Design a compact CPW monopole antenna on rubber substrate for ISM band application

One of the most challenging works on compact antenna design is to maintain the flexibility orientation. This paper demonstrates a coplanar waveguide (CPW) fed monopole antenna with rubber substrate at 2.45 GHz center frequency for ISM band application. The proposed antenna attained the realized gain at 4.06 dB with the radiation efficiency around 90% at peak value and the bandwidth of 541.5 MHz. The antenna was designed using the CPW structure. CST microwave studio applied to design the proposed antenna simulation. The main purposed of this study is to improve the antenna performances specially the bandwidth, gain, and radiation efficiency. Moreover, another aim of that antenna design is to reduce the antenna size and thickness upon the existing related design with rubber substrate

Knowledge, Perception, Attitudes and Behavior on Influenza Immunization and the Determinants of Vaccination

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine the knowledge of, perception, attitudes, and behaviors toward influenza virus and immunization, and the determinants of vaccination among students, patients, and Healthcare Workers (HCWs) at the American University of Beirut and its affiliated Medical Center. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study between October 2016 and January 2017 utilizing a self-administered questionnaire that was provided to 247 randomly selected adult participants. Data collected included socio-demographic characteristics, prior vaccination against influenza, knowledge, perception, attitudes, and behaviors toward influenza and influenza immunization. A multivariable regression model was used to evaluate for independent associations between the different variables and regular or yearly vaccination as a primary outcome. RESULTS: The overall survey response rate was 77%. A substantial proportion of respondents (47.4%) had never received the influenza vaccine. Only 10.2% of students, 19.1% of patients, and 35.6% of HCWs reported regular or yearly influenza vaccine uptake. HCWs had the lowest knowledge score about influenza and its vaccine despite high self-reported levels of knowledge. Barriers to vaccinations included lack of information (31%), fear of adverse effects (29%), and a perception of not being at risk (23%). Several factors were independently associated with regular or yearly vaccination uptake including having children (adjusted OR = 3.8; 95% CI 1.2-12.5), a "very good" self-reported level of knowledge (OR = 16.3; 95% CI 1.4-194.2) and being afraid of the consequences of influenza (OR = 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.6). CONCLUSION: Adherence rates with regular or yearly vaccination against influenza remain low across all study groups. We were able to identify predictors as well as barriers to vaccination. Future awareness and vaccination campaigns should specifically aim at correcting misconceptions about vaccination, particularly among HCWs, along with addressing the barriers to vaccination. Predictors of vaccination should be integrated in the design of future campaigns

Design a CPW antenna on rubber substrate for multiband applications

This paper presents a compact CPW monopole antenna on rubber substrate for multiband applications. The multi band applications (2.45 and 3.65 GHz) is achieved on this antenna design with better antenna performances. Specially this antenna focused on ISM band application meanwhile some of slots (S1, S2, S3) have been used and attained another frequency band at 3.65 GHz for WiMAX application. The achievement of the antenna outcomes from this design that the bandwidth of 520 MHz for first band, the second band was 76 MHz for WiMAX application and the radiation efficiency attained around 90%. Moreover, the realized gain was at 4.27 dBi which overcome the most of existing design on that field. CST microwave studio has been used for antenna simulation

Dual band antenna design using stacked series array for Ka-band application

In this paper, a dual band stack series array antenna is designed for the future 28 GHz Ka-band application. Dual-layer substrate Technology is used to achieve multiple resonant frequencies with higher bandwidths. Antenna is designed based on stack array of double layer with patches and resonators in different layers. Designed dual-band antennas can resonate at single band of (28 GHz) and dual band (28 and 30 GHz). All results of the simulation are fabricated and tested. The test result shows that the antennas have high gain, wide bandwidth and higher efficiencies. Both the proposed antenna configurations have shown a good candidate for 5G millimetre wave (mmWave) application

Non-invasive ventilation in patients with an altered level of consciousness : a clinical review and practical insights

Non-invasive ventilation has gained an increasingly pivotal role in the treatment of acute hypoxemic and/or hypercapnic respiratory failure and offers multiple advantages over invasive mechanical ventilation. Some of these advantages include the preservation of airway defense mechanisms, a reduced need for sedation, and an avoidance of complications related to endotracheal intubation. Despite its advantages, non-invasive ventilation has some contraindications that include, among them, severe encephalopathy. In this review article, the rationale, evidence, and drawbacks of the use of noninvasive ventilation in the context of hypercapnic and non-hypercapnic patients with an altered level of consciousness are analyzed

The Saudi National Mental Health Survey: Survey instrument and field procedures

ObjectivesTo present an overview of the survey and field procedures developed for the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS).MethodsThe SNMHS is a face- to- face community epidemiological survey of DSM- IV mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of the household population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n = 4,004). The SNMHS was implemented as part of the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative. WMH carries out coordinated psychiatric epidemiological surveys in countries throughout the world using standardized procedures designed to provide valid cross- national comparative data on prevalence and correlates of common mental disorders. However, these procedures need to be adapted to the unique experiences in each country. We focus here on the adaptations made for the SNMHS.ResultsModifications were needed to several interview sections and expansions were needed to address issues of special policy importance in KSA. Several special field implementation challenges also had to be addressed because of the need for female interviewers to travel with male escorts and for respondents to be interviewed by interviewers of the same gender.ConclusionsThoughtful revisions led to a high- quality field implementation in the SNMHS.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162792/2/mpr1830.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162792/1/mpr1830_am.pd

Design and analysis of a microstrip patch antenna at 7.5 GHz for X-band VSAT application

In this paper, a microstrip patch antenna is designed to be used for X-band VSAT application at 7.5 GHz. The antenna is proposed to replace the massive and commonly used parabolic reflector antennas (46.0 inch × 29.3 inch × 13.5 inch (116.84 cm × 74.42 cm × 34.29 cm) with weight of 66.2 kg) in terms of portability due to its compact and lightweight features, with overall dimensions of 19.00 mm × 30.55 mm. The 7.5 GHz frequency is chosen based on the X-band frequency used in Malaysia, as reported by STRIDE. The microstrip patch antenna is first designed and simulated using CST Microwave Studio (CST MWS) and exhibits a good return loss (S11) of -42.09 dB, a bandwidth of 399 MHz, directivity of 7.63 dB and gain of 7.18 dB. The antenna is then fabricated using RT/duroid ® High Frequency 5880 substrate with a dielectric constant of εr = 2.2, loss tangent of δ = 0.0009 and thickness of t = 1.574 mm. Next, the return loss and radiation pattern measurements are carried out to confirm the simulated results. The measurement of the antenna prototype provides a return loss S11 of -30.53 dB, bandwidth of 455 MHz, directivity of 5.51 dB and gain of 3.88 dB

Maturation and fertilisation of sheep oocytes cultured in serum-free medium containing silk protein sericin

Sericin is a water-soluble component of silk and has been used as a biomaterial due to its antibacterial and ultraviolet radiation-resistant properties. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of sericin supplementation in a maturation medium on the meiotic competence and fertilisability of sheep oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in TCM199 supplemented with sericin at various concentrations of 0 (control), 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5%, either with or without bovine serum albumin (BSA). When the COCs were matured without BSA, the supplementation of 0.1% sericin significantly increased the rates of maturation to metaphase II and the total fertilisation of oocytes compared with the other concentrations of sericin. When the COCs were matured with BSA, the beneficial effects of 0.1% sericin supplementation on the maturation and fertilisation of oocytes were not observed. Our findings indicate that supplementation with 0.1% sericin during maturation culture may improve the nuclear maturation and fertilisability of sheep oocytes. Moreover, it may be possible to replace BSA with sericin in chemically defined media without the risk of disease transmission

Non-invasive ventilation in patients with an altered level of consciousness. A clinical review and practical insights

Non-invasive ventilation has gained an increasingly pivotal role in the treatment of acute hypoxemic and/or hypercapnic respira-tory failure and offers multiple advantages over invasive mechanical ventilation. Some of these advantages include the preserva-tion of airway defense mechanisms, a reduced need for sedation, and an avoidance of complications related to endotracheal intubation.Despite its advantages, non-invasive ventilation has some contraindications that include, among them, severe encephalopathy. In this review article, the rationale, evidence, and drawbacks of the use of noninvasive ventilation in the context of hypercapnic and non-hypercapnic patients with an altered level of consciousness are analyzed

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London