Search

This study aims to explore the expression of RORγt, BATF, and IL-17 in Chinese vitiligo patients with 308 nm excimer laser treatment. One hundred and sixty-four vitiligo patients treated with 308 nm excimer laser were enrolled as Case group and 137 health examiners as Control group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were conducted to detect the expressions of RORγt, BATF, and IL-17. Expression of RORγt, BATF, IL-17A, and IL-17F were higher in Case group than Control group, with the diagnostic accuracy of 88.04, 87.38, 97.34, and 89.04%, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation in RORγt, BATF, IL-17A, and IL-17F mRNAs in vitiligo patients. Moreover, their expressions were higher in active vitiligo patients than stable ones. Besides, the expressions of RORγt, BATF, IL-17A, and IL-17F in vitiligo skin were significantly higher than those in non lesional skin and normal controls. After treatment, their expressions were significantly decreased. Active vitiligo and the high expressions of RORγt, BATF, and IL-17F were the independent risk factors for the ineffectiveness of 308 nm excimer laser treatment. The expressions of RORγt, BATF, IL-17 were significantly enhanced in vitiligo patients, which were correlated with the activity of vitiligo and 308 nm excimer laser therapeutic effects.

Taiwan's machine tool industry is one of the few industries that do not depend on the support of foreign technologies. Nevertheless, it relies on the development of supplier networks among individual enterprises. This study clarifies the customer value creation mode of Taiwan's machine tool enterprises in a regional innovation system (RIS) by understanding the meaning of the value offered by suppliers to their customers and the dynamic development of value creation models across the boundaries of RIS. In this study, we use as dimensions the customer's perspective of value, the supplier–customer interaction, and particularly the customer involvement to derive the value creation theory. We propose four models of value creation, including a high degree of product standardization with standard recommendations to the customer; product customization with the customer entering into the supplier's process of achieving the customers' preferences; customers and suppliers co-working in a mutual business process to co-create solutions; and the supplier developing a better understanding of customer needs to provide optional solutions. This study demonstrates that four types of value creation have been evidenced in Taiwan's machine tool industry from the viewpoint of the customer, and each type of value creation has its respective environmental and workable conditions. When accompanied by various RIS factors such as customer value creation, this not only develops dynamic growth but also, to a certain degree, affects the growth in competitiveness of the region and its companies. In a highly customizing, flexible, and demanding environment, enhancing customers' value creation beyond their functional requirements while reducing the interaction costs associated with customization may be a challenge for a single enterprise; however, it may prove to present an opportunity to shift Taiwan's machine tools industry toward global competitiveness.

The aim of the present study was to assess the function of dermoscopy in evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of tacrolimus ointment plus 308-nm excimer laser combination therapy in patients with localized vitiligo. A total of 147 patients with localized vitiligo (progressive disease, n=92; stable period, n=55) were enrolled and received combination therapy for 12 weeks. The condition of the skin lesions was monitored by dermoscopy and visual observation. At the initial visit, skin lesions were observed in 61 progressive and 19 stable patients. Residual perifollicular pigmentation was more abundant in progressive-stage patients than in stable-stage patients, whereas the presence of perilesional hyperpigmentation was obviously lower in patients with progressive vitiligo. After 12 weeks of combination therapy, marked differences in residual perifollicular pigmentation were identified between the progressive- and stable-stage patients. Dermoscopy and visual observation indicated that the 12-week treatment efficacy in patients with progressive disease was significantly higher than in those with stable disease and that assessment by dermoscopy was superior to visual observation at 8 or 12 weeks of treatment. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the disease stage, vitiliginous areas and disease course were risk factors associated with the treatment efficacy of the combination therapy. In conclusion, dermoscopy may be used as an effective means of vitiligo therapy assessment to provide an accurate and scientific evaluation of treatment efficacy for localized vitiligo patients.

MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was first developed by Dr. Herbert Soule from a pleural effusion taken from a patient with metastatic breast cancer. This estrogen-responsive and estrogen receptor containing cell line can also express androgen, progesterone, glucocorticoid and retinoid receptors. It has been extensively used in identifying environmental estrogens and exploring the toxicity mechanisms, as well as the pathologic study and the disease treatment. This mini review article will focus on the development and application of MCF-7 cells in endocrine-disrupting area, especially in study of environmental estrogens.

Hypoxia is an inevitable consequence of many respiratory diseases resulting from inadequate alveolar ventilation. As pulmonary dysfunction is recently recognized as one of the many clinical features associated with diabetes, this study aims to investigate the effect of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes on hypoxia-induced lung injury.Mice were randomly allocated to four groups (Control, Hypoxia, Diabetes, Diabetes+Hypoxia). Control and type I diabetic (100 mg/kg STZ-treated) mice were followed for 4 weeks and finally exposed to normoxia or hypoxia (8% O2). Twelve hours later, lung tissues were collected for histopathologic examination, and determination of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 expression.STZ-induced diabetes aggravated histopathological changes in the lung exposed to acute hypoxia. Hypoxia increased lung MDA level but decreased T-AOC and SOD activity. STZ-induced diabetic mice presented significant increases in MDA level and SOD activity in the lung. Moreover, no difference was found in the levels of both oxidant index (MDA) and anti-oxidant indexes (T-AOC and SOD) between "Hypoxia" group and "Hypoxia plus Diabetes" group. On the other hand, STZ-induced diabetic mice presented significant increases in pulmonary neutrophil infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-6) production, as well as TLR4 expression. Although acute hypoxia alone had no significant effect on pulmonary inflammatory markers, it profoundly increased STZ-diabetes-induced neutrophil infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and TLR4 expression in lung tissues.STZ-induced diabetes may aggravate acute hypoxia-induced lung injury through enhancing pulmonary inflammatory responses.

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients have low self-care knowledge, poor self-care behavior, and powerlessness. Purpose: The authors designed this study to, first, understand the current state of first-year HD patients' self-care knowledge, self-care behavior, and powerlessness and, second, assess the effectiveness of an interactive multimedia CD educational intervention. Method: A quasi-experimental, repeated measures design, with intervention and comparison groups, was used. All subjects for this study were recruited from six dialysis centers in southern Taiwan. The three points for outcome testing included baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Research tools included an HD self-care knowledge questionnaire, an HD self-care behavioral questionnaire, a powerlessness questionnaire, and an interactive multimedia CD. Results: Results found that participants possessed insufficient knowledge, were incapable of completely achieving or comprehending routine self-care, and were affected by powerlessness. The interactive multimedia CD intervention effectively enhanced self-care knowledge (p＜.000) and self-care behavior (p＜.000) and improved powerlessness (p＜.000). Positive results persisted well after the conclusion of the intervention. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Participants in the intervention group had better self-care knowledge and behaviors and feeling of control over their lives than those in the control group. This illustrates the positive effects of the interactive multimedia CD. Results demonstrate the potential benefits of using the interactive multimedia CD with elderly patients in HD and nursing practice education.