Anaemia awareness, beliefs and practices among pregnant women: A baseline assessment at Brosankro community in Ghana.

Anaemia in pregnancy is among the top health threats in developing countries. Ghana has adopted several strategies over the years against anaemia but it remains a major cause of infant and maternal deaths. This paper assesses anaemia awareness levels, beliefs and practices among pregnant women of an endemic community. A baseline survey was conducted on 28 pregnant women randomly selected from first 100 consistent antenatal attendees from August to October 2011 at Brosankro Health Centre. The results show high anaemia consciousness with few respondents claiming no knowledge of the causes (3%) and effects (14%). The easily known cause of anaemia is poor diet (63%) followed by malaria (26%), worms (5%) and others (6%). Meanwhile, food sources that can fight anaemia are poorly known (18%). Cultural and religious beliefs in food restrictions exist and fairly a significant number of women (38%) are denied potential dietary nutrients. There are potential health risks (including anaemia) associated with existing practices since barriers to parasitic infections like malaria and worms via use of insecticide treated bed nets, intermittent preventive treatment, improved drinking water sources and effective handwashing are compromised. Respondents’ understanding on effective barriers against anaemia in pregnancy needs to be deepened. Keywords: anaemia awareness; beliefs; practices; pregnant women, drinking wate

Fifth-generation small cell backhaul capacity enhancement and large-scale parameter effect

The proliferation of handheld devices has continued to push the demand for higher data rates. Network providers will use small cells as an overlay to macrocell in fifth-generation (5G) for network capacity enhancement. The current cellular wireless backhauls suffer from the problem of insufficient backhaul capacity to cater to the new small cell deployment scenarios. Using the 3D digital map of Lagos Island in the Wireless InSite, small cells are deployed on a street canyon and in high-rise scenarios to simulate the backhaul links to the small cells at 28 GHz center frequency and 100 MHz bandwidth. Using a user-defined signal to interference plus noise ratio-throughput (SINR-throughput) table based on an adaptive modulation and coding scheme (MCS), the throughput values were generated based on the equation specified by 3GPP TS 38.306 V15.2.0 0, which estimates the peak data rate based on the modulation order and coding rate for each data stream calculated by the propagation model. Finding shows achieved channel capacity is comparable with gigabit passive optical networks (GPON) used in fiber to the ‘X’ (FTTX) for backhauling small cells. The effect of channel parameters such as root mean squared (RMS) delay spread and RMS angular spread on channel capacity are also investigated and explained

The Resilience of Massive MIMO PNC to Jamming Attacks in Vehicular Networks

In this article, we investigate the resilience of Massive MIMO Physical Layer Network Coding (PNC) to jamming attack in both sub-6 GHz and millimeter-Wave (mmWave) systems in vehicular networks. Massive MIMO generally is resilient to jamming attacks, and we investigate the impact that PNC has on this resilience, if combined with Massive MIMO. The combination of Massive MIMO and PNC has shown a significant improvement in the bit error rate (BER) in our previous investigation. The corresponding framework is analysed against a barraging attack from a jammer, where the jamming channel is not known to the base station (BS), and the jammer can use any number of transmit antennas. Over Rayleigh channel, our simulation results reveal that Massive MIMO PNC performs better in the lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regions to jamming attacks and this is achieved at twice the spectral efficiency. A similar performance is observed over mmWave channel

Persebaran dan Status Habitat Bekantan (Nasalis Larvatus) di Kabupaten Tabalong, Kalimantan Selatan

Probosics monkeys are distributed among 18 locations in the Tabalong Districs, South Kalimantan. The were found in rubber forset and other forest habitats (namely swamp, riparian, karst) adjacent to or surrounded by rubber forests. These habitats are categorized as culvated areas. A case where cultivated area is inhabited by a protected animal is a dilemma for conservation

Komunikasi Vokal pada Bekantan (Nasalis Larvatus)

Vocal communication on the probosics monkey (Nasalis larvatus) was poorly documented. The objectives of the research were to phoentically identify vocalizations of this monkey, measure their durations and interpret their functions. Six vocalizations, along with eleven behaviors were found. Duration of four vocalizations ranged 0,36-1,30 sec and of two vocalizations was supposed to be less than 0,25 second. Vocalizations function to reflect the state of angry, happy or disappointed showed the domination 0,36-1,30 are an individual to others and warned the group

Massive MIMO Channel Characterization and Modeling: The Present and the Future

One of the technologies aimed to provide large increase in data rate, enhanced spectral efficiency, transmit power efficiency, high sum rates, and increase link reliability for the fifth generation network (5G) is the massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna system. The projected benefits of massive MIMO depend on the propagation environment. However, due to the non wide-sense stationarity properties of massive MIMO, small scale characterization (SSC) is not enough for modeling its propagation channel as the spatial domain is also required. Giving consideration to the dynamic adaptation of the elevation angles which is not captured in 2D channel models will open up new possibilities for 3D beamforming which will introduce considerable performance gains for 5G network capacity enhancement. In this paper therefore, we review the various non wide-sense stationary channel parameters for characterizing massive MIMO channel particularly in the 3D plane and their methods of measurement, All through the discussion, we identified outstanding research challenges in these areas and their future directions

5G Small Cell Backhaul: A Solution Based on GSM-Aided Hybrid Beamforming

In the proposed 5G architecture where cell densification is expected to be used for network capacity enhancement, the deployment of millimetre wave (mmWave) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) in urban microcells located outdoor is expected to be used for high channel capacity small cell wireless traffic backhauling as the use of copper and optic-fibre cable becomes infeasible owing to the high cost and issues with right of way. The high cost of radio frequency (RF) chain and its prohibitive power consumption are big drawbacks for mmWave massive MIMO transceiver implementation and the complexity of using optimal detection algorithm as a result of inter-channel interference (ICI) as the base station antenna approaches large numbers. Spatial modulation (SM) and Generalized Spatial Modulation (GSM) are new novel techniques proposed as a low-complexity, low cost and low-power-consumption MIMO candidate with the ability to further reduce the RF chain for mmWave massive MIMO hybrid beamforming systems. In this work, we present the principles of generalized spatial modulation aided hybrid beamforming (GSMA-HBF) and its use for cost-effective, high energy efficient mmWave massive MIMO transceiver for small cell wireless backhaul in a 5G ultra-dense network

A Primer on MIMO Detection Algorithms for 5G Communication Network

In the recent past, demand for large use of mobile data has increased tremendously due to the proliferation of hand held devices which allows millions of people access to video streaming, VOIP and other internet related usage including machine to machine (M2M) communication. One of the anticipated attribute of the fifth generation (5G) network is its ability to meet this humongous data rate requirement in the order of 10s Gbps. A particular promising technology that can provide this desired performance if used in the 5G network is the massive multiple-input, multiple-output otherwise called the Massive MIMO. The use of massive MIMO in 5G cellular network where data rate of the order of 100x that of the current state of the art LTE-A is expected and high spectral efficiency with very low latency and low energy consumption, present a challenge in symbol/signal detection and parameter estimation as a result of the high dimension of the antenna elements required. One of the major bottlenecks in achieving the benefits of such massive MIMO systems is the problem of achieving detectors with realistic low complexity for such huge systems. We therefore review various MIMO detection algorithms aiming for low computational complexity with high performance and that scales well with increase in transmit antennas suitable for massive MIMO systems. We evaluate detection algorithms for small and medium dimension MIMO as well as a combination of some of them in order to achieve our above objectives. The review shows no single one detector can be said to be ideal for massive MIMO and that the low complexity with optimal performance detector suitable for 5G massive MIMO system is still an open research issue. A comprehensive review of such detection algorithms for massive MIMO was not presented in the literature which was achieved in this work

A Novel Joint Index Modulation and Physical Layer Network Coding Mechanism for Beyond 5G

In beyond 5G communications, besides energy efficiency (EE) and spectral efficiency (SE), latency and reliability, which are among the main metrics that extreme ultrareliable low-latency communications (URLLC) applications must fulfil. Although new techniques are sought after to meet the crunching requirements of URLLC, combining existing physicallayer techniques have become compelling, attractive and cost saving approach in achieving the same goal. In this paper, we describe a novel mechanism in combining Physical Layer Network Coding (PNC) and Index Modulation (IM) to achieving a balance between SE and EE for URLLC applications beyond 5G. PNC has the potential to increase SE because it leverages on interference from many transmissions occurring at the same time. Although fewer resources are required for IM, the capacity gain is the same as if all transmission resources are used, and as a result, both EE and SE can increase simultaneously. Our simulation results show the feasibility of combining these two key physical-layer techniques, affirming the complementary role this approach will play in meeting the performance KPIs of URLLC, beyond 5G

Plasmodium yoelii 17XL infection up-regulates RANTES, CCR1, CCR3 and CCR5 expression, and induces ultrastructural changes in the cerebellum

BACKGROUND: Malaria afflicts 300–500 million people causing over 1 million deaths globally per year. The immunopathogenesis of malaria is mediated partly by co mplex cellular and immunomodulator interactions involving co-regulators such as cytokines and adhesion molecules. However, the role of chemokines and their receptors in malaria immunopathology remains unclear. RANTES (Regulated on Activation Normal T-Cell Expressed and Secreted) is a chemokine involved in the generation of inflammatory infiltrates. Recent studies indicate that the degradation of cell-cell junctions, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, recruitment of leukocytes and Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes into and occlusion of microvessels relevant to malaria pathogenesis are associated with RANTES expression. Additionally, activated lymphocytes, platelets and endothelial cells release large quantities of RANTES, thus suggesting a unique role for RANTES in the generation and maintenance of the malaria-induced inflammatory response. The hypothesis of this study is that RANTES and its corresponding receptors (CCR1, CCR3 and CCR5) modulate malaria immunopathogenesis. A murine malaria model was utilized to evaluate the role of this chemokine and its receptors in malaria. METHODS: The alterations in immunomodulator gene expression in brains of Plasmodium yoelii 17XL-infected mice was analysed using cDNA microarray screening, followed by a temporal comparison of mRNA and protein expression of RANTES and its corresponding receptors by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Plasma RANTES levels was determined by ELISA and ultrastructural studies of brain sections from infected and uninfected mice was conducted. RESULTS: RANTES (p < 0.002), CCR1 (p < 0.036), CCR3 (p < 0.033), and CCR5 (p < 0.026) mRNA were significantly upregulated at peak parasitaemia and remained high thereafter in the experimental mouse model. RANTES protein in the brain of infected mice was upregulated (p < 0.034) compared with controls. RANTES plasma levels were significantly upregulated; two to three fold in infected mice compared with controls (p < 0.026). Some d istal microvascular endothelium in infected cerebellum appeared degraded, but remained intact in controls. CONCLUSION: The upregulation of RANTES, CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5 mRNA, and RANTES protein mediate inflammation and cellular degradation in the cerebellum during P. yoelii 17XL malaria