Raptor codes have been widely used in many multimedia broadcast/multicast applications. However, our understanding of Raptor codes is still incomplete due to the insufficient amount of theoretical work on the performance analysis of Raptor codes, particularly under maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding, which provides an optimal benchmark on the system performance for the other decoding schemes to c...

Endotoxin (LPS) and sepsis decrease mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity in skeletal muscle, thereby reducing protein synthesis. Our study tests the hypothesis that inhibition of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism, which elevates circulating BCAA and stimulates mTOR, will blunt the LPS-induced decrease in muscle protein synthesis. Wild-type (WT) and mitochondrial branched-chai...

In 2005, 13.5% of clinic-admitted raptors in northern Colorado tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). Clinic-admitted-raptor surveillance detected WNV activity nearly 14 weeks earlier than other surveillance systems. WNV surveillance using live raptor admissions to rehabilitation clinics may offer a novel surveillance method and should be considered along with other techniques already in use.

In this thesis, we investigate the optimization of Raptor codes for various channels of interest in practical wireless systems. First, we present an analytical asymptotic analysis of jointly decoded Raptor codes over a BIAWGN channel. Based on the analysis, we derive an optimization method for the design of efficient output degree distributions. We show that even though Raptor codes are not uni...

The successful resolution of human-wildlife conflicts requires the participation of local communities and other stakeholder groups in formulating management decisions. In the uplands of the United Kingdom, a controversial conservation issue concerns the relationship between the conservation of a legally protected raptor, the Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) and the management of a gamebird, the Red...