•Compact Tunable negative Metamaterial for enhancing 5G network performance.•Frequency-Tunable Tri-Hexagon and Tri-Square Split Ring Resonator for Bandwidth Optimization.•Empowering 5G with Double ...Negative (DNG) Properties.•Fabrication of the proposed metamaterial experimental result to verify the overall performance.
This paper introduces a compact tuneable metamaterial (MTM) unit cell featuring a tri-hexagon and tri-square split ring resonator (THTSSSR) structure designed for 5G communication applications. Metamaterials are employed to achieve unique electromagnetic properties not found in natural materials. The design process involves the arrangement of three square rings and three hexagon rings as metallic patches on a Rogers substrate (RT 5880), measuring 7 x 7 mm2 with a thickness of 1.575 mm. The proposed design exhibits double negative (DNG) properties, with resonances in the transmission coefficient (S21) at 3.493 GHz and a bandwidth of −10 dB covering frequencies between 3.057 and 3.711 GHz. Numerical simulations conducted using finite-integration techniques (FIT) in CST Microwave Studio validate the design's effectiveness, with confirmation through the Advanced Design System (ADS). The MTM unit cell demonstrates tuneable attributes, including negative permittivity ranging from 3.39 to 5 GHz and negative permeability from 3.39 to 3.86 GHz. These findings highlight the compactness and tunability of the proposed design, making it promising for 5G communication applications.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The COVID-19 pandemic both relied and placed significant burdens on the experts involved from research and public health sectors. The sustained high pressure of a pandemic on responders, such as ...healthcare workers, can lead to lasting psychological impacts including acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, and moral injury, which can impact individual wellbeing and productivity.
As members of the infectious disease modelling community, we convened a reflective workshop to understand the professional and personal impacts of response work on our community and to propose recommendations for future epidemic responses. The attendees represented a range of career stages, institutions, and disciplines. This piece was collectively produced by those present at the session based on our collective experiences.
Key issues we identified at the workshop were lack of institutional support, insecure contracts, unequal credit and recognition, and mental health impacts. Our recommendations include rewarding impactful work, fostering academia-public health collaboration, decreasing dependence on key individuals by developing teams, increasing transparency in decision-making, and implementing sustainable work practices.
Despite limitations in representation, this workshop provided valuable insights into the UK COVID-19 modelling experience and guidance for future public health crises. Recognising and addressing the issues highlighted is crucial, in our view, for ensuring the effectiveness of epidemic response work in the future.
is an invasive mosquito species with an extensive and expanding inter-continental distribution, currently reported across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and now Australia. It is an important ...vector of medical and veterinary pathogens which cause significant morbidity and mortality in human and animal populations. Across regions endemic for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV),
is considered the major vector and has also been shown to contribute to the transmission of several other zoonotic arboviruses including Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) and West Nile virus (WNV).
In this study, we used laboratory vector competence experiments to determine if
from a Southern European population were competent JEV vectors. We also obtained samples from multiple geographically dispersed
populations from countries within Europe, Africa, Eurasia and Asia to perform phylogenetic analysis to measure the level of mitochondrial divergence using the
(
) gene. We also undertook bacterial
gene amplicon sequencing to determine microbial diversity and used multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to determine any evidence for the presence of strains of the naturally occurring endosymbiotic bacterium
.
from a Greek population were shown be be competent vectors of JEV with high levels of virus present in saliva. We found a signficant level of mitochondrial genetic diversity using the mosquito
gene between geographically dispersed populations. Furthermore, we report diverse microbiomes identified by
gene amplicon sequencing within and between geographical populations. Evidence for the detection of the endosymbiotic bacteria
was confirmed using
-specific PCR and MLST.
This study enhances our understanding of the diversity of
and the associated microbiome across its inter-continental range and highlights the need for greater surveillance of this invasive vector species in Europe.
South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in the world, with HIV prevalence and transmission patterns varying greatly between provinces. Transmission between regions is ...still poorly understood, but phylodynamics of HIV-1 evolution can reveal how many infections are attributable to contacts outside a given community. We analysed whole genome HIV-1 genetic sequences to estimate incidence and the proportion of transmissions between communities in Hlabisa, a rural South African community.
We separately analysed HIV-1 for
,
, and
genes sampled from 2,503 PLWHIV. We estimated time-scaled phylogenies by maximum likelihood under a molecular clock model. Phylodynamic models were fitted to time-scaled trees to estimate transmission rates, effective number of infections, incidence through time, and the proportion of infections imported to Hlabisa. We also partitioned time-scaled phylogenies with significantly different distributions of coalescent times.
Phylodynamic analyses showed similar trends in epidemic growth rates between 1980 and 1990. Model-based estimates of incidence and effective number of infections were consistent across genes. Parameter estimates with
were generally smaller than those estimated with
and
. When estimating the proportions of new infections in Hlabisa from immigration or transmission from external sources, our posterior median estimates were 85% (95% credible interval (CI) = 78%-92%) for
, 62% (CI = 40%-78%) for
, and 77% (CI = 58%-90%) for
in 2015. Analysis of phylogenetic partitions by gene showed that most close global reference sequences clustered within a single partition. This suggests local evolving epidemics or potential unmeasured heterogeneity in the population.
We estimated consistent epidemic dynamic trends for
,
and
genes using phylodynamic models. There was a high probability that new infections were not attributable to endogenous transmission within Hlabisa, suggesting high inter-connectedness between communities in rural South Africa.
This is the ninth yearly article in the Tourette Syndrome Research Highlights series, summarizing selected research reports from 2022 relevant to Tourette syndrome. The authors briefly summarize ...reports they consider most important or interesting.
Background: Surface roughness of dental implants impacts the survival of adult periodontal stem cells and rate of differentiation. This research was conducted to test how human periodontal ligament ...stem cells behaved on yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) discs with different surface topographies.
Methods: Discs roughening was prepared by sandblasting. Stem cells were cultivated on zirconia discs with a polished surface, PEEK discs with a polished surface, sandblasted zirconia discs and sandblasted PEEK discs. Cells viability was assessed after 24, 48, 72 hours. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the adherence and attachment of cells. Osteoblastic differentiation capacity was studied by checking the mineralization clusters development through alizarin red S staining and alkaline phosphatase assay. ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test were used for the statistical analysis.
Results: Polished PEEK discs showed lower cell viability, whereas roughened sandblasted zirconia and PEEK discs showed the highest proliferation rates and cell viability percent. The osteogenic differentiation was enhanced for rough surfaces in comparison to polished surfaces. Sandblasted zirconia and PEEK discs showed a markedly increased mineralized nodule development and ALP enzyme activity compared to the polished surface and control.
Conclusions: Micro- topographies creation on the PEEK implant surface enhances stem cell attachment, viability, and osteogenic differentiation.
Background: We compared the pattern of cutaneous dermatoses among Iraqi females of all ages between 4 months preceding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the same months 1 year ...later within the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, that targeted all female patients attending an outpatient clinic for dermatology and venereology in Al-Kindy teaching hospital, Baghdad between October 2019 to the end of January 2020, and the same 4-month duration 1 year later (October 2020 to the end of January 2021) after the COVID-19 peak period had passed and there was no or partial curfew to exclude seasonal impact.
Results: A total of 2657 female-patients of all ages were enrolled in this study with 1314 females during the 4 months pre COVID-19, and 1343 females during the pandemic. The mean age of patients presented before the pandemic was 27.2±16.6 years, while the mean age of patients during the pandemic was 28.1±15.6 years with no statistically significant difference in mean ages (P >0.05). Hair loss in general with telogen effluvium specifically increased significantly. Cutaneous contagious viral infections were reduced significantly and specifically of these molluscum contagiosum and condylomata accuminata. Other forms of infections including bacterial and parasitic were also reduced while dermatophytosis was increased but not to a significant level. Acne vulgaris, rosacea, lichen planus, urticaria, pityriasis rosea, seborrheic dermatitis, and vitiligo were increased, but psoriasis, alopecia areata, other types of dermatitis, and melasma were reduced but none to a significant level.
Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in the pattern of diseases presented to an out-patient clinic for dermatology and venereology. This could be either related to COVID-19 infection or stress associated with the pandemic, because of curfew, or wearing facemasks which may cause a decrease or increase in certain diseases.
Background:
Neutrophils are one of the major early role players in antimycobacterial immunity. Upon infection, neutrophils can undergo NETosis, a cell death characterized by release of neutrophil ...extracellular traps (NETs). The role of NETosis in TB progression remains poorly characterized. We aim to characterize mechanisms underlying NETosis during TB pathogenesis by identifying genes that drive the cell death, and to determine their potential as markers of disease progression in high-risk individuals. Finally, we intend to evaluate neutrophil associated genes as targets for host directed therapy to reduce pathological damage caused by NETosis.
Methods:
Quantitative PCR will be used to quantify expression of specific genes identified in the blood of individuals with active lung disease (n=30), compared to those from healthy (n=30) and latently infected individuals (LTBI) (n=30). In addition, temporal events associated with NETosis will be measured using live microscopy in a neutrophil in vitro model of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Mtb) infection. Candidate genes found to be associated with NETosis will be targeted with pharmaceutical inhibitors.
Conclusion:
Genes associated with neutrophil mediated cell death may serve as potential biomarkers of pathological damage and disease progression, as well as targets for host-directed therapy.
Background
Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) co-morbidity is one of the rising public health problems. There is growing evidence that DM is an important risk factor for TB. This study was ...carried out to know the prevalence of DM among newly detected sputum positive pulmonary TB patients registered in District Tuberculosis Centre and to assess the risk factors of DM among TB patients.
Methods
In a cross-sectional study, newly detected sputum positive pulmonary TB patients were screened for DM (those having symptoms of DM). Furthermore, they were diagnosed by detecting blood glucose levels (≥200 mg/dL). Mean, standard deviation (SD), Chi-squared and Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact tests were used to determine the significant associations. P-values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.
Results
A total of 215 TB patients were included in this study. The prevalence of DM among TB patients was found to be 23.7% (2.8% known and 97.8% new cases). Significant associations were found between age (>46 years old), educational status, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, presence of DM symptoms and family history of DM.
Conclusions
Routine screening for DM is mandatory due to its increasing prevalence, which may help in early diagnosis and to reduce complications by proper management that in turn helps in the successful outcome of TB treatment.
The younger generations have always been at the forefront of and contributed significantly to social movements that are critical of state policies or respond to socio-political situations. This is ...also what happened in large movements involving young people in Indonesia, conventionally in the form of demonstrations and digital movements. This study seeks to explore the relationship between youth political participation, digital media, and the development of youth political identity by analyzing young people's engagement in some of the most significant political protests in Indonesia during the mass protests of #ReformasiDikorupsi, a movement opposing the amendments of several important bills, and #TolakOmnibusLaw, a movement opposing the establishment of a new single bill related to labor and investment, between 2019 and 2020. By analyzing quantitative data through data mining from Twitter from October 2019 to November 2020 with the
social network analysis method, this study discusses online youth participation in social movements and the way they shape their political identity. Our research found that young people play an active and central role in building online and offline movements. In particular, the online movement contributes to the growth of the offline protest movement, and vice versa, because of concerns about the practice of illiberal democracy.
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