Genetics of randomly bred cats support the cradle of cat domestication being in the Near East

Cat domestication likely initiated as a symbiotic relationship between wildcats (Felis silvestris subspecies) and the peoples of developing agrarian societies in the Fertile Crescent. As humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers ~12,000 years ago, bold wildcats likely capitalized on increased prey density (i.e., rodents). Humans benefited from the cats’ predation on these vermin. To refine the site(s) of cat domestication, over 1000 random-bred cats of primarily Eurasian descent were genotyped for single-nucleotide variants and short tandem repeats. The overall cat population structure suggested a single worldwide population with significant isolation by the distance of peripheral subpopulations. The cat population heterozygosity decreased as genetic distance from the proposed cat progenitor’s (F.s. lybica) natural habitat increased. Domestic cat origins are focused in the eastern Mediterranean Basin, spreading to nearby islands, and southernly via the Levantine coast into the Nile Valley. Cat population diversity supports the migration patterns of humans and other symbiotic species

Health Status of French Young Patients with Inborn Errors of Metabolism with Lifelong Restricted Diet

International audienc

Determinants of Quality of Life in Children with Inborn Errors of Metabolism Receiving a Restricted Diet

International audienceObjective To investigate the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in children with inborn errors of metabolism with restricted diet (IEMRDs) using a single theory-based multidimensional model. Study design In this multicenter cross-sectional study, data from children aged 8-17 years with IEMRDs (except phenylketonuria) and their parents were collected from January 2015 to December 2017. Measurements included a child's self-reported QoL, self-rated behavioral problems and anxiety, and parental anxiety. Based on hypotheses from a literature-built theoretical model linking demographic, clinical, family environment, and psychosocial characteristics to QoL either directly or indirectly, associations of these factors with a child's self-rated QoL were examined using a structural equation modeling approach. Results A total of 312 children (mean [SD] age, 12.2 [2.6] years; 51% boys [n = 160]) were included. Higher levels of trait anxiety and behavioral problems in children were the most important factors associated with poorer QoL (standardized path coefficients, À0.71 and À0.23, respectively). In addition, higher parent trait anxiety, younger age at diagnosis, and a disease requiring an emergency diet were associated with poorer QoL in these children. The final model fit the data closely according to conventional goodness-of-fit statistics and explained 86% of the QoL variance

Individual and Family Determinants for Quality of Life in Parents of Children with Inborn Errors of Metabolism Requiring a Restricted Diet: A Multilevel Analysis Approach

International audienceObjective The objective of this study was to compare the quality of life (QoL) for parents of children with inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) requiring a restricted diet with French population norms and investigate parental QoL determinants

Increasing species richness and genetic diversity in agriculture: results of the Wheatamix project

Homogenization and intensive use of inputs have provided major productivity gains in agriculture during the 20th century. However, new solutions are now needed to face the quest for greater agricultural sustainability. A better use of crop genetic diversity should be an essential leverage, as it could promote various ecosystem services, in a context of increasing environmental stochasticity caused by global change. Increasing within field diversity through the use of cultivar mixtures is a timely option, testified by with some significant “success stories” in the past, and recent bibliographic reviews. Yet, cultivar mixtures are poorly developed worldwide. In this context, the Wheatamix project studies the interest of mixing wheat genotypes to reinforce the sustainability, resilience, and multi-functionality of agriculture. Analyzing the interactions among genotypes and with the environment, Wheatamix develop new blending and breeding methods to obtain performing mixtures. Complementary experimental approaches are being deployed: i) a diversity experiment (88 large wheat plots with 1, 2, 4 or 8 varieties) to quantify the effects of wheat diversity on ecosystem services; ii) replicates of the same diversity experiment in 4 sites across France under low and high inputs, to test diversity effects under a wide range of soil and climate conditions; iii) a network of 30 farms, encompassing agro-climatic variability in the Paris basin, to compare the ecological and techno-economic performance of blends and monocultures. The first results characterize various ecosystem services provided by genetic diversity (yield stability; regulation of foliar diseases; insect pest and weed biocontrol; maintenance of soil fertility; biodiversity conservation), and raise important methodological and statistical issues, crucial when studying the causal link between bundles of functional traits and delivered groups of services. Finally, the Wheatamix project emphasizes the need of a pluri-disciplinary approach when addressing agroecological subjects, and illustrates the strong mutual benefices between agronomic and ecological sciences

WHEATAMIX Project : Increasing within-field wheat diversity to foster ecosystem services in the Parisian basin

WHEATAMIX Project : Increasing within-field wheat diversity to foster ecosystem services in the Parisian basin. Solibam final congress - Diversity strategies for organic and low input agricultures and their food system

WHEATAMIX Project : Increasing within-field wheat diversity to foster ecosystem services in the Parisian basin

WHEATAMIX Project : Increasing within-field wheat diversity to foster ecosystem services in the Parisian basin. 3. International Conference on Biodiversity and the UN Millennium Development Goals,Biodiversity and Food Security – From Trade-offs to Synergie

Increasing species richness and genetic diversity in agriculture: results of the Wheatamix project

Homogenization and intensive use of inputs have provided major productivity gains in agriculture during the 20th century. However, new solutions are now needed to face the quest for greater agricultural sustainability. A better use of crop genetic diversity should be an essential leverage, as it could promote various ecosystem services, in a context of increasing environmental stochasticity caused by global change. Increasing within field diversity through the use of cultivar mixtures is a timely option, testified by with some significant “success stories” in the past, and recent bibliographic reviews. Yet, cultivar mixtures are poorly developed worldwide. In this context, the Wheatamix project studies the interest of mixing wheat genotypes to reinforce the sustainability, resilience, and multi-functionality of agriculture. Analyzing the interactions among genotypes and with the environment, Wheatamix develop new blending and breeding methods to obtain performing mixtures. Complementary experimental approaches are being deployed: i) a diversity experiment (88 large wheat plots with 1, 2, 4 or 8 varieties) to quantify the effects of wheat diversity on ecosystem services; ii) replicates of the same diversity experiment in 4 sites across France under low and high inputs, to test diversity effects under a wide range of soil and climate conditions; iii) a network of 30 farms, encompassing agro-climatic variability in the Paris basin, to compare the ecological and techno-economic performance of blends and monocultures. The first results characterize various ecosystem services provided by genetic diversity (yield stability; regulation of foliar diseases; insect pest and weed biocontrol; maintenance of soil fertility; biodiversity conservation), and raise important methodological and statistical issues, crucial when studying the causal link between bundles of functional traits and delivered groups of services. Finally, the Wheatamix project emphasizes the need of a pluri-disciplinary approach when addressing agroecological subjects, and illustrates the strong mutual benefices between agronomic and ecological sciences

Whole-body MR imaging in suspected physical child abuse: comparison with skeletal survey and bone scintigraphy findings from the PEDIMA prospective multicentre study

International audienceObjectives: To assess the contribution of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMRI) and bone scintigraphy (BS) in addition to skeletal survey (SS) in detecting traumatic bone lesions and soft-tissue injuries in suspected child abuse.Methods: In this prospective, multicentre, diagnostic accuracy study, children less than 3 years of age with suspected physical abuse were recruited. Each child underwent SS, BS and WBMRI. A blinded first review was performed in consensus by five paediatric radiologists and three nuclear medicine physicians. A second review investigated discrepancies reported between the modalities using a consensus result of all modalities as the reference standard. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity and corresponding 95% confidence interval for each imaging modality (SS, WBMRI and BS) and for the combinations [SS + WBMRI] and [SS + BS].Results: One hundred seventy children were included of which sixty-four had at least one lesion. In total, 146 lesions were included. The sensitivity and specificity of each examination were, respectively, as follows: 88.4% [95% CI, 82.0-93.1] and 99.7% [95% CI, 99.5-99.8] for the SS, 69.9% [95% CI, 61.7-77.2] and 99.5% [95% CI, 99.2-99.7] for WBMRI and 54.8% [95% CI, 46.4-63.0] and 99.7% [95% CI, 99.5-99.9] for BS. Sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 95.9% [95% CI, 91.3-98.5] and 99.2% [95% CI, 98.9-99.4] for the combination SS + WBMRI and 95.2% [95% CI, 90.4-98.1] and 99.4% [95% CI, 99.2-99.6] for the combination SS + BS, with no statistically significant difference between them.Conclusion: SS was the most sensitive independent imaging modality; however, the additional combination of either WBMRI or BS examinations offered an increased accuracy.Key points: • SS in suspected infant abuse was the most sensitive independent imaging modality in this study, especially for detecting metaphyseal and rib lesions, and remains essential for evaluation. • The combination of either SS + BS or SS + WBMRI provides greater accuracy in diagnosing occult and equivocal bone injuries in the difficult setting of child abuse. • WBMRI is a free-radiation technique that allows additional diagnosis of soft-tissue and visceral injuries