Design and implementation of non-binary convolutional turbo codes

This thesis is about non-binary convolutional turbo codes--codes constructed via parallel concatenation of two circular recursive systematic convolutional (CRSC) encoders linked by an interleaver. The focus of the work is on the understanding and design of non-binary convolutional turbo codes. This includes investigation of central components that influence non-binary convolutional turbo code performances, such as the component encoders and the interleaver, as well as the procedure of iterative decoding. The investigations are carried out for transmission on additive white Gaussian noise channels. First, this thesis presents the theoretical background of channel coding and turbo coding. Next, a general and efficient maximum a posteriori (MAP) soft-input soft-output (SISO) decoding algorithm is presented. And then, the simplified Max-Log-MAP algorithm is derived for the double-binary convolutional turbo code, which follows the specifications of turbo coding/decoding in the DVB-RCS standard (Digital Video Broadcasting standard for Return Channel via Satellite), for twelve different block sizes and seven coding rates. The quantizer of turbo-decoder is designed for the goal of implementation. The effect of quantiztion on the performance of the decoder is analyzed and simulated. The correction coefficient of the simplified Max-Log-MAP algorithm is also discussed. The DVB-RCS standard turbo code uses quaternary alphabet and QPSK modulation. In order to increase the bandwidth efficiency, we present an extended nonbinary turbo-coding scheme consisting of 8-ary triple-binary codes combined with 8PSK modulation. A comprehensive study over AWGN channel is carried out to show the good performance of the concatenated codes, the influence of various parameters and the symbol-by-symbol Max-Log-MAP algorith

GraphGrind: addressing load imbalance of graph partitioning

The incidence of HCAIs before and after antimicrobial stewardship. Incidence of VAP, CRBSI and CAUTI were defined as the number of VAP, CRBSI and CAUTI patients per 1000 ventilation days, per 1000 central venous catheter days and per 1000 urine-catheter days, respectively. (DOCX 15 kb

Characterization of the metabolism of eupalinolide A and B by carboxylesterase and cytochrome P450 in human liver microsomes

Eupalinolide A (EA; Z-configuration) and eupalinolide B (EB; E-configuration) are bioactive cis-trans isomers isolated from Eupatorii Lindleyani Herba that exert anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. Although one pharmacokinetic study found that the metabolic parameters of the isomers were different in rats, metabolic processes relevant to EA and EB remain largely unknown. Our preliminary findings revealed that EA and EB are rapidly hydrolyzed by carboxylesterase. Here, we investigated the metabolic stability and enzyme kinetics of carboxylesterase-mediated hydrolysis and cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated oxidation of EA and EB in human liver microsomes (HLMs). We also explored differences in the hydrolytic stability of EA and EB in human liver microsomes and rat liver microsomes (RLMs). Moreover, cytochrome P450 reaction phenotyping of the isomers was performed via in silico methods (i.e., using a quantitative structure-activity relationship model and molecular docking) and confirmed using human recombinant enzymes. The total normalized rate approach was considered to assess the relative contributions of five major cytochrome P450s to EA and EB metabolism. We found that EA and EB were eliminated rapidly, mainly by carboxylesterase-mediated hydrolysis, as compared with cytochrome P450-mediated oxidation. An inter-species difference was observed as well, with faster rates of EA and EB hydrolysis in rat liver microsomes. Furthermore, our findings confirmed EA and EB were metabolized by multiple cytochrome P450s, among which CYP3A4 played a particularly important role

Service utilization in community health centers in China: a comparison analysis with local hospitals

BACKGROUND: Being an important part of China's Urban Health Care Reform System, Community Health Centers (CHCs) have been established throughout the entire country and are presently undergoing substantial reconstruction. However, the services being delivered by the CHCs are far from reaching their performance targets. In order to assess the role of the CHCs, we examined their performance in six cities located in regions of South-East China. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the utilization and the efficiency of community health resources that are able to provide basic medical and public health services. METHODS: The study was approved by Peking University Health Science Center Institutional Reviewing Board (NO: IRB00001052-T1). Data were collected from all the local health bureaux and processed using SPSS software. Methods of analysis mainly included: descriptive analysis, paired T-test and one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The six main functions of the CHCs were not fully exploited and the surveys that were collected on their efficiency and utilization of resources indicate that they have a low level of performance and lack the trust of local communities. Furthermore, the CHCs seriously lack funding support and operate under difficult circumstances, and residents have less positive attitudes towards them. CONCLUSION: The community health service must be adjusted according to the requirements of urban medical and health reform, taking into account communities' health needs. More research is required on the living standards and health needs of residents living within the CHC's range, taking into consideration the users' needs in expanding the newly implemented service, and at the same time revising the old service system so as to make the development of CHCs realistic and capable of providing a better service to patients. Several suggestions are put forward for an attainable scheme for developing a community health service

Fabrication and Performance of All-Solid-State Chloride Sensors in Synthetic Concrete Pore Solutions

One type of all-solid-state chloride sensor was fabricated using a MnO2 electrode and a Ag/AgCl electrode. The potentiometric response of the sensor to chloride in synthetic concrete pore solutions was systematically studied, and the polarization performance was also evaluated. The results show a good linear relationship between the potential reading of the sensor and the logarithm of chloride activity (concentration ranges from 0.05 to 5.0 M), and the potential value remains stable with increasing immersion time. The existence of K+, Ca2+, Na+ and SO42− ions have little influence on the potentiometric response of the sensor to chloride, but the pH has a significant influence on the potential value of the sensor at low chloride concentration. The potential reading of the sensor increases linearly with the solution temperature over the range from 5 to 45 °C. Meanwhile, an excellent polarization behavior is proven by galvanostatic and potentiodynamic tests. All of the results reveal that the developed sensor has a great potential for monitoring chloride ions in concrete environments

Ocular fundus pathology and chronic kidney disease in a Chinese population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous study indicated a high prevalence of ocular fundus pathology among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), while the relationship between them has never been explored in a Chinese Population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional study included 9 670 participants enrolled in a medical screening program. Ocular fundus examination was performed by ophthalmologists using ophthalmoscopes. The presence of eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m²and/or proteinuria was defined as CKD.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to participants without CKD, participants with CKD had higher prevalence of retinopathy (28.5% vs. 16.3%, P < 0.001), glaucoma suspect (3.1% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.004), age-related macular degeneration (1.7% vs. 0.9%, P = 0.01) and overall eye pathology (32.0% vs. 19.4%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratio of proteinuria for overall eye pathology and retinopathy was 1.29 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.55) and 1.37 (95% CI 1.12-1.67), respectively. The results were robust after excluding participants with hypertension or with diabetes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Ocular fundus pathology is common among Chinese patients with CKD. Regular eye exam among persons with proteinuria is warranted.</p

Solvability and Stability of Impulsive Set Dynamic Equations on Time Scales

A class of new nonlinear impulsive set dynamic equations is considered based on a new generalized derivative of set-valued functions developed on time scales in this paper. Some novel criteria are established for the existence and stability of solutions of such model. The approaches generalize and incorporate as special cases many known results for set (or fuzzy) differential equations and difference equations when the time scale is the set of the real numbers or the integers, respectively. Finally, some examples show the applicability of our results