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This paper proposes a method for dual notch implementation in ultra wideband (UWB) using a simple stepped impedance resonator (SIR). The impedance ratio and electrical length ratio of a bi-section stepped impedance resonator (BSIR) are optimized to have the transmission zeros in the UWB. The high impedance section is folded producing multipath leading to the formation of notches. Transmission zero frequencies are at which the differential phase becomes equal to 180°. Simulations are carried out using ANSOFT HFSS and are fabricated using conventional FR4 PCB board. Prototype developed is tested and the obtained results are used to validate the simulations. Designed filter can be transformed into bandpass filter (BPF) in UWB by enhancing the widths of lower and upper rejection bands.

Skin cancer is one of the most dangerous forms of cancer. Skin cancer is caused by un-repaired deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in skin cells, which generate genetic defects or mutations on the skin. Skin cancer tends to gradually spread over other body parts, so it is more curable in initial stages, which is why it is best detected at early stages. The increasing rate of skin cancer cases, high mortality rate, and expensive medical treatment require that its symptoms be diagnosed early. Considering the seriousness of these issues, researchers have developed various early detection techniques for skin cancer. Lesion parameters such as symmetry, color, size, shape, etc. are used to detect skin cancer and to distinguish benign skin cancer from melanoma. This paper presents a detailed systematic review of deep learning techniques for the early detection of skin cancer. Research papers published in well-reputed journals, relevant to the topic of skin cancer diagnosis, were analyzed. Research findings are presented in tools, graphs, tables, techniques, and frameworks for better understanding.

The effect of sinusoidal heating on double-diffusive mixed convective flow with heat and mass transfer in a lid-driven square cavity is numerically investigated. The horizontal walls of the cavity are adiabatic and impermeable. Sinusoidal boundary temperatures and concentrations are imposed along the left and right sidewalls of the cavity. The governing unsteady equations for continuity, momentum, energy and species transfer are solved using the finite-volume method. The numerical solutions are computed for various parameters such as the Richardson number, amplitude ratio, buoyancy ratio and phase deviation. The obtained results are discussed in detail under different combinations of the pertinent parameters.

Background and objectives: Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a surgical procedure, useful for relieving the intracranial pressure following trauma. Following reduction in cerebral oedema, the bone is placed back to cover the defect. During the interim period, the bone flap may be preserved using cryopreservation or in subcutaneous tissue. This leads to a need to determine the benefits and risks involved in preservation of bone flap in a subcutaneous pocket or conventional freezer following decompressive craniectomy in traumatic brain injury. Materials and methods: An open randomized controlled trial was conducted at a level one trauma centre from July 2023 to December 2024. Simple randomization was performed in order to allocate patients into the subcutaneous preservation group and the cryogenic preservation group. Patients underwent cranioplasty after 3 months and were followed up post-operatively for complications and Glasgow Outcome Scale assessment. Results: The study initially recruited a total of 158 patients, out of which 104 patients remained eligible for the final analysis. The patients with cryopreserved flaps were found to have a higher rate of surgical site infection (31.3%) as compared to those with subcutaneously preserved flaps (5.6%), with the differences being statistically significant (p < 0.001). Among the 87 patients who had a poorer Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score before the intervention, 55 (63.2%) patients had at least some improvement in GOS over a period of one month. Conclusion: The use of subcutaneous preservation of bone is more beneficial in resource-limited settings as compared to conventional freezer storage.

The impact of a CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite on the photocatalytic and antibacterial properties compared to bare ZnO was investigated. A CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite was synthesized using Acacia nilotica fruit extract as a novel fuel by a simple solution combustion method. The obtained CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite was confirmed structurally by XRD, FTIR, Raman and UV-DRS and morphologically by SEM/TEM analysis. The XRD pattern indicates the presence of both hexagonal Wurtzite-structured ZnO (major) and cubic-phase CeO2 (minor). FTIR shows the presence of a Ce-O-Ce vibration at 468 cm−1 and Zn-O vibration at 445 cm−1. The existence of a band at 460 cm−1 confirmed the F2g Raman-active mode of the fluorite cubic crystalline structure for CeO2. Diffused reflectance spectroscopy was used to estimate the bandgap (Eg) from Kubelka–Munk (K–M) theory which was found to be 3.4 eV. TEM analysis shows almost spherical-shaped particles, at a size of about 10–15 nm. The CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite shows a good BET specific surface area of 30 m2g−1. The surface defects and porosity of the CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite caused methylene blue (MB) dye to degrade under sunlight (88%) and UV light (92%). The CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite also exhibited considerable antibacterial activity against a pathogenic bacterial strain.

Background Liver disease is the third leading cause of premature death in the UK. Transplantation is the only successful treatment for end-stage liver disease but is limited by a shortage of suitable donor organs. As a result, up to 20% of patients on liver transplant waiting lists die before receiving a transplant. A third of donated livers are not suitable for transplant, often due to steatosis. Hepatic steatosis, which affects 33% of the UK population, is strongly associated with obesity, an increasing problem in the potential donor pool. We have recently tested defatting interventions during normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) in discarded steatotic human livers that were not transplanted. A combination of therapies including forskolin (NKH477) and L-carnitine to defat liver cells and lipoprotein apheresis filtration were investigated. These interventions resulted in functional improvement during perfusion and reduced the intrahepatocellular triglyceride (IHTG) content. We hypothesise that defatting during NMP will allow more steatotic livers to be transplanted with improved outcomes. Methods In the proposed multi-centre clinical trial, we will randomly assign 60 livers from donors with a high-risk of hepatic steatosis to either NMP alone or NMP with defatting interventions. We aim to test the safety and feasibility of the defatting intervention and will explore efficacy by comparing ex-situ and post-reperfusion liver function between the groups. The primary endpoint will be the proportion of livers that achieve predefined functional criteria during perfusion which indicate potential suitability for transplantation. These criteria reflect hepatic metabolism and injury and include lactate clearance, perfusate pH, glucose metabolism, bile composition, vascular flows and transaminase levels. Clinical secondary endpoints will include proportion of livers transplanted in the two arms, graft function; cell-free DNA (cfDNA) at follow-up visits; patient and graft survival; hospital and ITU stay; evidence of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI); non-anastomotic biliary strictures and recurrence of steatosis (determined on MRI at 6 months). Discussion This study explores ex-situ pharmacological optimisation of steatotic donor livers during NMP. If the intervention proves effective, it will allow the safe transplantation of livers that are currently very likely to be discarded, thereby reducing waiting list deaths. Trial registration ISRCTN ISRCTN14957538. Registered in October 2022.

This investigation presents an analytical study of entropy generation of the nanofluid over a stretching sheet with inclined magnetic field and uniform heat generation/absorption. Similarity variables are used to convert the governing PDEs into ODEs. Then it solved analytically by hyper geometric function. The effect of physical parameters such as nanosolid volume fraction, aligned angle, magnetic, slip and suction parameters are discussed for both temperature and velocity profiles. Also, the effects of the same parameters and uniform generation/absorption and dimensionless group parameters on entropy generation are discussed for Ag nanofluid.

The safety and immunogenicity of a protein-based tetravalent vaccine SCTV01E that contains spike protein ectodomain (S-ECD) of Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron BA.1 are assessed and compared with bivalent protein vaccine SCTV01C (Alpha and Beta variants) and monovalent mRNA vaccine (NCT05323461). The primary endpoints are the geometric mean titers (GMT) of live virus neutralizing antibodies (nAb) to Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron BA.1 at day 28 post-injection. The secondary endpoints include the safety, day 180 GMTs against Delta and Omicron BA.1, day 28 GMTs to BA.5, and seroresponse rates of neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses at day 28 post-injection. 450 participants, comprising of 449 males and 1 female, with a median age (range) of 27 (18–62) years, are assigned to receive one booster dose of BNT162b2, 20 µg SCTV01C or 30 µg SCTV01E and completed 4-week follow-up. All SCTV01E related adverse events (AEs) are mild or moderate and no Grade ≥3 AE, serious AE or new safety concerns are identified. Day 28 GMT of live virus neutralizing antibodies and seroresponse against Omicron BA.1 and BA.5 with SCTV01E are significantly higher than those with SCTV01C and BNT162b2. These data indicate an overall neutralization superiority with tetravalent booster immunization in men. Here the authors present interim results from a clinical trial of a protein-based tetravalent SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (SCTV01E). SCTV01E demonstrates a comparable safety profile to a bivalent protein vaccine, while exhibiting superior immunogenicity compared to both a bivalent protein vaccine and an mRNA vaccine.

Ticagrelor has been proven superior to clopidogrel in reducing adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), yet economic factors often favor clopidogrel in real-world clinical practice. Although double dose clopidogrel has shown potential benefits over once-daily regimens, its direct comparison with ticagrelor in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients remains unexplored. Twice a Day Clopidogrel vs. Ticagrelor in Reducing Major Cardiac Events in Patients with Acute STEMI Undergoing Primary PCI (TADCLOT) trial is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi, Pakistan. It is designed as a superiority trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor over twice-daily clopidogrel in reducing major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Following successful PCI for STEMI, and when the patient is deemed suitable for discharge, patients are randomized 1:1 to receive either ticagrelor (180 mg loading dose followed by 90 mg BID for 30 days) or clopidogrel (600 mg loading dose followed by 75 mg BID for 30 days). The primary endpoint is the rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization, or stroke at 30 days following randomization. Secondary endpoints include the individual components of MACE, bleeding complications, and drug discontinuation due to adverse events. Enrollment has reached 88%, with 2,200 patients planned to complete the trial. The TADCLOT trial will provide crucial insights into the comparative efficacy of ticagrelor versus twice-daily clopidogrel in reducing early stent thrombosis and improving outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. The trial will particularly contribute valuable insights for post-PCI care, considering both the economic and genetic context of the high risk South Asian population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06318481. [Display omitted]

International student mobility has become an effective global strategy for tertiary institutions’ economic growth, revenue, and diversity. This study aimed to provide service quality indicators that can be used to improve international student mobility services in Malaysian public universities. The sample comprised international students in Malaysia, with 1273 students from 76 countries participating. The SERVQUAL model and instrument were used, and the indicators were determined using the measurement model (MM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The findings of MM and AHP ranked courtesy and communication as the highest indicators, and AHP found that soft skills were required to improve service quality at Malaysian higher education institutions. These findings contribute to understanding what is needed to improve the university quality service system in Malaysian public universities. The results also apply to other universities, especially Southeast Asian countries involved in internationalisation practices. Practical implications were provided to improve internationalisation service quality at colleges and universities, with suggestions for future study.