Expression of FcμR by bovine mononuclear blood leukocytes

International audienceThe receptor for IgM has been identified a few years ago, but its expression by bovine mononuclear cells has not yet been studied. We used rabbit antibodies against bovine FcμR to begin to fill this gap. Anti-FcμR antibodies bound to B lymphocytes and monocytes, although less than to neutrophils. Nonclassical and intermediate monocytes (CD172a pos CD16 pos ) bound nonspecifically to rabbit antibodies, complicating analysis, but they bound more anti-FcμR antibodies than control antibodies, indicating that they also express the FcμR. They also express more C5a receptors than classical monocytes. Anti-FcμR antibodies did not bind to CD3 pos αβT lymphocytes (both CD4 pos and CD8 pos ) and γδT cells. At low temperature but not at physiological temperature, purified bovine IgM bound to all monocytes and strongly to all B cells, but hardly to CD3 pos T cells. Monocytes and B cells bound human IgA, but IgA did not compete, whereas unlabeled bovine IgM competed for binding of labeled IgM. This supports the role of the FcμR, and not the FαμR, in IgM binding. Finally, we showed that monocytes were able to ingest bacteria opsonized with serum deprived of IgG, indicating their ability to perform IgM-dependent phagocytosis. In conclusion, surface expression of FcμR by unstimulated blood leukocytes was demonstrated on B cells and monocytes, but not on T cells

Mice lacking the fructose transporter Glut5 exhibit excessive androgens and reduced sperm motility

International audienceOverconsumption of fructose is linked to metabolic diseases, which are often associated with reduced fertility. GLUT5 is the most specific fructose transporter. To investigate its role in the testes, we analyzed the male reproductive phenotype of transgenic male mice deficient in GLUT5 (GLUT5−/− or GLUT5 knockout [KO] mice). Glut5 expression was shown in Leydig cells and germ cells, from primary spermatocytes to spermatozoa. We found reduced intratesticular fructose and pyruvate concentrations in GLUT5−/− mice. These mice exhibited 30% lower litter sizes compared with control mice. Histological analysis of the testes revealed some seminiferous tubules with a “Sertoli cell-only” phenotype, although spermatogenesis occurred normally in most tubules. Reduced fertility in GLUT5 KO mice was linked to lower sperm production and impaired sperm quality. Spermatozoa from these mice displayed reduced motility, head abnormalities, and a diminished acrosome reaction, which was associated with reduced cyclic adenosine monophosphate content and impaired phosphorylation of protein kinase A substrates in the acrosome. Unexpectedly, androgen production in GLUT5 KO mice was 3-fold higher than in controls, despite unchanged luteinizing hormone levels. Electron microscopy of Leydig cells revealed a highly developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum, increased lipid droplets, and abnormal mitochondrial structures, suggesting disrupted mitochondrial dynamics. Proteomic analysis identified 155 deregulated proteins in the testicular tissue of GLUT5 KO mice, nearly half of which were associated with sperm motility, germ cell morphology, glycolysis, mitochondrial dynamics, and oxidative stress. In conclusion, the absence of the specific fructose transporter GLUT5 reduced testicular fructose content and led to an asthenozoospermia phenotype accompanied by hyperandrogenism

Vision Transformers for X-ray Diffraction Patterns Analysis

International audienceUnderstanding materials properties depends largely on the ability to determine its components, and in particular its mineral phases. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a powerful tool for such purposes. This paper presents a Transformerbased vision model (ViT) for mineral phase identification, and proportion inference to quantify the mineral phases present in a material. Our analysis shows that the tokenization strategy is a critical step for XRD pattern analysis. The results obtained for both tasks are excellent and more robust than those obtained with a CNN. The proposed approach also makes it possible to introduce visualization tools for signal analysis, to better understand how information flows through the model and how data is classified or quantified

Ovarian Torsion in Prepubertal Girls: Clinical Characteristics, Biological and Radiological Features, Reccurency Rate

International audienceIntroduction: The diagnosis of ovarian torsion is made with delay among pre-pubertal girls and the management after the surgical detorsion is poorly codified. We interested in the French experience during the last two decades.Methods: Retrospective study in French pediatric surgery centers from January 2000 to December 2022 concerning girls who presented with at least 1 episode of ovarian torsion in the prepubertal period. Data collected included patient history, symptomatology, biological and imaging assessment at first episode, emergency surgery, follow-up including recurrence.Results: Thirty centers participated and we included 502 girls diagnosed with ovarian torsion during a surgical procedure performed due to abdominal pain (with or without ovarian mass). The girls had a mean age of 7.9 years (± 2.8) and a median age of 8.3 years (Q1 5.97; Q3 10.12) at the time of the first episode of torsion. Nausea or vomiting was present in 71% of cases. Fever was present in 23% of cases and was more displayed 24 hours after the onset of abdominal pain (p < 0.0001). Mean follow-up was 2.1 (± 2.61) years. Only 42 out of 142 (30%) girls with enlarged ovaries (> 97th percentile) were referred to the endocrinologist to assess the existence of hormonal anomalies. Of the 482 girls without oophoropexy after the first episode of torsion, 71 (14.7 %) experienced at least one recurrence. Among them: 10 (7.5%) had an ovarian mass and 42 (55%) enlarged ovaries.Conclusion: Symptoms of ovarian torsion in pre-pubertal girls are not specific and clinicians should be aware of this insidious presentation in this group. These girls should be systematically referred to endocrinologists

Pilot study on the resocialisation of stallions

International audienceUnder natural conditions, stallions establish stable social groups of two distinct forms: family groups, comprising mares and their young, and bachelor groups, composed entirely of stallions. However, in domestic conditions, stallions are most commonly housed in individual stables, a system that stands in stark contrast to group living, and considerably curtails social contact. One of the main reasons for this choice is related to the fear of injuries during social interactions. However, this type of housing has detrimental effects on both health and welfare. In addition, prolonged isolation may weaken stallions' social skills, creating a vicious cycle: the more they are isolated, the more their social skills deteriorate, reducing their chances of reintegration into a social environment that is crucial for their health and welfare. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of isolation on the social skills of socially deprived stallions and the effectiveness of a gradual protocol to enable a transition from individual housing to group living. We collected the agonistic, affiliative, and ritual/investigative interactions of six stallions during a two-month stepwise protocol. The stallions first met at a distance, followed by a phase in which three pairs were gradually reinforced, ultimately leading to the formation of a group comprising all individuals. At each step, agonistic and ritual/investigative interactions decreased over time. Additionally, affiliative interactions were observed between the stallions from the initial steps of contact, and affinities developed, notably among one pair of individuals. Nevertheless, one individual exhibited a lack of social skills, suggesting that resocialisation may not be feasible for all individuals. The findings of this study indicate that through a gradual familiarisation process, it is possible to facilitate a secure transition from individual housing to group living, thereby providing conditions that are more respectful of the species' needs. This research also provides insights into identifying precursor signs of social skills to determine individuals unfit for resocialisation through this approach. To avoid the challenges of resocialising and managing individuals with poor social skills, it seems essential to change breeding practices by prioritising housing systems that allow for regular social contact

Consortium HN MUSICA2 - actualités et objectifs 2025

International audiencePrésentation des actualités et des objectifs pour 2025 du Consortium Huma-Num MUSICA2 lors de la journée des Consortiums le 30.01.2025 à l'Humathèque du Campus Condorcet

Rankingdom : une architecture coopérative pour l'analyse à la demande de Wikidata

International audienceNous présentons Rankingdom, une application Web d'analyse des entités de Wikidata destinée aux travailleurs de la connaissance. Son objectif est de positionner chaque entité considérée dans son domaine, et ce en la comparant à d'autres entités similaires en exploitant plusieurs indicateurs inspirés de l'infométrie. Par soucis de frugalité, nous nous appuyons sur une architecture coopérative qui décentralise le calcul à la demande des analyses sur les clients, mais centralise leurs résultats. Pour rendre possible le calcul à la demande des analyses malgré l'accord d'usage non abusif de Wikidata, les clients bénéficient d'un nouveau moteur de parallélisation des requêtes SPARQL, nommé SParaQL. Nous montrons l'efficacité de SParaQL sur un test de performance et de notre architecture coopérative avec le déploiement réel de Rankingdom

Probability-graphons: Limits of large dense weighted graphs

International audienceWe introduce probability-graphons which are probability kernels that generalize graphons to the case of weighted graphs. Probability-graphons appear as the limit objects to study sequences of large weighted graphs whose distribution of subgraph sampling converge. The edge-weights are taken from a general Polish space, which also covers the case of decorated graphs. Here, graphs can be either directed or undirected. Starting from a distance $d_m$ inducing the weak topology on measures, we define a cut distance on probability-graphons, making it a Polish space, and study the properties of this cut distance. In particular, we exhibit a tightness criterion for probability-graphons related to relative compactness in the cut distance. We also prove that under some conditions on the distance $d_m$, which are satisfied for some well-know distances like the Prohorov distance, and the Fortet-Mourier and Kantorovitch-Rubinstein norms, the topology induced by the cut distance on the spaceof probability-graphons is independent from the choice of $d_m$. Eventually, we prove that this topology coincides with the topology induced by the convergence in distribution of the sampled subgraphs

Temporal trends in population characteristics and type of device among primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients: The DAI-PP programme

International audienceBackground: Patient characteristics, technology and clinical practice surrounding primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillators have evolved continuously over time.Aim: To explore the temporal changes in patient characteristics, pharmacological therapy and device types among implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients implanted for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death over the last two decades in France.Methods: Characteristics of participants and type of device from the retrospective DAI-PP Pilot Study (2002-2012) were compared with those from the ongoing prospective DAI-PP Consortium (2018 onwards).Results: This study included 9588 participants overall (DAI-PP Pilot Study, n=5539; DAI-PP Consortium, n=4049). Compared with the DAI-PP Pilot Study, the DAI-PP Consortium subjects were older at implantation (62.5 vs 65.2 years; P=0.001) and had a higher proportion of women (15.1% vs 20.6%; P<0.001), a similar proportion of ischaemic heart disease (60.2% vs 60.2%; P=0.98), a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (27±7% vs 30±8%; P<0.001) and more patients with narrow QRS complexes (30.5% vs 46.0%; P<0.001). The proportion of patients treated with heart failure drugs increased significantly (70.1% vs 83.1%; P<0.001), whereas the use of amiodarone became much less frequent (22.7% vs 14.7%; P<0.001). Finally, the proportions of cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (53.8% vs 46.4%; P<0.001) and dual-chamber defibrillators (23.3% vs 17.3%; P<0.001) decreased, whereas subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators now account for a sizeable proportion of implants (14.6%).Conclusions: Over a 20-year period, the primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator population has evolved significantly, with an older age and a higher proportion of women. The type of device has changed, with fewer cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators and more subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators

Perinatal dysfunction of innate immunity in cystic fibrosis

International audienceIn patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), repeated cycles of infection and inflammation eventually lead to fatal lung damage. Although diminished mucus clearance can be restored by highly effective CFTR modulator therapy, inflammation and infection often persist. To elucidate the role of the innate immune system in CF etiology, we investigated a CF pig model and compared these results with those for preschool children with CF. In newborn CF pigs, we observed changes in lung immune cell composition before the onset of infection that were dominated by increased monocyte infiltration, whereas neutrophil numbers remained constant. Flow cytometric and transcriptomic profiling revealed that the infiltrating myeloid cells displayed a more immature status. Cells with comparably immature transcriptomic profiles were enriched in the blood of CF pigs at birth as well as in preschool children with CF. This pattern coincided with decreased CD16 expression in the myeloid cells of both pigs and humans, which translated into lower phagocytic activity and reduced production of reactive oxygen species in both species. These results were indicative of a congenital, translationally conserved, and functionally relevant aberration of the immune system in CF. In newborn wild-type pigs, CFTR transcription in immune cells, including lung-derived and circulating monocytes, isolated from the bone marrow, thymus, spleen, and blood was below the detection limits of highly sensitive assays, suggesting an indirect etiology of the observed effects. Our findings highlight the need for additional immunological treatments to target innate immune deficits in patients with CF