Anticipation and adaptation of public policies: leading role of a safety agency

Au sein du paysage des agences de sécurité sanitaire, l’Anses occupe une position particulière par son large champ de compétences embrassant à la fois la sécurité sanitaire humaine dans les domaines de l’environnement, du travail et de l’alimentation ainsi que la protection de la santé et du bien-être des animaux et la protection de la santé des végétaux. L’Anses dispose de plus pour la réalisation de ses missions de laboratoires de recherche et de référence. Le travail en synergie des missions d’évaluation des risques, de délivrance des autorisations de mise sur le marché dans ses domaines de compétence et de recherche et de référence permet à l’Agence d’être un opérateur essentiel dans l’anticipation des crises sanitaires et dans l’appui à leur gestion par les autorités de tutelles. Il contribue à l’adaptation des politiques publiques dans le domaine de la sécurité sanitaire.Among the network of safety agency, Anses cover a large area of competencies through its risk assessment, risk management research and reference activities in the field of human safety related to environmental exposure, occupational work, food, and also plant health and animal health and welfare. The original position of the agency makes its role essential in anticipating sanitary crisis and support to the risk managers. Anses contributes through its research, reference, risk assessment and risk management activities to the improvement of public policies in the field of sanitary safety

The Genome Sequence of the Grape Phylloxera Provides Insights into the Evolution, Adaptation, and Invasion Routes of an Iconic Pest

Background: Although native to North America, the invasion of the aphid-like grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae across the globe altered the course of grape cultivation. For the past 150 years, viticulture relied on grafting-resistant North American Vitis species as rootstocks, thereby limiting genetic stocks tolerant to other stressors such as pathogens and climate change. Limited understanding of the insect genetics resulted in successive outbreaks across the globe when rootstocks failed. Here we report the 294-Mb genome of D. vitifoliae as a basic tool to understand host plant manipulation, nutritional endosymbiosis, and enhance global viticulture. Results: Using a combination of genome, RNA, and population resequencing, we found grape phylloxera showed high duplication rates since its common ancestor with aphids, but similarity in most metabolic genes, despite lacking obligate nutritional symbioses and feeding from parenchyma. Similarly, no enrichment occurred in development genes in relation to viviparity. However, phylloxera evolved > 2700 unique genes that resemble putative effectors and are active during feeding. Population sequencing revealed the global invasion began from the upper Mississippi River in North America, spread to Europe and from there to the rest of the world. Conclusions: The grape phylloxera genome reveals genetic architecture relative to the evolution of nutritional endosymbiosis, viviparity, and herbivory. The extraordinary expansion in effector genes also suggests novel adaptations to plant feeding and how insects induce complex plant phenotypes, for instance galls. Finally, our understanding of the origin of this invasive species and its genome provide genetics resources to alleviate rootstock bottlenecks restricting the advancement of viticulture

Metatranscriptomics reveals the active bacterial and eukaryotic fibrolytic communities in the rumen of dairy cow fed a mixed diet

Ruminants have a unique ability to derive energy from the degradation of plant polysaccharides through the activity of the rumen microbiota. Although this process is well studied in vitro, knowledge gaps remain regarding the relative contribution of the microbiota members and enzymes in vivo. The present study used RNA-sequencing to reveal both the expression of genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) by the rumen microbiota of a lactating dairy cow and the microorganisms forming the fiber-degrading community. Functional analysis identified 12,237 CAZymes, accounting for 1% of the transcripts. The CAZyme profile was dominated by families GH94 (cellobiose-phosphorylase), GH13 (amylase), GH43 and GH10 (hemicellulases), GH9 and GH48 (cellulases), PL11 (pectinase) as well as GH2 and GH3 (oligosaccharidases). Our data support the pivotal role of the most characterized fibrolytic bacteria (Prevotella, Ruminocccus and Fibrobacter), and highlight a substantial, although most probably underestimated, contribution of fungi and ciliate protozoa to polysaccharide degradation. Particularly these results may motivate further exploration of the role and the functions of protozoa in the rumen. Moreover, an important part of the fibrolytic bacterial community remains to be characterized since one third of the CAZyme transcripts originated from distantly related strains. These findings are used to highlight limitations of current metatranscriptomics approaches to understand the functional rumen microbial community and opportunities to circumvent them

Prediction of falls with performance on Timed "Up-and-Go" and one-leg-balance tests and additional cognitive tasks

Objective: The first aim of this study was to determine whether ordinary postural clinical performance varied with an additional cognitive task. The second purpose was to valid the predictive value for falling of two clinical tests. Methodology: The sample comprised ninety-five women with osteoporosis who lived independently in the community and aged over 70 years (mean 73.4 ± 1.7 years). Timed “Up & Go” test (TUG) and One leg balance (OLB) were realised. Tests were randomly assigned. Trials were realised with or without a cognitive additional task (math task involving subtraction by twos or fives or addition by threes). Results: For both tests (TUG and OLB), performance decreased in the dual-tasks condition (p<0.05). On the other hand, performances were not different in old women with and without an history of fall whatever the test and with or without an additional cognitive load. Conclusion: Performs in Timed Up & Go test and in One leg of balance were less efficient when simultaneously performing a cognitive task. These tests realised without or with cognitive task did not predict falls in a sample of women who lived independently

Balance, aging, and osteoporosis: effects of cognitive exercises combined with physiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether performing cognitive tasks while exercising influenced the effects of an exercise program designed to reduce the risk of falling in elderly women with osteoporosis. METHODS: We included 68 osteoporotic women older than 70 years of age (mean age, 73.5 years+/-1.6) who followed a program of 12 sessions of balance, coordination, and ambulation exercises designed to lessen the risk of falling. The patients were divided into two groups based on proximity to the study centers. The groups were randomly allocated to the exercise program alone (N=31, single-task group) or to the same program combined with cognitive tasks performed while exercising (N=37, dual-task group). Timed up-and-go tests and one-leg balance (OLB) tests were done at baseline, at the end of the exercise program, and 3 months after the end of the exercise program. RESULTS: In both groups, the exercise program produced significant improvements in up-and-go and OLB times. Additional improvements occurred over the first 3 months following the program. Adding cognitive exercises did not provide added efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Balance was improved after the exercise sessions. The improvements were clinically significant and increased over time

Prediction of falls with performance on Timed "Up-and-Go" and one-leg-balance tests and additional cognitive tasks

Objective: The first aim of this study was to determine whether ordinary postural clinical performance varied with an additional cognitive task. The second purpose was to valid the predictive value for falling of two clinical tests. Methodology: The sample comprised ninety-five women with osteoporosis who lived independently in the community and aged over 70 years (mean 73.4 ± 1.7 years). Timed “Up & Go” test (TUG) and One leg balance (OLB) were realised. Tests were randomly assigned. Trials were realised with or without a cognitive additional task (math task involving subtraction by twos or fives or addition by threes). Results: For both tests (TUG and OLB), performance decreased in the dual-tasks condition (p<0.05). On the other hand, performances were not different in old women with and without an history of fall whatever the test and with or without an additional cognitive load. Conclusion: Performs in Timed Up & Go test and in One leg of balance were less efficient when simultaneously performing a cognitive task. These tests realised without or with cognitive task did not predict falls in a sample of women who lived independently

Les revues de sciences sociales à l’ère numérique

International audienceThe Revue d'Histoire culturelle (XVIIIe-XXIe siècles) invites us to consider, based on a wide range of experiences, the editorial choices (positive or negative), constraints, strategies, specific audiences and ways of reading and writing that digital journals induce.La Revue d’Histoire culturelle (XVIIIe-XXIe siècles) invite à penser, à partir d’expériences multiples, les choix éditoriaux (positifs ou par défaut), les contraintes, les stratégies, les publics spécifiques, les modalités de lecture et d’écriture que les revues numériques induisent

Particle transport in low core turbulence Tore-Supra plasmas

International audienceElectron and impurity transport has been studied in sawtoothing plasmas in the Tore-Supra tokamak. High time and space resolution measurements of the electron density reveal the existence of a flat profile region encompassing the q = 1 surface, on which is superimposed a density peak building up between sawtooth relaxations. For the first time in this regime, we have determined the underlying transport of both nickel and electrons independently of the effect of sawteeth in the central part of the plasma. Electron transport is consistent with the neoclassical expectations only in the close vicinity of the magnetic axis. Further out, it exceeds the neoclassical values as calculated with the NCLASS code, although the turbulence level is very low in the whole central region region. In contrast, nickel transport is in good agreement with the neoclassical calculations in the same region. The neoclassical effect on trapped particles of a persisting mode due to incomplete reconnection of the magnetic surfaces is consistent with these observations

Evaluating the cost-consequence of a standardized strategy for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis (ULISSE study)

International audienceMAIN OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the cost-consequence of a standardized diagnostic strategy as to compared to an open one for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis. DESIGN: This was a prospective, non-inferiority, multicentre, randomized controlled trial. METHODS: We included all consecutive patients with uveitis who had visited at least one of the Departments of Ophthalmology. In the standardized group, patients had a minimal work-up regardless of the type of uveitis (including evaluation of the CBC, ESR, C-reactive protein, tuberculin skin test, syphilis serology and chest X-ray). Depending on ophthalmological findings, further investigations could be performed. In the open strategy, ophthalmologists were free to order any kind of investigation. The main outcome was the mean cost per patient of each strategy. RESULTS: 903 uveitis patients were included from January, 2010 to May, 2013. The mean cost per patient of the standardized strategy was 182.97 euros [CI 95% (173.14; 192.80)], and the mean cost per patient of the open strategy was 251.75 euros [CI 95% (229.24; 274.25)]. Therefore, the mean cost per patient of the standardized strategy was significantly lower than the mean cost per patient of the open strategy (p<0.001). There were significantly fewer visits (p<0.001), fewer radiological procedures (p<0.004) and fewer laboratory investigations (p<0.001) in the standardized group. CONCLUSION: A standardized strategy is a cost-saving approach for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis