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Introduction Pharmacopuncture is a traditional therapy combining acupuncture and herbal medicines. In this study, we investigated the usage status of pharmacopuncture among Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) and differences in satisfaction regarding pharmacopuncture use. Methods We conducted a self-reporting online survey via e-mail from April 25 to 7 May 7, 2018, and analyzed the responses of a total of 393 KMDs. Results Eighty-eight percent of respondents had used pharmacopuncture during the previous year. Their average clinical experience of using pharmacopuncture was 8.04 years and the percentage of patients treated using pharmacopuncture was 39.2%. Pharmacopuncture was used mainly to treat musculoskeletal, neurological, and gastrointestinal diseases. Bee venom and blood stasis pharmacopuncture were the most commonly used types. Participants were highly satisfied with treatment efficacy but were less satisfied with treatment cost. KMD satisfaction with pharmacopuncture was assessed with regards to two aspects: practitioner and patient (as evaluated by the practitioner) satisfaction. In both cases, satisfaction with pharmacopuncture was high in KMDs who use it for gastrointestinal diseases. However, practitioner satisfaction was low among KMDs who used bee venom and blood stasis pharmacopuncture, whereas patient satisfaction was high among those KMDs who treated them using ginseng pharmacopuncture. Conclusions Satisfaction with pharmacopuncture treatment tended to contrast with the frequency of use. Although KMDs are currently focusing on pain-related disorders, our results indicate that pharmacopuncture can be highly applicable in other areas such as the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases; however, this needs to be verified by further research.

In November 2019, Nasdaq announced the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the US stock market to detect irregular and potentially malicious trading activity. The newly launched initiative aimed to strengthen and revolutionize market surveillance via AI applications such as machine learning (MarketInsite in For the first time, Nasdaq is using artificial intelligence to surveil US stock market. Nasdaq, 2019, [1]). The use of AI in various fields is rapidly becoming ubiquitous. In this vein, various studies argue that AI-based methodologies can help to detect and predict corporate earnings management. Thus, this chapter examines the various AI applications that can be used to detect and predict corporate earnings management. Owing to the remarkable growth in data volume and advancements in computing power, AI applications (e.g., machine learning) have substantially increased over the last decade. Accordingly, previous studies focused on constructing solid methodologies to detect or predict earnings management by utilizing AI-infused methods including supervised and unsupervised machine learning. In general, the level of a model’s accuracy can be enhanced by adopting AI-based methodologies rather than conventional linear regression models. At present, models that utilize supervised learning are more commonly used than unsupervised learning models. However, models for the detection of real earnings activities are scarce. This could be attributed to the characteristics of real earnings management, i.e., real earnings management is more difficult and complicated to uncover than accrual-based earnings management.

To enhance the light out coupling and stabilize the angular spectrum of white organic light emitting diodes (WOLEDs), we formed a randomly distributed corrugation directly on the external glass surface. Using a metallic master, which was prepared using laser ablation, we have imprinted the corrugation pattern directly on the glass surface. Our method yields 32% increase in the external quantum efficiency, widened luminance distribution and low angular spectra variation. Considering WOLED as a lighting source, this feature is particularly appealing. Besides the implications of the spectrally stable efficient WOLEDs through random corrugation, our work suggests a new structural approach for various light applications in which efficiency and spectral stability matter.

Porous nanocellulose paper was fabricated and applied as a light outcoupling medium. The nanocellulose papers were prepared using cellulose powder and a high-pressure homogenizing process. The translucent nanocellulose paper had high total transmittance and haze, and gave off diffuse light when the incident light passes through it. Through the application of the fabricated nanocellulose paper on the external surfaces of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices, it was possible not only to enhance the luminous efficiency but also to widen the angular light distribution. As this paper is intrinsically flexible, it can be applied to various forms of light sources bearing curvature.

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to introduce the case of using eCRF system in the Smoking Cessation Program project in Vietnam (2017). And aimed to derive the usefulness of the eCRF system and it potential for future global health business. Method : Introduce the smoking cessation program...

IntroductionCancer-related fatigue is a frequent symptom in patients with cancer and one of the most distressing symptoms in patients with breast cancer. Sipjeondaebo-tang (Juzen-taiho-to in Japanese or Shi-Quan-Da-Bu-Tang in Chinese) is a widely used herbal medicine for the treatment of fatigue in Korea, China and Japan. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility of Sipjeondaebo-tang for cancer-related fatigue.Methods and analysisThe present study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Forty-eight patients with breast cancer who are indicated for doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide will be recruited. The participants will receive 3 g of Sipjeondaebo-tang or a placebo three times a day for 56 days. The primary outcome measurement is the change in the Brief Fatigue Inventory scores. The secondary outcome measurements include the changes in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of fatigue, and quality of life measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer—QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23. VAS of fatigue will be measured on every visit, and other outcomes will be measured on visits 2, 4, 6 and 7. The total study period is 14 weeks.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Catholic Kwandong University International St Mary’s Hospital (reference IS16MNSI0011). The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at a scientific conference.Trial registration numberNCT02858856; Pre-results.

IntroductionCancer is a major health problem worldwide and the leading cause of death in many countries. The number of patients with cancer and socioeconomic costs of cancer continues to increase. SH003 is a novel herbal medicine consisting ofAstragalus membranaceus,Angelica gigasandTrichosanthes Kirilowii Maximowicz. Preclinical studies have shown that SH003 has therapeutic anticancer effects. The aim of this study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of SH003 in patients with solid cancers.Methods and analysisThis study is an open-label, dose-escalation trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of SH003. The traditional 3+3 dose-escalation design will be implemented. Patients with solid cancers will be recruited. According to dose level, the patients will receive one to four tablets of SH003, three times a day for 3 weeks. Toxicity will be evaluated using common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE). Dose-limiting toxicities are defined as grade 3 or higher adverse events based on CTCAE. The maximum tolerated dose will be determined by the highest dose at which no more than one of six patients experiences dose-limiting toxicity.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the institutional review board of the Ajou University Hospital (reference AJIRB-MED-CT1-16-311). The results of this study will be disseminated through a scientific journal and a conference.Trial registration numberNCT03081819; Pre-results.

Background Cough is a common symptom that occurs in 25% of patients after lung cancer surgery. It might last a long time and degrade the quality of life of patients. Maekmoondong-tang (Bakumondo-to in Japanese or Mai-Men-Dong-Tang in Chinese) is a herbal medicine which has been widely used for respiratory diseases with cough in Korea, China, and Japan. Aims The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Maekmoondong-tang for postoperative cough in patient with lung cancer. Methods/design This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of Maekmoondong-tang. A total of 96 participants will be enrolled and allocated to 2 parallel groups: the Maekmoondong-tang group and the placebo group from 5 university hospitals. The participants will be administered either Maekmoondong-tang or a placebo 3 times a day for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measurement is the change in the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) score. The secondary outcome measurements are the changes in the cough visual analog scale and Yin Deficiency Scale. The participants will visit 4 times in total for 4 weeks of trial period. Discussion The present study will be the first multicener study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Maekmoondong-tang for postoperative cough in patient with lung cancer surgery. The results of this study will provide a new treatment for cough using herbal medicine and will be a reference for planning clinical trial of herbal medicine in patient with cough.

The critical roles of inflammation in the development of cancer have long been appreciated. A growing body of evidence supports the notion that infiltrates of inflammatory cells into tumor microenvironment influence the tumor progression by providing bioactive molecules including pro-inflammatory cytokines. Importantly, the increased number of mast cells within tumor microenvironment has been associated with a poor survival in cancer patients. Moreover, keratinocyte inflammation is known to be crucial for skin tumor development. The use of natural products to reduce inflammation in tumor microenvironment is gaining an interest, because of their reduced toxicity toward normal cells. In this study, we tested the effects of Tonggyu-tang (TGT) which is composed of 14 different herbal extracts on the activity of mast cells. We found that TGT significantly reduced the expression and production of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in PMA and ionomycin- stimulated HMC-1 (human mast cell line-1). In an attempt to determine molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of TGT on cytokine expression, we revealed that TGT suppressed MAPK signaling pathway including ERK, p38, and JNK as well as NF-κB pathway, which are known to regulate inflammatory cytokine expression. Similar results were obtained from the LPS-stimulated HaCaT cells, immortalized human keratinocytes. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TGT suppresses inflammation by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine in both mast cells and keratinocytes, thereby potentially leading to inhibition of tumor progression. Citation Format: Hyoin Kim, Seong-Gyu Ko, Yong Cheol Shin, Ji Hye Kim, Hye-Sook Seo, Tai Young Kim, Se Hyang Hong, Kangwook Lee, Jin Mo Ku, Myeong-Sun Kim, Yu-Jeong Choi, Soo-yeon Kang, Chunhoo Cheon, Youme Ko, Huang Ching Wen, Yui Sasaki, Sohyeon Kang. Tonggyu-tang, a traditional Korean medicine, suppresses inflammation, potential implications in tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4010. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4010

Objective: We examined whether cucurbitacin D affects doxorubicin resistance of MCF7/ADR breast cancer cells. Methods: Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Levels of p-STAT3, p-NF-κB, IκB, and caspases were measured by western blot analysis. Nuclear staining of Stat3 and NF-κB was measured by immunocytochemistry. STAT3 and NF-κB transcriptional activity was detected by STAT3 and NF-κB luciferase reporter gene assays. Analysis of cell cycle arrest was performed by flow cytometry. Induction of apoptosis by cucurbitacin D was measured by annexin VFITC/PI assay. Results: More than 90% of MCF7/ADR cells lived upon treatment with doxorubicin for 24 h. However, upon treatment with cucurbitacin D, cell death was more than 60%. Co-administration of cucurbitacin D and doxorubicin induced apoptosis, G2/M cell cycle arrest, and inhibited upregulated Stat3 by doxorubicin on MCF7/ADR cells. Additionally, cucurbitacin D led to an increase in the IκBα level in the cytosol and a decrease in the p-NF-κB level in the nucleus. Finally, cucurbitacin D inhibited translocation of Stat3 and NF-κB and decreased transcriptional activity in the nucleus. Conclusion: Cucurbitacin D decreases cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by inhibiting Stat3 and NF-κB signaling in doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cells. Cucurbitacin D could be used as a useful compound to treat Adriamycin-resistant patients. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Jin Mo Ku, Se Hyang Hong, Myeong-Sun Kim, Hyo In Kim, Soo-Yeon Kang, Kangwook Lee, Yu-Jeong Choi, Chunhoo Cheon, CHING WEN HUANG, Youme Ko, Yui Sasaki, Sohyeon Kang, Ji Hye Kim, Hye Sook Seo, Tai Young Kim, Yong Cheol Shin, Seong-Gyu Ko. Cucurbitacin D induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by inhibiting STAT3 and NF-κB signaling in doxorubicin-resistant human breast carcinoma (MCF7/ADR) cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2320. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2320

Herbal medicines have been used in cancer treatment, with many exhibiting favorable side effect and toxicity profiles compared with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. SH003 is a novel extract from Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica gigas, and Trichosanthes Kirilowii Maximowicz combined at a 1:1:1 ratio that impairs the growth of breast cancer cells. Our data demonstrate that SH003 induced apoptosis in DU145 prostate cancer cells by inhibiting ERK signaling. SH003 induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells in dose-dependent manner, which was independent of androgen dependency. SH003 also increased intracellular ROS levels but this is not associated with its pro-apoptotic effects. SH003 inhibited phosphorylation of Ras/Raf1/MEK/ERK/p90RSK in androgen-independent DU145 cells, but not androgen-dependent LNCaP and PC-3 cells. Moreover, ERK2 overexpression rescued SH003-induced apoptosis in DU145 cells. Thus, our data conclude that SH003 induces apoptotic cell death of DU145 prostate cancer cells by inhibiting ERK-mediated pathway. Citation Format: Yu-Jeong Choi, Myeong-Sun Kim, Soo-Yeon Kang, Kangwook Lee, Jin Mo Ku, Se Hyang Hong, Hyo In Kim, Chunhoo Cheon, Youme Ko, Huang Ching Wen, Yui Sasaki, Sohyeon Kang, Tai Young Kim, Ji Hye Kim, Yong Cheol Shin, Seong-Gyu Ko. SH003 induces apoptosis of DU145 prostate cancer cells by inhibiting ERK-involved pathway [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4310. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4310

Taeumjowi-tang (TJ001) is a traditional Korean medicine that usually prescribed for Tae-um person to regulate stomach-related symptoms including headache, indigestion, and jaundice. Other studies on anti-obesity effect of TJ001 have also been researched, but have never been reported as a cure for cancer. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism that TJ001 induces G2/M cell cycle arrest in DU145 (p53-mutant) prostate cancer cells. The missense mutation in human p53 gene (TP53) confers oncological effect to tumor suppressor p53-mutant protein. In prostate cancer, this gain-of-function of p53-mutant is associated with androgen-independence, increased angiogenesis, and metastasis. Our in vitro studies showed that a water extract of TJ001 induced G2/M cell cycle arrest via p53-mutant status and p21WAF/CIP1 up-regulation. Conventinally, p21WAF/CIP1 is induced by mediating p53 regulation, but, in experiments, handling the p53-dependent and -independent pathway. Although serine15-phosphorylated p53 and p53 proteins remained unchanged, p21WAF/CIP1 expression is induced and cyclin B1/Cdc2 complex is inactivated by a decrease of cyclin B1. In addition, in p53-independent pathway, the level of Cdc25C expression decreased and Serine-216 phosphorylated Cdc25C increased. Generally, concomitant with G2/M cell cycle arrest come the apoptosis cell death, but in the study, prolonged G2/M cell cycle arrest developed not apoptosis but cell senescence. Therefore, our data suggest that TJ001 is helpful for p53-mutant prostate cancer treatment. Citation Format: Soo-Yeon Kang, Hyo In Kim, Se Hyang Hong, Jin Mo Ku, Kangwook Lee, Myeong-Sun Kim, Yu-jeong Choi, Chunhoo Cheon, Youme Ko, Ching Wen Huang, Yui Sasaki, Sohyeon Kang, Hye-Sook Seo, Tai Young Kim, Ji Hye Kim, Yong Cheol Shin, Seong-Gyu Ko. Taeumjowi-tang (TJ001) induces G2/M cell cycle arrest but not apoptosis in p53-mutant prostate cancer via up-regulation of p21WAF/CIP1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 300. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-300