Contributory Negligence in Europe

The Dutch law relating to contributory negligence is entirely judge made law, as it is in France and Belgium and in the other countries which have derived their civil codes from the Code Napoleon. We have here a good example of the advantage of the more elastic development of judge made law in the countries with codified laws, at least in the field of the law of torts

Vers une meilleure gestion du lapin en tant qu’animal de laboratoire : état des lieux et perspectives

The rabbit is an essential model in scientific research, particularly in the study of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis and for the investigation of the osteoarticular system. Due to the fact that various factors (environmental, microbial, stress, pain.) can influence data obtained from experiments, special care must be given to housing conditions. Sensory enrichment (olfactive, auditive, visual or tactile stimuli) and physical enrichment (nutritional and social stimuli) allow rabbits to express specific behaviours and reduce stereotypies. This synthesis reminds of the importance of these factors and gives to the researcher some ways to control them.Le lapin est un modèle essentiel en recherche scientifique, en particulier dans l’étude des maladies cardiovasculaires, telles l’hypertension et l’athérosclérose, et les investigations menées sur le système ostéo-articulaire. Divers facteurs (environnement, statut microbien, stress, douleur) peuvent induire de sérieuses répercussions sur la collecte des données expérimentales. La prise en compte de ces facteurs et leur maîtrise est indispensable à l’obtention de données reproductibles. Une attention particulière doit être accordée aux conditions d’hébergement. L’enrichissement sensoriel (stimuli olfactifs, auditifs, visuels, tactiles) et l’enrichissement physique (stimuli nutritionnels et sociaux : hébergement en groupe) permettent aux animaux d’exprimer de nombreux comportements spécifiques et de réduire les stéréotypies. Cette synthèse rappelle l’importance de ces facteurs et donne quelques recommandations aux chercheurs pour mieux les contrôle

Control by neuromodulation: A tutorial

This tutorial provides an introduction to the topic of neuromodulation as an important control paradigm for natural and artificial neuronal networks. We review how neuromodulation modulates excitability, and how neuromodulation interacts with homeostasis. We stress how modulating nodal excitability provides a robust and versatile control principle to dynamically reconfigure the connectivity of rhythmic circuits and to shape the spatio-temporal synchrony of large populations.ER

The non-photosynthetic, pathogenic green alga Helicosporidium sp. has retained a modified, functional plastid genome

A fragment of the Helicosporidium sp. (Chlorophyta: Trebouxiophyceae) plastid genome has been sequenced. The genome architecture was compared to that of both a non-photosynthetic relative (Prototheca wickerhamii) and a photosynthetic relative (Chlorella vulgaris). Comparative genomic analysis indicated that Helicosporidium and Prototheca are closely related genera. The analyses also revealed that the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has been rearranged. In particular, two ribosomal protein-encoding genes (rpl19 and rps23) appeared to have been transposed, or lost from the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome. RT-PCR reactions demonstrated that the retained plastid genes were transcribed, suggesting that, despite rearrangement(s), the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has remained functional. The modified plastid genome architecture is a novel apomorphy that indicates that the Helicosporidia are highly derived green algae, more so than Prototheca spp. As such, they represent a promising model to study organellar genome reorganizations in parasitic protists

Computational implications of biophysical diversity and multiple timescales in neurons and synapses for circuit performance

Despite advances in experimental and theoretical neuroscience, we are still trying to identify key biophysical details that are important for characterizing the operation of brain circuits. Biological mechanisms at the level of single neurons and synapses can be combined as ‘building blocks’ to generate circuit function. We focus on the importance of capturing multiple timescales when describing these intrinsic and synaptic components. Whether inherent in the ionic currents, the neuron’s complex morphology, or the neurotransmitter composition of synapses, these multiple timescales prove crucial for capturing the variability and richness of circuit output and enhancing the information-carrying capacity observed across nervous systems