A method for the dynamic management of genetic variability in dairy cattle

According to the general approach developed in this paper, dynamic management of genetic variability in selected populations of dairy cattle is carried out for three simultaneous purposes: procreation of young bulls to be further progeny-tested, use of service bulls already selected and approval of recently progeny-tested bulls for use. At each step, the objective is to minimize the average pairwise relationship coefficient in the future population born from programmed matings and the existing population. As a common constraint, the average estimated breeding value of the new population, for a selection goal including many important traits, is set to a desired value. For the procreation of young bulls, breeding costs are additionally constrained. Optimization is fully analytical and directly considers matings. Corresponding algorithms are presented in detail. The efficiency of these procedures was tested on the current Norman population. Comparisons between optimized and real matings, clearly showed that optimization would have saved substantial genetic variability without reducing short-term genetic gains

Joan E. Taylor, Christians and the Holy Places. The Myth of Jewish-Christian Origins, 1993

Briend Jacques. Joan E. Taylor, Christians and the Holy Places. The Myth of Jewish-Christian Origins, 1993. In: Topoi, volume 6/1, 1996. pp. 393-396

P. Lecoq, Les inscriptions de la Perse achéménide. Traduit du vieux perse, de l'élamite, du babylonien et de l'araméen (L'aube des peuples) (1997)

Briend Jacques. P. Lecoq, Les inscriptions de la Perse achéménide. Traduit du vieux perse, de l'élamite, du babylonien et de l'araméen (L'aube des peuples) (1997). In: Topoi, volume 8/1, 1998. pp. 287-289

P. Lecoq, Les inscriptions de la Perse achéménide. Traduit du vieux perse, de l'élamite, du babylonien et de l'araméen (L'aube des peuples) (1997)

Briend Jacques. P. Lecoq, Les inscriptions de la Perse achéménide. Traduit du vieux perse, de l'élamite, du babylonien et de l'araméen (L'aube des peuples) (1997). In: Topoi, volume 8/1, 1998. pp. 287-289

Tell el Far'ah: Histoire, glyptique et céramologie

Summary 1960, end of excavations at Tell el Far’ah under the direction of R. de Vaux, the identification of the site with biblical Tirçah has often been suggested. Could such an identification be maintained after A. Chambon’s publication of Iron Age levels? A critical reassessment of archaeological evidence and of biblical texts allows to assert that this identification is supported by strong arguments. Most of Tell el Far’ah cylinder seals date from Middle Bronze Age (XVIIIth-XVth c. BC) and pertain to the so-called Syrian style. The other seals belong to Iron Age and are typical of a popular art. Scarabs testify for egyptianising influences at Tell el Far’ah. It seems difficult to rely on them for dating levels. Although they are diversified, the common motives show a repetitive trend which often turns into monotony. Analysis of several ceramic samples from Tell el Far’ah give precise information on technical developments from the Neolithic to Iron Age. Pottery was mainly locally produced, with the possible occurrence of a few imported sherds from the coastal district (group M) and from northern Palestine (group N)

A method for the dynamic management of genetic variability in dairy cattle

According to the general approach developed in this paper, dynamic management of genetic variability in selected populations of dairy cattle is carried out for three simultaneous purposes: procreation of young bulls to be further progeny-tested, use of service bulls already selected and approval of recently progeny-tested bulls for use. At each step, the objective is to minimize the average pairwise relationship coefficient in the future population born from programmed matings and the existing population. As a common constraint, the average estimated breeding value of the new population, for a selection goal including many important traits, is set to a desired value. For the procreation of young bulls, breeding costs are additionally constrained. Optimization is fully analytical and directly considers matings. Corresponding algorithms are presented in detail. The efficiency of these procedures was tested on the current Norman population. Comparisons between optimized and real matings, clearly showed that optimization would have saved substantial genetic variability without reducing short-term genetic gains

Laboratoire Commun AdViTAM : Advanced Vibration Tests for the Analysis of rotating Machines

International audienc

Immunohistowax processing, a new fixation and embedding method for light microscopy, which preserves antigen immunoreactivity and morphological structures: visualisation of dendritic cells in peripheral organs

AIMS: To describe a new fixation and embedding method for tissue samples, immunohistowax processing, which preserves both morphology and antigen immunoreactivity, and to use this technique to investigate the role of dendritic cells in the immune response in peripheral tissues. METHODS: This technique was used to stain a population of specialised antigen presenting cells (dendritic cells) that have the unique capacity to sensitise naive T cells, and therefore to induce primary immune responses. The numbers of dendritic cells in peripheral organs of mice either untreated or injected with live Escherichia coli were compared. RESULTS: Numbers of dendritic cells were greatly decreased in heart, kidney, and intestine after the inoculation of bacteria. The numbers of dendritic cells in the lung did not seem to be affected by the injection of E coli. However, staining of lung sections revealed that some monocyte like cells acquired morphological and phenotypic features of dendritic cells, and migrated into blood vessles. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that the injection of bacteria induces the activation of dendritic cells in peripheral organs, where they play the role of sentinels, and/or their movement into lymphoid organs, where T cell priming is likely to occur.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Digital Action Plan (Web App) for Managing Asthma Exacerbations: Randomized Controlled Trial

International audienceBackground A written action plan (WAP) for managing asthma exacerbations is recommended. Objective We aimed to compare the effect on unscheduled medical contacts (UMCs) of a digital action plan (DAP) accessed via a smartphone web app combined with a WAP on paper versus that of the same WAP alone. Methods This randomized, unblinded, multicenter (offline recruitment in private offices and public hospitals), and parallel-group trial included children (aged 6-12 years) or adults (aged 18-60 years) with asthma who had experienced at least 1 severe exacerbation in the previous year. They were randomized to a WAP or DAP+WAP group in a 1:1 ratio. The DAP (fully automated) provided treatment advice according to the severity and previous pharmacotherapy of the exacerbation. The DAP was an algorithm that recorded 3 to 9 clinical descriptors. In the app, the participant first assessed the severity of their current symptoms on a 10-point scale and then entered the symptom descriptors. Before the trial, the wordings and ordering of these descriptors were validated by 50 parents of children with asthma and 50 adults with asthma; the app was not modified during the trial. Participants were interviewed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months to record exacerbations, UMCs, and WAP and DAP use, including the subjective evaluation (availability and usefulness) of the action plans, by a research nurse. Results Overall, 280 participants were randomized, of whom 33 (11.8%) were excluded because of the absence of follow-up data after randomization, leaving 247 (88.2%) participants (children: n=93, 37.7%; adults: n=154, 62.3%). The WAP group had 49.8% (123/247) of participants (children: n=45, 36.6%; mean age 8.3, SD 2.0 years; adults: n=78, 63.4%; mean age 36.3, SD 12.7 years), and the DAP+WAP group had 50.2% (124/247) of participants (children: n=48, 38.7%; mean age 9.0, SD 1.9 years; adults: n=76, 61.3%; mean age 34.5, SD 11.3 years). Overall, the annual severe exacerbation rate was 0.53 and not different between the 2 groups of participants. The mean number of UMCs per year was 0.31 (SD 0.62) in the WAP group and 0.37 (SD 0.82) in the DAP+WAP group (mean difference 0.06, 95% CI −0.12 to 0.24; P=.82). Use per patient with at least 1 moderate or severe exacerbation was higher for the WAP (33/65, 51% vs 15/63, 24% for the DAP; P=.002). Thus, participants were more likely to use the WAP than the DAP despite the nonsignificant difference between the action plans in the subjective evaluation. Median symptom severity of the self-evaluated exacerbation was 4 out of 10 and not significantly different from the symptom severity assessed by the app. Conclusions The DAP was used less often than the WAP and did not decrease the number of UMCs compared with the WAP alone. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02869958; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0286995