Showing papers by "National Cheng Kung University published in 2004"
TL;DR: Multivariate analysis including other predictors of mortality showed that use of a carbapenem during the 5-day period after onset of bacteremia due to an ESBL-producing organism was independently associated with lower mortality.
Abstract: The prevalence of extended-spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL) production by Klebsiella pneumonia approaches 50% in some countries, with particularly high rates in eastern Europe and Latin America. No randomized trials have ever been performed on treatment of bacteremia due to ESBL-producing organisms; existing data comes only from retrospective, single-institution studies. In a prospective study of 455 consecutive episodes of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia in 12 hospitals in 7 countries, 85 episodes were due to an ESBL–producing organism. Failure to use an antibiotic active against ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae was associated with extremely high mortality. Use of a carbapenem (primarily imipenem) was associated with a significantly lower 14-day mortality than was use of other antibiotics active in vitro. Multivariate analysis including other predictors of mortality showed that use of a carbapenem during the 5-day period after onset of bacteremia due to an ESBL-producing organism was independently associated with lower mortality. Antibiotic choice is particularly important in seriously ill patients with infections due to ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae.
562 citations
TL;DR: Early postnatal dexamethasone therapy should not be recommended for the routine prevention or treatment of chronic lung disease, because it leads to substantial adverse effects on neuromotor and cognitive function at school age.
Abstract: background We studied the outcomes at school age in children who had participated in a doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial of early postnatal dexamethasone therapy (initiated within 12 hours after birth) for the prevention of chronic lung disease of prematurity. methods Of the 262 children included in the initial study, 159 lived to school age. Of these children, 146 (72 in the dexamethasone group and 74 in the control group) were included in our study. All the infants had had severe respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation shortly after birth. In the dexamethasone group, 0.25 mg of dexamethasone per kilogram of body weight was given intravenously every 12 hours for one week, and then the dose was tapered. We evaluated the children’s growth, neurologic and motor function, cognition, and school performance. results Children in the dexamethasone group were significantly shorter than the controls (P=0.03 for boys, P=0.01 for girls, and P=0.03 for all children) and had a significantly smaller head circumference (P=0.04). Children in the dexamethasone group had significantly poorer motor skills (P<0.001), motor coordination (P<0.001), and visual– motor integration (P=0.02). As compared with the controls, children in the dexamethasone group also had significantly lower full IQ scores (mean [±SD], 78.2±15.0 vs. 84.4±12.6; P=0.008), verbal IQ scores (84.1±13.2 vs. 88.4±11.8, P=0.04), and performance IQ scores (76.5±14.6 vs. 84.5±12.7, P=0.001). The frequency of clinically significant disabilities was higher among children in the dexamethasone group than among controls (28 of 72 [39 percent] vs. 16 of 74 [22 percent], P=0.04). conclusions Early postnatal dexamethasone therapy should not be recommended for the routine prevention or treatment of chronic lung disease, because it leads to substantial adverse effects on neuromotor and cognitive function at school age.
528 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors quantify the geomorphic impact of the 1999 Mw 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan, which triggered >20,000 landslides and showed that the sequential processes have led to a factor-of-four increase in unit sediment concentration in rivers draining the epicentral area and increased the magnitude and frequency of hyperpycnal sediment delivery to the ocean.
Abstract: In tectonically active mountain belts, earthquake-triggered landslides deliver large amounts of sediment to rivers. We quantify the geomorphic impact of the 1999 Mw 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan, which triggered >20,000 landslides. Coseismic weakening of substrate material caused increased landsliding during subsequent typhoons. Most coseismic landslides remained confined to hillslopes. Downslope transport of sediment into the channel network occurred during later storms. The sequential processes have led to a factor-of-four increase in unit sediment concentration in rivers draining the epicentral area and increased the magnitude and frequency of hyperpycnal sediment delivery to the ocean. Four years after the earthquake, rates of hillslope mass wasting remain elevated in the epicentral area.
519 citations
01 Mar 2004
TL;DR: In this paper, a high-efficiency high step-up converter with low voltage stress on power switch, power diodes and output capacitors is proposed, which consists of an energy clamp circuit and a voltage boost cell.
Abstract: As a result of the equivalent series resistor of the boost inductor, conventional boost converters are not able to provide high voltage gain. A high-efficiency high step-up converter is proposed, with low voltage stress on power switch, power diodes and output capacitors. The circuit topology of the proposed converter consists of an energy clamp circuit and a voltage boost cell. The boost converter functions as an active clamp circuit to suppress the voltage spike on power switch during the turn-off transient period. The boost converter output terminal and flyback converter output terminal are serially connected to increase the output voltage gain with the coupled inductor. By serially connecting the secondary windings of the boost inductor, a high voltage gain is achieved with less voltage stress on the power devices, such as power MOSFET and power diodes. The operational principle and steady-state analysis are described. A 35 W converter with simulation and experimental results is presented to demonstrate the performance. It shows that the efficiency of the proposed converter is very high (nearly 93%) with four times the voltage output.
458 citations
01 May 2004
TL;DR: Pure metallic Cu nanoparticles at a high concentration have been synthesized by the reduction of cupric chloride with hydrazine in the aqueous CTAB solution by the analysis of electron diffraction pattern, EDS, XRD, and XPS.
Abstract: Pure metallic Cu nanoparticles at a high concentration (up to 0.2 M) have been synthesized by the reduction of cupric chloride with hydrazine in the aqueous CTAB solution. The input of extra inert gases was not necessary. The use of ammonia solution for the adjustment of solution pH up to 10 and the use of hydrazine as a reducing agent in a capped reaction bottle are crucial for the synthesis of pure Cu nanoparticles. The reaction solution finally became wine-reddish and its UV/vis absorption spectrum exhibited an absorption band at 574 nm, revealing the formation of metallic Cu nanoparticles. By the analysis of electron diffraction pattern, EDS, XRD, and XPS, the resultant particles were confirmed to be pure Cu with a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure. From the TEM analysis, it was found that the mean diameter of Cu nanoparticles first decreased and then approached a constant with the increase of hydrazine concentration. In addition, the CTAB concentration had not significant influence on the size of Cu nanoparticles. Also, TG analysis indicated that there were two weight-loss steps for the CTAB-capped Cu nanoparticles. It was suggested that a bilayer structure of CTAB was formed on the surface of Cu nanoparticles to prevent from the particle agglomeration. The synthesis method reported in this work might be helpful for the large-scale production of Cu nanoparticles.
427 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the surface area of the nanotube aggregates increases with the treatment temperature to reach a maximum of ca. 400 m2/g at 130 °C, and then decreases with further increase of the temperature.
Abstract: Titania nanotube aggregates with different porosities were prepared from hydrothermal treatment on commercial TiO2 particles in NaOH followed by HCl washing. Pore structure analysis reflects that pores of smaller sizes are mainly contributed by the nanotubes while those of larger sizes are contributed by the interspace region of the aggregates. The hydrothermal treatment temperature, ranging within 110−150 °C, was shown to affect not only the extent of particle-to-sheet conversion, and thus the resulting structures of the nanotubes, but also the anatase-to-rutile transformation at high temperatures. The surface area of the nanotube aggregates increases with the treatment temperature to reach a maximum of ca. 400 m2/g at 130 °C, and then decreases with further increase of the temperature. In HCl washing, both the charge-removal rate and final state of the electrostatic charges on TiO2 affect the rolling of TiO2 sheets into nanotubes. This demonstrates that the nanotube structure can be regulated by adjusti...
385 citations
TL;DR: LiFePO4/carbon composite cathode materials were synthesized by a sol-gel process as discussed by the authors, where the citric acid in the developed sol−gel process plays the role not only as a complexing agent but also as a carbon source, which improves the conductivity of the composites and hinders the growth of the particles.
Abstract: LiFePO4/carbon composite cathode materials were synthesized by a sol–gel process. The citric acid in the developed sol–gel process plays the role not only as a complexing agent but also as a carbon source, which improves the conductivity of the composites and hinders the growth of LiFePO4 particles. Nano-sized LiFePO4 particles without the impurity phase were successfully synthesized. The grain size of LiFePO4 particles in the range of 20–30 nm is obtained at calcined temperatures from 450 to 850 °C. Increasing the calcination temperature leads to a decrease in the carbon content but an increase in the conductivity of the composites in the range of 400–850 °C. However, the conductivity slightly decreases if the calcination temperature further increases to 950 °C. The LiFePO4/carbon composite synthesized at 850 °C shows the highest conductivity (10−3 S cm−1), the highest specific capacity, and the best rate capability among the synthesized materials. It is worthy to note that the cell performance of the LiFePO4 depends on the electrochemical cycling procedure employed.
356 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the effects of knowledge attribute, alliance characteristics, and firm's absorptive capacity on the performance of knowledge transfer and found that knowledge transfer performance is positively affected by the explicitness of knowledge.
Abstract: The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of knowledge attribute, alliance characteristics, and firm's absorptive capacity on the performance of knowledge transfer. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses in a sample of 137 alliance cases. The findings suggest that knowledge transfer performance is positively affected by the explicitness of knowledge and firm's absorptive capacity; that equity-based alliance will transfer tacit knowledge more effectively while contract-base alliance is more effective for the transfer of explicit knowledge; and that trust and adjustment have positive effects while conflict possesses a curvilinear effect on knowledge transfer performance.
330 citations
TL;DR: This is the first study to demonstrate that patients with SLE had decreased CD4+CD25+ T cells, and the exact role of this subset of T cells in the pathogenesis of SLE remains to be elucidated.
Abstract: Recent animal studies have shown that CD4+CD25+ T cells play a crucial role in the suppression of the immune response and that depletion of this subset of T cells might lead to development of autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the levels of CD4+CD25+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Ninety-four SLE patients, 52 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 50 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. A flowcytometric method was applied in the measurement of CD4+CD25+ T cells. The results showed that patients with SLE had statistically lower levels of CD4+CD25+ T cells than did normal controls, when expressed as either percentages of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (mean +/- SD, 8.49 +/- 6.36 versus 11.11 +/- 4.58%, P < 0.05) or absolute cell numbers (98.77 +/- 97.52 versus 213.93 +/- 104.52 cells/mm3, P < 0.05). In terms of CD25brightCD4+ T cells, defined as having a fluorescence intensity of CD25 expression exceeding 100, SLE patients still had significantly lower levels than did normal controls expressed as percentages of PBMCs (1.76 +/- 1.32 versus 3.73 +/- 1.30%, P < 0.05). No significant differences could be found between RA patients and normal controls. The overwhelming majority of CD4+CD25+ T cells belonged to CD45RO+ cells and most did not express the CD69 molecule. Although decreased CD4+CD25+ T cells were found in SLE patients, we failed to find a significant correlation between the levels of CD4+CD25+ T cells and disease activities of SLE. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that patients with SLE had decreased CD4+CD25+ T cells. However, the exact role of the decreased CD4+CD25+ T cells in the pathogenesis of SLE remains to be elucidated.
293 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of nature and composition of alcohol on the resultant CeO 2 nanoparticles were investigated by homogeneous precipitation in alcohol/water mixed solvents, and it was found that the resulting particles were primary particles confirmed by quite good consistency in the particle sizes from TEM, XRD and BET analyses.
292 citations
TL;DR: The present study is the first to report evidence of production of cytokines in infants with DHF/DSS and to describe the difference between the cytokine profile of infants with primary dengue virus infections and children with secondary infections.
Abstract: A prospective study of clinical and cytokine profiles of 107 infants with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)/ dengue shock syndrome (DSS) was conducted. Fever petechiae on the skin and hepatomegaly were the most common clinical findings associated with DHF/DSS in infants. DSS occurred in 20.5% of the patients. Hemoconcentration and thrombocytopenia were observed in 91.5% and 92.5% of the patients respectively. Serologic testing revealed that almost all of the patients (95.3%) had primary dengue virus infections. These data demonstrate that clinical and laboratory findings of DHF/DSS in infants are compatible with the World Health Organization’s clinical diagnostic criteria for pediatric DHF. The present study is the first to report evidence of production of cytokines in infants with DHF/DSS and to describe the difference between the cytokine profile of infants with primary dengue virus infections and children with secondary infections. Overproduction of both proinflammatory cytokines (interferon-t and tumor necrosis factor–a) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10 and -6) may play a role in the pathogenesis of DHF/DSS in infants. (authors)
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the effects of knowledge attribute, alliance characteristics, and firm's absorptive capacity on the performance of knowledge transfer and found that knowledge transfer performance is positively affected by the explicitness of knowledge.
Abstract: The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of knowledge attribute, alliance characteristics, and firm's absorptive capacity on the performance of knowledge transfer. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses in a sample of 137 alliance cases. The findings suggest that knowledge transfer performance is positively affected by the explicitness of knowledge and firm's absorptive capacity; that equity-based alliance will transfer tacit knowledge more effectively while contract-base alliance is more effective for the transfer of explicit knowledge; and that trust and adjustment have positive effects while conflict possesses a curvilinear effect on knowledge transfer performance.
TL;DR: Results indicate that pre-S1/S2 mutant HBsAg, which make up GGHs, induce oxidative DNA damage and mutations in hepatocytes in the late stages of HBV infection.
Abstract: Ground glass hepatocytes (GGHs) are the historic hallmarks for the hepatocytes in the late and non-replicative stages of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We have identified type I and type II GGHs that contain two mutant types of large HBV surface antigens (HBsAg) with deletions over the pre-S1 and pre-S2 regions, respectively. These pre-S mutant HBVsAg accumulate in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), resulting in strong ER stress. Type II GGHs often appear in hepatic nodules in the late phases of HBV infection and proliferate in clusters, suggesting that these mutant pre-S1/S2 HBsAg may be involved in HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis, associated with ER stress. In this study, we investigated the potential genomic instability imposed by pre-S mutant HBsAg. Based on the analysis of comet assays, we found that the pre-S1 and pre-S2 mutant HBsAg caused oxidative stress and DNA damage. The DNA repair gene ogg1 was greatly induced by over-expression of pre-S mutant HBsAg. Induction of the DNA repair gene ogg1 was also detected in the pre-S2 HBsAg transgenic mice, as well as the type II GGHs from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, strongly suggesting that the pre-S mutant HBsAg contributes to the oxidative DNA damage to hepatocytes. In addition, the mutation rates in the X-linked hprt gene were enhanced in mouse hepatoma ML1-4a cells, which constitutively expressed the pre-S1/S2 HBsAg. These results indicate that pre-S1/S2 mutant HBsAg, which make up GGHs, induce oxidative DNA damage and mutations in hepatocytes in the late stages of HBV infection.
TL;DR: In this article, the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from an aqueous solution by polyacrylic acid-bound iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles was studied.
TL;DR: In this paper, a template-and catalyst-free metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method was used to synthesize anatase TiO2 nanorods.
Abstract: Well-aligned rutlie and anatase TiO2 nanorods as well as anatase TiO2 nanowalls have been synthesized using a template- and catalyst-free metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method. Stru...
TL;DR: The phase transformation and growth of mullite (3Al 2 O 3 ·2SiO 2 ) in kaolin ceramics have been investigated using X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, select area electron diffractometers, energy dispersion spectrometer and differential thermal analysis as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The phase transformation and growth of mullite (3Al 2 O 3 ·2SiO 2 ) in kaolin ceramics have been investigated using X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, select area electron diffractometer, energy dispersion spectrometer and differential thermal analysis. The mullite which was transformed from kaolin appears at 1050 °C by XRD and tallies with DTA. The initial mullite crystal showed a plate-like morphology. The Al 2 O 3 content in mullite crystal increased from 49.57 to 71.37 wt.% but the lattice parameters of a , b and c axes decreased from 8.085, 8.106 and 3.215 A to 7.882, 7.974 and 2.946 A, respectively, with the grain width increasing from 20 to 70 nm when the kaolin was sintered at 1300 °C for 30 min. The nonisothermal activation energy of mullite crystallization in kaolin ceramics was 1182.3 kJ mol −1 . The growth morphology parameters n and m were both about 2.0, indicating that the bulk nucleation was dominant in mullitization and the crystal growth was controlled by diffusion. Seemingly, this study has been attempted to provide an integrative presentation of the thermal–structural characterization together with detailed kinetic and mechanistic interpretations.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the impact of the Chi-Chi earthquake on the occurrence of landslides and explored the initial conditions triggering debris flows in the Chenyulan River watershed in central Taiwan.
TL;DR: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of up to 4 years of lamivudine treatment and the clinical relevance of the emergence of YMDD‐variant hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Abstract: Background and Aims: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of up to 4 years of lamivudine treatment and the clinical relevance of the emergence of YMDD-variant hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Methods: Fifty-eight Chinese adult patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were randomized to lamivudine 100 mg/day for up to 5 years and were monitored for YMDD-variant HBV, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion (loss of HBeAg and detectable antibody to HBeAg) and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations. Four-year data are reported here.
Results: The rate of HBeAg seroconversion increased with extended therapy and also with higher baseline ALT concentrations. YMDD-variant HBV was detected in 67% (39/58) of patients at some point during treatment. After 4 years, a total of 47% (27/58) of patients achieved HBeAg seroconversion. Thirty-three per cent (13/39) of patients with YMDD-variant HBV achieved HBeAg seroconversion; this increased to 57% (8/14) in patients with moderately elevated (>2–5 × upper limit of normal) pre-treatment ALT concentrations. The proportion of patients that achieved normal serum ALT increased from 29% (17/58) at baseline to 69% (31/45) following 4 years of treatment. That included 68% (23/34) of patients with YMDD-variant HBV and 73% (8/11) of those without the variant. All patients receiving lamivudine had reduced serum concentrations of HBV-DNA compared with baseline, despite the emergence of YMDD-variant HBV in 39 patients. Lamivudine was generally well tolerated; there was little change in the number or type of drug-related adverse events in the fourth year of the study.
Conclusions: Despite the emergence of YMDD-variant HBV, Chinese patients showed increased HBeAg seroconversion and improvement in ALT levels with an increased duration of treatment with lamivudine.
TL;DR: In scars with no detectable keloidal collagen, the presence of the following feature(s) favors the diagnosis of keloid: non-flattened epidermis, non-fibrotic papillary dermis, a tongue-like advancing edge, horizontal cellular fibrous band in the upper reticulardermis, and prominent fascia-like band.
Abstract: Distinguishing hypertrophic scar (HS) from keloid histopathologically is sometimes difficult because thickened hyalinized collagen (keloidal collagen), the hallmark of keloid, is not always detectable and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), a differentiating marker of HS, is variably expressed in both forms of scar. The aim of this study was to investigate additional distinguishing features to facilitate differentiation between keloid and HS. We compared various histologic features and the expression of alpha-SMA in 40 specimens of keloid and 10 specimens of HS. The features more commonly seen in keloids were: (a) no flattening of the overlying epidermis, (b) no scarring of the papillary dermis, (c) presence of keloidal collagen, (d) absence of prominent vertically oriented blood vessels, (e) presence of prominent disarray of fibrous fascicles/nodules, (f) presence of a tongue-like advancing edge underneath normal-appearing epidermis and papillary dermis, (g) horizontal cellular fibrous band in the upper reticular dermis, and (h) prominent fascia-like fibrous band. The last three features were found in keloid specimens only, including the ones lacking detectable keloidal collagen. Our study confirmed the diagnostic value of keloidal collagen, but it was only found in 55% of keloid specimens. Alpha-SMA expression was found in both HS (70%) and keloid (45%), thus it would not be a differentiating marker. In scars with no detectable keloidal collagen, the presence of the following feature(s) favors the diagnosis of keloid: non-flattened epidermis, non-fibrotic papillary dermis, a tongue-like advancing edge, horizontal cellular fibrous band in the upper reticular dermis, and prominent fascia-like band.
TL;DR: In this paper, a conventional engine under various air-fuel equivalence ratios (λ) for its performance and emissions was tested in a conventional gasoline-Ethanol-gasoline-blended fuel, and an open-loop control system using a CONSULT controller was used.
TL;DR: Habitual moderate strength green or oolong tea consumption, 120 mL/d or more for 1 year, significantly reduces the risk of developing hypertension in the Chinese population.
Abstract: Methods:We examined the effect of tea drinking, measured in detail for the past decades, on the risk of newly diagnosed hypertension in 1507 subjects (711 men and 796 women), 20 years or older, who did not have a hypertensive history during 1996 in Taiwan. Results:Sixhundredsubjects(39.8%)werehabitualtea drinkers,definedbyteaconsumptionof120mL/dormore foratleast1year.Comparedwithnonhabitualteadrinkers,theriskofdevelopinghypertensiondecreasedby46% for those who drank 120 to 599 mL/d and was further reduced by 65% for those who drank 600 mL/d or more after carefully adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, family history of hypertension, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, lifestyle factors (total physical activity, highsodiumintake,cigarettesmoking,alcoholconsumption, and coffee drinking), and dietary factors (vegetable, fruit, unrefined grain, fish, milk, visible-fat food, and deep fried food intake). However, tea consumption for more than 1 year was not associated with a further reduction of hypertension risk. Conclusion: Habitual moderate strength green or oolong tea consumption, 120 mL/d or more for 1 year, significantly reduces the risk of developing hypertension in the Chinese population. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:1534-1540
TL;DR: A mouse-adapted enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain with increased virulence in mice, MP4, was generated after four serial passages of the parental EV71 strain 4643 in mice and exhibited a larger plaque size, grew more rapidly, and was more cytotoxic in vitro than strains 4643.
Abstract: A mouse-adapted enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain with increased virulence in mice, MP4, was generated after four serial passages of the parental EV71 strain 4643 in mice. Strain MP4 exhibited a larger plaque size, grew more rapidly, and was more cytotoxic in vitro than strain 4643. Although strains 4643 and MP4 both induced apoptosis of SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells, MP4 was more virulent than 4643 in 1-day-old mice (50% lethal doses, 10(2) and 10(4) PFU/mouse, respectively). Strain MP4 (5 x 10(6) PFU/mouse), but not 4643, could orally infect 7-day-old mice, resulting in rear-limb paralysis followed by death 5 to 9 days after inoculation with the virus. Histopathologically, neuronal loss and apoptosis were evident in the spinal cords as well as the brain stems of the infected mice. The limb muscles displayed massive necrosis. There was early and transient virus replication in the intestines, whereas the spinal cord, brain, and muscle became the sites of viral replication during the late phase of the infection. Virus transmission occurred among infected and noninfected cagemates, as demonstrated by the occurrence of seroconversion and the presence of viable viruses in the stool samples of the latter. Protection against EV71 challenge was demonstrated following administration of hyperimmune serum 1 day after inoculation with the virus. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the genome of EV71 strain MP4 revealed four nucleotide changes on the 5' untranslated region, three on the VP2 region, and eight on the 2C region, resulting in one and four amino acid substitutions in the VP2 and 2C proteins, respectively.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assess the exposure levels of both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their corresponding carcinogenic potencies for highway toll station workers associated with vehicle emissions.
TL;DR: ER stress due either to expression of viral surface proteins or drugs can stimulate the expression of COX-2 through the NF-κB and pp38 kinase pathways, providing important insights into cellular carcinogenesis associated with latent endoplasmic reticulum stress.
TL;DR: The level of affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment of supply chain partners would be helpful in the integration of the SCM business process.
Abstract: The main purpose of this study focuses on how to integrate the supply chain management business process. There were a total of 600 questionnaires issued in this study with 134 valid questionnaires being retrieved. The study concludes the following results: the level of idiosyncratic investments to supply chain partners, the degree of dependence between supply chain partners, and the level of product salability of manufacturer would enhance commitment and, consequently, the integration of the SCM business process. The degree of trust, power, continuity, and communication between supply chain partners would enhance commitment and, consequently, the integration of the SCM business process. The level of affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment of supply chain partners would be helpful in the integration of the SCM business process.
TL;DR: A procedure to derive the fuzzy objective value of the fuzzy transportation problem, in that the cost coefficients and the supply and demand quantities are fuzzy numbers, is developed based on the extension principle.
TL;DR: In this article, a micro flow cytometer which is capable of counting and sorting cells or particles is presented, which employs electrokinetic forces rather than the more conventional hydrodynamic forces technique for flow focusing and sample switching.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of post-prandial lipaemia on endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress were investigated in 16 healthy subjects (mean age, 30 +/- 5 years) without major coronary risk factors.
Abstract: Postprandial lipaemia is known to cause endothelial dysfunction, but its underlying mechanism is still under debate. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of postprandial lipaemia on endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. We measured plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), an antioxidant enzyme, and the urinary excretion of 8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha (8-PGF2alpha), a free radical-catalysed product from the oxidative modification of arachidonic acid, in 16 healthy subjects (mean age, 30 +/- 5 years) without major coronary risk factors. Plasma high-sensitive C-reactive protein, soluble intercellular cell-adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell-adhesion molecule-1 were also measured. High-resolution ultrasound was used to assess the flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery. Blood and urine samples were collected before and 2, 4 and 6 h after a standard high-fat meal (3677 J, containing 50 g of fat). Serum triacylglycerol (triglyceride) increased and FMD decreased significantly after a high-fat meal. Plasma GSH-Px significantly decreased from 27.2 +/- 12.3 microg/ml to 25.7 +/- 11.8 microg/ml (P=0.022) 2 h after the meal, and urinary excretion of 8-PGF2alpha significantly increased from 1286 +/- 1401 pg/mg of creatinine to 2197 +/- 1343 pg/mg of creatinine (P=0.014) at 4 h after the meal. However, there were no significant changes in the levels of high-sensitive C-reactive protein and adhesion molecules after a high-fat meal. In conclusion, endothelial dysfunction was observed after consuming a high-fat meal and is associated with augmented oxidative stress manifested by the depletion of serum antioxidant enzymes and increased excretion of oxidative modification products.
TL;DR: The ability to maintain high biomass concentration at low HRT (i.e., high organic loading rate) highlights the key factor for the remarkable hydrogen production efficiency of the CIGSB processes.
Abstract: A novel bioreactor containing self-flocculated anaerobic granular sludge was developed for high-performance hydrogen production from sucrose-based synthetic wastewater. The reactor achieved an optimal volumetric hydrogen production rate of ∼7.3 L/h/L (7,150 mmol/d/L) and a maximal hydrogen yield of 3.03 mol H2/mol sucrose when it was operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 0.5 h with an influent sucrose concentration of 20 g COD/L. The gas-phase hydrogen content and substrate conversion also exceeded 40 and 90%, respectively, under optimal conditions. Packing of a small quantity of carrier matrices on the bottom of the upflow reactor significantly stimulated sludge granulation that can be accomplished within 100 h. Among the four carriers examined, spherical activated carbon was the most effective inducer for granular sludge formation. The carrier-induced granular sludge bed (CIGSB) bioreactor was started up with a low HRT of 4–8 h (corresponding to an organic loading rate of 2.5–5 g COD/h/L) and enabled stable operations at an extremely low HRT (up to 0.5 h) without washout of biomass. The granular sludge was rapidly formed in CIGSB supported with activated carbon and reached a maximal concentration of 26 g/L at HRT = 0.5 h. The ability to maintain high biomass concentration at low HRT (i.e., high organic loading rate) highlights the key factor for the remarkable hydrogen production efficiency of the CIGSB processes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TL;DR: A rule-based framework that explicitly characterizes the representation in fuzzy inference procedure, which has the inherent advantage that the model does not have to determine the number of rules in advance, and the overall fuzzy inference system can be represented as series expansion of fuzzy basis functions.
Abstract: This paper describes a fuzzy modeling framework based on support vector machine, a rule-based framework that explicitly characterizes the representation in fuzzy inference procedure. The support vector learning mechanism provides an architecture to extract support vectors for generating fuzzy IF-THEN rules from the training data set, and a method to describe the fuzzy system in terms of kernel functions. Thus, it has the inherent advantage that the model does not have to determine the number of rules in advance, and the overall fuzzy inference system can be represented as series expansion of fuzzy basis functions. The performance of the proposed approach is compared to other fuzzy rule-based modeling methods using four data sets.