In this paper, a miniaturized 2 × 2 electro-optic plasmonic Mach– Zehnder switch (MZS) based on metal–polymer–silicon hybrid waveguide is presented. Adiabatic tapers are designed to couple the light between the plasmonic phase shifter, implemented in each of the MZS arms, and the 3-dB input/output directional couplers. For 6 µm-long hybrid plasmonic waveguide supported by JRD1 polymer (r33= 390 pm/V), a π-phase shift voltage of 2 V is obtained. The switch is designed for 1550 nm operation wavelength using COMSOL software and characterizes by 2.3 dB insertion loss, 9.9 fJ/bit power consumption, and 640 GHz operation bandwidth

Many approaches have been developed over time to counter the bioavailability limitations of poorly soluble drugs. With advances in nanotechnology in recent decades, this issue has been approached through the formulation of drugs as nanocrystals. Nanocrystals consist of pure drug(s) and a minimum of surface active agent(s) required for stabilization. They are carrier-free submicron colloidal drug delivery systems with a mean particle size typically in the range of 200 - 500 nm. By reducing particle size to nanoscale, the surface area available for dissolution is increased, and thus bioavailability is enhanced. Drug nanocrystals constitute a versatile formulation approach to enhance the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of poorly

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease restricted to the large intestine, characterized by superficial ulceration. It is a progressive and chronic disease requiring long-term treatment. Although its etiology remains unknown, it is suggested that environmental factors influence genetically susceptible individuals, leading to the onset of the disease. (C-X-C) ligand 9 is a chemokine that belongs to the CXC chemokine family, it plays a role in the differentiation of immune cells such as cytotoxic lymphocytes, natural killer T cells, and macrophages. Its interaction with its corresponding receptor CXCR3 which is expressed by a variety of cells such as effector T cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, and macrophage

Lymphoma is a cancer arising from B or T lymphocytes that are central immune system ‎components. It is one of the three most common cancers encountered in the canine; ‎lymphoma affects middle-aged to older dogs and usually stems from lymphatic tissues, ‎such as lymph nodes, lymphoid tissue, or spleen. Despite the advance in the management of ‎canine lymphoma, a better understanding of the subtype and tumor aggressiveness is still ‎crucial for improved clinical diagnosis to differentiate malignancy from hyperplastic ‎conditions and to improve decision-making around treating and what treatment type to use. ‎This study aimed to evaluate a potential novel biomarker related to iron metabolism,

Abstract Candida albicans is a commensal fungal pathogen that grows in yeast and hyphal forms in the human gut. C. albicans causes mucosal and cutaneous diseases that can result in significant mortality following systematic infections and it also exhibits drug resistance. Zebrafish have been an excellent model to investigate C. albicans infections because of their transparency and the availability of many transgenic lines. However, there is a limitation in using zebrafish as a model because the fish embryos cannot survive at 37°C therefore it is not suitable for studying Candida infections at physiological relevant human body temperature. In this thesis, the normal embryonic development of Arabian killifish (A. dispar) is investigated, rev

The study aimed to analyze the effect of meteorological factors (rainfall rate and temperature) on the change in land use in the marshes of the Al‐Majar Al‐Kabir region in southern Iraq. Satellite images from Landsat 7 for 2012 and Landsat 8 for 2022 were used to monitor changes in the land coverings, the images taken from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensors of the Landsat satellite. Geometric correction was used to convert images into a format with precise geographic coordinates using ArcMap 10.5. The maximum likelihood classification method was used to examine satellite image data using a supervised approach, and the data were analyzed statistically. We obtained clear images of the area,

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for chronic periodontitis (CP) and hyperglycemia has an important role in the enhancement of the severity of the periodontitis. It has been reported that the progression of CP causes shifting of the balance between bone formation and resorption toward osteoclastic resorption, and this will lead to the release of collagenous bone breakdown products into the local tissues and the systemic circulation. Cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) is the amino-terminal peptides of type I collagen which is released during the process of bone resorption. This study was conducted to determine the effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on serum level of NTx in type 2 diabetic patients

Rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis use analogous effector destructive procedures, in that the inflammatory cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines that drive chronic bone erosion in RA and chronic periodontal destruction in Periodontitis are alike. Periodontitis (PD) has appeared as a hazard factor in a number of health situations as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To determine the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha biological treatment (methotrexate and Enbrel or infliximab) on periodontal status of patients having rheumatoid arthritis with periodontitis in comparison to those having periodontitis without rheumatoid arthritis and control healthy subjects and to determine the serum levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) in t

This work provides an analysis of the thermal flow and behavior of the (load-free) refrigerator compartment. The main goal was to compare the thermal behavior inside the refrigerator cavity to the freezer door (home refrigerator) effect and install a fan on the freezer door while neglecting the heat transmitted by thermal radiation. Moreover, the velocity distribution, temperature, and velocity path lines are theoretically studied. This was observed without affecting the shelves inside the cabinet and the egg and butter places on the refrigerator door as they were removed and the aluminum door replaced with a glass door. This study aims to expand our knowledge about the temperature and flow fields of this refrigerator mo