BCB Based Packaging for Low Actuation Voltage RF MEMS Devices

This paper outlines the issues related to RF MEMS packaging and low actuation voltage. An original approach is presented concerning the modeling of capacitive contacts using multiphysics simulation and advanced characterization. A similar approach is used concerning packaging development where multi-physics simulations are used to optimize the process. A devoted package architecture is proposed featuring very low loss at microwave range

Pivotal Role of Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Working Memory after Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth

In this fMRI study, the functions of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were studied in a group of adolescents who had sustained a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). A spatial working memory task with varying working memory loads, representing experimental conditions of increasing difficulty, was administered. In a cross-sectional comparison between the patients and a matched control group, patients performed worse than Controls, showing longer reaction times and lower response accuracy on the spatial working memory task. Brain imaging findings suggest a possible double-dissociation: activity of the ACC in the TBI group, but not in the Control group, was associated with task difficulty; conversely, activity of the left sensorimotor cortex (lSMC) in the Control group, but not in the TBI group, was correlated with task difficulty. In addition to the main cross-sectional study, a longitudinal study of a group of adolescent patients with moderate to severe TBI was done using fMRI and the same spatial working memory task. The patient group was studied at two time-points: one time-point during the post-acute phase and one time-point 12 months later, during the chronic phase. Results indicated that patients’ behavioral performance improved over time, suggesting cognitive recovery. Brain imaging findings suggest that, over this 12-month period, patients recruited less of the ACC and more of the lSMC in response to increasing task difficulty. The role of ACC in executive functions following a moderate to severe brain injury in adolescence is discussed within the context of conflicting models of the ACC functions in the existing literature

Intestinal Acid Sphingomyelinase Protects From Severe Pathogen-Driven Colitis

Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are emerging as a global problem with increased evidence and prevalence in numerous countries. A dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism occurs in patients with ulcerative colitis and is discussed to contribute to its pathogenesis. In the present study, we determined the impact of acid sphingomyelinase (Asm), which catalyzes the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to ceramide, on the course of Citrobacter (C.) rodentium-driven colitis. C. rodentium is an enteric pathogen and induces colonic inflammation very similar to the pathology in patients with ulcerative colitis. We found that mice with Asm deficiency or Asm inhibition were strongly susceptible to C. rodentium infection. These mice showed increased levels of C. rodentium in the feces and were prone to bacterial spreading to the systemic organs. In addition, mice lacking Asm activity showed an uncontrolled inflammatory Th1 and Th17 response, which was accompanied by a stronger colonic pathology compared to infected wild type mice. These findings identified Asm as an essential regulator of mucosal immunity to the enteric pathogen C. rodentium

LE GENRE A L'INTERFACE DES SCIENCES. LA VOIX TROUBLEE : APPROCHE DU GENRE VOCAL PAR SON OPACITE DANS LA VOIX DES FEMMES ATTEINTES D'UN OEDEME DE REINKE

1.1. PROBLEMATIQUE Le genre fait partie des informations que transmet la voix. Celle-ci peut suffire à identifier le genre du locuteur dans des circonstances où les interlocuteurs ne se voient pas, par exemple au téléphone. Toutefois, cette identification n'est pas garantie pour au moins deux raisons : bien qu'il reflète partiellement une distinction biologique entre les deux sexes, le genre fait surtout l'objet d'une construction sociale et culturelle complexe comme l'ont montré plus de quarante ans de travaux en sciences sociales ; par ailleurs, certaines pathologies de la voix, comme l'oedème de Reinke, modifient ses caractéristiques acoustiques au point de brouiller parfois l'identification du genre. Ce brouillage fait l'objet d'une plainte de la part des femmes atteintes de cette pathologie. Ce projet se propose de rassembler une médecin spécialiste de la voix, une phonéticienne et une sociolinguiste spécialiste du genre pour explorer l'interférence du pathologique et du culturel dans la transmission du genre par la voix. Nous procéderons à des expériences de production et de perception de la voix sur une population libanaise parlant l'arabe libanais et le français. Nous croiserons les résultats de ces expériences avec ceux d'une enquête sociolinguistique pour cerner quelles sont les critères socio-culturels qui interviennent dans la catégorisation genrée des voix entendues

Electro-mechanical characterisation and damage monitoring by acoustic emission of 3D printed CB/PLA

Even though the influence of the printing direction on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed samples by fused filament fabrication is established in the literature, very little is known about mechanical and electrical coupling. In this study, electrically conductive polylactic acid filled with carbon black particles undergoes monotonic and repeated progressive tensile loading to better understand the influence of the printing direction on the electro-mechanical properties of three-dimensional-printed samples. The objective is to analyse the electro-mechanical behaviour of this composite for its potential application as an actuator. The classical laminate theory is also applied to evaluate the relevance of this theory in predicting the mechanical characteristics of this material. In addition, a comprehensive damage analysis is performed using acoustic emission, infrared thermography, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray microcomputed tomography imaging. Results show that the degradation of the mechanical and electrical properties is highly influenced by the printing direction. The appearance and development of crazes in 0° filaments are highlighted and quantified. The conclusions drawn by this study underline the interest in using longitudinal and unidirectional printing directions to improve the conductive path within the samples. Furthermore, the evolution of the resistance throughout the experiments emphasizes the need to control the implemented voltage in the design of future electro-thermally triggered actuators

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Their Prognostic Value in Cutaneous Melanoma.

Recent breakthroughs in tumor immunotherapy such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) antibodies, have demonstrated the capacity of the immune system to fight cancer in a number of malignancies such as melanoma and lung cancer. The numbers, localization and phenotypes of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are not only predictive of response to immunotherapy but also key modulators of disease progression. In this review, we focus on TIL profiling in cutaneous melanoma using histopathological approaches and highlight the observed prognostic value of the primary TIL subsets. The quantification of TIL in formalin-fixed tumor samples ranges from visual scoring of lymphocytic infiltrates in H&E to multiplex immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence followed by enumeration using image analysis software. Nevertheless, TIL enumeration in the current literature primarily relies upon single marker immunohistochemistry analyses of major lymphocyte subsets such as conventional T cells (CD3, CD4, CD8), regulatory T cells (FOXP3) and B cells (CD20). We review key studies in the literature on associations between TIL subsets and patient survival. We also cover recent findings with respect to the existence of ectopic lymphoid aggregates found in the TME which are termed tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) and are generally a positive prognostic feature. In addition to their prognostic significance, the existence of various TIL sub-populations has also been reported to predict a patient's response to ICB. Thus, the literature on the predictive potential of TIL subsets in melanoma patients receiving ICB has also been discussed. Finally, we describe recently developed state-of-the-art profiling approaches for tumor infiltrating immune cells such as digital pathology scoring algorithms (e.g., Immunoscore) and multiplex proteomics-based immunophenotyping platforms (e.g., imaging mass cytometry). Translating these novel technologies have the potential to revolutionize tumor immunopathology leading to altering our current understanding of cancer immunology and dramatically improving outcomes for patients