An Electronically Reconfigurable Patch Antenna Design for Polarization Diversity with Fixed Resonant Frequency

In this paper, an electronically polarization reconfigurable circular patch antenna with fixed resonant frequency operating at Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) frequency band (2.4-2.48 GHz) is presented. The structure of the proposed design consists of a circular patch as a radiating element fed by coaxial probe, cooperated with four equal-length slits etched on the edge along x-axis and y-axis. A total of four switches was used and embedded across the slits at specific locations, thus controlled the length of the slits. By activating and deactivating the switches (ON and OFF) across the slits, the current on the patch is changed, thus modifying the electric field and polarization of the antenna. Consequently, the polarization excited by the proposed antenna can be switched into three types, either linear polarization, left-hand circular polarization or right-hand circular polarization. This paper proposes a simple approach that able to switch the polarizations and excited at the same operating frequency. Simulated and measured results of ideal case (using copper strip switches) and real case (using PIN diode switches) are compared and presented to demonstrate the performance of the antenna

Participatory plant breeding: a way to arrive at better-adapted onion varieties

The search for varieties that are better adapted to organic farming is a current topic in the organic sector. Breeding programmes specific for organic agriculture should solve this problem. Collaborating with organic farmers in such programmes, particularly in the selection process, can potentially result in varieties better adapted to their needs. Here, we assume that organic farmers' perceptive of plant health is broader than that of conventional breeders. Two organic onion farmers and one conventional onion breeder were monitored in their selection activities in 2004 and 2005 in order to verify whether and in which way this broader view on plant health contributes to improvement of organic varieties. They made selections by positive mass selection in three segregating populations under organic conditions. The monitoring showed that the organic farmers selected in the field for earliness and downy mildew and after storage for bulb characteristics. The conventional breeder selected only after storage. Farmers and breeder applied identical selection directions for bulb traits as a round shape, better hardness and skin firmness. This resulted in smaller bulbs in the breeders’ populations, while the bulbs in the farmer populations were bigger than in the original population. In 2006 and 2007 the new onion populations will be compared with each other and the original populations to determine the selection response

Comparative study ofthe computational fluid dynamics and fluid structure interaction analysis in human airways flow

Numerous studies have been done in order to get the most accurate result that represents the flow characteristics inside the human trachea. Numerical method was the most favorite type of study chosen to simulate the model due to the complexity of the geometry and difficulties to get the real trachea to do the experimental works. In this study, one actual healthy model of human trachea was reconstructed in order to compare, the different of the velocity and pressure distribution between two types of numerical modeling analysis: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) analysis. The model was extracted using the Computed Tomography (CT) scan images to maintain the realistic geometry. Velocity, 1.24 m/s was used at the inlet and the variations of the velocity and pressure distribution along the trachea were observed. The results shown that, the implementation of the FSI technique did produce different result and flexibility of the structure wall did influence the distribution of the velocity and pressure along the trachea

Neonatal Outcomes in Type 1 Diabetes Pregnant Women, A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Background: Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations, and obstetric complications including increased rates of cesarean section birth, prematurity, and neonatal adverse outcomes including large for gestational age (LAG), and hypoglycemia. Our aim of this study is to investigate and evaluate the prevalence and the different neonatal outcomes of T1DM pregnant women compared to nondiabetic healthy pregnant women in a single-center experience to improve the effectiveness of interventions for the treatment of pregnant women with T1DM. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 113 pregnant women (43 pregnant patients with T1DM and 70 non-diabetic healthy pregnant women) who underwent regular follow-in the antenatal period and delivered at King Fahad Military Medical Complex (KMMC) - Dhahran between 2018 and 2023. Results: A total of 117 pregnant women (47 with Type-1 diabetes mellitus-T1DM and 70 healthy controls) were included in the study. The proportion of elective C-sections was significantly high in women with T1DM 21 (44.7%) and the proportion of neonatal hypoglycemia who need treatment was also significantly high in diabetic women 20 (42.6%). NICU/SCBU admission was significantly high in diabetic women 23 (48.9%). Conclusion: The high prevalence of neonatal adverse outcomes especially hypoglycemia and intensive care admission of T1DM pregnant women compared to non-diabetic pregnant women indicates that this model of antenatal diabetes care must be improved to enhance maternal and fetal outcomes, especially in such high-risk groups and challenging problems

Semillas de altramuces bajan la concentración de lípidos plasmáticos y normaliza los parámetros antioxidantes en ratas

This study was designed to test bitter and sweet lupin seeds for lipid-lowering and for their antioxidative activities in hypercholesterolemic rats. The levels of plasma lipid, malondialdehyde (MDA) and whole blood reduced glutathione (GSH), as well as the activities of transaminases (ALT and AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in plasma, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in erythrocytes and plasma glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) were examined. A hypercholesterolemia-induced diet manifested in the elevation of total lipids (TL), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C and MDA levels, ALT, AST, LDH activities and the depletion of GSH and enzymic antioxidants. The supplementation of a hypercholesterolemia-induced diet with bitter and sweet lupin seeds significantly lowered the plasma levels of TL, TC, TG and LDL-C. ALT, AST and LDH activities slightly decreased in treated groups compared with the hypercholesterolemic group (HC). Furthermore, the content of GSH significantly increased while MDA significantly decreased in treated groups compared with the HC group. In addition, the bitter lupin seed group improved enzymic antioxidants compared with the HC group. In general, the results indicated that the bitter lupin seed supplements are better than those containing sweet lupin seeds. These results suggested that the hypocholesterolemic effect of bitter and sweet lupin seed supplements might be due to their abilities to lower the plasma cholesterol level as well as to slow down the lipid peroxidation process and to enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity.Este estudio fue diseñado para evaluar semillas de altramuces dulces y amargas como agentes que bajan los lípidos y estudiar su efecto en la actividad antioxidante en ratas hipercolesterolémicas. El nivel de lípidos en plasma, malondialdehido (MDA) y glutatión reducido (GSH), así como la actividad transaminasa (ALT y AST), lactato deshidrogenasa (LHD) en plama, superóxido dismutasa (SOD) y glutatión peroxidasa (GPx) en eritrocitos, glutatión reductasa (GR) en plasma, glutatión-S- trnasferasa (GST) y catalasa (CAT) fueron examinadas. La dieta inductora de hipercolesterolemia se manisfesto mediante la elevación de los lípidos totales (TL), del colesterol total (TC), de los triglicéridos, de la LDL-C y de los niveles de MDA, de las actividades ALT, AST, LDH y del descenso de GSH y enzimas antioxidantes. La suplementación de dietas inductoras de hipercolesterolemia con semillas de altramuces dulces y amargas bajo significativamente los niveles en plasma de TL, TC, TG y LDL-C. Las actividades ALT, AST y LDH decrecieron ligeramente en grupos tratados comparados con el grupo hipercolesterolémico (HC). Por otra parte, el contenido de GSH aumento significativamente mientras que el MDA decreció significativamente en los grupos tratados comparados con el grupo HC. Además, las semillas de altramuces amargas mejoraron las enzimas antioxidantes comparadas con el grupo HC. En general, los resultados indican que, el suplemento con semillas amargas es mejor que con semillas de altramuces dulces. Estos resultados sugieren que el efecto hipercolesterolémico del suplemento con semillas de altramuces dulces y amargas podrían ser debiadas a su capacidad para bajar los nivleles en plasma de colesterol, así como una ralentización del proceso de peroxidación lipídica y un aumento de la actividad enzimática antioxidante

The Luminous Starburst Ring in NGC 7771: Sequential Star Formation?

Only two of the twenty highly luminous starburst galaxies analyzed by Smith et al. exhibit circumnuclear rings of star formation. These galaxies provide a link between 10^11 L_sun systems and classical, less-luminous ringed systems. We report the discovery of a near-infrared counterpart to the nuclear ring of radio emission in NGC 7771. A displacement between the ~10 radio bright clumps and the ~10 near-infrared bright clumps indicates the presence of multiple generations of star formation. The estimated thermal emission from each radio source is equivalent to that of ~35000 O6 stars. Each near-infrared bright knot contains ~5000 red supergiants, on average. The stellar mass of each knot is estimated to be ~10^7 M_sun. The implied time-averaged star formation rate is \~40 M_sun per yr. Several similarities are found between the properties of this system and other ringed and non-ringed starbursts. Morphological differences between NGC 7771 and the starburst + Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469 suggest that NGC 7771 may not be old enough to fuel an AGN, or may not be capable of fueling an AGN. Alternatively, the differences may be unrelated to the presence or absence of an AGN and may simply reflect the possibility that star formation in rings is episodic.Comment: accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (10 January 1999); 48 pages including 13 figures; AAS LaTe

Enhancing Water Sustainability in North Africa: Literature Review and Synthesis of Current Knowledge Gaps in Sudan

This study delves into the critical role of groundwater in addressing global water challenges, with a focus on the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) in North Africa. Groundwater constitutes a source of potable water, irrigation, and industrial use, especially in arid regions where surface water is limited. We analyzed the status of water quantity, withdrawals, recharge, and geological characteristics in the NSAS, specifically in Sudan, Egypt, Libya, and Chad. Though the NSAS is largely an untapped resource, we evaluated various scenarios to determine the quantity of cropland that can be sustainably irrigated. The NSAS is located in an arid region, so local recharge does not exceed 10 mm/year. The primary source of recharge comes from the River Nile. The annual recharge is the following: Sudan Platform: 1.44 ± 0.42 km3/yr, Dakhla: 0.135 km3/yr, Kufra: 0.78 ± 0.49 km3/yr. Withdrawal rates are as follows: Egypt: 1.029 km3/yr; Libya: 0.851 km3/yr; Sudan: 0.406 km3/yr; and Chad: 0.001 km3/yr. The amount of water in the (NSAS) in North Africa is estimated at approximately 150,000 km3. This volume is equivalent to about 500 years\u27 worth of the Nile River\u27s discharge. The NSAS is the most extensive fossil aquifer complex globally underlying an area of 2,200,000 km2. The findings contribute valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and communities grappling with the challenges of groundwater resources to face climate change and water demands

A Patternless Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Ultra Low Frequency Applications

This paper presents a pattern less piezoelectric harvester for ultra low power energy applications. Usually patterned cantilevers are used as vibration energy harvester which results additional fabrication process. Hence, to reduce the process, a four layer cantilever configuration is used to design the harvester with Aluminum, Silicon and Zinc Oxide. The device dimension is settled to 12×10×≈0.5009 mm3 with ≈300 nm deposition thickness for each layer. The modeling and fabrication processes are demonstrated in detail. The induced voltage by the cantilever is obtained through the analytical and practical measurements. From the measurements, it is found that, the maximum induced voltage is 91.2 mV from practical measurement with voltage density of 1.517 mV/mm3. It is evident from the results that, this pattern less model can be useful for next generation vibration energy harvester with simpler technology

Epigallocatechin gallate/layered double hydroxide nanohybrids: Preparation, characterization, and in vitro anti-tumor study

In recent years, nanotechnology in merging with biotechnology has been employed in the area of cancer management to overcome the challenges of chemopreventive strategies in order to gain promising results. Since most biological processes occur in nano scale, nanoparticles can act as carriers of certain drugs or agents to deliver it to specific cells or targets. In this study, we intercalated Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG), the most abundant polyphenol in green tea, into Ca/Al-NO3 Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles, and evaluated its efficacy compared to EGCG alone on PC3 cell line. The EGCG loaded LDH nanohybrids were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanosizer analyses. The anticancer activity of the EGCG-loaded LDH was investigated in prostate cancer cell line (PC3) while the release behavior of EGCG from LDH was observed at pH 7.45 and 4.25. Besides enhancing of apoptotic activity of EGCG, the results showed that intercalation of EGCG into LDH can improve the anti-tumor activity of EGCG over 5-fold dose advantages in in-vitro system. Subsequently, the in-vitro release data showed that EGCG-loaded LDH had longer release duration compared to physical mixture, and the mechanism of diffusion through the particle was rate-limiting step. Acidic attack was responsible for faster release of EGCG molecules from LDH at pH of 4.25 compared to pH of 7.4. The results showed that Ca/Al-LDH nanoparticles could be considered as an effective inorganic host matrix for the delivery of EGCG to PC3 cells with controlled release properties. © 2015 Shafiei et al.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Quality of life satisfaction among converted Kelantan Chinese Muslims

This article investigates the quality of life of the Kelantan Chinese Muslim community before and after conversion to Islam, focusing on their level of satisfaction in term of economic aspect. This research was carried out using the sequential explanatory mixed method design involving 75 respondents selected for quantitative and five respondents for qualitative. The sampling method adopted was convenience and snowball samplings. The research data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that respondents were moderately satisfied before conversion and satisfied after conversion. Besides that, there is no significant difference of quality of life before and after conversion to Islam (F = 0.868, p = 0.355) and it was not influenced by the period of conversion to Islam (F = 0.832, p = 0.589). This analysis indicates numerous respondents are still moderately satisfied in their quality of life even though the average data shows they are satisfied after conversion