Real 3D-packaging: a breakthrough for high power electronics for automotive applications

Power electronics stands at the crossroad of highly convoluted disciplines of physics: thermal science, mechanics and electronics. In order to respond to the growing and demanding automotive market, designers have no choice but to assemble off-the-shelf parts, keeping the onus of managing themselves thermal losses and stray inductances at interfaces. Power mechatronics is the buzz word for this. It has for long envisioned double-sided cooling and wire-bondless interconnections as ways to go. Merging those impediments and opportunities into a global solution, aPSI3D has developed an integrated approach for multi-physical co-design with its customers, offering both plug-in cooled power modules and maximum value transfer to the inverter. Eventually, a 50 power module with imbedded cold plate size reduction for a 100kW inverter is obtained vs. state-of-the art pin fin standard products. With a 10nH stray inductance, this solution is paving the way to more than 100A wide bandgap semiconductor die based highly efficient power modules

Prospection inventaire dans le département de la Charente-Maritime

Identifiant de l'opération archéologique : 204485 Date de l'opération : 2008 (PI) Au cours de l'année 2008, la prospection au sol permis la découverte de quatre-vingt-deux nouveaux sites archéologiques, sur l'ensemble de la Charente-Maritime, mais particulièrement dans l'est et le nord-est de ce département. Deux petites incursions doivent aussi être signalées hors Charente-Maritime, la première dans les Deux-Sèvres, où quatre sites furent découverts, l'autre en Charente, où un gisement fut é..

Département de la Charente-Maritime

Identifiant de l'opération archéologique : 204728 Date de l'opération : 2009 (PI) Les prospections pédestres menées dans le département de Charente-Maritime au cours de l'année 2009 ont permis la découverte de quatre-vingt-trois nouveaux sites. Une petite incursion a toutefois eu lieu sur la commune de Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde en Charente. Le haut Moyen Âge apparaît le mieux représenté par sa présence sur quarante fiches. La moitié des sites de cette époque fait suite à une occupation gallo-r..

Effect of Calcium-Channel Blockade on the Aldosterone Response to Sodium Depletion and Potassium Loading in Man

Angiotensin II (Ang II) and potassium (K+) increase aldosterone (Aldo) production in vitro via Ca2+-dependent mechanisms. To determine the effects of Ca2+ antagonism in vivo, we examined the influence of nifedipine on the Aldo response to Na+ depletion and K+ loading in 11 healthy subjects. On the fifth day of a low-Na+/high-K+ diet (10 mmol Na+/100 mmol K+) the subjects were randomly given either nifedipine 30 mg po or placebo, and on the sixth day they received the alternative drug. KCl in 5% glucose was infused on days 5 and 6 from 10:00 to 12:00 AM(0.6 mmol/kg over 2 hours). Dexamethasone was given to suppress adrenal corticotrophic hormone. Plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma Aldo were determined every 20 minutes. Nifedipine induced a rise in heart rate at 60 minutes but did not change blood pressure. During KCl/glucose infusions, plasma glucose increased significantly, but plasma K+ remained stable. PRA, but not baseline plasma Aldo, was stimulated by nifedipine. KCl provoked a significant and similar Aldo rise (P < .01) under placebo and nifedipine. Baseline Aldo/PRA ratio was reduced under nifedipine when compared to placebo (P < .01), whereas during KCl infusions this ratio was similarly elevated under placebo and nifedipine. We conclude that acute inhibition of slow Ca2+ channels does not interfere with K+-induced Aldo secretion in man, suggesting that adaptive mechanisms operate in vivo. Am J Hypertens 1988;1:245-24

O roteiro de sobras

O entusiasmo geral que acompanhou a exposição do l’Elysée e a recente publicação de um livro, Fotoformas, contribuíram sem dúvida para a retomada, pelo artista, de um trabalho em fotografia. Além disso, em perfeita adequação com suas limitações físicas, decorrentes das inúmeras isquemias cerebrais que o deixaram com uma parte do corpo inválida, Geraldo conseguia desenvolver um trabalho artístico que lhe fosse possível: dirigia uma assistente que, segundo suas instruções, decupava negativos de família. O artista buscava esse material numa gaveta ao alcance da mão a partir da poltrona na qual passava a maior parte do tempo. Foi assim que, à sua maneira, ele se apropriou dos conceitos de restos, como se, no crepúsculo da vida, pudesse reciclar tudo, incluindo as lembranças da felicidade familiar. Iniciada em segredo em 1996, a série Sobras nascia, assim, do seu desejo, sempre presente, de criar apesar dos imprevistos da vida

Closely related dermatophyte species produce different patterns of secreted proteins

Dermatophytes are the most common infectious agents responsible for superficial mycosis in humans and animals. Various species in this group of fungi show overlapping characteristics. We investigated the possibility that closely related dermatophyte species with different behaviours secrete distinct proteins when grown in the same culture medium. Protein patterns from culture filtrates of several strains of the same species were very similar. In contrast, secreted protein profiles from various species were different, and so a specific signature could be associated with each of the six analysed species. In particular, protein patterns were useful to distinguish Trichophyton tonsurans from Trichophyton equinum, which cannot be differentiated by ribosomal DNA sequencing. The secreted proteases Sub2, Sub6 and Sub7 of the subtilisin family, as well as Mep3 and Mep4 of the fungalisin family were identified. SUB6, SUB7, MEP3 and MEP4 genes were cloned and sequenced. Although the protein sequence of each protease was highly conserved across species, their level of secretion by the various species was not equivalent. These results suggest that a switch of habitat could be related to a differential expression of genes encoding homologous secreted protein

Keratinocyte sensitization to tumour necrosis factor-induced nuclear factor kappa B activation by the E2 regulatory protein of human papillomaviruses.

International audienceHuman Papillomavirus life cycle requires extensive manipulation of cell signaling to provide conditions adequate for viral replication within stratified epithelia. In this regard, we show that the E2 regulatory protein of α, β and μ-HPV genotypes enhances TNF-induced activation of NFκB. This activation is mediated by the N-terminal domain of E2, but does not rely on its transcriptional properties. It is independent of the NFκB regulator Tax1BP1, which nevertheless interacts with all the E2 proteins. E2 specifically activates NFκB pathways induced by TNF, while IL1-induced pathways are not affected. E2 stimulates the activating K63-linked ubiquitination of TRAF5, and interacts with both TRAF5 and TRAF6. Our data suggest that E2 potentiates TNF-induced NFκB signaling mediated by TRAF5 activation through direct binding. Since NFκB controls epithelial differentiation, this activity may be involved in commitment of infected keratinocytes to proliferation arrest and differentiation, both required for implementation of the productive viral cycle

Le secrétaire général des Nations Unies et le problème de Chypre : éloge de la patience

En 1964, le Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies confiait le problème de Chypre au Secrétaire général chargé de mettre sur pied une force de maintien de la paix sur l'île. A partir de cette date, les rapports, les accords sans cesse dénoncés, les tentatives de médiation, les réunions au sommet entre les deux parties se sont succédés sans aucun résultat. Les négociations doivent reprendre mais rien ne garantit que B. Boutros-Ghali aura plus de succès que ses prédécesseurs. Historique des négociations depuis la mise en place de la mission de maintien de la paix (UNFICYP) en 1964 jusqu'à “l'Ensemble d'idées” de 1992. Il fait l'historique et analyse les raisons des échecs des divers cycles de négociation menées sous l'égide de l'ONU

L'élaboration de la politique étrangère en Turquie sous la présidence de M. Turgut Özal

La conception et la conduite de la politique étrangère en Turquie s'ordonnent aujourd'hui autour de deux idées principales : un monopole du Président de la République dans la définition de la politique étrangère du pays et un affaiblissement consécutif du Parlement. Mais derrière le formalisme institutionnel et l'uniformité apparente de la politique officielle, d'autres acteurs, tels que l'opinion publique, peuvent intervenir dans l'élaboration de la politique étrangère