The Settlement of Madagascar: What Dialects and Languages Can Tell Us

The dialects of Madagascar belong to the Greater Barito East group of the Austronesian family and it is widely accepted that the Island was colonized by Indonesian sailors after a maritime trek that probably took place around 650 CE. The language most closely related to Malagasy dialects is Maanyan, but Malay is also strongly related especially for navigation terms. Since the Maanyan Dayaks live along the Barito river in Kalimantan (Borneo) and they do not possess the necessary skill for long maritime navigation, they were probably brought as subordinates by Malay sailors. In a recent paper we compared 23 different Malagasy dialects in order to determine the time and the landing area of the first colonization. In this research we use new data and new methods to confirm that the landing took place on the south-east coast of the Island. Furthermore, we are able to state here that colonization probably consisted of a single founding event rather than multiple settlements.To reach our goal we find out the internal kinship relations among all the 23 Malagasy dialects and we also find out the relations of the 23 dialects to Malay and Maanyan. The method used is an automated version of the lexicostatistic approach. The data from Madagascar were collected by the author at the beginning of 2010 and consist of Swadesh lists of 200 items for 23 dialects covering all areas of the Island. The lists for Maanyan and Malay were obtained from a published dataset integrated with the author's interviews

The culture history of Madagascar

Madagascar's culture is a unique fusion of elements drawn from the western, northern, and eastern shores of the Indian Ocean, and its past has fascinated many scholars, yet systematic archaeological research is relatively recent on the island. The oldest traces of visitors are from the first century AD. Coastal settlements, with clear evidence of ties to the western Indian Ocean trading network, were established in several places over the next millennium. Important environmental changes of both plant and animal communities are documented over this period, including the extinctions of almost all large animal species. Urban life in Madagascar began with the establishment of the entrepôt of Mahilaka on the northwest coast of the island in the twelfth century. At about the same time, communities with ties to the trade network were established around the island's coasts. From the fourteenth to the sixteenth century, social hierarchies developed in several regions of the island. During the succeeding two centuries, Madagascar saw the development of state polities.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45256/1/10963_2004_Article_BF00997802.pd

A new MRI rating scale for progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy: validity and reliability

AIM To evaluate a standardised MRI acquisition protocol and a new image rating scale for disease severity in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple systems atrophy (MSA) in a large multicentre study. METHODS The MRI protocol consisted of two-dimensional sagittal and axial T1, axial PD, and axial and coronal T2 weighted acquisitions. The 32 item ordinal scale evaluated abnormalities within the basal ganglia and posterior fossa, blind to diagnosis. Among 760 patients in the study population (PSP = 362, MSA = 398), 627 had per protocol images (PSP = 297, MSA = 330). Intra-rater (n = 60) and inter-rater (n = 555) reliability were assessed through Cohen's statistic, and scale structure through principal component analysis (PCA) (n = 441). Internal consistency and reliability were checked. Discriminant and predictive validity of extracted factors and total scores were tested for disease severity as per clinical diagnosis. RESULTS Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were acceptable for 25 (78%) of the items scored (≥ 0.41). PCA revealed four meaningful clusters of covarying parameters (factor (F) F1: brainstem and cerebellum; F2: midbrain; F3: putamen; F4: other basal ganglia) with good to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α 0.75-0.93) and moderate to excellent reliability (intraclass coefficient: F1: 0.92; F2: 0.79; F3: 0.71; F4: 0.49). The total score significantly discriminated for disease severity or diagnosis; factorial scores differentially discriminated for disease severity according to diagnosis (PSP: F1-F2; MSA: F2-F3). The total score was significantly related to survival in PSP (p<0.0007) or MSA (p<0.0005), indicating good predictive validity. CONCLUSIONS The scale is suitable for use in the context of multicentre studies and can reliably and consistently measure MRI abnormalities in PSP and MSA. Clinical Trial Registration Number The study protocol was filed in the open clinical trial registry (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov) with ID No NCT00211224

Délivré, Alain, L'Histoire des rois d'Imerina

Vérin P. Délivré, Alain, L'Histoire des rois d'Imerina. In: Journal des africanistes, 1976, tome 46, fascicule 1-2. pp. 244-245

Délivré, Alain, L'Histoire des rois d'Imerina

Vérin P. Délivré, Alain, L'Histoire des rois d'Imerina. In: Journal des africanistes, 1976, tome 46, fascicule 1-2. pp. 244-245

Premières découvertes sur l'ancienne culture de l'intérieur de l'Androy (Madagascar). Archéologie de la vallée du Lambomaty sur la haute Manambovo

Heurtebize G., Vérin P. Premières découvertes sur l'ancienne culture de l'intérieur de l'Androy (Madagascar). Archéologie de la vallée du Lambomaty sur la haute Manambovo. In: Journal de la Société des Africanistes, 1974, tome 44, fascicule 2. pp. 113-121

La démence sémantique : éléments du diagnostic précoce [Semantic dementia: aspects of the early diagnosis]

International audienceSemantic dementia is a lobar atrophy syndrome, related to a degeneration of anterior temporal regions, and characterized by a very predominant impairment of semantic memory. Whereas the diagnosis is relatively easy to establish in the typical form and if the patient is seen early, the emergence of possible additional cognitive or psycho-behavioural disorders can lead to a misdiagnosis in favour of a frontotemporal dementia syndrome or even probable Alzheimer's disease

Effets de la stimulation cérébrale unilatérale du noyau sous-thalamique dans la maladie de Parkinson : premiers résultats d’une étude au 18F-FDG-TEP

National audienceObjectifs De nombreuses études cliniques sur la stimulation cérébrale profonde (SCP) bilatérale des noyaux sous-thalamiques (NST) dans la maladie de Parkinson (MP) ont démontré une réelle amélioration motrice chez ces patients parkinsoniens au prix de troubles neuropsychologiques liés à une atteinte des circuits associatifs et limbiques. La stimulation unilatérale du NST pourrait être une alternative thérapeutique intéressante. Nous avons étudié les effets sur le métabolisme cérébral en TEP de la SCP unilatérale du NST dans la MP. Matériels et méthodes Deux TEP au 18F-FDG ont été acquises en préopératoire (M–3) et postopératoire (M+3) en période ON-dopa. L’analyse statistique du métabolisme glucidique cérébral a porté sur huit patients parkinsoniens opérés d’une SCP de type NST unilatérale : cinq à droite, trois à gauche. Résultats Tous les patients opérés de façon unilatérale présentent une amélioration des performances motrices avec un score clinique moteur UPDRS III amélioré de façon significative à M + 3 en période ON-dopa. L’analyse des cinq patients opérés à droite met en évidence la diminution du métabolisme dans l’hémisphère droit, en particulier dans les régions du lobe temporal (aires de Brodmann 20, 21, 22, 38) et du cortex frontal dorso-latéral (aires 6, 8, 47). Aucune modification significative du métabolisme cérébral des trois patients opérés à gauche n’a été retrouvée. Conclusions Ces premiers résultats sur la SCP unilatérale du NST sont encourageants, mettant en évidence une amélioration motrice chez ces patients, mais avec des anomalies métaboliques moins étendues que lors de la SCP bilatérale et n’atteignant pas les régions limbiques (cortex cingulaires, pré-frontaux et orbito-frontaux). Ces résultats permettraient d’expliquer l’absence de troubles émotionnels et motivationnels en postopératoire chez ces patients unilatéraux. Les inclusions dans cette étude se poursuivent actuellement afin de confirmer ces résultats