Correction Masking: a technique to implement efficient SET tolerant error correction decoders

Single Event Transients (SETs) can be a major concern for combinational circuits. Its importance grows as technology scales because a small charge can create a large disturbance on a circuit node. One example of circuits that can suffer from SETs is the decoders of the Error Correction Codes (ECCs) that are used to protect memories from errors. This paper presents Correction Masking (CM), a technique to implement SET tolerant syndrome decoders. The proposed technique is presented and evaluated both in terms of protection effectiveness and circuit overhead. The results show that it can provide an effective protection while reducing the circuit area and power significantly compared to a Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) protection. An interesting result is that Correction Masking also reduces the delay as it adds less logic in the critical path than TMR. Finally, the proposed technique can be used for any syndrome decoder. This means that it is applicable to many of the ECCs used to protect memories such as Single Error Correction (SEC), Single Error Correction Double Error Detection (SEC-DED), Single Error Correction Double Adjacent Error Correction (SEC-DAEC), and 3-bit burst codes.The work of Pedro Reviriego was supported in part by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) 10.13039/501100011033 through the ACHILLES Project under Grant PID2019-104207RB-I00 and the Go2Edge Network under Grant RED2018-102585-T, and in part by the Madrid Community Research Project TAPIR-CM under Grant P2018/TCS-4496.Publicad

Psychometric properties of the center for epidemiological studies-depression scale (CES-D) - Greek Version

A Greek translation of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) was examined in a sample of 221 Greek-Cypriots (M age 24.82 years). Results provide partial support for Radloff's original factor structure, the factors' internal reliability and independence, and the comparability of total scalemeans to the scale's normative data.Women scored higher on the total scale scores thanmen and also higher on the depressed, interpersonal and somatic factors, but not the positive factor, than men. The incidence of depression using Radloff's cut-point of 16 was lower in this Greek-Cypriot sample but aligned with Kessler's (2003) estimate of the incidence of depression in the general community

On-flight intercomparison of three miniature aerosol absorption sensors using unmanned aerial systems (UASs)

The present study investigates and compares the ground and in-flight performance of three miniaturized aerosol absorption sensors integrated on board small-sized Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs). These sensors were evaluated during two contrasted field campaigns performed at an urban site, impacted mainly by local traffic and domestic wood burning sources (Athens, Greece), and at a remote regional background site, impacted by long-range transported sources including dust (Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory, Agia Marina Xyliatou, Cyprus). The miniaturized sensors were first intercompared at the ground-level against two commercially available instruments used as a reference. The measured signal of the miniaturized sensors was converted into the absorption coefficient and equivalent black carbon concentration (eBC). When applicable, signal saturation corrections were applied, following the suggestions of the manufacturers. The aerosol absorption sensors exhibited similar behavior against the reference instruments during the two campaigns, despite the diversity of the aerosol origin, chemical composition, sources, and concentration levels. The deviation from the reference during both campaigns concerning (eBC) mass was less than 8 %, while for the absorption coefficient it was at least 15 %. This indicates that those sensors that report black carbon mass are tuned and corrected to measure eBC more accurately than the absorption coefficient. The overall potential use of miniature aerosol absorption sensors on board small UASs is also illustrated. UAS-based absorption measurements were used to investigate the vertical distribution of eBC over Athens up to 1 km above sea level during January 2016, exceeding the top of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Our results reveal a heterogeneous boundary layer concentration of absorbing aerosol within the PBL intensified in the early morning hours due to the concurrent peak traffic emissions at ground-level and the fast development of the boundary layer. After the full development of the PBL, homogenous concentrations are observed from 100 m a.g.l. to the PBL top

Translation and pilot study of the Cleft Hearing Appearance and Speech Questionnaire (CHASQ)

BackgroundThere has been a lack of a standardized protocol for collection of patient reported outcomes (PRO) and detection of and indication for psychological treatment in cleft care. The objectives of this paper was to translate Cleft Hearing Appearance and Speech Questionnaire (CHASQ) into eight European languages, to investigate whether levels of PRO in patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) were comparable across countries and to investigate clinician experience of the instrument.MethodsThe PRO measure—CHASQ—was translated into Bulgarian, Estonian, Greek, Latvian, Macedonian, Romanian, Serbian and Swedish and implemented with patients in the respective countries. A focus group discussion was conducted to investigate health care professional experience on the use of CHASQ in their clinics. Data was analysed in accordance with the principles of thematic analysis.ResultsAnalysis showed statistically significant differences between countries and groups of diagnosis in CHASQ scores. CHASQ helped clinicians gain patient information and informed on treatment decisions, broadened the clinicians’ role as caregivers and was perceived as short and easy to use. Limited time and resources in clinics were limitations in implementing the instrument.ConclusionsTranslation and utilization of CHASQ facilitated international comparison and cooperation. Linguistically, valid replicas of CHASQ are now available in many European languages. Results from this study show that CHASQ may be used for collection of PRO on patient satisfaction and to spark conversation between clinicians, patients and families

Training Health Professionals to Support Patients with Appearance-Affecting Conditions

Multidisciplinary health professionals (HPs) are involved in supporting patients who have conditions that affect their appearance. With appearance-associated distress common in this group, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and enhanced communication skills both show effectiveness in helping patients adjust to their conditions. Multidisciplinary HPs are perfectly placed to provide low-level psychological support as paraprofessionals. We present the real-world evaluation of a training programme, ACT Now, which was delivered via the train-the-trainer model to 149 multidisciplinary HPs in six European countries. Trainees completed a 16-item knowledge, attitude and practice survey covering psychoeducation on appearance concerns, ACT applied to the patient group and communication skills, at pre-training, post-training and at 3-or-6-month follow-up. Findings show that trainees’ confidence consistently improved in understanding specific facets of appearance concerns and ACT processes, with largely positive changes in other facets, skewed towards delivery nations in which psychologists delivered the training. Patient communication skills generally improved, though again these were more pronounced in psychologist-led countries. However, an absence of significant improvements in ACT comprehension suggests a challenge in transmitting the ACT model to HPs. Providing more initial training to non-psychologist trainers and embedding post-training skills practice for trainees may help reinforce the ACT component of the training

Mycobacterium tuberculosis nucleoid-associated DNA-binding protein H-NS binds with high-affinity to the Holliday junction and inhibits strand exchange promoted by RecA protein

A number of studies have shown that the structure and composition of bacterial nucleoid influences many a processes related to DNA metabolism. The nucleoid-associated proteins modulate not only the DNA conformation but also regulate the DNA metabolic processes such as replication, recombination, repair and transcription. Understanding of how these processes occur in the context of Mycobacterium tuberculosis nucleoid is of considerable medical importance because the nucleoid structure may be constantly remodeled in response to environmental signals and/or growth conditions. Many studies have concluded that Escherichia coli H-NS binds to DNA in a sequence-independent manner, with a preference for A-/T-rich tracts in curved DNA; however, recent studies have identified the existence of medium- and low-affinity binding sites in the vicinity of the curved DNA. Here, we show that the M. tuberculosis H-NS protein binds in a more structure-specific manner to DNA replication and repair intermediates, but displays lower affinity for double-stranded DNA with relatively higher GC content. Notably, M. tuberculosis H-NS was able to bind Holliday junction (HJ), the central recombination intermediate, with substantially higher affinity and inhibited the three-strand exchange promoted by its cognate RecA. Likewise, E. coli H-NS was able to bind the HJ and suppress DNA strand exchange promoted by E. coli RecA, although much less efficiently compared to M. tuberculosis H-NS. Our results provide new insights into a previously unrecognized function of H-NS protein, with implications for blocking the genome integration of horizontally transferred genes by homologous and/or homeologous recombination

Novel insight into the reaction of nitro, nitroso and hydroxylamino benzothiazinones and of benzoxacinones with Mycobacterium tuberculosis DprE1

Abstract Nitro-substituted 1,3-benzothiazinones (nitro-BTZs) are mechanism-based covalent inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose-2′-oxidase (DprE1) with strong antimycobacterial properties. We prepared a number of oxidized and reduced forms of nitro-BTZs to probe the mechanism of inactivation of the enzyme and to identify opportunities for further chemistry. The kinetics of inactivation of DprE1 was examined using an enzymatic assay that monitored reaction progress up to 100 min, permitting compound ranking according to k inact/K i values. The side-chain at the 2-position and heteroatom identity at the 1-position of the BTZs were found to be important for inhibitory activity. We obtained crystal structures with several compounds covalently bound. The data suggest that steps upstream from the covalent end-points are likely the key determinants of potency and reactivity. The results of protein mass spectrometry using a 7-chloro-nitro-BTZ suggest that nucleophilic reactions at the 7-position do not operate and support a previously proposed mechanism in which BTZ activation by a reduced flavin intermediate is required. Unexpectedly, a hydroxylamino-BTZ showed time-dependent inhibition and mass spectrometry corroborated that this hydroxylamino-BTZ is a mechanism-based suicide inhibitor of DprE1. With this BTZ derivative, we propose a new covalent mechanism of inhibition of DprE1 that takes advantage of the oxidation cycle of the enzyme

N-methylation of a bactericidal compound as a resistance mechanism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The rising incidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) makes it imperative to understand the underlying mechanisms. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the single leading cause of death from a bacterial pathogen and estimated to be the leading cause of death from AMR. A pyrido-benzimidazole, 14, was reported to have potent bactericidal activity against Mtb. Here, we isolated multiple Mtb clones resistant to 14. Each had mutations in the putative DNA-binding and dimerization domains of rv2887, a gene encoding a transcriptional repressor of the MarR family. The mutations in Rv2887 led to markedly increased expression of rv0560c. We characterized Rv0560c as an S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase that N-methylates 14, abolishing its mycobactericidal activity. An Mtb strain lacking rv0560c became resistant to 14 by mutating decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose 2-oxidase (DprE1), an essential enzyme in arabinogalactan synthesis; 14 proved to be a nanomolar inhibitor of DprE1, and methylation of 14 by Rv0560c abrogated this activity. Thus, 14 joins a growing list of DprE1 inhibitors that are potently mycobactericidal. Bacterial methylation of an antibacterial agent, 14, catalyzed by Rv0560c of Mtb, is a previously unreported mechanism of AMR

Exploring Attitudes Toward “Sugar Relationships” Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia