Adapting an ultrasonic image threshold method to eddy current images and defining a validation domain of the thresholding method

This paper presents a generalization to eddy current images of a thresholding method developed for ultrasonic imaging. It is also shown how to improve the thresholding strength through the definition of a cooperation rule between two threshold assessment measures. This rule is also used to reduce time of calculus. These measures are calculated from the image cooccurrence matrix. The aim is to build a thresholding method that gives a threshold value but also an indicator which allows the operator to know if the methodology applies to the processed image. Examples of results are presented.     

Electrodes based on nano-tree-like vanadium nitride and carbon nanotubes for micro-supercapacitors

Vanadium nitride(VN) was deposited by DC-sputtering on a vertically aligned carbon nanotube(CNTs)template for the purpose of nano-structuration. This led to the fabrication of hierarchically composite electrodes consisting of porous and nanostructured VN grown on vertically aligned CNTs in a nano-treelike configuration for micro-supercapacitor application. The electrodes show excellent performance with an areal capacitance as high as 37.5 m F cm~(-2) at a scan rate of 2 mV s~(-1) in a 0.5 MK_2SO_4 mild electrolyte solution. Furthermore, the capacitance decay was only 15% after 20,000 consecutive cycles. Moreover,the capacitance was found to increase with VN deposit thickness. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses of the electrodes before and after cycling suggest that the oxide layers that form at the VN surface is the responsible for the redox energy storage in this material. Such electrodes can compete with other transition metal nitride based electrodes for micro-supercapacitors.     

实施ICRP建议的主要挑战:近期和未来的发展（英文）

自2007年国际放射防护委员会(ICRP)发布一般性建议以来,在解决将这些建议付诸实践所面临的挑战方面取得了一些进展。值得注意的是,为放射防护管理而提出三类照射情况后(即,计划照射、现存照射及应急照射),我们进一步研究了它们在几个领域的应用,如涉及天然放射性物质的工业领域以及核事故发生后的应急与恢复领域。本文着重介绍了最近一些出版物提出的以及持续开展的工作中所涉及的主要问题,重点围绕与放射防护体系伦理基础有关的研究进展、放射防护体系在管理现存照射情况中的应用以及环境放射防护与ICRP防护体系的融合。最后,本文介绍了2022年ICRP成立的与放射防护体系应用相关的新工作组的工作目标。     

The complete sequence of the 8.2 kb segment left of MAT on chromosome III reveals five ORFs, including a gene for a yeast ribokinase

We report here the DNA sequence of a segment of chromosome III extending over 8.2 kb. The sequence was determined using the random clone strategy followed by oligonucleotide-directed sequencing. The segment contains five long open reading frames, YCR521, 522, 523, 524 and 526, with only short distances between them. YCR523 (333 codons) encodes a ribokinase, a new function for yeast. YCR526 originates inside the MAT cassette, which is in continuity with the present segment, and extends over 358 codons outside of MAT. YCR524 (923 codons) codes for a putative membrane protein. YCR521, 522 and 524, have each been disrupted by insertion of a URA3 cassette and are non-essential genes. An active ARS element is located within YCR523 or its vicinity.     

Physical mapping of chromosomes VII and XV of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 3·5 kb average resolution to allow their complete sequencing

The high resolution complete physical maps of chromosomes VII and XV were constructed to form the basis for sequencing these chromosomes as part of the European systematic sequencing programme of the yeast genome, using a unique cosmid library from strain FY1679, and an original top-down mapping strategy involving I-Sce I chromosome fragmentation. A total of 138 and 196 cosmid clones were used to construct the maps for VII and XV, respectively, forming two unique contigs that cover the entirety of chromosomes (1091 kb each), except the telomeric repeats. Colinearity of the cosmid inserts with yeast DNA was verified, and the physical maps were eventually compared with the independently generated genetic maps. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fusarium graminearum Infection Strategy in Wheat Involves a Highly Conserved Genetic Program That Controls the Expression of a Core Effectome

Fusarium graminearum, the main causal agent of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), is one of the most damaging pathogens in wheat. Because of the complex organization of wheat resistance to FHB, this pathosystem represents a relevant model to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying plant susceptibility and to identify their main drivers, the pathogen’s effectors. Although the F. graminearum catalog of effectors has been well characterized at the genome scale, in planta studies are needed to confirm their effective accumulation in host tissues and to identify their role during the infection process. Taking advantage of the genetic variability from both species, a RNAseq-based profiling of gene expression was performed during an infection time course using an aggressive F. graminearum strain facing five wheat cultivars of contrasting susceptibility as well as using three strains of contrasting aggressiveness infecting a single susceptible host. Genes coding for secreted proteins and exhibiting significant expression changes along infection progress were selected to identify the effector gene candidates. During its interaction with the five wheat cultivars, 476 effector genes were expressed by the aggressive strain, among which 91% were found in all the infected hosts. Considering three different strains infecting a single susceptible host, 761 effector genes were identified, among which 90% were systematically expressed in the three strains. We revealed a robust F. graminearum core effectome of 357 genes expressed in all the hosts and by all the strains that exhibited conserved expression patterns over time. Several wheat compartments were predicted to be targeted by these putative effectors including apoplast, nucleus, chloroplast and mitochondria. Taken together, our results shed light on a highly conserved parasite strategy. They led to the identification of reliable key fungal genes putatively involved in wheat susceptibility to F. graminearum, and provided valuable information about their putative targets.     

Growth and characterization of gold catalyzed SiGe nanowires and alternative metal-catalyzed Si nanowires

The growth of semiconductor (SC) nanowires (NW) by CVD using Au-catalyzed VLS process has been widely studied over the past few years. Among others SC, it is possible to grow pure Si or SiGe NW thanks to these techniques. Nevertheless, Au could deteriorate the electric properties of SC and the use of other metal catalysts will be mandatory if NW are to be designed for innovating electronic. First, this article's focus will be on SiGe NW's growth using Au catalyst. The authors managed to grow SiGe NW between 350 and 400°C. Ge concentration (x) in Si1-xGex NW has been successfully varied by modifying the gas flow ratio: R = GeH4/(SiH4 + GeH4). Characterization (by Raman spectroscopy and XRD) revealed concentrations varying from 0.2 to 0.46 on NW grown at 375°C, with R varying from 0.05 to 0.15. Second, the results of Si NW growths by CVD using alternatives catalysts such as platinum-, palladium- and nickel-silicides are presented. This study, carried out on a LPCVD furnace, aimed at defining Si NW growth conditions when using such catalysts. Since the growth temperatures investigated are lower than the eutectic temperatures of these Si-metal alloys, VSS growth is expected and observed. Different temperatures and HCl flow rates have been tested with the aim of minimizing 2D growth which induces an important tapering of the NW. Finally, mechanical characterization of single NW has been carried out using an AFM method developed at the LTM. It consists in measuring the deflection of an AFM tip while performing approach-retract curves at various positions along the length of a cantilevered NW. This approach allows the measurement of as-grown single NW's Young modulus and spring constant, and alleviates uncertainties inherent in single point measurement.     

Investigation on Convective Drying of Mixtures of Sewage Sludge and Sawdust in a Fixed Bed

This work is part of a project aiming to develop a renewable fuel for gasification purposes, through convective drying of sludge/wood mixtures. The first step consists of characterizing the behavior of sawdust/sludge mixtures during the application of convective drying. The influence of the mixing step (no mixing versus 30 s at 40 rpm), as well as the sawdust : sludge ratio (1:9, 2:8, 3:7, and 4:6 on a dry basis) and the effect of drying temperature (50, 80, and 110°C) were investigated. In this study, X-ray tomography, a noninvasive imaging technique, is used to assess changes in the volume, void, and exchange surface at the beginning and the end of the drying process. Results first confirm the importance of the mixing step on the drying behavior: the drying rate of the mixed sludge is lower than that of the original sludge. Nevertheless, the addition of sawdust is shown to have a positive impact on the drying process from a mass ratio of 2:8, with drying rates higher than that of the original sludge. With increasing amounts of sawdust, the initial and final bed volumes, initial and final total exchange surfaces, and initial void fraction increase linearly, but the bed volume shrinkage and final void fraction decrease linearly.