Density evolution and power profile optimization for iterative multiuser decoders based on individually optimum multiuser detectors

Iterative multiuser joint decoding based on exact Belief Propagation (BP) is analyzed in the large system limit by means of the replica method. It is shown that performance can be improved by appropriate power assignment to the users. The optimum power assignment can be found by linear programming in most technically relevant cases. The performance of BP iterative multiuser joint decoding is compared to suboptimum approximations based on Interference Cancellation (IC). While IC receivers show a significant loss for equal-power users, they yield performance close to BP under optimum power assignment

A retrospective look at our evolving understanding of project success

Our views on project success have changed over the years from definitions that were limited to the implementation phase of the project life cycle to definitions that reflect an appreciation of success over the entire project and product life cycle. This paper assesses our evolving understanding of project success over the past 40 years and discusses conditions for success, critical success factors and success frameworks. The paper concludes with a holistic view of project success and its implications for practice. This is an important topic because projects are an increasingly common way of work, and the lines between project and process work are harder to discern. Increasingly, more project managers work in companies using program and portfolio management as a means to organize project-related work. The success of individual projects, therefore, impacts the wider organization in several dimensions and makes the concept of project and project management success that much more relevant. The topic is also important because it has a bearing on the future directions of project management in the strategic context

Role of “Western Diet” in Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases

Developed societies, although having successfully reduced the burden of infectious disease, constitute an environment where metabolic, cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases thrive. Living in westernized countries has not fundamentally changed the genetic basis on which these diseases emerge, but has strong impact on lifestyle and pathogen exposure. In particular, nutritional patterns collectively termed the “Western diet”, including high-fat and cholesterol, high-protein, high-sugar, and excess salt intake, as well as frequent consumption of processed and ‘fast foods’, promote obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. These factors have also gained high interest as possible promoters of autoimmune diseases. Underlying metabolic and immunologic mechanisms are currently being intensively explored. This review discusses the current knowledge relative to the association of “Western diet” with autoimmunity, and highlights the role of T cells as central players linking dietary influences to autoimmune pathology.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant P30-ES002109

On the performance of iterative receivers for interfering MIMO-OFDM systems in measured channels

This paper investigates the gains harvested through base station cooperation in the up-link for a multi-user (MU) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system, operating in a real indoor environment. The base stations perform joint detection using an iterative receiver that carries out multi-user detection and channel estimation via soft information from the single-user decoders. Performance evaluation is carried out using real channels from an indoor dynamic dual MIMO link measurement campaign. The measured scenario represent a real life situation where two users communicate with two base stations, each with two antennas, in an environment resembling a shopping mall or an airport terminal. System performance is evaluated in terms of both Bit-Error Rate (BER) vs. Signal-to-Interference Ratio (SIR) and Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDF) for the instantaneous BER. Also, the impact of using soft information in the channel estimation is analyzed

ARE MUSCLE FORCES RELEVANT IN THE AGE RELATED RISE OF INJURIES IN ADOLESCENT SOCCER PLAYERS?

The purpose of this study was the comparison of the kinematics and kinetics in soccer inside passes between three age groups (U12, U16, U23). Using 3D movement analysis and inverse dynamics, hip joint kinematics and adductor muscle forces were calculated. SPM analysis showed significant differences in adduction angle and velocity and in muscle forces of adductor longus and gracilis. Comparison of the muscle forces shows a rapid increase in muscle forces from the youngest children to the adolescents while the difference between the adolescents and adults is only minor. It seems reasonable, that the fast development of muscle forces in adolescents compared to the slower development of the tendons is a factor in the sudden rise in injury incidence at the beginning of puberty. Therefore, adolescent players should be trained with caution to avoid early injuries

Growing clean: identifying and investing in sustainable growth opportunities across the UK

This report, the 19th report for The Economy 2030 Inquiry, provides a hard-headed assessment of the opportunities presented to UK plc by the move to net zero, and considers how best these can be unlocked. It does this by considering carefully the UK’s pre-existing relative strengths in technologies, goods and services that are relevant for net zero. It also undertakes a series of ‘deep dives’ into key areas in the UK’s decarbonisation journey to investigate the extent of UK strengths that can be built upon to accelerate domestic deployment of related technologies as well as unlock export opportunities. Finally, it assesses how the UK’s financial sector can be oriented towards delivering the investment needed for net zero, and for realising related opportunities in the UK

One-year outcomes after transcatheter insertion of an interatrial shunt device for the management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Background—Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction has a complex pathophysiology and remains a therapeutic challenge. Elevated left atrial pressure, particularly during exercise, is a key contributor to morbidity and mortality. Preliminary analyses have demonstrated that a novel interatrial septal shunt device that allows shunting to reduce the left atrial pressure provides clinical and hemodynamic benefit at 6 months. Given the chronicity of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, evidence of longer-term benefit is required. Methods and Results—Patients (n=64) with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥40%, New York Heart Association class II–IV, elevated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (≥15 mm Hg at rest or ≥25 mm Hg during supine bicycle exercise) participated in the open-label study of the interatrial septal shunt device. One year after interatrial septal shunt device implantation, there were sustained improvements in New York Heart Association class (P<0.001), quality of life (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure score, P<0.001), and 6-minute walk distance (P<0.01). Echocardiography showed a small, stable reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (P<0.001), with a concomitant small stable increase in the right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (P<0.001). Invasive hemodynamic studies performed in a subset of patients demonstrated a sustained reduction in the workload corrected exercise pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (P<0.01). Survival at 1 year was 95%, and there was no evidence of device-related complications. Conclusions—These results provide evidence of safety and sustained clinical benefit in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction patients 1 year after interatrial septal shunt device implantation. Randomized, blinded studies are underway to confirm these observations

Genotyping of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the United Arab Emirates

Reports from Arabian Gulf countries have demonstrated emergence of novel methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. To address the lack of data from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), genetic characterisation of MRSA identified between December 2017 and August 2019 was conducted using DNA microarray-based assays. The 625 MRSA isolates studied were grouped into 23 clonal complexes (CCs) and assigned to 103 strains. CC5, CC6, CC22 and CC30 represented 54.2% (n/N = 339/625) of isolates with other common CCs being CC1, CC8, CC772, CC361, CC80, CC88. Emergence of CC398 MRSA, CC5-MRSA-IV Sri Lanka Clone and ST5/ST225-MRSA-II, Rhine-Hesse EMRSA/New York-Japan Clone in our setting was detected. Variants of pandemic CC8-MRSA-[IVa + ACME I] (PVL+) USA300 were detected and majority of CC772 strains were CC772-MRSA-V (PVL+), “Bengal- Bay Clone”. Novel MRSA strains identified include CC5-MRSA-V (edinA+), CC5-MRSA-[VT + fusC], CC5-MRSA-IVa (tst1+), CC5-MRSA-[V/VT + cas + fusC + ccrA/B-1], CC8-MRSA-V/VT, CC22-MRSA-[IV + fusC + ccrAA/(C)], CC45-MRSA-[IV + fusC + tir], CC80-MRSA-IVa, CC121-MRSA-V/VT, CC152-MRSA-[V + fusC] (PVL+). Although several strains harboured SCC-borne fusidic acid resistance (fusC) (n = 181), erythromycin/clindamycin resistance (ermC) (n = 132) and gentamicin resistance (aacA-aphD) (n = 179) genes, none harboured vancomycin resistance genes while mupirocin resistance gene mupR (n = 2) and cfr gene (n = 1) were rare. An extensive MRSA repertoire including CCs previously unreported in the region and novel strains which probably arose locally suggest an evolving MRSA landscape