Differences in risk factors for being either a hepatitis B carrier or anti-hepatitis C+ in a hepatoma-hyperendemic area in rural Taiwan

This is a study of the differences in the risk factors for being either hepatitis B surface antigen positive [HBsAg(+)] or antibody to hepatitis C virus positive [Anti-HCV(+)] in A-Lein, a rural area in southern Taiwan, an area which also has a high hepatoma mortality rate. Three hundred eighty-five patients age > or =40 years participated in hepatoma screening at the A-Lein Community Health Center during 1995. Those who were HBsAg(-) and anti-HCV(-) or had coinfection of HBsAg(+) and anti-HCV(+) were excluded, leaving 293 patients: 109 HBsAg(+) and 184 anti-HCV(+). The anti-HCV(+) patients had a lower socioeconomic status (as defined by level of education and type of occupation) and were older than HBsAg(+) patients (P < 0.05). Those with higher alanine aminotransferase levels (ALT) also had a higher anti-HCV(+) to HBsAg(+) odds ratio (OR), and a dose response relationship was found, P < 0.0001. Anti-HCV(+) patients were more likely than HBsAg(+) patients to have a spouse who shared the infection, OR = 5.11; 95% CI, 2.30-11.28. Anti-HCV(+) patients were more likely than HBsAg(+) patients to have had blood transfusions (OR = 2.66; 95% CI, 1.20-5.89), frequent medical injections (OR = 2.64; 95% CI, 1.62-4.31), or injections by non-licensed medical providers (OR = 1.91; 95% CI, 1.18-3.09). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the significant factors for anti-HCV(+) patients vs. HBsAg(+) patients are drinking habit (OR = 3.45; 95% CI, 1.02-11.60), age (OR = 6.33; 95% CI, 2.93-13.68), and frequent medical injections (OR = 2.88; 95% CI, 1.65-5.03). The transmission of hepatitis C in A-Lein is closely related to low socioeconomic status, age, alcohol abuse, spouses being anti-HCV(+), and frequent medical injections, especially from non-licensed medical providers, including both pharmacists and those with no medical licensing whatsoever. These nonlicensed medical providers sometimes reuse needles to save money, which is a likely route of infection.     

小方坯连铸机的PLC自动控制

本文对弧型小方坯连铸机工艺与设备进行了分析，介绍了连铸生产的ＰＬＣ控制系统。及其软件设计。     

Transient hot-electron effect and its impact on circuit reliability

Transient hot-electron effect and its impact on circuit reliability are investigated. The rate of device decay is monitored as a function of the gate pulse transient period. Simulation results reveal that excess charges during a fast turn off time may cause an increase in the maximum substrate current. This, along with our experimental data, identifies that transient excess carrier may cause the enhancement of device degradation under certain stress conditions. The enhancement factor of the degradation is a function of the gate pulse transient time. Correlation between the analysis based upon AC/DC measurement and calculations based upon transient simulation are shown in the paper. Better agreement with experimental data is obtained by using the transient analysis and on chip test/stress structures. The correlation between AC and DC stress data is also shown based on the impact ionization model. A hot-electron design guideline is proposed based on the circuit reliability analysis. This guideline can help improve the circuit reliability without adversely effecting the circuit performance.     

Robustly good trellis codes

The relationship between the distance properties of trellis codes and the computational effort and error performance of sequential decoding is studied and optimum distance profile (ODP) and optimum free distance (OFD) trellis codes are constructed for 8-PSK and 16 QAM modulation. A comparison of the performance of both the ODP and the OFD trellis codes reveals that neither class of codes results in the best trade-off between error performance and computational effort when sequential decoding is used. A new algorithm is then proposed to construct robustly good trellis codes for use with sequential decoding. New trellis codes with asymptotic coding gains up to 6.66 dB are obtained using this algorithm, and the new codes achieve nearly the same free distances as the OFD codes and nearly the same distance profiles as the ODP codes     

Evidence for the involvement of protein kinase C isoforms in alpha-1 adrenergic activation of phospholipase A2 in FRTL-5 thyroid cells

BACKGROUND: FRTL-5 thyroid cells are a cell line extensively used for the investigation of thyroid functions. Activation of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors stimulates both arachidonic acid (AA) release and cytosolic Ca2+ increase in this cell line. Cytosolic Ca2+ and arachidonic acid are known to be important second messengers regulating a variety of thyroid functions. The generation of these messengers is regulated primarily by two different types of phospholipases, phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2). METHODS: Norepinephrine (NE, 10 mumol/L) was used as an alpha-1 adrenergic activator, and cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was determined using the fluorescent dye indo-1. Arachidonic acid release was measured as an indicator of PLA2 activation, and protein kinase C (PKC) activity determination and isoforms identification were performed using commercial kits. RESULTS: Norepinephrine increased [Ca2+]i and AA release. Prevention of NE-induced cytosolic Ca2+ influx, either by removal of extracellular Ca2+ or by use of Ca2+ channel blockers, NiCl2 or CoCl2, inhibited AA generation entirely. Inhibition of NE-induced increase in [Ca2+]i by the Ca2+ chelator, 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA), also significantly suppressed NE-induced AA release. Inhibition of PKC activity by PKC inhibitors (H-7 or staurosporine) or downregulation induced by prolonged treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or thyleametoxin (TX) significantly blocked the NE-induced AA release, which indicates PKC is involved in mediating NE-induced AA release. Protein kinase C activity measurement indicated that NE induced an activation of PKC in 5 minutes. To further characterize the role of PKC or Ca2+ in regulation of AA release, we identified PKC isoforms by immunoblotting with specific antibodies against 8 different Protein kinase C isoforms. PKC-alpha, -beta I, -beta II, -gamma, delta, -epsilon, -zeta, and -eta isoforms were identified. Norepinephrine induced translocation of PKC-alpha, -beta I, -beta II, -gamma, -delta, and -epsilon isoforms but not -zeta and -eta from cytosol to membrane. Chelation of intracellular Ca2+, prevention of Ca2+ influx, or prolonged treatment with thymeleatoxin (TX) completely blocked the NE-induced translocation of PKC-alpha. CONCLUSIONS: These results, taken together with data obtained from AA experiments, suggest that PKC plays a critical role in alpha-1 adrenergic receptor mediated PLA2 activation and subsequent AA release. Extracellular Ca2+ influx is a prerequisite for both PKC-alpha translocation and AA release. Whether Ca2+ acts directly upon the PLA2, or via PKC-alpha, to regulate AA generation is an intriguing question that remains to be clarified.     

创新数学模型优化过程控制

重点介绍了武钢热冷连轧计算机轧制工艺数学模型，武钢数模的开发创新使用情况及其取得的经济效益和社会效益。     

铅黄铜水平连铸棒材熔铸工艺的试验研究

在工业生产条件下，对影响HPb59－1水平连铸律材热轧开裂的熔铸工艺进行了试验研究．取三个熔铸工艺因素：铸造速度、冷却水压力、冷却水温度．试验结果表明；铸造速度对热轧开裂影响极为显著，使其控制在410mm／min左右可获得较为理想的效果．     

各种状态的液体通过核孔膜的规律

介绍了液体通过核孔膜规律方面取得的新认识，包括：（１）纯净液体通过核孔膜的规律；（２）核孔膜测定液体粘滞系数的各种方法；（３）各种物质溶液浓度的核孔膜测定；（４）液相混合物快速分离和化学分离；（５）流体中固体微粒对核孔膜的堵塞及其公式；（６）用核孔膜滤除液中各各斩规律。     

Postoperative evaluation in mandibular prognathism treated by bilateral sagittal split osteotomy

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the postoperative relapse from the period of unwiring to 1 year postoperatively and its correlation to the amount of mandibular setback and change in vertical dimension after mandibular bilateral sagittal split osteotomy. Twenty-seven patients were evaluated cephalometrically by the time preoperatively, 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. It was found that 1) the average amount of mandibular setback at pogonion point, 6 weeks postoperatively, is 7.6mm backward and 1.9mm downward, 2) the average amount of horizontal relapse at pogonion point, 6 months and 1 year postoperatively, are 1.9mm and 2.3mm respectively. 86% of the horizontal relapse, 1 year postoperatively, occurs in the first 6 months after removal of intermaxillary fixation, 3) the average amount of vertical relapse at pogonion point, 6 months and 1 year postoperatively, are 0.9mm and 1.1mm upward. 82% of the vertical relapse, 1 year postoperatively, occurs in the first 6 months after removal of intermaxillary fixation, 4) the amount of 1 year postoperatively horizontal relapse is significantly correlated both with the amount of horizontal mandibular set back and vertical downward change (r = 0.58, 0.67, p < 0.001), whereas the amount of vertical relapse is with the vertical downward change only, but horizontal setback isn't.