Internet of Things (IoT) applications need wireless connectivity on devices with very small footprints, and in RF obscure environments. The antenna for such applications must work on multiple global ...system for mobile communication (GSM) bands (preferred choice for network connectivity), provide near isotropic radiation pattern to maintain orientation insensitive communication, be small in size so that it can be integrated with futuristic miniaturized IoT devices, and be low in cost to be implemented on billions of devices. This paper presents a novel 3-D dual-band near-isotropic wideband GSM antenna to fulfill these requirements. The antenna has been realized on the package of electronics through additive manufacturing to ensure efficient utilization of available space and lower cost. The proposed antenna consists of a meander line antenna that is folded on the faces of a 3-D package with two variations, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.375\lambda </tex-math></inline-formula> length for the narrowband version and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.67\lambda </tex-math></inline-formula> length for the wideband version. Theoretical conditions to achieve near-isotropic radiation pattern with bent wire antennas on a 3-D surface have been derived. The antenna has been optimized to operate with embedded electronics and a large metallic battery. The antenna provides 8.9% and 34.4% bandwidths, at 900 and 1800 MHz, respectively, with a decent near-isotropic radiation behavior.
Nanostructured-based broadband perfect absorbers are of great interest in a wide range of applications, including spectroscopy, energy harvesting, and thermal photonics, etc. Here, a planar square ...meta-ring of nickel (Ni) is presented, which has the potential to absorb a large operational wavelength starting from 400 nm to 3000 nm. The proposed device model comprises a configuration of three layers with a top and bottom metal of Ni and a middle dielectric layer of aluminium nitride (AlN). The designed square ring metamaterial absorber (SRMMA) can attain an average absorption value of more than 90% over a large waveband from 400-3000 nm. Moreover, it can also maintain its absorption value up to 70% for oblique incident angles for both the wave polarization cases (TE and TM). Furthermore, it also exhibits the polarization-insensitive absorption response under the influence of different polarization angles, which is attributed to the four-fold symmetry in the geometry of the square meta-ring. Furthermore, our SRMMA also reduces fabrication complexity and cost due to its simplified design architecture. These promising features of the proposed SRMMA may have widespread applications in solar energy harvesting, thermal emission, and other optoelectronic devices.
Compressive sensing (CS) is a novel sampling paradigm that samples signals in a much more efficient way than the established Nyquist sampling theorem. CS has recently gained a lot of attention due to ...its exploitation of signal sparsity. Sparsity, an inherent characteristic of many natural signals, enables the signal to be stored in few samples and subsequently be recovered accurately, courtesy of CS. This article gives a brief background on the origins of this idea, reviews the basic mathematical foundation of the theory and then goes on to highlight different areas of its application with a major emphasis on communications and network domain. Finally, the survey concludes by identifying new areas of research where CS could be beneficial.
The need for highly sensitive, environmentally stable, mechanically flexible, and low-cost temperature sensors for on-body measurements has been increasing with the wide adoption of personal ...healthcare-Internet-of-Things (H-IoT) devices. Printed electronics (PE) is a good platform for such sensors because it enables the realization of flexible devices through simple and rapid methods at a relatively low cost. However, previously reported printed temperature sensors suffer from poor sensitivity and/or environmental instability. In this article, we report a custom tungsten (W)-doped vanadium dioxide (VO2) ink-based screen-printed temperature sensor having the highest temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of 2.78% C-1 with a resolution of 0.1 °C between 30 °C and 40 °C. To protect it from environmental effects, a fluoropolymer-basedpassivation layer is added for accurate temperature readings even in 90% relative humidity. The sensor is printed on a flexible substrate and shows minimal deterioration in performance over 1000 bending cycles. For wearability and remote monitoring, the sensor is integrated with a custom Bluetooth low energy (BLE) wireless readout in the form of wristband. The BLE readout comprises an ultrathin and flexible patch antenna optimized for both BLE bandwidth (BW) and human wearability. It demonstrates a minimal specific absorption rate (SAR) value of only 0.068 W/kg, making it safe to wear. Despite the antenna’s thin structure (0.004λ), it has a gain of 1.65 dBi, enabling an excellent communication range. The proposed wristband is tested on ten volunteers and under daily activities, which shows promising results with a maximum error of 0.16 °C with reference to those of a commercial thermometer.
Graphene-based metamaterials are gaining popularity for developing various reconfigurable and electrically tunable optical devices - especially in terahertz (THz) and infrared (IR) bands. Therefore, ...in this paper, we aim to investigate the broadband metamaterial-based absorber that efficiently absorbs the THz radiation ranging from 2.2 to 4.6 THz. The proposed absorber comprises a simple meta-square ring of graphene, which possesses different slots in its structure to induce multiple plasmonic resonances. It is observed that the proposed absorber manifests above 95% absorption for the normally incident THz waves, and it also maintains its absorption value over 80% for different obliquely incident operating conditions. Furthermore, the proposed absorber shows polarization-insensitive features. In addition, the absorption characteristics regulate from 95% to 15% by adjusting the chemical potential of graphene from 1 eV to 0.1 eV. Some of the salient features of the proposed absorber is largest reported bandwidth for single layer absorber with smallest footprint without sacrificing polarization insensitivity or amplitude tunability. From the application point of view, it could provide the pathway for implementing switching, cloaking, smart absorbers, and detection phenomena in the THz range.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have become the leading cause of disability and death worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Hypertension, a major cause of CVD progression, is ...widely attributable to genetic, behavioral, and environmental risk factors. Among the genetic reasons, angiotensin II enzyme, produced as a result of abnormal functioning of the renin⁻angiotensin system, is reported as the foremost cause of hypertension. A cascade of genes, including those encoding for WNK kinases (WNK1 and WNK4), Bp1, Bp2, angiotensinogen, and other enzymes, is involved in the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II. However, the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) plays a crucial role in this pathway. Therefore, ACE could be a potential therapeutic target in regulating the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II and eventually controlling hypertension. In this study, a molecular docking-based approach was utilized for identifying and evaluating potential inhibitors of ACE present in herbs, other natural sources, and synthetic sources, on the basis of these compounds' binding affinities and other physicochemical features. In addition, the suitability of these inhibitors as drugs for biological systems, considering their adsorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), was predicted using Lipinski's rule. In conclusion, our study provides a novel and clearer insight into the interaction properties of known putative inhibitors of ACE.
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•The role of thermal and non-thermal techniques for sugarcane juice processing were reviewed.•HHP is the most utilized non-thermal technique for sugarcane juice processing.•In novel ...thermal techniques, ohmic heating (OH) results are preferable.
Sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum) is a proven nutritious beverage with high levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, and other beneficial nutrients. It has recently gained consumer interest due to its high nutritional profile and alkaline nature. Still, high polyphenolic and sugar content start the fermentation in juice, resulting in dark coloration. Lately, some novel techniques have been introduced to extend shelf life and improve the nutritional value of sugarcane juice. The introduction of such processing technologies is beneficial over conventional processes and essential for producing chemical-free, high-quality, fresh juices. The synergistic impact of these novel technologies is also advantageous for preserving sugarcane juice. In literature, novel thermal, non-thermal and hurdle technologies have been executed to preserve sugarcane juice. These technologies include high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), ultrasound (US), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultraviolet irradiation (UV), ohmic heating (OH), microwave (MW), microfludization and ozone treatment. This review manifests the impact of novel thermal, non-thermal, and synergistic technologies on sugarcane juice processing and preservation characteristics. Non-thermal techniques have been successfully proved effective and showed better results than novel thermal treatments. Because they reduced microbial load and retained nutritional content, while thermal treatments degraded nutrients and flavor of sugarcane juice. Among non-thermal treatments, HHP is the most efficient technique for the preservation of sugarcane juice while OH is preferable in thermal techniques due to less nutritional loss.
Broadband metasurface-based devices are essential and indispensable in modern wireless communication systems. This paper presents an ultra−wideband and wide incident angle reflective ...cross−polarization converter metasurface. The unit cell of the proposed structure is a 45° rotated anisotropic meta−sheet developed by cutting the rhombus−shaped patch from the central part of the square patch. The unit cell’s top structure and ground blocking sheet are made of copper, whereas a dielectric substrate (FR−4) is used as an intermediate spacer between them. The unit cell thickness is minimal compared to the operating wavelength (1/14λ∘, where λ∘ is the wavelength of the starting frequency of 13 GHz of the operating band). The proposed structure efficiently converts linearly polarized waves into their orthogonal component, with a polarization conversion ratio of (PCR > 90%) over a broad frequency spectrum of 13 GHz to 26 GHz. The physical origin of polarization conversion is also depicted using surface current distribution plots. An ultra−wideband and highly efficient polarization conversion (above 90%) is achieved with the help of strong electromagnetic resonance coupling between the upper and lower layer of the metasurface. This kind of ultra−wideband polarization conversion metasurface can be employed in satellite communication, radar cross−section reduction, and navigation systems.
The efficient control of optical light at the nanoscale level attracts marvelous applications, including thermal imaging, energy harvesting, thermal photovoltaics, etc. These applications demand a ...high-bandwidth, thermally robust, angularly stable, and miniaturized absorber, which is a key challenge to be addressed. So, in this study, the simple and cost-effective solution to attain a high-bandwidth nanostructured absorber is demonstrated. The designed nanoscale absorber is composed of a simple and plain circular ring of nickel metal, which possesses many interesting features, including a miniaturized geometry, easily fabricable design, large operational bandwidth, and polarization insensitivity, over the previously presented absorbers. The proposed nanoscale absorber manifests an average absorption of 93% over a broad optical window from 400 to 2800 nm. Moreover, the detailed analysis of the absorption characteristics is also performed by exciting the optical light’s various incident and polarization angles. From the examined outcome, it is concluded that the nanostructured absorber maintains its average absorption of 80% at oblique incident angles in a broad wavelength range from 400 to 2800 nm. Owing to its appealing functionalities, such as the large bandwidth, simple geometry, low cost, polarization insensitivity, and thermal robustness of the constituting metal, nickel (Ni), this nano-absorber is made as an alternative for the applications of energy harvesting, thermal photovoltaics, and emission.
Advanced wireless communication technology claims miniaturized, reconfigurable, highly efficient, and flexible meta-devices for various applications, including conformal implementation, flexible ...antennas, wearable sensors, etc. Therefore, bearing these challenges in mind, a dual-band flexible metamaterial absorber (MMA) with frequency-reconfigurable characteristics is developed in this research. The geometry of the proposed MMA comprises a square patch surrounded by a square ring, which is mounted over a copper-backed flexible dielectric substrate. The top surface of the MMA is made of silver nanoparticle ink and a middle polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate backed by a copper groundsheet. The proposed MMA shows an absorption rate of above 99% at 24 and 35 GHz. In addition, the absorption features are also studied for different oblique incident angles, and it is found that the proposed MMA remains stable for θ = 10–50°. The frequency tunability characteristics are achieved by stimulating the capacitance of the varactor diode, which connects the inner patch with the outer ring. To justify the robustness and conformability of the presented MMA, the absorption features are also studied by bending the MMA over different radii of an arbitrary cylinder. Moreover, a multiple-reflection interference model is developed to justify the simulated and calculated absorption of the proposed MMA. It is found that the simulated and calculated results are in close agreement with each other. This kind of MMA could be useful for dual-band sensing and filtering operations.
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