Performance improvement of fractional N-PLL synthesizers for digital communication applications

Loop filter with two order was designed to improve the performance of the fractional N-phase locked loop (PLL) circuit (reference spurs noise and switching time), decreasing these two factors give good characteristic to fractional N-PLL circuit, the second order and third order loop filters are widely used in frequency synthesizer because they give good stability tolerance and for their simple architecture. They are designed at bandwidth B=125 KHz and its multipoles, at two values of the phase margin (pm)= 35°, 57°. MATLAB program was used to find the lock time, the component values for each element in the loop filter, also the filter impedance T(s), the bode plot of frequency response for close loop (CL) and open loop gain (OL). It is found by comparing the result of the frequency response for the 2nd order loop filter and 3rd order loop filter, that increasing the order of the filter will reduce the spurs noise that destroy the received signal at receiving side

PARTIAL SYSTEMS\u27 ANALYSIS OF TRAFFIC NOISE REDUCTION IN TARIK AL JADIDAH, BEIRUT

Traffic noise is considered one of the main pollutants in an urban space and has multiple side effects regarding the physical and mental health of the human being. Tarik Al Jadidah, one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Beirut City- Lebanon, is selected as urban area for a project-based initiative and the focal point of different studies in BAU Urban Lab. The area suffers from various urban problems, but prominently traffic noise that highly damages the urban residents\u27 quality of life due to its high levels of traffic noise that surpasses the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. BAU Urban Lab, an interdisciplinary platform for innovation and knowledge exchange that integrates education with research has led a workshop entitled “System Modelling for Urban Health and Well-Being” held at BAU, Faculty of Architecture - Design and Built Environment. The paper proposes that Vester Sensitivity Model can be considered as a supportive decision-making tool responsible for finding the most effective variables related to Traffic Noise Reduction. The main aim of this paper is to identify the key variables affecting traffic noise reduction system through detecting the variables’ reciprocal impacts using Vester Sensitivity Model. It also depicted that the most influencing variables are those related to social, institutional, infrastructure, and resource flows of the city rather than its fixed physical infrastructure

The need for alternative solutions when caring for patients with language barriers

Barriers to quality communication increase the risk for misunderstanding, negatively impact the thoroughness of health investigations, and can lead to delayed diagnoses and increased readmissions. In addition, language barriers disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations; thus, a lack of appropriate interpretation services promotes health disparities and increases the vulnerability of the underserved minority populations. According to the Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services of Quebec, health organizations need to take into account the distinctive linguistic and sociocultural characteristics of each region and, “foster […] access to health services and social services through adapted means of communication for persons with functional limitations”. A language barrier is a form of functional limitation that patients face when accessing healthcare services. Despite a clear policy, the current use of professional interpretation services is limited in our healthcare facilities, thus increasing obstacles in accessing healthcare services for patients with language barriers. It is thought that by identifying how language barriers present in our healthcare system and by highlighting the tools available to mitigate their consequences, healthcare workers, including medical students, may be better placed to serve the non-French and non-English speaking community. A group of medical students from the Universities of Montreal and McGill who are part of MedComm researched the problematic, most specifically in Montreal, in the hopes of emphasizing the need for alternative solutions to the current state of affairs in regard to offering optimal care to patients with language barriers

Efficacy and tolerability of sulforaphane in the therapeutic management of cancers: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

ObjectivesThis paper presents a systematic review aimed at assessing the therapeutic potential of sulforaphane (SFN) in the treatment of diverse cancer types.MethodsFollowing Cochrane guidelines for systematic reviews, we conducted an exhaustive search of electronic databases up to May 12, 2023, encompassing PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Natural Medicines, ProQuest, ClinicalTrials.gov, and ICTRP. Studies were included if they were human-based RCTs involving cancer patients where SFN was the primary experimental treatment. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for RCTs (RoB2) was used for quality assessment.ResultsEight studies investigating the efficacy and safety of SFN in prostate cancer (PCa), breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and melanoma were identified and included in the review. The dosing regimens were variable and inconsistent across the studies. SFN treatment led to statistically significant alterations in several vital genes and histological biomarkers across the studies. However, it did not impact some other key genes. Although not statistically significant, SFN improved overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients. The results on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were inconsistent in PCa. None of the studies reported significant differences between SFN and comparative controls in terms of adverse events.ConclusionSFN has emerged as a promising and safe therapeutic agent for diverse cancer types. Nevertheless, the high levels of methodological and clinical heterogeneity across the included studies precluded the possibility of conducting meta-analyses. Further robust clinical investigations to conclusively ascertain the chemotherapeutic potential of SFN in the management of various cancer forms are needed.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022323788, identifier CRD42022323788

Assessment of Soil Quality for a Semi-Arid Irrigated Under Citrus Orchard : Case of the Haouz Plain, Morocco

The irrigated perimeter of the Haouz plain is one of the largest in Morocco with 310.000 Ha with intense agricultural practices based on irrigation. Besides, recent studies have shown that the aquifer is characterized by an overall average to low sensitivity and vulnerability. The objective of this study is to provide an in depth diagnosis of the current situation regarding soil quality for a drip irrigation area: a citrus orchard, in a farm named Agafay, is located in the western part of Haouz, at 35 km SW of Marrakesh. To this objective, an intensive in situ campaign has been carried out focused on the measurements of the physico-chemical parameters of soil, at nine plots. The variation of these parameters, their impact on the type of rootstock and the variation of pollutants through the five soil horizons are analyzed. The results revealed that the condition in the soil quality is not very alarming. As most of the soils are light-textured, with poor organic matter content and basic to very basic pH. The reduction of organic matter, salinity, orthophosphates and nitrates with depth is attributed to the localized mode of irrigation adopted at the site which minimizes the loss of nutrients and, in fine, pollution of the aquifer. Multivariate analysis shows that the total and lime correlate well with the pH, which in turn correlate negatively with nitrate content and soil electrical conductivity. This work has strong implications for the quality assessment of soil for all irrigated perimeters by the drip in semi-arid areas, order to ensure the conservation and sustainability of the production system

Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Metastatic Cancer Patients: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard treatment for large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke. Patients with active malignancy have an increased risk of stroke but were excluded from MT trials. METHODS: We searched the National Readmission Database for LVO patients treated with MT between 2016-2018 and compared the characteristics and outcomes of cancer-free patients to those with metastatic cancer (MC). Primary outcomes were all-cause in-hospital mortality and favorable outcome, defined as a routine discharge to home (regardless of whether home services were provided or not). Multivariate regression was used to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: Of 40,537 LVO patients treated with MT, 933 (2.3%) had MC diagnosis. Compared to cancer-free patients, MC patients were similar in age and stroke severity but had greater overall disease severity. Hospital complications that occurred more frequently in MC included pneumonia, sepsis, acute coronary syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism (P\u3c0.001). Patients with MC had similar rates of intracerebral hemorrhage (20% vs. 21%) but were less likely to receive tissue plasminogen activator (13% vs. 23%, P\u3c0.001). In unadjusted analysis, MC patients as compared to cancer-free patients had a higher in-hospital mortality rate and were less likely to be discharged to home (36% vs. 42%, P=0.014). On multivariate regression adjusting for confounders, mortality was the only outcome that was significantly higher in the MC group than in the cancerfree group (P\u3c0.001). CONCLUSION: LVO patients with MC have higher mortality and more infectious and thrombotic complications than cancer-free patients. MT nonetheless can result in survival with good outcome in slightly over one-third of patients

Combining acetabular and femoral morphology improves our understanding of the down syndrome hip.

Background: Hip instability is frequent in patients with Down syndrome. Recent studies have suggested that skeletal hip alterations are responsible for this instability; however, there are currently no studies simultaneously assessing femoral and acetabular anatomy in subjects with Down syndrome in the standing position. The aim was to analyze the three-dimensional anatomy of the Down syndrome hip in standing position. Methods: Down syndrome subjects were age and sex-matched to asymptomatic controls. All subjects underwent full body biplanar X-rays with three-dimensional reconstructions of their pelvises and lower limbs. Parameter means and distributions were compared between the two groups. Findings: Forty-one Down syndrome and 41 control subjects were recruited. Acetabular abduction (mean=52° [SD=9°] vs. mean=56° [SD=8°]) and anteversion (mean=14° [SD=8°] vs. mean=17.5° [SD=5°]) as well as posterior acetabular sector angle (mean=91° [SD=7°] vs. mean=94° [SD=7°]) were significantly lower in Down syndrome subjects compared to controls (P < 0.01). Anterior acetabular sector angle (mean=62° [SD=10°] vs. mean=59° [SD=7°]; P < 0.01) was significantly higher in Down syndrome compared to controls. The distributions of acetabular anteversion (P=0.002;V=0.325), femoral anteversion (P=0.004;V=0.309) and the instability index (P < 0.001;V=0.383) were significantly different between the two groups, with subjects with Down syndrome having both increased anteversion and retroversion for each of these parameters. Interpretation: Subjects with Down syndrome were found to have a significantly altered and more heterogeneous anatomy of their proximal hips compared to controls. This heterogeneity suggests that treatment strategies of hip instability in Down syndrome should be subject-specific and should rely on the understanding of the underlying three-dimensional anatomy of each patient.This research was funded by the University of Saint-Joseph (grant# FM183). The authors did not receive any external funding for this stud

Pengaruh Penambahan Kolin Klorida Pada Pakan Terhadap Kadar Kolesterol Dan Lipoprotein Darah Sapi Perah Laktasi

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of choline chloride addition in feed on cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), and high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in blood of lactating dairy cow, as indicator of lipid anabolism in the body. Eight of lactating dairy cows (61 to 91 days in milk; 2nd lactation period and 456 ± 31 kg of BW average as equal to 99 ± 5 kg BW0.75) were fed total mixed diet containing Napier grass and concentrate (40:60) and additive 30 g/d choline chloride 60% corn-cob as 18 g/d choline chloride (as equal to 0.02 % BW0.75). The experiment was set as cross-over designs with two experiments and eight replications. The treatments were T0 = 0 g/d choline chloride and T1= 30 g/d choline chloride, within 2 periods in which each period was 4 weeks and the data was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the addition of 30 g/d choline chloride in feed did not affect (P&gt;0,05) the cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels in blood of lactating dairy cows. The conclusion of this study was the choline chloride addition in feed did not increase cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels in blood of lactating dairy cows as the indicator of lipid anabolism

Preclinical evaluation of novel synthesised nanoparticles based on tyrosine poly(ester amide) for improved targeted pulmonary delivery

Fixed dose combinations (FDCs) incorporating two or three medicines in a single inhaler have been created to enhance patient compliance and hence clinical outcomes. However, the development of dry powder inhalers (DPIs), particularly for FDCs, faces challenges pertinent to formulation uniformity and reproducibility. Therefore, this project aimed to employ nanotechnology to develop a FDC of DPIs for market-leading medicines—fluticasone propionate (FP) and salmeterol xinafoate (SAL)—for asthma management. Nanoaggregates were prepared using a novel biocompatible and biodegradable poly(ester amide) based on the amino acid tyrosine, utilising a one-step interfacial polymerisation process. The produced tyrosine poly (ester amide) drug-loaded nanoparticles were evaluated for content uniformity, PSA, FTIR, TEM, DSC, XRD and aerodynamic performance (in vitro and in vivo). The optimised formulation demonstrated high entrapment efficiency– > 90%. The aerodynamic performance in terms of the emitted dose, fine particle fraction and respirable dose was superior to the carrier-based marketed product. In-vivo studies showed that FP (above the marketed formulation) and SAL reached the lungs of mice in a reproducible manner. These results highlight the superiority of novel FDC FP/SAL nanoparticles prepared via a one-step process, which can be used as a cost-effective and efficient method to alleviate the burden of asthma