Analytic Approach to the Operation of RTD Ternary Inverters Based on MML

Open Access.Multiple-valued Logic (MVL) circuits are one of the most attractive applications of the Monostable-to-Multistable transition Logic (MML), and they are on the basis of advanced circuits for communications. However, a proper design is not inherent to the usual MML circuit topologies. This paper analyses the case of an MML ternary inverter, and determines the relations that circuit representative parameters must verify to obtain a correct behaviour.This work has been funded by the Spanish Government under project NDR, TEC2007- 67245/MIC, and the Junta de Andalucía through the Proyecto de Excelencia TIC-2961.Peer Reviewe

Haematopoietic ESL-1 enables stem cell proliferation in the bone marrow by limiting TGF beta availability

The life-long maintenance of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) critically relies on environmental signals produced by cells that constitute the haematopoietic niche. Here we report a cell-intrinsic mechanism whereby haematopoietic cells limit proliferation within the bone marrow, and show that this pathway is repressed by E-selectin ligand 1 (ESL-1). Mice deficient in ESL-1 display aberrant HSPC quiescence, expansion of the immature pool and reduction in niche size. Remarkably, the traits were transplantable and dominant when mutant and wild-type precursors coexisted in the same environment, but were independent of E-selectin, the vascular receptor for ESL-1. Instead, quiescence is generated by unrestrained production of the cytokine TGF beta by mutant HSPC, and in vivo or in vitro blockade of the cytokine completely restores the homeostatic properties of the haematopoietic niche. These findings reveal that haematopoietic cells, including the more primitive compartment, can actively shape their own environment

Haematopoietic ESL-1 enables stem cell proliferation in the bone marrow by limiting TGF beta availability

The life-long maintenance of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) critically relies on environmental signals produced by cells that constitute the haematopoietic niche. Here we report a cell-intrinsic mechanism whereby haematopoietic cells limit proliferation within the bone marrow, and show that this pathway is repressed by E-selectin ligand 1 (ESL-1). Mice deficient in ESL-1 display aberrant HSPC quiescence, expansion of the immature pool and reduction in niche size. Remarkably, the traits were transplantable and dominant when mutant and wild-type precursors coexisted in the same environment, but were independent of E-selectin, the vascular receptor for ESL-1. Instead, quiescence is generated by unrestrained production of the cytokine TGF beta by mutant HSPC, and in vivo or in vitro blockade of the cytokine completely restores the homeostatic properties of the haematopoietic niche. These findings reveal that haematopoietic cells, including the more primitive compartment, can actively shape their own environment

Use of rasch methodology to develop a short version of the Health Related Quality of life for Eating Disorders questionnaire: a prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To confirm the internal structure of the Health Related Quality of Life for Eating Disorders version 2 questionnaire (HeRQoLEDv2) and create and validate a shortened version (HeRQoLED-S).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>324 patients with eating disorders were assessed at baseline and one year later (75.6% of whom responded). We performed a confirmatory factor analysis of the HeRQoLEDv2 using baseline data, and then a Rasch analysis to shorten the questionnaire. Data obtained at year one was used to confirm the structure of the HeRQoLED short form and evaluate its validity and reliability.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two latent second-order factors -- social maladjustment and mental health and functionality -- fit the data for the HeRQoLEDv2. Rasch analysis was computed separately for the two latent second-order factors and shortened the HeRQoLEDv2 to 20 items. Infit and outfit indices were acceptable, with the confirmatory factor analysis of the HeRQoLED short form giving a root mean square error of approximation of 0.07, a non-normed fit index and a comparative fit index exceeding 0.90. The validity was also supported by the correlation with the convergent measures: the social maladjustment factor correlated 0.82 with the dieting concern factor of the Eating Attitudes Test-26 and the mental health and functionality factor correlated -0.69 with the mental summary component of the Short Form-12. Cronbach alphas exceeded 0.89.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Two main factors, social maladjustment and mental health and functionality, explain the majority of HeRQoLEDv2 scores. The shortened version maintains good psychometric properties, though it must be validated in independent samples.</p

Out-of-core macromolecular simulations on multithreaded architectures

We address the solution of large-scale eigenvalue problems that appear in the motion simulation of complex macromolecules on multithreaded platforms, consisting of multicore processors and possibly a graphics processor (GPU). In particular, we compare specialized implementations of several high- performance eigensolvers that, by relying on disk storage and out-of-core (OOC) techniques, can in principle tackle the large memory requirements of these biological problems, which in general do not fit into the main memory of current desktop machines. All these OOC eigensolvers, except for one, are composed of compute-bound (i.e., arithmetically-intensive) operations, which we accelerate by exploiting the performance of current multicore processors and, in some cases, by additionally off-loading certain parts of the computation to a GPU accelerator. One of the eigensolvers is a memory-bound algorithm, which strongly constrains its performance when the data is on disk. However, this method exhibits a much lower arithmetic cost compared with its compute- bound alternatives for this particular application. Experimental results on a desktop platform, representative of current server technology, illustrate the potential of these methods to address the simulation of biological activity

Accelerating multi-channel filtering of audio signal on ARM processors

The researchers from Universitat Jaume I are supported by the CICYT projects TIN2014-53495-R and TIN2011-23283 of the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and FEDER. The authors from the Universitat Politècnica de València are supported by projects TEC2015-67387-C4-1-R and PROMETEOII/2014/003. This work was also supported from the European Union FEDER (CAPAP-H5 network TIN2014-53522-REDT)

Mini AuAg Wavy Nanorods Displaying Plasmon-Induced Photothermal and Photocatalytic Properties

Alloyed AuAg wavy nanorods (wNRs) of approximate to 24.0 nm length and 3.5 nm width are formed by the mild decomposition of the organometallic complex [Au2Ag2(C6F5)(4)(OEt2)(2)](n) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the presence of oleic acid. Ligand exchange with l-glutathione (GSH) or poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether thiol (PEG-SH) leads to water-soluble nanostructures. These AuAg wNRs display tunable size-dependent longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (l-LSPR) broad absorptions beyond 750 nm in the near-infrared (NIR) I and II regions. These intense plasmonic absorptions lead to interesting photothermal, catalytic, and photocatalytic properties, including the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the photocatalytic reduction of 4-nitrostyrene, or the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane for H-2 release

The Impact of the Multi-core Revolution on Signal Processing

This paper analyzes the influence of new multi- core and many-core architectures on Signal Processing. The article covers both the architectural design and the programming models of current general-purpose multi-core processors and graphics processors (GPU), with the goal of identifying their possibilities and impact on signal processing applications

Gait Assessment in Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy

Assessment; Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathyEvaluación; Polirradiculoneuropatía desmielinizante inflamatoria crónicaAvaluació; Poliradiculoneuropatia desmielinizant inflamatòria crònicaBackground and Aims. Gait impairment is a common manifestation of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). However, clinicians lack an effective monitoring tool, as no gait test has been validated for CIDP. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of three tests in monitoring the clinical course of patients with CIDP: Timed Up and Go (TUG), 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), and 30-Second Chair Stand (30SCS). Methods. This is a prospective, single-center observational study. We included newly diagnosed CIDP patients starting treatment or relapsed CIDP patients requiring new treatment. We monitored the clinical course using CIDP-validated clinical scales and correlated changes in clinical status with the results of the gait tests. A ROC curve was developed, and we chose the cut-off point on each scale with the best specificity and sensitivity to detect change in clinical status. Results. A total of 20 patients have been recruited. The 3 tests show a statistical correlation with objective clinical improvement. In patients who have showed clinical improvement during the follow-up examination, a mean reduction of 4.8 seconds in TUG and 2.6 in 10MWT and a gain of 3 repetitions in 30SCS have been observed. The optimal cut-off points for each test were seconds, seconds, and repetition. The TUG test has the highest sensitivity (82.6%), and the 30SCS test has the highest specificity (100%) for detecting clinical improvement. Conclusions. The study found that the TUG and 30SCS tests could become effective tools for monitoring treatment response in CIDP patients

Simultaneous Determination of Refractive Index and Thickness of Submicron Optical Polymer Films from Transmission Spectra

High-transparency polymers, called optical polymers (OPs), are used in many thin-film devices, for which the knowledge of film thickness (h) and refractive index (n) is generally required. Spectrophotometry is a cost-effective, simple and fast non-destructive method often used to determine these parameters simultaneously, but its application is limited to films where h > 500 nm. Here, a simple spectrophotometric method is reported to obtain simultaneously the n and h of a sub-micron OP film (down to values of a few tenths of a nm) from its transmission spectrum. The method is valid for any OP where the n dispersion curve follows a two-coefficient Cauchy function and complies with a certain equation involving n at two different wavelengths. Remarkably, such an equation is determined through the analysis of n data for a wide set of commercial OPs, and its general validity is demonstrated. Films of various OPs (pristine or doped with fluorescent compounds), typically used in applications such as thin-film organic lasers, are prepared, and n and h are simultaneously determined with the proposed procedure. The success of the method is confirmed with variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (MINECO) and European Community (FEDER) through grant no. MAT2015-66586-R