Adapting to Unknown Smoothness by Aggregation of Thresholded Wavelet Estimators

We study the performances of an adaptive procedure based on a convex combination, with data-driven weights, of term-by-term thresholded wavelet estimators. For the bounded regression model, with random uniform design, and the nonparametric density model, we show that the resulting estimator is optimal in the minimax sense over all Besov balls under the $L^2$ risk, without any logarithm factor

PRODIVAL®: une solution nouvelle et innovante pour développer l’usage des graines protéagineuses dans les filières d’élevages afin de répondre aux défis sociétaux de notre Agriculture.

Ce numéro est constitué d’articles issus de la seconde édition des Rencontres Francophones sur les Légumineuses (RFL2) qui s’est tenu à Toulouse (France) les 17 et 18 octobre 2018.The PROLEVAL research program, financed by the Banque Publique d’Investissement as part of theInvestissements d’Avenir, aims to solve the problems concerning both agricultural sector looking forinnovative solutions; and consumers, in search of reinsurance and traceability. PRODIVAL®, the brandcarrying these innovates product, is based on a know-how combining two steps: (i) plant’s lever tooptimize the natural nutritional potential of seeds (faba bean, lupine, pea), (ii) technological’s lever torelease the nutritional potential. These combined levers improve digestibility for monogastric proteins (8-12%) and energy (25-32%) and increase for ruminants, the rumen protection of the protein (20-30points). The PRODIVAL® solution consists of new sources of locally sourced pulses’ protein, withimproved performance, for livestock, to enable French agriculture to move towards a sustainable andprofitable protein autonomy, thanks to technico-economic results in breeding on the one hand, and anincrease in range and value of the products of their exploitation on the other handLe programme de recherche PROLEVAL, financé par la Banque Publique d’Investissement dans lecadre des Investissements d’Avenir, vise à apporter des réponses pérennes aux défis soulevés tant parla filière agricole française, en recherche de solutions innovantes, que par les consommateurs, en quêtede réassurance et de traçabilité. PRODIVAL®, la marque portant ces innovations produits, repose surun savoir-faire combinant deux leviers d’actions : (i) végétal pour optimiser le potentiel nutritionnelintrinsèque des graines (féverole, lupin, pois), (ii) technologique pour en libérer le potentiel nutritionnel.Pour les animaux monogastriques ces leviers combinés améliorent la digestibilité de la protéine (8-12%)et de l’énergie (25-32%) et pour les ruminants augmente, la protection ruminale de la protéine (20-30pts). La solution PRODIVAL® consiste en de nouvelles sources de protéines végétales d’originelocale, aux performances améliorées, à destination des animaux d’élevage, pour permettre àl’agriculture française d’aller vers une autonomie protéique durable et rentable, grâce à des résultatstechnico-économiques performants en élevage d’une part, et à une montée en gamme et en valeur desproduits des exploitations agricoles d’autre part

Effets du préconditionnement sur la disponibilité structurale et la biohydrogénation ruminale in vitro des lipides de la graine de lin extrudée

L’extrusion des graines oléagineuses est en général précédée d’un préconditionnement ou maturation, dont les conditions de température et durée peuvent être très variables. Le préconditionnement a des effets propres sur la biohydrogénation ruminale (BH). L’objectif de cette étude était de préciser les effets de la durée et de la température de préconditionnement sur la proportion de matière grasse structuralement disponible (MGDs), la BH et les relations entre ces deux paramètres. La température et la durée du préconditionnement de la graine de lin ultérieurement extrudée modulent les étapes de la biohydrogénation ruminale des acides gras. Le médiateur de ces effets pourrait être la disponibilité structurale de la matière grasse, mesurable en laboratoire

Effects of nutritional cues on the duration of the winter anovulatory phase and on associated hormone levels in adult female Welsh pony horses (Equus caballus)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mares have an annual reproductive rhythm, with a phase of inactivity in midwinter. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of food restriction on physiological and metabolic hallmarks of this rhythm.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Over three successive years, 3 groups of 10 mares were kept under natural photoperiod. A 'well-fed' group was fed to maintain the mares in good body condition; a 'restricted' group received a diet calculated to keep the mares thin and a 'variable' group was fed during some periods like the 'restricted' group and during some other periods like the 'well-fed' group, with the aim of mimicking the natural seasonal variation of pasture availability, but a few months in advance of this natural rhythm.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Winter ovarian inactivity always occurred and was long in the restricted group. In contrast, in the 'well-fed' group, 40% of mares showed this inactivity, which was shorter than in the other groups. Re-feeding the 'variable' group in autumn and winter did not advance the first ovulation in spring, compared with the 'restricted' group. Measurements of glucose and insulin concentrations in mares from the 'restricted' group during two 24 h periods of blood sampling, revealed no post-prandial peaks. For GH (Growth hormone), IGF-1 and leptin levels, large differences were found between the 'well-fed' group and the other groups. The glucose, insulin, GH and leptin levels but not melatonin level are highly correlated with the duration of ovulatory activity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The annual rhythm driven by melatonin secretion is only responsible for the timing of the breeding season. The occurrence and length of winter ovarian inactivity is defined by metabolic hormones.</p

Building the 'JMMC Stellar Diameters Catalog' using SearchCal

11 pages, to be published in SPIE'2010 conference on "Optical and Infrared Interferometry II"The JMMC Calibrator Workgroup has long developed methods to ascertain the angular diameter of stars, and provides this expertise in the SearchCal software. SearchCal dynamically finds calibrators near science objects by querying CDS hosted catalogs according to observational parameters. Initially limited to bright objects (K magnitude ≤ 5.5), it has been upgraded with a new method providing calibrators without any magnitude limit but those of queried catalogs. We introduce here a new static catalog of stellar diameters, containing more than 38000 entries, obtained from SearchCal results aggregation on the whole celestial sphere, complete for all stars with HIPPARCOS parallaxes. We detail the methods and tools used to produce and study this catalog, and compare the static catalog approach with the dynamical querying provided by SearchCal engine. We also introduce a new Virtual Observatory service, enabling the reporting of, and querying about, stars flagged as "bad calibrators" by astronomers, adding this ever-growing database to our SearchCal service

Differential impact of milk fatty acid profiles on cardiovascular risk biomarkers in healthy men and women

International audienceObjectives: to evaluate the impact of three specific ruminant (R) milk fats resulting from modification of the cow's diet on cardiovascular risk factors in healthy volunteers. R-milk fats were characterized by increased content in total trans fatty acids (R-TFA) and parallel decrease in saturated fatty acids (SFA). Methods: 111 healthy, normolipemic men and women have been recruited for a monocentric, randomised, double-blind, and parallel intervention, 4-week controlled study. Volunteers consumed 3 experimental products (butter, dessert cream and cookies) made with one of the 3 specific milk fats (55 g fat/day). During the first week (run-in period), the subjects consumed on a daily basis dairy products containing 72% SFA/2.85% R-TFA (called "L0"). For the next 3 weeks of the study (intervention period), the first group continued to consume L0 products. The second group received dairy products containing 63.3% SFA/4.06% R-TFA (called "L4"), and the third group received dairy products containing 56.6% SFA/12.16% R-TFA (called "L9"). Results: plasma concentrations of HDL-cholesterol was not significantly altered by either diet (p = 0.38). Compared to L0 diet, L4 diet contributed to reduce LDL-cholesterol (-0.140.38 mmol/L, p= 0.04), total cholesterol (-0.130.50 mmol/L, p = 0.04), LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (-0.140.36, p = 0.03) and total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (-0.180.44, p = 0.02). Conclusion: different milk fat profiles can change cardiovascular plasma parameters in human healthy volunteers. A limited increase of the R-TFA/SFA ratio in dairy products is associated with an improvement in some cardiovascular risk factors. However, a further increase in R-TFA/SFA ratio has no additional benefit

LITpro: a model fitting software for optical interferometry

9 pagesInternational audienceLITpro is a software for fitting models on data obtained from various stellar optical interferometers, like the VLTI. As a baseline, for modeling the object, it provides a set of elementary geometrical and center-to-limb darkening functions, all combinable together. But it is also designed to make very easy the implementation of more specific models with their own parameters, to be able to use models closer to astrophysical considerations. So LITpro only requires the modeling functions to compute the Fourier transform of the object at given spatial frequencies, and wavelengths and time if needed. From this, LITpro computes all the necessary quantities as needed (e.g. visibilities, spectral energy distribution, partial derivatives of the model, map of the object model). The fitting engine, especially designed for this kind of optimization, is based on a modified Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm and has been successfully tested on real data in a prototype version. It includes a Trust Region Method, minimizing a heterogeneous non-linear and non-convex criterion and allows the user to set boundaries on free parameters. From a robust local minimization algorithm and a starting points strategy, a global optimization solution is effectively achieved. Tools have been developped to help users to find the global minimum. LITpro is also designed for performing fitting on heterogeneous data. It will be shown, on an example, how it fits simultaneously interferometric data and spectral energy distribution, with some benefits on the reliability of the solution and a better estimation of errors and correlations on the parameters. That is indeed necessary since present interferometric data are generally multi-wavelengths

Prediction Of Beef Fatty Acid Composition Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy: Effects Of Tissue And Sample Preparations

International audienceThe aims of the study were to determine the best site of bovine carcass for predicting fatty acid (FA) composition using a NIRS (near infrared spectroscopy) portable equipment and to study the effect of different methods of sample preparation. 78 animals were sampled from different types and rearing systems. Seven tissues (Longissimus thoracis, Infraspinatus, Diaphragma, Rectus abdominis, shoulder subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), intercostal SAT and intermuscular fat at the 5th rib) were measured after sampling and grinding in liquid nitrogen. The effect of samples preparation were measured on carcass (C0), muscle without grinding (B0), ground with a meat chopper (B1), ground with a knife mill (B2) on RA muscle. FA composition was assessed using gas chromatograph and the spectra were measured at wavelengths between 350 and 2500 nm. For adipose tissue, FA were not correctly predicted from NIRS. However, predictions were more satisfactory for the major FA (C16:0, C18:0, C18:1d9c), total saturated and monounsaturated FA of muscles. The results show a better prediction of FA composition concomitant with an increased gradient of sample homogenization. For other FA and especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, the performances were not satisfactory for quantitative purposes whatever the grinding method

Deciphering seed microbiota assembly processes for limiting seed transmission of pathogen

La graine est le point de départ de l'assemblage des communautés associées au microbiote des plantes et va promouvoir le bon développement et la santé des plantes. L'étude de la structure du microbiote pendant le développement des graines de haricot et de radis a révélé que la Sélection était le principal processus écologique impliqué dans l'assemblage des communautés. Les facteurs de l'hôte et de l'environnement conduisent à la sélection d'un taxon dominant dont l'identité peut varier d'une graine à l'autre au sein de la même plante, mais aussi au cours du développement de la graine. La transmission de ces taxons dominants aux plantules n’est cependant pas systématique. L'analyse des déterminants génétiques bactériens impliqués dans la transmission aux plantules de l’agent phytopathogène Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) a révélé que la biosynthèse des purines était importante pour coloniser cet habitat. Enfin, la transmission de Xcc par les graines peut être limitée par une souche de Pseudomonas isolée de graines, grâce à sa capacité à produire une pyoverdine atypique lors de l'interaction avec cet agent phytopathogène. En conclusion, ces résultats constituent un premier pas vers l'utilisation de la graine comme vecteur d'organismes bénéfiques pour la croissance et la santé des plantes.Seed is the starting point of community assembly of the plant microbiota that supports plant growth and health. Investigation of microbiota structure during development of bean and radish seeds revealed that Selection was the major ecological process involved in community assembly. Host and environmental filtering drove the selection of one dominant taxon, whose identity varied not only between seeds of the same plant but also during the seed developmental stages. Seedling transmission of these dominant taxa was far from being systematic. Analysis of the bacterial genetic determinants involved in seedling transmission of the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) revealed that purine biosynthesis was key factor to colonize this habitat. Seed transmission of Xcc can be limited by a seed-borne Pseudomonas strain that produced an atypical pyoverdine when interacting with this phytopathogenic agent. Overall these results pave the way towards the use of seeds as vectors of beneficial organisms for plant growth and healt

Décryptage des processus d'assemblage du microbiote des graines dans le but de limiter la transmission d’agents pathogènes

Seed is the starting point of community assembly of the plant microbiota that supports plant growth and health. Investigation of microbiota structure during development of bean and radish seeds revealed that Selection was the major ecological process involved in community assembly. Host and environmental filtering drove the selection of one dominant taxon, whose identity varied not only between seeds of the same plant but also during the seed developmental stages. Seedling transmission of these dominant taxa was far from being systematic. Analysis of the bacterial genetic determinants involved in seedling transmission of the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) revealed that purine biosynthesis was key factor to colonize this habitat. Seed transmission of Xcc can be limited by a seed-borne Pseudomonas strain that produced an atypical pyoverdine when interacting with this phytopathogenic agent. Overall these results pave the way towards the use of seeds as vectors of beneficial organisms for plant growth and healthLa graine est le point de départ de l'assemblage des communautés associées au microbiote des plantes et va promouvoir le bon développement et la santé des plantes. L'étude de la structure du microbiote pendant le développement des graines de haricot et de radis a révélé que la Sélection était le principal processus écologique impliqué dans l'assemblage des communautés. Les facteurs de l'hôte et de l'environnement conduisent à la sélection d'un taxon dominant dont l'identité peut varier d'une graine à l'autre au sein de la même plante, mais aussi au cours du développement de la graine. La transmission de ces taxons dominants aux plantules n’est cependant pas systématique. L'analyse des déterminants génétiques bactériens impliqués dans la transmission aux plantules de l’agent phytopathogène Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) a révélé que la biosynthèse des purines était importante pour coloniser cet habitat. Enfin, la transmission de Xcc par les graines peut être limitée par une souche de Pseudomonas isolée de graines, grâce à sa capacité à produire une pyoverdine atypique lors de l'interaction avec cet agent phytopathogène. En conclusion, ces résultats constituent un premier pas vers l'utilisation de la graine comme vecteur d'organismes bénéfiques pour la croissance et la santé des plantes