Hyeonggaeyeongyo-Tang for Treatment of Allergic and Nonallergic Rhinitis: A Prospective, Nonrandomized, Pre-Post Study

Hyeonggaeyeongyo-tang (HYT) is an ancient formula of oriental medicine traditionally used to treat rhinitis; however, clinical evidence has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term and long-term efficacy and safety of HYT for chronic rhinitis. Adult subjects with chronic rhinitis symptoms were recruited. The subjects received HYT for 4 weeks and had follow-up period of 8 weeks. Any medicines used to treat nasal symptoms were not permitted during the study. The skin prick test was performed to distinguish the subjects with allergic rhinitis from those with nonallergic rhinitis. After treatment, the total nasal symptoms score and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire score significantly improved in the whole subject group, in the allergic rhinitis group, and in the nonallergic rhinitis group, with no adverse events. This improvement lasted during a follow-up period of 8 weeks. Total IgE and eosinophil levels showed no significant difference after treatment in the allergic rhinitis group. HYT improved nasal symptoms and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis and nonallergic rhinitis. This is the first clinical study to evaluate the use of HYT to treat patients with rhinitis. This trial has been registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02477293

Research for the Optimal Flux-Cored Arc Welding Process of 9% Nickel Steel Using Multi Object Optimization with Solidification Crack Susceptibility

The environment of the global shipbuilding market is changing rapidly. Recently, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has tightened regulations on sulfur oxide content standards for marine fuels and tightened sulfur oxide emission standards for the entire coastal region of China to consider the environment globally and use LNG as a fuel. There is a tendency for the number of vessels to operate to increase significantly. To use cryogenic LNG fuel, various pieces of equipment, such as storage tanks or valves, are required, and equipment using steel, which has excellent impact toughness in cryogenic environments, is required. Four steel types are specified in the IGG Code, and 9% Ni steel is mostly used for LNG fuel equipment. However, to secure safety at cryogenic temperatures, a systematic study investigating the causes of quality deterioration occurring in the 9% Ni steel welding process is required and a discrimination function capable of quality evaluation is urgent. Therefore, this study proposes a plan where the uniform quality of 9% Nickel steel is secured by reviewing the tendency of the solidification crack susceptibility among the quality problems of cryogenic steel to establish the criteria for quality deterioration and to develop a system capable of quality discrimination and defect avoidance

Effectiveness and safety of combination treatment of herbal medicines and oral antihistamines for atopic dermatitis: a retrospective chart review

Background: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) exhibit various symptoms, especially itching. Recently, herbal medicines (HMs) are being used in combination with antihistamines for the treatment of AD in Korea. While oral antihistamines can alleviate itching, HMs appear to exert anti-inflammatory effects with minimal side effects. However, there is little evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of using HMs in combination with antihistamines for AD. Methods: To observe the effectiveness and safety of combination treatment with HMs and antihistamines, we performed a retrospective chart review of inpatients with AD who received this combination treatment for at least 7 days in a hospital. Results: Of 163 inpatients, 40 met the inclusion criteria. All patients received HMs three times, and one or two antihistamines, a day after HM intake. A large proportion of patients received first-generation antihistamines. HMs comprised a mixture of an average of 20.69 different herbs in decoction. The mean total, objective, and subjective SCORing Atopic Dermatitis scores showed a significant decrease after combination treatment. Changes in the mean levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine were not statistically significant among treatments. There were no adverse events of pseudoaldosteronism or interstitial pneumonia. Conclusion: We observed that the short-term use of HMs in combination with oral antihistamines was safe and effective, with a low risk of adverse reactions. This study was limited by its retrospective design, and prospective studies with long-term follow-up periods are warranted to further elucidate the safety of this combination treatment for AD