A Multicriteria Analysis on the Strategies to Open Taiwan's Mobile Virtual Network Operators Services

[[abstract]]This study investigates the trends followed by MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) in the last three years and analyzes the strategies that can contribute to the success of Taiwan's telecommunications industry and marketing. We apply the method and concept of PATTERN (Planning Assistance Through Technical Evaluation of Relevance Number) to establish relevant systems for searching out the key successful factors of strategies to attract MVNOs. We also use the fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method for analyzing the different preference of a decision group in the criteria weights and for ranking the alternatives in a fuzzy environment in order to provide a strategy scheme. These results provide a reference to assist telecommunications operators, 3G license owners, potential MVNOs, and equipment manufacturers when working out business plans.[[incitationindex]]SCI[[booktype]]紙

A MULTICRITERIA ANALYSIS ON THE STRATEGIES TO OPEN TAIWAN'S MOBILE VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATORS SERVICES

This study investigates the trends followed by MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) in the last three years and analyzes the strategies that can contribute to the success of Taiwan's telecommunications industry and marketing. We apply the method and concept of PATTERN (Planning Assistance Through Technical Evaluation of Relevance Number) to establish relevant systems for searching out the key successful factors of strategies to attract MVNOs. We also use the fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method for analyzing the different preference of a decision group in the criteria weights and for ranking the alternatives in a fuzzy environment in order to provide a strategy scheme. These results provide a reference to assist telecommunications operators, 3G license owners, potential MVNOs, and equipment manufacturers when working out business plans.Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), Mobile Network Operator (MNO), Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), telecommunications

Factors associated with delayed pediatric hypospadias surgery in Taiwan: A population-based, nationwide analysis

Current guidelines recommend that hypospadias repair should be performed before age 18 months. This study aims to investigate the trends of surgical timing and to determine what factors are associated with age at surgery. Methods: The present study utilized a subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database, known as Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, which contains the data of all paid medical benefit claims over the period from 1997 to 2007 for a subset of one million beneficiaries randomly drawn from the population of 22.72 million individuals in NHI program during any part of calendar year 2005. We analyzed claims data for all subjects with the diagnoses of hypospadias. Results: Among 52,705 live male newborns, 218 were diagnosed with hypospadias and thus were included as subjects in our study. Among them, 89 received repair surgery. Approximately 60.6% of the study subjects received repair after the age of 18 months. Multivariate analysis showed that several factors were significantly associated with age at hypospadias surgery: specialty of clinics where first diagnosis was made; specialty of physician making the first diagnosis, age of physician making the first diagnosis; specialty of surgeon performing the surgery; number of years since surgeon's board certification; urbanization level of subject's residence; modality of surgery; concomitant cryptorchidism; concomitant prematurity and low birth weight; age at diagnosis; and number of well-baby clinic visits. Conclusion: This study addresses an important issue of delayed hypospadias surgery in Taiwan, which provides a potential opportunity for improvement in quality of care

<i>Graptopetalum paraguayense</i> Inhibits Liver Fibrosis by Blocking TGF-β Signaling In Vivo and In Vitro

Background and Aims: Liver fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, including collagen, which occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases. Advanced liver fibrosis results in cirrhosis, liver failure, and portal hypertension. Activated hepatic perivascular stellate cells, portal fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts of bone marrow origin have been identified as major collagen-producing cells in the injured liver. These cells are activated by fibrogenic cytokines, such as TGF-&#946;1. The inhibition of TGF-&#946;1 function or synthesis is a major target for the development of antifibrotic therapies. Our previous study showed that the water and ethanol extracts of Graptopetalum paraguayense (GP), a Chinese herbal medicine, can prevent dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in rats. Methods: We used rat hepatic stellate HSC-T6 cells and a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced rat liver injury model to test the potential mechanism of GP extracts and its fraction, HH-F3. Results: We demonstrated that GP extracts and HH-F3 downregulated the expression levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and inhibited the proliferation and migration via suppression of the TGF-&#946;1 pathway in rat hepatic stellate HSC-T6 cells. Moreover, the HH-F3 fraction decreased hepatic collagen content and reduced plasma AST, ALT, and &#947;-GT activities in a DEN-induced rat liver injury model, suggesting that GP/HH-F3 has hepatoprotective effects against DEN-induced liver fibrosis. Conclusion: These findings indicate that GP/HH-F3 may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of liver fibrosis. The inhibition of TGF-&#946;-mediated fibrogenesis may be a central mechanism by which GP/HH-F3 protects the liver from injury

Stromal induction of BRD4 phosphorylation Results in Chromatin Remodeling and BET inhibitor Resistance in Colorectal Cancer

10.1038/s41467-021-24687-4Nature Communications121444