A multiscale analysis of early flower development in Arabidopsis provides an integrated view of molecular regulation and growth control.

We have analyzed the link between the gene regulation and growth during the early stages of flower development in Arabidopsis. Starting from time-lapse images, we generated a 4D atlas of early flower development, including cell lineage, cellular growth rates, and the expression patterns of regulatory genes. This information was introduced in MorphoNet, a web-based platform. Using computational models, we found that the literature-based molecular network only explained a minority of the gene expression patterns. This was substantially improved by adding regulatory hypotheses for individual genes. Correlating growth with the combinatorial expression of multiple regulators led to a set of hypotheses for the action of individual genes in morphogenesis. This identified the central factor LEAFY as a potential regulator of heterogeneous growth, which was supported by quantifying growth patterns in a leafy mutant. By providing an integrated view, this atlas should represent a fundamental step toward mechanistic models of flower development

Different Transcriptional Control of Metabolism and Extracellular Matrix in Visceral and Subcutaneous Fat of Obese and Rimonabant Treated Mice

BACKGROUND: The visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SCAT) adipose tissues play different roles in physiology and obesity. The molecular mechanisms underlying their expansion in obesity and following body weight reduction are poorly defined. METHODOLOGY: C57Bl/6 mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) for 6 months developed low, medium, or high body weight as compared to normal chow fed mice. Mice from each groups were then treated with the cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist rimonabant or vehicle for 24 days to normalize their body weight. Transcriptomic data for visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues from each group of mice were obtained and analyzed to identify: i) genes regulated by HFD irrespective of body weight, ii) genes whose expression correlated with body weight, iii) the biological processes activated in each tissue using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), iv) the transcriptional programs affected by rimonabant. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In VAT, "metabolic" genes encoding enzymes for lipid and steroid biosynthesis and glucose catabolism were down-regulated irrespective of body weight whereas "structure" genes controlling cell architecture and tissue remodeling had expression levels correlated with body weight. In SCAT, the identified "metabolic" and "structure" genes were mostly different from those identified in VAT and were regulated irrespective of body weight. GSEA indicated active adipogenesis in both tissues but a more prominent involvement of tissue stroma in VAT than in SCAT. Rimonabant treatment normalized most gene expression but further reduced oxidative phosphorylation gene expression in SCAT but not in VAT. CONCLUSION: VAT and SCAT show strikingly different gene expression programs in response to high fat diet and rimonabant treatment. Our results may lead to identification of therapeutic targets acting on specific fat depots to control obesity

Socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirth rates in Europe: measuring the gap using routine data from the Euro-Peristat Project

Background Previous studies have shown that socioeconomic position is inversely associated with stillbirth risk, but the impact on national rates in Europe is not known. We aimed to assess the magnitude of social inequalities in stillbirth rates in European countries using indicators generated from routine monitoring systems. Methods Aggregated data on the number of stillbirths and live births for the year 2010 were collected for three socioeconomic indicators (mothers’ educational level, mothers’ and fathers’ occupational group) from 29 European countries participating in the Euro-Peristat project. Educational categories were coded using the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and analysed as: primary/lower secondary, upper secondary and postsecondary. Parents’ occupations were grouped using International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) major groups and then coded into 4 categories: No occupation or student, Skilled/ unskilled workers, Technicians/clerical/service occupations and Managers/professionals. We calculated risk ratios (RR) for stillbirth by each occupational group as well as the percentage population attributable risks using the most advantaged category as the reference (post-secondary education and professional/managerial occupations). Results Data on stillbirth rates by mothers’ education were available in 19 countries and by mothers’ and fathers’ occupations in 13 countries. In countries with these data, the median RR of stillbirth for women with primary and lower secondary education compared to women with postsecondary education was 1.9 (interquartile range (IQR): 1.5 to 2.4) and 1.4 (IQR: 1.2 to 1.6), respectively. For mothers’ occupations, the median RR comparing outcomes among manual workers with managers and professionals was 1.6 (IQR: 1.0–2.1) whereas for fathers’ occupations, the median RR was 1.4 (IQR: 1.2–1.8). When applied to the entire set of countries with data about mothers’ education, 1606 out of 6337 stillbirths (25 %) would not have occurred if stillbirth rates for all women were the same as for women with post-secondary education in their country. Conclusions Data on stillbirths and socioeconomic status from routine systems showed widespread and consistent socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirth rates in Europe. Further research is needed to better understand differences between countries in the magnitude of the socioeconomic gradient

Les littéracies en français sur objectifs universitaires : étude d’un corpus contrastif de productions écrites argumentées et perspectives didactiques

How can we define the specific learning outcomes of non-native students of French within the area of written production ? In order to answer this question, we study a highly frequent genre within academic literacy : the argumentative text.Given the neccessity of jointly teaching language and discipline based contents, our study aims to add approaches and modalities to « general » French as a Foreign Language (FLE) used to teach French at university. Emphasizing both their added value to the teaching of non-native speakers and their shortcomings when dealing with French for academic purposes, we set out to analyse the following tools : textbooks following the action-oriented approach, CEFRL, and language certifications (such as TCF, DELF/DALF).Drawing on existing studies of French for academic purposes, we came up with five hypothesises prior to the study of a comparative corpus. This corpus was established in order to identify the non-native speakers’ specific needs when faced with an argumentative written production. It consists of both productions by non-native (corpus ETR) and native speakers of French (corpus FR). This material is presented and analysed within the frame of a typology based on our initial hypothesises resulting in a framework of criteria facilitating a diagnostic evaluation of the academic literacy competency. Finally, we give didactic suggestions for the teaching of French for academic purposes.Comment définir des objectifs d’apprentissage linguistiques spécifiques à un public d’étudiants allophones dans le domaine de la production écrite par l’étude d’un genre particulièrement représenté dans les littéracies universitaires : le texte argumentatif ? Partant de l’hypothèse de la nécessité d’un enseignement conjoint de la langue et des contenus disciplinaires, notre travail consiste à proposer des approches et modalités complémentaires aux outils du FLE « tout public » utilisés pour l’enseignement du français à l’université. Nous analysons d’abord ces outils du FLE : manuels de l’approche actionnelle, CECRL et certifications de langues (DELF/DALF et TCF), afin de mettre en exergue leurs apports pour un public étudiants allophones , mais aussi les lacunes qu’ils présentent pour une formation spécifiquement universitaire. Les études menées dans le domaine du FOU nous ont ensuite permis de formuler 5 hypothèses préalables à l’analyse de notre corpus contrastif. Ce corpus a été constitué dans le but d’identifier les besoins spécifiques des étudiants allophones dans l’exercice d’une production écrite argumentée. Il est constitué de productions d’étudiants allophones d’une part (corpus ETR) et francophones d’autre part (corpus FR). Nous présentons ce corpus et son analyse selon la typologie constituée sur la base de nos hypothèses de départ et proposons pour conclure une grille de critères permettant d’établir une évaluation diagnostique des compétences en littéracies universitaires. Enfin, nous soumettons quelques propositions didactiques pour des séances dans le cadre d’un enseignement de Français sur Objectifs Universitaires

Literacies in French for Academic Purposes : study of a comparative Corpus of argumentative written Productions, and didactic Perspectives

Comment définir des objectifs d’apprentissage linguistiques spécifiques à un public d’étudiants allophones dans le domaine de la production écrite par l’étude d’un genre particulièrement représenté dans les littéracies universitaires : le texte argumentatif ? Partant de l’hypothèse de la nécessité d’un enseignement conjoint de la langue et des contenus disciplinaires, notre travail consiste à proposer des approches et modalités complémentaires aux outils du FLE « tout public » utilisés pour l’enseignement du français à l’université. Nous analysons d’abord ces outils du FLE : manuels de l’approche actionnelle, CECRL et certifications de langues (DELF/DALF et TCF), afin de mettre en exergue leurs apports pour un public étudiants allophones , mais aussi les lacunes qu’ils présentent pour une formation spécifiquement universitaire. Les études menées dans le domaine du FOU nous ont ensuite permis de formuler 5 hypothèses préalables à l’analyse de notre corpus contrastif. Ce corpus a été constitué dans le but d’identifier les besoins spécifiques des étudiants allophones dans l’exercice d’une production écrite argumentée. Il est constitué de productions d’étudiants allophones d’une part (corpus ETR) et francophones d’autre part (corpus FR). Nous présentons ce corpus et son analyse selon la typologie constituée sur la base de nos hypothèses de départ et proposons pour conclure une grille de critères permettant d’établir une évaluation diagnostique des compétences en littéracies universitaires. Enfin, nous soumettons quelques propositions didactiques pour des séances dans le cadre d’un enseignement de Français sur Objectifs Universitaires.How can we define the specific learning outcomes of non-native students of French within the area of written production ? In order to answer this question, we study a highly frequent genre within academic literacy : the argumentative text.Given the neccessity of jointly teaching language and discipline based contents, our study aims to add approaches and modalities to « general » French as a Foreign Language (FLE) used to teach French at university. Emphasizing both their added value to the teaching of non-native speakers and their shortcomings when dealing with French for academic purposes, we set out to analyse the following tools : textbooks following the action-oriented approach, CEFRL, and language certifications (such as TCF, DELF/DALF).Drawing on existing studies of French for academic purposes, we came up with five hypothesises prior to the study of a comparative corpus. This corpus was established in order to identify the non-native speakers’ specific needs when faced with an argumentative written production. It consists of both productions by non-native (corpus ETR) and native speakers of French (corpus FR). This material is presented and analysed within the frame of a typology based on our initial hypothesises resulting in a framework of criteria facilitating a diagnostic evaluation of the academic literacy competency. Finally, we give didactic suggestions for the teaching of French for academic purposes

Les genres en classe de français dans l’enseignement secondaire : enjeux et perspectives

Questionner la place des genres dans l’enseignement du second degré en France nécessite de préciser quelle acception peut en être faite. L’objectif de notre réflexion est d’examiner la place qu’ils occupent dans la période qui va de 1992, date de la première définition de la séquence dans les Instructions Officielles (B.O. n° 35, 1992 : 2484) : « Ensemble […] de séances, articulées entre elles dans le temps et organisées autour d’une ou plusieurs activités en vue d’atteindre des objectifs fix..

L'acculturation aux littéracies universitaires : exemple de l'apprentissage et enseignement de l'emploi de "on" à l'aide du logiciel AntConc

Nous proposons de montrer comment il est possible d'aborder l'apprentissage d'un fait de langue particulièrement problématique et important dans les littéracies universitaires : l'usage du pronom personnel "on" en ayant recours au logiciel AntConc. Notre approche s'inscrit dans le domaine de l'enseignement de français sur objectifs universitaires par les littéracies, où la dimension des genres textuels et de leur apprentissage est centrale.The use of the personal pronoun "on" in French academic literacies is particularly important. We will show how the acquisition of "on" is made possible by the use of the AntConc software. Our approach is based on French for academic purposes and literacies; in that frame the notion of discourse genre is relevant