Construction and evaluation of DNA vaccine encoding Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus nucleocapsid protein, glycoprotein N-terminal and C-terminal fused with LAMP1.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) can cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and is mainly transmitted by ticks. There is no effective vaccine for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) at present. We developed three DNA vaccines encoding CCHFV nucleocapsid protein (NP), glycoprotein N-terminal (Gn) and C-terminal (Gc) fused with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) and assessed their immunogenicity and protective efficacy in a human MHC (HLA-A11/DR1) transgenic mouse model.

Student Behavior Recognition System for the Classroom Environment Based on Skeleton Pose Estimation and Person Detection.

Human action recognition has attracted considerable research attention in the field of computer vision, especially for classroom environments. However, most relevant studies have focused on one specific behavior of students. Therefore, this paper proposes a student behavior recognition system based on skeleton pose estimation and person detection.

Air Pollution Is Associated with Cognitive Deterioration of Alzheimer's Disease.

Introduction: Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. Alz-heimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia among the elderly, has great impact on the health-care system of developed nations. Several risk factors are suggestive of an increased risk of AD, including APOE-ε4, male, age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and low social engagement.

Application of DynaCT angiographic reconstruction in balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

Objectives: To investigate the feasibility and accuracy of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) using DynaCT angiographic reconstruction guidance.

Methods: Thirty-four BPAs (23 CTEPH patients) targeting 175 pulmonary arteries were included. Eleven BPAs (2D group) were guided by DSA two-dimensional angiography.

Quantifying source apportionment for ambient haze: An image haze extraction approach with air quality monitoring data.

The annual average concentration of fine particles (PM) in Taiwan has been decreasing yearly. However, ambient haze has not abated and visibility is still poor. This study proposes a method for quantifying the source apportionment of ambient haze from various constituents, namely measured PM, moisture, and secondary organic aerosols (SOA, represented by the sum of measured O and NO levels).

Hantavirus Gc induces long-term immune protection via LAMP-targeting DNA vaccine strategy.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) occurs widely throughout Eurasia. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment, and prophylaxis remains the best option against the major pathogenic agent, hantaan virus (HTNV), which is an Old World hantavirus. However, the absence of cellular immune responses and immunological memory hampers acceptance of the current inactivated HFRS vaccine.

In-Cell Western Assays to Evaluate Hantaan Virus Replication as a Novel Approach to Screen Antiviral Molecules and Detect Neutralizing Antibody Titers.

Hantaviruses encompass rodent-borne zoonotic pathogens that cause severe hemorrhagic fever disease with high mortality rates in humans. Detection of infectious virus titer lays a solid foundation for virology and immunology researches. Canonical methods to assess viral titers rely on visible cytopathic effects (CPE), but Hantaan virus (HTNV, the prototype hantavirus) maintains a relatively sluggish life cycle and does not produce CPE in cell culture.

Incorporation of GM-CSF or CD40L Enhances the Immunogenicity of Hantaan Virus-Like Particles.

A safe and effective Hantaan virus (HTNV) vaccine is highly desirable because HTNV causes an acute and often fatal disease (hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, HFRS). Since the immunity of the inactivated vaccine is weak and the safety is poor, HTNV virus-like particles (VLPs) offer an attractive and safe alternative. These particles lack the viral genome but are perceived by the immune system as virus particles.

Screening and Identification of an H-2K-Restricted CTL Epitope within the Glycoprotein of Hantaan Virus.

The cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response plays a key role in controlling viral infection, but only a few epitopes within the HTNV glycoprotein (GP) that are recognized by CTLs have been reported. In this study, we identified one murine HTNV GP-derived H2-K-restricted CTL epitope in C57BL/6 mice, which could be used to design preclinical studies of vaccines for HTNV infection. First, 15 8-mer peptides were selected from the HTNV GP amino acid sequence based on a percentile rank of <=1% by IEDB which is the most comprehensive collection of epitope prediction and analysis tool.

Recombinant DNA vaccine of Hantavirus Gn and LAMP1 induced long-term immune protection in mice.

Background: Prophylaxis is widely adopted the best choice against Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by Hantavirus. However, loss of memory immune response maintenance remains as major shortcoming in current HFRS vaccine. A recombinant DNA vaccine, pVAX-LAMP/Gn was previously proved efficient, requiring long-term evaluations.

Statin use after intracerebral hemorrhage: a 10-year nationwide cohort study.

Introduction: Although statin therapy is beneficial to patients with ischemic stroke, statin use, and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remain a concern. ICH survivors commonly have comorbid cardiovascular risk factors that would otherwise warrant cholesterol-lowering medication, thus emphasizing the importance of assessing the characteristics of statin therapy in this population.

Methods: We performed a cohort study by using 10 years of data collected from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.

Early Statin Use and the Progression of Alzheimer Disease: A Total Population-Based Case-Control Study.

The protective effect of statin on Alzheimer disease (AD) is still controversial, probably due to the debate about when to start the use of statin and the lack of any large-scale randomized evidence that actually supports the hypothesis. The purpose of this study was to examine the protective effect of early statin use on mild-to-moderate AD in the total Taiwanese population.This was a total population-based case-control study, using the total population of Taiwanese citizens seen in general medical practice; therefore, the findings can be applied to the general population.

Long-term upregulation of cortical glutamatergic AMPA receptors in a mouse model of chronic visceral pain.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders and it causes long-lasting visceral pain and discomfort. AMPA receptor mediated long-term potentiation (LTP) has been shown to play a critical role in animal models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain. No report is available for central changes in the ACC of mice with chronic visceral pain.

More severe hypoxemia is associated with better subjective sleep quality in obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Perceived sleep quality may play an important role in diagnosis and therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, few studies have assessed factors that are associated with perceived sleep quality in OSA patients. Hypoxemia depresses the central nervous system and attenuates the perceived respiratory load in asthmatic patients.

Construction and evaluation of DNA vaccine encoding Hantavirus glycoprotein N-terminal fused with lysosome-associated membrane protein.

Background: Hantaviral diseases can have a high case fatality rate within the absence of broadly effective antiviral treatments or vaccines. We developed a DNA vaccine targeting the Hantavirus glycoprotein N-terminal (Gn) to major histocompatibility complex class II compartment by fusing the antigen with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1), which altered antigen presenting pathway and activated the CD4+ T cells.

Methods: The segments of Gn and LAMP1 were cloned into vector pVAX1, and recombinant plasmid was constructed by inserting Gn sequence into LAMP1, between luminal and the transmembrane/cytoplasmic domains.

Aspirin use associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a total population-based case-control study.

Background: The association of aspirin use and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) risk is unclear. This study determined whether use of any individual compound is associated with ALS risk by conducting a total population-based case-control study in Taiwan.

Methods: A total of 729 patients with newly diagnosed ALS who had a severely disabling disease certificate between January 1, 2002, and December 1, 2008, comprised the case group.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk: a total population-based case-control study.

Importance: Although several studies have shown that use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) potentially decreased amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) risk in animal models, to our knowledge, there has been no human study in the literature discussing this issue.

Objective: To investigate the association between the use of ACEIs and the risk for developing ALS.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This case-control study was conducted using the total population of Taiwanese citizens seen in general medical practice; therefore, the findings can be applied to the general population.

Beta2-adrenergic agonist use and the risk of multiple sclerosis: a total population-based case-control study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of fenoterol, a beta2-adrenergic agonist, was associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) risk by conducting a total population-based case-control study in Taiwan.

Methods: A total of 578 patients with newly diagnosed MS who had a severely disabling disease (SDD) certificate between January 1, 2002 and December 1, 2008 comprised the case group. These cases were compared with 2890 gender-, age-, residence-, and insurance premium-matched controls.

Induction of Hantaan virus-specific immune responses in C57BL/6 mice by immunization with a modified recombinant adenovirus containing the chimeric gene, GcS0.7.

Hantavirus glycoprotein Gc is one of the main components that contribute to the generation of humoral immune responses, while the nucleocapsid protein (NP) is involved in cellular immune responses through the induction of antibody-dependent cytotoxic T cells. In this study, a chimeric gene, GcS0.7, which encodes a fusion protein containing Gc and truncated NP, was constructed as a candidate for Hantaan virus (HTNV) vaccine development.

Predictors of in-hospital mortality and prognosis in patients with large hemispheric stroke receiving decompressive craniectomy.

Objective: Decompressive craniectomy reduces fatality in patients with space-occupying infarctions. However, mortality remains high. We aimed to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality and outcomes in a cohort of patients with large hemispheric stroke receiving decompressive craniectomy.

Using a blood pressure harmonic variability index to monitor the cerebral blood flow condition in stroke patients.

Objective: Beat-to-beat cardiovascular variability analysis provides important information on the autonomic control. Bilateral radial arterial blood pressure waveforms (BPW) in stroke patients were compared to explore the efficacy of frequency-domain variability index in evaluating bilateral differences in the cerebral blood-flow condition.

Methods: Five-minute BPW signals were obtained in 22 stroke patients (Group S) and 21 healthy volunteers (control Group C).

Life-threatening anaphylactoid shock caused by recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.

Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is currently the only approved agent for treating acute ischemic stroke. However, rt-PA may cause fatal symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and other adverse effects like bleeding complications and allergic reactions. Patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have increased risk of allergic reactions.

The rapid-eye-movement sleep behavior disorder in Chinese-Taiwanese patients.

Aims: While the features of rapid-eye-movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have been reported in Caucasian patients, the characteristics of Chinese-Taiwanese patients with RBD have never been examined.

Methods: Subjects were retrospectively recruited between April 2005 and February 2008 from the neurological clinic and sleep laboratory in the Department of Neurology of Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. A total of 70 consecutive subjects fulfilling the criteria for RBD were recruited.