Abstract
The ability to confine THz photons inside deep-subwavelength cavities promises a transformative impact for THz light engineering with metamaterials and for realizing ultrastrong light-matter ...coupling at the single emitter level. To that end, the most successful approach taken so far has relied on cavity architectures based on metals, for their ability to constrain the spread of electromagnetic fields and tailor geometrically their resonant behavior. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a comparatively high level of confinement by exploiting a plasmonic mechanism based on localized THz surface plasmon modes in bulk semiconductors. We achieve plasmonic confinement at around 1 THz into record breaking small footprint THz cavities exhibiting mode volumes as low as
$${V}_{cav}/{\lambda }_{0}^{3} \sim 1{0}^{-7}-1{0}^{-8}$$
V
c
a
v
/
λ
0
3
~
1
0
−
7
−
1
0
−
8
, excellent coupling efficiencies and a large frequency tunability with temperature. Notably, we find that plasmonic-based THz cavities can operate until the emergence of electromagnetic nonlocality and Landau damping, which together constitute a fundamental limit to plasmonic confinement. This work discloses nonlocal plasmonic phenomena at unprecedentedly low frequencies and large spatial scales and opens the door to novel types of ultrastrong light-matter interaction experiments thanks to the plasmonic tunability.
An Avatar Architecture for the Web of Things Mrissa, Michael; Medini, Lionel; Jamont, Jean-Paul ...
IEEE internet computing,
2015-Mar.-Apr., 2015-3-00, 20150301, 2015-03, Volume:
19, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The Web of Things extends the Internet of Things by leveraging Web-based languages and protocols to access and control each physical object. In this article, the authors summarize ongoing work ...promoting the concept of an avatar as a new virtual abstraction to extend physical objects on the Web. An avatar is an extensible and distributed runtime environment endowed with an autonomous behavior. Avatars rely on Web languages, protocols, and reason about semantic annotations to dynamically drive connected objects, exploit their capabilities, and expose user-understandable functionalities as Web services. Avatars are also able to collaborate together to achieve complex tasks.
The effects of waterborne uranium (U) exposure on gene expression were examined in four organs (brain, liver, skeletal muscles, and gills) of the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Adult male fish were exposed ...to three treatments: No added uranium (control), 23 ± 6 microgram U/L, and 130 ± 34 microgram U/L. After 3, 10, 21, and 28 d of exposure and an 8-d depuration period, gene expression and uranium bioaccumulation were analyzed. Bioaccumulation decreased significantly in liver during the depuration phase, and genes involved in detoxification, apoptotic mechanism, and immune response were strongly induced. Among these genes, abcb3l1, which belongs to the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - binding cassette transporter family, was induced 4- and 24-fold in organisms previously exposed to 23 ± 6 and 130 ± 34 microgram U/L, respectively. These results highlight the role of liver in detoxification mechanisms. In gills, at the highest uranium concentration, gpx1a, cat, sod1, and sod2 genes were up-regulated at day 21, indicating the onset of an oxidative stress. Mitochondrial metabolism and DNA integrity also were affected, because coxI, atp5f1, and rad51 genes were up-regulated at day 21 and during the depuration phase. In skeletal muscles, coxI, atp5f1, and cat were induced at day 3, suggesting an impact on the mitochondrial metabolism and production of reactive oxygen species. In brain, glsI also was induced at day 3, suggesting a need in the glutamate synthesis involved with neuron transmission. No changes in gene expression were observed in brain and skeletal muscles at days 21 and 28, although bioaccumulation increased. During the depuration phase, uranium excretion was inefficient in brain and skeletal muscles, and expression of most of the tissue-specific genes was repressed or unchanged.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
4.
Éloge d’Alain RÉRAT (1926–2014) Laplace, Jean-Paul
Bulletin de l'Académie nationale de médecine,
04/2015, Volume:
199, Issue:
4-5
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Purpose
Hyperglycaemia is an adaptive response to stress commonly observed in critical illness. Its management remains debated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Individualising hyperglycaemia ...management, by targeting the patient’s pre-admission usual glycaemia, could improve outcome.
Methods
In a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study, critically-ill adults were considered for inclusion. Patients underwent until ICU discharge either individualised glucose control by targeting the pre-admission usual glycaemia using the glycated haemoglobin A1c level at ICU admission (IC group), or conventional glucose control by maintaining glycaemia below 180 mg/dL (CC group). A non-commercial web application of a dynamic sliding-scale insulin protocol gave to nurses all instructions for glucose control in both groups. The primary outcome was death within 90 days.
Results
Owing to a low likelihood of benefit and evidence of the possibility of harm related to hypoglycaemia, the study was stopped early. 2075 patients were randomized; 1917 received the intervention, 942 in the IC group and 975 in the CC group. Although both groups showed significant differences in terms of glycaemic control, survival probability at 90-day was not significantly different (IC group: 67.2%, 95% CI 64.2%; 70.3%; CC group: 69.6%, 95% CI 66.7%; 72.5%). Severe hypoglycaemia (below 40 mg/dL) occurred in 3.9% of patients in the IC group and in 2.5% of patients in the CC group (
p
= 0.09). A post hoc analysis showed for non-diabetic patients a higher risk of 90-day mortality in the IC group compared to the CC group (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.05; 1.59,
p
= 0.018).
Conclusion
Targeting an ICU patient’s pre-admission usual glycaemia using a dynamic sliding-scale insulin protocol did not demonstrate a survival benefit compared to maintaining glycaemia below 180 mg/dL.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Genotoxic effects of a polymetallic pollution gradient displayed by the Lot River and one of its tributary have been assessed on zebrafish
Danio rerio. Three methods were compared: RAPD-PCR, the ...comet assay, and 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) formation. The fishes were exposed for 14 days to waters collected from three stations: Joanis, a site polluted by cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) (mean concentrations: 15
μg Cd/L and 550
μg Zn/L), Bouillac (mean concentrations: 0.55
μg Cd/L and 80
μg Zn/L), and Boisse-Penchot, a reference station (mean concentrations:<0.05
μg Cd/L and 7
μg Zn/L). The quantitative RAPD-PCR methodology proved to be sensitive enough to unmask metal genotoxicity after 3 and 7 days of exposure to Joanis water and after 14 days to Bouillac water, whereas the comet assay only detected DNA damages at the most contaminated station (Joanis). The 8-oxodG quantification was not sensitive enough to be used in zebrafish under these environmental conditions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
8.
Health and housing Charpin, Denis; Bennedjai, Nadia; Laplace, Jean-Paul
Bulletin de l'Académie nationale de médecine
198, Issue:
9
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The report recalled the determinants of air quality in buildings and the dysfunctions which are most commonly found in buildings. They have their roots in economic, sociologic, demographic and ...technologic changes which occurred in last decades. Then, the authors stated what should be the health issues at each step of the life of a building, namely planning by the architect, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and, in some instances, control by health authorities. These shortcomings back up the advices to introduce health issues in the management of buildings, to include basic knowledge on housing in school programs and health in the training of professionals, lastly to improve and speed up legal procedures to better control unhealthy housing.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Anthropogenic release of uranium (U), originating from the nuclear fuel cycle or military activities, may considerably increase U concentrations in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems above the ...naturally occurring background levels found throughout the environment. With a projected increase in the world-wide use of nuclear power, it is important to improve our understanding of the possible effects of this metal on the aquatic fauna at concentrations commensurate with the provisional drinking water guideline value of the World Health Organization (15
μg
U/L). The present study has examined the mitochondrial function in brain and skeletal muscles of the zebrafish,
Danio rerio, exposed to 30 and 100
μg/L of waterborne U for 10 and 28 days. At the lower concentration, the basal mitochondrial respiration rate was increased in brain at day 10 and in muscles at day 28. This is due to an increase of the inner mitochondrial membrane permeability, resulting in a decrease of the respiratory control ratio. In addition, levels of cytochrome
c oxidase subunit IV (COX-IV) increased in brain at day 10, and those of COX-I increased in muscles at day 28. Histological analyses performed by transmission electron microscopy revealed an alteration of myofibrils and a dilatation of endomysium in muscle cells. These effects were largest at the lowest concentration, following 28 days of exposure.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
