Aiming to realize the newly actuator without any electric cable, the use of laser-induced water vaper bubble has been proposed and performed the principle confirmation experiment. The laser induced water bubble has been applied for the liquid jet therapeutic catheter in medical field¹⁾. The liquid jet system use physiologic saline for the liquid and a Ho: YAG laser of 2.1µm wavelength that has highly absorption of water. Instead of this combination, we propose the use of carbon powder suspension for working liquid and an infrared Laser Diode (LD) of 970nm wavelength. As the 970nm LD light is not absorbed by water but carbon, the water of the working liquid could be vaporized by heated carbon. LD is considered as a suitable laser source for the actuator in the viewpoint of output controllability by the drive-current modulation. Figure 1 shows the conceptual image of the laser-induced water bubble actuator. It is constructed with a 970nm LD, an optical fiber and an actuator unit with working liquid for producing bubble.

An optical fiber connector (SMA connector) has been used for the bubble generator unit in our principle confirmation experiment. We use the inlet space for inserting and fixing fiber cable as the actuator cylinder. The working liquid was prepared by suspending carbon powder of 20µm particle size in water with surface active agent. After the working liquid has been injected in the cylinder, a stainless steel rod of Φ2.3mm diameter and 30mm length inserted as the actuator piston. When the laser irradiation was performed at the LD power of 160-180W and the pulse duration of 2msec, the reciprocating motions of the stainless steel rod have been observed.

For the next step, we are planning to evaluate the operating characteristic and also try to maximize the generating force.

Statement of the Problem: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) secondary to perinatal asphyxia (PA) affects especially vulnerable brain areas such as hippocampus and is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity. During pregnancy, high-fat diet (HFD) can induce developmental changes that might enhance the risk of peripartum complications including HIE secondary to PA. Trans-resveratrol (tRESV), is a polyphenol with antioxidant properties that can be used as a maternal dietary supplement in PA. The aim of this study was to identify new epigenetic mechanisms of brain inflammation and injury related to PA, to explore the benefit of tRESV enriched maternal diet and the potential negative impact of the HFD.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The hippocampal interleukin 1 beta (IL-1b), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and S-100B protein, were assessed in postnatal day 6 rats exposed to asphyxia, the offspring of female Wistar rats expose to an enriched diet of high-fat or tRESV. The expression of non-coding microRNAs miR124, miR132, miR134, miR146 and miR15a as epigenetic markers of hippocampus response to PA was determined 24 hours post-asphyxia.

Findings: Neural response to PA could be epigenetically controlled. Maternal HFD additionally increases hippocampal TNFα, IL-1b, and S-100B after PA. PA associated with maternal HFD induces miR124 up regulation and miR132 down regulation relative to PA only. tRESV reduces asphyxia-related neuroinflammation and neural injury and down-regulates miR132 and miR15a.

Conclusion & Significance: This data supports the neuroprotective quality of tRESV when used as a supplement in the maternal diet on the offspring’s outcome in PA.HFD increases the PA-induced neuroinflammation and neuronal injury, and epigenetically influences homeostatic synaptic plasticity and neuronal tolerance to asphyxia.

Ultrasonic sensing techniques are widely used in the various scientific ultrasonic instruments using sophisticated software for various non-destructive industrial and medical applications, owing to its propagation in all kinds of medium including solids, liquids and gases except vacuum. There are many applications using ultrasonic sound in air, such as distance measurement and range imaging etc. at low cost. However, the main disadvantage is its short measurable range due to the large absorption of the ultrasonic sound in air. Another disadvantage is its bigger size. It consists of an array receiver and due to the large inter-element spacing, grating lobes appears that creates ghost images of the object. Therefore, it was the main difficulty to make it a practical product. However, because of a recent progress of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technologies, it became possible to make a very small microphone array with many elements in a very small area. To extend the measurable range, some approaches were reported such as; high power sound source using spark discharge, using large scale transmitter elements and improving the signal to noise ratio (SNR) through pulse compression technique etc. In this paper, I have proposed a usage of high power ultrasonic phased array transmitter and ultrasonic array receiver using MEMS microphones for a long-range ultrasonic imaging system. The characteristics of the transmitter on the number of elements, modulated pulse width, etc. are investigated theoretically as well as experimentally. An ultrasonic array transmitter consisting of 144 (12 × 12) elements is constructed. It is controlled by four FPGAs and approximately 30 dB higher sound pressure level has been obtained than that of the single transmitter. The positions of the object are measured by delay-and-sum operations on the reflected received signal. The performance of the imaging system is compared with the system using a single transmitter. The improved 3D measurement field of an object by controlling the divergence of the ultrasonic transmitting array to improve the view angle of the system is shown. In isotropic divergence controlled system, the applied divergence is equal in both; x and y planes. In some applications a wide horizontal and narrow vertical measuring field is required. Therefore, I proposed an anisotropic divergence control system in which horizontal and the vertical divergence angles can be controlled independently. I described the principle of the anisotropic divergence control of the PAT and confirm it by numerical simulations. The anisotropic divergence of the transmitter was successfully controlled. Although, the sound pressure when the divergence was controlled 20o × 5o was about 6 dB lower than that of the PAT in phase and, 10 dB higher than the isotropic divergence controlled system and 26 dB higher than the single transmitter. The measurable range of the system with anisotropic divergence control has been improved over the isotropic divergence control by >2 m. The developed system can accurately detect the object while locating it at different positions. The maximum measurable range is > 25 m without any divergence. The developed system is useful in natural interferences e.g., smoke, fog, darkness etc. to make it a unique and novel ultrasonic long range imaging and the measurement system.

Terahertz (THz) radiations lie in electromagnetic spectrum gap between the infra-red and the microwave frequencies from 0.10 THz to 30 THz. In last few decades, generation and detection of THz radiations has attracted considerable interest not only in technological applications for THz imaging but also as a tool to investigate fundamental properties of materials by using time domain THz spectroscopy. Other applications too include information technology, biomedical sciences, non-destructive evaluation, security, quality control of foods beverage and medicines, environment monitoring and ultrafast computing etc. Much effort has been made to increase the generated terahertz radiation power. Among various methods, generation of THz radiation with the biased photoconductive switch (PCS), play very important role owing to its simple configuration and power controllability by bias and geometrical scaling. The low temperature (LT) grown GaAs PCS is most commonly used due to its sub picosecond lifetime and high mobility. Though, the THz generation efficiency is limited by its low breakdown field of about 5 x 105 V/cm. Thus, wide band gap materials with high breakdown electric fields are attractive for high power THz radiation, e.g., GaN with breakdown voltage 3.3 x 106 V/cm having high saturation velocity 2.5 x 107 V/cm and high thermal conductivity 1.3 W/cm K. Thus we investigate the most straight forward electromagnetic radiation from a GaN based large aperture LA-PCS. A carbon doped epitaxial layer was used for active region to realize high resistivity to stand high bias voltage.

THz pulses of 93.3 pJ/pulse energy was estimated at 500 V bias on excitation with 120 fs laser pulses of 266 nm wavelength with device structure as shown in fig.1. Figure 2 depicts the experimental setup with typical THz pulses and THz spectrum generated by LA GaN-PCS and measured with TDS detection.

High speed on/off valve (HSV) is an essential digital hydraulic component, and has been widely used for pressure and flow control in hydraulic systems, which require faster and more stable dynamic performance of HSVs to improve control preciseness. However, for some special kinds of HSVs, like ball structure and poppet structure valves which can reset by the hydraulic pressure instead of a traditional reset spring, their dynamic performance is greatly affected by the hydraulic pressure. Aiming at this problem, a self-correcting PWM control algorithm based on current feedback (SPWMCF) is proposed to improve and even maintain the HSVs’ original dynamic performance under changing pressures. Using current feedback analysis based on critical switching currents, the operational state of the HSV is estimated, and adaptive logic switching of different duty ratios of power source is also realized to preserve the dynamic performance of HSV under changing supply pressure to the maximum extent. Finally, a ball structure HSV is used as a research object, through numerical and experimental studies, it is demonstrated that the supply pressure has a great influence on the dynamic characteristics of the HSV, and the proposed control algorithm achieves the expected effect that the dynamic characteristics of the HSV is not only greatly improved but adapted to pressure changes, and the variation range of the dynamic performance can be controlled within 7.4% (0.3ms) under 4-20MPa operating conditions. The presented control algorithm is effective and can be applied in HSV-controlled systems to improve the robustness of the target actuator.

DNA double-strand breaks are one of the most lethal lesions to a cell that can be repaired by one of the two cellular pathways; non-homologous end joining or homologous recombination. Homologous recombination genes are particularly attractive targets for precision cancer therapy because these genes have altered expression patterns in cancer cells when compared with normal cells and these genetic abnormalities can be targeted for selectively killing cancer cells while leaving normal cells unscathed. Synthetic lethality is thought to be the new frontier of cancer therapeutics because it overcomes the limitation of chemotherapy, which is unable to discriminate between cancer cells and normal cells. Two genes are synthetically lethal when simultaneous disruptions of both genes gives rise to a lethal phenotype, while the disruption of either gene alone is viable. Many homologous recombination genes have synthetic lethal relationships with oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, which can be targeted for the development of cancer therapy- an approach referred to as combination therapy. In my presentation, I will summarize recent progress in understanding both the functioning and the regulation of the DNA repair machinery and elaborate on the clinical applications of these proteins in cancer therapy.

A brain tumor is a collection of abnormal cells in the brain. Brain tumors can be either malignant (cancerous) or benign (unlikely to spread). However, there is a limited amount of space in the skull. Therefore, any brain tumor—even one that is benign—can interfere with the functions of your brain and body. Brain tumors can destroy brain cells, increase inflammation, and elevate the pressure in the brain. A primary brain tumor starts in your brain. When cancer cells from other parts of your body cause a tumor in your brain, it is called a “secondary” or “metastatic brain tumor.” Secondary brain tumors are three times more common than primary brain tumors. All secondary brain tumors are malignant. Brain tumors are described by their location, tissue type, and the cells that make up the mass. The following types of brain tumors are commonly found in adults⁶:

1. The following types of brain tumors are commonly found in adults: Gliomas come in different types. They range from non-cancerous to mixed cells. Glioblastomas are the most aggressive form of glioma.

2. Meningiomas are more common in adults in the 40-70 age groups. They are typically non-cancerous. Meningiomas occur more commonly in women.

3. Schwannoma also occur in adults aged 40-70. They affect both men and     women¹.

4. There are also other types of brain tumors that can be found in adults. Some rare types of adult brain tumors include pituitary tumors, primary lymphoma of the brain, and ependymomas.

Key words; Tumors, Meningiomas, metastatic, Schwannoma 

In complex diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, multiple genetic and environmental factors as well as the interaction between these factors determine the phenotype. Although environmental influences, such as high-caloric fat- and carbohydrate-enriched diets and a sedentary lifestyle with markedly reduced physical activity, certainly accelerate disease development in those with genetic predisposition, it is of great clinical importance to explain the genetic variants that increase the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes.

 A panel of established variant single nucleotide polymorphism ( SNPs ) in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus has been evaluated in many studies compared to a non- diabetic control population .These results were used as a basis of comparison to analyze risk-conferring genotypes in type 2 diabetes mellitus to demonstrate type 2 diabetes risk associated factors . The results of this study provides a better understanding of the genetic epidemiology of type 2 diabetes in Egypt. Identifying genetic markers of type 2 diabetes will help to reduce disease onset and may ultimately adjust future risk factors through the early detection and healthy life style modification.

Our study made an attempt to study the most common single nucleotide polymorphism ( SNPs ) genotypes associated with type 2 diabetic patients attending the outpatient clinic of Egyptian National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology.  There was a significant increase in serum levels of FBS, HA1c, TG and LDL in patients group compared to normal healthy controls (P-value < 0.05).While there was no significant difference between patients group and normal healthy controls regarding bilirubin, ALT, AST, creatinine and potassium (P-value > 0.05).

A precision, whole systems genomics approach to thriving health and wellbeing has enormous clinical applications in the emerging field of environmental epigenetics research. We can now look at all aspects of an individual’s life, their medical and family history, occupation, their lifestyle, the environments they function in, individual systems diagnostics and genetics along with real time markers from sensor and mobile data to provide precise lifestyle interventions to optimize and enhance gene expression.  This new precision offers high specificity on health, tracks how individual choices affect health now and how that translates to the future. It also provides new insights about how we are interacting with our environment, in real time and in detail. The interplay of our genes and our experiences, of nature and how it interacts with nurture, has now moved from the mysterious to the knowable.

The Science of Epigenetics assists us to create precise optimization strategies by taking the reigns of gene expression to adapt and thrive under modern environmental pressures. Every decision we make contributes to this process in some way. The food we eat, the quality of sleep we experience, the cars we drive, the products we clean with and put on our skin, the thoughts we think, the levels of stress we carry and the chemicals and medications we dump into our water supply, all have an effect. This discussion will detail the evidence-based use of precision epigenetics and genomics as strategies to mitigate the effects of environmental toxins in the human system. Additionally, we will discuss actionable lifestyle modifications and system support processes to fine tune and enhance our human experience as we interact with our environment.

Premeltons are examples of emergent structures (i.e., structural solitons) that arise spontaneously in DNA due to the presence of nonlinear excitations in its structure. They are of two kinds: B-B (or A-A) premeltons form at specific DNA-regions to nucleate site-specific DNA melting. These are stationary and, being globally nontopological, undergo breather motions that allow drugs and dyes to intercalate into DNA. B-A (or A-B) premeltons, on the other hand, are mobile, and being globally topological, act as phase-boundaries transforming B- into A- DNA during the structural phase-transition. They are not expected to undergo breather-motions. A key feature of both types of premeltons is the presence of an intermediate structural-form in their central regions (proposed as being a transition-state intermediate in DNA-melting and in the B- to A- transition), which differs from either A- or B- DNA. Called beta-DNA, this is both metastable and hyperflexible – and contains an alternating sugar-puckering pattern along the polymer-backbone combined with the partial-unstacking (in its lower energy-forms) of every other base-pair. Beta-DNA is connected to either B- or to A- DNA on either side by boundaries possessing a gradation of nonlinear structural-change, these being called the kink and the antikink regions. The presence of premeltons in DNA leads to a unifying theory to understand much of DNA physical-chemistry and molecular-biology. In particular, premeltons are predicted to define the 5’ and 3’ ends of genes in naked-DNA and DNA in active-chromatin, this having important implications for understanding physical aspects of the initiation, elongation and termination of RNA-synthesis during transcription. For these and other reasons, the model will be of broader interest to the general audience working in these areas. The model explains a wide variety of data, and carries within it a number of experimental predictions – all readily testable – as will be described in my talk.

The evolutionary process is conditioned by the existence of genetic variability. The description of this variability in a population is the first step in studies of evolution and it is necessary to explain its origin and its maintenance and to predict its evolutionary consequences. The aim of this research was to observe the prevalence of mutations in Natural population of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). One thousand one hundred and fifty two (1152) Drosophila melanogaster flies were randomly collected and observed for the prevalence of physical mutations, of this number, 991 (86.02%) were trapped from the wild population with the prevalence of yellow body mutation occurring at 14.7% (females 14.2% and males 0.5%). 161 (13.98%) were the first filial generation having the prevalence of yellow body mutation occurring at 20.5% (19.3% were females and 1.2% males). The yellow body mutant flies have a defect in their “yellow gene” which is located on the X-chromosome. Since the yellow gene is needed for producing the flies’ normal black pigment, yellow body mutant flies cannot produce the pigment. It is a non-lethal recessive mutation; hence, flies having such defect survive and pass the defect to their offspring in the subsequent generation.