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Aims: The influence of priority effects on plant community succession is increasingly discussed in community ecology. However, most grassland restoration approaches involving seed addition transfer all target species at the same time. Our objective was to tackle the question: does the order of arrival influence the establishment of restored communities? Location: La‐Bâtie‐Neuve, Southern Alps, France. Methods: We applied sequential sowing using two groups, one set of dominant species and one set of subordinate species, each comprising three different perennial plant species. We tested four sowing treatments: control (without any sowing), two sequential sowing treatments (dominants first or subordinates first) and synchronous sowing. We analysed plant cover each year for three years after sowing and calculated priority and earliness indices (the third year) for each group and each sown species. Results: Manipulating the order of arrival shaped community composition and trajectories. Some species of both groups were positively affected by being sown first compared to being sown synchronously. However, dominant and subordinate groups differed in their earliness index, showing a significant benefit for subordinates to be sown first. The subordinate species Onobrychis viciifolia and Plantago lanceolata established only when they were sown first, while Festuca cinerea showed greater establishment when sown first and simultaneously, compared to late sowing. The dominant Anthyllis vulneraria was not affected by date or type of sowing. However, the cover of the most dominant Bromopsis erecta was lower when being sown second, allowing a control of its dominance by delayed sowing. Conclusion: The strength of priority effects differs between species, which may depend on niche characteristics or microenvironment, influencing (negatively or positively) the establishment of late‐arriving species and affecting their competitive abilities. Our study provides evidence that plant community assembly was influenced by the order of arrival, but demonstrated a strong species‐specific response to priority effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genotype by environment interaction was investigated for sunflower grain yield in French official trials from two different networks. Genotype by environment interaction was described using cross-product terms from factorial regression. This modelling provided parsimonious descriptions of interaction: up to 20% of the sum of squares of interaction was explained using less than 7% of the degrees of freedom. It also made biological interpretation easier. Genotypic earliness at flowering by environmental earliness, and genotypic oil content by water deficit during the flowering period, appeared to be two repeatable interactions: in both data sets, early genotypes performed better in early environments while late genotypes gave much better yields in late environments, and the yield advantage of low-oil genotypes over high-oil genotypes was larger when water supply during flowering was non-limiting than in the case of water stress. Combined analysis of both data sets allowed us to compare patterns of interaction in both networks and to select a more robust model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil and climate in which grapes are grown play a major role in the vine behaviour, grape quality and wine sensory characteristics. In France, these factors are often integrated in the concept of “Terroir”, which is a topic of growing interest in wine producing countries. The application of this concept requires a scientific approach of the “Terroir climatic and pedoclimatic components” to achieve a rigorous zoning of vineyards. In this paper, results concerning the testing of a method developed in the Anjou vineyard (France) to characterize viticultural terroirs, are presented and discussed. This method uses a field soil model based on the type of parent rock, the depth and the clay richness of soil, mainly in connection with the weathering level of the parent rock. For each geological stage and each type of rock, this easy-to-use model makes it possible to identify three types of soil named: Weakly Weathered Rock (WWR), Moderately Weathered Rock (MWR) and Strongly Weathered Rock (SWR). Each terroir unit obtained by this method can represent a “functional” unit of vine, from the ecophysiological and environmental point of view. To verify this hypothesis, experimental plots planted with Chenin and Cabernet Franc varieties were studied over three consecutive seasons (2000–2002). The main results on vine water supply, burst, and timing of veraison show significant differences, in particular between WWR and SWR. However no significant differences in pruning weight were observed, probably because of high rainfall during all three growing seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting wheat growth stages using ecophysiological models is of particular interest as it allows anticipating important agricultural managements. Numerous ecophysiological models exist but they need cultivar-specific parameterization, which is often costly and time consuming. The work presented here proposes a simple approach to predict wheat growth stages using the allelic composition of wheat cultivars. It relies on using the prediction of a modified version of the ARCWHEAT model for a well parameterized reference cultivar (Soissons) and the marker-based predicted deviation in days to the reference cultivar. First, the deviations to the reference cultivar Soissons for the beginning of stem elongation (δZ30) and heading date (δZ55) were calculated for a large panel of cultivars. Analysis of variance showed prominent genetic effects for δZ30 and δZ55 and possible genotype × environment interactions ( G × E ) for δZ30. Genotypic means δZ30 and δZ55 were used in association genetics revealing 90 and 83 genetic markers associated to these traits, respectively. Multiple linear regression models predicting δZ30 using 11 genetic markers ( R 2 = 76%) or δZ55 using 17 markers ( R 2 = 85%) were obtained by a stepwise procedure. Marker PPD-D1 had the largest impact in both models. Finally, marker-based deviations added to the prediction for the reference cultivar Soissons allowed predicting Z30 or Z55 for a large independent validation dataset. The root mean square error of prediction for Z30 and Z55 using the approach proposed in this paper (6.8 and 4.7 days, respectively) was comparable to the one obtained using the conventional approach with cultivar-specific parameters values (6.5 and 4.1, respectively). The models proposed in this paper appeared sufficient in order to predict growth stages of cultivars which cannot be parameterized such as new cultivars coming out on the market. Moreover, genetic markers involved in the multiple linear regression models predicting δZ30 and δZ55 may provide interesting candidates to unravel new genes determining earliness in winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat phenology allows escape from seasonal abiotic stresses including frosts and high temperatures, the latter being forecast to increase with climate change. The use of marker-based crop models to identify ideotypes has been proposed to select genotypes adapted to specific weather and management conditions and anticipate climate change. In this study, a marker-based crop model for wheat phenology was calibrated and tested. Climate analysis of 30 years of historical weather data in 72 locations representing the main wheat production areas in France was performed. We carried out marker-based crop model simulations for 1019 wheat cultivars and three sowing dates, which allowed calculation of genotypic stress avoidance frequencies of frost and heat stress and identification of ideotypes. The phenology marker-based crop model allowed prediction of large genotypic variations for the beginning of stem elongation (GS30) and heading date (GS55). Prediction accuracy was assessed using untested genotypes and environments, and showed median genotype prediction errors of 8.5 and 4.2 days for GS30 and GS55, respectively. Climate analysis allowed the definition of a low risk period for each location based on the distribution of the last frost and first heat days. Clustering of locations showed three groups with contrasting levels of frost and heat risks. Marker-based crop model simulations showed the need to optimize the genotype depending on sowing date, particularly in high risk environments. An empirical validation of the approach showed that it holds good promises to improve frost and heat stress avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Non-healing of rotator cuff tears is estimated to be between 5 and 20%. Rehabilitation protocols vary. Some advocate early rehabilitation. The aim of the study was to verify whether rapid recovery of mobility was not associated with a higher rate of non-healing. Methods: We conducted a single-center prospective study. The primary inclusion criterion was first-line arthroscopic repair of an isolated complete cuff tear without retraction (Patte 1) or fatty degeneration (Goutallier - less than 2). It was the same surgeon, the same surgical technique (double row) and the same rehabilitation protocol (self-mobilization, hands together). Patients were seen again by an evaluator other than the surgeon. We analyzed passive elevation and external rotation (ER1) mobility and pain at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months, active mobilities at 3 months and 6 months, and the Constant score at 6 months. Tendon healing was assessed at six months by ultrasound according to Sugaya's classification (grouping 1/2/3 healed and 4/5 unhealed). Results: 1,200 patients were included, 101 were excluded (lost to follow-up or missing data at one of the reviews). The healing rate was 85.7%. We noted a statistically significant difference between the healed and unhealed groups for passive elevation at 6 weeks (128° vs 142° p <0.0001), passive ER1 (23°/32°, p <0.0001). As well as at 3 months for passive elevation (149°/155°, p = 0.0005) for ER1 (43°/48°, p = 0.0008). No difference in pain between the 2 groups (at each review) nor in the final Constant score (72.3 vs 70.2). Conclusion: Patients with poorer passive joint mobility at 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively had a better healing rate at 6 months. This clear correlation is an indication that we should reflect on the earliness of rehabilitation after rotator cuff repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leptospirosis is a growing public health concern in many tropical and subtropical countries. However, its diagnosis is difficult because of non-specific symptoms and concurrent other endemic febrile diseases. In many regions, the laboratory diagnosis is not available due to a lack of preparedness and simple diagnostic assay or difficult access to reference laboratories. Yet, an early antibiotic treatment is decisive to the outcome. The need for Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for bedside diagnosis of leptospirosis has been recognized. We developed a vertical flow immunochromatography strip RDT detecting anti-Leptospira human IgM and evaluated it in patients from New Caledonia, France, and French West Indies. Methodology/Principal Findings: Whole killed Leptospira fainei cells were used as antigen for the test line and purified human IgM as the control line. The mobile phase was made of gold particles conjugated with goat anti-human IgM. Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy criteria were used to assess the performance of this RDT. The Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) was used as the gold standard with a cut-off titer of ≥400. The sensitivity was 89.8% and the specificity 93.7%. Positive and negative Likelihood Ratios of 14.18 and 0.108 respectively, and a Diagnostic Odds Ratio of 130.737 confirmed its usefulness. This RDT had satisfactory reproducibility, repeatability, thermal tolerance and shelf-life. The comparison with MAT evidenced the earliness of the RDT to detect seroconversion. When compared with other RDT, the Vertical Flow RDT developed displayed good diagnostic performances. Conclusions/Significance: This RDT might be used as a point of care diagnostic tool in limited resources countries. An evaluation in field conditions and in other epidemiological contexts should be considered to assess its validity over a wider range of serogroups or when facing different endemic pathogens. It might prove useful in endemic contexts or outbreak situations. Author Summary: The major burden of leptospirosis happens in low-income populations from tropical or subtropical regions. Because of nonspecific symptoms in human leptospirosis, the biological confirmation is needed to ascertain the disease. However, this biological diagnosis relies on sophisticated and time-consuming techniques that are most often hardly (if ever) available to clinicians in peripheral health centers. Yet, the outcome of leptospirosis in humans largely depends on an early antibiotic treatment. Taken together, these factors highlight the need of rapid simple diagnostic tests for leptospirosis that could be used directly on the bedside even in remote health centers. In this study, we developed and evaluated a prototype point of care strip test for the serological diagnosis of human leptospirosis in New Caledonia, mainland France, and the French West Indies. The sensitivity was 89.8% [95% CI, 84.7–93.4] and the specificity 93.7% [95% CI, 89.65–96.2]. This easy, early and portable diagnostic test will be evaluated in other epidemiological conditions and under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mountain farms, challenges posed by the degree of land slope, altitude and harsh climate further compound multiple other possible constraints, particularly in relation to the distance of the farm from the farmstead. This study focused on how mountain-area dairy farmers factor the geographical characteristics of their fields into their field-use decisions. To that end, we surveyed 72 farmers who farm the traditional Salers breed of cattle and 28 specialised dairy system farmers in the central Massif region, France. Information was collected on the uses and geographical characteristics of all grassland fields (n = 2341) throughout the entire outdoor grazing season, without identifying farmers' rationales for their field-use decisions. Field-use classes were constructed for the traditional Salers system per group of fields (grazed-only, cut-only, grazed-and-cut) and then used to classify fields in the specialized dairy system. The geographical characteristics, which were associated afterwards, were significantly different between the field groups and between field-use classes. Grazed-only fields were found to be more sloping and cut-only fields were smaller and further from the farmstead. Distance/area combinations were different according to field use (animal category, earliness of first cut, grazing and cutting sequence) and were decisive for all field-use classes. This study allowed the identification of generic relationships between field uses and their geographical characteristics in mountain-area dairy cattle farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the risk of gestational hypertension (GH) and pre‐eclampsia (PE) during a second pregnancy after occurrence during a first pregnancy. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: CONCEPTION is a French nationwide cohort study that used data from the National Health Data System (SNDS) database. Methods: We included all women who gave birth for the first time in France in 2010–2018 and who subsequently gave birth. We identified GH and PE through hospital diagnoses and the dispensing of anti‐hypertensive drugs. The incidence rate ratios (IRR) of all hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) during the second pregnancy were estimated using Poisson models adjusted for confounding. Main outcome measures: Incidence rate ratios of HDP during the second pregnancy. Results: Of the 2 829 274 women included, 238 506 (8.4%) were diagnosed with HDP during their first pregnancy. In women with GH during their first pregnancy, 11.3% (IRR 4.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.4–4.7) and 3.4% (IRR 5.0, 95% CI 4.8–5.3) developed GH and PE during their second pregnancy, respectively. In women with PE during their first pregnancy, 7.4% (IRR 2.6, 95% CI 2.5–2.7) and 14.7% (IRR 14.3, 95% CI 13.6–15.0) developed GH and PE during their second pregnancy, respectively. The more severe and earlier the PE during the first pregnancy, the stronger the likelihood of having PE during the second pregnancy. Maternal age, social deprivation, obesity, diabetes and chronic hypertension were all associated with PE recurrence. Conclusion: These results can guide policymaking that focuses on improving counselling for women who wish to become pregnant more than once, by identifying those who would benefit more from tailored management of modifiable risk factors, and heightened surveillance during post‐first pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The summer of 2022 was memorable and record-breaking, ranking as the second hottest summer in France since 1900, with a seasonal surface air temperature average of 22.7 ∘ C. In particular, France experienced multiple record-breaking heatwaves during the meteorological summer. As the main heat reservoir of the Earth system, the oceans are at the forefront of events of this magnitude which enhance oceanic disturbances such as marine heatwaves (MHWs). In this study, we investigate the sea surface temperature (SST) of French maritime basins using remotely sensed measurements to track the response of surface waters to the atmospheric heatwaves and determine the intensity of such feedback. Beyond the direct relationship between SSTs and surface air temperatures, we explore the leading atmospheric parameters affecting the upper-layer ocean heat budget. Despite some gaps in data availability, the SSTs measured during the meteorological summer of 2022 were record-breaking, the mean SST was between 1.3 and 2.6 ∘ C above the long-term average (1982–2011), and the studied areas experienced between 4 and 22 d where the basin-averaged SSTs exceeded the maximum recorded basin-averaged SSTs from 1982 to 2011. We found a significant SST response during heatwave periods with maximum temperatures measured locally at 30.8 ∘ C in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Our results show that in August 2022 (31 July to 13 August), France experienced above-average surface solar radiation correlated with below-average total cloud cover and negative wind speed anomalies. Our attribution analysis based on a simplified mixed-layer heat budget highlights the critical role of ocean–atmosphere fluxes in initiating abnormally warm SSTs, while ocean mixing plays a crucial role in the cessation of such periods. We find that the 2 m temperatures and specific humidity that are consistently linked to the advection of warm and moist air masses are key variables across all the studied regions. Our results reveal that the influence of wind on heatwaves is variable and of secondary importance. Moreover, we observe that the incident solar radiation has a significant effect only on the Bay of Biscay (BB) and the English Channel (EC) areas. Our study findings are consistent with previous research and demonstrate the vulnerability of the Mediterranean Sea to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events resulting from climate change. Furthermore, our investigation reveals that the recurring heatwave episodes during the summer of 2022 had an undeniable impact on all the surveyed maritime areas in France. Our study therefore provides valuable insights into the complex mechanisms underlying the ocean–atmosphere interaction and demonstrates the need for an efficient and sustainable operational system combining polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites to monitor the alterations that threaten the oceans in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population-based data on the epidemiology of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, its predisposing conditions and mortality rate are lacking, although such data are crucial to raise awareness among clinicians and to lay foundations for future therapeutic trials in immunomodulating therapies. In our study, patients were identified by interrogating the French national healthcare reimbursement database from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2017, using progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy International Classification of Diseases code and a patient's selection algorithm. Overall incidence rate, 1-year all-cause mortality rate and survival patterns were calculated, and factors associated with death were identified using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. Our cohort is the largest to date, comprising 584 patients with incident progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The overall incidence in France from 2010 to 2017 was stable during the study period at 0.11 per 100 000 person-years, 95% confidence interval [0.10–0.12]. Predisposing diseases were HIV infection (43.7%), followed by haematological malignancies (21.9%), chronic inflammatory diseases (20.2%), solid organ transplantation (4.3%), solid neoplasm (4.1%) and primary immune deficiency (1.5%). The 1-year mortality rate was 38.2%, with a 95% confidence interval (34.2–42.2). In multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with death were older age [adjusted hazard ratio 0.33 (0.20–0.53) for patients aged 20 to 40 compared with patients aged over 60], male gender [adjusted hazard ratio 0.73 (0.54–0.99) for females compared with males] and predisposing immunosuppressive disease, with the highest risk for solid neoplasms [adjusted hazard ratio 4.34 (2.25–8.37)], followed by haematological malignancies [adjusted hazard ratio 3.13 (1.85–5.30)] and HIV infection [adjusted hazard ratio 1.83 (1.12–3.00)], compared with chronic inflammatory diseases. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome was notified in 7.0% of patients. In conclusion, incidence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is stable in France, and HIV infection remains the main predisposing disease. This large-size cohort uncovers a higher risk of mortality for male patients compared to females, and the worst prognosis for patients with solid neoplasm, while prognosis in patients with haematological malignancies appeared less dismal than in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of climate change, more frequent drought events are expected in the Mediterranean regions. Alley cropping is an agroforestry practice that represents a promising adaptation strategy to sustain yield productivity under drier conditions. However, the presence of trees limits the productivity of the intercrop by reducing light availability and by competing for soil water resources, which could potentially exacerbate the yield losses due to drought conditions. Furthermore, the effects of co-occurring drought and shade stresses on annual crops are still poorly understood. To tackle this issue, we performed a rainfall manipulation experiment on winter pea (Pisum sativum L.) grown in full-sun conditions (agricultural control) and under different levels of shade in a 25-year walnut-based alley cropping system located in southern France. We evaluated first the effect of trees on light and water availability, and we then studied the effects of early drought (135 mm excluded from April to the end of May) and light conditions on crop performances and yield components. At 3.5 m from the tree line, light availability was reduced on average by 19% at south and 35% at north of trees over the entire crop cycle and mostly after tree budburst. The impact of trees on soil water content in the crop root zone was weak thanks to the good complementarity of the respective root systems. Under normal rainfall conditions, tree shade decreased pea yield from -25% to -77% compared to full-sun conditions. In case of spring drought, pea yield was decreased by -22% in full-sun conditions. The negative effect of tree shade was reduced and decreased pea yield only by -1% to -47%. Under the most intense shade conditions, pea yield was even higher under drought than in normal rainfall conditions. The analysis of crop dynamics and yield components revealed that the vegetative development of pea ceased under drought to the benefit of biomass allocation towards the reproductive organs. Pea yield was less impacted by tree shade under spring drought because yield elaboration relied less on the success of pod set, sensitive to shade and, more on grain filling, improved in case of early drought event. This study supports the hypothesis that agroforestry systems may be more resilient in the case of early drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article comes within the compass of a research program (entitled CorAge. Bodily Experiences and AgePassages among 9 – 13 year-olds (ANR-09-ENFT-017) conducted between 2009 and 2013 about the emergence of a “new” age in life -“preadolescence”- as instanced in France (Alsace, Lorraine) and Italy (Venetia). The impressive amount of references to “early puberty” and “precocious puberty”, in a context of feeling of a premature end of childhood, led us to make an in-depth study of this issue: first, through an analysis of international and French and Italian medical journals; second, through interviews with health professionals. Following the thesis of Foucault, we assume that the discourses on puberty timing participate of classifications of the child body drenched with moral representations of childhood, especially on gender and age issue. Our results: the question of whether a secular trend in puberty timing even exists continues to be debated between American and European scientists. Second, the terms “puberty”, “precocious puberty”, “early puberty” have been used to indicate a variety of puberty markers, increasing confusion. A controversy has focused on early breast development in girls, because this attribute is questioning the order of ages and gender. Moreover, psychosocial factors presented as accelerating early puberty, do not demonstrate the relation between earliness and risk behavior. The literature, as it is moved by the female precocity, creates a medical category to objectify the complex and flexible process of puberty and invent female child precocity. These differences between American and European scholars and the interviews with French and Italian health professional show a gap between the international literature and practitioners, clinicians and nurses who regularly work with children: they neither find pubertal advancement, nor increase of “true precocious puberty”, although they share concerns about premature feminization of girls (France) or environmental toxicity (Italy) on children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Telchines, magical craftsmen and wizards, are best known for their criticism of Callimachus' poetry in the prologue to the Aetia. The other two appearances of the Telchines are also in programmatic passages in Callimachus' extant works. In the Hymn to Delos (30–3), the narrator asks an aporetic question about the theme of his song. There, the Telchines are the makers of the trident used to form every island but Delos, highlighting her singular status as uniquely created without force (30–3). In Aet. fr. 75, the Telchines appear in Xenomedes' history of Ceos. There, Callimachus explicitly names one source for his material, but omits direct citation of equally important sources, namely Pindar and Bacchylides, while still alluding to their songs. This article examines verbal and thematic parallels among these three passages and argues that Callimachus uses the Telchines not only to link the passages but also to comment on his authorial process, his use of sources and his poetic programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Key message: Phenomic selection is a promising alternative or complement to genomic selection in wheat breeding. Models combining spectra from different environments maximise the predictive ability of grain yield and heading date of wheat breeding lines. Phenomic selection (PS) is a recent breeding approach similar to genomic selection (GS) except that genotyping is replaced by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. PS can potentially account for non-additive effects and has the major advantage of being low cost and high throughput. Factors influencing GS predictive abilities have been intensively studied, but little is known about PS. We tested and compared the abilities of PS and GS to predict grain yield and heading date from several datasets of bread wheat lines corresponding to the first or second years of trial evaluation from two breeding companies and one research institute in France. We evaluated several factors affecting PS predictive abilities including the possibility of combining spectra collected in different environments. A simple H-BLUP model predicted both traits with prediction ability from 0.26 to 0.62 and with an efficient computation time. Our results showed that the environments in which lines are grown had a crucial impact on predictive ability based on the spectra acquired and was specific to the trait considered. Models combining NIR spectra from different environments were the best PS models and were at least as accurate as GS in most of the datasets. Furthermore, a GH-BLUP model combining genotyping and NIR spectra was the best model of all (prediction ability from 0.31 to 0.73). We demonstrated also that as for GS, the size and the composition of the training set have a crucial impact on predictive ability. PS could therefore replace or complement GS for efficient wheat breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is much evidence that increasing temperatures due to climate change are having negative effects on yields of key staple crops, including wheat. In France particularly, a link has been shown between the stagnating wheat yields and an increase in heat stress occurrence during grain filling. We studied the occurrence of heat stress during grain filling of wheat under climate change by coupling downscaled weather scenarios from the ARPEGE climate model with a modified version of the ARCWHEAT phenology model. We also explored the effects of different agronomic solutions: earlier sowing, use of earlier cultivars and improved genetic tolerance to heat stress. Results show that in the near future (2020–2049) a small to null increase in heat stress may occur. In the far future (2070–2099), the frequency of heat stress during grain filling should increase significantly. Adaptation through earlier sowing dates proves to be the least efficient. Use of earlier heading cultivars is somewhat efficient, and should be sufficient for the near future. Tolerance to heat stress appears to be the most promising adaptation strategy. We discuss the importance of placing earliness and heat tolerance high on the agenda of wheat research and breeding, and the potential use of modelling in evaluating such strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Heterotic patterns among European maize (Zea mays L.) populations are strongly affected by genotype x environment (GE) interactions and no single heterotic pattern has been identified so far that is not influenced by GE interaction. The objectives of this work were to study (i) the mean performance and stability of the heterotic patterns 'Humid Spain x Southern France' and 'Dry Spain x Humid Spain' and (ii) the influence of some environmental and genotypic covariates on G and E main effects and their interaction. We studied the GE interaction for grain yield in eight environments using Sites Regression (SREG) and factorial regression models. The biplot obtained from the SREG model allowed visual cultivar evaluation. The factorial regression model incorporated genotypic and environmental covariates that enhanced biological interpretation of GE interaction. The heterotic patterns Humid Spain x Southern France and Dry Spain x Humid Spain had similar mean performance across environments, but the former, represented by the cross Lazcano x Millette du Lauragais, was more stable. Effects of G, E, and GE for grain yield were mainly due to earliness, vigor effects, and/or environmental factors related to cold stress. An adequately long vegetative cycle along with early vigor had a great influence on the mean grain yield performance of Lazcano x Millette du Lanragais. Additionally, its intermediate number of days to silking and tolerance to temperature stresses could be related to its stability. Breeding for tolerance to temperature stresses could render more stable maize genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We sought to describe prenatal care use in the United States and in three European countries where accessibility to prenatal care has been reported to be better than it is in the United States. Methods. We analyzed the 1980 US National Natality Survey, the 1981 French National Natality Survey, a 1979 sample of Danish births, and a survey performed from 1979 to 1980 in one Belgian province. Results. The proportion of women who began prenatal care late (after 15 weeks) is highest in the United States (21.2%) and lowest in France (4.0%). This contrasts with the median number of visits, which is greater in the United States (11) than in Denmark (10) or in France (7). Across all maternal ages, parities, and educational levels, late initiation of prenatal care is more frequent in the United States, and median number of visits in the United States is equal to or higher than that in the other countries. Conclusions. In countries that offer nearly universal access to prenatal care, women begin care earlier during pregnancy and have fewer visits than women in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a 3‐year field survey in France to characterize the dynamics of sexual reproduction in Mycosphaerella linicola, the causal agent of pasmo, during the interepidemic period. Cohorts of fruiting bodies were sampled from linseed straw during the autumn and winter and carefully observed, focusing on pseudothecia, asci, and ascospores. A sequence of experimental steps corresponding to Koch's postulates confirmed in July 2014, for the first time in France and continental Europe, the widespread presence of the sexual stage of M. linicola in plant host tissues. The developmental dynamics of pseudothecia on straw, expressed as the change over time in the percentage of mature pseudothecia, was similar in all three years. Pseudothecia appeared in late summer, with peak maturity reached in October. A temporal shift, thought to be due to early autumn rainfall, was highlighted in one of the three years. These observations suggest that sexual reproduction plays a significant role in the epidemiology of pasmo in France. A resurgence of M. linicola infections in spring flax is thought to have occurred in recent years, due to the increase in the area under flax. The presence of the sexual stage of this pathogen probably increased the quantitative impact of residues of winter linseed (used for oil) and flax straw (left on the soil for retting and used for fibres) as an interepidemic "brown bridge". This case study highlights how certain parts of a disease cycle, in this case the sexual phase, can become crucial due to changes in production conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the 17th century until the arrival of hybrids in 1960s, maize landraces were cultivated in the South-West of France (SWF), a traditional region for maize cultivation. A set of landraces were collected in this area between the 1950s and 1980s and were then conserved ex situ in a germplam collection. Previous studies using molecular markers on approx. twenty landraces from this region suggested that they belonged to a Pyrenees-Galicia Flint genetic group and originated from hybridizations between Caribbean and Northern Flint germplasms introduced to Europe. In this study, we assessed the structure and genetic diversity of 194 SWF maize landraces to better elucidate their origin, using a 50K SNP array and a bulk DNA approach. We identified two weakly differentiated genetic groups, one in the Western part and the other in the Eastern part of the studied region. We highlighted the existence of a longitudinal gradient along the SWF area that was probably maintained through the interplay between genetic drifts and restricted gene flows. The contact zone between the two groups observed near the Garonne valley may be the result of these evolutionnary forces. We found in landraces from the East part of the region significant cases of admixture between landraces from the Northern Flint group and landraces from either the Caribbean, Andean or Italian groups. We then assumed that SWF landraces had a multiple origin with a predonderance of Northern Flint germplasm for the two SWF groups, notably for the East part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2000s, numerous start-ups and agencies have argued for the necessity of analyzing social media data to 'know what people think', as they are deemed to provide access to spontaneous expression of thoughts, tastes, and representations. How do these actors, and the various types of knowledge and technology they draw upon, change the way we know and act upon people's opinions? This article offers insight on these understudied actors, by describing the emergence in France of a market for measuring online opinion. It shows two distinct trajectories of innovation, and the key role played by the early clients of these companies and by the demand for tools for online reputation management in the shaping of these instruments, and the definition of epistemic value. Both approaches of online opinion break with the classical egalitarian conception of public opinion. They instead conceive opinion as a mediated and collective process in which not all opinions have an equal value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the south of France, the so-called climate hiatus from 1998 to 2013 was associated with a late winter cooling which has affected the phenology of several reptiles and amphibian species, delaying their dates of first appearances in spring. This episode has been related to a period of frequently negative values of the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAOi). The recent increase of this index after this episode marks the end of the "hiatus" and provides an opportunity to verify the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the fauna of the North Mediterranean region. Most of the emergence dates of amphibians and reptiles in spring have rapidly advanced from 1983 to 1997 and then receded or stabilized from 1998 to 2010. They began to advance again since 2010. These phenological changes covary with the temperature of February–March in the study area, which is itself related to the variations of the NAO index. These changes confirm the influence of the NAO on the phenology of terrestrial organisms in northern Mediterranean where its influence is sometimes assumed to be attenuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Key message: Environmental clustering helps to identify QTLs associated with grain yield in different water stress scenarios. These QTLs could be useful for breeders to improve grain yields and increase genetic resilience in marginal environments. Drought is one of the main abiotic stresses limiting winter bread wheat growth and productivity around the world. The acquisition of new high-yielding and stress-tolerant varieties is therefore necessary and requires improved understanding of the physiological and genetic bases of drought resistance. A panel of 210 elite European varieties was evaluated in 35 field trials. Grain yield and its components were scored in each trial. A crop model was then run with detailed climatic data and soil water status to assess the dynamics of water stress in each environment. Varieties were registered from 1992 to 2011, allowing us to test timewise genetic progress. Finally, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out using genotyping data from a 280 K SNP chip. The crop model simulation allowed us to group the environments into four water stress scenarios: an optimal condition with no water stress, a post-anthesis water stress, a moderate-anthesis water stress and a high pre-anthesis water stress. Compared to the optimal water condition, grain yield losses in the stressed conditions were 3.3%, 12.4% and 31.2%, respectively. This environmental clustering improved understanding of the effect of drought on grain yields and explained 20% of the G × E interaction. The greatest genetic progress was obtained in the optimal condition, mostly represented in France. The GWAS identified several QTLs, some of which were specific of the different water stress patterns. Our results make breeding for improved drought resistance to specific environmental scenarios easier and will facilitate genetic progress in future environments, i.e., water stress environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of lignocellulosic biomass for animal feed or biorefinery requires the optimization of its degradability. Moreover, biomass crops need to be better adapted to the changing climate and in particular to periods of drought. Although the negative impact of water deficit on biomass yield has often been mentioned, its impact on biomass quality has only been recently reported in a few species. In the present study, we combined the mapping power of a maize recombinant inbred line population with robust near infrared spectroscopy predictive equations to track the response to water deficit of traits associated with biomass quality. The population was cultivated under two contrasted water regimes over 3 consecutive years in the south of France and harvested at silage stage. We showed that cell wall degradability and β-O-4-linked H lignin subunits were increased in response to water deficit, while lignin and p -coumaric acid contents were reduced. A mixed linear model was fitted to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for agronomical and cell wall-related traits. These QTLs were categorized as "constitutive" (QTL with an effect whatever the irrigation condition) or "responsive" (QTL involved in the response to water deficit) QTLs. Fifteen clusters of QTLs encompassed more than two third of the 213 constitutive QTLs and 13 clusters encompassed more than 60% of the 149 responsive QTLs. Interestingly, we showed that only half of the responsive QTLs co-localized with constitutive and yield QTLs, suggesting that specific genetic factors support biomass quality response to water deficit. Overall, our results demonstrate that water deficit favors cell wall degradability and that breeding of varieties that reconcile improved drought-tolerance and biomass degradability is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Low-back pain syndromes are a common problem. The authors estimate that this ailment is experienced by more than 80% of populations in developed countries. The treatment of spine pain syndromes is an interdisciplinary issue. Therefore, a proper therapy must be multifactorial and take into consideration all aspects of a patient's life. The aim of this work was to compare subjective evaluation of the process of rehabilitation of patients suffering from ailments related to lumbar spine pain who received physiotherapy within the health insurance reimbursement in Poland and in France. Material and methods: The study included 100 patients who underwent physiotherapy due to lumbosacral spine pain complaints. The study group consisted of 50 participants who received physiotherapy in Poland and 50 subjects who underwent it in France. The authors' own questionnaire was employed in the study. It was prepared in two language versions, i.e. Polish and French. The questionnaire consisted of 34 questions on demography, pain complaints, the process of physiotherapy and the evaluation of pain on the VAS scale, before and after physiotherapy. Results: The assessment of the promptness of the employed treatments was statistically higher in the case of the patients in France (p=0.039). The general assessment of the physiotherapy process by the examined patients in Poland and in France was similar. No statistically significant differences were revealed in this respect (p=0.240). The process of the therapy was most often regarded as very good (66%). Conclusions: The patients with chronic lumbar spine pain undergoing therapy in France evaluated it higher than the patients in Poland. The effectiveness of physiotherapy in both countries did not vary considerably. France respects the rules of early intervention and extensiveness of physiotherapy to a larger degree than Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollen beetle (Brassicogethes aeneus) is one of the main insect pests affecting oilseed rape crops. Efficiency of insecticides used to control this pest is decreasing due to the development of resistance to compounds such as pyrethroids in many populations. Breeding oilseed rape for resistance to pollen beetle attacks could be an interesting strategy to find alternative control methods but has not been really developed in this crop yet. However, screening plants for insect resistance remains complicated as it often involves field tests on large genotype collections which are complicated to carry out without biases. Current knowledge on the chemical ecology of interactions between oilseed rape and pollen beetles could help finding biochemical markers of this resistance and bypass this problematic field screening phase, thus allowing an indirect breeding approach. Previous laboratory tests have shown that variations in attack levels among a small set of oilseed genotypes could be explained by the biochemistry of bud tissues. The present study aimed at validating this link under field conditions. For that purpose, we conducted a multi-site experiment in France with 19 genotypes exposed to pollen beetle attacks. We phenotyped pollen beetle damage and sampled buds in the field to assess their chemical composition. Large variability in pollen beetle attacks was observed over the genotypes. These attack levels were consistent between locations. Bud chemistry was highly variable, but most compounds were well correlated between locations. Potential biomarkers previously identified in laboratory experiments were not confirmed to be correlated with resistance to pollen beetles in the field, but new compounds which may be considered interesting markers for resistance screening against the pollen beetle emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological consequences of seed size variation have been studied extensively in plants. Curiously, little attention has been paid to the qualitative and quantitative variation of the seed-stored molecules and on their ecological significance. Here, we analysed the oil content and oil composition of ca. 200 weed seed species from agricultural fields in France based on single seed accessions, concentrating on interspecies differences and ignoring within-species variation. The relationships between seed weight, oil %, fatty acids ( FAs) and the energetic value of the seed and its antioxidant properties were also investigated. The antioxidant activity could contribute to protect the oily seed reserves from alteration over time. Among the species analysed, we found a considerable quantitative (oil%) and qualitative variation of FAs stored in the seeds. Such variation was largely related to the plant family of the different species, but intrafamily variation was also found. Heavier seeds contained less oil on a per gram basis than lighter seeds, suggesting a trade-off between seed weight and oil ratio in the seed and that oil storage strategy depends on seed size. Moreover, oily seeds contained more polyunsaturated FAs. However, contrary to our hypothesis, we did not found a higher antioxidant capability in oily seed extracts than in non-oily seeds, nor to the quantitative or to the qualitative variation of FAs in the seeds. Considering the role of these important trait variations on weed ecological strategies, such as germination period, seed predation rate and competition-colonisation trade-off, could improve the sustainable management of weed communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In France, definitions of childhood and relations between adults (parents, professionals, public authorities, scientists, even sociologists …) and children, continue to be matters of debate in everyday life, scientific practices and political arenas. This article intends to show how these debates can be analysed as an object of research, using Boltanski’s sociological model of Justification. The presentation of this framework highlights its relations to the contributions of two other French sociologists whose works are not directly interested in childhood: Bourdieu and Latour. It is centred on two main aspects of this model: the study of operations of critiques and justifications based on a pragmatic sociology of critique and the idea of its double requirement: equality and order between human beings. It shows how this framework can be useful for thinking about childhood–adulthood relations as a moral and political order which is an object of debates. Then, from an historical example, the author proposes a short case study of what may be called an analysis of the moral sense of justice towards children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Climate change, particularly increasing temperatures and decreasing and highly variable water availability, will affect temperate field crop production. Beyond expected positive or negative impact assessment, there is a need to explore adaptation options for arable cropping systems. Involvement of farmers in the cropping system design process allows tailoring locally relevant and innovative adaptation options while taking into account interactions between crop management choices. In southwestern France, we devised and applied a participatory methodology of cropping system conception adapted to the climate change context. This method is based on prototyping methods as well as the vulnerability concept, and follows three successive steps: presentation of exposure, assessment of crop sensitivity during individual interviews with farmers, and conception of crop system adaptations during collective workshops. The proposed cropping systems differ according to access to water resources for irrigation of farmers. Non- or hardly irrigating farmers considered their current cropping systems to be already adapted to climate change, and focused on improving their efficiency using already known management practices. They did not feel endangered by the future climate scenario. Irrigating farmers were inclined to substitute sensitive crops or even redesign their cropping systems. Nevertheless, they had difficulty to distance themselves from current cropping choices and economical or technical constraints. Proposed cropping systems were thus not very disruptive compared to current practices. This work can be supplemented through assessments of cropping system sustainability and performance according to water and thermal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chilling is traditionally assessed in France based on the number of hours below 7°C. OBJECTIVE: This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of two diurnal temperatures (11°C, 16°C) with a night temperature below 7°C for chilling effect. METHODS: 'Gariguette' cv. potted plants were grown with temperatures above 10°C in 2009 and above 14°C in 2010 until the onset of chilling conditions. Plants were transferred into controlled conditions during 68 days and exposed to 11°C/2°C or 16°C/2°C day/night temperatures, to differentiate four treatments: a) 'mild' conditions (16°C/2°C day/night); b) 'cold' conditions (11°C/ 2°C day/night); c) 'mild then cold' conditions (34 days each); d) 'cold then mild' conditions (34 days each). Potted plants were then transferred to a heated plastic tunnel for fruit production assessment. RESULTS: The 'mild' treatment showed a lower fruit yield than the 'cold' treatment. This negative effect of the 'mild' treatment was compensated when plants were exposed to the 'cold' treatment during half of the chilling duration ('cold then mild' or 'mild then cold' treatment). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that temperature fluctuations above 7°C have to be taken into account in case of a long chilling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate pollution from agriculture is an important environmental externality, caused by the excessive use of fertilizers. The internalization of this problem, via a tax on mineral nitrogen, could lead to a second best solution, reducing nitrate emissions. Several authors suggest that a reduction in agricultural support could produce similar results. In this paper, we examine the effects of different levels of a uniformly implemented nitrogen tax in France under two policy scenarios, corresponding to post Agenda 2000 and 2003 Luxembourg reforms of European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, in order to reveal the synergies and conflicts between the tax and the policy scenarios in terms of nitrate emissions abatement. The analysis is performed at different geographical scales, from the national to the regional and is based on a bioeconomic approach that involves the coupling of the economic model AROPAj with the crop model STICS. Results show that the efficiency of the N-tax varies according to the geographical scale of the analysis and the type of farming. Furthermore, we prove that a uniform implementation may lead to perverse effects that should always be taken into account when introducing second-best instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which determines the incident of multiple sclerosis (MS) in France from November 2000 to October 2007. The study uses Bayesian approach, statistical analysis, and disease mapping to estimate the incidence of MS and its geographic variations. Results show that the notification rate was higher in north-eastern France than in Atlantic coast, Alps, and Rhône River.

Primary objective: To describe the long-term disorders of consciousness in patients with dysautonomia and hypertonia treated with intrathecal baclofen therapy (IBT). Methods and procedures: Forty-three patients with severe traumatic brain injuries who were previously implanted with an intrathecal baclofen pump were included to be evaluated in the long-term with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. The Barthel Index, the Glasgow Outcome Scale, the Ashworth scale, the scores of hypertonic attacks, of sweating episodes and of voluntary motor responses were used to describe functional abilities and residual impairments. A retrospective analysis highlighted patients' characteristics at admission, before surgery and their complications. Main outcomes and results: After a mean follow-up of 10 years, nine of 43 (20.9%) patients had died, 13/43 (30.2%) patients were severely disabled or in an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and 21/43 (48.8%) patients had good recovery of consciousness. The latter patients tended to receive IBT later, suggesting a later development of uncontrolled symptoms of dysautonomia and hypertonia. They needed lower doses of baclofen, suggesting that they had less severe symptoms. Their dysautonomia, limb hypertonia and voluntary motor responses improved significantly compared to patients with poor outcome. Conclusions: Recovery of good long-term consciousness is possible. A low level of consciousness recovery and the early development of severe and persistent symptoms of dysautonomia associated with hypertonia could be linked to poor long-term outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To develop and validate a list of criteria to assess the causes of inappropriate hospital days for patients admitted to rehabilitation centres and sub-acute care units. Design The tool was developed by a multidisciplinary panel of 33 experts, using a formalized consensus method. It collects both the needs of patients (distinguishing healthcare needs (9 criteria) and accommodation needs (9 criteria)) and the reasons for inappropriateness (19 criteria). Inappropriate days were identified using the tool to assess appropriateness of hospital days validated previously. Reliability was studied by measuring agreement between two independent simultaneous ratings. Setting The validation study was performed on a randomized sample of 576 hospital days from 22 wards in France. Main Outcome Measures Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using the κ-statistic and prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK). Results For patient accommodation needs, the inter-rater reliability was estimated by a κ-value of 0.80 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.66–0.92) and a PABAK of 0.80 (95% CI 0.63–0.91). There was good agreement on the reasons for inappropriateness, with κ-values from 0.30 to 0.60 and PABAK from 0.46 to 0.69. The κ-coefficient varied from 0.33 to 0.49 for the assessment of patient healthcare needs, with PABAK ranging from 0.49 to 0.72. Conclusions The instrument is suitable and valid to assess the causes of inappropriate hospital days in rehabilitation centres and sub-acute care units. The study showed that the tool can be easily used by healthcare workers, which makes it useful for quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the development of genetically-altered seeds as a political product of the Vichy regime in France between 1940 and 1944. The author discusses the proto-fascist state policies of the Vichy government, the relationship between agricultural biotechnology and World War II politics, and the importance of seeds in providing a sufficient supply of food for the country. Topics include autarky, plant genomes, and genetic modernism. The article also addresses ontology, biopolitics, and the influence of Vichy agricultural advancements on the history of France after World War II.

Organic agriculture could achieve the objectives of sustainable agriculture by banning the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. However, organic crops generally show lower performances than conventional ones. In France, organic winter wheat production is characterized by low grain protein content. There is a crucial need for better understanding the variability of grain protein content, because millers require batches with values over 10.5% of dry matter. Here, a regional agronomic diagnosis was carried out to identify the limiting factors and crop management practices explaining the variability of grain protein content. The studied field network was a set of 51 organic winter wheat plots in south-eastern France. The mixed-model method was used for identifying and ranking the limiting factors and the crop management practices responsible for variation in limiting factors. Our results show that the grain protein content variation was mostly explained by the baking quality grade of the cultivar, crop nitrogen status and weed density at flowering. There was a positive correlation between grain protein content and both crop nitrogen status and weed density. To a lesser extent, climatic factors also explained grain protein content variability. A lower water stress increased grain protein content, whereas an increase in the photothermal quotient and daily temperature over 25 °C reduced grain protein content. In south-eastern France, grain protein content of organic winter wheat could be increased by improving fertilization management, using an improved baking quality grade cultivar, choosing a legume fodder crop as preceding crop, or by avoiding late sowing dates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introgression arising from crop-to-wild gene flow provides novel sources of genetic variation in plant species complexes. Hybridization within the Beta vulgaris species complex is of immediate concern; crop lineages ( B. vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) hybridize easily with their wild relatives ( B. vulgaris ssp. maritima) thereby threatening wild beet gene diversity with genetic swamping. Hybridization ‘hotspots’ occur in European seed production areas because inland ruderal wild beets occur and reproduce in sympatry with cultivated beets. We studied gene flow occurring between seed-producing cultivars and ruderal wild B. vulgaris in southwestern France to determine whether feral beets, arising from unharvested cultivated seed, represent an opportunity for crop-to-wild gene flow. We surveyed 42 inland ruderal beet populations located near seed production fields for nucleo-cytoplasmic variation and used a cytoplasmic marker diagnostic of cultivated lines. Occurrence of cultivated-type cytoplasm within ruderal populations clearly reflected events of crop seed escape. However, we found no genetic signatures of nuclear cultivated gene introgression, which suggests past introgression of cultivated cytoplasm into a wild nuclear background through seed escape rather than recent direct pollen flow. Overall, patterns of genetic structure suggested that inland ruderal wild beet populations act as a metapopulation, with founding events involving a few sib groups, followed by low rates of seed or pollen gene flow after populations are established. Altogether, our results indicate that a long-lived seed bank plays a key role in maintaining cultivated-type cytoplasm in the wild and highlight the need for careful management of seed production areas where wild and cultivated relatives co-occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil and climate are major constituents of the French notion of Terroir. This concept implies that there is a strong relationship between the composition of the grape, the characteristics of the wine and the territory of production. To study this link, a new method of characterization of the Terroir, including geological and pedological factors, was investigated. It uses a field model based on depth and clay content of soil, together with the degree of weathering of the parent rock. Consequently, for every type of parent rock belonging to a given geologic stage, there are a series of soils that show different stages of pedological evolution. According to the model, three kinds of soils are distinguished with regards to the weathering intensity of the parent rock, that are named weakly weathered rock (WWR), moderately weathered rock (MWR) and strongly weathered rock (SWR). By hypothesis, each soil type is considered as a homogeneous unit for vine production from the viewpoint of ecophysiological factors. Each terroir unit defined by this method is called a Basic Terroir Unit (BTU). To validate this hypothesis, experimental plots planted with Chenin and Cabernet Franc vines were studied over three consecutive seasons (2000–2002), in the Anjou vineyard (Loire Valley – France). The major BTUs developed on the two most important geological systems of Anjou (Brioverian and Ordovician–Devonian), were studied. Results showed that the berries of vines cultivated in WWR were significantly smaller, richer in sugars and anthocyanins and had a Total Phenolic Index higher than those of the vines cultivated in SWR. They also had a lower titratable acidity. Cabernet Franc vines cultivated in MWR had berries with sugar and anthocyanin contents but also total phenolics very close to those of WWR. With Chenin vines there was a good relationship between the global pool of free aromas of berries and the BTU type. The study showed significant relationships between the quality of grapes and the measured values of several ecophysiological variables such as the water supply regime or the timing of budburst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low market prices and environmental concerns in Europe favor lower input wheat production systems. To efficiently breed for new varieties adapted to low input management while maintaining high yield levels, our objective was to characterize the heritability and its components for yield and nitrogen traits under different nitrogen levels. Two hundred and twenty-two doubled-haploid (DH) lines from the cross between Arche (tolerant) and Récital (sensitive) were tested in France at four locations in 2000, and three in 2001, under high (N+) and low (N−) nitrogen supplies. The response of yield to the environment of four probe genotypes, the parents and two controls, were tested and used as descriptors of these environments. Grain yield (GY), its components, and grain and straw nitrogen, called nitrogen traits, were studied. A factorial regression was performed to assess the sensitivity (slope) of the DH lines to nitrogen stress and their performance to low nitrogen supply. An index based on the nitrogen nutrition index at flowering of the probe genotype Récital was the best descriptor of the environment stress. Heritabilities of yield and nitrogen traits for both nitrogen supplies were always above 0.6. When nitrogen stress increased, heritabilities decreased and genotype × nitrogen interaction variances increased. The decrease in heritability was mainly explained by a decrease in genetic variance. Genetic variation for sensitivity to nitrogen stress and performance under low nitrogen supply were shown in the population. GY decreased from 278 to 760 g/m2 per unit of nitrogen stress index increase and GY under moderate nitrogen stress varied from 340 to 613 g/m². Those contrasted reactions revealed specific lines to include in breeding programs for improving GY under low nitrogen supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prospective survey of five palliative care units in the Rhône-Alpes region of France over a six-month period identified 13 requests for euthanasia (from the patient, family or both). The frequency of the request was low at 2.1% (of 611 patients). We have sought to establish the reasons for this request from the patient or family and the follow up of this request over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify genetic diversity among modern and earlier maize cultivars, 133 varieties, representative of the maize grown in France during the last five decades, were fingerprinted using 51 SSR. The varieties were grouped into four periods. For each period, allelic richness, genetic diversity and genetic differentiation among periods were computed. A total of 239 alleles were generated. Allelic richness, in terms of number of alleles per locus, for each period was 4.5, 3.6, 3.9 and 3.6 respectively. Genetic diversity corresponding to Nei’s unbiased heterozygosity was calculated, based on allelic frequencies. Values ranged from 0.56 to 0.61. Period I presented the highest genetic diversity, whereas the three other periods all presented a similar value. A great proportion of the total genetic diversity (HT=0.59) was conserved within all periods (HS=0.57), rather than among periods (GST=0.04). The analysis of molecular variance showed that the variation among periods represented only 10% of the total molecular variation. However, the differentiation among periods, although low, was significant, except for the last two periods. Our results showed that the genetic diversity has been reduced by about 10% in the maize cultivars bred before 1976 compared to those bred after 1985. The very low differentiation (GST=0.21%) observed among cultivars of the last two decades should alert French maize breeders to enlarge genetic basis in their variety breeding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the writings of Aimé Césaire and Frantz Fanon on the French legacy of emancipation. Influence of the writings of Césaire and Fanon on the Caribbean, French empire, global field of decolonization, postcolonial politics and scholarship; Implication of Negritude for the emancipation of France; Stance of Fanon on French colonial racism.

Focuses on the immigration debate in France. Issue of undocumented foreigners; Admission of the existence of racial discrimination; Reasons why immigrants enter into the country secretly; Political approaches to the immigrant body.

Berries of blackcurrant are known to produce a strong flavor. Some previous studies have reported that a given cultivar of blackcurrant can produce berries with a specific profile of volatile compounds. For the Burgundy region in France, the Noir de Bourgogne cultivar is especially important because it is the main ingredient of a liquor with a designation of origin. The aim of the present study was to characterize the volatile fractions of berries from 15 cultivars in order to explore the possibility of using different cultivars for liquor production. The plants were cultivated under the same conditions and harvested in the same year. The volatile fractions of the harvested berries were analyzed using HS-SPME-GC-MS. Thorough univariate statistical analysis and multivariate analysis were applied to the dataset, which made it possible to identify groups within cultivars. The Rosenthal cultivar exhibited a quite flat profile; the Lositkia, Ben Tiran, and Barchatnaia cultivars shared common features; the Noir de Bourgogne cultivar showed the highest amounts of molecules such as 3-carene, limonene, β-phellandrene, ocimene, α-terpinolene, and bicyclogermacrene. None of the studied varieties were close to the Noir de Bourgogne on the basis of VOC analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: We collected COVID-19 mortality data and the age distribution of the deceased in France and other European countries, as well as specifically in the cities of Paris and Marseille, and compared them. (2) Methods: Data on mortality related to COVID-19 and the associated age distribution were collected from government institutions in various European countries. In France, data were obtained from INSEE and Santé Publique France. All-cause mortality was also examined in order to study potential excess mortality using EuroMOMO. The Marseille data came from the epidemiological surveillance system. (3) Results: France is one of the European countries most impacted by COVID-19. Its proportion of deaths in people under 60 years of age is higher (6.5%) than that of Italy (4.6%) or Spain (4.7%). Excess mortality (5% more deaths) was also observed. Ile-de-France and the Grand-Est are the two French regions with the highest mortality. The proportion of deaths in the under-60 age group was considerable in Ile-de-France (9.9% vs. 4.5% in the Southern region). There are significantly higher numbers of patients hospitalized, in intensive care and deceased in Paris than in Marseille. (4) Conclusions: No patient management, i.e., from screening to diagnosis, including biological assessment and clinical examination, likely explains the high mortality associated with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that evaluates the behavior of atrazine herbicide in sandy loam soil under field conditions in an irrigated corn culture in the south east region of France, with reference to enzyme-linked immunosorbent essay. Results revealed that atrazine, being a pre-emergence herbicide acting inside the plant leaves, follows a water flow that concentrate on the top-soil through the plant root, xylem vessels and leaves. From these results, it has been concluded that the soil in the experimental site has a high risk of groundwater stock contamination during rainy periods after the soil has been treated with atrazine.