A positivity-preserving scheme for the aircraft icing droplet equations within SU2

International audienc

A Mammalian Conserved Element Derived from SINE Displays Enhancer Properties Recapitulating Satb2 Expression in Early-Born Callosal Projection Neurons

Short interspersed repetitive elements (SINEs) are highly repeated sequences that account for a significant proportion of many eukaryotic genomes and are usually considered “junk DNA”. However, we previously discovered that many AmnSINE1 loci are evolutionarily conserved across mammalian genomes, suggesting that they may have acquired significant functions involved in controlling mammalian-specific traits. Notably, we identified the AS021 SINE locus, located 390 kbp upstream of Satb2. Using transgenic mice, we showed that this SINE displays specific enhancer activity in the developing cerebral cortex. The transcription factor Satb2 is expressed by cortical neurons extending axons through the corpus callosum and is a determinant of callosal versus subcortical projection. Mouse mutants reveal a crucial function for Sabt2 in corpus callosum formation. In this study, we compared the enhancer activity of the AS021 locus with Satb2 expression during telencephalic development in the mouse. First, we showed that the AS021 enhancer is specifically activated in early-born Satb2+ neurons. Second, we demonstrated that the activity of the AS021 enhancer recapitulates the expression of Satb2 at later embryonic and postnatal stages in deep-layer but not superficial-layer neurons, suggesting the possibility that the expression of Satb2 in these two subpopulations of cortical neurons is under genetically distinct transcriptional control. Third, we showed that the AS021 enhancer is activated in neurons projecting through the corpus callosum, as described for Satb2+ neurons. Notably, AS021 drives specific expression in axons crossing through the ventral (TAG1−/NPY+) portion of the corpus callosum, confirming that it is active in a subpopulation of callosal neurons. These data suggest that exaptation of the AS021 SINE locus might be involved in enhancement of Satb2 expression, leading to the establishment of interhemispheric communication via the corpus callosum, a eutherian-specific brain structure

Patterns of paediatric end-of-life care: a chart review across different care settings in Switzerland.

Paediatric end-of-life care is challenging and requires a high level of professional expertise. It is important that healthcare teams have a thorough understanding of paediatric subspecialties and related knowledge of disease-specific aspects of paediatric end-of-life care. The aim of this study was to comprehensively describe, explore and compare current practices in paediatric end-of-life care in four distinct diagnostic groups across healthcare settings including all relevant levels of healthcare providers in Switzerland. In this nationwide retrospective chart review study, data from paediatric patients who died in the years 2011 or 2012 due to a cardiac, neurological or oncological condition, or during the neonatal period were collected in 13 hospitals, two long-term institutions and 10 community-based healthcare service providers throughout Switzerland. Ninety-three (62%) of the 149 reviewed patients died in intensive care units, 78 (84%) of them following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Reliance on invasive medical interventions was prevalent, and the use of medication was high, with a median count of 12 different drugs during the last week of life. Patients experienced an average number of 6.42 symptoms. The prevalence of various types of symptoms differed significantly among the four diagnostic groups. Overall, our study patients stayed in the hospital for a median of six days during their last four weeks of life. Seventy-two patients (48%) stayed at home for at least one day and only half of those received community-based healthcare. The study provides a wide-ranging overview of current end-of-life care practices in a real-life setting of different healthcare providers. The inclusion of patients with all major diagnoses leading to disease- and prematurity-related childhood deaths, as well as comparisons across the diagnostic groups, provides additional insight and understanding for healthcare professionals. The provision of specialised palliative and end-of-life care services in Switzerland, including the capacity of community healthcare services, need to be expanded to meet the specific needs of seriously ill children and their families

Determination of thorium and uranium isotope ratios in low-concentration geological materials using a fixed multi-collector-ICP-MS

Techniques used for the measurement of thorium and uranium isotope ratios in low-concentration (<0.1 ppm) geological materials on a Nu Instruments® MC-ICP-MS are described. Using an Aridus® micro-concentric, desolvating nebuliser sample introduction system, the beam current in a Faraday collector is typically 1.0 nA ppm–1232Th (total system efficiency = 0.3%). The abundance sensitivity is less than 100 counts s–1 at 1 mass unit below a large peak with an intensity of 1 × 109 counts s–1, or <0.1 ppm. The Faraday–ion counting gain is stable over a day and the method can provide 230Th/232Th ratio measurements on ng quantities of total dissolved Th to a precision that is better than 1%(95% confidence level). This is comparable to results obtained by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry on samples that are typically 10 to 100 times larger. Results for our internal laboratory standards are presented together with our results for standards used in other laboratories to facilitate inter-laboratory comparison

Very High Brightness, High Resolution CMOS Driving Circuit for Microdisplay in Augmented Reality

International audienceIn augmented reality applications, high brightness at high resolution is crucial to guarantee a good user experience. Explorations on efficient light sources have already been undertaken, and GaN µLEDs tend to be a good candidate. Nevertheless, micro-display driving circuits usually do not provide sufficient luminance level to offer good contrast against ambient light. We report the design and fabrication of a GaN LED microdisplay driving circuit enabling, to our knowledge, the highest brightness for such a pixel pitch and resolution. The driving circuit was designed in a 0.18µm CMOS process with 1640x1033 resolution. Each LED is controlled individually by a CMOS pixel of 9.5µm pitch. A monochrome green microdisplay enables more than WSXGA resolution and can reach 3.8MCd/m² for a fully ON micro-LED array

Fast GaN μLED pixel for visible light communication matrix emitter

International audience—Galium nitride (GaN) based LEDs are known for their high brightness and their high-speed commutation capability. Not surprisingly, GaN µLEDs are often used in LED based visible light communication (VLC) systems, due to the large modulation bandwidth they can offer. Although VLC emitter arecommonly built with a single LED, using a matrix of µLED as the light source can have some advantages as higher linearity. Inthis paper, the design of a fast GaN µLED pixel driver dedicated to matrix emitters is discusse