Evidence for deficits on different components of theory of mind in Huntington's disease.

Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Huntington's disease (HD) on cognitive and affective Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities. The relation of ToM performance and executive functions was also examined. Method: Eighteen HD patients, early in the course of the disease, and 18 healthy volunteers matched for age and educational levels, were given two tasks: a nonverbal cognitive ToM task assessing attribution of intentions to others and a revised version of the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' test, which is an affective ToM task assessing the understanding of other people's mental states from their eyes. Participants were also given various executive tests. Results: The two ToM tasks revealed a significant impairment of ToM abilities in HD patients. Executive functioning was impaired in the HD group and ToM performance on the attribution of intentions task was dependent on several executive processes. Conclusions: Our results are consistent with the idea that both cognitive and affective aspects of ToM could be impaired in HD patients, indicating that cortico-subcortical circuits are underlying higher social functions such as ToM. The results are also consistent with the idea that only a few executive mechanisms regulate the ToM abilities we tested in this work. They also provide a basis for the understanding of the disorganized behavior and the breakdown of interpersonal relationships in daily life after HD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coupling between mass diffusion and film temperature evolution in gravimetric experiments

In gravimetric experiments, the swelling and the drying of polymer films is used to investigate the thermodynamic properties and the mutual diffusion coefficient of polymer/solvent systems. Usually thermodynamic equilibrium at the interface between the film and the solvent vapor and thermal equilibrium between the film and the surroundings are assumed. In this paper we show that the second assumption may fail. Indeed, during a swelling or drying experiment, the temperature of the film surface changes due to the latent heat of vaporization, which induces a variation of the activity. When the corresponding variation of the solvent content is of the same order than the variation due to the sorption experiment and when the thermal time constant is significant compared to the characteristic mass diffusion time, this thermal effect must be taken into account when analyzing sorption data. We evaluate the consequence of this thermal effect on gravimetric experiments and develop a complete model to take this phenomenon into account when analyzing sorption data. As an example, the mutual diffusion coefficient for the system PIB (polyisobutylene)/toluene is estimated for various solvent concentrations at 25 °C.     

A study of chromite carbochlorination kinetics

The carbochlorination of a chromite concentrate was studied between 500 °C and 1000 °C using boat experiments. The reaction products were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and chemical analysis. The carbochlorination of a chromite concentrate at about 600 °C led to the partial selective elimination of iron, thus increasing the Cr/Fe ratio in the treated concentrate. Total carbochlorination of the chromite concentrates and volatilization of the reaction products was achieved at temperatures higher than 800 °C. The kinetics of the chromite carbochlorination was studied between 750 °C and 1050 °C using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results were discussed in terms of the effects of gas flow rate, temperature, partial pressure of Cl₂+CO, and Cl₂/CO ratio on the carbochlorination process. It was observed that the temperature effect changed significantly with the progress of the reaction. The initial stage of the carbochlorination was characterized by an apparent activation energy of about 135 and 74 kJ/mol below and above 925 °C, respectively, while a value of about of 195 kJ/mol was found for the remainder of the carbochlorination process.     

From Zr-rich to Ce-rich: thermal stability of OSC materials on the whole range of composition

Topics in Catalysis - Car manufacturers use close coupled three way catalysts to reduce cold start emissions. These close coupled catalysts must show long term durability and thermal stability at...     

Effect of osseous torsions of the lower limb on the development of lateral femorotibial knee arthrosis

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Frontal deformation of the knee is certainly not the only factor involved in the occurrence of lateralised tibio-femoral arthrosis. The aim of the study was to analyze if any kind of tibial torsion or femoral torsion could be able to induce lateralized arthrosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Femoral torsion, tibial torsion and tibio-femoral index (tibial torsion minus femoral torsion) have been measured on 59 knees with lateral arthrosis (8 knees) or with medial arthrosis (51 knees). For each knee, two frontal deformations were measured: 1) the actual arthrosis deformation was calculated on a hip knee ankle radiograph, 2) the pre arthrosis deformation is the arthrosis deformation minus the angle made by the femoral condyle tangent and the tibial plateau tangent. A knee has no frontal deformation if the angle between the mechanical axis of the femur and the mechanical axis of the tibia is between 178 degrees and 182 degrees; there is a varus deformity if the angle is inferior to 178 degrees; there is a valgus deformation if the angle is superior to 182 degrees. RESULTS: Out of the 8 knees with lateral arthrosis, 2 showed initially no frontal deformation and 6 had a valgus deformation; out of the 51 knees with medial arthrosis, 34 showed initially no frontal deformation, 6 had a valgus deformity and 11 a varus deformity. The tibio-femoral index in lateral FT arthrosis was statistically different from those in medial FT arthrosis (p 0.0001). When a lateral arthrosis appeared whatever the pre arthrosis deformation was the index was always negative (tibial torsion lower than femoral torsion); when a medial FT arthrosis appeared, whatever the pre arthrosis deformation was, the index (except for two cases) was always positive (tibial torsion higher than femoral torsion). CONCLUSION: Femoral and tibial torsions play a part in lateralised arthrosis occurrence together with frontal mechanical factors. Perhaps troubles in torsion explain some spontaneous or post-therapeutic evolutions not explained by frontal mechanical factors.     

Amplification and lasing at 1.3 mu m in praseodymium-doped fluorozirconate fibres

Light emission from the /sup 1/G/sub 4/ to /sup 3/H/sub 5/ transition around 1.3 mu m of Pr/sup 3+/ has been studied in fluoride glass (ZBLAN) fibres. Pumping at 1064 nm yields extracted laser power of a few mW at 1.294 mu m. Gain curves centred at 1.295 mu m have been obtained, with gross gains of more than 15 dB at 1.319 mu m. Changes of the output ASE with pumping conditions are explained by excited state absorption or energy transfer from the /sup 1/G/sub 4/ upper level of the transition.<>     

High-efficiency CW thulium-sensitised holmium-doped fluoride fibre laser operating at 2.04 mu m

Laser oscillation at 2.04 mu m has been observed in a thulium-sensitised holmium doped singlemode fluorozirconate fibre. 52% slope efficiency and 250 mW output power were obtained with a pump at 0.82 mu m. Cross relaxation in thulium gives a pump quantum efficiency of 1.30.<>