Core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine for depressive disorders in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study

Diem Ngoc Hong Tran,I-Hsuan Hwang,Fun-Jou Chen,Yuan-Pu Tseng,Ching-Mao Chang,Shih-Jen Tsai,Jen-Lin Yang,Ta-Peng Wu,Chung-Hua Hsu,Fang-Pey Chen,Yen-Ying Kung 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.3

Background: Depressive disorders (DD) affect not only mood and behavior but also various physical functions. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to have some benefits in treating DD. However, one formula or one single herb might be not show high efficacy when used to treat depression. Thus, this study aimed to examine the core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) among patients with DD in Taiwan as a reference for related research and clinical applications. Methods: All patients, who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or minor depression or dysthymia without any other baseline diseases and had at least one CHM outpatient clinical visit from 2002 to 2011, were extracted from three randomly sampled cohorts, namely the 2000, 2005 and 2010 cohorts of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. The collected data was analyzed to explore the patterns of herbal products. Results: There were 197,146 patients with a diagnosis of DD and of these 1806 subjects had only a diagnosis of DD and utilized CHM. The most common formula was Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang (12.19%), while Suan-Zao-Ren (3.99%) was the most commonly prescribed single herb. The core pattern of prescriptions consisted of a combination of Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Chai-Hu-Jia-Long-Gu-Mu-Li-Tang, He-Huan-Pi, Yuan-Zhi and Shi-Chang-Pu. Conclusions: This study describes the CHM core prescription pattern used to treat patients in Taiwan with DD and it is a potential candidate for study in future pharmacological or clinical trials targeting DD.

Distinct Inflammation Biomarkers in Healthy Individuals and Patients with Schizophrenia: A Reliability Testing of Multiplex Cytokine Immunoassay by Bland-Altman Analysis

Ta-Chuan Yeh,Hsuan-Te Chu,Chia-Kuang Tsai,Hsin-An Chang,Fu-Chi Yang,San-Yuan Huang,Chih-Sung Liang 대한신경정신의학회 2019 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.16 No.8

Objective Since the inflammatory process has been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorder, an important issue emerging is to assess the test-retest reliability of cytokine measurement in healthy individuals and patients with schizophrenia. The objective of the present study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of bead-based multiplex immunoassay technology (BMIT) for cytokine measurement by using a Bland-Altman plot (BAP). Methods Twenty healthy individuals and twenty patients with schizophrenia were enrolled, and a 17-plex cytokine assay was used to measure inflammatory biomarkers at baseline and two weeks later. The test-retest reliability was examined by BAP, 95% limits of agreement (LOA), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and coefficient of repeatability (CoR). Results In the healthy controls, only interleukin (IL)-2, IL-13, IL-10, IL-17, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β showed excellent ICC. The BAP with 95% LOA determined that 13 cytokines showed acceptable 95% LOA for a 2-week test-retest reliability, and only IL-1β, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α had significant test-retest bias. The CoR of cytokines varied significantly, ranging from 1.72 to 218.1. Compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher levels of IL-5, IL-13, and TNF-α and significantly lower levels of IL-4, IL-12, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Of these six cytokines, IL-12 and TNF-α were considered suboptimal reliability. Conclusion The findings from ICC and CoR implied that the test-retest reliability of BMIT for cytokine measurement were suboptimal. However, the BAP with 95% LOA confirmed that BMIT can reliably distinguish schizophrenia from healthy individuals in cytokine measurement, while significant within-subject variation and between-group overlapping were evident in cytokine expression.

Laser Interference Lithography and Nanoimprint Techniques for Lower Reflection Transparent Conducting Oxide Hybrid Films

Ta-Hsin Chou,Kuei-Yuan Cheng,Chih-Chieh Su,Tien-Li Chang,Chih-Wei Hsieh,Jen-Hui Tsai 한국정밀공학회 2010 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.11 No.4

The transparent conducting oxide (TCO) film is a significant component in flat panel display industry, applied for flexible display, e-paper, and touch panel. The TCO materials have high refractive index, so the phenomenon of high reflectance is the major issue and needs solved in present and future market. In this study, the structure and process of new lower reflection TCO hybrid film is introduced. The laser interference lithography and UV nanoimprint are combined for fabrication of sub-wavelength structures on PET film, then the tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) deposited on structures. Finally, the best result of this hybrid film is reflectance reduced to 3.3% at wavelength 550nm, just 13% of the original film, and the resistance of ITO layer is 1.05x10-3 Ω-cm. This result is useful for the TCO film applied in low reflection demand products in the future.

Herbivorous insects alter the chlorophyll metabolism of galls on host plants

Meng-Yuan Huang,Wen-Dar Huang,Hsueh-Mei Chouc,Chang-Chang Chen,Yung-Ta Chang,Chi-Ming Yang 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.3

Five types of insect-induced galls derived from three host plant leaveswere analyzed for their carotenoid (Car), chlorophyll(Chl), and Chl biosynthesis porphyrins such as protoporphyrinogen IX (PPIX), magnesium protoporphyrin(MGPP) and protochlorophyllide (Pchlide), and Chl degradation intermediates including chlorophyllide (Chlide),pheophytin (Phe), pheophorbide (Pho), and phytylated and dephytylated pigments, and compared to ungalledportions of the same leaf. Galls contain significantly lower levels of Chl-related compounds (CRCs) than ungalledportions of host leaves. The mole percent of porphyrin and the ratios of Chlide/Phe and phytylated/dephytylatedpigments are both very different between galls and host leaves.We, therefore, conclude that leaf-derived gall is akind of non-leaf green tissue, that herbivorous insects alter gall Chl biosynthesis and degradation pathways, thatMg-chelatase, Mg-dechelatase, and chlorophyllase may be the major non-lethal enzymes in galls, and thatwhile ungalled host leaves take Chl → Phe → Pho and Chl → Chlide → Pho as the major and minor degradationroutes, respectively, all galls are in contrast with the host leaves.

The number of cecidomyiid insect galls affects the photosynthesis of Machilus thunbergii host leaves

Meng-Yuan Huang,Hsueh-Mei Chou,Yung-Ta Chang,Chi-Ming Yang 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.2

Previous studies of the impacts of galls on host leaf photosynthesis do not suggest any general trends, with a reportedrange of effects from negative to positive. In this study, photosynthetic characteristics such as chlorophyllfluorescence (Fv/Fm), photosynthetic capacity, and stomata conductancewere determined in two types of fruitlikegalls (red ovoid and green obovate galls) induced by Daphnephila taiwanensis and Daphnephila sueyenae, respectively,in order to investigate whether the number of galls affects the photosynthesis of galled leaves ofMachilus thunbergii. In 2008, chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic capacity were negatively correlatedwith gall numbers, non-significantly and significantly, respectively,whereas stomata conductancewas positivelybut non-significantly correlated with gall numbers. In 2009, photosynthesis capacity and stomata conductancewere negatively, but non-significantly, correlated with gall numbers. Results imply that photosynthesis in M. thunbergii leaves is slightly affected by the number of cecidomyiid insect galls, and that the higher the gall number,the greater the negative effect that galls have on host leaf photosynthesis and subsequent infection.

Insect-induced cecidomyiid galls deficient in light-harvesting protein complex II showing normal grana stacking

Meng-Yuan Huang,Chi-Ming Yang,Man-Miao Yang,Wann-Neng Jane,Yung-Ta Chang 한국응용곤충학회 2009 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.12 No.3

It has been postulated that grana stacking and destacking are mediated by the alteration of the surface charge density on the thylakoid membrane, which is regulated by the LHCII phosphorylation and dephosphorylation cycle. Insect-induced cecidomyiid galls, transformed from Machilus thunbergii Sieb & Zucc. (Lauraceae) leaves, are totally deficient in the pigment–protein complexes CPI and A1 of PSI and AB1 and AB2 of PSII. Although the galls are deficient in LHCII complex, grana stacking is normal. Our data suggest that the LHCII complex may not be the only factor responsible for grana stacking of thylakoid membranes.

The Effects of Energy Density Ratio and Ambient Pressure on the Mixing of Impinging Jets

( Tony Yuan ),( Yu Ta Chen ) 한국액체미립화학회 2010 한국액체미립화학회 학술강연회 논문집 Vol.2010 No.-

This study researched the atomization and mixing of impinging jets of nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) simulant and monomethylhydrazine (MMH) simulant with the changes of injector`s orifice diameter (0.24mm~0.52mm) and ambient pressure (P=0.1~13.6 MPa). The spray phenomena of doublet impinging jets were studied by Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) technique coupled with statistical analysis. The mass distributions and the mixture ratio distributions of the sprays were observed at the cross section 10mm downstream of the impinging point, and the mixing efficiency(Em), as well as the average characteristic velocity ( * C ) were determined in the study. The results showed that the best mixing as well as the most uniform distribution occurred at unity energy density ratio for impinging jets with different diameters and constant total flow rate. However, a limitation of the area ratio of orifices less than about 1.3 was observed, that the jets were unable to breakup evenly due to the size difference. For the NTO/MMH system, the increasing aerodynamic instability of the impinging jets at the higher pressures advantaged the mixing in the spray significantly. In practice, a more stable mixing efficiency as well as a more stable averaged characteristic velocity for propellant combustion may be acquired at a higher operating pressure.

Gender Differences Associated with Pain Characteristics and Treatment in Taiwanese Oncology Outpatients

Liang, Shu-Yuan,Wang, Tsae-Jyy,Wu, Shu-Fang,Chao, Ta-Chung,Chuang, Yeu-Hui,Tsay, Shiow-Luan,Tung, Heng-Hsin,Lee, Ming-Der Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.7

The purpose of this descriptive and comparative study was to examine gender differences relevant to pain intensity, opioid prescription patterns and opioid consumption in Taiwanese oncology outpatients. The 92 participants had been prescribed opioid analgesics for cancer-related pain at least once in the past week and were asked to complete the Brief Pain Inventory - Chinese questionnaire and to recall the dosage of each opioid analgesic that they had ingested within the previous 24 hours. For opioid prescriptions and consumption, all analgesics were converted to morphine equivalents. The results revealed a significant difference between males and female minimum pain thresholds (t = 2.38, p = 0.02) and current pain thresholds (t = 2.12, p = 0.04), with males reporting a higher intensity of pain than females. In addition, this study found that males tended to use prescribed opioid analgesics more frequently than females on the bases of both around the clock (ATC) (t = 1.90, p = 0.06) and ATC plus as needed (ATC + PRN) (t = 2.33, p = 0.02). However, there was no difference between males and females in opioid prescriptions on an ATC basis (t = 0.52, p = 0.60) or at an ATC + PRN basis (t = 0.40, p = 0.69). The results suggest that there may be a gender bias in the treatment of cancer pain, supporting the proposal of routine examination of the effect of gender on cancer pain management. These findings suggest that clinicians should be particularly aware of potential gender differences during pain monitoring and the consumption of prescribed opioid analgesics.

Binary Nature Revealed in Circumstellar Spiral-Shell Patterns

Hyosun Kim,I-Ta Hsieh,Sheng-Yuan Liu,Ronald E. Taam 한국천문학회 2014 天文學會報 Vol.39 No.1

Optical and acoustic metamaterials: superlens, negative refractive index and invisibility cloak

Wong, Zi Jing,Wang, Yuan,O’Brien, Kevin,Rho, Junsuk,Yin, Xiaobo,Zhang, Shuang,Fang, Nicholas,Yen, Ta-Jen,Zhang, Xiang IOP 2017 Journal of optics Vol.19 No.8

<P>Metamaterials are artificially engineered materials that exhibit novel properties beyond natural materials. By carefully designing the subwavelength unit cell structures, unique effective properties that do not exist in nature can be attained. Our metamaterial research aims to develop new subwavelength structures with unique physics and experimentally demonstrate unprecedented properties. Here we review our research efforts in optical and acoustic metamaterials in the past 15 years which may lead to exciting applications in communications, sensing and imaging.</P>