Psilocybin for End-of-Life Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Chia-Ling Yu,Fu-Chi Yang,Szu-Nian Yang,Ping-Tao Tseng,Brendon Stubbs,Ta-Chuan Yeh,Chih-Wei Hsu,Dian-Jeng Li,Chih-Sung Liang 대한신경정신의학회 2021 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.18 No.10

Objective To systematically examine the effectiveness and tolerability of psilocybin for treating end-of-life anxiety symptoms. Methods The Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO databases were searched up to November 25, 2020. We enrolled clinical trials investigating psilocybin for treating end-of-life anxiety symptoms. Meta-analysis was conducted using random-effects model. Results Overall, five studies were included, revealing that psilocybin was superior to the placebo in treating state anxiety at 1 day (Hedges’ g, -0.70; 95% confidence interval, -1.01 to -0.39) and 2 weeks (-1.03; -1.47 to -0.60) after treatment. Psilocybin was more effective than placebo in treating trait anxiety at 1 day (-0.71; -1.15 to -0.26), 2 weeks (-1.08; -1.80 to -0.36), and 6 months (-0.84; -1.37 to -0.30) after treatment. Psilocybin was associated with transient elevation in systolic (19.00; 13.58-24.41 mm Hg) and diastolic (8.66; 5.18-12.15 mm Hg) blood pressure compared with placebo. The differences between psilocybin and placebo groups with regard to allcause discontinuation, serious adverse events, and heart rates were nonsignificant. Conclusion Psilocybin-assisted therapy could ameliorate end-of-life anxiety symptoms without serious adverse events. Because of the small sample sizes of the included studies and high heterogeneity on long-term outcomes, future randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes are needed.

Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-α Subunit Targeting Suppresses Metastasis in Advanced Thyroid Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo

( Ching-ling Lin ),( Ming-lin Tsai ),( Yu-hsin Chen ),( Wei-ni Liu ),( Chun-yu Lin ),( Kai-wen Hsu ),( Chien-yu Huang ),( Yu-jia Chang ),( Po-li Wei ),( Shu-huey Chen ),( Li-chi Huang ),( Chia-hwa Lee 한국응용약물학회 2021 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.29 No.5

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancers, such as papillary and follicular cancers, have a favorable prognosis. However, poorly differentiated thyroid cancers, such as medullary, squamous and anaplastic advanced thyroid cancers, are very aggressive and insensitive to radioiodine treatment. Thus, novel therapies that attenuate metastasis are urgently needed. We found that both PDGFC and PDGFRA are predominantly expressed in thyroid cancers and that the survival rate is significantly lower in patients with high PDGFRA expression. This finding indicates the important role of PDGF/PDGFR signaling in thyroid cancer development. Next, we established a SW579 squamous thyroid cancer cell line with 95.6% PDGFRA gene insertion and deletions (indels) through CRISPR/Cas9. Protein and invasion analysis showed a dramatic loss in EMT marker expression and metastatic ability. Furthermore, xenograft tumors derived from PDGFRA geneedited SW579 cells exhibited a minor decrease in tumor growth. However, distant lung metastasis was completely abolished upon PDGFRA gene editing, implying that PDGFRA could be an effective target to inhibit distant metastasis in advanced thyroid cancers. To translate this finding to the clinic, we used the most relevant multikinase inhibitor, imatinib, to inhibit PDGFRA signaling. The results showed that imatinib significantly suppressed cell growth, induced cell cycle arrest and cell death in SW579 cells. Our developed noninvasive apoptosis detection sensor (NIADS) indicated that imatinib induced cell apoptosis through caspase-3 activation. In conclusion, we believe that developing a specific and selective targeted therapy for PDGFRA would effectively suppress PDGFRA-mediated cancer aggressiveness in advanced thyroid cancers.

Evaluation of a rotating packed bed equipped with blade packings for methanol and 1-butanol removal

Chia-Chang Lin,Yu-Chiao Lin,Shu-Ching Chen,Ling-Jung Hsu 한국공업화학회 2010 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.16 No.6

Absorption removal of methanol and 1-butanol from gaseous streams with water was investigated in the RPB equipped with blade packings. The removal efficiency (E) of methanol and 1-butanol was found to increase with the RPB speed and the liquid flow rate but decrease with the gas flow rate. Also, the overall volumetric gas-side mass transfer coefficient (KGa) for methanol and 1-butanol absorption was observed to increase with the RPB speed, the gas flow rate, and the liquid flow rate. According to the obtained dependence of KGa on the gas and liquid flow rates, the mass transfer in methanol and 1-butanol absorption was observed to be controlled primarily by the gas-side mass transfer. Furthermore, the height of a transfer unit (HTU) for methanol and 1-butanol absorption decreased with the RPB speed and the liquid flow rate but increased with the gas flow rate. The obtained results demonstrated that mass transfer efficiency of the RPB equipped with blade packing was comparable to that of a hollow fiber absorber. Consequently, the RPB equipped with blade packings has a great potential in the removal of alkanols from the exhausted gases. 2010 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unrecognized History of Transient Atrial Fibrillation at the Time of Discharge from an Index Stroke Hospitalization Is Associated with Increased Recurrent Stroke Risk

Chia-Yu Hsu,Daniel E. Singer,Hooman Kamel,Yi-Ling Wu,Pei-Chun Chen,Jiann-Der Lee,Meng Lee,Bruce Ovbiagele 대한뇌졸중학회 2019 Journal of stroke Vol.21 No.2

Background and Purpose Preceding episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) among stroke patients can be easily overlooked in routine clinical practice. We aim to determine whether an unrecognized history of paroxysmal AF is associated with an increased risk of recurrent stroke. Methods We retrospectively identified all adult patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke who had no AF diagnosis on their discharge records, using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between January 2001 and December 2012. Patients were categorized into two groups: unrecognized AF history and no AF. Patients with unrecognized AF history were defined as having documented AF preceding the index ischemic stroke hospitalization, but not recording at the index ischemic stroke. Primary endpoint was recurrent stroke within 1 year after the index stroke. Results Among 203,489 hospitalized ischemic stroke patients without AF diagnosed at discharge, 6,731 patients (3.3%) had an unrecognized history of prior transient AF. Patients with an unrecognized AF history, comparing to those without AF, had higher adjusted risk of all recurrent stroke ([original cohort: hazard ratio (HR), 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30 to 1.53], [matched cohort: HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.37 to 1.68]) and recurrent ischemic stroke ([original cohort: HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.30 to 1.55], [matched cohort: HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.40 to 1.74]) during the 1-year follow-up period. Conclusions Unrecognized history of AF among patients discharged after an index ischemic stroke hospitalization is associated with higher recurrent stroke risk. Careful history review to uncover a paroxysmal AF history is important for ischemic stroke patients.

Folic Acid in Stroke Prevention in Countries without Mandatory Folic Acid Food Fortification: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Chia-Yu Hsu,Shao-Wen Chiu,Keun-Sik Hong,Jeffrey L. Saver,Yi-Ling Wu,Jiann-Der Lee,Meng Lee,Bruce Ovbiagele 대한뇌졸중학회 2018 Journal of stroke Vol.20 No.1

Background and Purpose Additional folic acid (FA) treatment appears to have a neutral effect on reducing vascular risk in countries that mandate FA fortification of food (e.g., USA and Canada). However, it is uncertain whether FA therapy reduces stroke risk in countries without FA food fortification. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of FA therapy on stroke prevention in countries without FA food fortification. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, and clinicaltrials.gov from January 1966 to August 2016 were searched to identify relevant studies. Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of the association between FA supplementation and risk of stroke, after pooling data across trials in a random-effects model. Results The search identified 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving treatment with FA that had enrolled 65,812 participants, all of which stroke was reported as an outcome measure. After all 13 RCTs were pooled, FA therapy versus control was associated with a lower risk of any future stroke (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.95). FA alone or combination of FA and minimal cyanocobalamin (≤0.05 mg/day) was associated with a lower risk of future stroke (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.86) whereas combination of FA and cyanocobalamin (≥0.4 mg/day) was not associated with a lower risk of future stroke (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.05). Conclusions FA supplement reduced stroke in countries without mandatory FA food fortification. The benefit was found mostly in patients receiving FA alone or combination of FA and minimal cyanocobalamin.

Label-free Detection of Transport Kinetics and Inhibitor Binding of Membrane Transport Proteins with a Two-mode Plasmonic Sensor

Chia-Wei KUO,Tse-Han KUO,Hui-An LEE,Yu-Ting LIN,Cheng-Jung KUO,Kai-Hung HSIAO,Meng-Hua YANG,Kevin TANADY,Shu-Yu CHANG,Tzy-Rong LIN,Ling CHAO 한국생물공학회 2022 한국생물공학회 학술대회 Vol.2022 No.9

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor nintedanib activates SHP-1 and induces apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Chun-Yu Liu,Tzu-Ting Huang,Pei-Yi Chu,Chun-Teng Huang,Chia-Han Lee,Wan-Lun Wang,Ka-Yi Lau,Wen-Chun Tsai,Tzu-I Chao,Jung-Chen Su,Ming-Huang Chen,Chung-Wai Shiau,Ling-Ming Tseng,Kuen-Feng Chen 생화학분자생물학회 2017 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.49 No.-

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains difficult to treat and urgently needs new therapeutic options. Nintedanib, a multikinase inhibitor, has exhibited efficacy in early clinical trials for HER2-negative breast cancer. In this study, we examined a new molecular mechanism of nintedanib in TNBC. The results demonstrated that nintedanib enhanced TNBC cell apoptosis, which was accompanied by a reduction of p-STAT3 and its downstream proteins. STAT3 overexpression suppressed nintedanib-mediated apoptosis and further increased the activity of purified SHP-1 protein. Moreover, treatment with either a specific inhibitor of SHP-1 or SHP-1-targeted siRNA reduced the apoptotic effects of nintedanib, which validates the role of SHP-1 in nintedanib-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, nintedanib-induced apoptosis was attenuated in TNBC cells expressing SHP-1 mutants with constantly open conformations, suggesting that the autoinhibitory mechanism of SHP-1 attenuated the effects of nintedanib. Importantly, nintedanib significantly inhibited tumor growth via the SHP-1/p-STAT3 pathway. Clinically, SHP-1 levels were downregulated, whereas p-STAT3 was upregulated in tumor tissues, and SHP-1 transcripts were associated with improved disease-free survival in TNBC patients. Our findings revealed that nintedanib induces TNBC apoptosis by acting as a SHP-1 agonist, suggesting that targeting STAT3 by enhancing SHP-1 expression could be a viable therapeutic strategy against TNBC.

A Research on the Impact of Taiwan’s Cultural Colors on Cultural Identity

I-Ling Shih,Yu-Chiou Tchen,Chia-Hui Huang 한국일러스트레이션학회 2019 일러스트레이션 포럼 Vol.20 No.61

Taiwan is a country composed of diverse ethnic groups, and the people in Taiwan have not completely identified with a particular culture in the midst of changing history. According to a recent research, Taiwan has entered the phase of “national identity.” It is the hope of this research that the Taiwanese people will be able to identify themselves with the uniqueness of the Taiwanese culture, and will have greater self-confidence in the process of cultural identity. This research studied the colors expressed in the Taiwanese culture because these colors are infused in everyday living and accumulated in culture. We see these colors every day and get accustomed to them, and often do not know they contain special meanings. So we do not understand the cultural meanings embedded in these colors. Countries closest to Taiwan like Korea, Japan, Thailand, India have organizations that are almost, if not already, at the national level committed to researching and preserving cultural colors. Only Taiwan lacks such an organization. So most people do not understand cultural colors, and miss an observational perspective on Taiwan’s cultural identify. This research explored the influence of Taiwan’s cultural colors on cultural identity, and included a curriculum design and implementation with a theme on “Cultural Colors in Life” in a university’s general education course for the first and second-year students. This curriculum used Walker’s “Big Idea” to design and plan three themed courses on etiquette and customs, nature and ecosystems, land and beliefs in Taiwan; and henceforth introducing the three cultural colors of “Taiwan Form(Red),” “Taiwan Chic(Green)” and “Taiwan Gene (Gold)” into the course content. Each theme included teaching activities like the explanation of the cultural color, the viewing and analysis of a short film “Colorful Taiwan” by Public Television Service(PTS), and so on. A total of four consecutive weeks of teaching activities related to the theme were planned and implemented. The analysis of student questionnaire results shows that after taking the “Cultural Colors in Life” course, students understand more clearly about the cultural colors represented by “Taiwan Red,” “Taiwan Green” and “Taiwan Gold”, and raise their comprehension and identification with the Taiwanese culture.

Minimal Information Loss for Privacy-Preserved eHealth Applications

Ya-Ling Chen,Bo-Chao Cheng,Hsueh-lin Chen,Chia-I Lin,Guo-Tan Liao,Bo-Yu Hou,Shih-Chun Hsu 보안공학연구지원센터 2012 International Journal of Security and Its Applicat Vol.6 No.2

Enhanced Allergic Inflammation of Der p 2 Affected by Polymorphisms of MD-2 Promoter

En-Chih Liao,Chia-Wei Hsieh,Ching-Yun Chang,Sheng-Jie Yu,Meei-Ling Sheu,Sheng-Mao Wu,Jaw-Ji Tsai 대한천식알레르기학회 2015 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.7 No.5

Purpose: Myeloid differentiation-2 (MD-2) has been associated with endotoxin and inflammatory disorders because it can recognize lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding and attenuate Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated signaling. However, its role in allergic inflammation has yet to be clarified. We examined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MD-2 promoter can affect MD-2 expression and aimed to clarify the relationship between Der p 2 allergy and SNPs of MD-2 promoter. Methods: The function of SNPs of MD-2 promoter and the effects of cytokines and immunoglobulin on the secretion and mRNA expression were investigated in 73 allergic subjects with different MD-2 gene promoter variants. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured with or without LPS in the presence of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group 2 allergen (Der p 2), followed by mRNA extraction and cytokine expression analysis. The culture supernatants were collected for cytokine measurement. Results: Patients with the MD-2 promoter SNPs (rs1809441/rs1809442) had increased mRNA expressions of MD-2, ε heavy chain of IgE (Cε), and interleukin (IL)-8; however, only MD-2 and IL-8 were further up-regulated after Der p 2 stimulation. Patients with SNPs of MD-2 promoter tended to have high levels of IL- 1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α after Der p 2 and LPS stimulation. Increased secretions of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were found to be up-regulated by Der p 2 stimulation, and an increased secretion of IFN-γ and decreased secretion of IL-4 were noted after LPS stimulation. Conclusions: The high levels of proinflammatory cytokines secreted by Der p 2 were predetermined by MD-2 promoter SNPs (rs1809441/rs1809442). Through cytokine secretion by Der p 2 and LPS, these SNPs may serve as an indicator of the pathological phenotype of Der p 2-induced allergic inflammation.