Novel Approach to Design Ultra Wideband Microwave Amplifiers: Normalized Gain Function Method

In this work, we propose a novel approach called as “Normalized Gain Function (NGF) method” to design low/medium power single stage ultra wide band microwave amplifiers based on linear S parameters of the active device. Normalized Gain Function TNGF is defined as the ratio of T and |S21|^2, desired shape or frequency response of the gain function of the amplifier to be designed and the shape of the transistor forward gain function, respectively. Synthesis of input/output matching networks (IMN/OMN) of the amplifier requires mathematically generated target gain functions to be tracked in two different nonlinear optimization processes. In this manner, NGF not only facilitates a mathematical base to share the amplifier gain function into such two distinct target gain functions, but also allows their precise computation in terms of TNGF=T/|S21|^2 at the very beginning of the design. The particular amplifier presented as the design example operates over 800-5200 MHz to target GSM, UMTS, Wi-Fi and WiMAX applications. An SRFT (Simplified Real Frequency Technique) based design example supported by simulations in MWO (MicroWave Office from AWR Corporation) is given using a 1400mW pHEMT transistor, TGF2021-01 from TriQuint Semiconductor

Significant benefits of AIP testing and clinical screening in familial isolated and young-onset pituitary tumors

Context Germline mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) gene are responsible for a subset of familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA) cases and sporadic pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs). Objective To compare prospectively diagnosed AIP mutation-positive (AIPmut) PitNET patients with clinically presenting patients and to compare the clinical characteristics of AIPmut and AIPneg PitNET patients. Design 12-year prospective, observational study. Participants & Setting We studied probands and family members of FIPA kindreds and sporadic patients with disease onset ≤18 years or macroadenomas with onset ≤30 years (n = 1477). This was a collaborative study conducted at referral centers for pituitary diseases. Interventions & Outcome AIP testing and clinical screening for pituitary disease. Comparison of characteristics of prospectively diagnosed (n = 22) vs clinically presenting AIPmut PitNET patients (n = 145), and AIPmut (n = 167) vs AIPneg PitNET patients (n = 1310). Results Prospectively diagnosed AIPmut PitNET patients had smaller lesions with less suprasellar extension or cavernous sinus invasion and required fewer treatments with fewer operations and no radiotherapy compared with clinically presenting cases; there were fewer cases with active disease and hypopituitarism at last follow-up. When comparing AIPmut and AIPneg cases, AIPmut patients were more often males, younger, more often had GH excess, pituitary apoplexy, suprasellar extension, and more patients required multimodal therapy, including radiotherapy. AIPmut patients (n = 136) with GH excess were taller than AIPneg counterparts (n = 650). Conclusions Prospectively diagnosed AIPmut patients show better outcomes than clinically presenting cases, demonstrating the benefits of genetic and clinical screening. AIP-related pituitary disease has a wide spectrum ranging from aggressively growing lesions to stable or indolent disease course

AN INTELLIGENT DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF FUNCTIONAL PITUITARY ADENOMAS

In this work, a web based integrated Medical Decision Support System (MDSS) tool for mainly early diagnosis of functional pituitary adenomas (i.e., somatotrophinoma, corticotrophinoma and prolactinoma) is developed. In the MDSS tool, hormone diseases are described by means of well-classified set of attributes generated from the typical sign and symptoms of disorders.The proposed tool is based on a stationary linear stochastic system model which specifically predicts the selected hormone diseases employing certain system parameters. The MDSS tool is user friendly which includes questions and answers at the opening session of the self-test. Questions and answers session will be completed by "yes" or "no" type of simple-responses. Based on our clinical results, MDSS tool yields more than 99% correct decisions on the selected hormone diseases. It is expected that effective use of the proposed MDSS tool will save substantial amount of valuable time of an expert endocrinologists and minimizes the cost of diagnosis. Furthermore, it will provide the opportunity for early diagnosis for the patient and the expert medical doctor to take the necessary preventive measures

UNCOMPLICATED PREGNANCY IN A PATIENT WITH CUSHING'S DISEASE

The coexistence of Cushing's syndrome (CS) and pregnancy is uncommon due to the suppression of gonadotropin secretion in CS. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dependent CS in pregnancy is less frequent than adrenal causes. The diagnosis of CS during pregnancy is difficult since physiological changes in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis may cause dynamic tests to be misinterpreted. Radiological imaging is limited

BANDPASS NETWORK FUNCTION REALIZATION IN RICHARDS DOMAIN AND ITS APPLICATION TO UWB PATCH ANTENNA MATCHING

In the literature, it is well known that complex Richards-Plane is a transformed domain of Laplace-Plane which is obtained under a tangent hyperbolic mapping. Network functions generated in terms of Richards frequency are periodic in actual frequencies with periodicity pi. Once a lowpass prototype network function is designed in Richards domain it is this periodic feature that makes the corresponding periodic bandpass network function to appear at certain bands repetitively in the frequency axis. Designer can choose the interested band among these repetitive bands depending on the application requirements. In the work, a matching network built with microstrip commensurate transmission lines is designed for a microstip patch antenna which is designed to operate in 3.2448-3.744 GHz band, potentially to be used in UWB applications. SRFT (Simplified Real Frequency Technique) is used in the design and very good agreement found between the theoretical design and simulations done in MWO (AWR)

2W Wideband Microwave PA Design for 824-2170 MHz Band Using Normalized Gain Function Method

In this work, we present the design of a 2W linear wideband microwave PA (power amplifier) targeted to operate in 824-2170 MHz mobile frequency range covering GSM850, EGSM, DCS, PCS and WCDMA. The design is basically based on the NGF (Normalized Gain Function) method which is very recently introduced into the literature. NGF is defined as the ratio of T and |S-21|(2), i.e. T-NGF= T/|S-21|(2), shape of the gain function of the amplifier to be designed and the shape of the transistor forward gain function, respectively. Synthesis of input/output matching networks (IMN/OMN) of the amplifier requires target gain functions, which are mathematically generated in terms of TNGF. The particular transistor used in the design is FP31QF, a 2W HFET from TriQuint Semiconductor. Theoretical PA performance obtained in Matlab is shown to be in a very high agreement with the simulated performance in MWO (Microwave Office) of AWR Inc

BANDPASS NETWORK FUNCTION REALIZATION IN RICHARDS DOMAIN AND ITS APPLICATION TO UWB PATCH ANTENNA MATCHING

22nd IEEE Signal Processing and Communications Applications Conference (SIU) -- APR 23-25, 2014 -- Karadeniz Teknik Univ, Trabzon, TURKEYWOS: 000356351400158In the literature, it is well known that complex Richards-Plane is a transformed domain of Laplace-Plane which is obtained under a tangent hyperbolic mapping. Network functions generated in terms of Richards frequency are periodic in actual frequencies with periodicity pi. Once a lowpass prototype network function is designed in Richards domain it is this periodic feature that makes the corresponding periodic bandpass network function to appear at certain bands repetitively in the frequency axis. Designer can choose the interested band among these repetitive bands depending on the application requirements. In the work, a matching network built with microstrip commensurate transmission lines is designed for a microstip patch antenna which is designed to operate in 3.2448-3.744 GHz band, potentially to be used in UWB applications. SRFT (Simplified Real Frequency Technique) is used in the design and very good agreement found between the theoretical design and simulations done in MWO (AWR).IEEE, Karadeniz Tech Univ, Dept Comp Engn & Elect & Elect Eng

A Novel Biometric Authentication Approach Using Electrocardiogram Signals

In this work, we present a novel biometric authentication approach based on combination of AC/DCT features, MFCC features, and QRS beat information of the ECG signals. The proposed approach is tested on a subset of 30 subjects selected from the PTB database. This subset consists of 13 healthy and 17 non-healthy subjects who have two ECG records. The proposed biometric authentication approach achieves average frame recognition rate of %97.31 on the selected subset. Our experimental results imply that the frame recognition rate of the proposed authentication approach is better than that of ACDCT and MFCC based biometric authentication systems, individually