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The genus Cyrtomium is one of the most taxonomically challenging groups, which comprises about 40 taxa globally. Cyrtomium yamamotoi is a great example showing the taxonomic difficulties in the genus. The plant was first described as a variety (C. fortunei var. intermedium), thereafter the rank was moved to a species by Tagawa in 1938. Cyrtomium yamamotoi and its related taxa including five varieties of C. fortunei are triploid apogamous taxa with high morphological variabilities. The substantial morphological variations likely resulted from hybrid origins leading to various taxonomic complications. To determine the species boundary between C. yamamotoi and the C. fortunei complex, we inferred the phylogenetic relationships among the complex and the five related taxa including C. falcatum using the two widely used cpDNA regions, rbcL and psbA-trnH IGS. We also carefully examined the nomenclatural histories of eleven Cyrtomium taxa (five taxa of C. fortunei complex and six related taxa) and the key morphological characters. According to our analysis, Cyrtomium yamamotoi is likely an independent species as the phylogenetic results revealed that C. yamamotoi was separated from the C. fortunei complex while all members of C. fortunei complex formed a monophyletic clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: MicroRNAs are a class of small, non-coding RNAs that play a key role in several biological and molecular processes, including tumorigenesis. We previously identified that MIR452 is upregulated in both colorectal cancer (CRC) and colitis. However, the functional mechanisms of MIR452 and its target genes in CRC and colitis are not well understood. So, we hypothesize that MIR452 can influence CRC and DSS-induced colitis model through the regulation of IL20RA and its downstream JAK-STATs signaling pathway. Methods: We used a luciferase reporter assay to confirm the effect of MIR452 on IL20RA expression. The protein and mRNA expression of a target gene and its associated molecules were measured by western blot, quantitative RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Results: We found that the IL20RA was a direct target gene of MIR452. Overexpression of MIR452 in CRC cell lines significantly decreased IL20RA and its downstream Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and STAT3. Knockdown of IL20RA in CRC cell lines by IL20RA gene silencing also decreased the expression of IL20RA, JAK1, and STAT3, but not of STAT1. Conclusion: Our results suggest that MIR452 regulates STAT3 through the IL20RA-mediated JAK1 pathway, but not STAT1. Overall, MIR452 acts as tumor suppressor in human CRC and in a mouse colitis model. These findings suggest that MIR452 is a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer and colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean acidification resulting from anthropogenic CO2 has led to severe threats to marine biodiversity and ecosystems. Therefore, an effective CO2 sensing system is necessary for marine environment monitoring. In this study, polyaminefunctionalized polydiacetylene was synthesized via the conjugation of 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid (TRCDA) monomers with diethylenetriamine (DETA), and its capability for CO2 detection was demonstrated. The structure of TRCDA-DETA was confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Then, the colorimetric and fluorogenic responses of TRCDA-DETA vesicles were examined by applying CO2. A specific color transition with a colorimetric response (CR%) of 34.39±1.46 was observed within 3 min of CO2 exposure as well as detecting fluorescent response upon CO2 detection coincidently. These results indicated that TRCDA-DETA vesicles can be an effective tool for CO2 detection, and their unique properties may have potential applications in multiple fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study various experts' opinions on the defifinition and diagnosis of blood stasis in China. Methods: We e-mailed the selected experts to explain the purpose of the study and to invite them to participate and asked them to name a time for the investigator to call them. Eight experts and fifive organizations were interviewed in the research community investigating blood stasis in China. Results: Six main categories emerged from the interviews: (1) blood stasis concepts; (2) blood stasis-related biomarkers; (3) methods of diagnosing blood stasis; (4) drugs for promoting blood circulation and dissipating stasis; (5) blood stasis-related diseases; and (6) blood stasis-related societies. The consensus among the interviewed experts was that the defifinition of blood stasis is rather complicated and that there is no gold standard marker for detecting blood stasis. Conclusions: This paper acquired experts' opinions on the defifinition and diagnosis of blood stasis in order to establish a modern concept of blood stasis. This paper also developed a diagnostic tool and diagnostic indices for blood stasis and identifified biological indices and pathologic mechanisms related to blood stasis, which might be of great reference value in future blood stasis standardization research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of moxibustion as a treatment of chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. Methods: Twelve databases were searched from their inception through June 2014, without a language restriction. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included if moxibustion was used as the sole treatment or as a part of a combination therapy with conventional drugs for leukopenia induced by chemotherapy. Cochrane criteria were used to assess the risk of bias. Results: Six RCTs with a total of 681 patients met our inclusion criteria. All of the included RCTs were associated with a high risk of bias. The trials included patients with various types of cancer receiving ongoing chemotherapy or after chemotherapy. The results of two RCTs suggested the effectiveness of moxibustion combined with chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone. In four RCTs, moxibustion was more effective than conventional drug therapy. Six RCTs showed that moxibustion was more effective than various types of control interventions in increasing white blood cell counts. Conclusions: There is low level of evidence based on these six trials that demonstrates the superiority of moxibustion over drug therapies in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. However, the number of trials, the total sample size, and the methodological quality are too low to draw firm conclusions. Future RCTs appear to be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Managing cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an important element of the palliative care of cancer patients. The aim of this systematic review was to critically evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture (AT) or electroacupuncture (EA) for CRF. Methods: Fourteen databases were searched from their respective inception to November 2012. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of AT or EA for the treatment of CRF were considered for inclusion. The risk of bias/methodological quality was assessed using the method suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results: Seven RCTs met the eligibility criteria. Most were small pilot studies with serious methodological flaws. Four of the RCTs showed effectiveness of AT or AT in addition to usual care (UC) over sham AT, UC, enhanced UC, or no intervention for alleviating CRF. Three RCTs showed no effect of AT/EA over sham treatment. Conclusion: Overall, the quantity and quality of RCTs included in the analysis were too low to draw meaningful conclusions. Even in the positive trials, it remained unclear whether the observed outcome was due to specific effects of AT/EA or nonspecific effects of care. Further research is required to investigate whether AT/EA demonstrates specific effects on CRF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Chuna for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain as reported in Korean literature. Methods: We conducted an electronic literature search using seven Korean databases and manually searched six traditional Korean medicine journals. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane criteria. Results: Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the study. Compared with standard care, three RCTs suggested favorable effects of Chuna on neck pain due to a hypolordotic cervical spine, low back pain caused by traffic accidents, and low back pain. In contrast, compared with standard care, three RCTs failed to show positive effects on temporomandibular joint disorder, mandibular movement, and neck pain caused by traffic accidents. Conclusions: Currently, the evidence of the effectiveness of Chuna for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain is not convincing. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted to determine its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been suggested that neither dose titration nor the use of a loading dose was required for amisulpride and that 800 mg/day could be given from the first day with a low risk of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). However, no direct study of the need for dose titration has been conducted. Objective: This study aimed to compare the efficacy, tolerability and subjective experience of amisulpride between a group receiving an initial dose of 800 mg/day (AMI-800 group) and a group titrating up from an initial dose of 400 mg/day (AMI-400 group) over a period of 6 weeks. Methods: A total of 68 patients with acute exacerbations of schizophrenia participated in this 6-week randomized, multicentre, open-label study of amisulpride. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to the group that received an initial dose of 400 mg/day, which was then titrated up during the first 4 weeks following a fixed schedule. Thirty-eight patients were randomly assigned to the group receiving an initial dose of amisulpride 800 mg/day, which they took until the end of the fourth week. During the fifth and sixth weeks, the doses were adjusted flexibly in both groups. Our primary outcome measures were the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale and the changes over time in the total and subscale scores of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results: We found no significant between-group differences in clinical improvement on the CGI and the PANSS. However, when responders were defined as those patients who experienced at least a 30 % reduction in the PANSS total scores obtained at baseline, a higher proportion of those in the AMI-800 group met the criterion for responsiveness from week 4 (week 4: 68.4 % vs 40.0 %, p = 0.02; week 6: 71.1 % vs 43.3 %, p = 0.02). Irrespective of treatment group, significant proportions of patients developed hyperprolactinaemia (86 %) and EPS (35 %). However, no statistically significant differences in the overall incidence of adverse events were observed between the two treatment groups. There were also no group differences in subjective quality of life and attitudes toward antipsychotic medication. Conclusion: These results suggest that it may be useful to begin therapy, especially for acute exacerbations of schizophrenia, with an initial dose of amisulpride 800 mg/day to obtain maximal efficacy without any significant side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review was to summarise and critically evaluate the evidence from randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of moxibustion as a treatment for patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Twelve databases were searched from their inception through July 2011. RCTs were considered whether they assessed any type of clinical outcome from moxibustion therapy for patients with OA localised to any joints. Two reviewers independently performed the selection of studies, data abstraction and validations. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane criteria. Eight RCTs met our inclusion criteria, and most of them had significant methodological weaknesses. Six RCTs tested the effects of moxibustion against conventional oral drug therapies in patients with knee OA (KOA). Meta-analysis showed favourable effects of moxibustion on the response rate ( n = 540; RR, 1.09; 95 % CI 1.03-1.17; P = 0.005; heterogeneity: χ = 5.48, P = 0.36, I = 9 %). Two RCTs tested the effects of moxibustion on response rate after 2 months. The meta-analysis failed to show favourable effects of moxibustion ( n = 180; RR, 1.10; 95 % CI 0.97-1.24; P = 0.13; heterogeneity: χ = 0.03, P = 0.87, I = 0 %). In conclusion, consistent results show that moxibustion may be effective in symptom management in patients with KOA. However, because of the number of eligible RCTs and the high risk of bias in the assessment of the available RCTs, the evidence supporting this conclusion is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We searched the literature using 15 databases. Eleven randomized clinical trials (RCTs) met our inclusion criteria. Most had significant methodological weaknesses. The studies' statistical and clinical heterogeneity prevented us from conducting a meta-analysis. Two RCTs found that acupuncture plus conventional language therapy was superior to sham acupuncture plus conventional therapy. Two other RCTs found that acupuncture produced significant effects compared with conventional language therapy or complex interventions. Three RCTs suggested that acupuncture plus conventional therapies had beneficial effects compared with conventional therapy alone. Four more RCTs reported that subjects who received acupuncture experienced significant effects compared with subjects who were waitlisted or received no treatment. The results of these studies provide mixed evidence of acupuncture's effectiveness as a treatment for ASD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Controlling cancer-related pain is an important component in the palliative care of cancer patients. The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating cancer pain. Methods: Fourteen databases were searched from their inception through April 2011. Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) were included if acupuncture was used as the sole treatment or as a part of a combination therapy for cancer pain. Studies were included if they were controlled with a placebo or controlled against a drug-therapy or no-treatment group. The Cochrane criteria were used to assess the risk of bias. Results: A total of 15 RCTs met our inclusion criteria. All of the included RCTs were associated with a high risk of bias. The majority of acupuncture treatments or combination therapies with analgesics exhibited favourable effects compared with conventional treatments in individual studies. However, a meta-analysis suggested that acupuncture did not generate a better effect than drug therapy ( n = 886; risk ratio (RR), 1.12; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.28; P = 0.09). The comparison between acupuncture plus drug therapy and drug therapy alone demonstrated a significant difference in favour of the combination therapy ( n = 437; RR, 1.36; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.64; P = 0.003). The results of this systematic review provide no strong evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of cancer pain. Conclusion: The total number of RCTs included in the analysis and their methodological quality were too low to draw firm conclusions. Future rigorous RCTs will be necessary to assess the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the clinical evidence for and against acupuncture as a treatment for Bell's palsy. Methods: We conducted a literature search of 15 databases from their inception to December 2010 without language restrictions. We included all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) regardless of their controls. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Results: Of the 3 474 articles, only eight RCTs met our inclusion criteria. Four RCTs tested the effects of acupuncture against drug therapy on disease response rate. The meta-analysis of these data showed significant improvements in the acupuncture group [ n=463, risk ratio (RR)=1.07, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.13; P=0.006, I=0%]. Six RCTs tested the effects of acupuncture plus drug therapy versus drug therapy alone. The meta-analysis of this set of RCTs also showed the favorable effects of acupuncture on disease response rate ( n=512, RR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.17; P=0.001, I=13%). Conclusions: The evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating Bell's palsy is limited. The number and quality of trials are too low to form firm conclusions. Further rigorous RCTs are warranted but need to overcome the many limitations of the current evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moxibustion, an acupuncture-like intervention, is increasingly used in the management of rheumatic conditions. The aim of this review is to summarize and critically evaluate the trials testing effectiveness of moxibustion for major rheumatic conditions. Fourteen databases were searched from their inception through May 2010, without language restriction. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included if moxibustion was used as the sole treatment or as a part of a combination therapy with conventional drugs for rheumatic conditions. Cochrane criteria were used to assess the risk of bias. A total of 14 RCTs met our inclusion criteria. All were of low methodological quality. The meta-analysis of the eight RCTs suggested favorable effects of moxibustion on the response rate compared with conventional drug therapy [ n = 631; relative risk (RR), 1.13; 95% confidence intervals (CIs), 1.02 to 1.26; P = 0.02] with high heterogeneity ( I = 58%). A subgroup analysis showed significant effects of moxibustion on the RR compared with drug therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis, whereas it failed to do so in rheumatoid arthritis. The results of meta-analysis of the six RCTs suggested favorable effects of moxibustion plus drug therapy on the response rate compared with conventional drug therapy alone ( n = 433; RR, 1.25; 95% CIs, 1.09 to 1.43; P = 0.02) with high heterogeneity ( I = 62%). This systematic review fails to provide conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of moxibustion compared with drug therapy in rheumatic conditions. The total number of RCTs included in this review and their methodological quality were low. These limitations make it difficult to draw firm conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment option for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: The literatures were searched using 15 databases, including MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, six Korean medical databases and two Chinese databases without language restritions. Prospective controlled clinical studies of any type of acupuncture therapy for ADHD autistic patients were included. Trials in which acupuncture was part of a complex intervention were also included. All articles were read by two independent reviewers, who extracted data from the articles according to predefined criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: Of 114 articles, only three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) met our inclusion criteria. One RCT found that electroacupuncture (EA) plus behavioural treatment was superior to sham EA plus behavioural treatment. Two RCTs reported a significant benefit of acupuncture or auricular acupuncture over conventional drug therapies. Conclusions: Limited evidence exists for the effectiveness of acupuncture as a symptomatic treatment of ADHD. Given that the risk of bias of the included studies was high, firm conclusions cannot be drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To summarize and critically evaluate the evidence for and against the effectiveness of Eastern-Western integrative medicine (EWIM) for health care compared to Eastern medicine (EM) or Western medicine (WM) alone. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted on fifi ve Korean medical databases. Manual searches were also conducted through nine major Korean medical journals. Prospective randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included if EWIM was tested for any type of conditions compared to EM or WM. Results: There were one hundred forty-one possibly relevant studies were identififi ed, and seven RCTs were included. The risk of bias was high in most studies. The EWIM methods were compared with EM or WM in patients with pain conditions in four studies. These studies showed favorable effects of EWIM on pain reduction in patients with shoulder pain and chronic headache compared with EM, while the other RCTs failed to do so in traffic injury patients. Two studies tested EWIM in patients with Bell's palsy compared with EM and found acute functional improvement. An RCT comparing EWIM with WM in patients with acne showed a signififi cant difference. Conclusion: The results of our systematic review suggest that there is limited evidence for the superiority of EWIM over EM or WM in the treatment of pain and acute symptom improvement in patients with Bell's palsy. The evidence from our analysis was limited from the low number of RCTs included and the high risk of bias. Future RCTs appear to be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness of tai chi for supportive breast cancer care. Eleven databases were searched from inception through December 2009. Controlled trials testing tai chi in patients with breast cancer that assessed clinical outcome measures were considered. The selection of studies, data extraction, and validations were performed independently by two reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane criteria. Three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and four non-randomized controlled clinical trials (CCTs) met our inclusion criteria. The three RCTs tested the effects of tai chi on breast cancer care compared with walking exercise, psychological support therapy, or spiritual growth or standard health care and showed no significant differences between tai chi and these control procedures in quality of life and psychological and physical outcome measures. The meta-analysis also failed to demonstrate significant effects of tai chi compared with control interventions ( n = 38, SMD, 0.45, 95% CI −0.25 to 1.14, P = 0.21; heterogeneity: χ2 = 0.23, P = 0.63; I2 = 0%). All of the four CCTs showed favorable effects of tai chi. Three trials suggested effectiveness in psychological and physical outcome measures, whereas one study was too poorly reported to be evaluated in detail. All of the CCTs had a high risk of bias. Collectively, the existing trial evidence does not show convincingly that tai chi is effective for supportive breast cancer care. Future studies should be of high methodological quality, with a particular emphasis on including an adequate control intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project was proposed by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2010 to create a new diagnostic system including symptoms and data from genetics, neuroscience, physiology, and self-reports. The purpose of this study was to determine the link between anxiety and executive functions through quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) based on the RDoC system. Nineteen-channel EEGs were recorded at the psychiatric clinic from 41 patients with symptoms of anxiety. The EEG power spectra were analysed. The Executive Intelligence Test (EXIT) including the K-WAIS-IV, Stroop, controlled oral word association, and the design fluency tests were performed. A partial, inversed, and significant association was observed between executive intelligence quotient (EIQ) and the absolute delta power in the central region. Similarly, a partial, inversed, and significant association was observed between design fluency and the absolute delta power in the left parietal area. Our findings suggest that the increase in delta power in the central region and left P3 was negatively correlated with the decrease in executive function. It is expected that the absolute delta power plays a specific role in the task-negative default mode network in the relationship between anxiety and executive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chloroplast is an essential organelle in microalgae for conducting photosynthesis, thus enabling the photoautotrophic growth of microalgae. In addition to photosynthesis, the chloroplast is capable of various biochemical processes for the synthesis of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and terpenoids. Due to these attractive characteristics, there has been increasing interest in the biotechnological utilization of microalgal chloroplast as a sustainable alternative to the conventional production platforms used in industrial biotechnology. Since the first demonstration of microalgal chloroplast transformation, significant development has occurred over recent decades in the manipulation of microalgal chloroplasts through genetic engineering. In the present review, we describe the advantages of the microalgal chloroplast as a production platform for various bioproducts, including recombinant proteins and high-value metabolites, features of chloroplast genetic systems, and the development of transformation methods, which represent important factors for gene expression in the chloroplast. Furthermore, we address the expression of various recombinant proteins in the microalgal chloroplast through genetic engineering, including reporters, biopharmaceutical proteins, and industrial enzymes. Finally, we present many efforts and achievements in the production of high-value metabolites in the microalgal chloroplast through metabolic engineering. Based on these efforts and advances, the microalgal chloroplast represents an economically viable and sustainable platform for biotechnological applications in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]