Wavelength-scale light concentrator made by direct 3D laser writing of polymer metamaterials.

We report on the realization of functional infrared light concentrators based on a thick layer of air-polymer metamaterial with controlled pore size gradients. The design features an optimum gradient index profile leading to light focusing in the Fresnel zone of the structures for two selected operating wavelength domains near 5.6 and 10.4 µm. The metamaterial which consists in a thick polymer containing air holes with diameters ranging from λ/20 to λ/8 is made using a 3D lithography technique based on the two-photon polymerization of a homemade photopolymer. Infrared imaging of the structures reveals a tight focusing for both structures with a maximum local intensity increase by a factor of 2.5 for a concentrator volume of 1.5 λ3, slightly limited by the residual absorption of the selected polymer. Such porous and flat metamaterial structures offer interesting perspectives to increase infrared detector performance at the pixel level for imaging or sensing applications.

Generalized lock-in detection for interferometry: application to phase sensitive spectroscopy and near-field nanoscopy.

A generalized lock-in detection method is proposed to extract amplitude and phase from optical interferometers when an arbitrary periodic phase or frequency modulation is used. The actual modulation function is used to create the reference signals providing an optimal extraction of the useful information, notably for sinusoidal phase modulation. This simple and efficient approach has been tested and applied to phase sensitive spectroscopy and near-field optical measurements. We analyze the case where the signal amplitude is modulated and we show how to suppress the contribution of unmodulated background field.

A Quantum Cascade Laser Absorption Spectrometer devoted to the in situ measurement of atmospheric N2O and CH4 emission fluxes.

This paper describes a Quantum Cascade Laser Absorption Spectrometer, called "QCLAS" that was developed to monitor in situ greenhouse gases like N2O and CH4, at high temporal resolution and with a high accuracy. The design of the laser sensor is reported as well as its performances in terms of precision error and field deployment capabilities. Finally, to demonstrate the efficiency and the robustness of QCLAS and its suitability for gas emission monitoring and for the determination of fluxes, we report the results from a field campaign, that took place in the Wallis and Futuna Islands in 2011, to investigate the impact of environmental intensive pig farming.

[Rectal pentobarbital sedation for children undergoing auditory brainstem response testing]. / Sédation au pentobarbital par voie rectale pour enregistrement des PEA chez l'enfant.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to determine if rectal sedation with pentobarbital sodium provides safe and effective sedation for children undergoing auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in the ENT pediatric department of Robert Debre's hospital (APHP, Paris). 68 children under 8 years of age were given rectal pentobarbital for ABR testing at a dosage of about 5 mg/kg. RESULTS: 61 children of 68 (89.7%) were adequately sedated with rectal pentobarbital. The mean elapsed time from drug administration to full sedation was 36,1 minutes. No adverse event was reported in 84.1% of children. CONCLUSION: Pentobarbital provides safe and effective sedation. Rectal administration is easy, painless and with brief duration of action. It's a good alternative to general anesthesia for young children undergoing ABR testing.

Preliminary identification and quantification of the age-pigment lipofuscin in the brain of Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Crustacea: Decapoda)

A preliminary study was done on the age-pigment lipofuscin content in the brains of captive Farfantepenaeus paulensis juveniles (5 months old) and wild adults (estimated age of 12-15 months). Random samples of 6 individuals were obtained from each group (juvenile and adult) for histological analysis. Serial sections (6 mum) of the brains were mounted without staining and observed in an epifluorescent microscope. The fluorescent images of the five most central sections of the olfactory lobe cell mass (OLCM) of each individual were digitized for image analysis. The lipofuscin granule mean diameter was similar in both groups (p > 0.05), however the lipofuscin area fraction (percentage of the OLCM occupied by pigment granules) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the adult shrimp. The detection of lipofuscin granules in 5 month old F. paulensis indicates that lipofuscin deposition probably takes place even earlier in the juvenile phase. Our results suggested that the amount of granules in the F. paulensis OLCM is related to age, but further studies are necessary to evaluate the relationship between lipofuscin content and the age of captive F. paulensis

T and B leukemic cell lines exhibit different requirements for cell death: correlation between caspase activation, DFF40/DFF45 expression, DNA fragmentation and apoptosis in T cell lines but not in Burkitt's lymphoma.

The execution phase of apoptosis occurs through the activation and function of caspases which cleave key substrates that orchestrate the death process. Here, we have compared the sensitivity of various T and B cell lines to death receptor or staurosporine-induced apoptosis. First, we found a lack of correlation between death receptor expression and sensitivity to Fas or Trail. By contrast, a correlation between caspase activation, DNA fragmentation and cell death in T cell lines was evidenced. Among T cells, CEM underwent apoptosis in response to CH11 but were resistant to Trail in agreement with the absence of Trail receptors (DR4 and DR5) on their surface. The B cell line SKW 6.4 was sensitive to CH11 and staurosporine but resistant to Trail. As B cell lines expressed significant levels of DR4 and DR5, resistance to Trail in SKW 6.4 is likely due to the expression of the decoy receptor DcR1. Burkitt's lymphoma such as RPMI 8866 and Raji did not exhibit DNA fragmentation in response to CH11, Trail or staurosporine but showed long-term caspase-dependent loss of viability upon effector treatment. The B cell lines used in this study express very weak or undetectable levels of DFF40 and relatively high levels of DFF45. Interestingly, cytosolic extracts from RPMI 88.66 but not other B lymphoma exhibit altered levels of cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation. Taken together, our results show that: (1) death receptor expression does not correlate with sensitivity to apoptosis; (2) the very low ratio of DFF40 vs. DFF45 is unlikely to explain by itself the lack of DNA fragmentation observed in certain B cell lines; and (3) a defective cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation might account at least in part for the insensitivity of certain Burkitt's lymphoma (RPMI 88.66) to apoptosis. Thus it seems that resistance of Burkitt's lymphoma to apoptosis is not governed by a general mechanism, but is rather multifactorial and differs from one cell line to another.

Preliminary identification and quantification of the age-pigment lipofuscin in the brain of Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Crustacea: Decapoda).

A preliminary study was done on the age-pigment lipofuscin content in the brains of captive Farfantepenaeus paulensis juveniles (5 months old) and wild adults (estimated age of 12-15 months). Random samples of 6 individuals were obtained from each group (juvenile and adult) for histological analysis. Serial sections (6 microns) of the brains were mounted without staining and observed in an epifluorescent microscope. The fluorescent images of the five most central sections of the olfactory lobe cell mass (OLCM) of each individual were digitized for image analysis. The lipofuscin granule mean diameter was similar in both groups (p > 0.05), however the lipofuscin area fraction (percentage of the OLCM occupied by pigment granules) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the adult shrimp. The detection of lipofuscin granules in 5 month old F. paulensis indicates that lipofuscin deposition probably takes place even earlier in the juvenile phase. Our results suggested that the amount of granules in the F. paulensis OLCM is related to age, but further studies are necessary to evaluate the relationship between lipofuscin content and the age of captive F. paulensis.

Preliminary identification and quantification of the age-pigment lipofuscin in the brain of Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Crustacea: Decapoda)

A preliminary study was done on the age-pigment lipofuscin content in the brains of captive Farfantepenaeus paulensis juveniles (5 months old) and wild adults (estimated age of 12-15 months). Random samples of 6 individuals were obtained from each group (juvenile and adult) for histological analysis. Serial sections (6 mum) of the brains were mounted without staining and observed in an epifluorescent microscope. The fluorescent images of the five most central sections of the olfactory lobe cell mass (OLCM) of each individual were digitized for image analysis. The lipofuscin granule mean diameter was similar in both groups (p > 0.05), however the lipofuscin area fraction (percentage of the OLCM occupied by pigment granules) was significantly higher (p 0.05) in the adult shrimp. The detection of lipofuscin granules in 5 month old F. paulensis indicates that lipofuscin deposition probably takes place even earlier in the juvenile phase. Our results suggested that the amount of granules in the F. paulensis OLCM is related to age, but further studies are necessary to evaluate the relationship between lipofuscin content and the age of captive F. paulensis.

Foi realizada análise preliminar do conteúdo de lipofuscina em cérebros de juvenis de Farfantepenaeus paulensis oriundos de cativeiro (5 meses de idade) e de adultos selvagens (idade estimada de 12-15 meses). Foram coletadas amostras aleatórias de 6 indivíduos de cada grupo (juvenis e adultos) para análises histológicas. Cortes frontais (6 mim) dos cérebros foram montados em lâminas, sem serem corados, e observados em microscópio de epifluorescência. As imagens fluorescentes dos 5 cortes mais centrais da massa de células do lóbulo olfatório (MCLO) de cada indivíduo foram digitalizadas para posterior análise de imagens. O diâmetro médio dos grânulos de lipofuscina foram similares entre os dois grupos (p > 0,05), entretanto, a porcentagem da área de MCLO ocupada por grânulos foi significativamente maior (p 0,05) nos camarões adultos. A detecção de grânulos de lipofuscina em F. paulensis com 5 meses de idade indica a possibilidade de o início de deposição ocorrer anteriormente em juvenis. Os resultados sugerem que a quantidade de grânulos na MCLO de F. paulensis está relacionada à idade, contudo, futuros estudos são necessários para avaliar a relação entre a quantidade de lipofuscina e a idade de F. paulensis mantidos em cativeiro.

Acromicric dysplasia: long term outcome and evidence of autosomal dominant inheritance.

Acromicric dysplasia is a rare bone dysplasia characterised by short stature, short hands and feet, normal intelligence, mild facial dysmorphism, and characteristic x ray abnormalities of the hands. Only a very small number of children with this condition have been reported so far. Here we report on a series of 22 patients including 10 boys and 12 girls with acromicric dysplasia. Length was normal at birth and height fell progressively off the centiles postnatally. The mean adult height was 130 cm (133 cm in males, 129 cm in females). The hands, feet, and limbs were short and OFC was normal. Intelligence was normal and mild dysmorphic features were noted. Other occasional features included well developed muscles, a hoarse voice, generalised joint limitation in some patients, frequent ear, tracheal, and respiratory complication, and spine abnormalities. Long term follow up showed that facial dysmorphism was less obvious in adults and that carpal tunnel syndrome was frequent in older patients. Apart from short metacarpals and phalanges, internal notch of the second metacarpal, external notch of the fifth metacarpal, and internal notch of the femoral heads, there were no major x ray abnormalities. No major complications, such as cardiac disease or major orthopaedic problems, occurred in the course of the disease. The condition appeared to be sporadic in 16 cases but the observation of vertical transmission in three families was consistent with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance.

Proteases produced by activated neutrophils are able to release soluble CD23 fragments endowed with proinflammatory effects.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are the major source of proteolytic activities involved mainly in tissue injuries observed in chronic inflammatory disorders. High levels of soluble forms of CD23 (the low-affinity receptor for IgE) were found in biological fluids from these patients, and recent reports focused on a CD23-mediated regulation of inflammatory response. In this context, we show here that co-culture of activated PMN with CD23+ B cells resulted in a drastic release of soluble CD23 fragments from the cell surface. This cleavage was inhibited by serine proteases inhibitors, including a1-antitrypsin. We next demonstrated that purified human leukocyte elastase or cathepsin G efficiently cleaved membrane CD23 on B cells with a high specificity. Soluble fragments released by serine proteases-mediated CD23 proteolysis stimulated resting monocytes to produce oxidative burst and proinflammatory cytokine without any co-stimulatory signal. This work strongly supports the idea that the capacity of PMN-derived proteases to release soluble forms of CD23 participates in the inflammatory process mediated by these cells.

Is there a correlation between radiographic and histologic findings in chronic sinusitis?

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the degree of radiologic changes noted on computed tomography (CT) scan correlate with the severity of histologic changes. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Academic tertiary care centre. METHODS: Sixty consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic sinusitis, with complete data obtained for 131 sinuses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Paranasal sinus CT scans and pathologic reports were examined. Respective findings were graded as mild, moderate, or severe, and the results were analyzed for agreement. CT scan grading was based on the extent of sinus opacification and pathologic grading was determined by the number of inflammatory cells found in the sinus mucosa. RESULTS: Of the 51 ethmoid sinuses, agreement between the radiographic and histologic grading occurred in 32 or 62.7%. In the maxillary group, a 57.1% (24 of 42) correlation was noted. Of the 20 frontal sinuses, agreement occurred in 8 or 40%, whereas a 22.2% (4 of 18) correlation was present in the sphenoid group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the severity of sinus disease based on preoperative CT scan does not correlate with the histologic degree of disease.

MxA protein in capillary blood of children with viral infections.

Capillary blood of febrile children was lysed by using a lysis buffer containing ascorbic acid. MxA quantitation was performed by an immunochemiluminescent assay. The MxA values were significantly higher in capillary blood of infants with viral infections due to adenovirus (n = 5), rotavirus (n = 15), or respiratory syncytial virus (n = 28), than in capillary whole blood from infants with bacterial infections (n = 6) and healthy control patients (n = 20). A strong correlation was found between the MxA values in capillary whole blood and peripheral whole blood (r' = 0.86, P < 0.0001, n = 48). The MxA values found at these two sites were compared with the levels of IFN-alpha obtained by a dissociation enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay. A correlation between these two values was found. The results show that the combination of collection of blood by finger prick and specific immunochemiluminescent assay for MxA protein measurement may be of value for the diagnosis of viral infections in children.

Glucocorticoids promote nonphlogistic phagocytosis of apoptotic leukocytes.

Phagocyte recognition, uptake, and nonphlogistic degradation of neutrophils and other leukocytes undergoing apoptosis promote the resolution of inflammation. This study assessed the effects of anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids on this leukocyte clearance mechanism. Pretreatment of "semimature" 5-day human monocyte-derived macrophages (M phi) for 24 h with methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, and hydrocortisone, but not the nonglucocorticoid steroids aldosterone, estradiol, and progesterone, potentiated phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils. These effects were specific in that the potentiated phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils was completely blocked by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486, and glucocorticoids did not promote 5-day M phi ingestion of opsonized erythrocytes. Similar glucocorticoid-mediated potentiation was observed with 5-day M phi uptake of alternative apoptotic "targets" (eosinophils and Jurkat T cells) and in uptake of apoptotic neutrophils by alternative phagocytes (human glomerular mesangial cells and murine M phi elicited into the peritoneum or derived from bone marrow). Importantly, methylprednisolone-mediated enhancement of the uptake of apoptotic neutrophils did not trigger the release of the chemokines IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Furthermore, longer-term potentiation by methylprednisolone was observed in maturing human monocyte-derived M phi, with greater increases in 5-day M phi uptake of apoptotic cells being observed the earlier glucocorticoids were added during monocyte maturation into M phi. We conclude that potentiation of nonphlogistic clearance of apoptotic leukocytes by phagocytes is a hitherto unrecognized property of glucocorticoids that has potential implications for therapies aimed at promoting the resolution of inflammatory diseases.

Characterization of eleven novel mutations (M45L, R119H, 544delG, G145V, H154Y, C184Y, D289V, 862+5A, 1172delC, R411X, E459K) in the tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) gene in patients with severe hypophosphatasia. Mutations in brief no. 217. Online.

Hypophosphatasia is a rare inherited disorder characterized by defective bone mineralization and deficiency of serum and tissue liver/ bone/kidney tissue alkaline phosphatase (L/B/K ALP) activity. We report the characterization of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) gene mutations in a series of 9 families affected by severe hypophosphatasia. Fourteen distinct mutations were found, 3 of which were previously reported in the North American or Japanese populations. Seven of the 11 new mutations were missense mutations (M45L, R119H, G145V, C184Y and H154Y, D289V, E459K), the four others were 2 single nucleotide deletions (544delG and 1172delC), a mutation affecting donor splice site (862 + 5A) and a nonsense mutation (R411X).

A role for preadipocytes as macrophage-like cells.

Several lines of evidence have supported a link betweeen adipose tissue and immunocompetent cells. This link is illustrated in obesity, where excess adiposity and impaired immune function have been described in both humans and genetically obese rodents. In addition, numerous factors involved in inflammatory response are secreted by both preadipocytes and macrophages. Here we show that proliferating preadipocytes in cell lines and primary cultures, develop phagocytic activity toward microorganisms. This is demonstrated by phagocytosis assays and confocal microscopy. This function disappears when preadipocytes stop proliferating and differentiate into adipocytes. After phagocytosis, preadipocytes show microbicide activity via an oxygen-dependent mechanism. In addition, preadipocytes as well as adipocytes are stained with MOMA-2, a marker of monocyte-macrophage lineage, but are negative for specific mature macrophage markers (F4/80 and Mac-1). These results suggest that preadipocytes could function as macrophage-like cells and raise the possibility of a potential direct involvement of adipose tissue in inflammatory processes.

Binding of anti-CD23 monoclonal antibody to the leucine zipper motif of FcepsilonRII/CD23 on B cell membrane promotes its proteolytic cleavage. Evidence for an effect on the oligomer/monomer equilibrium.

In the present study we have compared the binding of two monoclonal antibodies to CD23, EBVCS1 and mAb25, which recognize the stalk and the lectin domain, respectively, on the CD23 molecule. At 4 degreesC, EBVCS1 binds to about 10% of the receptors recognized by mAb25 on the B cell surface. At 37 degreesC, whereas mAb25 reaches its maximal binding within a few seconds, EBVCS1 requires 60 min to bind to the same extent. Stabilization of the oligomeric structure of CD23 with IgE strongly affects in a dose-dependent fashion the number of binding sites seen by EBVCS1 but not the t1/2 to reach them, suggesting that EBVCS1 binds to the coiled coil region through an allosteric mechanism. EBVCS1 rapidly down-modulates the membrane CD23 expression with a coincident increase of CD23-soluble fragments in the culture medium, an effect that is inhibited by IgE. In contrast, mAb25, as well as IgE, protects CD23 from proteolytic cleavage and stimulates its endocytosis. These results suggest that EBVCS1 unravels the coiled coil structure of CD23, rendering it more susceptible to proteolytic attack. This supports the oligomeric model proposed previously (Gould, H., Sutton, B., Edmeades, R., and Beavil, A. (1991) Monogr. Allergy 29, 28-49). The biological significance of these observations is discussed.

The MxA protein levels in whole blood lysates of patients with various viral infections.

Interferon alpha (IFNalpha), a type I interferon, can be considered as a viral infection marker because this cytokine is induced during many viral infections. However, it is quite difficult to detect IFNalpha in sera. Investigations are interested in various intra-cellular IFNalpha-induced proteins as viral infection markers. However the activity of these enzymes increased not only in response to type I IFNs but also to type II IFN. MxA protein can be detected in the cytoplasm of IFNalpha/beta-treated cells, whereas other cytokines, including IFNgamma, are poor inducers. Using an immunochemiluminescent assay, we studied MxA protein in whole blood of 34 patients with various viral infections. The whole blood was drawn into sterile vacuum tubes containing heparin or EDTA. MxA values were relatively similar in heparin-treated samples and EDTA-treated samples, with differences not exceeding 1 ng/ml. The levels of MxA protein were compared in whole blood obtained by using two different lysis procedures. A correlation was found between the MxA levels obtained by using procedure I and procedure II, but higher amounts of MxA protein were found with procedure II. The second procedure is rapid and more convenient than the other and it is carried out in one step which reduce technical problems. High levels of MxA protein were found in peripheral blood cells of patients with acute viral infections (Rotavirus, Adenovirus, RSV, CMV), but MxA protein was not elevated in bacterial infections. The MxA levels were also studied in peripheral blood of 32 HCV positive patients. MxA protein was not found in most of IFNalpha-untreated patients, even those with high viral load. In contrast, high levels of MxA protein were found in IFNalpha-treated patients. MxA quantitation can be considered as a specific marker of acute viral infections, and could be useful in the management of treatment with IFNalpha.