Caëstre – Rue de Hazebrouck

Une opération de sondages archéologiques a été réalisée en décembre 2013 à Caëstre à l’emplacement d’un projet de lotissement couvrant une surface de 31 245 m2. 11 tranchées et des extensions ont été réalisées ouvrant environ 10 % de la surface générale. Cette opération a permis de mettre en évidence des traces d’occupation d’époque gallo-romaine. Cette occupation est caractérisée par la présence d’une série de fossés orientés nord-ouest/sud-est. L’un d’entre eux est très riche en mobilier cé..

Pradelles – RD642

Un diagnostic a été réalisé en novembre 2013 à Pradelles sur une surface de 20 502 m2. Huit tranchées et des extensions ont été réalisées ouvrant environ 9 % de la surface générale. Cette opération de sondages archéologiques a permis de mettre en évidence des traces d’occupation humaine de l’époque gallo-romaine. La faible quantité de céramique mis au jour ne permet pas d’affiner la datation. Toutes les tranchées ont livré des structures archéologiques, peu ont pu être fouillées et datées dan..

A Melodic Contour Repeatedly Experienced by Human Near-Term Fetuses Elicits a Profound Cardiac Reaction One Month after Birth

Human hearing develops progressively during the last trimester of gestation. Near-term fetuses can discriminate acoustic features, such as frequencies and spectra, and process complex auditory streams. Fetal and neonatal studies show that they can remember frequently recurring sounds. However, existing data can only show retention intervals up to several days after birth.Here we show that auditory memories can last at least six weeks. Experimental fetuses were given precisely controlled exposure to a descending piano melody twice daily during the 35(th), 36(th), and 37(th) weeks of gestation. Six weeks later we assessed the cardiac responses of 25 exposed infants and 25 naive control infants, while in quiet sleep, to the descending melody and to an ascending control piano melody. The melodies had precisely inverse contours, but similar spectra, identical duration, tempo and rhythm, thus, almost identical amplitude envelopes. All infants displayed a significant heart rate change. In exposed infants, the descending melody evoked a cardiac deceleration that was twice larger than the decelerations elicited by the ascending melody and by both melodies in control infants.Thus, 3-weeks of prenatal exposure to a specific melodic contour affects infants 'auditory processing' or perception, i.e., impacts the autonomic nervous system at least six weeks later, when infants are 1-month old. Our results extend the retention interval over which a prenatally acquired memory of a specific sound stream can be observed from 3-4 days to six weeks. The long-term memory for the descending melody is interpreted in terms of enduring neurophysiological tuning and its significance for the developmental psychobiology of attention and perception, including early speech perception, is discussed

Interferon β-1a in relapsing multiple sclerosis: four-year extension of the European IFNβ-1a Dose-C omparison Study

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease requiring long-term monitoring of treatment. Objective: To assess the four-year clinical efficacy of intramuscular (IM) IFNb-1a in patients with relapsing MS from the European IFNb-1a Dose-C omparison Study. Methods: Patients who completed 36 months of treatment (Part 1) of the European IFNb-1a Dose-C omparison Study were given the option to continue double-blind treatment with IFNb-1a 30 mcg or 60 mcg IM once weekly (Part 2). Analyses of 48-month data were performed on sustained disability progression, relapses, and neutralizing antibody (NA b) formation. Results: O f 608/802 subjects who completed 36 months of treatment, 493 subjects continued treatment and 446 completed 48 months of treatment and follow-up. IFNb-1a 30 mcg and 60 mcg IM once weekly were equally effective for up to 48 months. There were no significant differences between doses over 48 months on any of the clinical endpoints, including rate of disability progression, cumulative percentage of patients who progressed (48 and 43, respectively), and annual relapse rates; relapses tended to decrease over 48 months. The incidence of patients who were positive for NAbs at any time during the study was low in both treatment groups. Conclusion: C ompared with 60-mcg IM IFNb-1a once weekly, a dose of 30 mcg IM IFNb-1a once weekly maintains the same clinical efficacy over four years

When the sound becomes the goal. 4E cognition and teleomusicality in early infancy

In this paper we explore early musical behaviors through the lenses of the recently emerged "4E" approach to mind, which sees cognitive processes as Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, and Extended. In doing so, we draw from a range of interdisciplinary research, engaging in critical and constructive discussions with both new findings and existing positions. In particular, we refer to observational research by French pedagogue and psychologist François Delalande, who examined infants' first "sound discoveries" and individuated three different musical "conducts" inspired by the "phases of the game" originally postulated by Piaget. Elaborating on such ideas we introduce the notion of "teleomusicality," which describes the goal-directed behaviors infants adopt to explore and play with sounds. This is distinguished from the developmentally earlier "protomusicality," which is based on music-like utterances, movements, and emotionally relevant interactions (e.g., with primary caregivers) that do not entail a primary focus on sound itself. The development from protomusicality to teleomusicality is discussed in terms of an "attentive shift" that occurs between 6 and 10 months of age. This forms the basis of a conceptual framework for early musical development that emphasizes the emergence of exploratory, goal-directed (i.e., sound-oriented), and self-organized musical actions in infancy. In line with this, we provide a preliminary taxonomy of teleomusical processes discussing "Original Teleomusical Acts" (OTAs) and "Constituted Teleomusical Acts" (CTAs). We argue that while OTAs can be easily witnessed in infants' exploratory behaviors, CTAs involve the mastery of more specific and complex goal-directed chains of actions central to musical activity

Long-term exposure to sensory feed additives during the gestational and postnatal periods impacts sows’ colostrum and milk sensory profiles, piglets’ growth and feed intake

This study investigated the effect of feed supplementation in sows and/or their progeny with two sensory feed additives (FA1: limonene and cinnamaldehyde; FA2: menthol, carvone and anethole) on sows’ feed intake, body weight, fat deposition, and colostrum/milk composition, as well as piglets’ feed intake growth and feed efficiency from birth to slaughter at postnatal day 160 (PND160). During the last third of gestation and the whole of lactation, sows were subjected to a control diet (C) or the same diet containing FA1 or FA2 at 0.1% of complete feed content. Colostrum/milk samples were taken at day 1, 14, and 28 of lactation for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. After weaning, the progeny was subjected to a control diet (C) or experimental diets with a sweetener (0.015%) but no other additive (S), or to diets with a sweetener and the additive FA1 (FA1S) or FA2 (FA2S). There was no effect of dietary treatment on sows’ feed intake, body weight, or adiposity (P > 0.15 for all), but the sensory characteristics of their colostrum/milk were modified by the diet and diet*time interaction. Limonene concentrations were higher in FA1 samples from PND1 to PND28, whereas carvone and anethole concentrations were higher in FA2 samples from PND1 to PND28. The concentration of these three compounds increased with time in the respective groups where they were mostly detected. Menthol concentrations were higher in FA2 samples at PND14 and PND28, but there was no time effect. Overall, cinnamaldehyde was always below the detection range. Piglets born from FA1 and FA2 sows had higher body weight (P = 0.034 at PND160), average daily gain (ADG P = 0.036 for PND0-160), and average daily feed intake (ADFI P = 0.006 for PND28-160) than piglets born from C sows. Overall, piglets that were never exposed to FA or only after weaning had lower ADG (P = 0.030 for PND0-160) and ADFI (P = 0.016 for PND28-160) than piglets that were exposed to FA only via the maternal diet, the condition combining both pre- and post-natal exposure being intermediary. In conclusion, FA1 and FA2 provided to gestating and lactating sows increased the progeny’s feed intake and growth, suggesting nutritional programming and/or sensory conditioning during the perinatal period. Addition of FA only in the progeny’s diet was not beneficial

Aerobic Exercise during Pregnancy and Presence of Fetal-Maternal Heart Rate Synchronization

It has been shown that short-term direct interaction between maternal and fetal heart rates may take place and that this interaction is affected by the rate of maternal respiration. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal aerobic exercise during pregnancy on the occurrence of fetal-maternal heart rate synchronization.In 40 pregnant women at the 36th week of gestation, 21 of whom exercised regularly, we acquired 18 min. RR interval time series obtained simultaneously in the mothers and their fetuses from magnetocardiographic recordings. The time series of the two groups were examined with respect to their heart rate variability, the maternal respiratory rate and the presence of synchronization epochs as determined on the basis of synchrograms. Surrogate data were used to assess whether the occurrence of synchronization was due to chance.In the original data, we found synchronization occurred less often in pregnancies in which the mothers had exercised regularly. These subjects also displayed higher combined fetal-maternal heart rate variability and lower maternal respiratory rates. Analysis of the surrogate data showed shorter epochs of synchronization and a lack of the phase coordination found between maternal and fetal beat timing in the original data.The results suggest that fetal-maternal heart rate coupling is present but generally weak. Maternal exercise has a damping effect on its occurrence, most likely due to an increase in beat-to-beat differences, higher vagal tone and slower breathing rates

Natural parenting : back to basics in infant care

Peer reviewe

Dynamic touch reduces physiological arousal in preterm infants: A role for c-tactile afferents?

Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for a range of long-term health problems and developmental disabilities. Though touch plays a central role in many perinatal care strategies, the neurobiological basis of these approaches is seldom considered. C-Tactile afferents (CTs) are a class of unmyelinated nerve fibre activated by low force, dynamic touch. Consistent with an interoceptive function, touch specifically targeted to activate CTs activates posterior insular cortex and has been reported to reduce autonomic arousal. The present study compared the effect of 5 min of CT optimal velocity stroking touch to 5 min of static touch on the heart-rate and oxygen saturation levels of preterm infants between 28- & 37-weeks gestational age. CT touch produced a significant decrease in infants' heart-rates and increase in their blood oxygenation levels, which sustained throughout a 5-min post-touch period. In contrast, there was no significant change in heart-rate or blood oxygenation levels of infants receiving static touch. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that CTs signal the affective quality of nurturing touch, providing a neurobiological substrate for the apparent beneficial effects of neonatal tactile interventions and offering insight for their optimisation