In Breakable Glasses: Toward a Naturalist Orientational Cosmology

The author develops the formula, "that process that gives rise to all that exists," as a specification of the cosmos within which human life may find meaningful, ethical orientation. Her position intends to be consonant with the natural sciences and conversant with traditional orientational cosmologies of the world religions. After analyzing each of the key terms in this central formula, she provisionally proposes three ethical stances (humility, responsibility, and celebration) that might follow from orientation to the cosmos seen as "that process that gives rise to all that exists.

Moulins et meuniers

Le moulin n’est pas seulement le bâtiment industriel par excellence de l’ancienne Europe. Il est aussi un “fait social total” dont l’étude implique la pluridisciplinarité. Archéologues, historiens, ethnologues, spécialistes de la littérature et de la parémiologie sont rassemblés dans ce livre pour faire le point des connaissances et, ce faisant, restituer une galerie d’images contrastées allant de la silhouette du seigneur rapace au sourire de la “belle meunière”

A multiscale analysis in CD38 −/− mice unveils major prefrontal cortex dysfunctions

International audienceAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by early onset of behavioral and cognitive alterations. Low plasma levels of oxytocin (OT) have also been found in ASD patients; recently, a critical role for the enzyme CD38 in the regulation of OT release was demonstrated. CD38 is important in regulating several Ca 2+-dependent pathways, but beyond its role in regulating OT secretion, it is not known whether a deficit in CD38 expression leads to functional modifications of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a structure involved in social behavior. Here, we report that CD38 2/2 male mice show an abnormal cortex development, an excitation-inhibition balance shifted toward a higher excitation, and impaired synaptic plasticity in the PFC such as those observed in various mouse models of ASD. We also show that a lack of CD38 alters social behavior and emotional responses. Finally, examining neu-romodulators known to control behavioral flexibility, we found elevated monoamine levels in the PFC of CD38 2/2 adult mice. Overall, our study unveiled major changes in PFC physiologic mechanisms and provides new evidence that the CD38 2/2 mouse could be a relevant model to study pathophysiological brain mechanisms of mental disorders such as ASD.-Martucci, L. A multiscale analysis in CD38-/-mice unveils major prefrontal cortex dysfunctions. FASEB J. 33, 000-000 (2019). www.fasebj.org KEY WORDS: behavior • oxytocin • autism • monoamines • excitation Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) covers a group of neu-rodevelopmental disorders characterized by behavior-al and cognitive disturbances with early-onset deficits in language acquisition and social interaction. ASD is highly inherited but the genetic determinants are poorly understood. The genetic basis of ASD has been associated with copy-number variations or single-nucleotide poly-morphism (SNP) in genes involved in brain development, synapse formation, or cell signaling (1). ASD is frequently associated with excessive cortical growth (2), and a current hypothesis is that the behavioral defects observed in ASD are due to impairments in synaptic functioning and plasticity (1, 3-5). For example, some mutations affect gluta-matergic synaptic transmission such as for the SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domain (SHANK) proteins (4-6) or the neuroligins (3, 7). One important consequence of these mutations is that the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity are altered and affect ionotropic NMDA receptors or metabotropic glutamate receptors regulating learning processes and cognitive functions (8, 9). Recently, the hypothesis of an increase in the excitation-inhibition (E-I) ratio in neuronal circuits emerged as a common patho-physiological principle that could explain the genesis of cognitive and social behavior deficits in ASD (10)

A quoi servent les sciences humaines (IV). Fin de partie

International audienc

L’Esthétique du livre

CE LIVRE EST NÉ DE LA VOLONTÉ DE DÉCLINER une piste que nous n’avions pu aborder dans notre précédent ouvrage, Le Livre et ses espaces, qui envisageait le livre dans sa mise en scène spatiale, réelle et métaphorique, que ce soit à travers l’espace du livre - ses dimensions -, l’espace dans le livre - la typologie de la page -, ou l’espace hors du livre - la bibliothèque par exemple. Dans L’Esthétique du livre par contre, c’est le livre comme lieu d’expériences sensibles que nous souhaitons traiter. Mais que l’on ne s’y méprenne pas ; c’est plus la question de la perception du livre comme objet, industriel ou non, que ses liens éventuels avec la création artistique qui nous intéresse. Et plutôt que d’en rester à la simple analyse du beau livre avec les deux sous-entendus qui l’accompagnent : le beau livre serait le livre d’artiste ou le livre d’art, et l’esthétique du livre l’affaire exclusive des bibliophiles, nous avons préféré partir des perceptions suscitées par l’objet livre pour creuser ses dimensions esthétiques et les impressions qu’il engendre