The influences and outcomes of phonological awareness: a study of MA, PA and auditory processing in pre-readers with a family risk of dyslexia

The direct influence of phonological awareness (PA) on reading outcomes has been widely demonstrated, yet PA may also exert indirect influence on reading outcomes through other cognitive variables such as morphological awareness (MA). However, PA's own development is dependent and influenced by many extraneous variables such as auditory processing, which could ultimately impact reading outcomes. In a group of pre-reading children with a family risk of dyslexia and low-risk controls, this study sets out to answer questions surrounding PA's relationship at various grain sizes (syllable, onset/rime and phoneme) with measures of auditory processing (frequency modulation (FM) and an amplitude rise-time task (RT)) and MA, independent of reading experience. Group analysis revealed significant differences between high- and low-risk children on measures of MA, and PA at all grain sizes, while a trend for lower RT thresholds of high-risk children was found compared with controls. Correlational analysis demonstrated that MA is related to the composite PA score and syllable awareness. Group differences on MA and PA were re-examined including PA and MA, respectively, as control variables. Results exposed PA as a relevant component of MA, independent of reading experience

(127, k, d) Reed-Solomon code with erasures: simulation and field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) design

Telecommunication applications require transmitting data with different format such as sound, video, email, measures, signalling and help contents . This leads to a growing complexity of transmitting systems and to higher and higher data rates . On reception, the system must be able to quickly detect and correct errors due to the transmission channel noise (decreasing error rate) . Error detecting-correcting codes suited to applications reduce the error rate (cyclic codes, convolutional code . . .) . This paper presents an overview of the implementation of a (127, k, d) Reed-Solomon error-correcting code with erasures . The technology used to mark on symbols is described in details here . The coding algorithm computes the codewords and marks the symbols . The decoding algorithm detects and corrects either the errors t' = t, or the erasures e' = 2* t, or a combination of the two (e' + 2 * t' < d-1). The error detection is possible for a number of erasures exceeding 2 * t . The number of rectifiable errors is t . This work is the result of the collaboration between the LICM laboratory and TDF-C2R company . Many Hamming distances of a (127, k, d) Reed-Solomon error-correcting code with erasure have been tested with measure files, simulating different real environments . Results obtained from computer simulations using diversified environment models are in good agreement with analytical results . Moreover, the core of the «(127, 121, 7) Reed-Solomon code with erasures» coder/decoder has been implemented on an ALTERA/FLEX1 OK family FPGA from a VHDL specification . This core can be used to design applications with continuous data streams .Les applications actuelles de télécommunications nécessitent la transmission de données aussi diverses que le son, la vidéo, la messagerie et les données de mesures, de signalisations et d'assistance. Cela entraîne une complexité croissante des systèmes de transmission et un débit de plus en plus élevé. A la réception, le système doit pouvoir détecter et corriger rapidement les éventuelles erreurs dues au bruit de canal (diminution du taux d'erreurs). Une des techniques pour diminuer ce taux est d'utiliser un code détecteur correcteur d'erreurs adapté à l'application (codes cycliques, code convolutif, .,). Plus spécifiquement, cet article concerne un code détecteur correcteur d'erreurs Reed-Solomon (127, k, d) avec la description complète d'une technique de marquage des symboles pour la mise en oeuvre des effacements. L'algorithme de codage calcule les mots de code et marque les symboles. L'algorithme de décodage opère soit sur les erreurs t' = t, soit sur les effacements e' = 2 * t, soit sur un panachage des deux (e' + 2 * t' ≤ d-1), t étant le nombre maximum d'erreurs corrigibles. En plus la détection des erreurs est possible pour un nombre d'effacements supérieur à 2 * t. Dans le cadre d'une étude menée conjointement entre le laboratoire LICM et TDF-C2R, plusieurs distances Hamming du code Reed-Solomon (127, k, d) ont été simulées (entre autres à partir de mesures réelles). Les résultats de simulation permettent de quantifier la valeur ajoutée concernant les effacements. De plus, la conception sur FPGA d'un code de Reed-Solomon (127, 121, 7) est étudiée afin d'implanter une fonction « codeur/décodeur avec effacements », pouvant être réutilisée lors de la synthèse d'autres applications traitant des flots de données en continu

Ultra-High Performance and Low-Cost Architecture of Discrete Wavelet Transforms

This work targets the challenging issue to produce high throughput and low-cost configurable architecture of Discrete wavelet transforms (DWT). More specifically, it proposes a new hardware architecture of the first and second generation of DWT using a modified multi-resolution tree. This approach is based on serializations and interleaving of data between different stages. The designed architecture is massively parallelized and sharing hardware between low-pass and high-pass filters in the wavelet transformation algorithm. Consequently, to process data in high speed and decrease hardware usage. The different steps of the post/pre-synthesis configurable algorithm are detailed in this paper. A modulization in VHDL at RTL level and implementation of the designed architecture on FPGA technology in a NexysVideo board (Artix 7 FPGA) are done in this work, where the performance, the configurability and the generic of our architecture are highly enhanced. The implementation results indicate that our proposed architectures provide a very high-speed data processing with low needed resources. As an example, with the parameters depth order equal 2, filter order equal 2, order quantization equal 5 and a parallel degree P = 16, we reach a bit rate around 3160 Mega samples per second with low used of logic elements (≈400) and logic registers (≈700)

Industrial IoT Using Wavelet Transform

For many years now, communication in the industrial sector has been characterized by a new trend of integrating the wireless concept through cyber-physical systems (CPS). This emergence, known as the Smart Factory, is based on the convergence of industrial trades and digital applications to create an intelligent manufacturing system. This will ensure high adaptability of production and more efficient resource input. It should be noted that data is the key element in the development of the Internet of Things ecosystem. Thanks to the IoT, the user can act in real time and in a digital way on his industrial environment, to optimize several processes such as production improvement, machine control, or optimization of supply chains in real time. The choice of the connectivity strategy is made according to several criteria and is based on the choice of the sensor. This mainly depends on location (indoor, outdoor, …), mobility, energy consumption, remote control, amount of data, sending frequency and security. In this chapter, we present an Industrial IoT architecture with two operating modes: MtO (Many-to-One) and OtM (One-to-Many). An optimal choice of the wavelet in terms of bit error rate is made to perform simulations in an industrial channel. A model of this channel is developed in order to simulate the performance of the communication architecture in an environment very close to industry. The optimization of the communication systems is ensured by error correcting codes

Effect of Levels of Acetate on the Mevalonate Pathway of Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, is a spirochetal pathogen with limited metabolic capabilities that survives under highly disparate host-specific conditions. However, the borrelial genome encodes several proteins of the mevalonate pathway (MP) that utilizes acetyl-CoA as a substrate leading to intermediate metabolites critical for biogenesis of peptidoglycan and post-translational modifications of proteins. In this study, we analyzed the MP and contributions of acetate in modulation of adaptive responses in B. burgdorferi. Reverse-transcription PCR revealed that components of the MP are transcribed as individual open reading frames. Immunoblot analysis using monospecific sera confirmed synthesis of members of the MP in B. burgdorferi. The rate-limiting step of the MP is mediated by HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) via conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate. Recombinant borrelial HMGR exhibited a Km value of 132 µM with a Vmax of 1.94 µmol NADPH oxidized minute−1 (mg protein)−1 and was inhibited by statins. Total protein lysates from two different infectious, clonal isolates of B. burgdorferi grown under conditions that mimicked fed-ticks (pH 6.8/37°C) exhibited increased levels of HMGR while other members of the MP were elevated under unfed-tick (pH 7.6/23°C) conditions. Increased extra-cellular acetate gave rise to elevated levels of MP proteins along with RpoS, CsrABb and their respective regulons responsible for mediating vertebrate host-specific adaptation. Both lactone and acid forms of two different statins inhibited growth of B. burgdorferi strain B31, while overexpression of HMGR was able to partially overcome that inhibition. In summary, these studies on MP and contributions of acetate to host-specific adaptation have helped identify potential metabolic targets that can be manipulated to reduce the incidence of Lyme disease

Anti-cancer properties of berries rich in polyphenols in colorectral cancer models and chronic lymphocytic leukama : evaluation and characterization of the cellular and the molecular mechanisms

L’évaluation de l’effet cytotoxique de différents jus de fruits naturellement riches en polyphénols vis-à-vis de quatre lignées de cancer colorectal a montré que le jus de la canneberge est particulièrement actif. En effet, les polyphénols de la canneberge induisent l’apoptose associée à une surexpression des deux facteurs de transcription pro-apoptotiques p73 et FOXO3a. Cette mort programmée est aussi associée à une diminution de l’expression de SIRT1 le déacétylateur de protéines non histone telles que p73, KU70, ou FOXO. D’autres événements précoces comme la production de ROS et les dommages à l’ADN connus pour réguler l’expression de SIRT1 ont été confirmés. Une deuxième étude avait pour objectif de valider le potentiel anticancéreux in vivo chez la souris Balb/C injectée de cellules d’adénocarcinome colique murin. Pour cela nous avons choisi le jus d’aronie noire qui a montré in vitro un profil de cytotoxicité intéressant. L’analyse des tumeurs a montré que l’administration de jus d’aronie entraine une réduction de la prolifération des cellules tumorales. Enfin, l’augmentation significative de la mobilité de LC3 suggère l’activation d’une mort cellulaire autophagique. Afin d’évaluer l’utilisation clinique des polyphénols, nous avons évalué les effets cytotoxiques des polyphénols de myrtille sur des lymphocytes, de patients atteints de LLC. Nos résultats montrent que l’extrait polyphénolique induit une apoptose dépendante du stress oxydant et impliquant aussi des protéines pro-apoptotiques dans des cellules de patients atteints de LLC mais pas dans les cellules de sujets sains.The evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of different fruit juices, naturally rich in polyphenols, on four different colorectal cancer cell lines proved that cranberry juice was the most active. Indeed, cranberry polyphenols induce apoptosis associated with the overexpression of two important proapoptotic transcription factors, p73 and FOXO3a on one hand. Furthermore, it has been also correlated with a decrease in the expression of SIRT1, the deacetylase of several non-histone proteins such as p73, KU70 and FOXO. Other early events such as ROS production and DNA damage, which are known to regulate the expression of SIRT1 were confirmed. The second study aims at validating the potential anticancer effects in an in vivo model of colorectal cancer in BALB/c mice injected subcutaneously of murine colon adenocarcinoma cells. Accordingly, we chose the black chokeberry juice, which showed an interesting cytotoxic profile in vitro. The analysis of tumors demonstrated that the administration of chokeberry juice leads to a reduction in tumor cell proliferation. Finally, the significant increase in the mobility of LC3 suggests the activation of autophagic cell death. To validate the clinical use of polyphenols, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects of blueberry polyphenols on lymphocytes of CLL patients. Our results show that the polyphenolic extract induces an oxidative stress-dependent apoptosis that involve various pro-apoptotic proteins in cells of patients with CLL but not in healthy subjects