Integration of a microprobe into a CMM

Various microprobes have been developed in the last decade to address the needs of micrometrology. However, most microprobes are only employed in specialized measuring machines located in a few research institutes and are not widespread in the industry. This work aims to extend the capabilities of conventional coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) towards measuring microgeometries through the low-cost integration of a tactile microprobe. In order to demonstrate this, a gear measuring instrument (GMI), which is a commercial CMM not specialized for measurements at the microscale, has been equipped with a recently developed silicon-membrane-based microprobe. In the first part of this work, the working principle of the microprobe, its assembly and its integration into the GMI are described. Two different mounting setups of the microprobe onto the GMI were evaluated and tested. Measurements on the GMI were performed solely with the microprobe or by combining the microprobe and the measurement system already present on the GMI. This combination makes it possible to use the microprobe advantageously and to exchange it in a comfortable semi-automatic way. To test these two mounting setups, a new involute scanning artifact (SAFT) with superimposed waviness was measured

Total blastocyst usable rate is a predictor of cumulative live birth rate in IVF cycles

International audiencePurpose: Despite advances in IVF techniques, determining the prognostic factors influencing cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) remains crucial for optimizing outcomes. Among the various key performance indicators in the lab, blastulation rate, and more specifically Total Blastocyst Usable Rate (TBUR), has gained particular interest. In this study we aimed at determining if TBUR was significantly associated with CLBR.Basic procedures: This monocentric retrospective case-control study was conducted in 317 consecutive IVF/ICSI cycles in 2014-2020 and leading to the formation of 3 usable blastocysts, including freeze all cycles. TBUR (usable blastocysts / 2PNs) was calculated and CLBR after 2-year follow up was recorded, including both fresh and frozen embyro transfers. CLBR was then compared between 2 groups according to TBUR (group 1: TBUR ≥50 % vs group 2: TBUR ≤30 %).Main findings: CLBR was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (57 vs. 41 %, p = 0.02). Adjusted logistic regression showed a statistically significant relationship between CLBR and TBUR, with a significantly lower chance of achieving a live birth in group 2 than in group 1 (OR = 0.408 [0.17-0.96]; p = 0.04).Principal conclusions: Although the monocentric design and the arbitrary choice of thresholds for TBUR and number of blastocysts call for caution when generalizing the findings and advocates for external validation, our results illustrate that TBUR is a valuable prognostic factor of CLBR in IVF cycles which might serve as a tool for lab monitoring, cycle analysis by medical staff and patients' counselling. These results fit well within the P4 medicine concept (Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory), and advocate for further research in order to improve embryo culture conditions

MgAl Hydrotalcite-derived Mixed Oxides for CO2 Adsorption

SSCI-VIDE+ATARI+VFO:AAUInternational audienceLayered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) and LDH-derived materials are potentially good adsorbents for CO2. Moreover, they are relatively cheap, they are easy to synthesize, they present high sorption capacity, and surface basicity. They have been intensively studied in CO2 capture at high temperature, presenting variable sorption capacities for MgAl LDHs with the same composition, but prepared under different synthesis conditions. The sol-gel synthesis method is an attractive one-step procedure to synthesize LDHs under mild conditions, with low energy consumption and short synthesis time. The present study is based on the synthesis of hydrotalcites (HTs) by sol-gel process for CO2 adsorption. The structural and physico-chemical properties of the as-synthesized and calcined HTs have been deeply characterized. Moreover, the effect of the surface basicity and the CO2 sorption capacity have been investigated.Adsorption calorimetry was applied for determining the concentration (from the adsorption volumetric isotherms), strength and strength distribution (using the differential heat of adsorption as a function of coverage) of the basic sites involved in CO2 adsorption. The hydrotalcite-derived mixed oxides surface basicity was probed by adsorption calorimetry of SO2.Two population of basic sites were identified, at low energy (heat of adsorption below 60 kJ/mol) and high energy (heat of adsorption higher than 150 kJ/mol). The sol-gel method led to the formation of hydrotalcites with similar (sometimes higher) performances than conventional LDHs prepared by time and energy consuming methods (like coprecipitation). The calcined hydrotalcites exhibit CO2 adsorption capacities of around 0.5 mmol/g, a value similar to those reported in the literature for sample generally synthesized by coprecipitation (see figure).A linear correlation between the surface basicity (concentration of low and high energy sites) and the adsorption capacity was found. The possibility to tune the Mg/Al molar ratio is a promising feature to obtain a wide range of LDHs (with various surface basicity) with a higher efficiency in CO2 adsorption.Acknowledgments: This work was supported by Université de Haute Alsace and École Doctorale Physique et Chimie- Physique (ED 182). XRD, NMR, XRF, BET, TGA, were performed on the technical platforms of IS2M

Female smoking does not affect live birth rate after frozen thawed blastocyst transfer cycle

International audiencePurpose: The development of vitrification and blastocyst culture have recently led to a rapidly growing number of single frozen thawed blastocyst transfer (FBT) cycles worldwide. Although the impact of female smoking on spontaneous fertility is well established, its effect on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) outcome is still controversial, and no study has specifically evaluated its effect on FBT cycles' outcome.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in all consecutive FBT cycles conducted between 2012 and 2021 in a single University-based ART centre. Endometrial preparation was standard and based on hormonal replacement therapy. One or two blastocysts were transferred according to couple's history and embryo quality. Female smoking status was recorded for each cycle, and the association between female smoking status and Live Birth Rate (LBR) after FBT cycle was evaluated with univariate and multivariate analysis.Results: A total of 1537 FBT cycles performed in non-smoking women and 397 FBT cycles performed in smoking women were included in the analysis. No independent association between female smoking status and LBR in FBT cycles was found after logistic regression (OR=1.07 [0.79-1.45], p = 0.649).Conclusion: Our study suggests that female smoking might not impair endometrial receptiveness in non-stimulated FBT cycles. Further studies should nevertheless consider assessing more precisely the current smoking exposure

Genome-Wide Screen for Haploinsufficient Cell Size Genes in the Opportunistic Yeast Candida albicans

One of the most critical but still poorly understood aspects of eukaryotic cell proliferation is the basis for commitment to cell division in late G1 phase, called Start in yeast and the Restriction Point in metazoans. In all species, a critical cell size threshold coordinates cell growth with cell division and thereby establishes a homeostatic cell size. While a comprehensive survey of cell size genetic determinism has been performed in the saprophytic yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, very little is known in pathogenic fungi. As a number of critical Start regulators are haploinsufficient for cell size, we applied a quantitative analysis of the size phenome, using elutriation-barcode sequencing methodology, to 5639 barcoded heterozygous deletion strains of the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans. Our screen identified conserved known regulators and biological processes required to maintain size homeostasis in the opportunistic yeast C. albicans. We also identified novel C. albicans-specific size genes and provided a conceptual framework for future mechanistic studies. Interestingly, some of the size genes identified were required for fungal pathogenicity suggesting that cell size homeostasis may be elemental to C. albicans fitness or virulence inside the host

MgAl Hydrotalcite-derived Mixed Oxides for CO2 Adsorption

SSCI-VIDE+ATARI+VFO:AAUInternational audienceLayered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) and LDH-derived materials are potentially good adsorbents for CO2. Moreover, they are relatively cheap, they are easy to synthesize, they present high sorption capacity, and surface basicity. They have been intensively studied in CO2 capture at high temperature, presenting variable sorption capacities for MgAl LDHs with the same composition, but prepared under different synthesis conditions. The sol-gel synthesis method is an attractive one-step procedure to synthesize LDHs under mild conditions, with low energy consumption and short synthesis time. The present study is based on the synthesis of hydrotalcites (HTs) by sol-gel process for CO2 adsorption. The structural and physico-chemical properties of the as-synthesized and calcined HTs have been deeply characterized. Moreover, the effect of the surface basicity and the CO2 sorption capacity have been investigated.Adsorption calorimetry was applied for determining the concentration (from the adsorption volumetric isotherms), strength and strength distribution (using the differential heat of adsorption as a function of coverage) of the basic sites involved in CO2 adsorption. The hydrotalcite-derived mixed oxides surface basicity was probed by adsorption calorimetry of SO2.Two population of basic sites were identified, at low energy (heat of adsorption below 60 kJ/mol) and high energy (heat of adsorption higher than 150 kJ/mol). The sol-gel method led to the formation of hydrotalcites with similar (sometimes higher) performances than conventional LDHs prepared by time and energy consuming methods (like coprecipitation). The calcined hydrotalcites exhibit CO2 adsorption capacities of around 0.5 mmol/g, a value similar to those reported in the literature for sample generally synthesized by coprecipitation (see figure).A linear correlation between the surface basicity (concentration of low and high energy sites) and the adsorption capacity was found. The possibility to tune the Mg/Al molar ratio is a promising feature to obtain a wide range of LDHs (with various surface basicity) with a higher efficiency in CO2 adsorption.Acknowledgments: This work was supported by Université de Haute Alsace and École Doctorale Physique et Chimie- Physique (ED 182). XRD, NMR, XRF, BET, TGA, were performed on the technical platforms of IS2M

Aptitude à la comprimabilité : structure moléculaire - état particulaire

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ING3 is required for ATM signaling and DNA repair in response to DNA double strand breaks

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