Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Review
Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of polysaccharides from Antrodia cinnamomea: A review.
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 anticancer 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 anticancer effects.
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Round spermatid injection (ROSI) into oocytes offers men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) the opportunity to have biological offspring in cases where mature spermatozoa are not detected. However, the clinical outcomes of ROSI remain poor. This study compared the outcomes of ROSI with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and investigated 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. Anastrozole may improve the outcomes of ROSI into oocytes. Further studies evaluating the effect of anastrozole administration on ROSI outcomes are warranted.
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Limited knowledge exists regarding the interrelations between sleep quality and resilience within the demographic of healthy, community-residing middle-aged and older adults, with a particular dearth of information regarding sex-specific associations. This study aimed to examine the sex-specific associations between sleep quality, resilience, and biomarkers in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. ⋯ This study highlights the association between sleep quality and resilience in older adults. Good sleep quality is related to better resilience, but greater depressive symptoms are also linked to poorer resilience in both sexes. Nevertheless, the low habitual sleep efficiency and frequent use of sleeping medications in women but not men with poor sleep quality highlight the need to explore sex-specific approaches to address the interplay of sleep quality, resilience, and other factors (such as depressive symptoms) in healthy aging.
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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. ⋯ People in Taiwan who participated in the survey had a relatively positive impression of and experience with TCMs, but there were still some knowledge gaps that need to be filled with additional information. It is essential to strengthen the publicity and education about TCMs and improve the public's understanding and correct use of TCMs.
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The literature has mainly focused on the association between tooth loss and dementia, and evidence regarding the separate and joint effects of tooth loss and denture use on the risk of dementia is limited. This study investigated the links among tooth loss, denture use, and dementia risk in Taiwanese adults aged 65 years or older. ⋯ This study found that having <20 natural teeth and not using dentures was significantly associated with an increased risk of dementia in Taiwanese individuals aged 65 years or above.