Characterization of a branched lipopeptide candidate vaccine against influenza A/Puerto Rico 8/34 which is recognized by human B and T-cell immune responses

The use of synthetic peptides as immunogens represents an exciting alternative to traditional vaccines. However, to date most of these synthetic peptides are not highly immunogenic. The lack of immunogenicity might be addressed by conjugation between T or B cell epitopes with universal or immunodominant T-helper epitopes. The construction of lipidated peptides, branched peptides, or designs combining both of these elements might enhance the immunogenicity, as they might target Toll-Like Receptors and/or mimic the 3-dimensional structure of epitopes within the native protein. Herein, a recognized peptide immunogen based on the hemagglutinin protein of A/Puerto Rico/8/34 was chosen as a backbone and modified to evaluate if the construction of branched peptides, lipidation, the addition of cysteine residues, or mutations could indeed alter epitope reactivity. Screening the different designs with various antibody binding and cellular assays revealed that combining a branched design with the addition of lipid moieties greatly enhanced the immunoreactivity

Multichannel Time Synchronization Based on PTP through a High Voltage Isolation Buffer Network Interface for Thick-GEM Detectors

Data logging and complex algorithm implementations acting on multichannel systems with independent devices require the use of time synchronization. In the case of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) and Thick-GEM (THGEM) detectors, the biasing potential can be generated at the detector level via DC to DC converters operating at floating voltage. In this case, high voltage isolation buffers may be used to allow communication between the different channels. However, their use add non-negligible delays in the transmission channel, complicating the synchronization. Implementation of a simplified precise time protocol is presented for handling the synchronization on the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) side of a Xilinx SoC Zynq ZC7Z030. The synchronization is done through a high voltage isolated bidirectional network interface built on a custom board attached to a commercial CIAA_ACC carrier. The results of the synchronization are shown through oscilloscope captures measuring the time drift over long periods of time, achieving synchronization in the order of nanoseconds

Corrections to “A Survey on FPGA-Based Heterogeneous Clusters Architectures”

In the above article [1], two references were missing [2], [3]

Data Analysis and Filter Optimization for Pulse-Amplitude Measurement: A Case Study on High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy

In this study, we present a procedure to optimize a set of finite impulse response filter (FIR) coefficients for digital pulse-amplitude measurement. Such an optimized filter is designed using an adapted digital penalized least mean square (DPLMS) method. The effectiveness of the procedure is demonstrated using a dataset from a case study on high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy based on single-photon detection and energy measurements. The energy resolutions of the Kα and Kβ lines of the Manganese energy spectrum have been improved by approximately 20%, compared to the reference values obtained by fitting individual photon pulses with the corresponding mathematical model