Trend in seroprevalence of HTLV-1/2 in Taiwanese blood donors-A 10-year follow-up.

Objectives: This study evaluated the Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) screening policy impact on the HTLV seroprevalence from 2009 to 2018 as well as the differences between administrative districts in terms of prevalence distribution in Taiwan.

Background: Since February 1996, the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation (TBSF) had conducted HTLV screening of blood donors. The HTLV seroprevalence was 0.

Dengue Virus Ribonucleic Acid Detection Rates in Blood Donors Correlate With Local Infection Incidences During a Dengue Outbreak in Taiwan.

Background: Evidence for mitigation of transfusion-transmitted dengue informed by surveillance data is lacking. In this study, we evaluated the risk of positive dengue viral (DENV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) from blood transfusions during a large outbreak in Taiwan.

Methods: Serum collected from blood donors living in districts experiencing the dengue epidemic were tested for DENV RNA using a qualitative transcription-mediated nucleic acid amplification assay (TMA).

Predictors for Early Identification of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can cause permanent liver damage and hepatocellular carcinoma, and deaths related to HCV deaths have recently increased. Chronic HCV infection is often undiagnosed such that the virus remains infective and transmissible. Identifying HCV infection early is essential for limiting its spread, but distinguishing individuals who require further HCV tests is very challenging.

Risk factors of sensitization to human leukocyte antigen in end-stage renal disease patients.

Background: Pre-sensitization to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is closely related to the prognosis of renal transplantation. Concerning the risk factors for HLA sensitization, most studies focused only on selected transplant candidates.

Methods: All patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in a single teaching hospital and a group of healthy subjects were enrolled for the tests of panel-reactive antibodies (PRA).

Preparation of curcumin microemulsions with food-grade soybean oil/lecithin and their cytotoxicity on the HepG2 cell line.

The choice of surfactants and cosurfactants for preparation of oral formulation in microemulsions is limited. In this report, a curcumin-encapsulated phospholipids-based microemulsion (ME) using food-grade ingredients soybean oil and soybean lecithin to replace ethyl oleate and purified lecithin from our previous study was established and compared. The results indicated soybean oil is superior to ethyl oleate as the oil phase in curcumin microemulsion, as proven by the broadened microemulsion region with increasing range of surfactant/soybean oil ratio (approx.

Low accuracy of the national reporting system of acute hepatitis C infection in Taiwan, 1995-2004.

Background And Aim: This study attempted to clarify accuracy of acute hepatitis C (AHC) and its clinical characteristics.

Methods: We reviewed 632 reported cases from national surveillance data of the Taiwan Center for Disease Control between 1995 and 2004, and reclassified diagnoses. A definite case was defined as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 10 x the upper limit of normal (ULN) with seroconversion of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV).

Papulolinear collagenoma with arborizing arrangement: report of a case.

Connective tissue nevi of collagen type are now classified in four major subtypes. In addition to the clinicopathological features of papulolinear collagenoma, which is considered as a variant of isolated collagen harmatoma, the case we present has a unique arborizing pattern.

Towards the short-wavelength limit lasing at 1450 nm over 4I13/2 ? 4I15/2 transition in silica-based erbium-doped fiber.

The transition rate of the stimulated emission at the higher energy levels of the excited states in a silica-based erbium-doped fiber can be enhanced by introducing fundamental-mode cutoff filtering mechanism. The electrons excited by optical pumping can more occupy the higher energy levels of the excited states when the transition rate for the lower energy levels (longer wavelengths) of the excited states is substantially suppressed. The achieved lasing wavelength can thus be moving toward the shorter wavelengths of the gain bandwidth.

Double-pass high-gain low-noise EDFA over S- and C+L-bands by tunable fundamental-mode leakage loss.

We demonstrate a high-gain low-noise double-pass tunable EDFA over S- and C+L-bands by discretely introducing fundamental-mode leakage loss in a 16-m-long standard C-band Er(3+)-doped fiber. The amplified spontaneous emission at the wavelengths of longer than 1530 nm can be substantially attenuated by the ASE suppressing filters to maintain high population inversion and to squeeze out the optical gain for S-band signals. When the filters are disabled, the gain bandwidth immediately returns back to the C+L-bands.