Showing papers by "Cairo University published in 2017"
Theo Vos1, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir, Kalkidan Hassen Abate2, Cristiana Abbafati3 +775 more•Institutions (305)
TL;DR: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 328 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016.
10,401 citations
Mohsen Naghavi1, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir2, Cristiana Abbafati3, Kaja Abbas4 +598 more•Institutions (31)
TL;DR: The Global Burden of Disease 2016 Study (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of cause-specific mortality for 264 causes in 195 locations from 1980 to 2016 as discussed by the authors, which includes evaluation of the expected epidemiological transition with changes in development and where local patterns deviate from these trends.
3,228 citations
Simon I. Hay, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir1, Kalkidan Hassen Abate2, Cristiana Abbafati3 +800 more•Institutions (32)
TL;DR: At a global level, DALYs and HALE continue to show improvements and the importance of continued health interventions, which has changed in most locations in pace with the gross domestic product per person, education, and family planning.
3,029 citations
Valery L. Feigin1, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir2, Kalkidan Hassen Abate3, Foad Abd-Allah4 +267 more•Institutions (138)
TL;DR: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) study provides such information but does not routinely aggregate results that are of interest to clinicians specialising in neurological conditions as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Summary Background Comparable data on the global and country-specific burden of neurological disorders and their trends are crucial for health-care planning and resource allocation. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study provides such information but does not routinely aggregate results that are of interest to clinicians specialising in neurological conditions. In this systematic analysis, we quantified the global disease burden due to neurological disorders in 2015 and its relationship with country development level. Methods We estimated global and country-specific prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) for various neurological disorders that in the GBD classification have been previously spread across multiple disease groupings. The more inclusive grouping of neurological disorders included stroke, meningitis, encephalitis, tetanus, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, migraine, tension-type headache, medication overuse headache, brain and nervous system cancers, and a residual category of other neurological disorders. We also analysed results based on the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a compound measure of income per capita, education, and fertility, to identify patterns associated with development and how countries fare against expected outcomes relative to their level of development. Findings Neurological disorders ranked as the leading cause group of DALYs in 2015 (250·7 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 229·1 to 274·7] million, comprising 10·2% of global DALYs) and the second-leading cause group of deaths (9·4 [9·1 to 9·7] million], comprising 16·8% of global deaths). The most prevalent neurological disorders were tension-type headache (1505·9 [UI 1337·3 to 1681·6 million cases]), migraine (958·8 [872·1 to 1055·6] million), medication overuse headache (58·5 [50·8 to 67·4 million]), and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias (46·0 [40·2 to 52·7 million]). Between 1990 and 2015, the number of deaths from neurological disorders increased by 36·7%, and the number of DALYs by 7·4%. These increases occurred despite decreases in age-standardised rates of death and DALYs of 26·1% and 29·7%, respectively; stroke and communicable neurological disorders were responsible for most of these decreases. Communicable neurological disorders were the largest cause of DALYs in countries with low SDI. Stroke rates were highest at middle levels of SDI and lowest at the highest SDI. Most of the changes in DALY rates of neurological disorders with development were driven by changes in YLLs. Interpretation Neurological disorders are an important cause of disability and death worldwide. Globally, the burden of neurological disorders has increased substantially over the past 25 years because of expanding population numbers and ageing, despite substantial decreases in mortality rates from stroke and communicable neurological disorders. The number of patients who will need care by clinicians with expertise in neurological conditions will continue to grow in coming decades. Policy makers and health-care providers should be aware of these trends to provide adequate services. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2,995 citations
Gregory A. Roth1, Catherine O. Johnson1, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir2, Foad Abd-Allah3 +170 more•Institutions (99)
TL;DR: The GBD (Global Burden of Disease) 2015 study integrated data on disease incidence, prevalence, and mortality to produce consistent, up-to-date estimates for cardiovascular burden, finding that CVDs remain a major cause of health loss for all regions of the world.
2,525 citations
TL;DR: The number of adults with raised blood pressure increased from 594 million in 1975 to 1·13 billion in 2015, with the increase largely in low-income and middle-income countries, and the contributions of changes in prevalence versus population growth and ageing to the increase.
1,573 citations
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust1, John Radcliffe Hospital2, University of Nottingham3, Brigham and Women's Hospital4, ISMETT5, Banaras Hindu University6, Newton Wellesley Hospital7, Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology8, University of the West Indies9, University of Michigan10, Sahlgrenska University Hospital11, Queen Mary University of London12, Aga Khan University13, University of Manchester14, Virginia Commonwealth University15, University of Padua16, Changi General Hospital17, King's College London18, Southampton General Hospital19, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center20, McMaster University21, University Hospital Waterford22, Turku University Hospital23, University of Mainz24, Bezmialem Foundation University25, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust26, Kent State University27, Guy's Hospital28, Cairo University29, Children's of Alabama30
TL;DR: The development of the STROCSS guideline (Strengthening the Reporting of Cohort Studies in Surgery), consisting of a 17-item checklist, is described and it is hoped its use will increase the transparency and reporting quality of such studies.
736 citations
Haidong Wang1, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir2, Kalkidan Hassen Abate3, Cristiana Abbafati4 +781 more•Institutions (41)
TL;DR: Age-specific and sex-specific all-cause mortality between 1970 and 2016 is estimated for 195 countries and territories and at the subnational level for the five countries with a population greater than 200 million in 2016 to identify countries with higher life expectancy than expected by comparing observed life expectancy to anticipated life expectancy on the basis of development status alone.
553 citations
TL;DR: A solid intuition is built for what is LDA, and how LDA works, thus enabling readers of all levels to get a better understanding of the LDA and to know how to apply this technique in different applications.
Abstract: Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is a very common
technique for dimensionality reduction problems as a preprocessing
step for machine learning and pattern classification
applications. At the same time, it is usually used as a
black box, but (sometimes) not well understood. The aim of
this paper is to build a solid intuition for what is LDA, and
how LDA works, thus enabling readers of all levels be able
to get a better understanding of the LDA and to know how to
apply this technique in different applications. The paper first
gave the basic definitions and steps of how LDA technique
works supported with visual explanations of these steps.
Moreover, the two methods of computing the LDA space, i.e.
class-dependent and class-independent methods, were explained
in details. Then, in a step-by-step approach, two numerical
examples are demonstrated to show how the LDA
space can be calculated in case of the class-dependent and
class-independent methods. Furthermore, two of the most
common LDA problems (i.e. Small Sample Size (SSS) and
non-linearity problems) were highlighted and illustrated, and
state-of-the-art solutions to these problems were investigated and explained. Finally, a number of experiments was conducted
with different datasets to (1) investigate the effect of
the eigenvectors that used in the LDA space on the robustness
of the extracted feature for the classification accuracy,
and (2) to show when the SSS problem occurs and how it can
be addressed.
518 citations
TL;DR: The growing need to evaluate the safety of individual Bacillus strains as well as species on a case by case basis and necessity of more profound analysis for the selection and identification of Bacillus probiotic candidates are also taken into consideration.
Abstract: Spore-forming bacilli are being explored for the production and preservation of food for many centuries. The inherent ability of production of large number of secretory proteins, enzymes, antimicrobial compounds, vitamins, and carotenoids specifies the importance of bacilli in food chain. Additionally, Bacillus spp. are gaining interest in human health related functional food research coupled with their enhanced tolerance and survivability under hostile environment of gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Besides, bacilli are more stable during processing and storage of food and pharmaceutical preparations, making them more suitable candidate for health promoting formulations. Further, Bacillus strains also possess biotherapeutic potential which is connected with their ability to interact with the internal milieu of the host by producing variety of antimicrobial peptides and small extracellular effector molecules. Nonetheless, with proposed scientific evidences, commercial probiotic supplements and functional foods comprising of Bacillus spp. had not gained much credential in general population, since the debate over probiotic vs pathogen tag of Bacillus in the research and production terrains is confusing consumers. Hence, it’s important to clearly understand the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of selective beneficial Bacillus spp. and their substantiation with those having GRAS status, to reach a consensus over the same. This review highlights the probiotic candidature of spore forming Bacillus spp. and presents an overview of the proposed health benefits, including application in food and pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the growing need to evaluate the safety of individual Bacillus strains as well as species on a case by case basis and necessity of more profound analysis for the selection and identification of Bacillus probiotic candidates are also taken into consideration.
511 citations
Dresden University of Technology1, University College London2, Eskişehir Osmangazi University3, Virginia Commonwealth University4, University of Cologne5, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières6, University of Jena7, University College of Medical Sciences8, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary9, Konkuk University10, St. Lawrence University11, Cairo University12, Mie University13, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki14, University of Bern15, University of Vermont Medical Center16, University of Insubria17, Kanazawa Medical University18, University of Barcelona19, Medical University of Vienna20, University of Padua21, The Catholic University of America22, University of East Anglia23, University of Chicago24, University of Colorado Boulder25, Université catholique de Louvain26, Wolfson Medical Center27, Taipei Veterans General Hospital28, University of Buenos Aires29, Karolinska University Hospital30, University of Duisburg-Essen31, University of Pardubice32, University Hospital of Basel33
TL;DR: Clinicians and researchers are encouraged to adopt a common language in olfactory dysfunction to increase the methodological quality, consistency and generalisability of work in this field.
Abstract: Background: Olfactory dysfunction is an increasingly recognised condition, associated with reduced quality of life and major health outcomes such as neurodegeneration and death. However, translational research in this field is limited by heterogeneity in methodological approach, including definitions of impairment, improvement and appropriate assessment techniques. Accordingly, effective treatments are limited. In an effort to encourage high quality and comparable work in this field, among others, we propose the following ideas and recommendations. Whilst full recommendations are outlined in the main document, key points include: -Patients with suspected olfactory loss should undergo a full examination of the head and neck, including rigid nasal endoscopy. -Subjective olfactory assessment should not be undertaken in isolation, given its poor reliability. -Psychophysical assessment tools used in clinical and research settings should include reliable and validated tests of odour threshold, and/or one of odour identification or discrimination. -Comprehensive chemosensory assessment should include gustatory screening. -Smell training can be helpful in patients with olfactory loss of several aetiologies. Conclusions: We hope the current manuscript will encourage clinicians and researchers to adopt a common language, and in so doing, increase the methodological quality, consistency and generalisability of work in this field.
TL;DR: The Chaotic Whale Optimization Algorithm (CWOA) is proposed, using the chaotic maps to compute and automatically adapt the internal parameters of the optimization algorithm for the parameters estimation of solar cells.
TL;DR: A review of recent advances in polymeric materials from vegetable oils in terms of preparation, characterization, and properties can be found in this article, where nano-composites and fiber reinforced composites based on bio-polymers matrices are reviewed.
TL;DR: The experimental results showed that the proposed methods outperformed the other swarm algorithms; in addition, the MFO showed better results than WOA, as well as provided a good balance between exploration and exploitation in all images at small and high threshold numbers.
Abstract: Two metaheuristic algorithms (WOA and MFO) are used.These algorithms are applied to multilevel thresholding image segmentation.MFO and WOA are better than compared algorithms.MFO is better than WOA for higher number of thresholds. Determining the optimal thresholding for image segmentation has got more attention in recent years since it has many applications. There are several methods used to find the optimal thresholding values such as Otsu and Kapur based methods. These methods are suitable for bi-level thresholding case and they can be easily extended to the multilevel case, however, the process of determining the optimal thresholds in the case of multilevel thresholding is time-consuming. To avoid this problem, this paper examines the ability of two nature inspired algorithms namely: Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and Moth-Flame Optimization (MFO) to determine the optimal multilevel thresholding for image segmentation. The MFO algorithm is inspired from the natural behavior of moths which have a special navigation style at night since they fly using the moonlight, whereas, the WOA algorithm emulates the natural cooperative behaviors of whales. The candidate solutions in the adapted algorithms were created using the image histogram, and then they were updated based on the characteristics of each algorithm. The solutions are assessed using the Otsus fitness function during the optimization operation. The performance of the proposed algorithms has been evaluated using several of benchmark images and has been compared with five different swarm algorithms. The results have been analyzed based on the best fitness values, PSNR, and SSIM measures, as well as time complexity and the ANOVA test. The experimental results showed that the proposed methods outperformed the other swarm algorithms; in addition, the MFO showed better results than WOA, as well as provided a good balance between exploration and exploitation in all images at small and high threshold numbers.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors use the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) to improve and expand the quantification of personal health-care access and quality for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015.
TL;DR: The aim of this paper is to review for the first time published research investigating the in vivo osseous regenerative capacity of 3D BG scaffolds in bone defect animal models, to better understand and evaluate the progress and future outlook of the use of such scaffolding in BTE.
Boston Children's Hospital1, University of Southern Denmark2, University of Tübingen3, University of Pavia4, University of Copenhagen5, Lyon College6, French Institute of Health and Medical Research7, HCL Technologies8, Aix-Marseille University9, University of Paris10, Paris Diderot University11, University of Hamburg12, Utrecht University13, Erasmus University Medical Center14, Mayo Clinic15, University of Genoa16, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico17, University of Michigan18, Université libre de Bruxelles19, University of Kiel20, Detmold21, Aarhus University Hospital22, University Hospital Heidelberg23, University of Tartu24, University of Colorado Denver25, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg26, Cairo University27, Ghent University Hospital28, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven29, University of Antwerp30, Leipzig University31, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia32
TL;DR: Clinical and experimental data suggest a correlation between age at disease onset, response to sodium channel blockers and the functional properties of mutations in children with SCN2A-related epilepsy, and suggest that mutations associated with early infantile epilepsy result in increased sodium channel activity with gain-of-function.
Abstract: Mutations in SCN2A, a gene encoding the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.2, have been associated with a spectrum of epilepsies and neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we report the phenotypes of 71 patients and review 130 previously reported patients. We found that (i) encephalopathies with infantile/childhood onset epilepsies (≥3 months of age) occur almost as often as those with an early infantile onset (<3 months), and are thus more frequent than previously reported; (ii) distinct phenotypes can be seen within the late onset group, including myoclonic-atonic epilepsy (two patients), Lennox-Gastaut not emerging from West syndrome (two patients), and focal epilepsies with an electrical status epilepticus during slow sleep-like EEG pattern (six patients); and (iii) West syndrome constitutes a common phenotype with a major recurring mutation (p.Arg853Gln: two new and four previously reported children). Other known phenotypes include Ohtahara syndrome, epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures, and intellectual disability or autism without epilepsy. To assess the response to antiepileptic therapy, we retrospectively reviewed the treatment regimen and the course of the epilepsy in 66 patients for which well-documented medical information was available. We find that the use of sodium channel blockers was often associated with clinically relevant seizure reduction or seizure freedom in children with early infantile epilepsies (<3 months), whereas other antiepileptic drugs were less effective. In contrast, sodium channel blockers were rarely effective in epilepsies with later onset (≥3 months) and sometimes induced seizure worsening. Regarding the genetic findings, truncating mutations were exclusively seen in patients with late onset epilepsies and lack of response to sodium channel blockers. Functional characterization of four selected missense mutations using whole cell patch-clamping in tsA201 cells—together with data from the literature—suggest that mutations associated with early infantile epilepsy result in increased sodium channel activity with gain-of-function, characterized by slowing of fast inactivation, acceleration of its recovery or increased persistent sodium current. Further, a good response to sodium channel blockers clinically was found to be associated with a relatively small gain-of-function. In contrast, mutations in patients with late-onset forms and an insufficient response to sodium channel blockers were associated with loss-of-function effects, including a depolarizing shift of voltage-dependent activation or a hyperpolarizing shift of channel availability (steady-state inactivation). Our clinical and experimental data suggest a correlation between age at disease onset, response to sodium channel blockers and the functional properties of mutations in children with SCN2A-related epilepsy.
TL;DR: A review to the state-of-the-art work in the field of BCI on the Brain control signals, their types and classifications and the current BCI technology in terms of hardware and software is reviewed.
TL;DR: Arachidonic acid is an integral constituent of biological cell membrane, conferring it with fluidity and flexibility, so necessary for the function of all cells, especially in nervous system, skeletal muscle, and immune system.
TL;DR: Gout is a picturesque presentation of uric acid disturbance as mentioned in this paper, it is the most well understood and described type of arthritis. Diagnosis is based on laboratory and radiological features, the gold standard of diagnosis is identification of characteristic MSU crystals in the synovial fluid using polarized light microscopy.
TL;DR: The discovery of a large void, named ScanPyramids’ Big Void, situated above the Grand Gallery constitutes the first major inner structure found in the Great Pyramid since the nineteenth century and constitutes a breakthrough for the understanding of the internal structure of Khufu’s Pyramid.
Abstract: The Great Pyramid or Khufu’s Pyramid was built on the Giza Plateau (Egypt) during the IVth dynasty by the pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), who reigned from 2509 to 2483 BC$^1$ . Despite being one of the oldest and largest monuments on Earth, there is no consensus about how it was built. To better understand its internal structure, we imaged the pyramid using muons, which are by-products of cosmic rays that are only partially absorbed by stone. The resulting cosmic-ray muon radiography allows us to visualize the known and potentially unknown voids in the pyramid in a non-invasive way. Here we report the discovery of a large void (with a cross section similar to the Grand Gallery and a length of 30m minimum) above the Grand Gallery, which constitutes the first major inner structure found in the Great Pyramid since the 19$^{th}$ century. This void, named ScanPyramids Big Void, was first observed with nuclear emulsion films installed in the Queen’s chamber (Nagoya University), then confirmed with scintillator hodoscopes set up in the same chamber (KEK) and re-confirmed with gas detectors12 outside of the pyramid (CEA)This large void has therefore been detected with a high confidence by three different muon detection technologies and
three independent analyses. These results constitute a breakthrough for the understanding of Khufu’s Pyramid and its internal structure. While there is currently no information about the role of this void, these findings show how modern particle physics can shed new light on the world’s archaeological heritage
Nancy Fullman, Ryan M Barber, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir1, Kalkidan Hassen Abate2 +637 more•Institutions (52)
TL;DR: GBD 2016 provides an updated and expanded evidence base on where the world currently stands in terms of the health-related SDGs, and substantially revised the universal health coverage (UHC) measure, which focuses on coverage of essential health services, to also represent personal health-care access and quality for several non-communicable diseases.
TL;DR: Uric acid, C5H4N4O3, 7,9-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6,8(3H)-trione, molecular mass 168 Da, is a product of the metabolic breakdown of purine nucleotides (adenine and guanine).
05 Jun 2017
TL;DR: Experimental results indicate that in terms of robustness, stability, and quality of the solution obtained, of both LSHade-SPA and LSHADE-SPACMA are better than LSHades algorithm, especially as the dimension increases.
Abstract: To improve the optimization performance of LSHADE algorithm, an alternative adaptation approach for the selection of control parameters is proposed. The proposed algorithm, named LSHADE-SPA, uses a new semi-parameter adaptation approach to effectively adapt the values of the scaling factor of the Differential evolution algorithm. The proposed approach consists of two different settings for two control parameters F and Cr. The benefit of this approach is to prove that the semi-adaptive algorithm is better than pure random algorithm or fully adaptive or self-adaptive algorithm. To enhance the performance of our algorithm, we also introduced a hybridization framework named LSHADE-SPACMA between LSHADE-SPA and a modified version of CMA-ES. The modified version of CMA-ES undergoes the crossover operation to improve the exploration capability of the proposed framework. In LSHADE-SPACMA both algorithms will work simultaneously on the same population, but more populations will be assigned gradually to the better performance algorithm. In order to verify and analyze the performance of both LSHADE-SPA and LSHADE-SPACMA, Numerical experiments on a set of 30 test problems from the CEC2017 benchmark for 10, 30, 50 and 100 dimensions, including a comparison with LSHADE algorithm are executed. Experimental results indicate that in terms of robustness, stability, and quality of the solution obtained, of both LSHADE-SPA and LSHADE-SPACMA are better than LSHADE algorithm, especially as the dimension increases.
TL;DR: This review provides updated important information on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, CYP genetic polymorphisms, drug interactions, toxicity, withdrawal, and illicit use of tramadol.
Abstract: Tramadol is a unique analgesic medication, available in variety of formulations, with both monoaminergic reuptake inhibitory and opioid receptor agonist activity increasingly prescribed worldwide as an alternative for high-affinity opioid medication in the treatment of acute and chronic pain. It is a prodrug that is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 to its more potent opioid analgesic metabolites, particularly the O-demethylation product M1. The opioid analgesic potency of a given dose of tramadol is influenced by an individual's CYP genetics, with poor metabolizers experiencing little conversion to the active M1 opioid metabolite and individuals with a high metabolic profile, or ultra-metabolizers, experiencing the greatest opioid analgesic effects. The importance of the CYP metabolism has led to the adoption of computer clinical decision support with pharmacogenomics tools guiding tramadol treatment in major medical centers. Tramadol's simultaneous opioid agonist action and serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitory effects result in a unique side effect profile and important drug interactions that must be considered. Abrupt cessation of tramadol increases the risk for both opioid and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor withdrawal syndromes. This review provides updated important information on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, CYP genetic polymorphisms, drug interactions, toxicity, withdrawal, and illicit use of tramadol.
TL;DR: The association between uric acid (UA) and systemic hypertension (Htn), dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, overweight, fatty liver, renal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the other side is well recognized as discussed by the authors.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the impact of board's corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and orientation on the quantity and quality of environmental sustainability disclosure in UK listed firms and found that effective board CSR strategy and CSR-oriented directors have a positive and significant impact on the quality of Environmental sustainability disclosure.
Abstract: The environmental implications of corporate economic activities have led to growing demands for firms and their boards to adopt sustainable strategies and to disseminate more useful information about their activities and impacts on environment. This paper investigates the impact of board’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and orientation on the quantity and quality of environmental sustainability disclosure in UK listed firms. We find that effective board CSR strategy and CSR-oriented directors have a positive and significant impact on the quality of environmental sustainability disclosure, but not on the quantity. Our findings also suggest that the existence of a CSR committee and issuance of a stand-alone CSR report are positively and significantly related to environmental sustainability disclosure. When we distinguish between firms with high and low environmental risk, we find that the board CSR/sustainability practices that affect the quantity (quality) of environmental sustainability disclosure appear to be driven more by highly (lowly) environmentally sensitive firms. These results suggest that the board CSR/sustainability practices play an important role in ensuring a firm’s legitimacy and accountability towards stakeholders. Our findings shed new light on this under-researched area and could be of interest to companies, policy-makers and other stakeholders.
TL;DR: In this article, it is shown that laser treatment of activated carbon electrodes results in the formation of microchannels that serve as electrolyte reservoirs that in turn shorten the ion diffusion distance and enable better interaction between the electrode surfaces and electrolyte ions.
Abstract: The global supercapacitor market has been growing rapidly during the past decade. Today, virtually all commercial devices use activated carbon. In this work, it is shown that laser treatment of activated carbon electrodes results in the formation of microchannels that can connect the internal pores of activated carbon with the surrounding electrolyte. These microchannels serve as electrolyte reservoirs that in turn shorten the ion diffusion distance and enable better interaction between the electrode surfaces and electrolyte ions. The capacitance can be further increased through fast and reversible redox reactions on the electrode surface using a redox-active electrolyte, enabling the operation of a symmetric device at 2.0 V, much higher than the thermodynamic decompostion voltage of water. This simple approach can alleviate the low energy density of supercapacitors which has limited the widespread use of this technology. This work represents a clear advancement in the processing of activated carbon electrodes toward the next-generation of low-cost supercapacitors.
TL;DR: In this paper, the optimal bioenvironmental conditions for microalgae cultivation, process design of algal biodiesel production, physicochemical properties of lipids extracted from micro algae and the properties of the produced biodiesel fuel, and the transesterification process are discussed.
Abstract: This literature review discusses several aspects of biodiesel production from microalgae. This paper elucidates the optimal bioenvironmental conditions for microalgae cultivation, process design of algal biodiesel production, physicochemical properties of lipids extracted from microalgae and the properties of the produced biodiesel fuel, and the transesterification process. On the other hand, this paper illustrates the designs of up-to-date full-scale and lab-scale photobioreactors (PBRs). Furthermore, this paper argues different bioengineering aspects of biodiesel production from microalgae. Eventually, the measurements, calculations, design parameters, Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of the production process are discussed.
University of Southern Denmark1, University of Paris2, University of Lausanne3, Aarhus University Hospital4, University College London5, Umeå University6, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre7, University of Genoa8, Tata Memorial Hospital9, Freeman Hospital10, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center11, University Medical Center Groningen12, BC Cancer Agency13, Cairo University14, Radboud University Nijmegen15, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer16, Moffitt Cancer Center17
TL;DR: This update confirms, with more patients and a longer follow-up than the first version of MARCH, that hyperfractionated radiotherapy is, along with concomitant chemoradiotherapy, a standard of care for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancers.
Abstract: Summary Background The Meta-Analysis of Radiotherapy in squamous cell Carcinomas of Head and neck (MARCH) showed that altered fractionation radiotherapy is associated with improved overall and progression-free survival compared with conventional radiotherapy, with hyperfractionated radiotherapy showing the greatest benefit. This update aims to confirm and explain the superiority of hyperfractionated radiotherapy over other altered fractionation radiotherapy regimens and to assess the benefit of altered fractionation within the context of concomitant chemotherapy with the inclusion of new trials. Methods For this updated meta-analysis, we searched bibliography databases, trials registries, and meeting proceedings for published or unpublished randomised trials done between Jan 1, 2009, and July 15, 2015, comparing primary or postoperative conventional fractionation radiotherapy versus altered fractionation radiotherapy (comparison 1) or conventional fractionation radiotherapy plus concomitant chemotherapy versus altered fractionation radiotherapy alone (comparison 2). Eligible trials had to start randomisation on or after Jan 1, 1970, and completed accrual before Dec 31, 2010; had to have been randomised in a way that precluded prior knowledge of treatment assignment; and had to include patients with non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx undergoing first-line curative treatment. Trials including a non-conventional radiotherapy control group, investigating hypofractionated radiotherapy, or including mostly nasopharyngeal carcinomas were excluded. Trials were grouped in three types of altered fractionation: hyperfractionated, moderately accelerated, and very accelerated. Individual patient data were collected and combined with a fixed-effects model based on the intention-to-treat principle. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Findings Comparison 1 (conventional fractionation radiotherapy vs altered fractionation radiotherapy) included 33 trials and 11 423 patients. Altered fractionation radiotherapy was associated with a significant benefit on overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] 0·94, 95% CI 0·90–0·98; p=0·0033), with an absolute difference at 5 years of 3·1% (95% CI 1·3–4·9) and at 10 years of 1·2% (−0·8 to 3·2). We found a significant interaction (p=0·051) between type of fractionation and treatment effect, the overall survival benefit being restricted to the hyperfractionated group (HR 0·83, 0·74–0·92), with absolute differences at 5 years of 8·1% (3·4 to 12·8) and at 10 years of 3·9% (−0·6 to 8·4). Comparison 2 (conventional fractionation radiotherapy plus concomitant chemotherapy versus altered fractionation radiotherapy alone) included five trials and 986 patients. Overall survival was significantly worse with altered fractionation radiotherapy compared with concomitant chemoradiotherapy (HR 1·22, 1·05–1·42; p=0·0098), with absolute differences at 5 years of −5·8% (−11·9 to 0·3) and at 10 years of −5·1% (−13·0 to 2·8). Interpretation This update confirms, with more patients and a longer follow-up than the first version of MARCH, that hyperfractionated radiotherapy is, along with concomitant chemoradiotherapy, a standard of care for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancers. The comparison between hyperfractionated radiotherapy and concomitant chemoradiotherapy remains to be specifically tested. Funding Institut National du Cancer; and Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer.