188 research outputs found
Mise en place d'une formation en anglais à l'Institut des transports internationaux et des ports (Le Havre)
Introduction Le but de cet exposé est de vous présenter une expérience que nous avons vécue, expérience qui nous paraît originale dans la mesure où elle décrit la création d’une formation en anglais de spécialité marquée par deux caractéristiques : l’absence de toute formation antérieure dans l’Institut concerné, et notre propre découverte de l’enseignement d’une langue de spécialité d’une part, et du domaine spécifique, d’autre part. Cette communication, que nous vous présenterons à deux, es..
CO ice photodesorption: A wavelength-dependent study
UV-induced photodesorption of ice is a non-thermal evaporation process that
can explain the presence of cold molecular gas in a range of interstellar
regions. Information on the average UV photodesorption yield of astrophysically
important ices exists for broadband UV lamp experiments. UV fields around
low-mass pre-main sequence stars, around shocks and in many other astrophysical
environments are however often dominated by discrete atomic and molecular
emission lines. It is therefore crucial to consider the wavelength dependence
of photodesorption yields and mechanisms. In this work, for the first time, the
wavelength-dependent photodesorption of pure CO ice is explored between 90 and
170 nm. The experiments are performed under ultra high vacuum conditions using
tunable synchrotron radiation. Ice photodesorption is simultaneously probed by
infrared absorption spectroscopy in reflection mode of the ice and by
quadrupole mass spectrometry of the gas phase. The experimental results for CO
reveal a strong wavelength dependence directly linked to the vibronic
transition strengths of CO ice, implying that photodesorption is induced by
electronic transition (DIET). The observed dependence on the ice absorption
spectra implies relatively low photodesorption yields at 121.6 nm (Ly-alpha),
where CO barely absorbs, compared to the high yields found at wavelengths
coinciding with transitions into the first electronic state of CO (singulet Pi
at 150 nm); the CO photodesorption rates depend strongly on the UV profiles
encountered in different star formation environments.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, published in ApJ
UV photodesorption of methanol in pure and CO-rich ices: desorption rates of the intact molecule and of the photofragments
Wavelength dependent photodesorption rates have been determined using
synchrotron radiation, for condensed pure and mixed methanol ice in the 7 -- 14
eV range. The VUV photodesorption of intact methanol molecules from pure
methanol ices is found to be of the order of 10 molecules/photon, that
is two orders of magnitude below what is generally used in astrochemical
models. This rate gets even lower ( 10 molecules/photon) when the
methanol is mixed with CO molecules in the ices. This is consistent with a
picture in which photodissociation and recombination processes are at the
origin of intact methanol desorption from pure CHOH ices. Such low rates
are explained by the fact that the overall photodesorption process is dominated
by the desorption of the photofragments CO, CH, OH, HCO and
CHO/CHOH, whose photodesorption rates are given in this study. Our
results suggest that the role of the photodesorption as a mechanism to explain
the observed gas phase abundances of methanol in cold media is probably
overestimated. Nevertheless, the photodesorption of radicals from methanol-rich
ices may stand at the origin of the gas phase presence of radicals such as
CHO, therefore opening new gas phase chemical routes for the formation of
complex molecules.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl
Indirect ultraviolet photodesorption from CO:N2 binary ices - an efficient grain-gas process
UV ice photodesorption is an important non-thermal desorption pathway in many
interstellar environments that has been invoked to explain observations of cold
molecules in disks, clouds and cloud cores. Systematic laboratory studies of
the photodesorption rates, between 7 and 14 eV, from CO:N2 binary ices, have
been performed at the DESIRS vacuum UV beamline of the synchrotron facility
SOLEIL. The photodesorption spectral analysis demonstrates that the
photodesorption process is indirect, i.e. the desorption is induced by a photon
absorption in sub-surface molecular layers, while only surface molecules are
actually desorbing. The photodesorption spectra of CO and N2 in binary ices
therefore depend on the absorption spectra of the dominant species in the
subsurface ice layer, which implies that the photodesorption efficiency and
energy dependence are dramatically different for mixed and layered ices
compared to pure ices. In particular, a thin (1-2 ML) N2 ice layer on top of CO
will effectively quench CO photodesorption, while enhancing N2 photodesorption
by a factors of a few (compared to the pure ices) when the ice is exposed to a
typical dark cloud UV field, which may help to explain the different
distributions of CO and N2H+ in molecular cloud cores. This indirect
photodesorption mechanism may also explain observations of small amounts of
complex organics in cold interstellar environments.Comment: 21 pages 5 figure
RIPK1 protects from TNF-α-mediated liver damage during hepatitis
Cell death of hepatocytes is a prominent characteristic in the pathogenesis of liver disease, while hepatolysis is a starting point of inflammation in hepatitis and loss of hepatic function. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of hepatocyte cell death, the role of the cytokines of hepatic microenvironment and the involvement of intracellular kinases, remain unclear. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a key cytokine involved in cell death or survival pathways and the role of RIPK1 has been associated to the TNF-alpha-dependent signaling pathway. We took advantage of two different deficient mouse lines, the RIPK1 kinase dead knock-in mice (Ripk1K45A) and the conditional knockout mice lacking RIPK1 only in liver parenchymal cells (Ripk1LPC-KO), to characterize the role of RIPK1 and TNF-alpha in hepatitis induced by concanavalin A (ConA). Our results show that RIPK1 is dispensable for liver homeostasis under steady-state conditions but in contrast, RIPK1 kinase activity contributes to caspase-independent cell death induction following ConA injection and RIPK1 also serves as a scaffold, protecting hepatocytes from massive apoptotic cell death in this model. In the Ripk1LPC-KO mice challenged with ConA, TNF-alpha triggers apoptosis, responsible for the observed severe hepatitis. Mechanism potentially involves both TNF-independent canonical NF-kappa B activation, as well as TNF-dependent, but canonical NF-kappa B-independent mechanisms. In conclusion, our results suggest that RIPK1 kinase activity is a pertinent therapeutic target to protect liver against excessive cell death in liver diseases
Measurement of the intracluster light at z ~ 1
A significant fraction of the total photospheric light in nearby galaxy
clusters is thought to be contained within the diffuse intracluster light
(ICL), which extends 100s of kpc from cluster cores. The study of the ICL can
reveal details of the evolutionary histories and processes occurring within
galaxy clusters, however since it has a very low surface brightness it is often
difficult to detect. We present here the first measurements of the ICL as a
fraction of total cluster light at z \sim 1 using deep J-band (1.2 {\mu}m)
imaging from HAWK-I on the VLT. We investigate the ICL in 6 X-ray selected
galaxy clusters at 0.8< z <1.2 and find that the ICL below isophotes {\mu}(J) =
22 mag/arcsec2 constitutes 1-4% of the total cluster light within a radius
R500. This is broadly consistent with simulations of the ICL at a similar
redshift and when compared to nearby observations suggests that the fraction of
the total cluster light that is in the ICL has increased by a factor 2 - 4
since z\sim1. We also find the fraction of the total cluster light contained
within the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) to be 2.0-6.3% at these redshifts,
which in 5 out of 6 cases is larger than the fraction of the ICL component, in
contrast to results from nearby clusters. This suggests that the evolution in
cluster cores involves substantial stripping activity at late times, in
addition to the early build up of the BCG stellar mass through merging. The
presence of significant amounts of stellar light at large radii from these BCGs
may help towards solving the recent disagreement between the semi-analytic
model predictions of BCG mass growth (e.g. De Lucia & Blaziot, 2007) and the
observed large masses and scale sizes reported for BCGs at high redshift.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Neurotrophins are expressed in giant cell arteritis lesions and may contribute to vascular remodeling
International audienceIntroduction: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is characterized by intimal hyperplasia leading to ischaemic manifestations that involve large vessels. Neurotrophins (NTs) and their receptors (NTRs) are protein factors for growth, differentiation and survival of neurons. They are also involved in the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Our aim was to investigate whether NTs and NTRs are involved in vascular remodelling of GCA.Methods: We included consecutive patients who underwent a temporal artery biopsy for suspected GCA. We developed an enzymatic digestion method to obtain VSMCs from smooth muscle cells in GCA patients and controls. Neurotrophin protein and gene expression and functional assays were studied from these VSMCs. Neurotrophin expression was also analysed by immunohistochemistry in GCA patients and controls.Results: Whereas temporal arteries of both GCA patients (n = 22) and controls (n = 21) expressed nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) and sortilin, immunostaining was more intense in GCA patients, especially in the media and intima, while neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and P75 receptor (P75NTR) were only detected in TA from GCA patients. Expression of TrkB, a BDNF receptor, was higher in GCA patients with ischaemic complications. Serum NGF was significantly higher in GCA patients (n = 28) vs. controls (n = 48), whereas no significant difference was found for BDNF and NT-3. NGF and BDNF enhanced GCA-derived temporal artery VSMC proliferation and BDNF facilitated migration of temporal artery VSMCs in patients with GCA compared to controls.Conclusions: Our results suggest that NTs and NTRs are involved in vascular remodelling of GCA. In GCA-derived temporal artery VSMC, NGF promoted proliferation and BDNF enhanced migration by binding to TrkB and p75NTR receptors. Further experiments are needed on a larger number of VSMC samples to confirm these results
Subinhibitory Arsenite Concentrations Lead to Population Dispersal in Thiomonas sp.
Biofilms represent the most common microbial lifestyle, allowing the survival of microbial populations exposed to harsh environmental conditions. Here, we show that the biofilm development of a bacterial species belonging to the Thiomonas genus, frequently found in arsenic polluted sites and playing a key role in arsenic natural remediation, is markedly modified when exposed to subinhibitory doses of this toxic element. Indeed, arsenite [As(III)] exposure led to a considerable impact on biofilm maturation by strongly increasing the extracellular matrix synthesis and by promoting significant cell death and lysis within microcolonies. These events were followed by the development of complex 3D-biofilm structures and subsequently by the dispersal of remobilized cells observed inside the previously formed hollow voids. Our results demonstrate that this biofilm community responds to arsenite stress in a multimodal way, enhancing both survival and dispersal. Addressing this complex bacterial response to As(III) stress, which might be used by other microorganisms under various adverse conditions, may be essential to understand how Thiomonas strains persist in extreme environments
Indirect Ultraviolet Photodesorption from CO:N2 Binary Ices — An Efficient Grain-Gas Process
Ultraviolet (UV) ice photodesorption is an important non-thermal desorption pathway in many interstellar environments that has been invoked to explain observations of cold molecules in disks, clouds, and cloud cores. Systematic laboratory studies of the photodesorption rates, between 7 and 14 eV, from CO:N2 binary ices, have been performed at the DESIRS vacuum UV beamline of the synchrotron facility SOLEIL. The photodesorption spectral analysis demonstrates that the photodesorption process is indirect, i.e., the desorption is induced by a photon absorption in sub-surface molecular layers, while only surface molecules are actually desorbing. The photodesorption spectra of CO and N2 in binary ices therefore depend on the absorption spectra of the dominant species in the sub-surface ice layer, which implies that the photodesorption efficiency and energy dependence are dramatically different for mixed and layered ices compared with pure ices. In particular, a thin (1-2 ML) N2 ice layer on top of CO will effectively quench CO photodesorption, while enhancing N2 photodesorption by a factor of a few (compared with the pure ices) when the ice is exposed to a typical dark cloud UV field, which may help to explain the different distributions of CO and N2H+ in molecular cloud cores. This indirect photodesorption mechanism may also explain observations of small amounts of complex organics in cold interstellar environments.Astronom
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