Métacognition : intervention thérapeutique autour de la conscience des troubles chez des patients souffrant de traumatisme crânio-cérébral grave

Unawareness related to brain injury has implications for participation in rehabilitation, functional outcomes, and the emotional well being of patients after an acquired brain injury. However, the development of interventions for improving self-awareness is at an early stage, and research on the effectiveness of interventions is limited. The present paper is an investigation into the efficacy of a metacognitive program on self-awareness in people who have had an acquired brain injury. An experimental group of three patients were included in a “cross-over design” protocol including data from neuropsychological evaluations, cognitive complaints, behavioral and emotional changes. In comparison, a social intervention (communicative abilities, social interaction) was proposed to four other patients in order to estimate the specific effects of the metacognitive program. While no specific effect of the metacognitive program was highlighted on cognitive impairments, a post-intervention assessment indicated that participants had significantly improved behavioral limitations, suggesting a benefit of the metacognitive and social rehabilitations on behavior skills. Because benefits are similar whatever the program, it seems that social functioning implication in rehabilitation process needs to be taken into account in forthcoming interventions

Differential roles of p39Mos–Xp42Mpk1 cascade proteins on Raf1 phosphorylation and spindle morphogenesis in Xenopus oocytes

AbstractFully-grown G2-arrested Xenopus oocytes resume meiosis upon hormonal stimulation. Resumption of meiosis is characterized by germinal vesicle breakdown, chromosome condensation, and organization of a bipolar spindle. These cytological events are accompanied by activation of MPF and the p39Mos–MEK1–Xp42Mpk1–p90Rsk pathways. The latter cascade is activated upon p39Mos accumulation. Using U0126, a MEK1 inhibitor, and p39Mos antisense morpholino and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, we have investigated the role of the members of the p39Mos–MEK1–Xp42Mpk1–p90Rsk in spindle morphogenesis. First, we have observed at a molecular level that prevention of p39Mos accumulation always led to MEK1 phosphorylation defects, even when meiosis was stimulated through the insulin Ras-dependent pathway. Moreover, we have observed that Raf1 phosphorylation that occurs during meiosis resumption was dependent upon the activity of MEK1 or Xp42Mpk1 but not p90Rsk. Second, inhibition of either p39Mos accumulation or MEK1 inhibition led to the formation of a cytoplasmic aster-like structure that was associated with condensed chromosomes. Spindle morphogenesis rescue experiments using constitutively active Rsk and purified murine Mos protein suggested that p39Mos or p90Rsk alone failed to promote meiotic spindle organization. Our results indicate that activation of the p39Mos–MEK1–Xp42Mpk1–p90Rsk pathway is required for bipolar organization of the meiotic spindle at the cortex

Support for single major genes influencing fat androstenone level and development of bulbo-urethral glands in young boars

A two-step genetic analysis was performed on data collected in a fourgeneration selection experiment comprising a control and a selected line in a Large White-Landrace crossbred population. The two-trait selection index used for choosing replacement boars of the selected line included fat androstenone level and the average thickness of right and left bulbo-urethral glands, the latter trait being an indicator of the sexual maturity status of young boars. Fat androstenone level was determined on a biopsy sample of backfat taken at 118 kg liveweight, whereas bulbo-urethral gland size was measured by echotomography, using a rectal probe, at 99 kg liveweight. A total of 949 entire males, from 57 sires and 353 dams, were recorded for both traits. In the first step of analysis, REML genetic parameters were estimated using a bivariate animal model. Heritability estimates (± SE) were 0.55 ± 0.07 for fat androstenone level and 0.63 ± 0.05 for bulbo-urethral gland size. A fairly close genetic correlation (0.68 ± 0.05) was found between the two traits. The second step of analysis consisted in testing the hypothesis of a mixed mode of inheritance (polygenes + major gene) for each trait using segregation analysis methods. A major two-allele gene was found to affect fat androstenone level. Under the genetic model that best explained the situation, the ’low androstenone’ allele (L) is completely dominant over the ’high androstenone’ allele (H), and the difference between HH and LL (or HL) genotypes amounts to three SD units of the trait. A twoallele major gene was also shown to influence bulbo-urethral gland size (difference close to two SD units between the two homozygous genotypes) with a probably incomplete dominance of the ’small size’ allele. There was no evidence for linkage of these genes with the swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) system. Whether these two postulated major genes are a unique gene or not is discussed.Cette étude concerne une analyse génétique, en deux étapes, des données recueillies dans les quatre générations d’une expérience de sélection comportant une lignée témoin et une lignée sélectionnée dans une population croisée à base de Large White et de Landrace. L’indice à deux caractères utilisé pour le choix des verrats de la lignée sélectionnée combinait la teneur en androsténone du gras et l’épaisseur moyenne des glandes bulbo-uréthrales droite et gauche, ce dernier caractère étant un indicateur du statut de maturité sexuelle des jeunes verrats. La teneur en androsténone a été mesurée sur une biopsie de gras dorsal prélevée à 118 kg de poids vif alors que le développement des glandes bulbo-uréthrales a été mesuré par échotomographie, à l’aide d’une sonde rectale, à 99 kg de poids vif. Au total, 9l,9 mâles entiers, issus de 57 pères et 353 mères, ont été mesurés pour l’un et l’autre caractère. Dans la première étape de l’analyse, les paramètres génétiques des deux caractères ont été estimés à l’aide d’une procédure REML appliquée à un modèle animal bicaractère. Les estimées d’héritabilité (± erreur standard) sont 0,55 ± 0,07 pour la teneur en androsténone du gras et 0,63 ± 0,05 pour l’épaisseur moyenne des glandes bulbo-uréthrales. Une corrélation génétique relativement élevée (0,68 ± 0,05) a été trouvée entre les deux caractères. Une seconde étape de l’étude a consisté à tester, à l’aide de méthodes d’analyse de ségrégation, l’hypothèse d’un déterminisme génétique mixte (polygènes + un gène majeur) pour chaque caractère. Un gène à effet majeur sur la teneur en androsténone du gras a été mis en évidence : selon le modèle génétique le plus explicatif, l’allèle « faible» (L) est complètement dominant sur l’allèle « fort» (H), avec une différence entre les génotypes HH et LL (ou HL) voisine de trois écarts types phénotypiques du caractère. Un gène à effet majeur sur l’épaisseur moyenne des glandes bulbo-uréthrales (différence de l’ordre de deux écarts types phénotypiques entre les génotypes homozygotes) a également été mis en évidence avec une dominance probablement incomplète de l’allèle «faible». Ces deux gènes ne semblent pas être liés avec le système d’histocompatibilité majeur (SLA). La possible identité des deux gènes majeurs postulés est discuté

Structure and transport in multi-orbital Kondo systems

We consider Kondo impurity systems with multiple local orbitals, such as rare earth ions in a metallic host or multi--level quantum dots coupled to metallic leads. It is shown that the multiplet structure of the local orbitals leads to multiple Kondo peaks above the Fermi energy $E_F$, and to ``shadow'' peaks below $E_F$. We use a slave boson mean field theory, which recovers the strong coupling Fermi liquid fixed point, to calculate the Kondo peak positions, widths, and heights analytically at T=0, and NCA calculations to fit the temperature dependence of high--resolution photoemission spectra of Ce compounds. In addition, an approximate conductance quantization for transport through multi--level quantum dots or single--atom transistors in the Kondo regime due to a generalized Friedel sum rule is demonstrated.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Invited article, 23rd International Conference on Low Temperature Physics LT23, Hiroshima, Japan 200

Hadamard Regularization

Motivated by the problem of the dynamics of point-particles in high post-Newtonian (e.g. 3PN) approximations of general relativity, we consider a certain class of functions which are smooth except at some isolated points around which they admit a power-like singular expansion. We review the concepts of (i) Hadamard ``partie finie'' of such functions at the location of singular points, (ii) the partie finie of their divergent integral. We present and investigate different expressions, useful in applications, for the latter partie finie. To each singular function, we associate a partie-finie (Pf) pseudo-function. The multiplication of pseudo-functions is defined by the ordinary (pointwise) product. We construct a delta-pseudo-function on the class of singular functions, which reduces to the usual notion of Dirac distribution when applied on smooth functions with compact support. We introduce and analyse a new derivative operator acting on pseudo-functions, and generalizing, in this context, the Schwartz distributional derivative. This operator is uniquely defined up to an arbitrary numerical constant. Time derivatives and partial derivatives with respect to the singular points are also investigated. In the course of the paper, all the formulas needed in the application to the physical problem are derived.Comment: 50 pages, to appear in Journal of Mathematical Physic

Spatial Current Patterns, Dephasing and Current Imaging in Graphene Nanoribbons

Using the non-equilibrium Keldysh Green's function formalism, we investigate the local, non-equilibrium charge transport in graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). In particular, we demonstrate that the spatial current patterns associated with discrete transmission resonances sensitively depend on the GNRs' geometry, size, and aspect ratio, the location and number of leads, and the presence of dephasing. We identify a relation between the spatial form of the current patterns, and the number of degenerate energy states participating in the charge transport. Furthermore, we demonstrate a principle of superposition for the conductance and spatial current patterns in multiple-lead configurations. We demonstrate that scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) can be employed to image spatial current paths in GNR with atomic resolution, providing important insight into the form of local charge transport. Finally, we investigate the effects of dephasing on the spatial current patterns, and show that with decreasing dephasing time, the current patterns evolve smoothly from those of a ballistic quantum network to those of classical resistor network.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure

Local spin and charge properties of beta-Ag0.33V2O5 studied by 51V NMR

Local spin and charge properties were studied on beta-Ag0.33V2O5, a pressure-induced superconductor, at ambient pressure using 51V-NMR and zero-field-resonance (ZFR) techniques. Three inequivalent Vi sites (i=1, 2, and 3) were identified from 51V-NMR spectra and the principal axes of the electric-field-gradient (EFG) tensor were determined in a metallic phase and the following charge-ordering phase. We found from the EFG analysis that the V1 sites are in a similar local environment to the V3 sites. This was also observed in ZFR spectra as pairs of signals closely located with each other. These results are well explained by a charge-sharing model where a 3d1 electron is shared within a rung in both V1-V3 and V2-V2 two-leg ladders.Comment: 12pages, 16figure

Superconductor-ferromagnet junction phase qubit

We propose a scheme for a phase qubit in an SIFIS junction, consisting of bulk superconductors (S), a proximity-induced ferromagnet (F), and insulating barriers (I). The qubit state is constituted by 0 and $\pi$ phase states of the junction, in which the charging energy of the junction leads to the superposition of the two states. The qubit is operated by the gate voltage applied to the ferromagnet, and insensitive to the decoherence sources existing in other superconducting qubits. We discuss a scalable scheme for qubit measurement and tunable two-qubit coupling.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure