Demyelination and impaired oligodendrogenesis in the corpus callosum following lead exposure.

The corpus callosum is an oligodendrocyte-enriched brain region, replenished by newborn oligodendrocytes from oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in subventricular zone (SVZ). Lead (Pb) exposure has been associated with multiple sclerosis, a disease characterized by the loss of oligodendrocytes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Pb exposure on oligodendrogenesis in SVZ and myelination in the corpus callosum.

Reduction of long COVID symptoms after stellate ganglion block: A retrospective chart review study.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has left millions of individuals with a host of post-viral symptoms that can be debilitating and persist indefinitely. To date there are no definitive tests or treatments for the collection of symptoms known as "Long COVID" or Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Following our initial case report detailing improvement of Long COVID symptoms after sequential bilateral stellate ganglion blockade (SGB), we performed a retrospective chart analysis study on individuals treated with the same protocol over the course of six months (2021-2022) in our clinic.

Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of Booster Dose with MVC-COV1901 or MVC-COV1901-Beta SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Adults: A Phase I, Prospective, Randomized, Open-Labeled Study.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines based on variant strains have been in use as booster doses to update immunity against circulating variants. Here we present the results of a phase one prospective, randomized, and open-labeled trial to study the safety and immunogenicity of a booster dose consisting of a subunit vaccine based on the stabilized prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, MVC-COV1901, or its Beta version, MVC-COV1901-Beta. Participants aged ≥18 and <55 years who received two or three prior doses of MVC-COV1901 vaccines were enrolled and were to receive a booster dose of either 15 mcg of MVC-COV1901, 15 mcg, or 25 mcg of MVC-COV1901-Beta in a 1:1:1 ratio.

High affinity of β-amyloid proteins to cerebral capillaries: implications in chronic lead exposure-induced neurotoxicity in rats.

Lead (Pb) is a known environmental risk factor in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The existing reports suggest that Pb exposure increases beta-amyloid (Aβ) levels in brain tissues and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and facilitates the formation of amyloid plaques, which is a pathological hallmark for AD. Pb exposure has long been associated with cerebral vasculature injury.

Choroid Plexus Modulates Subventricular Zone Adult Neurogenesis and Olfaction Through Secretion of Small Extracellular Vesicles.

Unlabelled: The choroid plexus (CP) in brain ventricles secrete cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that bathes the adjacent subventricular zone (SVZ); the latter is the largest neurogenic region in adult brain harboring neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) and supplies newborn neurons to the olfactory bulb (OB) for normal olfaction. We discovered the presence of a CP-SVZ regulatory (CSR) axis in which the CP, by secreting small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), regulated adult neurogenesis in the SVZ and maintained olfaction. The proposed CSR axis was supported by 1) differential neurogenesis outcomes in the OB when animals treated with intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of sEVs collected from the CP of normal or manganese (Mn)-poisoned mice, 2) progressively diminished SVZ adult neurogenesis in mice following CP-targeted knockdown of SMPD3 to suppress CP sEV secretion, and 3) compromised olfactory performance in these CP-SMPD3-knockdown mice.

A Brighton Collaboration standardized template with key considerations for a benefit/risk assessment for the Medigen COVID-19 protein vaccine.

The Brighton Collaboration Benefit-Risk Assessment of VAccines by TechnolOgy (BRAVATO) Working Group has prepared standardized templates to describe the key considerations for the benefit-risk assessment of several vaccine platform technologies, including protein subunit vaccines. This article uses the BRAVATO template to review the features of the MVC-COV1901 vaccine, a recombinant protein subunit vaccine based on the stabilized pre-fusion SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S-2P, adjuvanted with CpG 1018 and aluminum hydroxide, manufactured by Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation in Taiwan. MVC-COV1901 vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 12 years of age and older.

Medical Assistance in Dying in Oncology Patients: A Canadian Academic Hospital's Experience.

Background: Medical assistance in dying (MAID) was legislatively enacted in Canada in June 2016. Most studies of patients who received MAID grouped patients with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses. Our goal was to analyze the characteristics of oncology patients who received MAID in a Canadian tertiary care hospital.

Safety and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine MVC-COV1901 in Taiwanese adolescents: a randomized phase 2 trial.

Adolescents and children play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission and epidemiology. MVC-COV1901 is a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on stabilized spike protein adjuvanted with CpG 1018 and aluminum hydroxide that has received emergency use approval (EUA) for adults in Taiwan. In this study, we have investigated the safety and immunogenicity of two doses of MVC-COV1901 in adolescents.

Copper Modulates Adult Neurogenesis in Brain Subventricular Zone.

The subventricular zone (SVZ) in lateral ventricles is the largest neurogenic region in adult brain containing high amounts of copper (Cu). This study aims to define the role of Cu in adult neurogenesis by chelating labile Cu ions using a well-established Cu chelator D-Penicillamine (D-Pen). A neurosphere model derived from adult mouse SVZ tissues was established and characterized for its functionality with regards to neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs).

Protection of hamsters challenged with SARS-CoV-2 after two doses of MVC-COV1901 vaccine followed by a single intranasal booster with nanoemulsion adjuvanted S-2P vaccine.

Intramuscular vaccines have greatly reduced hospitalization and death due to severe COVID-19. However, most countries are experiencing a resurgence of infection driven predominantly by the Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2. In response, booster dosing of COVID-19 vaccines has been implemented in many countries to address waning immunity and reduced protection against the variants.

Appendicitis and COVID: cause or effect?

Background: Vasculitis and phlebitis with vascular occlusion within appendix specimen is rare. Several authors have reported COVID-19 related veno-occlusive disease in hepatic pathology, but lymphoid aggregation with phlebitis is unusual in appendix specimen. We present a case with medium size venule phlebitis in an appendix of a patient recovered from COVID-19 infection.

Hamsters Protected from SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Challenge after Two Doses of Adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Spike Protein (S-2P) and One Dose of Beta S-2P.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern negatively impact the effectiveness of vaccines. In this study, we challenge hamsters with the delta variant after 2- or 3-dose inoculations with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines constructed from stabilized prefusion spike proteins (S-2P) of Wuhan (W) and beta (B) variants. Compared to 3 doses of W S-2P, 2 doses of W S-2P followed by a third dose of B S-2P induced the highest neutralizing antibody titer against live SARS-CoV-2 virus and enhanced neutralization of omicron variant pseudovirus.

Superior mesenteric artery aneurysm with rupture: an atypical cause of abdominal pain.

Superior mesenteric artery aneurysm management has evolved in the last 20 years with a greater emphasis on interventional radiological intervention. This case reviews a 60-year-old lady who had a ruptured superior mesenteric aneurysm resulting in a large mesenteric haematoma.

Prevalence and diversity of rotavirus A in pigs: Evidence for a possible reservoir in human infection.

Background: Rotavirus A (RVA) are a group of diverse viruses causing acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in humans and animals. Zoonotic transmission is an important mechanism for rotavirus evolution and strain diversity in humans, but the extent of pigs as a major reservoir for human infection is not clear.

Methods And Findings: We have surveyed 153 pig farms across Taiwan with a total of 4588 porcine stool samples from three age groups from 2014 to 2017.

Stellate ganglion block reduces symptoms of Long COVID: A case series.

After recovering from COVID-19, a significant proportion of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals develop Long COVID. Fatigue, orthostatic intolerance, brain fog, anosmia, and ageusia/dysgeusia in Long COVID resemble "sickness behavior," the autonomic nervous system response to pro-inflammatory cytokines (Dantzer et al., 2008).

Evaluating the Neutralizing Ability of a CpG-Adjuvanted S-2P Subunit Vaccine Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Variants of Concern.

Background: Variants of concern (VoCs) have the potential to diminish the neutralizing capacity of antibodies elicited by vaccines. MVC-COV1901 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine consisting of recombinant prefusion stabilized spike protein S-2P adjuvanted with CpG 1018 and aluminum hydroxide. We explored the effectiveness of MVC-COV1901 against the VoCs.

Age-dependent decline of copper clearance at the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier.

The homeostasis of copper (Cu) in the central nervous system is regulated by the blood-brain barrier and blood-cerebrospinal (CSF) barrier (BCB) in the choroid plexus. While proteins responsible for Cu uptake, release, storage and intracellular trafficking exist in the choroid plexus, the influence of age on Cu clearance from the CSF via the choroid plexus and how Cu transporting proteins contribute to the process are unelucidated. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the aging process diminishes Cu clearance from the CSF of rats by disrupting Cu transporting proteins in the choroid plexus.

CpG-adjuvanted stable prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike protein protected hamsters from SARS-CoV-2 challenge.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge to global public health. Rapid development and deployment of safe and effective vaccines are imperative to control the pandemic. In the current study, we applied our adjuvanted stable prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike (S-2P)-based vaccine, MVC-COV1901, to hamster models to demonstrate immunogenicity and protection from virus challenge.

Development of CpG-adjuvanted stable prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen as a subunit vaccine against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide health emergency which calls for an unprecedented race for vaccines and treatment. In developing a COVID-19 vaccine, we applied technology previously used for MERS-CoV to produce a prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, S-2P. To enhance immunogenicity and mitigate the potential vaccine-induced immunopathology, CpG 1018, a Th1-biasing synthetic toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist was selected as an adjuvant candidate.

Recombinant GII.P16-GII.2 Norovirus, Taiwan, 2016.

In Taiwan, acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by a new norovirus genotype GII.2 increased sharply toward the end of 2016. Unlike previous outbreaks, which often involved restaurants, GII.

Novel G9 rotavirus strains co-circulate in children and pigs, Taiwan.

Molecular epidemiologic studies collecting information of the spatiotemporal distribution of rotavirus VP7 (G) and VP4 (P) genotypes have shown evidence for the increasing global importance of genotype G9 rotaviruses in humans and pigs. Sequence comparison of the VP7 gene of G9 strains identified different lineages to prevail in the respective host species although some of these lineages appear to be shared among heterologous hosts providing evidence of interspecies transmission events. The majority of these events indicates the pig-to-human spillover, although a reverse route of transmission cannot be excluded either.

Developing Brain Vital Signs: Initial Framework for Monitoring Brain Function Changes Over Time.

Clinical assessment of brain function relies heavily on indirect behavior-based tests. Unfortunately, behavior-based assessments are subjective and therefore susceptible to several confounding factors. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs), derived from electroencephalography (EEG), are often used to provide objective, physiological measures of brain function.

Relationship between normalized adductor pollicis train-of-four ratio and manifestations of residual neuromuscular block: a study using acceleromyography during near steady-state concentrations of mivacurium.

Background: Baseline acceleromyographic adductor pollicis train-of-four (TOF) ratio varies significantly between individuals and is often greater than unity. Thus, normalization of acceleromyography data is necessary. The relationship between normalized acceleromyographic TOF ratio, lung volumes, and clinical signs of residual neuromuscular block was studied.