Mesure clinique des conduites addictives

Objectifs : Ce mémoire propose de répertorier par une revue systématique les instruments de mesure clinique des conduites addictives établies et émergentes; de les comparer au moyen d’une grille d’analyse afin de de déterminer si ces conduites sont cohésives au plan conceptuel. Méthode : La stratégie analytique employée s’est déroulée en trois étapes : 1) Via les moteurs de recherche Pubmed, Psychinfo, HAPI et Embase, nous avons cherché, pour l’ensemble des conduites addictives, les questionnaires ayant fait l’objet d’une étude de validation interne au plan psychométrique. 2) Une grille d’analyse a été développée et validée, couvrant 21 paramètres tirés de 4 catégories conceptuelles : les critères diagnostiques de dépendance (DSM-IVTR), le tempérament (Cloninger et Zuckerman), le processus de production du handicap social (Fougeyrollas) et une grille d’analyse cognitivo-comportementale (Beck). 3) tous les instruments ont été analysés et comparés au moyen de cette grille qui a été développée est validée par un accord inter-juge élevé. Résultats : Nous avons répertorié 191 questionnaires répartis sur 21 conduites addictives. On constate que les conduites les plus prévalentes sont également celles pour lesquelles on retrouve le plus grand nombre de questionnaires. Les catégories que les questionnaires évaluent le plus sont celles des critères de la dépendance et l’analyse cognitivo-comportementale, les catégories beaucoup moins bien représentées étant celles du tempérament et du processus de production du handicap social. On note des tendances semblables pour les paramètres entre les questionnaires portant sur la toxicomanie et ceux portant sur les addictions sans drogues. Conclusion : Ce mémoire confirme une cohésion clinique dans la mesure des addictions, tel que déterminé par une grille validée appliquée sur un ensemble exhaustif de questionnaires répertoriés par une revue systématique.

Time patterns in UK demand for alcohol and tobacco: an application of the EM algorithm

Capturing the pattern of structural change is a relevant task in applied demand analysis, as consumer preferences may vary significantly over time. Filtering and smoothing techniques have recently played an increasingly relevant role. A dynamic Almost Ideal Demand System with random walk parameters is estimated in order to detect modifications in consumer habits and preferences, as well as changes in the behavioural response to prices and income. Systemwise estimation, consistent with the underlying constraints from economic theory, is achieved through the EM algorithm. The proposed model is applied to UK aggregate consumption of alcohol and tobacco, using quarterly data from 1963 to 2003. Increased alcohol consumption is explained by a preference shift, addictive behaviour and a lower price elasticity. The dynamic and time-varying specification is consistent with the theoretical requirements imposed at each sample point. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavioural analysis of mouse mutants with altered neuronal and glial genes

Im ersten Teil dieser Doktorarbeit beabsichtigte meine Arbeit, die funktionelle Beteiligung des CB1 Rezeptors, einer Hauptkomponente des neuronalen Endocannabinoid-Systems (ECS), an der Ausbildung von verschiedenen Verhaltensphänotypen mit Hilfe von konditionalen Mausmutanten, denen der CB1 Rezeptor auf verschiedenen neuronalen Unterpopulationen fehlt, aufzuschlüsseln und zu untersuchen. Verschiedene Verhaltensmodelle wurden hierzu getestet. Dabei lag der Fokus dieser Arbeit auf der CB1f/f;D1-Cre Mauslinie, welche der CB1 Rezeptor auf den D1 Rezeptor exprimierenden Neuronen des Striatums fehlt. Ich konnte zeigen, dass der Verlust des CB1 Rezeptors auf diesen Neuronen keinen Einfluss auf basale neurologische Funktionen, Gewicht, Bewegung, Exploration, Sozialverhalten, Angst und Stressbewältigung der Tiere hat, jedoch eine Beteiligung an der Entwicklung von Suchtverhalten gegeben ist. Bei Betrachtung des Kokain-induzierten Suchtverhaltens zeigten die konditionalen Mausmutanten eine reduzierte Suchtanfälligkeit sowohl im Vergleich zu Tieren mit einem totalen CB1 Rezeptor Verlust in allen Körperzellen, als auch zu genetisch unveränderten Kontrollmäusen beider Linien.rnDes Weiteren zeigen die Ergebnisse dieser Studie eine große, aber gegensätzliche Beteiligung des ECS bei der Regulation von Exploration in Abhängigkeit des Verlustes des CB1 Rezeptors auf GABAergen Neuronen des Vorderhirns und kortikalen glutamatergen Neuronen, jedoch nicht auf striatalen Neuronen alleine. Zusätzlich war ich in der Lage, die Wichtigkeit des genetischen Hintergrunds von Mauslinien nicht nur auf die Ausbildung von spezifischen Verhaltensphänotypen, sondern auch auf die Genexpression zu zeigen.rnIn dem zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit, in dem ich mich auf die Funktion von Gliazellen konzentrierte, wurden ebenfalls Mausmutanten in verschiedenen Verhaltensmodellen getestet. Ein genetisches Auslöschen des NG2 Glykoproteins in Gliazellen sorgt in den Knock-out Mäusen für ein schlechteres Hörvermögen und ein reduziertes Depressionsverhalten im Vergleich zu ihren Wildtyp-Kontrollmäusen. Interessanterweise zeigten diese Tiere auch eine reduzierte Empfänglichkeit bei chemisch induzierten epileptischen Krämpfen, was eine Rolle des NG2 Glykoproteins bei der Kontrolle der glutamatergen Homöostase vorschlägt, die wahrscheinlich durch Strukturänderungen der Neuron-Glia-Synapse verursacht wird. rn

As habilidades sociais em dependentes de álcool: Um estudo exploratório

A vida social de um indivíduo dependente do álcool é na maioria das vezes um factor de risco para continuar ou aumentar o consumo excessivo de bebidas alcoólicas. Um dos grandes fracassos do alcoólico é não cumprir adequadamente um papel social desejado, o que resulta em prejuízos para si mesmo e para os outros. O indivíduo que abusa no consumo, depressa perde a sua reputação junto de colegas, amigos e familiares, o que o deixa mais intolerante à frustração e aumenta o consumo. A mentira toma-se então sua aliada, pois através dela ele vai reduzindo a ansiedade causada pelo fracasso na vida social e que os outros teimam em deixar bem nítido. Identificar os problemas sociais dos quais o indivíduo padece, é fundamental para planear melhor uma estratégia de intervenção, quer seja ela de prevenção, de psicoterapia ou de reabilitação. Os programas de tratamento habitualmente propostos para a abordagem dos problemas derivados do consumo de álcool centram a sua atenção, quase exclusivamente, no comportamento aditivo como guia orientador da intervenção e como indicador objectivo do êxito do próprio programa Mas na maioria dos casos o comportamento aditivo é sim a manifestação mais objectiva de um profundo desajuste entre o sujeito consigo mesmo e com o seu meio ambiente. É por isso, objectivo dos processos de recuperação oferecer-lhe a possibilidade de recuperar a crença na palavra ou aprender o seu valor como meio de comunicação fundamental entre os homens. Para além de possibilitar aos sujeitos dependentes de álcool este valor, importa também incutir nos sujeitos o valor positivo de viver com limites; pois são especialistas em tentar sabotar a acção dos técnicos e em descobrir as suas debilidades para as utilizarem em seu interesse. Importa por isso, que aprendam o valor das leis e a utilidade, para todos, de cumpri-las (Kalina, 2001). Assim, o treino de habilidades sociais constitui uma parte importante dos tratamentos para os sujeitos com problemas de abuso de álcool e drogas. Foi nesse sentido que nos propusemos a identificar o nível de habilidades sociais em pessoas dependentes de álcool. O estudo que desenvolvemos é de carácter exploratório/descritivo, para o qual optámos por utilizar uma metodologia quantitativa. A amostra foi constituída por 229 indivíduos, do sexo masculino, dependentes de álcool, em instituições nacionais de referência na área da alcoologia O instrumento de recolha de dados é constituído por um Questionário de dados sócio demográficos, uma Escala de Habilidades Sociais e uma Escala de Auto-apreciação Pessoal. Constatamos que a amostra constituída por indivíduos dependentes de álcool apresenta uma pontuação média na Escala de Habilidades Sociais de 89.96, equivalente ao percentil 55 na tabela de parametrização de Gismero (2002). Este valor é claramente inferior ao conseguido por qualquer uma das outras amostras analisadas, seja a do estudo preliminar, seja a do estudo comparativo, constituída por indivíduos da população em geral e que conseguiram um percentil 70. ABSTRACT; The social life of a person dependent on alcohol is, most of the time, a risk factor to continue or increase the alcohol excessive consumption. One of the alcoholic failures is the fact that he is unable to perform an adequate social role, to the detriment of himself and others. A person, who abuses alcohol consumption, soon loses his reputation next to his colleagues, friends and relatives, which makes him intolerant of frustration and increases the alcohol consumption. To lie becomes his best ally, because it helps him to reduce the anxiety caused by the failure of his social life, what is promptly pointed out by others. To identify the individual social problems is essential to plan the best intervention strategy. This can be of prevention, psychotherapy or rehabilitation. The treatment programmers, usually proposed to deal with the problems caused by alcohol consumption, focus almost exclusively on the addictive behaviour, as a guide line for the intervention and as an objective indicator of the success of the programme itself. But, in most cases, the addictive behaviour is an objective manifestation of a deep break off of the individual with himself and with his environment. That is why the aim of the recuperation process is to offer the individual the possibility to recover their belief on the word or to learn its value as an essential means of communication for men. Besides getting the message trough, it is also important to make the individuals aware of the positive value of living within limits. These individuals are specialists on trying to sabotage the technicians’ actions, discovering their weaknesses so they can use them on their own behalf. That is why it is so important that they learn the value of rules and the importance of accomplishing them (Kalina, 2001). Therefore, the training of the social skills is an important part of the treatment of individuals with problems of alcohol or dugs addiction. So, we committed ourselves to identifying the level of social skills on people who have an alcohol addiction. The study we developed is exploratory/ descriptive and we chose to use a quantitative methodology. The sample was of 229 male alcohol dependent individuals, staying in national institutes of reference in the area of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The means to collect data were a social demographic data questionnaire, a scale of social skills and a scale of personal self- assessment. We realized that the sample of alcohol dependent individuals presents an average score in social skills of 89.96, equivalent to a percentile of 55 in the parameterization of Gismero (2002). This is clearly a lower value than the one obtained by any other sample we analyzed, whether in the preliminary study or in the comparative study, constituted by individuals of the common population that achieved a percentile of 70.

À procura do esquecimento: A mulher toxicodependente

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Clínica.

Behaviour of oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells in an experimental model of toxic demyelination of the central nervous system

Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells are engaged in myelin production, maintenance and repairing respectively in the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Whereas oligodendrocytes act only within the CNS, Schwann cells are able to invade the CNS in order to make new myelin sheaths around demyelinated axons. Both cells have some limitations in their activities, i.e. oligodendrocytes are post-mitotic cells and Schwann cells only get into the CNS in the absence of astrocytes. Ethidium bromide (EB) is a gliotoxic chemical that when injected locally within the CNS, induce demyelination. In the EB model of demyelination, glial cells are destroyed early after intoxication and Schwann cells are free to approach the naked central axons. In normal Wistar rats, regeneration of lost myelin sheaths can be achieved as early as thirteen days after intoxication; in Wistar rats immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide the process is delayed and in rats administered cyclosporine it may be accelerated. Aiming the enlightening of those complex processes, all events concerning the myelinating cells in an experimental model are herein presented and discussed.

Behaviour of albino and melanic variants of Biomphalaria glabrata Say, 1818 (Mollusca: Planorbidae) following infection by Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907

The behaviour of the albino and melanic variants of Biomphalaria glabrata of Belo Horizonte (MG. Brazil) was studied comparatively, in terms of their respective susceptibilities to infection by Schistosoma mansoni of the same origin, through observation of the elimination of cercariae for a three-month period and the calculation of mortality and infection rates, in control and in infected snails. The number of amoebocytes, granulocytes and hyalinocytes in the circulating hemolymph during different periods of infection was analyzed. The evolution of the infection in the tissues was observed by means of histological cross-sections. The melanic variant showed greater susceptibility to infection and a higher mortality rate. The albino variant showed a higher number of circulating amoebocytes, both granulocytes and hyalinocytes. A higher number of degenerated sporocysts were seen in the histological cross-sections of the albino variant. The results suggest that the melanic variant of B. glabrata was more susceptible to infection by S. mansoni than was the albino variant.

Food profitability affects intranidal recruitment behaviour in the stingless bee Nannotrigona testaceicornis

Does the food's sugar concentration affect recruitment behaviour in the stingless bee Nan-notrigona testaceicornis? We recorded intranidal forager behaviour while offering sugar water of constant, increasing, or decreasing concentrations. Running speed was not correlated with sugar concentration but the jostling contacts/sec were. Food profitability also affected the recruiter's thorax vibrations: Pulse duration and duty cycle followed both concentration increases and decreases. Sugar concentration also influenced the number of recruited bees. In comparison to the phylogenetically closely related Scaptotrigona, Nan-notrigona's intranidal recruitment behaviour showed a more elaborate association with food profitability. This is likely to reflect differences in ecology and foraging strategies as Nannotrigona - in contrast to Scaptotrigona - does not lay scent trails to guide recruits to a food source.

Contrasting photoelectrochemical behaviour of two isomeric supramolecular dyes based on meso-tetra(pyridyl)porphyrin incorporating four (mu(3)-oxo)- triruthenium(III) clusters

A saddle shaped tetracluster porphyrin species containing four [Ru(3)O(OAc)(6)(py)(2)](+) clusters coordinated to the N-pyridyl atoms of 5,10,15,20-tetra(3-pyridyl)porphyrin, H(2)(3-TCPyP), has been investigated in comparison with the planar tetra(4-pyridyl) porphyrin analogue H(2)(4-TCPyP). The steric effects from the bulky peripheral complexes play a critical role in the H(2)(3-TCPyP) species, determining a non-planar configuration around the porphyrin centre and precluding any significant pi-electronic coupling, in contrast with the less hindered H(2)(4-TCPyP) species. Both systems exhibit a photoelectrochemical response in the presence of nanocrystalline TiO(2) films, involving the porphyrin excitation around 450 nm. However, only in the H(2)(4-TCPyP) case do the cluster moieties also contribute to the photoinduced electron injection process at 670 nm, reflecting the relevance of the electronic coupling between the porphyrin centre and the peripheral complexes.

Behaviour of biofuel addition on metallurgical properties of sinter

Blast furnace gas yield is essentially controlled by a gas-solid reaction phenomenon, which strongly influences hot metal manufacturing costs. As a result of rising prices for reducing agents on the international market, Companhia Siderurgica Nacional decided to inject natural gas into its blast furnaces. With more gas inside the furnace, the burden permeability became even more critical. To improve blast furnace gas yield, a new technological approach was adopted; raising the metallic burden reaction surface. To that end, a special sinter was developed with permeability being controlled by adding micropore nucleus forming agents, cellulignin coal, without, however, degrading its mechanical properties. This paper shows the main process parameters and the results from physicochemical characterisation of a sinter with controlled permeability, on a pilot scale, compared to those of conventional sinter. Gas flow laboratory simulations have conclusively corroborated the positive effects of micropore nucleus forming agents on enhancing sinter permeability.

Wetting behaviour of silicon nitride ceramics by Ti-Cu alloys

The wetting of Ti-Cu alloys on Si3N4 was analyzed by the sessile drop method, using an imaging system with a CCD camera during the heating under argon flow. The contact angle was measured as a function of temperature and time. The samples were cut transversally and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS). Wettability of the Ti-Cu alloy on Si3N4 is influenced by the reaction between the Ti and the ceramic. The TC1 and TC2 alloys presented low final contact angle values around 2 degrees and 26 degrees, respectively, indicating good wetting on Si3N4. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Crystallisation behaviour and glass-forming ability in Al-La-Ni system

The crystallisation behaviour for alloys in the Al-rich corner in the Al-La-Ni system is reported in this paper Alloys were selected based on the topological instability criterion (lambda criterion) calculated from the alloy composition and metallic radii of the alloying elements and aluminum Amorphous ribbons were produced by melt-spinning and the crystallisation reactions were analysed by X-ray diffraction and calorimetry The results showed that increasing the values of lambda from 0.072 to 0.16 resulted in the following changes in the crystallisation behaviour, as predicted by the lambda criterion (a) nanocrystallisation of alpha-Al for the alloy composition corresponding to lambda = 0 072 and (b) detection of the glass transition temperature, T(g), for the alloys with composition close to lambda approximate to 0.1 line. For compositions corresponding to both ends of the lambda approximate to 0 1 line (near the binaries lines) T(g) could be detected only in the ""intermediary"" central region, and the alloy we produced in this region was considered the best glass former for the Al-rich corner Also, except for the alloys with the highest NI content, crystallisation proceeded by two distinct exothermic peaks which are typical of nanocrystallisation transformation. These behaviours are discussed in terms of compositional (lambda parameter) and topological aspects to account for cluster formation in the amorphous phase. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B V All rights reserved

A numerical model for the description of the nonlinear behaviour of multi-leaf masonry walls

A nonlinear finite element model was developed to simulate the nonlinear response of three-leaf masonry specimens, which were subjected to laboratory tests with the aim of investigating the mechanical behaviour of multiple-leaf stone masonry walls up to failure. The specimens consisted of two external leaves made of stone bricks and mortar joints, and an internal leaf in mortar and stone aggregate. Different loading conditions, typologies of the collar joints, and stone types were taken into account. The constitutive law implemented in the model is characterized by a damage tensor, which allows the damage-induced anisotropy accompanying the cracking process to be described. To follow the post-peak behaviour of the specimens with sufficient accuracy it was necessary to make the damage model non-local, to avoid mesh-dependency effects related to the strain-softening behaviour of the material. Comparisons between the predicted and measured failure loads are quite satisfactory in most of the studied cases. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural behaviour of three-pile caps subjected to axial compressive loading

This work presents a comparative analysis about the behaviour of pile caps supported by 3 piles subjected to axial loading. Piles with 20 cm and 30 cm diameters were analysed. The main reinforcement was maintained in all the specimens, however, the arrangement of the secondary reinforcement varied. The main reinforcement consisted of steel bars connecting the piles. The secondary reinforcement was made up of: (a) bars going through the piles and through the projection of the column, (b) bars forming a network, and (c) vertical and horizontal stirrups. The main objective was the observation of the pile cap behaviour regarding the cracks and the modes of rupture. The real scale specimens were subjected to experimental tests until failure by rupture. Instruments were placed with the aim to obtain the displacement of the bases, the strains in the main and secondary reinforcement bars, in the compression struts, in the lower and upper nodal zones and in the sides of the caps. None of the caps reached failure by rupture with a load less than 1.12 times the theoretical load. The specimens ruptured due to the cracking of the compression strut and/or the yielding of the reinforcement bars in one direction.

Fatigue behaviour of friction stir welded AA2024-T3 alloy: longitudinal and transverse crack growth

The fatigue crack growth properties of friction stir welded joints of 2024-T3 aluminium alloy have been studied under constant load amplitude (increasing-Delta K), with special emphasis on the residual stress (inverse weight function) effects on longitudinal and transverse crack growth rate predictions (Glinka`s method). In general, welded joints were more resistant to longitudinally growing fatigue cracks than the parent material at threshold Delta K values, when beneficial thermal residual stresses decelerated crack growth rate, while the opposite behaviour was observed next to K-C instability, basically due to monotonic fracture modes intercepting fatigue crack growth in weld microstructures. As a result, fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) predictions were conservative at lower propagation rates and non-conservative for faster cracks. Regarding transverse cracks, intense compressive residual stresses rendered welded plates more fatigue resistant than neat parent plate. However, once the crack tip entered the more brittle weld region substantial acceleration of FCGR occurred due to operative monotonic tensile modes of fracture, leading to non-conservative crack growth rate predictions next to K-C instability. At threshold Delta K values non-conservative predictions values resulted from residual stress relaxation. Improvements on predicted FCGR values were strongly dependent on how the progressive plastic relaxation of the residual stress field was considered.