A Novel RFID EMSICC-based Chipless Tag

A new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chipless tag based on the Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) technology is proposed in this paper. The tag highlights the importance of using such technologies allowing a surface miniaturization, a high Q-factor and an original shape. Thus, the novel design consists of an Eight-Mode Substrate Integrated Circular Cavity (EMSICC) associated to an Ultra Wideband (UWB) bowtie-shaped antenna. The EMSICC is realized by bisecting the Quarter Mode Substrate Integrated Circular Cavity (QMSICC) into two parts, while preserving the same resonant frequency and the original electric field distribution. Further, the operating frequency band is from 5 GHz to 8 GHz within a compact area of 4.97 × 1.05 cm2. The proposed design is experimentally validated in the frequency domain

Radio Frequency Identification Sensing Chipless Tag for Permittivity Monitoring of Specific Sizes Materials

In this paper, a novel Radio Frequency Identification chipless tag for permittivity sensing characterized by a reduced size, an original shape and a low manufacturing cost is presented. The tag consists of a linear shape taken with multiple linear slots etched on the metal patch, ensuring a multi-frequency response. It enables the development of a robust tag with 8 bits as data capacity within a reduced surface is of 17.5×23 mm². Hence, using the frequency Domain Approach, the chipless tag is able to obtain more than 64 different binary states, by the utilization of the frequency shifting technique and the bandwidth distribution. Also, the operating frequency band ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 GHz. The new design is simulated, realized and experimentally validated by a bi-static measurement in the anechoic chamber. Then, preliminary tests are used for defining the Radio Frequency sensing chipless tag for permittivity monitoring, and proving its feasibility to control the evolution of a material over time or after use

Characterization of Molecular Determinants of the Conformational Stability of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor: Leucine 46 Hydrophobic Pocket

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) is a key mediator of inflammatory responses and innate immunity and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The oligomerization of MIF, more specifically trimer formation, is essential for its keto-enol tautomerase activity and probably mediates several of its interactions and biological activities, including its binding to its receptor CD74 and activation of certain signaling pathways. Therefore, understanding the molecular factors governing the oligomerization of MIF and the role of quaternary structure in modulating its structural stability and multifunctional properties is crucial for understanding the function of MIF in health and disease. Herein, we describe highly conserved intersubunit interactions involving the hydrophobic packing of the side chain of Leu46 onto the β-strand β3 of one monomer within a hydrophobic pocket from the adjacent monomer constituted by residues Arg11, Val14, Phe18, Leu19, Val39, His40, Val41, Val42, and Pro43. To elucidate the structural significance of these intersubunit interactions and their relative contribution to MIF’s trimerization, structural stability and catalytic activity, we generated three point mutations where Leu46 was replaced by glycine (L46G), alanine (L46A) and phenylalanine (L46F), and their structural properties, stability, oligomerization state, and catalytic activity were characterized using a battery of biophysical methods and X-ray crystallography. Our findings provide new insights into the role of the Leu46 hydrophobic pocket in stabilizing the conformational state of MIF in solution. Disrupting the Leu46 hydrophobic interaction perturbs the secondary and tertiary structure of the protein but has no effect on its oligomerization state

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Is Enhanced in Acute Coronary Syndromes and Is Associated with the Inflammatory Response

Chronic inflammation promotes atherosclerosis in cardiovascular disease and is a major prognostic factor for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is involved in the progress of atherosclerosis and plaque destabilization and plays a pivotal role in the development of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Little is known to date about the clinical impact of MIF in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD).In a pilot study, 286 patients with symptomatic CAD (n = 119 ACS, n = 167 stable CAD) undergoing PCI were consecutively evaluated. 25 healthy volunteers served as control. Expression of MIF was consecutively measured in patients at the time of PCI. Baseline levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), “regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed, and secreted” (RANTES) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured by Bio-Plex Cytokine assay. C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined by Immunoassay. Patients with ACS showed higher plasma levels of MIF compared to patients with stable CAD and control subjects (median 2.85 ng/mL, interquartile range (IQR) 3.52 versus median 1.22 ng/mL, IQR 2.99, versus median 0.1, IQR 0.09, p<0.001). Increased MIF levels were associated with CRP and IL-6 levels and correlated with troponin I (TnI) release (spearman rank coefficient: 0.31, p<0.001). Patients with ACS due to plaque rupture showed significantly higher plasma levels of MIF than patients with flow limiting stenotic lesions (p = 0.002).To our knowledge this is the first study, demonstrating enhanced expression of MIF in ACS. It is associated with established inflammatory markers, correlates with the extent of cardiac necrosis marker release after PCI and is significantly increased in ACS patients with “culprit” lesions. Further attempts should be undertaken to characterize the role of MIF for risk assessment in the setting of ACS

BiodegChip : a DNA microarray to study the catabolic genes of aromatic &quot;BTEX&quot; pollutants in complex microbial communities

Different tools have been proposed to detect, characterize and quantify genes responsible for degradation of different pollutants in environmental samples such us PCR-SSCP DNA fingerprinting, PCR DNA clone libraries and microarrays. In the present work, we developed a custom array system termed BiodegChip to assess functional BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene) catabolic gene diversity in contaminated environments. A custom CDS database was created including all catabolic genes encoding key activities in BTEX degradation pathways based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, containing >15,000 genes in >30 functional groups (EC number). Resulting gene database were subjected to probe design (50 mer) using the software Oligoarrays 2.1 with a selection parameter of GC content between 35 and 50% and Tm range 80 and 88\ub0C. The verification of specificity of all probes was used using BLASTTN database. Printing and experimental procedures for application in environmental analyses are in progress

Effects of Olive Trees Age on the Minor Components of Oueslati Virgin Olive Oils Produced from Olives Harvested at Different Ripening Degrees

Phenolics, volatiles, squalene, tocopherols, and fatty acids of virgin olive oils (VOO) from adult and young olive trees of the Oueslati variety, typically cultivated in the Center of Tunisia, were analyzed at three different harvesting periods. Significant differences in contents of saturated fatty acids (p\ua0<\ua00.05), squalene (p\ua0<\ua00.05), alpha-tocopherol and total tocopherol (p\ua0<\ua00.02) and oxidized form of decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycon (p\ua0<\ua00.05) were seen between VOO from adult and young trees during maturation. Moreover, the volatile profiles of VOO from adult and young trees showed significant differences in the amounts of hexanal, 1-penten-3-ol (p\ua0<\ua00.05), (Z)-3-hexenal and (Z)-2-penten-1-ol (p\ua0<\ua00.01). Principal component analysis showed that olives from adult trees should be harvested at the cherry stage of maturation to obtain a satisfactory level of oil quality, while olives from young trees should be harvested at the black maturation stage