Hardware/Software Co-design Applied to Reed-Solomon Decoding for the DMB Standard

This paper addresses the implementation of Reed- Solomon decoding for battery-powered wireless devices. The scope of this paper is constrained by the Digital Media Broadcasting (DMB). The most critical element of the Reed-Solomon algorithm is implemented on two different reconfigurable hardware architectures: an FPGA and a coarse-grained architecture: the Montium, The remaining parts are executed on an ARM processor. The results of this research show that a co-design of the ARM together with an FPGA or a Montium leads to a substantial decrease in energy consumption. The energy consumption of syndrome calculation of the Reed- Solomon decoding algorithm is estimated for an FPGA and a Montium by means of simulations. The Montium proves to be more efficient

The (non) gradual association of popularity with peer-nominated and observed behavior in a cooperative and competitive context

Contains fulltext : 218125.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Popularity among peers might be related to behavior in gradual or non-gradual ways. In this research, a popularity subgroups approach was used to examine whether some behaviors were associated with only specific levels of popularity. Moreover, observational data in popularity research is valuable yet scarce. This research therefore also examined the association between popularity and observed behavior in a cooperative and competitive setting. 182 early adolescents (58.2% girls, Mage = 10.7 years) completed peer nominations and were observed during a cooperative and a competitive task in groups of four. Results show that affective ties increased gradually with increasing popularity, but that relational aggression, bullying and attention-attracting qualities distinguished popular adolescents from other early adolescents, and victimization distinguished unpopular adolescents from the other early adolescents. Observations showed that high popularity was defined by high levels of negative behavior, prosocial resource control, skillful leadership and influence, with the effect of popularity on influence being stronger in the cooperative than the competitive setting. Using multiple methods, and taking context into account, a more complete behavioral profile of different levels of popularity is provided

Wat is de beste plek voor kinderen met externaliserende gedragsproblemen in het reguliere onderwijs? Uitkomsten van een klasindelinginterventie

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Treatment outcomes of a shortened secure residential stay combined with multisystemic therapy: A pilot study

Item does not contain fulltextThuisBest is a newly developed family focused treatment that combines secure residential youth care with multisystemic therapy (MST), allowing adolescents to return home after secure residential youth care more quickly. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine treatment outcomes for adolescents in ThuisBest (n = 86, Mage = 15.2 years, 63% boys) and to what degree those treatment outcomes could be predicted by client characteristics. The results showed that externalizing behavior problems and parenting stress had decreased at the end of treatment. After ThuisBest, 83% of the adolescents did not have new police contact, 72% lived at home, and 89% attended school or work. Almost none of the treatment outcomes could be predicted by any of the client characteristics. ThuisBest seems a promising trajectory, as it reduces the length of the stay in secure residential youth care, and may, therefore, be more cost-effective than standard secure residential youth care. However, given the lack of a control-group and follow-up data, findings must be interpreted as preliminary.18 p

Migraine Associated with Gastrointestinal Disorders: Review of the Literature and Clinical Implications

Recent studies suggest that migraine may be associated with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel syndrome, and celiac disease. Here, an overview of the associations between migraine and GI disorders is presented, as well as possible mechanistic links and clinical implications. People who regularly experience GI symptoms have a higher prevalence of headaches, with a stronger association with increasing headache frequency. Children with a mother with a history of migraine are more likely to have infantile colic. Children with migraine are more likely to have experienced infantile colic compared to controls. Several studies demonstrated significant associations between migraine and celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and IBS. Possible underlying mechanisms of migraine and GI diseases could be increased gut permeability and inflammation. Therefore, it would be worthwhile to investigate these mechanisms further in migraine patients. These mechanisms also give a rationale to investigate the effects of the use of pre- and probiotics in migraine patient

Integrated prediction and decision models are valuable in informing personalized decision making

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No evidence for diagnostic value of Mallampati score in patients suspected of having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether the Mallampati score is reliable as a simple diagnostic test for predicting obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). DATA SOURCES: A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases. REVIEW METHODS: Studies were ranked by their relevance and validity in a critical appraisal table. Positive and negative predictive values were obtained or recalculated from the selected articles. RESULTS: Eight relevant articles met the inclusion criteria. Three studies reported predictive values for a Mallampati score of 3 to 4. The prevalence (or prior probability) of OSAS in these 3 studies was 58% (95% confidence interval [CI], 50-67), 76% (95% CI, 72-79), and 82% (95% CI, 80-84), respectively. With a Mallampati score of 1 to 2, the risk of OSAS decreases to 45% (95% CI, 33-58), 74% (95% CI, 70-78), and 81% (95% CI, 77-86), respectively. With a Mallampati score of 3 to 4, the risk of OSAS is 69% (95% CI, 59-80), 82% (95% CI, 74-89), and 82% (95% CI, 79-85), respectively. The differences between the prior and the posterior probabilities are rather small and do not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence to maintain that the Mallampati score is of added value for ruling in or ruling out a diagnosis of OSAS in patients suspected for OSAS