Wideband millimeter-wave perforated hemispherical dielectric resonator antenna

This paper presents a novel wideband circularly polarized millimeter-wave (mmWave) hemispherical dielectric resonator antenna (HDRA). Two distinct configurations of alumina dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) are investigated, each featuring a different coating: the first configuration incorporates a polyimide layer, while the second involves a perforated alumina. Both configurations demonstrate promising characteristics, including impedance and axial ratio (AR) bandwidths of 58% and 17.7%, respectively, alongside a maximum gain of 10 dBic at 28 GHz. Leveraging additive manufacturing technology, the HDRA with the perforated coating layer is fabricated, simplifying assembly and eliminating potential air gaps between layers, thereby enhancing the overall performance. This innovative approach yields a circularly polarized (CP) HDRA suitable for Beyond 5G (B5G) communication systems. Agreement between measurements and simulations validates the efficacy of the proposed design, affirming its potential in practical applications

Wideband millimeter-wave perforated cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna configuration

This article delves into the capabilities of 3D-printed millimeter-wave (mmWave) layered cylindrical dielectric resonator antennas (CDRAs). The proposed design yielded promising results, boasting a remarkable 53% impedance bandwidth spanning the frequency spectrum from 18 to 34 GHz. Furthermore, the axial ratio (AR) bandwidth achieved an impressive 17%, coupled with a maximum gain of 13.3 dBic. These notable results underscore the efficacy of the proposed design, positioning it as a viable solution for applications in Beyond 5G (B5G). A novel assembly technique was also investigated, employing additive manufacturing to seamlessly merge two layers with distinct dielectric constants into a singular layer. This innovative approach systematically eliminates the potential for air gaps between layers, enhancing the antenna’s overall performance. This approach exhibited potential, particularly in the performance of a millimeter-wave circularly polarized (CP) cylindrical DRA featuring a perforated coating layer. The synergy between measurements and simulations demonstrates a remarkable alignment, providing robust validation of the effectiveness of the proposed design

Maternal and neonatal outcomes after caesarean delivery in the African Surgical Outcomes Study: a 7-day prospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and neonatal mortality is high in Africa, but few large, prospective studies have been done to investigate the risk factors associated with these poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A 7-day, international, prospective, observational cohort study was done in patients having caesarean delivery in 183 hospitals across 22 countries in Africa. The inclusion criteria were all consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) admitted to participating centres having elective and non-elective caesarean delivery during the 7-day study cohort period. To ensure a representative sample, each hospital had to provide data for 90% of the eligible patients during the recruitment week. The primary outcome was in-hospital maternal mortality and complications, which were assessed by local investigators. The study was registered on the South African National Health Research Database, number KZ_2015RP7_22, and on ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03044899. FINDINGS: Between February, 2016, and May, 2016, 3792 patients were recruited from hospitals across Africa. 3685 were included in the postoperative complications analysis (107 missing data) and 3684 were included in the maternal mortality analysis (108 missing data). These hospitals had a combined number of specialist surgeons, obstetricians, and anaesthetists totalling 0·7 per 100 000 population (IQR 0·2-2·0). Maternal mortality was 20 (0·5%) of 3684 patients (95% CI 0·3-0·8). Complications occurred in 633 (17·4%) of 3636 mothers (16·2-18·6), which were predominantly severe intraoperative and postoperative bleeding (136 [3·8%] of 3612 mothers). Maternal mortality was independently associated with a preoperative presentation of placenta praevia, placental abruption, ruptured uterus, antepartum haemorrhage (odds ratio 4·47 [95% CI 1·46-13·65]), and perioperative severe obstetric haemorrhage (5·87 [1·99-17·34]) or anaesthesia complications (11·47 (1·20-109·20]). Neonatal mortality was 153 (4·4%) of 3506 infants (95% CI 3·7-5·0). INTERPRETATION: Maternal mortality after caesarean delivery in Africa is 50 times higher than that of high-income countries and is driven by peripartum haemorrhage and anaesthesia complications. Neonatal mortality is double the global average. Early identification and appropriate management of mothers at risk of peripartum haemorrhage might improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Africa. FUNDING: Medical Research Council of South Africa.Medical Research Council of South Africa

The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator: development and validation of a tool for identifying African surgical patients at risk of severe postoperative complications

Background: The African Surgical Outcomes Study (ASOS) showed that surgical patients in Africa have a mortality twice the global average. Existing risk assessment tools are not valid for use in this population because the pattern of risk for poor outcomes differs from high-income countries. The objective of this study was to derive and validate a simple, preoperative risk stratification tool to identify African surgical patients at risk for in-hospital postoperative mortality and severe complications. Methods: ASOS was a 7-day prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing surgery in Africa. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator was constructed with a multivariable logistic regression model for the outcome of in-hospital mortality and severe postoperative complications. The following preoperative risk factors were entered into the model; age, sex, smoking status, ASA physical status, preoperative chronic comorbid conditions, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. Results: The model was derived from 8799 patients from 168 African hospitals. The composite outcome of severe postoperative complications and death occurred in 423/8799 (4.8%) patients. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator includes the following risk factors: age, ASA physical status, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.805 and good calibration with c-statistic corrected for optimism of 0.784. Conclusions: This simple preoperative risk calculator could be used to identify high-risk surgical patients in African hospitals and facilitate increased postoperative surveillance. © 2018 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Medical Research Council of South Africa gran