Microwave neural processing and broadcasting with spintronic nano-oscillators

Can we build small neuromorphic chips capable of training deep networks with billions of parameters? This challenge requires hardware neurons and synapses with nanometric dimensions, which can be individually tuned, and densely connected. While nanosynaptic devices have been pursued actively in recent years, much less has been done on nanoscale artificial neurons. In this paper, we show that spintronic nano-oscillators are promising to implement analog hardware neurons that can be densely interconnected through electromagnetic signals. We show how spintronic oscillators maps the requirements of artificial neurons. We then show experimentally how an ensemble of four coupled oscillators can learn to classify all twelve American vowels, realizing the most complicated tasks performed by nanoscale neurons

High Abundance Proteins Depletion vs Low Abundance Proteins Enrichment: Comparison of Methods to Reduce the Plasma Proteome Complexity

BACKGROUND: To date, the complexity of the plasma proteome exceeds the analytical capacity of conventional approaches to isolate lower abundance proteins that may prove to be informative biomarkers. Only complex multistep separation strategies have been able to detect a substantial number of low abundance proteins (<100 ng/ml). The first step of these protocols is generally the depletion of high abundance proteins by the use of immunoaffinity columns or, alternatively, the enrichment of by the use of solid phase hexapeptides ligand libraries. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we present a direct comparison of these two approaches. Following either approach, the plasma sample was further fractionated by SCX chromatography and analyzed by RP-LC-MS/MS with a Q-TOF mass spectrometer. The depletion of the 20 most abundant plasma proteins allowed the identification of about 25% more proteins than those detectable following low abundance proteins enrichment. The two datasets are partially overlapping and the identified proteins belong to the same order of magnitude in terms of plasma concentration. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show that the two approaches give complementary results. However, the enrichment of low abundance proteins has the great advantage of obtaining much larger amount of material that can be used for further fractionations and analyses and emerges also as a cheaper and technically simpler approach. Collectively, these data indicate that the enrichment approach seems more suitable as the first stage of a complex multi-step fractionation protocol

SUMO regulates p21Cip1 intracellular distribution and with p21Cip1 facilitates multiprotein complex formation in the nucleolus upon DNA damage

We previously showed that p21Cip1 transits through the nucleolus on its way from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and that DNA damage inhibits this transit and induces the formation of p21Cip1-containing intranucleolar bodies (INoBs). Here, we demonstrate that these INoBs also contain SUMO-1 and UBC9, the E2 SUMO-conjugating enzyme. Furthermore, whereas wild type SUMO-1 localized in INoBs, a SUMO-1 mutant, which is unable to conjugate with proteins, does not, suggesting the presence of SUMOylated proteins at INoBs. Moreover, depletion of the SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9 or the sumo hydrolase SENP2 changed p21Cip1 intracellular distribution. In addition to SUMO-1 and p21Cip1, cell cycle regulators and DNA damage checkpoint proteins, including Cdk2, Cyclin E, PCNA, p53 and Mdm2, and PML were also detected in INoBs. Importantly, depletion of UBC9 or p21Cip1 impacted INoB biogenesis and the nucleolar accumulation of the cell cycle regulators and DNA damage checkpoint proteins following DNA damage. The impact of p21Cip1 and SUMO-1 on the accumulation of proteins in INoBs extends also to CRM1, a nuclear exportin that is also important for protein translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleolus. Thus, SUMO and p21Cip1 regulate the transit of proteins through the nucleolus, and that disruption of nucleolar export by DNA damage induces SUMO and p21Cip1 to act as hub proteins to form a multiprotein complex in the nucleolus

Les besoins des parents confrontés aux soins palliatifs et au décès de leur enfant - étude exploratoire

Within the context of palliative care, supporting the whole family is crucial both during the child's illness and after its death. This approach requires a consideration by the health care teams of the family needs and, among them, the parental needs. Objectives: Our purpose is to analyze in qualitative and retrospective terms the way in which the needs of the parents facing the death of their child have been met or not by the health care team (physicians, nursing staff, psychologists). We will try to highlight the factors that would either facilitate or impede the parental adjustment to the death of their child. Study design: Four mothers and two fathers of children suffering from metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, that had been deceased for at least six months but less than two years, were met for a semi-directive interview based on medical needs (care to child), social, relational, psychological, cultural, spiritual or existential needs prior to and following the death of their child. An assessment of depression and anxiety was also performed (HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Results: Families have highly variable needs that require great flexibility on the part of the health care team. Away from the death of their child (18months), half of the parents still have high HADS scores, without benefiting of grief counseling which is however much needed. Conclusion: At the end of this study and from clinical material and literature, we carried out a mapping so as to help caregivers in identifying among the parents who are facing the death of their child, any 'barrier' factors that may complicate their grief, as well as any 'resource' factors they can rely on in terms of following-up their grief. © 2013.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

A functional classification of herbaceous hedgerow vegetation for setting restoration objectives

Hedgerows are valuable habitats for biodiversity in farmed landscapes. The herbaceous vegetation at the hedge base is an important component of this habitat but its condition in Britain has deteriorated due to a combination of nutrient and pesticide contamination, and inappropriate management or neglect. The condition of herbaceous hedgerow vegetation is included in policy targets for biodiversity conservation, so a strategy is required for its restoration. This vegetation can be highly variable, so a classification of the main types is required to set realistic objectives. Vegetation classifications based on species’ functional characteristics can have more general application that those based on species identity. Using existing datasets from a countrywide survey, a functional classification of herbaceous vegetation from hedgerows in Britain was developed. Cluster analysis of vegetation plots, based on attributes of the species present, produced thirteen vegetation types in six broad groups. These were differentiated by the association of the component species with woodland, grassland or arable habitats and by gradients of soil nutrient status and pH, light availability, disturbance and grazing tolerance. By using species’ ecological characteristics as a basis for the classification, the condition of vegetation can be established and the prevailing environment predicted. From this information, a realistic strategy for restoration can then be determined