Broadband wide-angle polarization-insensitive metasurface solar absorber.

In this paper, a new ultra-thin and broadband wide-angle polarization-insensitive metasurface solar absorber is designed and optimized. The proposed metasurface absorber topology is optimized by using a genetic algorithm to enhance the bandwidth and decrease the unit cell area. The proposed unit cell is designed with fourfolded symmetric subunit cells rotated in the clockwise direction to achieve a polarization-independent response. The unit cell with 320×320 nm2 area and 50 nm thickness has a broadband (≥90%) absorption response in the visible frequency region of the solar spectrum and infrared from 350 THz to 700 THz for normal incident angles and higher than 70% for incident angles up to 40° at both polarizations.

Evaluation of the spatial arrangement of Purkinje cells in ataxic rat's cerebellum after Sertoli cells transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Purkinje cells (PCs) pathology is important in cerebellar disorders like ataxia. The spatial arrangement of PCs after different treatments has not been studied extensively. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of cerebellum can give a proper tool for explaining the pathophysiology of PCs in ataxia. Here we stereologically analysed the 3-dimensional spatial arrangement of PCs in the cerebellum of rats after ataxia induction with 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ataxia was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of 3-AP (65 mg/kg). Spatial arrangement of PCs for differences in ataxic rats with (3-AP-SC) or without (3-AP) Sertoli cells (SCs) transplantation was evaluated using second-order stereology. The IHC method by using antibodies to anti-calbindin in the cerebellum was applied. RESULTS: Our results showed that a random arrangement is at larger distances between PCs in 3-AP and 3-Ap-SC groups. Therefore the PCs are not normally arranged after 3-AP and SCs transplantation stored the spatial arrangements of the cells after ataxia induction in rats. IHC analyse shows that number of PCs was significantly improved after the SC transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Segregation of PCs can be observed at some areas in the ataxic rats' cerebellum. However, the spatial arrangement of PCs was unchanged in SCs transplanted rats. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 2: 194-200).

Evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity of serum level of prostasin, CA125, LDH, AFP, and hCG+ß in epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to compare and analyze the diagnostic value of serum prostasin, cancer antigen 125 (CA125), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG+ß) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and evaluate if their serum levels could be used as a potential diagnostic markers of EOC from benign tumors and healthy women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preoperative serum samples of 110 women (24 healthy controls, 66 ovarian benign tumors, and 20 EOC) were tested for prostasin, CA125, AFP, and hCG+ß. The level of CA125, AFP, and hCG+ß serum tumor markers were determined by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) and the serum level of prostasin was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and LDH activity was measured by spectrophotometer and analyzed using SPSS version. RESULTS: The Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of prostasin, CA125, LDH, AFP, and hCG+ß for the discrimination of EOC from benign and healthy controls were, respectively, 0.89, 0.91, 0.77, 0.54, and 0.65, and significant increase in serum levels of prostasin, CA125, and LDH were observed for EOC compared with benign and control groups. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that CA 125 and LDH levels of serum increased in high stages, while prostasin level was decreased in high stages. The present results indicate that prostasin, CA125, and LDH are differentially expressed in EOC than in benign and healthy control population, that may be an indicative of a better diagnostic value, with higher sen- sitivity and specificity. Here the authors used a multimarker approach, consisting of CA125, AFP, beta hCG, prostasin, and LDH that could provide a more accurate tool for a differential diagnosis of patients with EOC.

Blocking adherence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolate to HEP-2 cells and bladder of mice in the presence of antibody against p-fimbriae.

Presence of fimbriae on Escherichia coli isolated from the urine of patients with urinary tract infection was related to the ability of the bacteria to attach to human uroepithelial cells. One of the 50 isolates that expresses high MRHA p-fimbriae, selected and antibody against p-fimbriae from it, showed blocking of attachment of bacteria to HEP-2 cell in 1:1024 titer. Also, 1:512 titer of this antiserum to blocking of attachment in bladder tissue of mice is significant.