14 research outputs found
Exoplanet imaging data challenge, phase II: characterization of exoplanet signals in high-contract images
peer reviewedToday, there exists a wide variety of algorithms dedicated to high-contrast imaging, especially for the detection and characterisation of exoplanet signals. These algorithms are tailored to address the very high contrast between the exoplanet signal(s), which can be more than two orders of magnitude fainter than the bright starlight residuals in coronagraphic images. The starlight residuals are inhomogeneously distributed and follow various timescales that depend on the observing conditions and on the target star brightness. Disentangling the exoplanet signals within the starlight residuals is therefore challenging, and new post-processing algorithms are striving to achieve more accurate astrophysical results. The Exoplanet Imaging Data Challenge is a community-wide effort to develop, compare and evaluate algorithms using a set of benchmark high-contrast imaging datasets. After a first phase ran in 2020 and focused on the detection capabilities of existing algorithms, the focus of this ongoing second phase is to compare the characterisation capabilities of state-of-the-art techniques. The characterisation of planetary companions is two-fold: the astrometry (estimated position with respect to the host star) and spectrophotometry (estimated contrast with respect to the host star, as a function of wavelength). The goal of this second phase is to offer a platform for the community to benchmark techniques in a fair, homogeneous and robust way, and to foster collaborations
Phytotoxicity and Plant Defence Induction by Cinnamomum cassia Essential Oil Application on Malus domestica Tree: A Molecular Approach
Essential oils (EOs) are actively investigated as an alternative to numerous synthetic biocide
products. Due to their large spectra of biological activities, the impact of EOs on non-target organisms
should be characterized for biopesticide development purposes. In this study the potential phytotoxicity
of Cinnamomum cassia EO (CEO) on apple trees (Malus domestica) was investigated in terms of oxidative
burst (glutathione redox state) and damage (malondialdehyde). At 2%, CEO concentration the reduced
glutathione leaf content drops from 269.6 ± 45.8 to 143 ± 28.4 nmol gâ1
FW, after 30 min, illustrating
a rapid and strong oxidative burst. Regarding oxidative damage, malondialdehyde increased significantly 24 h post application to 10.7 ± 3.05 nmol gâ1
FW. Plant defence induction was previously
suspected after trans-cinnamaldehyde (CEO main compound) application. Therefore, the elicitor
potential was investigated by qRT-PCR, on the expression level of 29 genes related to major defence
pathways (PR protein, secondary metabolism, oxidative stress, parietal modification). Multivariate analysis and increased expression levels suggest induction of systemic resistance. Hence, the
present research illustrates the doseâdependent phytotoxicity of CEO in terms of lipid peroxidation.
Transcriptional data illustrates the elicitor properties of CEO. These findings can help to design pest
management strategies considering both their risks (phytotoxicity) and benefits (defence activation
combined with direct biocide properties)
Archiver, documenter, enquĂȘter sur lâenquĂȘte qualitative. Le travail de lâombre de beQuali
International audienceIn this interview, five beQuali members with diverse profiles describe what this âbank of qualitative surveys in the humanities and social sciencesâ consists of. They show the richness of this project, which requires archiving, documenting and investigating qualitative surveys in order to make them available to all those who wish to consult them as part of a teaching or research project.Les sciences humaines et sociales au travail (ii): Que faire des donnĂ©es de la recherche ? Archiver, documenter, enquĂȘter sur l'enquĂȘte qualitative. Le travail de l'ombre de beQuali Archiving, documenting and investigating qualitative surveys. BeQuali's shadow workDans cet entretien, cinq membres de beQuali aux profils variĂ©s dĂ©crivent en quoi consiste cette « banque dâenquĂȘtes qualitatives en sciences humaines et sociales ». Ils et elles montrent la richesse de ce projet qui demande dâarchiver, de documenter et dâenquĂȘter sur les enquĂȘtes qualitatives afin de les rendre disponibles pour toutes les personnes qui souhaitent les consulter dans le cadre dâun projet dâenseignement ou de recherche
Table_1_Formulated hydroxy fatty acids from fruit pomaces reduce apple scab development caused by Venturia inaequalis through a dual mode of action.xlsx
The outermost hydrophobic layer of plants, i.e. the cuticle, is mainly composed of cutin, a polyester of hydroxy fatty acids with reported eliciting and/or antimicrobial activities for some of them. By-products of the fruit processing industry (fruit pomaces), often strongly enriched in cuticular material, are therefore a potential source of bioactive compounds for crop protection against pathogen attack. We investigated the utilization of tomato and apple pomaces in the development of a cutin-based biocontrol solution against apple scab, a major apple disease caused by Venturia inaequalis. Several cutin monomer extracts obtained through different strategies of depolymerization and purification were first compared for their ability to induce a targeted set of defense genes in apple seedlings after foliar application. After a step of formulation, some extracts were chosen for further investigation in planta and in vitro. Our results show that formulated cutin monomers could trigger a significant transcriptome reprogramming in apple plants and exhibit an antifungal effect on V. inaequalis. Cutin monomers-treated apple seedlings were significantly protected against infection by the apple scab agent. Altogether, our findings suggest that water-dispersed cutin monomers extracted from pomaces are potential new bio-based solutions for the control of apple scab.</p
Search for host defense markers uncovers an apple agglutination factor corresponding with fire blight resistance
International audienceAbstract Pathenogenesis-related (PR) proteins are extensively used as molecular markers to dissect the signaling cascades leading to plant defense responses. However, studies focusing on the biochemical or biological properties of these proteins remain rare. Here, we identify and characterize a class of apple (Malus domestica) PR proteins, named M. domestica AGGLUTININS (MdAGGs), belonging to the amaranthin-like lectin family. By combining molecular and biochemical approaches, we show that abundant production of MdAGGs in leaf tissues corresponds with enhanced resistance to the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the disease fire blight. We also show that E. amylovora represses the expression of MdAGG genes by injecting the type 3 effector DspA/E into host cells and by secreting bacterial exopolysaccharides. Using a purified recombinant MdAGG, we show that the protein agglutinates E. amylovora cells in vitro and binds bacterial lipopolysaccharides at low pH, conditions reminiscent of the intercellular pH occurring in planta upon E. amylovora infection. We finally provide evidence that negatively charged polysaccharides, such as the free exopolysaccharide amylovoran progressively released by the bacteria, act as decoys relying on chargeâcharge interaction with the MdAGG to inhibit agglutination. Overall, our results suggest that the production of this particular class of PR proteins may contribute to apple innate immunity mechanisms active against E. amylovora
Image_1_Formulated hydroxy fatty acids from fruit pomaces reduce apple scab development caused by Venturia inaequalis through a dual mode of action.jpeg
The outermost hydrophobic layer of plants, i.e. the cuticle, is mainly composed of cutin, a polyester of hydroxy fatty acids with reported eliciting and/or antimicrobial activities for some of them. By-products of the fruit processing industry (fruit pomaces), often strongly enriched in cuticular material, are therefore a potential source of bioactive compounds for crop protection against pathogen attack. We investigated the utilization of tomato and apple pomaces in the development of a cutin-based biocontrol solution against apple scab, a major apple disease caused by Venturia inaequalis. Several cutin monomer extracts obtained through different strategies of depolymerization and purification were first compared for their ability to induce a targeted set of defense genes in apple seedlings after foliar application. After a step of formulation, some extracts were chosen for further investigation in planta and in vitro. Our results show that formulated cutin monomers could trigger a significant transcriptome reprogramming in apple plants and exhibit an antifungal effect on V. inaequalis. Cutin monomers-treated apple seedlings were significantly protected against infection by the apple scab agent. Altogether, our findings suggest that water-dispersed cutin monomers extracted from pomaces are potential new bio-based solutions for the control of apple scab.</p
Image_2_Formulated hydroxy fatty acids from fruit pomaces reduce apple scab development caused by Venturia inaequalis through a dual mode of action.jpeg
The outermost hydrophobic layer of plants, i.e. the cuticle, is mainly composed of cutin, a polyester of hydroxy fatty acids with reported eliciting and/or antimicrobial activities for some of them. By-products of the fruit processing industry (fruit pomaces), often strongly enriched in cuticular material, are therefore a potential source of bioactive compounds for crop protection against pathogen attack. We investigated the utilization of tomato and apple pomaces in the development of a cutin-based biocontrol solution against apple scab, a major apple disease caused by Venturia inaequalis. Several cutin monomer extracts obtained through different strategies of depolymerization and purification were first compared for their ability to induce a targeted set of defense genes in apple seedlings after foliar application. After a step of formulation, some extracts were chosen for further investigation in planta and in vitro. Our results show that formulated cutin monomers could trigger a significant transcriptome reprogramming in apple plants and exhibit an antifungal effect on V. inaequalis. Cutin monomers-treated apple seedlings were significantly protected against infection by the apple scab agent. Altogether, our findings suggest that water-dispersed cutin monomers extracted from pomaces are potential new bio-based solutions for the control of apple scab.</p
Inhibition of airway inflammation by amino-terminally modified RANTES/CC chemokine ligand 5 analogues is not mediated through CCR3
Chemokines play a key role in the recruitment of activated CD4+ T cells and eosinophils into the lungs in animal models of airway inflammation. Inhibition of inflammation by N-terminally modified chemokines is well-documented in several models but is often reported with limited dose regimens. We have evaluated the effects of doses ranging from 10 ng to 100 ÎŒg of two CC chemokine receptor antagonists, Met-RANTES/CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) and aminooxypentane-RANTES/CCL5, in preventing inflammation in the OVA-sensitized murine model of human asthma. In the human system, aminooxypentane-RANTES/CCL5 is a full agonist of CCR5, but in the murine system neither variant is able to induce cellular recruitment. Both antagonists showed an inverse bell-shaped inhibition of cellular infiltration into the airways and mucus production in the lungs following allergen provocation. The loss of inhibition at higher doses did not appear to be due to partial agonist activity because neither variant showed activity in recruiting cells into the peritoneal cavity at these doses. Surprisingly, neither was able to bind to the major CCR expressed on eosinophils, CCR3. However, significant inhibition of eosinophil recruitment was observed. Both analogues retained high affinity binding for murine CCR1 and murine CCR5. Their ability to antagonize CCR1 and CCR5 but not CCR3 was confirmed by their ability to prevent RANTES/CCL5 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1ÎČ/CCL4 recruitment in vitro and in vivo, while they had no effect on that induced by eotaxin/CCL11. These results suggest that CCR1 and/or CCR5 may be potential targets for asthma therapy
Les sciences humaines et sociales au travail (ii): Que faire des données de la recherche ?
Ces derniĂšres annĂ©es se multiplient les colloques, sĂ©minaires et formations autour des « donnĂ©es de la recherche » tandis que se dĂ©veloppent de nouvelles infrastructures et de nouveaux moyens consacrĂ©s Ă leur mise Ă disposition. AdossĂ© aux politiques de la « science ouverte » et aux exigences de « rĂ©plicabilitĂ© » de la science, ce mouvement de lâopen data enjoint les chercheurs et les chercheuses Ă archiver les donnĂ©es issues de leurs enquĂȘtes pour les rendre accessibles au public. En parallĂšle, la protection des donnĂ©es personnelles fait lâobjet de nouvelles rĂ©gulations lĂ©gislatives et administratives, qui alourdissent les contraintes bureaucratiques pesant sur lâenquĂȘte de terrain, en particulier pour les sujets dits sensibles. Enfin, des dĂ©fis dĂ©ontologiques et techniques inĂ©dits se posent aux chercheurs et chercheuses qui souhaitent sĂ©curiser leurs donnĂ©es et protĂ©ger lâanonymat de leurs enquĂȘtĂ©-e-s dans un contexte de surveillance numĂ©rique. Ces Ă©volutions placent les donnĂ©es de la recherche au cĆur dâenjeux majeurs. Les injonctions parfois contradictoires (protĂ©ger les donnĂ©es, les rendre accessibles) que les chercheurs et chercheuses rencontrent suscitent dĂ©bats et controverses. Face aux nombreuses questions et inquiĂ©tudes quâoccasionne ce moment « donnĂ©es », le prĂ©sent numĂ©ro propose de marquer un temps dâarrĂȘt pour porter un regard rĂ©flexif sur les pratiques et les mĂ©tiers de la recherche au sens large : quâest-ce, au fond, quâune donnĂ©e ? Quelle est sa place dans le travail des sciences humaines et sociales ? Quâest-il attendu que nous (chercheurs et chercheuses, personnels dâappui et de soutien Ă la recherche) fassions de ces fameuses donnĂ©es ? Et que nous dit ce moment « donnĂ©es » sur lâĂ©volution de lâĂ©conomie gĂ©nĂ©rale de la science ? Les articles de ce numĂ©ro apportent leur pierre Ă une rĂ©flexion qui se doit dâĂȘtre collective. The past few years have witnessed the multiplication of seminars, conferences and training sessions devoted to âresearch dataâ as well as the development of new infrastructures and the allocation of new financial means to manage them. In line with new policies geared towards âopen scienceâ and the âreplicabilityâ of research, the current movement for open data enjoins researchers to archive the data they produce and make them available to the public. At the same time, new regulations have emerged regarding the protection of personal data, which reinforce the administrative and bureaucratic constraints that weight upon field research, especially for those working on so-called âsensitiveâ topics. Finally, the rise of digital surveillance poses unprecedented ethical and technical challenges to researchers willing to secure their data and protect the anonymity of their interviewees. These recent developments place research data at the heart of major political and scientific issues. Faced with a number of contradictory injunctions (protecting data, making them available), researchers have engaged in controversies and debates. Given the many questions and concerns that the current âdata momentâ provokes, this special issue proposes to take a step back and reflect on our trade and practices: what are data really? What is their role in the work of human and social sciences? What are we (researchers and research personnel) meant to do with such data? And what does the current âdata momentâ tell us about the changing economics of science? The articles of this special issue make a first contribution to a reflection that must primarily be collective