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Apparatus for decoding digital signals, such as digital television signals, which have been transmitted by concatenated coded modulation using partitioning levels of a constellation of points representing different code values. The apparatus includes successive decoding stages which respectively operate on the successive partitioning levels of the constellation. Each decoding stage includes a detector for detecting received points in the relevant partitioning level. At least one stage includes an internal decoder for generating estimated bit sequences in accordance with an inner code and erasures of bit sequences for which the estimation is found to be ambiguous, an external decoder decoding in accordance with an outer code and correcting bit sequence erasures, and an encoder for encoding the output of the external decoder and supplying the resulting re-encoded bit sequences to the succeeding stages of the decoding apparatus to validate detection thereby of points in their partitioning levels. The apparatus may be arranged to produce only a predetermined maximum number of erased bit sequences.
1. Apparatus for decoding a received digital signal representing a series of modulated code words each of which has been formed by concatenated encoding of one or more of the symbols in a corresponding information word in accordance with an inner code and an outer code and modulation of the resulting encoded information word in accordance with modulation values corresponding to points in successive partitioning levels of a constellation of modulation values; said decoding apparatus comprising successive decoding stages for the successive partitioning levels of said constellation, each decoding stage including detection means for receiving the digital signal and deriving therefrom bit sequences corresponding to points in the relevant partitioning level of said constellation, at least one of said decoding stages further comprising:
internal decoding means for decoding the bit sequences derived by said detection means by estimating in accordance with said inner code, so as to derive estimated inner decoded bit sequences, said decoding including erasure of inner decoded bit sequences for which the estimation decision is ambiguous;
external decoding means for receiving the inner decoded bit sequences and erasures from the internal decoding means and decoding in accordance with said outer code so as to derive outer decoded bit sequences, the outer decoded bit sequences including correction of said erasures;
encoding means coupled to said external decoding means for re-encoding the outer decoded bit sequences and supplying the re-encoded bit sequences to the detection means of all decoding stages succeeding said one decoding stage, the re-encoded bit sequences enabling the detection means in said succeeding decoding stages to validate that the bit sequences derived thereby correspond to points in the relevant partitioning levels of said constellation; and
storage means coupled to all of said decoding stages for combining the outer decoded bit sequences derived by said at least one decoding stage with bit sequences derived by the remaining decoding stages, the combined bit sequences constituting successive decoded information words corresponding to successive modulated code words of the received digital signal.
2. Decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said internal decoding means performs a maximum likelihood decoding to derive estimated inner decoded bit sequences having a predetermined number of bits, an information portion of each inner decoded bit sequence constituting a symbol in said outer code, erasure of the entire information portion of an inner decoded bit sequence being performed when the estimation of at least one bit of said sequence is ambiguous.
3. Decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection means in each decoding stage is adapted to determine, for detecting whether a bit sequence corresponds to a received point (PR) which is within a particular sub-assembly of the relevant partitioning level of said constellation:
a pair of distances (D1, D2) between the received point (PR) and two nearest points (PT1, PT2) included in said subassembly; and
a series of binary bit pairs (b1 p, b2 p) of the same binary significance (p) as the bits represented by said two nearest points (PT1 and PT2).
4. Decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the internal code is a trellis code, the points of said constellation as represented in the trellis code are separated from each other by junction points, and for decoding a received point (PR) said internal decoding means is adapted to:
calculate for each junction point of the trellis the accumulated distances (D1, D2) over different possible paths of the trellis as distributed over preceding decoded received points;
determine the one of said paths for which said accumulated distances is a minimum;
for each accumulation, assign to a bit (bp) corresponding to said junction point the same binary significance (p) as that of the bits represented by the two nearest points (PT1 and PT2) corresponding to the last of the distances (D1, D2) included in said accumulation; and
when two of said accumulations for any junction point differ by less than a predetermined small distance, perform an erasure of the entire inner decoded bit sequence which corresponds to the received point (PR).
5. Decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said external decoding means has a capacity to correct only up to a predetermined maximum number of erased bit sequences, and said internal decoding means comprises means for adapting said predetermined small distance to a value such that the number of erased bit sequences does not exceed said maximum number.
6. Decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said external decoding means further comprises means for increasing said correcting capacity to one more than said maximum number.
7. Decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a further one of said decoding stages only produces bit sequences which correspond to constellation points which relate to information word symbols which are only encoded in said inner code, so that said further decoding stage does not require and does not include any external decoding means.
8. Decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a still further one of said decoding stages only produces bit sequences corresponding to constellation points which relate to information word symbols which are not encoded in either of said inner and outer codes, so that said still further decoding stage does not require and does not include any internal or external decoding means.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transmission system comprising a transmitter for transmitting digital signals by block-wise encoded modulation in accordance with points of a modulation pattern referred to as a "constellation", and a receiver having a decoder provided with first decoding means (451 -45M) capable of generating bit erasures signifying bit sequence errors and second decoding means (441 -44M1) capable of correcting bit erasures and bit sequence errors.
The invention more particularly relates to the transmission of digital television signals, for example high definition television signals, via a satellite channel or over microwave links. It may also relate to the transmission of digital sound signals by mobile radio, or transmission of digital data for storing, for example, on a compact disc, or by a digital tape recorder. In all these cases it is necessary to effect at the source a preliminary bit rate reduction by means of a source encoder, and on reception to reestablish the original bit rate by means of a source decoder. In those cases in which digital data is transmitted between two digital processing units, for example two calculators, bit rate reduction using a source encoder is not required.
Since the most representative use of the invention in high-definition television (HDTV), for which the problems of bit rate reduction are the most extensive, the present application is described with reference to this use but without any limitations as to other suitable uses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digitizing of High-Definition Television signals (HDTV) generates a total gross data rate of the order of 800 Mbit/sec. The transmission of data at such a rate cannot be realized economically over existing transmission channels. Several coding techniques for reducing the data rate (source coding) have been developed employing coding algorithms which can be evaluated in terms of their data rate "reduction factor" and the quality of the picture obtained after decoding. The more the redundancy of the signal is reduced, the more significant is the actually transmitted information. Transmission errors which can easily be corrected if the information components are redundant, have increasingly serious consequences as the data rate reduction factor increases.
Consequently, the transmission of HDTV digital signals requires judicious error protection. So as to avoid the effects of transmission errors from being noticeable on a display screen, the error rate in the line scanning direction must be less than 10-11.
The channel which is used for "Direct Broadcasting by Satellite" (DBS) is characterized by:
a bandwidth of 27 MHz;
a low power (above all for the link from the satellite) and the presence of much noise, which is considered to be additive, white and gaussian; and
non-linear distortions.
The routing of digital signals of HDTV via such a channel requires source coding having a considerable compression ratio as well as digital modulation having high spectral efficiency.
Coding techniques based, for example, on an orthogonal transform, can reduce the data rate by a factor higher than 10 whilst still ensuring a good quality of the recovered image. This leads to a binary transmission rate of the order of 60 to 70 Mbits/s. However, the transmission of such signals via a satellite channel requires digital modulation having a spectral efficiency reaching 2.7 bits/s/Hz.
It is further necessary to effect channel coding to protect the transmission from channel imperfections. Conventional channel coding and modulation techniques have proved to be inadequate to satisfy fully the requirements for correct transmission (in these techniques, the coding function is considered to be an entity which is independent of the modulation function). However, these coding techniques are significantly improved with the aid of the coding technique proposed by G. UNGERBROECK in the article: "Channel coding with multilevel/phase signals", published in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory vol. IT-28 no 1, January 1982, pages 55-67.
It is proposed therein to consider the channel coding and the modulation as an integral whole, and to that end to employ channel coding combined with digital modulation. This renders it possible to increase the efficiency of the digital transmission and thus to improve performance without reducing spectral efficiency. The redundancy added by the coding is transmitted as a redundancy of the alphabet instead of by reducing the data rate. This technique is based on the maximization principle of the minimum euclidian distance between sequences of transmitted encoded points.
Thus, after a coding operation which converts p information bits into m bits, wherein m>p and m-p represents the redundancy added for the protection of information components during transmission, using a 2m -stage modulation, there are 2m-p stages to transmit this redundancy. This modulation technique allows the use of a spatial distribution instead of a temporal distribution of the redundancy.
Following the discovery by G. UNGERBROECK of trellis coded modulations (TCM), combinations of block-wise coded modulations (BCM) and trellis coded multidimensional modulations have been proposed.
TCM's of a moderate complexity (4 or 8 states) can yield a coding gain of 3 to 4 dB. But in large-scale applications the incorporation of a Viterbi decoder, which is required to decode these TCM's, remains expensive in the present state of the art. A coding technique which is attractive for these applications is multilevel coding. The significance of this technique is that it is adapted to a simple sub-optimal decoding method which is effected in stages, and offers a good compromise between the performance and the complexity of the structure.
Based on the constellation partitioning principle described by G. UNGERBROECK, the use of multilevel coding has been analyzed more specifically by G. J. POTTIE and D. P. TAYLOR in "Multilevel Codes Based on Partitioning" IEEE Trans. Information Theor. vol. 35, no. 1, Jan. 1989, pages 87-98.
In that article the authors first analyze the multilevel coding principle, consisting of partitioning a modulation constellation and coding the points of the constellation, and secondly describe a multistage coder having a coding stage assigned to each partitioning level, the points being transmitted block-wise via a transmission channel.
On reception, a multistage decoder effects the inverse operation and recovers constellation points corresponding to the transmitted points. In a conventional decoder this triggers decision operations which estimate points and determine code bits of the estimated points as a function of the detected phase and the amplitude of each point received. Depending on various transmission and receiving conditions, however, a certain number of the estimated bits will be faulty. A first stage of the multistage decoder decides on estimated points according to the first level of the partition. The result supplied by this first stage is employed for validating the decoding of the second stage, and so on until the last stage. In the article by G. J. POTTIE and D. P. TAYLOR, an additional bit erasure operation is introduced after each stage, the decoding effecting a concatenated decoding. This improves the performance of the decoder but at the expense of increased complexity. Actually, this requires the addition of a second decoder to correct and accomplish the bit erasure.
The idea of bit erasure has already been described in another connection by R. H. DENG and D. J. COSTELLO in the article "High rate concatenated coding systems using bandwidth efficient trellis inner codes", IEEE Transactions on Communication, vol. 37, no. 5, May 1989, pages 420-427. Although the term concatenated is used in this article, it actually relates to cascaded codes. To concatenate or cascade two codes an external coder is actually used followed by an internal coder. For concatenated codes, each symbol of the outer code is successively coded by the internal code. For cascaded codes, the internal coder encodes a packet of several symbols of the outer code. These two coding operations require on decoding totally different decoding techniques. Actually, in the case of decoding of concatenated codes, each symbol after decoding is independent of the symbol following it. In contrast thereto, when decoding cascaded codes, the symbols after the decoding operation are dependent and must be processed accordingly. More specifically, coding by cascaded codes requires an interlacer on coding and a deinterlacer on decoding, between the internal and external coder/decoder. This will obviously render the processing operation and hardware realization of the coding and decoding devices more complex. Moreover, as indicated by the aforesaid article, the coding gain obtained, as compared to the technique without erasure, is between 0.05 and 0.1 dB, which is relatively moderate.
The object of the invention is to improve the performance of conventional decoding by processing information bits whilst maintaining an equivalent complexity of the decoder hardware. The improvement in performance achieves, for a given bit rate error, reducing the necessary signal-to-noise ratio on transmission, which renders it possible to reduce the broadcasting power.
This object is accomplished by providing a system including a decoder which decodes the received points PR originating from the transmitted points of the modulation constellation in accordance with bit assignment at several partitioning levels of the constellation in combination with concatenated inner and outer codes. Such decoder comprises multistage decoding means having a respective stage for each partition level, at least one such state including:
detection means, validated by the stages preceding it, for detecting the received points PR in the partition level of the said one stage,
internal decoding means for effecting internal decoding by generating estimated inner code words of the internal code, and effecting erasure of all estimated inner code words for which the estimation decision is ambiguous,
external decoding means for effecting an external decoding and which corrects the erasures and errors of the said estimated inner code words, the outputs of the external decoding means being encoded by coders which energize the detection means of the subsequent stages.
Advantageously, a gain in performance is obtained without increasing the hardware complexity of the decoder, for the case, for example, of phase shift keying (PSK) modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) of two carriers.
The decoder in accordance with the invention can operate with several types of coded modulations. They may be PSK modulations or QAM modulations or other types of modulations. When PSK is used, the points of the constellation have the same amplitude but differ as regards their phases.
In the case of a PSK-8 modulation, a gain of 0.7 dB has been achieved relative to the conventional techniques. This gain is 7 times higher than the gain obtained by the system described in the above-cited article by R. H. DENG and D. J. COSTELLO.
The internal decoding effects a maximum likelihood decoding of code words having a fixed number of estimated bits, an information portion of each internal code word constituting an external code word symbol, erasure of all the external code word symbols being uncertain.
Thus the decoder benefits from the multilevel coding by putting into effect the partition concept, which is adapted to a simple step-wise sub-optimal decoding method which provides a good compromise between performance and hardware complexity.
The decoder also uses the code concatenation principle, which allows relatively low complexity of the hardware with good performance as compared to an equivalent device using non-concatenated codes.
The erasure method is performed on a fixed number of received points, equal to the number of bits of a code word of the inner code, on the symbols of the outer code, symbol after symbol. This procedure is effected for each external symbol independently of the other external symbols, which achieves much greater decision reliability.
By using a maximum likelihood decoding, the internal decoder provides optimum efficiency. The external decoder benefits from the error correlation at the output of the internal decoder.
The decoder in accordance with the invention does not require the presence of an interlacer at the coding end, and so no deinterlacer is needed at the decoding end. This significantly simplifies the hardware structure.
To enable the decoding operation, the position of a received point in the constellation of the modulation employed must be detected. This constellation is partitioned according to several partition levels, each stage operating for a single partition level.
For each stage the detection means determines, for each received point PR, a pair of distances (D1, D2) between the said received point PR and the two nearest points PT1, PT2 forming part of the sub-assembly of the partition level of the said stage, as well a sequence of bit pairs bp 1, bp 2 of the same significance p as the bit assignments of the respective points PT1 and PT2.
These bit pairs bp 1, bp 2 of the same significance p form bit trains arranged in sequences. If the inner code has on transmission a length n, the sequences after decoding constitute inner code words of n bits bp. That is to say, n bits of the same significance p as the n estimated points after detection.
The invention utilizes concatenated codes formed from an inner code represented by a trellis and an outer code in the form of blocks. The trellis furnishes a representation of the inner code, all the possible paths representing points of the constellation which are broadcasted consecutively. The sequences in the trellis code being separated from each other by known junction points of the decoder, the internal decoder of the invention is adapted to:
calculate for each junction point of the trellis the accumulated distances (D1, D2) on the possible paths of the trellis distributed over the preceding decoded points,
determine the path having the lowest accumulated distances,
assign to the bit bp, corresponding to the said junction point a bit of the same significance p as that of bp 1 or bp 2 of the bit assignment of the point PT1 or PT2 of the last distance (D1, D2) of the accumulation, and when two accumulations for the same junction point are separated by a distance less than a predetermined small distance, adjust the internal code word assembly to the erasure state.
The constellation of an encoded modulation is partitioned into a plurality of levels. Each of the levels is coded and each stage of the decoder then processes a single one of said levels. It is alternatively possible, however, that subsequent stages do not trigger the sequence erasure procedure, this procedure being reserved only for the first partition level. In that case, the decoder further includes a stage provided with the detection means and the internal decoder effects internal decoding by generating estimated code words of an inner code.
It is likewise possible that the last partition levels are not coded. In that case the corresponding stage or stages need only be provided with the detection means which effects, validated by the preceding stages, detection of non-coded received points PR.
Each stage acts in cascade with the stages next to it. For that purpose, the decoded bits of a stage are utilized to effect the decisions in the subsequent stage.
The invention and its advantages will be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limitative example, in which:
FIG. 1-A is a block circuit diagram of a digital signal coding device,
FIG. 1-B is a block circuit diagram of a digital signal decoding device,
FIG. 2 is a representation of a constellation Ao for PSK-8 modulation, and its three partition levels B, C and D,
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a multistage coder for concatenated codes,
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a multistage decoder for concatenated codes,
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a multistage decoder having two error protection stages,
FIG. 6 is a detailed circuit diagram of the decoder of FIG. 5,
FIG. 7 is a representation of a constellation for PSK-8 modulation and with a received point P,
FIG. 8 is a representation of the trellis of an inner code,
FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of a Viterbi erasure decoder with an adaptive estimation, and
FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of a Viterbi erasure decoder with a further adaptive estimation.
FIG. 1-A shows a block circuit diagram of a digital signal encoder 5 such as is incorporated in the broadcasting portion of a transmission link. It comprises, arranged in series:
a source 10, for example an analog-to-digital converter, which supplies the digital signals to be coded when they are not already available in the digital form,
a source coder 11 (which may in some cases be omitted),
a channel coder 12,
a modulator 13, and
a broadcasting filter 14.
The encoder 5 is connected to a transmission channel 15 which may be shortwave links, satellite links or cable links.
When used for the transmission of HDTV signals with a 864 Mbits/s bit rate of video signal samples, this bit rate is compressed to 70 Mbits/s at the output of the source coder 11. These compressed samples are then coded by the channel coder 12 to render them insensitive to imperfections of the channel. Thereafter the modulator 13 modulates the digital signals for transmission over the transmission channel, for example a satellite channel.
FIG. 1-B shows the block circuit diagram of a decoder 105 at the receiving end which effects operations which are the inverse of the operations effected at the transmitting end. It comprises (arranged at the output of the channel 15):
a receiving filter 114,
a demodulator 113,
a channel decoder 112,
a source decoder 111 (which may be omitted),
a digital-to-analog converter 110 when the digital signals are to be corrected to analog form.
The encoder 5, the decoder 105 and the transmission channel 15 constitute a digital signal coding/decoding system with coded modulation.
The present invention relates to the channel decoding operation, which is the inverse of the channel coding effected at the transmission end of the channel. The channel coding to which the invention relates is multilevel coding. For the sake of clarity the principle of multilevel decoding will first be described.
Consider (FIG. 2-A) a constellation A0 of 2m points, capable of transmission of m bits per point. If M (wherein M≦m) designates the number of bits to be coded, the constellation A0 is partitioned into M levels thus giving 2M sub-assemblies. The principle of this partition is identical to that in the above-referenced article by G. UNGERBROECK. This principle maximizes the minimum euclidian distance in the sub-assemblies of the partition. If the minimum euclidian distance in the ith partition level is denoted by di, the following inequality must be verified:
d0 <d1 <d2 <. . . <dM
wherein d0 is the minimum distance in A0.
Thus, the M bits e1, e2, . . . , ei . . . ,eM, (wherein ei is the bit assigned to the ith partition level) select one of the 2M sub-assemblies, and the m-M remaining bits designate a point in the selected sub-assembly. FIG. 2 gives the diagram of the partitions for a PSK-8 modulation. The constellation A0 (FIG. 2A) having 23 =8 points is partitioned into a first level (FIG. 2B) having two sub-assemblies B0, B1, each of a minimum distance d1, wherein e1 =0/1 (e1=0 for B0 and e1 =1 for B1); thereafter (FIG. 2C) into a second level C having four subassemblies C1, ie {0,1,2,3}, of minimum distance d2, wherein e2 =0/1 (e2 =0 for C0 or C1 and e2 =1 for C2 or C3); and finally into a third level D having 8 sub-assemblies (FIG. 2D). A subassembly in level D is thus a single point. It is thus obtained that d0 <d1 <d2.
This method of assigning bits to points of the constellation has for its object to classify the m bits which represent each of the transmitted points as a function of their sensitivity to noise. It is very easy to show that the bit e2 is less sensitive than the bit e1, since the minimal euclidian distance d2 >d1 corresponds thereto. In accordance with the partitioning principle described in the foregoing, one can demonstrate that if the bits ek, k≦i=1, are adequately protected to ensure that they are correct, the bit ei, i≦M, is better protected from noise than all the other bits ej, j<i and that the (m-M) last bits are the least sensitive. This implies that it is more prudent to code these bits separately with different codes, rather than to use a conventional series coding wherein all the bits are protected in the same manner from channel noise. The multilevel coding principle consists, after having partitioned the constellation A0 into M levels, in the use of M coders Ei, i=1, . . . , M, to protect these M bits with a plurality of protection levels. The circuit diagram of such a coder is shown in FIG. 3. The data train to be transmitted, (received on line 34) having a rate D is divided by S/P converter 30 into m trains having flow rates Di, i=1, . . . , m. The first M of such trains are coded by M codes; the subsequent data trans DM+1 to Dm are not coded.
Among the M coded bit trains, those from D1 to DM1 are coded by the concatenated codes (Ei, Ii), Ei being a code arranged in blocks Ii being a parity code. The subsequent coded bit trains, after DM1 up to DM, are coded by a unique binary coding operation Ii (ni, ki, δi).
The codes Ei (ni, ki, δi), i=1 . . . M, have an efficiency Ri =ki /ni wherein ni represents the number of bits transmitted in each block, ki represents the number of information symbols transmitted in each block, and δi represents the minimum Hamming distance. External coders 341, 342, . . . 34M1 effect the coding operations Ei. A code symbol Ei is shown over qi bits.
The parity codes I i (qi+1, q1, 2) code each symbol of qi bits supplied by the external coders, by adding a parity bit to them. Internal coders 351, 352, . . . 35M1 effect the coding operations Ii. This encodes each symbol of the outer code according to an inner parity code, thereby forming the concatenated coding of the two codes Ei and Ii.
The M1 bits are encoded by a concatenated coding which supplies their minimum equivalent distances (knowing that di represents the distances obtained from the partition, wherein:
d0 <d1 <d2 . . . <dM1 . . . <dM),
(dis1)i =2d2 i-1 δi, i=1, . . . M1.
Similarly, the minimum equivalent distances of the bits coded by a unique minimum distance code δ (i>M1) are:
(dis2)i =δi d2 i-1, i=M1 +1, . . . M,
and those distances which are not coded:
(dis3)i =d2 i-1, i=M+1, . . . m.
The system is optimal when:
(dis1)i =(dis2)i =(dis3)i.
The outer codes E1, . . . EM1 may be Reed-Solomon codes over a Galois field CG (2q1). That is to say each symbol of the RS is formed by q1 bits.
The inner codes I1, . . . IM1 may be parity bit codes (q1 1, q1, 2).
Assuming that all the codes Ei are of the same length, wherein ni =n and qi =q, and that the M codes Ei are codes in blocks, this coding can be described by a matrix structure identical to that used for block-wise coded modulation. A code word corresponds to n(q+1) points of the constellation, and can be represented by a binary matrix G having m lines and n(q+1) columns, wherein the jth point of the block and the ith line represent the bits assigned to the ith partition level. The line i, i=1, . . . , M1 is a concatenated code word, and the (m-M) last lines contain either non-coded bits or bits coded by a unique inner code. With, for example, three partition levels for the case of a PSK-8 modulation we have: ##EQU1## The bits of a column, for example e1 1, e1 2, e1 3, form a point r1.
The multilevel coding circuit (FIG. 3) includes a series-parallel converter 30 which converts the series data having flow rate D into parallel bit trains having flow rates D1, D2 . . . Dm. The first M1 bit trains are encoded by encoders 311, 312 . . . 31M1 which derive the binary coded data words e1, e2 . . . eM1. Such encoding includes concatenated coding by the external coders 341 to 34M1 and the internal coders 351 to 35M1. The succeeding bit trains DM2 to DM are encoded only by the unique binary coding Ii, resulting in the binary coded data words eM2 . . . eM. The bit trains DM+1 . . . Dm are not encoded at all, and form data words eM+1 . . . em. For each word (e1, e2, . . . em) the bit assignment of a point of a modulation constellation containing 2m points is transmitted by the modulator 32 over the connecting line 33.
By way of example, in the case of a PSK-8 modulation constellation, wherein m=M=3, the encoding of the first level (1st stage) can be a concatenated coding formed by:
code E1 =RS (40, 34, 7) on a 256-point Galois field, the number of bits of a symbol being q1 =8,
and a code I1 =parity (9, 8, 2 ).
Coding the second level (2nd stage) is effected by a parity code:
I2 =Parity (20, 19, 2).
The third level (3rd stage) is not coded.
The matrix is then present in the shape:
______________________________________8 1 8 1 . . . 8 119 1 19 1 . . .360______________________________________
A point of the PSK-8 constellation is represented by a column of this matrix. A block is then formed by 360 consecutive points.
The decoding operation is the inverse of the coding operation. A detection is performed in each stage of each of the levels of the partition. A concatenated decoding is effected for the stages in which concatenated coding has been performed. After each detection in a sub-assembly of the partition, each stage effects two decoding operations (internal decoding and external decoding).
FIG. 4 shows a general circuit diagram of a multistage decoder having certain stages which operate on concatenated codes. Detectors 401 . . . 40M1, 40M2 . . . 40M . . . 40m each effect detection in a partition level. For the stages i=1 to M1 the decoders 451, 452 . . . 45M1 perform internal maximum likelihood decoding operations. These internal decoders supply internal, deleted or non-deleted code words, respectively, to external decoders 441, 442 . . . 44M1. The internal decoders cancel the redundancy resulting from internal coding of each point. The external decoders thereafter supply estimations of the bit sequences.
To estimate a level i, estimations effected in the preceding levels are taken into account. To that end, the information components estimated by the level i-1 are again coded by coders 461, 462 . . . 46M1 to find again the redundancy of the internal code words. This is necessary to obtain code words of length n(q+1) bits required for the subsequent stages.
For the stages for which there is only one type of internal coding (i=M2 to M), only one detection and a maximum likelihood decoding are effected.
For the stages in which there is only one type of internal coding (i=M+1 to m), only one detection is effected. The output data are entered into a memory 52.
By way of example, the FIGS. 5 and 6 represent a multistage decoding operation for decoding concatenated codes using a PSK-8 modulation. In FIG. 5:
the first stage comprises a detector 401, an internal decoder 451, and external decoder 441 and an encoder 461 (concatenated coding),
the second stage comprises a detector 402 and an internal decoder 452 (simple coding),
the third stage comprises a detector 403 (no coding).
The first stage decodes an external code RS (40, 34, 7) concatenated with an internal parity code (9, 8, 2).
The second stage decodes an internal parity code (20, 19, 2).
A transmitted block S contains 360 points of the constellation S=(s1 . . . s360).
A received block R also contains 360 received points:
R=(r1 . . . r360).
The received block R contains noise which causes a detection uncertainty. A detailed circuit diagram of the decoder is shown in FIG. 6. The received signals, modulated in phase I and in quadrature Q, are digitized by analog-to-digital converters 601, 602 which are followed by respective memories 611, 612 which store the digitized data so as to allow it to be processed block-wise. Change-over switches 621, 622 distribute the digitized data successively over the three stages, so as to provide that the stages act one after the other on the same data blocks.
First Stage
The first stage effects a first estimation in the detector 401. To that end, it detects a received point P and positions it in the constellation PSK-8 shown in FIG. 7. A point of the constellation PSK-8 is coded over three bits. The first stage of the detector determines the least significant bit, the second stage determines the middle significant bit and the third stage determines the most significant bit. The first stage thus supplies sequences of least significant bits.
To estimate the bits for the point P, the detector 401 calculates two distances D1 and D2 with respect to the two points of the constellation PSK-8 which are nearest to the received point P. Such a detection is effected for a sequence of received points, in this case 9 points taking into account the external decoder used. The detector 401 thus supplies sequences of 9 pairs of estimated bits as well as the corresponding distances D1 and D2. For each sequence of 9 bit pairs corresponding to 9 received points, the Viterbi decoder 451 utilizes these data and determines the unambiguous or ambiguous quality of each internal code word. The Viterbi decoding is a maximum likelihood decoding which uses the trellis of the code made operative by the coder.
The trellis of the internal code is shown in FIG. 8 for a sequence of 9 received pints. The black dots in FIG. 8 represent the junction points of the trellis. The broken lines correspond to the 0 bits and the solid lines correspond to the 1 bits. A path ending at a junction point Ni of the trellis consequently represents the state of the decisions effected on the i-1 preceding points of the modulation.
The maximum likelihood decoding will consist in determining for, for example, a junction point Y, the possible paths in the trellis taking into account the preceding points already decoded. Thus, for the junction point Y (FIG. 8), there may be the paths W X Y or W Z Y. A metric value is calculated corresponding to the accumulations of the distances D1, D2 determined for each preceding point, and the path having the lowest metric value is selected as the most likely path. Then, at the junction pint Y, the decoder assigns to the bit of the point received either a 0 bit or a 1 bit depending on the selected path. This determination is effected in the same manner at each junction point of the trellis of a sequence.
However, situations may arise in which the accumulations calculated for two different paths are very near to each other and so ambiguities occur. In this case, an estimation is not effected if the deviation between two accumulations is less than a predetermined deviation. The sequence is then adjusted to the "erasure state". It is said to be "eliminated". This comparison between the metric values of different paths is only performed once in a sequence, and is evidenced by an erasure each time of only one single sequence, a sequence corresponding to a symbol of the external code.
This mode of operation could not be used with cascaded codes, which can only act on a plurality of sequences at one and the same time without the necessity that their number be a priori limited. Actually, with cascaded codes erasures may occur for a large number of sequences, which significantly complicates the decoding and result in very limited decoding reliability.
When a sequence is eliminated in accordance with the invention, an ambiguity is thus created for the totality of bits of the sequence. This ambiguity is thereafter eliminated by the external decoder 441 (FIG. 6).
The Viterbi decoder 451 thus supplies sequences of 9 bits, of which 8 bits represent the coded information, and erased sequences. An external code word correspond to 40 sequences of 8 bits, i.e. 320 bits. The external decoder, which may be a Reed-Solomon decoder, acts on 8�40 bits, so 320 bits, and provides the bits estimated by the first stage, i.e. 40 sequences of 8 information bits.
A counter 47 determines the number J of processed internal code words. A comparator 48 renders it possible to continue the detection (block 401) and processing of the Viterbi decoder (block 451) when J<40, and to validate triggering of the external decoder 44 when J=40.
Second Stage
The second stage needs the parity bits produced by the first stage for its operation. The parity bits are extracted by the first stage. They must be reintroduced into the 40 sequences before such sequences are introduced into the second stage. A parity coding I (9, 8, 2), effected by the coder 461, enables this.
The sequences of 40�9 bits thus recovered enable the second detector 402 in FIG. 6 to determine the second partition level, B0 or B1, to be taken into account for the detection. The Viterbi decoder 452 thereafter effects a decoding over 20 bits corresponding to 20 points received in accordance with the example chosen for the coding.
A counter 49 and a comparator 50 render it possible for the preceding stage either to continue the processing per stage if the number of internal code words has not yet been reached, or to put the subsequent stage into operation if said number has been reached.
Third Stage
Since the third transmitted partition level has not been coded, there only needs to be a detection in this third partition level with the aid of the detector 403. The output of the Viterbi decoder 452 in the second stage is entered into the detector 403 to enable this detection.
A counter 51 is incremented by one unit each time a stage becomes operative, and supplies a R/W signal when all the stages have finished their processing operation. This signal renders it possible to enter the results of all stages into a memory 52 which supplies the decoded data. The signal R/W triggers writing of new received data into the memories 611, 612.
FIG. 9 illustrates the circuit diagram of the erasure Viterbi decoder 451, and is constituted by a Viterbi decoder 79 proper and an erasure estimator 80. As has been indicated in the foregoing, when two metrical values (accumulated distances) relating to two paths are only separated by a distance ε, the corresponding sequence is erased. In accordance with an adapted embodiment, the value of this distance ε can be modified. A counter 81 counts the number Ne of erased sequences. This number Ne is compared in a comparator 82 to a predetermined value, for example Ne=6 in the present example. If the number of erased sequences is less than or equal to 6, decoding by the decoder 441 continues as indicated hereinbefore. If the number of erased sequences exceeds 6, the comparator modifies the step ε (block 83) which acts on the erasure by estimating once again the same sequence of points received.
It is likewise possible to implement the invention using a different adaptation mode. This may be combined or not combined with the previous adapted embodiment. This different adapted embodiment is shown in FIG. 10. The erasure Viterbi decoder 451 comprises a Viterbi decoder proper and an erasure estimator 80.
Connected to the output of the erasure Viterbi decoder 451 is the external decoder 441 which corrects the erasures. Its correction capacity is limited to a number of δ1 -1 erasures. It can, for example, correct Ne (Ne ≦δ1 -1) erasures, wherein δ1 is the Hamming distance of the external code. If the number of erasures exceeds (δ1 -1), it then delivers an incorrect result, that is to say the erasures are not corrected. According to the invention, it is possible to increase the correction capacity of the external decoder to exceed (δ1 -1), for up to δ1 erasures. To that effect, there is provided at the output of the external decoder 441 a test unit 47 which determines whether the external decoder 441 is beyond its correction capacity (Ne ≧δ1). Such a determination is made when the number of erasures to be corrected is equal to δ1 (counter 85). In that case the external decoding is not effected by placing the internal code word in the erasure mode, but by utilizing the internal code words C1 or C2 which relate to either the point D1 or the point D2, respectively, detected for the junction pint under consideration. In this situation it is actually very possible for the correct internal code word to correspond to that of the point D1 or the point D2. Therefore, when the number Ne of erasures reaches δ1, the external decoder 441 in FIG. 10 operates in the first place by replacing the erasure by the code word C1. If the result is poor, that is to say when the code word C1 has a greater Hamming distance than the code word C2, the erasure is instead replaced by the code word C2. This adaptive mode can deliver improved results for certain internal and external concatenated codes.
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A very nice book, that is indeed an introduction to Christian faith. Also is very useful to poeple who are not following the christian religion, because it is written in a simple... Read morePublished 5 months ago by Maria
What a man! In dense prose, our holy father gives the most historical and theological treatment of where Christianity comes from and what it means. Read morePublished 9 months ago by Rudiger
I read this book for my Catholic Doctrine class. Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benecict XVI) makes Theology so much easier to understand. I absolutely adore his writing!Published 10 months ago by Mpr90
I bought this book for its summary of the articles of the creed. This, along with St Thomas Aquinas, have assisted greatly in my understanding.Published 12 months ago by Kevin R. Caldwell
This is perhaps the only book that I read avidly and then upon finishing it immediately started reading it again so that I could review in my mind the earlier portions in light of... Read morePublished 12 months ago by John Farrell
With an MDiv and a life of reading I am pleasently surprised to find that I can still find writers and books that inspire faith and ground themselves so beautifully in intellegence... Read morePublished 12 months ago by Paul J. Conn

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WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior passed away last night at the age of 54 and is survived by his wife Dana and two daughters. More details have come surface regarding his death.
TMZ is reporting that witnesses in New Orleans for WWE Wrestlemania 30 this past weekend, that Warrior was looked very sick and in pain. The report also states that Warrior looked like he was on the verge of a medical catastrophe all weekend looking sweaty and stressed, like he was about to "burst at the seams".
The last time we saw Warrior was this past Monday on Raw and after he cut a promo, one person who saw him stated, "we all felt like he looked like he was going to blow a gasket. It was pretty easy to see."
We will have more updates as more information comes to us.
Follow Between The Ropes on Facebook and Twitter.
The post The Ultimate Warrior Looked "Very Sick And In Pain" During WWE Wrestlemania 30 Weekend appeared first on Between The Ropes.


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Last year Madrid's city and regional governments sold almost 5,000 rent-controlled flats to private equity investors including Goldman Sachs and Blackstone. At the time, the tenants were told their rental conditions would remain the same.
But as old contracts expire, dozens of people have received demands for higher rent, been told their rents will increase dramatically, been threatened with eviction or moved out to escape the insecurity. Thousands of Spain's poor now depend for their homes on the generosity of private equity.
- From today's Reuters article: Why Madrid's Poor Fear Goldman Sachs and Blackstone
Less than a month ago, I warned the people of Spain that U.S. financial oligarchs had their sights set on the nation. The post was titled, Your Wall Street Slumlord Arrives in Europe – Goldman and Other Financial Firms Launch "Buy to Rent" in Spain, and in it I wrote:
Donate bitcoins: 1LefuVV2eCnW9VKjJGJzgZWa9vHg7Rc3r1
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I'm Charlene Marie Hermonica Blue Lim Tago. !'m 15 yrs. of age. ☺
And I love vintage cameras, I only reblog those photos because of their quality. ☺☺
I love photos! ♥
Reading the life of Agatha Christie by Joke Gaasendam on Flickr.
Analog sunday by krkojzla on Flickr.
August 08, 2014 at 03:19PM (by @coffeentrees)
Our convo with my kuya last night.


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As punctuality plummets, Amtrak confronts freight in Supreme Court battle
Wisconsin resident Bob Fisher had a ticket to ride the train. He ended up on a bus. Fisher, a retired planner from La Crosse, had planned to take Amtrak's Empire Builder eastward across the state to Milwaukee for a conference this summer. Informed that his train was running six hours late, Fisher disappointedly opted to make the trip on a motor coach chartered at the railroad's expense. For Amtrak travelers, such schedule-shredding snafus are becoming more common as delays push long-distance train punctuality to its lowest point in years, driving off customers and raising costs.


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In a previous column, I wrote that there is a desirable level of tax* revenue for every economy and that it necessarily changes over time. It is found at the peak of the utility curve for taxation, which is a difficult curve to define.
As in other major economies, production in Japan is on a recovery course driven by inventory adjustments. However, Japan's production recovery is not showing its usual high sensitivity to the global economy in this cycle. It is lagging major Asian
Historically, gold has been a precious commodity used for trade, jewelry, medicine and decoration. In more recent times, it has been used as a hedge against inflation. There are many investors who currently believe our country is heading into an inflationary environment, pushing up the price of gold. But we do not see any data to support the position that inflation will spiral out of control anytime in the near future.
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Bloody Nurse Betty
Hanging Chained Bloody Arm
Hang this fake severed bloody arm decoration indoors or out and send a message - don't reach for the Halloween treats without asking!
Convulsing Nurse Animated Decoration
Give your guests a scare they will never forget when you decorate your haunted house with the Convulsing Nurse Animated Decoration. This screaming and flailing nurse is compatible with the First Aid Box, features volume control and comes with a power adapter.
Nurse Terminal Adult Womens Costume
Report for the night shift in this Nurse Terminal adult womens costume. The white and red dress of this nurse costume features plenty of blood spatters and comes complete with mask, hat, apron and bloody gloves.
Bloody Print Headband
Add this bloody print headband to your nurse, zombie or victim costume or wear it just because. It's great on Halloween on any time you're in a bloody rage.
Nurse Headband
Top off your RN costume with this authentic-looking Nurse Headband! White headpiece features red trim and red cross outline.
Nurse Bag
Ever wonder what a zombie nurse has in her purse? Figure it out when you complete your costume with this official looking Nurse bag and stash your stuff.
Betty Boop Wig
Boop-Oop-A-Doop! You'll be flirting all night when you top off your costume with the officially licensed Betty Boop Wig. This short, curly, black wig will set you apart from all the others.
Betty Bondage Adult Costume
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Ugly Betty Wig Kit
Hi, I'm Betty Suarez from Queens, New York, and I love fashion. You can look just like me with this stylish Ugly Betty wig.
Betty Boop Dog Purse
Complete your Betty Boop costume with this adorable and officially licensed black and white and cute all over plush dog purse.
Betty Boop Adult Womens Costume
Bring the most iconic cartoon character to life when you wear this red hot Betty Boop adult womens costume. Turn some heads in this shiny red, strapless dress, complete with signature character wig.
Grease Betty Rizzo Women's Wig
She's one tough cookie! The Pink Ladies at Rydell High are led by tough-talking Betty Rizzo who ultimately sees the error of her bad girl ways. Be bad or good but just do it - create or complete your Rizzo costume with this officially licensed Grease Betty Rizzo adult women's wig.
Nurse's White & Red Thigh Highs
Complete your nurse's costume with these sexy white fishnet thigh highs topped with red cross red ribbons - he'll want to play doctor!
Nurse Adult Thigh High
Turn up the naughty in the Nurse Adult Thigh High. These red fishnet thigh highs feature a dark red seam running up the back which ends in a sexy little bow.
LIght-Up Naughty Nurse Kit
Look like a medical professional in under a minute when you use this Light-Up Naughty Nurse Kit! All you need is a simple red or white dress. Add these accessories and you'll be ready to perform check ups!
Nurse Adult Glitter Decals
Add a bit of naughtiness to your good nurse persona with the Officially Licensed Nurse Adult Glitter Decals. These red glitter decals can be placed on the arms, face, or the neck and chest for a sexier twist.
Nurse Jewelry Set
For the girl who looks to accessorize, even while saving lives, the Officially Licensed Nurse Jewelry Set is for you. The set features a red choker necklace with heart and cross detail and red heart earrings which also feature a tiny white cross.
Naughty Nurse Thigh Highs
Get guys finding any excuse to dial 911 when you're on call in this pair of naughty nurse thigh highs! This sexy set of stockings come in an innocent white with racy Red Cross bows sure to raise anyone's temperature.
Nurse Adult Womens Shirt
There will be plenty of wounds to fix up on Halloween. Hope you're qualified in this Nurse Adult Womens Shirt. At least you'll look the part in this classic white collared shirt with signature red cross logo.
Child Nurse Kit
Complete your doctor or nurse kit with this official looking Child Nurse Set and make the Halloween rounds equipped with authentic accessories.
Sexy Nurse Gloves
Add a sassy touch to your naughty nurse uniform costume when you wear these sexy red cross embellished nurse gloves.
Bloody Brain
Serve up a fresh platter of Bloody Brain using this gorific decoration. Or perhaps just throw it in the punch bowl! Either way, you'll have your guests feeling a bit on the queezy side. More for you!
Bloody Knife
The weapon of choice for the leading homemade homicidal maniacs, this bloody knife is ideal for any serial killer costume or psychopath costume. Ideal for the all the psychopaths, great for a killing good time.
Bloody Axe
Arm yourself for a haunting Halloween - with this bloody axe in hand you can take a stand and make it clear you are the one to fear. The foam axe is lightweight but frighteningly realistic; don't leave home without it.


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MVC Widget Error
7 Tips to Prepare for Your Appointment
The key to a successful appointment is communication. To get the most out of your visit, prepare ahead of time so you can lead the conversation with your doctor. These 7 tips will get you ready
Appointments & Offices
Check insurance plans, locations and make an appointment
Is Dr. Scurlock accepting new patients?
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What insurance does she accept?
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- Piedmont Physicians of Brookhaven
- 4062-C Peachtree Road, N.E.
- Atlanta, GA 30319
- (404) 231-4231 (Office)


text: ESPN Feed: arrests http://assets.espn.go.com/i/tvlistings/tv_espn_original.gif ESPN en-us 10 ESPN Inc. http://espn.go.com/ Copyright 2010 ESPN Inc. Scott Burnside discusses the NHL's reaction to Kings defenseman Slava Voynov's arrest on domestic violence charges.]]> October 20, 2014 06:19:13 PDT ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins discusses MeUndies, the company that has partnered with Cowboys running back Joseph Randle following his arrest for shoplifting underwear and cologne from a mall in Texas.]]> October 19, 2014 08:14:44 PDT A report from Sayreville, N.J. where a hazing scandal has led to the arrest of 7 players on the high school football team who face charges including sexual assault as juveniles. OTL examines the situation and the larger issue of hazing on sports teams.]]> October 16, 2014 12:57:14 PDT Retired mixed martial artist Jason Miller was taken into custody following a nonviolent standoff after officers attempted to serve him an arrest warrant on previous felony charges of domestic violence, criminal contempt and stalking.]]> October 09, 2014 13:34:10 PDT Roger Cossack reacts to the news that prosecutors want to arrest Adrian Peterson after he admitted to smoking "a little weed."]]> October 09, 2014 10:23:12 PDT Bonnie Ford discusses Michael Phelps' six month suspension from USA Swimming-sanctioned competition following his arrest for driving under the influence.]]> October 06, 2014 13:30:09 PDT Louis Riddick discusses the Miami Dolphins' decision to indefinitely suspend defensive end Derrick Shelby following an arrest in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend.]]> October 06, 2014 08:01:32 PDT Shelley Smith has the latest on Cardinals RB Jonathan Dwyer, who was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault. Dwyer has been deactivated from all team activities after his arrest.]]> September 18, 2014 06:31:34 PDT Jane McManus discusses Jonathan Dwyer's arrest and how the NFL is now handling off the field incidents]]> September 17, 2014 16:06:03 PDT Shelley Smith discusses Jonathan Dwyer being deactivated from all team activities following his arrest Wednesday on allegations of aggravated assault.]]> September 17, 2014 14:31:35 PDT Roger Cossack reacts to Anthony Bosch's arrest and discusses how long he expects his sentence will be.]]> August 05, 2014 07:10:48 PDT Adam Schefter discusses Justin Blackmon's, who is serving an indefinite suspension after his third violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, arrest in Oklahoma for possession of marijuana.]]> July 24, 2014 05:42:50 PDT ESPN AFC North reporter Scott Brown discusses the arrest of Ravens CB Jimmy Smith, the fifth Baltimore player arrested this offseason.]]> July 13, 2014 11:26:30 PDT Holly Rowe takes a look at WNBA star Tina Charles' determination to help combat sudden cardiac arrest through her Hopey's Heart Foundation.]]> June 26, 2014 10:02:01 PDT Watch SportsCenter's coverage of O.J. Simpson's dramatic flight from police and subsequent arrest.]]> June 03, 2014 10:40:04 PDT


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With an end-to-end, integrated platform, Kony provides businesses the ultimate flexibility to deliver users a superior app experience on any channel. Whether your app strategy calls for web, native, hybrid apps, or all of the above, Kony has you covered. So what does this really mean?
After you've built your web apps, let's say user feedback indicates that your web apps are lacking key device-optimized features or performing slowly on specific devices. No problem! Using the same code base, you can easily transform your web apps into native apps.


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7 Things You Don't Need to Buy
How Does 53-Year-Old Mom Now Look 27?
9 Facts About Lemon Water You Should Know
Christian Grey's 5 Steps to Follow
6 Things You Should Know About Your Bra
12 Ways to Lose Weight Naturally
The Best and Worst Celebrity Halloween Costumes
Why It's Okay That You'll Never Have The Thigh Gap
Your Guide to Deciphering Your Body Type
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What Not To Wear If You're Over 30
Don't Fall for Outlet Store Tricks!
A Bare Feet Boho Wedding You'll Love
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Vintage Wedding Ideas with Some Va-Va-Voom
What's The Best Sleeping Position For Your Relationship?
10 Reasons Why You'll Never Be Rich
30 Days To Lose Weight: 9 Tips
What Is Your Engagement Ring Style?
Amazing Wedding Dresses That Aren't White
Shabby Chic Wedding Done Beautifully
How to Get WiFi Anywhere, Any Time
6 Herbs Essential for Weight Loss
10 Stunning Weddings Under 10K and Money Saving Tips
The Best Days to Snag New Markdowns at 7 Big Retailers


text: 1984 (Signet Classics) by George Orwell buy used Used & Rare price $5.82 new from $10.50 shop with confidence SPECIAL SHIPPING CONSIDERATIONS FOR USED & RARE ITEMS. Please see the special considerations for shipping Used & Rare items, including extended delivery times, possible import duties & taxes. Availability: Ships within 1 week Format: Softcover Publisher: Signet Classic Condition: The following ISBNs are associated with this title: ISBN - 10: 0451524934 ISBN - 13: 9780451524935 Seller Comments: Free State Books. Never settle for less. From the Publisher View our feature on George Orwell's 1984. Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions-a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.


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Home > Find a Surgeon > LA > Baton Rouge Surgeons > Dr. Michael Fahr, MD
Dr. Michael Edward Fahr MD is a male Surgeon, has 7 years of experience and practices in Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.
Dr. Michael Fahr has 3 office locations.
Olol Trauma Program
5000 Hennessy Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone Number
Locations and availability (3)
Olol Trauma Program
5000 Hennessy Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone Number
Locations and availability (3)
License & Identifications
A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor's specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Learn more about Dr. Michael Fahr:
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Specialties & Research
Dr. Michael Fahr, MD is board certified in Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.
- He has special expertise in 1 area:
- Vascular Trauma
Education & Awards
Dr. Fahr graduated from Louisiana State University at New Orleans.
Dr. Fahr has 1 hospital affiliations:
- Our Lady of The Lake Reg Medical Center
Accepted Insurance Plans
Dr. Fahr accepts these health insurances in at least one office:
- Cigna - 5 plans
- USA H & W Network - 1 plan
- Louisiana Medicaid - 1 plan
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- Additional Information
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Dr. Michael Fahr practices Surgery and Surgical Critical Care near Baton Rouge, LA.
See Baton Rouge Surgeons.


text:
Sierra's Law - In Loving Memory of Sierra Ann Landry. 781 likes · 419 talking about this. Our daughter Sierra Landry was killed by her abusive ex-boyfriend. An Order of Protection could have saved her life, but according to South Carolina law, she was too young to get one.
- Petitioning South Carolina State Senate
This petition will be delivered to:
Pass "Sierra's Law" to End Teen Dating Violence in South Carolina
Petition by
Robert (Bobby) & Jessica Landry
Lancaster, SC
Multiply Your Impact
Turn your signature into dozens more by sharing this petition and recruiting people you know to sign.
Our daughter Sierra Landry was killed by her abusive ex-boyfriend. An Order of Protection could have saved her life, but according to South Carolina law, she was too young to get one. We're asking the South Carolina legislature to create "Sierra's Law," which would allow people under 18 to get Orders of Protection from abusive partners.
Sierra was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, Tanner Crolley, 18, from Lancaster, SC. The whole relationship was toxic from the beginning. Crolley was controlling, physically/mentally abusive and very manipulative. Every time Sierra left Crolley he would find a way to stalk and harass her. He would continually call her phone, leave messages on Facebook making her feel like everything was her fault, and ride by our home over and over again.
Sierra finally decided she had enough. We were so relieved and so excited that Sierra had ended the relationship she had with Crolley. We were planning a new path in life as a family and for her. But Crolley began calling our home, cussing at us, threatening us, and demanding to speak with Sierra. He would drive by our home every day. No matter where Sierra went, it seemed Crolley was there or not far behind. Sierra would tell Crolley to leave her alone and that they were over, but Crolley would never take "NO" for an answer.
On Monday, December 30, 2013, Crolley told her "If you can't love me, you will not love anyone!" and shot her in the face and left her to die in a stranger's yard. We not only lost our daughter, but a lost a piece of us as well.
According to Breakthecycle.org, South Carolina has some of the weakest laws about teen dating violence in the U.S. – reports give us the grade of "F". South Carolina laws exclude those under the age of 18 who are in dating relationships from accessing Orders for Protection (OP)s, which can save the lives of dating and domestic violence victims.
Sierra's Law would make the following important changes:
- Orders of Protection would be available to minors 16 years of age and older without parental or guardian consent, however parents or guardian will be notified within a 24 hour period; minors under the age of 16 are allowed to obtain an OP with parental or guardian consent. This applies to all people in dating relationships, including same-sex couples
- Abusers with a history of domestic violence will be placed on a registry for publication and acknowledgement to the community and state.
- Abusers of teen dating violence will not be eligible for pre trial intervention or combined with any other charges.
- Include Teen Dating Violence Awareness as a part of the sexual education program schools offer.
Please, join us in fighting for Sierra's Law to make sure what happened to Sierra never happens to another young person in South Carolina.
South Carolina State Senate
Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina-087
[Your name]
Recent signatures
Reached 300,000 signatures
Please also join us on Sierra's Facebook page by using the link below.
Sierra's Law - In Loving Memory of Sierra Ann Landry
Support Sierra's Law event on Facebook
BOND HEARING COURT APPEARANCE SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 25th 9:30am
we will be attending an open court bond hearing on Tuesday Feb 25th to speak on behalf of Sierra making sure a bond is denied
Reached 200,000 signatures
Reasons for signing
Patricia Pusey SALISBURY, MD
- 9 months ago
- Liked 78
There has to be a stop put to this kind of violence. Domestiic Abuse can come at any age so no law should have age limits.REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Lisa Carr NORTH FORT MYERS, FL
- 9 months ago
- Liked 66
Everyone should have the right to protect themselves and our states should back us 100%REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Derick Durham TRAVELERS REST, SC
- 9 months ago
- Liked 66
She was my cousin and i take law enforcement she was very beautiful and i miss her so much...... :'( i hope this law passes so this way this kind of stuff would not get to this point and have to feel the pain of a loved one being taken from you.REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Linda Berg PLANO, TX
- 9 months ago
- Liked 47
This is extremely important. How would you feel if it were your daughter?REPORT THIS COMMENT:
david janes OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM
- 9 months ago
- Liked 46
Children aer precious no matter what age and should be protected by what ever law is nessary to do this.REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Grace Di Vito GAINESVILLE, FL
- 1 day ago
- Liked 0
it's already hard enough leaving your boyfriend who is seriously mentally ill. and just because I am a 17yr old doesn't mean it isn't as important.REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Elaine Bankey BELLEVUE, NE
- 1 day ago
- Liked 0
I have beautiful, sweet granddaughters and lots of young friends who need protection to be available if needed.REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Mason Manske APPLETON, WI
- 3 days ago
- Liked 0
I, as a teenager, would never want any friend, ex, anyone to have this happen.REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Paris Colton EAGLE, ID
- 4 days ago
- Liked 0
I would want the ability to protect myself if needed.REPORT THIS COMMENT:
Kathryn Arons PRINCETON, NJ
- 4 days ago
- Liked 0
The question should be: Why isn't this important to everyone? It is decades past time to exterminate male privilege: Say no to a guy and die. The ultimate in male privilege and misogyny.REPORT THIS COMMENT:


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text:
By Jess Bravin
WASHINGTON--The Supreme Court said Monday it would decide whether an air marshal should receive federal whistleblower protections over his 2003 disclosure to the media of what he thought was a dangerous policy decision by the Transportation Security Administration.
The air marshal, Robert MacLean, was dismissed from his job for telling MSNBC that the TSA had discontinued posting air marshals on overnight flights from Las Vegas despite a then recent alert that a new plot to hijack U.S. airliners may have been underfoot. Mr. MacLean, who had more than a dozen years of service in other federal positions before becoming an air marshal, had first sought to raise an alarm within the agency, but failed to persuade officials to reconsider their plans.
Once it became news, the story led to an outcry on Capitol Hill and prompted the agency to reverse itself and continue to assign air marshals to the flights.
TSA discovered Mr. MacLean disclosed the information after recognizing his voice in a separate "NBC Nightly News" segment that ran the following year. Mr. MacLean appeared in disguise on the NBC news program, anonymously saying the dress code made agents too easy to spot.
The agency dismissed Mr. MacLean after he admitted during the dress-code investigation to also disclosing the Las Vegas flights information. TSA fired him under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which prohibits employees from disclosing "sensitive security information" that the secretary of Homeland Security determines could be "detrimental to public safety."
Mr. MacLean, however, contends the information he disclosed to the media was covered by the Whistleblower Protection Act, which prohibits retaliation against federal employees for disclosures revealing "a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, if such disclosure is not specifically prohibited by law."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a specialized court in Washington that hears certain personnel appeals, sided with Mr. MacLean. It found the information he disclosed had been made secret by a federal regulation that didn't qualify as "law" as understood in the Whistleblower Protection Act.
The Obama administration appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the Federal Circuit had made "a serious legal mistake" that will "embolden further disclosures" by federal employees and "could put lives at risk."
The case will be heard by the high court in the term that begins in October.
Write to Jess Bravin at email@example.com
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According to Facebook software engineer Subodh Iyengar, the company started building the tool about six months ago, but it only recently decided to open source it »
The first public version of Julia was released in early 2012. Many were skeptical about the need for yet another programming language, but enough people shared the frustrations of its creators that it has now begun to catch on with scientists »
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Most people think of bitcoin as a form of money, if they think of bitcoin at all. But 19-year-old hacker Vitalik Buterin sees it as something more -- much more. He sees it as a new way of building just about any internet application »
Rockstar's sole aim is to make money from the patent portfolio it inherited from bankrupt Canadian telecom Nortel, and in many Silicon Valley circles, that's a no-no »
Wall Street titan Carl Icahn is once again using Twitter to pressure Apple into reshaping its finances, a social media campaign that foretells a new direction for the market's biggest players »
Chris Granger is a computer programmer who thinks programming kinda sucks. It's too complicated and too esoteric and too sprawling. But he hopes that his latest invention can change all that »
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One of the most notorious patent trolls has taken aim at an unexpected target: the US Federal Trade Commission »
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WIRED.co.uk reviews the Amazon Fire phone »


text:
1-10 of 41 properties to rent found
£500 pcm
2 bedroom house to rent Edward Street
Unfurnished Two bedroom cottage close to all town amenities. The accommodation provides lounge with arch through to dining room, galley kitchen and bathroom with electric shower over bath. Small front garden and rear yard. More details ›
£575 pcm
2 bedroom semi-detached house to rent Clarence Road, Llandudno
A modern style semi detached house situated in an established area of the village and only a few hundred yards from the well regarded Craig y Don Primary School. The property benefits from gas fired central heating and double glazing throughout. The accommodation in brief comprises entrance lobb... More details ›
£1,250 pcm
4 bedroom detached house to rent Llandudno
(Ref.3409) A Detached Four Bedroomed well presented House situated between the West Shore and the town centre of the Resort Town of Llandudno Queen of the Welsh Resorts. New Listing further details available next ... More details ›
£525 pcm
1 bedroom end of terrace house to rent BODAFON ROAD, Llandudno, LL30
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR A SINGLE PROFESSIONAL TO LIVE IN A NEWLY REFURBISHED ONE BED END OF ROW TERRACE IN THE PRESTIGIOUS CRAIGSIDE AREA OF LLANDUDNO. More details ›
Added on 22/10/2014 by Homelet North Wales, Colwyn Bay. Call: 01492 470000 Local call rate
£995 pcm
4 bedroom house to rent LLANDUDNO
Beautiful detached executive family home, located in a most popular sought after area of Llandudno. Close to the A470 and the A55. Attached double garage and large driveway. Available unfurnished, part furnished or furnished. Properties like this do not become available often, phone today to ... More details ›
£795 pcm
4 bedroom house to rent LLANRHOS
**Reduced Rent**FREE REFERENCING IF YOU MOVE IN BEFORE THE 30TH OCTOBER*** Executive detached house situated in a prime very sought after location, inbetween Llanrhos and Deganwy. Well maintained throughout. Gas central heating. Driveway and garage. Don't miss out ring today to arrange a view... More details ›
£450 pcm
1 bedroom flat to rent LLEWELYN AVENUE, Llandudno, LL30
One Bedroom first floor flat, central Llandudno, rent includes charges for Water Rates More details ›
Added on 21/10/2014 by Homelet North Wales, Colwyn Bay. Call: 01492 470000 Local call rate
£450 pcm
2 bedroom flat to rent CLIFTON ROAD, Llandudno, LL30
Elwy are pleased to offer a two bedroomed second floor flat in the heart of Llandudno. Accommodation comprising of two good sized bedrooms, one with shower ensuite. There is a bathroom with bath/shower and a kitchen/living area with kitchen units and washing machine. DG & GCH. DSS Considered More details ›
£650 pcm
5 bedroom house to rent GREAT ORME, LLANDUDNO
FAMILY HOME - Unfurnished semi detached house situated on the Great Orme, easy access to the summit, cable cars and views of the bay from upstairs. The property benefits from gas central heating, on road parking. VIEWING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED More details ›
£500 pcm
2 bedroom flat to rent Duchess Close, Llandudno
An unfurnished purpose built First Floor Flat situated in the popular residential area of Craig Y Don within walking distance of all shops, restaurants and Promenade. The accommodation in brief comprises of Entrance Hall, spacious Lounge with balcony, fitted Kitchen/Diner, two Bedrooms (Master En... More details ›
Thank you.
Your information has been sent to 0 out of 10 agents who have property to rent in the area you specified.


text:
Statisticians Uncover What Makes For a Stable Marriage
Re:Or, just don't get married. (447 comments)
Perhaps surprisingly, the "one parent at home" is fairly a recent invention, since the one parent left home to go work in a factory. For many centuries prior to that, most people worked close to home or at home, and typically the whole family was involved, whether it was agriculture or a trade. That meant that for example men spent more time with the rest of the family in "traditional" setups than many of them do now


text:
Visit our other Wisconsin Historical Society websites!
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Date: 1849-08-01
Description: Bear Valley in Utah; sketched by Wilkins on his 151-day journey from Missouri to California on the Overland Trail (also known as the Oregon Trail).
Date: 1892
Description: Illustration of "Voyageur with Tumpline". A tumpline is a strap attached at both ends to a load and used to carry the object by placing the strap over the...
Date: 1834
Description: Full-length illustration of Henry Dodge in frontiersman attire. He is holding a hat, a gun, and has a sword on his belt.
Date: date unknown
Description: Sketch of a memorial plaque, drawn by Frank Lloyd Wright, intended for the lobby of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The sketch includes notes writt...
Date: 1958
Description: Pencil on velum drawing of the Charles Murphy residence showing the floor plan and East and West elevations designed and drawn by architect John Randal McD...
Description: Design in black and white for the Wisconsin Centennial 3 cent postage stamp with an industrial theme.
Description: Sketch for Taliesin West private garden court totem pole, drawn by Frank Lloyd Wright. The sketch includes elevations, a plan, and details and are drawn on...
Date: 1941 before
Description: Woodcut illustration of two men carrying a full basket.
Description: Drawing of beavers building a dam.
Date: 1897 ca.
Description: Topographical map of Stanley McCormick's Riven Rock estate in El Montecito, Santa Barbara County, California. The map is identified as a map of a survey co...
Date: 1849-07-10
Description: Devil's Gate in Wyoming; sketched by Wilkins on his 151-day journey from Missouri to California on the Overland Trail (also known as the Oregon Trail).
Date: 1902 ca.
Description: A drawing depicting Mrs. Fowe's Ranch. With mountains in the distance, the ranch consists of corrals for horses and cattle, and a modest-sized house.
Date: 1873
Description: The Whiting House with assorted traffic and people.
Date: 1915 ca.
Description: Elevated view of International Harvester's Akron Works (factory).
Description: Design for Wisconsin Centennial 3 cent postage stamp with an agriculture and industries theme.
Date: 1903
Description: Drawing of a ship's steering wheel with river and trees visible through the cabin.
Date: 1837-06
Description: Lithograph from a painting by Mrs. E.E. Bailey showing the Peck cabin, the first house in Madison. In addition to the cabin, the lithograph includes a cove...
Date: 1850 ca.
Description: An illustration of the Old North Pier landing on Huron Street, drawn from memory.
Date: 1930 ca.
Description: A drawing on green cardboard, labeled No. 2, of a design for a triangular brooch. The mounting of yellow gold holds a multicolored cabochon, possibly an op...
Description: Woodcut illustration of a man viewing artwork on a wall. He is somewhat stooped over and is holding a hat and cane in his hands.
If you didn't find the material you searched for, our Library Reference Staff can help.
Call our reference desk at 608-264-6535 or email us at:
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text:
By Nathan Woods This statement, written by a NZ high school principal, and published by the NZ Ministry of Education on an education leaders website (link) reflects a set of ideas about education that are prevalent in our society today. Here's the statement:
"The new curriculum is intended to be a curriculum to take us into the 21st century. Part of the rationale of emphasising key competencies over a knowledge based curriculum is the notion that knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate and it cannot all be absorbed, but modern information storage and retrieval systems makes this knowledge easily accessible to all. There is now less of a need to learn key information and more of a requirement to learn how to access information, to process it, think about it critically, use it in new ways and be open minded about receiving new ideas and information." Continue reading


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