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Abstract-In this paper, we present a RF directional modulation technique using a switched antenna array for physical layer secure communication. The main idea is that a switching scheme of the switched antenna array is designed according to a spreading sequence for the purpose of spreading spectrum of the transmit signal. The transmit signal is associated with the spreading sequence and the direction of the desired receiver because of information data modulated both in the baseband and the antenna level. In this way, the desired receiver with a single antenna can demodulate the receive signal as traditional spread-spectrum signal, while eavesdroppers can not extract any useful information from the receive signal even if eavesdroppers know the spreading sequence of the RF directional modulation signal.Simulation results show that the proposed technique offers a more secure transmission method for wireless communication comparison with traditional spread-spectrum signal.

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This study introduces a novel method to reduce the radar cross section (RCS) of wideband antennas. A novel wideband radar absorbing material (RAM) with frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) is proposed. The wideband RAM is used as the ground plane of a Yagi-Uda and a Vivaldi antenna for in-band RCS reduction. The measurement result shows that the radiation pattern of the antennas over the whole band is preserved when wideband RAM is used. The RCS of the Yagi-Uda and Vivaldi antenna with RAM can be reduced by more than 10 dB over the operating band with this method.

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BackgroundAfter more than a decade of steadily declining notifications, the number of reported cholera cases has recently increased in Vietnam. We conducted a matched case-control study to investigate transmission of cholera during an outbreak in Ben Tre, southern Vietnam, and to explore the associated risk factors.Methodology/Principal findingsSixty of 71 diarrheal patients confirmed to be infected with cholera by culture and diagnosed between May 9 and August 3, 2010 in Ben Tre were consecutively recruited as case-patients. Case-patients were matched 1:4 to controls by commune, sex, and 5-year age group. Risk factors for cholera were examined by multivariable conditional logistic regression. In addition, environmental samples from villages containing case-patients were taken to identify contamination of food and water sources. The regression indicated that drinking iced tea (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 8.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.84–39.25), not always boiling drinking water (aOR = 2.62, 95% CI: 1.03–6.67), having the main source of water for use being close to a toilet (aOR = 4.36, 95% CI: 1.37–13.88), living with people who had acute diarrhea (aOR = 13.72, 95% CI: 2.77–67.97), and little or no education (aOR = 4.89, 95% CI: 1.18–20.19) were significantly associated with increased risk of cholera. In contrast, drinking stored rainwater (aOR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04–0.63), eating cooked seafood (aOR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10–0.73), and eating steamed vegetables (aOR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.07–0.70) were protective against cholera. Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa carrying ctxA was found in two of twenty-five river water samples and one of six wastewater samples.Conclusions/SignificanceThe magnitude of the cholera outbreak in Ben Tre was lower than in other similar settings. This investigation identified several risk factors and underscored the importance of continued responses targeting cholera prevention in southern Vietnam. The association between drinking iced tea and cholera and the spread of V. cholerae O1, altered El Tor strains warrant further research. These findings might be affected by a number of limitations due to the inability to capture asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic infections, the possible underreporting of personal unhygienic behaviors, and the purposive selection of environmental samples.

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