499 research outputs found
Le zébu brahma au Cameroun : premiers résultats de son introduction en Adamawa
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Soliton absorption spectroscopy
We analyze optical soliton propagation in the presence of weak absorption
lines with much narrower linewidths as compared to the soliton spectrum width
using the novel perturbation analysis technique based on an integral
representation in the spectral domain. The stable soliton acquires spectral
modulation that follows the associated index of refraction of the absorber. The
model can be applied to ordinary soliton propagation and to an absorber inside
a passively modelocked laser. In the latter case, a comparison with water vapor
absorption in a femtosecond Cr:ZnSe laser yields a very good agreement with
experiment. Compared to the conventional absorption measurement in a cell of
the same length, the signal is increased by an order of magnitude. The obtained
analytical expressions allow further improving of the sensitivity and
spectroscopic accuracy making the soliton absorption spectroscopy a promising
novel measurement technique.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures
Astrochemistry and Astrophotonics for an Antarctic Observatory
Due to its location and climate, Antarctica offers unique conditions for
long-period observations across a broad wavelength regime, where important
diagnostic lines for molecules and ions can be found, that are essential to
understand the chemical properties of the interstellar medium. In addition to
the natural benefits of the site, new technologies, resulting from
astrophotonics, may allow miniaturised instruments, that are easier to
winterise and advanced filters to further reduce the background in the
infrared.Comment: 4 pages, to be published in EAS Publications Series, Vol. 40, Proc.
of 3rd ARENA conferenc
BPA disrupts meiosis I in oogonia by acting on pathways including cell cycle regulation, meiosis initiation and spindle assembly
This work was supported by funding to PAF and CC from the Wellcome Trust (080388) and the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement no. 212885. (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/reef/). The authors would like to thank INRAE, SAAJ, experimental animal facility (Sciences de l'Animal et de l'Aliment de Jouy), especially Jean-Pierre Albert, Didier Mauchand, and Jean-François Alkombre.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Time-resolved mid-infrared dual-comb spectroscopy
Dual-comb spectroscopy can provide broad spectral bandwidth and high spectral
resolution in a short acquisition time, enabling time-resolved measurements.
Specifically, spectroscopy in the mid-infrared wavelength range is of
particular interest, since most of the molecules have their strongest
rotational-vibrational transitions in this "fingerprint" region. Here we report
time-resolved mid-infrared dual-comb spectroscopy for the first time, covering
~300 nm bandwidth around 3.3 {\mu}m with 6 GHz spectral resolution and 20
{\mu}s temporal resolution. As a demonstration, we study a CH4/He gas mixture
in an electric discharge, while the discharge is modulated between dark and
glow regimes. We simultaneously monitor the production of C2H6 and the
vibrational excitation of CH4 molecules, observing the dynamics of both
processes. This approach to broadband, high-resolution, and time-resolved
mid-infrared spectroscopy provides a new tool for monitoring the kinetics of
fast chemical reactions, with potential applications in various fields such as
physical chemistry and plasma/combustion analysis.Comment: 21 page, 6 figure
Exposure to a Complex Cocktail of Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds Disturbs the Kisspeptin/GPR54 System in Ovine Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland
BACKGROUND: Ubiquitous environmental chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are associated with declining human reproductive health, as well as an increasing incidence of cancers of the reproductive system. Verifying such links requires animal models exposed to "real-life," environmentally relevant concentrations/mixtures of EDC, particularly in utero, when sensitivity to EDC exposure is maximal. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effects of maternal exposure to a pollutant cocktail (sewage sludge) on the ovine fetal reproductive neuroendocrine axes, particularly the kisspeptin (KiSS-1)/GPR54 (G-protein-coupled receptor 54) system. METHODS: KiSS-1, GPR54, and ERalpha (estrogen receptor alpha) mRNA expression was quantified in control (C) and treated (T) maternal and fetal (110-day) hypothalami and pituitary glands using semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and colocalization of kisspeptin with LHbeta (luteinizing hormone beta) and ERalpha in C and T fetal pituitary glands quantified using dual-labeling immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Fetuses exposed in utero to the EDC mixture showed reduced KiSS-1 mRNA expression across three hypothalamic regions examined (rostral, mid, and caudal) and had fewer kisspetin immunopositive cells colocalized with both LHbeta and ERalpha in the pituitary gland. In contrast, treatment had no effect on parameters measured in the adult ewe hypothalamus or pituitary. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the developing fetus is sensitive to real-world mixtures of environmental chemicals, which cause significant neuroendocrine alterations. The important role of kisspeptin/GPR54 in regulating puberty and adult reproduction means that in utero disruption of this system is likely to have long-term consequences in adulthood and represents a novel, additional pathway through which environmental chemicals perturb human reproduction
Structural and functional analyses of the DMC1-M200V polymorphism found in the human population
The M200V polymorphism of the human DMC1 protein, which is an essential, meiosis-specific DNA recombinase, was found in an infertile patient, raising the question of whether this homozygous human DMC1-M200V polymorphism may cause infertility by affecting the function of the human DMC1 protein. In the present study, we determined the crystal structure of the human DMC1-M200V variant in the octameric-ring form. Biochemical analyses revealed that the human DMC1-M200V variant had reduced stability, and was moderately defective in catalyzing in vitro recombination reactions. The corresponding M194V mutation introduced in the Schizosaccharomyces pombe dmc1 gene caused a significant decrease in the meiotic homologous recombination frequency. Together, these structural, biochemical and genetic results provide extensive evidence that the human DMC1-M200V mutation impairs its function, supporting the previous interpretation that this single-nucleotide polymorphism is a source of human infertility
Reduced nitric oxide levels during drought stress promote drought tolerance in barley and is associated with elevated polyamine biosynthesis
Nitric oxide (NO) is a key messenger in plant stress responses but its exact role in drought response remains unclear. To investigate the role of NO in drought response we employed transgenic barley plants (UHb) overexpressing the barley non-symbiotic hemoglobin gene HvHb1 that oxidizes NO to NO3-. Reduced NO production under drought conditions in UHb plants was associated with increased drought tolerance. Since NO biosynthesis has been related to polyamine metabolism, we investigated whether the observed drought-related NO changes could involve polyamine pathway. UHb plants showed increases in total polyamines and in particular polyamines such as spermidine. These increases correlated with the accumulation of the amino acid precursors of polyamines and with the expression of specific polyamine biosynthesis genes. This suggests a potential interplay between NO and polyamine biosynthesis during drought response. Since ethylene has been linked to NO signaling and it is also related to polyamine metabolism, we explored this connection. In vivo ethylene measurement showed that UHb plants significantly decrease ethylene production and expression of aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase gene, the first committed step in ethylene biosynthesis compared with wild type. These data suggest a NO-ethylene influenced regulatory node in polyamine biosynthesis linked to drought tolerance/susceptibility in barley.publishersversionPeer reviewe
Frequency Comb Assisted Diode Laser Spectroscopy for Measurement of Microcavity Dispersion
While being invented for precision measurement of single atomic transitions,
frequency combs have also become a versatile tool for broadband spectroscopy in
the last years. In this paper we present a novel and simple approach for
broadband spectroscopy, combining the accuracy of an optical fiber-laser-based
frequency comb with the ease-of-use of a tunable external cavity diode laser.
This scheme enables broadband and fast spectroscopy of microresonator modes and
allows for precise measurements of their dispersion, which is an important
precondition for broadband optical frequency comb generation that has recently
been demonstrated in these devices. Moreover, we find excellent agreement of
measured microresonator dispersion with predicted values from finite element
simulations and we show that tailoring microresonator dispersion can be
achieved by adjusting their geometrical properties
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