A Radio Frequency (RF) probe has been fully modeled, and radiation pattern and realized gain of this probe at mm-wave frequencies have been extracted. Simulation results prove that the probe radiates with a pattern like a dipole showing a realized gain of around À8 dBi at 60 GHz, which is a huge leakage from a probe. The radiation pattern and the realized gain of the probe at 60 GHz have also been measured, confirming the simulation results. V C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 21:413-420, 2011.

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A vertical multilayer transition for millimetre-wave frequencies is introduced and implemented in IMEC multi-chip module (MCM) technology. Simulation and measurement results for a back-to-back CPW-to-microstrip transition prototype show excellent agreement. Moreover, the microstrip-to-microstrip vertical via-less transition, as the core idea that is introduced, demonstrates less than 0.7 dB of loss in the band from 57 to 66 GHz, which satisfies the European as well as US standard bandwidth for 60 GHz communications systems. The low insertion loss along with the straightforward design procedure makes the proposed vertical via-less transition a valuable candidate for 60 GHz communications systems.Introduction: The millimetre-wave (MMW) frequency band has attracted much attention is recent years; not only because of the notable bandwidth available, but also the compactness capability in this band has been appealing to many researchers. To reach the demanding compactness factors in the MMW band, novel multilayer technologies have been developed for packaging and integration purposes. These technologies include multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) technology based on MMW-compatible laminates; low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) and multi-chip module (MCM) thin film technology. In this Letter, IMEC's MCM technology [1] is used to fabricate a multilayer vertical transition useful in the measurement and packaging of active and passive devices in the MMW band. The term 'vertical' comes from the fact that in any of the aforementioned multilayer technologies, to reduce the area of the final product, the signals have to be brought from one layer to the other, vertically. The vertical transitions described in the literature can be categorised into two main groups: with-via and via-less. The first category is manufactured with technologies in which metalised vias are available [2][3][4][5]. However, in the MCM technology metalised vias in high resistive silicon are expensive and difficult to achieve. Therefore, via-less transitions are attractive from a practical point of view. Although there are via-less vertical transitions available in the literature [6,7], most of them have aperture-coupled geometries. In this Letter, a transition based on a broad-side coupler structure is introduced.

IntroductionSmoking prevalence continues to be high over the world and smoking-induced diseases impose a heavy burden on the medical care system. As believed by many researchers, a promising way to promote healthcare and well-being at low cost for the large vulnerable smoking population is through eHealth solutions by providing self-help information about smoking cessation. But in the absence of first-hand knowledge about smoking habits in daily life settings, systems built on these methods often fail to deliver proactive and tailored interventions for different users and situations over time, thus resulting in low efficacy. To fill the gap, an observational study has been developed on the theme of objective and non-biased monitoring of smoking habits in a longitudinal and ambulatory mode. This paper presents the study protocol. The primary objective of the study is to reveal the contextual and physiological pattern of different smoking behaviours using wearable sensors and mobile phones. The secondary objectives are to (1) analyse cue factors and contextual situations of smoking events; (2) describe smoking types with regard to users’ characteristics and (3) compare smoking types between and within subjects.Methods and analysesThis is an observational study aimed at reaching 100 participants. Inclusion criteria are adults aged between 18 and 65 years, current smoker and office worker. The primary outcome is a collection of a diverse and inclusive data set representing the daily smoking habits of the general smoking population from similar social context. Data analysation will revolve around our primary and secondary objectives. First, linear regression and linear mixed model will be used to estimate whether a factor or pattern have consistent (p value<0.05) correlation with smoking. Furthermore, multivariate multilevel analysis will be used to examine the influence of smokers’ characteristics (sex, age, education, socioeconomic status, nicotine dependence, attitudes towards smoking, quit attempts, etc), contextual factors, and physical and emotional statuses on their smoking habits. Most recent machine learning techniques will also be explored to combine heterogeneous data for classification of smoking events and prediction of craving.Ethics and disseminationThe study was designed together by an interdisciplinary group of researchers, including psychologist, psychiatrist, engineer and user involvement coordinator. The protocol was reviewed and approved by the ethical review board of UZ Leuven on 18 April 2016, with an approval number S60078. The study will allow us to characterise the types of smokers and triggering events. These findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed articles.

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