As an extension of our studies on the interaction of detergents with membranes and membrane proteins, we have investigated their binding to water-soluble proteins. Anionic aliphatic compounds (dodecanoate and dodecylsulfate) were bound to serum albumin with high affinity at nine sites; related nonionic detergents (C12E8 and dodecylmaltoside) were bound at seven to eight sites, many in common with those of dodecanoate. The compounds were also bound in the hydrophobic cavity of beta-lactoglobulin, but not to ovalbumin. In addition to the generally recognized role of the Sudlow binding region II of serum albumin (localized at the IIIA subdomain) in fatty acid binding, quenching of the fluorescence intensity of tryptophan-214 by 7,8-dibromododecylmaltoside and 12-bromododecanoate also implicate the Sudlow binding region I (subdomain IIA) as a locus for binding of aliphatic compounds. Our data document the usefulness of dodecyl amphipathic compounds as probes of hydrophobic cavities in water-soluble proteins. In conjunction with recent x-ray diffraction analyses of fatty acid binding as the starting point we propose a new symmetrical binding model for the location of nine high-affinity sites on serum albumin for aliphatic compounds.

In the research reported here, we studied three cereal-growing areas in the French region of Burgundy, concentrating on the dynamics of change with regard to farmers' use of pesticides and new soil management practices on the one hand and on farmers' professional dialogue networks on the other. Our aim in this article is to show the link between the network types and the dynamics of change in their members' behavior. Three types of coalitional networks appeared. In the "mainly bonding" network, the roles of innovator and early adopter were the most highly shared among farmers. In the "mainly bridging" network, these roles were occupied by a single person holding a central position within the network. In the "bonding and bridging" structure, the roles of innovator and early adopter were held by different individuals. We further observed that the farmers developing integrated crop protection techniques occupied different positions from those implementing complete no-tillage, which is not promoted by technical advisory services. A rivalry thus appears to emerge between these two orientations in which the farmers are engaged within the network.

The French Ministry of Agriculture has called for agro-ecological transitions that reconcile farming and the environment. In this review, we examine the transformations of farmers and AKIS (Agriculture Knowledge Innovation System) actors' work during agro-ecological transitions, and argue that the content, organization, and aim of farmers' work are influenced by agricultural training, agricultural development, and discussions between peers, research, and regulations. Our main findings concern those transformations. The first finding was that there is an increasing expression of local particularities (situated ecological processes, micro-climates, etc.) and farmers' singularities (e.g., relationship with nature). These particularities challenge AKIS players' forms of organization and intervention, which used to be built on generic knowledge. Our second finding was that AKIS players have to consider their action as one potential contribution to the development of farmers' experience: Their interventions become part of the flow of the farmer's activities. The question for AKIS players is then: How can farmers' own discovery of their natural and technical environment from new perspectives be facilitated? Thirdly, we found that transformations of work are systemic: The "doing", the knowledge applied, and the values and norms to which subjects refer change. Facilitating transition can no longer be considered as a problem of knowledge availability. Fourthly, production of agronomic knowledge and ways in which it is disseminated are being challenged. Not only does knowledge have to be certified by scientific norms and methods, it has also to be valued by actors if it is to have an impact. The prescriptive relationship of science and AKIS players towards farmers is likewise challenged. This review raises many questions: Do agro-ecological transitions contribute to reorienting the development of farmers' activity? Are agro-ecological transitions conducive to the development of sustainable farm work? What transformations of AKIS players' work are needed to better support agro-ecological transitions?

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Despite being of debatable efficacy, alternative medicines are in regular use on both organic and conventional dairy farms as part of a strategy for limiting the on-farm use of antibiotics. The study presented here examined French dairy farmers' understanding of and experiences with these medicines, focusing on homeopathy, aromatherapy and phytotherapy. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach combining animal science and sociology, we considered how dairy farmers' use of alternative medicines fits into a holistic approach to herd health management, on the one hand, and into farmers' networks of professional relationships, on the other. Our findings show that farmers are interested in alternative medicines for reasons that are at once technical, ethical, and economic. In the absence of local veterinarians specializing in homeopathy and aromatherapy, farmers enroll in short-term training courses to learn how to use these medicines. Alternative medicines are not a substitute for conventional medicine for these farmers; rather, they constitute one part of a holistic approach to herd health that combines preventive measures with a variety of curative treatments, and which is grounded in close attention to the animals' state of health. Farmers make use of guidelines for observing livestock that are central to the veterinary alternative medicine approach. Interestingly, women farmers appear to play an important role in introducing these practices into the management of the farm operation. Finally, farmers' interest in alternative medicines is indicative of their broader expectations for advice and support in moving toward the integrated management of livestock health, a key element of the agroecological transition. Recognizing these expectations offers useful insights for rethinking the role of veterinarians in dairy farming.