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In women of reproductive age, vaginal infection is a gynaecological condition with various health consequences. Bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and aerobic vaginitis are the most prevalent types of infection. Although reproductive tract infections are known to impact human fertility, no consensus guidelines on microbial control in infertile couples undergoing in vitro fertilization therapy are currently available. This study aimed to determine the effect of asymptomatic vaginal infections on the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in infertile Iraqi couples. Forty-six asymptomatic infertile Iraqi women were evaluated for genital tract infections by taking a vaginal sample on ovum pick-up for microbiological culture during their intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment cycle. Based on the acquired results, a multi-microbial community colonized the participant's female lower reproductive tract, and only 13 women achieved pregnancy compared to 33 who did not. Candida albicans was found in 43.5% of the cases, 39.1% Streptococcus agalactiae, 19.6% Enterobacter species, 13.0% Lactobacillus, 8.7% Escherichia coli, 8.7% Staphylococcus aureus, 4.3% Klebsiella, and 2.2% Neisseria gonorrhoeae. However, no statistically significant effect was observed on the pregnancy rate except for Enterobacter spp. and Lactobacilli. In conclusion, the majority of patients had a genital tract infection; Enterobacter spp. had a substantial negative influence on the pregnancy rate, and lactobacilli were highly related to positive outcomes in participating females.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Flowchart highlighting different number of MiRNAs, PCGs, Metabolites analyzed in our dataset and steps taken to identify key MiRNAs, PCGs, Metabolites involved in significantly enriched metabolic pathways between OBM vs OBO. Figure S2. Correlation between clinical traits and enriched metabolic pathways. Here each block represents correlation between the enrichment profile of a metabolic pathway and a clinical characteristic based on their values across the 39 participant profiles. Here we only considered those pathways which were significantly enriched and those clinical traits which were highlighted in Fig. 3A. Figure S3. Gene expression of 25 identified genes (differentially expressed in the samples) across multiple tissue types in the GTEx portal. ( https://gtexportal.org/ ). The expression of these genes is higher across multiple tissue types and not biased towards blood tissue from which samples were collected.

In this study, a 9-elements hybrid MIMO (multiple input multiple output) antennas system is developed for 5G Smartphone communication.The designed MIMO system is composed of two different antenna parts i.e. the multi-band antenna element, and the eight-elements single-band antenna array. The multi-band antenna element encompasses the GSM 0.9/1.8/1.9 GHz (2G bands), UMTS 2.1 GHz (3G bands), LTE 2.3/2.5 GHz (4G bands), GPS, and WLAN 2.4/5 GHz, while the single-band antenna array covers the C-band (3400–3600 MHz) allocated for 5G cellular communcation. The model of the designed system has been manufactured and the simulation results are validated by conducting experiments with the fabricated prototype. High isolation levels have been observed between the elements. The designed antenna systems showed consistent radiation characteristics with a peak gain value of 5.5 dBi, and efficiency of as high as 90%. Furthermore, good MIMO performance parameters, such as the envelop correlation coefficient (ECC) less than 0.13, and 40 bps/Hz channel capacity have been observed over the desired bandwidth. Owing to the salient performance characteristics, the proposed antenna system could be used in modern mobile communications.

Flying Ad-hoc Network (FANET) is a new class of Mobile Ad-hoc Network in which the nodes move in three-dimensional (3-D) ways in the air simultaneously. These nodes are known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that are operated live remotely or by the pre-defined mechanism which involves no human personnel. Due to the high mobility of nodes and dynamic topology, link stability is a research challenge in FANET. From this viewpoint, recent research has focused on link stability with the highest threshold value by maximizing Packet Delivery Ratio and minimizing End-to-End Delay. In this paper, a hybrid scheme named Delay and Link Stability Aware (DLSA) routing scheme has been proposed with the contrast of Distributed Priority Tree-based Routing and Link Stability Estimation-based Routing FANET’s existing routing schemes. Unlike existing schemes, the proposed scheme possesses the features of collaborative data forwarding and link stability. The simulation results have shown the improved performance of the proposed DLSA routing protocol in contrast to the selected existing ones DPTR and LEPR in terms of E2ED, PDR, Network Lifetime, and Transmission Loss. The Average E2ED in milliseconds of DLSA was measured 0.457 while DPTR was 1.492 and LEPR was 1.006. Similarly, the Average PDR in %age of DLSA measured 3.106 while DPTR was 2.303 and LEPR was 0.682. The average Network Lifetime of DLSA measured 62.141 while DPTR was 23.026 and LEPR was 27.298. At finally, the Average Transmission Loss in dBm of DLSA measured 0.975 while DPTR was 1.053 and LEPR was 1.227. - Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province - grant No. 2020C01076. - National Natural Science Foundation of China - grant No. 62072403.

In this communication, a biotelemetry device for scalp implantation is proposed with an ultraminiaturized and simple-structured implantable antenna that exhibits dual-band characteristics in the industrial, scientific, and medical bands (915 MHz and 2.45 GHz). The proposed system incorporates two batteries and microelectronic components in a total volume of 434.72 mm3. The recommended antenna has a reduced volume of 9.8 mm3 (7 mm $\times7$ mm $\times0.2$ mm), which is the smallest antenna presented so far. In homogeneous and heterogeneous environments, the designed antenna system has peak gain values of −28.04 and −28.94 dBi, respectively, at 915 MHz, and −23.01 and −23.06 dBi, respectively, at 2.45 GHz. For validation, the prototype of the antenna and corresponding system are immersed in a 3-D head phantom (saline solution), and the measured results are found in close agreement with the simulation results. Additionally, the data communication range is analyzed through a link budget calculation at several data rates and an input power of −16 dBm. The radiation of the antenna system in the two principal planes (E and H) are similar to being omni-directional and directed away from the anatomical human body model as mandatory for the telemetry applications. Hence, the proposed antenna system can be employed in scalp implantation, especially for intracranial pressure monitoring.

This paper presents a 10-ports, hybrid multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system for 5G Smartphone applications. The proposed antenna system comprises two types of antenna modules: (1) multi-band module consists of two identical multiband antenna elements, each antenna element in this module covers the 2G bands (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz), 3G band (UMTS 2100 MHz) and 4G bands (LTE 2300/2500), and (2) single-band module consists of eight identical L shape elements, each antenna element in this module covers the C-band (3400-3600 MHz) for 5G mobile application. The overall dimensions of the proposed antenna system are 150 × 80 mm2. The proposed antenna system is fabricated and tested. Experimental results show reflection coefficients better than -6 dB and -10 dB for multi-band and single-band modules, respectively, with high isolation levels between the antenna elements in both modules. Moreover, the measured envelop correlation coefficients (ECC) is well below 0.3 and 0.1 for the proposed multi-band and single-bands modules, respectively. In addition, single antenna elements in both modules show good radiation characteristics with maximum peak gain between 2 dBi and 4 dBi. Finally, 43 bps/Hz channel capacity is achieved in the single-band module. With these characteristics, the proposed antenna system can be a good candidate in the modern mobile communication systems.

This study presents a multi-band conformal antenna based endoscopic system for robust biotelemetry communications, which covers five important bands, including the MedRadio (401-406 MHz), Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) (433.1-434.8 MHz, 868-868.6 MHz, 902-928 MHz), and midfield (1200 MHz) bands. These bands are intended for functions such as biotelemetry, power saving, and wireless power transfer (WPT). The proposed antenna is printed on a flexible material Rogers ULTRALAM with a thickness of only 0.1 mm, which can be easily wrapped around the inner wall of a capsule. Owing to the insertion of the via and open-ended meandered slots in the radiator and in the ground plane, the footprints of the suggested antenna reduce considerably. In the flat form, the antenna is 57 mm3 in volume, whereas in the wrapped form, it is only 48.98 mm3 in volume. In a homogeneous muscle phantom, the proposed conformal antenna shows a 27.46% wider bandwidth at 402 MHz,whereas it shows a 13.2% and 5.42% bandwidth at 915 MHz and 1200 MHz, respectively. Furthermore, the specific absorption rate investigation at three resonance frequencies in various implanted locations shows compliance with the IEEE guidelines, thereby guaranteeing human safety. For measurements, a 3D capsule with batteries and circuitry is devised using a 3D printer, and the simulation results are experimentally validated in a box containing minced pork. Finally, the robustness of the communication link is confirmed through the link budget analysis at 1 Mb/s. The conformal design concept, omni-directional radiations, and multi-band functionality with a wider bandwidth in the MedRadio band of the suggested antenna will enhance the diversity of the capsule endoscope and be a good addition to the field of biotelemetry.

This communication presents two compact and flexible flower-shaped coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed antennas (Antenna-1 and Antenna-2) for high data wireless applications. The radiators of the proposed antennas are backed by a flexible and biocompatible polyamide substrate ( $\varepsilon _{r} = 4.3$ and tan $\delta = 0.004$ ) with 0.025 mm thickness. The flower-shaped radiators of both antennas are designed by introducing rounded slots in the basic circular shape and attaching two branches with the $50~\Omega $ microstrip line. Antenna-1 provides resonance in the 3.5 GHz WiMAX band with a total bandwidth and gain of 484 MHz (3.3–3.784 GHz) and 1.88 dBi, respectively. Antenna-2 is designed by embedding a parasitic element at the back of the substrate of Antenna-1, which leads to significant improvement in the bandwidth. Antenna-2 can also be employed in flexible devices for dual-band operation by proper adjustment of its parasitic element radius and position. A prototype of Antenna-2 is fabricated, and measurements are conducted in the flat as well as in the concave and convex bent configurations for the characterization of its flexibility. It is observed that bending has no prominent effects on the overall performance, except a small shift in the operating frequencies. The proposed flower-shaped antennas are not only visually attractive but also show salient performance. Due to the low cost, visual attraction, compact size, wide bandwidth, and easy integration, the proposed antennas may be used in high data wireless applications as external antennas.

In this paper, a miniaturized novel-shape dual-band implantable antenna operating in the industrial, scientific, and medical bands (902–928 MHz and 2.4–2.4835 GHz) is developed for battery-powered implants. The Rogers ULTRALAM ( $\varepsilon _{r} =2.9$ and tan $\delta =0.0025$ ) liquid crystalline polymer material with 0.1 mm thickness is used as both the substrate and superstrate. By employing the shorting strategy, a flower-shape radiating patch, and open-ended slots in the ground plane, the total volume of the proposed antenna is confined to $7 \times 7.2\times0.2$ mm3. In a homogeneous skin phantom, the presented antenna has a maximum gain of −28.44 and −25.65 dBi at 928 MHz and 2.45 GHz, respectively. The calculated maximum specific absorption rate values are in the safe limit and satisfy the IEEE C95.1-1999 and C95.1-2005 safety guidelines. The design, optimization, and analysis of the suggested antenna are performed using the finite difference time-domain- and finite-element method-based simulators. The results suggest that the flower-shape antenna exhibits fairly omnidirectional radiation patterns; therefore, it can be used for gastro applications and skin implantations. Through wireless communication link, we validated that at both frequencies (928 MHz and 2.45 GHz), 7 Kb/s and 78 Mb/s of data can be transmitted easily over more than 6 and 1.5 m, respectively. To verify the validity of the design and simulation results, measurements are performed by substituting the fabricated prototype in the American Society for Testing Materials and head phantoms containing saline solution. The proposed flower-shape antenna shows salient performance parameters compared with the recently proposed antennas.

In this paper, antipodal Vivaldi antenna is designed for 5th generation (5G) mobile communication and Ku-band applications. The proposed designed has three layers. The upper layer consists of eight-element array of split-shaped leaf structures, which is fed by a 1-to-8 power divider network. Middle layer is a substrate made of Rogers 5880. The bottom layer consists of truncated ground and shorter mirror-image split leaf structures. The overall size of the designed antenna is confined significantly to 33.31 × 54.96 × 0.787 (volume in mm3), which is equivalent to 2λo× 3.3λo× 0.05λo (λo is free-space wavelength at 18 GHz). Proposed eight elements antenna is multi-band in nature covering Ku-bands (14.44–20.98 GHz), two millimeter wave (mmW) bands i.e., 24.34–29 GHz and 33–40 GHz, which are candidate frequency bands for 5G communications. The Ku-Band is suitable for radar applications. Proposed eight elements antenna is very efficient and has stable gain for 5G mobile communication and Ku-band applications. The simulation results are experimentally validated by testing the fabricated prototypes of the proposed design.

This paper presents the design of a tri-band flower-shaped planar monopole antenna operating at three frequencies i.e. 1.576 (GPS), 2.668, and 3.636 GHz (Mobile WiMAX). The radiating element of the antenna is backed by a 1.6 mm thicker FR-4 substrate having a dielectric constant of 4.3. The substrate is backed by a truncated ground plane. The antenna is fed through a 50 Ω microstrip line. The flower shape of the radiating element is derived from the basic circular shape by introducing in it rounded slots of various radii. The upper part of the antenna is flower shaped while the lower part comprises a microstrip feed line and two branches, each having two “leaves” at the end. The leaves and branches contribute in the impedance matching of the lower (1.576 GHz) and middle (2.668 GHz) frequency bands. The antenna gives an acceptable simulated efficiency >70% in the three frequency bands. Suitable gains of 1.63, 2.59, and 3.23 dB are obtained at 1.576, 2.668, and 3.636 GHz, respectively. The antenna m...