An efficient implementation of several tasks at the receiver becomes crucial in OFDM-based high-speed WLAN systems, such as automatic gain control, time and frequency synchronization, and offset ...tracking. This paper deals with fixed point constraints and accuracy requirements for implementation of those algorithms. Also, a complete set of thresholds for the practical implementation of time and frequency synchronization sub-blocks is obtained. Moreover, a technique to mitigate the remaining frequency offset after coarse acquisition is proposed, yielding a good trade-off between performance and complexity. Finally, we propose the implementation of a simple and effective automatic gain control procedure.
Compared to rodents, sheep offer several attractive features as an experimental model for testing different medical and surgical interventions related to pathological gait caused by neurological ...diseases and injuries. To use sheep for development of novel treatment strategies in the field of neuroscience, it is key to establish the relevant kinematic features of locomotion in this species. To use sheep for development of novel treatment strategies in the field of neuroscience, it is crucial to understand fundamental baseline characteristics of locomotion in this species. Despite their relevance for medical research, little is known about the locomotion in the ovine model, and next to nothing about the three-dimensional (3D) kinematics of the hindlimb. This study is the first to perform and compare two-dimensional (2D) and 3D hindlimb kinematics of the sagittal motion during treadmill walking in the ovine model. Our results show that the most significant differences took place throughout the swing phase of the gait cycle were for the distal joints, ankle and metatarsophalangeal joint, whereas the hip and knee joints were much less affected. The results provide evidence of the inadequacy of a 2D approach to the computation of joint kinematics in clinically normal sheep during treadmill walking when the interest is centered on the hoof's joints. The findings from the present investigation are likely to be useful for an accurate, quantitative and objective assessment of functionally altered gait and its underlying neuronal mechanisms and biomechanical consequences.
In this paper the choice of DLL parameters is studied with special focus on multipath and Doppler sensitivity. The envisaged application is code tracking on navigation receivers and the multipath ...fading environments defined for next generation navigation systems are considered. Given the particular properties of these propagation environments, multipath estimating delay lock loop is shown to have the best performance within a particular signal to noise ratio range if some specific parameters such as the Predetection Integration Time and channel estimation time interval match the time-varying nature of the channel and the spacing in the early-late scheme is chosen accordingly to the multipath characteristics.
BackgroundThe neuropathic pain management which is refractory to opioids treatments demands the development of new analgesics or new ways of using our classic medicines. Ketamine is scarcely used as ...an anaesthetic, but with an increase in indication as an analgesic. However, no oral formulation is commercialised in our country.PurposeTo develop an oral formulation of ketamine and assess its efficacy in refractory neuropathic pain.Material and methodsA clinical record review of a 43-year-old male was carried out. After an accident in 2006, he experienced unapproachable neuropathic pain and he had a history of two admissions due to autolytic ideation motivated by poor pain control. From 2008 to 2015 he had been in treatment with various opiods and other non-opioid analgesics and antiinflamatory drugs, without pain control or improvement despite high doses. A ketamine oral solution was developed at the pharmacy according to Good Manufacturing Practice: 20 ml of Ketolar 50 mg/ml ampoule and syrup quantity sufficient for 100 ml, obtaining 10 mg/ml of oral solution.ResultsIn September 2016, the patient started with intravenous ketamine at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg with prior informed consent. He received three sessions with a 50% pain relief on the Global Clinical Impression Scale (GGI). On March 2017, the pain reappeared, and sessions were repeated monthly with a good response. In that time, the dose of transdermal fentanyl was reduced. In June 2017, oral ketamine solution 10 mg/ml was formulated, dosed at 50–70 mg/8 hours. The patient scored 9 for his quality life on the GGI scale. As an adverse reaction, a slight and transient dizziness was observed. In August 2017, he continued with a descending pattern of opioids to discontinue. Currently, the patient continues with oral ketamine dosed at 50 mg/8 hours and fentanyl on demand, and the pain is well controlled.ConclusionThe ketamine solution formulated has contributed to the control of the neuropathic pain and achieving the therapeutic objectives. Besides, it has reduced the opioids dose of this patient.References and/or acknowledgements1. Neira Reina F. La ketamina en el tratamiento del dolor crónico según medicina basada en la evidencia. Rev Soc Esp Dolo 2016;23:292–306.No conflict of interest.
Increased body temperature is thought to be an important component of the higher perception of exertion that is a feature of fatigue during exercise in the heat but a causal relationship has yet to ...be demonstrated. We have investigated the effect of passive heating on the perception of exertion during a standard bout of exercise and also assessed the effect of cooling the head on compensating for the increased body temperature on the feelings of exertion. Ten male subjects performed a 14-min cycling exercise average power approximately 63% of maximum power output ( W(max)) at an ambient temperature of 35 degrees C at resting rectal temperature mean (SD): 37.49 (0.27) degrees C; control (CON) trial on one occasion, and after sitting in a sauna to raise rectal temperature mean (SD): 38.95(0.13) degrees C; sauna (SAU) trial. During the exercise, subjects reported their ratings of overall perceived exertion (RPE), perceived exertion of the legs (RPE(legs)) and thermal comfort (TC). A blood sample was collected by the end of the exercise for determination of plasma glucose, lactate and prolactin and haematocrit. RPE values were significantly elevated after passive heating mean (SE): 14.5 (0.7) units in CON and 17.2 (0.5) units in SAU, at the end of exercise; P<0.001 as were the RPE(legs) ( P<0.01), while ratings of TC were similar in CON and SAU trials. Passive heating increased blood glucose ( P<0.05) but had no effect on lactate at the end of the exercise. Plasma prolactin was markedly elevated as a result of the sauna exposure mean (SE): 1598 (152) versus 225 (31) mU l(-1) in SAU and CON trials, respectively; P<0.001. Six of the subjects repeated the two trials but with the face cooled during exercise (trials CON(FAN) and SAU(FAN)) that was achieved by combining face fanning and spraying the face with a mist of cooled water. Face cooling decreased RPE values after sauna to a point that no differences between the two conditions existed. RPE(legs) scores and heart rate, however, remained higher in SAU(FAN) compared with CON(FAN) ( P<0.05). We conclude that hyperthermia is a causative element of the increased perception of exertion during submaximal exercise in the heat and that the effect of increased core temperature on the feelings of exertion is modulated by face cooling.
The low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) enoxaparin and dalteparin have shown superior and equivalent efficacy, respectively, over unfractionated heparin (UFH) in patients with unstable angina ...pectoris (UAP) or non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). This study aimed to identify markers of blood cell activation that are independent predictors of outcomes at 1 month and to compare the effects of enoxaparin, dalteparin, and UFH on any such markers. In this multicenter, prospective, open-label study, 141 patients with UAP or NSTEMI were randomized to treatment for 48 to 120 hours with enoxaparin (n = 46), dalteparin (n = 48), or UFH (n = 47). Blood samples were taken at the time of randomization and after ≥48 hours of treatment but before catheterization. Multivariate analysis identified increased plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and decreased platelet levels of glycoprotein Ib/IX complexes as independent predictors of 1-month adverse outcome (a composite of death, myocardial infarction, and recurrent ischemia). vWF release was strongly related to and may have been released by inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein. Both LMWHs reduced the release of vWF in plasma (as well as C-reactive protein) compared with UFH. Enoxaparin had a more favorable effect on glycoprotein Ib/IX complexes than either dalteparin or UFH. The incidence of the composite clinical efficacy end point was: 13% (enoxaparin), 19% (dalteparin), and 28% (UFH). vWF and its receptor glycoprotein Ib/IX play a key role in acute coronary syndromes. vWF is linked to inflammation and, like glycoprotein Ib/IX, is affected more favorably by the LWMHs than by UFH.
Apple is one of the most important fruits in the world. The elaboration of apple-based products such as cider or apple juice generates around 3–4.2 million tonnes of apple by-product that are ...annually discarded. Apple by-product has been described as an interesting source of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols. These valuable components, once extracted, could enable the usage of the apple by-product as a natural antioxidant ingredient. The aim of the present work was to address the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), and HHP assisted by two alternative food-grade enzymes, Celluclast®, and Ultraflo®. For that purpose, the total phenolic content was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu and Fast-Blue BB assays. Furthermore, antioxidant capacity was determined by three analytical methods (DPPH, ORAC and FRAP) and the characterization of phenolic compounds was carried out by Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry analysis. Results indicated a significant increase of the total phenolic content and the antioxidant capacity after the HHP aided by Celluclast® or Ultraflo® treatment. Conversely, the exclusive application of HHP induced minor changes. Thus, the combination of HHP and the food-grade enzymes Celluclast® or Ultraflo®, has proved to be an effective strategy for the extraction of natural antioxidant compounds from the apple by-product.
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•The elaboration of apple-based products generates a large amount of apple pomace.•Apple by-product composition includes valuable compounds such as antioxidants.•HHP assisted by food-grade enzymes enables the recovery of polyphenolic compounds.•HHP combined treatment is proposed for the development of a new ingredient.
► Hindlimb joint kinematic of the rat is sensitive and specific functional test after sciatic nerve crush injury. ► Ankle joint kinematics fails in detecting long-term minor functional deficits. ► ...Hip and knee kinematics showed the best sensitivity to identify reinnervated animals. ► Hip joint kinematic analysis improved sensitivity as a functional test.
Walking analysis in the rat is increasingly used to assess functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. Here we assess the sensitivity and specificity of hindlimb joint kinematics measures during the rat gait early after sciatic nerve crush injury (DEN), after twelve weeks of recovery (REINN) and in sham-operated controls (Sham) using discriminant analysis. The analysis addressed gait spatiotemporal variables and hip, knee and ankle angle and angular velocity measures during the entire walking cycle. In DEN animals, changes affected all studied joints plus spatiotemporal parameters of gait. Both the spatiotemporal and ankle kinematics parameters recovered to normality within twelve weeks. At this time point, some hip and knee kinematics values were still abnormal when compared to sham controls. Discriminant models based on hip, knee and ankle kinematics displayed maximal sensitivity to identify DEN animals. However, the discriminant models based on spatiotemporal and ankle kinematics data showed a poor performance when assigning animals to the REINN and Sham groups. Models using hip and knee kinematics during walking showed the best sensitivity to recognize the reinnervated animals. The model construed on the basis of hip joint kinematics was the one combining highest sensitivity with robustness and high specificity. It is concluded that ankle joint kinematics fails in detecting minor functional deficits after long term recovery from sciatic nerve crush and extending the kinematic analysis during walking to the hip and knee joints improves the sensitivity of this functional test.
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