Special issue: Innovations in farming systems approaches: Introduction

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Ethanol application at veraison decreases acidity in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

Research NoteSpraying ethanol (5 % v/v in water) onto grape clusters at mid-veraison led to a 30 % drop in the malic acid concentration at harvest. As a consequence, titratable acidity also dropped by 10 %. The concentration of tartaric acid did not change significantly. The mode of action of ethanol on malic acid metabolism is discussed.

Artificial reefs: from ecological processes to fishing enhancement tools

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Free exopolysaccharide from Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides possesses anti-inflammatory properties

In this study we explored the immunomodulatory properties of highly purified free galactan, the soluble exopolysaccharide secreted by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm). Galactan was shown to bind to TLR2 but not TLR4 using HEK293 reporter cells and to induce the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in bovine macrophages, whereas low IL-12p40 and no TNF-α, both pro-inflammatory cytokines, were induced in these cells. In addition, pre-treatment of macrophages with galactan substantially reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF- and IL-12p40 while increasing LPS-induced secretion of immunosuppressive IL-10. Also, galactan did not activate naïve lymphocytes and induced only low production of the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ in Mmm-experienced lymphocytes. Finally, galactan triggered weak recall proliferation of CD4+ T lymphocytes from contagious bovine pleuropneumonia-infected animals despite having a positive effect on the expression of co-stimulatory molecules on macrophages. All together, these results suggest that galactan possesses anti-inflammatory properties and potentially provides Mmm with a mechanism to evade host innate and adaptive cell-mediated immune responses. (Résumé d'auteur

Improved coronary magnetic resonance angiography using gadobenate dimeglumine in pediatric congenital heart disease

Background: CMRA in pediatrics remains challenging due to the smaller vessel size, high heart rates (HR), potential image degradation caused by limited patient cooperation and long acquisition times. High-relaxivity contrast agents have been shown to improve coronary imaging in adults, but limited data is available in children. We sought to investigate whether gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) together with self-navigated inversion-prepared coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) sequence design improves coronary image quality in pediatric patients. Methods: Forty consecutive patients (mean age 6 ± 2.8 years; 73% males) were prospectively recruited for a 1.5-T MRI study under general anesthesia. Two electrocardiographic-triggered free breathing steady-state free precession (SSFP) angiography sequences (A and B) with isotropic spatial resolution (1.3 mm3) were acquired using a recently developed image-based self-navigation technique. Sequence A was acquired prior to contrast administration using T2 magnetization preparation (T2prep). Sequence B was acquired 5–8 min after a bolus of Gd-BOPTA with the T2prep replaced by an inversion recovery (IR) pulse to null the signal from the myocardium. Scan time, signal-to noise and contrast-to-noise ratios (SNR and CNR), vessel wall sharpness (VWS) and qualitative visual score for each sequence were compared. Results: Scan time was similar for both sequences (5.3 ± 1.8 vs 5.2 ± 1.5 min, p = .532) and average heart rate (78 ± 14.7 vs 78 ± 14.5 bpm, p = .443) remained constant throughout both acquisitions. Sequence B resulted in higher SNR (12.6 ± 4.4 vs 31.1 ± 7.4, p < .001) and CNR (9.0 ± 1.8 vs 13.5 ± 3.7, p < .001) and provided improved coronary visualization in all coronary territories (VWS A = 0.53 ± 0.07 vs B = 0.56 ± 0.07, p = .001; and visual scoring A = 3.8 ± 0.59 vs B = 4.1 ± 0.53, p < .001). The number of non-diagnostic coronary segments was lower for sequence B [A = 42 (13.1%) segments vs B = 33 (10.3%) segments; p = .002], and contrary to the pre-contrast sequence, never involved a proximal segment. These results were independent of the patients' age, body surface area and HR. Conclusions: The use of Gd-BOPTA with a 3D IR SSFP CMRA sequence results in improved coronary visualization in small infants and young children with high HR within a clinically acceptable scan time

Statistical Computing on Non-Linear Spaces for Computational Anatomy

International audienceComputational anatomy is an emerging discipline that aims at analyzing and modeling the individual anatomy of organs and their biological variability across a population. However, understanding and modeling the shape of organs is made difficult by the absence of physical models for comparing different subjects, the complexity of shapes, and the high number of degrees of freedom implied. Moreover, the geometric nature of the anatomical features usually extracted raises the need for statistics on objects like curves, surfaces and deformations that do not belong to standard Euclidean spaces. We explain in this chapter how the Riemannian structure can provide a powerful framework to build generic statistical computing tools. We show that few computational tools derive for each Riemannian metric can be used in practice as the basic atoms to build more complex generic algorithms such as interpolation, filtering and anisotropic diffusion on fields of geometric features. This computational framework is illustrated with the analysis of the shape of the scoliotic spine and the modeling of the brain variability from sulcal lines where the results suggest new anatomical findings

The cytoprotective drug amifostine modifies both expression and activity of the pro-angiogenic factor VEGF-A

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The CPLEAR detector at CERN

The CPLEAR collaboration has constructed a detector at CERN for an extensive programme of CP-, T- and CPT-symmetry studies using ${\rm K}^0$ and $\bar{\rm K}^0$ produced by the annihilation of $\bar{\rm p}$'s in a hydrogen gas target. The ${\rm K}^0$ and $\bar{\rm K}^0$ are identified by their companion products of the annihilation ${\rm K}^{\pm} \pi^{\mp}$ which are tracked with multiwire proportional chambers, drift chambers and streamer tubes. Particle identification is carried out with a liquid Cherenkov detector for fast separation of pions and kaons and with scintillators which allow the measurement of time of flight and energy loss. Photons are measured with a lead/gas sampling electromagnetic calorimeter. The required antiproton annihilation modes are selected by fast online processors using the tracking chamber and particle identification information. All the detectors are mounted in a 0.44 T uniform field of an axial solenoid of diameter 2 m and length 3.6 m to form a magnetic spectrometer capable of full on-line reconstruction and selection of events. The design, operating parameters and performance of the sub-detectors are described.