A co-design approach for embedded system modeling and code generation with UML and MARTE,

International audienc

UML design for dynamically reconfigurable multiprocessor embedded systems,

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UML design for dynamically reconfigurable embedded systems

International audienc

IP reuse in an MDA MPSoPC co-design approach

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Skin surface nanoscale topography by light interferometry

International audienceThe skin is the first thing one perceives of a person. Unconsciously, its color, its radiance and its complexion give us a first impression of a person. This is why cosmetic care and makeup products are of great importance.But how to evaluate their activity?Many methods of in vivo measurements exist to evaluate its color or shine, but the evaluation of a product activity on skin surface is much more complicated.. The relief of the skin and even more its microrelief, are largely responsible for its optical properties and therefore the image it refers.Many products have a filling or a tensor effect, modifying the depth and width of the microfolds that compose the microrelief. It is consequently necessary to measure and characterize the skin surface before and after the application of a cosmetic product with great precision.More precise than 3D scanners, or the fringe projections in vivo, light interferometry allows making a topographical survey of the skin surface with an accuracy of a few tens of nanometers.The topography by light interferometry is developed by the Polytec company whose experience in measuring equipment is no longer to be proved.This technology used in particular in the control of mechanical parts of aeronautics, offers a lateral resolution of approximately 10 μm and a vertical resolution of less than 20 nm.Depending on the light interference reflected from the surface of the skin, this technology is sensitive to vibrations which avoids its in vivo use.To benefit from this technology usually reserved for the world of precision micromechanics, we have developed a support to put under tension a human living skin explant and to maintain it in survival ex vivo.This support specially designed and printed in 3D allows stretching the skin on a reservoir of culture medium while respecting a tension similar to the in vivo conditions.The tension of the skin was measured and verified by cutometry. This measurement can also be performed during the study which can last up to 10 days.The skin thus stretched can be topographed and treated by different products. So it will be very simple to measure the roughness of the surface of the skin, the depth of its folds or their width.We applied on the surface of the skin three products, two with smoothing and filling activity. We showed a decrease in the average depth of the cutaneous microfolds as well as a decrease of the roughness of the skin.If an immediate effect can be observed in a few minutes, the ex vivo character of this model also allows evaluating a biological activity which reinforces in depth this surface-visible effect.This new and original approach, coupling light interferometry technology and human living skin explant, offers all the precision and finesse necessary for an immediate evaluation of the activity of a product on skin surface proprieties and to investigate in parallel the cutaneous-linked biological effects

Dimerization equilibrium of infrared spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations

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Dimerization equilibrium of infrared spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations

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Standard free energy of the equilibrium between the trans-monomer and the cyclic-dimer of acetic acid in the gas phase from infrared spectroscopy

International audienceSurvey jet-cooled spectra of acetic acid have been recorded in the infrared region (200–4000 cm−1) over a wide range of expansion conditions. From the variations of the relative intensities of the signals, vibrational transitions have been assigned unambiguously to the trans-monomer and cyclic-dimer. The IR-active fundamental frequencies have been determined at the instrumental accuracy of 0.5 cm−1. This analysis of the jet-cooled spectra supported by electronic structure calculations permitted us to characterize the trans-monomer/cyclic-dimer equilibrium. From static cell spectra at 298 K, variations of the molar fractions ratio as a function of the total pressure were used to estimate the equilibrium constant and the Gibbs free energy of dimerization at 298 K. The very good agreement with the literature data shows that the present method is able to produce, from a single study, a free energy value as reliable as the one obtained from a large collection of data. In addition, the semi-empirical free energy value was used to estimate the accuracy of electronic structure calculations and in turn the accuracy of the derived useful information such as the dissociation energy of the complex (i.e. the strength of the hydrogen bonds) or the relative energies within the conformational landscape

Watt-level mid-infrared continuous-wave Tm:YAG laser operating on the 3H4 → 3H5 transition

International audienceWe report on the first continuous-wave mid-infrared Tm:Y3Al5O12 laser operating on the 3H4 → 3H5 transition. The 3.2 at.% Tm:Y3Al5O12 laser generated a maximum output power of 1.07 W at ~2.19 & 2.32 μm with a high slope efficiency of 46.3% (vs. the absorbed pump power) exceeding the Stokes limit. Depending on the output coupling and the pump power, a set of discrete laser lines in the range of 2.164–2.346 μm was observed. The spectroscopic properties of Tm:Y3Al5O12 relevant for the mid-infrared laser operation are revised. The maximum stimulated-emission cross-section for the 3H4 → 3H5 transition is 0.35 × 10−20 cm2 at 2324 nm and the emission bandwidth is ~37 nm. The overlap of the 3F4 → 3H6 and the 3H4 → 3H5 transitions is quantified revealing the formulas for Stokes and anti-Stokes phonon sidebands of emission bands. Tm:Y3Al5O12 is promising for broadly tunable (2.1–2.5 μm) and mode-locked mid-infrared oscillators

Interleukin-7 protects against bacterial respiratory infection by promoting IL-17A-producing innate T-cell response

International audienceInterleukin-7 (IL-7) is a critical cytokine in B- and T-lymphocyte development and maturation. Recent evidence suggests that IL-7 is a preferential homeostatic and survival factor for RORγt+ innate T cells such as natural killer T (NKT) cells, γδT cells, and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in the periphery. Given the important contribution of these populations in antibacterial immunity at barrier sites, we questioned whether IL-7 could be instrumental in boosting the local host immune response against respiratory bacterial infection. By using a cytokine-monoclonal antibody approach, we illustrated a role for topical IL-7 delivery in increasing the pool of RORγt+ IL-17A-producing innate T cells. Prophylactic IL-7 treatment prior to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection led to better bacterial containment, a process associated with increased neutrophilia and that depended on γδT cells and IL-17A. Last, combined delivery of IL-7 and α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), a potent agonist for invariant NKT (iNKT) cells, conferred an almost total protection in terms of survival, an effect associated with enhanced IL-17 production by innate T cells and neutrophilia. Collectively, we provide a proof of concept that IL-7 enables fine-tuning of innate T- cell functions. This might pave the way for considering IL-7 as an innovative biotherapeutic against bacterial infection