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In the marine environment, knowledge of biodiversity remains incomplete for many taxa, requiring assessments to understand and monitor biodiversity loss. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a powerful tool for monitoring marine biodiversity, as it enables several taxa to be characterised simultaneously in a single sample. However, the data generated by environmental DNA metabarcoding are often not easily reusable. Implementing FAIR principles and standards for eDNA-derived data can facilitate data-sharing within the scientific community.This study focuses on the detection of marine vertebrate biodiversity using eDNA metabarcoding on the leeward coast of Guadeloupe, a known hotspot for marine biodiversity in the French West Indies. Occurrences and DNA-derived data are shared here using DarwinCore standards combined with MIMARKS standards.

Exploitation and labor and sex trafficking of children and adolescents is a major public health problem in the United States and throughout the world. Significant numbers of US and non-US-born children and adolescents (including unaccompanied immigrant minors) are affected by this growing concern and may experience a range of serious physical and mental health problems associated with human trafficking and exploitation (T/E). Despite these considerations, there is limited information available for health care providers regarding the nature and scope of T/E and how providers may help recognize and protect children and adolescents. Knowledge of risk factors, recruitment practices, possible indicators of T/E, and common medical, mental, and emotional health problems experienced by affected individuals will assist health care providers in recognizing vulnerable children and adolescents and responding appropriately. A trauma-informed, rights-based, culturally sensitive approach helps providers identify and treat patients who have experienced or are at risk for T/E. As health care providers, educators, and leaders in child advocacy and development, pediatricians play an important role in addressing the public health issues faced by children and adolescents who experience exploitation and trafficking. Working across disciplines with professionals in the community, health care providers can offer evidence-based medical screening, treatment, and holistic services to individuals who have experienced T/E and assist vulnerable patients and families in recognizing signs of T/E.

Iron oxide nanoparticles are extensively utilized in various fields, particularly in biomedical applications. For such uses, nanoparticles must meet specific criteria, including precise size, morphology, physico-chemical properties, stability, and biocompatibility. Microwave-assisted co-precipitation offers an efficient method for producing water-soluble nanoparticles. Functionalization with citrate during synthesis is crucial for achieving a stable colloidal solution. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of conventional co-precipitation with microwave-assisted co-precipitation. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using TEM, DLS, FTIR, XRD, and magnetic measurements. The findings indicate that the in situ citrate functionalization during synthesis results in stable, non-aggregated nanoparticles.

Introduction While research on drug use motives has primarily focused on widely used substances like alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis, understanding the motivations behind MDMA use is crucial for developing targeted therapeutic, preventive, and harm reduction strategies. Objectives The objective of this study is to present the findings of an online survey that evaluates the motives behind the use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and draws comparisons between these motives and those for alcohol and cannabis consumption. Methods Data were collected through an online survey, available in both English and French, with 99 participants. The survey included five sections, including a substance abuse screening test (ASSIST) and the Pahnke-Richards Mystical Experience Questionnaire. The primary focus was on motives for MDMA use, assessed using an adapted version of the Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM), comparing them with alcohol and cannabis motives. Results The most reported motive for MDMA use was enhancement, followed by expansion motives. Social motives were the third most common, while coping motives ranked fourth, and conformity was the least common motive. Comparisons with alcohol and cannabis use motives revealed differences in motives for each substance. MDMA showed a unique pattern of motives. Conclusions Enhancement emerged as the most prevalent motive for MDMA use, consistent with previous research on MDMA motive use. Expansion motives, which involve altering perceptions and increasing self-awareness, ranked second, reflecting the growing interest in MDMA-assisted therapy for conditions like PTSD. Surprisingly, social motives were less common for MDMA compared to alcohol and cannabis, suggesting unique social dynamics associated with MDMA use. Conformity motives were also less significant for MDMA users, possibly due to the age of initiation and user maturity. Understanding the motives behind MDMA use is essential for designing effective interventions and harm reduction strategies. The distinct motives for MDMA, as compared to alcohol and cannabis, highlight the need for tailored approaches to address its use. Further research should explore the complex interplay of motives, age of initiation, social context, and cultural factors to inform comprehensive strategies related to MDMA use. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Cet article présente une synthèse des textes cantonaux (Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Jura, Tessin, Valais) et intercantonal (IRDP) du numéro 8 de la Revue LEeE, en les mettant en relation avec les propositions conceptuelles du texte introductif de Lucie Mottier Lopez dans ce même numéro. Les démarches de co-élaboration de documents à visée instituante s’inscrivent dans des mouvements plus larges de transformation des cultures évaluatives. Elles impliquent des professionnel∙les de l’éducation à différents niveaux de la sphère éducative. Les processus collaboratifs varient d’un canton à l’autre, mais tous cherchent à associer les enseignant∙es à la démarche. Des défis sont rencontrés, tel que la terminologie à négocier, et des défis sont anticipés, telle que la résistance au changement de la part du terrain. En guise de conclusion, l’article examine les notions d’objet-frontière et de boundary spanners contribuant à bâtir des ponts de dialogue et de cohérence entre les mondes concernés, en faveur d’une transformation des cultures évaluatives vers des évaluations positives pour l’avenir.

Ce texte introduit le numéro 8 de La Revue LEeE qui donne à voir le produit des échanges du réseau IEAN-CH : International Educational Assessment Network pour la Suisse romande et le Tessin. Ce réseau a été constitué à la suite de la création du réseau IEAN en 2018 en Écosse visant à réunir des « petites nations et états » autour de l'évaluation en éducation. Chaque canton participant est représenté par au moins une personne travaillant dans le monde académique et une autre dans le contexte politico-administratif. Des chercheur∙ses des centres de recherche suisses en éducation ont également été sollicité∙es. Ce numéro expose les travaux du réseau autour de la production de documents de référence liés à la volonté d'insuffler des cultures d'évaluation toujours plus favorables à l'apprentissage des élèves.

In mammals, lactation is the universal behavior of feeding offspring and has a fundamental nutritional and social value with offspring staying near their mothers. In order to obtain milk, terrestrial mammal offspring squeeze the breast of lactating females and suckle the nipples with their tongues. In the specific case of cetacean species, it was reported that lactating females intentionally eject milk from their mammary slit into the calves’ mouths. Nursing behavior in sperm whales has already been broadly described, but the results of our current study, based on 127 underwater videos, recording over 7 years and displaying explicit nursing behavior, bring a higher level of understanding. We first showed that sperm whale calves are proactive in getting milk. We were then able to illustrate and describe with a high level of precision their suckling behavior: firstly, the calf bumps its head onto the female’s genital area to signal the mother its willingness to suckle; secondly, the calf introduces its lower jawbone into the genital slit, this action makes the nipple pop up from its slit; thirdly, the calf squeezes the nipple with its tongue against the hard palate and suckles; fourthly, the calf removes its jawbone from the female and swims off. Moreover, our underwater visual observations provided the first direct evidence for allosuckling in sperm whales, a situation during which a calf obtains milk from an adult female who is not its mother.

Two studies were conducted to investigate the evolution of 71 Swiss vocational teachers' classroom management as a result of the inputs of a teacher education program, and to identify the factors that encouraged or impeded teacher change. Study 1 consisted of a longitudinal survey, and Study 2 of interviews. Longitudinal analyses were performed using a multilevel approach. This mixed-method study revealed that vocational teachers' classroom management evolved towards the beliefs and practices encouraged by the teacher education program. Years of prior teaching experience and motivations for choosing teaching were found to moderate teachers' evolutions. Moreover, influential people, providing alternative strategies for teachers to try in their classrooms, and questioning teaching practices, were found to influence teachers' change. Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of the congruence between teacher education and the teaching context as well as the influence of school norms on teacher change.

Organochlorine pesticides have been extensively utilized in agriculture and pest control, and still contributing to numerous health issues. However, the mechanism underlying the transportation of these compounds through animal and human body is not well understood. The switchSENSE® technology is an original and powerful tool in biosensing, which demonstrates high sensitivity in detecting a variety of biological interaction which involves proteins, nucleic acids and small molecules. There has been a growing interest in using switchSENSE® technology for detecting interactions between proteins and environmental pollutants in recent years. Therefore, the aim of this study is to refine and enhance the methodology of the switchSENSE® technology to facilitate characterization of real time interaction between biological transport molecule, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and organochlorine pesticides. Using this technology, we noticed the conformational change in structure and protein hydrodynamic diameter (DH) of BSA in response to Chlordecone (CLD) and Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). We also identified the possible obstacles, that should be resolved in future researches.

Le texte présente une recherche menée dans un cours de première année en sciences de l’éducation à l’Université de Genève. Il s’intéresse à un dispositif de modération sociale entre étudiant⋅es dans un contexte d’évaluation continue pour apprendre, afin d’interroger l’expérience démocratique soutenue potentiellement par ce dispositif. Après avoir défini la démocratie en éducation à partir des écrits de Dewey, le texte expose les enjeux d’une modération sociale entre étudiant⋅es à des fins de régulation socialement partagée de leurs apprentissages. Les résultats de recherche montrent, à partir d’indicateurs quantitatifs et des écrits réflexifs des étudiant⋅es, une vision globalement positive de la modération sociale. Ils exposent la façon dont elle a fonctionné, en partie, combinant des jugements sur plusieurs objets. Puis des indices de fonctionnement démocratique sont identifiés sur le plan notamment des processus de communication et de débat entre pairs et des valeurs qui les fondent. Quelques dysfonctionnements sont également soulignés à partir des écrits des étudiant⋅es. Plus généralement, cette étude vise à contribuer à une réflexion sur les enjeux d’une démocratie dans et par l’évaluation entre pairs dans l’enseignement supérieur.

This study aimed to examine the links between motivation to become a teacher, sense of responsibility, and classroom management style. An adapted version of the Factors Influencing Teaching (FIT)-Choice scale, a translated version of the Teacher Responsibility scale, and a vignette instrument inspired by the Problems in School Questionnaire were administered to 154 in-service vocational teachers. Consistent with prior research, path analysis of the data indicated that social utility value for teaching was the most consistent predictor of teachers' sense of responsibility. However, the key motivation predicting responsibility for teaching was intrinsic value, which in turn predicted teachers' endorsement of classroom management styles. The more vocational teachers felt responsible for the quality of their teaching, the more they tended to endorse adaptive or beneficial classroom management styles (autonomy support and structure). Implications for research and teaching are discussed.

ObjectiveIdentify determinants of plasma adropin concentrations, a secreted peptide translated from the Energy Homeostasis Associated (ENHO) gene linked to metabolic control and vascular function.MethodsAssociations between plasma adropin concentrations, demographics (sex, age, BMI) and circulating biomarkers of lipid and glucose metabolism were assessed in plasma obtained after an overnight fast in humans. The regulation of adropin expression was then assessed in silico, in cultured human cells, and in animal models.ResultsIn humans, plasma adropin concentrations are inversely related to atherogenic LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in men (n = 349), but not in women (n = 401). Analysis of hepatic Enho expression in male mice suggests control by the biological clock. Expression is rhythmic, peaking during maximal food consumption in the dark correlating with transcriptional activation by RORα/γ. The nadir in the light phase coincides with the rest phase and repression by Rev-erb. Plasma adropin concentrations in nonhuman primates (rhesus monkeys) also exhibit peaks coinciding with feeding times (07:00 h, 15:00 h). The ROR inverse agonists SR1001 and the 7-oxygenated sterols 7-β-hydroxysterol and 7-ketocholesterol, or the Rev-erb agonist SR9009, suppress ENHO expression in cultured human HepG2 cells. Consumption of high-cholesterol diets suppress expression of the adropin transcript in mouse liver. However, adropin over expression does not prevent hypercholesterolemia resulting from a high cholesterol diet and/or LDL receptor mutations.ConclusionsIn humans, associations between plasma adropin concentrations and LDL-C suggest a link with hepatic lipid metabolism. Mouse studies suggest that the relationship between adropin and cholesterol metabolism is unidirectional, and predominantly involves suppression of adropin expression by cholesterol and 7-oxygenated sterols. Sensing of fatty acids, cholesterol and oxysterols by the RORα/γ ligand-binding domain suggests a plausible functional link between adropin expression and cellular lipid metabolism. Furthermore, the nuclear receptors RORα/γ and Rev-erb may couple adropin synthesis with circadian rhythms in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

Cet article étudie la bienveillance en éducation en l’opérationnalisant dans un dispositif d’évaluation continue pour apprendre durablement dans une université suisse. À la suite d’une production initiale, 64 étudiant∙e∙s ont rédigé un feedback sur un travail de pairs. Les étudiant∙e∙s ont répondu à un item de perception de la bienveillance des feedbacks reçus. Réuni∙e∙s en 30 forums, les étudiant∙e∙s ont ensuite fait ressortir des recommandations pour formuler un feedback bienveillant. Sont analysées les variations des perceptions de bienveillance pour un même feedback, les liens entre les contenus des feedbacks et la perception de leur bienveillance, et les recommandations exprimées. La discussion donne à voir le caractère subjectif et situé des perceptions de bienveillance.

Abstract The neural functions of adropin, a secreted peptide highly expressed in the brain, have not been investigated. In humans, adropin is highly expressed in astrocytes and peaks during critical postnatal periods of brain development. Gene enrichment analysis of transcripts correlating with adropin expression suggests processes relevant to aging-related neurodegenerative diseases that vary with age and dementia state, possibly indicating survivor bias. In people aged 75 y) diagnosed with dementia, adropin correlates positively with genes involved in mitochondrial processes. In the ‘old-old’ without dementia adropin expression correlates positively with morphogenesis and synapse function. Potent neurotrophic responses in primary cultured neurons are consistent with adropin supporting the development and function of neural networks. Adropin expression in the ‘old-old’ also correlates positively with protein markers of tau-related neuropathologies and inflammation, particularly in those without dementia. How variation in brain adropin expression affects neurological aging was investigated using old (18-month) C57BL/6J mice. In mice adropin is expressed in neurons, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, oligodendrocytes, and microglia and shows correlative relationships with groups of genes involved in neurodegeneration and cellular metabolism. Increasing adropin expression using transgenesis improved spatial learning and memory, novel object recognition, resilience to exposure to new environments, and reduced mRNA markers of inflammation in old mice. Treatment with synthetic adropin peptide also reversed age-related declines in cognitive functions and affected expression of genes involved in morphogenesis and cellular metabolism. Collectively, these results establish a link between adropin expression and neural energy metabolism and indicate a potential therapy against neurological aging.

BackgroundExcess body burden of uric acid promotes gout. Diminished renal clearance of uric acid causes hyperuricemia in most patients with gout, and the renal urate transporter (URAT)1 is important for regulation of serum uric acid (sUA) levels. The URAT1 inhibitors probenecid and benzbromarone are used as gout therapies; however, their use is limited by drug-drug interactions and off-target toxicity, respectively. Here, we define the mechanism of action of lesinurad (Zurampic®; RDEA594), a novel URAT1 inhibitor, recently approved in the USA and Europe for treatment of chronic gout.MethodssUA levels, fractional excretion of uric acid (FEUA), lesinurad plasma levels, and urinary excretion of lesinurad were measured in healthy volunteers treated with lesinurad. In addition, lesinurad, probenecid, and benzbromarone were compared in vitro for effects on urate transporters and the organic anion transporters (OAT)1 and OAT3, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, and human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activity.ResultsAfter 6 hours, a single 200-mg dose of lesinurad elevated FEUA 3.6-fold (p

Ce texte co-écrit représente un des aboutissements de l’accompagnement doctoral à l’écriture et à l’évaluation scientifiques présenté dans le texte introductif de ce numéro 3. Il poursuit deux objectifs complémentaires. Le premier est d’objectiver une démarche de co-construction d’un référentiel pour évaluer des articles scientifiques. En s’appuyant sur l’analyse des transcriptions des séances de co-construction et sur des traces du référentiel en cours d’élaboration, les résultats présentent le référentiel élaboré et décrivent les trois phases clés de la démarche. Ils exposent également les principaux éléments de discussion autour d’une catégorie du référentiel « évaluer-apprendre » au cœur de l’accompagnement doctoral. Le deuxième but de cet article est d’objectiver les expériences des doctorant∙es ayant participé à cette démarche de co-construction du référentiel. Sur la base de conversations réflexives en duos de doctorant∙es et de récits biographiques individuels, les résultats donnent à voir les attentes, les limites perçues, et les apprentissages réalisés au cours de cette démarche. Les résultats sont interprétés à la lumière du référentiel co-construit et des apprentissages réalisés témoignant d’une évaluation pour apprendre durablement.

Adult male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are long distance runners of the marine realm, feeding in high latitudes and mating in tropical and subtropical waters where stable social groups of females and immatures live. Several areas of uncertainty still limit our understanding of their social and breeding behavior, in particular concerning the potential existence of geographical and/or social fidelities. In this study, using underwater observation and sloughed-skin sampling, we looked for male social fidelity to a specific matrilineal sperm whale group near Mauritius. In addition, we captured a wider picture of kin relationships and genetic diversity of male sperm whales in the Indian Ocean thanks to biopsies of eight individuals taken in a feeding ground near the Kerguelen and Crozet Archipelagos (Southern Indian Ocean). Twenty-six adult male sperm whales were identified when socializing with adult females and immatures off Mauritius. Sloughed-skin samples were taken from thirteen of them for genetic analysis. Long-term underwater observation recorded several noteworthy social interactions between adult males and adult females and/or immatures. We identified seven possible male recaptures over different years (three by direct observation, and four at the gametic level), which supports a certain level of male social fidelity. Two probable first- and thirty second-degree kin relationships were highlighted between members of the social unit and adult males, confirming that some of the adult males observed in Mauritian waters are reproductive. Male social philopatry to their natal group can be excluded, as none of the males sampled shared the haplotype characteristic of the matrilineal social group. Mitochondrial DNA control region haplotype and nucleotide diversities calculated over the 21 total male sperm whales sampled were similar to values found by others in the Indian Ocean. Our study strongly supports the existence of some levels of male sperm whale social fidelity, not directed to their social group of birth, in the Indian Ocean. Males sampled in breeding and feeding grounds are linked by kin relationships. Our results support a model of male mediated gene flow occurring at the level of the whole Indian Ocean, likely interconnected with large-scale geographical fidelity to ocean basin, and a small-scale social fidelity to matrilineal social groups.

Background: The relative influences of baseline risk factors for pediatric nonaccidental burns have not been well described. We evaluated baseline characteristics of pediatric nonaccidental burn patients and their primary caretakers. Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted of pediatric (age

Les textes des doctorant·es et des chercheur­·ses présentés dans ce numéro 3 de La Revue LEeE ont fait l’objet d’un dispositif d’accompagnement à l’écriture et à l’évaluation scientifique. Ce dispositif a pour caractéristique, notamment, de s’appuyer sur des démarches plurielles d’évaluations entre pairs qui visent une « évaluation continue pour apprendre durablement »), au sein de séminaires et dans le cadre de l’évaluation ouverte et collaborative proposée par La Revue LEeE. L’article commence par problématiser l’écriture et l’évaluation scientifiques dans un contexte doctoral, puis il présente le dispositif d’accompagnement qui a duré deux ans, ainsi que les activités principales réalisées. Suite à une présentation des profils des auteur·rices et des rétroacteur·rices novices et expert·es qui ont contribué à ce numéro 3, l’article expose quelques témoignages de doctorant·es en fin de démarche d’accompagnement portant sur la façon dont elles·ils ont reçu les feedbacks des pairs dans une perspective d’évaluation durable, vue comme favorable au développement de leurs compétences scientifiques, d’écriture et d’évaluation. Il se termine sur quelques constats du point de vue des directeurs et directrices de thèse intéressé·es par une démarche de ce type.

Considering the crucial goals dependent on classroom management, such as creating a classroom environment conducive to student learning and facilitating student engagement and motivation, it is an important skill for teachers to learn. Accordingly, this literature review aims at untangling the factors influencing the evolution of teachers' classroom management beliefs and practices, offering a review and synthesis of the studies on this topic. A systematic review of 24 qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method longitudinal empirical studies focused on teacher change in classroom management resulted in the following findings: prior beliefs, the teaching context and teachers' own limited willingness to change were identified as the main obstacles to teacher change. Programmes that include activities focused on (i) reflecting on prior beliefs, (ii) studying alternative practices, (iii) enacting those practices, and (iv) reflecting on action (v) in a collaborative learning environment seem to be successful in eliciting change in classroom management. Finally, this review suggests that it useful to design programmes that build bridges between the different settings in which the teacher learns.

Classroom management is an important topic in teacher education, as it has a strong impact on students' engagement. However, untangling the concepts influencing teachers' classroom management practices is a question that needs further investigation. Using data from a survey of 154 vocational teachers participating in teacher education, this study examined associations between classroom management practices, teaching experience, and teachers' beliefs (general pedagogical beliefs, beliefs about student motivation, and self-efficacy beliefs). Results highlighted associations between the different types of beliefs, and between teachers' beliefs and practices. Teaching experience was positively related to self-efficacy and beliefs in constructivism but did not impact practices.

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is widely used to select unaffected embryos, increasing the odds of having a healthy baby. During the last few decades, it was accepted that monozygotic dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies occurred from the embryo splitting before Day 3 postfertilization according to Corner’s dogma. Hence, the occurrence of a dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy after a single blastocyst transfer was considered a dizygotic pregnancy resulting from blastocyst transfer and concurrent natural fertilization. In our study, we have provided for the first time molecular proof that a single blastocyst transfer can result in a monozygotic dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy, invalidating Corner’s dogma. In this case, we recommend systematically assessing the genetic status of dichorionic twins after single blastocyst transfer using prenatal diagnosis to exclude the risk from a potential concurrent spontaneous pregnancy and to ensure that both fetuses are unaffected. To achieve this goal, we have developed here an innovative noninvasive prenatal diagnosis by exclusion of paternal variants with droplet digital PCR, maximizing the reliability of genetic diagnosis. Further multicentric prospective studies using genetic testing are now required to establish the rate of blastocyst splitting leading to dichorionic pregnancy in PGT and to identify the risk factors.

This paper presents the work accomplished in order to digitize and model the Winter Garden of the Earthenware Museum at Sarreguemines (Moselle, France). The objectives were to create a digital archive of this cultural heritage place and to find appropriate ways of promoting it. Topographic, photogrammetric and lasergrammetric methods were used to model the Winter Garden. Different virtual reality tools enabled us to spotlight some of its parts and to offer an immersive visualization. Several challenges had to be taken up during this project. We first had to find out the best processing workflow to model earthenware, which is a highly reflecting material. Image processing was also needed for aesthetic reasons and we finally had to find methods to reduce the size of the models.

Objective: To identify circulating miRNAs associated with ovarian endometriosis (OMA), and to analyze candidate genes targeted by these miRNAs. Methods: Putative regulating miRNAs were identified through an original bioinformatics approach. We first queried the miRWalk 2.0 database to collect putative miRNA targets. Then, we matched it to a transcriptomic dataset of OMA. Moving from gene expression in the tissue to possible alterations in the patient plasma, a selection of these miRNAs was quantified by qRT-PCR in plasma samples from 93 patients with isolated OMA and 95 patients surgically checked as free from endometriosis. Then, we characterized the genes regulated by more than one miRNA and validated them by immunohistochemistry and transfection experiments on endometrial cell primary cultures obtained from endometrial biopsies of 10 women with and without endometriosis with miRNA mimics. Stromal and epithelial cells were isolated and cultured separately and gene expression levels were measured by RT-qPCR. Results: Eight miRNAs were identified by bioinformatics analysis. Two of them were overexpressed in plasma from OMA patients: let-7b-5p and miR-92a-3p (p < 0.005). Three miRNAs, let-7b and miR-92a-3p, and miR-93-5p potentially targeted KIAA1324, an estrogen-responsive gene and one of the most downregulated genes in OMA. Transfection experiments with mimics of these two miRNAs showed a strong decrease in KIAA1324 expression, up to 40%. Immunohistochemistry revealed a moderate-to-intense staining for KIAA1324 in the eutopic endometrium and a faint-to-moderate staining in the ectopic endometrium for half of the samples, which is concordant with the transcriptomic data. Discussion and Conclusion: Our results suggested that KIAA1324 might be involved in endometriosis through the downregulating action of two circulating miRNAs. As these miRNAs were found to be overexpressed, their quantification in plasma could provide a tool for an early diagnosis of endometriosis.

Nanoparticles have experienced increasing interest over the past three decades owing to the development of new synthesis methods and the adaptation of analysis tools with spatial resolutions below one micrometer. Among the different types of nanoparticles developed in recent years (metals, metal oxides, silica, polymers, etc.), significant scientific interest has developed around iron oxide nanoparticles. This review will focus on these magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. We will first discuss the magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles, then the different methods of synthesis and washing. Finally, we will discuss some functionalization strategies of iron oxide nanoparticles which are developed within our research team.

Ce texte vise à étudier les perceptions d’étudiant·es de leurs apprentissages en lien avec des sentiments/émotions lors de tâches de production et de réception de feedbacks entre pairs articulées dans un dispositif d’évaluation continue pour apprendre. Les résultats montrent que les tâches de production et de réception de feedbacks peuvent provoquer des émotions positives qui peuvent augmenter la motivation et l’implication dans les tâches, des émotions négatives désactivantes, qui peuvent diminuer la motivation et l’implication, et des émotions négatives activantes, qui peuvent favoriser l’apprentissage. En particulier, des émotions de doutes et de déstabilisation face à la maîtrise des contenus peuvent susciter un besoin d’apprendre, qui, combiné à une certaine pression évaluative et à un sentiment de responsabilité, semblent représenter un véritable tremplin pour la régulation des apprentissages. Cette étude donne à voir qu’il est particulièrement important de prendre en compte les dimensions affectives lors de l’implémentation d’évaluation entre pairs à l’université.

L’objet de notre article est la phase de co-situation d’une recherche collaborative, selon des modalités en partie à distance et en présentiel, entre la Guyane française (terrain de recherche) et la Suisse (université de la chercheuse concernée). Plus particulièrement, l’article investigue les défis et les obstacles intervenants lors de la co-élaboration d’un dispositif impliquant une chercheuse doctorante et des enseignantes éloignées par la distance géographique. Ce dispositif d’évaluation formative du langage oral d’élèves allophones de maternelle (4-5 ans) se déroule dans un contexte où opère le translanguaging (alternance de langues) entre les enseignantes (français) et les élèves (n’djuka). À partir d’entretiens exploratoires, individuels et collectifs, une dynamique atypique est dégagée dans la négociation de la problématique commune qui s’étend sur toute la phase de co-situation de la recherche. Cinq axes ont été identifiés, regroupant des obstacles et des défis interdépendants que sont (1) l’initiation de la co-situation, (2) l’opérationnalisation d’un tiers-espace physique et temporel, (3) la construction et le maintien d’un climat de confiance mutuelle, (4) la co-construction et le partage d’une problématique commune et (5) l’opérationnalisation sur le plan méthodologique. D’autres éléments montrent que, de prime abord, ce qui pouvait constituer des obstacles et des défis spécifiques à l’éloignement géographique peut, in fine, être des ressources pour la co-construction de l’objet.

Understanding the organization and dynamics of social groups of marine mammals through the study of kin relationships is particularly challenging. Here, we studied a stable social group of sperm whales off Mauritius, using underwater observations, individual-specific identification, non-invasive sampling and genetic analyses based on mitochondrial sequencing and microsatellite profiling. Twenty-four sperm whales were sampled between 2017 and 2019. All individuals except one adult female shared the same mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype—one that is rare in the western Indian Ocean—thus confirming with near certainty the matrilineality of the group. All probable first- and second-degree kin relationships were depicted in the sperm whale social group: 13 first-degree and 27 second-degree relationships were identified. Notably, we highlight the likely case of an unrelated female having been integrated into a social unit, in that she presented a distinct mtDNA haplotype and no close relationships with any members of the group. Investigating the possible matrilineality of sperm whale cultural units (i.e. vocal clans) is the next step in our research programme to elucidate and better apprehend the complex organization of sperm whale social groups.

Dans le contexte d’une évaluation continue pour apprendre, expérimentée dans un cours universitaire en Suisse romande, l’article étudie la perception des étudiants quand ils reçoivent une pluralité de feedbacks des pairs à propos d’un travail réalisé en petits groupes collaboratifs. Comment les étudiants, qui sont à la fois évalués et évaluateurs, perçoivent-ils ces feedbacks multiples, notamment quand ils sont amenés à les comparer dans la perspective de réguler leur propre travail universitaire et leurs compétences évaluatives ? L’article analyse finement les processus et les ressentis en jeu quand les étudiants constatent des similarités et des différences entre les feedbacks reçus et produits. Au regard des résultats obtenus, une réflexion conceptuelle est proposée autour des notions de feedback, de feedback interne, de feedback global et de métafeedback, qui contribuent aux processus de régulation et d’apprentissage générés.

In the context of continuous assessment for learning in a university course in French-speaking Switzerland, this article studies students’ perception when they receive multiple instances of peer feedback on a written academic assignment carried out in small collaborative groups. How do students, who are both assessees and assessors, perceive these multiple instances of feedback, especially when they are led to compare them to regulate their own initial work and their assessment skills? This article analyses in detail the processes and feelings at play when students notice similarities and differences between the instances of feedback they received and produced. Conceptual considerations are proposed around the notions of feedback, internal feedback, comprehensive feedback, and metafeedback, seen as contributing to the regulation and learning processes involved.

Cet article présente la conception et l’analyse d’un dispositif d’évaluation entre pairs dans le cadre de La Revue LEeE, du point de vue plus spécialement des rôles et des activités des évaluateurs et des évaluatrices. La première partie expose un ensemble de critiques énoncées par la littérature de recherche à propos de l’évaluation en double aveugle, puis présente des perspectives nouvelles par le moyen d’évaluations ouvertes entre pairs exploitant des outils numériques. La deuxième partie du texte présente l’étude du dispositif d’évaluation ouverte et collaborative (EOC) telle que proposée par La Revue LEeE. Les caractéristiques qui définissent cette EOC sont mises en évidence, et une analyse critique de la structure temporelle et organisationnelle du dispositif est proposée au regard plus spécialement des enjeux de collaboration visés. La position du comité éditorial de la revue est de contribuer à un changement de paradigme dont l’émergence commence à s’observer en sciences sociales et humaines, grâce à la conception d’évaluations ouvertes entre pairs exploitant les possibilités du numérique. L’article se termine avec la présentation d’un questionnaire visant à effectuer un suivi auprès des auteur∙rices et rétroacteur∙rices de la revue.

Objective: Individuals born with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) are more prone to cardio-metabolic diseases as adults, and environmental changes during the perinatal period have been identified as potentially crucial factors. We have studied in a preclinical model early-onset molecular alterations present before the development of a clinical phenotype. Methods: We used a preclinical mouse model of induced IUGR, in which we modulated the nutrition of the pups during the suckling period, to modify their susceptibility to cardio-metabolic diseases in adulthood. Results: Mice born with IUGR that were overfed (IUGR-O) during lactation rapidly developed obesity, hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance, by three months of age, whereas those subjected to nutrition restriction during lactation (IUGR-R) remained permanently thin and highly sensitive to insulin. Mice born with IUGR and fed normally during lactation (IUGR-N) presented an intermediate phenotype and developed insulin resistance by 12 months of age. Molecular alterations to the insulin signaling pathway with an early onset were observed in the livers of adult IUGR-N mice, nine months before the appearance of insulin resistance. The implication of epigenetic changes was revealed by ChIP sequencing, with both posttranslational H3K4me3 histone modifications and microRNAs involved. Conclusions: These two changes lead to the coherent regulation of insulin signaling, with a decrease in Akt gene transcription associated with an increase in the translation of its inhibitor, Pten. Moreover, we found that the levels of the implicated miRNA19a-3p also decreased in the blood of young adult IUGR mice nine months before the appearance of insulin resistance, suggesting a possible role for this miRNA as an early circulating biomarker of metabolic fate of potential use for precision medicine.

Risk communication is a critical component in disaster risk reduction, especially in designing and implementing early warning systems. The ability to communicate hazard forecasts and risk information to vulnerable communities and stakeholders successfully is crucial for effective disaster preparedness and response, to reduce impact, and to prevent loss of life. Successful risk communication, however, is challenged constantly. Even the most sophisticated forecasting models and advanced early warning systems can be rendered ineffective if the information is not communicated clearly, on time, and in a way that allows the end-user to consider options and act appropriately. These challenges not only apply to fast onset hazards such as cyclones and tsunamis, but also to slower onset hazards such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Around the world, governments' responses to the current pandemic provide examples of how complex and difficult successful risk communication is. This paper discusses the importance of risk communication as a critical component of early warning systems and explores the constant challenges that vulnerable communities face, how early warning systems sit within the wider Sendai Framework, and what governments have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and discusses how we can communicate more effectively in the future to reduce harm.

Cet article étudie les perceptions d’étudiant·es universitaires de tâches de production et de réception de feedbacks entre pairs articulées dans un dispositif d’évaluation continue (faisant se rejoindre évaluations formative et certificative) conçu dans une vision d’évaluation soutient d’apprentissage (AfL) et d’évaluation comme moyen pour apprendre (AaL). L’analyse inductive des perceptions des étudiant·es montre des apprentissages en profondeur liés à la compréhension des concepts et au développement de diverses compétences « transversales » (compétences réflexives, compétences communicationnelles, bienveillance, empathie, compétences collaboratives, compétences évaluatives). Les résultats sont discutés à la lumière de la recherche sur les feedbacks entre pairs.

Signaling molecule receptors play a central role in quorum sensing and in the coordination onset of specialized metabolite biosynthesis in Streptomyces due to their dual function in signal detection and gene expression control through DNA-binding in the promoter region of their target genes. In Streptomyces ambofaciens the alp biosynthetic gene cluster includes the signaling molecule receptor AlpZ that negatively regulates through a complex regulatory cascade the expression of key genes involved in the kinamycin antibiotic production until its cognate ligand, a yet unidentified signaling molecule, prompts its release from target promoters. Here we use an original molecular dynamics method to evaluate the DNA-binding properties of AlpZ to its target DNA sequence and the impact the signaling molecule has on the interaction. It is the first time this approach is used to characterize a regulator from the γ-butyrolactone receptor family. The observed KD in the nanomolar range indicates that AlpZ-DNA constitute a particularly stable complex. The signaling molecule ably disturbs this binding while kinamycin has no effect on the activity of AlpZ. Regulator size was determined and found to be considerably large regarding protein sequence, indicating that AlpZ regulates gene expression by binding the DNA as a homodimer, and structural modeling comparison with closely related γ-butyrolactone receptors supports this conclusion.

Stone consolidants have been extensively used for the preservation of historical structures since the 19th century. However, their true effectiveness in practice is often a source of debate, largely because of known cases where badly chosen treatments were unsuccessful, or even caused an accelerated degradation of the substrate. Researchers have therefore strived to better understand, and possibly predict, the behavior of consolidants on-site, in order to assist practitioners in their decision making. Despite the large number of publications available on the subject, however, the contribution of scientific research for practical applications remains scarce. Reasons for this include the limited accessibility of scientific publications and the lack of documentation or preparatory studies from the field. This unfortunately compromises the knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners, which we consider to be a main challenge that this field must overcome. The target of this letter is to reconnect the critical problems identified on-site through practical experience with the conceptual research outcomes that could help solve them. For this, we present an informed evaluation of the most needed research, along with a synthetic overview of the insights that scientific research can offer in terms of consolidant selection, application and monitoring.