Direction de la Recherche Technologique

Abstract Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen able to enter in a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, in which cells remain metabolically active but escape detection by conventional culture-based methods used in the food industry. Raman microspectroscopy has emerged as a promising tool for VBNC detection due to its high sensitivity and single-cell resolution. This study evaluated the ability of Raman spectroscopy to discriminate VBNC B. cereus cells from other viability states. Specifically, we investigated (i) whether stressful conditions representative of food-processing environments can induce the VBNC state in B. cereus , and (ii) whether Raman spectral profiles allow differentiation among viability states. Three environmental B. cereus strains were exposed to saline solution and two commonly used food-industry disinfectants for 20 min or 24 h to induce stress. Results demonstrated that such conditions can induce a VBNC state in B. cereus . One strain was further labeled with deuterium, and Raman spectra were collected. Analyses focused on the C–D band and the fingerprint regions. The C–D region enabled discrimination between unstressed and stressed cells, while clustering analysis of the fingerprint region successfully separated unstressed, stressed/injured, VBNC, and dead cells. Mean spectra of each cluster revealed that VBNC cells exhibited marked changes in bands associated with DNA, proteins, cell wall components, and lipid membranes. Overall, this study demonstrates that Raman microspectroscopy, particularly fingerprint region analysis, provides a rapid and non-destructive approach to reliably distinguish VBNC B. cereus cells from other viability states, highlighting its potential for detecting dormant bacteria in food environments.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex mood disorder characterized by recurrent depressive and manic/hypomanic episodes, accompanied by significant cognitive dysfunction and emotional dysregulation. Accurate and timely diagnosis, especially the differentiation between subtypes, remains a challenge due to overlapping symptoms, variable onset times for more specific symptoms (e.g., psychotic features), and the reliance on subjective assessments. This study examines the use of a multimodal approach combining electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to identify patterns of BD emotional dysregulation, aiming to enhance its diagnosis and subtype differentiation. The protocol employed an emotional visual task to evaluate the interference of emotional content on cognitive function. EEG data were collected using a whole-head cap, while fNIRS focused on hemodynamic changes in the frontal cortex. Furthermore, the feasibility of using a potential simplified, portable EEG-fNIRS system was explored by focusing the analysis on frontal regions. The cohort included BD patients [BP] of two main subtypes, and healthy controls [HC]. Behavioral analysis revealed significant performance differences between BP and HC groups. While EEG alone enabled groups' classification, integrating EEG and fNIRS improved accuracy by reducing misclassification rates. Although classification using only frontal EEG regions was slightly less accurate than the full-head cap, fNIRS integration ensured robust results, supporting the feasibility for a potential simplified system. These findings underscore the complementary strengths of EEG and fNIRS in capturing neural and vascular markers of emotional dysregulation in BD and support the development of multimodal diagnostic tools for BD.

Direct Machine-to-Machine communication in the millimeter wave frequencies raises the challenge of the reception of many channels scattered within a large frequency band, without centralized network management. Wideband spectrum sensing and acquisition of multiple channels at Intermediate Frequency is difficult and often power hungry when using conventional heterodyne receiver. A different approach is proposed here relying on the analogue projection of the incoming wideband signal into an orthogonal basis (Walsh codes) for further channel sensing, front-end reconfiguration, signal processing and demodulation using deep-learning approaches. A massively parallelized receiver implementing this projection was realized in GF 22FDX. The versatile low power «50mW) architecture allows 8-bits conversion of 2.5GHz IF band over 32 sub-sampled lanes. We demonstrated that the receiver can sense the full band, adjust its gains to avoid saturation from strong interferer and sample 4 channels for further demodulation.

Chemoresistance remains a major obstacle to effective cancer treatment, often driven by enhanced DNA repair mechanisms that enable tumor cells to withstand genotoxic therapies. One such pathway involves the atypical DNA damage repair complex ALKBH3–ASCC, activated by the E3 ligase RNF113A in response to alkylation damage. We previously showed that SMYD3-dependent methylation of RNF113A stimulates this pathway, enhancing DNA repair and promoting resistance.Here, we identify KDM7B/PHF8 as the bona fide RNF113A demethylase, establishing one of the first functional examples of a dynamic, reversible non-histone methylation event regulating genome integrity. KDM7B antagonizes SMYD3 activity by maintaining low levels of methylated RNF113A, thereby limiting ASCC activation and sensitizing cancer cells to alkylating agents. To dissect this regulation in depth, we focused on small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a particularly aggressive malignancy characterized by limited therapeutic options and rapid acquisition of resistance. In SCLC, high KDM7B levels correlate with improved patient prognosis, whereas xenografts with reduced expression exhibit diminished responses to alkylating treatment. Moreover, CRISPR-based on/off modulation of KDM7B in genetically engineered SCLC mouse models demonstrates its central role in determining tumor response to chemotherapy.Our findings position the RNF113A–ASCC axis as a central modulator of chemoresistance, regulated through a post-translational methylation switch representing an innovative therapeutic vulnerability that could be exploited to enhance the efficacy of alkylating agents. Targeting this pathway may provide new opportunities to overcome chemoresistance, with KDM7B levels serving as a predictive biomarker to guide treatment in SCLC.

We report, for the first time, the integration of ALD-grown MoS<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> into stacked channel transistors via a novel channel-last integration scheme. Our approach provides many advantages and opportunities concerning channel formation, enhanced delamination control, contact optimization, reduced contamination risks, and the ability to reuse process modules of existing Si GAA routes. To assess such a process flow, we first developped and optimized ALD MoS<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> films. We also optimized source/drain contacts using back-gated MoS<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> transistors with down to 15 nm widths. Niobium contacts delivered an I<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ON</inf>/I<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">OFF</inf> ratio up to 10⁴ and outperformed titanium counterparts with up to 28× Iₒₙ enhancement. Then, we validated key modules of our novel channel-last integration, overcoming most of the technological roadblocks limiting the 2D TMD integration into advanced CMOS. Finally, TCAD simulations were performed to optimize our architecture and draw some perspectives.

Cold shrink joints are widely used on the Medium Voltage French distribution network. The high reliability of these joints is particularly important to control the shortage duration of the energy supplied to customers. Two outer protection materials of cold shrink joints were subjected to combined stresses of temperature, humidity and stretching/unstretching. The experimental ageing protocol favoured the application of realistic stresses, lower than those generally applied in acelerated ageing studies, but over a longer test duration. The outer protections were characterised throughout the ageing. After one year of ageing, the materials showed superficial oxidation, which was lower in liquid water than in other relative humidity conditions. On complete joints, subjected to the HD629-3 robustness test protocol, breakdown voltages are stable over three consecutive test sequences.

The semi-floating p-GaN layer of commercial schottky HEMTs is suspected to be related to instabilities of the device’s electrical characteristics. Particularly, we recently explained how gate voltage spikes at turn-on can cause a drastic, lasting and reproducible dynamic Ron increase. The proposed explanation only partly matched the dynamics of the observed Ron fluctuations and only one device reference was tested. In this work, higher voltage spikes are explored and a device from an other manufacturer is also studied. We demonstrate with a ngspice simulation how all observed dynamic Ron behaviors can be explained with a two-diode model of the gate stack.

• Single-phase κ-Ga 2 O 3 is deposited on p-(B)GaAs/GaAs templates for the first time by MOVPE. • Boron segregation and diffusion can assist κ-Ga 2 O 3 purity phase. • New amorphous layer a-BGaO is formed in κ-Ga 2 O 3 /BGaAs/GaAs. • Columnar growth of orthorhombic κ-phase grains on (B)GaAs/GaAs. • The heterojunction κ-Ga 2 O 3 /III-V can develop new active structures for photodetectors and solar cells. • Structural, interfacial and morphological properties of κ-Ga 2 O 3 /GaAs and κ-Ga 2 O 3 /BGaAs/GaAs. For the first time, single-phase κ-Ga 2 O 3 films were grown on (001) p-type GaAs and B x Ga (1-x) As /GaAs templates using Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). The films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM investigations revealed a thin polycrystalline nucleation layer followed by well-oriented columnar growth of the κ-phase in the Ga 2 O 3 /GaAs sample, while segregation and diffusion effects in the ternary alloy led to boron accumulation on the template surface, which reacted with oxygen during the first stage of Ga 2 O 3 deposition to form a thin amorphous oxide ( a -BGaO) at the interface between Ga 2 O 3 and the BGaAs/GaAs template. Again, columnar growth of large [001]-oriented grains of the orthorhombic κ-phase occurred on the amorphous nucleation layers, which resulted in a compact gallium oxide film. These polycrystalline or amorphous interlayers are important as they provide a suitable platform for growth of phase-pure orthorhombic κ-Ga 2 O 3 on III-V cubic substrates. This work paves the way to the integration of κ-Ga 2 O 3 and III-V semiconductors, for preparing heterojunctions for novel electronic and optoelectronic devices.