35 research outputs found
Quand câest la science qui bricole, câest du sĂ©rieux
Loin dâĂȘtre une pratique accessoire Ă la production de la connaissance scientifique, le bricolage affecte tous les niveaux du travail quotidien du chercheur, de lâingĂ©nieur, du technicien. Lâanalyse des observations relatĂ©es par les sociologues des sciences et celle des donnĂ©es issues dâune enquĂȘte personnelle rĂ©alisĂ©e au sein dâun centre IRM (Imagerie par RĂ©sonance MagnĂ©tique) ont abouti Ă la reconnaissance de deux types de bricolage qui ont Ă©tĂ© Ă©tablis sur la base de leur impact sur le produit final, dâaprĂšs le type de contrainte qui les justifie et selon les techniques dâoccultation auxquelles les acteurs ont fait appel pour les dissimuler.Rather than being a subsidiary practice for the development of scientific knowledge, tinkering affects work dynamics in researchers, engineers and technicians everyday life. On the basis of the analysis of results provided by sociologists of science and following observations from a field work realised in a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) lab, we will identify two categories describing the practice of tinkering. To establish this categorisation we will take into account the impact of the bricolage on final products, the type of constraints that justify it and the concealment techniques recruited to minimize its consequences
Gut Microbiota, Metabolome, and Body Composition Signatures of Response to Therapy in Patients with Advanced Melanoma
Despite the recent breakthroughs in targeted and immunotherapy for melanoma, the overall survival rate remains low. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the gut microbiota and other modifiable patient factors (e.g., diet and body composition), though their role in influencing therapeutic responses has yet to be defined. Here, we characterized a cohort of 31 patients with unresectable IIIC-IV-stage cutaneous melanoma prior to initiation of targeted or first-line immunotherapy via the following methods: (i) fecal microbiome and metabolome via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, respectively, and (ii) anthropometry, body composition, nutritional status, physical activity, biochemical parameters, and immunoprofiling. According to our data, patients subsequently classified as responders were obese (i.e., with high body mass index and high levels of total, visceral, subcutaneous, and intramuscular adipose tissue), non-sarcopenic, and enriched in certain fecal taxa (e.g., Phascolarctobacterium) and metabolites (e.g., anethole), which were potentially endowed with immunostimulatory and oncoprotective activities. On the other hand, non-response was associated with increased proportions of Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Veillonella, Dorea, Fusobacterium, higher neutrophil levels (and a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), and higher fecal levels of butyric acid and its esters, which also correlated with decreased survival. This exploratory study provides an integrated list of potential early prognostic biomarkers that could improve the clinical management of patients with advanced melanoma, in particular by guiding the design of adjuvant therapeutic strategies to improve treatment response and support long-term health improvement
An Efficient Strategy to Induce and Maintain In Vitro Human T Cells Specific for Autologous Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
BACKGROUND: The efficient expansion in vitro of cytolytic CD8+ T cells (CTLs) specific for autologous tumors is crucial both for basic and translational aspects of tumor immunology. We investigated strategies to generate CTLs specific for autologous Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC), the most frequent tumor in mankind, using circulating lymphocytes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Classic Mixed Lymphocyte Tumor Cultures with NSCLC cells consistently failed to induce tumor-specific CTLs. Cross-presentation in vitro of irradiated NSCLC cells by autologous dendritic cells, by contrast, induced specific CTL lines from which we obtained a high number of tumor-specific T cell clones (TCCs). The TCCs displayed a limited TCR diversity, suggesting an origin from few tumor-specific T cell precursors, while their TCR molecular fingerprints were detected in the patient's tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, implying a role in the spontaneous anti-tumor response. Grafting NSCLC-specific TCR into primary allogeneic T cells by lentiviral vectors expressing human V-mouse C chimeric TCRalpha/beta chains overcame the growth limits of these TCCs. The resulting, rapidly expanding CD4+ and CD8+ T cell lines stably expressed the grafted chimeric TCR and specifically recognized the original NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS: This study defines a strategy to efficiently induce and propagate in vitro T cells specific for NSCLC starting from autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes
Le cÎté « obscur » de la science
Une rĂ©flexion riche et diversifiĂ©e sâinstaure depuis quelques annĂ©es autour de lâignorance et de sa production dans les sciences. Les sociologues et les anthropologues ont proposĂ© diffĂ©rentes dĂ©finitions pour dĂ©limiter ce vaste champ intellectuel et pour dĂ©montrer comment les acteurs jouent activement avec lâincertitude. Cet article se concentre sur un type particulier dâignorance, Ă savoir la dissimulation intentionnelle de donnĂ©es, dans le domaine des neurosciences. Les chercheurs observĂ©s occultent certains dysfonctionnements techniques et expriment les difficultĂ©s Ă rendre publiques des donnĂ©es discordantes ou contradictoires. La disparition de certaines dĂ©couvertes considĂ©rĂ©es comme « non publiables », dĂ©montre dâun cĂŽtĂ© les stratĂ©gies que les chercheurs doivent mettre en place pour assurer leur position et, de lâautre cĂŽtĂ©, lâĂ©cart de celles-ci vis-Ă -vis des idĂ©aux scientifiques de transparence et de mutualisation des connaissances.A rich and diversified discussion has been going on since many years about ignorance and its treatment by sciences. Sociologists and anthropologists have proposed different definitions to delimit this broad intellectual field and to demonstrate how the actors actively cope with uncertainty. The article focuses on a particular kind of ignorance, namely intentional concealing of data in the field of neuroscience. This contribution draws on first hand empirical evidence that researchers sometimes obscure technical problems as well as they have to deal with the difficulties to publish discordant or contradictory data. These practices illustrate that valorisation of spectacular discoveries and âpositiveâ results clashes with the ideals of transparency and knowledge sharing conveyed in particular by infrastructures like databases.Desde hace algunos años asistimos al desarrollo de una reflexiĂłn fĂ©rtil y plural en torno a la ignorancia y su tratamiento por las ciencias. Los sociĂłlogos y los antropĂłlogos han propuesto diferentes definiciones para delimitar este amplio campo intelectual y para demostrar cĂłmo los actores juegan activamente con la incertidumbre. Este artĂculo se concentra en un tipo particular de ignorancia, concretamente, el enmascaramiento intencionado de datos en el campo de la neurociencia. Los investigadores observados ocultan algunas disfunciones tĂ©cnicas y expresan sus dificultades para publicar los informaciĂłn discordantes o contradictorios. La desapariciĂłn de ciertos hallazgos considerados como «no publicables» permite observar, por un lado, las estrategias que los investigadores deben aplicar para asegurar sus posiciones en el campo cientĂfico y, por otro lado, la distancia entre Ă©stas y los ideales cientĂficos de transparencia y reciprocidad de conocimientos
La fabrique du cerveau. Les dessous dâun laboratoire de neuro-imagerie
International audienceA lâĂšre des neurosciences et de leur numĂ©risation massive, la dĂ©termination des structures fines du cerveau et la comprĂ©hension de son fonctionnement sont devenues des enjeux de premier ordre. Dans ce contexte, lâIRM sâest imposĂ©e comme une technique reine. GrĂące Ă elle, le cerveau sâoffre au regard, dĂ©voilant arcanes et trĂ©fonds scintillants⊠La visualisation des processus cognitifs via des images spectaculaires, qui fascinent les chercheurs autant que le public, engendre une nouvelle relation Ă notre corps pensant et agissant. Mais que sont ces objets numĂ©riques dâun nouveau genreâ? Comment ces images sont-elles acquises, sur quelles bases techniques et par quels protocolesâ? Et quel projet anime ceux qui Ă©tablissent des atlas de rĂ©fĂ©rence, dessinant un cerveau pixelisĂ© dans lequel tous les autres doivent se fondreâ?Pour le savoir, Giulia Anichini sâest immergĂ©e plusieurs annĂ©es durant dans deux centres de recherche en imagerie oĂč elle a pu observer les pratiques et les savoir-faire, dĂ©crire les implicites. Partant des lieux et des acteurs de ces pratiques, de leur environnement matĂ©riel, elle dĂ©crit les mĂ©thodes dâacquisition des images, leurs transformations successives et les bricolages informatiques mis en Ćuvre pour sauver des rĂ©sultats pas toujours probants. Elle montre comment les banques de donnĂ©es saturĂ©es dâimages obtenues selon des choix techniques et thĂ©oriques hĂ©tĂ©rogĂšnes constituent dĂ©sormais une extension inĂ©luctable du laboratoire de neuro-imagerie, oĂč sâĂ©labore une science data driven prĂ©ÂtenÂdument affranchie de la thĂ©orie. Lâaccumulation de ces rĂ©sultats Ă la fiabilitĂ© pas toujours assurĂ©e nâest pas neutre, notamment par ses implications dans le champ des neurosciences sociales, quand les Ă©motions dites morales tracent leur gĂ©ographie dans le «âcortex numĂ©riqueâ».Entre enquĂȘte ethnologique, sociologie des sciences et analyse Ă©pistĂ©mologique, Giulia Anichini propose ici une vision inĂ©dite des neurosciences, de leurs prĂ©supposĂ©s, leurs conjectures et leurs ambitions
L'intelligence Artificielle Ă l'Ă©preuve de l'exercice professionnel des radiologues : entre affaiblissement et renforcement
International audienc
Overview of research related to science in society in Europe
International audienceWe have carried out a cross-sectional analysis of the information on research in the science in society (SiS) field collected by the Monitoring Policy and Research Activities on Science in Society in Europe (MASIS) project. Based on the reports set up by national correspondents in the different countries, we were able to provide a picture of the type of research being carried out in Europe under national funding. It has provided a new picture, bringing in countries that do not often appear in the mainstream literature. A typology of countries has been set up according to their activity in the area and a description of research topics is provided. A number of integrated projects, sometimes cross-national, that examine a topic from different angles appear to be particularly promising. Most available information concerned dedicated SiS research projects. Very little information was available on SiS research âembeddedâ in projects centred on other âhard-scienceâ topics
Monitoring Policy and Research Activities on Science in Society in Europe (MASIS): National Report, France
Ce rapport national a servi à une synthÚse de 38 pays de l'Union Européenne publié en 2012https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2c88d5f4-f240-4849-9c2c-a87d487d93fc/language-enhttps://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/monitoring-policy-research-activities-on-sis_en.pdfISBN 978-92-79-23355-
Sperm ultrastructure and meiotic segregation in an infertile 47, XYY man
The majority of 47, XYY males are fertile and contribute to produce chromosomally normal children. In 47, XYY carriers, most meiotic studies indicated that the extra Y chromosomes were lost in the pre-meiotic stages, but in some cases the presence of one X and the two Y chromosomes has been detected during prophase I as an X univalent plus a YY bivalent. The aim of this study was to describe sperm parameters and meiotic segregation in a case of an infertile man with a 47, XYY karyotype. Sperm morphology was evaluated for the first time by transmission electron microscopy highlighting apoptosis and necrosis as the most frequent pathologies. Meiotic segregation was explored by fluorescence in situ hybridisation technique, which makes us capable of detecting aneuploidies of sex chromosomes. The fact that the frequency of 1818XY diploidy was very high reveals an error occurring during first meiotic division. Polymerase chain reaction analysis did not show any Y microdeletion. The combination of these two techniques led us to clarify the status of the spermatogenic process, showing an altered meiotic segregation concomitant with the presence of sperm apoptosis and necrosis in a patient 47, XYY. © 2007 The Authors
Technicity vs Scientificity. Complementarities and Rivalries
Contents1. The Artisan, the Sage and the Irony: An Outline of Knowledge Sociogenesis.2. Technicization of the Neurosciences: Uses of Image-Processing Software in Brain Research.3. Cryptography, a Human Science? Models, Matrices, Tools and Frames of Reference.4. The Beauty of Equation: The Anthropologist and the Engineer in Design Processes.Version anglaise de : Giulia Anichini, Flavia Carraro, Philippe Geslin, Georges Guille-Escuret. TechnicitĂ© versus scientificitĂ© : tensions et Ă©quivoquesIste editions, 2, pp.205, 2017, Collection sciences, sociĂ©tĂ© et nouvelles technologies. InterdicipinaritĂ© autour du social, 978-1-78405-310-9International audienceThe relationship between technicity and scientificity is often overlooked or avoided despite being a determining factor for establishing interdisciplinarity. By focusing on this relationship and highlighting a number of its ramifications, this book sheds light on the hidden or skewed stakes that condition a wide array of scientific projects.The authors present different approaches based on their own professional experience, focusing on the techniqueâscience relationship in domains as diverse as brain mapping, the decipherment of Mycenaean writing and the design process. Each chapter presents varying and often opposing epistemological conclusions to provide the reader with a wide breadth of examples in different fields.Although the scope of this book is far from exhaustive, it serves as a starting point for the necessary and long-overdue clarification of the relationship between these neighboring, yet disjointed, sectors