This paper considers the problem of estimating the spectrum of real-valued signals. We propose real-valued versions of the Capon and the APES spectral estimators. The estimators are derived as members of the Matched-Filterbank (MAFI) estimator class as introduced in [1]. Furthermore, we show that the real-valued estimators will be unbiased, whereas the complex-valued estimators will have a (sli...

OBJECTIVE To develop an environmental health indicator for use as a basis for developing preventive measures against Ascaris lumbricoides infection in children from the rural municipalities of Caparaó and Alto Caparaó, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and September 1998 among 1171 children under 14 years of age living in 588 dwellings selecte...

The association of adult height with mortality has been extensively investigated in the general population, but little is known about this relationship among dialysis patients. We explored the relationship between height and mortality in a retrospective cohort study of 1,171,842 adults who began dialysis in the United States from 1995 to 2008 and were followed until December 31, 2010. We evalua...

BACKGROUND Ineffective communication of infection control requirements during transitions of care is a potential cause of non-compliance with infection control precautions by healthcare personnel. In this study, interventions to enhance communication during inpatient transfers between wards and radiology were implemented, in the attempt to improve adherence to precautions during transfers. ME...

BACKGROUND Healthcare workers have been identified as one of the high risk groups for being infected with influenza during influenza pandemic. Potential levels of absenteeism among healthcare workers in hospital settings are high. However, there was no study to explore the attitudes of healthcare workers in community setting towards the preparedness to the novel H1N1 influenza pandemic. The aim...

While recent studies suggest children can use cross-situational information to learn words, these studies involved minimal referential ambiguity, and the cross-situational evidence overwhelmingly favored a single referent for each word. Here we asked whether 2·5-year-olds could identify a noun's referent when the scene and cross-situational evidence were more ambiguous. Children saw four trials...

BACKGROUND Nepal is one of the largest suppliers of labour to countries where there is a demand for cheap and low skilled workers. In the recent years the Gulf countries have collectively become the main destinations for international migration. This paper aims to explore the health problems and accidents experienced by a sample of Nepalese migrant in three Gulf countries. METHODS A cross-sec...

F or decades anatomical pathologists have established and managed diagnostic immunohistochemistry (IHC) laboratories to assist in accurate tissue diagnosis. Although test validation, quality control (QC), and quality assurance (QA) procedures have always been a part of routine operations, test results were always viewed in the context of clinical, morphological, and other IHC test results. Howe...

The primary objective of this study is to examine the association between the quality of mandatory earnings forecast, measured by forecast accuracy and bias, and the ownership structure of Taiwanese firms, measured by the divergence between the ultimate owner’s control and the equity ownership level. The study is based on 528 forecasts issued by Taiwanese listed firms from 1999 to 2001 which we...

BACKGROUND Due to high prevalence and serious impacts, childhood caries represents a public health issue. Behavioural risk factors such as locus of health control have been implicated in the development of the disease; however their association with childhood caries has not been thoroughly studied. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to assess the relationship between parental locus of h...