Université de Rennes 2

Harnessing the plant microbiome through plant genetics is of increasing interest to those seeking to improve plant nutrition and health. While genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted to identify plant genes driving the plant microbiome, more multidisciplinary studies are required to assess the relationships among plant genetics, plant microbiome and plant fitness. Using a metabarcoding approach, we characterized the rhizosphere bacterial communities of a core collection of 155 Medicago truncatula genotypes along with the plant phenotype and investigated the plant genetic effects through GWAS. The different genotypes within the M. truncatula core collection showed contrasting growth and nutritional strategies but few loci were associated with these ecophysiological traits. To go further, we described its associated rhizosphere bacterial communities, dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, and defined a core rhizosphere bacterial community. Next, the occurrences of bacterial candidates predicting plant ecophysiological traits of interest were identified using random forest analyses. Some of them were heritable and plant loci were identified, pinpointing genes related to response to hormone stimulus, systemic acquired resistance, response to stress, nutrient starvation or transport, and root development. Together, these results suggest that plant genetics can affect plant growth and nutritional strategies by harnessing keystone bacteria in a well‐connected interaction network.

For an arbitrary dimension nn, we study: the polyharmonic Gaussian field hL$h_L$ on the discrete torus TLn=1LZn/Zn$\mathbb {T}^n_L = \frac{1}{L} \mathbb {Z}^{n} / \mathbb {Z}^{n}$, that is the random field whose law on RTLn$\mathbb {R}^{\mathbb {T}^{n}_{L}}$ given by cne−bn(−ΔL)n/4h2dh,\begin{equation*} \hspace*{-4.5pc}c_n\, \text{e}^{-b_n{\left\Vert (-\Delta _L)^{n/4}h\right\Vert} ^2} dh, \end{equation*}where dhdh is the Lebesgue measure and ΔL$\Delta _{L}$ is the discrete Laplacian; the associated discrete Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) measure associated with it, that is, the random measure on TLn$\mathbb {T}^{n}_{L}$ μL(dz)=expγhL(z)−γ22EhL(z)dz,\begin{equation*} \hspace*{-7.5pc}\mu _{L}(dz) = \exp {\left(\gamma h_L(z) - \frac{\gamma ^{2}}{2} \mathbf {E} h_{L}(z) \right)} dz, \end{equation*}where γ$\gamma$ is a regularity parameter. As L→∞$L\rightarrow \infty$, we prove convergence of the fields hL$h_L$ to the polyharmonic Gaussian field hh on the continuous torus Tn=Rn/Zn$\mathbb {T}^n = \mathbb {R}^{n} / \mathbb {Z}^{n}$, as well as convergence of the random measures μL$\mu _L$ to the LQG measure μ$\mu$ on Tn$\mathbb {T}^n$, for all γ<2n$\left|\gamma \right| < \sqrt {2n}$.

Acknowledging the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting, this study examined the effects of an acute exercise break during prolonged sitting on executive function, cortical hemodynamics, and microvascular status. In this randomized crossover study, 71 college students completed three conditions: (i) uninterrupted sitting (SIT); (ii) SIT with a 15 min moderate‐intensity cycling break (MIC); and (iii) SIT with a 15 min vigorous‐intensity cycling break (VIC). Behavioral outcomes, retinal vessel diameters (central retinal artery equivalents [CRAE], retinal vein equivalents [CRVE], arteriovenous ratio [AVR]), cortical activation, and effective connectivity were evaluated. Linear mixed models identified significant positive effects of exercise conditions on behavioral reaction time (RT), error rate, and inverse efficiency score (β = −2.62, −0.19, −3.04: ps < 0.05). MIC and VIC conditions produced pre‐to‐post‐intervention increases in CRAE and CRVE (β = 4.46, 6.34), frontal activation, and resting‐state and task‐state causal density (β = 0.37, 0.06) (ps < 0.05) compared to SIT; VIC was more beneficial for executive function and neurobiological parameters. The effect of AVR on average RT was mediated through task‐based causal density (indirect effect: −0.82). Acutely interrupting prolonged sitting improves executive function, microvascular status, and cortical activation and connectivity, with causal density mediating the microvascular‐executive function link.

Network traffic datasets are regularly criticized, notably for the lack of realism and diversity in their attack or benign traffic. Generating synthetic network traffic using generative machine learning techniques is a recent area of research that could complement experimental test beds and help assess the efficiency of network security tools such as network intrusion detection systems. Most methods generating synthetic network flows disregard the temporal dependencies between them, leading to unrealistic traffic. To address this issue, we introduce FlowChronicle , a novel synthetic network flow generation tool from mined patterns and Bayesian networks. As a core component, we propose a novel pattern miner in combination with statistical models to preserve temporal dependencies. We empirically compare our method against state-of-the-art techniques on several criteria, namely realism, diversity, compliance, and novelty. This evaluation demonstrates the capability of FlowChronicle to achieve high-quality generation while significantly outperforming the other methods in preserving temporal dependencies between flows. Besides, in contrast to deep learning methods, the patterns identified by FlowChronicle are explainable, and experts can verify their soundness. Our work substantially advances synthetic network traffic generation, offering a method that enhances both the utility and trustworthiness of the generated network flows.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematopoietic malignancy characterized by increased proliferation and incomplete maturation of T-cell progenitors, for which relapse is often of poor prognosis. To improve patient outcomes, it is critical to understand the chemoresistance mechanisms arising from cell plasticity induced by the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. Single-cell RNA sequencing of human T-ALL cells from adipocyte-rich and adipocyte-poor BM revealed a distinct leukemic cell population defined by quiescence and high CD44 expression (Ki67neg/lowCD44high). During in vivo treatment, these cells evaded chemotherapy, and were further called Chemotherapy-resistant Leukemic Cells (CLCs). Patient sample analysis revealed Ki67neg/lowCD44high CLCs at diagnosis and during relapse, with each displaying a specific transcriptomic signature. Interestingly, CD44high expression in T-ALL Ki67neg/low CLCs was associated with E-selectin binding. Analysis of 39 human T-ALL samples revealed significantly enhanced E-selectin binding activity in relapse/refractory samples compared with drug-sensitive samples. These characteristics of chemoresistant T-ALL CLCs provide key insights for prognostic stratification and novel therapeutic options.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) significantly impact global health, often resulting in death or long-term disability. We developed a quality dashboard to monitor adherence to severe TBI guidelines, leveraging data from Rennes University Hospital’s clinical data warehouse collected between January 2020 and December 2023. We included 193 patients from the surgical ICU who were over 18 years old and excluded those without adequate intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring data. The study utilized the French Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Society guidelines and the Brain Trauma Foundation’s 4th Guidelines Edition to assess guideline adherence over the first seven days of hospitalization. Our dashboard, built using the flexdashboard and Plotly R libraries, presents patient demographics, clinical assessments, and treatment adherence. Despite limitations, such as reduced interoperability and the absence of clinician usability testing, our tool represents a pioneering effort in TBI guideline compliance, with plans for future enhancements including expanded guideline evaluation and improved dashboard sharing capabilities.

The Pd‐catalyzed C4‐arylation of 3,5‐disubstituted isoxazoles via C−H bond functionalization has been largely described. By contrast, the reactivity of isoxazoles in C−H bond functionalization with both unsubstituted C4 and C5 positions remains largely unexplored. Herein, we report on the reactivity in Pd‐catalyzed double C−H bond arylation of an isoxazole with unsubstituted C4 and C5 positions. Conditions for the palladium‐catalyzed direct C4,C5‐diarylation of ethyl isoxazole‐3‐carboxylate using aryl bromides as the aryl source are reported. This procedure tolerates several useful substituents on the aryl bromide such as nitrile, acetyl, formyl, benzoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, chloro, fluoro, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, cyanomethyl, tertbutyl and methoxy at para‐ and meta‐positions. Conversely, with ortho‐substituted aryl bromides, mixtures of mono‐ and di‐arylated isoxazoles were generally obtained. This methodology provides a simple one pot access to a wide variety of C4,C5‐diarylated isoxazoles from commercially available substrates allowing to modify easily their biological properties.

Cancer is an important issue and a model topic for misinformatfion researchers. The present research experimentally investigates the effect of cancer-related conspiracy beliefs and misinformation on oncology treatment intentions in a cancer-free population. In three pre-registered studies (N total = 1020), participants were asked to put themselves in the shoes of a patient recommended for chemotherapy. Study 1 (N = 300) failed to experimentally manipulate cancer-related conspiracy beliefs with exposure to a health scandal not related to cancer. In Study 2 (N = 258), exposure to a pro-conspiracy (vs. anti-conspiracy) content related to cancer treatment was associated with more conspiracy beliefs, less intention to use chemotherapy and more intentions to use unconventional medicines. Exploratory analyses revealed that these effects were conditioned by the credibility of the misinformation. Study 3 (N = 462) replicated these findings using a full experimental design. Exposure (vs. no exposure) to a warning and accuracy prompt, prior to exposure to the pro-conspiracy content, was found to be effective in reducing its credibility and preventing its detrimental effects. These findings corroborate the existence of an effect of conspiracy beliefs on treatment intentions in oncology and also suggest several ways to mitigate them.

The photophysical and two-photon absorption (TPA) properties of five push-pull pyrimidine derivatives were studied upon protonation with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The pyrimidine heterocycles have been used as the protonation sites and electron acceptors while methoxy groups were employed as electron donors. Steady state and fluorescence time-resolved spectroscopy from femtoseconds to nanoseconds have been used together with the two-photon excited fluorescence method. Protonation with TFA resulted in red-shifted absorption and fluorescence spectra as well as to an acceleration of the excited state dynamics. The TPA properties showed a remarkable enhancement upon protonation with a ten-times increase of the TPA cross sections due to an increased intramolecular charge transfer. Our results demonstrate the potential of pyrimidine chromophores to be used as protonation tunable non-linear optical chromophores.

To overcome the increasing demand for high-throughput data services, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has proposed Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) in Release 16 as a scalable and cost-effective alternative to traditional fiber backhaul for 5 G systems. A key feature of IAB is the shared use of the same spectrum band for both access and backhaul communications, which introduces challenges related to interference, delays, capacity sharing, and additional complexity due to the half-duplex constraint. In this paper, we provide an overview of the 3GPP guidelines for IAB resource management and introduce a semi-centralized, heuristic-based resource management policy aimed at jointly enhancing end-to-end delay and minimizing interference in IAB networks, in compliance with 3GPP standards. We conduct a comparative study of our proposed policy against several policies, including the baseline proposed by 3GPP. The evaluation is performed through discrete-event simulations under two types of traffic and varying network loads. The simulation results underline that our semi-centralized resource management policy effectively controls interference, leading to improved network Key Performance indicators (KPIs) like system throughput and end-to-end delay. Specifically, our solution achieves up to an 11% increase in system throughput and a 30% reduction in end-to-end delay compared to the baseline for constant traffic, while for variable traffic, it results in a 16% increase in system throughput and a 26% reduction in end-to-end delay.

SACHA‐France (NCT04477681) is a prospective real‐world study that collects clinical safety and efficacy data of novel anticancer therapies prescribed off‐label or on compassionate use to patients <25 years. From March 2020 until February 2024, 640 patients with solid tumors or lymphomas were included, with 176 (28%) reported objective tumor responses. Centralized medical monitoring of local radiological/functional imaging reports by the SACHA coordinating investigator led to response modification in 45 out of 176 cases (26%), highlighting the relevance of the medical review of study data. We suggest this pragmatic approach for improving clinical trial data when centralized radiological review is not performed.

Aim Infants born very preterm spend their early postnatal life in a neonatal intensive care unit, where irregular and unpredictable sounds replace the structured and familiar intrauterine auditory environment. Music interventions may contribute to alleviate these deleterious effects by reducing stress and providing a form of environmental enrichment. Material and Methods This was an ancillary study as part of a blinded randomised controlled clinical trial entitled the effect of music on preterm infant's brain development. It measured the impact of music listening on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), we assessed heart rate variability (HRV) through high‐resolution recordings of heart rate monitoring, at three specific postmenstrual ages in premature infants. Results From 29 included subjects, 18 were assessed for complete HRV dataset, including nine assigned to the music intervention and nine to the control group. Postmenstrual age appeared to be the main factor influencing HRV from 33 weeks to term equivalent age. Further analyses did not reveal any detectable effect of music intervention on ANS response. Conclusion This study found that ANS responses were not modified by recorded music intervention in very preterm infants during wakefulness or sleep onset. Further research is warranted to explore other factors influencing ANS development in this population.

Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are essential for male development and fertility. In the canonical androgen production pathway, testosterone is produced in the testis by HSD17B3; however, adult male Hsd17b3 knockout (KO) mice continue to produce androgens and are fertile, indicating compensatory mechanisms exist. A second, alternate pathway produces DHT from precursors other than testosterone via 5α‐reductase (SRD5A) activity. We hypothesized that the alternate pathway contributes to androgen bioactivity in Hsd17b3 KO mice. To investigate contributions arising from and interactions between the canonical and alternate pathways, we pharmacologically inhibited SRD5A and ablated Srd5a1 (the predominant SRD5A in the testis) on the background of Hsd17b3 KO mice. Mice with perturbation of either the canonical or both pathways exhibited increased LH, testicular steroidogenic enzyme expression, and normal reproductive tracts and fertility. In the circulation, alternate pathway steroids were increased in the absence of HSD17B3 but were reduced by co‐inhibition of SRD5A1. Mice with perturbations of both pathways produced normal basal levels of intratesticular testosterone, suggesting the action of other unidentified hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(s). Strikingly, testicular expression of another SRD5A enzyme, Srd5a2, was markedly increased in the absence of Hsd17b3, suggesting a compensatory increase in SRD5A2 to maintain androgen bioactivity during HSD17B3 deficiency. Finally, we observed elevated circulating concentrations of the 11‐keto‐derivative of DHT, suggesting compensatory extra‐gonadal induction of bioactive 11‐keto androgen production. Taken together, we conclude that, in the absence of the canonical pathway of androgen production, multiple intra‐ and extra‐gonadal mechanisms cooperate to maintain testosterone and DHT production, supporting male development and fertility.