Val De Loire Research Articles

COVID-19 seroprevalence among local authority workers from Orléans Métropole, the Community of Communes of the Terres du Val de Loire, the local public service management centre of the Loiret department and the Region Centre Val de Loire: a prospective epidemiological study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among local authority workers, depending on their position and potential interaction with the public.MethodsA cohort of volunteer participants was recruited among local authority workers of...

Biogeochemical behaviour of geogenic As in a confined aquifer of the Sologne region, France.

Arsenic (As) is one of the main toxic elements of geogenic origin that impact groundwater quality and human health worldwide. In some groundwater wells of the Sologne region (Val de Loire, France), drilled in a confined aquifer, As concentrations exceed the European drinking water standard (10μgL-1). The monitoring of one of these drinking water wells showed As concentrations in the range 20-25μgL-1. The presence of dissolved iron (Fe), low oxygen concentration and traces of ammonium indicated reducing conditions. The δ34SSO4 was anticorrelated with sulphate concentration. Drilling allowed to collect detrital material corresponding to a Miocene floodplain and crevasse splay with preserved plant debris. The level that contained the highest total As concentration was a silty-sandy clay containing 26.9mgkg-1 As. The influence of alternating redox conditions on the behaviour of As was studied by incubating this material with site groundwater, in biotic or inhibited bacterial activities conditions, without synthetic organic nutrient supply, in presence of H2 during the reducing periods. The development of both AsV-reducing and AsIII-oxidising microorganisms in biotic conditions was evidenced. At the end of the reducing periods, total As concentration strongly increased in biotic conditions. The microflora influenced As speciation, released Fe and consumed nitrate and sulphate in the water phase. Microbial communities observed in groundwater samples strongly differed from those obtained at the end of the incubation experiment, this result being potentially related to influence of the sediment compartment and to different physico-chemical conditions. However, both included major Operating Taxonomic Units (OTU) potentially involved in Fe and S biogeocycles. Methanogens emerged in the incubated sediment presenting the highest solubilised As and Fe. Results support the hypothesis of in-situ As mobilisation and speciation mediated by active biogeochemical processes.

SCULPTURE3D, du projet de laboratoire à l’exposition numérique

The SCULPTURE3D research project is a collaborative and multidisciplinary laboratory experiment financed by the Centre-Val de Loire region between 2014 and 2018, which aims to explore what 3D brings to the study of sculpture and to interpret the region’s heritage of sculptures from the Renaissance Era. It is an association between researchers from the University of Tours, working with the Centre d’etudes superieures de la Renaissance (CESR) and with the Fundamental and Applied Computer Science of Tours (LIFAT), and various heritage institutions (DRAC Centre, Museum of Fine Arts of Tours, CMN, Château de Blois…) as well as a team of experts on innovative softwares (CETU ILIAD3), and the new small business Kulturae’com, two innovative entities who got their start through that project. The thirty digital objects created with the help of a 3D optical scanner is the first key part of a virtual museum of 3D sculptures from the Renaissance Era in the Val de Loire, intended both for researchers and the general public. Similarly, the Sculpturoscope, la Vierge a l’Enfant du reel au virtuel meta-exposition (at the Museum of Fine Arts of Tours, from May 25th to September 10th 2018) made the results of scientific research available to the general public by using digital medias as both a tool of investigation and mediation.

90 Risk of Coxiella burnetii Transmission via Embryo Transfer Using In Vitro Early Caprine Embryos

Previous experiments using in vitro infection have shown that Coxiella burnetii has a strong tendency to adhere to the zona pellucida (ZP) of in vivo-derived goat embryos, and the washing procedure recommended by the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS) for bovine embryos failed to remove it (Alsaleh et al. 2013 Theriogenology 80, 571-575). The aim of this study was, for in vitro-produced caprine embryos infected in vitro, to (1) evaluate the ability of C. burnetii to adhere to intact ZP, (2) test the efficacy of IETS recommended rules for the washing of bovine embryos to eliminate C. burnetii, and (3) determine, by confocal microscopy, the bacteria location. One hundred ZP-intact caprine embryos, produced in vitro, at the 8- to 16-cell stage were randomly allocated into 11 batches of 8 to 9 embryos. Nine batches were incubated for 18 h with 109 Coxiella/mL of CbB1 strain (ISP, INRA, Val de Loire, France). The embryos were then recovered and washed in batches in 10 successive baths following the IETS guidelines. In parallel, 2 batches of embryos were subjected to similar procedures but without exposure to C. burnetii to serve as the control group. One of the 9 batches of infected embryos and 1 of the 2 non-infected control batches were used to perform immunolabelling to localise the bacteria. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected by conventional PCR in all 8 batches of infected embryos after 10 successive washings. However, bacterial DNA was not detected in the embryos of the control group. The first 5 washing media of the infected groups were consistently positive and Coxiella DNA was detected up to the tenth wash in 2 batches. After immunolabelling, the observation of embryos under confocal microscopy allowed us to localise C. burnetti on the external part of the ZP without deep penetration. The presence of C. burnetii was seen on the surface of the ZP, with bacterial loads differing from one embryo to another in the same batch. This study clearly demonstrates that C. burnetii, after in vitro infection at 109 Coxiella mL−1, stick strongly to the external part of the ZP of in vitro-produced early caprine embryos without profound penetration. The 10-washings protocol recommended by IETS to eliminate the pathogenic agents of bovine embryos is unable to eliminate these bacteria in caprine embryos. Nevertheless, the finding of C. burnetii DNA by conventional PCR does not imply that the bacteria found remain infective. Further studies are required to investigate whether enzymatic or antibiotic treatment of caprine embryos infected by C. burnetii would eliminate or inactivate the bacteria from the ZP of in vitro-produced goat embryos.

Landscaped inheritance of the viticulture in the Val de Loire, from Orléans to Tours and its periphery

Les heritages paysagers de la viticulture dans le Val de Loire d’Orleans a Tours et ses abords peripheriques posent d’abord la question de la definition du Val de Loire, puis de la presence et de l’evolution des espaces viticoles dans ce territoire. La demarche consiste a partir d’un modele de paysage dans le Val de Loire (sous forme de bloc-diagramme paysager) et de confronter ce modele a la realite paysagere. Or, ce modele, s’il est largement valide par les faits, ne prend pas assez en compte l’evolution historique sur le long terme tres bien exposee par Roger Dion. Cette derniere permet de comprendre que la vigne s’est maintenue en certains endroits et a quasiment disparu en d’autres. En consequence, les heritages paysagers viticoles dans ce territoire sont parfois tenus, peu fonctionnels, souvent sous forme decorative, la vigne perdurant en des lieux insolites et en des espaces interstitiels. Elle est souvent presentee de maniere symbolique qui est un rappel d’une periode doree qui a vecu. Pour cette thematique, comme pour d’autres, le paysage fonctionne veritablement comme un palimpseste.

La patrimonialisation des fleuves et des rivières.

L’analyse des dynamiques de patrimonialisation des fleuves et des rivières s’appuie sur la comparaison de deux sites inscrits au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO : le val de Loire et la vallée de la Kadisha. L’article met en évidence les continuités/discontinuités territoriales ou temporelles au sein des jeux d’acteurs dans la conduite des différents projets. Il replace la gestion de ces patrimoines dans les dynamiques territoriales qui les entourent. La mise en perspective du double processus patrimonialisation/territorialisation renseigne sur les enjeux et les conflits qui animent la gestion et la conservation des ressources naturelles et culturelles des deux pays.

Comparison of different scaling techniques for sensory analysis of wines

<p style="text-align: justify;">The use of sensory analysis for the winemaking industry is an interesting tool for objective evaluation of wine quality. Its development forces us to properly define and to adapt the methodology of tasting to this particular product – wine. The development of methodology of sensory analysis adapted to the wine industry constitutes one of the objectives of research carried out by the team of research from the laboratory GRAPPE of ESA (Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture of Angers) in collaboration with Interprofession of the Wines of the Loire. The influence of scaling techniques on sensory evaluation results was studied during the setting up of a wine sensory trained panel and in order to obtain objective and pertinent characterisations of wine. Three different scales were used : a 10-point category scale ; a line scale consisting of a line where each taster’s appreciation is converted to a mark between 0 and 10 ; a scale mixing the first two.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For each scale, five red wines from different appellations of Val de Loire – France were tested by the wine trained panel of the Laboratoire GRAPPE. Each set was repeated once. The products discrimination was better with the line scale and the category one. Nevertheless, interactions between judges and products were higher with the first. Results were less satisfactory with the category line scale. This method seemed to be less discriminating and interactions were more important. This fact can be explained by the different use of the scale by tasters. This study enabled us to verify the impact of the number of wine tested in the same session. Indeed, some attributes were significantly higher for the repeated wines. These results might justify establishing a different order of passage of wine for each assessor, thus minimising the order effect.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This experimentation opens interesting perspectives for the optimisation of sensory analysis methodology in the winemaking industry. Complementary studies are taking place in the Laboratoire GRAPPE.</p>

The behaviour of four red grapevine varieties of Val de Loire according to climatic variables

<p style="text-align: justify;">The behaviour of 4 grapevine varieties - Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay noir and Grolleau noir – was studied from 1988 to 1998 at the INRA experimental Station, in Montreuil-Bellay, France. Very contrasted climatic years occurred within this period. The study of some phenological stages allowed to classify the varieties in 2 groups of maturation : early for Gamay and Grolleau, late for Cabernets. The former had large berries (>2 g), the latter small berries (<1,5 g). Sugar content of Cabernets and Gamay was much higher than for Grolleau, respectively >190 g/L and <170 g/L. For a same maturity index, titratable acidity of Gamay was higher than Grolleau, and Cabernet Sauvignon higher than Cabernet franc. Malic acid was identified as explaining better the acidity level. The anthocyanin content and polyphenolic index of late varieties was superior to those of the precocious ones. The variety and the climate of the vintage play an important role on final grape composition. Berry weight, sugar content, titratable acidity and malic acid could be explained by simple climatic variables, mainly temperature and rainfall during the vegetative cycle as well as wind velocity before harvest. For the phenolic compounds, the analysis looked more complex ; it seemed that the climatic variables had only a minor effect after veraison, but the role of each one of them before this stage is still to be understood.</p>

Association of Saccharomyces bayanus var. uvarum with some French wines: genetic analysis of yeast populations

Using genetic hybridization analysis, electrophoretic karyotyping and PCR-RFLP of the MET2 gene, we found that the yeast Saccharomyces bayanus var. uvarum is associated with certain types of wines produced in the Val de Loire, Sauternes, and Jurançon regions. The average frequency of appearance of this yeast in the three regions of France was 41, 7 and 77%, respectively. In contrast, we did not find S. bayanus var. uvarum in red wines produced in the Bordeaux area. The results of this study, as well as the findings already reported on Tokay (Slovakia), Muscat (Crimea, Ukraine) and Amarone (Italy) wines, lead us to consider that distribution of S. bayanus var. uvarum yeast is connected with low temperature climatic conditions and/or wine technologies in which must fermentation is at least partially carried out at low temperatures (10–15 °C).

Scientia canonum. Droit et réforme dans l'œuvre de Geoffroy, abbé de Vendôme (1093-1132)

Geoffrey, abbot of the Trinity of Vendôme (1093-1132), who takes a prominent part in the Gregorian Reform, grounds his action on the authority of canonical law. He makes numerous references to that law, uses many accurate quotations or refers to texts without citing, mentions by name the authors of canons, as often as he wants to recall, in the context of the Reform, the part of the Church, papacy, bishops, clerks, monks, laics or when he defends the possessions or privileges of his abbey and specifies the rules to bring an accusation or to get restitution. As authority, Geoffrey makes use of the Pseudo- Isidore Decretals from which most quotations arise, but he also quotes more recent texts, giving proof he knows contemporary works. But unfortunately we can't look as certain his use of Gregorian collections and Ivo of Chartres' collections, but all have the same turn of mind. The large part granted to the canon law in the Geoffrey's letters and action testifies again to the importance of canonical law in Poitou and Val de Loire at this time.

Un regroupement coopératif : la S.I.C.A. maraîchère du Val de Loire nantais

SUMMARY The S.I.C.A. Maraîchère du Val de Loire Nantais, a recent market gardening cooperative gathering, has the first place in the fruit and vegetable undertaking of the « Région Nantaise », with 42 millions of Francs of turnover. It is also the most important French market gardening group. The adherents are linking to the S.I.C.A. by a contract of complete delivery. But their small number, their feeble geographical dispersion, a rather high technical and economical level, enable them to have a close controlon the activity and the economical choices of the S.I.C.A.