Symbol-asynchronous transmission in multibeam satellite user down-link : rate regions for novel superposition coding schemes

We consider the forward link of a multibeam satellite system with high spectral reuse and the novel low-complexity transmission and detection strategies from [1]. More specifically, we study the impact of a time offset between the antenna beams that cooperate to simultaneously serve a given user. Assuming Gaussian signaling, we provide closed-form expressions for the achievable rate region. It is demonstrated that, in the absence of timing information at the gateway, this region is not affected by a time offset. Our numerical results further show that, in case timing is known at the gateway, an offset of half a symbol period at both user terminals is optimal in terms of spectral efficiency.Grant numbers : Satellite Network of Experts IV. © 2018 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works

Non-coherent rate-splitting for multibeam satellite forward link : practical coding and decoding algorithms

Non-Coherent Rate-Splitting (NCRS) was recently proposed as a practical multiuser coding and decoding scheme to increase the spectral efficiency of multibeam satellite communication systems. In this paper, we further study the practical realization of NCRS. We propose a modified coding scheme (NCRS*) that is robust to a nonzero time offset among beams. In NCRS*, as opposed to NCRS, the beams send independently channel encoded and modulated waveforms. We assess the performance of NCRS* in terms of the achievable rate region. It is shown that NCRS* performs worse than NCRS, but better than or comparable to other competing schemes, which, as opposed to NCRS*, require flexible bandwidth allocation or perfect synchronization at the transmitter. We also propose a new N-MAP algorithm for the practical implementation of NCRS* receivers. Similar to the existing UMAP algorithm, N-MAP takes into account the modulation used by, and the time offset between, the signals received from the different beams. In most cases, however, N-MAP has a significantly lower complexity than U-MAP

Does the diurnal cycle of cortisol explain the relationship between physical performance and cognitive function in older adults?

Background Regular physical activity is a promising strategy to treat and prevent cognitive decline. The mechanisms that mediate these benefits are not fully clear but physical activity is thought to attenuate the harmful effects of chronic psychological stress and hypercortisolism on cognition. However, the circadian pattern of cortisol secretion is complex and it is not known which aspects are most closely associated with increased cognitive function and better physical performance. This is the first study to simultaneously measure cognitive function, the diurnal cycle of salivary cortisol and physical performance in older adults, without cognitive impairment (n = 30) and with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) (n = 30). Results Regression analysis showed that better cognitive function was associated with better physical performance. A greater variance in cortisol levels across the day from morning to evening was associated with better cognitive function and physical performance. Conclusions The results support the idea that a more dynamic cortisol secretion pattern is associated with better cognitive function and physical performance even in the presence of cognitive impairment, but our results could not confirm a mediating role in this relationship

Current trends in cannulation and neuroprotection during surgery of the aortic arch in Europe†‡

OBJECTIVES To conduct a survey across European cardiac centres to evaluate the methods used for cerebral protection during aortic surgery involving the aortic arch. METHODS All European centres were contacted and surgeons were requested to fill out a short, comprehensive questionnaire on an internet-based platform. One-third of more than 400 contacted centres completed the survey correctly. RESULTS The most preferred site for arterial cannulation is the subclavian-axillary, both in acute and chronic presentation. The femoral artery is still frequently used in the acute condition, while the ascending aorta is a frequent second choice in the case of chronic presentation. Bilateral antegrade brain perfusion is chosen by the majority of centres (2/3 of cases), while retrograde perfusion or circulatory arrest is very seldom used and almost exclusively in acute clinical presentation. The same pumping system of the cardio pulmonary bypass is most of the time used for selective cerebral perfusion, and the perfusate temperature is usually maintained between 22 and 26°C. One-third of the centres use lower temperatures. Perfusate flow and pressure are fairly consistent among centres in the range of 10-15 ml/kg and 60 mmHg, respectively. In 60% of cases, barbiturates are added for cerebral protection, while visceral perfusion still receives little attention. Regarding cerebral monitoring, there is a general tendency to use near-infrared spectroscopy associated with bilateral radial pressure measurement. CONCLUSIONS These data represent a snapshot of the strategies used for cerebral protection during major aortic surgery in current practice, and may serve as a reference for standardization and refinement of different approache

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Experiments on the interfacial mixing in a stratified exchange flow over a sill

Stratified exchange flows driven by a density difference are found in many natural water bodies and in the atmosphere. A typical case in nature is the strait of Gibraltar, where the water of the Mediterranean Sea flows under the less saline water of the Atlantic Ocean. At the interface between the layers shear is responsible for instabilities (Kelvin-Helmholtz), which results in turbulent mixing and entrainment. Gaining deeper understanding of these processes is the main motivation for this thesis. An experimental study into the development of a mixing layer of a twolayer stratified exchange flow is performed and an LIF measurement system was used to obtain the concentration fields. The main objectives of this study were to calibrate and understand the experimental set-up and to investigate the influence of four different parameters on the development of the mixing layer. The calibration of the experimental set-up has led to a simple calibration procedure, which was applied with success. To study the development of the mixing layer the influence of four different parameters was analyzed namely: the buoyant acceleration, the bottom friction, the water depth and the sill slope. After careful analysis of the experimental results it was observed that fluid from the upper layer was entrained into the lower layer in all the experiments. Analysis of the dye visualization showed that the large-scale structures, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, are mainly responsible for the mixing and entrainment. The overall conclusion was that the variation of geometric condition on the development of the mixing layer has a much stronger influence than the variation of the hydraulic conditions. An enhanced bottom friction affected the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities but the mechanism is not completely understood by the author.Civil Engineering and Geoscience