A trial for the use of qigong in the treatment of pre and mild essential hypertension: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and the prevalence of hypertension tends to increase with age. Current treatments for hypertension have side effects and poor adherence. Qigong has been studied as an alternative therapy for hypertension; however, the types of qigong used in those studies were diverse, and there have not been many well-designed randomized controlled trials.</p> <p>Our objectives are the following: 1) To evaluate the effects of qigong on blood pressure, health status and hormone levels for pre- or mild hypertension. 2) To test the methodological appropriateness of this clinical trial and calculate a sample size for future randomized trials.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty subjects with pre- or mild hypertension will be randomized to either the qigong exercise group or the non-treated group. Participants in the qigong group will conduct qigong exercises 5 times per week for 8 weeks, and participants in the non-treated group will maintain their current lifestyle, including diet and exercise. The use of antihypertensive medication is not permitted. The primary endpoint is a change in patient blood pressure. Secondary endpoints are patient health status (as measured by the SF-36 and the MYMOP2 questionnaires) and changes in hormone levels, including norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study will be the first randomized trial to investigate the effectiveness of qigong exercises for the treatment of pre- and mild hypertension. The results of this study will help to establish the optimal approach for the care of adults with pre- or mild hypertension.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Clinical Research Information Service KCT0000140</p

Impact of Fatty Liver on Acute Pancreatitis Severity

Aim. Acute pancreatitis is typically a mild disease, but some patients develop severe courses. Fatty liver changes are seen in patients with acute pancreatitis, but its clinical significance has not been well-studied. We aimed to investigate the relationship between fatty liver and the severity of acute pancreatitis. Methods. Unenhanced CT images of patients with acute pancreatitis were retrospectively reviewed by a radiologist, and mean hepatic and splenic attenuation was measured in Hounsfield units (HU). Fatty liver was defined as mean hepatic/splenic HU<1. Results. Among 200 patients, fatty liver was found in 67 (33.5%) and nonfatty liver in 133 (66.5%). Compared with patients without fatty liver, the severity of pancreatitis and levels of serum C-reactive protein were higher in fatty liver patients. The prevalence of local complications, persistent organ failure, and mortality were also higher in patients with fatty liver. Even after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and cause of pancreatitis, fatty liver was significantly associated with moderately severe or severe acute pancreatitis. Conclusions. Fatty liver may play a prognostic role in acute pancreatitis. Fatty liver could be incorporated into future predictive scoring models

The Generation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Blood Cells: An Efficient Protocol Using Serial Plating of Reprogrammed Cells by Centrifugation

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have demonstrated great potential for differentiation into diverse tissues. We report a straightforward and highly efficient method for the generation of iPSCs from PBMCs. By plating the cells serially to a newly coated plate by centrifugation, this protocol provides multiple healthy iPSC colonies even from a small number of PBMCs. The generated iPSCs expressed pluripotent markers and differentiated into all three germ layer lineages. The protocol can also be used with umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs). In this study, we present a simple and efficient protocol that improved the yield of iPSCs from floating cells such as PBMCs and CBMCs by serial plating and centrifugation

The Effect of Dongeui Qigong for Prehypertension and Mild Essential Hypertension

Although several previous studies have reported the effect of qigong on lowering blood pressure, rigorous trials are lacking. Studies evaluating the effect of qigong on prehypertension are also scarce. This study aimed to assess the effect of qigong on prehypertension and mild hypertension. Participants with prehypertension or mild hypertension were randomized to the Dongeui qigong group or a nontreated control group. In the qigong group, Dongeui qigong was administered 5 times/week for 12 weeks. The control group did not receive any intervention for blood pressure control. Fifty-two participants were included in this study. Even though diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced in the qigong group after 8 weeks (p=0.04) compared to baseline, the difference in change in blood pressure between the qigong and control groups was not significant. There were no significant differences in quality of life between the qigong and control groups. Dongeui qigong is not significantly effective in pre/mild hypertension compared with controls. This result could be due to a lack of effect of qigong or caused by other factors, such as the type of qigong, target symptoms, inappropriate sample size, and compliance of participants. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with KCT0001397 (Clinical Research Information Service)

Spiral Growth of Adlayer Graphene

The morphology of as-grown graphene in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) experiments is sensitive to the reaction environment. Understanding the mechanism of formation of different graphene morphologies is essential to achieve controlled graphene CVD growth. Here the growth and formation mechanism of adlayer graphene spirals are reported. An adlayer graphene spiral is formed by fast propagation of the tips of spiral arms along the edge of the first graphene layer. The driving force to form spirals is the limited availability of carbon diffusing from the Cu surface through the edge of the first graphene layer. In addition, it is found that graphene onions are formed by overlapping graphene spirals with clockwise and anticlockwise arms. Based on these features, a kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method is demonstrated using which all the observed graphene spiral structures are successfully reproduced at the atomic level. This study thus unravels the hither-to unresolved mechanism of graphene onion growth and paves the way to the controllable growth of few-layer graphene by increasing the carbon supply at the edge of the first layer graphene.clos

Protein‐stabilizing and cell‐penetrating properties of α‐helix domain of 30Kc19 protein

The protein‐stabilizing and cell‐penetrating activities of Bombyx mori 30Kc19 α‐helix domain (30Kc19α) are investigated. Recently, 30Kc19 protein has been studied extensively as it has both protein‐stabilizing and cell‐penetrating properties. However, it is unknown which part of 30Kc19 is responsible for those properties. 30Kc19 protein is composed of two distinct domains, an α‐helix N‐terminal domain (30Kc19α) and a β‐trefoil C‐terminal domain (30Kc19β). The authors construct and produce truncated forms of 30Kc19 to demonstrate their biological functions. Interestingly, 30Kc19α was shown to be responsible for both the protein‐stabilizing and cell‐penetrating properties of 30Kc19 protein. 30Kc19α shows even higher protein delivery activity than did whole 30Kc19 protein and has low cytotoxicity when added to cell culture medium. Therefore, based on its multifunctional properties, 30Kc19α can be developed as a novel candidate for a therapeutic protein carrier into various cells and tissues

Protein-stabilizing and cell-penetrating properties of alpha-helix domain of 30Kc19 protein

The protein-stabilizing and cell-penetrating activities of Bombyx mori 30Kc19α alpha-helix domain (30Kc19α alpha) are investigated. Recently, 30Kc19α protein has been studied extensively as it has both protein-stabilizing and cell-penetrating properties. However, it is unknown which part of 30Kc19α is responsible for those properties. 30Kc19α protein is composed of two distinct domains, an alpha-helix N-terminal domain (30Kc19α alpha) and a beta-trefoil C-terminal domain (30Kc19α beta). The authors construct and produce truncated forms of 30Kc19α to demonstrate their biological functions. Interestingly, 30Kc19α alpha is shown to be responsible for both the protein-stabilizing and cell-penetrating properties of the 30Kc19α protein. 30Kc19α alpha shows even higher protein delivery activity than did whole 30Kc19α protein and has low cytotoxicity when added to cell culture medium. Therefore, based on its multifunctional properties, 30Kc19α alpha can be developed as a novel candidate for a therapeutic protein carrier into various cells and tissues.OAIID:RECH_ACHV_DSTSH_NO:T201623721RECH_ACHV_FG:RR00200001ADJUST_YN:EMP_ID:A002014CITE_RATE:3.781FILENAME:6. (2016.11) Protein-stabilizing and cell-penetrating properties.pdfDEPT_NM:화학생물공학부EMAIL:[email protected]_YN:YFILEURL:https://srnd.snu.ac.kr/eXrepEIR/fws/file/981a3a9e-4316-4335-acae-f2a141f53831/linkCONFIRM:

Rhodium-catalyzed double hydroboration of pyridine: the origin of the chemo- and regioselectivities

Rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of unsaturated organic molecules is a well-established reaction and conventionally operates via a Rh(i/iii) cycle involving an inner-sphere hydride transfer. Suginome previously applied a Rh-PCy3 catalyst for the hydroboration of pyridines to selectively produce the corresponding 1,2-dihydropyridines. We now found that PPh3 in combination with [Rh(cod)Cl]2 as a precatalyst (P/Rh = 1 or 2, cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) brought about a mixture of N-Bpin-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridines bearing an sp3 C-B bond in the C4-(G) or C3-(R) position in 60-90% combined yields, representing the first example of double hydroboration of pyridine. A series of catalytic and stoichiometric reactions under variable conditions revealed that: (1) G and R are generated from the 1,2-dihydropyridine intermediate, not the 1,4-dihydropyridine; (2) the ratio of G and R varies from ∼1 : 2 to 5 : 1 depending on phosphine ligands; and (3) the observable Rh species in solution include Rh(PPh3)Cl(H)(Bpin)(Py)n (n = 1 and/or 2; Py = pyridine) as the resting state, in addition to Rh(trans-PPh3)2Cl(H)(Bpin) and Rh(PPh3)(cod)Cl. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are conducted to propose plausible reaction mechanisms and reveal the origin of the chemo- and the regioselectivity in the consecutive Rh-catalyzed hydroborations to deliver the final products G and R in one-pot. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.11Nsciescopu