Current state of research about acupuncture for the treatment of COVID-19: A scoping review

Chen Chen,Jie Zhan,Hao Wen,Xiaojing Wei,Lu Ding,Chenyang Tao,Cui Li,Peiming Zhang,Yuyuan Tang,Jing-chun Zeng,Li-ming Lu 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.-

Background Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of COVID-19. The research community has responded rapidly and has already published many research articles about this topic. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library as well as CNKI, Wanfang and VIP from January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021. The dates of publication, language of publication, methodological characteristics and the key findings were analyzed separately. The data are presented as bar graphs, structured tables and figures. Results In this scoping review, 16 research articles were included: 7 case reports, 6 observational studies, 1 review, 1 RCT and 1 nonrandomized clinical trial. The majority of the articles (81.3%) were published by Chinese scholars, 12.5% articles were by scholars in the United States, and 6.3% articles were by scholars in Iran. The included studies reported that acupuncture could alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19 patients, shorten their hospitalization days, and is effective for the elderly. There were no side effects reported. The most frequent acupoints used were LI4, PC6, ST36 and KI3. They reported many obstacles in implementing acupuncture therapy for treating COVID-19 patients. Conclusion Acupuncture has a good effect for the treatment of COVID-19, but high-quality evidence support is still lacking. Coupled with the difficulties that acupuncturists experienced during the process of treatment, the promotion of acupuncture treatment for COVID-19 faces many obstacles. Background Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of COVID-19. The research community has responded rapidly and has already published many research articles about this topic. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library as well as CNKI, Wanfang and VIP from January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021. The dates of publication, language of publication, methodological characteristics and the key findings were analyzed separately. The data are presented as bar graphs, structured tables and figures. Results In this scoping review, 16 research articles were included: 7 case reports, 6 observational studies, 1 review, 1 RCT and 1 nonrandomized clinical trial. The majority of the articles (81.3%) were published by Chinese scholars, 12.5% articles were by scholars in the United States, and 6.3% articles were by scholars in Iran. The included studies reported that acupuncture could alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19 patients, shorten their hospitalization days, and is effective for the elderly. There were no side effects reported. The most frequent acupoints used were LI4, PC6, ST36 and KI3. They reported many obstacles in implementing acupuncture therapy for treating COVID-19 patients. Conclusion Acupuncture has a good effect for the treatment of COVID-19, but high-quality evidence support is still lacking. Coupled with the difficulties that acupuncturists experienced during the process of treatment, the promotion of acupuncture treatment for COVID-19 faces many obstacles.

Application of Computed Tomography for Differential Diagnosis of Glioma Stoke and Simple Cerebral Hemorrhage

Li, Xiao-Li,Zhou, Fa-Ming,Shangguan, Shou-Qin,Zou, Wen-Qin,Deng, Yan-Qing,Chen, Tao,Chen, Guang-Hui Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.8

Objective: To explore the value of computed tomography (CT) in the differential diagnosis of glioma stroke and simple cerebral hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 patients with glioma stroke and stroke as the initial symptom in our hospital from Jun., 2009 to Oct., 2013 were selected along with 50 individuals with simple cerebral hemorrhage in the same period randomly collected as a control group. The CT results in both groups were analyzed and compared. Results: In the observation group, there were 25 patients with astrocytoma (55.6%), 11 with oligodendroglioma (24.4%), 8 with ependymoma (17.2%) and 1 with glioblastoma multiforma (GBM, 2.22%). Additionally, the major CT manifestation was coexistence of hemorrhage and tumor signs. By comparison, it could be found that the proportions of patients respectively with peripheral edema and space-occupying effect in the observation group were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusions: Application of CT examination combined with medical history in patients has very important clinical value in the differential diagnosis of glioma stroke and simple cerebral hemorrhage.

Bradyrhizobium spp. and Sinorhizobium fredii are Predominant in Root Nodules of Vigna angularis, a Native Legume Crop in the Subtropical Region of China

Li Li Han,En Tao Wang,Yang Li Lu,Yong Fa Zhang,Xin Hua Sui,Wen Feng Chen,Wen Xin Chen 한국미생물학회 2009 The journal of microbiology Vol.47 No.3

Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) is an important legume crop native to China, but its rhizobia have not been well characterized. In the present study, a total of 60 rhizobial strains isolated from eight provinces of China were analyzed with amplified 16S rRNA gene RFLP, IGS-RFLP, and sequencing analyses of 16S rRNA, atpD, recA, and nodC genes. These strains were identified as genomic species within Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Ochrobactrum. The most abundant groups were Bradyrhizobium species and Sinorhizobium fredii. Diverse nodC genes were found in these strains, which were mainly co-evolved with the housekeeping genes, but a possible lateral transfer of nodC from Sinorhizobium to Rhizobium was found. Analyses of the genomic and symbiotic gene backgrounds showed that adzuki bean shared the same rhizobial gene pool with soybean (legume native to China) and the exotic Vigna species. All of these data demonstrated that nodule formation is the interaction of rhizobia, host plants, and environment characters.

Mest Attenuates CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Rats by Inhibiting the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

( Wen Ting Li ),( Chuan Long Zhu ),( Yi Li ),( Quan Wu ),( Ren Tao Gao ) 대한소화기학회 2014 Gut and Liver Vol.8 No.3

Background/Aims: The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been reported to play an important role in liver fibrosis. This study was designed to investigate whether mesoderm-specific transcript homologue (Mest), a strong negative regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, could inhibit liver fibrosis. Methods: pcDNA-Mest was transfected into hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and rats. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal group (normal saline), treatment group (pcDNA- Mest+CCl4), control group (pcDNA-neo+CCl4), and model group (normal saline+CCl4). Changes in liver pathology were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. The levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, lactic dehygrogenase, hyaluronic acid, and laminin in the serum and hydroxyproline in the liver were detected by biochemical examination and radioimmunoassay, respectively. The expression and distribution of β-catenin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Smad3, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase type I were determined, and the viability of the HSCs was tested. Results: Our data demonstrate that Mest alleviated CCl4-induced collagen deposition in liver tissue and improved the condition of the liver in rats. Mest also significantly reduced the expression and distribution of β-catenin, α-SMA and Smad3 both in vivo and in vitro, in addition to the viability of HSCs in vitro. Conclusions: We found that Mest attenuates liver fibrosis by repressing β-catenin expression, which provides a new therapeutic approach for treating liver fibrosis.

Chaotic dynamic characteristics of pressure fluctuation signals in hydro-turbine

Wen-Tao Su,Xiao-Bin Li,Chao-Feng Lan,Shi An,Jiansheng Wang,Feng-Chen Li 대한기계학회 2016 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.30 No.11

The pressure fluctuation characteristics in a Francis hydro-turbine running at partial flow conditions were studied based on the chaotic dynamic methods. Firstly, the experimental data of pressure fluctuations in the draft tube at various flow conditions was de-noised using lifting wavelet transformation, then, for the de-noised signals, their spectrum distribution on the frequency domain, the energy variation and the energy partition accounting for the total energy was calculated. Hereby, for the flow conditions ranging from no cavitation to severe cavitation, the chaos dynamic features of fluctuation signals were analyzed, including the temporal-frequency distribution, phase trajectory, Lyapunov exponent and Poincaré map etc. It is revealed that, the main energy of pressure fluctuations in the draft tube locates at low-frequency region. As the cavitation grows, the amplitude of power spectrum at frequency domain becomes larger. For all the flow conditions, all the maximal Lyapunov exponents are larger than zero, and they increase with the cavitation level. Therefore, it is believed that there indeed exist the chaotic attractors in the pressure fluctuation signals for a hydro-turbine.

Chlorophyll a fluorescence as an indicator of establishment of Zostera marina transplants on the southern coast of Korea

Wen-Tao Li,박정임,박상률,Xiu-mei Zhang,이근섭 한국조류학회I 2010 ALGAE Vol.25 No.2

To test the feasibility of using chlorophyll a fluorescence to assess the establishment success of seagrass transplants,photosynthetic characteristics of eelgrass Zostera marina transplants were measured using a Diving-pulsed amplitude modulation fluorometer in Jindong Bay on the southern coast of Korea. Maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm),photosynthetic efficiency (α), saturating irradiance (Ek) and maximum electron transport rate (ETRmax) of transplants and reference plants in a nearby transplant site were measured using the fluorometer for 5 months. Additionally, shoot morphology, individual shoot weight and productivity of transplants and reference plants were also monitored. Shoot height, leaf weight and productivity of transplants were significantly reduced during the first two or three months after transplantation compared to those of reference plants, and then increased to the levels of reference plants. Characteristics of chlorophyll a fluorescence, including Fv/Fm, α, Ek and ETRmax of transplants were also significantly reduced in the initial period, but recovered slightly sooner than shoot morphology or leaf productivity. These results indicated that after transplantation, Z. marina transplant photosynthesis recovered faster than shoot morphology, biomass or productivity. Thus, chlorophyll a fluorescence can be used as an indicator for early assessment of the status of eelgrass transplants without destructive sampling.

Chlorophyll α fluorescence as an indicator of establishment of Zostera marina transplants on the southern coast of Korea

Li, Wen-Tao,Park, Jung-Im,Park, Sang-Rul,Zhang, Xiu-Mei,Lee, Kun-Seop The Korean Society of Phycology 2010 ALGAE Vol.25 No.2

To test the feasibility of using chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ fluorescence to assess the establishment success of seagrass transplants, photosynthetic characteristics of eelgrass Zostera marina transplants were measured using a Diving-pulsed amplitude modulation fluorometer in Jindong Bay on the southern coast of Korea. Maximum quantum yield ($F_v/F_m$), photosynthetic efficiency ($\alpha$), saturating irradiance ($E_k$) and maximum electron transport rate ($ETR_{max}$) of transplants and reference plants in a nearby transplant site were measured using the fluorometer for 5 months. Additionally, shoot morphology, individual shoot weight and productivity of transplants and reference plants were also monitored. Shoot height, leaf weight and productivity of transplants were significantly reduced during the first two or three months after transplantation compared to those of reference plants, and then increased to the levels of reference plants Characteristics of chlorophyll a fluorescence, including $F_v/F_m$, $\alpha$, $E_k$ and $ETR_{max}$ of transplants were also significantly reduced in the initial period, but recovered slightly sooner than shoot morphology or leaf productivity. These results indicated that after transplantation, Z. marina transplant photosynthesis recovered faster than shoot morphology, biomass or productivity. Thus, chlorophyll a fluorescence can be used as an indicator for early assessment of the status of eelgrass transplants without destructive sampling.

Morphological and Anatomical Differences among Three Seagrass Species in a High-energy Coastal Area Typically Dominated by Surfgrass in a Rocky Coastal Area of Shandong Peninsula, China

Wen Tao Li,Jia Song,Chongfeng Zhong,Xin Hou,Ran Cheng,Pei-dong Zhang 한국해양과학기술원 2020 Ocean science journal Vol.55 No.2

Surfgrass Phyllospadix iwatensis is the dominant seagrass species in the coastal area of Mashanli, which lies at the east end of Shandong Peninsula, China. To our surprise, some Zostera marina and Zostera caespitosa patches have been recently found adjoining the surfgrass meadows. How the two Zostera species adapt to the high-energy habitats where Phyllospadix spp. thrive, and what kind of differences there are in the morphology and anatomy among the three species are unknown. To understand their adaptation strategies to the environment, we observed their morphological feature and anatomical structure of the three seagrass species by optical microscope. The results showed that much narrower leaves were observed in P. iwatensis, much higher plant density was observed in Z. caespitosa and Z. marina and much lower plant height was observed in Z. marina, which might have contributed to their adaptation in the environment. While for the supporting tissues (the epidermis, mesophyll cells, and vascular bundles for leaves, as well as the epidermis, exodermis and stele for rhizomes), the number of mesophyll cells in the leaves and the proportion of the other tissues in the cross sections in the leaves and rhizomes were significantly different among species. The results suggested that the three species adapt to the high-energy environment through different strategies.

Convenient hydrogel adhesion with crystalline zones

Wen-Tao Chen,Liangpeng Zeng,Ping Li,Yi Liu,Jing-Liang Huang,Hui Guo,Ping Rao,Wei-Hua Li 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.117 No.-

Adhering soft hydrogels to hard substrates is challenging. Existing adhesion approaches mainly rely oninterfacial chemical bonds or physical interactions, which typically require complex fabrication processesor specific surface properties. Herein, we report a convenient approach to achieving effective hydrogeladhesion onto various hard substrates with in-situ formed crystalline zones by heating. Semicrystallizablepoly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels were directly cast on various subtracts by a dryingswellingprocess, which demonstrates strong adhesion with adhesion energy as high as 890 J/m2. Theadhesion performance demonstrates an obvious positive correlation with the crystalline property. Therefore, the factors determining the crystalline degree, including the polymer type and preparationtemperature, demonstrate remarkable influences on the adhesion performance. Moreover, this adhesionperformance manifests high durability in harsh environments. Benefitting from the strong and durableadhesion performance, the crystalline gels can serve as a tie coating layer to joint various hydrogels,which demonstrate satisfactory antifouling ability. Therefore, this strategy may endow the materials withgreat potential for various practical applications in the future.

Reconfigurable DDP-type transmitter coil for electric vehicle wireless charging under misaligned conditions

Wen, Feng,Li, Qiang,Li, Rui,Liu, Ling,Wang, Tao,Liu, Li,Wu, Tao,Li, Yuxiao The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2020 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.20 No.1

This paper presents a new type of a transmitter coil for wireless power transfer (WPT) to assist in the achievement of a constant output power and in the reduction of magnetic field leakage under misaligned electric vehicle (EV) wireless-charging conditions. The proposed DDP coil is an improvement upon the conventional DD coil and can be adaptively reconfigured depending on the misalignment of different sizes or types of receiver coils. The reconfigurable resonant circuit is designed to compensate various coil structures and to maintain a high-energy efficiency. The reconfiguration strategy is presented by studying the characteristics of the magnetic field and mutual inductance of the coils. A precise human anatomic model and a full-scale Tesla EV model are built to evaluate the magnetic field leakage and human exposure to the WPT system. Simulation results show that the power transfer efficiency (PTE) reaches 99.16% and that the maximum electric field induced in humans is -1.11 dBV/m, while the transfer power is 6.6 kW with a 12 cm lateral offset on both the x-axis and y-axis. The effectiveness of the proposed type of transmitter coil is verified through simulation and experimental results.