Comments on "A shaped reflector antenna for 60-GHz indoor wireless LAN access points"

The author comments that the shaped reflector antenna principles and theory of Smulders, Khusial and Herben (see ibid., vol.50, p.584-91, Mar.2001) are based on the papers described by Kumar (see Proc. Montech '86 IEEE Conference on Antennas and Communication, 1986, IEEE Cat. No. TH0156-0, Inst. Elect. Eng. Proc., vol.134, p.106-108, 1987 and Technology Symposium, 1990). These papers described the X-band, circularly polarized shaped beam telemetry antenna suitable for retransmitting the radar data back to an earth terminal. Smulders et al. have used the same principle, and similar types of radiation patterns are produced. However, two points are different in their paper: (1) the design frequency (60 GHz) and (2) the application of antenna for indoor wireless LAN access points. Therefore, they authors should have referenced Kumar's papers. Smulders et al. agree with Kumar's comments that reflector shaping is nothing new. However, we took into account diffraction effects (by applying the uniform theory of diffraction) whereas the shaping in the paper of Kumar is based on geometrical optics, only. We showed that according to our approach, a more smooth illumination function can be achieved and how the smoothing effect depends on the amount of edge illumination. We also showed in which way the spatial field deviation can be minimized and that this could save a few decibels in the link budget

Src activates Abl to augment Robo1 expression in order to promote tumor cell migration

Cell migration is an essential step in cancer invasion and metastasis. A number of orchestrated cellular events involving tyrosine kinases and signaling receptors enable cancer cells to dislodge from primary tumors and colonize elsewhere in the body. For example, activation of the Src and Abl kinases can mediate events that promote tumor cell migration. Also, activation of the Robo1 receptor can induce tumor cell migration. However, while the importance of Src, Abl, and Robo1 in cell migration have been demonstrated, molecular mechanisms by which they collectively influence cell migration have not been clearly elucidated. In addition, little is known about mechanisms that control Robo1 expression. We report here that Src activates Abl to stabilize Robo1 in order to promote cell migration. Inhibition of Abl kinase activity by siRNA or kinase blockers decreased Robo1 protein levels and suppressed the migration of transformed cells. We also provide evidence that Robo1 utilizes Cdc42 and Rac1 GTPases to induce cell migration. In addition, inhibition of Robo1 signaling can suppress transformed cell migration in the face of robust Src and Abl kinase activity. Therefore, inhibitors of Src, Abl, Robo1 and small GTPases may target a coordinated pathway required for tumor cell migration

Effectiveness of myAirCoach: a mHealth self-management system in asthma

BACKGROUND: Self-management programs have beneficial effects on asthma control, but their implementation in clinical practice is poor. Mobile health (mHealth) could play an important role in enhancing self-management.OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical effectiveness and technology acceptance of myAirCoach-supported self-management on top of usual care in patients with asthma using inhalation medication.METHODS: Patients were recruited in 2 separate studies. The myAirCoach system consisted of an inhaler adapter, an indoor air-quality monitor, a physical activity tracker, a portable spirometer, a fraction exhaled nitric oxide device, and an app. The primary outcome was asthma control; secondary outcomes were exacerbations, quality of life, and technology acceptance. In study 1, 30 participants were randomized to either usual care or myAirCoach support for 3 to 6 months; in study 2, 12 participants were provided with the myAirCoach system in a 3-month before-after study.RESULTS: In study 1, asthma control improved in the intervention group compared with controls (Asthma Control Questionnaire difference, 0.70; P = .006). A total of 6 exacerbations occurred in the intervention group compared with 12 in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.31; P = .06). Asthma-related quality of life improved (mini Asthma-related Quality of Life Questionnaire difference, 0.53; P = .04), but forced expiratory volume in 1 second was unchanged. In study 2, asthma control improved by 0.86 compared with baseline (P = .007) and quality of life by 0.16 (P=.64). Participants reported positive attitudes toward the system.DISCUSSION: Using the myAirCoach support system improves asthma control and quality of life, with a reduction in severe asthma exacerbations. Well-validated mHealth technologies should therefore be further studied. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Pathogenesis and treatment of chronic pulmonary disease

Sm/Lsm Genes Provide a Glimpse into the Early Evolution of the Spliceosome

The spliceosome, a sophisticated molecular machine involved in the removal of intervening sequences from the coding sections of eukaryotic genes, appeared and subsequently evolved rapidly during the early stages of eukaryotic evolution. The last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) had both complex spliceosomal machinery and some spliceosomal introns, yet little is known about the early stages of evolution of the spliceosomal apparatus. The Sm/Lsm family of proteins has been suggested as one of the earliest components of the emerging spliceosome and hence provides a first in-depth glimpse into the evolving spliceosomal apparatus. An analysis of 335 Sm and Sm-like genes from 80 species across all three kingdoms of life reveals two significant observations. First, the eukaryotic Sm/Lsm family underwent two rapid waves of duplication with subsequent divergence resulting in 14 distinct genes. Each wave resulted in a more sophisticated spliceosome, reflecting a possible jump in the complexity of the evolving eukaryotic cell. Second, an unusually high degree of conservation in intron positions is observed within individual orthologous Sm/Lsm genes and between some of the Sm/Lsm paralogs. This suggests that functional spliceosomal introns existed before the emergence of the complete Sm/Lsm family of proteins; hence, spliceosomal machinery with considerably fewer components than today's spliceosome was already functional

The assembly of a spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle

The U1, U2, U4, U5 and U6 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) are essential elements of the spliceosome, the enzyme that catalyzes the excision of introns and the ligation of exons to form a mature mRNA. Since their discovery over a quarter century ago, the structure, assembly and function of spliceosomal snRNPs have been extensively studied. Accordingly, the functions of splicing snRNPs and the role of various nuclear organelles, such as Cajal bodies (CBs), in their nuclear maturation phase have already been excellently reviewed elsewhere. The aim of this review is, then, to briefly outline the structure of snRNPs and to synthesize new and exciting developments in the snRNP biogenesis pathways

Comments on "A shaped reflector antenna for 60-GHz indoor wireless LAN access points"

The author comments that the shaped reflector antenna principles and theory of Smulders, Khusial and Herben (see ibid., vol.50, p.584-91, Mar.2001) are based on the papers described by Kumar (see Proc. Montech '86 IEEE Conference on Antennas and Communication, 1986, IEEE Cat. No. TH0156-0, Inst. Elect. Eng. Proc., vol.134, p.106-108, 1987 and Technology Symposium, 1990). These papers described the X-band, circularly polarized shaped beam telemetry antenna suitable for retransmitting the radar data back to an earth terminal. Smulders et al. have used the same principle, and similar types of radiation patterns are produced. However, two points are different in their paper: (1) the design frequency (60 GHz) and (2) the application of antenna for indoor wireless LAN access points. Therefore, they authors should have referenced Kumar's papers. Smulders et al. agree with Kumar's comments that reflector shaping is nothing new. However, we took into account diffraction effects (by applying the uniform theory of diffraction) whereas the shaping in the paper of Kumar is based on geometrical optics, only. We showed that according to our approach, a more smooth illumination function can be achieved and how the smoothing effect depends on the amount of edge illumination. We also showed in which way the spatial field deviation can be minimized and that this could save a few decibels in the link budget

A shaped reflector antenna for 60-GHz indoor wireless LAN access points

This paper addresses the design of a 60-GHz shaped reflector antenna that has to illuminate a predefined circular area without substantial spatial variation. At the boundary of this coverage area, the field strength has to fall off rapidly. Such efficient and confined illumination may be required in wireless networks that have to cope with a stringent link budget and/or require low channel dispersion. Typical examples are the emerging broadband wireless networks for customer premises and residential applications that will operate in the millimeter-wave frequency region. The particular property of the considered reflector is its diverging surface instead of the commonly applied converging shape. It is shown that the spatial variation within the defined coverage area can be within 1 dB, provided that the antenna is perfectly constructed. It is also shown that practical imperfections such as axial and lateral feed displacement and mispointing of the feed on top of effects due to blocking by the feed can contribute to spatial field variations on the order of a few decibel