Designing Vibrotactile Widgets with Printed Actuators and Sensors

Physical controls are fabricated through complicated assembly of parts requiring expensive machinery and are prone to mechanical wear. One solution is to embed controls directly in interactive surfaces, but the proprioceptive part of gestural interaction that makes physical controls discoverable and usable solely by hand gestures is lost and has to be compensated, by vibrotactile feedback for instance. Vibrotactile actuators face the same aforementioned issues as for physical controls. We propose printed vibrotactile actuators and sensors. They are printed on plastic sheets, with piezoelectric ink for actuation, and with silver ink for conductive elements, such as wires and capacitive sensors. These printed actuators and sensors make it possible to design vibrotactile widgets on curved surfaces, without complicated mechanical assembly

MoccaDB - an integrative database for functional, comparative and diversity studies in the Rubiaceae family

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the past few years, functional genomics information has been rapidly accumulating on Rubiaceae species and especially on those belonging to the <it>Coffea </it>genus (coffee trees). An increasing number of expressed sequence tag (EST) data and EST- or genomic-derived microsatellite markers have been generated, together with Conserved Ortholog Set (COS) markers. This considerably facilitates comparative genomics or map-based genetic studies through the common use of orthologous loci across different species. Similar genomic information is available for e.g. tomato or potato, members of the Solanaceae family. Since both Rubiaceae and Solanaceae belong to the Euasterids I (lamiids) integration of information on genetic markers would be possible and lead to more efficient analyses and discovery of key loci involved in important traits such as fruit development, quality, and maturation, or adaptation. Our goal was to develop a comprehensive web data source for integrated information on validated orthologous markers in Rubiaceae.</p> <p>Description</p> <p>MoccaDB is an online MySQL-PHP driven relational database that houses annotated and/or mapped microsatellite markers in Rubiaceae. In its current release, the database stores 638 markers that have been defined on 259 ESTs and 379 genomic sequences. Marker information was retrieved from 11 published works, and completed with original data on 132 microsatellite markers validated in our laboratory. DNA sequences were derived from three <it>Coffea </it>species/hybrids. Microsatellite markers were checked for similarity, <it>in vitro </it>tested for cross-amplification and diversity/polymorphism status in up to 38 Rubiaceae species belonging to the Cinchonoideae and Rubioideae subfamilies. Functional annotation was provided and some markers associated with described metabolic pathways were also integrated. Users can search the database for marker, sequence, map or diversity information through multi-option query forms. The retrieved data can be browsed and downloaded, along with protocols used, using a standard web browser. MoccaDB also integrates bioinformatics tools (CMap viewer and local BLAST) and hyperlinks to related external data sources (NCBI GenBank and PubMed, SOL Genomic Network database).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We believe that MoccaDB will be extremely useful for all researchers working in the areas of comparative and functional genomics and molecular evolution, in general, and population analysis and association mapping of Rubiaceae and Solanaceae species, in particular.</p

A Comparative Analysis Shows Morphofunctional Differences between the Rat and Mouse Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Systems

Sub-populations of neurons producing melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) are characterized by distinct projection patterns, birthdates and CART/NK3 expression in rat. Evidence for such sub-populations has not been reported in other species. However, given that genetically engineered mouse lines are now commonly used as experimental models, a better characterization of the anatomy and morphofunctionnal organization of MCH system in this species is then necessary. Combining multiple immunohistochemistry experiments with in situ hybridization, tract tracing or BrdU injections, evidence supporting the hypothesis that rat and mouse MCH systems are not identical was obtained: sub-populations of MCH neurons also exist in mouse, but their relative abundance is different. Furthermore, divergences in the distribution of MCH axons were observed, in particular in the ventromedial hypothalamus. These differences suggest that rat and mouse MCH neurons are differentially involved in anatomical networks that control feeding and the sleep/wake cycle

Une source pour l’approvisionnement et la consommation de Paris sous l’Ancien Régime : les lettres de voiture

Délaissées par les historiens, les lettres de voiture sont des documents de premier ordre pour approcher la commercialisation et la consommation de certaines denrées alimentaires, à Paris, à l’époque moderne. Contrôlées obligatoirement par les notaires locaux, elles étaient par conséquent sujettes à un droit d’enregistrement auprès des bureaux du contrôle des actes. En prenant l’exemple de deux localités normandes réputées pour leur beurre frais, Isigny et Gournay, les archives de cette administration apportent de riches informations sur les volumes consommés, les acteurs de la filière et les lieux de destination. Une fois saisies dans un tableur, ces informations permettent aussi de mettre en évidence des modèles d’achat et de consommation différenciés et invitent l’historien à multiplier les approches pour en rendre compte.The consignment notes, often ignored by the historians, are documents of the highest importance when one takes into account the commercialisation and the consumption of some edible goods, in Paris, in the Early Modern History. As they had to be controlled by the local solicitors, they were subject to registration duties from the offices in charge with reviewing the acts. When considering the examples of two Norman localities, Isigny and Gournay, renowned for their butter, the archives of this administration offer a wealth of information about the volumes consumed, the players in the sector and the places of destination. Once they are entered into a spreadsheet, those pieces of information also make it possible to highlight differentiated purchasing and consuming patterns and encourage the historians to multiply their approaches so as to report them.Ignoradas por los historiadores, las cartas de porte son documentos importantes para entender la comercialización y el consumo de ciertos alimentos en París durante la Edad Moderna. Controladas de modo obligatorio por los notarios locales, estaban por lo tanto sujetas a derecho de registro en las oficinas de control de las actas. Tomando el caso de dos localidades normandas de reputación por su mantequilla fresca (Isigngy y Gournay), los archivos de esta administración proporcionan información muy rica sobre el volumen consumido, los productores y los lugares de destino. Una vez introducida en una hoja de cálculo, esta información también permite descubrir modelos diferenciados de compra y de consumo e invita a los historiadores a multiplicar los enfoques analíticos

Le sacre des beurres normands

Ce catalogue accompagne l'exposition A table ! La Normandie des gastronomes du XVIIe au XXe siècle, organisée conjointement par le musée de Normandie à Caen et le musée municipal de Vire. Elle est présentée à Vire du 4 mai au 30 octobre 2016, puis à Caen du 11 novembre 2016 au 5 mars 2017

Éleveurs et marchands de beurre à Isigny de la fin du XVIIe siècle à 1840

Poncet Fabrice. Éleveurs et marchands de beurre à Isigny de la fin du XVIIe siècle à 1840. In: Annales de Normandie, 50ᵉ année, n°2, 2000. À travers les campagnes normandes, sous la direction de Jean-Marc Moriceau. pp. 267-296

The Agro-Food market, production, distribution and consumption,de Leen Van Molle et Yvers Sergers (dir.)

n°4

Une source pour l'approvisionnement et la consommation de Paris sous l'Ancien Régime : les lettres de voiture

[Nicolas Marty, Antonio Escudero (éd.) - (Collection Etudes) - ISBN 978-2-35412-248-5

Le pays de Bray dans l’approvisionnement de Paris en beurre frais au XVIIIe siècle

La Normandie est réputée pour l’importance et la qualité de son élevage bovin, aussi bien pour la viande que pour les produits laitiers. En dehors d’une activité familiale répandue et diffuse, certains espaces, au moins dès le XVIIe siècle, y sont marqués par une orientation économique plus prononcée. Il s’agit, d’ouest en est, de l’ensemble Plain-Bessin, du pays d’Auge et enfin du pays de Bray. Des trois, ce dernier est sans doute le plus complet par la diversité qu’il présente des produits ..