Participation politique, expressions de la citoyenneté et formes organisées d’engagement : La contribution des coalitions à un renouvellement des conceptions et des pratiques

Dans un contexte où les formes classiques de la démocratie représentative apparaissent remises en question par des revendications d’une participation accrue, nous examinons les conduites citoyennes sous l’angle d’engagements organisés. À partir de résultats préliminaires d’une recherche consacrée aux coalitions actives au Québec et par référence à des observations et à des propositions théoriques rapportées à d’autres contextes, nous mettons en lumière la diversité des formes de mobilisation et nous nous penchons notamment sur l’importance croissante des coalitions comme forme d’engagement. Articulée à la théorie de la survie organisationnelle, notre étude accrédite partiellement la thèse d’une instrumentalisation de l’idée de participation citoyenne au profit des organisations.In a context where classical forms of representative democracy are challenged by demands pressing for participation, it is relevant to consider the citizens’ political involvement from the perspective of organized political action. Against the background of recent theoretical developments and empirical observations, we present the preliminary results of a research on coalitions in Quebec. We examine, first, the growing importance of coalitions and their main characteristics in comparison with other political forces. Then, our analysis both confirms and qualifies some major insights derived from the survival theory, an approach which stresses the idea of participation being turned into a benefit for organizations

La mise en discours de la mode durable via Instagram : regard sur les marques Marine Serre, Ganni et Boohoo

Afin de répondre à l’impératif de durabilité, les marques du secteur de la mode, une industrie particulièrement polluante, développent un discours visant à mettre en valeur leur démarche écoresponsable. Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons aux discours déployés sur Instagram par trois marques, qui correspondent à différents modèles d’affaires de l’industrie : Marine Serre, fondamentalement responsable; Ganni, une marque en transition écoresponsable; et Boohoo, une marque associée à l’ultra fast fashion. À partir d’une analyse des différentes thématiques privilégiées dans les quelque 171 publications de ces trois marques au cours de l’automne 2021, nous concluons que si les marques correspondant aux deux premiers idéaux-types semblent se conformer aux critères d’authenticité reconnus en matière de communication environnementale, la marque de fast fashion, sans grande surprise, verse dans l’écoblanchiment. Or, nos résultats font ressortir que cet écoblanchiment prend une forme insidieuse, qui s’éloigne des clichés habituels : de fait, la marque renverse le fardeau de l’écoresponsabilité en le transférant à ses consommateurs. Nous concluons en soulignant que cette nouvelle forme de purpose washing n’est pas sans conséquence pour l’ensemble des acteurs de l’industrie, y compris ceux qui souhaitent développer une approche authentiquement durable

Psychometric properties of the nine-item problematic internet use questionnaire in a Brazilian general population sample

Objective: The goal of the study is to adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the nine-item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-SF-9). Methods: A convenience sample of Brazilian internet users aged between 18 and 89 years (72.7% female, mean age 38.7 years ± 13.5) was recruited online from September 2018 to July 2019 (test sample = 1,525; retest sample = 237). Participants responded to the adapted version of the PIUQ-SF-9, as well as the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D-10) and sociodemographic questions. Results: A bifactor model with one general factor and three specific dimensions (obsession, neglect and control disorder) yielded the best fit indices [χ 2 = 67.66, df = 15, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.048 (0.037–0.060), RMSEA p close = 0.587 and SRMR = 0.01]. McDonald’s hierarchical omega coefficient was 0.76 for the general factor and varied between 0.16 and 0.33 for the specific dimensions. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.73 for the general factor and varied between 0.64 and 0.72 for the specific dimensions. The MIMIC model supported the scale’s construct validity as the relationship of the predictors (age, time spent online, self-perception of problematic internet use, and depression symptoms) with the PIUQ-SF-9 factors was in line with the assumptions based on the literature. Conclusion: PIUQ-SF-9 seems to be a brief and culturally validated instrument with sound psychometric properties to be used in future studies on problematic internet use in the Brazilian population

Statistically robust representation and comparison of mortality profiles in archaeozoology

Archaeozoological mortality profiles have been used to infer site-specific subsistence strategies. There is however no common agreement on the best way to present these profiles and confidence intervals around age class proportions. In order to deal with these issues, we propose the use of the Dirichlet distribution and present a new approach to perform age-at-death multivariate graphical comparisons. We demonstrate the efficiency of this approach using domestic sheep/goat dental remains from 10 Cardial sites (Early Neolithic) located in South France and the Iberian Peninsula. We show that the Dirichlet distribution in age-at-death analysis can be used: (i) to generate Bayesian credible intervals around each age class of a mortality profile, even when not all age classes are observed; and (ii) to create 95% kernel density contours around each age-at-death frequency distribution when multiple sites are compared using correspondence analysis. The statistical procedure we present is applicable to the analysis of any categorical count data and particularly well-suited to archaeological data (e.g. potsherds, arrow heads) where sample sizes are typically small

Role of Cancer Microenvironment in Metastasis: Focus on Colon Cancer

One person on three will receive a diagnostic of cancer during his life. About one third of them will die of the disease. In most cases, death will result from the formation of distal secondary sites called metastases. Several events that lead to cancer are under genetic control. In particular, cancer initiation is tightly associated with specific mutations that affect proto-oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. These mutations lead to unrestrained growth of the primary neoplasm and a propensity to detach and to progress through the subsequent steps of metastatic dissemination. This process depends tightly on the surrounding microenvironment. In fact, several studies support the point that tumour development relies on a continuous cross-talk between cancer cells and their cellular and extracellular microenvironments. This signaling cross-talk is mediated by transmembrane receptors expressed on cancer cells and stromal cells. The aim of this manuscript is to review how the cancer microenvironment influences the journey of a metastatic cell taking liver invasion by colorectal cancer cells as a model

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’UQAM, pionnière dans l’enseignement des relations publiques

Les relations publiques ont mis du temps à s’imposer comme champ d’études légitime en communication, notamment en raison des balbutiements de la profession, marqués par des pratiques douteuses sur le plan éthique. S’appuyant sur les développements théoriques des années 1980, dont le modèle de l’excellence en relations publiques de James E. Grunig, l’UQAM fait preuve d’audace en mettant sur pied, au milieu des années 1990, le premier programme en Amérique du Nord entièrement consacré à l’enseignement des relations publiques en français. Dès le départ, des liens étroits seront établis entre le programme et les milieux de pratique, ce que concrétise la création de la Chaire de relations publiques et de communication marketing. La recherche associée à ce champ d’études prendra son essor au fil de l’arrivée de professeures et professeurs spécialisés, entre autres, en communication de risque et de crise, en communication politique, en stratégies de médiatisation, en analyse de discours et en usage des médias socionumériques à des fins de relations publiques, faisant de l’UQAM un pôle important dans l’étude de ce champ et une référence pertinente pour les milieux de pratique.Public relations have been slow to establish themselves as a legitimate field of study in communications, partly because of the beginnings of the profession, marked by ethically questionable practices. Building on the theoretical developments of the 1980s, including James E. Grunig’s model of excellence in public relations, UQAM took the bold step of establishing, in the mid-1990s, the first program in North America entirely devoted to teaching public relations in French. From the outset, the program established close ties with practitioners; the Chaire de relations publiques et de communication marketing was created in this perspective. The research associated with this field of study will take off with the arrival of professors specializing, among other things, in risk and crisis communication, political communication, media strategies, discourse analysis, and the use of social media for public relations purposes. This research confers UQAM an important role in public relations study and a relevant reference for practitioners