Potential therapeutic effects of Celastrol on dry eye disease

Letter to the Edito

Is photodynamic therapy with curcumin suitable for combating monkeypox?

Monkeypox (MPX) is a zoonotic viral infection caused by the Monkeypox Virus (MPXV), which may spread person-to-person directly. It is currently being treated with previously intended drugs for smallpox or other diseases caused by the orthopoxvirus, such as tecovirimat, cidofovir, and brincidofovir. The smallpox vaccination is also the treatment for MPX, consisting of Immune Globulin (IG) combined with human plasma. However, this type of vaccine may cause several neurological adverse events such as headache, pain, vertigo, dizziness, and non-serious limb paresthesia. Up to the present, there are no available treatments, Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) may be a good choice for specifically targeting the MPXV because it is a non-invasive approach without side effects. The strategy is according to the principle of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and its photodynamic action of curcumin for the research process on MPX. Why do we apply PDT with "curcumin" as a Photosensitizer (PS) against MPX, and is this a possible choice

Effectiveness of 5-aminolevulinic Acid-mediated Photodynamic Therapy Combined With Curcumin

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is the mitochondria metabolite produced from glycine and succinyl-CoA, which is converted to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) by the conjugation of eight itself molecules forming the “heme” group in the porphyrin ring (Figure 1) [1]. The PpIX is used as a photosensitizer (PS) with an absorption wavelength of 410 nm, and 5-ALA acts as a precursor or prodrug for PpIX in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Exogenous administration of excessive amounts of 5-ALA increases the production of PpIX during heme biosynthesis. It is eliminated after 24-48 h with a lower risk of long-term photosensitivity [2]. However, ALA/PDT has several disadvantages. For instance, the concentration of ALA is affected by its absorption and pharmacokinetics that do not fully cover the treatment area [3-5]. It also limits the depth of tumor penetration and causes pain [6]

Effective use of Facebook on knowledge transfer in a professional experience internship: a case-based approach to analyze influencing factors

Main Theme: Transformative Technologies, Learning Environments and PartnershipsSub-theme: New Literacies and Transformative Learning Environments - Paper Presentation: no. 620This study aims to explore factors that contribute to the effective use of Facebook for knowledge transfer during students’ professional experience internship through a case-based approach. Out of the 17 factors investigated, 14 factors had strong impact of knowledge transfer whereas only 3 factors had moderate impact. It is concluded that the use of Facebook in this case study is effective for knowledge transfer. It has been found that the technological aspect has the most significant impact to the effectiveness of knowledge transfer.link_to_OA_fulltex

A mini-review of traditional Chinese medicines on liver diseases

Introduction: Currently, around 2 million deaths per year are attributed to liver disorders worldwide. There are many traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and natural products used for preventing and combating liver disorders in China, such as “Celastrol”, “Astragalus”, and “Curcumin”. This mini-review aims to discuss the (i) TCM theory, (ii) pharmacology mechanisms, and (iii) toxicology of the commonly used TCMs, such as “Celastrol”, “Astragalus”, “Curcumin” in the treatment of liver diseases, and further (iv) describe the help of modern “Nanotechnology” with these TCMs in future development for curing liver diseases. Methods: Nine electronic databases were searched between 2012 and 2022, including WanFang Data, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer Link, SciFinder, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), without regard to language constraints. The searched keywords include “Celastrol + liver diseases”, “Astragalus + liver disease” ''Curcumin + liver diseases'', etc. All eligible studies are analyzed and summarized in this review. Results: Celastrol, Astragalus, and Curcumin were reported to be effective Chinese herbals for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases through cyclic adenylate monophosphate (cAMP)–protein kinase A (PKA)–nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), miR-712-PPAR-γ-PI3K/AKT-GLUT4, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways. Nanoformulations could improve physiochemical features and enhance the efficacy of Chinese herbs. Conclusion: Celastrol, Astragalus, and Curcumin as commonly used TCMs for the treatment of liver diseases possess a wide extent of pharmacological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer properties. Nanoformulations of Chinese herbs show great promise in the development of traditional Chinese medicines for treating liver diseases

Establishment of a Sustainable Management Model for Chinese Herbal Garden in an Urban City—Hong Kong

Chinese medicinal herbs (CMHs) have been used for thousands of years because of their significant properties regarding the prevention and treatment of diseases, such as COVID-19. There is an increasingly diminishing supply of wild medicinal resources, and the demand is greater than the supply. Ecological balance and the conservation of natural Chinese medicinal herbs are serious issues in sustainable development, which requires the minimum requirements to be met without compromising the resources of future generations, especially with respect to the maintenance of production and consumption as well as the quality control of CMHs. Hong Kong is an urban business city, busy with work and the fast pace of life. The sustainable development of CMHs is difficult in a huge population situated in an area with very scarce land coverage. The conservation of CMHs in urban horticulture is extremely neglected because people lack living space; for example, Aquilaria Sinensis (the incense tree), also called “pak muk heung” in Cantonese, was an indigenous species that was illegally logged in the past. This led to detrimental effects on the population density and genetic diversity of the species. There is no doubt that Hong Kong is required to set up a management model in community facilities for these emerging modern social configurations, such as building a Chinese herbal garden for the conservation and promotion of a healthy urban environment and giving people a chance to gain more information on CMHs. The current study employed problem analysis and strategic decisions for the sustainable development of 62 kinds of CMHs in a Chinese herbal garden, which converged with some medicinal itineraries of Lingnan herbal medications, and implemented a theoretical framework of management models for ten secondary schools, e.g., the Aroma garden of the L’Occitane at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) Tsing Yi campus and Land from the Far East Consortium International Limited in Sai Kung Pak Kong. In the present original article, we would like to establish a sustainable management model for Chinese herbal gardens in an urban city. The sustainable development model for the Chinese herbal gardens is based on five major aspects: (1) land resources, (2) manpower planning, (3) economy, (4) education or training, and (5) ecosystem (cultivation). These are the essential factors of management and are implemented in our Chinese herbal gardens. We aim to find a suitable management model for Chinese herbal gardens and to promote it in other urban cities

Establishment of a Sustainable Management Model for Chinese Herbal Garden in an Urban City—Hong Kong

Chinese medicinal herbs (CMHs) have been used for thousands of years because of their significant properties regarding the prevention and treatment of diseases, such as COVID-19. There is an increasingly diminishing supply of wild medicinal resources, and the demand is greater than the supply. Ecological balance and the conservation of natural Chinese medicinal herbs are serious issues in sustainable development, which requires the minimum requirements to be met without compromising the resources of future generations, especially with respect to the maintenance of production and consumption as well as the quality control of CMHs. Hong Kong is an urban business city, busy with work and the fast pace of life. The sustainable development of CMHs is difficult in a huge population situated in an area with very scarce land coverage. The conservation of CMHs in urban horticulture is extremely neglected because people lack living space; for example, Aquilaria Sinensis (the incense tree), also called “pak muk heung” in Cantonese, was an indigenous species that was illegally logged in the past. This led to detrimental effects on the population density and genetic diversity of the species. There is no doubt that Hong Kong is required to set up a management model in community facilities for these emerging modern social configurations, such as building a Chinese herbal garden for the conservation and promotion of a healthy urban environment and giving people a chance to gain more information on CMHs. The current study employed problem analysis and strategic decisions for the sustainable development of 62 kinds of CMHs in a Chinese herbal garden, which converged with some medicinal itineraries of Lingnan herbal medications, and implemented a theoretical framework of management models for ten secondary schools, e.g., the Aroma garden of the L’Occitane at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) Tsing Yi campus and Land from the Far East Consortium International Limited in Sai Kung Pak Kong. In the present original article, we would like to establish a sustainable management model for Chinese herbal gardens in an urban city. The sustainable development model for the Chinese herbal gardens is based on five major aspects: (1) land resources, (2) manpower planning, (3) economy, (4) education or training, and (5) ecosystem (cultivation). These are the essential factors of management and are implemented in our Chinese herbal gardens. We aim to find a suitable management model for Chinese herbal gardens and to promote it in other urban cities

"TaiChi" Exercise for Elderly Care

Letter to Editor titled "TaiChi" Exercise for Elderly Car

“Qigong” Mind-Body Exercise for Elderly Care

Letter to Editor on “Qigong” Mind-Body Exercise for Elderly Care by Siu Kan Law, Dawn Ching Tung Au, Albert Wing Nang Leung, Chuan Shan Xu.&nbsp

Elderly for Dementia - “Mahjong”

Short Commentary titled: Elderly for Dementia - “Mahjong