Partial Enumerative Sphere Shaping

The dependency between the Gaussianity of the input distribution for the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel and the gap-to-capacity is discussed. We show that a set of particular approximations to the Maxwell-Boltzmann (MB) distribution virtually closes most of the shaping gap. We relate these symbol-level distributions to bit-level distributions, and demonstrate that they correspond to keeping some of the amplitude bit-levels uniform and independent of the others. Then we propose partial enumerative sphere shaping (P-ESS) to realize such distributions in the probabilistic amplitude shaping (PAS) framework. Simulations over the AWGN channel exhibit that shaping 2 amplitude bits of 16-ASK have almost the same performance as shaping 3 bits, which is 1.3 dB more power-efficient than uniform signaling at a rate of 3 bit/symbol. In this way, required storage and computational complexity of shaping are reduced by factors of 6 and 3, respectively.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Individual and organisational determinants of use of ergonomic devices in healthcare

(CS/IPC): 0.4%/2.7%, day 4 (2.1%/6.1%), day 7 (2.5%/7.9%), day 14 (4.7%/7.3%), and day 90 (1.0%/3.3%) from baseline (preoperative situation). On days 1, 4, and 7 there was a significant difference in leg circumference between the two treatment groups. Conclusions: Edema following femoropopliteal bypass surgery occurs in all patients. For the prevention and treatment of that edema the use of a class I CS proved superior to treatment with IPC. The use of CS remains the recommended practice following femoropopliteal bypass surgery

Interactions of Natural Flavones with Iron Are Affected by 7-O-Glycosylation, but Not by Additional 6″-<i>O</i>-Acylation

In iron-fortified bouillon, reactivity of the iron ion with (acylated) flavone glycosides from herbs can affect product color and bioavailability of iron. This study investigates the influence of 7-O-glycosylation and additional 6″-O-acetylation or 6″-O-malonylation of flavones on their interaction with iron. Nine (6″-O-acylated) flavone 7-O-apiosylglucosides were purified from celery (Apium graveolens), and their structures were elucidated by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In the presence of iron, a bathochromic shift and darker color were observed for the 7-O-apiosylglucosides compared to the aglycon of flavones that only possess the 4-5 site. Thus, the ability of iron to coordinate to the flavone 4-5 site is increased by 7-O-glycosylation. For flavones with an additional 3′-4′ site, less discoloration was observed for the 7-O-apiosylglucoside compared to the aglycon. Additional 6″-O-acylation did not affect the color. These findings indicate that model systems used to study discoloration in iron-fortified foods should also comprise (acylated) glycosides of flavonoids.</p

Processes and coastal dynamics in the Ensenada de Marbella: recent morphosedimentary evolution

La Ensenada de Marbella ha experimentado en las últimas décadas cambios físicos y socio-económicos sustanciales debidos fundamentalmente a una transformación en el modelo económico y un desarrollo acusado del turismo residencial y todos los impactos en los usos del suelo relacionado con ello. Sin embargo, las causas de la alteración de la dinámica litoral también hay que buscarlas en cambios en la morfología del nearshore y en la dinámica sedimentaria. Para analizar la morfodinámica de la ensenada en varios escenarios temporales, simulaciones de oleaje sobre batimetrías del 1888 y actuales revelan cambios importantes en los patrones dispersión de la energía y el funcionamiento de la bahía a través de complejas células litorales de transporte. El análisis de los procesos dinámicos en la zona del nearshore y el estudio volumétrico a través de modelos de batimetrías secuenciales muestran como dichos cambios morfológicos de los fondos costeros pueden o no estar relacionados con cambios a largo plazo en la línea de costa, y por tanto ser co-responsables de los procesos de erosión y acreción acelerados evidentes a lo largo de la Ensenada

Longitudinal Association Between Physical Activity and Frailty Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

OBJECTIVES: To examine the longitudinal association between frequency of moderate physical activity (PA) and overall, physical, psychological, and social frailty among community-dwelling older adults older than 70 years. Second, we assessed the association between a 12-month change in frequency of moderate PA and frailty. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Community settings in Spain, Greece, Croatia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1735 participants (61.1% female; mean age = 79.6 years; SD = 5.5 years). MEASUREMENTS: The frequency of self-reported moderate PA was measured and classified into two categories: “regular frequency” and “low frequency.” The 12-month change in frequency of moderate PA between baseline and follow-up was classified into four categories: “continued regular frequency,” “decreased frequency,” “continued low frequency,” and “increased frequency.” The 15-item Tilburg Frailty Indicato

Patients Enrolled in Large Randomized Clinical Trials of Antiplatelet Treatment for Prevention After Transient Ischemic Attack or Ischemic Stroke Are Not Representative of Patients in Clinical Practice: the Netherlands Stroke Survey

Background and Purpose—Many randomized clinical trials have evaluated the benefit of long-term use of antiplatelet drugs in reducing the risk of new vascular events in patients with a recent transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. Evidence from these trials forms the basis for national and international guidelines for the management of nearly all such patients in clinical practice. However, abundant and strict enrollment criteria may limit the validity and the applicability of results of randomized clinical trials to clinical practice. We estimated the eligibility for participation in landmark trials of antiplatelet drugs of an unselected group of patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack from a national stroke survey. Methods—Nine hundred seventy-two patients with transient ischemic at