Silver-spoon upbringing improves early-life fitness but promotes reproductive ageing in a wild bird

Early-life conditions can have long-lasting effects and organisms that experience a poor start in life are often expected to age at a faster rate. Alternatively, individuals raised in high-quality environments can overinvest in early-reproduction resulting in rapid ageing. Here we use a long-term experimental manipulation of early-life conditions in a natural population of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), to show that females raised in a low-competition environment (artificially reduced broods) have higher early-life reproduction but lower late-life reproduction than females raised in high-competition environment (artificially increased broods). Reproductive success of high-competition females peaked in late-life, when low-competition females were already in steep reproductive decline and suffered from a higher mortality rate. Our results demonstrate that ‘silver-spoon’ natal conditions increase female early-life performance at the cost of faster reproductive ageing and increased late-life mortality. These findings demonstrate experimentally that natal environment shapes individual variation in reproductive and actuarial ageing in nature

Mise en évidence et analyse fonctionnelle des mutations affectant la prolificité des ovins allaitants

Chez les ovins allaitants, la prolificité (nombre d’agneaux par mise-bas) est un des leviers technico-économique important pour améliorer la rentabilité d’un élevage. D’un point de vue génétique, ce caractère est très peu héritable, mais des mutations ponctuelles ayant un effet important sur l’augmentation du nombre d’ovulations et de la prolificité ont été identifiées dans quatre gènes dits de fécondité (Fec) et nommés FecB/BMPR1B, FecG/GDF9, FecX/BMP15 et FecL/B4GALNT2. L’objectif de cette thèse est l’identification de mutations de prolificités, nouvelles ou connues, principalement dans les races ovines allaitantes françaises pour lesquelles est posée une hypothèse statistique de ségrégation de telles mutations. En associant des approches de génétique, de génomique à haut-débit, et de biologie moléculaire et fonctionnelle, j’ai identifié cinq mutations à effet majeur associées à la prolificité dans huit populations ovines différentes. Toutes ces mutations affectent les gènes déjà connus, mais deux d’entre-elles sont nouvellement identifiées par cette thèse dans le gène FecX/BMP15. En particulier, la nouvelle mutation FecXN est, à la différence des 9 autres mutations prolifiques connues de BMP15, située dans la partie régulatrice du gène inhibant son expression. Une fois ces mutations identifiées, l’information de fréquence de la présence de chaque mutation dans les populations et de son effet sur la reproduction des brebis doit être prise en compte pour la gestion des schémas de sélection. Dans ce cadre, j’ai particulièrement étudié la mutation FecLL du gène FecL/B4GALNT2 précédemment découverte en race Lacaune et que j’ai mis en évidence dans la race Noire du Velay. La mutation FecLL, connue pour augmenter la prolificité des brebis de +0,45 agneaux par mise-bas, n’a pas d’impact sur le poids de naissance ou la croissance des agnelles porteuses de cette mutation. Cependant, les agnelles porteuses de FecLL présentent une puberté avancée de 2 mois en moyenne. Cette précocité sexuelle n’est pourtant pas expliquée par l’observation de concentrations circulantes plus faibles de deux hormones ovariennes AMH et inhibine A. De façon intéressante pour la pratique de l’insémination animale, les brebis porteuses de FecLL sont plus fertiles que les brebis non mutées en partie grâce à leur meilleure sensibilité à l’hormone PMSG utilisée de façon exogène pour synchroniser les ovulations. L’ensemble de ce travail de thèse apporte de nouveaux éléments pour améliorer la gestion génétique et physiologique des populations ovines allaitantes dans lesquelles ségrégent des mutations à effet majeur sur la prolificité. L’ensemble de ce travail de thèse apporte de nouveaux éléments pour améliorer la gestion génétique et physiologique des populations ovines allaitantes dans lesquelles ségrégent des mutations à effet majeur sur la prolificité

Les négociations

Le projet d’ordonnance portant réforme du droit des contrats entend consacrer la première sous-section, composant la section sur « La conclusion du contrat », aux négociations. Si cet ajout au Code civil est pertinent au regard de la pratique contractuelle et de la jurisprudence, des modifications pourraient toutefois améliorer la cohérence d’ensemble de cette partie

Full Response of a Localized Renal Tumour after Reduced-Intensity Conditioned Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Graft versus tumor effect has been described in solid metastatic tumor. We reported here the case of a patient treated for an acute myeloid leukemia with reduced-intensity conditioned allograft and the effect of this procedure on concomitant of renal localised cancer. The effect of immune-mediated cytotoxicity on renal cancer is the more consistent explanation to understand the necrosis of this tumor. Any case of RIC allograft has been reported before to treat localised renal tumor

Quantitative Genetics of the Aging of Reproductive Traits in the Houbara Bustard

International audienceDo all traits within an organism age for the same reason? Evolutionary theories of aging share a common assumption: the strength of natural selection declines with age. A corollary is that additive genetic variance should increase with age. However, not all senescent traits display such increases suggesting that other mechanisms may be at play. Using longitudinal data collected from more than 5400 houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata) with an exhaustive recorded pedigree, we investigated the genetics of aging in one female reproductive trait (egg production) and three male reproductive traits (courtship display rate, ejaculate size and sperm viability), that display senescence at the phenotypic level. Animal models revealed an increase in additive genetic variance with age for courtship display rate and egg production but an unexpected absence of increased additive genetic variance for ejaculate size and no additive genetic variance for sperm viability. Our results suggest that the mechanisms behind the senescence of some traits are linked with a change in genetic expression, whereas for some other traits, aging may result from the constraints associated with physiological wear and tear on the organism throughout the life of the individual

"Hormone-refractory" prostate cancer : a putative new mechanism: the upside-down response to androgens

En aquest article volem revisar la diversitat dels mecanismes moleculars suposadament responsables del creixement independent d'andrògens del càncer de pròstata. Es demostra que alguns càncers de pròstata que escapen de la teràpia endocrinològica estan compostos per cèllules sensibles als andrògens. Ens centraremen els resultats del nostre laboratori i en els d'altres grups de recerca que suggereixen el mateix concepte nou: el comportament del càncer de pròstata refractari als andrògens està associat a una resposta invertida de les cèll. ules als andrògens. Hem observat un alentiment paradoxal en el creixement de diverses línies cell. ulars induït pels andrògens. Aquestes línies cell. ulars provenen de les cèll. ules LNCaP, ja sigui per evolució espontània o per cultiu crònic en un medi sense andrògens. La línia ARCaP (androgen-reverted carcinoma of the prostate) va ser establerta a partir de l'ascitis d'un pacient amb càncer de pròstata avançat. Els tumors que varen créixer a partir d'aquestes cèll. ules reverteixen, encara que transitòriament, en el tractament androgènic. Volem suggerir que la castració podria permetre la proliferació de les cèll. ules que eren paradoxalment alentides pels andrògens i que aquesta reacció invertida als andrògens podria ser el possible mecanisme pel qual el càncer de pròstata deixa de respondre a la teràpia hormonal. Aquests resultats aportarien unes bases racionals per a comprendre el tractament antiandrogènic intermitent.In this paper we survey the diversity of the molecular mechanisms suspected to be responsible for the androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer. It has been shown that some prostate cancers, which escape endocrine therapy, are composed of androgen-sensitive cells. We focus on the results from our laboratory and from a few others that suggest a new concept: that the androgen-refractory behavior of prostate cancer may be associated with an inverted response to androgens by cells. The proliferation of several cell lines was paradoxically slowed by androgens. In the afore-mentioned studies, a series of these cell lines arose from the LNCaP cell line, either spontaneously or after culturing them chronically in androgen-poor culture medium. The ARCaP (androgen-reverted carcinoma of the prostate) was established from the ascites of a patient with advanced prostate cancer. Usually, tumors grown from such cells regress, albeit transiently, under androgen treatment. It has been suggested that castration could allow the proliferation of cells that are paradoxically slowed by androgens and that the inverted response to androgens could possibly be a mechanism, by which prostate cancer escapes from endocrine therapy. These results provide the rationale for intermittent treatment

120kev Ar8+-li Collisions Studied By Near Uv And Visible Photon Spectroscopy

A spectroscopic analysis of light emitted in the 200-600 nm wavelength range by Ar7+, Ar6+ and Ar5+ ions after charge exchange in 120keV Ar8+-Li collisions is performed. Transitions with Δn = 1 and Δn = 2 for n = 8, 9, 10 and 11 states of Ar8 following single electron capture are identified and the production cross sections for n = 8 and n = 9 are deduced from emission cross sections and compared with those calculated by the three-body classical trajectory Monte-Carlo method. Lines due to double capture process were observed and identified as Rydberg transitions 3snl-3sn\u27l\u27 (n = 7, 8 and 9) in Ar VII. Lines due to triple electron capture process were found and identified as transitions 3s2nl-3s2n\u27ï and 3s3pnl- 3s3pril\u27(n = 7, 8) in Ar VI. The configurations produced during the collision provides evidence that electron-electron interaction play an important role in double and triple charge exchange processes. © 1993 IOP Publishing Ltd

3D electronics for hybrid pixel detectors – TWEPP-09

Future hybrid pixel detectors are asking for smaller pixels in order to improve spatial resolution and to deal with an increasing counting rate. Facing these requirements is foreseen to be done by microelectronics technology shrinking. However, this straightforward approach presents some disadvantages in term of performances and cost. New 3D technologies offer an alternative way with the advantage of technology mixing. For the upgrade of ATLAS pixel detector, a 3D conception of the read-out chip appeared as an interesting solution. Splitting the pixel functionalities into two separate levels will reduce pixel size and open the opportunity to take benefit of technology's mixing. Based on a previous prototype of the read-out chip FE-I4 (IBM 130nm), this paper presents the design of a hybrid pixel read-out chip using threedimensional Tezzaron-Chartered technology. In order to disentangle effects due to Chartered 130nm technology from effects involved by 3D architecture, a first translation of FEI4 prototype had been designed at the beginning of this year in Chartered 2D technology, and first test results will be presented in the last part of this paper

Assessing the conservation value of waterbodies: the example of the Loire floodplain (France)

In recent decades, two of the main management tools used to stem biodiversity erosion have been biodiversity monitoring and the conservation of natural areas. However, socio-economic pressure means that it is not usually possible to preserve the entire landscape, and so the rational prioritisation of sites has become a crucial issue. In this context, and because floodplains are one of the most threatened ecosystems, we propose a statistical strategy for evaluating conservation value, and used it to prioritise 46 waterbodies in the Loire floodplain (France). We began by determining a synthetic conservation index of fish communities (Q) for each waterbody. This synthetic index includes a conservation status index, an origin index, a rarity index and a richness index. We divided the waterbodies into 6 clusters with distinct structures of the basic indices. One of these clusters, with high Q median value, indicated that 4 waterbodies are important for fish biodiversity conservation. Conversely, two clusters with low Q median values included 11 waterbodies where restoration is called for. The results picked out high connectivity levels and low abundance of aquatic vegetation as the two main environmental characteristics of waterbodies with high conservation value. In addition, assessing the biodiversity and conservation value of territories using our multi-index approach plus an a posteriori hierarchical classification methodology reveals two major interests: (i) a possible geographical extension and (ii) a multi-taxa adaptation