Combined effect of traditional Chinese herbal-based formulations Jing Si herbal tea and Jing Si nasal drop inhibits adhesion and transmission of SARS-CoV2 in diabetic SKH-1 mice.

Multiple studies show increased severity of SARS-CoV2-infection in patients with comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes. In this study, we have prepared two herbal-based formulations, a pleiotropic herbal drink (Jin Si Herbal Tea, JHT) and a nasal drop (Jin Si nasal drop, JND), to provide preventive care against SARS-CoV2 infection. The effect of JHT and JND was determined in SARS-CoV2-S-pseudotyped lentivirus-infected bronchial and colorectal cell lines and in SKH-1 mouse models.

Increased Risk of Common Orthopedic Surgeries for Patients with Rheumatic Diseases in Taiwan.

Rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), are characterized by chronic arthritis or spondyloarthritis, which can lead to joint and spine destruction. Our previous studies showed that the risk of common orthopedic surgeries, including total knee replacement (TKR), total hip replacement (THR), or spine surgery, was increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and SLE. The aim of this review was to summarize the risk of TKR, THR, cervical spine, and lumbar spine surgery on the basis of studies conducted using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD).

Results of the performance test for quality assessment of personal radiation dosimetry services including the influence of the dosimeter readout frequency.

This study was to determine the significance of factors considered for the measurement accuracy of personal dosimeter in dosimetry services such as dosimetry service, irradiation category, years of use and readout frequency. The investigation included management information questionnaire, on-site visit and blind test. The blind test with random selected personal badge was used in inter-comparison of eight dosimetry services, and the test results followed ANSI/HPS N13.

The Prescription of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Risk of Endometriosis in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Purpose: The systemic inflammation is believed to provide an outline of the association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and endometriosis. This retrospective cohort study aimed to explore the association of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) use with the prevention of endometriosis onset in women diagnosed with RA.

Methods: We utilized the claims data from the National Health Insurance of Taiwan from 2000 to 2009 and excluded individuals diagnosed with endometriosis before being diagnosed with RA, using age at clinical diagnosis.

Shikonin impedes type 2 ovarian cancer progression via FasL/caspase-8 and mir-874-3p/XIAP axis and prohibits the properties of stemness.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer in women. Shikonin (SHK), derived from , can reduce cancer activity; however, its clinical effect on type 2 ovarian cancer cells remains undetermined. Here, we studied the effects of SHK on type 2 ovarian cancer using the KURAMOCHI, OVSAHO, CP70, and ascites E04 cell lines.

Increased risk of hospital admissions in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) classified according to two different SLE disease activity indices: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: The aim of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the risk of hospital admissions within one year in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), classified according to the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Score (SLE-DAS) or the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K).

Methods: This study was conducted in adult patients with SLE recruited from the rheumatology outpatient department in a regional hospital in southern Taiwan. SLE disease activity was measured with SLE-DAS and SLEDAI-2K.

Robust Generation of Ready-to-Use Cryopreserved Motor Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Disease Modeling.

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived motor neurons (MNs) act as models for motor neuron diseases (MNDs), such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or spinal muscular atrophy. However, the MN differentiation efficiency and viability following cryopreservation require further development for application in large-scale studies and drug screening. Here, we developed a robust protocol to convert hPSCs into MN cryopreservation stocks (hPSCs were converted into >92% motor neural progenitors and >91% MNs).

Oroxylin-A and its phosphonate derivative potentiate eNOS/NO-mediated relaxation and attenuate vasoconstrictor-induced contraction in the mouse aorta.

Oroxylin-A (OroA), a flavonoid isolated from Scutellariae baicalensis, alleviates cardiovascular dysfunction. Several procedures for synthesizing OroA have been developed but show low production yield and regioselectivity. We synthesized OroA from baicalin using a one-pot reaction to increase its overall yield.

Calycosin attenuates -induced parasitic meningitis through modulation of HO-1 and NF-B activation.

causes a form of parasitic meningitis in humans. Albendazole (ABZ) kills nematode larvae in the brain. However, dead larvae can trigger a severe inflammatory response, resulting in brain damage.

Clinical course of patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection co-treatment with Jin Si Herbal Tea in Eastern Taiwan: A retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has affected more than 608 million people and has killed 6.5 million people in the world. A few studies showed traditional Chinese medicine can be beneficial for COVID-19 treatment.

AGR2 expression as a predictive biomarker for therapy response in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Despite multidisciplinary therapy, the prognosis is poor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the locally advanced stage, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgery could provide survival benefits to some patients. Here, we aimed to identify for tumor therapy response a biomarker based on RNA sequencing.

Overview of dental radiation technologists in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: In Taiwan, there is no independent licensing system for dental radiation technologists. A licensed medical radiation technologist who engages in dental radiology is the so-called dental radiation technologist. This study explored mainly the profile of dental radiation technologists in Taiwan.

The Analysis with Quantitative Indexes for Public's Awareness of Radiation Knowledge in Taiwan.

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiation awareness level of the public in Taiwan. (2) Methods: This study designed an online survey form to investigate the radiation awareness level with six topics: basic knowledge of radiation, environmental radiation, medical radiation, radiation protection, and university/corporate social responsibility. The score of respondents were converted into knowledge and responsibility indexes for the quantitative evaluation.

Determinants of Telehealth Continuance Intention: A Multi-Perspective Framework.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries' physicians in the world have used telehealth to visit patients via telehealth. The study aimed to integrate the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the technology acceptance model (TAM), and self-determination theory (SDT) to explore the adoption behavior of a telehealth system. A convenient sample of residents was drawn from the population of Nantou County in Taiwan and analyzed via structural equation modeling.

Pax7 Satellite Cells in Human Skeletal Muscle After Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Skeletal muscle has extraordinary regenerative capabilities against challenge, mainly owing to its resident muscle stem cells, commonly identified by Pax7, which expediently donate nuclei to the regenerating multinucleated myofibers. This local reserve of stem cells in damaged muscle tissues is replenished by undifferentiated bone marrow stem cells (CD34) permeating into the surrounding vascular system.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to provide a quantitative estimate for the changes in Pax7 muscle stem cells (satellite cells) in humans following an acute bout of exercise until 96 h, in temporal relation to circulating CD34 bone marrow stem cells.

extract ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute kidney injury through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase pathway.

Septic shock can aggravate organ dysfunction and even lead to death. (JCo) extract has been experimentally demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanism of JCo extract in vivo and in vitro.

Estimating the impact of drug addiction causes heart damage.

To date, few studies have investigated the toxicological effects of the combined use of amphetamine and heroin in the heart. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify indicators for clinical evaluation and prevention of cardiac injury induced by the combined use of amphetamine and heroin. Four different groups were analyzed: (1) normal group (＝25；average age＝35 ± 6.

Effectiveness of e-STORY App in clinical reasoning competency and self-directed learning among students in associate nursing program: A quasi experimental study.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to promote students' clinical reasoning (CR) and self-directed learning (SDL). The specific aims were: (1) to examine effectiveness of the e-STORY App in promoting nursing students' CR and SDL; and (2) to explore the relationships between levels of learning motivation and suitability of the e-STORY App.

Background: CR and SDL are core competencies for nursing students.

Patterns of Outpatient Phecodes Predating the Diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Taiwanese Women.

Shortening the time to diagnosis and initiating early treatment are imperative to improve outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this case-control study, based on the data from the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), was to investigate the patterns of diagnoses of disease phenotypes in female patients with SLE up to eight years prior to its definitive diagnosis. The 547 cases were selected from the 2000-2012 NHIRD catastrophic illness datafile and frequency-matched with 2188 controls.

Cryptotanshinone protects against oxidative stress in the paraquat-induced Parkinson's disease model.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder associated with striatal dopaminergic neuronal loss in the Substantia nigra. Oxidative stress plays a significant role in several neurodegenerative diseases. Paraquat (PQ) is considered a potential neurotoxin that affects the brain leading to the death of dopaminergic neurons mimicking the PD phenotype.

Angiotensin II prompts heart cell apoptosis via AT1 receptor-augmented phosphatase and tensin homolog and miR-320-3p functions to enhance suppression of the IGF1R-PI3K-AKT survival pathway.

Background: Hypertension is a severe public health risk factor worldwide. Elevated angiotensin II (Ang II) produced by the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system can lead to hypertension and its complications.

Method: In this study, we addressed the cardiac-injury effects of Ang II and investigated the signaling mechanism induced by Ang II.

Artemisia argyi extract induces apoptosis in human gemcitabine-resistant lung cancer cells via the PI3K/MAPK signaling pathway.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot (Asteraceae), also called "Chinese mugwort", is frequently used as a herbal medicine in China, Japan, Korea, and eastern parts of Russia.

Adding Chinese Herbal Medicine to Routine Care is Associated With a Lower Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Patients With Asthma: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Due to the shared pathogenesis of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), patients with asthma were found to have a higher risk of RA. While the benefits and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for asthma have been reported, the scientific evidence regarding its effect on RA is limited. This longitudinal cohort study aimed to determine the relation between CHM use and RA risk in patients with asthma.

Association of Chinese herbal medicine use with the depression risk among the long-term breast cancer survivors: A longitudinal follow-up study.

Background: Breast cancer patients are at elevated risk of depression during treatment, thus provoking the chance of poor clinical outcomes. This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate whether integrating Chinese herbal medicines citation(CHM) into conventional cancer therapy could decrease the risk of depression in the long-term breast cancer survivors.

Methods: A cohort of patients aged 20-70 years and with newly diagnosed breast cancer during 2000-2008 was identified from a nationwide claims database.