thermoelectric generator (IATEG) integrating muffler, and catalytic converter is proposed. Research on its performance by establishing a three-dimensional model, On the basis of finite element simulation, the model’s surface temperature field, muffler transmission loss, exhaust back pressure and conversion efficiency are compared and studied when the catalytic converter is placed in the front part (A), middle part (B) and rear part (C) of the model. The results show that when the exhaust temperature is 350 °C and the inlet velocity is 30 m/s, the average surface temperature of model B is the highest, which is 291.95 °C. The exhaust back pressure of the three models is almost the same and meets the requirements of QC/T 631-2009 (15 kPa). Compared with the original muffler of the automobile, the transmission loss of the three models is greater than that of the original muffler. From the perspective of improving the conversion efficiency of NOx, the exhaust flow field distribution of the catalytic converter of Model B is more uniform and has a smaller impact on the conversion efficiency of NOx. Therefore, it is recommended that IATEG choose the structure of Model B. This article demonstrates the possibility of IATEG integrating muffler and catalytic converter in terms of performance.

In view of the heat transfer problem in fuel cell vehicle at climbing and high temperature environment, a method for spray cooling of the radiator using water produced by fuel cell is proposed. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this method and predict the best working condition of spray at climbing and high temperature environment, a test bench was built to investigate the effects of four spray temperatures of 48 °C, 58 °C, 68 °C, and 74 °C on the cooling performance of the radiator. A three-dimensional model of the radiator was established, and the numerical simulation of radiator spray cooling was carried out based on the Euler–Lagrangian approach, and the validity and accuracy of the numerical simulation was verified by the experiments. Then the different spray angles and spray flow rates were considered to study the convective heat transfer coefficient of the radiator’s air side at climbing and high temperature environment, and the optimal working parameters were obtained. The results indicated that the spray at 74 °C still had a significant cooling performance on the radiator with the evaporation of the liquid film. The initial state of the spray hitting the surface of the radiator can be simulated, and the cooling performance can be evaluated by comparing the convective heat transfer coefficient of the air side of the radiator. The inclined spray is more effective than the vertical spray. At the interference of external wind speed of 40 km/h, the best heat transfer coefficient can be obtained with the 55° spray angle and the 9.44 g/s spray flow rate. This numerical simulation process can provide a reference for the design of fuel cell vehicle spray cooling system.

The energy management strategy of passenger vehicles that adopts the hybrid energy form of the fuel cell, battery and supercapacitor was complicated. Traditional power following-logic threshold filtering strategy could better use the power directly output by fuel cell(FC) and reduce the loss of charge and discharge. In some power ranges, the energy produced by the fuel cell lagged behind the demand power. In response to this problem, the power following-logic threshold filtering strategy is optimized based on dynamic allocation. According to the parameters of the vehicle, Simulink/Powertrain was used to build a power system model to verify the effectiveness of the current strategy under urban dynamometer driving schedule (UDDS) and then compared with the traditional control strategy. The optimized energy management strategy decreases hydrogen consumption by 1.9%; the proportion of power above 10 kW is reduced by about 20%; the battery end state of charge (SOC) values under the control strategy before and after the improvement are 51.64 and 50.91, respectively.

Background/purpose: Adjuvant chemotherapy has been used to control the primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) size prior to surgical excision of the cancer. This study aimed to explore the histological changes of primary OSCCs and their cervical lymph node metastatic cancer lesions after chemotherapy. Materials and methods: Thirty-three OSCC patients with eleven having cervical lymph node metastases received adjuvant chemotherapy before surgical excision of their cancer lesions. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections of incisional biopsy, surgical excision, and cervical lymph node metastatic cancer lesion specimens were compared microscopically to observe the histological changes in the cancer tissues after chemotherapy. Results: Common histological features could be found in the primary OSCCs and their cervical lymph node metastatic cancer lesions after chemotherapy. These included direct killing of cancer cells by chemotherapeutic agents, resulting in cancer cell necrosis and degeneration in the early phase, and squamous and keratinizing metaplasia of drug-induced cancer cells, leading to individual cell keratinization and keratin pearl formation in the later phase. There were also small nests of drug-resistant proliferating cancer cells in the inflamed fibrous connective tissue stroma. The most characteristic histological feature in the metastatic lymph nodes after chemotherapy was the keratinizing metaplasia of the metastatic cancer cells, resulting in the formation of epidermoid cyst-like lesions. Conclusion: Although the cancer reduces its size after chemotherapy, residual cancer cells are consistently present in the primary OSCC lesions after chemotherapy. Therefore, wide surgical resection of the cancer is still needed to ensure the complete removal of all cancer tissues.

The Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR) is a nationwide population-based registry that collects the data of patients with newly diagnosed cancer from hospitals with ≥50 beds. TCR data are high quality in terms of completeness and timeliness. However, accuracy is also a crucial quality indicator. This study evaluated the accuracy rates of selected 55 major items in the long-form TCR data between 2014 and 2016 with 700 reported cases randomly selected from 25 long-form-reporting hospitals. We calculated the accuracy rates of the reported data by employing a reabstracted chart review. Among the 55 items, the accuracy rates of 38 (69%) were at least 95%, those of 10 (18%) were between 90% and 95%, those of 5 (9%) were between 85% and 90%, and the remaining 2 (4%) were between 80% and 85%. This demonstrates a high degree of accuracy in the TCR long-form data.

We theoretically study the topological properties in a one-dimensional superconducting circuit lattice, where each unit cell is composed of a superconducting microwave cavity, a nanomechanical resonator (NAMR) and a superconducting qubit. By using diagonalization and dimensional reduction methods, the quantum spin Hall system of the photon-phonon coupled modes can be achieved. We analyze the energy spectrum and edge states of different lattice sizes. It is found that the number of lattices affects the topological characteristics of the system, and the inversion of the edge state distribution can be realized. In addition, considering the effects of defects, dissipation and disorder on the system, we find that they will respectively expand the region of the edge state, change the maximum value of the energy spectrum and cause small fluctuation of the energy spectrum. But the edge state is still very stable, which is due to the topological protection of the edge state. This scheme opens up a new way to study the application of topological matter in quantum information processing, meanwhile, the research results can be used to design novel quantum devices.

Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) dysregulates antiviral signaling, immune response, and cell metabolism in human body. Viral genome and proteins hijack host metabolic network to support viral biogenesis and propagation. However, the regulatory mechanism of SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced metabolic dysfunction has not been elucidated until recently. Multiomic studies of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) revealed an intensive interaction between host metabolic regulators and viral proteins. SARS‐CoV‐2 deregulated cellular metabolism in blood, intestine, liver, pancreas, fat, and immune cells. Host metabolism supported almost every stage of viral lifecycle. Strikingly, viral proteins were found to interact with metabolic enzymes in different cellular compartments. Biochemical and genetic assays also identified key regulatory nodes and metabolic dependencies of viral replication. Of note, cholesterol metabolism, lipid metabolism, and glucose metabolism are broadly involved in viral lifecycle. Here, we summarized the current understanding of the hallmarks of COVID‐19 metabolism. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection remodels host cell metabolism, which in turn modulates viral biogenesis and replication. Remodeling of host metabolism creates metabolic vulnerability of SARS‐CoV‐2 replication, which could be explored to uncover new therapeutic targets. The efficacy of metabolic inhibitors against COVID‐19 is under investigation in several clinical trials. Ultimately, the knowledge of SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced metabolic reprogramming would accelerate drug repurposing or screening to combat the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Abstract Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) remains the sole druggable molecular target other than the PD1/PD-L1 pathway with meaningful clinical benefit in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN). Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) confers the resistance to EGFR-targeted treatment in SCCHN. Thus, it is essential to determine the distribution and regulatory mechanisms of HER3 in SCCHN. We explored the prevalence of HER3 expression and its distribution within SCCHN by immunohistochemical staining and clinicopathological correlations were analyzed. The regulatory mechanism of HER3 expression was then dissected in vitro, using RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation in a set of SCCHN cell lines. Subsequent in vivo validation in the murine model was also performed. We found that concomitant high expression of HER3 and its ligand NRG1 in SCCHN is associated with the increased presence of regional lymphatic metastasis and the majority of HER3 is located on the differentiated tumor cells. Further investigation revealed that HER3 is under positive control of NOTCH1 through transcriptional activation and inhibition of protein degradation through the polyubiquitination machinery via AKT pathway and USP8 deubiquitinating enzyme. In addition, loss of function of NOTCH1 suppresses HER3 expression through increased phosphorylation of serine 473 of AKT in SCCHN cells, and promotes the aggressiveness of the tumor cells. These data indicated that the level of HER3 is regulated by NOTCH1 in SCCHN both transcriptionally and post-translationally, and NOTCH1 is in a higher hierarchy in the regulatory system of the AKT pathway. Since NOTCH1 is inactivated in approximately 10% of SCCHN cases and this aberration strongly impacts the AKT pathway and diminishes HER3, exclusion of patients with NOTCH1-inactivated SCCHN may be beneficial for future clinical trials of HER3-targeting antibodies.

As technology changes, it is becoming more common in education for students to acquire knowledge from sources other than just their teachers. In the face of a diverse student background, teachers have to make adjustments in their instruction so that students do not simply listen. Student-based educational philosophy aims to combine instructional methods with cooperative learning to allow students to change from passive learning to active knowledge construction, reinduce students’ learning motivation and passion, and enhance students’ self-learning effectiveness. Focusing on college students in Fujian Province as the research sample, 360 copies of a questionnaire were distributed for this study. After deducting invalid and incomplete ones, 298 copies remained, with a retrieval rate 83%. The research results showed significantly positive correlations between online cooperative learning and problem-solving ability, problem-solving ability and learning satisfaction, and online cooperative learning and learning satisfaction. According to the results, it is expected, in the digital era, to integrate information technology into the teaching environment and focus on learning objectives to create teaching software with a user-friendly interface, simple operation, learning process recording, and an interactive learning community in the teaching-learning process to develop the characteristics and effectiveness of digital teaching and learning.

Background/purpose: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a localized autoimmune oral mucosal disease. This study evaluated whether different types of OLP patients including erosive OLP (EOLP), major EOLP, minor EOLP, and non-erosive OLP (NEOLP) patients had significantly higher percentages of FoxP3+CD4+ or IFN-γ+CD4+ cells in total CD4+ cells, and of IFN-γ+CD8+ cells in total CD8+ cells than healthy control subjects and whether the patient's age had significant influences on these cell percentages in OLP patients. Materials and methods: Flow cytometry was used to count the FoxP3+CD4+, IFN-γ+CD4+, or IFN-γ+CD8+ cell levels in 183 OLP patients (67 major EOLP, 81 minor EOLP, and 35 NEOLP patients) and 20 healthy control subjects. Results: Major EOLP patients had a significantly higher FoxP3+CD4+ cell percentage than health control subjects (P = 0.049) or minor EOLP patients (P = 0.008). Major EOLP patients had a significantly higher IFN-γ+CD4+ or IFN-γ+CD8+ cell percentage than healthy control subjects, NEOLP patients, or minor EOLP patients (all P-values

The SnS/SnS2 heterostructure was fabricated by the chemical vapor deposition method. The crystal structure properties of SnS2 and SnS were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, Raman spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The frequency dependence photoconductivity explores its carrier kinetic decay process. The SnS/SnS2 heterostructure shows that the ratio of short time constant decay process reaches 0.729 with a time constant of 4.3 × 10−4 s. The power-dependent photoresponsivity investigates the mechanism of electron–hole pair recombination. The results indicate that the photoresponsivity of the SnS/SnS2 heterostructure has been increased to 7.31 × 10−3 A/W, representing a significant enhancement of approximately 7 times that of the individual films. The results show the optical response speed has been improved by using the SnS/SnS2 heterostructure. These results indicate an application potential of the layered SnS/SnS2 heterostructure for photodetection. This research provides valuable insights into the preparation of the heterostructure composed of SnS and SnS2, and presents an approach for designing high-performance photodetection devices.

Objectives: Titanium implants are regarded as a promising treatment modality for replacing missing teeth. Osteointegration and antibacterial properties are both desirable characteristics for titanium dental implants. The aim of this study was to create zinc (Zn)-, strontium (Sr)-, and magnesium (Mg)-multidoped hydroxyapatite (HAp) porous coatings, including HAp, Zn-doped HAp, and Zn-Sr-Mg-doped HAp, on titanium discs and implants using the vapor-induced pore-forming atmospheric plasma spraying (VIPF-APS) technique. Methods: The mRNA and protein levels of osteogenesis-associated genes such as collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1), decorin (DCN), osteoprotegerin (TNFRSF11B), and osteopontin (SPP1) were examined in human embryonic palatal mesenchymal cells. The antibacterial effects against periodontal bacteria, including Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella nigrescens, were investigated. In addition, a rat animal model was used to evaluate new bone formation via histologic examination and micro-computed tomography (CT). Results: The ZnSrMg-HAp group was the most effective at inducing mRNA and protein expression of TNFRSF11B and SPP1 after 7 days of incubation, and TNFRSF11B and DCN after 11 days of incubation. In addition, both the ZnSrMg-HAp and Zn-HAp groups were effective against P. gingivalis and P. nigrescens. Furthermore, according to both in vitro studies and histologic findings, the ZnSrMg-HAp group exhibited the most prominent osteogenesis and concentrated bone growth along implant threads. Significance: A porous ZnSrMg-HAp coating using VIPF-APS could serve as a novel technique for coating titanium implant surfaces and preventing further bacterial infection.

Mitochondria harbor the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system to sustain cellular respiration. However, the transcriptional regulation of OXPHOS remains largely unexplored. Through the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) transcriptome analysis, transcription factor THAP domain-containing 3 (THAP3) was found to be strongly associated with OXPHOS gene expression. Mechanistically, THAP3 recruited the histone methyltransferase SET and MYND domain-containing protein 3 (SMYD3) to upregulate H3K4me3 and promote OXPHOS gene expression. The levels of THAP3 and SMYD3 were altered by metabolic cues. They collaboratively supported liver cancer cell proliferation and colony formation. In clinical human liver cancer, both of them were overexpressed. THAP3 positively correlated with OXPHOS gene expression. Together, THAP3 cooperates with SMYD3 to epigenetically upregulate cellular respiration and liver cancer cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose: Gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA), thyroglobulin antibody (TGA), and thyroid microsomal antibody (TMA) are organ-specific autoantibodies. This study mainly assessed the frequencies of serum GPCA, TGA, and TMA positivities in burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients. Methods: Serum GPCA, TGA, and TMA levels were measured in 884 BMS patients and in 442 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Results: We found that 12.3%, 21.6%, and 22.7% of 884 BMS patients and 1.8%, 2.3%, and 2.9% of 442 healthy control subjects had the serum GPCA, TGA, and TMA positivities, respectively. BMS patients had significantly higher frequencies of GPCA, TGA, and TMA positivities than healthy control subjects (all P-values

The management of perioperative antibiotic options after lung transplantation varies widely around the world, but there is a common trend to limit antibiotic use duration. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has become a hot spot in clinical pathogen detection due to its precise, rapid, and wide detection spectrum of pathogens. Thus, we defined a new antibiotic regimen adjustment strategy in the very early stage (within 7 days) after lung transplantation mainly depending on mNGS reports combined with clinical conditions to reduce the use of antibiotics. To verify the clinical effect of the strategy, we carried out this research. Thirty patients who underwent lung transplantation were finally included, whose information including etiology, antibiotic adjustment, and the effect of our strategy was recorded. Lung transplant recipients in this study were prescribed with initial antibiotic regimen immediately after surgery; their antibiotic regimens were adjusted according to the strategy. According to our study, the entire effectiveness of the strategy was 90.0% (27/30). Besides, a total of 86 samples containing donor lung tissue, recipient lung tissue, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were obtained in this study; they were all sent to mNGS test, while BALF was also sent to pathogen culture. Their results showed that the positive rate of BALF samples was higher (86.67%) than that of donor’s lung tissue (20.0%) or recipient’s lung tissue (13.33%) by mNGS test, indicating BALF samples are more valuable than other clinical samples from early postoperative period to guide the early adjustment of antibiotics after lung transplantation. It is effective for mNGS combined with traditional methods and clinical situations to optimize antibiotic regimens in lung transplantation recipients within 7 days after surgery.

Background/Purpose: Normocytosis is defined as having the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) between 80 fL and 99.9 fL. This study evaluated whether 944 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients with normocytosis had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity than 532 healthy control subjects or 1064 AG patients. Methods: Complete blood count, serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 944 AG patients with normocytosis, 1064 AG patients, and 532 healthy control subjects were measured and compared. Results: We found that 12.4%, 14.5%, 2.3%, 2.0%, 9.0%, and 25.7% of 944 AG patients with normocytosis had blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity, respectively. Furthermore, 944 AG patients with normocytosis had significantly higher frequencies of blood Hb, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity than 532 healthy control subjects (all P-values

Background/Purpose: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by burning sensation of the oral mucosa in the absence of clinically apparent oral mucosal alterations. This study evaluated the anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity in 884 BMS patients. Methods: The blood hemoglobin (Hb) and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, GPCA levels in 884 BMS patients were measured and compared with the corresponding levels in 442 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Results: We found that 175 (19.8%), 143 (16.2%), 42 (4.8%), 20 (2.3%), 170 (19.2%), and 109 (12.3%) BMS patients had blood Hb, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity, respectively. Moreover, 884 BMS patients had significantly higher frequencies of blood Hb and serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity than 442 healthy control subjects (all P-values

Atrophic glossitis (AG) is characterized by the partial or complete absence of filiform papillae on the dorsal surface of the tongue. AG may reflect the significant deficiencies of some major nutrients including riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, zinc, and vitamin E. Moreover, protein-calorie malnutrition, candidiasis, Helicobacter pylori colonization, xerostomia, and diabetes mellitus are also the etiologies of AG. Our previous study found the serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA), thyroglobulin antibody (TGA), and thyroid microsomal antibody (TMA) positivities in 26.7%, 28.4%, and 29.8% of 1064 AG patients, respectively. We also found anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in 19.0%, 16.9%, 5.3%, 2.3%, and 11.9% of 1064 AG patients, respectively. Moreover, GPCA-positive AG patients tended to have relatively higher frequencies of hemoglobin, iron, and vitamin B12 deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia than GPCA-negative AG patients. Supplementations with vitamin BC capsules plus corresponding deficient hematinics for those AG patients with hematinic deficiencies can achieve complete remission of oral symptoms and AG in some AG patients. Therefore, it is very important to examine the complete blood count, serum hematinic, homocysteine, and autoantibody levels in AG patients before we start to offer treatments for AG patients. Keywords: Atrophic glossitis, Anemia, Hematinic deficiency, Hyperhomocysteinemia, Gastric parietal cell antibody

Background/Purpose: Our previous study found that 56 of 1064 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients have vitamin B12 deficiency. This study assessed whether the AG patients with vitamin B12 deficiency (B12D/AG patients) had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity than healthy control subjects. Methods: The blood hemoglobin (Hb) and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 56 B12D/AG patients and 532 healthy control subjects were measured and compared. Results: We found that 56 B12D/AG patients had significantly lower mean blood Hb and serum iron levels as well as significantly higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean serum homocysteine level than healthy control subjects (all P-values

Background/Purpose: Our previous study found that 180 of 1064 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients have iron deficiency. This study assessed whether all AG patients with iron deficiency (so-called ID/AG patients) had iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and evaluated whether the ID/AG patients had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity than healthy control subjects. Methods: The blood hemoglobin (Hb) and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 180 ID/AG patients and 532 healthy control subjects were measured and compared. Results: We found that 180 ID/AG patients had significantly lower mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and lower mean blood Hb and serum iron levels as well as significantly higher mean serum homocysteine level than healthy control subjects (all P-values

Background/Purpose: Our previous study found that 127 of 1064 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients have hyperhomocysteinemia. This study assessed whether the AG patients with hyperhomocysteinemia had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity than AG patients without hyperhomocysteinemia or healthy control subjects. Methods: The blood hemoglobin (Hb) and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 127 AG patients with hyperhomocysteinemia, 937 AG patients without hyperhomocysteinemia, and 532 healthy control subjects were measured and compared. Results: We found that 127 AG patients with hyperhomocysteinemia had significantly higher frequencies of blood Hb and serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies and serum GPCA positivity than 532 healthy control subjects (all P-values

Background/Purpose: Our previous study found 284 gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA)-positive atrophic glossitis (AG) patients (so-called GPCA+AG patients in this study) in a group of 1064 AG patients. This study evaluated whether high-titer (GPCA titer ≥ 160) GPCA+AG patients had greater frequencies of anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, macrocytosis, and hyperhomocysteinemia than low-titer (GPCA titer

Background/purpose: The classic Stafne bone defect (SBD) is a rare small well-demarcated radiolucent lesion in the molar region of the mandible near the mandibular angle. This study reported a series of 5 SBD cases. Materials and methods: This study reviewed 4000 consecutive panoramic radiographs from February 2017 to May 2017 and found 5 classic SBD cases. The clinical and radiographic findings of these 5 SBD cases were reported. Results: We found 5 SBD cases presenting as small, well-defined, and radiolucent lesions at the typical first molar to third molar region of the mandible near the mandibular angle and below the mandibular canal. The mean age of the 5 patients at the time of diagnosis was 53.4 years (range, 45–69 years). All the 5 SBD cases occurred in male patients, 3 were on the right side and 2 were on the left side of the mandible. The mean greatest dimension of the 5 SBDs was 1.5 cm (range, 1.2–1.9 cm). All the 5 SBD cases were found incidentally on the panoramic radiographs and two of them were confirmed by cone-beam computed tomography. No surgical intervention was performed for these 5 SBD cases. Conclusion: The classic SBDs occur most frequently in male patients in the age group between 40 years and 60 years. For the SBDs at the typical site of the molar region of the mandible near the mandibular angle and below the mandibular canal, these lesions can be monitored by panoramic radiography once per one or two years. Keywords: Stafne bone defect, Mandible, Radiolucency, Panoramic radiography

Problem-solving ability is an essential part of daily life. Thus, curiosity and a thirst for knowledge should be cultivated in students to help them develop problem solving and independent thinking skills. Along with positive attitudes and an active disposition, these abilities are needed to solve problems throughout the lifespan and develop -confidence. To achieve educational objectives in the context of globalization, creative ability is necessary for generating competitive advantages. Therefore, creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving ability are important basic competencies needed for future world citizens. Creativity should also be integrated into subject teaching to cultivate students' lifelong learning and a creative attitude toward life. A questionnaire was distributed to 420 students in colleges and universities in Fujian, China. After removing invalid and incomplete responses, 363 copies were found to be valid yielding a response rate of 86%. Findings indicate that the new generation requires high levels of support to develop creativity and integrate diverse subjects such as nature, humanities, and technology. A rich imagination is needed to root creativity in the new generation.

Overlapping clinicopathological features of non-calcifying Langerhans cell rich variant of calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (NCLC-CEOT) and the amyloid rich variant of the central odontogenic fibroma (AR-COF) have been recognized recently. It is still under debate whether these two diseases are indeed one unique disease entity or belong to CEOT and COF, respectively. To clarify this issue, we have performed a literature review to compare the similarities and differences in clinicopathological features among NCLC-CEOT, AR-COF, classic CEOT, and classic COF. We aimed to investigate whether NCLC-CEOT and AR-COF might be the same and one distinctive disease entity, or a variant (or variants) of either CEOT or COF; or whether COF, NCLC-CEOT/AR-COF, and CEOT represented a histopathological spectrum of one disease. Our results indicate that NCLC-CEOT and AR-COF cases share many similar clinicopathological features. Thus, we suggest that they are the same disease entity. Due to nearly no reported recurrence of NCLC-CEOT/AR-COF cases, the conservative surgical treatment is appropriate. The NCLC-CEOT/AR-COF cases show some overlapping clinicopathological features with COF rather than the CEOT cases. However, differences in the clinicopathological features are still recognized among the NCLC-CEOT/AR-COF, COF, and CEOT cases. Future research, particularly molecular biological studies, may further elucidate their relationships and assist proper classification of the NCLC-CEOT/AR-COF cases.

In cold chain logistics, refrigerated trucks are used for long-distance transportation across cities, and insulated trucks are used for short-distance delivery within cities. However, the small insulated vans for short-distance transportation like delivering home in urban have heat leakage and no pre-cooling, the transportation time of traffic congestion becomes longer, resulting in poor insulation effect. So, to achieve stable temperature control is difficult, it leads to a big fluctuation in the temperature of the cargo. The thermoelectric cooling technology has the unique advantages of compact structure, flexible layout, no refrigerant, and environmental friendliness, which is very suitable for controlling the temperature of the small insulated vans. In the paper, relationship among COP, working power, and working current of the designed thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is investigated first. And then the best working state of the TEC is obtained. Next, set hot and cold dual temperature zones to ensure the effective use of energy based on thermoelectric cooling characteristics, arranged the cooling device in the insulated van, and revealed the changes in the temperature of the compartment and the cargo through the actual vehicle test. Compared the thermal insulation effect of the compartment with or without thermoelectric cooling technology through CFD. According to the simulation results, the cargo temperature of the insulated van fluctuates between 4 and 6°C within 2.5 h of actual delivery in urban, the insulated van using thermoelectric cooling technology can make the temperature of the cargo fluctuate within 1.5°C. The above proved the good insulated effect of the thermoelectric cooling insulated vans. Finally, the influence of the working time of the thermoelectric refrigeration system on the temperature control effect is also studied. The research results have a certain guiding significance for the application of thermoelectric cooling technology in insulated vans.

The energetic requirements for biological nitrogen fixation necessitate stringent regulation of this process in response to diverse environmental constraints. To ensure that the nitrogen fixation machinery is expressed only under appropriate physiological conditions, the dedicated NifL-NifA regulatory system, prevalent in Proteobacteria, plays a crucial role in integrating signals of the oxygen, carbon and nitrogen status to control transcription of nitrogen fixation (nif) genes. Greater understanding of the intricate molecular mechanisms driving transcriptional control of nif genes may provide a blueprint for engineering diazotrophs that associate with cereals. In this study, we investigated the properties of a single amino acid substitution in NifA, (NifA-E356K) which disrupts the hierarchy of nif regulation in response to carbon and nitrogen status in Azotobacter vinelandii. The NifA-E356K substitution enabled overexpression of nitrogenase in the presence of excess fixed nitrogen and release of ammonia outside the cell. However, both of these properties were conditional upon the nature of the carbon source. Our studies reveal that the uncoupling of nitrogen fixation from its assimilation is likely to result from feedback regulation of glutamine synthetase, allowing surplus fixed nitrogen to be excreted. Reciprocal substitutions in NifA from other Proteobacteria yielded similar properties to the A. vinelandii counterpart, suggesting that this variant protein may facilitate engineering of carbon source-dependent ammonia excretion amongst diverse members of this family.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to become the second leading cause of death of patients with malignant cancers by 2030. Current options of PDAC treatment are limited and the five-year survival rate is less than 8%, leading to an urgent need to explore innovatively therapeutic strategies. PDAC cells exhibit extensively reprogrammed metabolism to meet their energetic and biomass demands under extremely harsh conditions. The metabolic changes are closely linked to signaling triggered by activation of oncogenes like KRAS as well as inactivation of tumor suppressors. Furthermore, tumor microenvironmental factors including extensive desmoplastic stroma reaction result in series of metabolism remodeling to facilitate PDAC development. In this review, we focus on the dysregulation of metabolism in PDAC and its surrounding microenvironment to explore potential metabolic targets in PDAC therapy.

Background/Purpose: Macrocytosis is defined as having the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) ≧ 100 fL. This study evaluated whether 41 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients with macrocytosis had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity than 532 healthy control subjects or 1064 AG patients. Methods: Complete blood count, serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 41 AG patients with macrocytosis, 1064 AG patients, and 532 healthy control subjects were measured and compared. Results: We found that 73.2%, 22.0%, 73.2%, 4.9%, 80.5%, and 56.1% of 41 AG patients with macrocytosis were diagnosed as having blood hemoglobin, iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity, respectively. Moreover, 41 AG patients with macrocytosis had significantly higher frequencies of blood hemoglobin and serum vitamin B12 deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity than 532 healthy control subjects or 1064 AG patients (all P-values

Background/Purpose: Microcytosis is defined as having mean corpuscular volume (MCV)

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common oral mucosal diseases characterized by recurrent and painful ulcerations on the movable or nonkeratinized oral mucosae. Clinically, three types of RAS, namely minor, major, and herpetiform types, can be identified. RAS more commonly affects labial mucosa, buccal mucosa, and tongue. Previous studies indicate that RAS is a multifactorial T cell-mediated immune-dysregulated disease. Factors that modify the immunologic responses in RAS include genetic predisposition, viral and bacterial infections, food allergies, vitamin and microelement deficiencies, systemic diseases, hormonal imbalance, mechanical injuries, and stress. Our previous study found the presence of serum gastric parietal cell antibody, thyroglobulin antibody, and thyroid microsomal antibody in 13.0%, 19.4%, and 19.7% of 355 RAS patients, respectively. We also found anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in 20.9%, 20.1%, 4.8%, 2.6%, and 7.7% of 273 RAS patients, respectively. Therefore, it is very important to examine the complete blood count, serum autoantibody, hematinic, and homocysteine levels in RAS patients before we start to offer treatments for RAS. Because RAS is an immunologically-mediated disease, topical and systemic corticosteroid therapies are the main treatments of choice for RAS. Keywords: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis, Gastric parietal cell antibody, Thyroglobulin antibody, Thyroid microsomal antibody, Hematinic deficiency

Background/purpose: Our previous study found that 304 of 1064 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients have thyroglobulin antibody (TGA) positivity and/or thyroid microsomal antibody (TMA) positivity but without gastric parietal cell antibody positivity (GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients). This study mainly assessed whether the serum TGA/TMA positivity was significantly associated with anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients. Methods: The mean blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels were measured and compared between 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients and 476 GPCA-negative, TGA-negative, and TMA-negative AG patients (GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients) or 532 healthy control subjects. Results: We found significantly lower MCV and lower mean blood Hb and iron levels as well as significantly greater frquencies of microcytosis, macrocytosis, blood Hb, iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia in 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients than in 532 healthy control subjects. However, no significant differences in the MCV and mean blood Hb, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine leve1s as well as no significant differences in the frequencies of microcytosis, macrocytosis, blood Hb, iron, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia were discovered between 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients and 476 GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients. The 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients had a significantly greater frquency of serum vitamin B12 deficiency than 476 GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients. Conclusion: The disease of AG itself plays a significant role in causing anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients. However, the serum TGA/TMA-positivity is not significantly associated with anemia, serum iron and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients. Keywords: Atrophic glossitis, Iron deficiency, Folic acid deficiency, Hyperhomocysteinemia, Thyroglobulin antibody, Thyroid microsomal antibody

Background/Purpose: Our previous study found that 177 of 1064 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients have serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity only (so-called GPCA+AG patients). This study assessed whether serum GPCA positivity or AG itself was a significant factor causing hematinic deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA+AG or GPCA-negative, thyroglobulin antibody (TGA)-negative, and thyroid microsomal antibody (TMA)-negative AG (GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG) patients. Methods: The mean blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels were measured and compared between any two of three groups of 177 GPCA+AG patients, 476 GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients, and 532 healthy control subjects. Results: GPCA+AG patients had significantly lower mean blood Hb and iron (for women only) levels and a significantly higher mean serum homocysteine level than healthy control subjects. Moreover, GPCA+AG patients had significantly greater frequencies of blood Hb, iron, and vitamin B12 deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia than healthy control subjects. GPCA+AG patients have a lower mean serum vitamin B12 level and a significantly higher mean serum homocysteine level as well as significantly greater frequencies of vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia than GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients. Moreover, GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients did have significantly lower mean blood Hb and iron levels and significantly greater frequencies of blood Hb, iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia than healthy control subjects. Conclusion: The GPCA is a major factor causing vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocyteinemia in GPCA+AG patients. AG itself does play a significant role in causing anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in both GPCA+AG and GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients. Keywords: Gastric parietal cell antibody, Atrophic glossitis, Iron deficiency, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Hyperhomocysteinemia

Abstract Background Hyperkalaemia occurs frequently in many maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients after parathyroidectomy (PTX) with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). However, the clinical risk factors that predict postoperative hyperkalaemia are uncertain. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 90 maintenance haemodialysis patients aged ≥18 years who underwent PTX between April 2011 and April 2016 at Aerospace Center Hospital (Peking University Aerospace School of Clinical Medicine). Pre- and post-PTX surgery venous samples were measured in quadruplicate. We examined univariate associations with demographics, dialysis characteristics, laboratory values and medications. Hyperkalaemia was defined as serum potassium >5.3 mmol/L. Results Out of nighty patients, twenty-two (24.4%) developed postoperative hyperkalaemia, of whom sixteen (18.1%) developed hyperkalaemia on postoperative day 3. The univariate analysis showed that weight, dialysis duration, preoperative serum potassium, alkaline phosphate, triglyceride, and postoperative alkaline phosphate were independently associated with hyperkalaemia after parathyroidectomy. The univariate logistic regression model showed that preoperative serum potassium was the only independent factor that could predict hyperkalaemia after parathyroidectomy (odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-2.05). The optimal cut-off for pre-operative K was 3.9 mmol/L according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. A higher incidence of postoperative hyperkalaemia was found in male and younger patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusions Pre-operative serum potassium less than 3.9 mmol/L was associated with less hyperkalaemia post-operatively in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing PTX.