Phase and Jitter Noise analysis of Phase Locks Loop (PLL) as Frequency Synthesiser

Abstract: In this paper, we are evaluating the performance of the phase lock loop in the presence of phase noise and jitter noise. We are analysing the performance of PLL in one application of signal processing as frequency synthesiser. All the components of PLL contribute to the noise of the system. Two type of noise are presented that affect the performance of the system that are phase noise and jitter noise. Firstly, the Phase noise is generally used for representing short term random frequency variations of a signal. Non linear oscillators naturally produce high phase noise. Secondly, Jitter is generally used to refer to the time variation of a periodic signal in relation to the clock. The phase and jitter are the critical performance parameter to analysis the performance of the PLL. Simulation Result reveals that the performance of the PLL system is affected more by jitter noise compared to that of phase noise. Extensive simulation result is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. Keywords: Phase lock loop (PLL), Jitter noise, phase noise, frequency synthesiser. I. INTRODUCTION Phase lock loop find its applications in many fields of engineering such as digital signal processors [1] for clock generation and as frequency synthesizer

Metabolomic profiling and its association with the bio-efficacy of Aspergillus niger strain against Fusarium wilt of guava

Bio-control agents are the best alternative to chemicals for the successful management of plant diseases. The fungus Aspergillus niger is known to produce diverse metabolites with antifungal activity, attracting researchers to exploit it as a bio-control agent for plant disease control. In the present study, 11 A. niger strains were isolated and screened for their antagonism against the guava wilt pathogen under in vitro and in planta conditions. Strains were identified morphologically and molecularly by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin, and calmodulin genes. The strains were evaluated through dual culture, volatile, and non-volatile methods under an in vitro study. AN-11, AN-6, and AN-2 inhibited the test pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. psidii (FOP) at 67.16%, 64.01%, and 60.48%, respectively. An in planta study was conducted under greenhouse conditions with 6 months old air-layered guava plants (var. Allahabad Safeda) by pre- and post-inoculation of FOP. The AN-11 strain was found to be effective under both pre- and post-inoculation trials. Furthermore, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was carried out to characterize the volatile compounds of the most potential strain, A. niger. The hexane soluble fraction showed the appearance of characteristic peaks of hexadecenoic acid methyl ester (4.41%), 10-octadecanoic acid methyl ester (3.79%), dodecane (3.21%), undecane (3.19%), gibepyrone A (0.15%), 3-methylundecane (0.36%), and citroflex A (0.38%). The ethyl acetate fraction of the bio-control fungi revealed the occurrence of major antifungal compounds, such as acetic acid ethyl ester (17.32%), benzopyron-4-ol (12.17%), 1,2,6-hexanetriol (7.16%), 2-propenoic acid ethanediyl ester (2.95%), 1-(3-ethyloxiranyl)-ethenone (0.98%), 6-acetyl-8-methoxy dimethyl chromene (0.96%), 4-hexyl-2,5-dihydro dioxo furan acetic acid (0.19%), and octadecanoic acid (1.11%). Furthermore, bio-control abilities could be due to hyper-parasitism, the production of secondary metabolites, and competition for sites and nutrients. Indeed, the results will enrich the existing knowledge of metabolomic information and support perspectives on the bio-control mechanism of A. niger

Systemic Anticancer Therapy and Thromboembolic Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With Cancer and COVID-19

IMPORTANCE: Systematic data on the association between anticancer therapies and thromboembolic events (TEEs) in patients with COVID-19 are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between anticancer therapy exposure within 3 months prior to COVID-19 and TEEs following COVID-19 diagnosis in patients with cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This registry-based retrospective cohort study included patients who were hospitalized and had active cancer and laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data were accrued from March 2020 to December 2021 and analyzed from December 2021 to October 2022. EXPOSURE: Treatments of interest (TOIs) (endocrine therapy, vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors/tyrosine kinase inhibitors [VEGFis/TKIs], immunomodulators [IMiDs], immune checkpoint inhibitors [ICIs], chemotherapy) vs reference (no systemic therapy) in 3 months prior to COVID-19. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Main outcomes were (1) venous thromboembolism (VTE) and (2) arterial thromboembolism (ATE). Secondary outcome was severity of COVID-19 (rates of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, 30-day all-cause mortality following TEEs in TOI vs reference group) at 30-day follow-up. RESULTS: Of 4988 hospitalized patients with cancer (median [IQR] age, 69 [59-78] years; 2608 [52%] male), 1869 had received 1 or more TOIs. Incidence of VTE was higher in all TOI groups: endocrine therapy, 7%; VEGFis/TKIs, 10%; IMiDs, 8%; ICIs, 12%; and chemotherapy, 10%, compared with patients not receiving systemic therapies (6%). In multivariable log-binomial regression analyses, relative risk of VTE (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04-1.69) but not ATE (aRR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.56-1.16) was significantly higher in those exposed to all TOIs pooled together vs those with no exposure. Among individual drugs, ICIs were significantly associated with VTE (aRR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.01-2.07). Also noted were significant associations between VTE and active and progressing cancer (aRR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.01-2.03), history of VTE (aRR, 3.10; 95% CI, 2.38-4.04), and high-risk site of cancer (aRR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.14-1.75). Black patients had a higher risk of TEEs (aRR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.03-1.50) than White patients. Patients with TEEs had high intensive care unit admission (46%) and mechanical ventilation (31%) rates. Relative risk of death in patients with TEEs was higher in those exposed to TOIs vs not (aRR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.91-1.38) and was significantly associated with poor performance status (aRR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.30-2.40) and active/progressing cancer (aRR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.13-2.13). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, relative risk of developing VTE was high among patients receiving TOIs and varied by the type of therapy, underlying risk factors, and demographics, such as race and ethnicity. These findings highlight the need for close monitoring and perhaps personalized thromboprophylaxis to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19-related thromboembolism in patients with cancer

Antecedents and Consequences of Ethically-based Export marketing Strategy

“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers”- Seth Godin. In the face of increasing consumers’ demand for ethical products, incorporating ethicality in the firm’s marketing strategies remains a key issue for marketing scholars and practitioners alike. With growing globalisation, intensifying competition, and dismantling trade barriers, numerous ethical transgressions regarding possible breach of ethicality in firms’ international operations have come to light. Despite these well-chronicled concerns about the exponential growth of ethical marketing problems worldwide, limited empirical attention has been given to research on the ethical aspects of exporting, which is the most common way for many firms to enter foreign markets. Accordingly, the aim of this thesis is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of the firm’s ethically-based export marketing strategy, as well as moderating effects caused by external forces in international markets. Drawing on the Resource-based View of the firm, the Industrial Organization theory and the Institutional theory, a comprehensive conceptual model is developed. This is empirically tested using structural equation modelling based on data collected from a sample of 208 UK exporting firms. The findings of the study underscore the critical role of certain organisational resources (i.e., reputational, relational and experiential) and capabilities (i.e., ethical leadership and ethical market orientation) in developing an ethically-based export marketing strategy (comprising product, price, distribution and promotional elements). They also suggest that the adoption of such an ethically-based export marketing strategy generates important reputational and ethical branding advantages for the exporting firms. However, this strategy-competitive advantage association was found to become stronger under conditions of high competitive intensity and low regulatory controls in the foreign market. The results also confirm that both reputational and ethical branding advantages are conducive to gaining enhanced social performance in the specific export market served. This positive social performance subsequently helps to improve export market performance, while enhanced export market performance has a favourable impact on export financial performance. Several theoretical, managerial, policy-making, and educational implications are derived from the study’s findings. There are several limitations which have to be taken into consideration in interpreting these findings. The thesis ends with useful directions for future research

Study of Risk Factors Associated With Term Low Birth Weight Neonates and its Placental Histopathological Correlation

Aims: The study was aimed to assess the risk factors leading to low birth weight in term neonates and correlate them with placental histopathology in cases of term LBW. Material and Methods: The study was conducted as a cross sectional study, at tertiary care centre on females delivering term neonates with LBW. All the females were subjected to detailed history, examination and blood investigations. Following delivery, baby details were recorded and placentae collected were subjected to gross and histopathological examination. Results: Incidence of term LBW was 13.39%. Anemia (33.5%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (29.75%) were noted to be major high-risk factors. Shift in centrality of cord insertion was found to be a significant risk factor for LBW (P value =0.001 and 0.021). Baby weight and placental weight were both reduced in the presence of risk factors. Higher number of placental lesions were significantly associated with low birth weight (p<0.05) and it was found that more the number of placental lesions, greater was the decrease in the birth weight of the neonates. All the histopathological findings of placentae correlated with high risk (p<0.05). Conclusion: Examination of placentae conducted in present study proved to be a useful adjunct in finding the pathogenic mechanism resulting in LBW and can be helpful in timely detection, planning and management including desired interventions in future pregnancies

Study of Risk Factors Associated with Term low Birth Weight Neonates and its Placental Histopathological Correlation

Aims- The study was aimed to assess the risk factors leading to low birth weight in term neonates and correlate them with placental histopathology in cases of term LBW.Material and Methods- The study was conducted as a cross sectional study, at tertiary care centre on females delivering term neonates with LBW. All the females were subjected to detailed history, examination and blood investigations. Following delivery, baby details were recorded and placentae collected were subjected to gross and histopathological examination. Results- Incidence of term LBW was 13.39%. Anemia (33.5%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (29.75%) were noted to be major high-risk factors. Shift in centrality of cord insertion was found to be a significant risk factor for LBW (P value =0.001 and 0.021). Baby weight and placental weight were both reduced in the presence of risk factors. Higher number of placental lesions were significantly associated with low birth weight (p<0.05) and it was found that more the number of placental lesions, greater was the decrease in the birth weight of the neonates. All the histopathological findings of placentae correlated with high risk (p<0.05). Conclusion:Examination of placentae conducted in present study proved to be a useful adjunct in finding the pathogenic mechanism resulting in LBW and can be helpful in timely detection, planning and management including desired interventions in future pregnancies

Quality of Life of Ostomates with the Selected Factors in a Selected Hospital of Delhi with a View to Develop Guidelines for the Health Professionals

Background: A correlational survey to assess the quality of life (QoL) of ostomates with selected factors in a selected hospital of Delhi and to develop guidelines for the health professionals to improve QoL of ostomates was undertaken during the year 2005-2007. The objectives of the study were as follows: (1) To assess QoL of ostomates (2) To identify the factors associated with QoL of ostomates (3) To seek relationship between selected factors and QoL of ostomates (4) To develop guidelines for the health professionals to improve QoL of ostomates. Materials and Methods: The corelational survey was conducted on 50 ostomates from Surgical Oncology OPD of B.R.A. Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, Delhi. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select the sample subjects. Structured interview schedule was prepared. Guidelines were prepared for health professionals to improve the quality of life of ostomates. Result: Majority of the ostomates possessed best quality of life. There was a significant association between QoL score of ostomates with age, sex, duration of surgery, education, income, and occupation. There was no significant association between QoL scores of ostomates and marital status and type of ostomy. Conclusion: This study conclude that nurses have a great role to play in the physical, psychological, economical, social, familial, and sexual aspects in the care of ostomates and to offer psychological support and empathy, to reinforce coping skills to promote an optimal QoL.also she has a great role to influence and educate all the aspects of care to the patients and their relatives. Their is a need to develop staff development program for nursing personnel in the clinical area in healthcare system

Polyolefin based antibacterial membranes derived from PE/PEO blends compatibilized with amine terminated graphene oxide and maleated PE

In this study, various strategies like amine terminated GO (GO-NH2), in situ formed polyethylene grafted GO (PE-g-GO) and their combinations with maleated PE (maleic anhydride grafted PE) were adopted to reactively compatibilize blends of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene oxide (PEO). These blends were further explored to design porous, antibacterial membranes for separation technology and the flux and the resistance across the membranes were studied systematically. It was observed that GO-NH2 led to uniform dispersion of PEO in a PE matrix and further resulted in a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the blends when combined with maleated PE. The efficiency of various compatibilizers was further studied by monitoring the evolution of morphology as a function of the annealing time. It was observed that besides rendering uniform dispersion of PEO in PE and improving the mechanical properties, GO-NH2 further suppresses the coalescence in the blends. As the melt viscosities of the phases differ significantly, there is a gradient in the morphology as also manifested from scanning acoustic microscopy. Hence, the membranes were designed by systematically reducing the thickness of the as-pressed samples to expose the core as the active area for flux calculations. Selected membranes were also tested for their antibacterial properties by inoculating E. coli culture with the membranes and imaging at different time scales. This study opens new avenues to develop PE based cost effective anti-microbial membranes for water purification