Ultra-narrow (sub-MHz) linewidth emission from discrete mode laser diodes

A class of laser which exhibits ultra-narrow sub MHz linewidth emission necessary for numerous applications in optical communications and sensors is described. The spectral performance of commercial discrete mode (DM) and distributed feedback (DFB) lasers is compared. The devices used in this work are asymmetrically coated ridge waveguide Fabry Perot lasers which incorporated etched slot features and emitting around lambda = 1.55 mum. The active region of the devices consisted of a strained compensated InAlGaAs MQW structure

NADP-Malate Dehydrogenase Gene Evolution in Andropogoneae (Poaceae): Gene Duplication Followed by Sub-functionalization

• Background and Aims Plastid NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase (MDH) catalyses the conversion of oxaloacetate to malate. In C4 plants, it is involved in photosynthetic carbon assimilation. In Poaceae, one NADP-MDH gene has been identified in rice (C3; Erhartoideae) and maize (C4; Panicoideae), whereas two tandemly repeated genes have been identified in Sorghum (C4; Panicoideae). In the present study, the molecular evolution of the NADP-MDH multigene family was investigated in order to analyse how the C4 isoform has evolved over a broader range of panicoid grasses. • Methods Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based cloning was used to isolate cDNAs encoding NADP-MDHs from 15 species of Panicoideae. A gene phylogeny was reconstructed based on cDNA sequences using distance and maximum parsimony methods. Episodic selection along some branches of the phylogenetic tree was tested by analysing non-synonymous and synonymous rate ratios.Transcription of NADP-MDH genes was compared in green leaves of five accessions of Saccharum, Sorghum and Vetiveria using a semi-quantitative PCR approach. • Key Results Phylogenetic analyses of these data support the existence of two NADP-MDH gene lineages (NMDH-I and NMDH-II) in several Andropogoneae (i.e. Saccharum, Sorghum and Vetiveria). Episodic positive selection was shown along the basal branch of the NMDH-II clade. Three amino acid modifications allow the two gene lineages to be distinguished, suggesting a positive selection at these sites. In green leaves, we showed that the transcript accumulation was higher for NMDH-I than for NMDH-II. • Conclusions It is hypothesized that the maintenance of both NADP-MDH genes in some Andropogoneae is due to a partition of the original functions across both copies. NMDH-I probably corresponds to the C4 isoform as previously suggested. Nevertheless, some C4 species (e.g. maize) only have one gene which should be selected for its high expression level in leaves. This study confirms that gene duplicates have been recruited for C4 photosynthesis but are not required in every cas

Theory of mind, empathy and emotion perception in cortical and subcortical neurodegenerative diseases

Although the impact of neurodegenerative diseases on everyday interactions is well known in the literature, their impact on social cognitive processes remains unclear. The concept of social cognition refers to a set of skills, all of which are essential for living in a community. It involves social knowledge, perception and processing of social cues, and representation of mental states. This report is a review of recent findings on the impact of cortical and subcortical neurodegenerative diseases on three social cognitive processes, namely, the theory of mind, empathy and processing emotions. The focus here is on a conceptual approach to each of these skills and their cerebral underpinnings

Can microsatellite data allow identification of oleaster Plio-Pleistocene refuge zones in the Mediterranean Basin?

International audienc

Utilisation de la Réalité Virtuelle en neuropsychologie clinique

Dans cet article, les principales applications des techniques de Réalité Virtuelle en clinique neuropsychologique sont examinées. Il s\u27agit, d\u27une part, de l\u27aide à l\u27évaluation des troubles cognitifs et comportementaux secondaires aux lésions du système nerveux central et, d\u27autre part, des perspectives ouvertes dans le champ de la prise en charge rééducative de ces déficits. Ces données cliniques et expérimentales permettent de discuter l\u27intérêt et les limites de l\u27utilisation de ces techniques

Arguments using ontological and causal knowledge (FoIKS 2014)

International audienceWe explore an approach to reasoning about causes via argumentation. We consider a causal model for a physical system, and we look for arguments about facts. Some arguments are meant to provide explanations of facts whereas some challenge these explanations and so on. At the root of argumentation here, are causal links ({A_1, ... ,A_n} causes B) and also ontological links (c_1 is_a} c_2). We introduce here a logical approach which provides a candidate explanation ({A_1, ... ,A_n} explains {B_1, ... ,B_m}) by resorting to an underlying causal link substantiated with appropriate ontological links. Argumentation is then at work from these various explanation links. A case study is developed: a severe storm Xynthia that devastated a county in France in 2010, with an unaccountably high number of casualties

NADP-malate dehydrogenase gene evolution in Andropogoneae (Poaceae): gene duplication followed by sub-functionalization

• Background and Aims Plastid NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase (MDH) catalyses the conversion of oxaloacetate to malate. In C(4) plants, it is involved in photosynthetic carbon assimilation. In Poaceae, one NADP-MDH gene has been identified in rice (C(3); Erhartoideae) and maize (C(4); Panicoideae), whereas two tandemly repeated genes have been identified in Sorghum (C(4); Panicoideae). In the present study, the molecular evolution of the NADP-MDH multigene family was investigated in order to analyse how the C(4) isoform has evolved over a broader range of panicoid grasses. • Methods Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based cloning was used to isolate cDNAs encoding NADP-MDHs from 15 species of Panicoideae. A gene phylogeny was reconstructed based on cDNA sequences using distance and maximum parsimony methods. Episodic selection along some branches of the phylogenetic tree was tested by analysing non-synonymous and synonymous rate ratios.Transcription of NADP-MDH genes was compared in green leaves of five accessions of Saccharum, Sorghum and Vetiveria using a semi-quantitative PCR approach. • Key Results Phylogenetic analyses of these data support the existence of two NADP-MDH gene lineages (NMDH-I and NMDH-II) in several Andropogoneae (i.e. Saccharum, Sorghum and Vetiveria). Episodic positive selection was shown along the basal branch of the NMDH-II clade. Three amino acid modifications allow the two gene lineages to be distinguished, suggesting a positive selection at these sites. In green leaves, we showed that the transcript accumulation was higher for NMDH-I than for NMDH-II. • Conclusions It is hypothesized that the maintenance of both NADP-MDH genes in some Andropogoneae is due to a partition of the original functions across both copies. NMDH-I probably corresponds to the C(4) isoform as previously suggested. Nevertheless, some C(4) species (e.g. maize) only have one gene which should be selected for its high expression level in leaves. This study confirms that gene duplicates have been recruited for C(4) photosynthesis but are not required in every case

Low sensitivity to optical feedback and optical injection of discrete mode lasers

In this paper, we demonstrate the low sensitivity to both external optical feedback and external optical injection of a new type of extremely low cost single-mode lasers, called "discrete mode" (DM) lasers. The DM lasers are obtained from ridge waveguide Fabry Perot (FP) lasers, in which the effective refractive index of the lasing mode has been perturbed. These lasers exhibit a low sensitivity to external optical feedback since the coherence collapse threshold is around 5 dB higher in comparison to a commercial DFB laser

Les phénomènes de dépendance à l’environnement: réflexions sur l’autonomie humaine à partir de la clinique neurologique

Dans cet article, nous proposons d’analyser la perte d’autonomie caractérisée par les phénomènes de dépendance à l’environnement observés chez certains patients neurologiques présentant des lésions des lobes frontaux. Des propositions théoriques issues de la neuropsychologie cognitive et de la théorie de la médiation sont développées et confrontées. La démarche offre l’occasion, au plan théorique, de questionner la détérioration possible du système de la personne suite à des lésions cérébrales et, au plan méthodologique, d’interroger notre manière d’examiner ces patients en confrontant les modèles théoriques aux observations clinique