Field Effect Transistors for Terahertz Detection: Physics and First Imaging Applications

Resonant frequencies of the two-dimensional plasma in FETs increase with the reduction of the channel dimensions and can reach the THz range for sub-micron gate lengths. Nonlinear properties of the electron plasma in the transistor channel can be used for the detection and mixing of THz frequencies. At cryogenic temperatures resonant and gate voltage tunable detection related to plasma waves resonances, is observed. At room temperature, when plasma oscillations are overdamped, the FET can operate as an efficient broadband THz detector. We present the main theoretical and experimental results on THz detection by FETs in the context of their possible application for THz imaging.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, review pape

Terahertz metamaterials on flexible polypropylene substrate

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11468-014-9724-1In this work, we present a metamaterial working at terahertz frequencies made over a flexible polypropylene sub-strate. The experimental measurements, in accordance with the numerical calculations, show the metamaterial reliance on the impinging electric field polarization. The structure s symmetry yields purely electrical resonant responses eliminating bianisotropy effects. The widely used bendable polypropylene polymer may promote the insertion of metamaterial-based structures with special electromagnetic response in a number of objects of our daily lives such as textiles, automotive components, and sensingThis work was supported by the Spanish MICINN under contracts CONSOLIDER EMET CSD2008-00066 and TEC2011-28664-C02-02 and by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia under the program INNOVA 2011.Ortuño Molinero, R.; García Meca, C.; Martínez Abietar, AJ. (2014). 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A Functional Genomic Screen Combined with Time-Lapse Microscopy Uncovers a Novel Set of Genes Involved in Dorsal Closure of Drosophila Embryos

Morphogenesis, the establishment of the animal body, requires the coordinated rearrangement of cells and tissues regulated by a very strictly-determined genetic program. Dorsal closure of the epithelium in the Drosophila melanogaster embryo is one of the best models for such a complex morphogenetic event. To explore the genetic regulation of dorsal closure, we carried out a large-scale RNA interference-based screen in combination with in vivo time-lapse microscopy and identified several genes essential for the closure or affecting its dynamics. One of the novel dorsal closure genes, the small GTPase activator pebble (pbl), was selected for detailed analysis. We show that pbl regulates actin accumulation and protrusion dynamics in the leading edge of the migrating epithelial cells. In addition, pbl affects dorsal closure dynamics by regulating head involution, a morphogenetic process mechanically coupled with dorsal closure. Finally, we provide evidence that pbl is involved in closure of the adult thorax, suggesting its general requirement in epithelial closure processes

Targeting poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity for cancer therapy

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a ubiquitous protein modification found in mammalian cells that modulates many cellular responses, including DNA repair. The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family catalyze the formation and addition onto proteins of negatively charged ADP-ribose polymers synthesized from NAD+. The absence of PARP-1 and PARP-2, both of which are activated by DNA damage, results in hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation and alkylating agents. PARP inhibitors that compete with NAD+ at the enzyme’s activity site are effective chemo- and radiopotentiation agents and, in BRCA-deficient tumors, can be used as single-agent therapies acting through the principle of synthetic lethality. Through extensive drug-development programs, third-generation inhibitors have now entered clinical trials and are showing great promise. However, both PARP-1 and PARP-2 are not only involved in DNA repair but also in transcription regulation, chromatin modification, and cellular homeostasis. The impact on these processes of PARP inhibition on long-term therapeutic responses needs to be investigated

Drosophila morphogenesis: tissue force laws and the modeling of dorsal closure

Dorsal closure, a stage of Drosophila development, is a model system for cell sheet morphogenesis and wound healing. During closure, two flanks of epidermal tissue progressively advance to reduce the area of the eye-shaped opening in the dorsal surface, which contains amnioserosa tissue. To simulate the time evolution of the overall shape of the dorsal opening, we developed a mathematical model, in which contractility and elasticity are manifest in model force-producing elements that satisfy force-velocity relationships similar to muscle. The action of the elements is consistent with the force-producing behavior of actin and myosin in cells. The parameters that characterize the simulated embryos were optimized by reference to experimental observations on wild-type embryos and, to a lesser extent, on embryos whose amnioserosa was removed by laser surgery and on myospheroid mutant embryos. Simulations failed to reproduce the amnioserosa-removal protocol in either the elastic or the contractile limit, indicating that both elastic and contractile dynamics are essential components of the biological force-producing elements. We found it was necessary to actively upregulate forces to recapitulate both the double and single-canthus nick protocols, which did not participate in the optimization of parameters, suggesting the existence of additional key feedback mechanisms

Actomyosin purse strings: renewable resources that make morphogenesis robust and resilient

Dorsal closure in Drosophila is a model system for cell sheet morphogenesis and wound healing. During closure two sheets of lateral epidermis move dorsally to close over the amnioserosa and form a continuous epidermis. Forces from the amnioserosa and actomyosin-rich, supracellular purse strings at the leading edges of these lateral epidermal sheets drive closure. Purse strings generate the largest force for closure and occur during development and wound healing throughout phylogeny. We use laser microsurgery to remove some or all of the purse strings from developing embryos. Free edges produced by surgery undergo characteristic responses as follows. Intact cells in the free edges, which previously had no purse string, recoil away from the incision and rapidly assemble new, secondary purse strings. Next, recoil slows, then pauses at a turning point. Following a brief delay, closure resumes and is powered to completion by the secondary purse strings. We confirm that the assembly of the secondary purse strings requires RhoA. We show that α-actinin alternates with nonmuscle myosin II along purse strings and requires nonmuscle myosin II for its localization. Together our data demonstrate that purse strings are renewable resources that contribute to the robust and resilient nature of closure