Background: Aspirin has been found to lower the occurrence rates of some cancers through the inhibition of the cyclooxygenase enzyme. For example, there is a well-known association between aspirin use and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. However, the association, if any, between aspirin use and HCC in hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers is unknown. Therefore, this study compared the occurrence rates of HCC in HCV carriers treated with or without aspirin. Methods: The participants in this retrospective cohort study consisted of people newly diagnosed with HCV in Taiwan from 2000 to 2012. Those who were treated with aspirin were defined as the control group, whereas those not treated with aspirin were defined as the comparison cohort. We used a 1:1 propensity score matching by age, sex, comorbidities, drugs, diagnosis year, and index year with covariate assessment. Results: Our study sample consisted of 2980 aspirin-treated HCV carriers and 7771 non-aspirin-treated HCV carriers. After propensity score matching, each cohort consisted of 1911 HCV carriers. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of HCC incidence in the aspirin users (aHR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.43-0.72, p < 0.001) was significantly lower than that in the non-aspirin users. A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that among the HCV carriers, the aspirin users had a lower cumulative incidence rate of HCC over the first 10 years of aspirin treatment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The HCC incidence rate was lower in the aspirin-using HCV carriers than in the non-aspirin-using HCV carriers, indicating that the effects of aspirin might occur through inhibition of the cyclooxygenase enzyme pathway. Moreover, protection from HCC was provided by less than a year of aspirin treatment, while treatment with aspirin for 1 to 2 years exhibited the greatest protective effect. We therefore encourage aspirin treatment to prevent HCC in HCV carriers.

Using the polymer blending method, conductive materials and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) were mixed to fabricate conductive composite films for application in electromagnetic shielding. First, nitric acid was used to purify the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Second, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was utilized to disperse the carbon nanotubes, and then they were mixed with 8 microm diameter and 2 mm long stainless steel fibers (SSF) in the WPU by the polymer blending method. Finally, the thickness of 0.25 mm of conductive composite film was fabricated by means of coating. According to the ASTM D4935-99 standard, a coaxial transmission line was used to measure the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE) of conductive composite film within the range of 50 MHz approximately 3.0 GHz. Moreover, the influence of the prior and posterior dispersion of carbon nanotubes dispersed on electromagnetic shielding was dealt with in the paper. Results demonstrated that the conductive composite film, within 50 MHz approximately 3.0 GHz, fabricated by the 15 wt% of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes and 30 wt% of the stainless steel fibers can achieve the maximum of the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness, 34.86 dB, and its shielding effect, 99.9%.

The oxidation behavior of 22Cr25NiWCoCu stainless steel with 0-0.86 wt.% Nb addition was investigated at 900 • C in air. With an increase in Nb addition, the volume fraction and average particle size of Nb (C, N) increased, but the grain size decreased. The results of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction indicated that the steels with Nb additions promoted Cr 2 O 3 formation. After 10-100 h of oxidation, Cr depletion occurred at the region with Nb (C, N) precipitates because of its high Cr consumption rate, leading to Fe oxide generation. Finally, after 100 h of oxidation, the outer layer of Fe 2 O 3 and the inner layer of (Cr, Fe, Mn) 3 O 4 were formed.

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The chemical compositions of Sanicro 25 stainless steel added with different concentrations of niobium (Nb) (0, 0.29, 0.58, and 0.86 wt-%) were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the matrix of all the prepared materials was austenite. The average grain size decreased from 426 to 90 µm with the increase in Nb content. Electron backscatter diffraction and energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy analyses showed that Cr 23 C 6 was the main precipitate in the Nb-free steel, whereas Nb(C, N) were the main precipitates in Nb-containing steel. The increase in Nb content also increased the volume fraction and average particle size of the precipitates.