The detection of intentional contingencies in simple animations in patients with delusions of persecution

Background. It has been proposed that delusions of persecution are caused by the tendency to over-attribute malevolent intentions to other people's actions. One aspect of intention attribution is detecting contingencies between an agent's actions and intentions. Here, we used simplified stimuli to test the hypothesis that patients with persecutory delusions over-attribute contingency to agents' movements. Method. Short animations were presented to three groups of subjects: (1) schizophrenic patients; (2) patients with affective disorders; and (3) normal control subjects. Patients were divided on the basis of the presence or absence of delusions of persecution. Participants watched four types of film featuring two shapes. In half the films one shape's movement was contingent on the other shape. Contingency was either ‘intentional’: one shape moved when it ‘saw’ another shape; or ‘mechanical’: one shape was launched by the other shape. Subjects were asked to rate the strength of the relationship between the movement of the shapes. Results. Normal control subjects and patients without delusions of persecution rated the relationship between the movement of the shapes as stronger in both mechanical and intentional contingent conditions than in non-contingent conditions. In contrast, there was no significant difference between the ratings of patients with delusions of persecution for the conditions in which movement was animate. Patients with delusions of persecution perceived contingency when there was none in the animate non-contingent condition. Conclusions. The results suggest that delusions of persecution may be associated with the over-attribution of contingency to the actions of agents

Columnar stromatolites from the Early Proterozoic Schmidtsdrift Formation, Northern Cape province, South Africa - Part I: systematic and diagnostic features

Main articleThe Schmidtsdrift Formation (Transvaal Dolomite) is a Lower Proterozoic stromatolite-bearing carbonate unit. A good succession of columnar stromatolites occurs along the Boetsap River (Northern Cape Province). Using the method of serial sections to draw the gross morphology of columns and following the actual classification based on a succession of different characters, many new groups and forms have been found : Topinamboura insulata is a bulbous column with wart-like projections spreading out everywhere on the smooth surface. Radiatina isotropa presents closely packed radiating columns forming compact bioherms. The small rhythmically superposed columns of Tibia cristata, Tibia plumata and Sapinia fucoides offer tiny bushy columns with a constant crestal zone, a very unusual feature, giving an angular ,shape to the laminae. Some of the stromatolites belong to previously described groups, from the same area as Katernia africana or Katernia perlina new form, which present true bushy columns forming thin biostromes; or, from other parts of the world, as Pilbaria boetsapia and Pilbaria inzeriformis, two new forms, attributed to a Lower Proteroroic group described in Australia. Besides description of morphologies and mode of occurrences, detailed studies of lamina microstructures have been carried out. Very interesting fabrics have been described but, until now, no true organic remains (cells) have been found. The conclusions emphasize the importance of detailed systematic description of stromatolites in order to make a biostratigraphical model of the Lower Proterozoic and to clear up confusions with Upper Proterozoic stromatolites which also present varied assemblages of ramified stromatolites.Non

Silicone migration to the contralateral axillary lymph nodes and breast after highly cohesive silicone gel implant failure: a case report

Highly cohesive silicone gel implants are advertised for aesthetic and safety advantages. Our case is the fourth report describing early implant rupture and contralateral migration of siliconoma. Despite the greater degree of gel cohesiveness, a continued vigilance for signs and symptoms of migration is highly recommended

Une poétique du malaise : les anciens combattants face aux mythes de l’arrière (H. Barbusse, L.-F. Céline, L. Guilloux, E. M. Remarque, L. Werth)

Un bon nombre de romans européens des années 1910 à 1930 ayant pour thème l’expérience des combattants de la Grande Guerre, mettent en scène, à l’occasion de la démobilisation ou d’une permission de ces soldats, le malaise de ceux-ci face à la représentation déformée que le monde civil a de la guerre. Les combattants découvrent des civils qui se veulent, du fait de leur engagement « moral », aussi « héroïques » qu’eux, qui contestent leur vision « partielle » de l’état du front en prétendant à une « hauteur de vue » seule offerte par le recul de l’arrière. Pour représenter ce choc, le roman est d’autant plus efficace qu’il ne se livre pas à une rhétorique de la dénonciation : les personnages de combattants en question sont à la fois révoltés et passifs, opposés mais d’une certaine manière soumis à ces discours de la manipulation. Le « contre-récit » romanesque travaille donc de l’intérieur les discours manipulés, et n’offre pas pleinement les armes intellectuelles, idéologiques, pour s’en défaire : il invite le lecteur à s’interroger sur ces discours sans lui offrir, au-delà du pacifisme commun aux auteurs cités, la solution d’un engagement politique précis

Dynamical control of quantum state transfer within hybrid open systems

We analyze quantum state-transfer optimization within hybrid open systems, from a "noisy" (write-in) qubit to its "quiet" counterpart (storage qubit). Intriguing interplay is revealed between our ability to avoid bath-induced errors that profoundly depend on the bath-memory time and the limitations imposed by leakage out of the operational subspace. Counterintuitively, under no circumstances is the fastest transfer optimal (for a given transfer energy)

Feasibility criteria for total thyroidectomy in outpatient surgery

INTRODUCTION: France is pursuing a policy of cutting healthcare costs, and outpatient surgery is one of the objectives of this policy. Thyroid surgery could be suitable for outpatient management, provided there is an appropriate patient selection process. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors for postoperative complications in total thyroidectomy (TT). DESIGN: A single-center observational study was carried out from January 2010 to December 2015. METHOD: Correlations between, on the one hand, age, gender, obesity, history of surgery, antiplatelet and/or anticoagulation treatment, the surgeon\u27s experience, surgery time, repeated lymph node dissection, and surgical indication (cancer, lymphocytic thyroiditis, Graves\u27 disease or multinodular goiter) and, on the other hand, onset of postoperative complications (postoperative hypocalcemia, uni- or bi-lateral lesions of the recurrent laryngeal nerves, and premature compressive hematoma) were assessed. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-four consecutive TTs were included. 85 patients showed postoperative hypocalcemia (20.04%), 18 recurrent laryngeal nerve lesion (4.25%), and 4 compressive cervical hematoma (0.94%). Overall morbidity was 24.06%. Risk factors identified for postoperative hypocalcemia comprised: female gender [OR=3.2584; 95%CI (1.5500-7.7515); P=0.0036], surgery time [OR=1.0095; 95%CI (1.0020-1.0172); P=0.0129], and surgical indication for benign adenoma [OR=5.0642; 95%CI (1.7768-14.5904); P=0.0022]. None of the study variables emerged as risk factors for recurrent laryngeal nerve lesion. Repeated dissection increased the risk of re-do surgery for compressive hematoma [OR=25.1373; 95%CI (0.8468-32.2042); P=0.0347]. CONCLUSION: Surgery time, female gender, repeated dissection and total thyroidectomy for benign adenoma are risk factors that should be considered in decision-making for performing TT on an outpatient basis