Pour une politique des émotions - Le bilan

International audienceLa section 8 du 13ème Congrès de l'Association française de science politique (juin 2015 – Aix en Provence) a été consa-crée à la place des émotions dans la politique. Légèrement dépassés par le succès initial de l'appel à communication (plus de cinquante réponses), ses initiateurs Alain Faure et Emmanuel Négrier ont sélectionné 25 textes en optant pour une organisation des débats en quatre séquences : d'abord trois temps de discussion thématisés, animés à chaque fois par deux lecteurs critiques (Christian Le Bart & Sophie Wa-hnich pour les mobilisations; Crystal Cordel & Christophe Traïni pour l'action publique; Philippe Braud & Florence Delmotte pour le leadership), ensuite une table ronde réu-nissant huit « grands témoins » dans une perspective inter-disciplinaire (Philippe Braud, Crystal Cordell, Florence Del-motte, George Marcus, Jean-Louis Marie, Christophe Traïni, Yves Schemeil & Sophie Wahnich). La principale difficulté de l'exercice concernait le timing particulièrement serré des échanges et les temps de parole réduits accordés aux com-municants. Ces derniers n'ont en effet pas présenté leur texte en tribune. Un carnet de recherche a été dédié à la rencontre EMOPOL dans lequel toutes les communications ont été mises en ligne fin avril (rubrique Programme). Il a été décidé de proposer un résumé des communications sur un mode commando en ouverture des trois séquences (90 secondes par texte…) puis de donner la parole aux lecteurs critiques et d'ouvrir l'échange avec la salle (sachant que presque tous les communicants étaient présents). A l'heure du bilan, on retiendra que la mission de faire discuter ensemble 40 spécia-listes sur 6 heures de rencontre relève de la gageure. Pour autant, l'objectif initial consistant à susciter des boites de dialogue a plutôt bien fonctionné. La question des émotions en politique constitue un objet et un champ de recherche assez mal balisés et pour le moins controversés. La section a permis de poser les jalons d'une scène intellectuelle ouverte sur des terrains parfois inédits en science politique tout en montrant les interactions possi-bles entre différentes sensibilités analyti-ques. Afin d'en présenter très brièvement les grandes lignes, cette synthèse pro-cède par un bref récit chronologique en cinq saynètes. Pour revenir à l'ambiance studieuse mais souvent rieuse des débats, n'hésitez pas à consulter le web : la ren-contre a été retransmise en streaming et il reste une double trace de ces images sur Youtube 23/06/2015 ; 24/06/2015). Comme vous le constaterez, l'option vidéo était expérimen-tale : d'une part, il manque dans les deux vidéos l'inter-vention d'ouverture (l'émotion sans doute au moment de cliquer sur le bouton « enregistrer »), d'autre part l'image et le son sont de mauvaise qualité, avec notamment quel-ques contrejours éblouissants pour les interventions de la salle. Malgré tout, c'est un matériau précieux sur un temps de recherche vécu, de l'avis de tous, avec beaucoup de cha-leur et de passion… Nous évoquerons en guise de conclusion quelques pistes prolonger cette dynamique collective dans les mois qui viennent

A New Software Package for Predictive Gene Regulatory Network Modeling and Redesign

The efficacy of a newly created software package for predictive modeling of developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) has recently been demonstrated (Peter et al., 2012). The program GeNeTool computes spatial gene expression patterns based on GRN interactions and thereby allows the direct comparison of predicted and observed spatial expression patterns. GeNeTool also permits in silico exploration of both cis- and trans- perturbations of GRN interactions. Here, we present this program, review briefly its major features and applications, and provide a detailed and accessible tutorial

Predictive computation of genomic logic processing functions in embryonic development

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) control the dynamic spatial patterns of regulatory gene expression in development. Thus, in principle, GRN models may provide system-level, causal explanations of developmental process. To test this assertion, we have transformed a relatively well-established GRN model into a predictive, dynamic Boolean computational model. This Boolean model computes spatial and temporal gene expression according to the regulatory logic and gene interactions specified in a GRN model for embryonic development in the sea urchin. Additional information input into the model included the progressive embryonic geometry and gene expression kinetics. The resulting model predicted gene expression patterns for a large number of individual regulatory genes each hour up to gastrulation (30 h) in four different spatial domains of the embryo. Direct comparison with experimental observations showed that the model predictively computed these patterns with remarkable spatial and temporal accuracy. In addition, we used this model to carry out in silico perturbations of regulatory functions and of embryonic spatial organization. The model computationally reproduced the altered developmental functions observed experimentally. Two major conclusions are that the starting GRN model contains sufficiently complete regulatory information to permit explanation of a complex developmental process of gene expression solely in terms of genomic regulatory code, and that the Boolean model provides a tool with which to test in silico regulatory circuitry and developmental perturbations

MRI evidence of nanoparticles migration in drying porous media

Due to the migration of elements they induce imbibition-drying cycles are known to play a major role in the colloid-facilitated transport in many industrials process, for instance for pollutants migration in soils or pores clogging in building materials. We study the drying of a colloidal suspension in a porous media. The critical physical phenomenon at work here is the displacement and redistribution of colloidal particles induced by evaporation of the liquid phase from the porous medium. This can be clearly seen by filling a bead packing with coffee. Indeed after full drying the sample has shaded tones with darker regions around the sample free surface and white regions almost free of particles around the bottom. The mechanisms are not yet fully understood and there is no straightforward observation and simple quantification of the spreading of the elements. To better understand the phenomenon, we perform the same experiment using with a clear scaling separation between the porous structure (glass beads diameter=200 μm) and nanoparticles in suspension in water (diameter = 20 nm). Using a new MRI technique to measure the distributions of water and particles we observe particles rising towards the free surface, as water remains homogenously distributed. The particles aggregation area is very large compare to their volume fraction in the pore volume. But we can quantify how the elements migrate towards the free surface of the sample and accumulate in the remaining liquid films. Our complete understanding of the process makes it possible to establish a simple model predicting the drying rate and the concentration distribution [7]. This opens the way to a control of salt or colloid migration and drying rate of soils and building materials

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Chronic Lung Infections: How to Adapt Within the Host?

Bacteria that readily adapt to different natural environments, can also exploit this versatility upon infection of the host to persist. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium, is harmless to healthy individuals, and yet a formidable opportunistic pathogen in compromised hosts. When pathogenic, P. aeruginosa causes invasive and highly lethal disease in certain compromised hosts. In others, such as individuals with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, this pathogen causes chronic lung infections which persist for decades. During chronic lung infections, P. aeruginosa adapts to the host environment by evolving toward a state of reduced bacterial invasiveness that favors bacterial persistence without causing overwhelming host injury. Host responses to chronic P. aeruginosa infections are complex and dynamic, ranging from vigorous activation of innate immune responses that are ineffective at eradicating the infecting bacteria, to relative host tolerance and dampened activation of host immunity. This review will examine how P. aeruginosa subverts host defenses and modulates immune and inflammatory responses during chronic infection. This dynamic interplay between host and pathogen is a major determinant in the pathogenesis of chronic P. aeruginosa lung infections

Territoire

International audienceDans l'analyse de l'action publique, les termes territoire, territorialité et territorialisation sont convoqués sur un mode flottant dans le champ académique avec trois obstacles de taille: le mot français territoire ne possède pas de traduction vraiment satisfaisante en anglais (local, place, territory…); la territorialité n'est pas conceptualisée en tant que telle en science politique (comme c'est le cas par exemple en géographie ou en ethnologie); enfin la territorialisation de l'action publique s'impose comme un sésame dans les lexiques professionnalisés. Les trois termes possèdent visiblement une histoire française, et cette spécificité brouille les passerelles avec les notions anglosaxonnes de local government, urban regime, urban governance ou encore policy networks. Pour démêler l'écheveau des sens et des usages en présence, on adoptera deux focales successives. La première concerne une appréhension bien française du lien de la République à ses territoires et de son adossement à une trame historique étatique et centralisée, le territoire et la territorialisation sont ici pensés comme de puissantes variables d'unification. La seconde concerne le processus de projection du pouvoir sur un espace donné avec des écarts parfois considérables d'un système politique local à l'autre. Tant sur le plan électoral que sur celui de l'action publique, les effets de territorialité deviennent alors des indices de différenciation révélant la démocratie dans des variations plus sensibles

Evaporation from a capillary tube: Experiment and modelization

Drying is known to play a major role in soils and buildings materials. Better understanding the physics may help saving cost and energy. Thus control of the drying kinetics is a key factor. In permeable porous media, capillary forces lead to constant curvature of the air/water interface. The value of the curvature and the shape of the interface depend strongly on the pore geometry. Thus small change in their shape may lead to main change of the air/water interface as the medium desaturates. As the surface is supplied with water the drying rate remains at a constant value set by the area of air/water interface close to the surface. A capillary tube of rectangular cross section maintains water layers in its 4 corners and reproduce well the drying regimes of a porous medium. Here we show that a small variation in the shape of the cross section modify drastically the invasion of air due to equilibrium of capillary forces. Moreover not only the corners but a large part of the cross section remains wet in particular at the entrance of the tube allowing a high drying rate. Pore distribution and the opacity of samples make it difficult to locate water and estimate capillary forces with accuracy. Using a simple geometry, we can observe the water distribution and measure the shape of the air/water interface with good resolution in imaging and in time. We observe that the drying rate is constant during the main period of the desaturation even if the air/water interface increases by a factor 10. Using 2D finite element method (FEM), we show that the air inside a large portion of the capillary tube is saturate with water vapor ; thus only a small part of the interface close to the entrance participate to the evaporation flux. More generally we can infer that below one pore diameter air is saturated and the air/water interface does not contribute to drying. The three basic regimes of drying kinetics in porous media assumes that the drying rate will decrease as the capillary forces are no longer able to provide water to the evaporation surface. In our tube, as desaturation goes further, the drying rate decreases even if the capillary flow still supply water to the surface. Again using FEM, we show that as the wetting surface at the entrance decreases the drying rate will decrease even if no receding front progress. In this situation, the air/water interface inside the tube contributing to the drying increase progressively but this is not enough to maintain the initial high rate. Interpreting only the water mass loss as a function of time, we may lead to wrong conclusions considering basics drying regimes. In Porous media with the same porosity and a slight variation in pore shape drying rate may differ by order of magnitude. Our understanding of the drying kinetics of a simple geometry opens way to control the pore distribution to tune the drying rate of porous media in situation where capillary effects are dominant