Wavelet packet modulation for orthogonally multiplexedcommunication

Utilizing multidimensional signaling techniques, a generalized multirate wavelet-based modulation format for orthogonally multiplexed communication systems is presented. Wavelet packet modulation (WPM) employs the basis functions from an arbitrary pruning of a dyadic tree structured filter bank as orthogonal pulse shapes for conventional quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbols. This generalized framework affords an entire library of basis sets with increased flexibility in time-frequency (T-F) partitioning. The bandwidth efficiency and power spectral density figures of merit for the general signal are derived and shown to be that of standard QAM     

Screening of South African Food Plants for Antioxidant Activity

ABSTRACT: In a screening of South African indigenous food plants for antioxidant activity by testing for inhibition of lipid peroxidation, the "potherbs" Amaranthus sp., Sisymbrium thellungii , and Urtica dioica had very high activity. This activity was greatest in the boiled extract of Amaranthus sp. and the boilet and aqueous extracts of Sisymbrium thellungii and Urtica dioica. The activity in the aqueous extract of Nasturtium aquatica was lost by boiling. High activity was also obtained with the teas Galium aparine and Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos) and with the tuber Colocasia esculenta.     

Communications on energy: Fighting London's cold war

This communication illustrates the work of the London Energy and Employment Network. LEEN has the twin aims of promoting a rational energy policy for London and, in the process, generating much needed employment. In cooperation with Hackney, one of Britain's poorest boroughs, LEEN organized Hackney's Cold War — a series of initiatives showing the practical measures, informational back-up and funding sources necessary for a local energy policy. LEEN intends to repeat this project in other London Boroughs, with the eventual aim of helping to persuade central government to adopt a more comprehensive approach to energy conservation nationally.     

A capstone design project to meet the needs of the changing power systems industry and satisfy new accreditation standards

Currently, two motivators are effecting change in power systems education. First, the industry's transition to a more competitive environment is requiring changes in the content and pedagogy of power systems education. Second, engineering education as a whole is seeking to modify its curriculum to reflect a better balance between science and education in order to better meet the needs of industry. These curricular changes are largely a result of revised Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation requirements. In response to these changes, new curriculum and analysis tools were developed for a power systems capstone design course. The project integrates market economics and socio-political considerations with transient stability analysis and transmission planning. A power systems analysis package and an economic analysis tool were developed for use with this project. Student evaluations of the course in which the project was implemented indicate that the curriculum successfully addresses a broad range of ABET accreditation criteria.     

Comparative severity of respiratory lesions of sialodacryoadenitis virus and Sendai virus infections in LEW and F344 rats

In several chronic diseases, lesions are more severe in LEW rats than in F344 rats. To determine whether or not acute viral diseases also are more severe in LEW rats than in F344 rats, we inoculated 6-7-week-old LEW and F344 rats with 10(7.2) cell culture infective units of sialodacryoadenitis virus or 10(4.7) infective units of Sendai virus. Twenty-four rats of each strain were given each virus. Lesions in nasal passages, tracheas, intrapulmonary airways, and pulmonary alveoli in 6 or 12 rats inoculated with each virus were assessed by scoring 5, 10, and 14 days after inoculation. Both viruses caused typical patchy necrotizing rhinitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis, with multifocal pneumonitis, in rats of both strains. Mean lesion indices for LEW rats given sialodacryoadenitis virus were significantly different from those for F344 rats for nasal passages on days 10 (0.999 vs. 0.680) and 14 (0.736 vs. 0.278), bronchi on day 5 (0.479 vs. 0.361), and alveoli on day 5 (0.677 vs. 0.275). Lesion indices for LEW rats given Sendai virus were significantly different from those for F344 rats for nasal passages on days 10 (1.000 vs. 0.611) and 14 (0.778 vs. 0.583); trachea on day 10 (0.625 vs. 0.028); bronchi on days 5 (0.476 vs. 0.331), 10 (0.123 vs. 0.013), and 14 (0.038 vs. 0); and alveoli on days 5 (0.413 vs. 0.114) and 10 (0.185 vs. 0.020). Thus, at the tested doses, both viruses caused more severe respiratory tract lesions in LEW rats than in F344 rats.     

Just-in-time connectivity for large spiking networks

The scale of large neuronal network simulations is memory limited due to the need to store connectivity information: connectivity storage grows as the square of neuron number up to anatomically relevant limits. Using the NEURON simulator as a discrete-event simulator (no integration), we explored the consequences of avoiding the space costs of connectivity through regenerating connectivity parameters when needed: just in time after a presynaptic cell fires. We explored various strategies for automated generation of one or more of the basic static connectivity parameters: delays, postsynaptic cell identities, and weights, as well as run-time connectivity state: the event queue. Comparison of the JitCon implementation to NEURON's standard NetCon connectivity method showed substantial space savings, with associated run-time penalty. Although JitCon saved space by eliminating connectivity parameters, larger simulations were still memory limited due to growth of the synaptic event queue. We therefore designed a JitEvent algorithm that added items to the queue only when required: instead of alerting multiple postsynaptic cells, a spiking presynaptic cell posted a callback event at the shortest synaptic delay time. At the time of the callback, this same presynaptic cell directly notified the first postsynaptic cell and generated another self-callback for the next delay time. The JitEvent implementation yielded substantial additional time and space savings. We conclude that just-in-time strategies are necessary for very large network simulations but that a variety of alternative strategies should be considered whose optimality will depend on the characteristics of the simulation to be run.     

The Effects of Survey Administration on Disclosure Rates to Sensitive Items Among Men: A Comparison of an Internet Panel Sample with a RDD Telephone Sample

Research using Internet surveys is an emerging field, yet research on the legitimacy of using Internet studies, particularly those targeting sensitive topics, remains under-investigated. The current study builds on the existing literature by exploring the demographic differences between Internet panel and RDD telephone survey samples, as well as differences in responses with regard to experiences of intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization, alcohol and substance use/abuse, PTSD symptomatology, and social support. Analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic differences, there were few differences between the samples in their disclosure of sensitive information, and that the online sample was more socially isolated than the phone sample. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for using Internet samples in research on sensitive topics.     

Equilibrium-independent passivity: A new definition and numerical certification

We extend the traditional notion of passivity to a forced system whose equilibrium is dependent on the control input by defining equilibrium-independent passivity, a system property characterized by a dissipation inequality centered at an arbitrary equilibrium point. We provide a necessary input/output condition which can be tested for systems of arbitrary dimension and sufficient conditions to certify this property for scalar systems. An example from network stability analysis is presented which demonstrates the utility of this new definition. We then proceed to numerical certification of equilibrium-independent passivity using sum-of-squares programming. Finally, through numerical examples we show that equilibrium-independent passivity is less restrictive than incremental passivity.     

Age differences in identifying words in synthetic speech

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether context or different speech rates could improve older adult performance on identification of synthetically generated words. BACKGROUND: Synthetic speech systems can potentially improve the daily functioning of older adults. However, research must determine whether older adults can effectively implement current text-to-speech technologies, which few studies have examined. Older adults' sensory and cognitive declines may cause difficulties in identifying words in synthetic speech. METHODS: Ninety-six participants (young, middle-aged, and older adults) identified auditory monosyllabic words (half natural, half synthetic) presented in isolation or at the ends of sentences. Participants heard speech at either normal or slower rates. RESULTS: We found an interaction of age, context, and voice type and that slower speech rates worsened performance for all groups. Contrasts revealed that context reduced age differences, though only for natural speech. Hearing acuity was highly correlated with age and fully accounts for the interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Context improves performance for everyone in natural speech. However, whereas context improves performance for synthetic speech, it does not differentially reduce the age impairment for older adults. Slower speed generally impairs everyone's performance compared with the normal rate. APPLICATIONS: Systems using synthetic speech should avoid presenting words in isolation, and rich contextual support should be consistently adopted. Synthetic speech fidelity must be improved significantly before becoming truly useful for older adult populations.     

Sex Differences and Individual Differences in Cognitive Performance and Their Relationship to Endogenous Gonadal Hormones and Gonadotropins.

Sexually dimorphic cognitive performance in men (n=42) and women (n=42) was related to testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and sex hormone binding globulin, measured in 10-ml blood samples collected between 0900 and 1030 and, among women, during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Significant sex differences favored men on spatial tasks (Mental Rotation and Judgment of Line Orientation) and on an inhibition task and favored women on a verbal task (category fluency). However, there were no significant relationships between any of the hormones and cognitive performance, suggesting that there are few, if any, consistent, substantial relationships between endogenous, nonfluctuating levels of gonadal hormones or gonadotropins and these cognitive abilities in men or women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)