Differences related to aging in sensorimotor knowledge: Investigation of perceptual strength and body object interaction.

Embodied approach postulates that knowledge and conceptual representations are grounded in action and perception. In order to investigate the involvement of sensorimotor information in conceptual and cognitive processing, researchers have collected various norms in young adults. For instance, the perceptual strength (PS) assesses perceptual experience (i.e. visual, auditory, haptic, gustatory, olfactory) associated with a concept and the body-object-interaction (BOI) assesses the ease with which a human body can interact with the referent of a word. The importance of both BOI and PS in the multimodal composition of word meaning is today well recognized. However, given the sensorimotor development of the individual from childhood to later life, it is likely that different age periods are associated with different perceptual experience and capacity to interact with objects. The purpose of this research is to investigate exploratory the effect of age on PS and BOI by comparing the evaluation of 270 French language words by young adults and healthy older people. The results showed that older adults presented similar or even higher PS for some modalities (e.g. gustatory and olfactory) and in particular for certain categories of words, while the BOI decreases. In addition to the importance of adjusting the verbal stimuli used in aging studies when dealing with multimodal representations, our results will lead us to discuss the evolution of sensorimotor representations with age.

Port catheter versus peripherally inserted central catheter for postoperative chemotherapy in early breast cancer: a retrospective analysis of 448 patients.

PURPOSE: We aimed to compare the complication rate between port catheters (PC) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) for the administration of postoperative chemotherapy for breast cancer. METHODS: All patients treated from January 2010 to August 2012 at the Centre Henri Becquerel for early breast cancer requiring postoperative chemotherapy were retrospectively screened. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of a major complication related to the central venous catheter. Major complications were defined as any grade 3 event according to CTCAE 4.0, delay in chemotherapy >7 days, change of the device, life-threatening event, event requiring a hospitalization, or a prolongation of hospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 448 patients were included; 290 had a PC and 158 a PICC. Overall, 31 major complications related to the central venous catheter were observed: 13 for patients with a PC (4.5%) and 18 for patients with a PICC (11.4%). In univariate analysis, having a PICC was the only factor significantly associated with a higher risk of major complications (HR = 2.83, p = 0.0027). We observed a trend for a higher risk of major complications for patients older than 60 years or with BMI >25 (p = 0.06). In multivariate analysis, having a PICC was the only predictive factor of major complications (HR = 2.89, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In univariate and multivariate analysis, having a PICC instead of a PC was the only predictive factor of device-related major complication. If confirmed prospectively by the NCT02095743 ongoing trial, this result might modify the management of adjuvant chemotherapy administration.

[Corporal image and pregnancy: A look at psychometric properties of the French translation of the Pregnancy and Weigh Gain Attitude Scale]. / Image corporelle et grossesse : examen des propriétés psychométriques de la traduction française de la Pregnancy and Weight Gain Attitude Scale (PWGAS).

BACKGROUND: Body dissatisfaction among pregnant women can provoke behaviors to control weight gain and make them more vulnerable to eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction and strategies to control weight during pregnancy can have many consequences for both the mother and baby. Excessive weight gain may cause complications during childbirth and, reciprocally, a too weak weight gain could be associated with the risk of having a baby with a very low birth weight. Thus, it appears important to have a tool to detect these body image disorders in this population. As far as we know, no French-speaking tool exists, and the objective of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the French translation of the Pregnancy and Weight Gain Attitude Scale (PWGAS), which assesses the attitudes about weight gain during pregnancy. METHOD: The sample consisted of 553 women (29.32±4.82 years) in their third trimester of pregnancy. Participants were volunteer women recruited in hospitals during obstetric consultation. All participants completed an anamnestic questionnaire, the PWGAS and a questionnaire assessing body dissatisfaction (Body Shape Questionnaire [BSQ]). The PWGAS, in its original version, includes 18 items and consists of four subscales: Positive Pregnancy Body Image; Negative Pregnancy Body Image; Indifference toward Weight Gain and Weight Gain Restrictive Behaviors. The instrument was translated and verified by expert translators. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis of the original version showed fit indices below recommended limits. An exploratory factor analysis on the PWGAS revealed the existence of five factors: "Fear about weight gain" (4 items); "Absence of weight gain preoccupation" (2 items); "Positive attitudes about weight gain" (4 items); "Feeling overwhelmed by weight gain" (3 items); and "Control over weight gain" (3 items). The goodness-of-fit of the five-factor model was satisfactory. The PWGAS (total and factors) is negatively correlated with the BSQ demonstrating its concurrent validity. CONCLUSION: The PWGAS has satisfactory psychometric properties. This questionnaire could certainly be integrated in the monitoring of pregnant women in order to detect and guide those who show negative attitudes about the weight gain so that they can benefit from adequate care and prevent the development of eating disorders.

[Nutritional management of patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation]. / Prise en charge nutritionnelle des patients atteints de cancer de la tête et du cou traité par irradiation.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are standard treatment of head and neck cancer alone or associated to surgical treatment. Early (during treatment or the following weeks) and late side effects contribute to malnutrition in this population at risk. In this context, nutritional support adapted by dietary monitoring and enteral nutrition (nasogastric tube or gastrostomy) are often necessary. The early identification of the patients with high malnutrition risk and requiring enteral nutrition is necessary to improve the tolerance and efficacy of treatment.

[Brain radiation necrosis after stereotactic radiotherapy of the resection cavity for intracranial metastases: analysis of the literature from four cases]. / Radionécrose cérébrale après irradiation en conditions stéréotaxiques des berges opératoires : analyse de la littérature à partir de quatre cas.

Stereotactic hypofractionated radiotherapy after resection of brain metastasis is an alternative to whole brain radiotherapy. A high dose per fraction is associated with a risk of radiation necrosis. We present four cases of confirmed histological radiation necrosis. Differentiating recurrent tumour from radiation necrosis in this scenario is challenging. An enhancing area in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a "cut bell pepper" appearance may suggest radiation necrosis. Advanced imaging modalities such as perfusion MR imaging and positron emission tomography can be useful. Dosimetric predictors of the occurrence of radiation necrosis after stereotactic hypofractionated radiotherapy are poorly understood and require prospective studies on larger cohorts.

Problem-solving and learning in Carib grackles: individuals show a consistent speed-accuracy trade-off.

The generation and maintenance of within-population variation in cognitive abilities remain poorly understood. Recent theories propose that this variation might reflect the existence of consistent cognitive strategies distributed along a slow-fast continuum influenced by shyness. The slow-fast continuum might be reflected in the well-known speed-accuracy trade-off, where animals cannot simultaneously maximise the speed and the accuracy with which they perform a task. We test this idea on 49 wild-caught Carib grackles (Quiscalus lugubris), a tame opportunistic generalist Icterid bird in Barbados. Grackles that are fast at solving novel problems involving obstacle removal to reach visible food perform consistently over two different tasks, spend more time per trial attending to both tasks, and are those that show more shyness in a pretest. However, they are also the individuals that make more errors in a colour discrimination task requiring no new motor act. Our data reconcile some of the mixed positive and negative correlations reported in the comparative literature on cognitive tasks, suggesting that a speed-accuracy trade-off could lead to negative correlations between tasks favouring speed and tasks favouring accuracy, but still reveal consistent strategies based on stable individual differences.

[Radiotherapy of a glioma in a pregnant woman: evaluation of the foetal dose in conformational 3D or intensity-modulated]. / Radiothérapie d'une tumeur gliale chez une femme enceinte : évaluation de la dose fœtale en irradiation conformationelle tridimensionnelle ou avec modulation d'intensité

The purpose was to assess three treatments planning techniques including one in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for cerebral irradiation of pregnant woman, in order to limit the dose delivered to the foetus. The treatment provided was 60 Gy to the planning target volume. Estimated foetal dose was measured using an anthropomorphic phantom, on the upper and middle part of the uterus. The first plan consisted in four beams in conformational technique delivered from a Varian accelerator with a 120 leaves collimator, the second one used non-coplanar fields and the third one assessed IMRT. With the conformational technique, the dose at the upper part of the uterus was 8.3 mGy and 6.3 mGy at the middle part. The dose delivered to the foetus was higher with the non-coplanar fields. In IMRT, the dose at the upper part of the uterus was 23.8 mGy and 14.3 mGy at the middle part. The three plans used 6 MV X-rays. Because of the use of leaves and non-coplanar fields, IMRT does not seem to be the optimal technique for the treatment of pregnant woman. However, the dose delivered to the foetus remains low and below the dose of 100 mGy recommended by the International Commission of Radiological Protection. It seems possible to consider the use of this technique for a better sparing of organs at risk for the mother.

[New techniques and potential benefits for radiotherapy of lung cancer]. / Nouvelles techniques et bénéfices attendus pour la radiothérapie du cancer du poumon.

Radiotherapy is used for inoperable lung cancers, sometimes in association with chemotherapy. Outcomes of conventional radiotherapy are disappointing. New techniques improve adaptation to tumour volume, decrease normal tissue irradiation and lead to increasing tumour dose with the opportunity for improved survival. With intensity-modulated radiation therapy, isodoses can conform to complex volumes. It is widely used and seems to be indicated in locally advanced stages. Its dosimetric improvements have been demonstrated but outcomes are still heterogeneous. Stereotactic radiotherapy allows treatment of small volumes with many narrow beams. Dedicated devices or appropriate equipment on classical devices are needed. In early stages, its efficacy is comparable to surgery with an acceptable toxicity. Endobronchial brachytherapy could be used for early stages with specific criteria. Hadrontherapy is still experimental regarding lung cancer. Hadrons have physical properties leading to very accurate dose distribution. In the rare published studies, toxicities are roughly lower than others techniques but for early stages its effectiveness is not better than stereotactic radiotherapy. These techniques are optimized by metabolic imaging which precisely defines the target volume and assesses the therapeutic response; image-guided radiation therapy which allows a more accurate patient set up and by respiratory tracking or gating which takes account of tumour respiratory motions.

Beckwith-Wiedemann and Silver-Russell syndromes: opposite developmental imbalances in imprinted regulators of placental function and embryonic growth.

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) are two congenital disorders with opposite outcomes on fetal growth, overgrowth and growth restriction, respectively. Although both disorders are heterogeneous, most cases of BWS and SRS are associated with opposite epigenetic or genetic abnormalities on 11p15.5 leading to opposite imbalances in the expression levels of imprinted genes. In this article, we review evidence implicating these genes in the developmental regulation of embryonic growth and placental function in mouse models. The emerging picture suggests that both SRS and BWS can be caused by the simultaneous and opposite deregulation of two groups of imprinted genes on 11p15.5. A detailed description of the phenotypic abnormalities associated with each syndrome must take into consideration the developmental functions of each gene involved.

Independent appearance of an innovative feeding behaviour in Antillean bullfinches.

Behavioural innovations have been largely documented in birds and are thought to provide advantages in changing environments. However, the mechanisms by which behavioural innovations spread remain poorly known. Two major mechanisms are supposed to play a fundamental role: innovation diffusion by social learning and independent appearance of the same innovation in different individuals. Direct evidence for the independent emergence of the same innovation in different individuals is, however, lacking. Here, we show that a highly localized behavioural innovation previously observed in 2000 in Barbados, the opening of sugar packets by Loxigilla barbadensis bullfinches, persisted more than a decade later and had spread to a limited area around the initial site. More importantly, we found that the same innovation appeared independently in other, more distant, locations on the same island. On the island of St-Lucia, 145 km from Barbados, we also found that the sister species of the Barbados bullfinch, the Lesser Antillean bullfinch Loxigilla noctis developed the same innovation independently. Finally, we found that a third species, the Bananaquit Coereba flaveola, exploited the bullfinches' technical innovation to benefit from this new food source. Overall, our observations provide the first direct evidence of the independent emergence of the same behavioural innovation in different individuals of the same species, but also in different species subjected to similar anthropogenic food availability.

The influence of pore size on osteoblast phenotype expression in cultures grown on porous titanium.

This study investigated the effect of pore size on osteoblastic phenotype development in cultures grown on porous titanium (Ti). Porous Ti discs with three different pore sizes, 312 µm (Ti 312), 130 µm (Ti 130) and 62 µm (Ti 62) were fabricated using a powder metallurgy process. Osteoblastic cells obtained from human alveolar bone were cultured on porous Ti samples for periods of up to 14 days. Cell proliferation was affected by pore size at day 3 (p=0.0010), day 7 (p=0.0005) and day 10 (p=0.0090) in the following way: Ti 62

Direct visualization and quantification of bone growth into porous titanium implants using micro computed tomography.

The utility of porous metals for the integration of orthopaedic implants with host bone has been well established. Quantification of the tissue response to cementless implants is laborious and time consuming process requiring tissue processing, embedding, sectioning, polishing, imaging and image analysis. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) is a promising three dimensional (3D) imaging technique to quantify the tissue response to porous metals. However, the suitability and effectiveness of µCT for the quantification of bone ingrowth remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare bone growth within porous titanium implants using both µCT and traditional hard-tissue histology techniques. Cylindrical implants were implanted in the distal femora and proximal tibiae of a rabbit. After 6 weeks, bone ingrowth was quantified and compared by µCT, light microscopy and backscattered electron microscopy. Quantification of bone volume and implant porosity as determined by µCT compared well with data obtained by traditional histology techniques. Analysis of the 3D dataset showed that bone was present in the pores connected with openings larger 9.4 µm. For pore openings greater than 28.2 µm, the size of the interconnection had little impact on the bone density within the porosity for the titanium foams.

Effect of the oxygen content in solution on the static and cyclic deformation of titanium foams.

It is well known that interstitials affect the mechanical properties of titanium and titanium alloys. Their effects on the fatigue properties of titanium foams have not, however, been documented in the literature. This paper presents the effect of the oxygen content on the static and dynamic compression properties of titanium foams. Increasing the oxygen content from 0.24 to 0.51 wt% O in solution significantly increases the yield strength and reduces the ductility of the foams. However, the fatigue limit is not significantly affected by the oxygen content and falls within the 92 MPa +/- 12 MPa range for all specimens investigated in this study. During cyclic loading, deformation is initially coming from cumulative creep followed by the formation of microcracks. The coalescence of these microcracks is responsible for the rupture of the specimens. Fracture surfaces of the specimens having lower oxygen content show a more ductile aspect than the specimens having higher oxygen content.

Sintering behaviour of 45S5 bioactive glass.

In this study, we report on the effect of Bioglass structural transformations on its sintering behaviour. While heating up to 1000 degrees C, five successive transformations occur: glass transition, glass-in-glass phase separation, two crystallization processes and a second glass transition. The sintering of the material exhibits two main shrinkage stages associated with the two glass transitions at 550 and 850 degrees C. At 580 degrees C, the glass-in-glass phase separation induces a decrease in the sintering rate immediately followed by the major crystalline phase crystallization (Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6)) between 600 and 700 degrees C, from the surface to the bulk of the particles. A complete inhibition of sintering takes place followed by a minor shrinkage effect due to crystallization. A plateau is then observed until the second glass transition temperature is reached. A modification of Frenkel's model allows the determination of the glass-in-glass phase separation kinetics and the identification of the structural transformations effects on sintering behaviour.

Physicians' knowledge of alcohol, tobacco and folic acid in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess: (1) physicians' knowledge and clinical confidence regarding problematic substance use in pregnancy compared to folic acid, and (2) physicians' desire for education in this area and their preferred learning modalitiestools. DESIGN: Self-administered survey. SETTING: Family Medicine Forum 2004 in Toronto, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians attending Family Medicine Forum 2004 in Toronto who provide antenatal care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge of folic acid, smoking and alcohol in pregnancy. Clinical confidence and interest in resources regarding problematic substance use in pregnancy. RESULTS: Sixty-six surveys completed. Physicians answered 92.3% of folic acid questions correctly, compared to 82.0% for nicotine and 57.1% for alcohol. Scores were higher on questions about effects of nicotine and alcohol use in pregnancy than on questions about treatment options. A perceived inability to influence clinical outcomes and a lack of professional resources regarding substance use in pregnancy were also identified. Physicians were interested in learning more about problematic substance use in pregnancy, particularly from continuing medical education events, websites and pocket cards. CONCLUSION: Participants' level of knowledge regarding substance use in pregnancy was significantly lower than their knowledge of folic acid, as was their clinical confidence. This lack of knowledge was not attributable to disinterest and clearly more educational resources are needed to address this topic.

Androgenetic/biparental mosaicism causes placental mesenchymal dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) is a distinct syndrome of unknown aetiology that is associated with significant fetal morbidity and mortality. Intrauterine growth restriction is common, yet, paradoxically, many of the associated fetuses/newborns have been diagnosed with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS). METHODS: We report two cases of PMD with high levels of androgenetic (complete paternal uniparental isodisomy) cells in the placenta and document, in one case, a likely androgenetic contribution to the fetus as well. RESULTS: The same haploid paternal complement found in the androgenetic cells was present in coexisting biparental cells, suggesting origin from a single fertilisation event. CONCLUSIONS: Preferential allocation of the normal cells into the trophoblast explains the absence of trophoblast overgrowth, a key feature of this syndrome. Interestingly, the distribution of androgenetic cells appears to differ from that reported for artificially created androgenetic mouse chimeras. Androgenetic mosaicism for the first time provides an aetiology for PMD, and may be a novel mechanism for BWS and unexplained intrauterine growth restriction.

Effect of dietary cobalt supplementation on cobalt metabolism and performance of dairy cattle.

Three studies were conducted with dairy cattle fed diets with added Co. The first study examined cow age and added dietary Co on Co in liver and blood. Nonpregnant, nonlactating Holstein cows were blocked by age (2.5 or 6.5 yr) and assigned to either a control diet or a diet supplemented with 9 mg Co per day. The Co concentration of liver, taken on d 60, was not affected by dietary Co but was higher in the younger cows. The cytosolic fraction of liver contained the most Co, and the subcellular distribution of Co was not affected by total Co in liver. In a second study, Holstein cows were assigned to one of three treatments of dietary Co from 21 d prepartum until 120 d postpartum. There was an interaction of time x treatment x parity such that milk yield response to Co supplementation differed between multiparous cows and primiparous cows. Supplemental Co did not increase Co in serum, colostrum, milk, or liver. Primiparous cows secreted colostrum and milk with higher Co concentrations than did multiparous cows. Likewise, serum B12 levels were higher in primiparous than multiparous cows and declined with increasing days in milk (DIM). Serum Co also decreased from 7 to 120 DIM. In a final study, a Co supplement in the starter diet did not affect Co in serum or liver of young calves. In conclusion, supplemental dietary Co did not affect secretion of Co in milk, tissue retention, or subcellular distribution of Co within the liver. Primiparous and multiparous cows differed in their milk yield response to dietary Co supplementation.

Randomized study comparing the "sniffing position" with simple head extension for laryngoscopic view in elective surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: The "sniffing position" is recommended for optimization of glottic visualization under direct laryngoscopy. However, no study to date has confirmed its superiority over simple head extension. In a prospective, randomized study, the authors compared the sniffing position with simple head extension in orotracheal intubation. METHODS: The study included 456 consecutive patients. The sniffing position was obtained by placement of a 7-cm cushion under the head of the patient. The extension position was obtained by simple head extension. The anesthetic procedure included two Laryngoscopies without paralysis: the first was used for topical glottic anesthesia. During the second direct laryngoscopy, intubation of the trachea was performed. The head position was randomized as follows: group A was in the sniffing position during the first Laryngoscopy and the extension position during the second, group B was in the extension position during the first laryngoscopy and the sniffing position during the second. Glottic exposure was assessed by the Cormack scale. RESULTS: The sniffing position improved glottic exposure (decreased the Cormack grade) in 18% of patients and worsened it (increased the Cormack grade) in 11% of patients, in comparison with simple extension. The Cormack grade distribution was not significantly modified between the two groups. Multivariate analysis showed that reduced neck mobility and obesity were independently related to improvement in laryngoscopic view with application of the sniffing position. CONCLUSIONS: Routine use of the sniffing position appears to provide no significant advantage over simple head extension for tracheal intubation in this setting. The sniffing position appears to be advantageous in obese and head extension-limited patients.

Characterization of wheat-flour-water doughs: a new method using ultrasound.

In this paper, an original method of evaluating the physical properties of wheat-flour-water systems using high-frequency low-power ultrasound is presented. Most of the experiments were performed with a reflectance technique measuring the acoustic impedance of doughs. The velocity of propagation, attenuation and viscoelastic moduli have been evaluated for both compressional and shear ultrasonic waves in the interval 2-10 MHz for doughs of different hydrations. The 53% water content was found to be critical with respect to the presence of free water. The influence of the mixing and rest times on the longitudinal ultrasonic parameters is also studied.

Selection for transgene homozygosity in embryonic stem cells results in extensive loss of heterozygosity.

Embryonic stem cells offer unprecedented opportunities for random or targeted genome alterations in the mouse. We present here an efficient strategy to create chromosome-specific loss of heterozygosity in embryonic stem cells. The combination of this method with genome-wide mutagenesis in ES cells (using chemical mutagens or gene-trap vectors) opens up the possibility for in vitro or in vivo functional screening of recessive mutations in the mouse.