Approximate MAP Decoding on Tail-Biting Trellises

We propose two approximate algorithms for MAP decoding on tail-biting trellises. The algorithms work on a subset of nodes of the tail-biting trellis, judiciously selected. We report the results of simulations on an AWGN channel using the approximate algorithms on tail-biting trellises for the $(24,12)$ Extended Golay Code and a rate 1/2 convolutional code with memory 6.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, ISIT 200

Undifferentiated Carcinoma of Larynx of Nasopharyngeal Type

Undifferentiated carcinoma of nasopharyngeal type arising in the larynx is unusual. This type of carcinoma-which occurs almost exclusively in nasopharynx-is very infrequent in the larynx (0.2%). Till date only 17 cases are reported in the medical literature. We present the clinical and histopathological findings along with the management of one additional case of undifferentiated carcinoma of nasopharyngeal type in the larynx which was managed successfully with radiotherapy

Pulsed Ultrasound Does Not Affect Recovery From Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Aim: To investigate the effects of pulsed Ultrasound (US) in recovery from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Methods: Twelve healthy male athletes (mean age 23.83±1.697 year) performed an eccentric exercise protocol of non-dominant elbow flexors to induce muscle soreness on 2 occasions separated by 3 weeks. Subjects in experimental group received pulsed US (1 MHz, intensity 0.8 W/cm2, mark space ratio 1:10), whereas control group received sham US after 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. Perception of muscle soreness, active ROM and muscle strength were the parameters measured at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h with the help of VAS, manual goniometer and JONEX muscles master instrument respectively. Results: Post hoc t test analysis revealed significant differences (p <0.05) between 0 h and 72 h in the parameter of ROM (t = 6.18) and muscle power (t = 2.54) as well as between 24 h and 48 h in the parameter of muscle soreness (t = 3.13) in control group. Similar differences were also observed in the experimental group. No significant inter-group differences at α level of 0.05 was observed in any parameter at any level. Conclusion: The pattern of recovery from DOMS was not influenced by the application of pulsed Ultrasound at the parameters discussed here

Model Reduction Near Periodic Orbits of Hybrid Dynamical Systems

We show that, near periodic orbits, a class of hybrid models can be reduced to or approximated by smooth continuous-time dynamical systems. Specifically, near an exponentially stable periodic orbit undergoing isolated transitions in a hybrid dynamical system, nearby executions generically contract superexponentially to a constant-dimensional subsystem. Under a non-degeneracy condition on the rank deficiency of the associated Poincare map, the contraction occurs in finite time regardless of the stability properties of the orbit. Hybrid transitions may be removed from the resulting subsystem via a topological quotient that admits a smooth structure to yield an equivalent smooth dynamical system. We demonstrate reduction of a high-dimensional underactuated mechanical model for terrestrial locomotion, assess structural stability of deadbeat controllers for rhythmic locomotion and manipulation, and derive a normal form for the stability basin of a hybrid oscillator. These applications illustrate the utility of our theoretical results for synthesis and analysis of feedback control laws for rhythmic hybrid behavior

Spin relaxation and coherence times for electrons at the Si/SiO2 interface

While electron spins in silicon heterostructures make attractive qubits, little is known about the coherence of electrons at the Si/SiO2 interface. We report spin relaxation (T1) and coherence (T2) times for mobile electrons and natural quantum dots at a 28Si/SiO2 interface. Mobile electrons have short T1 and T2 of 0.3 us at 5 K. In line with predictions, confining electrons and cooling increases T1 to 0.8 ms at 350 mK. In contrast, T2 for quantum dots is around 10 us at 350 mK, increasing to 30 us when the dot density is reduced by a factor of two. The quantum dot T2 is shorter than T1, indicating that T2 is not controlled by T1 at 350 mK but is instead limited by an extrinsic mechanism. The evidence suggests that this extrinsic mechanism is an exchange interaction between electrons in neighboring dots.Comment: Extended with more experiments and rewritten. 6 pages, 5 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev.

Dipolar bogolons: from superfluids to Pfaffians

We study the structure of Bogoliubov quasiparticles, 'bogolons,' the fermionic excitations of paired superfluids that arise from fermion (BCS) pairing, including neutral superfluids, superconductors, and paired quantum Hall states. The naive construction of a stationary quasiparticle in which the deformation of the pair field is neglected leads to a contradiction: it carries a net electrical current even though it does not move. However, treating the pair field self-consistently resolves this problem: In a neutral superfluid, a dipolar current pattern is associated with the quasiparticle for which the total current vanishes. When Maxwell electrodynamics is included, as appropriate to a superconductor, this pattern is confined over a penetration depth. For paired quantum Hall states of composite fermions, the Maxwell term is replaced by a Chern-Simons term, which leads to a dipolar charge distribution and consequently to a dipolar current pattern.Comment: 5 pages main text + 5 pages supplementary material; 1 figure. Version published in PRL under different title; typos corrected, references adde

Insular Carcinoma of Thyroid Presenting as a Giant Skull Lesion: A Dilemma in Treatment.

Thyroid surgeons are becoming increasingly more aware of a histologically distinct subset of thyroid carcinoma whose classification falls between well-differentiated and anaplastic carcinomas with respect to both cell differentiation and clinical behavior. This subtype of tumors has been categorized as poorly differentiated or insular carcinoma, based on its characteristic cell groupings. Although the differentiation of insular carcinoma from other thyroid carcinomas has important prognostic and therapeutic significance, relatively little about insular carcinoma has been published in the otolaryngology literature. In this article, we discuss a case of insular carcinoma of thyroid presenting with concurrent distant metastasis to skull, lung, ribs, and inguinal region with review of the literature. We conclude that insular thyroid carcinoma warrants aggressive management with total thyroidectomy and excision of accessible giant lesion followed by radioactive iodine ablation of any remaining thyroid tissue