Machine learning assisted metamaterial‑based reconfigurable antenna for low‑cost portable electronic devices

Antenna design has evolved from bulkier to small portable designs but there is a need for smarter antenna design using machine learning algorithms that can meet today’s high growing demand for smart and fast devices. Here in this research, main focus is on developing smart antenna design using machine learning applicable in 5G mobile applications and portable Wi-Fi, Wi-MAX, and WLAN applications. Our design is based on the metamaterial concept where the patch is truncated and etched with a split ring resonator (SRR). The high gain requirement is met by adding metamaterial superstrates having thin wires (TW) and SRRs. The reconfigurability is achieved by adding three PIN diode switches. Multiple designs have been observed by adding superstrate layers ranging from one layer to four layers with interchanging TWs and SRRs. The TW metamaterial superstrate design with two layers is giving the best performance in gain, bandwidth, and the number of bands. The design is optimized by changing the path’s physical parameters. To shrink simulation time, Extra Tree Regression based machine learning model is used to learn the behavior of the antenna and predict the reflectance value for a wide range of frequencies. Experimental results prove that the use of the Extra Tree Regression based model for simulation of antenna design can cut the simulation time, resource requirements by 80%

Ultra-broadband and polarization-insensitive metasurface absorber with behavior prediction using machine learning

The solar spectrum energy absorption is very important for designing any solar absorber. The need for absorbing visible, infrared, and ultraviolet regions is increasing as most of the absorbers absorb visible regions. We propose a metasurface solar absorber based on Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) substrate which increases the absorption in visible, infrared and ultraviolet regions. GST is a phase-changing material having two different phases amorphous (aGST) and crystalline (cGST). The absorber is also analyzed using machine learning algorithm to predict the absorption values for different wavelengths. The solar absorber is showing an ultra-broadband response covering a 0.2–1.5 µm wavelength. The absorption analysis for ultra-violet, visible, and near-infrared regions for aGST and cGST is presented. The absorption of aGST design is better compared to cGST design. Furthermore, the design is showing polarization insensitiveness. Experiments are performed to check the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN)-Regressor model’s prediction efficiency for predicting missing/intermediate wavelengths values of absorption. Different values of K and test scenarios; C-30, C-50 are used to evaluate regressor models using adjusted R2 Score as an evaluation metric. It is detected from the experimental results that, high prediction proficiency (more than 0.9 adjusted R2score) can be accomplished using a lower value of K in KNN-Regressor model. The design results are optimized for geometrical parameters like substrate thickness, metasurface thickness, and ground plane thickness. The proposed metasurface solar absorber is absorbing ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions which will be used in solar thermal energy applications

Transition metal chalcogenides, MXene, and their hybrids : An emerging electrochemical capacitor electrodes

The amelioration of the human population and their reliance on energy-consuming devices have increased the global energy thirst, as well as the need for new, cleaner energy storage technology. Generally, storage devices are associated with batteries and fuel cells, but nowadays, supercapacitors are being used in laptops, cameras, cellphones, vehicles, and even airbuses, as they can quickly store a large number of charges and also have a long-life cycle and a large power density. However, they have a comparably lower energy density, which pragmatically binds their applications. Herein, we present a forward-looking review of 2D (two dimensional) TMDs (transition metal dichalcogenides) and MXene-based materials for their promising properties like unique electronics and tunable surface chemistry with their synthesis protocol, fundamental properties, and state-of-the-art electrochemical activity in supercapacitors. Finally, we discuss the challenges that restrict the electrochemical properties of pristine TMDs and MXene. And these problems have led to progress by encouraging the development of various derivatives and compositions of these materials to address these issues and improve their performance in emerging energy storage technologies

Association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 28 823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. We considered 11 occupations and grouped them by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income. Results Overall, working in settings with potentially high exposure to dusts or fumes was associated with respiratory symptoms but not lung function differences. The most common occupation was farming. Compared to people not working in any of the 11 considered occupations, those who were farmers for ≥20 years were more likely to have chronic cough (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19–1.94), wheeze (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) and dyspnoea (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.53–2.20), but not lower FVC (β=0.02 L, 95% CI −0.02–0.06 L) or lower FEV1/FVC (β=0.04%, 95% CI −0.49–0.58%). Some findings differed by sex and gross national income. Conclusion At a population level, the occupational exposures considered in this study do not appear to be major determinants of differences in lung function, although they are associated with more respiratory symptoms. Because not all work settings were included in this study, respiratory surveillance should still be encouraged among high-risk dusty and fume job workers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.publishedVersio

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected

GAIT analysis based on GENDER detection using pre-trained models and tune parameters

Abstract In past several decades, gait biometrics has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional identification methods, offering advancements in surveillance, monitoring, and analysis techniques. However, determining gender based on gait remains a challenge, particularly in computer vision applications. This study proposes a robust and adaptable approach to address this issue by leveraging gait analysis. There is a growing need for datasets tailored to gait analysis and recognition to facilitate the extraction of relevant data. While most existing research relies on image-based gait datasets, this study utilizes the OULP-Age dataset from OU-ISIR, representing gait through gait energy images (GEIs). The methodology involves feature extraction from GEIs using pre-trained models, followed by classification with the XGBoost classifier. Gender prediction is enhanced through parameter fine-tuning of the XGBoost classifier. Comparative analysis of 11 pre-trained models for feature extraction reveals that DenseNet models, combined with optimized XGBoost parameters, demonstrate promising results for gender prediction. This study contributes to advancing gender prediction based on gait analysis and underscores the efficacy of integrating deep learning models with traditional classifiers for improved accuracy and reliability