Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Risk Among Egyptian Resident Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide and are considered silent killers that threaten different age groups. The stressful lifestyle of resident physicians might make them vulnerable to CVDs. Since 2021, Egypt has recently reported more frequent sudden deaths of junior physicians after long shifts. Many factors can be associated with this prevalence, such as diabetes mellitus, increased blood pressure, or a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the risk of developing heart attack and stroke within 10 years among resident physicians in Egypt with the goal of informing health policymakers to improve the healthcare systems for Egyptian physicians. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at six university teaching hospitals around Egypt: Cairo, Al-Azhar, Zagazig, Menoufia, South Valley, and Sohag. Data were collected on the ground using a questionnaire developed from a validated tool, the QRISK3 calculator, developed by the National Health Service, and used to measure the development of CVDs and stroke over the next 10 years. RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-eight resident physicians filled out the study questionnaire, including 224 (52.3%) females. The mean age of the participants was 28.22 years (±2.54). The study revealed that 258 (60.3%), with a median (IQR) = 0.2% (0.1%-0.5%), of the resident physicians are at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. Migraine symptoms (n=65, 15.2%) and angina or heart attack in a first-degree relative (n=26, 6.1%) were the most reported risk factors. The risk was variable among the six university hospitals, with a significant P-value <0.001, where Menoufia University hospitals ranked first, followed by Zagazig University hospitals. However, the percentage of each specialty differs from others. The highest risk was among anesthesiology and ICU residents (n=18, 78.3%), followed by surgery residents (n=44, 62.9%). CONCLUSION: About 258 (60.3%) of the resident physicians are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. There is an urgent need to increase resident physicians' awareness about their heart attack and stroke risks and for health policymakers to ensure a better lifestyle and friendly training environment for resident physicians in Egypt.

Postoperative Spinal Cord Ischemia Monitoring: A Review of Techniques Available After Endovascular Aortic Repair.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord ischemia is one of the complications that can occur after open and endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic repair. This occurs despite various perioperative approaches, including distal aortic perfusion, hybrid procedures with extra anatomical bypasses, motor-evoked potential, and cerebrospinal fluid drainage. The inability to recognize spinal ischemia in a timely manner remains a devastating complication after thoracoabdominal aortic repair. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to look at novel technologies that are designed for continuous monitoring to detect early changes that signal the development of spinal cord ischemia and to discuss their benefits and limitations. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the technologies available for continuous monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU) for early detection of spinal cord ischemia. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they used different technologies for monitoring spinal ischemia during the postoperative period. All articles that were not available in English were excluded. To ensure that all relevant articles were included, no other significant restrictions were imposed. RESULTS: We identified 59 studies from outset to December 2022 to be included in our study. New techniques have been studied as potentially useful monitoring tools that could provide simple and effective monitoring of the spinal cord. These include Near-infrared spectroscopy, Contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fiber optic monitoring of the spinal cord, and CSF biomarkers. CONCLUSION: Despite the development of new techniques to monitor for postoperative spinal cord ischemia, their use remains limited. We recommend more future research to ensure rapid intervention for our patients.

Optimization and validation of high throughput methods for the determination of 132 organic contaminants in green and roasted coffee using GC-QqQ-MS/MS and LC-QqQ-MS/MS.

Recently some major safety concerns have been raised on organic contaminants in widely consumed plants such as coffee. Hence, this study aimed to develop specifically optimized methods for determining organic contaminants, such as pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in coffee using GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS. QuEChERS method was used as a base extraction method, and 27 experiments were studied using design of experiments with categorical variables (extraction buffers, cleanup sorbents, and coffee roasting degree) to find the optimum method for each matrix type. The optimum method for green coffee was acetate buffer and chitosan for clean-up, while no-buffer extraction and the PSA + C18 method were ideal for light and dark-roasted coffee. The optimized methods were validated in accordance with SANTE/11312/2021. Furthermore, ten real samples (4 green, and 6 roasted) from the markets were analysed; ortho-phenylphenol was found in all the roasted coffee samples, and carbendazim was found in one green coffee sample.

Quality of life and nutritional status in peritoneal dialysis patients: a cross-sectional study from Palestine.

BACKGROUND: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a growing cause of morbidity worldwide. Protein malnutrition is common among patients with ESRD. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) offers greater lifestyle flexibility and independence compared to the widely used treatments for ESRD. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and the quality of life (QOL) of Palestinian patients undergoing PD, as well as the variables affecting these two outcomes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients receiving PD at An-Najah National University Hospital, Palestine. The malnutrition-inflammation scale (MIS) was used to measure malnutrition, and the QOL score was evaluated using the Dutch WHOQOL-OLD module. Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were performed to check the association between the QOL and MIS scores. RESULTS: The study included 74 patients who were undergoing PD, with an average age of 50.5 ± 16.38. The majority of the patients were females. The study found a significant correlation between malnutrition and lower quality of life (QOL) scores, as measured by the WHOQOL-OLD questionnaire (p < 0.001). Furthermore, younger patients and those who had an occupation were more likely to report a good QOL (p = 0.01). Conversely, patients with pitting edema and diabetes were at higher risk of reporting a lower QOL (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Given the elevated risk of malnutrition and diminished QOL among elderly patients, those with pitting edema, and individuals with diabetes, it is imperative to conduct thorough assessments for these groups. We strongly recommend that general practitioners, dietitians, and specialists collaborate to develop tailored programs and interventions to provide these patients with the focused care and attention they require.

Development of LC-MS/MS analytical method for the rapid determination of Diquat in water and beverages.

This study aimed to develop simple, fast, and sensitive methods for the determination of diquat (DQ) in various matrices such as water and beverages. For water, direct injection was tested first, however, the sensitivity of the incurred samples were too low and couldn't possibly achieve the targeted limit of quantification. Hence, dilution with "weaker" injection solvents were tested, and the final conditions involved the dilution of water with acetonitrile (0.4 % ammonium hydroxide) which increased the sensitivity by more than ten times. Nevertheless, the beverages samples needed further treatment to achieve acceptable spiked recovery. The final conditions involved extraction using the aforementioned solvent, followed by heating and partitioning. Both of the methods satisfied the validation requirements, with an average recovery ranging from 85.9 to115 % and associated relative standard deviation (RSD %) within the range 3-8. Further applications on real samples were done to test the levels of contamination.

Efficacy of Ropivacaine Administration on Post-tonsillectomy Pain in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-controlled Trials.

The objective of this investigation is to assess the efficacy of ropivacaine on intraoperative and postoperative endpoints like operative time, blood loss, pain, and bleeding among adult's patients undergoing for tonsillectomy. PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were screened from inception until November 2022. The included RCTs were evaluated for risk of bias via risk of bias tool (second version). All endpoints were summarized as mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) for continues outcomes, and risk ration (RR) for dichotomous outcomes, under random-effect model. Four RCTs met our PICOS criteria, comprising a total of 257 patients. Regarding postoperative pain, there was a significant difference that favor ropivacaine group compared with placebo group within hours (n = 4 RCTs, SMD = -0.92, 95% CI [-1.57, -0.26], p = 0.006), and within days (n = 4 RCTs, SMD = -050, 95% CI [-0.82, -0.18], p = 0.002). However, there were no significant difference between ropivacaine and placebo groups I terms of operative time (n = 3 RCTs, SMD = -0.17, 95% CI [-0.45, 0.11], p = 0.22), intraoperative blood loss (n = 2 RCTs, SMD = -0.37, 95% CI [-1.41, 0.67], p = 0.49), and postoperative bleeding (n = 4 RCTs, RR = 2.27, 95% CI [0.90, 5.73], p = 0.08). In conclusion, administration of ropivacaine was associated with less postoperative pain among adult's patients who undergoing tonsillectomy. However, there were no benefit in term of reduction in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative hemorrhage.

Safety and efficacy of P2X3 receptor antagonist for the treatment of refractory or unexplained chronic cough: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic refractory cough is a challenging condition that requires a thorough evaluation and management approach. P2X3 receptors that are ATP-dependent play an important part in nerve fiber sensitization and pathological pain pathways. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of P2X3 receptor antagonist drugs in chronic cough. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase to identify all relevant published studies through January 15, 2023 that assessed P2X3 antagonists in chronic cough. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database with ID: CRD42023422408. Efficacy outcomes were awake (daytime) cough frequency, night cough frequency, 24-h cough frequency, Cough Severity Diary, and total Leicester Cough Questionnaire score. We used the random-effect model to pool the data using RStudio and CMA software. RESULTS: A total of 11 randomized controlled trials comprising 1350 patients receiving a p2x3 antagonist compared to the placebo group were included in this meta-analysis. A significant decrease in 24-h cough frequency (MD = -4.99, 95% CI [-7.15 to -2.82], P < 0.01), awake (daytime) cough frequency (MD = -7.18, 95% CI [-9.98 to 4.37], P < 0.01), and total Leicester Cough Questionnaire score (MD = 1.74, 95% CI [1.02 to 2.46], P < 0.01) exhibited between the P2X3 antagonist and placebo groups. The frequency of the night cough showed an insignificant difference between the two groups. According to the safety, drug-related adverse events, dysgeusia, hypogeusia, and ageusia significantly increased between the P2X3 antagonist and placebo groups. CONCLUSION: P2X3 receptor antagonists are promising drugs for treating chronic cough by significantly reducing the frequency, severity, and quality. Some potential side effects may include drug-related adverse events such as hypogeusia, ageusia, and dysgeusia.

The co-occurrent microplastics and nano-CuO showed antagonistic inhibitory effects on bacterial denitrification: Interaction of pollutants and regulations on functional genes.

The wide occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoparticles resulted in their inevitable coexistence in environment. However, the joint effects of these two types of particulate emerging contaminants on denitrification have seldomly been investigated. Herein, non-biodegradable polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene and biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) MPs were chosen to perform the co-occurrent effects with nano copper oxide (nano-CuO). Both the nano-CuO and MPs inhibited the denitrification process, and biodegradable PHA-MPs showed severer inhibition than non-biodegradable MPs. However, the presence of MPs significantly alleviated the inhibition of nano-CuO, suggesting an antagonistic effect. Other than MPs decreasing copper ion release from nano-CuO, MPs and nano-CuO formed agglomerations and induced lower levels of oxidative stress compared to individual exposure. Transcriptome analysis indicated that the co-occurrent MPs and nano-CuO induced different regulation on denitrifying genes (e. g. nar and nor) compared to individual ones. Also, the expressions of genes involved in denitrification-associated metabolic pathways, including glycolysis and NADH electron transfer, were down-regulated by nano-CuO or MPs, but exhibiting recovery under the co-occurrent conditions. This study firstly discloses the antagonistic effect of nano-CuO and MPs on environmental process, and these findings will benefit the systematic evaluation of MPs environmental behavior and co-occurrent risk with other pollutants.

In vivo study of dose-dependent antioxidant efficacy of functionalized core-shell yttrium oxide nanoparticles.

Herein, we assess the dose-dependent antioxidant efficacy of ultrafine spherical functionalized core-shell yttrium oxide nanoparticles (YNPs) with a mean size of 7-8 nm and modified with poly EGMP (ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate) and N-Fluorescein Acrylamide. The antioxidant properties of these nanoparticles were investigated in three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (10 per group) exposed to environmental stress daily for 1 week and one control group. Groups 2 and 3 were intravenously injected twice a week with YNPs at 0.3 and 0.5 mg at 2nd and 5th day of environmental stress exposure respectively. Different samples of blood and serum were collected from all experimental groups at end of the experiment to measure oxidative biomarkers such as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), hydroxyl radical antioxidant capacity (HORAC), oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and oxidants concentration as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The liver, brain, and spleen tissues were collected for fluorescence imaging and histopathological examination in addition to brain tissue examination by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to estimate YNPs translocation and concentration in tissues which is consecutively dependent on the dose of administration. Depending on all results, poly EGMP YNPs (poly EGMP yttrium oxide nanoparticles) can act as a potent direct antioxidant in a dose-dependent manner with good permeability through blood-brain barrier (BBB). Also, the neuroprotective effect of YNPs opening the door to a new therapeutic approach for modulating oxidative stress-related neural disorders. HIGHLIGHTS: • The dose-dependent antioxidant efficacy of ultrafine spherical functionalized core-shell yttrium oxide nanoparticles (YNPs) with a mean size of 7-8 nm and modified with poly EGMP (ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate) and N-Fluorescein Acrylamide was assessed. • The dose of administration directly affecting the brain, liver, and spleen tissues distribution, retention, and uptake of YNPs and direct correlation between the absorbed amount and higher dose administered. • YNPs can act as a potent direct antioxidant in a dose-dependent manner with good permeability through blood-brain barrier (BBB).

An Electrostatic MEMS Roll-Pitch Rotation Rate Sensor with In-Plane Drive Mode.

In this paper, we presented a novel electrostatic Roll/Pitch MEMS gyroscope with in-plane drive mode and out-of-plane sense mode. The proposed structure is developed based on a tuning fork gyroscope with decoupled sense mass on each tine that control the sense out-of-plane frequency. A multi-height deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) fabrication process was utilized to achieve and enhance decoupling between the drive and sense modes. We presented our design methodology followed by an analytical and finite element (FEM) model. Our experimental results showed a good match between the analytical model and those obtained experimentally, from the drive and sense oscillation frequencies. Our characterization setup used a custom made application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for characterization and was able to achieve ARW of 0.2 deg/rt-h, a bias instability 5.5 deg/h, and scale factor non-linearity (SFNL) 156 ppm FS.

Prevalence of the need for adaptive seating systems among children with cerebral palsy in Egypt.

BACKGROUND: An adaptive seating system is a basic rehabilitation need for children and youth with cerebral palsy (CP) as it supports the structure and function of the musculoskeletal system and can positively affect their activities and participation. Despite the importance of adaptive seating systems, there is limited access to such systems in low-income countries. OBJECTIVES: To determine the percentage of children and youth between 4 and 18 years of age with CP in Egypt whose activity level and sitting ability suggest the need for an adaptive seating system. STUDY DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. METHODS: One hundred ninety-three participants were included after fulfilling the criteria of the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy of Europe. Their level of activity was assessed by a physical therapist using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), and their sitting ability was evaluated using the Level of Sitting Scale (LSS). Participants were considered to require an adaptive seating system if they scored GMFCS level IV or V and LSS level 1-5 concurrently. RESULTS: Approximately 44% of the study participants were classified as GMFCS level IV or V and LSS level 1-5, suggesting that they were in need of an adaptive seating system. CONCLUSIONS: There is a large percentage of children and youth with CP in Egypt who need an adaptive seating system to be integrated into their rehabilitation.

Sandwich injection and analyte protectants as a way to decrease the drift due to matrix effect between bracketing calibration in GC-MS/MS: A case study.

In pesticide residues analysis, the drift is the difference between the concentration of two bracketing calibrations in the same batch. According to the SANTE/12682/2019 guideline a criterion of ±30% must be met or positive samples should be reanalyzed. This study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the efficiency of using analyte protectants (Aps) and the sandwich injection approach (SIA) to eliminate the drift between bracketing matrix matched-calibrations taking strawberry as an example. The strawberry samples were prepared according to the citrate-buffered QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) procedure, followed by solvent exchange from acetonitrile to n-hexane:actone (9:1). Two batches were injected with the same sequence on GC-MS/MS, the only difference was that the first batch was without Aps and the second was with Aps. The sequence of the batch was as follows: blank solvent injection, 5 strawberry matched-calibrations at 0.05 µg/ml, separated by 20 blank strawberry injections after each strawberry matched-calibration injection. The drift was measured by considering the results of the first calibration as 100% and comparing the rest 4 injections with it. After 20 injections, out of the studied 219 pesticides, more than half of the pesticides fell out of criteria when analyte protectants were not used, and by the end of the samples batch 95% of the analytes were out of criteria. Only 8% of the studied analytes were out of criteria for the Aps batch after 20 injections. In the end of the 80 samples batch, 17% were out of criteria. Furthermore, at the end of the protected matrix-matched calibration batch, 90% of the pesticides had an RSD less than 15% in comparison with only 5% of the analytes for the non-protected batch. Moreover, the non-protected batch had an obvious negative drift in comparison with the protected batch. For example, the number of pesticides that had a lower result in the second matrix matched-calibration for the non-protected batch was more than twice the number in the protected batch (194 compared to 91 out of 219 pesticides for both experiments).

Crossing effect for improving egg production traits in chickens involving local and commercial strains.

AIM: This study aimed to contribute to the productivity improvement of the local chickens by enhancing their egg production traits using a crossbreeding program between Alexandria (local strain) and Lohmann White (commercial strain). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One thousand two-hundred and eighty-five 4-week-old chicks from two strains: Alexandria local strain (AA) and Lohmann White commercial strain (LL) and their reciprocal crosses obtained from 16 males and 160 females, were used to produce four genetic groups (AA, LL, AL, and LA). Differences among genotypes, direct additive, heterosis, and reciprocal effects were investigated regarding the following traits: Body weight at 4 and 8 weeks and at the age of sexual maturity, age at sexual maturity, egg production, average egg weight, and egg mass during the first 90 days of laying. RESULTS: Statistically significant effects of the genotypes were observed on traits studied. Analysis of direct additive effects showed that AA was superior as a sire strain for improving body weight at early age. For egg traits (age at sexual maturity, egg production, average egg weight, and egg mass), LL was better as a sire strain to improve these traits. Significant positive heterosis percentages were observed for body weight. The crosses (AL and reciprocal) were significantly superior in egg traits (egg production, average egg weight, and egg mass) compared to the local strain. The cross (LA) laid significantly earlier than the local strain. Analysis of reciprocal effects cleared that the local strain could be used as a strain of dam to improve body weight and egg traits. CONCLUSION: Crossing improved egg production, egg weight, and egg mass in hybrids compared to the local strain.

Functionalized Core-Shell Yttrium Oxide Nanoparticles as Antioxidants Agents in Heat Stressed Rats.

Herein, we assess the antioxidant potential of core-shell yttrium oxide nanoparticles functionalized with ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate (EGMP). The antioxidant properties of these nanoparticles were investigated in heat stressed models of 21 rats (heat stressed group, group B). Different samples of blood, serum, and tissue homogenate were collected at different time intervals in order to measure oxidative biomarkers such as enzymatic antioxidants (SODs, GPX, GST, GR, and TAC) and oxidative byproducts (MDA, PC, and 8-OHdG). Liver specimens of prophylactic group and heat stressed ones were also histopathologically examined 2 h post NPs injection. The measurements of oxidative biomarkers were complementary with histopathological findings and confirmed the antioxidant properties of poly EGMP yttrium oxide NPs.

An Ophthalmic Insight into Novel Coronavirus 2019 Disease: A Comprehensive Review of the Ocular Manifestations and Clinical Hazards.

PURPOSE: To discuss the ocular manifestations provoked by novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease in humans, the natural history of the disease in the eye, and its treatment. METHODS: We designed a narrative review of the ocular manifestations of COVID-19 based on the literature published till July 30, 2020. The databases were PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. The inclusion criteria were (1) all types of clinical studies and (2) the topic was COVID-19 and its association to the eye regarding the current guidelines. RESULTS: From 168 abstracts screened, 61 papers fully filled the inclusion criteria after the full-text screening. The 61 records include 13 case reports, 17 prospective (case series or cross-sectional) studies, 8 retrospective studies, 12 literature reviews (one systematic review), and 11 letters to the editor. The majority of the papers agreed that ophthalmic manifestations due to COVID-19 were few and rarely encountered. The main ocular pathology seemed to be conjunctivitis, where the viral polymerase chain reaction also happened to be most detectable. Posterior segment or neuro-ophthalmic manifestations were scarce. Viral genome detection in the eye as well as viral portal of entry to the globe is still vague. CONCLUSION: The exact incidence of ocular manifestations in COVID-19 disease is uncertain. Conjunctivitis is the most prevalent ocular manifestation. It is still a debate whether the eye is a portal of entry for infection.

Degradation of some organophosphorus pesticides in aqueous solution by gamma irradiation.

This study reviews the effect of different gamma radiation doses (1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 kGy) on the degradation of chlorfenvinphos, diazinon, dimethoate, and profenofos at different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 5 µg/mL) in aqueous solutions (deionized, tap, and groundwater). The role of initial concentration, measured total dissolved solids and pH on degradation was investigated. The degradation of the four tested organophosphates due to gamma irradiation was determined using LC-MS/MS. The radiolytic degradation products were studied using the scan mode of GC-MS/MS. The radiation chemical yield, dose constant, D0.5, and D0.9 were calculated to evaluate degradation efficiency for each compound. All pesticides are completely eliminated, despite water type, at low concentration levels of 0.5 and 1 µg/mL. At concentration level 5 µg/mL, gamma irradiation could completely remove pesticides concentration in de-ionized water, but the binding effect of total dissolved solids decreased degradation efficiency of some organophosphates such as diazinon. The D0.9 of 5 µg/mL concentration of chlorfenvinphos, diazinon, dimethoate, and profenofos in de-ionized water were 6.6, 8.7, 11.0, and 17.6 respectively. Also, Gamma irradiating of an agriculture wastewater sample resulted in the removal of carbaryl, carbosulfan, and diazinon at 6 kGy dose.

Determination of Diquat Residues in Potato Using Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

A simple, modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure was developed for the determination of diquat in potato using reversed-phase LC coupled with tandem MS (MS/MS) in a total run time of 10 min. Different sample preparation parameters (pH modifier type, sample size, and elevated temperature) were tested and optimized. Potato sample was extracted with acetonitrile in the presence of ammonium hydroxide at 80°C. Phase separation was obtained by shaking the extract with magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride, and analysis was done using LC-MS/MS. Matrix-matched standard calculations were used to compensate for matrix-induced suppression in LC-MS/MS determination. The precision and trueness of the method were determined from recovery experiments on five replicates of spiked blank potato samples at 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg. The range of the obtained recoveries was 74-110%, with RSD values <5% for all the concentrations.

Electrostatic Comb-Drive Actuator with High In-Plane Translational Velocity.

This work reports the design and opto-mechanical characterization of high velocity comb-drive actuators producing in-plane motion and fabricated using the technology of deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The actuators drive vertical mirrors acting on optical beams propagating in-plane with respect to the substrate. The actuator-mirror device is a fabrication on an SOI wafer with 80 µm etching depth, surface roughness of about 15 nm peak to valley and etching verticality that is better than 0.1 degree. The travel range of the actuators is extracted using an optical method based on optical cavity response and accounting for the diffraction effect. One design achieves a travel range of approximately 9.1 µm at a resonance frequency of approximately 26.1 kHz, while the second design achieves about 2 µm at 93.5 kHz. The two specific designs reported achieve peak velocities of about 1.48 and 1.18 m/s, respectively, which is the highest product of the travel range and frequency for an in-plane microelectromechanical system (MEMS) motion under atmospheric pressure, to the best of the authors' knowledge. The first design possesses high spring linearity over its travel range with about 350 ppm change in the resonance frequency, while the second design achieves higher resonance frequency on the expense of linearity. The theoretical predications and the experimental results show good agreement.

Resilient guaranteed cost control of a power system.

With the development of power system interconnection, the low-frequency oscillation is becoming more and more prominent which may cause system separation and loss of energy to consumers. This paper presents an innovative robust control for power systems in which the operating conditions are changing continuously due to load changes. However, practical implementation of robust control can be fragile due to controller inaccuracies (tolerance of resistors used with operational amplifiers). A new design of resilient (non-fragile) robust control is given that takes into consideration both model and controller uncertainties by an iterative solution of a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). Both uncertainties are cast into a norm-bounded structure. A sufficient condition is derived to achieve the desired settling time for damping power system oscillations in face of plant and controller uncertainties. Furthermore, an improved controller design, resilient guaranteed cost controller, is derived to achieve oscillations damping in a guaranteed cost manner. The effectiveness of the algorithm is shown for a single machine infinite bus system, and then, it is extended to multi-area power system.

Immunohistochemical staining of surfactant proteins A and B in skin of psoriatic patients before and after narrow-band UVB phototherapy.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that is mediated by elements of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Surfactant proteins (SPs) play an important role in host defense mechanisms. They are thought to have a potential role in some inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate SP-A and SP-B immunohistochemical staining in skin of psoriatic patients before and after narrow-band UV radiation type B (NB-UVB) phototherapy. STUDY DESIGN: Immunohistochemical staining for SP-A and SP-B was performed on tissues from 20 psoriatic patients before and after NB-UVB. Results were compared with the degree of improvement assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and duration of treatment. RESULTS: In unaffected skin, SP-A and SP-B were restricted to the basal layer; however, in psoriatic skin, they appeared in suprabasal layers in 80% and 85% of cases, respectively. Dermal inflammatory cells showed SP-A in 11 cases (55%) and SP-B in only one case (5%). After treatment by NB-UVB, SP-A and SP-B staining showed predilection to the basal layer. Absence of SP-A staining in suprabasal layers after NB-UVB therapy was correlated to better response to therapy (p=0.003) and shorter duration of treatment (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: SP-A and SP-B positivity is increased in psoriatic skin and reduced after NB-UVB therapy. Absence of SP-A in suprabasal layers after NB-UVB therapy is associated with better response and shorter duration of treatment.