This work reports the performance evaluation of an SDR readout system based on the latest generation (Gen3) of AMD’s Radio-Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) processing platform, which integrates a ...full-stack processing system and a powerful FPGA with up to 32 high-speed and high-resolution 14-bit Digital-to-Analog Converters and 14-bit Analog-to-Digital Converters. The proposed readout system uses a previously developed multi-band, double-conversion IQ RF-mixing board targeting a multiplexing factor of approximately 1000 bolometers in a bandwidth between 4 and 8 GHz, in line with state-of-the-art microwave SQUID multiplexers. The characterization of the system was performed in two stages, under the conditions typically imposed by the multiplexer and the cold readout circuit: first, in transmission, showing that noise and spurious levels of the generated tones are close to the values imposed by the cold readout, and second, in RF loopback, presenting noise values better than −100 dBc/Hz totally in agreement with the state-of-the-art readout systems. It was demonstrated that the RFSoC Gen3 device is a suitable enabling technology for the next generation of superconducting detector readout systems, reducing system complexity, increasing system integration, and achieving these goals without performance degradation.
The aim of this study is a risk-benefit assessment of treating rheumatoid arthritis with biologics based on registry data on mortality.UK, Sweden and Spain have published evaluable data on mortality. ...A parallel control group was conducted in the UK. Sweden and Spain used an historical cohort for comparison.Central registries supported British and Swedish research by sending details on all deaths. The variety of possible confounders prevents direct comparisons of the registers and safe predictions for individual patients.The death rate in TNF-inhibitor-treated patients is higher than in the general population but lower than in the control groups with RA. Thus comorbidities are not balanced, the weighted mortality rate scaled down the difference between exposed patients and controls. When TNF-inhibitors are given for the usual indication, mortality is reduced compared to conventional therapy.
The dynamic properties of crystalline materials are important for understanding their local environment or individual single-grain motions. A new time-resolved observation method is required for use ...in many fields of investigation. Here, we developed in situ diffracted X-ray blinking to monitor high-resolution diffraction patterns from single-crystal grains with a 50 ms time resolution. The diffraction spots of single grains of silver halides and silver moved in the θ and χ directions during the photolysis chemical reaction. The movements of the spots represent tilting and rotational motions. The time trajectory of the diffraction intensity reflecting those motions was analysed by using single-pixel autocorrelation function (sp-ACF). Single-pixel ACF analysis revealed significant differences in the distributions of the ACF decay constants between silver halides, suggesting that the motions of single grains are different between them. The rotational diffusion coefficients for silver halides were estimated to be accurate at the level of approximately 0.1 to 0.3 pm
/s. Furthermore, newly formed silver grains on silver halides correlated with their ACF decay constants. Our high-resolution atomic scale measurement-sp-ACF analysis of diffraction patterns of individual grains-is useful for evaluating physical properties that are broadly applicable in physics, chemistry, and materials science.
Shifts in phenological timing have important implications for ecosystem processes, with spring leaf emergence as a dominant control of carbon, water, and energy cycling. Phenological events are ...predominantly determined by weather and climate, therefore dynamic in time and sensitive to climate feedbacks. Improving our understanding of how ecosystems respond to changes in phenological timing will enhance our ability to assess summer soil water availability, since the timing of spring leaf emergence may lead to soil moisture deficits later in the growing season. We leveraged data from five AmeriFlux towers in central and eastern United States to investigate the extent spring leaf emergence (i.e., start of spring, SoS) influences rates at which forest canopies develop and how this impacts summer soil moisture (θJJA) variability. Our results indicate that ecosystem processes, specifically gross primary production (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), exhibit compensatory responses to varying leaf emergence; with delayed spring‐onset, the canopy developed more quickly, resulting in rapid GPP and ET increases, consistent across sites. Nonetheless, early SoS is a relatively good indicator for potential summer soil water deficits, particularly when it occurs together with meteorological conditions (i.e., lower‐than‐average precipitation, hot summer temperatures) that contribute to soil water deficits. When these meteorological conditions coincide with early SoS, θJJA deficits are exacerbated. To the extent that these extreme conditions occur more frequently under future climate scenarios, the dynamics of spring phenology and hydroclimate may play an increasingly important role in portending the likelihood of summer water deficits, which are projected to become more severe.
Plain Language Summary
Warmer spring have been occurring over the past several decades resulting in tree leaves emerging earlier in the year. As leaves emerge, transpiration is initiated transporting water that is stored in the soil back to the atmosphere. As transpiration continues to increase with increasing vegetation, more stored water is removed from the ground, and depending upon the frequency and magnitude of precipitation events to replenish this water, the potential for soil water deficits increases, possibly making an early start of spring (SoS) an indicator for summer soil water plant stress. However, the rate of development of forest canopies changes depending on when the leaves emerge such that an early SoS is characterized by more gradual canopy development whereas a later SoS is characterized by more rapid canopy development. The adjustment in rates of canopy development helps modulate the soil water status and ultimately how slow or how quickly the canopy develops exerts control over the time it takes the ecosystem to achieve maximum evapotranspiration.
Key Points
Ecosystem scale gross primary production (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) increase more rapidly when the start of spring occurs later
The ratio of spring ET to spring potential ET (ET:PET) is higher when the spring begins earlier in the year
Higher spring ET:PET can exacerbate summer soil moisture deficits, resulting in tree water stress
Background: Joint involvement occurs in most patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and severe lupus arthritis is often refractory to conventional treatments. Anakinra is used in the ...treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but its therapeutic potential has not been proved in patients with SLE. Objective: To determine the safety/tolerability and efficacy of anakinra in patients with SLE with leading joint involvement. Methods: In patients with SLE with active polyarthritis and no other uncontrolled systemic/organ manifestations, 100 mg/day anakinra was self administered subcutaneously for 3 months. Disease activity was assessed by VAS, number of swollen/tender joints, ECLAM score, and serological and immunological measures. Results: Four patients with SLE were studied; anakinra was safe in all four patients and no drug related serious adverse events occurred. A subjective benefit was seen in all patients and a trend towards better activity measures after 4 weeks. After an initial response, one patient left the study because of an arthritic flare after 6 weeks. Conclusion: In this study anakinra was apparently safe and well tolerated and led to clinical and serological improvement. Anakinra might be an interesting alternative in individual patients with lupus arthritis not responding to conventional treatments.
Objective: Defensins are immunomodulatory peptides and components of the innate immune response. They have been shown to be modulated in various disease states and in response to inflammatory ...stimuli. Recently, alpha-defensins have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In order to explore whether these defensins may have a role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we sought to determine whether altered expression can be found in SLE patients.
Material and Methods: Serum and EDTA-blood of 50 SLE patients who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria (aged 41.4 ± 13.3 years) and 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were collected. Real-time polymerase chain reaction with gene-specific primers for human neutrophil peptides (HNPs), human beta-defensin 2 and 3 (hBD2, 3) in isolated polymorphonuclear cells and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum samples were performed. Results of SLE patients were compared with the control group and correlated to routine laboratory parameters, clinical data and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI).
Results: SLE patients were predominantly female (90%) with a mean SLEDAI of 5.7 ± 6.1. In sera, patients displayed higher amounts of hBD2 and HNPs when compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, hBD2 correlated with levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies, erythrocyte count and the SLEDAI. Elevated values were observed in patients with myositis (n = 4). Serum HNPs on the other hand correlated with the neutrophil count and was elevated in patients with a rash (n = 7). Lupus patients suffering from transverse myelitis (n = 3) had raised serum-values of both HNPs and hBD2. While no mRNA of hBD2 or hBD3 was detected in polymorphonuclear cells, HNP mRNA was found in both healthy controls and patients without significant difference. Lupus nephritis and rash were associated with higher amounts of HNP mRNA, and the relative amount of copies correlated positively with the SLEDAI and negatively with C3 measurements.
Conclusions: Serum levels of hBD2 and HNPs are elevated in SLE. The correlations of hBD2 and HNPs to established disease activity parameters and distinct clinical situations suggest that innate immune mechanisms are activated. Defensins may be involved in SLE pathogenesis.
Improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a prioritized treatment target in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A retrospective chart review of patients with repeated HRQoL ...measurements from the outpatient department was conducted in order to better understand which factors drive HRQoL in established SLE. Of particular interest was the association between HRQoL and disease activity.
The medical outcomes study short form 36 (SF-36), systemic lupus activity measure (SLAM) and routine clinical data of 169 patients (83% female, mean age 40.3 ± 13 years, disease duration 9.4 ± 7 years) over an average of 7.1 ± 4.2 years were available for analysis by linear mixed modelling. Factors associated with the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of the SF-36 were assessed. The proportion of HRQoL which could be explained by the variables was estimated by marginal R
(mR
) and conditional R
(cR
).
At baseline, SLE patients showed a reduced HRQoL in all subscales of the SF-36 including PCS and MCS with the exception of vitality. A higher PCS over time was significantly associated with concurrent parameters, such as intake of antimalarial drugs, no glucocorticoid use, less fatigue, lower disease activity as well as to the baseline parameters of younger age and higher PCS (mR
54.7%, cR
59.9%). A higher MCS was associated with concurrent use of glucocorticoids and a higher baseline MCS (mR
21.7%, cR
25.1%).
The use of antimalarial drugs and no glucocorticoid intake as well as low current disease activity are modifiable factors associated with a better physical HRQoL. The mental component of HRQoL was poorly represented by conventional parameters and not associated with parameters of disease activity in the present study cohort.
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