Targeted capture of Dreb subfamily genes as candidates genes for drought tolerance polymorphism in natural population of Coffea canephora.

Coffea canephora, (Robusta), provides 33% of worldwide coffee production, 80% and 22% of Ugandan and Brazilian coffee production, respectively. Abiotic stress such as temperature variations or drought periods, aggravated by climate changes, are factors that affect this production. This sensitivity threatens both the steady supply of quality coffees and the livelihood of millions of people producing coffee. The natural genetic diversity of C. canephora offer a potential for detecting new genetic variants related to drought adaptation. In particular, modifications occurring in genes related to abiotic stress tolerance make these genes candidate for breeding programs in order to enhance the resilience to climate change

Prefrontal Norepinephrine Determines Attribution of “High” Motivational Salience

Intense motivational salience attribution is considered to have a major role in the development of different psychopathologies. Numerous brain areas are involved in “normal” motivational salience attribution processes; however, it is not clear whether common or different neural mechanisms also underlie intense motivational salience attribution. To elucidate this a brain area and a neural system had to be envisaged that were involved only in motivational salience attribution to highly salient stimuli. Using intracerebral microdialysis, we found that natural stimuli induced an increase in norepinephrine release in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice proportional to their salience, and that selective prefrontal norepinephrine depletion abolished the increase of norepinephrine release in the medial prefrontal cortex induced by exposure to appetitive (palatable food) or aversive (light) stimuli independently of salience. However, selective norepinephrine depletion in the medial prefrontal cortex impaired the place conditioning induced exclusively by highly salient stimuli, thus indicating that prefrontal noradrenergic transmission determines approach or avoidance responses to both reward- and aversion-related natural stimuli only when the salience of the unconditioned natural stimulus is high enough to induce sustained norepinephrine outflow. This affirms that prefrontal noradrenergic transmission determines motivational salience attribution selectively when intense motivational salience is processed, as in conditions that characterize psychopathological outcomes

MZE: a small macro-model for the euro area

This paper describes a small macro-model for the euro area. It has been built using Eurostat quarterly data and is aimed at improving the current tools used for forecasting and analysing the economy of the area. Some key data, such as capital stock or households disposable income, have been constructed beforehand by using partial data given by Eurostat. The model mingles short run Keynesian dynamics with a consistent neo-classical supply side. In the current version, potential output is given by a constant-returns-to-scale Cobb-Douglas production function. Labour supply is determined via a Phillips curve or within a wage-setting framework and the rate of participation to the labour force depends on the rate of unemployment. The short run dynamics is determined by an error-correction model, which implicitly assumes the presence of adjustment costs that smooth the convergence towards the long run equilibrium. The properties of the model are satisfying in many ways. The forecasts given by the model can be favourably compared to those given by a Vector-Autoregression, using a few exogenous values reflecting both the foreign and monetary environment; the model also allows understanding the evolution of a range of macroeconomic variables. Moreover, the models responses to standard shocks are in line with usual analytical exercises. In the long run, potential output is determined by the working age population, total factor productivity, the terms of trade, wage taxation and the real cost of capital. The model can also be used with rational-expectation-hypothesis dealing with the exchange rate and the long-term interest rate. This enables an illustrative study for the choice of monetary reaction functions.Macroeconometric Modelling, Euro Area Dataset, Forecasting, Impulse Response, Rational Expectations, Monetary Reaction Functions

Phase transformation of the monochalcogenides SmX (X ≡\equiv S, Se, Te) under high pressure

The high-pressure behaviour of the monochalcogenides of samarium (SmS, SmSe and SmTe) was investigated up to pressures of 55 GPa using the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction technique and synchrotron radiation. SmTe and SmSe show abnormal volume changes around 5 and 7 GPa respectively. SmS shows a phase transformation at low pressure (less than 1.8 GPa), retaining the same cubic structure, but undergoing a considerable volume collapse and a change of colour. SmS and SmSe both exhibit a phase transition from NaCl- to CsCl-type structure at high pressure, which has not been observed previously

Phase Transformation of the Monochalcogenides SmX (X = S, Se, Te)

Abstract not availableJRC.E-Institute for Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe

Evoked Alpha Power is Reduced in Disconnected Consciousness During Sleep and Anesthesia

Sleep and anesthesia entail alterations in conscious experience. Conscious experience may be absent (unconsciousness) or take the form of dreaming, a state in which sensory stimuli are not incorporated into conscious experience (disconnected consciousness). Recent work has identified features of cortical activity that distinguish conscious from unconscious states; however, less is known about how cortical activity differs between disconnected states and normal wakefulness. We employed transcranial magnetic stimulation–electroencephalography (TMS–EEG) over parietal regions across states of anesthesia and sleep to assess whether evoked oscillatory activity differed in disconnected states. We hypothesized that alpha activity, which may regulate perception of sensory stimuli, is altered in the disconnected states of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and ketamine anesthesia. Compared to wakefulness, evoked alpha power (8–12 Hz) was decreased during disconnected consciousness. In contrast, in unconscious states of propofol anesthesia and non-REM (NREM) sleep, evoked low-gamma power (30–40 Hz) was decreased compared to wakefulness or states of disconnected consciousness. These findings were confirmed in subjects in which dream reports were obtained following serial awakenings from NREM sleep. By examining signatures of evoked cortical activity across conscious states, we identified novel evidence that suppression of evoked alpha activity may represent a promising marker of sensory disconnection.Peer reviewe