Evolution and question of the centrality of the value: ''work'' in our contemporary society.

Papers on Territorial Intelligence and Sustainable economics within the new culture of development.In this article we will question work and its evolution in our post-industrial society. First of all, we will wonder if we really are in the right track to go beyond it, or not. In other terms, the question is: Is work an endangered value2? Then, we will go back over the transition from industrial society to post-industrial one, in order to analyse the evolution of the value : ''work'', considering the hypothesis that this major societal transformation did not improve our tie to work.Dans cet article, nous allons questionner le travail et sur son évolution dans notre société post-industrielle. Tout d'abord, on se demandera si nous sommes bien engagés dans la voie de son dépassement, ou pas. En d'autres termes, nous nous poserons la question sui-vante : Le travail est-il un valeur en voie de disparition1 ? Dans un deuxième temps, nous re-viendrons sur le passage de la société industrielle à la société post-industrielle, pour y analy-ser l'évolution de la valeur " travail ", avec l'hypothèse que cette transformation sociétale majeure n'a pas amélioré notre relation au travail

L'agriculture montagnarde phunoï du nord du Laos : vers la fin de l'autosubsistance

Essarteurs de longue tradition, les paysans phunoï cultivent en défriche-brûlis les flancs escarpés des montagnes du nord du Laos dans le but d'assurer leur autosubsistance alimentaire. L'auteur a effectué un diagnostic du système agraire phunoï et a analysé ses transformations par rapport à sa propre histoire, aux évolutions de la société laotienne et à l'intégration progressive dans l'économie de marché. Les autorités du Laos veulent supprimer ce mode d'exploitation afin de préserver l'environnement forestier des bassins versants supérieurs, mais les solutions proposées ne permettent pas aux populations concernées de vivre dans des conditions décentes. Un projet de développement rural mis en oeuvre par le CCL avec le soutien financier de la CFD, doit répondre aux exigences politiques laotiennes de stabiliser la culture sur abattis-brûlis tout en permettant un développement économique et social harmonieux de la région. Ce projet porte sur le désenclavement des villages phunoï, le développement de l'élevage et sur la diversification des productions végétales. (Résumé d'auteur

When return migrations become a reality. The example of Peruvians who return home

[EN] This paper addresses the issue of “return migrations,” which have taken on a new dimension with the crisis that has durably taken root in certain countries of “Old Europe,” particularly in Spain. It attempts firstly to shed light on why these migrations have hitherto been understudied, except in a “metaphorical” manner. After presenting a critique of certain notions, in fashion in studies of current migrations, which excessively valorize the “mobility” of migrants, the paper shows that this mobility remains essentially something that the migrants suffer and not choose. Finally, it brings to light the issues involved in return migrations, with the example of Peruvians, based upon field research conducted in Peru in July and August 2014.[FR] Il s’agit dans cette contribution d’aborder les « migrations de retour», ces dernières prenant une ampleur nouvelle avec la crise qui s’installe durablementdans certains pays de la « vieille Europe », en Espagne notamment. Nous tenterons de comprendre, dans un premier temps, pourquoi ces migrations ont été jusque-là peu étudiées, sauf de manière « métaphorique ». Après une critique de certaines notions en vogue dans l’étude des migrations actuelles valorisant de façon excessive la « mobilité » des migrants, nous montrerons que cette mobilité reste essentiellement subie par ces derniers. Enfi n, nous donnerons corps aux migrations de retour avec l’exemple des Péruviens, à partir d’une enquête de terrain réalisée au Pérou en Juillet et Août 2014.[ES] Esta contribución aborda las « migraciones de retorno », que han cobrado una gran importancia con la persistente crisis económica que se ha establecido en la “vieja Europa” y, en particular, en España. Se tratará de explicar, en un primer momento, por qué estas migraciones han sido poco estudiadas hasta ahora, salvo de forma “metafórica”. Tras realizar una crítica de ciertas nociones que están en boga en el estudio de las migraciones en la actualidad, que ponen en valor de forma excesiva la movilidad de los migrantes, se demostrará que esta movilidad sigue siendo padecida por estos últimos. Por último, se pondrá cara a las migraciones de retorno con el ejemplo de los peruanos, a partir de las entrevistas de campo realizadas en Perú en julio y agosto de 2014

Prediction Models for the Pleasantness of Binary Mixtures in Olfaction

Whereas the rules underlying the perceived intensity of binary mixtures have been investigated, minimal efforts have been directed at elucidating the rules underlying the perceived pleasantness of such mixtures. To address this, 84 subjects ranked the pleasantness and intensity of 5 distinct binary mixtures (15 pairs, inter-stimulus interval = 4 s, inter-trial interval = 30 s, flow = 6 l/min, pulse = 2 s) constructed from different ratios (0:100%, 25:75%, 50:50%, 75:25%, and 100:0%, olfactometer-generated vapor phase). We found that in the majority of cases, the pleasantness of the mixture fell between the pleasantness values of its separated constituents and that it was strongly influenced by the relative intensities of the constituents. Based on these results, we proposed a prediction paradigm for the pleasantness of binary mixtures from the pleasantness of their separated constituents weighted by their respective perceived intensities. The uniqueness of the proposed paradigm is that it neither requires presetting an interaction constant between the mixture components nor require any factorization of the pleasantness weights. It does, nonetheless, require solid psychophysical data on the separated components at their different concentrations, and currently it can only explain the behavior of intermediate pleasantness of mixtures

Aider les Risk Managers à qualifier les mauvaises pratiques : les dessous de la disposition Sapin II

International audienceL’objet de cet article est d’envisager une problématique essentielle en gestion des risques et inhérente à la fonction de risk manager, laquelle concerne la question de la capacité des gestionnaires de risques à réaliser et à remonter à la gouvernance des alertes sur les risques de l’organisation. En abordant des perspectives tant théoriques que managériales et en nous appuyant sur différentes études de cas dans le secteur des assurances et des mutuelles, nous traitons cette question de recherche tant du point de vue de l’aspect normatif traditionnel du risk manager que de celui qui lui semble de plus en plus dévolu, comme c’est le cas en France avec le dispositif Sapin II, de garant d’une orthodoxie de gestion dépassant le strict cadre légal

Effect of Functional Group and Carbon Chain Length on the Odor Detection Threshold of Aliphatic Compounds

Odor detection thresholds (ODTs) are used for assessing outdoor and indoor air quality. They are obtained experimentally by olfactometry and psychophysical methods, and large compilations are available in the literature. A non-linear regression equation was fitted to describe the ODT variability of 114 aliphatic compounds based on the alkyl chain length for different homologous series (carboxylic acids, aldehydes, 2-ketones, esters, 1-alcohols, amines, thiols, thioethers and hydrocarbons). The resulting equation reveals an effect of the functional group, molecular size and also an interaction between both factors. Although the mechanistic interpretation of results is uncertain, the relatively high goodness-of-fit (R2 = 0.90) suggests that ODT values of aliphatic compounds can be predicted rather accurately, which is not the case for rigid molecules. This equation may serve as a basis for the development of more complex ODT models taking into account diverse structural features of odorants. The variability of power-law exponents was also investigated for the homologous series

EVER Proteins, Key Elements of the Natural Anti-Human Papillomavirus Barrier, Are Regulated upon T-Cell Activation

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause a variety of mucosal and skin lesions ranging from benign proliferations to invasive carcinomas. The clinical manifestations of infection are determined by host-related factors that define the natural anti-HPV barrier. Key elements of this barrier are the EVER1 and EVER2 proteins, as deficiency in either one of the EVER proteins leads to Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis (EV), a genodermatosis associated with HPV-induced skin carcinoma. Although EVERs have been shown to regulate zinc homeostasis in keratinocytes, their expression and function in other cell types that may participate to the anti-HPV barrier remain to be investigated. In this work, we demonstrate that EVER genes are expressed in different tissues, and most notably in lymphocytes. Interestingly, in contrast to the skin, where EVER2 transcripts are hardly detectable, EVER genes are both abundantly expressed in murine and human T cells. Activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells via the TCR triggers a rapid and profound decrease in EVER expression, accompanied by an accumulation of free Zn2+ ions. Thus, EVER proteins may be involved in the regulation of cellular zinc homeostasis in lymphocytes. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show that the concentration of Zn2+ ions is elevated in lymphoblastoid cells or primary T cells from EVER2-deficient patients. Interestingly, we also show that Zn2+ excess blocks T-cell activation and proliferation. Therefore, EVER proteins appear as key components of the activation-dependent regulation of Zn2+ concentration in T cells. However, the impact of EVER-deficiency in T cells on EV pathogenesis remains to be elucidated

DOCK8 deficiency impairs CD8 T cell survival and function in humans and mice

As shown by analysis of mice and humans bearing DOCK8-inactivating mutations, DOCK8 plays a cell-autonomous role in survival of naive CD8 T cells, LFA-1 polarization toward the immune synapse, and CD8 T cell memory and recall responses following viral infection

Dendritic cell-expressed common gamma-chain recruits IL-15 for trans-presentation at the murine immunological synapse [version 1]

Background: Mutations of the common cytokine receptor gamma chain (γc) cause Severe Combined Immunodeficiency characterized by absent T and NK cell development. Although stem cell therapy restores these lineages, residual immune defects are observed that may result from selective persistence of γc-deficiency in myeloid lineages. However, little is known about the contribution of myeloid-expressed γc to protective immune responses.  Here we examine the importance of γc for myeloid dendritic cell (DC) function. Methods: We utilize a combination of in vitro DC/T-cell co-culture assays and a novel lipid bilayer system mimicking the T cell surface to delineate the role of DC-expressed γc during DC/T-cell interaction. Results: We observed that γc in DC was recruited to the contact interface following MHCII ligation, and promoted IL-15Rα colocalization with engaged MHCII. Unexpectedly, trans-presentation of IL-15 was required for optimal CD4+T cell activation by DC and depended on DC γc expression. Neither recruitment of IL-15Rα nor IL-15 trans-signaling at the DC immune synapse (IS), required γc signaling in DC, suggesting that γc facilitates IL-15 transpresentation through induced intermolecular cis associations or cytoskeletal reorganization following MHCII ligation. Conclusions: These findings show that DC-expressed γc is required for effective antigen-induced CD4+ T cell activation. We reveal a novel mechanism for recruitment of DC IL-15/IL-15Rα complexes to the IS, leading to CD4+ T cell costimulation through localized IL-15 transpresentation that is coordinated with antigen-recognition