Evaluation of the timing of using direct oral anticoagulants after ischemic stroke for patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background And Objective: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are prescribed oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention; however, no evidence indicates that the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in the first few days after ischemic stroke (IS) would result in favorable outcomes. This study evaluated the association between the timing of using DOACs after IS and their effectiveness and safety to determine the optimal timing.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the electronic medical records of Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Consumption of vitamin D2 enhanced mushrooms is associated with improved bone health.

Mushrooms are the best nonanimal food source of vitamin D2. Pulsed irradiation can enhance vitamin D2 in mushrooms quickly. We investigated the effect of supplementing high vitamin D2Pleurotus ferulae mushrooms in a mouse model of osteoporosis.

An NMR metabolomic study on the effect of alendronate in ovariectomized mice.

Alendronate sodium (Fosamax) is most widely used for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. It is a type of anti-resorptive agent that reduces the risk of fractures by changing bone turnover and bone mineral density. We investigated the effect of Fosamax on a mouse model of osteoporosis.

Chemical composition and nutritional and medicinal value of fruit bodies and submerged cultured mycelia of culinary-medicinal higher Basidiomycetes mushrooms.

This research gives the results of a proximate analysis (moisture, ash, crude protein, fat, total carbohydrates, and total energy); a bioactive compounds analysis (γ-aminobutyric acid [GABA], ergothioneine, lovastatin, and cordycepin); fatty acid and amino acid analysis; and an analysis of macro- and microelement content of fruit bodies and mycelia of 15 higher Basidiomycetes medicinal mushroom strains belonging to 12 species. The results obtained demonstrate that almost all investigated mushrooms were found to be good sources of proteins and carbohydrates, with content varying in the ranges of 8.6-42.

Effectiveness of 2 rotavirus vaccines against rotavirus disease in Taiwanese infants.

Background: Two rotavirus (RV) vaccines (Rotarix and RotaTeq) are available on the private market in Taiwan, but are not recommended for routine use. We examined RV vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe RV acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among Taiwanese infants to inform policymakers on the potential benefits of national RV vaccine introduction.

Methods: From May 2009 to April 2011, a case-control assessment of VE against severe RV AGE was conducted at 3 hospital-based surveillance sites in Taiwan.

Comparative study of contents of several bioactive components in fruiting bodies and mycelia of culinary-medicinal mushrooms.

Mushrooms (including fruiting bodies and mycelia) contain several bioactive components such as lovastatin, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and ergothioneine. This article reports the results of 49 samples, including 9 fruiting bodies, 39 mycelia, and 1 vegetative cell, of 35 species of culinary-medicinal mushrooms from 18 genera: Agaricus, Agrocybe, Coprinus, Cordyceps, Cyathus, Daedalia, Flammulina, Fomes, Ganoderma, Grifola, Laetiporus, Lentinus, Morchella, Ophiocordyceps, Pleurotus, Trametes, Tremella, and Verpa. The results show that Cyathus striatus strain 978 contained the highest amount of lovastatin (995.

Re-examination of chromogenic quantitative assays for determining flavonoid content.

Flavonoids in plants have gained worldwide attention because of their benefits for human health. This study compared three analytical procedures commonly used for determining flavonoid content in plant samples in terms of chromogenic relationships and the reaction products of different flavonoid structures by means of using flavonoid standards with flavone, flavonol, flavanone, flavanol, and isoflavone and analytes such as phenolic acids commonly found in plant extracts. Procedure A produced a stable color reaction between 3-hydroxy-4-keto-flavonoids (flavonols) and 5-hydroxyflavones and was highly sensitive.

Usage of the claim database of national health insurance programme for analysis of cisapride-erythromycin co-medication in Taiwan.

Purpose: This study aimed to use the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan for risk analysis of concomitant use of cisapride and erythromycin.

Methods: The sample consisted of subjects identified in the Outpatient Sampling Database (OSD) and Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID 2000), derived from the original claim data of the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan.

Results: According to the LHID 2000, a total of 464 individuals experienced 685 episodes of cisapride-erythromycin co-medication prescribed by 295 physicians, revealing a prevalence of 4.

Changes before and after a policy to restrict antimicrobial usage in upper respiratory infections in Taiwan.

The Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) of Taiwan issued a new reimbursement regulation effective from 1 February 2001 forbidding the use of antimicrobials in ambulatory patients with upper respiratory infections (URI) without evidence of bacterial infection. We evaluated the effect of this regulation by analysing changes in the types of infections diagnosed and the amount of antibiotics prescribed in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Between 1999 and 2001, antimicrobials for respiratory infections decreased from 18.

Antimicrobial usage in ambulatory patients with respiratory infections in Taiwan, 2001.

Background And Purpose: Excess use of antimicrobials by ambulatory patients is a determinant of antimicrobial resistance. This study investigated the types of illnesses for which antimicrobials were prescribed and the amounts prescribed with special emphasis on respiratory infections for the year in which the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) enforced a policy to restrict antimicrobials for upper respiratory infections. The number of ambulatory patients seen and the types of ambulatory facilities in Taiwan were also described.