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In this comment paper on von Fircks (2023a), I would like to focus on four issues and offer some reflections on them: first, what is happening in the process of a new I arising through mindfulness meditation practice? I would like to supplement the dialogue between Buber and Rogers in 1957 on the dynamism of I and Me, which is the basis of Mead's theory of self formation, in which I and Me separate, discover and meet a new self. The second, is that meditation, which at first glance appears to be an internal meditation practice and a personal activity, leads to a semiotic mediated social process. The Tao and early Buddhist ideas that form the background to the experiential process of mindfulness meditation will be reviewed, and the significance of people experiencing the interdependence of non-human nature and the environment through the practice will be discussed. Third, connecting this to the idea of Umwelt (Uexküll) and the semiosphere (Lotman), an attempt is made to extend the otherness as a collating body of self formation to Umwelt. Fourth, mindfulness meditation focuses attention on the breath. In relation to Mead's focus on the environment under the skin, i.e. corporeality, I will supplement the psychological meaning of cultivating the body's sense of interoception through the sensing of repetitive movements of tension and relaxation. Through the above, what kind of semiotic mediating function does mindfulness meditation have in relation to the construction of the new I, and how does it lead to the creation of social meaning? We would like to discuss these points. Clinical Trial Registration: The article does not contain any studies with clinical trial. This, clinical Trial registration is not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anticoagulant drugs are a valuable tool for minimizing thrombotic risks in at-risk patients. The purpose of this study is to conduct a literature review highlighting the management of these drugs during daily clinical dental practice. Materials and Methods: We limited our search to English-language papers published between 1 January 1989, and 7 March 2024, in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science that were relevant to our topic. In the search approach, the Boolean keywords "anticoagulant AND dentistry" were used. Results: Twenty-five clinical trials were included for final review from 623 articles obtained from the databases Web of Science (83), PubMed (382), and Scopus (158), eliminating duplicates and 79 off-topic items, resulting in 419 articles after removing 315 entries and confirming eligibility. Overall, these studies support the use of local hemostatic measures to manage the risk of bleeding in patients on anticoagulant therapy undergoing dental procedures and highlight the importance of greater education and collaboration among healthcare professionals. Conclusions: Research and clinical investigation have improved understanding and management of dental procedures in patients undergoing anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. Hemostatic agents, clinical protocols, risk factors, and continuous education are essential for navigating the complexities of anticoagulant therapy, ensuring optimal outcomes and enhancing patient well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay delves into Antoni Tàpies’s profound engagement with non-dualism, a philosophical stance encapsulated in the aphorism “samsara is nirvana and nirvana is samsara.” Tàpies’s exploration of non-dualism, which integrates diverse spiritual and philosophical traditions, profoundly shaped his artistic practice and worldview. Drawing from Western hermeticism and Eastern philosophies such as Hindu Advaita and Zen Buddhism, Tàpies embraced non-dual consciousness as a guiding principle in his art. His creative process incorporated alchemical symbolism, aiming to transmute mundane materials into expressions of unity between matter and spirit. Tàpies’s attention to the ordinary and overlooked underscored his non-dual perspective, emphasizing the intrinsic value of all things. This ethos mirrored in his choice of humble materials and focus on everyday themes, as well as in the diptych structures that symbolized meaningful relationships between opposites. Central to Tàpies’s oeuvre is the assertion that “samsara is nirvana,” a concept deeply rooted in Mahayana Buddhism. His artworks serve as vehicles for awakening consciousness and transcending the illusion of duality, offering glimpses into the underlying unity of existence. Furthermore, the essay explores Tàpies’s esoteric influences, highlighting his incorporation of mystical symbols and his belief in art’s capacity to evoke transformative experiences. By examining Tàpies’s essays and artistic works, alongside insights from extensive secondary sources, this essay aims to provide an enriching perspective on the artist’s contributions to international discourse on non-dualism and aesthetics.

This article proposes a reading of Juan Luis Martínez’s La nueva novela to reveal the way in which the Chilean poet mobilizes texts from Western authors to undermine Western epistemology from within. Martínez uses Eastern philosophical concepts to deconstruct the logocentric tradition, creating poetic texts that operate similar to Zen koans. Martínez’s project reveals the similarities in literary deconstruction and Zen by decentering language and questioning the processes of producing meaning.

Introduction and aim. Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), often referred to as thyroid eye disease or Graves' ophthalmopathy, is a syndrome characterized by autoimmune inflammation affecting the eye muscles, connective tissue, and orbital fat. The aim of this literature review is to present TAO and integrate the available data in the literature regarding the pathogenesis and treatment methods. Based on these, the authors aim to examine whether, despite the extensive knowledge already available on TAO, there are still issues to be investigated. Material and methods. In this literature review, books and scientific publications in both Polish and English languages have been assessed. The search criteria included keywords such as TAO, Graves' disease, thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. The evaluation covered the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar. Analysis of the literature. Typically, the eyeball is not involved, but in exceptional cases, corneal ulceration may occur, or inflammation of the optic nerve may ensue. TAO most commonly occurs in the course of hyperthyroidism in Graves' disease, involving up to 25-50% of cases. The coexistence of autoantigens shared between the thyroid and orbital tissues is considered the primary cause of TAO when it occurs concurrently with hyperthyroidism, later in its course, or even preceding the manifestation of hyperthyroidism, with or without concurrent thyroid dysfunction. TAO is generally bilateral, although dominance on one side is often observed. Common symptoms include eye pain, photophobia, diplopia, varying degrees of proptosis, and impaired vision. The cornerstone of treatment lies in managing hyperthyroidism, as TAO cannot be cured without it. Conclusion. First-line treatment involves glucocorticoids, with radiation therapy as a supplementary option, and in cases unresponsive to pharmacological treatment, surgical intervention may be necessary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gilles Deleuze spends his whole life exploring the question of what philosophy is by unconventional approaches to establish the ontology of Becoming and he collaborates with Félix Guattari, integrating Chinese thought into his philosophical discourse directly to support the Becoming theory. Different from the tendency to associate Deleuze's references to Tao with the philosophy of arts or body aesthetics, this paper argues Tao is introduced because of the consistency with the multiplicity of immanence raised by Deleuze who has updated the connotation of Western philosophical concepts with the help of Tao. Therefore, Tao is no longer defined as the ultimate Being claimed by some French sinologists and philosophers, but as an internal field or the Plane. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the immanence without any certainty (the multiplicity of immanence) itself is a kind of nomadic life, which is also the real meaning of Tao. In this way, Chinese philosophy's function has far more significant than footnotes and evidence in the construction of Deleuze's theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) causes vascular insufficiency due to chronic inflammation and abrupt thrombosis of the medium and small arteries of the extremities. In our study, we aimed to determine biomarkers for the diagnosis of TAO by evaluating 15 male TAO patients with Shinoya diagnostic criteria and 5 healthy controls who did not have TAO-related symptoms in their family histories. Methods: The Clariom D Affymetrix platform was used to conduct microarray analysis on total RNA extracted from whole blood. A total of 477 genes (FC ≤ 5 or >5) common to the fifteen patient and five control samples were selected using comparative microarray analysis; among them, 79 genes were upregulated and 398 genes were downregulated. Results: According to FC ≤ 10 or >10, in the same TAO patient and control group, 13 genes out of 28 were upregulated, whereas 15 genes were downregulated. The 11 key genes identified according to their mean log2FC values were PLP2, RPL27A, CCL4, FMNL1, EGR1, EIF4A1, RPL9, LAMP2, RNF149, EIF4G2, and DGKZ. The genes were ranked according to their relative expression as follows: FMNL1 > RNF149 > RPL27A > EIF4G2 > EIF4A1 > LAMP2 > EGR1 > PLP2 > DGKZ > RPL9 > CCL4. Using protein–protein interaction network analysis, RPL9, RPL27A, and RPL32 were found to be closely related to EIF4G2 and EIF4A1. The Reactome pathway found pathways linked to 28 genes. These pathways included the immune system, cellular responses to stress, cytokine signaling in the immune system, and signaling by ROBO receptors. Conclusions: By figuring out the protein expression levels of the genes that have been found to explain how TAO disease works at the molecular level, it will be possible to figure out how well these chosen transcripts can diagnose and predict the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eco-environmental problems have become a hot topic of global concern today. Many scholars seek intellectual resources from traditional cultures to solve these problems. This article tries to extract the rich ecological thoughts from the text of Laozi. According to Laozi, Tao is 'the mother of all beneath Heaven', that is, the whole universe, including man and nature, evolve from Tao. This indicates the primary harmony of man and nature. However, man mistakenly regards himself as the lord of nature, and uses his force and methods of science and technology to enslave nature, causing the current ecological crisis. The way to resolve the crisis is pointed out in the following statement: 'Man should imitate Earth, Earth should imitate Heaven, Heaven should imitate Tao, and Tao is being what it is'. Laozi advocates man to imitate nature, leading a life of 'having no self', 'wu wei' or 'desiring no-desire'. This is the Tao-centred way of living, which brings about a transformation in human existence. Contribution: This article argues that the current ecological crisis is caused by mankind's mistaken belief that they are the masters of nature. The philosophical ideas of Laozi provide a way to resolve the crisis, advocating that humans should imitate nature and adopt a Tao-centred way of living. This way of living brings about a transformation in human existence. The article provides a philosophical perspective on how to solve contemporary environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eco-environmental problems have become a hot topic of global concern today. Many scholars seek intellectual resources from traditional cultures to solve these problems. This article tries to extract the rich ecological thoughts from the text of Laozi. According to Laozi, Tao is ‘the mother of all beneath Heaven’, that is, the whole universe, including man and nature, evolve from Tao. This indicates the primary harmony of man and nature. However, man mistakenly regards himself as the lord of nature, and uses his force and methods of science and technology to enslave nature, causing the current ecological crisis. The way to resolve the crisis is pointed out in the following statement: ‘Man should imitate Earth, Earth should imitate Heaven, Heaven should imitate Tao, and Tao is being what it is’. Laozi advocates man to imitate nature, leading a life of ‘having no self’, ‘wu wei’ or ‘desiring no-desire’. This is the Tao-centred way of living, which brings about a transformation in human existence. Contribution: This article argues that the current ecological crisis is caused by mankind’s mistaken belief that they are the masters of nature. The philosophical ideas of Laozi provide a way to resolve the crisis, advocating that humans should imitate nature and adopt a Tao-centred way of living. This way of living brings about a transformation in human existence. The article provides a philosophical perspective on how to solve contemporary environmental problems.

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that has a significant impact on patients' life and health of. Clinically, the Clinical Activity Score (CAS) is one of the crucial methods for the early diagnosis of TAO. However, due to the diversity of TAO symptoms, utilizing medical expertise to artificially obtain CAS scores is challenging and highly dependent on personal subjectivity. Therefore, accurate identification of TAO regions segmented by scientific techniques is one of the essential prerequisites for the objective acquisition of the CAS scores. In this study, an encoder–decoder wavelet model (EDWM) with multiple-scale cascaded attention mechanism (MCAM) and residual deformable convolution (RDC) was proposed for multifocal region segmentation of TAO from facial images. The proposed method employs the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to construct an encoder structure for the coarse feature extraction of the diseased regions. The inverse wavelet transform (IWT) is designed to build a decoder structure for resolution recovery. Meanwhile, the MCAM is developed to extract finer features of adjacent wavelet scales in the encoder structure by suppressing the background and focusing on the coarse segmentation of the diseased regions. The RDC is ultimately utilized for enlargement of arbitrary receptive fields and the accurate multi-segmentation task in different regions. In comparison with other selected benchmark models, the EDWM has, respectively, achieved state-of-the-art segmentation performance with 93.12% and 0.804 of the precision and the MIoU when tested on the images of 600 TAO patients. Since the EDWM is characterized by compact structure, interpretability, and strong feature extraction capability, it can provide a much more reliable and scientific basis for the early detection and diagnosis of TAO, reducing reliance on subjective experience in obtaining CAS scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By introducing Taoism— the understanding of flow —and the meaning of cultivation as a basic human ability, an essential challenge in our current understanding of science can be discovered. Human interaction with nature is a meaningful process, which can reveal a better understanding of the inner cultivation processes and with it a multidimensional field of endless inputs triggering an ongoing process of growth. For this purpose, MyCu -cultivation (My cultural cultivation) is introduced as new terminology. A construct that allows to separately elaborate the social concepts of culture and the process of metaphysical reality perception—generated in our mind. At the same time, the layers of physical experienced reality and imagination are reintroduced in an alternative interrelation, leading to new insights in the layers of metaphysical understandings. Therefore, the central manifestation of meaning-making will be elaborated through the metaphorical use of bookshelves, allowing to perceive new insights in the raw information processing of individuals—underlining the human limitations, in processing the overwhelming meaning flow. This theoretical knowledge leads us further to a new possibility of understanding the constructive externalization of the imagination, highlighting the diversity of phenomenological insights in our everyday life, resulting in a complex theoretical repositioning between semiotics, cultural psychology, and Naturwissenschaften. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xiuhui He, Siya Chen, Xiaohui Wang, Min Kong, Fangzheng Shi, Xiaoxuan Qi, Yuxin Xu Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yuxin Xu, Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 678 Furong Road, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Hefei, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-13866752297, Email xuyuxin1168@sina.comIntroduction: TSG-6 plays a wide anti-inflammatory and therapeutic role in a variety of autoimmune diseases as the key mediator of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).Purpose: We aimed to test whether TSG-6 could exert similar effects as MSCS in TAO via establishing TAO animal model immunized by hTSHR-A subunit plasmid.Material and Methods: We tested the expression level of TSG-6 on intraconal orbital fat from controls and patients with TAO. We established a stable thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy animal model by immunizing 6-week-old female Balb/c mice with recombination hTSHR-A subunit plasmid. After four immunizations, TSG-6 or dexamethasone was injected through the tail vein. The effects of the drugs on body weight, thyroid function, orbital inflammation, fibrosis and lipogenesis were observed.Results: The expression of TSG-6 in the orbital tissues of TAO patient is lower than that of normal people. In our animal model, mice showed weight loss, higher TT4 and TSHR antibody levels, and ocular symptoms such as inflammation and proptosis. TSG-6 can reduce ocular fibrosis and lipogenesis by inhibiting the infiltration of CD3+ T lymphocytes and macrophages in the mouse model of thyroid associated ophthalmopathy. Compared with dexamethasone, TSG-6 showed comparable anti-inflammatory effect, moreover, it has given a better performance in inhibiting adipogenesis.Conclusion: It was demonstrated that TSG-6 has a considerable positive impact on improving eye symptoms of TAO mice, which could be a novel candidate for the early treatment of TAO.Keywords: TAO, TSG-6, hTSHR-A subunit plasmid, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrosis, lipogenesis

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The article focuses on the concept of Daoist government as mentioned in Daodejing chapter 54 and explores the relationship between doing nothing (wuwei) and achieving transformation and regulation in the empire.

In this article, I would like to take a closer look at the philosophical meaning of the term “process,” which is a fundamental category in Arnold Mindell’s psychology. The Taoist origins of this concept go back to the Tao – the principle of the universe. Tao is the process of passing into each other the opposite aspects of the monastically understood Qi energy. Mindell was also inspired by the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, which emphasizes the importance of archetypal, unconscious mental processes and their impact on the ego through random thoughts, fantasies or dreams. Mindell distinguishes between a primary process (mental content that we are aware of) and a secondary process (mental content that we are not aware of) to explain what connects a person with her natural living – an unadulterated existence through rigid boundaries between the two processes acquired during one’s upbringing. The purpose of this article is to explore the Jungian and Taoist roots of Mindell’s psychology and to characterize individual lives as confronting their entire processual being, thus becoming natural living.

Where do ethics or morals come from? We arrive at vastly different answers, given that these answers are contingent upon various sources, such as legendary stories, the theology of various religions, Western and Eastern philosophies, etc. In the Chinese tradition, Laozi, Confucius, and Sunzi are considered as the three ancient sages from approximately 2500 years ago. Their thoughts and teachings have shaped Chinese culture and characterized the Chinese way of life. This essay attempts to demonstrate a new understanding of their philosophy on ethical principles. Herein, we present select analyses of their literary works—Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing), The Analects, and The Art of War. These three sages posited ethical ideas inspired by nature, and a single thread—the way of nature—sewed those ideas together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buerger's disease or thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a disease of unknown aetiology. It involves progressive segmental inflammation of small- and medium-sized blood vessels of the limbs which leads to the manifestations of chronic vascular ischemia of peripheral vessels. It is a limb-threatening condition and has a strong association with chronic smoking. The management of TAO has always remained controversial with the number of medical and surgical treatments available. However, so far, none of them has proved to be consistent and promising with the outcomes. The main principle of the management of TAO is to restore the vascular supply of the affected limb to elude pernicious complications like amputation. Since 1989, Ilizarov's method of bone transport has been widely used with satisfactory outcomes to treat bone defects and for limb reconstruction. This principle of distraction osteogenesis not only promotes bone formation but also the adjoining soft-tissue growth. This advantage has been popularized over decades for its significant implication in the neovascularization of ischemic limb in the management of TAO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In essence, cultural and creative design features humanity and culture. The process of how to transform culture into creativity is an essential subject of design education, which, in turn, calls for a new design teaching system. In regard to combining traditional Chinese thinking with modern design experience, the question of how to apply traditional Chinese thinking to design concepts, methods, and education is systematically explored in this research. Firstly, the question of how to transform the philosophy of "Tao, Vessel, Change and Comprehensiveness" in the Book of Changes into "design thinking" in order to establish the learning process of creative design with added value—as well as to set up the teaching model of cultural and creative design under "Tao, Vessel, Change and Comprehensiveness"—is discussed. After this, two cases of the Aboriginal Harvest Festival's cultural creativity "Dancing Together" candlestick and the animation, cultural, and creative design of the "Wind Lion God" are used in order to examine the effectiveness of the specific design and to verify the feasibility of this teaching model in the development and application of cultural and creative products. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this teaching model, which provides a new systematic approach for the purposes of teaching and practice in the field of cultural and creative design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tao Te Ching sacred text, written in China around 600 BC, recommends cultivating non-action by observing the nature of the world. Tao Te Ching first articulated the idea of Wu Wei which means do that which consists in taking no action and order will prevail. The text explains the idea that we should stop trying to force action and get comfortable doing less. Taoism is widely understood to be a single (unity), unitary philosophy, social movement, and natural act. Then, when we do move, our actions are natural and energetic. It can be summarized that Taoist principles are inaction or non-action, simplicity, and living in harmony with nature then everything accomplished the desired result. Tao Te Ching delivered a treatise on how to live in the world with goodness and integrity. Perhaps if we were more aware, we would worry less and could see better what actually needs doing. Therefore, Tao Te Ching reminds us that everyone has a choice to practice self-awareness and exercise their own power in and over the world for a present peaceful life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a tactical tool to enhance effectiveness of OMO (Online Merge Offline) marketing, explained through 7Ps × D × C, with R as a moderating variable (D = Digitalization, C = Connectivity and R = Relevance). Doing so can effectively transform traditional marketing into OMO marketing. In order to sustain OMO marketing, the paper proposes five Yin-Yang (阴阳) pairs, mediated by Lao-tzu's Tao (道) & Porter and Kramer's Shared Value, through Ambiculturalism. By failing to keep Yin–Yang (阴阳) harmonious, the ecosystem of Tao (道) & Shared Value will be destroyed, and the sustainability of OMO marketing will be compromised. This paper develops an updated marketing mix, by identifying additional elements; it also employs strategic elements of Shared Value from western theory, with the mechanism of Tao (道) from eastern philosophy. Together, an OMO marketing ecosystem is proposed, which deals with the relationship between effectiveness and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As it happened during the Covid-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, the art of balancing rocks had therapeutic effect of comforting me. It was the physical law of balance that had taken psychological effect through my performance of keeping rocks in balance. Setting out as an incidental and personal art practice in the beginning, it evolved quickly into an improvisational community art project, attracting hundreds of participants who together turned a torn embankment into a gallery of land art, bringing joy and consolation to each other during the difficult period. The dynamics behind that improvisational artistic activity reminds me of the traditional Chinese philosophy of Tao-follows-nature (道法自然) that implies a more-than-human approach of art education. A retrospect into the rock art project and a study into Shan-Shui (山水), literally “mountain and water,” the genre of classical Chinese landscape painting, come up with an alternative understanding of art education that does not count on the teaching of a human teacher, but on a sensational leaning process empowered by the nature, which was compared to an artist’s surrogate pregnancy for the nature by Shitao, a Chinese art philosopher, in the 17th century.

In this article, I would like to take a closer look at the philosophical meaning of the term "process," which is a fundamental category in Arnold Mindell's psychology. The Taoist origins of this concept go back to the Tao - the principle of the universe. Tao is the process of passing into each other the opposite aspects of the monastically understood Qi energy. Mindell was also inspired by the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, which emphasizes the importance of archetypal, unconscious mental processes and their impact on the ego through random thoughts, fantasies or dreams. Mindell distinguishes between a primary process (mental content that we are aware of) and a secondary process (mental content that we are not aware of) to explain what connects a person with her natural living - an unadulterated existence through rigid boundaries between the two processes acquired during one's upbringing. The purpose of this article is to explore the Jungian and Taoist roots of Mindell's psychology and to characterize individual lives as confronting their entire processual being, thus becoming natural living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Thyroid associated orbitopathy (TAO) is the most common extrathyroidal complication of Graves’ disease. The disease course ranges from mild, where symptomatic therapy is sufficient, to severe, where high dose steroid administration or orbital decompression surgery is required. Women of their reproductive age are more likely to be affected. Although pregnancy is a state of enhanced immune tolerance, TAO may develop or worsen in 0.2–0.4% of pregnant women. Case presentation We present the case of a 19-year-old woman who has developed hyperthyroidism and progressive TAO during the second trimester of her third pregnancy, which has improved postpartum. The possible mechanisms and the importance of follow up in pregnancy is discussed. Conclusions Expectant mothers with Graves’ disease require follow up of eye signs throughout pregnancy, preferably in the setting of a thyroid-eye clinic.

The unbalanced oil and vinegar signature scheme (UOV) is a signature scheme whose public key is a set of quadratic polynomials over a finite field. This scheme has been considered to be secure and efficient enough under suitable parameter selections. However, its key size is relatively large, and then various arrangements of UOV with smaller keys have been proposed. Hufu-UOV proposed by Tao in 2019 is one of such variants of UOV, whose keys are generated by circulant and Toeplitz matrices. In the present paper, we study the security of Hufu-UOV and propose an attack on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empowerment of local communities to be able to improve their tourist destinations so that local and foreign tourists can come to provide new sources of income for the community. This article aims to investigate the awareness of the local community through tourism education to improve the quality of life of the community around the Tao Silaban Geosite, Indonesia. This article uses a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach. This research covers the awareness of local people towards tourism. This awareness includes the acceptance of the community towards tourists who come. The data collection technique used is interview. Based on the results of interviews showed that the empowerment of local communities through tourism education is able to improve the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study used pectinase enzyme with activity of 194 UI/mL from Aspergillus niger initially purified by different methods: precipitation of salt, precipitation of organic solvents, membrane filtration. Post-purification preparations by membrane filtration application to increase recovery efficiency, transparency of apple and grape juice. The results showed that using pectinase enzyme with apple puree at room temperature, enzyme concentration 8% (v/w), incubation time 150 minutes gave an extraction efficiency of 82.7%, increased by 24%, transparency increased by 36%, viscosity down 18.8% compared with control sample. Using pectinase enzyme with grape puree at room temperature, enzyme concentration 5% (v/w), incubation time 120 minutes gave an extraction efficiency of 87.2%, increased by 8,1%, transparency increased by 66.7%, viscosity decreased by 23,8 % compared with the control sample.

Abstract Background Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder, which lacks effective treatment currently. Spica Prunellae (SP) is popularly used for its anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating properties, indicating SP may have potential therapeutic value in TAO. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the efficiency and potential mechanism of SP in treating TAO. Methods A network pharmacology integrated molecular docking strategy was used to predict the underlying molecular mechanism of treating TAO. Firstly, the active compounds of SP were obtained from TCMSP database and literature research. Then we collected the putative targets of SP and TAO based on multi-sources databases to generate networks. Network topology analysis, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed to screen the key targets and mechanism. Furthermore, molecular docking simulation provided an assessment tool for verifying drug and target binding. Results Our results showed that 8 targets (PTGS2, MAPK3, AKT1, TNF, MAPK1, CASP3, IL6, MMP9) were recognized as key therapeutic targets with excellent binding affinity after network analysis and molecular docking-based virtual screening. The results of enrichment analysis suggested that the underlying mechanism was mainly focused on the biological processes and pathways associated with immune inflammation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Notably, the key pathway was considered as the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Conclusion In summary, the present study elucidates that SP may suppress inflammation and proliferation and promote apoptosis through the PI3K-AKT pathway, which makes SP a potential treatment against TAO. And this study offers new reference points for future experimental research and provides a scientific basis for more widespread clinical application.

Where do ethics or morals come from? We arrive at vastly different answers, given that these answers are contingent upon various sources, such as legendary stories, the theology of various religions, Western and Eastern philosophies, etc. In the Chinese tradition, Laozi, Confucius, and Sunzi are considered as the three ancient sages from approximately 2500 years ago. Their thoughts and teachings have shaped Chinese culture and characterized the Chinese way of life. This essay attempts to demonstrate a new understanding of their philosophy on ethical principles. Herein, we present select analyses of their literary works—Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing), The Analects, and The Art of War. These three sages posited ethical ideas inspired by nature, and a single thread—the way of nature—sewed those ideas together.

In essence, cultural and creative design features humanity and culture. The process of how to transform culture into creativity is an essential subject of design education, which, in turn, calls for a new design teaching system. In regard to combining traditional Chinese thinking with modern design experience, the question of how to apply traditional Chinese thinking to design concepts, methods, and education is systematically explored in this research. Firstly, the question of how to transform the philosophy of “Tao, Vessel, Change and Comprehensiveness” in the Book of Changes into “design thinking” in order to establish the learning process of creative design with added value—as well as to set up the teaching model of cultural and creative design under “Tao, Vessel, Change and Comprehensiveness”—is discussed. After this, two cases of the Aboriginal Harvest Festival’s cultural creativity “Dancing Together” candlestick and the animation, cultural, and creative design of the “Wind Lion God” are used in order to examine the effectiveness of the specific design and to verify the feasibility of this teaching model in the development and application of cultural and creative products. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this teaching model, which provides a new systematic approach for the purposes of teaching and practice in the field of cultural and creative design.