Global prevalence of urinary tract infection in pregnant mothers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a prevalent infection during pregnancy that can lead to complications for both the mother and the foetus. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the global prevalence of UTIs (both symptomatic and asymptomatic) during pregnancy, based on previous studies in this area. Furthermore, this study aims to identify any factors that contribute to heterogeneity in the prevalence of UTIs during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines on August 8, 2022. To conduct the systematic review and meta-analysis, a search was performed using the keywords "urinary tract system", "UTI", "pregnancy", and "gestation" was performed in several databases, including Web of Science (WoS), PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Google Scholar, without a time limit until September 18, 2022. The analysis was performed using a random-effects model, and the heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using the I2 index. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (Version 2) was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 studies, which included a total of 30,641 pregnant women, showed an overall prevalence of UTI (both symptomatic and asymptomatic) to be 23.9% (95% confidence interval: 16.2-33.8). Meta-regression analysis was conducted to examine the impact of two factors, namely study sample size and study year, on the heterogeneity of the meta-analysis. The results revealed that an increase in sample size, and the study year was associated with a decrease in the prevalence of UTI in pregnant women (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate a global prevalence of UTI in pregnant women to be 23.9%. Therefore, it is recommended that all pregnant women undergo regular UTI screening tests and receive prompt treatment if diagnosed with UTI. Early detection and treatment of UTI during pregnancy are crucial to prevent complications that may affect the health of both the mother and the foetus.

Wireless communication link for capsule endoscope at 600 MHz.

Simulation of a wireless communication link for a capsule endoscopy is presented for monitoring of small intestine in humans. The realized communication link includes the transmitting capsule antenna, the outside body receiving antenna and the model of the human body. The capsule antenna is designed for operating at the frequency band of 600 MHz with an impedance bandwidth of 10 MHz and omnidirectional radiation pattern. The quality of the communication link is improved by using directive antenna outside body inside matching layer for electromagnetic wave tuning to the body. The outside body antenna has circular polarization that guaranteeing the communication link for different orientations of the capsule inside intestine. It is shown that the path loss for the capsule in 60 mm from the abdomen surface varies between 37-47 dB in relation to the antenna orientation. This link can establish high data rate wireless communications for capsule endoscopy.

An improved ultra wideband channel model including the frequency-dependent attenuation for in-body communications.

Ultra wideband (UWB) technology has big potential for applications in wireless body area networks (WBANs). The inherent characteristics of UWB signals make them suitable for the wireless interface of medical sensors. In particular, implanted medical wireless sensors for monitoring physiological parameters, automatic drug provision, etc. can benefit greatly from this ultra low power (ULP) interface. As with any other wireless technology, accurate knowledge of the channel is necessary for the proper design of communication systems. Only a few models that describe the radio propagation inside the human body have been published. Moreover, there is no comprehensive UWB in-body propagation model that includes the frequency-dependent attenuation. Hence, this paper extends a statistical model for UWB propagation channels inside the human chest in the 1-6 GHz frequency range by including the frequency-dependent attenuation. This is done by modeling the spectrum shape of distorted pulses at different depths inside the human chest. The distortion of the pulse was obtained through numerical simulations using a voxel representation of the human body. We propose a mathematical expression for the spectrum shape of the distorted pulses that act as a window function to reproduce the effects of frequency-dependent attenuation.