Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Increased Autonomic Activation and Improved Symptoms of Depression and Insomnia among Patients with Major Depression Disorder

I-Mei Lin,Sheng-Yu Fan,Cheng-Fang Yen,Yi-Chun Yeh,Tze‐Chun Tang,Mei-Feng Huang,Tai-Ling Liu,Peng-Wei Wang,Huang-Chi Lin,Hsin-Yi Tsai,Yu-Che Tsai 대한정신약물학회 2019 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.17 No.2

Objective: Autonomic imbalance is considered a psychopathological mechanism underlying major depressive disorder (MDD). Heart rate variability (HRV) is an index for autonomic activation. Poor sleep quality is common among patients with MDD. HRV biofeedback (BF) has been used for regulating autonomic balance among patients with physical illness and mental disorders. The purpose of present study was to examine the effects of HRV-BF on depressive symptoms, sleep quality, pre-sleep arousal, and HRV indices, in patients with MDD and insomnia. Methods: In this case-controlled study, patients with MDD and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score higher than 6 were recruited. The HRV-BF group received weekly 60-minute protocol for 6 weeks, and the control group who have matched the age and sex received medical care only. All participants were assessed on Beck Depression Inventory-II, Back Anxiety Inventory, PSQI, and Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale. Breathing rates and electrocardiography were also performed under resting state at pre-testing, and post-testing conditions and for the HRV-BF group, also at 1-month follow-up. Results: In the HRV-BF group, symptoms of depression and anxiety, sleep quality, and pre-sleep arousal were significantly improved, and increased HRV indices, compared with the control group. Moreover, in the HRV-BF group, significantly improved symptoms of depression and anxiety, decreased breathing rates, and increased HRV indices were detected at post-testing and at 1-month follow-up, compared with pre-testing values. Conclusion: This study confirmed that HRV-BF is a useful psychosocial intervention for improving autonomic balance, baroreflex, and symptoms of depression and insomnia in MDD patients.

Shielding-benefit Evaluation of Electromagnetic Radiation and UV Radiation for Multifunctional Composite Polypropylene Woven Fabrics

Ting An Lin,Yu-Chun Chuang,Jan-Yi Lin,Mei-Chen Lin,Ching-Wen Lou,Keng Siang Sim,Jia-Horng Lin 한국섬유공학회 2020 Fibers and polymers Vol.21 No.10

People have increasingly rising health consciousness in recent years and researchers are thus devoted themselvesto develop multi-functional textile products. In this study, stainless steel (SS) filaments are used for electromagnetic shieldingeffectiveness (EMSE) while polypropylene (PP) filaments are used for ultraviolet resistance and good mechanical properties. Spinning and weaving continuous formation techniques are employed to produce wrapped yarns with SS and PP filaments,after which a weaving process is employed for the preparation of SS/PP woven fabrics. The woven fabrics are tested forEMSE and UV resistance, examining the effect of the lamination-layer numbers and lamination-layer angles. Test resultsshow that the optimal EMSE and UV resistance occur when SS/PP woven fabrics are laminated with two layers at 90 °. Notonly focus on the mechanical performance, the proposed woven fabrics with good EMSE, UV resistance, and a light weight,and are good candidate for a variety of application as required. The proposed UV resistance and EMSE woven fabricssignificantly increase the additional values of traditional textiles.

Polypropylene/Carbon Fiber Composite Layered Materials: Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effect and Mechanical Performance

Mei-Feng Lai,Chen-Hung Huang,Jia-Horng Lin,Yu-Chun Chuang,Ching-Hua Wang,Ching-Wen Lou 한국섬유공학회 2021 Fibers and polymers Vol.22 No.9

In this study, conductive polymer composites and conductive functional fabrics are combined to serve aselectromagnetic shielding planks. Polypropylene (PP), carbon black (CB), and short carbon fibers (SCF) are blended atdifferent ratios to form conductive polymer composites (i.e. PCS series). The mechanical property, electrical property,morphology, and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of the PCS series are evaluated. The testresults show that with 20 wt% of conductive fillers (i.e. CB and SCF), PCS20 exhibits the optimal tensile strength, flexuralstrength, and electrical property that is 7 order of magnitude higher than that of pure PP plates. Moreover, the EMI SE of thisgroup also reaches -30 dB, which meets level one of civil EMI SE standard. Therefore, PCS20 is used to combine with fourconductive sandwiches. The resulting multilayered functional PCS-sandwich planks are tested in terms of mechanicalproperty, morphology, and EMI SE. The test results show that the planks composed of a pure conductive woven sandwichhave the maximum tensile property and significantly improved impact resistance. All of the multilayered functional plankshave EMI SE that is higher than -50 dB and are qualified for the protection level of standard EMI SE electronic devices.

Health Care Utilization and Expenditures of Patients with Diabetes Comorbid with Depression Disorder: A National Population-Based Cohort Study

Chun-Jen Huang,Hui-Min Hsieh,Herng-Chia Chiu,Peng-Wei Wang,Mei-Hsuan Lee,Chih-Yi Li,Ching-Hua Lin 대한신경정신의학회 2017 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.14 No.6

Objective: The study investigated to compare health care utilization and expenditures between diabetic patients with and without depression in Taiwan. Methods: Health care utilization and expenditure among diabetic patients with and without depression disorder during 2000 and 2004 were examined using Taiwan’s population-based National Health Insurance claims database. Health care utilization included outpatient visits and the use of inpatient services, and health expenditures were outpatient, inpatient, and total medical expenditures. Moreover, general estimation equation models were used for analyzing the factors associated with outpatient visits and expenditures. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied for identifying the factors associated with hospitalization. Results: The average annual outpatient visits and annual total medical expenditures in the study period were 44.23–52.20; NT$87,496–133,077 and 30.75–32.92; NT$64,411–80,955 for diabetic patients with and without depression. After adjustment for covariates, our results revealed that gender and complication were associated with out-patient visits. Moreover, the time factor was associated with the total medical expenditure, and residential urbanization and complication factors were associated with hospitalization. Conclusion: Health care utilization and expenditures for diabetic patients with depression were significantly higher than those without depression. Sex, complications, time, and urbanization are the factors associated with health care utilization and expenditures.

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes/Polypropylene-based Coating Layer on the Composite Metal Filaments: Characteristic Evaluations and Radiation-shielded Fabric

Mei-Feng Lai,Chen-Hung Huang,Ching-Wen Lou,Yu-Chun Chuang,Cyun-Yu Wei,Jia-Horng Lin 한국섬유공학회 2022 Fibers and polymers Vol.23 No.3

In this study, polypropylene (PP) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are used to coat stainless steel(SS) wrapped yarns, the product of which is then fabricated into conductive textiles. Afterwards, the tensile properties,surface resistivity, and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE) of conductive textiles are evaluated, therebydetermining the influences of the MWCNTs content. The test results show that using MWCNT can effectively improve themechanical properties of the coated yarns and conductive woven fabrics. In addition, 5 wt % of MWCNT provides the wovenfabrics with a lower surface resistivity and higher EMSE. The influences of the lamination angle and number of laminationlayers on EMSE are investigated, and the maximum EMSE of -49.89 dB occurs when the lamination angle is 0 °/90 °/0 °.

Antioxidant Flavone Glycosides from the Root of Pteroxygonum giraldii

Bao-Lin Li,Lin-Ling Jiang,Hui-Chun Wang,Zhan-Jun Yang,Xi-Quan Zhang,Hong-Mei Gu,Xian-Hua Tian 대한화학회 2009 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.30 No.7

Two new flavone glycosides, giraldiin A and B, together with three known compounds, annulatin, myricetin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside and gallic acid, were isolated from the ethanol extract of the root of Pteroxygonum giraldii Damm. et Diels. The structures of giraldiin A and B are designated as 3'-(α-L-arabinopyranosyloxy)-4',5,5',7-tetrahydroxy-3-methoxyflavone and 4'-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-5,5',7-trihydroxy-2',3-dimethoxyflavone, respectively,on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analyses. The free radical scavenging activity of giraldiin A was evaluated by decolouring spectrophotometry of pentamethine cyanine dye (Cy5) with Fe2+-H2O2 Fenton radical generating system. The results indicated the hydroxyl free radical scavenging activity of giraldiin A (ED50 = 23.7 nmol/mL) is higher than that of some known antioxidants such as rutin, puerarin, daidzein and 2,6-di-tertbutyl-4-methylphenol.

Flavones from the Bark of Lindera caudata and Their Anti-Tobacco Mosaic Virus Activity

Yu-Chun Yang,Ying Qin,Xian-Xue Wu,Cong-Fang Xia,Yan-Lin Meng,Bin Zhou,Yan-Qing Ye,Xue-Mei Gao,Yin-Ke Li,Qiu-Fen Hu 대한화학회 2015 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.36 No.4

Two new flavones, 5-hydroxy-8-hydroxymethyl-7,4′-dimethoxy-flavone (1) and 6-hydroxy-8-hydroxymethyl-7,4′-dimethoxy-flavone (2), together with six known flavones (3–8), were isolated from the bark of Lindera caudata. The structures of 1–8 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1–8 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activity. The results showed that Compounds 1 and 2 showed high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates of 31.2 and 28.8%, respectively. These values are close to those of positive control.

Efficient Mode Decision Algorithm Based on Spatial, Temporal, and Inter-layer Rate-Distortion Correlation Coefficients for Scalable Video Coding

Po-Chun Wang,Gwo-Long Li,Shu-Fen Huang,Mei-Juan Chen,Shih-Chien Lin 한국전자통신연구원 2010 ETRI Journal Vol.32 No.4

The layered coding structure of scalable video coding (SVC) with adaptive inter-layer prediction causes noticeable computational complexity increments when compared to existing video coding standards. To lighten the computational complexity of SVC, we present a fast algorithm to speed up the inter-mode decision process. The proposed algorithm terminates inter-mode decision early in the enhancement layers by estimating the rate-distortion (RD) cost from the macroblocks of the base layer and the enhancement layer in temporal, spatial, and inter-layer directions. Moreover, a search range decision algorithm is also proposed in this paper to further increase the motion estimation speed by using the motion vector information from temporal, spatial, or inter-layer domains. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can determine the best mode and provide more efficient total coding time saving with very slight RD performance degradation for spatial and quality scalabilities.

Ginsenoside Ro, an oleanolic saponin of Panax ginseng, exerts antiinflammatory effect by direct inhibiting toll like receptor 4 signaling pathway

Hong-Lin Xu,Guang-Hong Chen,Yu-Ting Wu,Ling-Peng Xie,Zhang-Bin Tan,Bin Liu,Hui-Jie Fan,Hong-Mei Chen,Gui-Qiong Huang,Min Liu,Ying-Chun Zhou 고려인삼학회 2022 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.46 No.1

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer (P. ginseng), a herb distributed in Korea, China and Japan, exerts benefits on diverse inflammatory conditions. However, the underlying mechanism and active ingredients remains largely unclear. Herein, we aimed to explore the active ingredients of P. ginseng against inflammation and elucidate underlying mechanisms. Methods: Inflammation model was constructed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in C57BL/6 mice and RAW264.7 macrophages. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics, surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) and immunofluorescence were utilized to predict active component. Results: P. ginseng significantly inhibited LPS-induced lung injury and the expression of proinflammatory factors, including TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-1b. Additionally, P. ginseng blocked fluorescence-labeled LPS (LPS488) binding to the membranes of RAW264.7 macrophages, the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Furthermore, molecular docking demonstrated that ginsenoside Ro (GRo) docked into the LPS binding site of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) complex. Molecular dynamic simulations showed that the MD2-GRo binding conformation was stable. SPRi demonstrated an excellent interaction between TLR4/MD2 complex and GRo (KD value of 1.16 × 10<SUP>-9</SUP> M). GRo significantly inhibited LPS488 binding to cell membranes. Further studies showed that GRo markedly suppressed LPS-triggered lung injury, the transcription and secretion levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Moreover, the phosphorylation of NF-kB and MAPKs as well as the p65 subunit nuclear translocation were inhibited by GRo dose-dependently. Conclusion: Our results suggest that GRo exerts anti-inflammation actions by direct inhibition of TLR4 signaling pathway.

Association between Dietary Behavior and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Yanting

Zhao, Lin,Liu, Chun-Ling,Song, Qing-Kun,Deng, Ying-Mei,Qu, Chen-Xu,Li, Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.20

Background: Yanting is one of high risk areas for esophageal cancer and the screening program was therefore initiated there. This study was aimed to investigate the dietary behaviors on the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), among the individuals with normal and abnormal esophagus mucosa. Materials and Methods: A frequency matched case-controls study was proposed to estimate the different distribution of dietary behavior between individuals of control, esophagitis and cancer groups. Cancer cases were selected from hospitals. Esophagitis cases and controls were selected from screening population for ESCC. Health workers collected data for 1 year prior to interview, in terms of length of finishing a meal, temperature of eaten food and interval between water boiling and drinking. Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis tests and unconditional logistic regression model were used to estimate differences and associations between groups. Results: Compared with controls, length of finishing a meal ${\geq}15mins$ was related to a reduced OR for cancer (OR=0.46, 95%CI, 0.22-0.97) and even compared with cases of esophagitis, the OR of cancer was reduced to 0.30 (95%CI, 0.13-0.72). The OR for often eating food at a high temperature was 2.48 (95%CI 1.06, 5.82) for ESCC as compared with controls. Interval between water boiling and drinking of ${\geq}10mins$ was associated with lower risk of cancer: the OR was 0.18 compared with controls and 0.49 with esophagitis cases (p<0.05). Conclusions: Length of eating food ${\geq}15mins$ and interval between water boiling and drinking ${\geq}10mins$ are potentially related to reduced risk of esophageal SCC, compared with individuals with normal and abnormal esophageal mucosa. Recommendations to Yanting residents to change their dietary behaviors should be made in order to reduce cancer risk.