Professionals’ experiences and attitudes toward use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in hospice palliative inpatient care units: A multicenter survey in Taiwan

Yu-Jia Lin,Hsiao-Ting Chang,Ming-Hwai Lin,Ru-Yih Chen,Ping-Jen Chen,Wen-Yuan Lin,Jyh-Gang Hsieh,Ying-Wei Wang,Chung-Chieh Hu,Yi-Sheng Liou,Tai-Yuan Chiu,Chun-Yi Tu,Yi-Jen Wang,Bo-Ren Cheng,Tzeng-Ji Ch 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.2

Background: Medical staff may have difficulties in using conventional medicine to manage symptoms among terminally ill patients, including adverse effects of the treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is regarded as a complementary or alternative medicine, and has been increasingly used in the field of palliative medicine in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of and attitudes toward using TCM among palliative care professionals, and to provide preliminary information about its use in palliative care. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted in eight inpatient hospice wards in Taiwan between December 2014 and February 2016. The questionnaire was self-administered, and was analyzed with descriptive statistics including Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 251 palliative care professionals responded to the questionnaire, of whom 89.7% and 88.9% believed that the use of TCM could improve the physical symptoms and quality of life in terminally ill patients, respectively. Overall, 59.8%, of respondents suggested that TCM had rare side effects, and 58.2% were worried that TCM could affect the liver and kidney function of patients. In total, 89.7% and 88.0% of professionals agreed there were no suitable clinical practice guidelines and educational programs, respectively, for TCM use in palliative care. Conclusions: Most of the respondents agreed there was insufficient knowledge, skills-training, and continuing education on the use of TCM in terminally ill patients in Taiwan. These results show that to address patient safety considerations, guidelines about use of TCM in palliative care should be established.

Depletion of LINE1-ORF1P Causes GV Arrest in Mouse Oocytes In Vitro

Yi-Bo Luo,Qing-Yuan Sun,Xiang-Shun Cui,Nam-Hyung Kim 한국동물생명공학회(구 한국동물번식학회) 2014 Reproductive & Developmental Biology(Supplement) Vol.38 No.2s

LINE-1 is an autonomous non-LTR retrotransposon in mammalian genomes and encodes ORF1P and ORF2P. ORF2P has been clearly identified as the enzyme supplier needed in LINE-1 retrotransposition. However, the role of ORF1P is not well explored and requires further elucidation. In this study, we depleted ORF1P to investigate its role in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. The results showed that depletion of ORF1P caused oocyte arrest at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage as well as down-regulation of Cdc2 and Cyclin B1, components of the maturation promoting factor (MPF). Further analysis demonstrated a decreased expression of the P21 upstream factors Smad4 and Dcp1a after ORF1P depletion. However, SMAD4 and DCP1A became accumulated in the nucleus. This translocation would up-regulate the expression of P21. Furthermore, ORF1P knockdown also increased the expression of microRNA-494, which could decrease the expression of Cyclin B1 and Cdc2. Propidium Iodide (PI) staining after ORF1P depletion revealed abnormal chromatin configuration in the GV of mouse oocytes. Taken together, these results indicate that ORF1P is involved in the TGF-β pathway to modulate the GV breakdown (GVBD) during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation.

Exploring the Key Genes and Pathways of Osteoarthritis in Knee Cartilage in a Rat Model Using Gene Expression Profiling

Yi-Ming Ren,Xin Zhao,Tao Yang,Yuan-Hui Duan,Yun-Bo Sun,Wen-Jun Zhao,Meng-Qiang Tian 연세대학교의과대학 2018 Yonsei medical journal Vol.59 No.6

Purpose: To compare differentially expressed genes (DEGs) mediating osteoarthritis (OA) in knee cartilage and in normal kneecartilage in a rat model of OA and to identify their impact on molecular pathways associated with OA. Materials and Methods: A gene expression profile was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Analysis ofDEGs was carried out using GEO2R. Enrichment analyses were performed on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia ofGenes and Genomes pathway using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database (http://www.string-db.org/). Subsequently, the regulatory interaction network of OA-associated genes was visualized using Cytoscape software (version 3.4.0;www.cytoscape.org). Results: In the gene expression profile GSE103416, a total of 99 DEGs were identified. Among them, 76 DEGs (76.77%) were overexpressed,and the remaining 23 DEGs (23.23%) were underexpressed. GO and pathway enrichment analyses of target geneswere performed. Using gene-gene interaction network analysis, relevant core genes, including MET, UBB, GNAI3, and GNA13,were shown to hold a potential relationship with the development of OA in cartilage. Using quantitative real-time PCR, the Gna13/cGMP-PKG signaling pathway was identified as a potential research target for therapy and for further understanding the developmentof OA. Conclusion: The results of the present study provide a comprehensive understanding of the roles of DEGs in knee cartilage in relationto the development of OA.

Predictive Value of Exercise Blood Pressure Changes for Orthostatic Hypotension in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease

Yi Qin,Zhao-hui Jin,Zhen-ying Zhang,Ke-ke Chen,Xin Yu,Hong-jiao Yan,Rui-dan Wang,Yuan Su,Ai-xian Liu,Jia-ning Xi,Bo-yan Fang 대한신경과학회 2023 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.19 No.1

Background and Purpose Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Early recognition OH is required with sensitive assessments. The purpose of this study was to determine whether blood pressure (BP) changes during exercise can predict the occurrence of OH in PD. Methods This prospective cohort study included 80 consecutive patients with PD. All patients agreed to participate in a baseline evaluation and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). According to the initial active standing test (AST), those without OH (PD-nonOH) at baseline had their AST results followed up for 6 months. The main outcome was defined as whether patients without OH at baseline would develop OH after 6 months. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the relevant variables. A nomogram was constructed based on clinical features and identified variables. The concordance index (C-index) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the accuracy and predictive ability of the nomogram, respectively. Results CPET results indicated that peak load, peak heart rate, heart rate recovery at 1 min, and systolic BP change (ΔSBP) were lower in those with OH than in the PD-nonOH group (p<0.05) at baseline. Logistic regression analysis indicated that peak load and ΔSBP during CPET had significant effects on OH (p<0.05). Age, sex, peak load, and ΔSBP were used to construct the nomogram model (C-index=0.761). The prediction model had an AUC of 0.782 (95% confidence interval=0.649–0.889) and a specificity and sensitivity of 70.0% and 81.8%, respectively. Conclusions This study has identified predictive factors for OH development in patients with PD. CPET could be used as a complementary examination to identify patients at a high risk of OH.

An Iterative Calculation Method for Internal Forces and Deformation of Curved Tunnel Lining

Lu-yuan Wu,Meng Li,Hai-bo Bai,Yong-feng Yun,Hui Li,Yi Feng 대한토목학회 2024 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.28 No.4

The accurate prediction of lining forces and deformations is crucial for the design of arched tunnel lining. However, in traditional tunnel structural mechanics methods, the distribution shape of the surrounding rock elastic resistance (SRER), as well as the zero point and maximal point locations of SRER, are not clearly defined. In this paper, an iterative calculation method is proposed based on the gradual convergence of the unitized values of SRER and total displacement (TD) of the lining, and the one-to-one functional relationship between the two in the stability process of the surrounding rock and lining. In this method involves using the initial displacement caused by the pressure of the surrounding rock pressure is used to initiate the iterative process, and iterative calculation is carried out until the errors between the unitized value of SRER and the unitized value of TD of the lining structure meet the error requirements. This enables precise determination of the SRER and TD. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a case study is conducted on the tunnel of Lianghe Expressway tunnel in Yunnan province, China . The results showed that when the semi-lining structure is divided into unit blocks and the average error of consistency is required to be less than 1e-3, it takes about 20 iterations are needed to meet the error requirement. Furthermore, the accuracy of the calculated results is verified through site-measuring experiments. This method provides an effective tool for failure analysis of arched tunnel lining structures.

Clinical Significance of BCR-ABL Fusion Gene Subtypes in Chronic Myelogenous and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemias

Ye, Yuan-Xin,Zhou, Juan,Zhou, Yan-Hong,Zhou, Yi,Song, Xing-Bo,Wang, Jun,Lin, Li,Ying, Bin-Wu,Lu, Xiao-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Background: Some reports have suggested that chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients have a higher prevalence of M-bcr than acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, which show a higher prevalence of m-bcr. However, the relationship between BCR-ABL subtypes and progression of CML and ALL remains unclear. Materials and Methods: 354 CML chronic phase (CML-CP) patients, 26 CML blastic phase (CML-BP) patients and 72 ALL patients before treatment with BCR-ABL positive were recruited for blood routine examination and bone marrow smear cytology. Some 80 CML-CP and 32 ALL patients after imatinib (IM) treatment were followed-up for BCR-ABL relative concentrations detected after treatment for 3, 6 and 9 months and 1 year. Results: Before treatment, CML-CP patients showed lower BCR-ABL relative concentrations with a higher proportion of M-bcr (42.7%) compared to CML-BP and ALL patients while ALL patients had a higher BCR-ABL relative concentration with high expression of m-bcr (51.4%). Patients with M-bcr demonstrated higher WBC counts than those with m-bcr and the mixed group and higher PLT counts were noted in the CML-CP and ALL groups. After imatinib (IM) treatment, patients with m-bcr showed higher BCR-ABL relative concentrations in both CML-CP and ALL groups. Conclusions: This study identified the BCR-ABL gene as an important factor in CML and ALL cases. The M-bcr subtype was associated more with CML while the m-bcr subtype was associated more with ALL. Patients with m-bcr seem to have a poorer response to IM in either CML or ALL patients compared to M-bcr patients.

Comparison of Carcass and Meat Quality Traits among Three Rabbit Breeds

Jie Wang,Yuan Su,Mauricio A. Elzo,Xian-Bo Jia,Shi-Yi Chen,Song-Jia Lai 한국축산식품학회 2016 한국축산식품학회지 Vol.36 No.1

The objective of this study was to compare carcass composition and meat quality traits in the longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles in the Hyla, Champagne and Tianfu Black rabbit breeds. Tianfu Black rabbits had the heaviest head, skin, thoracic viscera and commercial carcass percentage (p<0.05). In addition, Tianfu Black had the highest pH0 h value, followed by the Champagne and Hyla breeds (p<0.01) in the longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles. Tianfu Black had a higher a* (0 h and 24 h) than the other two breeds in both longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles (p<0.05). The Hyla, Champagne, and Tianfu Black breeds showed a similar pattern of differences for meat quality traits (pH, L*, a* and b*) measured in fresh meat (0 h) and meat stored for 24 h. Hyla had the highest IMF values of the three breeds (p<0.01). The lower intramuscular fat of Tianfu Black and Champagne rabbits gives them an advantage over Hyla rabbits among most consumers seeking lean rabbit meat.

Effects of Allogeneic Blood Transfusion in Patients with Stage II Colon Cancer

Meng, Jin,Lu, Xiao-Bo,Tang, Yuan-Xin,Sun, Gong-Ping,Li, Xin,Yan, Yi-Fei,Liang, Gao-Feng,Ma, Si-Ping,Li, Xiao-Xia Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.1

The aim of the present study was to determine whether allogeneic red blood cell transfusions showed a deleterious effect and what might be preoperative risk factors for blood transfusion in patients with TNM stage II colon cancer. Total 470 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria were selected for a further 10-year follow-up study. We found that there were statistical significance between non-transfused and transfused group in mortality (P=0.018), local recurrence (P=0.000) and distant metastasis (P=0.040). Local recurrence and distant metastasis between 1 to 3 units and more than 3 units group did not show any significant differences. There was no difference in survival rate between non-transfused and 1 to 3 units group (log rank=0.031, P=0.860). The difference between different blood transfusion volume in transfused patients was found (78.77% vs 63.83%, P=0.006). Meanwhile, the significant difference of survival rate was existed between non-transfused group and more than 3 units group (84.83% vs 63.83%, P=0.002 ). Univariate analysis showed the following 3 variables to be associated with an increased risk of allogeneic blood transfusions: preoperative CEA level (P<0.05), location of tumor (P<0.01) and diameter of tumor (P<0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that location of tumor and diameter of tumor are two independent factors for requirement of perioperative transfusions. Therefore, allogeneic transfusion increase the postoperative tumor mortality, local recurrence and distant metastasis in patients with stage II colon cancer. The postoperative tumor mortality, local recurrence and distant metastasis were not associated with the blood transfusion volume. The blood transfusion volume was associated with the survival rate. Location of tumor and diameter of tumor were the independent preoperative risk factors for blood transfusion.

Colorimetric Probe Coupled to Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction for Determination of Dopamine in Serum

Zhi-gang Tai,Yi-ren Zhu,Yi-bo Yuan,Jin Liu,Zhen-jie Li,Zhi-hua Liu,Kun-miao Wang 대한화학회 2020 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.41 No.3

In this work, a highly sensitive method using a colorimetric probe coupled to dispersive liquid?liquid microextraction (DLLME) was developed for the quantitative determination of dopamine (DA) in serum. The DA in serum was concentrated by DLLME to increase the detection sensitivity and reduce the matrix effects. After the DLLME process, a colorimetric probe of silver triangular nanoparticles (AgTNPs) was used to detect DA, which was based on the plasma transformation of AgTNPs caused by strong interactions with melamine (MA). The results showed that DA could inhibit the aggregation of AgTNPs induced by MA, resulting in the recovery of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak of AgTNPs. Thus, the DLLME method followed by colorimetric probe detection of DA can be achieved. The parameters affecting the proposed method were optimized, under the optimal conditions, a linear calibration curve was obtained over a concentration range of 5 to 250?nM with a recovery from 94.4 to 101.3%. The detection limit was 1.6 nM (at an S/N ratio of 3). The present method was successfully applied to determine DA in human serum.

Different fates of oocytes with DNA double-strand breaks in vitro and in vivo

Lin, Fei,Ma, Xue-Shan,Wang, Zhen-Bo,Wang, Zhong-Wei,Luo, Yi-Bo,Huang, Lin,Jiang, Zong-Zhe,Hu, Meng-Wen,Schatten, Heide,Sun, Qing-Yuan Taylor Francis 2014 Cell Cycle Vol.13 No.17