Optical and structural characterization of femtosecond laser written micro-structures in germanate glass.

We report on direct femtosecond laser writing in zinc barium gallo-germanate glasses. A combination of spectroscopic techniques allows to progress in the understanding of the mechanisms taking place depending on the energy. In the first regime (type I, isotropic local index change) up to 0.

Long-range functional loops in the mouse olfactory system and their roles in computing odor identity.

Elucidating the neural circuits supporting odor identification remains an open challenge. Here, we analyze the contribution of the two output cell types of the mouse olfactory bulb (mitral and tufted cells) to decode odor identity and concentration and its dependence on top-down feedback from their respective major cortical targets: piriform cortex versus anterior olfactory nucleus. We find that tufted cells substantially outperform mitral cells in decoding both odor identity and intensity.

Development and characterization of a PLGA-HA composite material to fabricate 3D-printed scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Additive manufacturing is a rising field in bone tissue engineering. Additive fabrication offers reproducibility, high precision and rapid manufacture of custom patient-specific scaffolds. The development of appropriate composite materials for biomedical applications is critical to reach clinical application of these novel biomaterials.

Measuring the biological impact of drilling waste on the deep seafloor: An experimental challenge.

The depletion of traditional oil fields is driving the oil & gas industry to explore new exploitation sites previously considered as unprofitable. Deep-sea oil fields represent one of these new areas of exploitation. Well drilling during exploration and production operations generate large quantities of drilling waste whose biological impact on the deep-sea floor remains largely unknown.