Gait characterization in golden retriever muscular dystrophy dogs using linear discriminant analysis

Background: Accelerometric analysis of gait abnormalities in golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dogs isof limited sensitivity, and produces highly complex data. The use of discriminant analysis may enable simpler andmore sensitive evaluation of treatment benefits in this important preclinical model.Methods: Accelerometry was performed twice monthly between the ages of 2 and 12 months on 8 healthy and20 GRMD dogs. Seven accelerometric parameters were analysed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Manipulationof the dependent and independent variables produced three distinct models. The ability of each model to detect gaitalterations and their pattern change with age was tested using a leave-one-out cross-validation approach.Results: Selecting genotype (healthy or GRMD) as the dependent variable resulted in a model (Model 1) allowing agood discrimination between the gait phenotype of GRMD and healthy dogs. However, this model was not sufficientlyrepresentative of the disease progression. In Model 2, age in months was added as a supplementary dependentvariable (GRMD_2 to GRMD_12 and Healthy_2 to Healthy_9.5), resulting in a high overall misclassification rate (83.2%).To improve accuracy, a third model (Model 3) was created in which age was also included as an explanatory variable.This resulted in an overall misclassification rate lower than 12%. Model 3 was evaluated using blinded data pertainingto 81 healthy and GRMD dogs. In all but one case, the model correctly matched gait phenotype to the actualgenotype. Finally, we used Model 3 to reanalyse data from a previous study regarding the effects ofimmunosuppressive treatments on muscular dystrophy in GRMD dogs. Our model identified significant effect ofimmunosuppressive treatments on gait quality, corroborating the original findings, with the added advantages ofdirect statistical analysis with greater sensitivity and more comprehensible data representation.Conclusions: Gait analysis using LDA allows for improved analysis of accelerometry data by applying adecision-making analysis approach to the evaluation of preclinical treatment benefits in GRMD dogs

Deuteron Production in alpha-Nucleus Collisions from 200 to 800 MeV per Nucleon

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Nursery factors influencing containerized Pinus pinaster seedlings initial growth

seedlings ’ initial growth. Silva Fennica 32(3): 261–270. Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) containerized seedlings were raised outdoors at different fertilizer regimes, sowing date or culture duration to assess nursery factors influencing first year growth in the field. Seedling biomass, and N, P and K content before outplanting were affected by these different factors but the one year field growth was more related to N concentration than with morphological traits. The results are discussed in view to improve the plant stock quality in nursery

Evaluer l'altération du modèle architectural du système racinaire d'arbres forestiers par plantation

Evaluer l'altération du modèle architectural du système racinaire d'arbres forestiers par plantatio

Evaluer l'altération du modèle architectural du système racinaire d'arbres forestiers par plantation

Evaluer l'altération du modèle architectural du système racinaire d'arbres forestiers par plantatio

Explorer les sylvicultures du pin maritime pour connaître et prédire sa productivité

Explorer les sylvicultures du pin maritime pour connaître et prédire sa productivit

Explorer les sylvicultures du pin maritime pour connaître et prédire sa productivité

Explorer les sylvicultures du pin maritime pour connaître et prédire sa productivit

Le retour des cendres de bois en forêt : opportunités et limites

National audienceAvec les objectifs de développement des énergies renouvelables, la demande en bois énergie est en forte progression et induit, d’une part, une exportation accrue de biomasse forestière et, d’autre part, une production de cendres considérable. Cendres où se concentrent les éléments minéraux, qui n’interviennent pas dans la combustion. D’où l’idée du recyclage de ces minéraux par retour des cendres aux sols forestiers dont elles «proviennent». L’idée est simple dans son principe mais soulève bien des questions. Voici une synthèse des connaissances actuelles et un tour d’horizon de la situation en France et en Europe