Apport de la télédétection à l'inventaire et à la gestion des ressources en eau

Télédétection by plane or satelite provides spectacular results where water is concerned as in this field methods of interpretation are already operational. Photo-interpretation of images and their computerization show up phenomena that are recognized and classified according to their nature and their intensity. They enable maps to be mechanically drawn up and the areas corresponding to the different categories to be calculated. Télédétection seems to be an invaluable tool for drawing up inventories and above all for managing water resources according to what is available and to the need for information expressed by water experts, farming, town planning, industry, environment, country planning, and regional planning. Examples drawn from experiments in France and in North America show some of the possibilities afforded by this new, quick and often inexpensive means of investigation

Une nouvelle classification des exploitations agricoles françaises

The study is the result of original work begun in 1969. The aim of this research was to classify farms according to their production system and not simply according only to the criterion of size, from the data usually provided by statistical studies of farm structure. This should lead to a better knowledge of the production conditions, a means of popularization in farm economics and a means of presenting statistical results, as well as a useful means of establishing forecasts. The technical problem posed by the working-out of a typology consisted in classifying the farm population into a limited number of groups in such a way that the production units in any one class should be homogeneous and that they should be totally different from those in the other classes. An analytic approach was adopted and this method was neutral and objective because factorial analysis was used. This method of multidimensional analysis classifies the data collected and enables one to discover and sum up logical structures without previously putting forward any hypotheses concerning the number of classes, or their limits and without giving more importance to some data than to others. The classification study required a considerable number of calculations to be made involving a great many variables within the limits of the Ministry of Agriculture's computer. Hence a representative sample of 6.000 farm units drawn from the E.E.C.'s farm-structure survey in 1967 (1/5 the total number) was analysed. The classification that resulted from this sample was tested and criticised, then extended to another sample of 20.000 farms from the same survey. Once the classification's stability was ascertained, a regional analysis and a more sophisticated statistical study of the various farm classes in the second sample were undertaken. This provided representative data on a regional basis. The study shows that, in spite of its complexity, the farm-unit group as a whole is fairly well structured. Farm labour is a simpler and hence more structured sub-group than that of stock or, above all, of crops. These two relatively independent classifications - that defined by the principal type of labour (linked to farm-size) and that defined by the type of crops or live stock were further investigated. Classification of farm-units in % according to the principal type of labour and the total amount of work I - Part-time family labour II - Full time family labour III - Full-time family and hired labour IV - Hired labour V - Part-time family and hired labour 64 25 3 7 1 Total 100 Classification of farm-units in % according to the principal types of crops and livestock : 1 - Grain crops 8.2 2 - Large-size grain-crop and industrial-crop farms. 1.3 3 - Maize 3.6 4 - Wine-growing 10.5 5 - Open-air vegetables 2.4 6 - Market gardening and grapes . 4.1 7 - Mixed farming (fodder and potatoes) 4.8 8 - Mixed stock-breeding 8.8 (meadows and cultivated grass) 9 - Stock-rearing in poor areas on heath-land and rye 3.6 10 - Dairy cattle 25.8 11 - Beef production . 12 - Cattle for breeding 13 - Sheep 14 - Pigs 15 - Poultry 6.4 9,2 3.9 4.5 2.9 Total 100.0 These fifteen types were selected, classified according crops or stock, for two reasons : in order to describe the fifteen classes statistically according to the various data collected in 1967 (gross income and total output - crops or stock) in order to check afterwards the regional distribution of the types of farm and the homogeneity of the different groups, and the behaviour of the different types. This classification will be of great interest if it remains stable and is used as a stratification criterion for the drawing of agricultural samples and as a framework for statistical analyses during the next five or ten years. It provides a means of comparing and completing data from various sources and of building matrices describing the evolution of farm-units and of input and output

MS/MS library facilitated MRM quantification of native peptides prepared by denaturing ultrafiltration

Naturally occurring native peptides provide important information about physiological states of an organism and its changes in disease conditions but protocols and methods for assessing their abundance are not well-developed. In this paper, we describe a simple procedure for the quantification of non-tryptic peptides in body fluids. The workflow includes an enrichment step followed by two-dimensional fractionation of native peptides and MS/MS data management facilitating the design and validation of LC- MRM MS assays. The added value of the workflow is demonstrated in the development of a triplex LC-MRM MS assay used for quantification of peptides potentially associated with the progression of liver disease to hepatocellular carcinoma

DESENVOLVIMENTO DE SOFTWARE APLICADO NO CONTEXTO DE GLOBALIZAÇÃO

A globalização gera impactos significativos nas mais diversas áreas, pois é uma tendência crescente, favorecendo a competitividade do mercado, considerando que as “fronteiras” deixam de existir e trazendo benefício para a cooperação entre profissionais localizados em regiões geograficamente distribuídas. Diante deste cenário, o setor de TI é fortemente impactado, em especial as atividades ligadas ao desenvolvimento de software, onde as empresas são impulsionadas a trabalhar de maneira distribuída, com equipes espalhadas por diversas regiões, incluindo países diferentes. Para facilitar esse processo surgiu o DDS - Desenvolvimento Distribuído de Software com times formados por profissionais dispersos em cidades, estados e países diferentes. Quando os profissionais de um ambiente de DDS estão dispersos em mais de um país usa-se o termo Desenvolvimento Global de Software (Global Software Development – GSD. Nesse contexto, há vários riscos relacionados a esse formato e, um dos mais importantes é a comunicação e interação eficaz entre os profissionais envolvidos. Durante a realização deste trabalho, observou-se que, mesmo com os riscos, dificuldades e desafios impostos pelo GSD as vantagens dessas empresas são significativamente maiores que os problemas apresentados. Desta forma, fez-se uma pesquisa bibliográfica e um estudo de caso em uma empresa da cidade de Maringá-PR a fim de identificar os riscos recorrentes do GSD, os desafios enfrentados por gestores, bem como as equipes de um modo geral e os planos de contingência e estratégias para evitar que os riscos aconteçam ou minimizar os impactos dos riscos inevitáveis

Detection of novel autoantigens in patients with recurrent miscarriage: description of an approach and preliminary findings

Aim To develop and test a protocol for isolation of potential auto-antigens from chorionic tissue that may be linked to recurrent miscarriage (RM). Methods The strategy included: 1) isolation of IgGs tightly bound to chorionic tissue of RM patients by protein G chromatography; 2) construction of affinity columns using the chorionic antibodies for isolation of auto-antigens; 3) enrichment of auto-antigens from detergent extracted solution of chorionic proteins by affinity chromatography; 4) separation by dodecyl sulfate-electrophoresis followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry identification. Results Five potential auto-antigens were detected: neutral alpha-glucosidase AB, endoplasmin, transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase, putative endoplasmin-like protein, and cytoplasmic actin 2. Conclusions We developed a strategy for identification of auto-antigens in the chorionic tissue of women with RM, which could be of diagnostic and prognostic value

Environnement, écologie: Nouvelle source d'information, la télédétection pour l'occupation de l'espace, l'eau et l'environnement

Télédétection, a means of observing space on earth from the distance, has its own limits and advantages. An experiment carried out from the air in 1974-1975 in the department of the Bouches du Rhône and progress in space technology have led to the development of estimation and management methods (space use, water, ressources, environnement and nuisances) by télédétection being made part of an interministerial framework for the period 1976-1980

Global transcriptional response to mammalian temperature provides new insight into Francisella tularensis pathogenesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>After infecting a mammalian host, the facultative intracellular bacterium, <it>Francisella tularensis</it>, encounters an elevated environmental temperature. We hypothesized that this temperature change may regulate genes essential for infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Microarray analysis of <it>F. tularensis </it>LVS shifted from 26°C (environmental) to 37°C (mammalian) showed ~11% of this bacterium's genes were differentially-regulated. Importantly, 40% of the protein-coding genes that were induced at 37°C have been previously implicated in virulence or intracellular growth of <it>Francisella </it>in other studies, associating the bacterial response to this temperature shift with pathogenesis. Forty-four percent of the genes induced at 37°C encode proteins of unknown function, suggesting novel <it>Francisella </it>virulence traits are regulated by mammalian temperature. To explore this possibility, we generated two mutants of loci induced at 37°C [FTL_1581 and FTL_1664 (<it>deoB</it>)]. The FTL_1581 mutant was attenuated in a chicken embryo infection model, which was likely attributable to a defect in survival within macrophages. FTL_1581 encodes a novel hypothetical protein that we suggest naming <it>t</it>emperature-<it>i</it>nduced, <it>v</it>irulence-associated locus <it>A</it>, <it>tivA</it>. Interestingly, the <it>deoB </it>mutant showed diminished entry into mammalian cells compared to wild-type LVS, including primary human macrophages and dendritic cells, the macrophage-like RAW 264.7 line, and non-phagocytic HEK-293 cells. This is the first study identifying a <it>Francisella </it>gene that contributes to uptake into both phagocytic and non-phagocytic host cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results provide new insight into mechanisms of <it>Francisella </it>virulence regulation and pathogenesis. <it>F. tularensis </it>LVS undergoes considerable gene expression changes in response to mammalian body temperature. This temperature shift is important for the regulation of genes that are critical for the pathogenesis of <it>Francisella</it>. Importantly, the compilation of temperature-regulated genes also defines a rich collection of novel candidate virulence determinants, including <it>tivA </it>(FTL_1581). An analysis of <it>tivA </it>and <it>deoB </it>(FTL_1664) revealed that these genes contribute to intracellular survival and entry into mammalian cells, respectively.</p

Macrophage Replication Screen Identifies a Novel Francisella Hydroperoxide Resistance Protein Involved in Virulence

Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of tularemia. Recently, genome-wide screens have identified Francisella genes required for virulence in mice. However, the mechanisms by which most of the corresponding proteins contribute to pathogenesis are still largely unknown. To further elucidate the roles of these virulence determinants in Francisella pathogenesis, we tested whether each gene was required for replication of the model pathogen F. novicida within macrophages, an important virulence trait. Fifty-three of the 224 genes tested were involved in intracellular replication, including many of those within the Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI), validating our results. Interestingly, over one third of the genes identified are annotated as hypothetical, indicating that F. novicida likely utilizes novel virulence factors for intracellular replication. To further characterize these virulence determinants, we selected two hypothetical genes to study in more detail. As predicted by our screen, deletion mutants of FTN_0096 and FTN_1133 were attenuated for replication in macrophages. The mutants displayed differing levels of attenuation in vivo, with the FTN_1133 mutant being the most attenuated. FTN_1133 has sequence similarity to the organic hydroperoxide resistance protein Ohr, an enzyme involved in the bacterial response to oxidative stress. We show that FTN_1133 is required for F. novicida resistance to, and degradation of, organic hydroperoxides as well as resistance to the action of the NADPH oxidase both in macrophages and mice. Furthermore, we demonstrate that F. holarctica LVS, a strain derived from a highly virulent human pathogenic species of Francisella, also requires this protein for organic hydroperoxide resistance as well as replication in macrophages and mice. This study expands our knowledge of Francisella's largely uncharacterized intracellular lifecycle and demonstrates that FTN_1133 is an important novel mediator of oxidative stress resistance

Enquête par sondage sur le matériel de culture

Depuis une quinzaine d'années, l'agriculture française subit une transformation profonde due principalement au développement de la mécanisation. L'utilisation du tracteur étant à la base du processus de mécanisation, un premier essai d'enquête par sondage auprès des possesseurs de tracteurs agricoles immatriculés a été tenté à la fin de 1961. Cette enquête-pilote s'est déroulée de façon satisfaisante dans trois départements : Charente-Maritime, Maine-et-Loire et Oise, pour leur diversité et leur état d'avancement inégal sur le plan de la mécanisation. L'enquête, d'un caractère économique assez nouveau, permet d'analyser la structure des exploitations le parc et le temps d'utilisation des matériels d'extérieur de ferme ainsi que « la chaîne de la mécanisation ». Elle tend à améliorer l'appareil statistique indispensable à l'élaboration de prévisionnels. Les commentaires de la partie « Résultats » doivent être considérés comme un guide à lors de la lecture des tableaux pour la bonne interprétation de ceux-ci.Lenco Michel. Enquête par sondage sur le matériel de culture. In: Etudes et conjoncture - Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques, n°1, 1963 (18ᵉ année). pp. 3-58