What breeding strategy(ies) should be carry up for organic winter wheat? Results and prospects from a long-term comparison with low input variety trials

Breeding varieties adapted to various organic farming conditions is one solution, among others, to increase yields and improve organic winter bread wheat quality. From 2004 to 2011, INRA winter wheat breeders have conducted variety trials in three contrasting agro-climatic regions across north-west France to test the relative response of 25 to 30 diversified genotypes when cultivated in low input (FI) and organic (AB) conditions. The comparison of 17 paired management trials showed the relevance of low input conditions to identify genotypes adapted to organic farming conditions for yield and protein content. Such a selection environment is useful also to screen “GPD+” (positive Grain Protein Deviation) genotypes with better nutrient use efficiency. In contrast, our results highlighted the need to evaluate genotypes baking quality in organic conditions in which bread making ability is frequently lost

Phase II study of preoperative radiation plus concurrent daily tegafur-uracil (UFT) with leucovorin for locally advanced rectal cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Considerable variation in intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) metabolism can occur due to the wide range of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) enzyme activity, which can affect both tolerability and efficacy. The oral fluoropyrimidine tegafur-uracil (UFT) is an effective, well-tolerated and convenient alternative to intravenous 5-FU. We undertook this study in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of UFT with leucovorin (LV) and preoperative radiotherapy and to evaluate the utility and limitations of multicenter staging using pre- and post-chemoradiotherapy ultrasound. We also performed a validated pretherapy assessment of DPD activity and assessed its potential influence on the tolerability of UFT treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This phase II study assessed preoperative UFT with LV and radiotherapy in 85 patients with locally advanced T3 rectal cancer. Patients with potentially resectable tumors received UFT (300 mg/m/²/day), LV (75 mg/day), and pelvic radiotherapy (1.8 Gy/day, 45 Gy total) 5 days/week for 5 weeks then surgery 4-6 weeks later. The primary endpoints included tumor downstaging and the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most adverse events were mild to moderate in nature. Preoperative grade 3/4 adverse events included diarrhea (n = 18, 21%) and nausea/vomiting (n = 5, 6%). Two patients heterozygous for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase gene (<it>DPYD</it>) experienced early grade 4 neutropenia (variant IVS14+1G > A) and diarrhea (variant 2846A > T). Pretreatment ultrasound TNM staging was compared with postchemoradiotherapy pathology TN staging and a significant shift towards earlier TNM stages was observed (p < 0.001). The overall downstaging rate was 42% for primary tumors and 44% for lymph nodes. The pCR rate was 8%. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for staging was poor. Anal sphincter function was preserved in 55 patients (65%). Overall and recurrence-free survival at 3 years was 86.1% and 66.7%, respectively. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 36 node-positive patients (mean duration 118 days).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Preoperative chemoradiotherapy using UFT with LV plus radiotherapy was well tolerated and effective and represents a convenient alternative to 5-FU-based chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of resectable rectal cancer. Pretreatment detection of DPD deficiency should be performed to avoid severe adverse events.</p

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Effects of the plant growth regulator prohexadione-calcium and the SAR-inducer acibenzolar-S-methyl on the quality of apples at harvest

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The tool effect is lower in older adults with or without cognitive impairments than in young adults.

International audienceGrabbing a phone from a table or stepping over an obstacle on the ground are daily activities that require the brain to take account of both object and the body's parameters. Research has shown that a person's estimated maximum reach is temporarily overestimated after using a tool, even when the tool is no longer in hand. This tool effect reflects the high plasticity of the perceptual-motor system (e.g., body schema updating)-at least in young individuals. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the tool effect is smaller in older adults. Forty-four young adults, 37 older adults without cognitive impairment and 30 older adults with cognitive impairment took part in the experiment. The task consisted in visually estimating the ability to reach (using the index finger) a target positioned at different locations on a table, both before and after using a rake. We observed a strong after-effect of tool use in the young adults only. Conversely, a tool effect was similarly absent in the older adults without and with cognitive impairment. Moreover, even before the tool was used, the maximum reach was overestimated in each of the three groups, although the overestimation was greatest in the two groups of older adults. In summary, we showed that the tool effect, observed in young adults, was absent in older adults; this finding suggests that with advancing age, the perceptual-motor system is less able to adapt to novel sensorimotor contexts. This lack of adaptation might explain (at least in part) the overestimation of motor skills often reported in the elderly.Prendre un téléphone sur une table ou enjamber un obstacle au sol sont des activités quotidiennes qui nécessitent que le cerveau prenne en compte à la fois les paramètres de l'objet et du corps. Des recherches ont montré que la portée maximale estimée d'une personne est temporairement surestimée après avoir utilisé un outil, même lorsque l'outil n'est plus en main. Cet effet d'outil reflète la grande plasticité du système perceptivo-moteur (par exemple, mise à jour des schémas corporels) - du moins chez les jeunes individus. L'objectif de la présente étude était de déterminer si l'effet de l'outil est moindre chez les personnes âgées. Quarante-quatre jeunes adultes, 37 personnes âgées sans déficience cognitive et 30 personnes âgées avec déficience cognitive ont participé à l'expérience. La tâche consistait à estimer visuellement la capacité à atteindre (à l'aide de l'index) une cible positionnée à différents endroits sur une table, avant et après l'utilisation d'un râteau. Nous avons observé un effet important de l’utilisation précédente du râteau uniquement chez les jeunes adultes. À l’inverse, l’effet de l'outil était absent chez les personnes âgées sans et avec déficience cognitive. De plus, même avant l’utilisation de l’outil, la portée maximale était surestimée dans chacun des trois groupes, même si la surestimation était plus importante dans les deux groupes de personnes âgées. En résumé, nous avons montré que l’effet outil, observé chez les jeunes adultes, était absent chez les personnes âgées ; cette découverte suggère qu'avec l'âge, le système perceptivo-moteur est moins capable de s'adapter à de nouveaux contextes sensorimoteurs. Ce manque d'adaptation pourrait expliquer (au moins en partie) la surestimation des capacités motrices souvent rapportée chez les personnes âgées

Quelle(s) sélection(s) du blé tendre pour l'agriculture biologique ? Résultats et perspectives d'un comparatif avec les performances variétales en conduite "faibles intrants"

La sélection de variétés adaptées aux conditions variables de l’agriculture biologique est l’une des solutions possibles pour augmenter les rendements et maintenir, voire améliorer, la qualité du blé tendre cultivé selon ce mode de culture. Entre 2004 et 2011, le groupe d’innovation variétale « blé tendre » du département DGAP de l’INRA a mis en place un dispositif expérimental dans trois régions aux conditions pédoclimatiques variées intégrant l’évaluation de génotypes diversifiés en conduite « faibles intrants » (FI) et en agriculture biologique (AB). La comparaison des 17 couples d’essais FI / AB retenus montre l’intérêt d’une sélection indirecte par la conduite « faibles intrants » pour identifier des génotypes propices à l’AB pour différents caractères dont le rendement et la teneur en protéines des grains mais aussi pour caractériser les génotypes « GPD + » (positive Grain Protein Deviation) qui valoriseraient mieux l’azote disponible. L’aptitude à la panification, très souvent altérée et plus instable en AB, nécessite toutefois d’évaluer les génotypes sélectionnés dans les conditions de l’AB, au moins dans les dernières années de sélection

Is low-input management system a good selection environment to screen winter wheat genotypes adapted to organic farming?

The move toward resilient and productive agriculture requires, among other innovations, the design of new sustainable farming systems in which the variety plays a main role. Plant breeding strategies adapted to organic farming conditions have to deal with limiting factors. Whereas in north-west France, it is known that trials carried out under high-input management do not give a good prediction of genotype performance in organic conditions, less is known about the relative stability of wheat genotypes between low-input (LI) and organic cropping systems. A retrospective analysis of 34 winter wheat trials conducted from 2004 to 2011 was performed to determine whether data obtained on genotypes grown under LI conditions can be used to predict genotype performance in organic (ORG) target conditions. Every year, ORG and LI (no fungicide or growth regulators, N balance sheet-60 kgN/ha, weed control with herbicides) trials including 25-30 genotypes describing a large range of genetic diversity were sown in three different agro-climatic regions across north-west France. Genotype performance in ORG management system was reduced from 25 to 40 % for yield and from 10 to 22 % for grain protein content. Estimates of genotypic values appeared to be more precise under LI than ORG conditions. Because of high genetic correlations between LI and ORG conditions, the relative efficiency of indirect selection from LI to ORG conditions was approximately 1. Spearman's rank correlations were high (Rs = 0.54-0.92) and genotype rank inversions generally had a minor extent. However, in 2005 and 2010, almost 50 % of the lines had to be retained in LI to keep 80 % of the top 20 % of genotypes in organic conditions. Compared with previous results from high-input conditions, LI management provided a better prediction of genotype performance under ORG conditions but crossover genotype x management interactions could be observed between both systems. Overall, combining information provided from both LI and ORG crop management systems appears to be a good process for building efficient and adapted breeding schemes for ORG farming conditions

Incidence of four genera of fungi in organic and low-input farming conditions in/on the grain of bread wheat over a 13-year period in France

International audienceBread wheat can be infected and/or contaminated by several genera of mycotoxin-producing fungi. In the European Union, several mycotoxins are subject to defined limits for human consumption. Speculation has arisen about the potential higher contamination level of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species in organic compared to conventional production systems. So far, many studies have focused on the level of mycotoxins, highlighting comparable levels in organic and conventional farming. In this long-term study, we monitored, each year over a 13-year period in several sites in France and for a set of bread wheat genotypes, the incidence of four fungal genera on bread wheat grains from both conventional low-input and organic farming. During this long period of monitoring, we used the same morphological characterization of fungal colonies. The results obtained highlighted two general trends. First, the incidence of the genus Fusarium in grains was generally lower than or equal to 1% in more than 60% of “year × site” combinations, both in low-input and organic farming conditions. In contrast, the genus Alternaria was dominant in the vast majority of combinations. Second, the main explanatory factors of the incidence of fungus on grains, independently of the genus and the farming conditions, were the year and the “year × site” interaction, suggesting the dominant influence of the environmental conditions of the year and the site on the relative development of the fungal genera in/on grains. According to these results, organic or low-input production of bread wheat does not represent a significant risk for the development of Fusarium head blight in France

Differences in stability of seed-associated microbial assemblages in response to invasion by phytopathogenic microorganisms

Seeds are involved in the vertical transmission of microorganisms from one plant generation to another and consequently act as reservoirs for the plant microbiota. However, little is known about the structure of seed-associated microbial assemblages and the regulators of assemblage structure. In this work, we have assessed the response of seed-associated microbial assemblages of Raphanus sativus to invading phytopathogenic agents, the bacterial strain Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) 8004 and the fungal strain Alternaria brassicicola Abra43. According to the indicators of bacterial (16S rRNA gene and gyrB sequences) and fungal (ITS1) diversity employed in this study, seed transmission of the bacterial strain Xcc 8004 did not change the overall composition of resident microbial assemblages. In contrast seed transmission of Abra43 strongly modified the richness and structure of fungal assemblages without affecting bacterial assemblages. The sensitivity of seed-associated fungal assemblage to Abra43 is mostly related to changes in relative abundance of closely related fungal species that belong to the Alternaria genus. Variation in stability of the seed microbiota in response to Xcc and Abra43 invasions could be explained by differences in seed transmission pathways employed by these micro-organisms, which ultimately results in divergence in spatio-temporal colonization of the seed habitat

FairEmbo Concept for Arterial Embolizations: In Vivo Feasibility and Safety Study with Suture-Based Microparticles Compared with Microspheres

International audiencePurpose Microspheres are effective embolic agents, especially for the management of bleeding and oncologic lesions. The first FairEmbo study reported the effectiveness of embolization using suture fragments. The effectiveness and safety of arterial embolization with suture-based microparticles (SBM) were assessed in a swine model.Materials and Methods In this ethical-approved animal study, a polar artery in each kidney was embolized in four swine: one side with hand-cut non-absorbable SBM (Flexocrin 2®) and the contralateral side with Embozene® 900 for comparison. Swine were followed for 3 months (M3) to evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of SBM. Follow-up protocol included clinical monitoring, computed tomography (CT) control and digital subtraction angiography (DSA), followed by histological analyses. The SBM confection parameters were evaluated by automatic microscopic sizer. RStudio software and Mann–Whitney test (significance at P < 0.05) were used for statistics.Results The average size of SBM was 1002 μm (SD = 258). All targets were effectively embolized by SBM with an angiogram defect estimated at 45.6% (95% CI [35.9–55.2]), compared to 40.5% (95% CI [30.6–55.5]) for Embozene® group (P = 0.342). The average duration of SBM embolization procedure was significantly increased compared to Embozene® embolization (1202 s versus 222 s, P = 0.029). There were no statistical differences in M3 DSA and CT for SBM and Embozene®, with persistence of partial arterial occlusion and atrophic embolized area. No postoperative complications were observed on clinical and CT controls.Conclusion This experimental study suggests that embolization with SBM is feasible, safe and effective in short- and medium-term follow-up as compared to microspheres