One in six couples wishing to start a family are infertile. The many causes of infertility include genetic defects that can be single gene, multifactorial or chromosomal (including Y deletions, karyotype abnormalities and gamete aneuploidy). This thesis is concerned with the association between infertility and increased sperm aneuploidy. Specific questions are: should males be screened for sperm aneuploidy before intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)? Is there a relationship between individual semen parameters and sperm aneuploidy for specific chromosome pairs? What is the role of genome organisation in male gametes and its association with infertility? Whether use of alternative therapy (in this case, traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)) can be used to improve sperm disomy levels. Statistical analysis of questionnaire data revealed that infertility specialists believed there to be merit in screening sperm aneuploidy levels before ICSI. Evidence is presented for possible chromosome-specific and semen parameter specific mechanisms for sperm aneuploidy as is evidence of genome organisation that may be perturbed in infertile males. Finally, in six males studied, sperm aneuploidy levels improved significantly coincident with TCM. Closer investigation of the biological activity of individual therapeutic herbs and treatment cocktails revealed strong anti-oestrogenic and anti-oxidant properties. This suggests a possible mechanism of action of the herbs and provides the basis from which future placebo controlled clinical trials might continue. Possible criticisms of the work presented here include the unavailability of blood samples from many of the patients (thus preventing karyotype analysis) and the absence of a second control group in our studies on semen parameters. Nevertheless significant steps have been made towards establishing the need for, and the implementation of, a pre-ICSI screening test. Moreover progress has been made towards further understanding the aetiology of sperm aneuploidy and towards the implementation of a new treatment that may, ultimately, augment, or even replace ICSI.

Natural bioactive compounds have drawn the interest of many researchers worldwide in their effort to find novel treatments, including prostate cancer (PC) treatment which is estimated to be 13.1% of all new cancer cases in the U.S. in 2021. Many of these bioactive compounds have been identified from treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), that often have multiple bioactive compounds present. However, in vitro studies frequently focus on the compounds in isolation, or in simple combinations of two compounds. We used mixture design response surface methodology (MDRSM) to assess changes in PC cell viability after 48 hours of treatment to identify the optimal mixture of all 35 three-compound combinations of seven bioactive compounds from TCM. We used Berberine, Wogonin, Shikonin, Curcumin, Triptolide, Emodin, and Silybin to treat PC-3, DU145, and LNCaP human PC cells, and a drug-resistant PC-3 cell line. Berberine and Wogonin most frequently contributed to the optimal combination to reduce cell viability in PC-3 and LNCaP cells; DU145 cells more frequently responded best to a single compound.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been common practice for many years, and part of the treatment plan of several million patients in the world. This includes areas such as Great Britain, USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland and China. However, its possibilities in the territory of the Czech Republic are limited and insufficiently mapped (the area of practicing TCM for non-medical education practitioners). The thesis analyzes the current situation of doctors and practitioners applying TCM in the territory of the Czech Republic compared to other countries where TCM has been successfully established within the health system for many years. It also aims to find out how doctors and practitioners advocate their focus, what reasons they present for treatment with the TCM and how they deal with the criticism of their colleagues from the West. The work will include findings on why conventional physicians are heading towards Eastern medicine. Due to the debate of the topic, the thesis will continue to deal with the legislative anchoring of TCM in the laws of the Czech Republic and the world. The theoretical part of the thesis presents basic concepts related to the history and philosophy of the TCM. It also describes methods of diagnostics, treatment and pillars that the TCM supports...

本研究在探討中藥產業價值鏈的價值活動中因為：(1)科技的進步；(2)醫療觀念的改變；(3)政府政策及法規的制定；(4)市場需求的擴大等四個外在因素的變動影響而促成中藥產業的新價值鏈形成。 　　在新價值鏈的價值活動切割考量，我們以(1)群聚效應；(2)關鍵因素效應～①不可或缺性；②資金障礙；③技術障礙；(3)蛙跳效應；(4)規模經濟效應等四個價值效應來作為切割的依據。主要的考量是因為價值鏈中的價值程度是因立場不同而有變動的。所以若由整個產業以俯瞰的角度，價值鏈切割應有產業想具有的價值存在才是，因此本研究以這四個效應來做切割依據。 　　新舊價值鏈的分析研究中，我們可以發現由於技術的演進、市場的成熟度、法規限制的破除都尚未有突破的情形下，舊中藥產業價值鏈中的研發一直是被忽略的，有的也是一些零星的基礎研究，而一些次要價值鏈中的價值活動其實是可以突顯的，如保鮮配送及全球行銷也都沒而不顯。直到因外在因素的衝擊下，新價值鏈形成時，這些價值活動也都因環境因素成熟而顯得重要。至此一個完整的新的產業價值鏈形成，使進入者或轉型者也可以在此產業價值鏈中挑取符合本身能耐的價值活動涉入參與。 　　接著本研究以新價值鏈的價值活動作SWOT分析時，本研究得出(1)種源資料庫；(2)藥用植物栽植；(3)飲片炮製；(4)製程及研發為台灣中藥產業可著力切入的價值活動。並以此建議政府及傳統中藥製造廠未來的發展方向。 　　值此關鍵變動之際，希望本研究能給予台灣中藥產業界在轉型或欲往專業分工的路線發展時，能有一個實際有效的參考準則。 / This study tried to find some changes in environment that formed the new value chain in TCM industry. The changes are, 　　1.biotechnological breakthrough, 　　2.change of therapeutic concept, 　　3.settlement of new recognition standard of rules by government, 　　4.increasing market demand. 　　As we segmented the new value chain in TCM industry into several value activities, we considered the following effects : 　　1.cluster effect, 　　2.barrier effect such as indispensable, capital, and technology, 　　3.frog-leap effect, 　　4.economic scale effect. 　　This study also discovered a finding that was neglected by most participants in TCM industry. Some value activities like logistic, global marketing are becoming more and more important in the new TCM value chain. Every participant who knows his own core competence will select the most suitable part of the new TCM value chain to enter. 　　Then, the study applied SWOT analysis to analyze every new TCM value activity in Taiwan. The finding from the SWOT analysis is that there are four new TCM value activities that can be focal development in Taiwan. The four new TCM value activities are, 　　1.date base settlement of TCM species, 　　2.planting and growing ways of TCM herb, 　　3.standard of raw material made for TCM, 　　4.R&D and manufacturing process improvement. 　　Hopefully, the study can give practical suggestions to TCM participants or new entrants in Taiwan in the transition.