Application of Time-Frequency Representation to Non-Stationary Radar Cross Section

Radar Cross Section (RCS) imaging of a non-wide sense stationary signal poses significant problems in identifying scattering centers in the post processed radar- generated image. A non-wide sense stationary RCS is typically encountered when moving parts on the target impress a phase shift into the backscatter signal that is uncorrelated to the previous return pulse. When the Fourier transform of the phase shifted complex signal is taken, range and cross range information on scattering centers are misplaced. Time Frequency Representations (TFR) must be used to help locate these scattering centers so they can be properly treated to reduce the target’s RCS and increase its survivability. This thesis analyzes and compares various TFRs on non-wide sense stationary signals in hope of providing test centers with better methods for locating scattering centers under time variant conditions

Women\u27s Groups as Altenative Human Service Agencies

The radical movements of the 60\u27s were punctuated by the revival of feminism. As the movements demanded that disenfranchised citizens be allowed to actively participate in societal decisionmaking, women became cognizant of the fact that even within the movements they continued to be relegated to second class status. This realization served as a catalyst for the reemergence of the women\u27s movement within American society. Feminist ideas spread rapidly among the social movements. Women neld political meetings to discuss social inequities and their impact upon womannood. From these meetings consciousness-raising groups evolved as a forum to raise non-movement women\u27s consciousness of their oppression through social support and the sharing of experiences. Tne members of consciousness-raising groups founded more feminist groups and by the end of 1969 the women\u27s movement had become nationally known. Feminist organizations and groups have often affiliated into coalitions to strengthen and unify the smaller groups and to provide a broader base for social action. As the issues have become more delineated, the coalitions have supported the growth of alternative services for women. In the 70\u27s numerous organizations have been founded to serve previously neglected women in such areas as abortion, health care, woman battering, rape and alcoholism. These organizations are alternatives to the conventional human services which have been ineffective in understanding and solving women\u27s problems. The purpose of this paper is to identify salient dimensions which differentiate women\u27s alternative organizations and conventional human services; to identify and discuss select problems of feminist service groups; and to present strategies that enhance the survival potential of women\u27s services

Addendum C: Recommendations of the \u3ci\u3eAd Hoc\u3c/i\u3e Emeriti Study Group

Recommendations: 1) It is NOT recommended that the Association establish separate criteria from the UNL administrative process nor is it recommended that the Association evaluate faculty for emeriti status. 2) Embrace the document “Emeritus Status for Retired Faculty Academic/Administrative Employees” (attached) which summarizes and details the current policies of UNL and the Board of Regents specifying the conditions for eligibility (age and length of service) as well as privileges and benefits to those awarded emeriti status. 3) A letter be sent by the President of the Emeritus Association congratulating the retiree on their achievement of emeriti status, informing her/him of the association and detailing the benefits that come from emeriti status and membership in the Association. 4) Additional research be undertaken by the Benefits Committee to articulate clearly the benefits that accrue to Emeriti and debunk any existing misconceptions. 5) The President of the Emeritus Association correspond annually to Department and Division chairs/heads information on the Association (brochure) and include for distribution to those newly appointed to Emeritus status the document “Emeritus Status for Retired Faculty Academic/Administrative Employees”. 6) Identify UNL emeriti from a “single” source reflecting the names of those who have been administratively processed and awarded the status of emeritus by the University

Minocycline 200 mg or 400 mg versus placebo for mild Alzheimer's disease: the MADE Phase II, three-arm RCT

Background: Minocycline is an anti-inflammatory drug and protects against the toxic effects of β-amyloid in vitro and in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease. To the best of our knowledge, no randomised placebo-controlled clinical trials in patients with Alzheimer’s disease looking at the efficacy and tolerability of minocycline have been carried out. Objectives: The trial investigated whether or not minocycline was superior to placebo in slowing down the rate of decline in cognitive and functional ability over 2 years. The safety and tolerability of minocycline were also assessed. Design: A Phase II, three-arm, randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial with a semifactorial design. Participants continued on trial treatment for up to 24 months. Setting: Patients were identified from memory services, both within the 32 participating NHS trusts and within the network of memory services supported by the Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (also known as DeNDRoN). Participants: Patients with standardised Mini Mental State Examination scores of > 23 points and with Alzheimer’s disease assessed by the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer’s Association’s criteria were identified from memory services. Intervention: Patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease were randomly allocated 1 : 1 : 1 to receive one of three treatments: arm 1 – 400 mg per day of minocycline; arm 2 – 200 mg per day of minocycline; or arm 3 – placebo. Patients continued treatment for 24 months. Participants, investigators and outcome assessors were blind to treatment allocation. Main outcome measures: Primary outcome measures were decline in standardised Mini Mental State Examination and Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale scores of combined minocycline treatment arms versus placebo, as analysed by intention-to-treat repeated measures regression. Results: Between 23 May 2014 and 14 April 2016, 554 participants were randomised. Of the 544 eligible participants, the mean age was 74.3 years and the average standardised Mini Mental State Examination score was 26.4 points. A total of 252 serious adverse events were reported, with the most common categories being neuropsychiatric and cardiocirculatory. Significantly fewer participants completed treatment with 400 mg of minocycline [29% (53/184)] than 200 mg [62% (112/181)] or placebo [64% (114/179)] (p < 0.0001), mainly because of gastrointestinal symptoms (p = 0.0008), dermatological side effects (p = 0.02) and dizziness (p = 0.01). Assessment rates were also lower in the 400-mg treatment arm: 68% (119 of 174 expected) for standardised Mini Mental State Examination scores at 24 months, compared with 82% (144/176) for the 200-mg treatment arm and 84% (140/167) for the placebo arm. Decline in standardised Mini Mental State Examination scores over the 24-month study period in the combined minocycline arms was similar to that in the placebo arm (4.1- vs. 4.3-point reduction; p = 0.9), as was the decline in the 400- and 200-mg treatment arms (3.3 vs. 4.7 points; p = 0.08). Likewise, worsening of Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale scores over 24 months was similar in all trial arms (5.7, 6.6 and 6.2 points in the 400-mg treatment arm, 200-mg treatment arm and placebo arm, respectively; a p-value of 0.57 for minocycline vs. placebo and a p-value of 0.77 for 400 vs. 200 mg of minocycline). Results were similar in different patient subgroups and in sensitivity analyses adjusting for missing data. Limitations: Potential limitations of the study include that biomarkers were not used to confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, as these and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping are not routinely available within the NHS. Compliance was also worse than expected and differential follow-up rates were observed, with fewer assessments obtained for the 400-mg treatment arm than for the 200-mg treatment and placebo arms. Conclusions: Minocycline does not delay the progress of cognitive or functional impairment in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease over a 2-year period. Minocycline at a dose of 400 mg is poorly tolerated in this population. Future work: The Minocycline in mild Alzheimer’s DiseasE (MADE) study provides a framework for a streamlined trial design that can be usefully applied to test other disease-modifying therapies

Perceived social norms of health behaviours and college engagement in British students.

The social norms approach is an increasingly widely used strategy of behaviour and attitude change that is based on challenging misperceptions individuals hold about their peers. Research to date has been carried out predominately in the US college system, with a focus on substance use behaviours. The aim of the current study was to explore peer perceptions of both substance use and other behaviours in a British student sample, as the first step in determining whether the social norms approach may be applicable within Europe. Students at eight further education colleges in the UK were surveyed on their personal and perceived peer health and college engagement behaviours and attitudes by means of a printed and online survey. Respondents reported a perceived norm of frequency of substance use that was higher than the reported norm. Results relating to the injunctive norms of substance use were mixed but demonstrated that the majority of respondents do not actively approve of tobacco, cannabis or other drug use. Respondents also reported a norm of academic engagement that was more positive than the perceived norm of their peers. The results relating to substance use are consistent with work conducted in the US college system, despite the differences in culture and legislation. In addition, the results indicate that there may be similar misperceptions around other areas of health and college engagement. This suggests that the social norms approach may be a viable method of behaviour change in UK students

A systematic review of biomarkers for disease progression in Parkinson's disease

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Aging of Paper Insulation in Natural Ester Dielectric Fluid

Abstract: Aging of transformer insulation paper in natural ester (vegetable oil) dielectric fluid is compared to that in conventional transformer oil. Sealed steel aging vessels containing copper, aluminum, thermally upgraded paper, and dielectric fluid (mineral oil and natural ester) were aged at 130, 150, and 170°C for 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 hours. Paper degradation after aging is determined using paper tensile strength and degree of polymerization measurements. The paper in natural ester aged at slower rates than did paper in conventional transformer oil, taking 5-8 times longer to reach end-of-life. Results obtained for mineral oil samples are similar to predictions based on IEEE transformer loading guide calculations. Mechanisms for the slower aging rate are proposed

Strengthening the Reporting of Genetic Risk Prediction Studies: The GRIPS Statement

Cecile Janssens and colleagues present the GRIPS Statement, a checklist to help strengthen the reporting of genetic risk prediction studies

Guidelines for Reporting Health Research: The EQUATOR Network's Survey of Guideline Authors

Iveta Simera and colleagues survey the authors of 37 guidelines on reporting health research

Cost-effectiveness of donepezil and memantine in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (the DOMINO-AD trial).

OBJECTIVE: Most investigations of pharmacotherapy for treating Alzheimer's disease focus on patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, with little evidence to guide clinical decisions when symptoms become severe. We examined whether continuing donepezil, or commencing memantine, is cost-effective for community-dwelling, moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease patients. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness analysis was based on a 52-week, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, factorial clinical trial. A total of 295 community-dwelling patients with moderate/severe Alzheimer's disease, already treated with donepezil, were randomised to: (i) continue donepezil; (ii) discontinue donepezil; (iii) discontinue donepezil and start memantine; or (iv) continue donepezil and start memantine. RESULTS: Continuing donepezil for 52 weeks was more cost-effective than discontinuation, considering cognition, activities of daily living and health-related quality of life. Starting memantine was more cost-effective than donepezil discontinuation. Donepezil-memantine combined is not more cost-effective than donepezil alone. CONCLUSIONS: Robust evidence is now available to inform clinical decisions and commissioning strategies so as to improve patients' lives whilst making efficient use of available resources. Clinical guidelines for treating moderate/severe Alzheimer's disease, such as those issued by NICE in England and Wales, should be revisited. © 2016 The Authors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd