408 research outputs found
Experiences of newly diagnosed oral cancer patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study from Pakistan
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the scaling back or postponement of non-emergency hospital services, including care of cancer patients. The present qualitative study explored the experiences of newly diagnosed oral cancer patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. Patients who attended the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Khyber College of Dentistry in July 2020 were selected using a maximum variation purposive sampling method. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted in Pashto, the local language of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Thematic content analysis yielded eight major themes: pain and generalised physical weakness, shock at diagnosis, psychological distress of the COVID-19 pandemic, faith and religion, double hit loss of employment, social isolation, social support from caregivers, and lack of support from health care professionals. In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has a clear impact on the life experiences of newly diagnosed oral cancer patients. Distress due to delay in accessing health care and lack of support from health care providers are a matter of great concern. Appropriate interventions should be introduced to ensure psychological and social support strategies are in place for patients during interruptions of health care services
Study of the histidine complex of uranium(IV): synthesis, spectrophotometric, magnetic and electrochemical properties
We synthesized the novel histidine complex of uranium(IV). A 1:3 mole ratio was found between metal and ligand by the mole ratio method, while âNH2 and âCOOâ groups of histidine behave as coordinating sites. The IR spectra confirmed the lone pair donating or coordinating sites. The elemental analysis confirmed the stoichiometry. The bathochromic shift with an increase in the optical density in the UV-Visible range indicated that the compound and its central metal ion hold uniform electronic charge distribution. The electrochemical results indicated a quasi-reversible (neither completely reversible nor completely irreversible) oxidation of the complex to its uranium(V) product at the platinum working electrode. The quasi-reversible process shows a comparatively slow electron transfer (ET) rate with the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant âksâ (3.4 Ă 10â4 cm s-1) at 50 mV s-1 and 305 ± 0.5 K. The kinetics such as diffusion and charge transfer lead the reaction with an ECE (electrochemicalâchemicalâelectrochemical) mechanism. The thermodynamic parameters of activation such as ÎH*; 4.257 kJ molâ1, ÎS*; -2.519 Ă 10â3 J molâ1 Kâ1 and ÎG* 4.26 kJ molâ1 helped to propose an associative mechanism of the electron transfer at the platinum working electrode.
KEY WORDS: Uranium, Histidine, Spectroscopy, Electrochemistry, Kinetics
Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2020, 34(3), 557-569.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v34i3.1
Microwave measurement techniques for wearable antennas
This research is germane to the area of on-body antennas and the characterisation of antennas in close proximity to biological matter. The ranges of frequencies discussed are currently popular for mobile communications, namely 0.9GHz to 6GHz with spot frequencies of GSM900, GSM1800 and WiFi2.5GHz. Particular attention is given to the elimination of errors in measurement. This is achieved by the characterisation of an anechoic chamber; a study of the effects of cables; a study of the interaction of surface currents and the human body; a study of tissue simulating liquid; the design of a simple body phantom; the characterisation of the on-body channel for human males in wet and dry clothing and a comparison of perturbation on antennas close to humans and a phantom.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
SoK: Making Sense of Censorship Resistance Systems
An increasing number of countries implement Internet censorship at different scales and for a variety of reasons. Several censorship resistance systems (CRSs) have emerged to help bypass such blocks. The diversity of the censorâs attack landscape has led to an arms race, leading to a dramatic speed of evolution of CRSs. The inherent complexity of CRSs and the breadth of work in this area makes it hard to contextualize the censorâs capabilities and censorship resistance strategies. To address these challenges, we conducted a comprehensive survey of CRSs-deployed tools as well as those discussed in academic literature-to systematize censorship resistance systems by their threat model and corresponding defenses. To this end, we first sketch a comprehensive attack model to set out the censorâs capabilities, coupled with discussion on the scope of censorship, and the dynamics that influence the censorâs decision. Next, we present an evaluation framework to systematize censorship resistance systems by their security, privacy, performance and deployability properties, and show how these systems map to the attack model. We do this for each of the functional phases that we identify for censorship resistance systems: communication establishment, which involves distribution and retrieval of information necessary for a client to join the censorship resistance system; and conversation, where actual exchange of information takes place. Our evaluation leads us to identify gaps in the literature, question the assumptions at play, and explore possible mitigations
The effects of water on an on-body monopole diversity antenna pair at 1800MHz
This paper presents the effect of water on a pair of 1.8GHz on-body diversity monopole antennas mounted on the forearm of a sitting male static volunteer. Application of a water
layer to the forearm was seen to both reduce efficiency and increase directivity leading to a slight overall increase in gain. Increased gain was shown to increase antenna correlation thereby reducing diversity gain in the antenna pair
A study of perturbations in linear and circular polarized antennas in close proximity to the human body and a dielectric liquid filled phantom at 1.8 GHz
In the design and synthesis of wearable antennas
isolation distance from the body is a critical parameter.
This paper deals with the comparison of perturbations caused to
the matching of simple linear and circular polarized patch
antennas due to the close proximity of a human torso and
rectangular box phantom filled with muscle simulating liquid at
1.8GHz. The isolated variable is return loss (S11). Results show
that both linear and circularly polarized antennas produce an
optimal return loss closer to the surface of a typical phantom
than the back of a human volunteer
A study of perturbations in linear and circular polarized antennas in close proximity to the human body and dielectric liquid filled rectangular and a cylindrical phantom at 1.8 GHz
In the design and synthesis of wearable antennas
isolation distance from the body is a critical parameter. This
paper deals with the comparison of perturbations caused to the
matching of simple linear and circular polarized patch antennas
due to the close proximity of a human torso and rectangular box
and cylindrical phantoms filled with muscle simulating liquid at
1.8GHz. The isolated variable is return loss, S11(dB). Results
show that at these frequencies a cylindrical phantom resembles
the body more closely than a rectangular phantom
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