A Catalog of Hardware Acceleration Techniques for Real-Time Reconfigurable System on Chip

The new technology of reconfigurable System-on-Chip is shown to be a good match to the requirements of real-time embedded systems. In particular, the judicious use of specialised data processing peripherals can reduce the CPU load significantly and greatly ease the task of guaranteeing that real-time deadlines are met in complex multi-processing real-time systems. A catalog of other possible uses for the reconfigurable logic resources on such a chip which can assist in improving real-time system performance is also presented

Female sociality and kin discrimination in brood parasitism: Unrelated females fight over egg laying

In conspecific brood parasitism, some females (“parasites”) lay eggs in nests of other females of the same species (“hosts”). This reproductive tactic is particularly common in waterfowl, in which studies suggest that parasites are often related to the host. Here, we test the hypothesis that hosts may discriminate and reject unrelated parasites. Based on observations and >4100 h of digital video film, we analyze behavioral interactions at 65 nests of High Arctic common eiders during the laying sequence. We also estimate parasitism and host–parasite relatedness by albumen fingerprinting of 975 eggs from 232 nests. Among the video-filmed nests in which interactions were recorded during the egg-laying period, 11 had eggs from 2 females. At 8 of these 11 nests, there was overt female aggression and significantly lower host–parasite relatedness (mean coefficient of relationship r = −0.40) than in the nests with tolerant or no interactions (r = 0.91). The results demonstrate active female kin discrimination in common eiders, used against nonrelatives that try to lay eggs in the nest. Other females trying to access the nest were often prevented from doing so: in 65% of 34 such attempts, the sitting female rejected the intruder. Brood “parasitism” in eiders and other waterfowl is complex, ranging from violent female conflict and parasitic exploitation of the host’s parental care to nest takeover and potential kin selection favoring acceptance of related parasites. These and other aspects of female sociality in eiders are discussed; in some respects, they may resemble certain long-lived matriarchal mammals. aggression, common eider, conflict, cooperation, inclusive fitness, kin recognition, matriarchal mammals, parental care, relatedness, reproductive strategy, social insects, waterfowl.publishedVersio

Egret: A Flexible Platform for Real-Time Reconfigurable Systems on Chip

The new technology of reconfigurable System-on-Chip is a good match to the requirements of real-time embedded systems. However, the complicated design of such systems remains an obstacle to the widespread practical adoption of this technology. One method for reducing the incremental cost of new designs is to develop a generic platform for the design, prototyping and implementation of reconfigurable real-time systems. This paper presents our requirements for this platform, which we have dubbed Egret (Experimental Generic Reconfigurable Embedded Target). We describe our initial thinking on the design of this platform, and outline some of the high-level design choices made so far

Rapid kit-based (68)Ga-labelling and PET imaging with THP-Tyr(3)-octreotate:a preliminary comparison with DOTA-Tyr(3)-octreotate

BACKGROUND: Ge/(68)Ga generators provide an inexpensive source of a PET isotope to hospitals without cyclotron facilities. The development of new (68)Ga-based molecular imaging agents and subsequent clinical translation would be greatly facilitated by simplification of radiochemical syntheses. We report the properties of a tris(hydroxypyridinone) conjugate of the SSTR2-targeted peptide, Tyr(3)-octreotate (TATE), and compare the (68)Ga-labelling and biodistribution of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] with the clinical radiopharmaceutical [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)]. METHODS: A tris(hydroxypyridinone) with a pendant isothiocyanate group was conjugated to the primary amine terminus of H(2)N-PEG(2)-Lys(iv-Dde)(5)-TATE, and the resulting conjugate was deprotected to provide THP-TATE. THP-TATE was radiolabelled with (68)Ga(3+) from a (68)Ge/(68)Ga generator. In vitro uptake was assessed in SSTR2-positive 427-7 cells and SSTR2-negative 427 (parental) cells. Biodistribution of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] was compared with that of [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)] in Balb/c nude mice bearing SSTR2-positive AR42J tumours. PET scans were obtained 1 h post-injection, after which animals were euthanised and tissues/organs harvested and counted. RESULTS: [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] was radiolabelled and formulated rapidly in <2 min, in ≥95 % radiochemical yield at pH 5–6.5 and specific activities of 60–80 MBq nmol(−1) at ambient temperature. [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] was rapidly internalised into SSTR2-positive cells, but not SSTR2-negative cells, and receptor binding and internalisation were specific. Animals administered [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] demonstrated comparable SSTR2-positive tumour activity (11.5 ± 0.6 %ID g(−1)) compared to animals administered [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)] (14.4 ± 0.8 %ID g(−1)). Co-administration of unconjugated Tyr(3)-octreotate effectively blocked tumour accumulation of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] (2.7 ± 0.6 %ID g(−1)). Blood clearance of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] was rapid and excretion was predominantly renal, although compared to [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)], [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] exhibited comparatively longer kidney retention. CONCLUSIONS: Radiochemical synthesis of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] is significantly faster, proceeds under milder conditions, and requires less manipulation than that of [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)]. A (68)Ga-labelled tris(hydroxypyridinone) conjugate of Tyr(3)-octreotate demonstrates specificity and targeting affinity for SSTR2 receptors, with comparable in vivo targeting affinity to the clinical PET tracer, [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)]. Thus, peptide conjugates based on tris(hydroxypyridinones) are conducive to translation to kit-based preparation of PET tracers, enabling the expansion and adoption of (68)Ga PET in hospitals and imaging centres without the need for costly automated synthesis modules

Theranostic cRGD-BioShuttle Constructs Containing Temozolomide- and Cy7 For NIR-Imaging and Therapy

Innovative and personalized therapeutic approaches result from the identification and control of individual aberrantly expressed genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Therefore, it is of high interest to establish diagnostic, therapeutic and theranostic strategies at these levels. In the present study, we used the Diels-Alder Reaction with inverse electron demand (DARinv) click chemistry to prepare a series of cyclic RGD-BioShuttle constructs. These constructs carry the near-infrared (NIR) imaging agent Cy7 and the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ). We evaluated their uptake by and their efficacy against integrin αvβ3-expressing MCF7 human breast carcinoma cells. In addition, using a mouse phantom, we analyzed the suitability of this targeted theranostic agent for NIR optical imaging. We observed that the cyclic RGD-based carriers containing TMZ and/or Cy7 were effectively taken up by αvβ3-expressing cells, that they were more effective than free TMZ in inducing cell death, and that they could be quantitatively visualized using NIR fluorescence imaging. Therefore, these targeted theranostic agents are considered to be highly suitable systems for improving disease diagnosis and therapy