Fibrates are used in patients with dyslipidemia and high cardiovascular risk. However, information regarding drug response to fibrate has been highly limited. We investigated treatment results and factors associated with triglyceride reduction after fenofibrate therapy using large-scale real-world data. Patients with one or more cardiovascular risk factors, at low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol goal but with triglyceride level ≥150 mg/dL, and undergoing treatment with fenofibrate 135–160 mg for the first time were included in this retrospective observational study. The outcome variable was the percentage changes of TG levels. The achievement rate of triglyceride <150 mg/dL was additionally analyzed. Factors associated with treatment results were also analyzed. Among 2546 patients who were initially screened, 1113 patients were enrolled (median age: 61 years; male: 71%). After median follow-up of 4 months, the median change in triglyceride was -60%, and 49% of the patients reached triglyceride <150 mg/dL. After adjusting for confounding variables, female sex, non-diabetic status, coronary artery disease, lower baseline triglyceride, and no statin use were identified to be independently associated with achievement of triglyceride <150 mg/dL. Among them, female sex, non-diabetic status, and coronary artery disease were also related to median or greater percentage reduction of triglyceride. In conclusion, only half of the study patients reached triglyceride levels <150 mg/dL after real-world fenofibrate therapy. This study indicates that more attention is needed on some subgroups to obtain optimal triglyceride levels when treating with fenofibrate.

The effects of hydrastine derivatives on dopamine biosynthesis in PC12 cells were investigated. Treatments of PC12 cells with (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine hydrochloride [(+)-beta-hydrastine HCl] and (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine [(-)-beta-hydrastine] showed 50.6 % and 33.1 % inhibition of dopamine content at a concentration of 10 microM for 48 h. However, (1S,9R)-beta-hydrastine [(+)-beta-hydrastine] and hydrastinine hydrochloride did not reduce dopamine content. The IC(50) values of (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine hydrochloride and (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine were 9.3 microM and 20.7 microM , respectively. Next, the intracellular mechanisms of (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine hydrochloride in PC12 cells were investigated. Dopamine content decreased at 6 h and reached a minimal level at 24 h after the exposure of PC12 cells to 20 microM (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine hydrochloride. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity was inhibited at 6 h following the treatment with (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine hydrochloride, and was maintained at a reduced level for up to 36 h in PC12 cells (17 - 27 % inhibition at 20 microM), whereas TH mRNA level was not found to alter for 24 h. However, the level of intracellular Ca++ concentration decreased by treatment with (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine hydrochloride at 20 microM by 18.4 % inhibition relative to the control level in PC12 cells. These results suggest that (1R,9S)-beta-hydrastine hydrochloride contributes partially to the decrease in dopamine content by the inhibition of TH activity in PC12 cells.

We propose an integrated geothermal system that consists of air-conditioning and hot water service ground source heat pumps, both of which share a ground water loop. The proposed system increases the COP of the service hot water ground source heat pump by recovering the condensation heat of the air-conditioning ground source heat pump as an evaporator heat source for the hot water service ground source heat pump. Eventually this integration expands the scope and capacity of the evaporator source in addition to the underground water of heat exchangers, which also leads to increase the COP of the air-conditioning ground source heat pump. The integrated geothermal heat pump system was installed in a hotel, and then data were measured for a limited period due to the hotel's ongoing business activities. A TRNSYS simulation model has been developed as a baseline, and the baseline has been calibrated with the measured data. By running one-year simulations, it turns out that the annual electricity use for heating and cooling, and service hot water was reduced by 19.1% in the cooling season, and by 9.6% in the heating season, with respect to the conventional configuration in which the air-conditioning heat pump and hot water service heat pump work individually on their own ground loops.

An integrated geothermal system in which heat pumps for air conditioning and hot water both share the same ground loop was proposed in our previous study. Although this system produced electricity savings of 15% compared to a conventional system in which the two heat pumps operated on their own ground loop, practical requirements regarding further lowering the operation cost of the integrated geothermal system and the possibility of the energy savings being low during winter initiated further investigation into potential energy conservation measures at no initial cost increase, if possible. Outdoor reset control for hot water supply and sequential heat pump operation, both of which could be included at no extra cost, were subsequently targeted as potential measures for greater electricity savings and economic feasibility. When these measures were incorporated into the integrated geothermal system, electricity savings of approximately 25% during the heating season compared to the conventional system were predicted. Eventually it led to annual electricity savings of about 25% compared to the conventional system, which is up to 9.6 million South Korean won a year at today’s rates. Additionally, it reached the break-even point earlier than one year after installation.