ML estimator and hybrid beamformer for multipath and interference mitigation in GNSS receivers

This paper addresses the estimation of the code-phase(pseudorange) and the carrier-phase of the direct signal received from a direct-sequence spread-spectrum satellite transmitter. Thesignal is received by an antenna array in a scenario with interferenceand multipath propagation. These two effects are generallythe limiting error sources in most high-precision positioning applications.A new estimator of the code- and carrier-phases is derivedby using a simplified signal model and the maximum likelihood(ML) principle. The simplified model consists essentially ofgathering all signals, except for the direct one, in a component withunknown spatial correlation. The estimator exploits the knowledgeof the direction-of-arrival of the direct signal and is much simplerthan other estimators derived under more detailed signal models.Moreover, we present an iterative algorithm, that is adequate for apractical implementation and explores an interesting link betweenthe ML estimator and a hybrid beamformer. The mean squarederror and bias of the new estimator are computed for a numberof scenarios and compared with those of other methods. The presentedestimator and the hybrid beamforming outperform the existingtechniques of comparable complexity and attains, in manysituations, the Cramér–Rao lower bound of the problem at hand.

Temporal dynamics of auditory what and where processing in humans

Recent evidence suggests the human auditory system is organized,like the visual system, into a ventral 'what' pathway, devoted toidentifying objects and a dorsal 'where' pathway devoted to thelocalization of objects in space w1x. Several brain regions have beenidentified in these two different pathways, but until now little isknown about the temporal dynamics of these regions. We investigatedthis issue using 128-channel auditory evoked potentials(AEPs).Stimuli were stationary sounds created by varying interaural timedifferences and environmental real recorded sounds. Stimuli ofeach condition (localization, recognition) were presented throughearphones in a blocked design, while subjects determined theirposition or meaning, respectively.AEPs were analyzed in terms of their topographical scalp potentialdistributions (segmentation maps) and underlying neuronalgenerators (source estimation) w2x.Fourteen scalp potential distributions (maps) best explained theentire data set.Ten maps were nonspecific (associated with auditory stimulationin general), two were specific for sound localization and two werespecific for sound recognition (P-values ranging from 0.02 to0.045).Condition-specific maps appeared at two distinct time periods:;200 ms and ;375-550 ms post-stimulus.The brain sources associated with the maps specific for soundlocalization were mainly situated in the inferior frontal cortices,confirming previous findings w3x. The sources associated withsound recognition were predominantly located in the temporal cortices,with a weaker activation in the frontal cortex.The data show that sound localization and sound recognitionengage different brain networks that are apparent at two distincttime periods.References1. Maeder et al. Neuroimage 2001.2. Michel et al. Brain Research Review 2001.3. Ducommun et al. Neuroimage 2002.

NDA waveform estimation in the low-SNR regime

This correspondence addresses the problem of nondata-aidedwaveform estimation for digital communications. Based on the unconditionalmaximum likelihood criterion, the main contribution of this correspondenceis the derivation of a closed-form solution to the waveform estimationproblem in the low signal-to-noise ratio regime. The proposed estimationmethod is based on the second-order statistics of the received signaland a clear link is established between maximum likelihood estimation andcorrelation matching techniques. Compression with the signal-subspace isalso proposed to improve the robustness against the noise and to mitigatethe impact of abnormals or outliers.

Intrinsic subspace convergence in TDD MIMO communication

In numerical linear algebra, students encounter earlythe iterative power method, which finds eigenvectors of a matrixfrom an arbitrary starting point through repeated normalizationand multiplications by the matrix itself. In practice, more sophisticatedmethods are used nowadays, threatening to make the powermethod a historical and pedagogic footnote. However, in the contextof communication over a time-division duplex (TDD) multipleinputmultiple-output (MIMO) channel, the power method takes aspecial position. It can be viewed as an intrinsic part of the uplinkand downlink communication switching, enabling estimationof the eigenmodes of the channel without extra overhead. Generalizingthe method to vector subspaces, communication in thesubspaces with the best receive and transmit signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) is made possible. In exploring this intrinsic subspace convergence(ISC), we show that several published and new schemes canbe cast into a common framework where all members benefit fromthe ISC.

Linear transceiver design in nonregenerative relays with channel state information

This paper deals with the design of nonregenerativerelaying transceivers in cooperative systems where channel stateinformation (CSI) is available at the relay station. The conventionalnonregenerative approach is the amplify and forward(A&F) approach, where the signal received at the relay is simplyamplified and retransmitted. In this paper, we propose an alternativelinear transceiver design for nonregenerative relaying(including pure relaying and the cooperative transmission cases),making proper use of CSI at the relay station. Specifically, wedesign the optimum linear filtering performed on the data to beforwarded at the relay. As optimization criteria, we have consideredthe maximization of mutual information (that provides aninformation rate for which reliable communication is possible) fora given available transmission power at the relay station. Threedifferent levels of CSI can be considered at the relay station: onlyfirst hop channel information (between the source and relay);first hop channel and second hop channel (between relay anddestination) information, or a third situation where the relaymay have complete cooperative channel information includingall the links: first and second hop channels and also the directchannel between source and destination. Despite the latter beinga more unrealistic situation, since it requires the destination toinform the relay station about the direct channel, it is useful as anupper benchmark. In this paper, we consider the last two casesrelating to CSI.We compare the performance so obtained with theperformance for the conventional A&F approach, and also withthe performance of regenerative relays and direct noncooperativetransmission for two particular cases: narrowband multiple-inputmultiple-output transceivers and wideband single input singleoutput orthogonal frequency division multiplex transmissions.

Monte Carlo Methods in Parameter Estimation of Nonlinear Models

Yksi keskeisimmistä tehtävistä matemaattisten mallien tilastollisessa analyysissä on mallien tuntemattomien parametrien estimointi. Tässä diplomityössä ollaan kiinnostuneita tuntemattomien parametrien jakaumista ja niiden muodostamiseen sopivista numeerisista menetelmistä, etenkin tapauksissa, joissa malli on epälineaarinen parametrien suhteen. Erilaisten numeeristen menetelmien osalta pääpaino on Markovin ketju Monte Carlo -menetelmissä (MCMC). Nämä laskentaintensiiviset menetelmät ovat viime aikoina kasvattaneet suosiotaan lähinnä kasvaneen laskentatehon vuoksi. Sekä Markovin ketjujen että Monte Carlo -simuloinnin teoriaa on esitelty työssä siinä määrin, että menetelmien toimivuus saadaan perusteltua. Viime aikoina kehitetyistä menetelmistä tarkastellaan etenkin adaptiivisia MCMC menetelmiä. Työn lähestymistapa on käytännönläheinen ja erilaisia MCMC -menetelmien toteutukseen liittyviä asioita korostetaan. Työn empiirisessä osuudessa tarkastellaan viiden esimerkkimallin tuntemattomien parametrien jakaumaa käyttäen hyväksi teoriaosassa esitettyjä menetelmiä. Mallit kuvaavat kemiallisia reaktioita ja kuvataan tavallisina differentiaaliyhtälöryhminä. Mallit on kerätty kemisteiltä Lappeenrannan teknillisestä yliopistosta ja Åbo Akademista, Turusta.

Use of constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis of pooled blood samples to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes (Scnn1a and Scnn1b) encoding the alpha and beta subunits of the epithelial sodium channel.

BACKGROUND: The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is composed of three homologous subunits: alpha, beta, and gamma. Mutations in the Scnn1b and Scnn1g genes, which encode the beta and the gamma subunits of ENaC, cause a severe form of hypertension (Liddle syndrome). The contribution of genetic variants within the Scnn1a gene, which codes for the alpha subunit, has not been investigated. METHODS: We screened for mutations in the COOH termini of the alpha and beta subunits of ENaC. Blood from 184 individuals from 31 families participating in a study on the genetics of hypertension were analyzed. Exons 13 of Scnn1a and Scnn1b, which encode the second transmembrane segment and the COOH termini of alpha- and beta-ENaC, respectively, were amplified from pooled DNA samples of members of each family by PCR. Constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) was used to detect mutations in PCR products of the pooled DNA samples. RESULTS: The detection limit of CDCE for ENaC variants was 1%, indicating that all members of any family or up to 100 individuals can be analyzed in one CDCE run. CDCE profiles of the COOH terminus of alpha-ENaC in pooled family members showed that the 31 families belonged to four groups and identified families with genetic variants. Using this approach, we analyzed 31 rather than 184 samples. Individual CDCE analysis of members from families with different pooled CDCE profiles revealed five genotypes containing 1853G-->T and 1987A-->G polymorphisms. The presence of the mutations was confirmed by DNA sequencing. For the COOH terminus of beta-ENaC, only one family showed a different CDCE profile. Two members of this family (n = 5) were heterozygous at 1781C-->T (T594M). CONCLUSION: CDCE rapidly detects point mutations in these candidate disease genes.

Estimation des crues extrêmes dans les Alpes suisses a l'aide d'un modèle hydrologique distribué

Les modèles hydrologiques développés pour les pluies extrêmes de type PMP sont difficiles à paramétrer en raison du manque de données disponibles pour ces évènements et de la complexité du terrain. Cet article présente les processus et les résultats de l'ajustement des paramètres pour un modèle hydrologique distribué. Ce modèle à une échelle fine a été développé pour l'estimation des crues maximales probables dans le cas d'une PMP. Le calcul effectué pour deux bassins versants test suisses et pour deux épisodes d'orages d'été concerne l'estimation des paramètres du modèle, divisé en deux groupes. La première concerne le calcul des vitesses des écoulements et l'autre la détermination de la capacité d'infiltration initiale et finale pour chaque type de sol. Les résultats validés avec l'équation de Nash montrent une bonne corrélation entre les débits simulés et ceux observés.

The epithelial sodium channel and the control of sodium balance.

Studies aiming at the elucidation of the genetic basis of rare monogenic forms of hypertension have identified mutations in genes coding for the epithelial sodium channel ENaC, for the mineralocorticoid receptor, or for enzymes crucial for the synthesis of aldosterone. These genetic studies clearly demonstrate the importance of the regulation of Na(+) absorption in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron (ASDN), for the maintenance of the extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure. Recent studies aiming at a better understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of ENaC-mediated Na(+) absorption in the distal part of nephron, have essentially focused on the regulation ENaC activity and on the aldosterone-signaling cascade. ENaC is a constitutively open channel, and factors controlling the number of active channels at the cell surface are likely to have profound effects on Na(+) absorption in the ASDN, and in the amount of Na(+) that is excreted in the final urine. A number of membrane-bound proteases, kinases, have recently been identified that increase ENaC activity at the cell surface in heterologous expressions systems. Ubiquitylation is a general process that regulates the stability of a variety of target proteins that include ENaC. Recently, deubiquitylating enzymes have been shown to increase ENaC activity in heterologous expressions systems. These regulatory mechanisms are likely to be nephron specific, since in vivo studies indicate that the adaptation of the renal excretion of Na(+) in response to Na(+) diet occurs predominantly in the early part (the connecting tubule) of the ASDN. An important work is presently done to determine in vivo the physiological relevance of these cellular and molecular mechanisms in regulation of ENaC activity. The contribution of the protease-dependent ENaC regulation in mediating Na(+) absorption in the ASDN is still not clearly understood. The signaling pathway that involves ubiquitylation of ENaC does not seem to be absolutely required for the aldosterone-mediated control of ENaC. These in vivo physiological studies presently constitute a major challenge for our understanding of the regulation of ENaC to maintain the Na(+) balance.

Estimation of glomerular filtration rate in hospitalized patients : are we overestimating renal function?

Estimer la filtration glomérulaire chez les personnes âgées, tout en tenant compte de la difficulté supplémentaire d'évaluer leur masse musculaire, est difficile et particulièrement important pour la prescription de médicaments. Le taux plasmatique de la creatinine dépend à la fois de la fraction d'élimination rénale et extra-rénale et de la masse musculaire. Actuellement, pour estimer là filtration glomérulaire différentes formules sont utilisées, qui se fondent principalement sur la valeur de la créatinine. Néanmoins, en raison de la fraction éliminée par les voies tubulaires et intestinales la clairance de la créatinine surestime généralement le taux de filtration glomérulaire (GFR). Le but de cette étude est de vérifier la fiabilité de certains marqueurs et algorithmes de la fonction rénale actuellement utilisés et d'évaluer l'avantage additionnel de prendre en considération la masse musculaire mesurée par la bio-impédance dans une population âgée (> 70 ans) et avec une fonction rénale chronique compromise basée sur MDRD eGFR (CKD stades lll-IV). Dans cette étude, nous comparons 5 équations développées pour estimer la fonction rénale et basées respectivement sur la créatinine sérique (Cockcroft et MDRD), la cystatine C (Larsson), la créatinine combinée à la bêta-trace protéine (White), et la créatinine ajustée à la masse musculaire obtenue par analyse de la bio-impédance (MacDonald). La bio-impédance est une méthode couramment utilisée pour estimer la composition corporelle basée sur l'étude des propriétés électriques passives et de la géométrie des tissus biologiques. Cela permet d'estimer les volumes relatifs des différents tissus ou des fluides dans le corps, comme par exemple l'eau corporelle totale, la masse musculaire (=masse maigre) et la masse grasse corporelle. Nous avons évalué, dans une population âgée d'un service interne, et en utilisant la clairance de l'inuline (single shot) comme le « gold standard », les algorithmes de Cockcroft (GFR CKC), MDRD, Larsson (cystatine C, GFR CYS), White (beta trace protein, GFR BTP) et Macdonald (GFR = ALM, la masse musculaire par bio-impédance. Les résultats ont montré que le GFR (mean ± SD) mesurée avec l'inuline et calculée avec les algorithmes étaient respectivement de : 34.9±20 ml/min pour l'inuline, 46.7±18.5 ml/min pour CKC, 47.2±23 ml/min pour CYS, 54.4±18.2ml/min pour BTP, 49±15.9 ml/min pour MDRD et 32.9±27.2ml/min pour ALM. Les courbes ROC comparant la sensibilité et la spécificité, l'aire sous la courbe (AUC) et l'intervalle de confiance 95% étaient respectivement de : CKC 0 68 (055-0 81) MDRD 0.76 (0.64-0.87), Cystatin C 0.82 (0.72-0.92), BTP 0.75 (0.63-0.87), ALM 0.65 (0.52-0.78). ' En conclusion, les algorithmes comparés dans cette étude surestiment la GFR dans la population agee et hospitalisée, avec des polymorbidités et une classe CKD lll-IV. L'utilisation de l'impédance bioelectrique pour réduire l'erreur de l'estimation du GFR basé sur la créatinine n'a fourni aucune contribution significative, au contraire, elle a montré de moins bons résultats en comparaison aux autres equations. En fait dans cette étude 75% des patients ont changé leur classification CKD avec MacDonald (créatinine et masse musculaire), contre 49% avec CYS (cystatine C), 56% avec MDRD,52% avec Cockcroft et 65% avec BTP. Les meilleurs résultats ont été obtenus avec Larsson (CYS C) et la formule de Cockcroft.

Evolution of the epithelial sodium channel and the sodium pump as limiting factors of aldosterone action on sodium transport.

Despite large changes in salt intake, the mammalian kidney is able to maintain the extracellular sodium concentration and osmolarity within very narrow margins, thereby controlling blood volume and blood pressure. In the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron (ASDN), aldosterone tightly controls the activities of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and Na,K-ATPase, the two limiting factors in establishing transepithelial sodium transport. It has been proposed that the ENaC/degenerin gene family is restricted to Metazoans, whereas the α- and β-subunits of Na,K-ATPase have homologous genes in prokaryotes. This raises the question of the emergence of osmolarity control. By exploring recent genomic data of diverse organisms, we found that: 1) ENaC/degenerin exists in all of the Metazoans screened, including nonbilaterians and, by extension, was already present in ancestors of Metazoa; 2) ENaC/degenerin is also present in Naegleria gruberi, an eukaryotic microbe, consistent with either a vertical inheritance from the last common ancestor of Eukaryotes or a lateral transfer between Naegleria and Metazoan ancestors; and 3) The Na,K-ATPase β-subunit is restricted to Holozoa, the taxon that includes animals and their closest single-cell relatives. Since the β-subunit of Na,K-ATPase plays a key role in targeting the α-subunit to the plasma membrane and has an additional function in the formation of cell junctions, we propose that the emergence of Na,K-ATPase, together with ENaC/degenerin, is linked to the development of multicellularity in the Metazoan kingdom. The establishment of multicellularity and the associated extracellular compartment ("internal milieu") precedes the emergence of other key elements of the aldosterone signaling pathway.

Quantile Estimation in Non-Stationary Streaming Data

We provide an incremental quantile estimator for Non-stationary Streaming Data. We propose a method for simultaneous estimation of multiple quantiles corresponding to the given probability levels from streaming data. Due to the limitations of the memory, it is not feasible to compute the quantiles by storing the data. So estimating the quantiles as the data pass by is the only possibility. This can be effective in network measurement. To provide the minimum of the mean-squared error of the estimation, we use parabolic approximation and for comparison we simulate the results for different number of runs and using both linear and parabolic approximations.

Concentrations of resveratrol and derivatives in foods and estimation of dietary intake in a Spanish population: European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Spain cohort

Resveratrol has been shown to have beneficial effects on diseases related to oxidant and/or inflammatory processes and extends the lifespan of simple organisms including rodents. The objective of the present study was to estimate the dietary intake of resveratrol and piceid (R&P) present in foods, and to identify the principal dietary sources of these compounds in the Spanish adult population. For this purpose, a food composition database (FCDB) of R&P in Spanish foods was compiled. The study included 40 685 subjects aged 3564 years from northern and southern regions of Spain who were included in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Spain cohort. Usual food intake was assessed by personal interviews using a computerised version of a validated diet history method. An FCDB with 160 items was compiled. The estimated median and mean of R&P intake were 100 and 933 mg/d respectively. Approximately, 32% of the population did not consume RΠ The most abundant of the four stilbenes studied was trans-piceid (53·6 %), followed by trans-resveratrol (20·9 %), cis-piceid (19·3 %) and cis-resveratrol (6·2 %). The most important source of R&P was wines (98·4 %) and grape and grape juices (1·6 %), whereas peanuts, pistachios and berries contributed to less than 0·01 %. For this reason the pattern of intake of R&P was similar to the wine pattern. This is the first time that R&P intake has been estimated in a Mediterranean country.

Channel Partner Program Benchmark

Tämän diplomityön tavoitteena on vertailla maailmanlaajuisen sähköalan yhtiön kanavapartneriohjelmaa yhtiön kilpailijoiden vastaaviin ohjelmiin, sekä laatia yhtiön käyttöön konkreettinen työkalu kanavapartneriohjelmien vertailua varten. Tavoitteena on myös tutkimuksessa kerätyn tiedon perusteella selvittää yhtiön kanavapartneriohjelman vahvuudet ja heikkoudet. Tässä diplomityössä tutkimusongelmaa on ensin tarkasteltu kirjallisuuden valossa, keskittyen kirjallisuuteen kilpailijavertailusta sekä jakelukanavista. Kilpailijavertailu, benchmark,on kuvattu tässä yhteydessä osana laadunhallintaa, painottaen yleisesti käytössä olevaa Campin 10 askeleen kilpailijavertailuprosessia. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltavat jakelukanavateoriat on jaoteltu kahteen osaan; jakelukanavan rakennetta käsitteleviin teorioihin sekä jakelukanavan hallintaa käsitteleviin teorioihin. Ensin mainitussa keskitytään lähinnä jakelukanavamalleihin ja -tyyppeihin, ja toisessa lähemmin partneri -käsitteeseen; kumppanuuteen, kanavapartnereihin ja kanavapartneriohjelmiin. Tavoitteena oli kerätä mahdollisimman tarkkaa ja ajankohtaista tietoa tutkimuksen kohteena olevien kilpailijayritysten kanavapartneriohjelmista. Tämä osoittautui varsin haastavaksi tehtäväksi. Tarpeeksi tietoa saatiin kuitenkin kerättyä sekä kirjallisuudesta että tehdyn kyselyn avulla, mikä mahdollisti alkuperäisenä tavoitteena olleen kilpailijavertailun sekä sen pohjalta tehdyt analyysit.

Covariance Matrix Estimation and Mean-Variance Optimization in application to International Diversification

Tutkimus keskittyy kansainväliseen hajauttamiseen suomalaisen sijoittajan näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksen toinen tavoite on selvittää tehostavatko uudet kovarianssimatriisiestimaattorit minimivarianssiportfolion optimointiprosessia. Tavallisen otoskovarianssimatriisin lisäksi optimoinnissa käytetään kahta kutistusestimaattoria ja joustavaa monimuuttuja-GARCH(1,1)-mallia. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu Dow Jonesin toimialaindekseistä ja OMX-H:n portfolioindeksistä. Kansainvälinen hajautusstrategia on toteutettu käyttäen toimialalähestymistapaa ja portfoliota optimoidaan käyttäen kahtatoista komponenttia. Tutkimusaieisto kattaa vuodet 1996-2005 eli 120 kuukausittaista havaintoa. Muodostettujen portfolioiden suorituskykyä mitataan Sharpen indeksillä. Tutkimustulosten mukaan kansainvälisesti hajautettujen investointien ja kotimaisen portfolion riskikorjattujen tuottojen välillä ei ole tilastollisesti merkitsevää eroa. Myöskään uusien kovarianssimatriisiestimaattoreiden käytöstä ei synnytilastollisesti merkitsevää lisäarvoa verrattuna otoskovarianssimatrisiin perustuvaan portfolion optimointiin.