Electrostatic pull-in application in flexible devices: A review.

The electrostatic pull-in effect is a common phenomenon and a key parameter in the design of microscale and nanoscale devices. Flexible electronic devices based on the pull-in effect have attracted increasing attention due to their unique ductility. This review summarizes nanoelectromechanical switches made by flexible materials and classifies and discusses their applications in, among others, radio frequency systems, microfluidic systems, and electrostatic discharge protection. It is supposed to give researchers a more comprehensive understanding of the pull-in phenomenon and the development of its applications. Also, the review is meant to provide a reference for engineers to design and optimize devices.

Overexpression of Class III ß-tubulin, Sox2, and nuclear Survivin is predictive of taxane resistance in patients with stage III ovarian epithelial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Class III ß-tubulin, Sox2, and Survivin play important roles in tumor survival and proliferation. However, the association of these three factors with clinicopathological characteristics, chemoresistance, and survival in patients with ovarian cancer remains controversial. METHODS: We investigated the predictive value and correlation among the expression levels of Class III ß-tubulin, Sox2, and Survivin in 110 patients with stage III ovarian epithelial cancer, including 58 patients who received taxane-based chemotherapy and 52 patients who received non-taxane-based chemotherapy. Expression of these three factors was immunohistochemically examined in 110 ovarian tumor tissues obtained from patients before chemotherapy. RESULTS: The positive expression rates for Class III ß-tubulin, Sox2, and Survivin in ovarian tumor tissues were 59.09 %, 61.82 % and 52.73 %, respectively. The expression of nuclear Survivin and Class III ß-tubulin was consistent with that of Sox2 (p = 0.005 and 0.020, respectively). Positive expression of Class III ß-tubulin, Sox2, and nuclear Survivin was significantly associated with chemoresistance to taxane-based chemotherapy (p = 0.006, 0.007, and 0.009, respectively), but not to non-taxane-based chemotherapy. Additionally, overexpression of Class III ß-tubulin, Sox2, and nuclear Survivin predicted poor progression-free survival in patients receiving taxane-based chemotherapy (p = 0.032, 0.005, and 0.004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that overexpression of Class III ß-tubulin, Sox2, and nuclear Survivin might be predictive of taxane resistance and poor progression-free survival in patients with stage III ovarian epithelial cancer. Expression of these three factors may show positive correlations in these patients.

Audits of the quality of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in Shandong Province, China, 2006 to 2011.

BACKGROUND: A prospective multicenter survey was conducted to assess the rational use of antibiotics in clean and clean-contaminated elective surgical procedures applied in 53 grade III first class hospitals in Shandong Province, China, from 2006 to 2011. The survey was designed to examine the prevalence of antibiotic prophylaxis, evaluate the quality of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) prescriptions, and investigate the risk factors associated with inappropriate indication for antibiotic prophylaxis. METHODS: Medication charts and medical, anesthetic, and nursing records were reviewed. Antibiotic prescriptions were compared with the Chinese National Antibiotic Guideline on indication, antibiotic combination, antibiotic choice, dose, dosing interval, route of administration, timing of first administration, and duration of prophylaxis. RESULTS: 14,261 of 14,525 procedures (98.2%) receiving antibiotic prophylaxis. The most frequently encountered noncompliance types were PAP indications (18.6%), duration of prophylaxis (26.7%), and timing of first administration (30.3%). The steps of PAP were justified and correct only in 9.4% of procedures. Risk factors independently associated with inappropriate indication for antibiotic prophylaxis were seen in age, hospital type, hospital size, surgical disciplines, and surgical duration. CONCLUSION: Results showed a significantly high rate of antibiotic prophylaxis in clean and clean-contaminated elective surgery and also a high prevalence of inappropriate indication prescriptions. These findings suggest important areas for intervention and implementation of antibiotic stewardship policies in Shandong Province hospitals.