Ref HAL: hal-02563236_v1
Ref Arxiv: 1910.06181
DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2020.119895
WoS: 000519653700018
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Ref HAL: hal-02563181_v1
DOI: 10.1063/1.5142605
WoS: 000519911600001
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We adapt and apply a recently developed optimization scheme used to obtain effective potentialsfor aluminosilicate glasses to include the network former boron into the interaction parameter set.As input data for the optimization, we used the radial distribution functions of the liquid at hightemperature generated by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and density, coordination andelastic modulus of glass at room temperature from experiments. The new interaction potentials areshown to reproduce reliably the structure, coordination and mechanical properties over a widerange of compositions for binary alkali borates. Furthermore, the transferability of these newinteraction parameters allows mixing to reliably reproduce properties of various boroaluminateand borosilicate glasses.

Ref HAL: hal-02558990_v1
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.03.044
WoS: 000534064200004
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that selectively affects upper and lower motoneurons. Dismantlement of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is an early pathological hallmark of the disease whose cellular origin remains still debated. We developed an in vitro NMJ model to investigate the differential contribution of motoneurons and muscle cells expressing ALS-causing mutation in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) to neuromuscular dysfunction. The primary co-culture system allows the formation of func- tional NMJs and fosters the expression of the ALS-sensitive fast fatigable type II-b myosin heavy chain (MHC) iso- form. Expression of SOD1G93A in myotubes does not prevent the formation of a functional NMJ but leads to decreased contraction frequency and lowers the slow type I MHC isoform transcript levels. Expression of SOD1G93A in both motoneurons and myotubes or in motoneurons alone however alters the formation of a functional NMJ. Our results strongly suggest that motoneurons are a major factor involved in the process of NMJ dismantlement in an experimental model of ALS.

Ref HAL: hal-02557698_v1
Ref Arxiv: 2004.05656
Ref INSPIRE: 1790962
DOI: 10.1007/JHEP06(2020)177
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Many strongly coupled field theories admit a spectrum of gauge-invariant bound states that includes scalar particles with the same quantum numbers as the vacuum. The challenge naturally arises of how to characterise them. In particular, how can a dilaton — the pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson associated with approximate scale invariance — be distinguished from other generic light scalars with the same quantum numbers? We address this problem within the context of gauge-gravity dualities, by analysing the fluctuations of the higher-dimensional gravitational theory. The diagnostic test that we propose consists of comparing the results of the complete calculation, performed by using gauge-invariant fluctuations in the bulk, with the results obtained in the probe approximation. While the former captures the mixing between scalar and metric degrees of freedom, the latter removes by hand the fluctuations that source the dilatation operator of the boundary field- theory. Hence, the probe approximation cannot capture a possible light dilaton, while it should fare well for other scalar particles. We test this idea on a number of holographic models, among which are some of the best known, complete gravity backgrounds constructed within the top-down approach to gauge-gravity dualities. We compute the spectra of scalar and tensor fluctuations, that are interpreted as bound states (glueballs) of the dual field theory, and we highlight those cases in which the probe approximation yields results close to the correct physical ones, as well as those cases where significant discrepancies emerge. We interpret the latter occurrence as an indication that identifying one of the lightest scalar states with the dilaton is legitimate, at least as a leading-order approximation.

Ref HAL: hal-02540128_v1
Ref Arxiv: 1908.01484
DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02166
WoS: 000526399500029
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1 Citation
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In order to determine in polymeric systems the geometrical mesh size ξ, we simulate a solution of coarse-grained polymers with densities ranging from the dilute to the concentrated regime and for different chain lengths. We determine the monomer density fluctuation correlation length ξc from the monomer structure factor as well as the radial distribution function, showing that the identification ξ = ξc is not justified outside of the semidilute regime. In order to better characterize ξ, we compute the pore size distribution (PSD) following two different definitions, one by Torquato et al. and one by Gubbins et al. We find that the mean values of the two distributions, ⟨r⟩T and ⟨r⟩G, display the behavior predicted for ξ by scaling theory, and argue that ξ can be identified with either one of these quantities. This identification allows to interpret the PSD as the distribution of mesh sizes, a quantity which conventional methods cannot access. Finally, we show that it is possible to map a polymer solution on a system of hard or overlapping spheres, for which Torquato’s PSD can be computed analytically and reproduces accurately the PSD of the solution. We give an expression that allows ⟨r⟩T to be estimated with high accuracy in the semidilute regime by knowing only the radius of gyration and the density of the polymers.

Ref HAL: hal-02527311_v1
DOI: 10.1007/s10971-019-05173-2
WoS: WOS:000511603600002
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In this paper, we present the different characterization techniques used to measure the mechanical properties of silica aerogels. The mechanical behaviour of aerogels is generally described in terms of elastic and fragile materials (such as glasses or ceramics) but also in terms of plastic media in compression testing. Because of these very different mechanical behaviors, several types of characterization techniques are proposed in the literature. We first describe the dynamic characterization techniques such as ultrasounds, Brillouin scattering, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to measure the elastic properties: Young's modulus (E) , shear modulus (G), poisson ratio (υ) but also attenuation and internal friction. Thanks to "static" techniques such as three-point bending, uniaxial compression, compression we also access to the elastic modulus (E) and to the rupture strength (σ). The experimental results show that the value of the elastic and fracture moduli measured is several orders of magnitude lower than that of a material without porosity. With regard to the brittleness characteristics, Weibull's analysis is used to show the statistical nature of the fracture resistance. We also present the SENB (single edge notched beam technique) technique to characterize toughness (K1C) and the stress corrosion mechanisms, which are studied in ambient conditions and temperature by the double-cleavage drilled compression experiment (DCDC). In the last part of the paper, we show how, during the isostatic compression test, aerogels behave like plastic materials.The data allow calculating the bulk modulus (K), the amplitude of the plastic deformation and the yield strength (σel), which is the boundary between the elastic and plastic domains. These different techniques allow understanding which parameters influence the overall mechanical behavior of aerogels, such as pore volume, but also pore size, internal connectivity and silanol bounds content. It is shown that pore size plays a very important role; pores can be considered as flaws in the terms of fracture mechanics.

Ref HAL: hal-03736745_v1
DOI: 10.5194/jsss-9-117-2020
WoS: 000522157200001
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Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has became an unavoidable medical tool in spite of its poor sensitivity. This fact motivates the efforts to enhance the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe performance. Thus, the nuclear spin excitation and detection, classically performed using radio-frequency coils, are required to be highly sensitive and homogeneous. The space harmonics suppression (SHS) method, already demonstrated to construct coil producing homogenous static magnetic field, is used in this work to design radio-frequency coils. The SHS method is used to determine the distribution of the electrical conductive wires which are organized in a saddle-coil-like configuration. The theoretical study of these SHS coils allows one to expect an enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio with respect to saddle coil. Coils prototypes were constructed and tested to measure 1H NMR signal at a low magnetic field (8 mT) and perform MRI acquired at a high magnetic field (3 T). The signal-to-noise ratios of these SHS coils are compared to the one of saddle coil and birdcage (in the 3 T case) of the same size under the same pulse sequence conditions demonstrating the performance enhancement allowed by the SHS coils.