49,865 research outputs found
Noise Corruption of Empirical Mode Decomposition and Its Effect on Instantaneous Frequency
Huang's Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) is an algorithm for analyzing
nonstationary data that provides a localized time-frequency representation by
decomposing the data into adaptively defined modes. EMD can be used to estimate
a signal's instantaneous frequency (IF) but suffers from poor performance in
the presence of noise. To produce a meaningful IF, each mode of the
decomposition must be nearly monochromatic, a condition that is not guaranteed
by the algorithm and fails to be met when the signal is corrupted by noise. In
this work, the extraction of modes containing both signal and noise is
identified as the cause of poor IF estimation. The specific mechanism by which
such "transition" modes are extracted is detailed and builds on the observation
of Flandrin and Goncalves that EMD acts in a filter bank manner when analyzing
pure noise. The mechanism is shown to be dependent on spectral leak between
modes and the phase of the underlying signal. These ideas are developed through
the use of simple signals and are tested on a synthetic seismic waveform.Comment: 28 pages, 19 figures. High quality color figures available on Daniel
Kaslovsky's website: http://amath.colorado.edu/student/kaslovsk
Non-Asymptotic Analysis of Tangent Space Perturbation
Constructing an efficient parameterization of a large, noisy data set of
points lying close to a smooth manifold in high dimension remains a fundamental
problem. One approach consists in recovering a local parameterization using the
local tangent plane. Principal component analysis (PCA) is often the tool of
choice, as it returns an optimal basis in the case of noise-free samples from a
linear subspace. To process noisy data samples from a nonlinear manifold, PCA
must be applied locally, at a scale small enough such that the manifold is
approximately linear, but at a scale large enough such that structure may be
discerned from noise. Using eigenspace perturbation theory and non-asymptotic
random matrix theory, we study the stability of the subspace estimated by PCA
as a function of scale, and bound (with high probability) the angle it forms
with the true tangent space. By adaptively selecting the scale that minimizes
this bound, our analysis reveals an appropriate scale for local tangent plane
recovery. We also introduce a geometric uncertainty principle quantifying the
limits of noise-curvature perturbation for stable recovery. With the purpose of
providing perturbation bounds that can be used in practice, we propose plug-in
estimates that make it possible to directly apply the theoretical results to
real data sets.Comment: 53 pages. Revised manuscript with new content addressing application
of results to real data set
The Solar Wind Energy Flux
The solar-wind energy flux measured near the ecliptic is known to be
independent of the solar-wind speed. Using plasma data from Helios, Ulysses,
and Wind covering a large range of latitudes and time, we show that the
solar-wind energy flux is independent of the solar-wind speed and latitude
within 10%, and that this quantity varies weakly over the solar cycle. In other
words the energy flux appears as a global solar constant. We also show that the
very high speed solar-wind (VSW > 700 km/s) has the same mean energy flux as
the slower wind (VSW < 700 km/s), but with a different histogram. We use this
result to deduce a relation between the solar-wind speed and density, which
formalizes the anti-correlation between these quantities.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Classical and Quantum Ensembles via Multiresolution. I. BBGKY Hierarchy
A fast and efficient numerical-analytical approach is proposed for modeling
complex behaviour in the BBGKY hierarchy of kinetic equations. We construct the
multiscale representation for hierarchy of reduced distribution functions in
the variational approach and multiresolution decomposition in polynomial tensor
algebras of high-localized states. Numerical modeling shows the creation of
various internal structures from localized modes, which are related to
localized or chaotic type of behaviour and the corresponding patterns
(waveletons) formation. The localized pattern is a model for energy confinement
state (fusion) in plasma.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, espcrc2.sty, Presented at IX International
Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research,
Section III "Simulations and Computations in Theoretical Physics and
Phenomenology", ACAT 2003, December, 2003, KEK, Tsukub
The cost effectiveness of integrated care for people living with HIV including antiretroviral treatment in a primary health care centre in Bujumbura, Burundi
The incremental cost effectiveness of an integrated care package (i.e., medical care including antiretroviral therapy (ART) and other services such as psychological and social support) for people living with HIV/AIDS was calculated in a not-for-profit primary health care centre in Bujumbura run by Society of Women against AIDS-Burundi (SWAA-Burundi), an African non-governmental organisation (NGO). Results are expressed as cost-effectiveness ratio 2007, constant US per DALY averted. The package of care provided by SWAA-Burundi is therefore a very cost-effective intervention in comparison with other interventions against HIV/AIDS that include ART. It is however, less cost effective than other types of interventions against HIV/AIDS, such as preventive activities
A multi-data source surveillance system to detect a bioterrorism attack during the G8 summit in Scotland
In 18 weeks, Health Protection Scotland (HPS) deployed a syndromic surveillance system to early-detect natural or intentional disease outbreaks during the G8 Summit 2005 at Gleneagles, Scotland. The system integrated clinical and non-clinical datasets. Clinical datasets included Accident and Emergency (A and E) syndromes, and General Practice (GPs) codes grouped into syndromes. Non-clinical data included telephone calls to a nurse helpline, laboratory test orders, and hotel staff absenteeism. A cumulative sum-based detection algorithm and a log-linear regression model identified signals in the data. The system had a fax-based track for real-time identification of unusual presentations. Ninety-five signals were triggered by the detection algorithms and four forms were faxed to HPS. Thirteen signals were investigated. The system successfully complemented a traditional surveillance system in identifying a small cluster of gastroenteritis among the police force and triggered interventions to prevent further cases
Nanodust detection near 1 AU from spectral analysis of Cassini/RPWS radio data
Nanodust grains of a few nanometer in size are produced near the Sun by
collisional break-up of larger grains and picked-up by the magnetized solar
wind. They have so far been detected at 1 AU by only the two STEREO spacecraft.
Here we analyze the spectra measured by the radio and plasma wave instrument
onboard Cassini during the cruise phase close to Earth orbit; they exhibit
bursty signatures similar to those observed by the same instrument in
association to nanodust stream impacts on Cassini near Jupiter. The observed
wave level and spectral shape reveal impacts of nanoparticles at about 300
km/s, with an average flux compatible with that observed by the radio and
plasma wave instrument onboard STEREO and with the interplanetary flux models
The Economic Rationale for Agricultural Regeneration and Rural Infrastructure Investment in South Africa
This paper informs government policy insofar as it relates to the agricultural and rural development sectors and infrastructure investment within these sectors. The paper first quantifies the role of agriculture in the South African economy. This is done within the context of, inter alia, food security, agriculture’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), economic linkages and multipliers with respect to the agricultural sector, as well as agriculture’s employment creation and external stabilisation capacity. Investment in the agricultural and rural sectors are then analysed with a view of supporting the argument that agriculture’s role in the economy is sufficiently important to warrant regenerative strategies, including renewed emphasis on agricultural and rural infrastructure investment by South African policy makers. The quantification of the agricultural sector in relation to the total economy and that of agricultural and rural infrastructure investment are investigated against the backdrop of declining government support, increasing production risks due to a variety of exogenous events like climate change, and increasing dynamic trade impacts. In this paper, the authors offer both supporting arguments in terms of current economic policy and recommendations for more decisive policy measures aimed at agricultural regeneration and rural infrastructure investment.
Dietary elimination of children with food protein induced gastrointestinal allergy – micronutrient adequacy with and without a hypoallergenic formula?
Background:
The cornerstone for management of Food protein-induced gastrointestinal allergy (FPGIA) is dietary exclusion; however the micronutrient intake of this population has been poorly studied. We set out to determine the dietary intake of children on an elimination diet for this food allergy and hypothesised that the type of elimination diet and the presence of a hypoallergenic formula (HF) significantly impacts on micronutrient intake.
Method:
A prospective observational study was conducted on children diagnosed with FPIGA on an exclusion diet who completed a 3 day semi-quantitative food diary 4 weeks after commencing the diet. Nutritional intake where HF was used was compared to those without HF, with or without a vitamin and mineral supplement (VMS).
Results:
One-hundred-and-five food diaries were included in the data analysis: 70 boys (66.7%) with median age of 21.8 months [IQR: 10 - 67.7]. Fifty-three children (50.5%) consumed a HF and the volume of consumption was correlated to micronutrient intake. Significantly (p <0.05) more children reached their micronutrient requirements if a HF was consumed. In those without a HF, some continued not to achieve requirements in particular for vitamin D and zinc, in spite of VMS.
Conclusion:
This study points towards the important micronutrient contribution of a HF in children with FPIGA. Children, who are not on a HF and without a VMS, are at increased risk of low intakes in particular vitamin D and zinc. Further studies need to be performed, to assess whether dietary intake translates into actual biological deficiencies
Coarse-Grained Modeling of Genetic Circuits as a Function of the Inherent Time Scales
From a coarse-grained perspective the motif of a self-activating species,
activating a second species which acts as its own repressor, is widely found in
biological systems, in particular in genetic systems with inherent oscillatory
behavior. Here we consider a specific realization of this motif as a genetic
circuit, in which genes are described as directly producing proteins, leaving
out the intermediate step of mRNA production. We focus on the effect that
inherent time scales on the underlying fine-grained scale can have on the
bifurcation patterns on a coarser scale in time. Time scales are set by the
binding and unbinding rates of the transcription factors to the promoter
regions of the genes. Depending on the ratio of these rates to the decay times
of the proteins, the appropriate averaging procedure for obtaining a
coarse-grained description changes and leads to sets of deterministic
equations, which differ in their bifurcation structure. In particular the
desired intermediate range of regular limit cycles fades away when the binding
rates of genes are of the same order or less than the decay time of at least
one of the proteins. Our analysis illustrates that the common topology of the
widely found motif alone does not necessarily imply universal features in the
dynamics.Comment: 29 pages, 16 figure
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