Pierre Fournier, Travailler dans le nucléaire : enquête au cœur d’un site à risques

Ce livre présente une enquête tout à fait remarquable sur le travail dans les sites nucléaires à travers une réflexion qui se situe au croisement de la sociologie, de l’ethnographie et du témoignage. En effet, le sociologue Pierre Fournier est fils d’un employé du nucléaire. Embauché comme stagiaire dans une entreprise de sous-traitance sur le même site que son père, il est rentré très jeune au cœur du travail nucléaire. S’ensuivent un parcours universitaire, et de nombreux travaux de recherc..

Pierre Fournier, Travailler dans le nucléaire : enquête au cœur d’un site à risques

Ce livre présente une enquête tout à fait remarquable sur le travail dans les sites nucléaires à travers une réflexion qui se situe au croisement de la sociologie, de l’ethnographie et du témoignage. En effet, le sociologue Pierre Fournier est fils d’un employé du nucléaire. Embauché comme stagiaire dans une entreprise de sous-traitance sur le même site que son père, il est rentré très jeune au cœur du travail nucléaire. S’ensuivent un parcours universitaire, et de nombreux travaux de recherc..

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

Background Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure. Methods We generated a progression score on the basis of principal component analysis of prospectively acquired longitudinal changes in motor, cognitive, and imaging measures in the 218 indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008–11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers (data collected 2003–13). We did a genome-wide association analyses in terms of progression for 216 TRACK-HD participants and 1773 REGISTRY participants, then a meta-analysis of these results was undertaken. Findings Longitudinal motor, cognitive, and imaging scores were correlated with each other in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression in TRACK-HD and REGISTRY gave a genome-wide significant signal (p=1·12 × 10−10) on chromosome 5 spanning three genes: MSH3, DHFR, and MTRNR2L2. The genes in this locus were associated with progression in TRACK-HD (MSH3 p=2·94 × 10−8 DHFR p=8·37 × 10−7 MTRNR2L2 p=2·15 × 10−9) and to a lesser extent in REGISTRY (MSH3 p=9·36 × 10−4 DHFR p=8·45 × 10−4 MTRNR2L2 p=1·20 × 10−3). The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TRACK-HD (rs557874766) was genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis (p=1·58 × 10−8), and encodes an aminoacid change (Pro67Ala) in MSH3. In TRACK-HD, each copy of the minor allele at this SNP was associated with a 0·4 units per year (95% CI 0·16–0·66) reduction in the rate of change of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Total Motor Score, and a reduction of 0·12 units per year (95% CI 0·06–0·18) in the rate of change of UHDRS Total Functional Capacity score. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age of onset. Interpretation The multidomain progression measure in TRACK-HD was associated with a functional variant that was genome-wide significant in our meta-analysis. The association in only 216 participants implies that the progression measure is a sensitive reflection of disease burden, that the effect size at this locus is large, or both. Knockout of Msh3 reduces somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models, suggesting this mechanism as an area for future therapeutic investigation

L’Afrique et le monde nucléaire : maladies industrielles et réseaux transnationaux dans l’uranium africain

Quelle place l’Afrique occupe-t-elle dans le monde nucléaire ? En 1995, un rapport du gouvernement américain sur la prolifération nucléaire laissait entendre que ni le Gabon, ni le Niger, ni la Namibie n’avait d’« activités nucléaires ». Pourtant, la même année, ces pays représentaient plus de 25 % de la production mondiale d’uranium, contribuant ainsi à alimenter les centrales nucléaires d’Europe, des États-Unis et du Japon. Les experts savent depuis longtemps que les mineurs d’uranium sont ..

The reactor in the vineyard: Technological choice and cultural change in the French nuclear program, 1945-1969

This dissertation analyzes the ways in which social, political, economic, and cultural factors shaped the development of the French nuclear program from 1945 to 1969, concentrating on the development of gas-graphite reactors. Chapter One provides an introduction to current debates about the French nuclear program and situates the dissertation and its methodology within these debates. Chapter Two describes the creation of the two state institutions that developed France\u27s nuclear program: Electricite de France (EDF) and the Commissariat a l\u27Energie Atomique (CEA). Comparison of a CEA gas-graphite reactor with one built by EDF in order shows that the different political, economic, and technological agendas of each organization became embodied in reactor design and that each reactor became an expression of national policy. Chapter Three examines conflicts between EDF and the CEA over nuclear development in the 1960s, when the program became an economic and industrial showcase for the government. The analysis shows how EDF and the CEA each tried to shape organization of work within the program as a way of shaping French economic and industrial policy. Again by comparing EDF and CEA reactors, Chapter Four delves into the daily operation of these gas-graphite reactors. The different agendas, structures, and organizational cultures of each institutions meant that employees in each had varying amounts of control over their work practices. Each institution defined risk differently and each granted different amounts of importance to similar skills. Chapter Five is a case-study of the reception of EDF\u27s first nuclear power plant by the communities surrounding it. The huge influx of workers in Avoine, where the site was located, and in the three surrounding villages brought profound changes to the region\u27s social, political, and economic structure. This chapter analyzes these changes, explaining why certain residents opposed the plant\u27s arrival while others favored it. Finally, the epilogue discusses the demise of the gas-graphite program

The reactor in the vineyard: Technological choice and cultural change in the French nuclear program, 1945-1969

This dissertation analyzes the ways in which social, political, economic, and cultural factors shaped the development of the French nuclear program from 1945 to 1969, concentrating on the development of gas-graphite reactors. Chapter One provides an introduction to current debates about the French nuclear program and situates the dissertation and its methodology within these debates. Chapter Two describes the creation of the two state institutions that developed France\u27s nuclear program: Electricite de France (EDF) and the Commissariat a l\u27Energie Atomique (CEA). Comparison of a CEA gas-graphite reactor with one built by EDF in order shows that the different political, economic, and technological agendas of each organization became embodied in reactor design and that each reactor became an expression of national policy. Chapter Three examines conflicts between EDF and the CEA over nuclear development in the 1960s, when the program became an economic and industrial showcase for the government. The analysis shows how EDF and the CEA each tried to shape organization of work within the program as a way of shaping French economic and industrial policy. Again by comparing EDF and CEA reactors, Chapter Four delves into the daily operation of these gas-graphite reactors. The different agendas, structures, and organizational cultures of each institutions meant that employees in each had varying amounts of control over their work practices. Each institution defined risk differently and each granted different amounts of importance to similar skills. Chapter Five is a case-study of the reception of EDF\u27s first nuclear power plant by the communities surrounding it. The huge influx of workers in Avoine, where the site was located, and in the three surrounding villages brought profound changes to the region\u27s social, political, and economic structure. This chapter analyzes these changes, explaining why certain residents opposed the plant\u27s arrival while others favored it. Finally, the epilogue discusses the demise of the gas-graphite program