Tunable Quantum Spin Liquidity in the 1/6th-Filled Breathing Kagome Lattice.

We present measurements on a series of materials, Li_{2}In_{1-x}Sc_{x}Mo_{3}O_{8}, that can be described as a 1/6th-filled breathing kagome lattice. Substituting Sc for In generates chemical pressure which alters the breathing parameter nonmonotonically. Muon spin rotation experiments show that this chemical pressure tunes the system from antiferromagnetic long range order to a quantum spin liquid phase. A strong correlation with the breathing parameter implies that it is the dominant parameter controlling the level of magnetic frustration, with increased kagome symmetry generating the quantum spin liquid phase. Magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest that this is related to distinct types of charge order induced by changes in lattice symmetry, in line with the theory of Chen et al. [Phys. Rev. B 93, 245134 (2016)PRBMDO2469-995010.1103/PhysRevB.93.245134]. The specific heat for samples at intermediate Sc concentration, which have the minimum breathing parameter, show consistency with the predicted U(1) quantum spin liquid.

Cold spells and health: prevention and warning.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to point out the kinds of measures that should be implemented to protect the population from the health effects of cold and when to put them into action, thanks to meteorological thresholds. STUDY DESIGN: The authors used pertinence criteria to determine if an alert system would be relevant to trigger preventive measures. METHODS: The pertinence criteria included ability to prevent health impact through specific measures, simplicity, reactivity, adaptability, and the possibility to find indicators able to predict a health impact of cold. This was investigated in two pilot cities, using time-series models to identify mortality-relevant thresholds, if any. RESULTS: Short-term measures are mainly directed at homeless people while actions focussing on the general population are mostly limited to providing advice on how to protect oneself from exposure to cold. The main long-term measures are housing insulation and heating. Combined minimum and maximum temperatures are the best indicators to predict the health impact of cold temperatures on mortality. Associated optimal thresholds for action in Paris were -9 °C and -2 °C for minimum and maximum temperatures respectively while thresholds in Marseille were -3 °C and +4 °C. When both thresholds are reached in a given city, the risk of excess mortality is greater than 15%. CONCLUSION: Simple meteorological indicators could be used to improve the detection of dangerous cold episodes and promote communication. Nevertheless, long-term housing improvement and financial aids for home heating remain the best means to prevent the adverse effects of cold weather on community health.

[The Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC): French translation and validation study in a convenience sample of 80 children]. / Le questionnaire d'alexithymie pour enfants (QAE): traduction française et étude de validation dans une population de 80 enfants « tout venant ¼.

INTRODUCTION: Alexithymia refers to a specific disturbance in psychic functioning characterized by a limited ability to identify and communicate one's feelings. Development of specific rating scales and notably the well-validated 20-item Toronto alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) have allowed the study of alexithymia in numerous samples of clinical or non-clinical subjects. Recently, Rieffe et al. [Pers and Individ Differ 40 (2006) 123-133] have developed an alexithymia questionnaire for children (AQC) basing on the TAS-20. The AQC comprised 20 items divided into three subscales: difficulty-identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF) and externally-oriented thinking (EOT). Using a sample of 740 children and the Dutch version of the AQC the three-factor structure of alexithymia was found, using confirmatory factorial analysis, but the EOT factor showed low factor loadings and reliability. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to present the French version of the AQC and to assess the psychometric properties of this version. METHODS: Eighty children recruited from a convenience sample were included in the study. There were 43 boys and 37 girls with a mean age of 11.81 (SD = 1.99, range: 9-16). The validity and the reliability of the AQC were studied using a confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA), the determination of the Cronbach alpha coefficient, and the calculation of the correlations between each item and the total score. RESULTS: Adequation parameters of the CFA showed that the 3-factor solution of the AQC was adequate (χ 2/df = 1.27, RMSEA = .039) although the EOT factor had low factor loadings. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.64 and 15 items had significant correlations with the total score. CONCLUSION: The three-factor model of the AQC was reported for the French version of scale but the EOT factor had low validity. This result confirms the recent study using the Dutch version of the AQC. Moreover, several studies using foreign versions of the TAS-20 reported low reliability of the EOT factor. Thus, other studies are necessary to explore the reliability of the EOT factor of the French version of the AQC, and it's recommended to use only the total score of the AQC instead of the sub-scores.

[Psychometric properties of the French versions of the Cognitive Slippage Scale and Schizotypal Ambivalence Scale in 340 subjects]. / Traductions françaises et validations des échelles de dérapage cognitif (Cognitive Slippage Scale, Miers et Raulin, 1987) et d'ambivalence schizotypique (Schizotypal Ambivalence Scale, Raulin, 1986).

AIMS: The aim of this article is firstly to present the French translations of the Cognitive Slippage (Miers and Raulin, 1987) and the Schizotypal Ambivalence Scales (Raulin, 1986), and secondly to determine their psychometric properties in different samples of non-clinical and clinical subjects. BACKGROUND: Chapman et al. have developed trait-oriented scales based on Meehl's manual of schizotypy, such as the Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales, the Perceptual Aberration Scale, the Magical Ideation Scale, the Impulsive Nonconformity Scale, the Cognitive Slippage Scale (CSS), and the Schizotypal Ambivalence Scale (SAS). The Chapman scales of psychosis proneness are the most internationally used instruments for the assessment of schizotypy and some of them such as the Cognitive Slippage and Schizotypal Ambivalence Scales were still not available in French. METHOD: The study was conducted in three different samples: the non-clinical sample (n=158) comprised firstly 128 university students (113 females, 15 males) with a mean age of 24.67 years (sd=5.18) and secondly 30 healthy subjects (12 males, 18 females) with a mean age of 33.26 years (sd=7.35); the clinical sample (n=167) comprised firstly 106 psychiatric patients hospitalized in a general hospital (73 males, 33 females) with a mean age of 38.35 years (sd=11.60) and 61 (35 males, 26 females) in or outpatients of a psychiatric department with a mean age of 37.75 years (sd=10.72); 15 schizotypal university students presenting high score of the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (1 male, 14 females) with a mean age of 21.26 years (sd=1.1). Using the ICD-10, the diagnoses for the general hospital sample were neurotic or anxious disorders (47%) and depressive disorders (24%). For the psychiatric department sample, the diagnoses were schizophrenic disorders (29%), mood disorders (16%), neurotic disorders (18%) and personality disorders (15%). The internal consistency was determined by the Kuder-Richardson coefficient (KR 20) (CSS: KR 20=0.85 in the university sample; 0.89 in the general hospital sample; 0.87 in the psychiatric department sample; SAS: KR 20=0.79 in the university sample; 0.82 in the general hospital sample; 0.85 in the psychiatric department sample). RESULTS: The mean of the correlations between each item and the total score was calculated (CSS: 0.41 in the university sample; 0.44 in the general hospital sample; SAS: 0.46 in the university sample; 0.49 in the general hospital sample). The discriminant validity was studied by a Student's t test showing that the schizotypal university students had significant higher scores on the CSS and SAS than the healthy university students. The reliability was explored using a test-retest in the 30 healthy subjects. The subjects filled out the scales three months after the first testing. The intraclass coefficients were 0.81. Finally, the cutoff scores were calculated following the procedure described by Chapman et al. (score higher than two standard deviations above the mean of the university sample). The values for the CSS and SAS were respectively 15 and 12 for males and females.

Prevalence and time trends of disabilities in school-age children.

BACKGROUND: Although the evolution of the prevalence of cerebral palsy is now well documented, much less is known about the evolution of the prevalence of other disabilities such as mental retardation, sensorial defects, autism and psychosis. The aim of this paper is to determine those trends. METHODS: A population-based survey was carried out in 1992-1993 in three French 'départments'. All disabled children born between 1976 and 1985 and receiving a special education and/or financial assistance were systematically registered. RESULTS: The comparison of three cohorts of children born in 1976-1978, 1979-1981 and 1982-1984 using the test for trend in proportion showed a significant decrease (P = 0.03) in the prevalence of severe mental retardation, after exclusion of Down syndrome. This decrease was significant for severe mental retardation associated with psychosis. The time trend prevalence for cerebral palsy increased (P = 0.03) but was irregular. The time trend prevalence of other disabilities (other motor defects, severe sensorial disabilities, autism and psychosis) did not change significantly. A detailed analysis of severe mental retardation and cerebral palsy was performed by geographical area, age at first registration and type of disability. CONCLUSION: The increase in prevalence of cerebral palsy is possibly due to earlier registration of disabled children. The decrease in prevalence of severe mental retardation does not seem to be due to recruitment bias, but there is a possibility of classification bias.

Depression and dependency: distinct or overlapping constructs?

BACKGROUND: Previous research has found a significant positive relationship between dependency and level of depression. The aim of the present study, using factor analysis method, is to test the hypothesis that dependency and depression constitute distinct dimensions. METHODS: In a sample of 202 university students, a correlation matrix comprising items from both the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory and the abridged form of the Beck Depression Inventory was analysed using a principal components analysis followed by an orthogonal varimax rotation. RESULTS: Evidence for a four-factor solution was found with almost no overlap of the significant factor loadings for the items from each scale, and with the factors corresponding closely with their respective construct. CONCLUSION: The findings support the view that depression and dependency constitute different constructs. LIMITATION: The results must be confirmed on clinical and heterogeneous nonclinical samples. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The independency between depression and dependency could lead to different therapeutic strategies notably in 'socially dependent' type of depression.

[Validation of the French version of the revised Personal Style Inventory (revised Personal Style Inventory, PSI-II, Robins et al., 1994)]. / Etude de validation de la version française de l'inventaire révisé de style personnel (revised Personal Style Inventory, PSI-II, Robins et al., 1994).

The aim of the present study is to determine the validity and reliability of the French version of the PSI-II. The PSI-II is a self-rating scale divided into two subscales containing each 24 items and rating sociotropy and autonomy. 202 university students (170 females, 32 males) with a mean age of 21.54 years (sd = 4.16) were included. They filled out the PSI-II and the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (IDI). The construct validity was explored using an exploratory principal components analysis followed by an orthogonal varimax rotation. The results had shown a three-factor solution with a "sociotropy" factor and two "autonomy" factors. The Cronbach alpha coefficients were respectively 0.83 and 0.72 for the sociotropy and autonomy subscales. The Pearson correlations between the PSI-II and IDI subscales showed significant correlation first between the sociotropy subscale and the two subscales of the IDI rating dependency, the values were respectively 0.67 (p < 0.001) and 0.44 (p < 0.001), and secondly between the autonomy subscales of the PSI-II and IDI, the value was 0.39 (p < 0.001). The sociotropy subscale items correlated significantly with the total score of the subscale with a mean of 0.46. 23 items of the autonomy subscale correlated with the total score with a mean of 0.36. The sociotropy and autonomy scores were respectively 93.98 (sd = 14.22) and 84.55 (sd = 11.69). The French version of the PSI-II had satisfactory metrological parameters and allows to study sociotropy and autonomy in French population.

[Motor deficiencies in children: for a nosologic clarification in epidemiological studies]. / Les déficiences motrices de l'enfant: pour une clarification nosologique dans les études épidémiologiques.

In order to clarify the epidemiological research on childhood motor deficiency in France there is a need to better differenciate the two terms used to define this pathology: the French term "infirmité motrice cérébrale" (IMC) and the English term "cerebral palsy" (CP). The distinction between IMC and CP is highlighted on the basis of clinical examples. IMC recovers motor deficiencies which are quite similar, however, it can be very difficult to control the variations in its use. CP has the advantage of a greater exhaustivity as well as a greater reproductibility for epidemiological records. Recently a study was conducted for measuring the prevalence of childhood deficiencies in France, and the results were expressed either as IMC or as CP. When using the CP definition the prevalence rate in France was found to be close to that of foreign studies (1.9 per thousand). In studies with etiological purposes involving several countries, a preliminary agreement on the definition of the clinical groups is absolutely necessary.

Anhedonia, asthenia, and depression.

In a sample of 264 university students, anhedonia scores were not associated with scores for severity of fatigue.

Legislative recognition in France of psychological harassment at work.

The recent French Law on Social Modernisation of 17 January 2002 introduced into the French Labour Code and into the French Criminal Code, the concept of "moral" harassment. The definition of psychological harassment under this law adopts quite a broad conception of the notion of psychological harassment. The legislator has established a means for "friendly" settlement of disputes: mediation. When it has not been possible to settle the dispute internally, the Courts have a number of sanctions available to them. The French Labour Code provides that any termination of the contract of employment resulting from a situation of psychological harassment is automatically null and void. Such nullification should therefore be applicable whatever the nature of the termination: dismissal, resignation or negotiated departure and it punishes psychological harassment at work by imprisonment for one year and a fine of 3,750 Euros. The French Criminal Code prescribes penalties of one year and 15,000 Euros.

[Prevalence of alexithymia in a general population. Study in 183 "normal" subjects and in 263 students]. / Prévalence de l'alexithymie en population générale. Etude chez 183 sujets "tout venant" et chez 263 étudiants.

The prevalence of alexithymia has been studied in two groups of healthy subjects, 183 normals and 263 university students. In the normal group the alexithymia was rated using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) and in the student group the alexithymia was rated using the revised version of the TAS (Twenty-items TAS or TAS-20). Using our cutoff scores (> or = 73 for the TAS, > or = 56 for the TAS-20), the prevalence in the normal group and the student group were respectively 23% and 17.1%.

Characterization of exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields using multidimensional analysis techniques.

Our lack of knowledge about the biological mechanisms of 50 Hz magnetic fields makes it hard to improve exposure assessment. To provide better information about these exposure measures, we use multidimensional analysis techniques to examine the relations between different exposure metrics for a group of subjects. We used a combination of a two stage Principal Component Analysis (PCA) followed by an ascending hierarchical classification (AHC) to identify a set of measures that would capture the characteristics of the total exposure. This analysis gives an indication of the aspects of the exposure that are important to capture to get a complete picture of the magnetic field environment. We calculated 44 metrics of exposure measures from 16 exposed EDF employees and 15 control subjects, containing approximately 20,000 recordings of magnetic field measurements, taken every 30 s for 7 days with an EMDEX II dosimeter. These metrics included parameters used routinely or occasionally and some that were new. To eliminate those that expressed the least variability and that were most highly correlated to one another, we began with an initial Principal Component Analysis (PCA). A second PCA of the remaining 12 metrics enabled us to identify from the foreground 82.7% of the variance: the first component (62.0%) was characterized by central tendency metrics, and the second (20.7%) by dispersion characteristics. We were able to use AHC to divide the entire sample (of individuals) into four groups according to the axes that emerged from the PCA. Finally, discriminant analysis tested the discriminant power of the variables in the exposed/control classification as well as those from the AHC classification. The first showed that two subjects had been incorrectly classified, while no classification error was observed in the second. This exploratory study underscores the need to improve exposure measures by using at least two dimensions: intensity and dispersion. It also indicates the usefulness of constructing a typology of magnetic field exposures.

I Conferencia Nacional de Consenso sobre el Injerto Óseo del Seno Maxilar / 1st National Consensus Conference on maxillar sinus bone grafts

Objetivo: El objetivo de la I Conferencia Española de Consenso sobre el Injerto Óseo Sinusal era intentar llegar a puntos de acuerdo sobre las principales controversias de esta técnica, aplicada de forma muy variada y con el empleo de materiales muy diversos, y conseguir plasmar los mismos en un documento resumen consensuado por todos los autores. Material y método: Durante los días 17 y 18 de octubre de 2008 se celebró en Oviedo la citada conferencia, auspiciada por la Sociedad Española de Cirugía Oral y Maxilofacial. En ella se dieron cita un total de 50 ponentes de reconocido prestigio nacional e internacional que repasaron en 6 mesas de trabajo las principales controversias sobre los injertos óseos sinusales. Tras las conferencias de los ponentes, los moderadores establecían las principales conclusiones de cada mesa y se abría un turno de debate donde participaban todos los asistentes. Resultado: Este documento y sus conclusiones emanan de las presentaciones realizadas por los ponentes y de las deliberaciones y acuerdos de cada mesa de trabajo. Ambos han sido aprobados tras varias correcciones por todos los autores antes de ser enviados para su publicación. Además, han obtenido el reconocimiento científico oficial de la Sociedad Española de Cirugía Oral y Maxilofacial y deben servir como base para futuros estudios y reuniones científicas. Conclusiones: El objetivo fundamental cuando se realiza un injerto óseo sinusal es la formación de hueso vital en el seno maxilar, para conseguir la supervivencia a largo plazo de los implantes tras su carga protésica. Para ello, la técnica y la secuencia de tratamiento deben orientarse a conseguir resultados predecibles y estables en el tiempo, aunque esto suponga un mayor tiempo de espera hasta la colocación de la prótesis. La estabilidad inicial del implante es el factor clave para la osteointegración y debe ser el principal criterio para indicar implantes simultáneos o diferidos en el seno maxilar(AU)

Objective: The objectives of the first Spanish Consensus Conference on Sinus Bone Graft were trying to reach agreements points on the major controversies of this technique, and translate them in a summary document. Material and method: During the 17th and 18th of October of 2008 took place in Oviedo (Spain) the Conference, sponsored by the Spanish Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. There, 50 national and international speakers reviewed in 6 workshops the major controversies of sinus bone grafts. Following the conferences, the moderators proposed the main conclusions of each workshop and opened a round of discussion where all attendees participated. Results: This document and its conclusions emanate from the presentations made by the speakers and the discussions and agreements of each workshop. Both have been approved after several corrections by all authors before being submitted for publication. They have also obtained the official scientific recognition of the Spanish Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and should serve as a basis for future scientific studies and meetings. Conclusions: The main objective when we perform a sinus bone graft is vital bone formation in the maxillary sinus, to achieve long-term survival of the implants after prosthetic loading. To do this, the technique and sequence of treatment should aim to achieve predictable and stable results over time, although this involves a longer waiting time. The initial implant stability is the key factor for osseointegration and should be the main criterion to indicate simultaneous or delayed implants in the maxillary sinus(AU)

[High-risk suicide attempts: intent and severity]. / Les tentatives de suicide à haut risque: intention et gravité.

This study of 764 suicide attempts has for objective to define the factors which distinguish the "high-risk" group from other groups. The "high-risk" group is composed of people having scored more than 10 on Pierce's Intent Scale and more than 45 on the Weissman scale. Results show that the intensity and form of depressive symptomatology and some representations of death and age distinguish this group (n = 80) and that previous suicidal attempts, alcohol intake, chronic alcoholism and recent events have no statistical value.

Fragrance and contact allergens in vitro modulate the HLA-DR and E-cadherin expression on human epidermal Langerhans cells.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) play a critical role in the induction of contact hypersensitivity. The LCs leave the skin, move to the regional lymph nodes and present the allergens embedded in the HLA-DR molecule to naive T-lymphocytes. To allow LC emigration from the epidermis, E-cadherin must be downregulated. In this study, we have examined the early events that occur in the human epidermis after exposure to three strong contact sensitizers and two commonly used fragrances by examining alterations of E-cadherin and HLA-DR expression. METHODS: To determine whether E-cadherin and HLA-DR levels were modulated by allergens, flow cytometry was utilized to evaluate E-cadherin and HLA-DR expression on human epidermal LCs exposed to the different chemicals for 4 h at 37 degrees C. RESULTS: In vitro stimulation with the contact sensitizers isoeugenol, cinnamaldehyde, 2,4, 6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, Bandrowski'sbase, or p-phenylene diamine resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of HLA-DR expression on the surface of LCs without affecting the number of positive cells. These contact allergens induced a downregulation of E-cadherin expression as well as a significant decrease of the percentage of E-cadherin-positive cells. Incubation with an irritant, sodium lauryl sulfate, did not significantly change HLA-DR and E-cadherin expression. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the alteration of E-cadherin and HLA-DR expression of human LCs under short-term exposure conditions, there was a clear difference between contact sensitizers and a well-characterized irritant. For the first time, the ability of fragrance allergens in dipropylene glycol, a widely used vehicle in fragrance and cosmetic industries, was demonstrated to induce human LC phenotypic alterations. In combination with a series of in vitro tests, this rapid and simple method should help to detect the sensitizing potential of a substance to be applied onto the human skin as an alternative to animal testing.

Factor analysis of the French version of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20).

A French version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 Items (TAS-20) was factor-analyzed on a sample of 263 university students and its factor solution analyzed along with the studies using the Canadian version. Our results show a two-factor solution where the items rating the difficulty to identify feelings and the items rating the difficulty to describe feelings constitute a sole factor contrary to the Canadian version. These data are reviewed in the context of previous research and offer two subscales for future investigations utilizing the TAS-20.

Factorial structure of the Sensation-Seeking Scale-Form V: confirmatory factorial analyses in nonclinical and clinical samples.

OBJECTIVE: The factor structure of the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS)-Form V was studied in 2 large French samples, using confirmatory factorial analyses (CFA) to test the 4-dimensional model of sensation seeking postulated by Zuckerman. METHOD: The study included 769 healthy subjects and 659 patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for substance use disorders or eating disorders and completed the SSS. The correlation matrices for each of the samples were analyzed using CFA. RESULTS: In each sample, we found the 4-factor model to be replicable. CONCLUSION: The multidimensionality of sensation seeking is supported by the results, and the 4-dimensional model of sensation seeking identified by Zuckerman can be explored in French-speaking people.