Design of dual-band microstrip reflectar-ray using single layer multiresonance double cross elements

A multiresonance double cross element is used to design a dual-band reflectarray with dual linear polarization. The proposed element has a single conductive layer structure which makes it easy to manufacture. The results presented in this paper show that the mutual effect between the elements of the two bands is negligible. Hence, it is easy to achieve the phase compensation for each band separately. The simulated and measured results for an element designed to cover the X- and K-bands have confirmed the suitability of the proposed element to build a dual-band reflectarray

ctDNA: An emerging neoadjuvant biomarker in resectable solid tumors

Christopher Abbosh and Charles Swanton discuss circulating tumor DNA as a potential biomarker for neoadjuvant treatment response in solid tumors

Wideband microwave crossover using double vertical microstrip-CPW interconnect

The paper presents the design of a novel ultra-wideband microwave crossover for the use in microstrip circuits. The proposed structure includes a double microstrip-coplanar waveguide (CPW) vertical interconnect in single-layer substrate technology which allows an inclusion of a finite-width coplanar waveguide (CPW) on the top side of the substrate to achieve the required cross-link. The presented design is verified using the full-wave electromagnetic simulator Ansoft HFSS v.13 and experimental tests. The obtained experimental results show that in the frequency band of 3.2–11 GHz, the crossover has an isolation of 20 dB accompanied by insertion losses of no more than 1.5 dB

Circulating tumor DNA analyses reveal novel resistance mechanisms to CDK inhibition in metastatic breast cancer

Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibition has been demonstrated to improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2−), hormone receptor positive (HR+) in advanced breast cancer [1–3]. Palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib are orally bioavailable selective CDK 4/6 inhibitors. These small molecules likely bind the ATP-binding pocket within the CDK4/6 protein kinases thereby inhibiting phosphorylation of retinoblastoma tumour suppressor protein (Rb). In its hypophosphorylated state Rb remains bound to E2F thereby preventing progression through the G1-S-cell cycle checkpoint [4]. The mechanism behind the observed efficacy of CDK inhibition in metastatic breast cancer may relate to a dependence of HR+ breast cancer on CDK4/6 activity to override Rb mediated repression of cell cycle progression (Figure 1) [5]

Modeling human head tissues using fourth-order debye model in convolution-based three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain

A fourth order Debye model is derived using genetic algorithms to represent the dispersive properties of the 17 tissues that form the human head. The derived model gives accurate estimation of the electrical properties of those tissues across the frequency band from 0.1 GHz to 3 GHz that can be used in microwave systems for head imaging. A convolution-based three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) formulation is implemented for modeling the electromagnetic wave propagation in the dispersive head tissues whose frequency dependent properties are represented by the derived fourth-order Debye model. The presented results show that the proposed 3D-FDTD and fourth-order Debye model can accurately show the electromagnetic interaction between a wide band radiation and head tissues with low computational overhead and more accurate results compared with using multi-pole Cole-Cole model

Design and analysis of wideband passive microwave devices using planar structures

A selected volume of work consisting of 84 published journal papers is presented to demonstrate the contributions made by the author in the last seven years of his work at the University of Queensland in the area of Microwave Engineering. The over-arching theme in the author’s works included in this volume is the engineering of novel passive microwave devices that are key components in the building of any microwave system. The author’s contribution covers innovative designs, design methods and analyses for the following key devices and associated systems: Wideband antennas and associated systems Band-notched and multiband antennas Directional couplers and associated systems Power dividers and associated systems Microwave filters Phase shifters Much of the motivation for the work arose from the desire to contribute to the engineering o

Microwave System for the Early Stage Detection of Congestive Heart Failure

Fluid accumulation inside the lungs, known as cardiac pulmonary edema, is one of the main early symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF). That accumulation causes significant changes in the electrical properties of the lung tissues, which in turn can be detected using microwave techniques. To that end, the design and implementation of an automated ultrahigh-frequency microwave-based system for CHF detection and monitoring is presented. The hardware of the system consists of a wideband folded antenna attached to a fully automated vertical scanning platform, compact microwave transceiver, and laptop. The system includes software in the form of operational control, signal processing, and visualizing algorithms. To detect CHF, the system is designed to vertically scan the rear side of the human torso in a monostatic radar approach. The collected data from the scanning is then visualized in the time domain using the inverse Fourier transform. These images show the intensity of the reflected signals from different parts of the torso. Using a differential based detection technique, a threshold is defined to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy cases. This paper includes details of developing the automated platform, designing the antenna with the required properties imposed by the system, developing a signal processing algorithm, and introducing differential detection technique besides investigating miscellaneous probable CHF cases