Validation d'une traduction fran?aise d'un instrument de mesure des réponses affectoves á la premiére relation sexuelle avec pénétration.

Tested the validity of a self-questionnaire (D. L. Weis; 1983) measuring the affective responses to the first sexual intercourse with a sample of 198 French-Canadian women. This study also explores the affective responses to the first sexual relation with penetration within this same group. Ss answered experimental and original versions of the questionnaire. Results show consistency between cues of content validity and concomitant validity of the original version and the French version, a noticeable temporal stability and a high internal consistency. Results also show the accuracy of the French translation and the validity of the questionnaire on the affective responses to the first sexual relation with penetration. A copy of the French version of the questionnaire is appended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The distal cytoplasmic domain of the erythropoietin receptor induces granulocytic differentiation in 32D cells

The role of hematopoietic growth factors in lineage commitment and differentiation is unclear. We present evidence that heterologous expression of an erythroid specific receptor allows granulocytic differentiation of a myeloid cell line. We have previously characterized a truncation mutant of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR), which is associated with familial erythrocytosis (Blood 89:4628, 1997). This truncated EpoR lacks the distal 70 amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain. To study the functional role of this distal receptor domain, 32D cells, a murine interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent myeloid line, were transfected with the wild-type EpoR (32D/EpoR WT) or the truncated EpoR (32D/EpoR FE). 32D cells expressing either the full-length or truncated EpoR display equivalent proliferative rates in saturating concentrations of Epo. There is a dramatic difference in maturational phenotype between the two cell lines, however. The 32D/EpoR FE cells and mock transfected 32D cells have an immature, monoblastic morphology and do not express the primary granule protein myeloperoxidase. The 32D/EpoR WT cells, on the other hand, demonstrate granulocytic differentiation with profuse granulation, mature, clumped chromatin, and myeloperoxidase expression. There is no evidence of erythroid differentiation in 32D cells transfected with either the full-length or truncated EpoR. Treatment of the cells with the specific Jak2 inhibitor tyrphostin AG 490 inhibits myeloid differentiation driven by the distal EpoR. We conclude that: (1) the distal cytoplasmic domain of the EpoR is able to induce a specific myeloid differentiation signal distinct from mitogenic signaling, and (2) these data extend to myelopoiesis the growing body of evidence that the cellular milieu, not the specific cytokine receptor, determines the specificity of differentiation after cytokine receptor activation.     

Bonding performance of heat treated wood with structural adhesives

Bonding of untreated, intermediate (hydro-thermolysed) and heat treated wood with melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF), phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde (PRF) and polyurethane (PUR) adhesives was studied. An industrial heat treatment process (Plato ^®) was used, which included two separate heat treatment stages and a drying stage in-between. Laminated beams having four lamellas were prepared from untreated and treated timber for mechanical testing of the bond lines. The results of the tests showed that heat treatment affected the shear strength and the delamination of the laminated wood depending on the adhesive system used for bonding. The PUR and MUF adhesives performed in a rather similar way, and better than the PRF adhesive. The shear strength of laminated wood bonded with the waterborne MUF and PRF adhesives decreased for the specimens made of hydro-thermolysed timber and decreased further for the specimens made of fully heat treated timber. The difference in adhesive bond shear strength between untreated, intermediate and fully treated wood was less obvious in the case of the PUR adhesive. Delamination of the PRF bond line decreased drastically for all the specimens made of heat treated timber.     

High-contrast fast Fourier transform acousto-optical tomography of phantom tissues with a frequency-chirp modulation of the ultrasound

We report new results on acousto-optical tomography in phantom tissues using a frequency chirp modulation and a CCD camera. This technique allows quick recording of three-dimensional images of the optical contrast with a two-dimensional scan of the ultrasound source in a plane perpendicular to the ultrasonic path. The entire optical contrast along the ultrasonic path is concurrently obtained from the capture of a film sequence at a rate of 200 Hz. This technique reduces the acquisition time, and it enhances the axial resolution and thus the contrast, which are usually poor owing to the large volume of interaction of the ultrasound perturbation.     

Grain sizing of anodized aluminum by color image analysis

Grain size characterization of aluminum alloys can be correlated with thermomechanical processing properties [1]. To predict the processing characteristics of these alloys under certain combinations of strain, deformation, and temperature, the metallographic measure of the grain size can be used. Most of the techniques that have been proposed so far do not provide reliable and reproducible quantitative metallographic measurements of the grain size, due to human error [2,3]. Considering that this manual task is also tedious to perform, a general color image analysis algorithm is proposed to automate the characterization process using an optical microscope with polarized light. This algorithm was tested on several ingots and on rolled-aluminum samples. The results show robustness in several conditions, even when the grains can barely be seen by a human operator. Time constraints specific to industrial settings were taken into account when implementing the algorithm. A complete characterization of the entire surface of an ingot can be obtained within a reasonable time limit. The same algorithm was tested with other types of color material. The proposed framework for handling segmentation of color grains fulfills industrial requirements for the characterization of materials seen under a microscope with polarized light.     

Modeling the effective viscoelastic properties of PEEK matrix reinforced by arbitrary oriented short glass fibers

Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials - The aim of this work consists in estimating and modeling the viscoelastic behavior at small strain of KetaSpire® KT-880 PEEK fiber composites reinforced...     

An implementation of the fast multipole algorithm for wave interaction problems on sparse arrays of floating bodies

This paper describes an implementation of the fast multipole algorithm using the free-surface Green??s function for ocean water waves. Its aim is to investigate different parameters of the fast multipole algorithm in order to efficiently carry out computations on sets of unknowns that are very inhomogeneously distributed in space. Some limits of the algorithm for this specific case are pointed out. Those limits are essentially due to slow convergence of the multipole expansion of the Green??s function. Eventually, a simplified algorithm for this specific application is described. The performance of the different algorithms is evaluated based on the computational time they require.     

Self-referenced spectral interferometry cross-checked with SPIDER on sub-15 fs pulses

We characterized 11.7 fs nearly perfect Fourier Transform pulses with self-referenced spectral interferometry (SRSI), a new recently demonstrated technique. These pulses were first precisely optimized with three feedback loops between the SRSI setup and an AOPDF. An inherent control criterion to confirm that the measurement quality is theoretically derived and experimentally demonstrated. Each experimental result was cross-checked with SPIDER.     

Application of scanning Kelvin probe to study the corrosion protection of chromated hot‐dip galvanized steel

The scanning Kelvin probe has been used to study the inhibition mechanisms and the efficiency of chromating of hot‐dip galvanized steel. Our results show that chromate coatings influence the cathodic partial reaction, i.e. oxygen reduction. The beneficial influence of phosphates on the inhibition efficiency of chromate coatings is also evidenced. Scanning Kelvin probe allows to evaluate the quality (efficiency and homogeneity) of the chromating. Finally we can observe that the protective properties of chromating in a lightly corrosive environment are kept.     

A nonsense mutation in the erythrocyte band 3 gene associated with decreased mRNA accumulation in a kindred with dominant hereditary spherocytosis

We studied a French kindred with typical hereditary spherocytosis (HS). Studies of erythrocytes and erythrocyte membranes from HS individuals revealed abnormal erythrocyte membrane mechanical stability as well as 15-20% deficiency of band 3, the anion transporter. Anion transport studies of red cells from two affected individuals revealed decreased sulfate flux. Nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding the distal third of the cytoplasmic domain and the entire transmembrane domain of band 3 obtained by RT-PCR of reticulocyte RNA of an affected family member was normal. Sequence analysis of genomic DNA from an HS individual identified a nonsense mutation of the band 3 gene, Q330X, near the end of the band 3 cytoplasmic domain. This mutation was present in genomic DNA of all HS family members and absent in DNA of unaffected family members. Using an RT-PCR-based assay, a marked quantitative decrease in accumulation of the mutant band 3 RNA was detected. Thus the codon 330 nonsense mutation is responsible for the decreased accumulation of mutant band 3 RNA and the deficiency of band 3 protein in this kindred. These results have important implications for the role of band 3 defects in the membrane pathobiology of HS as well as for the techniques used in detection of HS mutations.