We propose a first-order smoothed penalty algorithm (SPA) to solve the sparse recovery problem min{‖x‖1 : Ax = b}. SPA is efficient as long as the matrix-vector product Ax and AT y can be computed efficiently; in particular, A need not have orthogonal rows. SPA converges to the target signal by solving a sequence of penalized optimization sub-problems, and each sub-problem is solved using Neste...

We investigate the switched parasitic antenna (SPA), which is a novel technique for electronically directing the radiation pattern, in a MIMO system. The correlation between the received signal modes are shown to be sufficiently low to yield a diversity gain. The capacity limit using the SPA is investigated for different SPA configurations and it is found that the capacity is comparable with an...

Objective To compare the frequency and severity of periodontitis in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) with healthy control individuals, through the evaluation of clinical, serological and microbiological periodontal condition. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of SpA (n=78) and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) naive fulfilling the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis in...

—In 2001, we initiated a study in Jackson County, AL, to examine shelterwood prescriptions in mixed mesophytic upland hardwood forests located on the escarpment of the mid-Cumberland Plateau. We were particularly interested in testing a shelterwood method that was successfully applied in other upland hardwood systems to recruit Quercus into competitive size classes. In the midstory herbicide sh...

BACKGROUND The loss of alveolar epithelial and endothelial integrity is a central component in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); however, experimental models investigating the mechanisms of epithelial injury are lacking. The purpose of the present study was to design and develop an experimental porcine model of ARDS by inducing lung injury with intrapulmonary administration of sodium ...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of spondyloarthritis (SpA) varies across populations. In Mexicans, the prevalence of SpA is still unknown. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of SpA in the community as well as that of inflammatory back pain (IBP) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS We identified individuals older than 18 years with nontraumatic back pain (BP...

OBJECTIVE The molecular processes driving the distinct patterns of synovial inflammation and tissue remodeling in spondylarthritis (SpA) as compared to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain largely unknown. Therefore, we aimed to identify novel and unsuspected disease-specific pathways in SpA by a systematic and unbiased synovial gene expression analysis. METHODS Differentially expressed genes wer...

Eleven patients with advanced breast cancer and four with astrocytoma were treated with plasma perfused over columns containing staphylococcal Protein A (SPA). Doses of 5 to 20 mg of SPA were bound to collodion charcoal particles, and this treatment resulted in partial remissions in one patient with astrocytoma and in two patients with breast cancer. Remission duration was 6 wk to 6 mo. Resolut...

Involuntary physical activity induced by the avoidance of electrical shock leads to improved endurance exercise capacity in animals. However, it remains unknown whether voluntary stand-up physical activity (SPA) without forced simulating factors improves endurance exercise capacity in animals. We examined the eff ects of SPA on body weight, cardiac function, and endurance exercise capacity for ...

The benefits of spa therapy on different medical diseases are known since ancient times, as well its positive effects on some psychiatric symptoms. In the last decades different studies have been carried out in order to elucidate some of the possible biological mechanisms underlying spa treatment effectiveness, which include thermal, mechanical, immunomodulatory and chemical effects. It is stil...