Incontinentia pigmenti in a male infant and a proposed diagnostic algorithm.

It is extremely rare for males with incontinentia pigmenti to survive. We summarize a diagnostic evaluation protocol for such individuals to provide an explanation for male survival.

From Disability to Death: A 20-Year Follow-Up from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging.

BACKGROUND: In this study, factors associated with the duration of a disability before death in older adults who are moderately to severely disabled in Taiwan are investigated. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of older adults (65+) in 1996 who died before 2016 (n = 1139) were analyzed to calculate their disability status and the length of time they were disabled before death. RESULTS: The mean period during which the participants experienced moderate to severe disability before death for older adults in Taiwan was 5.53 years (SD = 3.15). Men who were overweight had an average of 1.17 more survival years (ßoverweight = 1.17, p < 0.05) as compared to those who were normal weight, and in the case of those who were cognitively impaired (SPMSQ ≤ 7), years of survival were decreased by an average of 1.70 years as compared to those who were cognitively intact before death (ßcognition = -1.70, p < 0.01). The aforementioned effects were independent of age. In women, the number of diseases was the most dominant independent correlate for survival years (ßdisease = -0.34, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Disability distribution at various time points before death among the elderly in Taiwan was revealed in the study. At 10 years before death, 93% of the elderly were free from any ADL disabilities, and only 4% reported more than three ADL disabilities. At 6 years before death, an average of 10% of the participants had more than three ADL disabilities, and at one year before death, moderate to severe disability increased to 38%. Factors associated with the survival years among those who were moderately to severely disabled showed distinct gender differences.

Analysis of changes in farm pond network connectivity in the peri-urban landscape of the Taoyuan area, Taiwan.

The farm pond system for irrigation is the most prominent feature in the Taoyuan area, Taiwan, giving the region a unique landscape and hydrological character. Although this area had more than 3,290 ponds in the 1970s, fewer than 1,800 now remain. This study analyzes changes in irrigation farm ponds and the canal network landscape in the Taoyuan area. The spatial and temporal changes to ponds and the canal network on the Taoyuan plain were examined graphically for each spatial unit (2,765 m × 2,525 m) using aerial photographs for 1979 and 2005. Landscape metrics were calculated to analyze landscape change associated with increased urbanization. Landscape indices of connectivity and circuitry were utilized to describe changes in the configuration of ponds and canal networks. The total length of canals and total number of ponds in the study area decreased significantly during 1979-2005. The average values of connectivity indices (γ- and α-index) also decreased during 1979-2005, reflecting degradation of canal networks due to urban sprawl. A multivariate technique was applied to portion the study area into three zones according to changes to land cover, ponds, and canal networks. The effects of urban sprawl on the spatial pattern of ponds and canal networks are discussed.

Liposomes/chitosan scaffold/human fibrin gel composite systems for delivering hydrophilic drugs--release behaviors of tirofiban in vitro.

A new liposomes/chitosan scaffold/human fibrin gel composite system (LCSHFG), as a depot drug delivery system, was developed to deliver low-molecular weight hydrophilic drugs. An antithrombosis drug, Tirofiban, was used as a model drug. Human fibrin gels encapsulated Tirofiban loaded liposomes were formed within chitosan scaffolds to configure the LCSHFG. The in vitro release behaviors of Tirofiban from LCSHFG were studied by characterizing the constituents of LCSHFG. The results show that the release periods of Tirofiban from LCSHFG with 50 microm pores in the chitosan scaffolds are generally 20% or longer more than those with 200 microm pores. The following results were obtained for the system that comprised 50 microm pores. The release periods of Tirofiban from LCSHFG loaded with stearylamine (SA)-liposomes can sustain 20% longer and significantly less burst release (p < 0.01, n = 3) than with liposomes. The release profiles of Tirofiban from LCSHFG change markedly when 0.5 and 2.5% glutaraldehyde is used to cross-link the system. Additionally, for all liposomes, the release periods of Tirofiban from cross-linked LCSHFG with 2.5% glutaraldehyde are 40% or more longer time (e.g., 19 days) with significantly less burst release (p < 0.01, n = 3) than those of noncrosslinked LCSHFG. Notably, the bioactivity of released Tirofiban from LCSHFG that is crosslinked by 2.5% glutaraldehyde effectively inhibits adenosine diphosphate inducing platelet aggregation. The work also suggests that LCSHFG may have potential as a depot drug delivery system for low-molecular-weight hydrophilic drugs.

A fibrin encapsulated liposomes-in-chitosan matrix (FLCM) for delivering water-soluble drugs. Influences of the surface properties of liposomes and the crosslinked fibrin network.

A depot drug delivery system, fibrin encapsulated liposome-in-chitosan matrix (FLCM), has been developed to deliver a water-soluble drug which is configured by a porous chitosan matrix containing a bovine fibrin network encapsulated different surface properties of liposomes. Quinacrine (QR), a water-soluble, low-molecular weight fluorescent marker, is used as a model drug to evaluate the delivery characteristics of the system. The SEM photographs show that the fibrin network adheres to the surfaces and pores of the chitosan matrix of a FLCM system. The QR release periods of the FLCM are sustained for about four times longer than those of QR encapsulated into the liposomes. However, the QR release periods and profiles of the FLCM are influenced by the surface properties of liposomes. The release of QR from FLCM is sustained for 9 days for neutral liposomes and only 5 days for PEG modified liposomes (PEG-liposome). After crosslinking the fibrin network of the FLCM with 0.5% of glutaldehyde, the release of QR is further sustained for 17 days with good linear profiles (e.g., 13 days) and with 50% of reduced burst release compared with those of without crosslinking, indicating that the stability of the fibrin network plays an important role on QR release of the system. More interestingly, the release periods and profiles of QR of the FLCM system are highly similar to those of Tirofiban, low-molecular weight of a water-soluble clinical cardiovascular drug, although the study has been done by human platelet poor plasma instead of bovine fibrinogen as a source of fibrin network. It suggests that the QR is a suitable model for investigating the drug delivery behaviors for water-soluble, low-molecular weight drugs of the FLCM. In conclusion, with QR as a model drug, FLCM with crosslinked fibrin network can effectively sustain the release of QR for 17 days but the release profiles are influenced by the surface properties of encapsulated liposomes. This study suggests that FLCM may have the potential as a depot drug delivery system for water-soluble drugs.