Laser monitoring system for the CMS lead tungstate crystal calorimeter

We report on the multiple wavelength laser monitoring system designed for the CMS lead tungstate crystal calorimeter read-out with avalanche photodiodes (Barrel calorimeters) and vacuum phototriodes (End Cap calorimeters). Results are presented for the test beam performance of the system designed to achieve 0.5% relative inter-calibration of the optical transmittance for lead tungstate scintillation emission over nearly 80 000 channels. The system operates in continuous measurement cycles to follow each crystal?s evolution under irradiation and recovery periods foreseen during operation at the LHC

Energy Resolution Performance of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The energy resolution performance of the CMS lead tungstate crystal electromagnetic calorimeter is presented. Measurements were made with an electron beam using a fully equipped supermodule of the calorimeter barrel. Results are given both for electrons incident on the centre of crystals and for electrons distributed uniformly over the calorimeter surface. The electron energy is reconstructed in matrices of 3 times 3 or 5 times 5 crystals centred on the crystal containing the maximum energy. Corrections for variations in the shower containment are applied in the case of uniform incidence. The resolution measured is consistent with the design goals

La congestion automobile dans les villes suisses : quelle acceptabilité pour les péages urbains ?

Dans le cadre d’une thèse de doctorat en partenariat avec le CREDEN (France) et le CREM (Suisse), une enquête portant sur l’acceptabilité publique des péages urbains a été engagée avec le concours de l’Office Fédérale des Routes (OFROU). Dans le présent article, nous ferons le point sur la notion de péage urbain ainsi que sur celle de congestion automobile. Les résultats de l’enquête seront présentées. Ils peuvent servir de base à une réflexion sur la mise en place d’un tel instrument

Fluorescent Peptide Dendrimers for siRNA Transfection: Tracking pH Responsive Aggregation, siRNA Binding, and Cell Penetration

Transfecting nucleic acids into various cells is a key procedure in biological research also envisioned for therapeutic applications. In our effort to obtain simple reagents that would be readily accessible from commercial building blocks, we recently reported peptide dendrimers as single component siRNA transfection reagents accessible in pure form by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Here, we extend our studies of these dendrimers by identifying analogs bearing a coumarin or BODIPY fluorescent label in their core and displaying comparable siRNA transfection efficiencies, pH dependent aggregation, siRNA binding, and secondary structures. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) studies show that the dendrimers are tightly associated with siRNA within the formed nanoparticles at pH 7.4 but are released into solution at pH 5.0 and can participate in endosome escape by destabilizing the membrane at this pH value. Colocalization studies furthermore suggest that peptide dendrimers and siRNA remain tightly associated throughout the transfection process

La philosophie deJean?Jacques Gourd.

1850-1909LEIDSSTELSELDiss. Lausanne.OPLADEN-RUG0

Stereoselective pH Responsive Peptide Dendrimers for siRNA Transfection

Transfecting nucleic acids into cells is an essential procedure in biological research usually performed using nonviral transfection reagents. Unfortunately, most transfection reagents have polymeric or undisclosed structures and require nonstandard synthetic procedures. Herein we report peptide dendrimers accessible as pure products from standard building blocks by solid-phase peptide synthesis and acting as nontoxic single component siRNA transfection reagents for a variety of cell lines with equal or better performance than the gold standard lipofectamine L2000. Structure–activity relationships and mechanistic studies illuminate their transfection mechanism in unprecedented detail. Stereoselective dendrimer aggregation via intermolecular β-sheets at neutral pH enables siRNA complexation to form nanoparticles which enter cells by endocytosis. Endosome acidification triggers protonation of amino termini and rearrangement to an α-helical conformation forming smaller dendrimer/siRNA nanoparticles, which escape the endosome and release their siRNA cargo in the cytosol. Two particularly efficient d-enantiomeric dendrimers are proposed as new reference reagents for siRNA transfection

A high-sensitivity and quasi-linear capacitive sensor for nanomechanical testing applications

The design, modeling, fabrication and characterization of triplate differential capacitive sensors employed in novel on-chip tensile and compression material testing systems are reported, where the capacitive sensors are integrated to measure the load on the specimen or the specimen deformation. Analytical expressions for studying stability, linearity and sensitivity, including the effect of the electrostatic force generated by the excitation signal on the sensing electrodes, are derived for the first time and discussed for quasi-static applications. The possible influence of the electron beam of an electron microscope on the capacitance measurement is also analyzed. The in-plane suspension stiffness of the fabricated device is determined by a resonance method performed inside a scanning electron microscope and used for pull-in voltage prediction. Sensitivity and linearity are extracted from capacitance-to-displacement measurements and agree well with analytical and finite element analysis results. The fabricated capacitive sensors show a high sensitivity of 0.61 fF/nm within a quasi-linear moving range of 2250 nm, which yields a displacement resolution of 1 nm and a load resolution of 34 nN

PICK-1: A scaffold protein that interacts with Nectins and JAMs at cell junctions

AbstractNectin adhesion molecules are involved in the early steps of cell junction formation. Later during the polarisation process, Nectins are components of epithelial adherens junctions where they are indirectly associated with the E-cadherin/Catenins complex via the adaptator AF-6. To have a better understanding of Nectin-based cell junctions, we looked for some new Nectins’ partners. We demonstrate that the scaffold molecule PICK-1, involved in the clustering of junctional receptors in synaptic junctions, interacts directly with Nectins in a PSD-95/Dlg/ZO-1 domain-dependent manner and is localised at adherens junctions in epithelial cells. Finally, we observed that protein interacting with C-kinase-1 (PICK-1) also interacts directly with the junctional adhesion molecules, and we suggest that PICK-1 could be involved in the regulation of both adherens and tight junctions in epithelial cells