The poetical works of John Denham. With a life of the author,

Mode of access: Internet.

Letters from George Lord Carew to Sir Thomas Roe, ambassador to the court of the Great Mogul. 1615-1617.

Mode of access: Internet.

Letters from Sir Robert Cecil to Sir George Carew ...

Mode of access: Internet.

First aid to the injured : arranged according to the revised syllabus of the First Aid Course of the St. John Ambulance Association ... with a chapter on stretcher transport /

St. John Ambulance Association general price list: 35 p. at end.

Don't sell social science short

The News of the Week article that reports on Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) questioning the need to fund social science research at the National Science Foundation is alarming and shortsighted ("Senate panel chair asks why NSF funds social sciences," 12 May, p. 829). Social science research is at the fundamental core of basic research and has much to contribute to the economic viability of the United States. Twenty years of direct and jointly funded social and ecosystem science research at Colorado State University's Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory has produced deep insights into environmental and societal impacts of political upheaval, land use, and climate change in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Beyond greatly advancing our understanding of the coupled human-environmental system, the partnership of social and ecosystem science has brought scientists and decision-makers together to begin to develop solutions to difficult problems.

A framework for testing robust autonomy of UAS during design and certification

As the number of Uninhabited Airborne Systems (UAS) proliferates in civil applications, industry is increasingly putting pressure on regulation authorities to provide a path for certification and allow UAS integration into regulated airspace. The success of this integration depends on developments in improved UAS reliability and safety, regulations for certification, and technologies for operational performance and safety assessment. This paper focusses on the last topic and describes a framework for quantifying robust autonomy of UAS, which quantifies the system's ability to either continue operating in the presence of faults or safely shut down. Two figures of merit are used to evaluate vehicle performance relative to mission requirements and the consequences of autonomous decision making in motion control and guidance systems. These figures of merit are interpreted within a probabilistic framework, which extends previous work in the literature. The valuation of the figures of merit can be done using stochastic simulation scenarios during both vehicle development and certification stages with different degrees of integration of hardware-in-the-loop simulation technology. The objective of the proposed framework is to aid in decision making about the suitability of a vehicle with respect to safety and reliability relative to mission requirements.

Adaptive estimation of HMM transition probabilities

This paper presents new schemes for recursive estimation of the state transition probabilities for hidden Markov models (HMM's) via extended least squares (ELS) and recursive state prediction error (RSPE) methods. Local convergence analysis for the proposed RSPE algorithm is shown using the ordinary differential equation (ODE) approach developed for the more familiar recursive output prediction error (RPE) methods. The presented scheme converges and is relatively well conditioned compared with the ...

On adaptive HMM state estimation

In this paper new online adaptive hidden Markov model (HMM) state estimation schemes are developed, based on extended least squares (ELS) concepts and recursive prediction error (RPE) methods. The best of the new schemes exploit the idempotent nature of Markov chains and work with a least squares prediction error index, using a posterior estimates, more suited to Markov models then traditionally used in identification of linear systems.

Adaptive estimation of hidden semi-Markov chains with parameterised transition probabilities and exponential decaying states

This paper develops maximum likelihood (ML) estimation schemes for finite-state semi-Markov chains in white Gaussian noise. We assume that the semi-Markov chain is characterised by transition probabilities of known parametric from with unknown parameters. We reformulate this hidden semi-Markov model (HSM) problem in the scalar case as a two-vector homogeneous hidden Markov model (HMM) problem in which the state consist of the signal augmented by the time to last transition. With this reformulation we apply the expectation Maximumisation (EM ) algorithm to obtain ML estimates of the transition probabilities parameters, Markov state levels and noise variance. To demonstrate our proposed schemes, motivated by neuro-biological applications, we use a damped sinusoidal parameterised function for the transition probabilities.

Optimal HMM processing of differentially phase modulated communication systems

This paper investigates demodulation of differentially phase modulated signals DPMS using optimal HMM filters. The optimal HMM filter presented in the paper is computationally of order N3 per time instant, where N is the number of message symbols. Previously, optimal HMM filters have been of computational order N4 per time instant. Also, suboptimal HMM filters have be proposed of computation order N2 per time instant. The approach presented in this paper uses two coupled HMM filters and exploits knowledge of ...

Reduced complexity on-line estimation of hidden Markov model parameters

In this paper we propose and study low complexity algorithms for on-line estimation of hidden Markov model (HMM) parameters. The estimates approach the true model parameters as the measurement noise approaches zero, but otherwise give improved estimates, albeit with bias. On a nite data set in the high noise case, the bias may not be signi cantly more severe than for a higher complexity asymptotically optimal scheme. Our algorithms require O(N3) calculations per time instant, where N is the number of states. Previous algorithms based on earlier hidden Markov model signal processing methods, including the expectation-maximumisation (EM) algorithm require O(N4) calculations per time instant.

Faster parameter estimation using risk-sensitive filters

In this paper, we propose a risk-sensitive approach to parameter estimation for hidden Markov models (HMMs). The parameter estimation approach considered exploits estimation of various functions of the state, based on model estimates. We propose certain practical suboptimal risk-sensitive filters to estimate the various functions of the state during transients, rather than optimal risk-neutral filters as in earlier studies. The estimates are asymptotically optimal, if asymptotically risk neutral, and can give significantly improved transient performance, which is a very desirable objective for certain engineering applications. To demonstrate the improvement in estimation simulation studies are presented that compare parameter estimation based on risk-sensitive filters with estimation based on risk-neutral filters.

Optimal HMM filtering and decision feedback equalisation for differential encoded transmission systems

In this paper conditional hidden Markov model (HMM) filters and conditional Kalman filters (KF) are coupled together to improve demodulation of differential encoded signals in noisy fading channels. We present an indicator matrix representation for differential encoded signals and the optimal HMM filter for demodulation. The filter requires O(N3) calculations per time iteration, where N is the number of message symbols. Decision feedback equalisation is investigated via coupling the optimal HMM filter for estimating the message, conditioned on estimates of the channel parameters, and a KF for estimating the channel states, conditioned on soft information message estimates. The particular differential encoding scheme examined in this paper is differential phase shift keying. However, the techniques developed can be extended to other forms of differential modulation. The channel model we use allows for multiplicative channel distortions and additive white Gaussian noise. Simulation studies are also presented.

Avoiding giving advice in telephone counselling for children and young people

Kids Helpline is an Australian 24-hour telephone counselling helpline for children and young people up to the age of 25 years old. The service operates with the core values of empowerment for clients, and the use of child-centred practices, one aspect of which is a non-directive approach highlighted by the avoidance of overt advice giving. Through analysis of a single call to the helpline, this chapter demonstrates how counsellors actively manage and minimise the normative and asymmetric properties of advice in the course if helping clients develop options for change. In doing so we illustrate the practical relevance and enactment of abstract institutional policies and discuss the interactional affordances of institutional constraints on practice.

The relationship of clinical and inflammatory markers to outcome in stable patients with cystic fibrosis

Decreased survival in patients with cystic fibrosis has been related to FEV1, BMI, and infection with Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC). We have assessed the relationship of blood, sputum, and urine inflammatory markers to lung function, BMI, colonization with B cenocepacia (Bc), and patient survival. Thirty-nine stable cystic fibrosis (CF) patients (10 with Bc) were enrolled in a study to determine the effect of alpha-1-antitrypsin on airways inflammation. Pre-treatment measurements were used in this study. Demographics, sputum microbiology, heart rate, oxygen saturation, lung function were recorded. Blood samples were obtained for white blood count (WBC), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and plasma neutrophil elastase/AAT complexes (pNEC). Neutrophil elastase (NE), neutrophil elastase/AAT complexes (sNEC), interleukin-8 (IL-8), TNF-receptor 1 (sTNFr), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured in sputum and urinary desmosine concentration determined. Patients with Bc had significantly higher levels of pNEC, 332?±?91.4 ng/ml (mean?±?SEM) versus 106?±?18.2 ng/ml (P?=?0.0005) and sNEC, 369?±?76.6 ng/ml versus 197?±?36.0 ng/ml compared to those who were not. Five deaths were reported at the end of 1 year, (four with Bc) (P?=?0.011). Patients who subsequently died had significantly lower lung function FEV1, 1.2?±?0.2 L versus 2.0?±?0.1 L (P?=?0.03) and FVC, 2?±?0.3 L versus 3.1?±?0.2 L (P?=?0.01), compared to those that survived. There was significantly higher NE activity, 3.6?±?1.6 U/ml versus 1.5?±?0.6 U/ml (P?=?0.03), pNEC, 274?±?99 ng/ml versus 142?±?30 ng/ml (P?=?0.05), MPO, 163?±?62 mcg/ml versus 54?±?6.9 mcg/ml (P?=?0.03), and urinary desmosines 108?±?19.9 pM/mg creatinine versus 51.1?±?3.3 pM/mg creatinine (P?=?0.001), in those patients who subsequently died compared to those that survived. These data suggest there is increased neutrophil degranulation in patients infected with Bc and these patients have a poor outcome.