Oakscan: procédé de mesure rapide et non destructif des polyphénols du bois de chêne de tonnellerie

Les polyphénols extractibles contenus dans le bois de chêne des barriques de tonnellerie sont des composés très importants car ils ont une influence sur la couleur et sur les propriétés organoleptiques des vins qu'ils enrichissent. Les analyses chimiques de laboratoire qui permettent de les mesurer sont réalisées sur des extractions, nécessitent un délai de réalisation très long et ne permettent d'analyser que des lots de matière par échantillonnage. Le procédé de mesure rapide et non destructif Oakscan® a été développé par la tonnellerie Radoux. Il se fonde sur la spectrométrie proche infrarouge et permet de mesurer la teneur en polyphénols en quelques secondes, directement sur le bois massif. Le contenu polyphénolique de chaque douelle est alors mesuré, permettant une meilleure maitrise de la matière première entrant dans la composition des fûts

Maximizing lentiviral vector gene transfer in the CNS.

Gene transfer is a widely developed technique for studying and treating genetic diseases. However, the development of therapeutic strategies is challenging, due to the cellular and functional complexity of the central nervous system (CNS), its large size and restricted access. We explored two parameters for improving gene transfer efficacy and capacity for the selective targeting of subpopulations of cells with lentiviral vectors (LVs). We first developed a second-generation LV specifically targeting astrocytes for the efficient expression or silencing of genes of interest, and to better study the importance of cell subpopulations in neurological disorders. We then made use of the retrograde transport properties of a chimeric envelope to target brain circuits affected in CNS diseases and achieve a broad distribution. The combination of retrograde transport and specific tropism displayed by this LV provides opportunities for delivering therapeutic genes to specific cell populations and ensuring high levels of transduction in interconnected brain areas following local administration. This new LV and delivery strategy should be of greater therapeutic benefit and opens up new possibilities for the preclinical development of gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases

Comprehensive genetic dissection of wood properties in a widely-grown tropical tree: Eucalyptus

Background: Eucalyptus is an important genus in industrial plantations throughout the world and is grown for use as timber, pulp, paper and charcoal. Several breeding programmes have been launched worldwide to concomitantly improve growth performance and wood properties (WPs). In this study, an interspecific cross between Eucalyptus urophylla and E. grandis was used to identify major genomic regions (Quantitative Trait Loci, QTL) controlling the variability of WPs. Results: Linkage maps were generated for both parent species. A total of 117 QTLs were detected for a series of wood and end-use related traits, including chemical, technological, physical, mechanical and anatomical properties. The QTLs were mainly clustered into five linkage groups. In terms of distribution of QTL effects, our result agrees with the typical L-shape reported in most QTL studies, i.e. most WP QTLs had limited effects and only a few (13) had major effects (phenotypic variance explained > 15%). The co-locations of QTLs for different WPs as well as QTLs and candidate genes are discussed in terms of phenotypic correlations between traits, and of the function of the candidate genes. The major wood property QTL harbours a gene encoding a Cinnamoyl CoA reductase (CCR), a structural enzyme of the monolignol-specific biosynthesis pathway. Conclusions: Given the number of traits analysed, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the genetic architecture of wood properties in this Eucalyptus full-sib pedigree. At the dawn of Eucalyptus genome sequence, it will provide a framework to identify the nature of genes underlying these important quantitative traits. (Résumé d'auteur

EPR study of Yb-doped irradiated glasses

International audienceYb3+ reduction under β and γ irradiation has been studied in aluminoborosilicate glasses by EPR spectroscopy. From the Yb3+ EPR line variation, we demonstrate that more than one Yb3+ sites coexist in the pristine Yb-doped glasses. Reduction of Yb3+ into Yb2+ is observed for all integrated doses and Yb doping contents. For doses higher than 108 Gy, an Yb3+ ion environment change occurs, this change is correlated with a stabilization of the reduced Yb2+ state. The paramagnetic defect concentration displays a linear variation as a function of the logarithm of the dose. The glass doping with Yb2O3 leads to a substantial decrease of the defect concentration as well as a modification in the relative proportion of the defects produced. In particular, Yb doping tends to increase the relative content of Oxy defect

Ti3+ production under ionizing radiation in aluminoborosilicate glasses studied by EPR spectroscopy

International audienceReduction processes under irradiation of Ti4+ ions in aluminoborosilicate glasses have been studied by EPR spectroscopy at 20 K. Different parameters like the [Na]/[Ti] ratio and the integrated dose were analyzed in this work. Simulation of the Ti3+ ion EPR spectra has shown three different Ti3+ environment attributed to one Ti-[VI](3+) and two Ti-[V](3+) environment (square pyramid and trigonal bi-pyramid). The Ti-[VI](3+) ion environment is observed only for higher [Na]/[Ti] ratios although the two others are observed for all values of the [Na]/[Ti] ratio considered. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Effects of temperature and flux on oxygen bubble formation in Li borosilicate glass under electron beam irradiation

International audienceOxygen bubble formation and evolution under a 300 keV electron beam are analyzed in a Li borosilicate glass under different irradiation conditions: temperature, flux, and dose. Oxygen bubbles are observed to form in a delimited flux and temperature region with a threshold requirement. This region ranges between 100 and 300 degrees C for the temperatures and between 10(19) and 10(21) e m(-2) s(-1) for the electron fluxes. In situ transmission electron microscopy allows the bubble evolution kinetics to be described as a four-step process. An incubation step is followed by a growth phase of sigmoid type. For high values of temperature and/or flux the saturation growth and the subsequent dissolution of the bubbles are also observed. The bubble evolution kinetics can be explained by considering the production and diffusion mechanisms of the molecular oxygen O-2 as a function of the temperature and the electron flux

Titanium reduction processes in oxide glasses under electronic irradiation

International audienceBorosilicate and disilicate glasses doped with 0–2 mol% of TiO2 have been irradiated with 2 MeV electrons. Reduction of Ti4+ is attested by the presence of an intense electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal around g = 1.92 corresponding to Ti3+, not observed in samples that were not irradiated. Moreover, two distinct sites of Ti3+ have been detected in each glass composition. Ti–K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) experiment and more precisely the pre-edge analysis of non-irradiated samples indicates the presence of four, five and six coordinated Ti(IV) in borosilicate glass compositions. In contrast, the average Ti(IV) coordination in DS composition is a mixture between fivefold and sixfold. In irradiated glasses, the Ti–K-edge energy (as well as the pre-edge position) shows a shift to smaller energies, which we suggest is caused by Ti3+. Comparison between EPR, Raman and XANES results in a coherent description of Ti4+ reduction process in the glass sample

beta irradiation borosilicate glasses: the role of the mixed alkali effect

We investigate the photoemission for a set of wide band-gap crystals irradiated by femtosecond Ti-Sapphire laser pulses at intensities varying from 0.5 to 6 TW/cm(2) (below the optical breakdown threshold). The measured total electron yield increases linearly with the laser intensity in this intensity range. An intense and wide plateau of high energy electrons appears in the photoelectron spectra at excitation intensities larger than 1 TW/cm(2). The exponential cut-off of this plateau reaches 40 eV at maximal applied intensities. In order to explain such a behavior, we propose a mechanism where the heating is due to a sequence of direct interbranch one- and multi-photon transitions in the conduction ban