A Reconfigurable Radiation Pattern Annular Slot Antenna

This paper contemplate a theoretical analysis of a pattern reconfigurable antenna using annular slot antenna operating in low frequency. A shorting pin is inserted to allow the annular slot antenna to have an omnidirectional radiation pattern like a monopole antenna. The reconfigurable antenna consists of numerous metal cylinders arranged around the annular slot antenna. By controlling pin diodes associated with the metal cylinders, the antenna is capable of working up in different directions with a maximum working beam angle of 11.25° at a frequency of 1.05 GHz

Mutual Coupling Reduction Between Two PIFA Using Uni-Planar Fractal Based EBG for MIMO Application

Fractal Structures based on Electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) can contribute to the mutual coupling reduction between microstrip antennas due to its capability of suppressing surface waves propagation in a given frequency range. In this paper, a new arrangement of one layer Uni-Planar Fractal based on EBG (UPF-EBG) structure is analysed using the commercial finite element full wave solver High-Frequency Structure Simulation (HFSS version 17.0). The structure without any shorting pins or vias is based on a well-known fractal structure called Sierpinski carpet, within which two iterations have been applied as planner EBG between two PIFA for increase isolation issue. The total dimensions of the PIFA antenna are 40 mm × 68 mm × 1.6 mm and operate at 2.65 GHz approximately which is defined for wireless Long Term Evolution (LTE) MIMO application. Here a compact periodic lattice (2 × 3 EBG structures are joint to improve the mutual coupling) inserted between E-plane coupled PIFA array, and precise performance study is implemented to investigate the mutual coupling. As a result, significantly more than 30 dB mutual coupling reduction is noticed from the simulations

Huntingtin gene repeat size variations affect risk of lifetime depression

Huntington disease (HD) is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder caused by a cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat expansion in the HTT gene. Although HD is frequently complicated by depression, it is still unknown to what extent common HTT CAG repeat size variations in the normal range could affect depression risk in the general population. Using binary logistic regression, we assessed the association between HTT CAG repeat size and depression risk in two well-characterized Dutch cohorts─the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety and the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons─including 2165 depressed and 1058 non-depressed persons. In both cohorts, separately as well as combined, there was a significant non-linear association between the risk of lifetime depression and HTT CAG repeat size in which both relatively short and relatively large alleles were associated with an increased risk of depression (β = −0.292 and β = 0.006 for the linear and the quadratic term, respectively; both P < 0.01 after adjustment for the effects of sex, age, and education level). The odds of lifetime depression were lowest in persons with a HTT CAG repeat size of 21 (odds ratio: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.52 to 0.98) compared to the average odds in the total cohort. In conclusion, lifetime depression risk was higher with both relatively short and relatively large HTT CAG repeat sizes in the normal range. Our study provides important proof-of-principle that repeat polymorphisms can act as hitherto unappreciated but complex genetic modifiers of depression

Bacterial microevolution and the Pangenome

The comparison of multiple genome sequences sampled from a bacterial population reveals considerable diversity in both the core and the accessory parts of the pangenome. This diversity can be analysed in terms of microevolutionary events that took place since the genomes shared a common ancestor, especially deletion, duplication, and recombination. We review the basic modelling ingredients used implicitly or explicitly when performing such a pangenome analysis. In particular, we describe a basic neutral phylogenetic framework of bacterial pangenome microevolution, which is not incompatible with evaluating the role of natural selection. We survey the different ways in which pangenome data is summarised in order to be included in microevolutionary models, as well as the main methodological approaches that have been proposed to reconstruct pangenome microevolutionary history

Challenges in managing dementia in a primary health care setting: A case report

Dementia is a condition that is frequently associated with ageing. However, many fail to recognise that dementia is a treatable condition if detected early. This case report illustrates a 64-year-old man who was initially presented in a primary health care (PHC) centre in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, with gradual changes in his behaviour. Initial assessment concluded that he suffered from depression and he was treated accordingly. However, over time his condition deteriorated and the diagnosis was re-evaluated from depression to dementia when he developed poor cognitive and memory function. The patient defaulted on his follow-up appointments due to poor understanding of the illness and poor family support.Keywords: dementia; elderly; primary health car

The frequency of carcinoma in solitary thyroid nodules and in multinodular goitres

A retrospective study of all patients with goitre seen from 1988 to 1992 inclusive  at the Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam was made to determine the  frequency of malignancy in patients with solitary non-toxic thyroid nodule (STN) and in those with multinodular goitre (MNG). There were 60 cases of STN and 178 with MNG. Nodular goitre was found to be predominantly a disease of females with sex ratios of M:F;1:7 for the STN group and of M:F;1:13 in the MNG group. The final  diagnosis in all cases was made by histology which found malignancy in 10% of STN and in 5% of MNG patients, a difference which was not statistically significant. Patients in the 20-29 years age group with STN appeared to have an increased risk of malignancy when compared with the MNG group. No cause for this was  discovered. The predominant malignancy in the STN group of patients was papillary carcinoma, while that in the MNG group was follicular carcinoma. Key Words: thyroid, malignancy, solitary nodule, multinodular goitr

Effect of enzyme and yeast-based feed additives on growth, nutrient digestibility, meat quality and intestinal morphology of fattening rabbits

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗNon-antibiotic feed additives are nowadays increasingly used in animal feed industry as more and more reports are surfaced on antibiotic resistance. This study quantified the effects of enzymes and yeast supplementation, individually or in combination, on growth performance, diet digestibility, carcass quality, and ileum morphometry of fattening rabbits. Forty-eight indigenous male weaned rabbits (age, 37 ± 2 days; average body weight (ABW)) 340 ± 3.2 g) were assigned into four dietary treatments (16 replicates; 3 rabbits/replicate)). The four diets were (i) a basal (control) diet (without additives), containing concentrate (75% of the feed) and wilted mulberry leaves (25% of thetotal feed); (ii) basal diet plus enzyme blend (driselase-1®; cellulase, amylase and protease; 2 g kg-1 feed); (iii) basal diet with the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (dry yeast TR 100; 2 g kg-1 feed); (iv) basal diet with the addition of mixture of the enzymes blend and S. cerevisiae (1 g each kg-1 feed). All rabbits had ad-libitum access to clean drinking water and experimental diets, with 16 h light for seven-weeks. The results revealed that all additives improved (P &lt; 0.05) weight gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) but did not alter feed intake than the control group. Although all additives increased (P &lt; 0.05) neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility, the dry matter digestibility (DMD) was increased (P &lt; 0.05) only by the addition of enzymes blend. Furthermore, all additives increased (P &lt; 0.05) carcass yield without any negative effects on meat physical (pH, water release and cooking loss) and chemical (moisture, protein, fat and ash) properties (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, villus height and crypt depth values were improved (P &lt; 0.05) with the incorporation of additives. This study demonstrates that addition of enzymes blend and yeast-based additives alone or in combination in rabbit diet improved nutrients digestion and intestinal health, which subsequently improved their growth and carcass quality

Prevention of Radiocontrast-Induced Nephropathy after Coronary Angiography: N-Acetylcysteine plus Saline Hydration versus Saline Hydration

Purpose: To compare the incidence of radiocontrast-induced nephropathy (RCIN) in patients undergoing coronary angiography pretreated with N-acetylcysteine NAC plus saline hydration or saline hydration alone and to determine the association between various risk factors and RCIN.Methods: Patients were retrospectively evaluated over a one-year period. RCIN was defined as an acute rise in serum creatinine of at least 0.5 mg/dl or more than 25 % from baseline value. SPSS software, version 13 was used for data analysis.Results: Overall, 299 patients were studied. Thirteen patients (4.3%) developed RCIN. RCIN was 3.3 % in patients treated with hydration, and 8.3 % in patients treated with NAC plus hydration (p = 0.09). Inpatients with RCIN, the changes in creatinine and % change in creatinine after 24 h were significantly lower in the NAC plus hydration group (p = 0.039 and p = 0.042, respectively). RCIN was significantly associated with male gender (p = 0.017), history of renal failure (p = 0.006), ischemic heart disease (p =0.003), and diuretic treatment (p = 0.013).Conclusion: NAC plus saline hydration may not be more effective than saline hydration alone in decreasing RCIN after coronary angiography. Additional efforts to find an ideal preventive treatment are needed