Effect of qigong exercise and acupressure rehabilitation program on pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial

Shu-ting Liu,Chao Zhan,Yun-jing Ma,Chao-yang Guo,Wei Chen,Xiao-ming Fang,Lei Fang 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.-

Background There are several effective complementary and integrative therapies for patients with severe COVID-19. The trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and advantages of the qigong exercise and acupressure rehabilitation program (QARP) for treating patients with severe COVID-19. Methods A total of 128 patients with COVID-19 aged 20 to 80 years were recruited and randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive QARP plus standard therapies or standard therapies alone. QARP consisted of acupressure therapy and qigong exercise (Liu Zi Jue). The primary outcome was measured with the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and the secondary outcomes included the modified Borg dyspnea scale (MBS), fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14), patient health questionnaire-9 scale (PHQ-9), duration of respiratory symptoms, and vital signs. Results In total, 128 patients completed the clinical trial. The QARP group and standard therapies group showed significant improvements in vital signs (except blood pressure) and clinical scales compared with baseline (p<0.05). The QARP group also showed more significant improvement in the mMRC dyspnea scale (-1.8 [-2.1, -1.6], p=0.018) and modified Borg dyspnea scale (-3.7 [95% confidence intervals (CI) -4.3, -3.1], p=0.045). The duration of cough was 14.3 days (95% CI 12.6, 16.1, p=0.046), and the length of hospital stay was 18.5 days (95% CI 17.0, 20.0, p=0.042) in the QARP group, both of which were significantly reduced compared with the standard therapies group (p<0.05). Conclusion QARP plus standard therapies improved lung function and symptoms such as dyspnea and cough in patients with severe COVID-19 and shortened the length of hospital stay. Therefore, QARP may be considered an effective treatment option for patients with severe COVID-19. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: ChiCTR2000029994 Background There are several effective complementary and integrative therapies for patients with severe COVID-19. The trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and advantages of the qigong exercise and acupressure rehabilitation program (QARP) for treating patients with severe COVID-19. Methods A total of 128 patients with COVID-19 aged 20 to 80 years were recruited and randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive QARP plus standard therapies or standard therapies alone. QARP consisted of acupressure therapy and qigong exercise (Liu Zi Jue). The primary outcome was measured with the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and the secondary outcomes included the modified Borg dyspnea scale (MBS), fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14), patient health questionnaire-9 scale (PHQ-9), duration of respiratory symptoms, and vital signs. Results In total, 128 patients completed the clinical trial. The QARP group and standard therapies group showed significant improvements in vital signs (except blood pressure) and clinical scales compared with baseline (p<0.05). The QARP group also showed more significant improvement in the mMRC dyspnea scale (-1.8 [-2.1, -1.6], p=0.018) and modified Borg dyspnea scale (-3.7 [95% confidence intervals (CI) -4.3, -3.1], p=0.045). The duration of cough was 14.3 days (95% CI 12.6, 16.1, p=0.046), and the length of hospital stay was 18.5 days (95% CI 17.0, 20.0, p=0.042) in the QARP group, both of which were significantly reduced compared with the standard therapies group (p<0.05). Conclusion QARP plus standard therapies improved lung function and symptoms such as dyspnea and cough in patients with severe COVID-19 and shortened the length of hospital stay. Therefore, QARP may be considered an effective treatment option for patients with severe COVID-19. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: ChiCTR2000029994

Ergostatrien-3β-ol (EK100) from Antrodia camphorata Attenuates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Liver Injury In Vitro and In Vivo

Ting-Yu Chao,Cheng-Chu Hsieh,Shih-Min Hsu,Cho-Hua Wan,Guan-Ting Lian,Yi-Han Tseng,Yueh-Hsiung Kuo,Shu-Chen Hsieh 한국식품영양과학회 2021 Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Vol.26 No.1

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a complication that occurs during liver surgery, whereby hepatic tissue is injured by oxygen deficiency during ischemia, then further damaged by a cascade of inflammatory and oxidative insults when blood is resupplied during reperfusion. Antrodia camphorata is an indigenous fungus in Taiwan and an esteemed Chinese herbal medicine with various bioactivities. This study examined the effect of ergostatrien-3β-ol (EK100), an active compound found in both the fruiting body and mycelia of A. camphorata, on IR injury pathologies in rats and cell models of oxidative and inflammatory stress. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive a vehicle or 5 mg/kg EK100 prior to hepatic IR injury induced by 1 h ischemia followed by 24 h reperfusion, or a sham operation. RAW 264.7 murine macrophages and HepG2 hepatocytes were pretreated with EK100, then inflammation was induced with lipopolysaccharides in the former and oxidative stress was induced with hydrogen peroxide in the latter. EK100 decreased IR-induced elevation in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and lowered levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β. In addition, EK100 significantly reduced hepatic mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2, as well as nitrite production and iNOS gene expression in both hepatocyte and macrophage cell lines. We demonstrated that EK100 exhibits potent protection against hepatic IR injury, which may be used to design strategies to ameliorate liver damage during liver surgery.

An Evolving-Graph-Based Finite State Machine Model for Protocol Conformance Testing in MANETs

Ting Shu,Mangmang Gu,Jinsong Xia 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Multimedia and Ubiquitous Vol.10 No.10

Dynamic network topology is one of the inherent features of Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET). However, it may lead to unfeasible test sequences in the FSM-based active conformance testing, due to the topological distinction between testing sequences generation and its execution. In this paper, a formal model, named Evolving-Graph- based Finite State Machine (EGFSM), is proposed to help alleviate the impact of the dynamic network on conformance testing in MANETs. The evolving graph theory is first introduced to extend the Finite State Machine model to describe the dynamic behavior of the protocol with time-varying network topology. In the testing scenario with a predictable node movement pattern, test sequences adaptable to the dynamic topological changescan be generated on the basis of the EGFSM for the protocol under testing. A case study based on the AODV routing protocol is conducted, and promising experimental results show that it is a feasible way to test the protocols in MANETs using an EGFSM.

Effects of daily dosage of salvia miltiorrhiza extract supplementation on cardiac biomarkers after endurance exercise

( Shu-cheng Lin ),( Chien-yen Wang ),( Shu-ching Hsu ),( Ting-hao Liu ),( Kuei-hui Chan ) 대한운동사협회 2017 대한운동사협회 운동사대회자료집 Vol.2017 No.-

Broad-Spectrum Activity of Volatile Organic Compounds from Three Yeast-like Fungi of the Galactomyces Genus Against Diverse Plant Pathogens

( Shu-ting Cai ),( Ming-chung Chiu ),( Jui-yu Chou ) 한국균학회 2021 Mycobiology Vol.49 No.1

The application of antagonistic fungi for plant protection has attracted considerable interest because they may potentially replace the use of chemical pesticides. Antipathogenic activities confirmed in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from microorganisms have potential to serve as biocontrol agents against pre- and post-harvest diseases. In the present study, we investigated Galactomyces fungi isolated from rotten leaves and the rhizosphere of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme). VOCs produced by Galactomyces fungi negatively affected the growth of phytopathogenic fungi and the survival of nematodes. Mycelial growths of all nine examined phytopathogenic fungi were inhibited on agar plate, although the inhibition was more intense in Athelia rolfsii JYC2163 and Cladosporium cladosporioides JYC2144 and relatively moderate in Fusarium sp. JYC2145. VOCs also efficiently suppressed the spore germination and mycelial growth of A. rolfsii JYC2163 on tomatoes. The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibited higher mortality in 24 h in the presence of VOCs. These results suggest the broad-spectrum activity of Galactomyces fungi against various plant pathogens and the potential to use VOCs from Galactomyces as biocontrol agents.

RNAi-based Knockdown of Multidrug Resistance-associated Protein 1 is Sufficient to Reverse Multidrug Resistance of Human Lung Cells

Shao, Shu-Li,Cui, Ting-Ting,Zhao, Wei,Zhang, Wei-Wei,Xie, Zhen-Li,Wang, Chang-He,Jia, Hong-Shuang,Liu, Qian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.24

Up-regulation of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) is regarded as one of the main causes for multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumor cells, leading to failure of chemotherapy-based treatment for a multitude of cancers. However, whether silencing the overexpressed MRP1 is sufficient to reverse MDR has yet to be validated. This study demonstrated that RNAi-based knockdown of MRP1 reversed the increased efflux ability and MDR efficiently. Two different short haipin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting MRP1 were designed and inserted into pSilence-2.1-neo. The shRNA recombinant plasmids were transfected into cis-dichlorodiamineplatinum-resistant A549 lung (A549/DDP) cells, and then shRNA expressing cell clones were collected and maintained. Real time PCR and immunofluorescence staining for MRP1 revealed a high silent efficiency of these two shRNAs. Functionally, shRNA-expressing cells showed increased rhodamine 123 retention in A549/DDP cells, indicating reduced efflux ability of tumor cells in the absence of MRP1. Consistently, MRP1-silent cells exhibited decreased resistance to 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and DDP, suggesting reversal of MDR in these tumor cells. Specifically, MRP1 knockdown increased the DDP-induced apoptosis of A549/DDP cells by increased trapping of their cell cycling in the G2 stage. Taken together, this study demonstrated that RNAi-based silencing of MRP1 is sufficient to reverse MDR in tumor cells, shedding light on possible novel clinical treatment of cancers.

Factors Related to Treatment Refusal in Taiwanese Cancer Patients

Chiang, Ting-Yu,Wang, Chao-Hui,Lin, Yu-Fen,Chou, Shu-Lan,Wang, Ching-Ting,Juang, Hsiao-Ting,Lin, Yung-Chang,Lin, Mei-Hsiang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.8

Background: Incidence and mortality rates for cancer have increased dramatically in the recent 30 years in Taiwan. However, not all patients receive treatment. Treatment refusal might impair patient survival and life quality. In order to improve this situation, we proposed this study to evaluate factors that are related to refusal of treatment in cancer patients via a cancer case manager system. Materials and Methods: This study analysed data from a case management system during the period from 2010 to 2012 at a medical center in Northern Taiwan. We enrolled a total of 14,974 patients who were diagnosed with cancer. Using the PRECEDE Model as a framework, we conducted logistic regression analysis to identify independent variables that are significantly associated with refusal of therapy in cancer patients. A multivariate logistic regression model was also applied to estimate adjusted the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: A total of 253 patients (1.69%) refused treatment. The multivariate logistic regression result showed that the high risk factors for refusal of treatment in cancer patient included: concerns about adverse effects (p<0.001), poor performance(p<0.001), changes in medical condition (p<0.001), timing of case manager contact (p=.026), the methods by which case manager contact patients (p<0.001) and the frequency that case managers contact patients (${\geq}10times$) (p=0.016). Conclusions: Cancer patients who refuse treatment have poor survival. The present study provides evidence of factors that are related to refusal of therapy and might be helpful for further application and improvement of cancer care.

The RTEL1 rs6010620 Polymorphism and Glioma Risk: a Meta-analysis Based on 12 Case-control Studies

Du, Shu-Li,Geng, Ting-Ting,Feng, Tian,Chen, Cui-Ping,Jin, Tian-Bo,Chen, Chao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Background: The association between the RTEL1 rs6010620 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and glioma risk has been extensively studied. However, the results remain inconclusive. To further examine this association, we performed a meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: A computerized search of the PubMed and Embase databases for publications regarding the RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism and glioma cancer risk was performed. Genotype data were analyzed in a meta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the association. Sensitivity analyses, tests of heterogeneity, cumulative meta-analyses, and assessments of bias were performed in our meta-analysis. Results: Our meta-analysis confirmed that risk with allele A is lower than with allele G for glioma. The A allele of rs6010620 in RTEL1 decreased the risk of developing glioma in the 12 case-control studies for all genetic models: the allele model (OR=0.752, 95%CI: 0.715-0.792), the dominant model (OR=0.729, 95%CI: 0.685-0.776), the recessive model (OR=0.647, 95%CI: 0.569-0.734), the homozygote comparison (OR=0.528, 95%CI: 0.456-0.612), and the heterozygote comparison (OR=0.761, 95%CI: 0.713-0.812). Conclusions: In all genetic models, the association between the RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism and glioma risk was significant. This meta-analysis suggests that the RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism may be a risk factor for glioma. Further functional studies evaluating this polymorphism and glioma risk are warranted.

A Novel All-trans Retinoid Acid Derivative N-(3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-Retinamide Inhibits Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cell Migration through Down-regulating Expression of Myosin Light Chain Kinase

Fan, Ting-Ting,Cheng, Ying,Wang, Yin-Feng,Gui, Shu-Yu,Chen, Fei-Hu,Zhou, Qing,Wang, Yuan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.18

Aim: To observe the effects of a novel all-trans retinoid acid (ATRA) derivative, N-(3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-retinamide (ATPR), on lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and to explore the potential mechanism of ATPR inhibiting of A549 cell migration. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of ATRA and ATPR on A549 cells was assessed using MTT assay. Wound healing assays were used to analyze the influences of ATRA, ATPR, ML-7 (a highly selective inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK)), PMA (an activator of MAPKs) and PD98059 (a selective inhibitor of ERK1/2) on the migration of A549 cells. Expression of MLCK and phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) were assessed by Western blotting. Results: ATRA and ATPR inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the effect of ATPR was much more remarkable compared with ATRA. Relative migration rate and migration distance of A549 cells both decreased significantly after treatment with ATPR or ML-7. The effect on cell migration of PD98059 combining ATPR treatment was more notable than that of ATPR alone. Moreover, compared with control groups, the expression levels of MLCK and phosphorylated MLC in A549 cells were both clearly reduced in ATRA and ATPR groups. Conclusions: ATPR could suppress the migration and invasion of A549 cells, and the mechanism might be concerned with down-regulating the expression of MLCK in the ERK-MAPK signaling pathway, pointing to therapeutic prospects in lung cancer.

청년 1인가구를 위한 스마트 공유주거 커뮤니티 모델 개발

양서정(Yang, Shu Ting),김미정(Kim, Mi Jeong) 한국주거학회 2021 한국주거학회 논문집 Vol.32 No.3

Recently single-person households in their 20s and 30s account for 38.3% of the total single-person households, and the number is steadily increasing. The aim of this study is to develop a smart community model for a shared-housing of young single-person households. The residential conditions and daily living patterns of single-person households was identified. The subjects were limited to those of 20-30s in single-person households. A total of 142 questionnaires were used for the analysis, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 24. Based on the result of the survey, most of young single-person households did not interact with their neighbors at all in their living environment, but they had more social activities such as meeting friends. They basically solitary live alone, but they are facing a new normal where social distance is emphasized due to Covid-19 pandemic. A smart community could be one of potential for overcoming it since single-person households can interact with neighbors and makes friends while not being contact. The smart community model for a shared-housing was presented in five categories: ‘safety’, ‘health’, ‘convenience’, ‘comfort’ and ‘fun’. The proposed model reflects the needs and preferences of young people and supports their fun life through technology adoption.