Phytoseiid mite diversity (Acari: Mesostigmata) and assessment of their spatial distribution in French apple orchards

The present study reports the results of surveys carried out over two years in 173 apple orchards in France. Eleven species of Phytoseiidae were observed, among them three were dominant: Amblyseius andersoni, Kampimodromus aberrans and Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri. Cydnodromus californicus was also found but only in some orchards and nearly always in association with one of three dominant species. This observation confirms the faunal modification initiated more than ten years ago. Amblyseius andersoni was recorded in high densities in nearly all the regions considered. Typhlodromus (T.) pyri was also widespread, even if particularly frequent and abundant in the Rh¶ne-Alpes region. Kampimodromus aberrans was localised in some regions; it was especially frequent and abundant in the Mediterranean region. An identification key containing the eleven reported species is provided. TaylorÆs law was applied in order to characterize the Phytoseiidae distribution in apple orchards. The distribution is clearly aggregative, whatever the region and the Phytoseiidae species considered. Relationships between the occupation rate and the mean number of Phytoseiidae per leaf was established and an abacus was constructed to facilitate surveys and the counting during practical assessments of Phytoseiidae fauna in apple orchards

Schizophrenia and quality of life: a one-year follow-up in four EU countries

BACKGROUND: This article systematically monitors the quality of life (QOL) of patients with schizophrenia from seven different sites across four European countries: France, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. METHODS: A one-year prospective cohort study was carried out. Inclusion criteria for patients were: a clinical lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 (F20) diagnostic criteria for research, age between 18 and 65 years and at least one contact with mental health services in 1993. Data concerning QOL were recorded in seven sites from four countries: France, Portugal, Ireland and Spain, and were obtained using the Baker and Intagliata scale. At baseline, 339 patients answered the QOL questionnaire. At one-year follow-up, Spain could not participate, so only 263 patients were contacted and 219 agreed to take part. QOL was compared across centres by areas and according to a global index. QOL was correlated with presence of clinical and social problems, needs for care and interventions provided during the one-year follow-up. RESULTS: We did not find any link between gender and QOL. There were some significant differences between centres concerning many items. What is more, these differences were relative: in Lisbon where the lowest level of satisfaction was recorded, people were satisfied with food but highly dissatisfied with finances, whereas in St Etienne, where the highest level of satisfaction was recorded, people were less satisfied with food when they were more satisfied with finances. The evolution in one year among those respondents who took part in the follow-up (excluding the subjects from Granada) showed different patterns depending on the items. CONCLUSION: The four countries have different resources and patients live in rather different conditions. However, the main differences as far as their QOL is concerned very much depend on extra-psychiatric variables, principally marital status and income

Agro-hydrology and multi temporal high resolution remote sensing: toward an explicit spatial processes calibration

The recent and forthcoming availability of high resolution satellite image series offers new opportunities in agro-hydrological research and modeling. We investigated the perspective offered by improving the crop growth dynamic simulation using the distributed agro-hydrological model, Topography based Nitrogen transfer and Transforma­ tion (TNT2), using LAI map series derived from 105 Formosat-2 (F2) images during the period 2006-2010. The TNT2 model (Beaujouan et al., 2002), calibrated with dis­ charge and in-stream nitrate fluxes for the period 1985-2001, was tested on the 2006-201O dataset (climate, land use, agricultural practices, discharge and nitrate fluxes at the outlet). A priori agricultural practices obtained from an extensive field survey such as seeding date, crop cultivar,and fertilizer amount were used as input variables.Con­tinuous values of LAI as a function of cumulative daily temperature were obtained at the crop field level by fitting a double logistic equation against discrete satellite-derived LAI. Model predictions of LAI dynamics with a priori input parameters showed an temporal shift with observed LAI profiles irregularly distributed in space (between field crops) and time (between years). By re-setting seeding date at the crop field level, we proposed an optimization method to minimize efficiently this temporal shift and better fit the crop growth against the spatial observations as well as crop production. This optimization of simulated LAI has a negligible impact on water budget at the catchment scale (1 mm yr-1 in average) but a noticeable impact on in-stream nitrogen fluxes(around 12%) which is of interest considering nitrate stream contamination issues and TNT2 model objectives. This study demonstrates the contribution of forthcoming high spatial and temporal resolution products of Sentinel-2 satellite mission in improving agro-hydrological modeling by constraining the spatial representation of crop productivity

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lipolytic Enzymes as Potential Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: New diagnosis tests are urgently needed to address the global tuberculosis (TB) burden and to improve control programs especially in resource-limited settings. An effective in vitro diagnostic of TB based on serological methods would be regarded as an attractive progress because immunoassays are simple, rapid, inexpensive, and may offer the possibility to detect cases missed by standard sputum smear microscopy. However, currently available serology tests for TB are highly variable in sensitivity and specificity. Lipolytic enzymes have recently emerged as key factors in lipid metabolization during dormancy and/or exit of the non-replicating growth phase, a prerequisite step of TB reactivation. The focus of this study was to analyze and compare the potential of four Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipolytic enzymes (LipY, Rv0183, Rv1984c and Rv3452) as new markers in the serodiagnosis of active TB. METHODS: Recombinant proteins were produced and used in optimized ELISA aimed to detect IgG and IgM serum antibodies against the four lipolytic enzymes. The capacity of the assays to identify infection was evaluated in patients with either active TB or latent TB and compared with two distinct control groups consisting of BCG-vaccinated blood donors and hospitalized non-TB individuals. RESULTS: A robust humoral response was detected in patients with active TB whereas antibodies against lipolytic enzymes were infrequently detected in either uninfected groups or in subjects with latent infection. High specifity levels, ranging from 93.9% to 97.5%, were obtained for all four antigens with sensitivity values ranging from 73.4% to 90.5%, with Rv3452 displaying the highest performances. Patients with active TB usually exhibited strong IgG responses but poor IgM responses. CONCLUSION: These results clearly indicate that the lipolytic enzymes tested are strongly immunogenic allowing to distinguish active from latent TB infections. They appear as potent biomarkers providing high sensitivity and specificity levels for the immunodiagnosis of active TB

Algorithme génétique multicritère (conception et remodelage d'ateliers de chimie fine)

Les ateliers multi-objectifs de chimie fine sont mis en oeuvre pour élaborer des gammes variées en faibles tonnages de produits, souvent à forte valeur ajoutée. La conception et/ou le remodelage de ces ateliers présente un intérêt majeur pour l'industrie. Les recherches antérieures dans ce domaine ont été, pour la plupart, focalisées sur l'aspect financier. Ce mémoire propose une algorithmique permettant d'intégrer d'autres critères. Cette approche s'articule autour de trois éléments principaux : un simulateur à événements discrets permettant une simulation précise des ateliers multi-objectifs de chimie fine, un algorithme génétique évolué assurant l'optimisation de problèmes au caractère combinatoire très marqué en des temps de calcul limités et améliorant certains aspects des algorithmes génétiques classiques, une procédure de recherche multicritère garantissant l'obtention d'un (ou plusieurs) atelier(s) satisfaisant(s) pour l'ensemble des critères considérés. Il aboutit au développement d'un outil informatique intégrant ces trois grands éléments dans un seul logiciel d'aide à la décision et permettant la conception et/ou le remodelage d'ateliers multi-objectifs de chimie fine suivant un panel de critères. L'étude systématique sur l'influence des paramètres de fonctionnement des algorithmes génétiques en fonction des exemples étudiés est proposée.TOULOUSE-ENSIACET (315552325) / SudocSudocFranceF

Préface

Dedieu Gérard, Probst J.L. Préface. In: Sciences Géologiques. Bulletin, tome 50, n°1-4, 1997. The global carbon cycle in the terrestrial biosphere, sous la direction de Gérard Dedieu et Jean-Luc Probst. pp. 3-5

Régulation de l'expression des porines chez Campylobacter jejuni

AIX-MARSEILLE2-BU Méd/Odontol. (130552103) / SudocPARIS-BIUP (751062107) / SudocSudocFranceF

Préface

Dedieu Gérard, Probst J.L. Préface. In: Sciences Géologiques. Bulletin, tome 50, n°1-4, 1997. The global carbon cycle in the terrestrial biosphere, sous la direction de Gérard Dedieu et Jean-Luc Probst. pp. 3-5

Characterization of RV1683, a bifunctional enzyme involved in storage and mobilization of mycobacterial lipid droplets

National audienc