Complex microwave conductivity of Pr1.85_{1.85}Ce0.15_{0.15}CuO4−δ_{4-\delta} thin films using a cavity perturbation method

We report a study of the microwave conductivity of electron-doped Pr$_{1.85}$Ce$_{0.15}$CuO$_{4-\delta}$ superconducting thin films using a cavity perturbation technique. The relative frequency shifts obtained for the samples placed at a maximum electric field location in the cavity are treated using the high conductivity limit presented recently by Peligrad $\textit{et}$ $\textit{al.}$ Using two resonance modes, TE$_{102}$ (16.5 GHz) and TE$_{101}$ (13 GHz) of the same cavity, only one adjustable parameter $\Gamma$ is needed to link the frequency shifts of an empty cavity to the ones of a cavity loaded with a perfect conductor. Moreover, by studying different sample configurations, we can relate the substrate effects on the frequency shifts to a scaling factor. These procedures allow us to extract the temperature dependence of the complex penetration depth and the complex microwave conductivity of two films with different quality. Our data confirm that all the physical properties of the superconducting state are consistent with an order parameter with lines of nodes. Moreover, we demonstrate the high sensitivity of these properties on the quality of the films

Competition between magnetism and superconductivity in the organic metal κ\kappa-[BEDT-TTF]2_2Cu[N(CN)2_2]Br

Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurements on the quasi-two-dimensional organic conductor $\kappa$-[BEDT-TTF]$_2$Cu[N(CN)$_2$]Br give the first determination of the coexistence zone of the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases which extends deep in the metallic part of the pressure-temperature phase diagram of these salts. This zone is identified from a precise control of the ordering in ethylene end groups which acts as an internal pressure. The two phases are found to compete whereas superconducting fluctuations begin to contribute to the attenuation at 15 K, namely at the onset of magnetic order that is well above the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ = 11.9 K. Finally, the temperature profile of sound attenuation for both longitudinal and transverse phonon polarizations is found to be inconsistent with a conventional \textit{s}-wave order parameter

Mixed pairing symmetry in \kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 X organic superconductors from ultrasonic velocity measurements

Discontinuities in elastic constants are detected at the superconducting transition of layered organic conductors \kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_{2}X by longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic velocity measurements. Symmetry arguments show that discontinuities in shear elastic constants can be explained in the orthorhombic compound only if the superconducting order parameter has a mixed character that can be of two types, either A_{1g}+B_{1g} or B_{2g}+B_{3g} in the classification of irreducible representations of the orthorhombic point group D_{2h}. Consistency with other measurements suggests that the A_{1g}+B_{1g} (d_{xy}+d_{z(x+y)}) possibility is realized. Such clear symmetry-imposed signatures of mixed order parameters have not been observed in other superconducting compounds.Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX,3 figure

Isoperimetry and symmetrization for logarithmic Sobolev inequalities

Using isoperimetry and symmetrization we provide a unified framework to study the classical and logarithmic Sobolev inequalities. In particular, we obtain new Gaussian symmetrization inequalities and connect them with logarithmic Sobolev inequalities. Our methods are very general and can be easily adapted to more general contexts.Comment: Only change: replaced Isometry by Isoperimetry in html page. the file is the sam

Testosterone and resistance training effects on muscle nitric oxide synthase isoforms in COPD men

SummaryBackgroundSkeletal muscle dysfunction contributes to exercise limitation in COPD. The role of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) system in muscle dysfunction is ill defined. Reduced levels of endothelial NOS (eNOS) and elevated levels of inducible NOS (iNOS) in the skeletal muscle of COPD patients have been recently reported. We hypothesized that resistance exercise training (R) and/or testosterone supplementation (T) would alter the transcription and expression of the NOS isoenzymes in COPD skeletal muscle.MethodsVastus lateralis biopsies were obtained before and after a 10-week intervention in 40 men with severe COPD(age 67.7 ± 8.3, FEV1 41.4 ± 12.6% predicted): placebo + no training (P) (n = 11), placebo + resistance training (PR) (n = 8), testosterone + no training (T) (n = 11) and testosterone + resistance training (TR) (n = 10) groups. eNOS, nNOS and iNOS mRNA and protein levels were measured in each sample. mRNA and protein levels were measured using real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay, respectively.ResultseNOS mRNA increased in the TR group compared to P and T groups (P < 0.001). eNOS protein was increased in TR and T groups after intervention (P < 0.05) but not in the PR group. nNOS protein increased in the PR, T, and TR groups (P < 0.05). iNOS protein decreased only in the TR group (P = 0.01).ConclusionResistance training and testosterone supplementation increased eNOS and nNOS proteins and decreased iNOS protein in the skeletal muscles of men with COPD. These changes in NO system might explain some of the favorable effects of these therapies

L'Estuaire, vol. 25 (1)

Éditorial -- Sainte-Luce: refuge d'un incorruptible -- Le "Vocabulaire micmac" de Joseph Hamel. L'histoire d'une cueillette de données linguistiques. Partie 2: qui est Joseph Hamel? -- La famille Desrosiers dans la région de Rimouski au XVIIIe siècle. Partie 1: implantation dans la seigneurie de Rimouski -- Les trésors du grenier -- L'année des Français -- Un grand marin gaspésien. Le capitaine Paul M. Fournier -- Matane dans les relations de voyage de Champlain: un 375e anniversaire -- La naissance d'une petite paroisse au coeur de La Mitis: le cas de Sainte-Flavie -- Nouvelles brèves -- Des livres à lire

Mixed pairing symmetry in \kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 X organic superconductors from ultrasonic velocity measurements

Discontinuities in elastic constants are detected at the superconducting transition of layered organic conductors \kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_{2}X by longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic velocity measurements. Symmetry arguments show that discontinuities in shear elastic constants can be explained in the orthorhombic compound only if the superconducting order parameter has a mixed character that can be of two types, either A_{1g}+B_{1g} or B_{2g}+B_{3g} in the classification of irreducible representations of the orthorhombic point group D_{2h}. Consistency with other measurements suggests that the A_{1g}+B_{1g} (d_{xy}+d_{z(x+y)}) possibility is realized. Such clear symmetry-imposed signatures of mixed order parameters have not been observed in other superconducting compounds.Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX,3 figure

CHAIMELEON Project: Creation of a Pan-European Repository of Health Imaging Data for the Development of AI-Powered Cancer Management Tools

[EN] The CHAIMELEON project aims to set up a pan-European repository of health imaging data, tools and methodologies, with the ambition to set a standard and provide resources for future AI experimentation for cancer management. The project is a 4 year long, EU-funded project tackling some of the most ambitious research in the fields of biomedical imaging, artificial intelligence and cancer treatment, addressing the four types of cancer that currently have the highest prevalence worldwide: lung, breast, prostate and colorectal. To allow this, clinical partners and external collaborators will populate the repository with multimodality (MR, CT, PET/CT) imaging and related clinical data. Subsequently, AI developers will enable a multimodal analytical data engine facilitating the interpretation, extraction and exploitation of the information stored at the repository. The development and implementation of AI-powered pipelines will enable advancement towards automating data deidentification, curation, annotation, integrity securing and image harmonization. By the end of the project, the usability and performance of the repository as a tool fostering AI experimentation will be technically validated, including a validation subphase by world-class European AI developers, participating in Open Challenges to the AI Community. Upon successful validation of the repository, a set of selected AI tools will undergo early in-silico validation in observational clinical studies coordinated by leading experts in the partner hospitals. Tool performance will be assessed, including external independent validation on hallmark clinical decisions in response to some of the currently most important clinical end points in cancer. The project brings together a consortium of 18 European partners including hospitals, universities, R & D centers and private research companies, constituting an ecosystem of infrastructures, biobanks, AI/in-silico experimentation and cloud computing technologies in oncology.CHAIMELEON has been funded by as a Horizon 2020 project (RIA, topic DT-TDS-05-2020-AI for Health Imaging; call SC1-FA-DTS-2019-1, under Grant Agreement No. 952172)Martí Bonmatí, L.; Miguel, A.; Suárez, A.; Aznar, M.; Beregi, JP.; Fournier, L.; Neri, E.... (2022). CHAIMELEON Project: Creation of a Pan-European Repository of Health Imaging Data for the Development of AI-Powered Cancer Management Tools. Frontiers in Oncology. 12:1-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.7427011111

Systematic Association Mapping Identifies NELL1 as a Novel IBD Disease Gene

Crohn disease (CD), a sub-entity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a complex polygenic disorder. Although recent studies have successfully identified CD-associated genetic variants, these susceptibility loci explain only a fraction of the heritability of the disease. Here, we report on a multi-stage genome-wide scan of 393 German CD cases and 399 controls. Among the 116,161 single-nucleotide polymorphisms tested, an association with the known CD susceptibility gene NOD2, the 5q31 haplotype, and the recently reported CD locus at 5p13.1 was confirmed. In addition, SNP rs1793004 in the gene encoding nel-like 1 precursor (NELL1, chromosome 11p15.1) showed a consistent disease-association in independent German population- and family-based samples (942 cases, 1082 controls, 375 trios). Subsequent fine mapping and replication in an independent sample of 454 French/Canadian CD trios supported the authenticity of the NELL1 association. Further confirmation in a large German ulcerative colitis (UC) sample indicated that NELL1 is a ubiquitous IBD susceptibility locus (combined p<10−6; OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.30–2.11). The novel 5p13.1 locus was also replicated in the French/Canadian sample and in an independent UK CD patient panel (453 cases, 521 controls, combined p<10−6 for SNP rs1992660). Several associations were replicated in at least one independent sample, point to an involvement of ITGB6 (upstream), GRM8 (downstream), OR5V1 (downstream), PPP3R2 (downstream), NM_152575 (upstream) and HNF4G (intron)

Broadcast-enabled massive multicore architectures: a wireless RF approach

Broadcast traditionally has been regarded as a prohibitive communication transaction in multiprocessor environments. Nowadays, such a constraint largely drives the design of architectures and algorithms all-pervasive in diverse computing domains, directly and indirectly leading to diminishing performance returns as the many-core era is approaching. Novel interconnect technologies could help revert this trend by offering, among others, improved broadcast support, even in large-scale chip multiprocessors. This article outlines the prospects of wireless on-chip communication technologies pointing toward low-latency (a few cycles) and energy-efficient broadcast (a few picojoules per bit). It also discusses the challenges and potential impact of adopting these technologies as key enablers of unconventional hardware architectures and algorithmic approaches, in the pathway of significantly improving the performance, energy efficiency, scalability, and programmability of many-core chips.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft