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The present study describes the preparation of novel modified montmorillonite clay in highly acidic form and its evaluation as a heterogeneous catalyst in the production of biodiesel from castor oil and jatropha oil by a one-step catalyzed transesterification reaction. The prepared catalyst was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, BET surface area and HRTEM. The study showed that the optimized conditions of castor oil transesterification were: 5% catalyst by weight, 1:12 oil to methanol molar ratio, at 60 °C for 300 min at 800 rpm; in case of jatropha oil: 5% catalyst by weight, 1:6 oil to methanol ratio, at 110 °C for 150 min at 800 rpm. The obtained biodiesels properties were agreed with the ASTM standard specifications. Blending of castor oil and jatropha oil biodiesels with petroleum diesel improved their fuel properties according to engine test parameters. The prepared catalyst exhibited highest activity in the transesterification reactions, and showed good stability during the reaction with a reusability for seven rounds of transesterification without considerable decrease in its activity.

Background: optimal stent selection and placement would be expected to improve clinical outcomes. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) may permit better preprocedural planning. Objectives: to assess the impact of incorporating coronary computed tomography angiogaphy guidance in defining reference value for stent length and diameter on angiographic and clinical outcomes in comparison to quantitative coronary angiography and its effect on incidence of instent restenosis. Methods: the study was conducted on 153 diabetic patients with stable coronary artery disease. Patients were divided into two groups: group A and group B according to PCI guidance either with quantitative computed tomography angiography (QCTA) datasets or quantitative computed tomography (QCA) datasets respectively. Follow up clinically for six months to assess incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and angiographically by coronary angiography at six months or before if clinically indicated to assess incidence of instent restenosis (primary end point). Results: QCTA was associated with longer lesions (p=0.001) and larger reference vessel diameter (p=0.001) than that measured by invasive QCA in group A. No statistical significant difference between group A and group B regarding restenosis rate, minimum lumen diameter at follow up and incidence of MACE. Conclusions: CCTA guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a safe and effective strategy for treatment of coronary artery disease however it didn't add a beneficial role in reducing incidence of instent restenosis or MACE in comparison to angiographic guidance alone.

Aim: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the relationship between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and coronary calcium score in diabetic patients. Methods: Hematological parameters of 100 diabetic (Type II) patients were assessed. Computed tomographic angiography was used to asses coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. Results: Mean age of the study cohort was 55 years (males: 60%). Mean RDW was 12.7%. Mean CAC score was 243. There was a significant correlation between RDW and each of: CAC scores (r = 0.53; p < 0.001) and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD; r = 0.25; p = 0.047). A cut-off value >14.2% (receiver operating characteristic curves) predicted CAC score >400. A cut-off value >-14.6% predicted the presence of significant CAD. Conclusion: Diabetic patients with high-CAC scores and significant CAD had higher RDW.

Understanding the complex immune responses in sepsis is crucial to provide insight into the clinical syndrome. We evaluated the changes in the surface receptors of the cells of innate immunity, neutrophils and monocytes, in patients with sepsis. Since sepsis remains a clinical challenge, we aimed to assess the significance of altered receptor expression in diagnosis and prognosis. Critically ill patients with sepsis (n=31) were investigated for the expression of receptors for IgG heavy chain CD64 and CD16 on neutrophils and CD64 and the lipopolysaccharide receptor CD14 on monocytes by flow cytometry and compared to 23 patients with no sepsis. Patients with sepsis had increased expression of neutrophil CD64. Neutrophil CD64 was specific for discriminating patients with sepsis but showed weak sensitivity. When integrated in a scoring system, neutrophil CD64 in combination with C-reactive protein (CRP) and SOFA score showed a diagnostic accuracy of 0.93 for sepsis and significantly predicted increased mortality risk. While neutrophil CD16 did not discriminate for sepsis, decreased expression was associated with increased mortality risk. In contrast, monocyte CD64 and CD14 expression was unaltered in sepsis and was not associated with mortality risk. Our study demonstrates that unlike monocytes, neutrophil receptor expression is altered in patients with sepsis receiving intensive care. It is promising to apply a combination approach to diagnose sepsis especially in time-limited conditions.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have shown a great potential for harvesting low frequency mechanical energy. It is thus considered a suitable energy source for both self-powered applications and bulk energy harvesting. In this work, a new diagonal motion mode is studied intensively in attached electrode regime and simulated using COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS. The Diagonal motion mode offers a new degree of freedom represented in the angle of motion allowing for further energy optimization. A complete analytical model of the proposed TENG model has been derived. In addition, a comparison between the analytical model and the COMSOL simulation results has been done. The maximum error between the results is equal to 5.3% and the minimum error is equal to 0.88%. The accuracy of the analytical model was a motivation for constructing a Verilog-A model to study the device under different loading conditions. A case of simple resistive load is considered, the results show that the open circuit voltage, VOC, is equal to 5 V while the short circuit charge, Qso, is equal to 45 pC. The short circuit current is equal to 193 pA at theta of 0. Also, the peak power is equal to 50 pW for a load resistance of 110 GΩ.

We consider the parameter estimation problem for the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process X driven by a fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process V, i.e. the pair of processes defined by the non-Markovian contin...

En Abstract Background Cervicogenic headache (CGH) is a referred pain originating from the neck and perceived in the head and/or face. Its morbidity and cost of treatment hugely affect the society. Classical management is by physiotherapy (PT) and analgesics. Patients and methods A total of 45 patients with CGH were treated either by PT alone or by PT and low-level laser or by PT and kinesio taping (KT). Results Three outcome measures were obtained: the pain pressure threshold, the neck disability index, and the forward head posture improved significantly in all groups. Compared with PT alone, adding KT gave better results in all three parameters. Adding low-level laser gave better scores in both pain pressure threshold and neck disability index. Adding KT to PT gave better results in all parameters than adding low-level laser. Conclusion In the short term, KT improves the outcome of PT for CGH to a greater extent compared with the low-level laser therapy.

Introduction Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune peripheral neuropathy characterized by demyelination and axonal damage. Biallelic functional polymorphisms in the immunoglobulin G Fc receptors (FcγR)-FcγRIIA: H131/R131, FcγRIIIA: V158/F158, and FcγRIIIB: NA1/NA2 affect the affinity of the IgG-FcγR interaction, therefore, diseases such as GBS in which this interaction plays a critical role might be influenced by the polymorphisms. Methods We evaluated the role of FcγR polymorphisms in susceptibility to GBS in Egyptian pediatric patients and the association of the variant alleles with neurophysiological types, severity, and outcome of the disease. A total of 50 patients with GBS and 50 controls were examined for FcγR polymorphisms by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Results FcγRIIA H131 allele (p = 0.0001; odds ratio [OR] = 4.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.62-8.70) and FcγRIIA H/H131 genotype (p = 0.0001 ; OR = 10.56; 95% CI, 3.59-31.06) were significantly increased in GBS patients while FcγRIIIA and FcγRIIIB allelic distributions were similar among patients and controls. The FcγR genotypes showed no association with neurophysiological types of GBS, severity or outcome of the disease. Conclusions These findings reflect that FcγRIIA H131 allele may represent a risk marker for susceptibility to GBS.

Background: Since spontaneous inflammation is an important contributor to familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), genetic variants mediating inflammation are of interest. We investigated gene variants in the acute-phase serum amyloid A type 1 (SAA1), a sensitive marker of inflammatory activity, and their association with susceptibility and severity of FMF. Methods: The genotypes of 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms within exon 3 of SAA1 (2995C/T and 3010C/T) were determined in 105 Egyptian children with FMF and in 125 controls by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Genotyping of the causative MEFV mutations was performed by reverse hybridization. Results: The M694I mutation was the most frequent allele (42.8%), followed by V726A (18.6%), M680I (17.1%), E148Q (11.9%) and M694V (9.0%). The frequency of the SAA1 α, β and γ alleles was not significantly different between FMF patients and controls. The genotype frequency of SAA1 α/α was higher in patients than in healthy subjects (21.0 vs. 14.4%) although it did not reach statistical significance. The clinical manifestations including age at disease onset, number of FMF attacks, colchicine dose and severity score were not related to genotypes of SAA1. However, M694V mutation and female gender were significantly associated with severity. Conclusion: The genetic polymorphism of SAA1 is not associated with susceptibility and severity of FMF in Egyptian children.

Background Management of prostate cancer requires novel prognostic markers. E-26 transformation-specific-related gene (ERG) is one of the promising markers in this respect. ERG is a member of the E-26 transformation-specific family of transcription factors. This family has important roles in development that includes angiogenesis and hematopoiesis. ERG is considered to be an oncogene that acts as a transcription factor to regulate genes involved in tumor proliferation and invasion. ERG has become closely related to prostatic adenocarcinoma development. In this study, we aim to clarify the importance of ERG as a diagnostic marker of prostate adenocarcinoma. Materials and methods This study was performed by investigating ERG protein expression in prostate cancer and correlating results with other pathological variables using immunohistochemistry. Results The mean age of cases included in this cohort was 65±9.21 years. Overall, 41.4% of the cases were grade group 2 and 37.9% were grade group 3. Overall, 41.4% of the cases were Gleason score 3+4, and 37.9% were Gleason score 4+3. No significant relation was found between age and ERG expression, whereas a significant relation was found between ERG positivity and Gleason score (P=0.04). Conclusion Typing for ERG can help in further assessment of patients with cancer prostate.

In this work, a real-time unobtrusive heart rate monitoring system is proposed and implemented. The proposed system aims to monitor the heart rate of the passengers by using a low-cost camera, which can be readily embedded in the car's rear-view mirror. Additionally, we integrate this system with the main system of our test driverless car, and we propose how driverless cars should act in response to serious medical emergency situations. Moreover, we investigate how this system can benefit from the promising features of Google I/O and Google AI. Our approach is based on Remote Photoplethysmography (rPPG), in which the heart rate is extracted from the subtle tiny changes occurring in the skin color of the face during every pulsation. The face is automatically detected and tracked, then the raw signal is calculated from each frame over a 10-seconds sliding window. After that, a series of signal processing techniques are implemented on the raw signals to recover the heart rate frequency. Finally, the resultant heart rate measurements are processed and stored, then we compare it with ground truth measurements values obtained using pulse oximeter.

We use the least squares type estimation to estimate the drift parameter $\theta>0$ of a non-ergodic fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process of the second kind defined as $dX_{t}=\theta X_{t}\,dt+dY_{t}^{(1)},X_{0}=0$, $t\geq0$, where $Y_{t}^{(1)}=\int_{0}^{t}e^{-s}\,dB_{a_{s}}$ with $a_{t}=He^{\frac{t}{H}}$, and $\{B_{t},t\geq0\}$ is a fractional Brownian motion of Hurst parameter $H\in(\frac{1}{2},1)$. We assume that the process $\{X_{t},t\geq0\}$ is observed at discrete time instants $t_{1}=\Delta_{n},\ldots,t_{n}=n\Delta_{n}$. We construct two estimators $\hat{\theta}_{n}$ and $\check{\theta}_{n}$ of $\theta$ which are strongly consistent and we prove that these estimators are $\sqrt{n\Delta_{n}}$-consistent, in the sense that the sequences $\sqrt{n\Delta_{n}}(\hat{\theta}_{n}-\theta)$ and $\sqrt{n\Delta_{n}}(\check{\theta}_{n}-\theta)$ are tight.

Mineral CO 2 sequestration is a promising process for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. In this paper, alkaline calcium-rich dust particles collected from bag filters of electric arc furnaces (EAF) for steel making were utilized as a viable raw material for mineral CO 2 sequestration. The dust particles were pre-treated through hydration, drying and screening. The pre-treated particles were then subjected to direct gas–solid carbonation reaction in a fluidized-bed reactor. The carbonated products were characterized to determine the overall sequestration capacity and the mineralogical structures. Leaching tests were also performed to measure the extracted minerals from the carbonated dust and evaluate the carbonation process on dust stabilization. The experimental results indicated that CO 2 could be sequestered using the pre-treated bag house dust. The maximum sequestration of CO 2 was 0.657 kg/kg of dust, based on the total calcium content. The highest degree of carbonation achieved was 42.5% and the carbonation efficiency was 69% at room temperature.

The increasing demand for solid organs has necessitated the use of ABO and Rhesus (Rh) D minor mismatched transplants. The passenger lymphocyte syndrome (PLS) occurs when donor lymphocytes produce antibodies that react with host red blood cell (RBC) antigens and result in hemolysis. Our aim was to evaluate prospectively the role of PLS in post transplant anemia and hemolysis in ABO and RhD minor mismatched recipients of liver and kidney grafts and to study the association of PLS with donor lymphocyte microchimerism. We examined 11 liver and 10 kidney recipients at Day +15 for anemia, markers of hemolysis, direct antiglobulin test and eluates, and serum RBC antibodies. Microchimerism was determined in peripheral blood lymphocytes by genotyping of simple sequence length polymorphisms encoding short tandem repeats. Immune hemolytic anemia and anti-recipient RBC antibodies were observed in 2 out of 11 liver (18.2%) and 2 out of 10 kidney (20%) transplants. RBC antibody specificity reflected the donor to recipient transplant, with anti-blood group B antibodies identified in 2 cases of O to B and 1 case of A to AB transplants while anti-D antibodies were detected in 1 case of RhD-negative to RhD-positive transplant. Donor microchimerism was found in only 1 patient. In conclusion, passenger lymphocyte mediated hemolysis is frequent in minor mismatched liver and kidney transplantation. Recognizing PLS as a potential cause of post transplant anemia may allow for early diagnosis and management to decrease the morbidity and mortality in some patients.

This paper presents an advanced integrated controller design for military vehicle slow-active suspension system and anti-lock brake system (ABS) considering the effect of the suspension components non-linearity on the braking dynamics. The presented investigation is applied to a quarter vehicle model using the Magic Formula tire model and the actual characteristics for suspension damper (throttle valve) and spring (gas spring). The suspension controller is designed based on LQR using a linearized vehicle model and the ABS controller is designed based on ON/OF control methodology using tire skid ratio of 15% as a reference value. The mathematical derivations as well as the control techniques are numerically implemented in MATLAB environment. Several simulation results are carried out considering typical performance measures such as stopping time, stopping distance and vehicle body vertical acceleration. The results illustrated that, the integrated controller reduces the stopping distance on different road surfaces and therefore improves the braking performance to avoid or reduce the impact of vehicle accident.

Objective: Meningiomas are neoplasms that arise from the meninges of the central nervous system (CNS). They constitute about 25.6% of CNS tumors diagnosed in Egypt. Some morphological variants of meningiomas display aggressive behavior, leading to brain-invasive growth pattern. Although meningiomas are usually treated by complete surgical excision, the risk of postoperative recurrence remains. Hence, additional biomarkers for predicting aggressive behavior must be discovered. This study aims to explore the clinical and biological relevance of the protein expression levels of β-catenin and galectine-3 in meningioma and to understand the pathobiology of this neoplasm. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out on 153 cases of meningioma by using tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry for β-catenin and galectine-3. Results: High β-catenin expression was significantly associated with transitional and meningiotheliomatous meningiomas, low tumor grade, low recurrence rate, and low incidence of brain invasion. Meanwhile, high galectin-3 expression was associated with brain invasion, recurrence, high tumor grade, and tumor type. Logistic regression analysis indicated that among all variables included in the model, β-catenin and galactin-3 expression levels were significant predictors of tumor recurrence (PConclusions: Galectin-3 and β-catenin are involved in meningioma recurrence but not in brain invasion. These molecules could be important potential therapeutic targets and predictors for meningiomas.