Association of CSSM066 and ILSTS011 microsatellite markers and thyroglobulin gene SNP with backfat in Canchim cattle

Canchim, a synthetic breed of cattle derived from the Charolais and Zebu group has been used in the beef-cattle industry in Brazil as an alternative for intensifying production. One of the main concerns with this breed is its poor fat deposition and consequently, there is an effort to increase the performance for this trait. The thyroglobulin gene is located in a QTL region for fat deposition, and reports describe the influence of a polymorphism in the 5´ leader sequence of that gene on marbling and subcutaneous fat thickness. This study analyzed the association of this polymorphism in the thyroglobulin gene, as well as of two flanking microsatellite markers, CSSM066 and ILSTS011, with backfat thickness in 987 Canchim beef cattle. The CSSM066 and ILSTS011 microsatellite markers have a effect on fat thickness in the studied populations. However, this trait did not have association with the polymorphism of the thyroglobulin gene, which suggests that other genes of bovine chromosome 14 may be responsible for the variation in this trait

Type I Interferons Induce T Regulatory 1 Responses and Restrict Humoral Immunity during Experimental Malaria

We thank Christopher Hunter and Bob Axtell for critical feedback, and the Flow Cytometry Laboratory at OUHSC for technical assistance.Author Summary Humoral immunity is essential for host resistance to pathogens that trigger highly inflammatory immune responses, including Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria. Long-lived, secreted antibody responses depend on a specialized subset of CD4 T cells called T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. However, anti-Plasmodium humoral immunity is often short-lived, non-sterilizing, and immunity rapidly wanes, leaving individuals susceptible to repeated bouts of malaria. Here we explored the relationship between inflammatory type I interferons, the regulation of pathogen-specific CD4 T cell responses, and humoral immunity using models of experimental malaria and systemic virus infection. We identified that type I interferons promote the formation and accumulation of pathogen-specific CD4 T regulatory 1 cells that co-express interferon-gamma and interleukin-10. Moreover, we show that the combined activity of interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 limits the magnitude of infection-induced Tfh responses, the secretion of parasite-specific secreted antibody, and parasite control. Our study provides new insight into the regulation of T regulatory 1 responses and humoral immunity during inflammatory immune reactions against systemic infections.Yeshttp://www.plospathogens.org/static/editorial#pee

Premature stop codons involved in muscular dystrophies show a broad spectrum of readthrough efficiencies in response to gentamicin treatment.

International audienc

Correlation Between Microstructure and Ageing of Iron Manganite Thermistors

Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistors made of spinel structure transition metal manganites usually display ageing phenomena under thermal stress. Their resistance drift depends on their composition, crystal structure (cubic or tetragonal) and heat treatments. We have previously shown in iron manganite thermistors, Mn$_{3-x}$Fe$_x$O$_4$ (with $0 \leq x \leq 1.51$), that the ageing is due to the migration of Fe$^{3+}$ and Mn$^{2+}$ ions between tetrahedral and octahedral sites of the spinel structure. Iron manganites were investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in order to relate microstructure to electrical stability. For iron manganites with iron content $x \leq 0.78$, two dimensional defects result in a domain microstructure (microtwins). As $x$ increases and exceeds 0.78, the domain structure gradually vanishes and transforms into a tweed microstructure ($x = 1.05$) and, for $x > 1.30$, no bidimensional defects are observed. Thus it is suggested that the microstructural disturbance plays an important role in the kinetics of the ion migration during the ageing of the studied ceramics.
Les thermistances à Coefficient de Température Négatif (CTN) élaborées à partir de manganites de métaux de transition à structure spinelle présentent, sous contrainte thermique, le phénomène de vieillissement. La dérive de leur résistance dépend de la composition chimique, de la structure cristallographique (cubique ou quadratique) et des traitements thermiques. Précédemment, nous avons montré, pour les thermistances à base de manganites de fer de composition Mn$_{3-x}$Fe$_x$O$_4$ (avec $0 \leq x \leq 1,51$), que le vieillissement est dû à une migration des ions Fe$^{3+}$ et Mn$^{2+}$ entre les sites tétraédriques et octaédriques de la structure spinelle. Une étude des manganites de fer a été réalisée par Microscopie Électronique à Transmission (MET) afin de relier la microstructure à la stabilité électrique. Pour les manganites de fer ayant une teneur en fer $x \leq 0,78$, la microstructure en forme de domaines (micromaclages) résulte de la présence de deux types de défauts bidimensionnels. Pour des teneurs supérieures, jusqu'à 0,78, cette microstructure disparaît graduellement et se transforme en une microstructure tweed ($x = 1,05$) et, pour $x > 1,30$, aucun défaut bidimensionnel n'est observé. Ces observations nous ont conduits à suggérer que ces différences dans la microstructure influencent grandement la cinétique de migration des ions durant le vieillissement des céramiques étudiées

Premature stop codons involved in muscular dystrophies show a broad spectrum of readthrough efficiencies in response to gentamicin treatment.

International audienc

Fe–Cr/Al2O3 metal-ceramic composites: Nature and size of the metal particles formed during hydrogen reduction

Fe-Cr/Al2O3 metal-ceramic composites prepared by hydrogen reduction at different temperatures and for different periods have been investigated by a combined use of Mössbauer spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy in order to obtain information on the nature of the metallic species formed. Total reduction of Fe3+ does not occur by increasing the reduction time at 1320 K from 1 to 30 h, and the amount of superparamagnetic metallic species is essentially constant (about 10%). Temperatures higher than 1470 K are needed to achieve nearly total reduction of substitutional Fe3+. Interestingly, iron favors the reduction of chromium. The composition of the Fe-Cr particles is strongly dependent on their size, the Cr content being higher in particles smaller than 10 nm