The lowest effective intensity of prophylactic anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Stroke prevention trials in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) mainly studied the use of warfarin in Caucasians, and the international normalized ratio (INR) was targeted in the range of 2-4. The result may not necessarily be applicable to other ethnic groups. This study aimed to determine the optimal intensity of anticoagulation for stroke prevention in Chinese patients.

Epileptic seizure after stroke in Chinese patients.

This was a hospital-based cohort study aiming at determining the occurrence rate of post-stroke seizures and the associated risk factors. From 27 July 1996 to 16 June 1998, the first 1000 consecutive patients in the acute stroke registry were retrospectively reviewed for one year after acute stroke to identify seizure occurrence. The demographic data, seizure onset time, seizure type, drug treatment, response to medication, electroencephalogram findings and cranial computed tomogram findings were collected.

Production of carboxylic acids from hydrolyzed corn meal by immobilized cell fermentation in a fibrous-bed bioreactor.

Corn meal hydrolyzed with amylases was used as the carbon source for producing acetic, propionic, and butyric acids via anaerobic fermentations. In this study, corn meal, containing 75% (w/w) starch, 20% (w/w) fibers, and 1.5% (w/w) protein, was first hydrolyzed using amylases at 60 degrees C.