On the Performance of PDCCH in LTE and 5G New Radio

5G New Radio (NR) Release 15 has been specified in June 2018. It introduces numerous changes and potential improvements for physical layer data transmissions, although only point-to-point (PTP) communications are considered. In order to use physical data channels such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), it is essential to guarantee a successful transmission of control information via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). Taking into account these two aspects, in this paper, we first analyze the PDCCH processing chain in NR PTP as well as in the state-of-the-art Long Term Evolution (LTE) point-to-multipoint (PTM) solution, i.e., evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS). Then, via link level simulations, we compare the performance of the two technologies, observing the Bit/Block Error Rate (BER/BLER) for various scenarios. The objective is to identify the performance gap brought by physical layer changes in NR PDCCH as well as provide insightful guidelines on the control channel configuration towards NR PTM scenarios.Comment: Globecomm 2018 workshop, 6 pages, 7 fig

Physical Layer Performance Evaluation of LTE-Advanced Pro Broadcast and ATSC 3.0 Systems

This work provides a detailed performance analysis of the physical layer of two state-of-the-art point-to-multipoint (PTM) technologies: evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (eMBMS) and Advanced Television Systems Committee - Third Generation (ATSC 3.0). The performance of these technologies is evaluated and compared using link-level simulations, considering relevant identified scenarios. A selection of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the International Mobile Telecommunications 2020 (IMT-2020) evaluation process has been considered. Representative use cases are also aligned to the test environments as defined in the IMT-2020 evaluation guidelines. It is observed that ATSC 3.0 outperforms both eMBMS solutions, i.e. MBMS over Single Frequency Networks (MBSFN) and Single-Cell PTM (SC-PTM) in terms of spectral efficiency, peak data rate and mobility, among others. This performance evaluation serves as a benchmark for comparison with a potential 5G PTM solution

Pioneering Studies on LTE eMBMS: Towards 5G Point-to-Multipoint Transmissions

The first 5G (5th generation wireless systems) New Radio Release-15 was recently completed. However, the specification only considers the use of unicast technologies and the extension to point-to-multipoint (PTM) scenarios is not yet considered. To this end, we first present in this work a technical overview of the state-of-the-art LTE (Long Term Evolution) PTM technology, i.e., eMBMS (evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services), and investigate the physical layer performance via link-level simulations. Then based on the simulation analysis, we discuss potential improvements for the two current eMBMS solutions, i.e., MBSFN (MBMS over Single Frequency Networks) and SC-PTM (Single-Cell PTM). This work explicitly focus on equipping the current eMBMS solutions with 5G candidate techniques, e.g., multiple antennas and millimeter wave, and its potentials to meet the requirements of next generation PTM transmissions.Comment: SAM 2018, 5 pages, 4 fig

Shape Analysis and Computational Fluid Simulations to Assess Feline Left Atrial Function and Thrombogenesis

In humans, there is a well-established relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF), blood flow abnormalities and thrombus formation, even if there is no clear consensus on the role of left atrial appendage (LAA) morphologies. Cats can also suffer heart diseases, often leading to an enlargement of the left atrium that promotes stagnant blood flow, activating the clotting process and promoting feline aortic thromboembolism. The majority of pathological feline hearts have echocardiographic evidence of abnormal left ventricular filling, usually assessed with 2D and Doppler echocardiography and standard imaging tools. Actually, veterinary professionals have limited access to advanced computational techniques that would enable a better understanding of feline heart pathologies with improved morphological and haemodynamic descriptors. In this work, we applied state-of-the-art image processing and computational fluid simulations based on micro-computed tomography images acquired in 24 cases, including normal cats and cats with varying severity of cardiomyopathy. The main goal of the study was to identify differences in the LA/LAA morphologies and blood flow patterns in the analysed cohorts with respect to thrombus formation and cardiac pathology. The obtained results show significant differences between normal and pathological feline hearts, as well as in thrombus vs non-thrombus cases and asymptomatic vs symptomatic cases, while it was not possible to discern in congestive heart failure with thrombus and from non-thrombus cases. Additionally, in-silico fluid simulations demonstrated lower LAA blood flow velocities and higher thrombotic risk in the thrombus cases

Connectomic-genetic signatures in the cerebral small vessel disease

Small vessel disease (SVD) is a disorder that causes vascular lesions in the entire parenchyma of the human brain. At present, it is not well understood how primary and secondary damage interact to give rise to the complex scenario of white matter (WM) and grey matter (GM) lesions. Using novel cross-sectional and longitudinal connectomic approaches, we unveil the bidirectional nature of GM and WM changes, that is, primary cortical neurodegeneration that leads to secondary alterations in vascular border zones, and WM lesions that lead to secondary neurodegeneration in cortical projecting areas. We found this GM-WM interaction to be essential for executive cognitive performance. Moreover, we also observed that the interlocked degeneration of GM and WM over time associates with prototypical expression levels of genes potentially linked to SVD. Among these connectomic-genetic intersections, we found that the Androgen Receptor (AR) gene, is a particularly central candidate gene that might confer key vulnerability for brain lesion development in SVD. In conclusion, this study advances in the understanding of the bidirectional relationships between GM and WM lesions, primary and secondary vascular neurodegeneration, and sheds light on the genetic signatures of SV

A Sustainable Campus for the Future: Proposals for Sarah Lawrence College

The combined version of A Sustainable Campus for the Future: Proposals for Sarah Lawrence College comes from a joint project between the students in Economics of the Ecological Crisis and Global Change Biology in Spring 2016, taught by Nicholas Reksten and Michelle Hersh, respectively.https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/undergrad_sustainproject/1009/thumbnail.jp

A new small-bodied azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of England and its implications for pterosaur anatomy, diversity and phylogeny

BACKGROUND: Pterosaurs have been known from the Cretaceous sediments of the Isle of Wight (southern England, United Kingdom) since 1870. We describe the three-dimensional pelvic girdle and associated vertebrae of a small near-adult pterodactyloid from the Atherfield Clay Formation (lower Aptian, Lower Cretaceous). Despite acknowledged variation in the pterosaur pelvis, previous studies have not adequately sampled or incorporated pelvic characters into phylogenetic analyses. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The new specimen represents the new taxon Vectidraco daisymorrisae gen. et sp. nov., diagnosed by the presence of a concavity posterodorsal to the acetabulum and the form of its postacetabular process on the ilium. Several characters suggest that Vectidraco belongs to Azhdarchoidea. We constructed a pelvis-only phylogenetic analysis to test whether the pterosaur pelvis carries a useful phylogenetic signal. Resolution in recovered trees was poor, but they approximately matched trees recovered from analyses of total evidence. We also added Vectidraco and our pelvic characters to an existing total-evidence matrix for pterosaurs. Both analyses recovered Vectidraco within Azhdarchoidea. CONCLUSIONS/ SIGNIFICANCE: The Lower Cretaceous strata of western Europe have yielded members of several pterosaur lineages, but Aptian pterosaurs from western Europe are rare. With a pelvis length of 40 mm, the new animal would have had a total length of c. 350 mm, and a wingspan of c. 750 mm. Barremian and Aptian pterodactyloids from western Europe show that small-bodied azhdarchoids lived alongside ornithocheirids and istiodactylids. This assemblage is similar in terms of which lineages are represented to the coeval beds of Liaoning, China; however, the number of species and specimens present at Liaoning is much higher. While the general phylogenetic composition of western European and Chinese communities appear to have been approximately similar, the differences may be due to different palaeoenvironmental and depositional settings. The western Europe pterodactyloid record may therefore be artificially low in diversity due to preservational factors

Innate immune responses and antioxidant/oxidant imbalance are major determinants of human Chagas disease.

We investigated the pathological and diagnostic role of selected markers of inflammation, oxidant/antioxidant status, and cellular injury in human Chagas disease. METHODS: Seropositive/chagasic subjects characterized as clinically-symptomatic or clinically-asymptomatic (n = 116), seronegative/cardiac subjects (n = 102), and seronegative/healthy subjects (n = 45) were analyzed for peripheral blood biomarkers. RESULTS: Seropositive/chagasic subjects exhibited an increase in sera or plasma levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO, 2.8-fold), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP, 56%), nitrite (5.7-fold), lipid peroxides (LPO, 12-17-fold) and malondialdehyde (MDA, 4-6-fold); and a decline in superoxide dismutase (SOD, 52%) and glutathione (GSH, 75%) contents. Correlation analysis identified a significant (p0.95). The MPO (r = 0.664) and LPO (r = 0.841) levels were also correlated with clinical disease state in chagasic subjects (p<0.001). Seronegative/cardiac subjects exhibited up to 77% decline in SOD, 3-5-fold increase in LPO and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) levels, and statistically insignificant change in MPO, AOPP, MDA, GPX, GSH, and creatine kinase (CK) levels. CONCLUSIONS: The interlinked effects of innate immune responses and antioxidant/oxidant imbalance are major determinants of human Chagas disease. The MPO, LPO and nitrite are excellent biomarkers for diagnosing seropositive/chagasic subjects, and MPO and LPO levels have potential utility in identifying clinical severity of Chagas diseaseFil: Dhiman, Monisha. University Of Texas Medical Branch. Department Of Microbiology & Immunology And Pathology; United State of America;Fil: Coronado, Yun A.. University Of Texas Medical Branch. Department Of Microbiology & Immunology And Pathology; United State of America;Fil: Vallejo, Cecilia K.. University Of Texas Medical Branch. Department Of Microbiology & Immunology And Pathology; United State of America;Fil: Petersen, John R.. University of Texas Medical Branch. Department of Pathology; United States of America;Fil: Ejilemele, Adetoum. University of Texas Medical Branch. Department of Pathology; United States of America;Fil: Nuñez, Sonia. Hospital Público de Gestión Descentralizada San Bernardo (HPGDSA); Argentina;Fil: Zago, María Paola. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Salta. Instituto de Patologia Experimental; Argentina;Fil: Spratt, Heidi. Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Preventive Medicine and Community Health. University of Texas Medical Branch; United States of America;Fil: Garg, Nisha Jain. University of Texas Medical Branch. Department of Pathology; United States of America

Binding Site Alteration Is Responsible for Field-Isolated Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2A Insecticidal Proteins in Two Helicoverpa Species

Background Evolution of resistance by target pests is the main threat to the long-term efficacy of crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins. Cry2 proteins play a pivotal role in current Bt spray formulations and transgenic crops and they complement Cry1A proteins because of their different mode of action. Their presence is critical in the control of those lepidopteran species, such as Helicoverpa spp., which are not highly susceptible to Cry1A proteins. In Australia, a transgenic variety of cotton expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab (Bollgard II) comprises at least 80% of the total cotton area. Prior to the widespread adoption of Bollgard II, the frequency of alleles conferring resistance to Cry2Ab in field populations of Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa punctigera was significantly higher than anticipated. Colonies established from survivors of F2 screens against Cry2Ab are highly resistant to this toxin, but susceptible to Cry1Ac. Methodology/Principal Findings Bioassays performed with surface-treated artificial diet on neonates of H. armigera and H. punctigera showed that Cry2Ab resistant insects were cross-resistant to Cry2Ae while susceptible to Cry1Ab. Binding analyses with 125I-labeled Cry2Ab were performed with brush border membrane vesicles from midguts of Cry2Ab susceptible and resistant insects. The results of the binding analyses correlated with bioassay data and demonstrated that resistant insects exhibited greatly reduced binding of Cry2Ab toxin to midgut receptors, whereas no change in 125I-labeled-Cry1Ac binding was detected. As previously demonstrated for H. armigera, Cry2Ab binding sites in H. punctigera were shown to be shared by Cry2Ae, which explains why an alteration of the shared binding site would lead to cross-resistance between the two Cry2A toxins. Conclusion/Significance This is the first time that a mechanism of resistance to the Cry2 class of insecticidal proteins has been reported. Because we found the same mechanism of resistance in multiple strains representing several field populations, we conclude that target site alteration is the most likely means that field populations evolve resistance to Cry2 proteins in Helicoverpa spp. Our work also confirms the presence in the insect midgut of specific binding sites for this class of proteins. Characterizing the Cry2 receptors and their mutations that enable resistance could lead to the development of molecular tools to monitor resistance in the [email protected]; [email protected]