Fast Polarization for Processes with Memory

Fast polarization is crucial for the performance guarantees of polar codes. In the memoryless setting, the rate of polarization is known to be exponential in the square root of the block length. A complete characterization of the rate of polarization for models with memory has been missing. Namely, previous works have not addressed fast polarization of the high entropy set under memory. We consider polar codes for processes with memory that are characterized by an underlying ergodic finite-state Markov chain. We show that the rate of polarization for these processes is the same as in the memoryless setting, both for the high and for the low entropy sets.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Information Theor

How Do Pharmacists Construct, Facilitate and Consolidate Their Professional Identity?

The pharmacy profession has, and continues to experience change regarding roles and responsibilities. The supply of medicines still remains a central function but patient facing, clinical roles are now becoming more common place where pharmacists use their knowledge to maximise patient use of medicines. This transitional state from supplier of medicine to medicine advisor raises questions over the professional identity of pharmacists. This literature-informed commentary highlights current understanding of how identity is formed and reinforced.We propose the profession needs to be clearer in articulating what pharmacy does and advocate the need for strong branding that the profession, public and other healthcare practitioners understand

Are Users of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Sicker than Non-Users?

Higher utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), both in cross-sections and over time, is commonly related to better socioeconomic status and to increased dissatisfaction with conventional medicine and its values. Little is known about health differences between users and non-users of CAM. The objective of the paper is to explore the difference in health measured by the SF-36 instrument between users and non-users of CAM, and to estimate the relative importance of the SF-36 health domains scales to the likelihood of consulting CAM providers. Interviews were used to collect information from a sample of 2000 persons in 1993 and 2500 persons in 2000, representing the Israeli Jewish urban population aged 45–75 in those years. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to explore the above associations. The results show that while users of CAM enjoy higher socioeconomic status and younger age, they tend to report worse health than non-users on the eight SF-36 health domains scales in both years. However, controlling for personal characteristics, lower scores on the bodily pain, role-emotional and vitality scales are related to greater likelihood of CAM use in 2000. In 1993, no scale had a significant adjusted association with the use of CAM. The conclusions are that CAM users tend to report worse health. With CAM becoming a mainstream, though somewhat luxurious, medical practice, pain and affective-emotional distress are the main drivers of CAM use

Satisfaction with Family Physicians and Specialists and the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Israel

Higher utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly explained by dissatisfaction or disappointment with conventional medical treatment. To explore, at two points in time in Israel, the associations between six domains of satisfaction (attitude, length of visits, availability, information sharing, perceived quality of care and overall) with conventional family physicians' and specialists' services and the likelihood of consulting CAM providers. This is a secondary analysis of interviews, which were conducted with 2000 persons in 1993 and 2500 persons in 2000, representing the Israeli Jewish urban population aged 45–75 in those years. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used in the investigation. In 1993, users of CAM were less satisfied than non-users with both family physicians' and specialists' care. Lower satisfaction with the attitude of, the amount of information sharing by and in general with family physicians, and with the length of visits and perceived quality of care of specialists were significantly associated with CAM use. In 2000, lower satisfaction with specialists' attitude, length of visits, availability and in general was significantly related to the use of CAM. Lower satisfaction with family physicians and specialists is significantly associated with consulting CAM providers. However, with CAM becoming a mainstream medical care specialty in its own, lower satisfaction with conventional medicine specialists becomes the most important factor

Explaining the Frequency of Alcohol Consumption in a Conflict Zone: Jews and Palestinians in Israel

Experiencing stress and exposure to terrorism may have an adverse effect on health risk behaviors. Few studies have examined alcohol use among adults living in Israel under chronic, stressful terrorism-related conditions. In this study, we examined the relationships of demographics, past stressful events, and terrorism exposure to the frequency of alcohol use and the mediating roles of depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We used three waves of data from a 2007–2008 nationally representative sample of Jewish and Palestinian adults in Israel. We assessed past stressful events, in addition to direct and indirect exposures to terrorism. Results indicated that past stressful events and exposure to terrorism were not directly associated with alcohol use, but were indirectly associated and mediated by depressive and PTSD symptomology. Mental health symptoms were differentially associated with alcohol use. More frequent drinking was mediated by higher levels of depression, including for women and Palestinians; however, PTSD symptom severity was related to less frequent drinking. Mental health may play a prominent role in the frequency of alcohol use among adults exposed to terrorism in Israel. Alcohol use, as a coping mechanism, may differ by demographic characteristics (gender and ethnicity) and psychological symptomology for adults living in a conflict zone in Israel

Representing Images Using the Quadtree Data Structure (Hebrew Consonants and Vowels)

Computing and Information Science

Health & Wealth:is weight loss success related to monetary savings in US adults of low-income? Findings from a National Study

BACKGROUND: Many individuals aspire to attain various goals in life, such as committing to a healthful diet to slim down or saving for retirement to enhance future welfare. While these behaviors (weight loss and saving) share the common denominator of self-regulation, it is unclear whether success in one domain is related to the other. Therefore, we examined the relationship between long term weight loss (LTWL) success and monetary savings among U.S. adults who at one point in life diverged from normal weight status. METHODS: Data on 1994 adults with a maximum BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and with an annual household income equal or less than 200% poverty level. Data were derived from a U.S. population-based study (NHANES). The independent variable was LTWL success (loss maintained for at least 1 year), which was operationalized as < 10% (reference group), 10.00-19.99%, and ≥ 20.00%. The dependent variable was monetary savings (e.g., 401 K), defined as a 3-category ordinal variable. We employed ordered logistic regression to estimate the relationship between LTWL success and increased odds for higher overall savings. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis revealed that adjusting for income, education and other covariates, being in the highest LTWL category (≥20.00%) significantly reduced the likelihood of monetary savings in comparison to the reference group (OR = 0.55, 95%CI = 0.34-0.91). This relationship was not observed in the lower LTWL category (10.00-19.99%). CONCLUSIONS: Adults who in the past were overweight or obese and who presently exhibit high levels of LTWL, were markedly less successful when it came to their finances. This might stem from significant cognitive-affective resources exerted during the weight loss process coupled with a paucity of financial resources which impede financial decision making. This supposition, however, warrants future research

Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Alcohol Intake, and Metabolic Syndrome Incidence in Men

Purpose To prospectively examine the independent and joint effects of alcohol consumption and cardiorespiratory fitness on the incidence of metabolic syndrome in a cohort of men. Methods A prospective examination of 3,411 apparently healthy men at baseline, who came to the Cooper Clinic (Dallas, Texas) for at least 2 preventive visits (1979–2010). Primary exposure variables were cardiorespiratory fitness and alcohol intake; the outcome measure was metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the components thereof. Cox proportional hazard models were computed to assess the relationship between the exposure variables and the incidence of MetS while adjusting for confounders. Results Over a mean follow-up period of 9 years (SD=7.8), 276 men developed MetS. In multivariable analysis, a dose-response relationship was observed between increased levels of fitness and reduced MetS risk (moderate fitness: HR=0.60, 95%CI 0.43–0.82; high fitness: HR=0.49, 95%CI 0.35–0.69). When examining the independent effects of alcohol, light drinking increased the risk for MetS by 66% (HR=1.66, 95%CI 1.11–2.48). No statistically significant interaction effect was observed between alcohol and fitness in relation to MetS (P = 0.32). When assessing the relation between each exposure and the components of MetS, higher fitness consistently reduced the risk of all components; whereas lower alcohol intake reduced the risk of elevated glucose and blood pressure and increased the risk for low HDL-c. Conclusions Among this cohort of men, higher fitness levels reduced the risk for MetS and its components. The relation between alcohol intake levels and metabolic risk was more complex and not reflected when examining MetS as a whole