A sampling method for estimating the accuracy of predicted breeding values in genetic evaluation

A sampling-based method for estimating the accuracy of estimated breeding values using an animal model is presented. Empirical variances of true and estimated breeding values were estimated from a simulated n-sample. The method was validated using a small data set from the Parthenaise breed with the estimated coefficient of determination converging to the true values. It was applied to the French Salers data file used for the 2000 on-farm evaluation (IBOVAL) of muscle development score. A drawback of the method is its computational demand. Consequently, convergence can not be achieved in a reasonable time for very large data files. Two advantages of the method are that a) it is applicable to any model (animal, sire, multivariate, maternal effects...) and b) it supplies off-diagonal coefficients of the inverse of the mixed model equations and can therefore be the basis of connectedness studies

Measuring connectedness among herds in mixed linear models: From theory to practice in large-sized genetic evaluations

A procedure to measure connectedness among groups in large-sized genetic evaluations is presented. It consists of two steps: (a) computing coefficients of determination (CD) of comparisons among groups of animals; and (b) building sets of connected groups. The CD of comparisons were estimated using a sampling-based method that estimates empirical variances of true and predicted breeding values from a simulated n-sample. A clustering method that may handle a large number of comparisons and build compact clusters of connected groups was developed. An aggregation criterion (Caco) that reflects the level of connectedness of each herd was computed. This procedure was validated using a small beef data set. It was applied to the French genetic evaluation of the beef breed with most records and to the genetic evaluation of goats. Caco was more related to the type of service of sires used in the herds than to herd size. It was very sensitive to the percentage of missing sires. Disconnected herds were reliably identified by low values of Caco. In France, this procedure is the reference method for evaluating connectedness among the herds involved in on-farm genetic evaluation of beef cattle (IBOVAL) since 2002 and for genetic evaluation of goats from 2007 onwards

Faire du patrimoine industriel un métier

Le patrimoine correspond désormais à un secteur professionnel à part entière. L’université d’Artois l’a développé dans ses offres de formation en proposant le master 2 professionnel Pist (Patrimoine industriel, scientifique et technique). L’article présente, après trois années d’expérience, son champ d’action, ses orientations et ses contenus avec les développements escomptés dans le domaine de la « recherche-action », enfin ses débouchés. Il souligne le décalage existant entre la récente légitimation du patrimoine industriel comme objet scientifique, culturel, économique et l’émergence d’une nouvelle filière professionnelle consacrée à sa connaissance, sa gestion, sa mise en valeur et son interprétation

Etude en sciences sociales de grandes expéditions naturalistes contemporaines françaises,

social studies of sciences; Biodiversity inventories; systematicsInternational audienceCet article présente le projet de recherche interdisciplinaire, Expebiodiv visant à réaliser une étude interdisciplinaire des expeditions naturalistes contemporaines. Le cas étudié est celui du projet "La planète revisitée" qui est lancé pour 10 ans par le Museum d'Histoires Naturelle de Paris et l'ONG Pronatura International

First report of the mitrate Mitrocystella (Echinodermata, Stylophora) in the Middle Ordovician of the Crozon Peninsula, Brittany (France)

The mid-Ordovician mitrocystitid mitrate Mitrocystella incipiens was one of the most widespread stylophorans in the high latitude Mediterranean Province, with occurrences in the Armorican Massif (France), the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) and the Prague Basin (Czech Republic), all restricted so far to the late Darriwilian (Hustedograptus teretiusculus Zone). The description of this taxon in the Corréjou Member (Postolonnec Formation) of the Crozon Peninsula (western Brittany, France) not only extends its spatial distribution within the Armorican Massif, but also its stratigraphic range into the mid-Darriwilian (Didymograptus artusZone). The remarkable preser­vation of the new material and associated sedimentological evidence both suggest rapid burial by storm deposits

Increased bioavailability of hesperetin-7-glucoside compared with hesperidin results in more efficient prevention of bone loss in adult ovariectomised rats

Hesperidin (Hp), a citrus flavonoid predominantly found in oranges, shows bone-sparing effects in ovariectomised (OVX) animals. In human subjects, the bioavailability of Hp can be improved by the removal of the rhamnose group to yield hesperetin-7-glucoside (H-7-glc). The aim of the present work was to test whether H-7-glc was more bioavailable and therefore more effective than Hp in the prevention of bone loss in the OVX rat. Adult 6-month-old female Wistar rats were sham operated or OVX, then pair fed for 90d a casein-based diet supplemented or not with freeze-dried orange juice enriched with Hp or H-7-glc at two dose equivalents of the hesperetin aglycone (0·25 and 0·5%). In the rats fed 0·5%, a reduction in OVX-induced bone loss was observed regarding total bone mineral density (BMD):+7·0% in OVX rats treated with Hp (HpOVX) and +6·6% in OVX rats treated with H-7-glc (H-7-glcOVX) v. OVX controls (P<0·05). In the rats fed 0·25% hesperetin equivalents, the H-7-glcOVX group showed a 6·6% improvement in total femoral BMD v. the OVX controls (P<0·05), whereas the Hp diet had no effect at this dose. The BMD of rats fed 0·25% H-7-glc was equal to that of those given 0·5% Hp, but was not further increased at 0·5% H-7-glc. Plasma hesperetin levels and relative urinary excretion were significantly enhanced in the H-7-glc v. Hp groups, and the metabolite profile showed the absence of eriodictyol metabolites and increased levels of hesperetin sulphates. Taken together, improved bioavailability of H-7-glc may explain the more efficient bone protection of this compoun

Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis: A retrospective study

peer reviewedBackground and objectiveRheumatoid arthritis associated-interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is the most common pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and an important cause of mortality. In patients suffering from interstitial lung diseases (ILD) from different etiologies (including RA-ILD), a significant proportion is exhibiting a fibrotic progression despite immunosuppressive therapies, defined as progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD). Here, we report the frequency of RA-ILD and PF-ILD in all RA patients’ cohort at University Hospital of Liège and compare their characteristics and outcomes.MethodsPatients were retrospectively recruited from 2010 to 2020. PF-ILD was defined based on functional, clinical and/or iconographic progression criteria within 24 months despite specific anti-RA treatment.ResultsOut of 1,500 RA patients, about one third had high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) performed, 89 showed RA-ILD and 48 PF-ILD. RA-ILD patients were significantly older than other RA patients (71 old of median age vs. 65, p &lt; 0.0001), with a greater proportion of men (46.1 vs. 27.7%, p &lt; 0.0001) and of smoking history. Non-specific interstitial pneumonia pattern was more frequent than usual interstitial pneumonia among RA-ILD (60.7 vs. 27.0%) and PF-ILD groups (60.4 vs. 31.2%). The risk of death was 2 times higher in RA-ILD patients [hazard ratio 2.03 (95% confidence interval 1.15–3.57), p &lt; 0.01] compared to RA.ConclusionWe identified a prevalence of PF-ILD of 3% in a general RA population. The PF-ILD cohort did not seem to be different in terms of demographic characteristics and mortality compared to RA-ILD patients who did not exhibit the progressive phenotype yet

SUR QUELQUES CURIOSITÉS D'HISTOIRE NATURELLE DANS LES PERTUIS CHARENTAIS : FAUNE DES INVERTÉBRÉS MARINS

Eight invertebrate species, rediscovered, demographically expanding or newly observed are reported from the Pertuis Charentais Sea. They were sampled from intertidal rocky shores (Alpheus macrocheles, Aslia lefevrei, Epitonium clathrulatum and Haliotis tuberculata), intertidal sand flats (Africorchestia spinifera and Arcuatula senhousia) and subtidal bottoms (Aslia lefevrei and Rapana venosa). One species is pelagic (Lepas anatifera). Most of them are within their natural range. However, R. venosa, native to Southeast Asia, has been introduced in the Pertuis Charentais since the 2010s and its populations are currently expanding. The new northern limit of Africorchestia spinifera along the Atlantic coast is defined as the Ré Island. Phoresis of Crepidula fornicata on Carcinus maenas is noted but was already described in European waters whereas it is a hitherto undescribed and unexpected association with the gastropod R. venosa.Eight invertebrate species, rediscovered, demographically expanding or newly observed are reported from the Pertuis Charentais Sea. They were sampled from intertidal rocky shores (Alpheus macrocheles, Aslia lefevrei, Epitonium clathrulatum and Haliotis tuberculata), intertidal sand flats (Africorchestia spinifera and Arcuatula senhousia) and subtidal bottoms (Aslia lefevrei and Rapana venosa). One species is pelagic (Lepas anatifera). Most of them are within their natural range. However, R. venosa, native to Southeast Asia, has been introduced in the Pertuis Charentais since the 2010s and its populations are currently expanding. The new northern limit of Africorchestia spinifera along the Atlantic coast is defined as the Ré Island. Phoresis of Crepidula fornicata on Carcinus maenas is noted but was already described in European waters whereas it is a hitherto undescribed and unexpected association with the gastropod R. venosa

Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Retinal Detachment Reveals Both Inflammatory Response and Photoreceptor Death

Background Retinal detachment often leads to a severe and permanent loss of vision and its therapeutic management remains to this day exclusively surgical. We have used surgical specimens to perform a differential analysis of the transcriptome of human retinal tissues following detachment in order to identify new potential pharmacological targets that could be used in combination with surgery to further improve final outcome. Methodology/Principal Findings Statistical analysis reveals major involvement of the immune response in the disease. Interestingly, using a novel approach relying on coordinated expression, the interindividual variation was monitored to unravel a second crucial aspect of the pathological process: the death of photoreceptor cells. Within the genes identified, the expression of the major histocompatibility complex I gene HLA-C enables diagnosis of the disease, while PKD2L1 and SLCO4A1 -which are both down-regulated- act synergistically to provide an estimate of the duration of the retinal detachment process. Our analysis thus reveals the two complementary cellular and molecular aspects linked to retinal detachment: an immune response and the degeneration of photoreceptor cells. We also reveal that the human specimens have a higher clinical value as compared to artificial models that point to IL6 and oxidative stress, not implicated in the surgical specimens studied here. Conclusions/Significance This systematic analysis confirmed the occurrence of both neurodegeneration and inflammation during retinal detachment, and further identifies precisely the modification of expression of the different genes implicated in these two phenomena. Our data henceforth give a new insight into the disease process and provide a rationale for therapeutic strategies aimed at limiting inflammation and photoreceptor damage associated with retinal detachment and, in turn, improving visual prognosis after retinal surgery