Turbo equalization is a joint iterative equalization and decoding technique known to produce superior performance for Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) channel, comparing to noniterative methods. We analyze turbo equalization that employs linearly encodable LDPC codes. The codes are irregular and their degree profiles are optimized in order to achieve capacityapproaching performance. To optimize ...

Relative 235 U(n,γ) and (n,f) cross sections from 235 U(d,pγ) and (d,pf) The internal surrogate ratio method allows for the determination of an unknown cross section, such as (n,γ), relative to a better-known cross section, such as (n,f), by measuring the relative exit-channel probabilities of a surrogate reaction that proceeds through the same compound nucleus. The validity of the internal sur...

Channel-optimized vector quantization (COVQ) is approximated by the novel channel-adaptive scaled vector quantization (CASVQ). This new method uses a reference codebook that is optimal for one specific channel condition. However, for a bit error rate being different from the design assumption for the reference codebook, all codevectors are scaled by a common factor, which depends on the channel...

The electrical signaling capabilities of neurons depend on the flows of ions into and out of their axons. Potassium ions exit an axon’s interior through a potassium channel or pore that connects the intracellular region with the extracellular region. The channel opens, or is activated, allowing potassium ions to exit. The channel then undergoes a blocking transition in which the channel is phys...

Recent studies have provided detailed structures of the N-terminal T1 domain of Kv channel alpha subunits that mediates contranslational subunit assembly. In this issue of Neuron, Kosolapov et al. probe T1 domain structure within the ribosomal tunnel. They find that the T1 domain forms secondary structure within the tunnel, in preparation for its immediate role in governing channel assembly upo...

BACKGROUND In Switzerland, non-medical right-to-die organisations such as Exit Deutsche Schweiz and Dignitas offer suicide assistance to members suffering from incurable diseases. OBJECTIVES First, to determine whether differences exist between the members who received assistance in suicide from Exit Deutsche Schweiz and Dignitas. Second, to investigate whether the practices of Exit Deutsche ...

Microtubule-poisoning drugs, such as Paclitaxel (or Taxol, PTX), are powerful and commonly used anti-neoplastic agents for the treatment of several malignancies. PTX triggers cell death, mainly through a mitotic arrest following the activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). Cells treated with PTX slowly slip from this mitotic block and die by mitotic catastrophe. However, cancer cell...