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In this study, a technique for designing a compact and low radar cross section (RCS) circularly polarized (CP) antenna is proposed. The designed CP antenna resonates at 8.7 GHz. The circular polarization is achieved by trimming opposite corners of the square patch and etching out thin slots. A new method is used to keep the radiation performance well preserved and to reduce the RCS of the CP antenna by employing polarization conversion metasurfaces. The PCM comprises double‐head arrow elements arranged around the CP antenna in four quadrants. Wideband monostatic RCS reduction is achieved for frequencies from 8.0 to 20 GHz. The experimental results verify the simulated ones, and also, the performance parameters such are realized gain, impedance bandwidth, axial ratio, and radiation pattern are well preserved after loading polarization conversion metasurface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design of nose-cone conformal substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) slot array antenna for modern radar applications. Firstly, the wave propagation characteristics have been investigated in doubly curved SIW, and it has been observed that they are non-uniform along the longitudinal direction of nose-cone conformal SIW. To ensure the constant wave propagation along the length of conformal SIW, the conventional design of SIW is reformulated for nose-cone conformal SIW and circuit model modification has been demonstrated. Secondly, the procedure for designing a SIW-based array on curved surfaces has been developed. In the proposed design, rectangular waveguide (RWG) to SIW feeding structure has been used to avoid spurious radiations. Finally, 1 × 6 element-based nose-cone conformal slotted array has been designed and compared with planar and cylindrical conformal arrays. It has been observed from the results that the nose-cone conformal slot array offers low sidelobe levels (SLLs) and high gain. For the validation of the proposed design, the conformal slotted array has been fabricated and measured, which exhibited a reasonable agreement between the measured and the simulated data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhinophyma represents a progressive deformity of the nose which leads to cosmetic disfigurement and has a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. This pathological entity originates from hyperplasia of sebaceous gland tissue, connective tissue, and vessels of the nose and is associated with rosacea and more specifically, stage III rosacea. Surgical treatment is the method of choice. We present five cases of rhinophyma that we treated with microdebrider-assisted excision. The procedure was divided in two main steps: scalpel excision of the main bulk of the rhinophyma and then further contouring with the microdebrider. All patients had weekly follow-up for the first four weeks, and then three-monthly. All patients had uneventful recovery and satisfactory cosmetic outcomes. No postoperative infections or other complications were reported in our case series. The use of the microdebrider reduces the operating time, preserves the islands of skin regeneration, and allows finer manipulations than the standard scalpel techniques. Microdebrider-assisted rhinophyma excision is a safe approach, with good aesthetic results. Larger series of patients need to be examined in order to establish the value of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a compact design of the monopole antenna is proposed for the super‐wideband application (SWB). The extremely wide frequency bandwidth is achieved by deploying a topology based on trapezoid shape radiator, triangular tapered feed line, and semicircular ground. The antenna shows resonance from 1.42 GHz to more than 90 GHz with a bandwidth ratio of 63.30:1, VSWR ≤2 and with S11 ≤ −10 dB. The electrical dimension of the monopole antenna is 0.16λc × 0.27λc where the wavelength λc is with respect to the lowest cut‐off frequency. The designed monopole antenna is fabricated on the F4B substrate. The prototype is experimentally validated for ultrawideband and SWB application. The experimental and simulated results are in good agreement and the designed antenna shows better performance of a wideband operation, compact electrical dimension, and high bandwidth dimension ratio over existing reported structures. The proposed antenna can be used for multiple bands such are ISM, Wi‐Fi, WLAN, WiMAX, C, S, X, K, and Ku bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To compare surgical complications for patients having minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy (MISCP) with concomitant incontinence procedure, to those having MISCP alone. Methods: Patients undergoing MISCP with and without a concomitant incontinence procedure between 2006 and 2015 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database using Current Procedural Terminology codes. The main outcome of interest was a composite of surgical site infection, bleeding requiring blood transfusion, return to the operating room within 30 days, and surgical stay >48 h. Log‐binomial regression was used to identify independent risk factors for the outcome and to generate adjusted effect measures for variables of interest. Results: Seven thousand ninety‐seven women met the inclusion criteria, of which 2433 (34%) underwent a concomitant incontinence procedure. Patients having incontinence procedures were slightly older (59 ± 11 vs 58 ± 12, P < 0.0001) and had longer total operating time (225 IQR 170‐267 vs 184 IQR 120‐232 min, P < 0.0001). Pre‐operative steroid use, wound class III/IV (vs I/II), and longer operative time were independent predictors of the composite outcome. After adjusting for baseline patient characteristics and co‐morbidities, no association was observed between concomitant incontinence procedure and the composite outcome (adjusted RR 0.87, 95%CI 0.65‐1.18) but there was an increased likelihood of urinary tract infection (adjusted RR 2.47 95%CI 1.89‐3.27). Conclusions: Despite being associated with a longer operative time, performing an incontinence procedure at the time of MSCIP was not associated with an increased risk of clinically important surgical complications other than urinary tract infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinonasal carcinosarcomas represent rare neoplasms, with aggressive character and unfavourable prognosis. We present a case of extensive sinonasal carcinosarcoma extending into the anterior cranial fossa and into the orbit and also a review of the current international literature regarding this rare yet aggressive neoplasm. There is currently a lack of specific guidelines on the optimal management of sinonasal carcinosarcoma and the treatment represents a challenge for the clinician. The key message that we would like to disseminate to our colleagues is the importance of suspicion and early detection, as well as the necessity to adopt a holistic approach when counselling patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Patients often turn to the Internet for information on medical conditions. We sought to evaluate the quality and readability of highly visible websites on overactive bladder (OAB). Methods: A survey of 42 consecutive patients attending outpatient urogynecology clinics was performed to identify the most commonly used Internet search engines and search terms for information on OAB. The three most commonly used search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo!) were then queried using the three most commonly used search terms. The first 20 relevant websites from each search were reviewed. After excluding duplicates, 35 websites were analyzed. Website quality of information on OAB was evaluated using the DISCERN score, JAMA benchmark criteria, and Health on the Net code (HONcode) accreditation status. Readability was assessed using the Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Dale‐Chall indices. Results: Websites were classified as advertisement/commercial (31%), health portal (29%), professional (26%), patient group (6%), and other (9%). The overall mean DISCERN score was 44 ± 18 (maximum possible score of 80). Three websites (9%) met all four JAMA benchmark criteria. Seventeen percent of websites provided adequate information on content authorship and contributions. Median SMOG and Dale‐Chall indices were 9.9 (IQR 9.3‐11.2) and 9.0 (IQR 8.1‐9.4), respectively. Nine websites (26%) were HONcode certified. Conclusions: Popular websites on OAB are of low quality, written for a high school to college‐level readership, and often lack adequate information to assess the potential for commercial bias. Patients should be cautioned that incomplete and potentially biased information on OAB is prevalent online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The frontal recess area represents a challenge to ENT surgeons due to its narrow confines and variable anatomy. Several types of cells have been described in this area. The agger nasi cells are the most constant ones. The frontal cells, originally classified by Kuhn into 4 types, have been reported in the literature to exist in 20%-41% of frontal recesses. Aim of the Study. To identify the prevalence of frontal recess cells and their relation to frontal sinus disease. Methods. Coronal and axial CT scans of paranasal sinuses of 70 patients admitted for functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) were reviewed to identify the agger nasi, frontal cells, and frontal sinus disease. Data was collated for right and left sides separately. Results. Of the 140 sides reviewed, 126 (90%) had agger nasi and 110 (78.571%) had frontal cells. 37 frontal sinuses were free of mucosal disease, 48 were partly opacified, and 50 were totally opacified. There was no significant difference found in frontal sinus mucosal disease in presence or absence of frontal cells or agger nasi. Conclusions. The current study shows that frontal cells might be underreported in the literature, as the prevalence identified is noticeably higher than previous studies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 41-year-old female patient was admitted with streptococcal meningitis on a background of 5-month history of CSF rhinorrhoea. Imaging revealed an extensive skull base lesion involving the sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses, the pituitary fossa with suprasellar extension and bony destruction.Histological examination of an endonasal transethmoidal biopsy suggested a diagnosis of olfactory neuroblastoma. A profuse CSF leak occurred and the patient developed coliform meningitis. A second endonasal endoscopic biopsy was undertaken which demonstrated the tumour to be a prolactinoma. Following endonasal repair of the CSF leak and lumbar drainage, she developed profound pneumocephalus. The patient underwent three further unsuccessful CSF leak repairs. Definitive control of the CSF leak was finally achieved through a transcranial approach with prolonged lumbar drainage. This case illustrates some of the potentially devastating complications which can occur as a consequence of complex skull base lesions. A multidisciplinary approach may be required to successfully manage such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Intestinal-type adenocarcinoma of the sinonasal tract is very rare and is responsible for less than 4% of tumours of the sinuses. Craniofacial resection has been the mainstay of treatment for many years; however, techniques for endoscopic resection are constantly being developed. Discussion. The use of transnasal endoscopic resection (TER) and topical chemotherapy applications as an alternative to cranio-facial resection (CFR) is discussed. TER offers advantages over CFR in terms of fewer intraoperative complications and an improved cosmetic outcome. Survival and metastatic rates are similar between both procedures. Patients with locally invasive tumours are better managed with CFR. Topical applications of 5-Fluorouracil has been shown to be effective in increasing survival in patients with sino-nasal malignancy. Conclusion. Trans-nasal endoscopic resection and topical 5-Fluorouracil could potentially offer an acceptable alternative treatment to the standard of cranio-facial resection. This should be investigated in trials with a longer followup period than this paper in order to directly compare the two treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Unplanned hospital re‐admissions are a significant source of morbidity and mortality and are a major fiscal burden to the National Health Service. The cost of re‐admissions to ENT services has not previously been described. We present an audit, evaluating the cost per patient for ENT re‐admissions in our department. Method: A prospective audit of all ENT patients who were re‐admitted within 28 days of initial discharge over a 3‐month period was observed. Cost was calculated using the Department of Health reference books. Results: n = 24 (17 emergencies, 7 elective) Emergencies: 53% otitis externa (7/17) and tonsillitis (2/17); all returned due to pain. Elective: 86% posttonsillectomy, including hemorrhage (3/7) and pain (3/7). Cost: Total: £25'237.50 (£1051.56 per patient) Otitis externa: £8983.61 (£1122.95 per patient) Post‐tonsillectomy bleed/pain: £4670.21 (£778.37 per patient) Otitis externa/post tonsillar combo: £9761 (39% of total cost). Conclusion: Unplanned re‐admissions to ENT cost £25,237.50 over three months. Nearly 40% of this was due to otitis externa, tonsillitis, or as a postoperative complication of tonsillectomy due to suboptimal analgesia. We would recommend greater awareness of departmental caseloads as a means to develop targeted strategies in reducing re‐admissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]