Implementation of arbitrary real-valued correlation filters for the shadow-casting incoherent correlator

International audienceWe describe an incoherent correlator, based on the shadow-casting principle, that is able to implement any real-valued linear correlation filter. The correlation filter and the input image are displayed on commercial liquid-crystal television ~LCTV! panels. Although it cannot handle high-resolution images, the incoherent correlator is lensless, compact, low cost, and uses a white-light source. A bipolar technique is devised to represent any linear filter, computed from a single reference image or composite, in the correlator. We demonstrate experimentally the efficiency of the design in the case of optimal trade-off ~OT! filters and optimal trade-off synthetic discriminant function ~OT-SDF! filter

Plasma 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid as an endogenous index of renal plasma flow

Plasma 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid as an endogenous index of renal plasma flow. 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), the major serotonin metabolite, was measured in human plasma and urine using liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection. The renal extraction of 5-HIAA was 78%, a value compatible with an almost complete extraction during a single passage of the blood through the kidney. In addition, plasma levels of 5-HIAA measured in patients with a wide range of renal function was inversely correlated (r = 0.85) with the clearance of para-aminohippuric acid (PAH). The results indicate that 5-HIAA determinations can be used as an alternative procedure to the PAH clearance method for the estimation of renal plasma flow in clinical practice

Desarrollo y rendimiento de calabacín y lechuga cultivados sobre acolchados vivos en Cuenca, Ecuador

Keeping soils covered through living mulches is one of the most widely reported strategies to reduce the risk of soil erosion on sloped lands. Nevertheless, soil covers application is not always compatible with the agronomic requirements of vegetable crops. Here, we assess the effect of two living mulches on development and yield of zucchini and lettuce, these crops are typically cultivated in peri-urban systems around Cuenca (Ecuador). A randomized complete block design with 5 replications and three treatments (clover mulch, managed spontaneous natural growth mulch and control) was used. Results shown that yield crops on some mulches are similar yields of those uncovered traditional crops systems. However, implementing and maintaining these mulch crops required more economic resources and labor than uncover traditional crops. These result help identify potential limitations for the commercial implementation of living mulches in vegetable crops under Cuenca conditions and highlight the need to conducts local evaluations of soil conservation strategies.El mantenimiento de la cobertura del suelo a través de prácticas como los acolchados vivos ha sido reportado ampliamente como una de las prácticas más efectivas para reducir el riesgo de erosión, principalmente en zonas de pendiente. No obstante, su aplicación no siempre es compatible con los requerimientos agronómicos de muchos cultivos hortícolas. En este estudio evaluamos el efecto de dos sistemas de acolchado vivo en el desarrollo y rendimiento del calabacín y lechuga, cultivos hortícolas comúnmente cultivados en sistemas de producción periurbanos de Cuenca (Ecuador).  Los experimentos se desarrollaron usando diseños de bloques completos al azar con 5 repeticiones y tres tratamientos: acolchado vivo de trébol, acolchado vivo de vegetación espontánea manejada y un control. Los resultados muestran que los cultivos sobre algunos acolchados pueden alcanzar rendimientos similares a los observados en el sistema de siembra tradicional sin cobertura. No obstante, la implementación y manejo de los sistemas de acolchado vivo requirieron mayores recursos económicos y trabajo que el sistema tradicional sin cobertura. Estos resultados ayudan a identificar posibles limitaciones en la implementación de sistemas de acolchado vivo en cultivos hortícolas que deberán ser satisfechas previo a su posible implementación comercial. Adicionalmente, estos resultados resaltan la importancia de conducir evaluaciones locales de este tipo de estrategias de conservación de suelos

Brain transcriptional stability upon prion protein-encoding gene invalidation in zygotic or adult mouse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The physiological function of the prion protein remains largely elusive while its key role in prion infection has been expansively documented. To potentially assess this conundrum, we performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of the brain of wild-type mice with that of transgenic mice invalidated at this locus either at the zygotic or at the adult stages.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Only subtle transcriptomic differences resulting from the <it>Prnp </it>knockout could be evidenced, beside <it>Prnp </it>itself, in the analyzed adult brains following microarray analysis of 24 109 mouse genes and QPCR assessment of some of the putatively marginally modulated loci. When performed at the adult stage, neuronal <it>Prnp </it>disruption appeared to sequentially induce a response to an oxidative stress and a remodeling of the nervous system. However, these events involved only a limited number of genes, expression levels of which were only slightly modified and not always confirmed by RT-qPCR. If not, the qPCR obtained data suggested even less pronounced differences.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that the physiological function of PrP is redundant at the adult stage or important for only a small subset of the brain cell population under classical breeding conditions. Following its early reported embryonic developmental regulation, this lack of response could also imply that PrP has a more detrimental role during mouse embryogenesis and that potential transient compensatory mechanisms have to be searched for at the time this locus becomes transcriptionally activated.</p

Efecto de dos coberturas vegetales en el desarrollo y rendimiento del cultivo de zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) cv. Black Beauty

El propósito de la presente investigación fue determinar el efecto de dos coberturas vegetales (mulch verde) en el desarrollo del cultivo de zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) cv. Black Beauty en campo abierto bajo las condiciones climáticas de Cuenca. El experimento se desarrolló en el Campus Yanuncay de la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad de Cuenca, en el cual se determinó si las siembras de cultivos de cobertura asociados afectan a los parámetros agronómicos del cultivo de zucchini. Se evaluaron dos tipos de cobertura: a) vegetación espontánea cortada a 5 cm de altura con labranza tradicional. b) cobertura de trébol cortado a 5 cm con labranza tradicional y se compararon contra un control sin cobertura manejado con deshierbas mecánicas. El diseño experimental que se utilizó fue un diseño de bloques completos al azar con 5 repeticiones. Al final del experimento no se observaron efectos significativos sobre las variables edáficas, pero si sobre parámetros agronómicos como el rendimiento o el número de hojas. Se concluye, que la cobertura de vegetación espontánea fue más similar al control sin cobertura que la cobertura de trébol; esta última redujo significativamente el rendimiento del cultivoThe purpose of this work was to determine the effect of two living mulches on the development of a zucchini (Cucurbita pepo cv. Black Beauty) crop under open field conditions of Cuenca. The experiment was carried out at the Yanuncay Campus of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Cuenca. Two treatments were detected for any of the soil variables evaluated. However, significant differences among treatments were detected for the yield per plant and number of leaves. In general, the living mulch of spontaneous vegetation was more similar to types of living mulches were evaluated: a) spontaneous vegetation cut to 5 cm high and b) clover cut to 5 cm; these two living mulches were compared against a control treatment without any type of mulch and periodical mechanical weeding. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with 5 replicates. At the end of the experiment no significant differences among the unmulched clean control treatment than the clover living mulch treatment. The clover living mulch reduced significantly the yield of the zucchini plantsIngeniero AgrónomoCuenc

FACTEURS INFLUENCANT LA CICATRISATION ET LA PERMEABILITE DES PONTAGES SOUS INGUINAUX CHEZ 143 PATIENTS DIABETIQUES

LILLE2-BU Santé-Recherche (593502101) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Raman and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) Analyses of a Microsubstance Adhering to a Fiber of the Turin Shroud

The Raman spectrum of a microsubstance, smeared on a fiber coming from the Shroud of Turin, was compared with numerous spectra published for old or modern pigment dyes, whole bloods, dried bloods, red blood cells, albumin, very ancient blood stains, and various "degradation" products of heme. Within the wavenumber measure accuracy, it is shown that all Raman lines detected above background could correspond to vibration frequencies found in biliverdin-derived compounds except a weak line that we tentatively attributed to amide I. Biliverdin is known as an oxidative ring cleavage product of the heme of blood. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of the sample confirms an elemental composition fully compatible with this hypothesis. Therefore, it is very likely that this microsubstance contains products of heme including heme/biliverdin-derived compounds and protein traces (amide I). Nevertheless, other measures will be necessary to confirm it. This method of identification, adding EDS to Raman spectrometry can be applied to nondestructive testing (NDT) of many other microsamples

Discrete incoherent shadow casting: theoretical investigations

International audienc