Microstructured air-silica fibres: Recent developments in modelling, manufacturing and experiment

The main modelling methods devoted to microstructured air-silica optical fibres (MOFS) are presented and discussed. Then, the specific propagation properties ofMOFS are studied in detail. Characteristics measured on fibres manufactured in our laboratory or reported in the literature are analysed. A large number of potential and demonstrated applications are presented and the obtained performances are discussed. A particular attention is given to hollow-core photonic bandgap fibres and their applications.     

Identification of water-soluble selenium-containing proteins in selenized yeast by size-exclusion-reversed-phase HPLC/ICPMS followed by MALDI-TOF and electrospray Q-TOF mass spectrometry

An approach to speciation of selenium incorporated in yeast proteins was developed. The tryptic digest of a water-soluble protein fraction isolated by size-exclusion chromatography was analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC/ICPMS. The selenopeptides selected owing to the detector's elemental specificity were then analyzed by MALDI-TOFMS in order to select target ions for collision-induced dissociation MS. The latter, carried out with an electrospray Q-TOF spectrometer, enabled the sequencing of the selenopeptides detected by HPLC/ICPMS. The approach allowed for the first time the identification of a family of Se-containing proteins resulting from the replacement by selenomethionine of 2-9 methionine residues in a salt-stress-induced protein SIP18 (Mr 8874). The presence of these proteins was confirmed by MALDI-TOFMS of the original (nondigested) protein fraction. Another selenium protein identified was a heat-shock protein HSP12 (Mr 11693) in which the only methionine residue was replaced by selenomethionine. These two Se-containing proteins accounted for more than 95% of selenium in the water-soluble protein fraction.     

Deuterium NMR study of the MP-2269: albumin interaction — a step forward to the dynamics of non-covalent binding

MP-2269, the Gd(III) complex of 4-pcntylbicyclo[2.2.2] octane-l-carboxyl-di-L-aspartyl-lysinc-derived-DTPA, is a small Gd-agent that binds non-covalently to scrum albumin in vivo to assume the enhanced relaxivities associated with macromolecular agents, (due in part to increased rotational correlation time, τ_R). To further explore the fundamental parameters that govern the dynamics of water proton relaxation enhancement by this prototypical albumin-binding agent, the rotational correlation time (τ_R) for the deuterated La(III) analog of MP-2269 has been independently measured in the presence and absence of 4% albumin using²H-NMR approaches. The diamagnetic La(III) analog of MP-2269 was deuterated at the α-position of the carbonyl groups.²H-NMR studies were conducted at 7.05T (46 MHz) and 310°K on a Bruker NMR spectrometer. Spectral deconvolution permitted calculation of transverse relaxation rates, 1/T₂, from the NMR linewidths and subsequently, τ_R. The results yielded a τ_R of the albumin bound complex of ∼ 8 ns. This value is intermediate between those earlier estimated by¹⁷O-NMR (∼ 1 ns) and¹H-NMRD (∼ 20–50 ns) and significantly shorter than that of albumin. The²H-NMR study results also indicate that the exchange between free and albumin-bound forms of the La(III) analog is slow (exchange lifetimes > 1 ms). This slow exchange does not affect the water residence lifetimes (τ_M 140-280 ns).     

Well-structured languages

This paper introduces the notion of well-structured language. A well-structured language can be defined by a labelled well-structured transition system, equipped with an upward-closed set of accepting states. That peculiar class of transition systems has been extensively studied in the field of computer-aided verification, where it has direct an important applications. Petri nets, and their monotonic extensions (like Petri nets with non-blocking arcs or Petri nets with transfer arcs), for instance, are special subclasses of well-structured transition systems. We show that the class of well-structured languages enjoy several important closure properties. We propose several pumping lemmata that are applicable respectively to the whole class of well-structured languages and to the classes of languages recognized by Petri nets or Petri nets with non-blocking arcs. These pumping lemmata allow us to characterize the limits in the expressiveness of these classes of language. Furthermore, we exploit the pumping lemmata to strictly separate the expressive power of Petri nets, Petri nets with non-blocking arcs and Petri nets with transfer arcs.     

High pass filter with above IC integrated SrTiO3 high K MIM capacitors

This paper describes realization and characterization of SrTiO₃ (STO) high K MIM capacitors above BiCMOS integrated circuit (IC). These capacitances are connected to IC and are used as coupling capacitors in order to realize a high pass filter. Surface capacitance achieved is 10 nF/mm² with capacitance value of 1.2 nF. The process for STO MIM fabrication does not exceed 400 °C, which is compatible with interconnections. Typical K and dielectric losses values obtained are, respectively 110% and 2%. Yield obtained reaches 83% for capacitors. A functional high pass filter using these STO capacitors was realized in this study. It exhibits a cut-off frequency at 6.5 kHz and a constant gain at higher frequencies of −1.3 dB.     

Modifications to bicarbonate conductivity: A way to increase phosphate removal during hemodialysis? Proof of concept

Introduction Hyperphosphatemia and cardiovascular mortality are associated particularly with end‐stage renal disease. Available therapeutic strategies (i.e., diet restriction, calcium [or not]‐based phosphate binders, calcimimetics) are associated with extrarenal blood purification. Compartmentalization of phosphate limits its depuration during hemodialysis. Several studies suggest that plasmatic pH is involved in the mobilization of phosphate from intracellular to extracellular compartments. Consequently, the efficiency of modified bicarbonate conductivity to purify blood phosphate was tested. Methods Ten hemodialysis patients with chronic hyperphosphatemia (>2.1 mmol/L) were included in the two three–sessions‐per week periods. Bicarbonate concentration was fixed at 40 mmol/L and 30 mmol/L in the first and second periods, respectively. Phosphate depuration was evaluated by phosphate mobilization clearance (K_M). Findings Although bicarbonatemia was lower during the second period (21.0 ± 2.7 vs. 24.4 ± 3.1 mmol/L, P < 0.01), no difference was observed in phosphatemia (2.4 ± 0.5 vs. 2.3 ± 0.4 mmol/L, P = NS). The in‐session variation of phosphate was lower (?1.45 ± 0.42 vs. ?1.58 ± 0.44 mmol/L, P < 0.05) and K_M was higher during the second period (82.94 ± 38.00 vs. 69.74 ± 24.48 mL/min, P < 0.05). Discussion The decrease of in‐session phosphate and the increase in K_M reflect phosphate refilling during hemodialysis. Thus, modulation of serum bicarbonate may play a role in controlling the phosphate pool. Even though correcting metabolic acidosis during hemodialysis remains important, alkaline excess can impair phosphate mobilization clearance. Clinical trials are needed to test the efficiency and relevance of a strategy where bicarbonatemia is corrected less at the beginning of sessions.     

Toward more localized local algorithms: removing assumptions concerning global knowledge

Numerous sophisticated local algorithm were suggested in the literature for various fundamental problems. Notable examples are the MIS and $(\Delta +1)$ -coloring algorithms by Barenboim and Elkin (Distrib Comput 22(5–6):363–379, 2010), by Kuhn (2009), and by Panconesi and Srinivasan (J Algorithms 20(2):356–374, 1996), as well as the $O\mathopen {}(\Delta ^2)$ -coloring algorithm by Linial (J Comput 21:193, 1992). Unfortunately, most known local algorithms (including, in particular, the aforementioned algorithms) are non-uniform, that is, local algorithms generally use good estimations of one or more global parameters of the network, e.g., the maximum degree $\Delta $ or the number of nodes $n$ . This paper provides a method for transforming a non-uniform local algorithm into a uniform one. Furthermore, the resulting algorithm enjoys the same asymptotic running time as the original non-uniform algorithm. Our method applies to a wide family of both deterministic and randomized algorithms. Specifically, it applies to almost all state of the art non-uniform algorithms for MIS and Maximal Matching, as well as to many results concerning the coloring problem (In particular, it applies to all aforementioned algorithms). To obtain our transformations we introduce a new distributed tool called pruning algorithms, which we believe may be of independent interest.