Maximum IR-drop in On-Chip Power Distribution Networks of Wire-Bonded Integrated Circuits

A compact IR-drop model for on-chip power distribution networks in wire-bonded ICs is presented. Chip dimensions, metal coverage and piecewise distribution of the IC consumption are taken into account to obtain closed form expressions for the maximum IR-drop as well as its place. Comparison with simulations shows an error as small as 2% in most the cases.Postprint (published version

Las cláusulas suelo en los contratos de préstamo hipotecario

El estudio que aquí se muestra se titula «Las cláusulas suelo en los contratos de préstamo hipotecario». La importancia del tema es indudable, por ello se va a realizar una revisión doctrinal y jurisprudencial sobre el impacto que han causado las cláusulas suelo. Se han tenido en cuenta los problemas tan graves que se han desencadenado, y que aún, algunos de ellos, no se han dado por solucionados. Entre ellos se encuentran: el colapso de los tribunales, la falta de transparencia, la irretroactividad, la distribución y la reclamación de los gastos hipotecarios, etc. A lo largo del TFG éste se ha ido focalizando en las mayores dificultades, y en cómo los tribunales nacionales y europeos se han pronunciado a través de diferentes sentencias.<br /

Over-the-Horizon communications systems for Uavs based on intelligent antennas

Nowadays, the communication links limit the autonomy of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). In this paper, a multichannel long-range communication link for UAVs with high quality of service, moderate bandwidth and affordable cost is proposed. This link is deployed by using a second UAV as a communications relay and it provides bidirectional coverage for telemetry and telecommand and a high-capacity downlink for video. Our highly compact system can be installed on mediumsized UAVs for air-air links in order to offer greater flight autonomy. This system is based on an active circular array of linearly polarized circular patch antennas which are selectively activated depending on the desired direction of the beam

Use of Monoclonal Antibodies in Immunocompromised Patients Hospitalized with Severe COVID-19: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort

This work was supported by the Research Institute Puerta de Hierro-Segovia de Aranda (IDIPHSA), funding number 0040200108 (2.400€).Objective: We aim to describe the safety and efficacy of sotrovimab in severe cases of COVID-19 in immunocompromised hosts. Methods: We used a retrospective multicenter cohort including immunocompromised hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 treated with sotrovimab between October 2021 and December 2021. Results: We included 32 patients. The main immunocompromising conditions were solid organ transplantation (46.9%) and hematological malignancy (37.5%). Seven patients (21.9%) had respiratory progression: 12.5% died and 9.4% required mechanical ventilation. Patients treated within the first 14 days of their symptoms had a lower progression rate: 12.0% vs. 57.1%, p = 0.029. No adverse event was attributed to sotrovimab. Conclusions: Sotrovimab was safe and may be effective in its use for immunocompromised patients with severe COVID-19. More studies are needed to confirm these preliminary data.Depto. de MedicinaFac. de MedicinaTRUEResearch Institute Puerta de Hierro-Segovia de Aranda (IDIPHSA)pu

Long-term hippocampal interneuronopathy drives sex-dimorphic spatial memory impairment induced by prenatal THC exposure

Prenatal exposure to Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most prominent active constituent of cannabis, alters neurodevelopmental plasticity with a long-term functional impact on adult offspring. Specifically, THC affects the development of pyramidal neurons and GABAergic interneurons via cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R). However, the particular contribution of these two neuronal lineages to the behavioral alterations and functional deficits induced by THC is still unclear. Here, by using conditional CB1R knockout mice, we investigated the neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal THC exposure in adulthood, as well as their potential sex differences. Adult mice that had been exposed to THC during embryonic development showed altered hippocampal oscillations, brain hyperexcitability, and spatial memory impairment. Remarkably, we found a clear sexual dimorphism in these effects, with males being selectively affected. At the neuronal level, we found a striking interneuronopathy of CCK-containing interneurons in the hippocampus, which was restricted to male progeny. This THC-induced CCK-interneuron reduction was not evident in mice lacking CB1R selectively in GABAergic interneurons, thus pointing to a cell-autonomous THC action. In vivo electrophysiological recordings of hippocampal LFPs revealed alterations in hippocampal oscillations confined to the stratum pyramidale of CA1 in male offspring. In addition, sharp-wave ripples, a major high-frequency oscillation crucial for learning and memory consolidation, were also altered, pointing to aberrant circuitries caused by persistent reduction of CCK+ basket cells. Taken together, these findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the long-term interneuronopathy responsible for the sex-dimorphic cognitive impairment induced by prenatal THC.The authors declare no conflict of interest. This work was supported by grants PI18-00941 to IG-R cofinanced by the European Development Regional Fund "A way to achieve Europe"; RTI2018-095311-B-100 to MG, BFU2015-66887-R to LM-P, and 2017-SGR-138 to MP from the Generalitat de Catalunya. DG-R was supported by Fundacion Tatiana Perez de Guzman; DG-D was supported by a PhD fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2013-064171). JP-L and JA were supported by FPI and FPU program fellowships, respectively (Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte) and S. S-S. was supported by Fondo Social Europeo-YEI (CT101/18-CT102/18PEJD-2018-PRE/BMD-7933). CM is recipient of a Marie Curie program fellowship (747487)

Long-term hippocampal interneuronopathy drives sex-dimorphic spatial memory impairment induced by prenatal THC exposure

Prenatal exposure to Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most prominent active constituent of cannabis, alters neurodevelopmental plasticity with a long-term functional impact on adult offspring. Specifically, THC affects the development of pyramidal neurons and GABAergic interneurons via cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R). However, the particular contribution of these two neuronal lineages to the behavioral alterations and functional deficits induced by THC is still unclear. Here, by using conditional CB1R knockout mice, we investigated the neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal THC exposure in adulthood, as well as their potential sex differences. Adult mice that had been exposed to THC during embryonic development showed altered hippocampal oscillations, brain hyperexcitability, and spatial memory impairment. Remarkably, we found a clear sexual dimorphism in these effects, with males being selectively affected. At the neuronal level, we found a striking interneuronopathy of CCK-containing interneurons in the hippocampus, which was restricted to male progeny. This THC-induced CCK-interneuron reduction was not evident in mice lacking CB1R selectively in GABAergic interneurons, thus pointing to a cell-autonomous THC action. In vivo electrophysiological recordings of hippocampal LFPs revealed alterations in hippocampal oscillations confined to the stratum pyramidale of CA1 in male offspring. In addition, sharp-wave ripples, a major high-frequency oscillation crucial for learning and memory consolidation, were also altered, pointing to aberrant circuitries caused by persistent reduction of CCK+ basket cells. Taken together, these findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the long-term interneuronopathy responsible for the sex-dimorphic cognitive impairment induced by prenatal THC.The authors declare no conflict of interest. This work was supported by grants PI18-00941 to IG-R cofinanced by the European Development Regional Fund "A way to achieve Europe"; RTI2018-095311-B-100 to MG, BFU2015-66887-R to LM-P, and 2017-SGR-138 to MP from the Generalitat de Catalunya. DG-R was supported by Fundacion Tatiana Perez de Guzman; DG-D was supported by a PhD fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2013-064171). JP-L and JA were supported by FPI and FPU program fellowships, respectively (Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte) and S. S-S. was supported by Fondo Social Europeo-YEI (CT101/18-CT102/18PEJD-2018-PRE/BMD-7933). CM is recipient of a Marie Curie program fellowship (747487)

Contribution of Altered Endocannabinoid System to Overactive mTORC1 Signaling in Focal Cortical Dysplasia

Alterations of the PI3K/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway are causally involved in a subset of malformations of cortical development (MCDs) ranging from focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) to hemimegalencephaly and megalencephaly. These MCDs represent a frequent cause of refractory pediatric epilepsy. The endocannabinoid system -especially cannabinoid CB1 receptor- exerts a neurodevelopmental regulatory role at least in part via activation of mTORC1 signaling. Therefore, we sought to characterize the possible contribution of endocannabinoid system signaling to FCD. Confocal microscopy characterization of the CB1 receptor expression and mTORC1 activation was conducted in FCD Type II resection samples. FCD samples were subjected to single nucleotide polymorphism screening for endocannabinoid system elements, as well as CB1 receptor gene sequencing. Cannabinoid CB1 receptor levels were increased in FCD with overactive mTORC1 signaling. CB1 receptors were enriched in phospho-S6-positive cells including balloon cells (BCs) that co-express aberrant markers of undifferentiated cells and dysplastic neurons. Pharmacological regulation of CB1 receptors and the mTORC1 pathway was performed in fresh FCD-derived organotypic cultures. HU-210-evoked activation of CB1 receptors was unable to further activate mTORC1 signaling, whereas CB1 receptor blockade with rimonabant attenuated mTORC1 overactivation. Alterations of the endocannabinoid system may thus contribute to FCD pathological features, and blockade of cannabinoid signaling might be a new therapeutic intervention in FCD

Desarrollo preclínico del VCE-003.2: un nuevo derivado cannabinoide con potencial neuroprotector y neurogénico

La enfermedad de Huntington es una enfermedad neurodegenerativa de carácter hereditario y se caracteriza por una neurodegeneración del estriado que termina por alcanzar otras estructuras en etapas avanzadas (Lee, Conrad, et al. 2018a). La atrofia neuronal se debe a un aumento de tripletes CAG localizados en el exón 1 del gen de la huntingtina. Esta mutación conduce a una expansión anómala de poliglutaminas en el extremo N-terminal de la huntingtina que produce una agregación y una alteración en la función normal de la proteína (Becher et al. 1998). En la actualidad únicamente existen tratamientos paliativos para combatir la enfermedad. El hecho de que no existan aún terapias efectivas para tratar la enfermedad se debe, entre otras razones, al amplio conjunto de procesos celulares y fisiológicos en los que participa la huntingtina y que se ven alterados por sus mutaciones patológicas. Dado que la deleción del gen del receptor CB1 ha resultado ser un factor determinante en la progresión de la enfermedad de Huntington, se ha propuesto que el sistema endocannabinoide desempeña un papel crítico en la enfermedad. Esto ha abierto la puerta a posibles terapias basadas en agonistas del receptor CB1 como el THC, y de hecho así lo ha demostrado su administración en modelos preclínicos de la enfermedad, siendo capaz de ejercer un efecto neuroprotector (Blázquez et al. 2011). No obstante, la disminución de los niveles del receptor en estadios tempranos de la enfermedad y los efectos psicotomiméticos asociados a la activación del receptor han puesto de manifiesto la dificultad de un tratamiento prolongado a través de esta vía..

Maximum IR-drop in On-Chip Power Distribution Networks of Wire-Bonded Integrated Circuits

A compact IR-drop model for on-chip power distribution networks in wire-bonded ICs is presented. Chip dimensions, metal coverage and piecewise distribution of the IC consumption are taken into account to obtain closed form expressions for the maximum IR-drop as well as its place. Comparison with simulations shows an error as small as 2% in most the cases