Václav Blažek, Michal Schwarz. Early Indo-Europeans in Central Asia and China. Cultural relations as reflected in language

Dans cet ouvrage, V. Blažek et M. Schwarz proposent une étude sur les contacts en Chine et en Asie Centrale entre les populations indo-européennes et leurs voisins, locuteurs de langues non indo-européennes. Cette monographie est alors divisée en quatre parties : la première traite des relation lexicales mutuelles entre les langues tokhariennes et le chinois (p. 21-79), la seconde discute des différentes désignations des noms de métaux en tokharien et en iranien (p. 80-133), la troisième étud..

Morphological features of distribution of branches of the ethmoid arteries on from the shape of the orbit

To study the topography of the lattice of the arteries of the labyrinth and their relationship to the form of the orbit was carried out anthropometric measurements by the method of V. N. Shevkunenko, A. M. Eselevich, T. V. Zolotareva, G. N. Toporov. To determine the shape of the orbit was measured by the following parameters: 1 - the height of the entrance to the eye socket - the distance between the upper and lower walls of the orbit; 2 - entrance width - the distance between the inner and outer walls of the orbit; 3 - the depth - the distance between the inner boundary of the entrance into the orbit to the optic canal

Smaller classes promote equitable student participation in STEM

Under embargo until: 2020-07-24As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms in higher education transition from lecturing to active learning, the frequency of student interactions in class increases. Previous research documents a gender bias in participation, with women participating less than would be expected on the basis of their numeric proportions. In the present study, we asked which attributes of the learning environment contribute to decreased female participation: the abundance of in-class interactions, the diversity of interactions, the proportion of women in class, the instructor's gender, the class size, and whether the course targeted lower division (first and second year) or upper division (third or fourth year) students. We calculated likelihood ratios of female participation from over 5300 student–instructor interactions observed across multiple institutions. We falsified several alternative hypotheses and demonstrate that increasing class size has the largest negative effect. We also found that when the instructors used a diverse range of teaching strategies, the women were more likely to participate after small-group discussions.acceptedVersio

A comprehensive overview of grain development in Brachypodium distachyon variety Bd21

A detailed and comprehensive understanding of seed reserve accumulation is of great importance for agriculture and crop improvement strategies. This work is part of a research programme aimed at using Brachypodium distachyon as a model plant for cereal grain development and filling. The focus was on the Bd21-3 accession, gathering morphological, cytological, and biochemical data, including protein, lipid, sugars, starch, and cell-wall analyses during grain development. This study highlighted the existence of three main developmental phases in Brachypodium caryopsis and provided an extensive description of Brachypodium grain development. In the first phase, namely morphogenesis, the embryo developed rapidly reaching its final morphology about 18 d after fertilization (DAF). Over the same period the endosperm enlarged, finally to occupy 80% of the grain volume. During the maturation phase, carbohydrates were continuously stored, mainly in the endosperm, switching from sucrose to starch accumulation. Large quantities of β-glucans accumulated in the endosperm with local variations in the deposition pattern. Interestingly, new β-glucans were found in Brachypodium compared with other cereals. Proteins (i.e. globulins and prolamins) were found in large quantities from 15 DAF onwards. These proteins were stored in two different sub-cellular structures which are also found in rice, but are unusual for the Pooideae. During the late stage of development, the grain desiccated while the dry matter remained fairly constant. Brachypodium exhibits some significant differences with domesticated cereals. Beta-glucan accumulates during grain development and this cell wall polysaccharide is the main storage carbohydrate at the expense of starch

MICROBE-MEDIATED ADAPTATION IN PLANTS

Plant-associated microbes affect a wide-variety of plant functional traits, and thus they likely affect patterns of plant local adaptation. However, the role of microbes in plant local adaptation is rarely tested. In a survey of the plant local adaptation literature, I found that the vast majority of studies that report local adaptation (94%) performed transplants into microbe-containing soils and measured traits that are microbe-mediated. In these studies, microbe-mediated effects are confounded with plant genotype effects. For my dissertation research, I sought to describe the phenomenon of microbe-mediated adaptation and provide a definitive test using a modified reciprocal transplant experiments that moved seeds and microbes into two habitats. Here I present my dissertation work in three chapters: In my first chapter, I propose two ways in which microbes facilitate patterns of adaptation for plants, microbe-mediated local adaptation and microbe-mediated adaptive plasticity. Microbe-mediated local adaptation is when plant genotypes have higher fitness at their home site because of a genotype-specific affiliation with locally important microbe(s). Microbe-mediated adaptive plasticity is when a plant genotype has higher fitness in multiple habitats because it demonstrates plasticity in associating with locally important microbes. In my second chapter, I describe soil conditions, plant phenotype, and microbial communities in two habitats. I used high-throughput tagged amplicon sequencing of SSU-rRNA genes (for bacteria) and ITS1 (for fungi) to characterize the root microbiome of Saint John’s wort, Hypericum perforatum. At each root sampling location, I quantified soil characteristics to evaluate habitat variables that are correlated with root microbial communities. I also collected information on plant growth and fecundity for each focal plant to identify microbes that are correlated with plant phenotype. We found that bacterial and fungal communities were significantly different between habitats. Community differences were correlated with soil nitrogen and pH, and two taxa in the phylum Actinobacteria were significantly correlated with plant height. In my third chapter, I test for microbe-mediated adaptation using the two habitats, limestone barrens (alvars) and old-fields, described in chapter two. I conducted reciprocal transplant experiments in two years, exploring microbe effects on plant germination, survival, and growth. I found that alvar seeds had higher probability of germination when transplanted into home soils with microbes, but only when transplanted into their home habitat. Similarly, alvar seedlings had a higher probability of survival when transplanted into their home live soils, but here transplant site was unimportant. I also found local microbes inhibited local adaptation for old-field seedlings and facilitated local adaptation for alvar seedlings. My results indicate that microbial mutualists were important for plants growing in marginal alvar habitats, and that microbes changed patterns of local adaptation

L'intérêt thérapeutique du venin des cônes

CAEN-BU Médecine pharmacie (141182102) / SudocLYON1-BU Santé (693882101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Design and control of high temperature electrolyser systems fed with renewable energies

Le « Power-to-Gas » pourrait devenir une solution attractive pour le stockage des énergies renouvelables, pourvu que des électrolyseurs soient capables de fonctionner efficacement dans des conditions intermittentes à un coût abordable. Ce travail a pour objectif d'évaluer la faisabilité technique du fonctionnement intermittent de systèmes d'électrolyse à oxyde solide (SOEC) autour de 1073 K. Des conditions réalistes défavorables sont considérées, consistant en un système autonome sans source externe de chaleur et intégrant une compression d'hydrogène à 3 MPa. La problématique se compose de deux aspects : i) la gamme de fonctionnement du système, limitée à 60-100% en raison de gradients thermiques, est étendue via des stratégies de contrôle efficaces, ii) des procédures sont définies pour minimiser l'impact de l'intermittence sur la durée de vie. Premièrement, une stratégie de contrôle modulaire est proposée, consistant en l'utilisation de plusieurs unités indépendantes qui fonctionnent dans une gamme de puissance tolérable, ou sont arrêtées. La gamme de fonctionnement du système est ainsi étendue à 15-100% dans le cas de quatre unités. Une stratégie de contrôle complémentaire, consistant en un chauffage électrique interne, permet d'étendre la gamme de fonctionnement en réduisant les gradients thermiques, mais elle est susceptible de diminuer la durée de vie. Elle n'est donc appliquée qu'à une unité afin de suivre la courbe de charge et d'étendre la gamme de fonctionnement du système à 3-100%. Deuxièmement, 1800 cycles électriques on-off sont appliqués à une SOEC sans impact sur la dégradation, ce qui montre que des arrêts/démarrages répétés ne diminuent pas la durée de vie. De plus, des procédures de démarrage, standby et arrêt sont définies. Enfin, deux études de systèmes Eolien-SOEC et Solaire-SOEC fonctionnant pendant un an montrent que, avec les stratégies de contrôle implémentées, le système SOEC stocke la puissance appliquée avec un rendement de 91% sur PCS en moyenne, alors que les unités fonctionnent dans des conditions tolérables mis à part une unité qui suit la courbe de charge et est susceptible d'avoir une durée de vie diminuée.Power-to-Gas could become an attractive solution for renewable electricity storage, provided that affordable electrolysers are able to operate efficiently under intermittent conditions. This work aims to assess the technical feasibility of operating intermittently a Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) system around 1073 K. Realistic unfavourable conditions are considered, consisting in a standalone system operated with no external heat source and integrating hydrogen compression to 3 MPa. Two challenges are tackled in this work: i) the system power load range, limited to 60-100% due to thermal gradients, is extended via efficient control strategies, ii) procedures are defined to minimise the impact of the intermittency on the lifetime. First, a modular control strategy is proposed, consisting in the use of several SOEC units which are either operated in a tolerable power load range, or switched off. The system power load range is hence extended to 15-100% in the case of four units. A complementary control strategy, consisting in internal electrical heating, enables to extend the load range by reducing thermal gradients, but it may decrease the lifetime. Thus, it is applied to only one unit for it to follow the load curve and extend the system power load range to 3-100%. Secondly, 1800 on-off electric cycles are applied to an SOEC with no degradation increase, which shows that repeated start/stops do not decrease the lifetime. Start-up, standby and shut-down procedures are also defined. Finally, two case studies of Wind-SOEC and Solar-SOEC systems operated over one year show that, with the implemented control strategies, the SOEC system stores the applied power with an average efficiency of 91% vs. HHV, while units operate under tolerable conditions apart from one unit which follows the load curve and may have a decreased lifetime

Conception et conduite de systèmes d’électrolyse à haute température alimentés par des énergies renouvelables

Power-to-Gas could become an attractive solution for renewable electricity storage, provided that affordable electrolysers are able to operate efficiently under intermittent conditions. This work aims to assess the technical feasibility of operating intermittently a Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) system around 1073 K. Realistic unfavourable conditions are considered, consisting in a standalone system operated with no external heat source and integrating hydrogen compression to 3 MPa. Two challenges are tackled in this work: i) the system power load range, limited to 60-100% due to thermal gradients, is extended via efficient control strategies, ii) procedures are defined to minimise the impact of the intermittency on the lifetime. First, a modular control strategy is proposed, consisting in the use of several SOEC units which are either operated in a tolerable power load range, or switched off. The system power load range is hence extended to 15-100% in the case of four units. A complementary control strategy, consisting in internal electrical heating, enables to extend the load range by reducing thermal gradients, but it may decrease the lifetime. Thus, it is applied to only one unit for it to follow the load curve and extend the system power load range to 3-100%. Secondly, 1800 on-off electric cycles are applied to an SOEC with no degradation increase, which shows that repeated start/stops do not decrease the lifetime. Start-up, standby and shut-down procedures are also defined. Finally, two case studies of Wind-SOEC and Solar-SOEC systems operated over one year show that, with the implemented control strategies, the SOEC system stores the applied power with an average efficiency of 91% vs. HHV, while units operate under tolerable conditions apart from one unit which follows the load curve and may have a decreased lifetime.Le « Power-to-Gas » pourrait devenir une solution attractive pour le stockage des énergies renouvelables, pourvu que des électrolyseurs soient capables de fonctionner efficacement dans des conditions intermittentes à un coût abordable. Ce travail a pour objectif d'évaluer la faisabilité technique du fonctionnement intermittent de systèmes d'électrolyse à oxyde solide (SOEC) autour de 1073 K. Des conditions réalistes défavorables sont considérées, consistant en un système autonome sans source externe de chaleur et intégrant une compression d'hydrogène à 3 MPa. La problématique se compose de deux aspects : i) la gamme de fonctionnement du système, limitée à 60-100% en raison de gradients thermiques, est étendue via des stratégies de contrôle efficaces, ii) des procédures sont définies pour minimiser l'impact de l'intermittence sur la durée de vie. Premièrement, une stratégie de contrôle modulaire est proposée, consistant en l'utilisation de plusieurs unités indépendantes qui fonctionnent dans une gamme de puissance tolérable, ou sont arrêtées. La gamme de fonctionnement du système est ainsi étendue à 15-100% dans le cas de quatre unités. Une stratégie de contrôle complémentaire, consistant en un chauffage électrique interne, permet d'étendre la gamme de fonctionnement en réduisant les gradients thermiques, mais elle est susceptible de diminuer la durée de vie. Elle n'est donc appliquée qu'à une unité afin de suivre la courbe de charge et d'étendre la gamme de fonctionnement du système à 3-100%. Deuxièmement, 1800 cycles électriques on-off sont appliqués à une SOEC sans impact sur la dégradation, ce qui montre que des arrêts/démarrages répétés ne diminuent pas la durée de vie. De plus, des procédures de démarrage, standby et arrêt sont définies. Enfin, deux études de systèmes Eolien-SOEC et Solaire-SOEC fonctionnant pendant un an montrent que, avec les stratégies de contrôle implémentées, le système SOEC stocke la puissance appliquée avec un rendement de 91% sur PCS en moyenne, alors que les unités fonctionnent dans des conditions tolérables mis à part une unité qui suit la courbe de charge et est susceptible d'avoir une durée de vie diminuée