HERV-K np9 and HERV-R env: Two endogenous retrovirus products with potential Pathogenic roles in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Objectives: Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are integral components of the human genome, and their reactivation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of some malignancies. External viral co-infections are suspected to play a role in HERV transactivation. This study aimed to investigate the expression of HERV-K np9 elements and HERV-R env gene in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients.

Endothelial dysfunction in children with newly diagnosed Graves' disease.

The most frequent cause of hyperthyroidism in children is Graves' disease (GD). Vascular endothelium is a specific target of thyroid hormone. The purpose of this study is to assess flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)% and serum von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels in children with newly diagnosed GD to reflect the extent of endothelial dysfunction in those children.

Investigating causes and risk factors of pre-chemotherapy viremia in acute lymphoblastic leukemia pediatric patients.

Background: Leukemia patients are immune-compromised even before starting chemotherapy because the malignant cells invade the bone marrow and destroy WBC precursors. Leukemic patients are more susceptible to infection by a wide range of microorganisms. Viral infections and reactivations are common and may result in severe complications.

Spastic Paraplegia 20 and Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase 31 Expression for the Detection of Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aims: Genetic alterations, including changes in the expression of spastic paraplegia 20 (SPG20) and serine/threonine protein kinase 31 (STK31), may play an important role in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Identification of such changes is suitable for the recognition of tumors at an early stage, which would significantly improve patient survival. While recent studies have identified that SPG20 and STK31 expression levels increase in CRC tissues, their use as a biomarker is yet to be investigated.

Design and Modeling of Fiber-Free Optical MEMS Accelerometer Enabling 3D Measurements.

Optical accelerometers are popular in some applications because of their better immunity to electromagnetic interference, and they are often more sensitive than other accelerometer types. Optical fibers were employed in most previous generations, making micro-fabrication problematic. The optical accelerometers that are suitable for mass manufacture and previously mentioned in the literature have various problems and are only sensitive in one direction (1D).

Efficacy of adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction cells in the management of chronic ulcers: a randomized clinical trial.

Cell therapy is a promising method for improving healing in chronic ulcers through delivery of isolated adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction. This study investigates the autologous stem cell yield of adipose tissue and its efficacy in chronic ulcers compared with conventional methods. This study was a randomized controlled trial.

Electrostatically Tuned Optical Filters Based on Hybrid Plasmonic-Dielectric Thin Films for Hyperspectral Imaging.

Hyperspectral imaging has a wide range of uses, from medical diagnostics to crop monitoring; however, conventional hyperspectral imaging systems are relatively slow, bulky, and rather costly. In this paper, we present an inexpensive, compact tunable optical filter for hyperspectral applications. The filter is based on a Fabry-Pérot interferometer utilizing hybrid metallic-dielectric mirrors and actuated using a MEMS electrostatic actuator.

Apolipoprotein M Gene Polymorphism Rs805297 (C-1065A): Association With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Related Microvascular Complications in South Egypt.

Background: Apolipoprotein M (ApoM) may have a role in the susceptibility of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the ApoM gene were found to be significantly associated with diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of ApoM SNP rs805297 (C-1065A) with the susceptibility of T2DM and related microvascular complications in South Egypt.

Association of lipid peroxidation and interleukin-6 with carotid atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes.

Unlabelled: Enhanced lipid peroxidation and elevated interleukin-6 levels are common in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Atherosclerotic vascular complications greatly contribute to morbidity and mortality in diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the relation of lipid peroxidation and interleukin-6 with carotid atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Egyptian Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients: Correlation with Clinicopathological Characteristics and Outcome.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is an exceedingly diversified group of lymphoproliferative neoplasms emerging from B-, T- or natural killer -lymphocytes. This study was done to detect Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2)-735C/T gene polymorphism in patients with NHL and its relation to the clinicopathological characteristics of the studied patients in addition to detection the association between it and NHL disease susceptibility and progression. Clinico-hematological profiles were done on 50 NHL patients.

Association of fasting glucagon-like peptide-1 with oxidative stress and subclinical atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes.

Aim: Glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) is a gut hormone that beside its main function in glucose homeostasis may play a role as an anti-oxidant and anti-atherosclerotic factor. The aim of this study was to estimate fasting total GLP-1 level in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients and to determine its relation with oxidative stress and atherosclerotic vascular changes.

Methods: The study included 60 T2DM male patients with age ≥40 and 30 healthy male subjects matched for age.

On-Channel Integrated Optofluidic Pressure Sensor with Optically Boosted Sensitivity.

A novel optofluidic sensor that measures the local pressure of the fluid inside a microfluidic channel is presented. It can be integrated directly on-channel and requires no additional layers in fabrication. The detection can be accomplished at a single wavelength; and thereby, only a single laser diode and a single photodetector are required.

High-Q Fabry⁻Pérot Micro-Cavities for High-Sensitivity Volume Refractometry.

This work reports a novel structure for a Fabry⁻Pérot micro cavity that combines the highest reported quality factor for an on-chip Fabry⁻Pérot resonator that exceeds 9800, and a very high sensitivity for an on-chip volume refractometer based on a Fabry⁻Pérot cavity that is about 1000 nm/refractive index unit (RIU). The structure consists of two cylindrical Bragg micromirrors that achieve confinement of the Gaussian beam in the plan parallel to the chip substrate, while for the perpendicular plan, external fiber rod lenses (FRLs) are placed in the optical path of the input and the output of the cavity. This novel structure overcomes number of the drawbacks presented in previous designs.

Optofluidic Fabry-Pérot Micro-Cavities Comprising Curved Surfaces for Homogeneous Liquid Refractometry-Design, Simulation, and Experimental Performance Assessment.

In the scope of miniaturized optical sensors for liquid refractometry, this work details the design, numerical simulation, and experimental characterization of a Fabry-Pérot resonator consisting of two deeply-etched silicon cylindrical mirrors with a micro-tube in between holding the liquid analyte under study. The curved surfaces of the tube and the cylindrical mirrors provide three-dimensional light confinement and enable achieving stability for the cavity illuminated by a Gaussian beam input. The resonant optofluidic cavity attains a high-quality factor ()-over 2800-which is necessary for a sensitive refractometer, not only by providing a sharp interference spectrum peak that enables accurate tracing of the peak wavelengths shifts, but also by providing steep side peaks, which enables detection of refractive index changes by power level variations when operating at a fixed wavelength.

Optical trapping and binding of particles in an optofluidic stable Fabry-Pérot resonator with single-sided injection.

In this article, microparticles are manipulated inside an optofluidic Fabry-Pérot cylindrical cavity embedding a fluidic capillary tube, taking advantage of field enhancement and multiple reflections within the optically-resonant cavity. This enables trapping of suspended particles with single-side injection of light and with low optical power. A Hermite-Gaussian standing wave is developed inside the cavity, forming trapping spots at the locations of the electromagnetic field maxima with a strong intensity gradient.

p-Stat3 and bcr/abl gene expression in chronic myeloid leukemia and their relation to imatinib therapy.

Flowcytometry analysis was carried out to evaluate the expression of the p-Stat3 in 50 CML patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls. p-Stat3 expression was increased in advanced stages of CML. Imatinib treatment was found to suppress the expression of p-Stat3 in bone marrow cells.

Analysis of Fabry-Perot optical micro-cavities based on coating-free all-silicon cylindrical Bragg reflectors.

We study the behavior of Fabry-Perot micro-optical resonators based on cylindrical reflectors, optionally combined with cylindrical lenses. The core of the resonator architecture incorporates coating-free, all-silicon, Bragg reflectors of cylindrical shape. The combined effect of high reflectance and light confinement produced by the reflectors curvature allows substantial reduction of the energy loss.

On the free-space Gaussian beam coupling to droplet optical resonators.

In this paper, light coupling into droplet optical resonators by means of a free-space Gaussian beam (GB) is investigated through numerical simulations and experiments. This method is introduced as an alternative to previously reported methods based on coupling through tapered fibers or prisms. Though applicable to solid-state optical resonators, this method is investigated here in the context of optofluidics for preserving the integrity of the droplet shape and for facilitating the steps of alignment and light coupling.