Les représentations des élèves à propos de différentes postures intellectuelles possibles entre science et croyances religieuses : mise à l’épreuve de la validité de construit d’un questionnaire y afférant

Plusieurs recherches ont mis en évidence, chez des élèves ou des professeurs, différentes formes de rejet de la théorie de l’évolution ainsi que la perception de différentes formes d’interactions entre science et croyances religieuses. C’est pourquoi un questionnaire permettant d’étudier la manière dont les élèves situent, l’un par rapport à l’autre, le registre de la science et celui des croyances religieuses a été élaboré, sur base d’un modèle théorique (Wolfs, 2013 : Wolfs, Salamon, De Coster, El Boudamoussi, & Jackson, 2008) distinguant six conceptions-types : le « rejet de la science au nom de conceptions fidéistes », le « concordisme classique », le « concordisme inversé », « l’autonomie de la science », la « complémentarité » et les « critiques rationalistes à l’égard de croyances religieuses ». Après avoir présenté le cadre théorique et les modalités de construction du questionnaire, cet article examine sa validité de construit et la consistance interne de ses dimensions, à partir des réponses fournies par 638 élèves de dernière année de l’enseignement secondaire belge francophone. Une structure factorielle globalement cohérente avec le modèle de référence a été dégagée au terme d’une analyse factorielle confirmatoire. En outre, ses différentes dimensions s’avèrent être consistantes (alpha de Cronbach). La pertinence de cet outil pour traiter une problématique éducative pour laquelle il en existe très peu est ensuite discutée.Research has pointed out that school teachers and students sometimes apply several forms of rejection of evolution theory and, also, that they perceive various forms of interaction between scientific knowledge and religious beliefs. To further explore these interactions, we have built a questionnaire enabling us to study the way students position scientific knowledge compared to religious beliefs, and vice versa, based on a theoretical model (Wolfs, 2013 : Wolfs, Salamon, De Coster, El Boudamoussi, & Jackson, 2008) describing six different conceptions: «rejection of science in the name of fideist conceptions», «classic concordism», «reversed concordism», «scientific autonomy», «complementarity» and «rationalist critiques of religious beliefs». In this paper, after presenting the theoretical frame and methodology underlying the construction of the questionnaire, we tested its construct validity and the internal consistence of its dimensions based on data collected from 638 undergraduate French speaking Belgian students in their last year of compulsory school education. The results obtained through confirmatory factor analysis and by Chronbach’s alpha analysis are consistent with our theoretical model. Thus we discuss the relevance of this questionnaire, intended to examine an educational issue for which very few investigation tools exist.Várias investigações evidenciaram, nos alunos ou nos professores, diferentes formas de rejeição da teoria da evolução e de interação entre a ciência e as crenças religiosas. Por isso, foi elaborado um questionário para estudar o modo como os alunos se posicionam perante a relação entre o registo da ciência e as crenças religiosas e vice-versa, tendo por base um modelo teórico (Wolfs, 2013 : Wolfs, Salamon, De Coster, El Boudamoussi, & Jackson, 2008) que distingue seis tipos de conceções: a “rejeição da ciência em nome das conceções fideístas”, o “concordismo clássico”, o “concordismo invertido”, “a autonomia da ciência”, a “complementaridade” e as “críticas racionalistas relativamente às crenças religiosas”. Depois da apresentação do quadro teórico e das modalidades de construção do questionário, este artigo examina a validade do construto e a consistência interna das suas dimensões, a partir das respostas fornecidas por 638 alunos do último ano do ensino secundário belga francófono. Os resultados obtidos a partir de uma análise fatorial confirmatória e da análise do alfa de Cronbach são consistentes com o modelo teórico de referência. Discute-se, por fim, a pertinência deste questionário para tratar uma problemática educativa, para a qual existem poucas ferramentas de investigação

Cognitive and neuroimaging evidence of impaired interaction between Self and memory in Alzheimer’s disease

In human cognition, self and memory processes strongly interact, as evidenced by the memory advantage for self-referential materials (Self Reference Effect (SRE) and Self Reference Recollection Effect (SRRE)). The current study examined this interaction at the behavioural level and its neural correlates in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Healthy older controls (HC) and AD patients performed trait-adjectives judgements either for self-relevance or for other-relevance (encoding phase). In a first experiment, the encoding and subsequent yes-no recognition phases were administrated in an MRI scanner. Brain activation as measured by fMRI was examined during self-relevance judgements and anatomical images were used to search for correlation between the memory advantage for self-related items and grey matter density (GMD). In a second experiment, participants described the retrieval experience that had driven their recognition decisions (familiarity vs. recollective experience). The behavioural results revealed that the SRE and SRRE were impaired in AD patients compared to HC participants. Furthermore, verbal reports revealed that the retrieval of self-related information was preferentially associated with the retrieval of contextual details, such as source memory in the HC participants, but less so in the AD patients. Our imaging findings revealed that both groups activated the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) at encoding during self-relevance judgments. However, the variable and limited memory advantage for self-related information was associated with GMD in the lateral prefrontal cortex in the AD patients, a region supporting high-order processes linking self and memory. These findings suggest that even if AD patients engage MPFC during self-referential judgments, the retrieval of self-related memories is qualitatively and quantitatively impaired in relation with altered high-order processes in the lateral PFC

Sarcopenia: an undiagnosed condition in older adults. Current consensus definition: prevalence, etiology, and consequences. International working group on sarcopenia

Sarcopenia, the age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, has considerable societal consequences for the development of frailty, disability, and health care planning. A group of geriatricians and scientists from academia and industry met in Rome, Italy, on November 18, 2009, to arrive at a consensus definition of sarcopenia. The current consensus definition was approved unanimously by the meeting participants and is as follows: Sarcopenia is defined as the age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. The causes of sarcopenia are multifactorial and can include disuse, altered endocrine function, chronic diseases, inflammation, insulin resistance, and nutritional deficiencies. Although cachexia may be a component of sarcopenia, the 2 conditions are not the same. The diagnosis of sarcopenia should be considered in all older patients who present with observed declines in physical function, strength, or overall health. Sarcopenia should specifically be considered in patients who are bedridden, cannot independently rise from a chair, or who have a measured gait speed less that 1 m/s(-1). Patients who meet these criteria should further undergo body composition assessment using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry with sarcopenia being defined using currently validated definitions. A diagnosis of sarcopenia is consistent with a gait speed of less than 1 m\ub7s(-1) and an objectively measured low muscle mass (eg, appendicular mass relative to ht(2) that is 64 7.23 kg/m(2) in men and 64 5.67 kg/m(2) in women). Sarcopenia is a highly prevalent condition in older persons that leads to disability, hospitalization, and death

Regulated necrosis: the expanding network of non-apoptotic cell death pathways

Cell death research was revitalized by the understanding that necrosis can occur in a highly regulated and genetically controlled manner. Although RIPK1 (receptor-interacting protein kinase 1)- and RIPK3-MLKL (mixed lineage kinase domain-like)-mediated necroptosis is the most understood form of regulated necrosis, other examples of this process are emerging, including cell death mechanisms known as parthanatos, oxytosis, ferroptosis, NETosis, pyronecrosis and pyroptosis. Elucidating how these pathways of regulated necrosis are interconnected at the molecular level should enable this process to be therapeutically targeted