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.

Influence of different parameters on nonlinear friction-induced vibration characteristics of water lubricated stern bearings

Lin Chang-Gang,Zou Ming-Song,Zhang Hai-Cheng,Qi Li-Bo,Liu Shu-Xiao 대한조선학회 2021 International Journal of Naval Architecture and Oc Vol.13 No.1

To investigate the mechanism of friction-induced vibration and noise of ship water lubricated stern bearings, a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) nonlinear self-excited vibration model is established. The novelty of this work lies in the detailed analysis of influence of different parameters on the stability and nonlinear vibration characteristics of the system, which provides a theoretical basis for the various friction vibration and noise phenomenon and has a very important directive meaning for low noise design of water lubricated stern bearings. The results reveal that the change of any parameter, such as rotating speed of shaft, contact pressure, friction coefficient, system damping and stiffness, has an important influence on the stability and nonlinear response of the system. The vibration amplitudes of the system increase as (a) rotating speed of shaft, contact pressure, and the ratio of static friction coefficient to dynamic friction coefficient increase and (b) the transmission damping between motor and shaft decreases. The frequency spectrum of the system is modulated by the first mode natural frequency, which is continuous multi-harmonics of the first mode natural frequency. The response of the system presents a quasi-periodic motion.

Statin and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in Head and Neck Cancer Patients with Radiotherapy

Bo-Ching Lee,Cheng-Li Lin,Hsin-Hsi Tsai,Chia-Hung Kao 대한뇌졸중학회 2018 Journal of stroke Vol.20 No.3

Synthesis of Azole-containing Piperazine Derivatives and Evaluation of their Antibacterial, Antifungal and Cytotoxic Activities

Lin-Ling Gan,Bo Fang,Cheng-He Zhou 대한화학회 2010 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.31 No.12

A series of azole-containing piperazine derivatives have been designed and synthesized. The obtained compounds were investigated in vitro for their antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities. The preliminary results showed that most compounds exhibited moderate to significant antibacterial and antifungal activities in vitro. 1-(4-((4-chlorophenyl) (phenyl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanone and 1-(4-((4-Chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl)-2-(2-phenyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanone gave remarkable and broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against all tested strains with MIC values ranging from 3.1 to 25 μg/mL, and exhibited comparable activities to the standard drugs chloramphenicol and fluconazole in clinic. Moreover, 2-((4-((4-chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole was found to be the most effective in vitro against the PC-3 cell line, reaching growth inhibition values (36.4, 60.1 and 76.5%) for each tested concentration: 25 μM, 50 μΜ and 100 μM in dose-dependent manner. The results also showed that the azole ring had noticeable effect on their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, and imidazole and benzimidazole moiety were much more favourable to biological activity than 1,2,4-triazole.

A Data Fusion Algorithm of the Nonlinear System Based on Filtering Step By Step

Cheng-lin Wen,Quan-bo Ge 대한전기학회 2006 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.4 No.2

This paper proposes a data fusion algorithm of nonlinear multisensor dynamic systems of synchronous sampling based on filtering step by step. Firstly, the object state variable at the next time index can be predicted by the previous global information with the systems, then the predicted estimation can be updated in turn by use of the extended Kalman filter when all of the observations aiming at the target state variable arrive. Finally a fusion estimation of the object state variable is obtained based on the system global information. Synchronously, we formulate the new algorithm and compare its performances with those of the traditional nonlinear centralized and distributed data fusion algorithms by the indexes that include the computational complexity, data communicational burden, time delay and estimation accuracy, etc .. These compared results indicate that the performance from the new algorithm is superior to the performances from the two traditional nonlinear data fusion algorithms.

The motion rule of sand particles under control of the sand transportation engineering

Lin-gui Xin,Jian-jun Cheng,Bo-yu Chen,Rui Wang 한국풍공학회 2018 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.27 No.4

In the desert and Gobi regions with strong wind and large sediment discharge, sand transporting engineering is more effective than sand blocking and sand fixing measures in sand prevention. This study uses the discrete phase model of 3D numerical simulation to study the motion trail, motion state and distribution rule of sand particles with different grain diameters when the included angle between the main shaft of the feather-row lateral transportation sand barrier and the wind direction changes, and conducts a comparison in combination with the wind tunnel test and the flow field rule of common sand barrier. According to the comparison, when wind-sand incoming flow passes through a feather-row sand barrier, sand particles slow down and deposit within the deceleration area under the resistance of the feather-row sand barrier, move along the transportation area formed by the transportation force, and accumulate as a ridge at the tail of the engineering. With increasing wind speed, the eolian erosion of the sand particles to the ground and the feather-row sand barrier is enhanced, and the sand transporting quantity and throw-over quantity of the feather-row sand barrier are both increased. When sand particles with different grain diameters bypass the feather-row sand barrier, the particle size of the infiltrating sands will increase with the included angle between the main shaft of the feather-row sand barrier and the wind direction. The obtained result demonstrates that, at a constant wind speed, the flow field formed is most suitable for the lateral transportation of the wind-drift flow when the included angle between the main shaft of the feather-row sand barrier lateral transportation engineering and the wind speed is less than or equal to 30°.

Effective Antiviral Activity of the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Sunitinib Malate against Zika Virus

Lin Chen-Sheng,Huang Su-Hua,Yan Bo-Yu,Lai Hsueh-Chou,Lin Cheng-Wen 대한감염학회 2021 Infection and Chemotherapy Vol.53 No.4

Introduction: Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, causes the outbreaks of Latin America in 2015 - 2016, with the incidence of neurological complications. Sunitinib malate, an orally bioavailable malate salt of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is suggested as a broadspectrum antiviral agent against emerging viruses like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2. Materials and Methods: This study investigated the antiviral efficacy and antiviral mechanisms of sunitinib malate against ZIKV infection using cytopathic effect reduction, virus yield, and time-of-addition assays. Results: Sunitinib malate concentration-dependently reduced ZIKV-induced cytopathic effect, the expression of viral proteins, and ZIKV yield in supernatant with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 0.015 μM, and the selectivity index of greater than 100 against ZIKV infection, respectively. Sunitinib malate had multiple antiviral actions during entry and post-entry stages of ZIKV replication. Sunitinib malate treatment at entry stage significantly reduced the levels of ZIKV RNA replication with the reduction of (+) RNA to (-) RNA ratio and the production of new intracellular infectious particles in infected cells. The treatment at post-entry stage caused a concentration-dependent increase in the levels of ZIKV (+) RNA and (-) RNA in infected cells, along with enlarging the ratio of (+) RNA to (-) RNA, but caused a pointed increase in the titer of intracellular infectious particles by 0.01 and 0.1 μM, and a substantial decrease in the titer of intracellular infectious particles by 1 μM. Conclusion: The study discovered the antiviral actions of sunitinib malate against ZIKV infection, demonstrating a repurposed, host-targeted approach to identify potential antiviral drugs for treating emerging and global viral diseases.

Triterpenoid Saponins from the Seeds of Caragana microphylla

Gui-Lin Jin,Cheng-Jian Zheng,Wen-Bo Xin,Zhu-Jun Mao,Pei-Xin Sun,Zhi-Xin Zeng,Lu-Ping Qin 대한약학회 2011 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.34 No.6

Two new triterpenoid saponins, namely caraganoside C (1) and caraganoside D (2), were isolated from the seeds of Caragana microphylla. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including homo- and hetero-nuclear correlation NMR experiments (COSY, HSQC and HMBC). Both 1 and 2 exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with IC_50 values of 26.4 μM and 32.2 μM, respectively. In addition, 1 showed weak cytotoxicity against MCF-7, HL-60, HCT116, and A549 cell lines.

Fixed-time Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Vehicle Platoon With Prescribed Performance

Yan-Bo Wang,Cheng-Lin Liu,Liang Shan 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2024 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.22 No.1

This article investigates a fixed-time integral terminal sliding mode (FITSM) control method for a longitudinal vehicle platoon consisting of a leader and multiple followers. This sliding mode is designed with a coupled sliding mode surface and a quadratic spacing (QS) policy that effectively ensures string stability, with prescribed performance. To reduce the chattering phenomenon caused by the sign function, the reaching law is designed by a smooth function. Furthermore, the vehicle platoon system is fixed-time stable and the string stability is guaranteed strictly. Finally, a numerical simulation is presented to show the proposed method’s effectiveness.

The motion rule of sand particles under control of the sand transportation engineering

Xin, Lin-gui,Cheng, Jian-jun,Chen, Bo-yu,Wang, Rui Techno-Press 2018 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.27 No.4

In the desert and Gobi regions with strong wind and large sediment discharge, sand transporting engineering is more effective than sand blocking and sand fixing measures in sand prevention. This study uses the discrete phase model of 3D numerical simulation to study the motion trail, motion state and distribution rule of sand particles with different grain diameters when the included angle between the main shaft of the feather-row lateral transportation sand barrier and the wind direction changes, and conducts a comparison in combination with the wind tunnel test and the flow field rule of common sand barrier. According to the comparison, when wind-sand incoming flow passes through a feather-row sand barrier, sand particles slow down and deposit within the deceleration area under the resistance of the feather-row sand barrier, move along the transportation area formed by the transportation force, and accumulate as a ridge at the tail of the engineering. With increasing wind speed, the eolian erosion of the sand particles to the ground and the feather-row sand barrier is enhanced, and the sand transporting quantity and throw-over quantity of the feather-row sand barrier are both increased. When sand particles with different grain diameters bypass the feather-row sand barrier, the particle size of the infiltrating sands will increase with the included angle between the main shaft of the feather-row sand barrier and the wind direction. The obtained result demonstrates that, at a constant wind speed, the flow field formed is most suitable for the lateral transportation of the wind-drift flow when the included angle between the main shaft of the feather-row sand barrier lateral transportation engineering and the wind speed is less than or equal to $30^{\circ}$.