Many techniques have been proposed to design microstrip patch antennas with multiband characteristics. In the proposed antenna design, a combination of dual U-slot and multiple layers is used to get multiple bands and wide bandwidth. A multiband triple-layer probe fed double U-slot microstrip patch antenna for next generation wireless applications is proposed in this paper. Parametric studies of antenna structure with double U-slot, variation of feed position, and also with multiple layers are presented. The proposed antenna is fabricated and tested. The simulation and experimental results are presented. The proposed antenna provides triple bands at 1.6 GHz, 1.9 GHz and 3.8 GHz and a bandwidth of 600 MHz for a substrate thickness of 1.6 mm and 1.8 GHz, 2.2 GHz and 4.8 GHz and a bandwidth of 800 MHz for a substrate of 0.6 mm thickness.

Aeromonas caviae strains have been isolated from blood and stool cultures of three immunocompetent patients, residents of Northern India, who presented with community acquired septicemia without any recent history of diarrhea. Cell culture infectivity test performed on Hep-2 cells have shown substantial degree of invasiveness in the isolated strains. This case unleashes a possibility of asymptomatic gastrointestinal carriage of such strains of A. caviae in a very large population of India, as several areas of India have very high rates of Aeromonas induced acute diarrhea/gastroenteritis (up to 13%). It needs to be appraised further in India as well as other countries having high rates of Aeromonas induced acute diarrhea/gastroenteritis.

Two new species of marine biraphid diatoms of the genus Climaconeis, C. silvae, collected from several localities in Puerto Rico (Caribbean Sea), and C. riddleae, from two localities in Florida Bay, USA, are described by light and scanning electron microscopy. Climaconeis silvae is characterized by long arcuate cells (132-298 µm long and 5-10 µm wide) with extremely fine striae (28-35 in 10 µm), transapically elongated poroid areolae, biarcuate eccentric raphe, both polar and central raphe endings externally deflected toward the ventral side, 8-20 H-shaped plastids, and absence of central stauros and associated pores. Climaconeis riddleae is characterized by arcuate, asymmetrical cells, 4 plastids, valves measuring 82-182 µm long and 4-6 µm wide, transapical striae 24-27 in 10 µm, each stria composed of single row of squarish poroid areolae, and an almost central raphe. Climaconeis silvae and C. riddleae closely resemble only three other arcuate species, C. inflexa, C. ghurbensis and C. koenigii, in valve shape and in structure and arrangement of the striae but differ from them in stria density, number of plastids, valve dimensions, and some fine structural detail. They are compared with other members of the genus, including the generitype, C. lorenzii. A revised synoptic key to the 13 known species of Climaconeis is presented.

Se describen dos nuevas especies para la ciencia de diatomeas birafidas, ambas del género Climaconeis; C. silvae, recolectada en varias localidades de Puerto Rico (Mar Caribe) y C. riddleae, proveniente de dos localidades de la bahía de Florida, USA. Las descripciones se basan en microscopía de luz y electrónica. Climaconeis silvae está caracterizada por células largas y arqueadas (132-298 µm longitud y 5-10 µm anchura) con estrías extremadamente finas (28-35 en 10 µm), areolas poroides elongadas transapicalmente, rafe eccéntrico biarqueado, los extremos polar y central del rafe curvados hacia el lado ventral, de 8 a 20 plastos en forma de H. Ausencia de estauro central y de poros asociados. Climaconeis riddleae se caracteriza por células asimétricas y curvadas con 4 plastos, valvas de 82-182 µm de longitud y 4-6 µm de ancho, estrías transapicales, 24-27 en 10 µm, cada estría compuesta por una sola hilera de aereolas cuadradas y poradas, rafe casi central. Climaconeis silvae y C. riddleae se parecen solamente a otras tres especies arquedas, C. inflexa, C. ghurbensis y C. koenigii, en la forma de la valva y en la estructura y arreglo de las estrías pero difieren en la densidad de estrías, número de plastos, dimensiones de la valva y en algunos detalles estructurales finos. Estas especies son comparadas con otros miembros del género, incluyendo al tipo genérico, C. lorenzii. Se anexó una clave sinóptica para las 13 especies conocidas de Climaconeis.