Leaky-wave slot array antenna fed by a dual reflector system

This work proposes a leaky-wave slot array antenna fed by a dual offset Gregorian reflector system realized by pins in a parallel plate waveguide. The radiating part of the antenna is composed by parallel slots etched on one side of the same parallel plate waveguide. The dual offset Gregorian reflector system is fed by an arrangement constituted by two vias and a grid, also constituted by pins. A prototype of the antenna has been designed, manufactured and successfully tested. The low profile, low cost and high efficiency of the antenna render it suited for a variety of radar or telecom applications

Serratiopeptidase reduces the invasion of osteoblasts by Staphylococcus aureus

Finding new strategies to counteract periprosthetic infection and implant failure is a main target in orthopedics. Staphylococcus aureus, the leading etiologic agent of orthopedic implant infections, is able to enter and kill osteoblasts, to stimulate pro-inflammatory chemokine secretion, to recruit osteoclasts, and to cause inflammatory osteolysis. Moreover, by entering eukaryotic cells, staphylococci hide from the host immune defenses and shelter from the extracellular antibiotics. Thus, infection persists, inflammation thrives, and a highly destructive osteomyelitis occurs around the implant. The ability of serratiopeptidase (SPEP), a metalloprotease by Serratia marcescens, to control S. aureus invasion of osteoblastic MG-63 cells and pro-inflammatory chemokine MCP-1 secretion was evaluated. Human osteoblast cells were infected with staphylococcal strains in the presence and in the absence of SPEP. Cell proliferation and cell viability were also evaluated. The release of pro-inflammatory chemokine MCP-1 was evaluated after the exposure of the osteoblast cells to staphylococcal strains. The significance of the differences in the results of each test and the relative control values was determined with Student’s t-test. SPEP impairs their invasiveness into osteoblasts, without affecting the viability and proliferation of bone cells, and tones down their production of MCP-1. We recognize SPEP as a potential tool against S. aureus bone infection and destruction

A flat-topped leaky-wave source for phased arrays with reduced scan losses

International audienceThis paper describes the design of a planar Fabry-Perot leaky wave antenna generating a flat-topped radiation pattern. The flat-topped pattern is achieved by exciting various leaky-wave modes between a metallic ground plane and a superstrate. Two configurations for the superstrate structure are proposed and analyzed: i) dielectric layers; ii) impedance sheets. In all cases, the antennas are fed by a small waveguide opening in the ground plane. An in-house optimization tool based on a Green's function spectral approach is used to derive the appropriate arrangement for the generation of the required flat-topped pattern. The proposed approach is validated numerically for an antenna generating a flat topped pattern in an angular range of ±25°. The proposed flat-topped antenna may be used for the design of phased arrays with reduced scan losses over a given angular range

Optimization Procedure for Planar Leaky-Wave Antennas With Flat-Topped Radiation Patterns

International audienceWe describe here an optimization procedure to shape the radiation pattern of planar two-dimensional (2-D) leaky-wave antennas. The structures under investigation are superstrate configurations made by partially reflecting screens (impedances sheets) over a ground plane and excited by open-ended waveguides. The antenna configuration providing the required radiation pattern is obtained by resorting to an ad hoc optimization procedure that minimizes the mean squared error between the target pattern and the actual radiated far field. The radiated field is analytically evaluated using a Green's function spectral approach to speed up the optimization process. Several kinds of radiation patterns can be obtained using the proposed algorithm. In this work, we focus our attention on flat-topped radiation patterns, suitable as element pattern for phased array antennas covering a limited angular field of view such as those considered for space applications. The proposed procedure is validated by full-wave results and measurements

JCV-specific T-cells producing IFN-gamma are differently associated with PmL occurrence in HIV patients and liver transplant recipients

Aim of this work was to investigate a possible correlation between the frequency of JCV-specific T-cells and PML occurrence in HIV-infected subjects and in liver transplant recipients. A significant decrease of JCV-specific T-cells was observed in HIV-PML subjects, highlighting a close relation between JCV-specific T-cell immune impairment and PML occurrence in HIV-subjects. Interestingly, liver-transplant recipients (LTR) showed a low frequency of JCV-specific T-cells, similar to HIV-PML subjects. Nevertheless, none of the enrolled LTR developed PML, suggesting the existence of different immunological mechanisms involved in the maintenance of a protective immune response in LT

Analysis of HIV quasispecies and virological outcome of an HIV D+/R+ kidney–liver transplantation

Introduction: Transplantation among HIV positive patients may be a valuable therapeutic intervention. This study involves an HIV D+/R+ kidney–liver transplantation, where PBMC-associated HIV quasispecies were analyzed in donor and transplant recipients (TR) prior to transplantation and thereafter, together with standard viral monitoring. Methods: The donor was a 54 year of age HIV infected woman: kidney and liver recipients were two HIV infected men, aged 49 and 61. HIV quasispecies in PBMC was analyzed by ultra-deep sequencing of V3 env region. During TR follow-up, plasma HIV-1 RNA, HIV-1 DNA in PBMC, analysis of proviral integration sites and drug-resistance genotyping were performed. Other virological and immunological monitoring included CMV and EBV DNA quantification in blood and CD4 T cell counts. Results: Donor and TR were all ART-HIV suppressed at transplantation. Thereafter, TR maintained a nearly suppressed HIV-1 viremia, but HIV-1 RNA blips and the increase of proviral integration sites in PBMC attested some residual HIV replication. A transient peak in HIV-1 DNA occurred in the liver recipient. No major changes of drug-resistance genotype were detected after transplantation. CMV and EBV transient reactivations were observed only in the kidney recipient, but did not require specific treatment. CD4 counts remained stable. No intermixed quasispecies between donor and TR was observed at transplantation or thereafter. Despite signs of viral evolution in TR, HIV genetic heterogeneity did not increase over the course of the months of follow up. Conclusions: No evidence of HIV superinfection was observed in the donor nor in the recipients. The immunosuppressive treatment administrated to TR did not result in clinical relevant viral reactivations

Rho GTPase-dependent plasticity of dendritic spines in the adult brain.

Brain activity is associated with structural changes in the neural connections. However, in vivo imaging of the outer cortical layers has shown that dendritic spines, on which most excitatory synapses insist, are predominantly stable in adulthood. Changes in dendritic spines are governed by small GTPases of the Rho family through modulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Yet, while there are abundant data about this functional effect of Rho GTPases in vitro, there is little evidence that Rho GTPase signaling in the brain is associated with changes in neuronal morphology. In the present work, both chronic in vivo two-photon imaging and Golgi staining reveal that the activation of Rho GTPases in the adult mouse brain is associated with little change of dendritic spines in the apical dendrites of primary visual cortex pyramidal neurons. On the contrary, considerable increase in spine density is observed i) in the basal dendrites of the same neurons ii) in both basal and apical dendrites of the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells. Moreover, functional analysis shows increase in basal glutamatergic neurotrasmission and activity-dependent plasticity only in CA1 neurons. While confirming that Rho-GTPase dependent increase in spine density can be substantial, the study indicates region and dendrite selectivity with relative stability of superficial cortical circuits