A Study on Factors Affecting the Abstention of Drug Abuse in Private Rehabilitation Institutes in Taiwan — Operation Dawn Taiwan as an Example

The purpose of this study is to understand problems of the abstention of drug abuse in Taiwan. Comparing the model of Operation Dawn Taiwan with that of the government’s official rehabilitation institutes, this paper aims to identify advantages and disadvantages of the model in private institutes. The opinions of all inmates and tutors in Operation Dawn Taiwan, the biggest private rehabilitation institute in Taiwan, were collected via questionnaires. This study’s findings show that factors of relapse for a drug abuser after leaving rehabilitation institutes include: 1) the enticement from drug fellows; 2) incapability to resist the allure of drugs; 3) unemployment or hindrances to job-finding; 4) psychological depression; and 5) his/her desire for drugs. Inmates and tutors hold the same opinion on all models of the abstention of drug abuse. Specific suggestions of the abstention of drug abuse in Taiwan will also be discussed in this paper. Finally, inmates consider that career planning has significant positive correlations with abstention

Effect of Different Deposition Power of In 2

The (In, Ga, Zn)Ox (IGZO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates using cosputtering method in radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. Zn2Ga2O5 (Ga2O3-2 ZnO, GZO) and In2O3 ceramics were used as targets and dual guns were used to deposit the IGZO thin films. Deposition power of GZO target was 80 W and deposition power of pure In2O3 target was changed from 70 W to 100 W, and the deposition time was 30 min. The effect of deposition power of In2O3 target on the crystalline, surface, electrical, and optical properties of the IGZO thin films was investigated at room temperature in a pure Ar atmosphere. The cosputtered IGZO thin films showed a very smooth and featureless surface and an amorphous structure regardless of the deposition power of In2O3 target due to the room temperature sputtering process. However, the cosputtered IGZO thin films exhibited transparent electrode properties because they had high transmittance ratio and low resistivity. The value variations in the optical band gap (Eg) values of the IGZO thin film were evaluated from the plots of (αhν)2=c(hν-Eg). We would also show that the deposition power of In2O3 target would have a large effect on mobility and Eg value of the IGZO thin films

Purification and Identification of an ACE-Inhibitory Peptide from Gracilaria tenuistipitata Protein Hydrolysates

Edible marine species are valuable sources of bioactive peptides. This study investigated the ACE-inhibitory activity of protein hydrolysates from the red algae Gracilaria tenuistipitata. Fifteen groups of protein hydrolysates were prepared by a two-step enzymatic hydrolysis of G. tenuistipitata: initial hydrolysis with several glycolytic enzymes, followed by three separate proteolytic reactions (Alcalase, Neutrase and Flavourzyme) for 2–10 h. Results showed that the hydrolysate GTN4H had the highest ACE-inhibitory activity in vitro. Furthermore, oral administration of GTN4H significantly reduced systolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Fraction A derived from GTN4H displayed the highest ACE-inhibitory activity among fractions. Further purification of fraction A by RP-HPLC obtained a purified peptide (MW: 1776 Da) with 17 amino acids and 95.4% ACE-inhibitory activity

<i>HSD3B1</i> Expression Is Upregulated by Interleukin 4 in HT-29 Colon Cancer Cells via Multiple Signaling Pathways

3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase is essential for the synthesis of active steroid hormones. Interleukin 4 (IL4) induces the expression of HSD3B1 in various human cancer cell lines. Here, we demonstrated that administration of IL4 to an HT-29 colon cancer cell line induced high expression of HSD3B1 at the mRNA and protein levels. In the HT-29 cells, IL4 stimulated the activity of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) and promoted its binding to the STAT6-binding site in the HSD3B1 promoter. The STAT6 inhibitor significantly suppressed HSD3B1 induction by IL4 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, inhibition of the PI3-kinase/AKT pathway strongly suppressed the IL4-induced HSD3B1 expression. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), a downstream target of AKT, had a stimulatory effect on the IL4-induced HSD3B1 expression. However, IL4 stimulated the phosphorylation of AKT, which inhibited the GSK3 activity at the early stage. Hence, GSK3 potentiated the HSD3B1 levels at the late stage of the IL4 stimulation. Additionally, inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERK1/2 and p38, but not of JNK, partly reduced the HSD3B1 expression following the IL4 stimulation. We further demonstrated that IL4 potently promoted steroid synthesis. Our results indicate that IL4 induces HSD3B1 expression via multiple signaling pathways in HT-29 cells and may play a role in the regulation of steroid synthesis

Epidemiological characterization and prognostic factors in patients with confirmed cerebral cryptococcosis in central Taiwan

AbstractBackgroundCryptococcal meningitis is a deadly fungal infection. This study aimed to characterize the epidemiology of cerebral cryptococcosis and to define its prognostic factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study collected clinical information from cryptococcal meningitis patients with confirmed cerebral cryptococcosis from 2006 to 2012 at the Changhua Christian Healthcare System to access prognostic factors.ResultsFifty-nine adult cryptococcal meningitis patients were studied. The incidence at Changhua Christian Healthcare System was approximately 170 episodes per 100,000 patients within the studied period. Forty-one of 59 cryptococcal meningitis patients developed complications. Overall, 12 of 59 patients died, for a three-month mortality rate of 20.3 %. Prognostic factors positively associated with the three-month mortality included age (>55 years), patient delay, prolonged delay by the doctor in administering antifungal agent therapy, duration of intensive care unit stay, chronic lung disease, cryptococcemia, headache, altered mental status, positive blood cultures, and high cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure (>250 mm H2O).ConclusionsWe strongly recommend early administration of an antifungal agent to each suspected cryptococcal meningitis patient to decrease both the delay by doctors in administering therapy and the mortality risk. Aggressive and supportive care for severe cryptococcal meningitis patients is critical to decrease overall mortality from this infection.</sec