Les psychothérapies : le plaisir sans le principe

Est-ce que le marketing actuel de la psychothérapie sonnera son glas ? La confusion croissante induite par la commercialisation de la psychothérapie ne semble pas préoccuper les psychothérapeutes qui pensent en profiter autant que le public. L’article adopte la position qu’il est grand temps pour les psychothérapeutes d’adopter une perspective de consommateur s’ils veulent complètement saisir l’étendue du problème engendré par la commercialisation de la psychothérapie contemporaine. Les règles de la relation thérapeutique ne sont pas destinées seulement à servir les objectifs du patient mais sont sujettes à d’autres pressions comme les contextes institutionnels, la position idéologique et sociopolitique des thérapeutes. L’auteur analyse les contraintes régissant les pratiques de la psychothérapie et met en évidence plusieurs façons avec lesquelles les psychothérapeutes contribuent au déclin de la psychothérapie. Sur une base critique, cinq secteurs sont identifiés à l’intérieur desquels l’action des psychothérapeutes peut aider à sortir les psychothérapeutes de sa crise actuelle.Is the current marketing of psychotherapy going to be its end ? The growing confusion induced by the commercialization of psychotherapy does not seem to worry the psychotherapists who think they profit from it as much as does the public. This paper argues that it is high time for psychotherapists to adopt a consumer perspective if they are to fully grasp the extent of the problem engendered by the commercialization of contemporary psychotherapy. The rules of the therapeutic relationship are not aimed only at serving the patient's objectives but are subject to other pressures such as institutional contexts, ideological and sociopolitical position of the therapists. The author analyses the constraints governing the practice of psychotherapy and points to various ways in which psychotherapists contribute to the decay of psychotherapy. On this critical basis, five areas are identified wherein concerted action by psychotherapists may help pull psychotherapy out of its present crisis

Recursive Stochastic Effects in Valley Hybrid Inflation

Hybrid Inflation is a two-field model where inflation ends by a tachyonic instability, the duration of which is determined by stochastic effects and has important observational implications. Making use of the recursive approach to the stochastic formalism presented in Ref. [1], these effects are consistently computed. Through an analysis of back-reaction, this method is shown to converge in the valley but points toward an (expected) instability in the waterfall. It is further shown that quasi-stationarity of the auxiliary field distribution breaks down in the case of a short-lived waterfall. It is found that the typical dispersion of the waterfall field at the critical point is then diminished, thus increasing the duration of the waterfall phase and jeopardizing the possibility of a short transition. Finally, it is found that stochastic effects worsen the blue tilt of the curvature perturbations by an order one factor when compared with the usual slow-roll contribution.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure

Merged Two-Stage Power Converter With Soft Charging Switched-Capacitor Stage in 180 nm CMOS

In this paper, we introduce a merged two-stage dc-dc power converter for low-voltage power delivery. By separating the transformation and regulation function of a dc-dc power converter into two stages, both large voltage transformation and high switching frequency can be achieved. We show how the switched-capacitor stage can operate under soft charging conditions by suitable control and integration (merging) of the two stages. This mode of operation enables improved efficiency and/or power density in the switched-capacitor stage. A 5-to-1 V, 0.8 W integrated dc-dc converter has been developed in 180 nm CMOS. The converter achieves a peak efficiency of 81%, with a regulation stage switching frequency of 10 MHz.Interconnect Focus Center (United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Semiconductor Research Corporation

Submodule Integrated Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking for Solar Photovoltaic Applications

This paper explores the benefits of distributed power electronics in solar photovoltaic applications through the use of submodule integrated maximum power point trackers (MPPT). We propose a system architecture that provides a substantial increase in captured energy during partial shading conditions, while at the same time enabling significant overall cost reductions. This is achieved through direct integration of miniature MPPT power converters into existing junction boxes. We describe the design and implementation of a high-efficiency (>;98%) synchronous buck MPPT converter, along with digital control techniques that ensure both local and global maximum power extraction. Through detailed experimental measurements under real-world conditions, we verify the increase in energy capture and quantify the benefits of the architecture.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 0925147

Integrated CMOS Energy Harvesting Converter with Digital Maximum Power Point Tracking for a Portable Thermophotovoltaic Power Generator

This paper presents an integrated maximum power point tracking system for use with a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) portable power generator. The design, implemented in 0.35 μm CMOS technology, consists of a low-power control stage and a dc-dc boost power stage with soft-switching capability. With a nominal input voltage of 1 V, and an output voltage of 4 V, we demonstrate a peak conversion efficiency under nominal conditions of over 94% (overall peak efficiency over 95%), at a power level of 300 mW. The control stage uses lossless current sensing together with a custom low-power time-based ADC to minimize control losses. The converter employs a fully integrated digital implementation of a peak power tracking algorithm, and achieves a measured tracking efficiency above 98%. A detailed study of achievable efficiency versus inductor size is also presented, with calculated and measured results.Interconnect Focus Center (United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Semiconductor Research Corporation

Effect of Mental and Physical Practice on Clinical Skill Learning in Kinesiology

Purpose: The amount of information required for an allied health professional has increased dramatically. In-class practice time and large amounts of practice materials may be difficult for instructors to acquire. Mental practice is a method of practice that does not involve physical movement or materials. This study investigated the effect of mental practice, physical practice, and a combination of mental and physical practice on kinesiology students learning three manual muscle tests. Method: Fifty-six students aged 18 to 26 years (M = 20.09, SD + 1.58), pursuing a degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in either athletic training or kinesiotherapy participated in this study. Participants underwent two days of practice that included either mental practice, physical practice, or a combination of mental and physical practice for three Manual Muscle Tests (MMTs). Approximately 48 hours later, participants completed a post-test of the MMTs that was evaluated by two trained examiners. Participants also completed a survey related to demographics, difficulty of the MMTs, and intentions for using mental practice. Results: The MMT post-test ANOVA revealed no significant learning differences between groups for all three Manual Muscle Tests. There were no significant differences in Manual Muscle Tests difficulty ratings between groups; however, there was a significant difference in participants’ difficulty ratings across the Manual Muscle Tests. A majority of participants indicated they would use mental practice in the future. Conclusions: The results indicated that kinesiology students seemed to learn equally well regardless of practice type. Utilization of mental practice in or outside of the classroom may be a strategy to supplement student learning in situations where class time and/or resources for physical skill practice may be more difficult to obtain