OBTENCIÓN DEL MÁXIMO ANCHO DE BANDA PARA LA ADQUISICIÓN Y RECONSTRUCCIÓN DE SEÑALES ANALÓGICAS CON LA TARJETA SPARTAN 3E

ResumenEn este trabajo se presenta un sistema en el cual se obtiene el máximo ancho de banda posible para la adquisición y reconstrucción de señales analógicas en la tarjeta de desarrollo Spartan-3E del fabricante Xilinx, utilizando los convertidores que contiene dicha tarjeta, tanto el ADC como el DAC. El sistema está desarrollado en VHDL empleando el concepto de máquina de estados finitos (FSM) y el administrador digital de reloj (DCM) incluido en el FPGA de la tarjeta. En aplicaciones tales como procesamiento digital de señales en tiempo real, comunicaciones digitales y control digital, por mencionar algunas, es muy importante tener un ancho de banda considerable en el sistema. El valor máximo obtenido para el ancho de banda del sistema fue de 161 kHz.Palabras Claves: ADC, ancho de banda, DAC, FPGA, Spartan-3E.OBTAINING THE MAXIMUM BANDWIDTH FOR THE ACQUISITION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF ANALOGUE SIGNALS WITH THE SPARTAN 3E CARDAbstractThis paper presents a system in which the maximum bandwidth possible for the acquisition and reconstruction of analog signals is obtained in the Spartan-3E development board of the Xilinx manufacturer, using the converters contained in this board, both the ADC and The DAC. The system is developed in VHDL using the concept of finite state machine (FSM) and the digital clock manager (DCM) included in the FPGA. In applications such as digital processing of real-time signals, digital communications and digital control, to mention a few, it is very important to have a considerable bandwidth in the system. The maximum value obtained for the system bandwidth was 161 kHz.Keywords: ADC, bandwith, DAC, FPGA, Spartan-3E

Qualitative Evaluation of RADx-UP Projects Addressing COVID-19 Testing Disparities Among Underserved Populations

In this article, we present findings from a May 2022 to March 2023 qualitative evaluation of Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics-Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) projects addressing COVID-19 testing disparities among underserved populations. Interviews with academic and community partners from 13 RADx-UP projects revealed that despite the pandemic, projects were able to build trust and relationships with underserved populations. By prioritizing community voices during a public health emergency, RADx-UP projects improved health equity and pandemic preparedness in these communities, successfully conducted community-engaged research, and built long-lasting community partnerships. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print March 28, 2024:e1-e6. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307632)

Dietary mineral supplies in Malawi: spatial and socioeconomic assessment

Background Dietary mineral deficiencies are widespread globally causing a large disease burden. However, estimates of deficiency prevalence are often only available at national scales or for small population sub-groups with limited relevance for policy makers. Methods This study combines food supply data from the Third Integrated Household Survey of Malawi with locally-generated food crop composition data to derive estimates of dietary mineral supplies and prevalence of inadequate intakes in Malawi. Results We estimate that >50 % of households in Malawi are at risk of energy, calcium (Ca), selenium (Se) and/or zinc (Zn) deficiencies due to inadequate dietary supplies, but supplies of iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and magnesium (Mg) are adequate for >80 % of households. Adequacy of iodine (I) is contingent on the use of iodised salt with 80 % of rural households living on low-pH soils had inadequate dietary Se supplies compared to 55 % on calcareous soils; concurrent inadequate supplies of Ca, Se and Zn were observed in >80 % of the poorest rural households living in areas with non-calcareous soils. Prevalence of inadequate dietary supplies was greater in rural than urban households for all nutrients except Fe. Interventions to address dietary mineral deficiencies were assessed. For example, an agronomic biofortification strategy could reduce the prevalence of inadequate dietary Se supplies from 82 to 14 % of households living in areas with low-pH soils, including from 95 to 21 % for the poorest subset of those households. If currently-used fertiliser alone were enriched with Se then the prevalence of inadequate supplies would fall from 82 to 57 % with a cost per alleviated case of dietary Se deficiency of ~ US$ 0.36 year−1. Conclusions Household surveys can provide useful insights into the prevalence and underlying causes of dietary mineral deficiencies, allowing disaggregation by spatial and socioeconomic criteria. Furthermore, impacts of potential interventions can be modelled

Changes in food and nutrition security in Malawi: Analysis of recent survey evidence

A large proportion of Malawian households are caught in a trap where poverty and food insecurity reinforce one another and where periods of food deficits and severe food crises are frequent occurrences. In recognition of this, the Malawian government has since 2005/06 implemented a large-scale Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP), which supplies half of smallholder farmers with sufficient fertilizer and maize seeds to satisfy the maize consumption needs of an average-sized family. While the program boosted maize production and lowered maize prices, thus ensuring increased caloric availability at the household level, its effect on overall food consumption, dietary diversity, micronutrient deficiency, and child nutrition is less clear. This study evaluates household expenditure survey data to measure changes in nutrition outcomes between 2004/05 and 2010/11.Non-PRIFPRI1; MaSSP; CRP2DSGD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

Epigenome-Wide Analysis Reveals DNA Methylation Alteration in <i>ZFP57</i> and Its Target <i>RASGFR2</i> in a Mexican Population Cohort with Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) comprise a group of heterogeneous and complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to ASD etiology. DNA methylation is particularly relevant for ASD due to its mediating role in the complex interaction between genotype and environment and has been implicated in ASD pathophysiology. The lack of diversity in DNA methylation studies in ASD individuals is remarkable. Since genetic and environmental factors are likely to vary across populations, the study of underrepresented populations is necessary to understand the molecular alterations involved in ASD and the risk factors underlying these changes. This study explored genome-wide differences in DNA methylation patterns in buccal epithelium cells between Mexican ASD patients (n = 27) and age-matched typically developing (TD: n = 15) children. DNA methylation profiles were evaluated with the Illumina 450k array. We evaluated the interaction between sex and ASD and found a differentially methylated region (DMR) over the 5′UTR region of ZFP57 and one of its targets, RASGRF2. These results match previous findings in brain tissue, which may indicate that ZFP57 could be used as a proxy for DNA methylation in different tissues. This is the first study performed in a Mexican, and subsequently, Latin American, population that evaluates DNA methylation in ASD patients