Polymem (France)

It is now widely accepted that animals’ phenotypes are determined by the host genetic and the microbiome composition. For the genetic evaluation purpose, our objectives are to estimate the heritability and microbiability, and the additive metagenomic effect, assuming that these two components have additive effects. In this study were included, as dairy traits, milk production, fat and protein content; and 16S rRNA gene of rumen bacteria of 795 ewes. Two genomic<br/>models were used, a first model to predict individual microbiome contribution to phenotypes; and a second model to predict genetic effects on this predicted microbiome contribution. Results showed that the microbiabilities for milk traits were close to zero, and the residual heritabilities were not different from the trait heritabilities. By disentangling the milk traits’ variance explained by the microbiome, we conclude that rumen bacteria abundances do not provide improved genetic evaluation of dairy traits in Lacaune sheep.

A computer-vision based procedure was developed to predict behaviour of 22 Meishan and 21 Large-White lactating sows kept in individual pens. A neural network analysis allowed detecting 5 postures (standing, sitting, lying ventrally, lying laterally without and with udder exposed) and 2 sow standing activities, i.e. drinking, eating. The accuracy was 31% for sitting and varied from 78 to 96% for the standing and lying postures. Sow behaviour was estimated from 3 days before to 9 days after farrowing. First, cluster analyses were carried out to identify patterns of activities over successive periods: prefarrowing, the day of farrowing and post-farrowing. Second, a survival analysis was carried out using Cox proportional hazards model to study the influence of sow behaviour on piglet mortality. Piglets born from sows that were less active before farrowing and make more rooling and less changing standing to lying on the day of farrowing had a risk of dying up to 8 and 3 to 7 times higher than other piglets, respectively.

Objective: To confirm the diagnosis of hypertension with a probability of 99% according to the blood pressure obtained by Home Blood Pressure Monitoring (HBPM) at home after one or two days. Design and method: In 3910 subjects followed in a specialist hospital department, 72% of whom were treated with at least one antihypertensive drug, HBPM was performed with 18 measurements over 3 days (3 measurements in the morning and evening). The mean of the 18 measurements was used as the reference value to define ‘hypertension’ status with the thresholds SBP&gt; = 135 or DBP &gt; = 85. Univariate statistical analysis determined the mean SBP/DBP value obtained after day 1 and day 2 to affirm or deny the diagnosis of hypertension at the 99% threshold Results: The population, aged 60 ± 13 years, had a mean SBP/DBP of 134 ± 14/81 ± 10 mmHg. With the average of the 3 days of self-measurement to define blood pressure status, the diagnosis of hypertension or normotension was obtained for 44% of the population after the first day and for 73% after the second day. The values of mean SBP and/or DBP that allowed the diagnosis to be confirmed after 1 or 2 days of self-measurement with the probability of 99% are given in the table: Conclusions: It is possible to shorten the HBPM protocol to 1 day in 42% of patients followed for hypertension while maintaining a very high probability of diagnosis of blood pressure status. To allow patients to follow a HBPM protocol adapted to their blood pressure level Applications dedicated to self-measurement should use these results.

In the context of designing a photocatalytic self-cleaning/low-fouling membrane, the stability of PVDF-PVP-TiO2 hollow-fiber membranes under UV irradiation has been studied. The effect of irradiation power, aqueous environment composition and fouling state on the properties of the membranes has been investigated. With this aim, SEM observations, chemical analysis and tensile strength measurements have been conducted. The results indicate that pristine membranes that undergo UV irradiation in ultra-pure water are significantly degraded due to attacks of OH° radicals. However, when methylene blue, used as a model pollutant, is introduced in the aqueous environment, OH° radicals preferentially react with this molecule rather than the membranes, successfully preserving the original properties of the latter. The presence of an adsorbed BSA layer (pre-fouling by immersion) on the surface of the membrane delays membrane aging, as the BSA layer is degraded by radicals instead of the membrane material. The degradation of the BSA layer also validates the self-cleaning properties of the membrane. However, when membranes are pre-fouled by filtration of a 2 g/L BSA solution, delay to aging is less. This is because OH° radicals do not reach BSA molecules that are trapped inside the membrane pores, and therefore react with the membrane material.

1,3-alternate derivatives of thiacalix[4]arenes were employed as new macrocyclic emulsifiers to synthesize waterborne polyurethanes as environmental friendly anti-corrosive coatings for mild steel.

The Cannizzaro reaction is performed under very mild alkaline conditions using anionic polyurethane nanomicelles as a novel reusable polymeric ionic solvent.

Background Eucalyptus species are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world representing more than 4.75 million ha in Brazil. Their high productivity, valuable wood properties and wide adaptability could allow sustainable and cost-efficient production of lignocellulosic bioenergy. The main limitation to this objective is wood recalcitrance to degradation which is linked to the structure and composition of lignified secondary cell walls. Lignin, for example, impairs the accessibility of cellulose during kraft pulping as well as during saccharification, a key step of bioethanol production. The application of nitrogen fertilizers is one strategy to increase growth rates and productivity since nitrogen is one of the most limiting nutrient for tree growth and carbon sequestration. However, the effects of nitrogen availability on wood properties and related gene expression are poorly understood. In poplar, it was recently reported that N fertilization increased aerial biomass, while in wood, fibre morphology and secondary cell wall structure and composition were modified. An increase in cellulose coupled with a decrease in lignin was observed and the mRNA profiles evaluated by microarray showed that nitrogen and tension wood have overlapping effects [1]. Moreover, a highly significant genetic correlation was observed between plant growth and lignin/cellulose composition. Quantitative trait loci co-localization identified the genomic position of potential pleiotropic regulators [2]. In order to get an insight on the regulation of nitrogen availability on wood formation in Eucalyptus, we have studied the effects of nitrogen fertilization on xylem transcriptome profiles using RNA-seq technology.

Plants implement differential cell growth as an adaptation process in order to direct their development in a way that allow them to better cope with the environmental conditions. This process requires the complex integration of multiple hormone signalings, though, a lot remain to known about the mechanisms and the molecular actors take part in this hormonal dialogue. We have previously shown that Sl-IAA3, an Aux/IAA gene, is a molecular link between auxin and ethylene responses in tomato plants. We show here that the expression of Sl-IAA3 in etiolated seedlings is restricted to the inner side of the apical hook, opposite to that of the HOOKLESS gene whose loss-of-function mutation results in the absence of hook formation. We propose a model on how auxin and ethylene modulate the expression of Auxin Response Factor 2 (ARF2) via IAA3 and HLS protein to regulate hypocotyls bending.

The conserved eukaryotic protein SGT1 (Suppressor of G2 allele of skp1) participates in diverse physiological processes such as cell cycle progression in yeast, plant immunity against pathogens and plant hormone signalling. Recent genetic and biochemical studies suggest that SGT1 functions as a novel co-chaperone for cytosolic/nuclear HSP90 and HSP70 molecular chaperones in the folding and maturation of substrate proteins. Since proteins containing the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein-protein interaction motif are overrepresented in SGT1-dependent phenomena, we consider whether LRR-containing proteins are preferential substrates of an SGT1/HSP70/HSP90 complex. Such a chaperone organisation is reminiscent of the HOP/HSP70/HSP90 machinery which controls maturation and activation of glucocorticoid receptors in animals. Drawing on this parallel, we discuss the possible contribution of an SGT1-chaperone complex in the folding and maturation of LRR-containing proteins and its evolutionary consequences for the emergence of novel LRR interaction surfaces.