Wearable Textile Antennas with High Body-Antenna Isolation: Design, Fabrication, and Characterization Aspects

This chapter provides a brief overview of the types of wearable antennas with high body-antenna isolation. The main parameters and characteristics of wearable antennas and their design requirements are discussed. Next, procedures (passive and active) to test the performance of wearable antennas are presented. The electromagnetic properties of the commercially available textiles used as antenna substrates are investigated and summarized here, followed by a more detailed examination of their effects on the performance of wearable antennas with high body-antenna isolation. A trade-off between substrate electromagnetic properties and resonant frequency, bandwidth, radiation efficiency, and maximum gain is presented. Finally, a case study is presented with detailed analyses and investigations of the low-profile all-textile wearable antennas with high body-antenna isolation and low SAR. Their interaction with a semisolid homogeneous human body phantom is discussed. The simulations and experimental results from different (in free-space and on-body) scenarios are presented

Innovation in the practical activities in orthodontics - opinion of dental technology students from the medical college, medical university of Varna

За да се обогатят знанията на студентите, да се подобрят резултатите при усвояване на учебния материал и да се засили интересът им, в практическите упражнения по дисциплината „Ортодонтия` е въведено изработване на ортодонтски апарати по клинични модели. Целта на нашето изследване е да се проучи мнението на обучаемите относно възможността за работа върху клинични модели в практическите упражнения по учебната дисциплина. В проведеното анонимно анкетно проучване през март 2017 г. участваха 51 студенти от втори и трети курс (втори курс - 26, и трети курс - 25). След обработка на данните установихме, че 100% от анкетираните респонденти одобряват използването на клинични модели по време на практическото обучение по ортодонтия. Голяма част от студентите (62.66%) работят върху клинични модели, защото те помагат за по-доброто разбиране и затвърждаване на преподадения материал по време на теоретичното обучение и осигуряват връзка между теоретичното и практическото обучение по ортодонтия. Според респондентите (56.73%) работата върху клинични модели развива клинично мислене и е полезна за бъдещото им професионално развитие.The production of orthodontic apparatuses based on actual clinical models was introduced in the practical activities in Orthodontics in order to enrich students` knowledge, improve results in assimilating educational materials and increase students` interest in the field. The purpose of our survey was to investigate the opinion of the students in relation to the opportunities and exploitation of clinical models in the practical activities of the target discipline. In March 2017 an anonymous inquiry was carried out and 51 students participated (26 second-year and 25 third-year students). After processing of the data it was estimated that hundred per cent of the respondents approve of the use of clinical models during their practical activities in Orthodontics. A large group of the students (62.66%) use clinical models because they not only contribute to better understanding and application of the educational material from the theoretical activities, but also provide a bond between theoretical and practical teaching in Orthodontics. According to the respondents (56.73%), work based on clinical models stimulates a clinical way of thinking and is very useful to their future professional development

The influence of information technology in determining the model for sustainability of freight forwarding

Freight forwarding as a factor for growth of the economy, industry and in particular the trade of the Republic of Macedonia and abroad, requires adapting to new conditions resulting from the global economic crisis. The fact that freight forwarding is an integral part of logistics need: To improve performance and to adjust to new conditions (legislation, international agreements and implementation of information technologies). This scientific paper gives a model of sustainable development of freight forwarding where the main accent is placed on the input of information technologies as one of the elements that affect it. From the given data we has analyze and forecast the influence of IT elements of the development on freight forwarding for the period from 2005 to 2015

Medium Sized Congenital Melanocytic Nevus with Suspected Progression to Melanoma during Pregnancy: What’s the Best for the Patient?

BACKGROUND: Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) are pigmented skin lesions usually present at birth. Rare varieties can develop and become clinically very large. Although they are benign nevomelanocytic neoplasms, all CMN may be precursors of the melanoma, regardless of their size. Individual risk of malignant transformation of melanocyte is determined by simultaneous action of exogenous and endogenous factors. The major exogenous risk factor is ultraviolet radiation. Leading roles among the endogenous factors are attributed to skin phenotype, gene mutation, sex hormones and their significance.CASE REPORT: We present a case of a 27 – year - old pregnant female patient with a congenital melanocytic nevus, which increased significantly in size, during her pregnancy. Estrogen levels increase during pregnancy and clinical evidence has suggested that melanocytes are estrogen - responsive. Nevi in a pregnant patient would exhibit increased expression of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) and thus enhanced the potential to respond to altered estrogen levels.CONCLUSION: All pigmented skin lesions should be carefully observed during pregnancy by a dermatologist due to the increased risk of malignant transformation, associated with the endocrine dependence. All lesions with visible changes should be removed surgically with appropriative anaesthesia

How different strains of COVID-19 affect LUTS in BPH patients?

In late 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology was reported in Wuhan (China). The causative agent was quickly identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) on various organs and symptoms has been studied, there is still a dearth of data regarding its effect on the genitourinary system. In this study, we investigated the impact of different COVID-19 strains on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total of 69 patients who had previously been infected with COVID-19 from August 2021 to October 2021 and January 2022 to May 2022 were assessed. The two periods were purposively selected based on the dominant COVID-19 variant: the Delta strain for the first period and Omicron for the second, respectively. All patients had BPH and were followed up in two outpatient practices. Demographic information was collected, and LUTS were assessed using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS) questionnaires before and after COVID-19. Ultrasound examinations were performed to determine the prostate gland volume and the post-voided residual (PVR) in each patient. All patients affected by COVID-19 exhibited a worsening of LUTS. The degree of deterioration differed between those infected with different COVID-19 strains. Patients infected with the Delta strain had more severe LUTS than those with the Omicron strain. There is currently limited information available regarding the emerging pathophysiological processes in the urogenital system related to COVID-19. This present study serves as a preliminary investigation into the impact of COVID-19 on LUTS in BPH patients and could serve as a basis for more extensive multicenter studies leading to fundamental discoveries

Correlation between Electrical Conductivity and Microwave Shielding Effectiveness of Natural Rubber Based Composites, Containing Different Hybrid Fillers Obtained by Impregnation Technology

Abstract The paper presents the synthesis and characterization of carbon black/silicone dioxide hybrid fillers obtained by an impregnation technology. The electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of the composites filled with carbon black/silicone dioxide hybrid fillers was measured in wide frequency range of 1 -12 GHz. The dc and ac electrical conductivity of composites also have been investigated. The relationship between electrical (dc and ac) conductivity and shielding effectiveness was analyzed. A positive correlation was found between the absorptive shielding effectiveness and ac conductivity for composites comprising conductive carbon black/silica filler, when the filler loading is above the percolation threshold

26th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2017): Part 3 - Meeting Abstracts - Antwerp, Belgium. 15–20 July 2017

This work was produced as part of the activities of FAPESP Research,\ud Disseminations and Innovation Center for Neuromathematics (grant\ud 2013/07699-0, S. Paulo Research Foundation). NLK is supported by a\ud FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship (grant 2016/03855-5). ACR is partially\ud supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Blended Learning Approach in Higher Education

The Republic of Macedonia is presently making great leaps in the development of education. The fundamental tendency is education – the basis of entire society. A need to apply new technologies in training future teachers emerged with the adoption of the program: The Republic of Macedonia as an information society and miscellaneous programs for the application of IC technology (a computer for every pupil, Macedonia – the country of computer experts, covering the country with Wi-Fi, etc.). The underlying tendency is the introduction of e-learning into the curriculum for teachers who would in turn be the carriers of ICT programs and projects in education. This paper aims to present the union of traditional and e-learning as one of the methods for the application of ICT in classrooms, not only as a subsidiary tool but as an interactive part of teaching. We emphasize the use of advanced learning systems, incorporating various types of learning with blending virtual and physical resources. Our paper represents the use of virtual media as a constituent part of blended learning. It is integrated into traditional classrooms and environments where e-learning is used. It incorporates a combination of media supported instructions and solutions that determine the approach in a number of instances of higher education, accentuating the development of different blended learning solution which are being applied in teaching at institutions of higher education (the Faculty of Computer Science and the Faculty of Education) as constituent parts of the State University. University use Learning Management System (Moodle) who plies hugest possibilities: blogs, discussions forums, e-mail, SMS and different tools to create quizzes. Access to this system it is possible across University Web portal and is part of combination between face to face classroom instructions with on-line learning