A Bidirectional Efficient Algorithm for Searching code Trees (BEAST) is proposed for efficient soft-output decoding of block codes and concatenated block codes. BEAST operates on trees corresponding to the minimal trellis of a block code and finds a list of the most probable codewords. The complexity of the BEAST search is significantly lower than the complexity of trellis-based algorithms, such a

Elevated concentrations of arsenic in drinking water are common worldwide, however, little is known about the presence of other potentially toxic elements. We analyzed 31 different elements in drinking water collected in San Antonio de los Cobres and five surrounding Andean villages in Argentina, and in urine of the inhabitants, using ICP-MS. Besides confirmation of elevated arsenic concentrations

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) structure is of central importance for the regulation of cellular anabolism, stress response, and signal transduction. Generally continuous, the ER can temporarily undergo dramatic structural rearrangements resulting in a fragmented appearance. In this study we assess the dynamic nature of ER fission in pyramidal neurons in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures stim

There is a scarcity of longitudinal studies examining how functional decline develops among very old people. The aim of the current study was to detect and characterize typical patterns of functional decline in a sample of very old people.

The aim was to investigate the relationship between the dimensions (length, width, and thickness) of random advancement skin flaps and retained tissue perfusion and oxygenation.

This paper presents simulation results on the other-cell to own-cell interference values and traffic capacity for dedicated indoor WCDMA systems. In the simulation, an outdoor WCDMA network with sectorised antennas, pilot power and soft handover is considered. The interference factor determines the maximum cell load, i.e. the maximum number of users in the cells.

Metaphorical archaeology and the language of objects: Discussing the existence of a "Medieval" period, the dimensions of archaeology, the relationship between archaeology and history and the language of objects, it is argued that the established discipline of Medieval archaeology should be replaced with a historical archaeology without use of the concept "Medieval".

A first small set of W III oscillator strengths has been obtained from combined lifetime and branching fraction measurements. The branching fractions in the wavelength region of 154-334 nm were measured with a Penning discharge and a Fourier transform spectrometer. Three levels have been calibrated on absolute scales with lifetimes measured with the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence techniq

New rate-compatible convolutional (RCC) codes with high constraint lengths and a wide range of code rates are presented. These new codes originate from rate 1/4 optimum distance spectrum (ODS) convolutional parent encoders with constraint lengths 7-10. Low rate encoders (rates 115 down to 1/10) are found by a nested search, and high rate encoders (rates above 1/4) are found by rate-compatible punc

The model of moral motivation as developed by Brekke et al. (2003) is analysed with the new assumption that self-image is an increasing function of effort. While the effects of increased efficiency and new information on optimal effort levels are similar, different results are obtained when individuals are faced with volunteering opportunities with and without non-participation fees. Most signific

Objective: To characterize visual function in defined genotypes including siblings with Usher syndrome. Methods: Thirteen patients with phenotypically different subtypes of Usher syndrome, including 3 families with affected siblings, were selected. Genetic analysis and ophthalmological examinations including visual fields, full-field electroretinography (ERG), multifocal electroretinography (mf ER

It is generally maintained that learning should be a part of the daily routines of many organizations; this is often referred to as lesson learned processes. The purpose of organizational learning is to foster improvements that seek to both reduce incidents and accidents and reduce their consequences when they nevertheless happen. Safety work is widespread among many organizations, e.g. aviation,

An efficient and well-performing double-talk detection (DTD) algorithm is a vital part of a practically working acoustic echo canceller. However, recent algorithms are typically evaluated using a static time-invariant room acoustic impulse response, omitting a proper treatment of the case when the acoustic path is changing. In this work, we introduce a common framework to objectively evaluate how

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. At an early stage of the disease, AF may terminate spontaneously and is then referred to as paroxysmal AF. On the other hand, when external intervention is required for the arrhythmia to terminate, it is referred to as persistent AF. In this work, a method to discriminate between paroxysmal and persistent AF in the long-t