Producing organic wheat with high grain protein content: the significance of intercropping and the need for diagnostic tools

Grain quality of wheat is one of the major concerns of organic farming production. Cereal-legume intercropping may be of significance in this regard as it enhances the yield productivity and the grain protein content (GPC) of the intercropped wheat. However, fitted tools are needed for the diagnosis and management of such interspecific canopies. Our main objectives were i) to analyse the effect of intercropping and N-management on organic farming performances and ii) to analyse the relationships between N-status indicators and GPC of intercropped wheat. These objectives were assessed in winter pea–wheat intercrops in 2007 and 2009 in western France. Our study confirmed the significance of intercropping in the production of wheat with high GPC. We showed that tools for diagnosis, fitted for sole crops to manage grain yield and GPC (N nutrition index, chlorophyll meter), can be used on intercropped wheat

Editing streptomycete genomes in the CRISPR/Cas9 age

This article aims to highlight advantages, drawbacks and issues that users should consider when implementing the use of CRISPR/Cas9-tools for genome editing in streptomycetes, the most prolific source of antimicrobial natural products to date. Here, we examine four toolkits that have so far been made available for streptomycete in vivo-engineering and one for in vitro-editing, and review how they have been applied over the last three years. Our critical evaluation of these toolkits intends to support potential users in determining what they could achieve, what they should consider and what system they should select/optimise for their application

Combining Discrete Equations Method and upwind downwind-controlled splitting for non-reacting and reacting two-fluid computations

International audienceA reactive Riemann solver is inserted into the Reactive Discrete Equations Method (RDEM) to compute high speed combustion waves. The anti-diffusive approach developed by Despres and Lagoutiere is also coupled with RDEM to accurately simulate reacting shocks. Increased robustness and efficiency when computing both multiphase interfaces and reacting flows are achieved thanks to an original upwind downwind-controlled splitting method (UDCS)

Multi-Size-Mesh, Multi-Time-Step Algorithm for Noise Computation on Curvilinear Meshes

International audienceAeroacoustic problems are often multi-scale and a zonal refinement technique is thus desirable to reduce computational effort while preserving low dissipation and low dispersion errors from the numerical scheme. For that purpose, the multi-size-mesh multi-time-step algorithm of Tam and Kurbatskii [AIAA Journal, 2000, 38(8), p. 1331-1339] allows changes by a factor of two between adjacent blocks, accompanied by a doubling in the time step. This local time stepping avoids wasting calculation time, which would result from imposing a unique time step dictated by the smallest grid size for explicit time marching. In the present study, the multi-size-mesh multi-time-step method is extended to general curvilinear grids by using a suitable coordinate transformation and by performing the necessary interpolations directly in the physical space due to multidimensional interpolations combining order constraints and optimization in the wave number space. A particular attention is paid to the properties of the Adams-Bashforth schemes used for time marching. The optimization of the coefficients by minimizing an error in the wave number space rather than satisfying a formal order is shown to be inefficient for Adams-Bashforth schemes. The accuracy of the extended multi-size-mesh multi-time-step algorithm is first demonstrated for acoustic propagation on a sinusoidal grid and for a computation of laminar trailing edge noise. In the latter test-case, the mesh doubling is close to the airfoil and the vortical structures are crossing the doubling interface without affecting the quality of the radiated field. The applicability of the algorithm in three dimensions is eventually demonstrated by computing tonal noise from a moderate Reynolds number flow over an airfoil

Impact of the capping layers on lateral confinement in InAs/InP quantum dots for 1.55 um laser applications srudied by magneto-photoluminescence.

We have used magnetophotoluminescence to study the impact of different capping layer material combinations (InP, GaInAsP quaternary alloy, or both InP and quaternary alloy) on lateral confinement in InAs/InP quantum dots (QDs) grown on (311)B orientated substrates. Exciton effective masses, Bohr radii, and binding energies are measured for these samples. Conclusions regarding the strength of the lateral confinement in the different samples are supported by photoluminescence at high excitation power. Contrary to theoretical predictions, InAs QDs in quaternary alloy are found to have better confinement properties than InAs/InP QDs. This is attributed to a lack of lateral intermixing with the quaternary alloy, which is present when InP is used to (partially) cap the dots. The implications of the results for reducing the temperature sensitivity of QD lasers are discussed. ©2005 American Institute of Physic

Combining Discrete Equations Method and Upwind Downwind-Controlled Splitting for Non-Reacting and Reacting Two-Fluid Computations

Lors que nous examinons numériquement des phénomènes multiphasiques suite à un accidentgrave dans le réacteur nucléaire, la dimension caractéristique des zones multi-fluides(non-réactifs et réactifs) s avère beaucoup plus petite que celle du bâtiment réacteur, cequi fait la Simulation Numérique Directe de la configuration à peine réalisable. Autrement,nous proposons de considérer la zone de mélange multiphasique comme une interface infinimentfine. Puis, le solveur de Riemann réactif est inséré dans la Méthode des ÉquationsDiscrètes Réactives (RDEM) pour calculer le front de combustion à grande vitesse représentépar une interface discontinue. Une approche anti-diffusive est ensuite couplée avec laRDEM afin de précisément simuler des interfaces réactives. La robustesse et l efficacité decette approche en calculant tant des interfaces multiphasiques que des écoulements réactifssont à la fois améliorées grâce à la méthode ici proposée : upwind downwind-controlled splitting(UDCS). UDCS est capable de résoudre précisément des interfaces avec les maillagesnon-structurés multidimensionnels, y compris des fronts réactifs de détonation et de déflagration.When numerically investigating multiphase phenomena during severe accidents in a reactorsystem, characteristic lengths of the multi-fluid zone (non-reactive and reactive) are foundto be much smaller than the volume of the reactor containment, which makes the directmodeling of the configuration hardly achievable. Alternatively, we propose to consider thephysical multiphase mixture zone as an infinitely thin interface. Then, the reactive Riemannsolver is inserted into the Reactive Discrete Equations Method (RDEM) to compute highspeed combustion waves represented by discontinuous interfaces. An anti-diffusive approachis also coupled with RDEM to accurately simulate reactive interfaces. Increased robustnessand efficiency when computing both multiphase interfaces and reacting flows are achievedthanks to an original upwind downwind-controlled splitting method (UDCS). UDCS is capableof accurately solving interfaces on multi-dimensional unstructured meshes, includingreacting fronts for both deflagration and detonation configurations.SAVOIE-SCD - Bib.électronique (730659901) / SudocGRENOBLE1/INP-Bib.électronique (384210012) / SudocGRENOBLE2/3-Bib.électronique (384219901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Simulation d'écoulements de gaz denses en turbines

Des gaz denses particuliers (gaz BZT) présentent en régime transsonique des propriétés atypiques qui peuvent être exploitées pour obtenir des rendements élevés dans des turbines les utilisant comme fluides moteurs. La difficulté d'étudier expérimentalement ces écoulements motive le développement d'outils de simulation efficaces. Un code turbulent (RANS) non-structuré sera appliqué à la simulation d'une turbine en considérant différents points de fonctionnement pour le gaz BZT

Si wafer bonded of a-Si/a-SiNx distributed Bragg reflectors for 1.55-µm wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

International audienceAmorphous silicon (a-Si) and amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx) layers deposited by magnetron sputtering have been analyzed in order to determine their optical and surface properties. A large value of ~1.9 of index difference is found between these materials. Distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) based on these dielectric materials quarter wave layers have been studied by optical measurements and confronted to theoretical calculations based on the transfer matrix method. A good agreement has been obtained between the experimental and expected reflectivity. A maximum reflectivity of 99.5% at 1.55 µm and a large spectral bandwidth of 800 nm are reached with only four and a half periods of a-Si/a-SiNx. No variation of the DBR reflectivity has been observed with the time nor when annealed above 240°C and stored during few months. This result allows to use this DBR in a metallic bonding process to realize a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) with two dielectric a-Si/a-SiNx DBR. This bonding method using AuIn2 as the bonding medium and Si substrate can be performed at a low temperature of 240°C without damaging the optical properties of the microcavity. The active region used for this VCSEL is based on lattice-matched InGaAs/InGaAsP quantum wells and a laser emission has been obtained at room-temperature on an optically pumped device

Evidence for the formation of ScbR/ScbR2 heterodimers and identification of one of the regulatory targets in Streptomyces coelicolor

The homologous transcriptional regulators ScbR and ScbR2 have previously been identified as γ-butyrolactone (GBL) and antibiotic receptors, respectively. They regulate diverse physiological processes in Streptomyces coelicolor in response to GBL and antibiotic signals. In this study, ScbR and ScbR2 proteins were shown to interact using a bacterial two-hybrid system where adenylate cyclase activity was reconstituted in Escherichia coli BH101. These ScbR/ScbR2 interactions in S. coelicolor were then demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation. The ScbR/ScbR2 heterodimer was shown to co-exist with their ScbR and ScbR2 respective homodimers. When potential operator targets in S. coelicolor were investigated, the heterodimer was found to bind in the promoter region of sco5158, which however was not a target for ScbR or ScbR2 homodimers. These results revelaed a new mechanism 25 of regulation by ScbR and ScbR2 in S. coelicolor

Overproduction and identification of butyrolactones SCB1-8 in the antibiotic production superhost Streptomyces M1152

Gamma-butyrolactones (GBLs) are signalling molecules that control antibiotic production in Streptomyces bacteria. The genetically engineered strain S. coelicolor M1152 was found to overproduce GBLs SCB1-3 as well as five novel GBLs named SCB4-8. Incorporation experiments using isotopically-labelled precursors confirmed the chemical structures of SCB1-3 and established those of SCB4-8