Search

Ages of life, aesthetics, and art The paper aims to clarify the two notions whose relationship is thematized in the expression “ Art and ages of life”. First, it introduces to the various age-systems developed along the history of Europe and compares them with two other classifications of life courses : “ age group” and “ biological cycle”. The second part of the paper highlights the distinction between art and aesthetics, before exploring how the question of the ages of life can further our understanding of artistic creation and aesthetic reception., L’article se propose de clarifier les deux notions mises en relation dans l’expression «Les arts et les âges de la vie » . Il expose d’abord les différents systèmes des âges développés au fil de l’histoire européenne et les compare à deux autres classifications des parcours de vie : les classes d’âge et le cycle biologique. La seconde partie insiste sur la distinction entre art et esthétique avant d’explorer différentes manières selon lesquelles la question des âges de la vie peut nous aider à mieux comprendre la création artistique et la réception esthétique., Las edades de la vida, la estética y las artes El artículo pretende aclarar las dos nociones conjugadas en la expresión “ Las artes y las edades de la vida”. En la primera parte se exponen los distintos sistemas de las edades desarrollados a lo largo de la historia europea y se comparan con otras clasificaciones que atañen el curso de la vida : las clases de edad y el ciclo biológico. La segunda parte hace hincapié en la distinción entre el arte y la estética para luego explorar las distintas maneras en que la cuestión de las edades de la vida nos puede ayudar a comprender mejor la creación artística y la recepción estética., Schaeffer Jean-Marie. Âges de la vie, esthétique et arts. In: Communications, 109, 2021. Les arts et les âges de la vie. pp. 11-34.

Inflammation driven by intracellular activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases including vascular pathologies. Inflammasome specks are released into the extracellular compartment from disrupting pyroptotic cells. The potential uptake and function of extracellular NLRP3 inflammasomes in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) are unknown. Fluorescently labeled NLRP3 inflammasome particles were isolated from a mutant NLRP3-YFP cell line and used to treat primary HCASMC for 4 and 24 h. Fluorescent and expressional analyses showed that extracellular NLRP3-YFP particles are internalized into HCASMC, where they remain active and stimulate intracellular caspase-1 (1.9-fold) and IL-1β (1.5-fold) activation without inducing pyroptotic cell death. Transcriptomic analysis revealed increased expression level of pro-inflammatory adhesion molecules (ICAM1, CADM1), NLRP3 and genes involved in cytoskleleton organization. The NLRP3-YFP particle-induced gene expression was not dependent on NLRP3 and caspase-1 activation. Instead, the effects were partly abrogated by blocking NFκB activation. Genes, upregulated by extracellular NLRP3 were validated in human carotid artery atheromatous plaques. Extracellular NLRP3-YFP inflammasome particles promoted the secretion of pro-atherogenic and inflammatory cytokines such as CCL2/MCP1, CXCL1 and IL-17E, and increased HCASMC migration (1.8-fold) and extracellular matrix production, such as fibronectin (5.8-fold) which was dependent on NFκB and NLRP3 activation. Extracellular NLRP3 inflammasome particles are internalized into human coronary artery smooth muscle cells where they induce pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic effects representing a novel mechanism of cell-cell communication and perpetuation of inflammation in atherosclerosis. Therefore, extracellular NLRP3 inflammasomes may be useful to improve the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases and the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies.

Este texto pone en diálogo la hermenéutica de Hans-Georg Gadamer, filósofo alemán, con la historiografía de François Hartog, historiador francés, a partir de sus libros más recientes: Croire en l’histoire y La Chambre de veille. Partiendo de una reflexión sobre la historicidad, se analiza el lugar que Hartog le otorga a la historia, en relación con la categoría de "regímenes de historicidad", así como respecto a una triple visión sobre el concepto historia: como creencia en la Historia, como pasado de la humanidad y como disciplina. Finalmente, se aborda la escritura de la historia en su relación con la novela, apuntando, así, a la discusión sobre la verdad y el tiempo en la historia, un problema tanto filosófico como histórico.

During pregnancy, maternal metabolic diseases and hormonal imbalance may alter fetal beta cell development and/or proliferation, thus leading to an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Although thyroid hormones play an important role in fetal endocrine pancreas development, the impact of maternal hypothyroidism on glucose homeostasis in adult offsprings remains poorly understood. Here, we show that when fed normal chow, adult mice born to hypothyroid mothers were more glucose-tolerant due to beta cell hyperproliferation and increased insulin sensitivity. However, following high fat feeding, these offsprings became profoundly hyperinsulinemic, insulin-resistant and glucose-intolerant compared to controls from euthyroid mothers. Suggesting presence of epigenetic changes, altered glucose metabolism was maintained in a second generation of animals. As such, gestational hypothyroidism induces long-term and persistent alterations in endocrine pancreas function, which may have important implications for type 2 diabetes prevention in affected individuals.SIGNIFICANCEDiabetes and hypothyroidism are two major public health issues, affecting ∼ 9 and 2 % of the population worldwide, respectively. As master metabolic gatekeepers, the thyroid hormones play an essential role in metabolism and fetal development. However, gestation increases demand on the thyroid axis in the mother, leading to hypothyroidism in 0.5 % of pregnancies. Maternal hypothyroidism is associated with deficits in fetal growth that may lead to long-term alterations in metabolism in the offspring. We therefore sought to investigate the effects of gestational hypothyroidism on glucose metabolism in adult offspring and their descendants, and how this may predispose to diabetes development.

Goats and sheep are valuable as they are a source of meat, milk, fleece, and other products. These livestock are also important both for agriculture and biomedical research. However, the efficient, sustainable, and profitable production of these small ruminants faces major obstacles. Hence, this review analyzes these major challenges specifically, their negative impacts on the industry, and suggests some science-based solutions to overcome them. Those challenged areas are education and training, research, translational research/biotechnology, goat and sheep health, and maintenance of an economically sustainable agribusiness. The suggested solutions include the effective teaching of goat and sheep science to the next generation and public empowerment, support for innovative and translational research, disease prevention and treatment, support for technology transfer, and development of sound agribusiness practices. This review is helpful particularly for scientists, students, and the goat and sheep producers. In general, these information on the current state of goat and sheep agriculture will also help the public to better understand and appreciate the challenges met and opportunities provided in small ruminant production enterprises.

Network coding simplifies routing decisions, improves throughput, and increases tolerance against packet loss. A fundamental limitation, however, is delay: decoding requires as many independent linear combinations as data blocks. Prioritized network coding reduces this delay problem by introducing a hierarchy of prioritization layers. What remains is the problem of choosing a layer to approach two often-contradicting goals: reduce delay until prioritized layers can be decoded and keep the total number of transmissions low. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for this problem that – based on limited feedback – primarily minimizes per-layer delay but identifies opportunities to reduce the required transmissions when per-layer delay is unaffected. Our evaluation shows that our algorithm improves per-layer delay compared to hierarchical network coding and is close to the theoretical optimum number of total transmissions. Moreover, we demonstrate how the proposed algorithm can benefit smart-factory applications that operationalize delay-sensitive information from the production process.

International audience; Pancreatic β-cells modulate insulin secretion through rapid sensing of blood glucose and integration of gut-derived signals. Increased insulin demand during pregnancy and obesity alters islet function and mass and leads to gestational diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes in predisposed individuals. However, it is unclear how blood-borne factors dynamically access the islets of Langerhans. Thus, understanding the changes in circulating molecule distribution that accompany compensatory β-cell expansion may be key to developing novel antidiabetic therapies. Here, using two-photon microscopy in vivo in mice, we demonstrate that islets are almost instantly exposed to peaks of circulating molecules, which rapidly pervade the tissue before clearance. In addition, both gestation and short-term high-fat-diet feeding decrease molecule extravasation and uptake rates in vivo in islets, independently of β-cell expansion or islet blood flow velocity. Together, these data support a role for islet vascular permeability in shaping β-cell adaptive responses to metabolic demand by modulating the access and sensing of circulating molecules.

La question de la relation entre vérité et littérature se pose autrement selon qu’on aborde la littérature comme une forme d’art ou comme une forme de discours. Il faut aussi distinguer plusieurs régimes de vérité/fausseté, voire plusieurs types de réussite et d’échec littéraires qui ne peuvent peut-être pas tous être analysés en termes de vérité/non-vérité. À partir de là on peut envisager la relation entre valeur de vérité et fonction cognitive., Answers to the problem of the relation of literature and truth differ according to whether one takes literature as a form of art or as a form of discourse. One must also distinguish various regimes of truth and falsity and various kinds of literary success or failures which cannot all be analysed in terms of truth and falsity. Once these points are examined on can deal with the relation between truth value and cognitive function.

Both endocrine and non-endocrine cells of the pituitary gland are organized into structural and functional networks which are formed during embryonic development but which may be modified throughout life. Structural mapping of the various endocrine cell types has highlighted the existence of distinct network motifs and relationships with the vasculature which may relate to temporal differences in their output. Functional characterization of the network activity of growth hormone and prolactin cells has revealed a role for cell organization in gene regulation, the plasticity of pituitary hormone output and remarkably the ability to memorize altered demand. As such, the description of these endocrine cell networks alters the concept of the pituitary from a gland which simply responds to external regulation to that of an oscillator which may memorize information and constantly adapt its coordinated networks’ responses to the flow of hypothalamic inputs.

The secretion of endocrine hormones from pituitary cells finely regulates a multitude of homeostatic processes. To dynamically adapt to changing physiological status and environmental stimuli, the pituitary gland must undergo marked structural and functional plasticity. Endocrine cell plasticity is thought to primarily rely on variations in cell proliferation and size. However, cell motility, a process commonly observed in a variety of tissues during development, may represent an additional mechanism to promote plasticity within the adult pituitary gland. To investigate this, we used multiphoton time-lapse imaging methods, GH-enhanced green fluorescent protein transgenic mice and sexual dimorphism of the GH axis as a model of divergent tissue demand. Using these methods to acutely (12 h) track cell dynamics, we report that ovariectomy induces a dramatic and dynamic increase in cell motility, which is associated with gross GH-cell network remodeling. These changes can be prevented by estradiol supplementation and are associated with enhanced network connectivity as evidenced by increased coordinated GH-cell activity during multicellular calcium recordings. Furthermore, cell motility appears to be sex-specific, because reciprocal alterations are not detected in males after castration. Therefore, GH-cell motility appears to play an important role in the structural and functional pituitary plasticity, which is evoked in response to changing estradiol concentrations in the female.

Hormones are dynamically collected by fenestrated capillaries to generate pulses, which are then decoded by target tissues to mount a biological response. To generate hormone pulses, endocrine systems have evolved mechanisms to tightly regulate blood perfusion and oxygenation, coordinate endocrine cell responses to secretory stimuli, and regulate hormone uptake from the perivascular space into the bloodstream. Based on recent findings, we review here the mechanisms that exist in endocrine systems to regulate blood flow, and facilitate coordinated cell activity and output under both normal physiological and pathological conditions in the pituitary gland and pancreas.

There are well-recognized sex differences in many pituitary endocrine axes, usually thought to be generated by gonadal steroid imprinting of the neuroendocrine hypothalamus. However, the recognition that growth hormone (GH) cells are arranged in functionally organized networks raises the possibility that the responses of the network are different in males and females. We studied this by directly monitoring the calcium responses to an identical GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulus in populations of individual GH cells in slices taken from male and female murine GH-eGFP pituitary glands. We found that the GH cell network responses are sexually dimorphic, with a higher proportion of responding cells in males than in females, correlated with greater GH release from male slices. Repetitive waves of calcium spiking activity were triggered by GHRH in some males, but were never observed in females. This was not due to a permanent difference in the network architecture between male and female mice; rather, the sex difference in the proportions of GH cells responding to GHRH were switched by postpubertal gonadectomy and reversed with hormone replacements, suggesting that the network responses are dynamically regulated in adulthood by gonadal steroids. Thus, the pituitary gland contributes to the sexually dimorphic patterns of GH secretion that play an important role in differences in growth and metabolism between the sexes.

SummaryMemory T cells circulate through lymph nodes where they are poised to respond rapidly upon re-exposure to a pathogen; however, the dynamics of memory T cell, antigen-presenting cell, and pathogen interactions during recall responses are largely unknown. We used a mouse model of infection with the intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, in conjunction with two-photon microscopy, to address this question. After challenge, memory T cells migrated more rapidly than naive T cells, relocalized toward the subcapsular sinus (SCS) near invaded macrophages, and engaged in prolonged interactions with infected cells. Parasite invasion of T cells occurred by direct transfer of the parasite from the target cell into the T cell and corresponded to an antigen-specific increase in the rate of T cell invasion. Our results provide insight into cellular interactions during recall responses and suggest a mechanism of pathogen subversion of the immune response.

The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii can establish persistent infection in the brain of a mammalian host, a standoff that involves the active participation of host CD8 T cells to control infection. CD8 T cells generally protect against intracellular pathogens by local delivery of effector molecules upon recognition of specific pathogen Ags on invaded host cells. However, the interactions between CD8 T cells, T. gondii, and APCs in the brain have not yet been examined. In this study we have used a mouse infection model in conjunction with two-photon microscopy of living brain tissue and confocal microscopy of fixed brain sections to examine the interactions between CD8 T cells, parasites, and APCs from chronically infected mice. We found that Ag-specific CD8 T cells were recruited to the brains of infected mice and persisted there in the presence of ongoing Ag recognition. Cerebral CD8 T cells made transient contacts with granuloma-like structures containing parasites and with individual CD11b+ APCs, including some that did not contain parasites. In contrast, T cells ignored intact Ag-bearing cysts and did not contact astrocytes or neurons, including neurons containing parasites or cysts. Our data represent the first direct observation of the dynamics of T cell-parasite interactions within living tissue and provide a new perspective for understanding immune responses to persistent pathogens in the brain.

The Toxoplasma gondii peptides recognized by protective CD8+ T cells remain uncharacterized. Shastri and colleagues identify an immunodominant T. gondii peptide generated by a mechanism dependent on the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase ERAAP. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii replicates in a specialized intracellular vacuole and causes disease in many species. Protection from toxoplasmosis is mediated by CD8+ T cells, but the T. gondii antigens and host genes required for eliciting protective immunity are poorly defined. Here we identified GRA6, a polymorphic protein secreted in the parasitophorous vacuole, as the source of the immunodominant and protective decapeptide HF10 presented by the H-2Ld major histocompatibility complex class I molecule. Presentation of the HF10–H-2Ld ligand required proteolysis by ERAAP, the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase associated with antigen processing. Consequently, expansion of protective CD8+ T cell populations was impaired in T. gondii–infected ERAAP-deficient mice, which were more susceptible to toxoplasmosis. Thus, endoplasmic reticulum proteolysis is critical for eliciting protective immunity to a vacuolar parasite.

James Joyce and the common man. Joyce differs from most of the great modernist novelists in that he is convinced that history is not an essential dimension of humanity. Joyce's fictional worlds dissolve history into everyday time, the time of individuals' lived lives. Nor is he a standard-bearer for the literary absolute or of the artistic absolute in general : the youthful enthusiasm for the religion of art is no longer endorsed by the author of Ulysses. Rather, his indifference to grand History is based on the conviction that the only measure of time suited to human beings is the individual life of each of them. To open up to the beauty of things, one must accept the inevitably contingent and open nature of life. Finnegan's Wake represents the epitome of this radical equalization, reducing to equal perplexity the cultured or ignorant reader, and even the author himself, faced with the proliferation of a work adhering rigorously to contingency., Joyce se distingue de la plupart des autres grands romanciers modernistes parce qu'il est convaincu que l'histoire n'est pas une dimension essentielle de l'humanité. Les mondes fictionnels joyciens dissolvent l'histoire dans le temps de la quotidienneté, donc dans la temporalité de la vie vécue des individus. Il n'est pas davantage le porte-voix de la thèse de l'absolu littéraire et, plus généralement, de l'absolu artistique : l'enthousiasme juvénile pour la religion de l'art n'est plus endossé par l'auteur d'Ulysse. Plutôt, son indifférence à la grande Histoire est fondée sur la conviction que la seule unité de mesure temporelle qui convienne aux humains est celle de la vie individuelle de chacun d'entre eux. Pour s'ouvrir à la beauté des choses, il faut accepter le caractère inévitablement contingent et ouvert de la vie. Finnegans Wake représente l'apogée de cette égalisation radicale, réduisant à une même perplexité le lecteur cultivé ou ignorant, et l'auteur lui-même, face au foisonnement d'une œuvre au plus près de la contingence., James Joyce y el hombre común. Joyce se distingue de la mayoría de los otros escritores modernistas por estar convencido de que la historia no es una dimensión esencial de la humanidad. Los mundos ficcionales joyceistas disuelven la historia en el tiempo de la cotidianidad, en la temporalidad de la vida vivida por los individuos. No es el portavoz de la tesis del absoluto literario y más generalmente del absoluto artístico : el entusiasmo juvenil por la religión del arte no recibe la aprobación del autor de Ulises. Mejor dicho, la indiferencia a la gran Historia está fundada sobre la convicción de que la única unidad de medida temporal que conviene a los humanos es la vida individual de cada uno. Para abrirse a la belleza de las cosas es necesario aceptar el carácter inevitablemente contingente y abierto de la vida. Finnegans Wake representa el apogeo de esa igualación radical, reduciendo a una misma perplejidad al lector cultivado o ignorante y al propio autor, frente a la expansión de una obra más cercana a la contingencia., Schaeffer Jean-Marie. James Joyce et l'homme du commun. In: Communications, 99, 2016. Démocratie et littérature. Expériences quotidiennes, espaces publics, régimes politiques. pp. 95-107.

Dans Croire en l’histoire, il y a beaucoup de choses qui sont bonnes a penser, meme, ou peut-etre surtout, pour quelqu’un qui n’est pas historien, ce qui est evidemment mon cas. Mais je me limiterai a quelques questions abordees dans « Une inquietante etrangete » et par ricochet dans les belles pages du chapitre « Du cote des ecrivains : les temps du roman ». Les questions qui sont abordees dans « Une inquietante etrangete » sont multiples, puisqu’elles vont du linguistic turn au probleme de ...

International audience; Feeding behavior is exquisitely regulated by homeostatic and hedonic neural substrates that integrate energy demand as well as the reinforcing and rewarding aspects of food. Understanding the net contribution of homeostatic and reward-driven feeding has become critical because of the ubiquitous source of energy-dense foods and the consequent obesity epidemic. Hypothalamic agouti-related peptide-secreting neurons (AgRP neurons) provide the primary orexigenic drive of homeostatic feeding. Using models of neuronal inhibition or ablation, we demonstrate that the feeding response to a fast ghrelin or serotonin receptor agonist relies on AgRP neurons. However, when palatable food is provided, AgRP neurons are dispensable for an appropriate feeding response. In addition, AgRP-ablated mice present exacerbated stress-induced anorexia and palatable food intake--a hallmark of comfort feeding. These results suggest that, when AgRP neuron activity is impaired, neural circuits sensitive to emotion and stress are engaged and modulated by food palatability and dopamine signaling.

François Flahault — Une première série de questions va concerner le livre Les Grecs ont-ils cru à leurs mythes?, puis nous poursuivrons avec Comment on écrit l’histoire. J’aimerais tout d’abord revenir sur la distinction entre réalité et fiction, et sur le fait que cette distinction n’existe que dans certains secteurs… Paul Veyne — Effectivement, la plupart des gens glissent d’un mode de vérité – ou d’un mode de fiction – à l’autre, sans s’apercevoir qu’ils passent de l’un à l’autre. Il suffi...

The paper tries to clarify the relationship between aesthetic experience and artworks, as well as between cognition and the pleasures of art. Starting with an analytical distinction between aesthetics and art-theory, I propose a psychologically and phylogenetically grounded description of the mental resources on which aesthetic experience draws. After tracing a tentative phylogeny of the cognitive and affective resources defining aesthetic experience, I distinguish three structural components: (a) a marked inflection towards a costly use of mental resources (characterized by costly signaling, attention-driven cognitive dynamics, perceptual learning, attentional overload and divergent cognitive style); (b) a real-time hedonic calculus evaluating the properties of the attentional processing; (c) a bi-directional feedback between attention and hedonic calculus. Finally, the paper discusses the relationship between cognitive fluency and positive aesthetic experiences, arguing that fluency can explain the aesthetic pleasures of art only in conjunction with a second and opposite source of pleasure: curiosity.

Significance The emergence of exotic quantum states, such as fluid ground state and two-component superconductivity and superfluidity, in a compressed light metallic system has been entertained theoretically for metallic phases of hydrogen. The difficulty of compressing hydrogen to metallization densities has prevented experimental proof of these effects. Studying lithium, which is isovalent to hydrogen and the lightest metal, is considered as a route to studying the lattice quantum effects in a dense light metallic system. Here, by comparing the superconductivity of lithium isotopes under pressure, we present evidence that properties of lithium at low temperature may significantly be dominated by its lattice quantum dynamics. This study is the first experimental report on superconducting properties of 6 Li, the lightest superconducting material.

International audience; Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of hypopituitarism, which compromises patients' recovery, quality of life, and life span. To date, there are no means other than standardized animal studies to provide insights into the mechanisms of posttraumatic hypopituitarism. We have found that GH levels were impaired after inducing a controlled cortical impact (CCI) in mice. Furthermore, GHRH stimulation enhanced GH to lower level in injured than in control or sham mice. Because many characteristics were unchanged in the pituitary glands of CCI mice, we looked for changes at the hypothalamic level. Hypertrophied astrocytes were seen both within the arcuate nucleus and the median eminence, two pivotal structures of the GH axis, spatially remote to the injury site. In the arcuate nucleus, GHRH neurons were unaltered. In the median eminence, injured mice exhibited unexpected alterations. First, the distributions of claudin-1 and zonula occludens-1 between tanycytes were disorganized, suggesting tight junction disruptions. Second, endogenous IgG was increased in the vicinity of the third ventricle, suggesting abnormal barrier properties after CCI. Third, intracerebroventricular injection of a fluorescent-dextran derivative highly stained the hy-pothalamic parenchyma only after CCI, demonstrating an increased permeability of the third ventricle edges. This alteration of the third ventricle might jeopardize the communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. In conclusion, the phenotype of CCI mice had similarities to the posttraumatic hypopituitarism seen in humans with intact pituitary gland and pituitary stalk. It is the first report of a pathological status in which tanycyte dysfunctions appear as a major acquired syndrome. (Endocrinology 155: 1887-1898, 2014)

To maintain homeostasis, hypothalamic neurons in the arcuate nucleus must dynamically sense and integrate a multitude of peripheral signals. Blood-borne molecules must therefore be able to circumvent the tightly sealed vasculature of the blood–brain barrier to rapidly access their target neurons. However, how information encoded by circulating appetite-modifying hormones is conveyed to central hypothalamic neurons remains largely unexplored. Using in vivo multiphoton microscopy together with fluorescently labeled ligands, we demonstrate that circulating ghrelin, a versatile regulator of energy expenditure and feeding behavior, rapidly binds neurons in the vicinity of fenestrated capillaries, and that the number of labeled cell bodies varies with feeding status. Thus, by virtue of its vascular connections, the hypothalamus is able to directly sense peripheral signals, modifying energy status accordingly.

SummarySox2+ adult mouse pituitary cells can self-renew and terminally differentiate in vitro, but their physiological role in vivo and possible contribution to oncogenesis remain largely unknown. Using genetic lineage tracing, we show here that the Sox2+ cell compartment of both the embryonic and adult pituitary contains stem/progenitor cells that are able to differentiate into all hormone-producing lineages and contribute to organ homeostasis during postnatal life. In addition, we show that targeted expression of oncogenic β-catenin in Sox2+ cells gives rise to pituitary tumors, but, unexpectedly, the tumor mass is not derived from the Sox2+ mutation-sustaining cells, suggesting a paracrine role of Sox2+ cells in pituitary oncogenesis. Our data therefore provide in vivo evidence of a role for Sox2+ stem/progenitor cells in long-term physiological maintenance of the adult pituitary, and highlight an unexpected non-cell-autonomous role for these cells in the induction of pituitary tumors.Video Abstract

By taking up the three issues discussed by Serge Moscovici (the one of hominization, the one of the generality of social processes, and the one of the passage from animal to human societies) Jean-Marie Schaeffer pays tribute to his pioneering stance and shows to what extent it is, today more than ever, significant., Reprenant les trois questions posées par Serge Moscovici, celle de l'hominisation, celle de la généralité du phénomène social et celle du passage des sociétés animales aux sociétés humaines, Jean-Marie Schaeffer salue sa démarche pionnière et montre en quels termes elle est, plus que jamais, à l'ordre du jour., Retomando las tres cuestiones planteadas por Serge Moscovici : la de la hominización, la de la generalidad del fenómeno social y la del paso de las sociedades animales a las sociedades humanas, Jean-Marie Schaeffer saluda su abordaje pionero y muestra en qué términos todo ello está, más que nunca, a la orden del día., Schaeffer Jean-Marie. Fait social, fait de nature ?. In: Communications, 91, 2012. Passage en revue - Nouveaux regards sur 50 ans de recherche - Coordonné par Nicole Lapierre, sous la direction de Nicole Lapierre. pp. 113-122.

Depuis à peu près deux siècles notre conception des arts est fondée sur une sacralisation de l’œuvre d’art : l’art est une force de révélation ontologique, une connaissance extatique qui nous « sauve » de l’existence inauthentique et aliénée qui est notre lot quotidien. Cette théorie spéculative de l’Art, développée par le romantisme en réponse à la crise de l’ontologie rationaliste provoquée par le criticisme kantien, postule une identité d’essence entre art et philosophie. Reprise et développée par les grands philosophes de la tradition idéaliste allemande, de Hegel à Heidegger, cette conception, qui dote l’art d’une fonction de compensation, s’est répandue peu à peu dans le monde de l’art et a joué un rôle central dans la logique du modernisme artistique. La crise actuelle des discours de légitimation artistique est peut-être le signe de son essoufflement historique. Seit etwa zwei Jahrhunderten beruht unser Kunstverständnis auf einer Sakralisierung des Kunstwerks : Kunst hat die Macht der ontologischen Offenbarung, einer extatischen Erkenntnis, die uns vor der unauthentischen und entfremdeten Existenz « rettet », die unser Alltagslos ist. Diese spekulative Kunsttheorie — von der Romantik als Antwort auf die durch den Kant’schen Kritizismus provozierte rationalistische Ontologiekrise entwickelt — geht von einer Wesengleichheit zwischen Kunst und Philosophie aus. Dieses Verständnis, das Kunst mit einer kompensatorischen Funktion versieht, wurde von den bedeutenden Philosophen der Tradition des deutschen Idealismus von Hegel bis Heidegger aufgegriffen und weiterentwickelt. Es ist nach und nach in die Kunstwelt eingedrungen und hat eine zentrale Rolle innerhalb der Logik des künstlerischen Modernismus gespielt. Die aktuelle Legitimitationskrise der Kunst ist vielleicht Ausdruck seines Anachronismus. For nearly two centuries our conception of art has been founded on a sacrilization of the work of art :art is a force of ontological revelation, an aesthetic knowledge that spares us from unauthentic and alienated existence which is our daily lot. This speculative theory of art, developed by Romanticism in response to the rationalist ontological crises provoked by the Kantian criticism, postulates an identity of an essence between art and philosophy. Retrieved and developed by the grand philosophers of the German idealist tradition, from Hegel to Heidegger, this idea, which equips art with a function of compensation, extended itself gradually in the world of art and played a central role in the logic of artistic modernism. The present crisis of the discourse of artistic legitimation is perhaps the sign of its historical exhaustion.

Cysteine peptidases have been implicated in the development and pathogenesis of Eimeria . We have identified a single-copy cathepsin B-like cysteine peptidase gene in the genome database of Eimeria tenella ( EtCatB ). Molecular modeling of the predicted protein suggested that it differs significantly from host enzymes and could be a good drug target. EtCatB was expressed and secreted as a soluble, active, glycosylated mature enzyme from Pichia pastoris . Biochemical characterization of the recombinant enzyme confirmed that it is cathepsin B-like. Screening of a focused library against the enzyme identified three inhibitors (a nitrile, a thiosemicarbazone, and an oxazolone) that can be used as leads for novel drug discovery against Eimeria . The oxazolone scaffold is a novel cysteine peptidase inhibitor; it may thus find widespread use.

La fiction est en général considérée comme une notion univoque. Or, le terme renvoie selon les contextes à des faits très différents, voire incompatibles : illusion cognitive, leurre, postulat d’indétermination ontologique, expérience de pensée. La tendance actuelle qui consiste à interpréter les textes ethnographiques ou historiographiques comme relevant du régime fictionnel n’est pas faite pour clarifier la situation. L’hypothèse défendue ici est celle d’une spécificité irréductible de la fiction artistique fondée sur une détermination qui n’est pas d’ordre sémantique mais pragmatique : cristallisation culturelle d’une compétence mentale (la simulation) et interactionnelle (la feintise ludique) particulière, la fiction artistique se distingue à la fois des autres types de fiction (qui relèvent d’une définition sémantique) et des récits véridictionnels (pour lesquels la question de la référentialité est la pierre de touche). What Truths for What Fictions? — Fiction is usually considered to be an unequivocal concept. However this term refers to quite different, even incompatible, facts depending on the context: illusions, artifices, the postulate of ontological indetermination, and thought experiments. The current tendency of interpreting anthropological or historical texts as fiction does not clarify the situation. The hypothesis is defended that “artistic fiction” has an irreducible specificity, which is determined pragmatically instead of semantically: the cultural crystallization of a mental (simulation) and an interactional (pretending to play) competence. This sort of fiction thus stands apart from other types (which answer to a semantic definition) and from veridical narratives (where the question of referentiality is the touchstone).

This paper tries to reconstruct the paradigm of "cognitive prometheism" understood as a philosophical anthropology considering humankind as an "ontic exception". Founding itself on the idea that "reason " is the faculty of self construction of Humanity, "cognitive prometheism " argues that humans belongs to a realm of being which differs radically from that of other living beings., L'objet de cet article est de reconstruire le paradigme du « prométhéisme cognitif », compris comme une anthropologie philosophique postulant l'« exception ontique » de l'humanité. Soutenant que la « raison » est la faculté d' autoconstitution de l'humanité, le « prométhéisme cognitif » en conclut que l'homme relève d'un mode d'être radicalement différent de celui des autres êtres vivants., Schaeffer Jean-Marie. La thèse de l'exception humaine. In: Communications, 78, 2005. L'idéal prométhéen. pp. 189-209.

À partir d’une analyse critique de la notion d’objet esthétique conçue comme une expression du biais ontologisant qui caractérise les manières de penser occidentales, on essaie d’élaborer une approche alternative des faits esthétiques. La dimension esthétique ne consiste pas en des propriétés objectales (« esthétiques » ou « artistiques ») mais en une attitude mentale spécifique face au réel. Après avoir montré qu’ainsi conçue, la dimension esthétique n’implique, en elle-même, ni décontextualisation ni défonctionnalisation, on plaide pour une dissociation entre la problématique esthétique et la problématique artistique, avant d’aboutir à une proposition de reformulation de la notion d’« oeuvre d’art » dans le cadre d’une réflexion plus générale sur les « signaux coûteux ». Aesthetic Objects? -- This critical analysis of the concept of aesthetic object, which is intimately related to the ontological bias in Western thought tries to develop an alternative approach to the study of such objects. Aesthetic facts are not properties of objects, instead, they express a mental attitude towards reality. Conceived thus, the aesthetic dimension implies neither decontextualizing objects nor turning a blind eye to their functionality. We should separate aesthetic from artistic aspect. The notion of artwork should be reformulated in relation to more general considerations about “costly signals”.

Schaeffer Jean-Marie. Originalité et expression de soi. In: Communications, 64, 1997. La création. pp. 89-115.

The Object of Stylistics in Literature Stylistics in literature has tended to distinguish itself from the stylistics of language, leading to a perception of literary style as idiosyncratic. As Goodman reminds us, style implies choosing between differentiated but similar linguistic or literary alternatives., Schaeffer Jean-Marie. La stylistique littéraire et son objet. In: Littérature, n°105, 1997. pp. 14-23.

Experience-dependent plasticity of cell and tissue function is critical for survival by allowing organisms to dynamically adjust physiological processes in response to changing or harsh environmental conditions. Despite the conferred evolutionary advantage, it remains unknown whether emergent experience-dependent properties are present in cell populations organized as networks within endocrine tissues involved in regulating body-wide homeostasis. Here we show, using lactation to repeatedly activate a specific endocrine cell network in situ in the mammalian pituitary, that templates of prior demand are permanently stored through stimulus-evoked alterations to the extent and strength of cell–cell connectivity. Strikingly, following repeat stimulation, evolved population behaviour leads to improved tissue output. As such, long-lasting experience-dependent plasticity is an important feature of endocrine cell networks and underlies functional adaptation of hormone release., Experience-dependent plasticity and functional adaptation are thought to be restricted to the central nervous and immune systems. This study shows that long-lasting experience-dependent plasticity is a key feature of endocrine cell networks, allowing improved tissue function and hormone output following repeat demand.