Three-dimensional shape measurement using fiber optic low-coherence speckle interferometry

A low coherence speckle interferometer implemented using single mode optical fibre and a multimode laser diode as a pseudo-low coherence source is described. The design of the interferometer is presented and demonstrated on simple test objects. Signal processing techniques to improve the performance ofthe system are discussed

Three-dimensional shape measurement using fiber optic low-coherence speckle interferometry

A low coherence speckle interferometer implemented using single mode optical fibre and a multimode laser diode as a pseudo-low coherence source is described. The design of the interferometer is presented and demonstrated on simple test objects. Signal processing techniques to improve the performance ofthe system are discussed

Low-coherence optical fibre speckle interferometry

This paper describes the development of optical fibre low-coherence speckle interferometers capable of three-dimensional surface profiling with a resolution of 10–20 µm and a depth range of typically tens of centimetres. The technique is absolute, enabling the measurement of steps and through holes. The inclusion of optical fibres enables compact, flexible configurations to be realized, alleviating the experimental difficulties encountered with bulk interferometers, particularly when using long path lengths for measurements on large test objects. Sources including light-emitting and superluminescent diodes and multimode laser diodes are compared, and the use of a multimode laser diode source in pulsed mode is shown to improve depth resolution. Fibre-based systems using both single mode and polarization-maintaining fibre are described, and the results of experimental measurements on a stepped test object, a tilted plate and a coin are presented. A depth resolution of ±20 µm is obtained for the standard fibre system and ±14 µm for the system based on polarization-maintaining fibre

Lipin-2 inhibits inflammasome activation induced by palmitic acid in macrophages

Resumen del póster presentado presentado al CIBERDEM Annual Meeting, celebrado en Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona (España) del 11 al 13 de mayo de 2016.It is well known that metabolic diseases are characterized by elevated concentrations of circulating free fatty acids (FFAs), especially saturated fatty acids (SFAs), which activate macrophages through Toll-like receptors (TLR2/4). Previous studies in our laboratory showed that depletion of lipin-2, a member of the phosphatidic acid phosphatase lipin family involved in de novo lipid biosynthesis, promotes increased an inflammatory response to SFAs such as palmitic acid. Further studies demonstrated that this inflammatory response also involves the increased expression and release of IL-1b, a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by the activation of the NLRP3 (NLR pyrin domain containing 3) inflammasome. The aim of this study was to further investigate the mechanism by which the lack of lipin-2 increases the inflammasome-dependent response to palmitic acid. We produced a human macrophage cell line (THP1) knockout for lipin-2 using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology by lentiviral transfection. Palmitic acid has the capacity to act as the first and second signal needed to fully activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. During the priming signal (signal 1) palmitic acid induces proinflammatory gene expression (Il1b, Il6) by activating via ERK and NFKB, possibly through TLR2/4. As signal 2, the fatty acid induces the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome complex and activation of caspase-1, with the consequent maturation of pro-IL-1b into IL-1b. Lipin-2 depletion has effects on the priming phase of the inflammasome activation, by increasing p65 NF-Kb translocation to the nucleus as well as activation of ERK. During the second phase, the absence of lipin-2 exacerbates palmitic acid-inflammasome activation, increasing expression of pro-IL-1b and components of the NLRP3 inflammasome complex. Collectively, these data suggest that lipin-2 participates as a mechanism to dampen inflammasome activation during palmitic acid treatment. We are currently working to characterize the molecular mechanisms that govern these effects.Peer reviewe

Design overview of the ITER core CXRS fast shutter and manufacturing implications during the detailed design work

At first a detailed fast shutter design was finalized for the ITER core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) diagnostic. The shutter has approximately 70 kg of mass and a length of 2.1 m. It operates in fractions of a second (0.7 s) protecting critical optical components against degradation and providing means of calibration for the optical system. The shutter structure is driven by a bidirectional frictionless helium actuator, with forces and axial strokes of 3.4 kN and 2 mm respectively. The shutter structure consists of: (a) two blades made of CuCrZr and stainless steel, calibration surfaces (currently Al2O3) on the top and on the bottom a protective TZM (Mo–0.5Ti–0.08Zr) screens, (b) two arms interconnected that form one cooling circuit including the blades, (c) a bumper system to limit the arms movement, and (d) a support. A description of these components and their functions are given in this paper, followed by some issues, and their corresponding solutions or ongoing investigations, encountered during the design work. Detailed manufacturing drawings have been developed as the deliverable final product of this design stage, and are used in the prototyping phase which includes testing, numerical benchmarking, and validation of the shutter concept

JUVIL: A new innovative software framework for data analysis of JET imaging systems intended for the study of plasma physics and machine operational safety

A new powerful software framework JUVIL (JET Users Video Imaging Library) has been developed and successfully installed at JET for fast data visualization and advanced analysis of all types of imaging data. The JUVIL framework is based on modular object-oriented components implemented in Python to simplify work with JET scientific data. It provides standard interfaces to access video data and post-processing, which are highly configurable and can be easily extended and adapted for new data formats and imaging cameras. One of the GUI components is the video player, widely used during the last JET campaign. It displays the video data for NIR/IR/VIS cameras and automatically carries out the post-processing (image rotation, data format conversion, scaling of non-interlaced fields to full frames)

Design status of the ITER core CXRS diagnostic setup

The Charge eXchange Recombination Spectroscopy diagnostic system on the ITER plasma core (CXRS core) will provide spatially resolved measurements of plasma parameters. The optical front-end is located in upper port 3 and the light of 460–665 nm is routed to spectrometers housed in the tritium building. This paper describes the layout of the optical system in the port plug, cell and interspace areas. The layout is a continuation of the developments described in [1] and takes into account changes in the design of the upper port plug, considerations for the system lifetime as well as internal and external tolerances on the optical chain. The layout was selected also with a number of additional criteria, including optical performance, radiation shielding, maintainability and robustness. A free-space optical chain was added pushing the optical fibres to the port cell. A line-of-sight finder imaging apertures and masks in the optical chain was added to enable determination of deviations within the optical chain and stabilise the image on the fibres. Where feasible, existing solutions for sub-systems such as the shutter were adapted to the layout

Response of the imaging cameras to hard radiation during JET operation

The analysis of the radiation damage of imaging systems is based on all different types-of aiialoiue/digital cameras with uncooled as well as actively cooled image sensors in the VIS/NIR/MWIR spectral ranges. The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code has been used to determine the neutron fluence at different camera locations in JET. An explicit link between the sensor damage and the neutron fluence has been observed. Sensors show an increased dark-current and increased numbers of hot-pixels. Uncooled cameras must be replaced once per year after exposure to a neutron fluence of similar to 1.9-3.2 x 10(12)neutrons/cm(2). Such levels of fluence will be reached after approximate to 14-22 ELMy H-mode pulses during the future D-T campaign. Furthermore, dynamical noise seen as a random pattern of bright pixels was observed in the presence of hard radiation (neutrons and gammas). Failure of the digital electronics inside the cameras as well as of industrial controllers is observed beyond a neutron fluence of about similar to 4 x 10(9) neutrons/cm(2). The impact of hard radiation on the different types of electronics and possible application of cameras during future D-T campaign is discussed

Lipin-2 regulates NLRP3 inflammasome by affecting P2X7 receptor activation

Mutations in human LPIN2 produce a disease known as Majeed syndrome, the clinical manifestations of which are ameliorated by strategies that block IL-1ß or its receptor. However the role of lipin-2 during IL-1ß production remains elusive. We show here that lipin-2 controls excessive IL-1ß formation in primary human and mouse macrophages by several mechanisms, including activation of the inflammasome NLRP3. Lipin-2 regulates MAPK activation, which mediates synthesis of pro-IL-1ß during inflammasome priming. Lipin-2 also inhibits the activation and sensitization of the purinergic receptor P2X7 and K+ efflux, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein with a CARD domain oligomerization, and caspase-1 processing, key events during inflammasome activation. Reduced levels of lipin-2 in macrophages lead to a decrease in cellular cholesterol levels. In fact, restoration of cholesterol concentrations in cells lacking lipin-2 decreases ion currents through the P2X7 receptor, and downstream events that drive IL-1ß production. Furthermore, lipin-2-deficient mice exhibit increased sensitivity to high lipopolysaccharide doses. Collectively, our results unveil lipin-2 as a critical player in the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grants SAF2013-48201-R and BFU2013-45867-R), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RIC, RD12/0042/0006, Red Heracles), and the Regional Government of Castile and Leon (BIO/VA22/15). G. Lordén, I. Sanjuán-García, N. de Pablo, and I. Alvarez-Miguel were supported by predoctoral fellowships from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (FPU and FPI programs) and the Regional Government of Castile and Leon. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas is an initiative of Instituto de Salud Carlos III.Peer Reviewe