[Plan for Improving the Initial Ambulation of Acute Stroke Patients].

Background & Problems: Acute stroke patients should receive a rehabilitation assessment within 24-48 hours of hospitalization. Initial ambulation is known to reduce the occurrence of complications, improve the ability to perform activities of daily living, and reduce the risk of long-term disability.

Purpose: To raise the initial ambulation willingness of acute stroke patients and to increase the willingness of these patients to receive rehabilitation treatment as soon as possible in order to reduce the long-term physical damage of the stroke incident.

Hepatitis C virus NS5A protein enhances gluconeogenesis through upregulation of Akt-/JNK-PEPCK signalling pathways.

Background & Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly associated with the type 2 diabetes mellitus, but the detailed mechanisms by which the viral proteins are involved in the clinical outcome remain unclear.

Methods: A cDNA microarray analysis was performed following introducing an NS5A-encoding plasmid or a control vector into a mouse system by hydrodynamics- based transfection. Differentially expressed genes that are associated with gluconeogenesis were selected and their expression levels in HCV patients, in NS5A-expressing systems, and in the viral subgenomic replicon system were further examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis.

Lower prevalence of tuberculosis infection in BCG vaccinees: a cross-sectional study in adult prison inmates.

Objectives: To address whether the effect of BCG vaccination against tuberculosis (TB) infection lasts to adulthood.

Methods: A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of latent TB infection (LTBI) among HIV-negative men, using QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube (QFT-IT), was conducted at a prison in northern Taiwan with >3000 inmates. A QFT-IT ≥0.

Ivory identification by DNA profiling of cytochrome b gene.

Ivory can be visually identified in its native form as coming from an elephant species; however, determining from which of the three extant elephant species a section of ivory originates is more problematic. We report on a method that will identify and distinguish the protected and endangered elephant species, Elephas maximus or Loxodonta sp. To identify the species of elephant from ivory products, we developed three groups of nested PCR amplifications within the cytochrome b gene that generate amplification products using highly degraded DNA isolated from confiscated ivory samples dating from 1995.

Species identification of Kachuga tecta using the cytochrome b gene.

A DNA technique has been established for the identification to species level of tortoises. The test on the shell of the animal was used to identify samples from the species Kachuga tecta. A total of 100 tortoise shell specimens collected from the National Council of Agriculture (COA), Taiwan, were used in this study.

Species identification of rhinoceros horns using the cytochrome b gene.

Material suspected of originating from species of Rhinoceros is frequently seized by forensic organizations investigating trade in endangered species. At present identification of the species is possible by DNA sequencing of the material, such as powdered rhinoceros horns. The unambiguous identification of rhino products using a 402 bp fragment of cytochrome b gene was investigated.

A highly polymorphic STR locus in Cannabis sativa.

We report on the first short tandem repeat (STR) locus to be isolated from the plant Cannabis sativa. The STR locus, isolated by a hybrid-capture enrichment procedure, was found to contain a simple sequence repeat motif of 6 bp. This 6 bp repeat motif showed no variation in repeat length but with minor variations in repeat unit sequences.