Design of Cognitive Radios

Cognitive radios are expected to perform spectrum sensing and communication in the frequency range of tens of megahertz to about 10 GHz. As such, they pose tough architecture and circuit design problems. This paper deals with issues such as broadband, low-noise amplification, multidecade carrier frequency synthesis, and spectrum sensing. The paper also describes the effect of nonlinearity and local oscillator harmonics, demonstrating that cognitive radios entail more difficult challenges than do software-defined radios. Multi-decade synthesis techniques and RF-assisted sensing methods are also presented

What are young Indians saying about mental health? A content analysis of blogs on the It’s Ok To Talk website

Objectives: This study used thematic content analysis to examine submissions to a youth mental health website, www.itsoktotalk.in, in India. Setting: We considered submissions made to the It’s OK to Talk web platform during the first year of its operation (April 2017 - March 2018), focusing specifically on website users based in India. Participants: We analysed 37 submissions by 33 authors aged 19-31 years (mean age 22 years) from 7 Indian cities (New Delhi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Haryana). Eligible submissions were English-language first-person accounts of self-identified mental health problems, submitted in any media format for online publication by authors aged 18 years or older and who were based in India. Eight study participants were additionally involved in a focus group that contributed to the coding process and preparation of the final manuscript. Results: Four themes were identified:1) Living through difficulties; 2) Mental health in context; 3) Managing one's mental health; and 4) Breaking stigma and sharing hope. Overall, the participants expressed significant feelings of distress and hopelessness as a result of their mental health problems; many described the context of their difficulties as resulting from personal histories or wider societal factors; a general lack of understanding about mental health; and widespread stigma and other negative attitudes. Most participants expressed a desire to overcome mental health prejudice and discrimination. Conclusions: Personal narratives offer a window into young people’s self-identified priorities and challenges related to mental health problems and recovery. Such insights can inform anti-stigma initiatives and other public awareness activities around youth mental health

Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Community Pharmacists about Generic Medicines: A Pilot Observational Study

Background: Healthcare expenses are increasing at an alarming rate. Companies usually increase the cost of their brands to compensate drug development process. But it is very difficult for the poor to afford such expensive medicines. Here, generic drugs come into play to act as the best substitute for various brands after patent expiry. Community pharmacist plays a major role in promoting generic drug utilization and performs generic substitution wherever possible to reduce healthcare expenditures.Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitude, and perception of community pharmacists towards generic drugs.Methods: This study was conducted in Jalandhar city of Punjab, India. A total of 60 community pharmacists were involved in this observational study. A questionnaire was designed which consisted of total 25 objective-type questions and divided into three sections. The pharmacists’ responses were recorded and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences) version 16.Result: Out of 60 participants, most pharmacists (90%) were male and Diploma in Pharmacy holder. The mean (±SD) knowledge score was 6.4 (±3.7). The majority (46.7%) of participants agreed that generic drug substitution is a good practice. But some participants had a wrong perception about the quality of generic drugs; around 30% agreed that generic drugs are cheaper due to inferior quality.Conclusion: Overall, participants have basic knowledge and a positive attitude towards generic drugs. However, some participants have misconceptions about the quality of generic drugs. Therefore, pharmacists must have in-depth information to promote generic drug utilization and substitution to reduce healthcare expenses

A systematic review and lived experience synthesis of self-disclosure as an active ingredient in interventions for adolescents and young adults with anxiety and depression

Background: Self-disclosure, referring to the ability to communicate and share intimate personal feelings, has strong face validity for many young people as a way of improving anxiety and depression outcomes. The current review aimed to generate the first comprehensive evidence synthesis of self-disclosure interventions involving young people aged 14-24 years who are either disclosers or recipients of personal information about living with anxiety and/or depression. Methods: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative data was combined with new insights from an adolescents and young adults lived-experience panel (n=7) with the intention to combine rigorous systematic review methods and experiential knowledge. Results: Six studies of variable quality were included in this review, five were quantitative and one was qualitative. Findings suggest that self-disclosure may be effective at reducing symptoms for adolescents and young adults with established depression; effects were not apparent when delivered as early prevention. No evidence for impacts on anxiety was found. The potential for negative effects like bullying or harassment was identified. Limitations: Findings were limited by a small number of studies; low representation of peerreviewed studies from low-or middle-income countries; and varied interventions in terms of format, participants' context, and nature of delivery. Conclusions: Self-disclosure may be of value in the context of interventions intended explicitly to reduce depression for those already showing symptoms. Delivery by nonspecialists (such as peers and teachers) in addition to mental health professionals can help build capacity in community health systems. Self-disclosure may also be helpful at reducing stigma and stimulating help-seeking at earlier stages of mental health problems

A systematic review and lived experience synthesis of self-disclosure as an active ingredient in interventions for youth anxiety and depression

Background: Self-disclosure, referring to the ability to communicate and share intimate personal feelings, has strong face validity for many young people as a way of improving anxiety and depression outcomes. The current review aimed to generate the first comprehensive evidence synthesis of self-disclosure interventions involving young people aged 14-24 years who are either disclosers or recipients of personal information about living with anxiety and/or depression. Methods: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative data was combined with new insights from a youth lived-experience panel (n=7) with the intention to combine rigorous systematic review methods and experiential knowledge. Results: Six studies of variable quality were included in this review, five were quantitative and one was qualitative. Findings suggest that self-disclosure may be effective at reducing symptoms for youth with established depression; effects were not apparent when delivered as early prevention. No evidence for impacts on anxiety was found. The potential for negative effects like bullying or harassment was identified. Limitations: Findings were limited by a small number of studies; low representation of peer-reviewed studies from low-or middle-income countries; and varied interventions in terms of format, participants' context, and nature of delivery. Conclusions: Self-disclosure may be of value in the context of interventions intended explicitly to reduce depression for those already showing symptoms. Delivery by non-specialists (such as peers and teachers) in addition to mental health professionals can help build capacity in community health systems. Self-disclosure may also be helpful at reducing stigma and stimulating help-seeking at earlier stages of mental health problems

Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles via Leaf Extracts of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don and Their Application in Improving Seed Germination Potential and Seedling Vigor of Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn

The ecofriendly nature of materials used in synthesis and their low cost make biosynthesized nanoparticles excellent stuff for a broad range of applications in bioscience. Green nanomaterials are progressively used in agriculture to deliver plant nutrients efficiently and effectively. The present work aimed to biosynthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) utilizing Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don leaf extracts to use them as a nanopriming agent for improving seed germination and seedling growth in Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn (finger millet). UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX, and TEM were used to characterize biosynthesized nanoparticles (NPs). The peaks at 362 nm characterized UV-Vis spectra of ZnO NPs. The FTIR absorption spectrum of ZnO NPs showed Zn-O bending at 547 cm−1. The size (44.5 nm) and shape (nonspherical) of ZnO NPs were revealed by TEM image analysis. XRD confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO with an average particle size of 35.19. The seed germination results revealed that ZnO-nanoprimed seeds at 500 mg/L substantially improved all the seed germination parameters, viz., plumule length (23.4%), radicle length (55%), vigor index (41.94%), and dry matter production (54.6%) compared to hydropriming (control)

An Update on the Treatment of Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is the second-most common subtype of kidney cancer following clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), representing 15% of kidney cancers. Despite advances in therapy, including combination strategies with targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors, progress has lagged behind that of ccRCC. This is in part due to the heterogenous nature of the various subtypes of pRCC. More recently, investigators have turned efforts towards histology and biology-based trials. In this review, we outline some of the distinct biological characteristics of pRCC and discuss the most impactful clinical trials to date. Finally, we look ahead to several highly anticipated ongoing trials in pRCC

An Update on the Treatment of Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is the second-most common subtype of kidney cancer following clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), representing 15% of kidney cancers. Despite advances in therapy, including combination strategies with targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors, progress has lagged behind that of ccRCC. This is in part due to the heterogenous nature of the various subtypes of pRCC. More recently, investigators have turned efforts towards histology and biology-based trials. In this review, we outline some of the distinct biological characteristics of pRCC and discuss the most impactful clinical trials to date. Finally, we look ahead to several highly anticipated ongoing trials in pRCC