Transmission enhancement through square coaxial apertures arrays in metallic film: when leaky modes filter infrared light

We consider arrays of square coaxial apertures in a gold layer and study their diffractive behavior in the far infrared region. These structures exhibit a resonant transmission enhancement that is used to design tunable bandpass filters. We provide a study of their spectral features and show by a modal analysis that the resonance peak is due to the excitation of leaky modes of the open photonic structure. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry transmission measurements of samples deposited on Si substrate show good agreement with numerical results and demonstrate angular tolerance up to 30 degrees of the fabricated filters.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Assessment of Left Ventricular Function in Cardiac MSCT Imaging by a 4D Hierarchical Surface-Volume Matching Process

Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) scanners offer new perspectives for cardiac kinetics evaluation with 4D dynamic sequences of high contrast and spatiotemporal resolutions. A new method is proposed for cardiac motion extraction in multislice CT. Based on a 4D hierarchical surface-volume matching process, it provides the detection of the heart left cavities along the acquired sequence and the estimation of their 3D surface velocity fields. A Markov random field model is defined to find, according to topological descriptors, the best correspondences between a 3D mesh describing the left endocardium at one time and the 3D acquired volume at the following time. The global optimization of the correspondences is realized with a multiresolution process. Results obtained on simulated and real data show the capabilities to extract clinically relevant global and local motion parameters and highlight new perspectives in cardiac computed tomography imaging

Modélisation Markovienne pour l'estimation combinée de forme et de mouvement : Application au coeur en imagerie scanner multibarrette

Une méthode d'estimation conjointe de forme et de mouvement non rigide à partir de séquences temporelles tri-dimensionnelles est proposée. Basée sur une mise en correspondance surface-volume, elle permet, à partir d'une unique forme segmentée, d'estimer la forme et son mouvement sur toute la séquence. Une modélisation Markovienne combinée à un algorithme de recuit simulé estime les correspondances entre les noeuds du maillage modélisant l'objet à l'instant t et les voxels du volume à l'instant t + 1. La méthode a été appliquée à l'extraction de formes et de mouvements cardiaques en tomodensitométrie multibarrette. Les tests, réalisés sur données simulées et données réelles, ont donné des résultats prometteurs

Joint Shape and Motion Estimation using Markovian Fields : Application to Multislice Computed Tomography Cardiac Imaging

We propose a method for joint surface and non-rigid motion estimation from three-dimensional dynamic sequences. Based on a surface-volume matching, it provides, from one first segmented surface, both motion and deformations of the object of interest along the whole sequence. A Markovian model, combined with a simulated annealing process, estimates the correspondences between the nodes of the surface mesh modeling the object of interest at one time and the voxels of the volume representing the object at the following time. The method has been applied to cardiac surface and motion extraction in Multislice Computed Tomography. Tests realized with simulated motion and on real data have provided promising results.Une méthode d'estimation conjointe de forme et de mouvement non rigide à partir de séquences temporelles tridimensionnelles est proposée. Reposant sur une mise en correspondance surface-volume, elle permet, à partir d'une première segmentation de l'objet d'intérêt, d'estimer le mouvement de l'objet et ses déformations sur toute la séquence temporelle d'observation. Une modélisation markovienne combinée à un algorithme de recuit simulé estime les correspondances entre les noeuds du maillage de surface modélisant l'objet à un instant et les voxels du volume représentant l'objet à l'instant suivant. La méthode a été appliquée à l'extraction de formes et de mouvements cardiaques en tomodensitométrie multibarrette. Les tests, réalisés à la fois avec des mouvements simulés et sur des données réelles, ont donné des résultats prometteurs

ANALYSE DE SENSIBILITÉ DE LA DISPERSION DE GOUTTELETTES AUX CONDITIONS D'ÉMISSION ET A L'AIR AMBIENT

National audienceThis work presents a methodology to analyse the sensitivity of numerical simulations related to the dispersion of droplets in the air. The methodology is based on existing tools for sensitivity analysis (e.g. Sobol sensitivity index). This methodology is illustrated by analysing a large number of numerical results obtained in two situations: first a simple toy model (without underlying flow) and then a more realistic case (with underlying flow). The preliminary results allow to identify the parameters affecting the results but show a significant impact of the observable chosen for the analysis.Nous présentons une méthodologie pour analyser la sensibilité et quantifier l'incertitude des résultats de simulation numérique obtenus dans le contexte de la dispersion de gouttelettes dans l'air. La méthodologie se fonde sur les outils existants d'analyse de sensibilité (notamment la méthode de Sobol). L'intérêt de recourir à ces outils d'analyse de grands nombres de résultats est illustré à travers deux situations: un cas simplifié sans écoulement fluide environnant et un cas réaliste avec écoulement fluide. Les résultats préliminaires permettent d'identifier les paramètres influençant les résultats numériques mais montrent une forte sensibilité à l'observable choisie pour l'analyse

The Drosophila amidase PGRP-LB modulates the immune response to bacterial infection

The Drosophila host defense against gram-negative bacteria is mediated by the Imd pathway upon sensing of peptidoglycan by the peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP)-LC. Here we report a functional analysis of PGRP-LB, a catalytic member of the PGRP family. We show that PGRP-LB is a secreted protein regulated by the Imd pathway. Biochemical studies demonstrate that PGRP-LB is an amidase that specifically degrades gram-negative bacteria peptidoglycan. In agreement with its amidase activity, PGRP-LB downregulates the Imd pathway. Hence, activation of PGRP-LB by the Imd pathway provides a negative feedback regulation to tightly adjust immune activation to infection. Our study also reveals that PGRP-LB controls the immune reactivity of flies to the presence of ingested bacteria in the gut. Our work highlights the key role of PGRPs that encode both sensors and scavengers of peptidoglycan, which modulate the level of the host immune response to the presence of infectious microorganisms

Peptidoglycan molecular requirements allowing detection by the Drosophila immune deficiency pathway

Innate immune recognition of microbes is a complex process that can be influenced by both the host and the microbe. Drosophila uses two distinct immune signaling pathways, the Toll and immune deficiency (Imd) pathways, to respond to different classes of microbes. The Toll pathway is predominantly activated by Gram-positive bacteria and fungi, while the Imd pathway is primarily activated by Gram-negative bacteria. Recent work has suggested that this differential activation is achieved through peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP)-mediated recognition of specific forms of peptidoglycan (PG). In this study, we have further analyzed the specific PG molecular requirements for Imd activation through the pattern recognition receptor PGRP-LC in both cultured cell line and in flies. We found that two signatures of Gram-negative PG, the presence of diaminopimelic acid in the peptide bridge and a 1,6-anhydro form of N-acetylmuramic acid in the glycan chain, allow discrimination between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Our results also point to a role for PG oligomerization in Imd activation, and we demonstrate that elements of both the sugar backbone and the peptide bridge of PG are required for optimum recognition. Altogether, these results indicate multiple requirements for efficient PG-mediated activation of the Imd pathway and demonstrate that PG is a complex immune elicitor

A Novel Function for Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein in Translational Activation

Fragile X syndrome, the most frequent form of inherited mental retardation, is due to the absence of Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein involved in several steps of RNA metabolism. To date, two RNA motifs have been found to mediate FMRP/RNA interaction, the G-quartet and the “kissing complex,” which both induce translational repression in the presence of FMRP. We show here a new role for FMRP as a positive modulator of translation. FMRP specifically binds Superoxide Dismutase 1 (Sod1) mRNA with high affinity through a novel RNA motif, SoSLIP (Sod1 mRNA Stem Loops Interacting with FMRP), which is folded as three independent stem-loop structures. FMRP induces a structural modification of the SoSLIP motif upon its interaction with it. SoSLIP also behaves as a translational activator whose action is potentiated by the interaction with FMRP. The absence of FMRP results in decreased expression of Sod1. Because it has been observed that brain metabolism of FMR1 null mice is more sensitive to oxidative stress, we propose that the deregulation of Sod1 expression may be at the basis of several traits of the physiopathology of the Fragile X syndrome, such as anxiety, sleep troubles, and autism

Long-Range Activation of Systemic Immunity through Peptidoglycan Diffusion in Drosophila

The systemic immune response of Drosophila is known to be induced both by septic injury and by oral infection with certain bacteria, and is characterized by the secretion of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) into the haemolymph. To investigate other possible routes of bacterial infection, we deposited Erwinia carotovora (Ecc15) on various sites of the cuticle and monitored the immune response via expression of the AMP gene Diptericin. A strong response was observed to deposition on the genital plate of males (up to 20% of a septic injury response), but not females. We show that the principal response to genital infection is systemic, but that some AMPs, particularly Defensin, are induced locally in the genital tract. At late time points we detected bacteria in the haemolymph of immune deficient RelishE20 flies, indicating that the genital plate can be a route of entry for pathogens, and that the immune response protects flies against the progression of genital infection. The protective role of the immune response is further illustrated by our observation that RelishE20 flies exhibit significant lethality in response to genital Ecc15 infections. We next show that a systemic immune response can be induced by deposition of the bacterial elicitor peptidoglycan (PGN), or its terminal monomer tracheal cytotoxin (TCT), on the genital plate. This immune response is downregulated by PGRP-LB and Pirk, known regulators of the Imd pathway, and can be suppressed by the overexpression of PGRP-LB in the haemolymph compartment. Finally, we provide strong evidence that TCT can activate a systemic response by crossing epithelia, by showing that radiolabelled TCT deposited on the genital plate can subsequently be detected in the haemolymph. Genital infection is thus an intriguing new model for studying the systemic immune response to local epithelial infections and a potential route of entry for naturally occurring pathogens of Drosophila