Selected Acoustic Frequencies Have a Positive Impact on Behavioural and Physiological Welfare Indicators in Thoroughbred Racehorses

(1) Background: Since antiquity, it is considered that sounds influence human emotional states and health. Acoustic enrichment has also been proposed for domestic animals. However, in both humans and animals, effects vary according to the type of sound. Human studies suggest that frequencies, more than melodies, play a key role. Low and high frequencies, music tuning frequency and even EEG slow waves used for ‘neurofeedback’ produce effects. (2) Methods: We tested the possible impact of such pure frequencies on racehorses’ behavior and physiology. A commercial non-audible acoustic stimulus, composed of an array of the above-mentioned frequencies, was broadcasted twice daily and for three weeks to 12 thoroughbred horses in their home stall. (3) Results: The results show a decrease in stereotypic behaviors and other indicators such as yawning or vacuum chewing, an increase in the time spent in recumbent resting and foraging, and better hematological measures during and after the playback phase for 4 of the 10 physiological parameters measured. (4) Conclusions: These results open new lines of research on possible ways of alleviating the stress related to housing and training conditions in racehorses and of improving physical recovery

Horses’ Tactile Reactivity Differs According to the Type of Work: The Example of Equine-Assisted Intervention

International audienceTactile perception in humans varies between individuals and could depend on extrinsic factors such as working activity. In animals, there is no study relating the influence of animals’ work and their tactile reactivity per se. We investigated horses’ tactile reactivity using von Frey filament in different body areas and compared horses working only in equine-assisted interventions (EAI), in riding school (RS) lessons, and in both activities (EAI-RS). We further compared tactile actions by people with or without mental and/or developmental disorders during brushing sessions. The results indicated that EAI horses showed higher tactile reactivity compared to EAI-RS and RS horses, both in terms of number of reactions overall, and especially when the test involved thin filaments. All horses showed high tactile reactivity when tested on the stifle, and this was particularly true for EAI horses. These differences could be related to humans’ actions, as participants diagnosed with disorders brushed more the hindquarters and showed more fragmented actions. This study opens new lines of thought on the influence of EAI working activity on horses’ tactile reactivity, and hence, on horses’ sensory perception. Tactile reactivity outside work, may be directly (via tactile stimulations) or indirectly (via the welfare state), influenced by working conditions

Acetoacetate protects macrophages from lactic acidosis-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by metabolic reprograming

International audienceLactic acidosis, the extracellular accumulation of lactate and protons, is a consequence of increased glycolysis triggered by insufficient oxygen supply to tissues. Macrophages are able to differentiate from monocytes under such acidotic conditions, and remain active in order to resolve the underlying injury. Here we show that, in lactic acidosis, human monocytes differentiating into macrophages are characterized by depolarized mitochondria, transient reduction of mitochondrial mass due to mitophagy, and a significant decrease in nutrient absorption. These metabolic changes, resembling pseudostarvation, result from the low extracellular pH rather than from the lactosis component, and render these cells dependent on autophagy for survival. Meanwhile, acetoacetate, a natural metabolite produced by the liver, is utilized by monocytes/macrophages as an alternative fuel to mitigate lactic acidosisinduced pseudostarvation, as evidenced by retained mitochondrial integrity and function, retained nutrient uptake, and survival without the need of autophagy. Our results thus show that acetoacetate may increase tissue tolerance to sustained lactic acidosis

AGuIX nanoparticle-nanobody bioconjugates to target immune checkpoint receptors

International audienceComparison of click chemistry and sortagging grafting strategies for functionalizing AGuIX nanoparticles with nanobodies to develop a tri-functional technology combining MRI imaging, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy by inhibiting immune checkpoints

L’action dans la recherche et la recherche dans l’action : quelles imbrications ?

International audienceL'édition 2023 de la Journée des jeunes chercheur.e.s de l'Institut de Géographie de Paris [JIG] souhaitait interroger les liens entre la recherche et les autres contextes de l’action - professionnels, militants, politiques - qu'elle cherche à analyser et avec lesquels, en conséquence, elle interagit, voire s'imbrique. Comment la recherche dialogue-t-elle avec ces dimensions de l’action ? Qu’est-ce qu’elle leur apporte ? L’apport est-il réciproque ou unilatéral ? Comment ces autres milieux se saisissent-ils de la recherche pour la mobiliser en dehors de la communauté scientifique ? Qu’est-ce que la recherche emprunte à d'autres contextes professionnels ? À travers trois sessions, les intervenant.e.s et discutant.e.s de la journée ont discuté les enjeux de positionnement, d'engagement et de militantisme dans les interactions de la recherche avec les sphères de l’action publique et les espaces et les acteurs du terrain. L'intégralité des échanges de cette journée d'étude sont retranscrits dans ces actes

L’action dans la recherche et la recherche dans l’action : quelles imbrications ?

L'édition 2023 de la Journée des jeunes chercheur.e.s de l'Institut de Géographie de Paris [JIG] souhaitait interroger les liens entre la recherche et les autres contextes de l’action - professionnels, militants, politiques - qu'elle cherche à analyser et avec lesquels, en conséquence, elle interagit, voire s'imbrique. Comment la recherche dialogue-t-elle avec ces dimensions de l’action ? Qu’est-ce qu’elle leur apporte ? L’apport est-il réciproque ou unilatéral ? Comment ces autres milieux se saisissent-ils de la recherche pour la mobiliser en dehors de la communauté scientifique ? Qu’est-ce que la recherche emprunte à d'autres contextes professionnels ? À travers trois sessions, les intervenant.e.s et discutant.e.s de la journée ont discuté les enjeux de positionnement, d'engagement et de militantisme dans les interactions de la recherche avec les sphères de l’action publique et les espaces et les acteurs du terrain. L'intégralité des échanges de cette journée d'étude sont retranscrits dans ces actes.Dynamiques Territoriales et spatiale

Cooperation and cheating orchestrate Vibrio assemblages and polymicrobial synergy in oysters infected with OsHV-1 virus

Polymicrobial diseases significantly impact the health of humans and animals but remain understudied in natural systems. We recently described the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS), a polymicrobial disease that impacts oyster production and is prevalent worldwide. Analysis of POMS-infected oysters on the French North Atlantic coast revealed that the disease involves co-infection with the endemic ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) and virulent bacterial species such asVibrio crassostreae. However, it is unknown whether consistentVibriopopulations are associated with POMS in different regions, howVibriocontribute to POMS, and how they interact with the OsHV-1 virus during pathogenesis. We resolved theVibriopopulation structure in oysters from a Mediterranean ecosystem and investigated their functions in POMS development. We find thatVibrio harveyiandVibrio rotiferianusare the predominant species found in OsHV-1-diseased oysters and show that OsHV-1 is necessary to reproduce the partition of theVibriocommunity observed in the field. By characterizing the interspecific interactions between OsHV-1,V. harveyiandV. rotiferianus, we find that onlyV. harveyisynergizes with OsHV-1. When co-infected, OsHV-1 andV. harveyibehave cooperatively by promoting mutual growth and accelerating oyster death.V. harveyishowed high virulence potential in oysters and dampened host cellular defenses, making oysters a more favorable niche for microbe colonization. We next investigated the interactions underlying the co-occurrence of diverseVibriospecies in diseased oysters. We found thatV. harveyiharbors genes responsible for the biosynthesis and uptake of a key siderophore called vibrioferrin. This important resource promotes the growth ofV. rotiferianus, a cheater that efficiently colonizes oysters during POMS without costly investment in host manipulation nor metabolite sharing. By connecting field-based approaches, laboratory infection assays and functional genomics, we have uncovered a web of interdependencies that shape the structure and function of the POMS pathobiota. We showed that cooperative behaviors contribute to synergy between bacterial and viral co-infecting partners. Additional cheating behaviors further shape the polymicrobial consortium. Controlling such behaviors or countering their effects opens new avenues for mitigating polymicrobial diseases

Cooperation and cheating orchestrate Vibrio assemblages and polymicrobial synergy in oysters infected with OsHV-1 virus

Polymicrobial infections threaten the health of humans and animals but remain understudied in natural systems. We recently described the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS), a polymicrobial disease affecting oyster production worldwide. In the French Atlantic coast, the disease involves coinfection with ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) and virulent Vibrio . However, it is unknown whether consistent Vibrio populations are associated with POMS in different regions, how Vibrio contribute to POMS, and how they interact with OsHV-1 during pathogenesis. By connecting field-based approaches in a Mediterranean ecosystem, laboratory infection assays and functional genomics, we uncovered a web of interdependencies that shape the structure and function of the POMS pathobiota. We show that Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio rotiferianus are predominant in OsHV-1-diseased oysters and that OsHV-1 drives the partition of the Vibrio community observed in the field. However only V. harveyi synergizes with OsHV-1 by promoting mutual growth and accelerating oyster death. V. harveyi shows high-virulence potential and dampens oyster cellular defenses through a type 3 secretion system, making oysters a more favorable niche for microbe colonization. In addition, V. harveyi produces a key siderophore called vibrioferrin. This important resource promotes the growth of V. rotiferianus , which cooccurs with V. harveyi in diseased oysters, and behaves as a cheater by benefiting from V. harveyi metabolite sharing. Our data show that cooperative behaviors contribute to synergy between bacterial and viral coinfecting partners. Additional cheating behaviors further shape the polymicrobial consortium. Controlling cooperative behaviors or countering their effects opens avenues for mitigating polymicrobial diseases