Decompression of the optic nerve sheath

Optic nerve sheath decompression (ONSD) has become a more frequently performed surgical procedure in recent years. We describe the surgical techniques and complications and we detail the indications of ONSD in pseudotumor cerebri, ischemic optic neuropathy due to arteriosclerosis and other etiologies under investigation. With a 2% risk of postoperative blindness, this procedure must be indicated only in case of severe visual loss and performed by surgeon experienced to orbital surgery.     

Attitude accessibility as a moderator of autonomic reactivity during decision making.

Attitude functionality was assessed in 2 experiments examining attitude accessibility as a moderator of physiological responses during decision making. In Study 1, experimental Ss but not controls rehearsed attitudes toward novel objects (abstract paintings). Subsequently, all Ss made rapid preference judgments for pairs of the paintings. In Study 2, attitudes were rehearsed by all Ss toward 1 of 2 mutually exclusive sets of abstract paintings. During the subsequent decision-making task, half the Ss made rapid pairwise preference judgments for rehearsed abstract paintings and half for pairs from the unrehearsed set. Autonomic measures were recorded continuously throughout both experiments. As predicted, in both experiments less autonomic reactivity was evident during the criterion pairwise preference task for groups for whom attitude rehearsal was relevant to the criterion task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Le T.A.T. et les Fonctions du Moi and L'activite Symbolique et l'apprentissage Scolaire en Milieux Favorise et Defavorise.

Reviews the books, Le T.A.T. et les Fonctions du Moi by Monique V. G. Morval (1977); and L'activite Symbolique et l'apprentissage Scolaire en Milieux Favorise et Defavorise by Yvon Gauthier and Simon Richer (1977). Few books, if it is none, appeared these last few years in French language on the T.A.T. No practical guide for the beginning psychologist existed. There was no clear handbook in its presentation and its style that was offered to the French-speaking expert. Without doubt we are happy to introduce the book by Monique V G Morval. The use of the psychologist is presented in the shape of a book, this work makes it possible to approach the first necessary stage and has the first study of the T.A.T. before delving into deeper knowledge of the subject. In another book two psychiatrists of analytical orientation, Gauthier and Richer, discuss in their book the first symbolic system activity and school apprenticeship in various mediums. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sequential interactive evolution for finding high-quality topologies

Finding a diverse set of high-quality (HQ) topologies for a single-objective optimization problem using an evolutionary computation algorithm can be difficult without a reliable measure that adequately describes the dissimilarity between competing topologies. In this article, a new approach for enhancing diversity among HQ topologies for engineering design applications is proposed. The technique initially selects one HQ solution and then searches for alternative HQ solutions by performing an optimization of the original objective and its dissimilarity with respect to the previously found solution. The proposed multi-objective optimization approach interactively amalgamates user articulated preferences with an evolutionary search so as sequentially to produce a set of diverse HQ solutions to a single-objective problem. For enhancing diversity, a new measure is suggested and an approach to reducing its computational time is studied and implemented. To illustrate the technique, a series of studies involving different topologies represented as bitmaps is presented.     

Validation of the simplified UVB model to assess the pharmacodynamics of analgesics in healthy human volunteers

A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled study was conducted in healthy human volunteers with the primary objective of exploring the existence of a positive interaction between paracetamol 1 g and ketorolac 20 mg intravenously on experimental pain models. Further, the simplified UVB model was validated as a screening tool for analgesics or a combination of analgesics in clinical drug development. It was observed that the UVB irradiation induced primary hyperalgesia, evidenced by significant decreases of the heat pain threshold from (mean ± SD) 46.9 ± 1.1 °C to 40.1 ± 1.7 °C (p <0.001) and of the mechanical pain threshold (62% decrease). A small intra- and inter-individual variability was observed as well as consistent intra-day stability for the heat pain threshold. The UVB irradiation also resulted in the development of an area of secondary hyperalgesia of 21.3 ± 11.3 cm(2). The mechanical pain threshold and area of secondary hyperalgesia showed small intra-individual variability and consistent intra-day stability. However, a greater variability was observed between subjects, which suggests that a crossover design would allow limiting the number of subjects.     

Increased CD47 and MHC Class I Inhibitory Signals Expression in Senescent CD1 Primary Mouse Lung Fibroblasts

Cellular senescence is more than a proliferative arrest in response to various stimuli. Senescent cells (SC) participate in several physiological processes, and their adequate removal is essential to maintain tissue and organism homeostasis. However, SC accumulation in aging and age-related diseases alters the tissue microenvironment leading to deterioration. The immune system clears the SC, but the specific scenarios and mechanisms related to recognizing and eliminating them are unknown. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the existence of three regulatory signals of phagocytic function, CD47, major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), and calreticulin, present in the membrane of SC. Therefore, primary fibroblasts were isolated from CD1 female mice lungs, and stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) was induced with hydrogen peroxide. Replicative senescence (RS) was used as a second senescent model. Our results revealed a considerable increment of CD47 and MHC-I in RS and SIPS fibroblasts. At the same time, no significant changes were found in calreticulin, suggesting that those signals might be associated with evading immune system recognition and thus averting senescent cells clearance.     

d-Hole localization and the suppression of superconductivity in YBa2(Cu1-xZnx)3O7?y

The temperature and Zn concentration dependence of the electrical resistivity, specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of YBa₂(Cu_1–x Zn _x )₃O_7–y withy0.1 has been measured forx0.16. In addition, the temperature and field dependence of the magnetization has been measured for 2<T<300K and 0<H<9.0T, along with the temperature and quasihydrostatic pressure dependence of the electrical resistivity for selected samples for 0<P<13 GPa. The substitution of Zn for Cu in YBa₂Cu₃O_7–y causes a rapid and nearly linear depression of the superconducting transition temperature,T _c , withT _c going to 0 K forx 0.10. YBa₂(Cu_1–x Zn _x )₃O_7–y retains the YBa₂Cu₃O_7-y orthorhombic structure forx0.16 for both the superconducting and nonsuperconducting samples. Initially, the unit cell volume increases nearly linearly with Zn content; however, an abrupt change occurs in the vicinityx=0.8–0.10. Forx<0.10, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity,(T), is metallic-like (d/dT>0) and increases gradually with increasing Zn content. However, forx 0.10,(T) becomes semiconductor-like, with a very rapid increase of the resistivity with increasingx. The electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, EPR spectra, and specific heat all indicate that thed-holes associated with the Cu ions become localized in the nonsuperconducting phase,x>-0.10.