Broadband suppression of backscattering at optical frequencies using low permittivity dielectric spheres

The exact suppression of backscattering from rotationally symmetric objects requires dual symmetric materials where ${\epsilon_r} = {\mu_r}$. This prevents their design at many frequency bands, including the optical one, because magnetic materials are not available. Electromagnetically small non-magnetic spheres of large permittivity offer an alternative. They can be tailored to exhibit balanced electric and magnetic dipole polarizabilities, which result in approximate zero backscattering. In this case, the effect is inherently narrowband. Here, we put forward a different alternative that allows broadband functionality: Electromagnetically large spheres made from low permittivity materials. The effect occurs in a parameter regime that approaches the trivial ${\epsilon_r} \to {\mu_r} =1$ case, where approximate duality is met in a weakly wavelength dependence fashion. Despite the low permittivity, the overall scattering response of the spheres is still significant. Radiation patterns from these spheres are shown to be highly directive across an octave spanning band. The effect is analytically and numerically shown using the Mie coefficients.Comment: 6 Figure

Causal Relationship Modeling of the Implicit Theories of Emotion and Emotion Regulation in View of the Cognitive Reappraisal Strategy and Happiness

The purpose of this study was to unveil the causal relationship modeling of the implicit theories of emotion and emotion regulation in view of cognitive reappraisal strategy and happiness for the students of the Jordanian University of Science and Technology (JUST). Based on scientific foundations, the study has constructed a proposed causal relationship model using path analysis for interpreting happiness. To achieve this goal, the emotion regulation, by Gross and John (2003), the implicit theories of emotion Scale of Livingstone, (2012), and the Oxford Happiness Inventory were employed. The sample consisted of 350 students who were chosen on availability grounds. The results of the study showed no statistically significant differences between the proposed and the optimal causal relationship models due to high matches on: AGFI=0.90, NFI=0.98, GFI=0.99, TLI =0.933, CFI=0.99, RMR=0.022. Thus, the model explained the relationships proposed and represented the optimal causal relationship model for the variables of the study

Predicting surgical outcome of pediatric percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Purpose: The aim was to evaluate the outcome of pediatric percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) guided by Guy’s stone score grading system.Patients and methods: This was a prospective study of children with renal calculi more than 2 cm. They were younger than 18 years and were a candidate for PCNL at our University Hospitals from January 2013 until July 2016. All of them had a low-dose noncontrast enhanced computed tomography. The procedure was performed under general anesthesia with the patients in the prone position guided by fluoroscopy. The stone-free rate and the presence and type of complications were estimated. The demographic and clinical data, stone characteristics, radiologic anatomy as well the PCNL approach and methods of lithotripsy used were evaluated. Comparison was performed through using univariate and multivariate analyses, and factors predicting the PCNL outcome were determined.Results: A total of 110 children with kidney stones were accepted for PCNL. Overall, 95 (86.3%) of 110 children were stone free after one-stage PCNL. Grade 1 Guy’s stone score was 97.5% (40/41) (P<0.05). Mean hospital stay was 4.01 ± 2.0 days. Operative complications include bleeding in 12 (10.9%), extravasation in seven (6.4%), injury to the colon in one (0.9%), and renal pelvis perforation three (2.7%). In our study, larger Amplatz sheath, stone burden, and longer operative time are related to complications.Conclusion: Guy’s stone score correlated with both success and complications and can be used for decision making preoperatively in pediatric PCNL.Keywords: Guy’s stone score, minimally invasive, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, pediatric, urolithiasi

Immunoinformatics Patterns and Characteristic of Epitope-Based Peptide Vaccine candidates against COVID-19

Vaccination as defined by the WHO is “the administration of agent-specific, but safe, antigenic components that in vaccinated individuals can induce protective immunity against the corresponding infectious agent”. Regardless of their debated history, the standard vaccine approaches have been unsuccessful in providing vaccines for numerous infectious organisms. In the recent three decades, an enormous amount of immunological data was retrieved from clinical studies  due to the advancement in human genome sequencing. These data are being deposited in databases and numerous scientific literature. The development of several bioinformatics tools to analyze this rapidly increasing immunological databank has given rise to the field of immunoinformatics. This approach allows the selection of immunogenic residues from the pathogen genomes. The ideal residues could be industrialized as vaccine candidates to provide protective immune responses in the hosts. This methodology will significantly decrease the time and cost needed for the vaccine development.  This review focus on  published articles that proposed as vaccine candidates through immunoinformatics analysis. The reviewed  Published immunoinformatics studies provided vaccine peptide candidates against SARS-COV-2, which is based on functional and non functional immunogenic proteins like open reading frame , spike protein, envelope protein and membranous protein .All of which  are designed by unique strategies like reverse vaccinology . Spike protein was the most common used target with different suggeststed B and T cell peptides  due to the difference in methodology between the findings

Linear forced-rotordynamics analysis for optimizing the performance factors of machine motorized spindle using design explorer method

A machine-tool structure optimization is an important technique that improves the machining efficiency and saves materials and the energy resource. In this work, dynamic design optimization method for Machine-Motorized-Spindle (MMS) subjected to a number of rotating unbalanced forces effects is presented. Linear forced-Rotordynamic analysis with design explorer method has been used to simulate the output response. The Design Variables (DVs) and their limits were carefully chosen and applied to develop the Design-of-Experiment (DOE). The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) method, because of its good organization in providing much information in a minor number of required statistical experiments was used to generate the DOE. The influences of DVs on the dynamic of MMS and their levels optimization were evaluated by utilizing the Response-Surface (RS) method. The results showed that the spindle shaft inner diameter of the motor-rotor seat and its rotating unbalanced mass, and modulus of elasticity have the highest contribution in effect on the dynamic of MMHS. As well, it is found that the proposed optimization method not only improves the structural weight of MMS, but also the potential saving can be achieved in term material and energy resource

Follow-up of 50 children after posterior urethral valve management in Al-Azhar University Hospitals

Objective: This study was performed to assess the various clinical presentations, complications, and surgical management, as well as follow-up, of patients with posterior urethral valve (PUV).Patients and methods: This is a prospective descriptive analysis of the data of 50 patients with PUVs of different age reviewed. Serum creatinine levels, clinical examination, abdominopelvic ultrasound, and magnetic resonance urography were performed, and the diagnosis was confirmedby voiding cystourethrography. The patients were divided into two categories: primary intervention and surgical intervention.Results: A total of 50 boys with a mean age at diagnosis of 100 ±15 days were included in this work. The most common presentation in patients managed by valve ablation was difficult micturition (60%), whereas in patients managed by initial vesicostomy the most common presentation was febrile urinary tract infection (67%). Vesicoureteral reflux presented in 61.2% and hydronephrosis in 82.6%, whereas complications occurred in three (6%) children. Mortality occurred in five (10%) patients. Postoperative improvement of hydronephrosis grade in both categories is not appreciably different.Conclusion: Urinary drainage using small catheters or nasogastric tube in the early days of infancy followed by valve ablation is the best treatment modality in PUV.Keywords: children, outcome, posterior urethral valve, urinary drainage valve ablation, vesicostom

Long-Term Survival in Patients with Cancers: A SEER-based analysis

Objectives: Long-term survival is an important endpoint in management of different malignancies which is rarely assessed due to unfeasibility of follow-up for long duration of time. In this study, we explored real-world data on cancer’s long-term survival using historical records from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. Besides reporting the 5-year relative survival, we analyzed the 10- and 20- year survival rates for different types of cancers. Additionally, survival trends as a function of time, age, and tumor type were reviewed and reported. Methods: We used SEER*Stat (version 8.3.6.1) for data acquisition from the SEER 9 Regs (Nov 2019 Submission) database. Data of patients diagnosed with cancer between 1975 and 2014 were retrieved and included in the analysis. Results: For patients diagnosed with any malignant disease (n = 4,412,024), there was a significant increase in median overall survival over time (p<0.001). The 20-, 10-, and 5-year survival rates were higher in solid tumors compared to hematological malignancies (50.8% vs. 38%, 57% vs. 47.4%, and 62.2% vs. 57.4%, respectively). The highest 20-year relative survival rates were observed in thyroid cancer (95.2%), germ cell and trophoblastic neoplasms (90.3%), melanoma (86.8%), Wilms’ tumor (86.2%), and prostate cancer (83.5%). Conclusions: Long-term follow-up data were suggestive of high 20-year relative survival rates for most tumor types. Relative survival showed an improving trend over time especially in solid tumors. Keywords: Survival; Neoplasms; SEER Program; Prognosis; United States

Cytokine Storm in COVID-19 Patients, their Impact on Organs and the Potential Treatment by QTY Code-Designed Detergent-Free Chemokine Receptors

The novel coronavirus in not only causing respiratory problems, it may also damage the heart, kidneys, liver and other organs; in Wuhan 14 to 30% of COVID-19 patients have lost their kidney function and now require either dialysis or kidney transplants. The novel coronavirus gains entry into humans by targeting ACE2 receptor that found on lung cells, which destroy human lungs through cytokine storms, this leads to hyper-inflammation, forcing the immune cells to destroy healthy cells. This is why some COVID-19 patients need intensive care. The inflammatory chemicals released during COVID-19 infection cause the liver to produce proteins that defend the body from infections. However, these proteins can cause blood clotting, which can clog blood vessels in the heart and other organs; as a result, the organs are deprived from oxygen and nutrients which could ultimately lead to multi-organ failure and subsequent progression to acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome and often death. However, a novel protein modification tool called the QTY code, that are similar in their structure to antibodies, which could provide a solution to excess cytokines, these synthetic proteins can be injected into the body to blind the excess cytokines generated by the cytokine storm; this will eventually remove the excessive cytokines and inhibit the severe symptoms caused by the COVID-19 infection. In this review we will focuses on cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients, their impact on the organs and the potential treatment by QTY code-designed detergent-free chemokine receptors

Nonlinear Deterministic Observer for Inertial Navigation using Ultra-wideband and IMU Sensor Fusion

Navigation in Global Positioning Systems (GPS)-denied environments requires robust estimators reliant on fusion of inertial sensors able to estimate rigid-body's orientation, position, and linear velocity. Ultra-wideband (UWB) and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) represent low-cost measurement technology that can be utilized for successful Inertial Navigation. This paper presents a nonlinear deterministic navigation observer in a continuous form that directly employs UWB and IMU measurements. The estimator is developed on the extended Special Euclidean Group $\mathbb{SE}_{2}\left(3\right)$ and ensures exponential convergence of the closed loop error signals starting from almost any initial condition. The discrete version of the proposed observer is tested using a publicly available real-world dataset of a drone flight. Keywords: Ultra-wideband, Inertial measurement unit, Sensor Fusion, Positioning system, GPS-denied navigation.Comment: 2023 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS

Development of Liposomal Gemcitabine with High Drug Loading Capacity

Liposomes are widely used for systemic delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to reduce their nonspecific side effects. Gemcitabine (Gem) makes a great candidate for liposomal encapsulation due to the short half-life and nonspecific side effects; however, it has been difficult to achieve liposomal Gem with high drug loading capacity. Remote loading, which uses a transmembrane pH gradient to induce an influx of drug and locks the drug in the core as a sulfate complex, does not serve Gem as efficiently as doxorubicin (Dox) due to the low pKa value of Gem. Existing studies have attempted to improve Gem loading capacity in liposomes by employing lipophilic Gem derivatives or creating a high-concentration gradient for active loading into the hydrophilic cores (small volume loading). In this study, we combine the remote loading approach and small volume loading or hypertonic loading, a new approach to induce the influx of Gem into the preformed liposomes by high osmotic pressure, to achieve a Gem loading capacity of 9.4–10.3 wt % in contrast to 0.14–3.8 wt % of the conventional methods. Liposomal Gem showed a good stability during storage, sustained-release over 120 h in vitro, enhanced cellular uptake, and improved cytotoxicity as compared to free Gem. Liposomal Gem showed a synergistic effect with liposomal Dox on Huh7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. A mixture of liposomal Gem and liposomal Dox delivered both drugs to the tumor more efficiently than a free drug mixture and showed a relatively good anti-tumor effect in a xenograft model of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study shows that bioactive liposomal Gem with high drug loading capacity can be produced by remote loading combined with additional approaches to increase drug influx into the liposomes