The maternal metabolic environment can be detrimental to the health of the offspring. In a previous work, we showed that maternal high-fat (HH) feeding in rabbit induced sex-dependent metabolic adaptation in the fetus and led to metabolic syndrome in adult offspring. As early development representing a critical window of susceptibility, in the present work we aimed to explore the effects of the HH diet on the oocyte, preimplantation embryo and its microenvironment. In oocytes from females on HH diet, transcriptomic analysis revealed a weak modification in the content of transcripts mainly involved in meiosis and translational control. The effect of maternal HH diet on the embryonic microenvironment was investigated by identifying the metabolite composition of uterine and embryonic fluids collected in vivo by biomicroscopy. Metabolomic analysis revealed differences in the HH uterine fluid surrounding the embryo, with increased pyruvate concentration. Within the blastocoelic fluid, metabolomic profiles showed decreased glucose and alanine concentrations. In addition, the blastocyst transcriptome showed under-expression of genes and pathways involved in lipid, glucose and amino acid transport and metabolism, most pronounced in female embryos. This work demonstrates that the maternal HH diet disrupts the in vivo composition of the embryonic microenvironment, where the presence of nutrients is increased. In contrast to this nutrient-rich environment, the embryo presents a decrease in nutrient sensing and metabolism suggesting a potential protective process. In addition, this work identifies a very early sex-specific response to the maternal HH diet, from the blastocyst stage.

This interdisciplinary study presents a human perspective on climatic variations by combining documentary, discursive, instrumental, and proxy data. Historical sources were used to characterize climate variations along the coast of Labrador/Nunatsiavut during the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Written and early instrumental archives provided original information on the state and perception of climate before the establishment of meteorological stations, which permitted an intra-annual perspective on climatic variations. Written sources depicted the sensitivity of humans to climatic variations. Exceptional seasonal climatic events were extracted from documentary and discursive sources, which were complemented by tree-ring and early instrumental data. From 1780 to 1900, data indicated a succession of relatively warm and cold episodes. Most warm periods were described as stormy and variable. The final part of the studied records showed cold conditions from 1900 to 1925 and warm conditions from 1925 to 1950. Historical sources helped to discriminate a seasonal signal. Mild autumn-winter conditions were recorded since 1910 in relation with positive anomalies of the North Atlantic Oscillation in winter. Relatively warm spring-summer conditions were recorded after 1920, which corresponds to a phase of positive anomaly of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation.

In this article we present the fragments of a crucible and a possible tuyère that provide evidence of early copper metallurgy in Scandinavia at least 1500 years earlier than previously thought. The technical ceramics were found in a cultural layer containing Early Neolithic Funnel Beaker pottery dating to around 3800–3500 bc beneath a long barrow dating to 3300–3100 bc. The presence of a copper alloy in the crucible is confirmed by three independent X-ray fluorescence analyses using both a hand-held and a stationary instrument, SEM-EDS analysis of a cross-section, as well as a Bruker Tornado μ-X-Ray-fluorescence scanner (μ-XRF). The transmission of metallurgy to southern Scandinavia coincided with the introduction of long barrows, causewayed enclosures, two-aisled houses, and certain types of artefacts. Thus, metallurgy seems to be part of the new networks that enabled the establishment of a fully Neolithic society.

The quality of prenatal maternal mental health, from psychological stress and depressive symptoms to anxiety and other nonpsychotic mental disorders, profoundly affects fetal neurodevelopment. Despite the evidence for the influence of positive mental well-being on health, there is, to our knowledge, no research examining the possible effects of positive antenatal mental health on the development of the offspring. Using exploratory bifactor analysis, this prospective study (n = 1,066) demonstrated the feasibility of using common psychiatric screening tools to examine the effect of positive maternal mental health. Antenatal mental health was assessed during 26th week of pregnancy. The effects on offspring were assessed when the child was 12, 18, and 24 months old. Results showed that positive antenatal mental health was uniquely associated with the offspring's cognitive, language and parentally rated competences. This study shows that the effects of positive maternal mental health are likely to be specific and distinct from the sheer absence of symptoms of depression or anxiety.

Sediments deposited from the Permian–Triassic boundary (~252 Ma) until the end-Smithian (Early Triassic; c. 250.7 Ma) in the Sonoma Foreland Basin show marked thickness variations between its southern (up to c. 250 m thick) and northern (up to c. 550 m thick) parts. This basin formed as a flexural response to the emplacement of the Golconda Allochthon during the Sonoma orogeny. Using a high-resolution backstripping approach, a numerical model and sediment thickness to obtain a quantitative subsidence analysis, we discuss the controlling factor(s) responsible for spatial variations in thickness. We show that sedimentary overload is not sufficient to explain the significant discrepancy observed in the sedimentary record of the basin. We argue that the inherited rheological properties of the basement terranes and spatial heterogeneity of the allochthon are of paramount importance in controlling the subsidence and thickness spatial distribution across the Sonoma Foreland Basin.

High mobility channel materials and new device structures will be needed to meet the power and performance specifications in future technology nodes. Therefore, the use of Ge and III/V materials and novel devices such as heterojunction TunnelFET’s is investigated for future CMOS applications. High-performance CMOS can be obtained by combining Ge pMOS devices with nMOS devices made on III/V compounds such as InGaAs. In all cases the key challenge is the electrical passivation of the interface between the high-k dielectric and the alternative channel materials. Recent studies have demonstrated good electrical properties of the GeO2/Ge interface. Since the GeO2 layer is very hygroscopic, full in-situ processing of GeO2 formation and high-k deposition must be performed or other methods must be employed to stabilize the GeO2 layer. One of the most successful passivation techniques for Ge MOS gate stacks is a thin, epitaxial layer of Si. A lot of attention went into better understanding of this passivation and the effects of its optimization on various device characteristics. It was found that mobility and Vt trends in both pMOS and nMOS transistors can be explained based on defects located at the Si/SiO2 interface. Unfortunately, III-V/oxide interfaces are not quite as robust and most interfaces present rather high densities of interface states. Although, considerable improvements have been realized in the reduction of the interface state density, further developments are required to obtain high performance MOS devices. To this purpose various passivation methods were critically evaluated. Simulations using Density Functional Theory reveal the possibility of using a thin amorphous layer made of GeOX to obtain an electrically unpinned gap. The major challenge resides in the control of the c-Ge thickness and the oxidation of this layer to avoid the diffusion of oxygen atoms at the Ge/GaAs(001) interface. Promising results are obtained by optimizing the surface preparation, high-k deposition and annealing cycle on In0.53Ga0.47As-Al2O3 interfaces. Self-aligned inversion channel n-MOSFETs fabricated on p-type In0.53Ga0.47As demonstrate inversion-mode operation with high drive current and a peak electron mobility of 3000 cm2/Vs. Since ultimately the major showstopper on the scaling roadmap is not device speed, but rather power density, the introduction of these advanced materials will have to go together with the introduction of new device concepts. Novel structures such as heterojunction TunnelFET’s can fully exploit the properties of these new materials and provide superior performance at lower power consumption by virtue of their improved subthreshold behaviour. Vertical surround gate devices produced from nanowires allow the introduction of a wide range of materials on Si. This illustrates the possibilities that are created by the combination of new materials and devices to allow scaling of nanoelectronics beyond the Si roadmap.