FOLD project : experimental assessment of the efficiency of an optical fibre to detect a gaseous leak on a buried pipe

In 2015, TOTAL, AIR LIQUIDE, GRTgaz, ENGIE E&P International and INERIS were involved in a collaborative project called FOLD. Its objective was to experimentally assess the capability of an optical fibre based system to detect gaseous leaks occurring on a buried pipe. During this project, several parameters were tested in relation to the release properties (nature of gas, orifice diameter, pressure, direction), to the installation of the optical cable (offset location from the pipe, protection around the cable) and to the scanning means (interrogation distance, interrogator technology). This paper presents the experimental bench that was used during the testing campaign and some of the results obtained with the DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) equipment when these latter were interrogating the optical cable on short distance (less than 500 m). By analysing these results, it is already possible to give recommendations regarding the best positioning of the optical cable along the buried pipe to optimise the efficiency of the optical fibre based detection system

Case Report: Extent of the Clinical Spectrum for C9orf72 Mutation - From Frontotemporal Dementia to Autonomic Dysfunction

C9ORF72 gene mutation on chromosome 9 corresponding to a repetition of hexanucleotides (GGGGCC) xn is the most common mutation found in frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SLA) [1]. FTLD is characterized by an insidious onset with gradual evolution, a decline in social and interpersonal behaviors, self-regulation and control disturbances in personal behavior, emotional blunting and loss of introspection capabilities) but also behavioral disorders, disorders of speech and language.Literature is controversial about the relationship between multiple system atrophy (MSA) and the gene C9ORF72 mutation. We report the case of a 70-year old patient diagnosed with familial FTLD with C9ORF72 mutation in 2013 associated with cerebellar syndrome, visual hallucinations, and rapidly progressive symptoms suggestive of MSA.</p

Coupling of Mechanical Resonators under Surface Acoustic Wave Excitation

International audienceCoupling between surface acoustic waves (SAW) and arrays of mechanical resonators has appeared early in SAW history as a potential means to slow down wave propagation through mass-loading, in particular by creating corrugations on the substrate surface. This concept has been revisited over the past few years in the context of locally-resonant phononic crystals where pillars deposited on a homogeneous surface were shown to hybridize with SAW to form band gaps conditioned by the pillar resonance frequencies. Most of the works reported in the literature focus on the interaction between propagating waves and a collection of resonators. We recently considered the interaction of SAW with isolated mechanical resonators and shown that elastic energy can be strongly confined in subwavelength, micron-scale structures. In this work, we experimentally investigate the coupling characteristics of pairs of pillars driven by SAW. The objective here is to set the basics for the realization of waveguides based on compact chains of phononic resonators

DOTAGA-Trastuzumab. A New Antibody Conjugate Targeting HER2/Neu Antigen for Diagnostic Purposes.

International audienceImproved bifunctional chelating agents (BFC) are required for indium-111 radiolabeling of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) under mild conditions to yield stable, target-specific agents. 2,2',2″-(10-(2,6-Dioxotetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-yl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triyl)triacetic acid (DOTAGA-anhydride) was evaluated for mAb conjugation and labeling with indium-111. The DOTA analogue was synthesized and conjugated to trastuzumab-which targets the HER2/neu receptor-in mild conditions (PBS pH 7.4, 25 °C, 30 min) and gave a mean degree of conjugation of 2.6 macrocycle per antibody. Labeling of this immunoconjugate with indium-111 was performed in 75% yield after 1 h at 37 °C, and the proportion of (111)In-DOTAGA-trastuzumab reached 97% after purification. The affinity of DOTAGA-trastuzumab was 5.5 ± 0.6 nM as evaluated by in vitro saturation assays using HCC1954 breast cancer cell line. SPECT/CT imaging and biodistribution studies were performed in mice bearing breast cancer BT-474 xenografts. BT-474 tumors were clearly visualized on SPECT images at 24, 48, and 72 h postinjection. The tumor uptake of [(111)In-DOTAGA]-trastuzumab reached 65%ID/g 72 h postinjection. These results show that the DOTAGA BFC appears to be a valuable tool for biologics conjugation

Coupling of single mechanical resonators through surface elastic waves

International audienceThis talk will illustrate how interaction between a mechanical resonator and a supporting substrate can be considered beyond support loss and used in the field of phononics to control the propagation of surface elastic waves. After an introduction of the phononic crystal and local resonance concepts, it will focus on experimental demonstrations of confinement and manipulation of the elastic energy in micron-scale resonators exhibiting dimensions at least ten ten times smaller than the excitation wavelength. Much similarly to what has been achieved in plasmonics, such an approach could make it possible to conceive phononic chains capable to carry the elastic energy along the most twisted paths

Coherent control of mechanical states in surface-coupled phononic resonators

International audienceWe propose in this work to illustrate how the interaction between mechanical resonators and traveling surface acoustic waves (SAW) can be used to achieve manipulation of mechanical vibrations at the micron-scale. We investigate the experimental behavior of different isolated or coupled resonator systems to reveal the coupling mechanisms involved. By retrieving the frequency dependence and the vectorial structure of the resonator mechanical motion and of the elastic field distribution at the substrate surface, both inter- and intra-resonator mode coupling is shown to occur, leading to a variety of vibration and energy confinement schemes. The obtained results illustrate the potential of the proposed platform for the coherent control of localized mechanical vibration at a resonator level, and reciprocally for the control of SAW propagation using sub-wavelength features

Surface Coupled Phononic Resonators

International audienceMechanical resonators are ubiquitous physical systems that have been lying at the core of a resurging interest over the past few years. In the field of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems, the possibility to fabricate resonators at the micro- or nano-scale with tailorable properties has opened exciting perspectives, ranging from quantum mechanics to sensing [1-4]. In acoustics or phononics, investigations of the interaction between a propagating wave and a collection of so-called local resonators have contributed to the rise of acoustic metamaterials, a class of composites exhibiting a behavior conditioned by the local properties of its constitutive, sub-wavelength unit cells [5]. The concept has been successfully extended to surface acoustic waves (SAW), and it was for example shown that pillars deposited on a surface could hybridize with SAW to form band gaps conditioned by the pillar resonance frequencies [6-8].Interaction of isolated resonators with a supporting surface however remains usually considered in the light of micro-mechanics where it is seen as detrimental and usually carefully avoided. In this work, we propose to exploit the interaction of SAW with isolated, micron-scale mechanical resonators to strongly couple, confine and potentially store elastic energy at will [9]. Confinement of the elastic energy in cylindrical pillars exhibiting dimensions at least ten times smaller than the excitation wavelength is experimentally reported, with a ten-fold field enhancement compared to the free surface. The elastic field behavior can be further controlled through resonator-to-resonator coupling as revealed by an investigation of the characteristic response of pairs of pillars. Much similarly to what has been achieved in plasmonics, such an approach could make it possible to conceive phononic chains capable to carry the elastic energy along the most twisted paths

Dipole states and coherent interaction in surface-acoustic-wave coupled phononic resonators

International audienceManipulation of mechanical motion at the micro-scale has been attracting continuous attention, leading to the successful implementation of various strategies with potential impact on classical and quantum information processing. We propose an approach based on the interplay between a pair of localised mechanical resonators and travelling surface acoustic waves (SAW). We demonstrate the existence of a two-sided interaction, allowing the use of SAW to trigger and control the resonator oscillation, and to manipulate the elastic energy distribution on the substrate through resonator coupling. Observation of the vectorial structure of the resonator motion reveals the existence of two coupling regimes, a dipole-dipole-like interaction at small separation distance versus a surface-mediated mechanical coupling at larger separation. These results illustrate the potential of this platform for coherent control of mechanical vibration at a resonator level, and reciprocally for manipulating SAW propagation using sub-wavelength elements

Surface-mediated mechanical coupling of pillar pairs

International audienceInteraction between guided waves and mechanical resonators has been widely studied in the field of phononic crystals or elasticmetamaterials, where many works have been devoted to periodical arrangement of local resonators. Most of the literature however dealswith the collective behavior of such physical objects. In this work, we focus on the intrinsic properties of isolated resonators coupled tosurface acoustic waves (SAW), with the aim of controlling propagation at a subwavelength scale. We investigate the interaction andcoupling between a substrate excited by SAW and a pair of phononic resonators. The influence of the orientation of the source as well as ofthe distance between the two neighboring resonators is experimentally studied.Pairs of platinum pillars were grown using focused ion beam induced deposition on a Y-cut lithium niobate substrate. Their diameter andheight were set at 4.4 μm and 4 μm respectively, leading to a resonance frequency of the order of 70 MHz for the first flexural mode. SAWswere launched on the substrate surface using interdigital transducers. The elastic energy distribution at the surface of the pillars and of thesubstrate was measured using optical interferometry, giving access to the frequency responses for each pillar and to the orientations of themodes as a function of the incident SAW wave vector.The experimental observation of frequency splitting of the pillar pair response, which is not present for an isolated pillar, is an evidence ofcoupling. The characteristics of this splitting depend on the orientation of the source and on the distance between the resonators. Twocoupling regimes can be identified: a weaker coupling, where the two pillars resonate at different frequencies, respectively blue and redshifted compared to the individual pillar natural response, and a stronger coupling regime, where the two pillars present the same behaviorand two separated modes, as shown by the obtained split frequency response. Preliminary investigations in addition show that non-linearities can be observed at higher drive power for particular configurations. These results prove that, by choosing appropriateconfigurations, the combination of SAW and mechanical resonators can be used either to control the elastic energy distribution at themicroscale, or, reciprocally, to manipulate pillar ensembles by changing the excitation conditions