Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Antrodia cinnamomea (Ac), also known as "Niu-Chang-Chih" in Chinese, is a valuable fungus that has been widely used as medicine and food among indigenous people in Taiwan. Ac is rich in polysaccharides (Ac-PS), making it a promising candidate for adjunctive therapy in cancer and inflammation conditions. There are two types of Ac-PS: general (non-sulfated) PS (Ac-GPS) and sulfated PS (Ac-SPS). ⋯ Clinically, Ac-GPS has been used as an adjunctive therapy for advanced lung cancer, as noted in recent reports. However, given the numerous studies emphasizing its anti-cancer mechanisms, Ac-SPS may exhibit greater efficacy, warranting further investigation. This review concludes that Ac-derived Ac-GPS or Ac-SPS have the potential to be developed into functional health supplements or adjunctive therapies, providing dual benefits of anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.
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Round spermatid injection (ROSI) into oocytes offers men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) the opportunity to have biological offspring in cases where mature spermatozoa are not detected. However, the clinical outcomes of ROSI remains poor. This study compares the outcomes of ROSI with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and investigates the effect of hormonal pretreatment. ⋯ ROSI demonstrated fertilization and implantation rates comparable to those of ICSI for male patient with NOA undergoing testicular sperm extraction surgery. Further studies evaluating the effect of anastrozole administration on ROSI outcomes are warrant.
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Metastatic melanoma of the ampulla of Vater is rare. The purpose of this study was to summarize the characteristics and outcomes of metastatic melanoma in the ampulla of Vater and highlight the impact of surgery on the prognosis of patients with metastatic melanoma. ⋯ Given the availability of effective systemic therapies, metastatic melanoma of the ampulla of Vater does not necessarily preclude major surgeries.
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Accurate age estimation is vital in forensic medicine and clinical dentistry. The Demirjian method is commonly used for this purpose, but its applicability to Asian individuals is understudied. The present study evaluated the accuracy of dental age (DA) estimation for Taiwanese children by using the Demirjian, Williems, and modified Demirjian methods, comparing these estimates to those of chronological age (CA) based on panoramic X-ray images. ⋯ The effectiveness of predictive methods varies across ethnicities, and therefore, region-specific formulas are required. For Taiwanese children, the Williems method predicts CA most accurately. This study contributes to the fields of legal medicine and clinical dentistry by demonstrating the accuracy of DA in predicting CA.
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Despite numerous surveys on traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and their impact on people in Taiwan, only a few directly assessed the perspectives of the users and their experiences with the practice. In this study, we aimed to explore the attitudes, experiences, and understanding of TCMs, and also to identify the TCMs that are commonly preferred among people in Taiwan. ⋯ The people in Taiwan who participated in the survey had a relatively positive impression of and experience with TCMs, but there were still some cognitive blind spots that need to be filled. It is essential to strengthen the publicity and education about TCMs and improve the public's understanding and correct use of TCMs.