Ultra Low-Power Analog Median Filters

The design and implementation of three analog median filter topologies, whose transistors operate in the deep weak-inversion region, is described. The first topology is a differential pairs array, in which drain currents are driven into two nodes in a differential fashion, while the second topology is based on a wide range OTA, which is used to maximize the dynamic range. Finally, the third topology uses three range-extended OTAs. The proposed weak-inversion filters were designed and fabricated in ON Semiconductor 0.5 micrometer technology through MOSIS. Experimental results of three-input fabricated prototypes for all three topologies are show, where power consumptions of 90nW in the first case, and 270nW in the other two cases can be noticed. A dual power supply +/-1.5 Volts were used

Carbonatación de un hormigón hibrido con alto contenido de escoria siderurgica de alto horno y su impacto en la corrosión del acero estructural

The aim of this research was to study the carbonation resistance of a blast furnace slag concrete (80% GBFS/20%OPC), with and without alkaline activation, and its influence on the corrosion of structural reinforcement. An OPC-based concrete produced under the same specifications was used as a reference material. To do this, the material was subjected to an accelerated carbonation process under controlled conditions (65% relative humidity, 1% CO2, 25°C). The half-cell potential (Ecorr), linear polarization resistance (LPR) tests showed that both concretes based on GBFS led to depassivation of the reinforcing steel at approximately 99 days, which is the time required for full carbonation of the evaluated concretes.El objetivo de esta investigación fue estudiar la resistencia a la carbonatación de un hormigón a base de escoria granulada de alto horno (80% GBFS/20%OPC), con y sin activación alcalina, y su influencia sobre la corrosión del acero estructural. Un hormigón basado en cemento portland producido con las mismas especificaciones fue usado como material de referencia. Para ello, el material fue sometido a un proceso de carbonatación acelerada bajo condiciones controladas (Humedad Relativa 65 %, 1% CO2, 25 °C). Los ensayos de potencial de media celda (Ecorr) y Resistencia a la polarización lineal (LPR) mostraron que los aceros estructurales aproximadamente a los 99 días alcanzan la despasivación en los hormigones basados en escoria, coincide este tiempo con el requerido para la completa carbonatación de los hormigones evaluados

Machine-Learning Enhanced Photometric Analysis of the Extremely Bright GRB 210822A

We present analytical and numerical models of the bright long GRB 210822A at $z=1.736$. The intrinsic extreme brightness exhibited in the optical, which is very similar to other bright GRBs (e.g., GRBs 080319B, 130427A, 160625A 190114C, and 221009A), makes GRB 210822A an ideal case for studying the evolution of this particular kind of GRB. We use optical data from the RATIR instrument starting at $T+315.9$ s, with publicly available optical data from other ground-based observatories, as well as X-ray data from the Swift/X-ray Telescope (XRT) and data from the Swift/Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). The temporal profiles and spectral properties during the late stages align consistently with the conventional forward shock model, complemented by a reverse shock element that dominates optical emissions during the initial phases ($T<300$ s). Furthermore, we observe a break at $T=80000$ s that we interpreted as evidence of a jet break, which constrains the opening angle to be about $\theta_\mathrm{j}=(3-5)$ degrees. Finally, we apply a machine-learning technique to model the multi-wavelength light curve of GRB 210822A using the AFTERGLOWPY library. We estimate the angle of sight $\theta_{obs}=(6.4 \pm 0.1) \times 10^{-1}$ degrees, the energy $E_0= (7.9 \pm 1.6)\times 10^{53}$ ergs, the electron index $p=2.54 \pm 0.10$, the thermal energy fraction in electrons $\epsilon_e=(4.63 \pm 0.91) \times 10^{-5}$ and in the magnetic field $\epsilon_B= (8.66 \pm 1.01) \times 10^{-6}$, the efficiency $\chi = 0.89 \pm 0.01$, and the density of the surrounding medium $n_\mathrm{0} = 0.85 \pm 0.01$.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS, 11 pages, 6 figures. Fixed typo

Transcriptional Shift Identifies a Set of Genes Driving Breast Cancer Chemoresistance

Background Distant recurrences after antineoplastic treatment remain a serious problem for breast cancer clinical management, which threats patients’ life. Systemic therapy is administered to eradicate cancer cells from the organism, both at the site of the primary tumor and at any other potential location. Despite this intervention, a significant proportion of breast cancer patients relapse even many years after their primary tumor has been successfully treated according to current clinical standards, evidencing the existence of a chemoresistant cell subpopulation originating from the primary tumor.Methods/Findings To identify key molecules and signaling pathways which drive breast cancer chemoresistance we performed gene expression analysis before and after anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy and compared the results between different histopathological response groups (good-, mid- and bad-response), established according to the Miller & Payne grading system. Two cohorts of 33 and 73 breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were recruited for whole-genome expression analysis and validation assay, respectively. Identified genes were subjected to a bioinformatic analysis in order to ascertain the molecular function of the proteins they encode and the signaling in which they participate. High throughput technologies identified 65 gene sequences which were over-expressed in all groups (P ≤ 0·05 Bonferroni test). Notably we found that, after chemotherapy, a significant proportion of these genes were over-expressed in the good responders group, making their tumors indistinguishable from those of the bad responders in their expression profile (P ≤ 0.05 Benjamini-Hochgerg`s method).Conclusions These data identify a set of key molecular pathways selectively up-regulated in post-chemotherapy cancer cells, which may become appropriate targets for the development of future directed therapies against breast cancer.Thanks are due to the Consejería de Economia, Innovación y Ciencia (CEIC) from the Junta de Andalucía and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)/Fondo de Cohesión Europeo (FSE) to financial support through the Programa Operativo FEDER/FSE de Andalucía 2007-2013 and the research project CTS-5350. The authors also acknowledge financial support by the PN de I+D+i 2006-2009/ISCIII/Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad (Spain) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) from the European Union, through the research project PI06/90388

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

Polyclonal antibodies for the detection of Trypanosoma cruzi circulating antigens

Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi antigens in clinical samples is considered an important diagnostic tool for Chagas disease. The production and use of polyclonal antibodies may contribute to an increase in the sensitivity of immunodiagnosis of Chagas disease.Polyclonal antibodies were raised in alpacas, rabbits, and hens immunized with trypomastigote excreted-secreted antigen, membrane proteins, trypomastigote lysate antigen and recombinant 1F8 to produce polyclonal antibodies. Western blot analysis was performed to determine specificity of the developed antibodies. An antigen capture ELISA of circulating antigens in serum, plasma and urine samples was developed using IgY polyclonal antibodies against T. cruzi membrane antigens (capture antibody) and IgG from alpaca raised against TESA. A total of 33 serum, 23 plasma and 9 urine samples were analyzed using the developed test. Among serum samples, compared to serology, the antigen capture ELISA tested positive in 55% of samples. All plasma samples from serology positive subjects were positive in the antigen capture ELISA. All urine positive samples had corresponding plasma samples that were also positive when tested by the antigen capture ELISA.Polyclonal antibodies are useful for detection of circulating antigens in both the plasma and urine of infected individuals. Detection of antigens is direct evidence of the presence of the parasite, and could be a better surrogate of current infection status

Regional and large-scale patterns in Amazon forest structure and function are mediated by variations in soil physical and chemical properties

Forest structure and dynamics have been noted to vary across the Amazon Basin in an east-west gradient in a pattern which coincides with variations in soil fertility and geology. This has resulted in the hypothesis that soil fertility may play an important role in explaining Basin-wide variations in forest biomass, growth and stem turnover rates. To test this hypothesis and assess the importance of edaphic properties in affect forest structure and dynamics, soil and plant samples were collected in a total of 59 different forest plots across the Amazon Basin. Samples were analysed for exchangeable cations, C, N, pH with various Pfractions also determined. Physical properties were also examined and an index of soil physical quality developed. Overall, forest structure and dynamics were found to be strongly and quantitatively related to edaphic conditions. Tree turnover rates emerged to be mostly influenced by soil physical properties whereas forest growth rates were mainly related to a measure of available soil phosphorus, although also dependent on rainfall amount and distribution. On the other hand, large scale variations in forest biomass could not be explained by any of the edaphic properties measured, nor by variation in climate. A new hypothesis of self-maintaining forest dynamic feedback mechanisms initiated by edaphic conditions is proposed. It is further suggested that this is a major factor determining forest disturbance levels, species composition and forest productivity on a Basin wide scale

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN