Impaired perception of a partner's synchronizing behavior reduces positive attitude toward humanoid robot in schizophrenia patients.

As interpersonal synchrony plays a key role in building rapport, the perception of another agent's synchronizing behavior could be an important feature to assess, especially with patients with social deficits such as in schizophrenia. Twenty-four schizophrenia patients and twenty-four matched healthy controls performed jointly fitness movements with another agent embodied by a humanoid robot which was programmed to either synchronize with the participants or move at a fixed frequency with them. Self-report of participants' perception of the robot's synchronizing behavior was collected after each interaction.

Leg movements affect speech intensity.

Coordination between speech acoustics and manual gestures has been conceived as "not biologically mandated" (McClave E. 27(1): 69-89, 1998). However, recent work suggests a biomechanical entanglement between the upper limbs and the respiratory-vocal system (Pouw W, de Jonge-Hoekstra D, Harrison SJ, Paxton A, Dixon JA.

Effects of unintentional coordination on attentional load.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of unintentional (spontaneous) coordination on high attentional visual load. More precisely, we wondered whether such coordination could free up some attentional resources and help improve performance in other more demanding attentional tasks. An experiment was performed in which participant attentional allocation was challenged by performing three tasks simultaneously while simultaneously being induced to unintentional entrain to an environmental rhythm.

Speech breathing: variable but individual over time and according to limb movements.

Breathing is variable but also highly individual. Since the 1980s, evidence of a ventilatory personality has been observed in different physiological studies. This original term refers to within-speaker consistency in breathing characteristics across days or even years.

Transient hyperthermia protects against subsequent seizures and epilepsy-induced cell damage in the rat.

Many mild preconditioning stress conditions, including physical and metabolic injuries, increase the resistance of neurons to subsequent more severe stresses of the same or different type. This "tolerance phenomenon" lasts one to several weeks, providing a unique opportunity to investigate endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms. The aim of this study was to find a physiological and easily applicable preconditioning stimulus able to confer protection against convulsant-induced neuronal damage and seizures.

[Apparently isolated plasmacytoma of bone. Clinical and prognostic data. 114 cases and review of literature (author's transl)].

The authors review 114 cases (including 18 personal cases) of apparently isolated plasmacytoma of bone (AIPB) followed-up for periods of a few weeks to 24 years. The number of patients still alive, without recurrence and/or extension to the bone marrow sharply dropped from 77% after 2 years to 15% after 10 years. At the time of diagnosis, AIPB with secondary medullary involvement differed from conventional multiple myeloma of bone on six points: mean age 52,1 versus 63,2 years (p less than 0,001); male prevalence 60,5% vs 38,5% (p less than 0,02); spinal involvement 61,8% vs 88,7% (p less than 0,05); radiological aspect of giant cell tumour 33,3% vs 3% (p less than 0,001); cord involvement 25% vs 5,4% (p less than 0,001); lack of monoclonal component 82,5% vs 4,3% (p less than 0,001).

[Osteoarticular manifestations of brucellosis. Current aspects].

The authors report 118 cases of brucella osteoarthritis, of which 61 were observed over the last ten years. The most frequent localisations are spinal (53.4%), sacro-iliac (34.

[Value of successive chemotherapy in multiple myeloma of bone. Prospective study over 4 years].

In order to study the response of patients with multiple myeloma of the bones (MM) to various anti-cancer drugs (Melphalan M, Cyclophosphamide Cy, Nitrosourea NU, Vincristine V, Adriamycine A and Prednisone P), 70 MM received the following treatment : 1) Induction therapy : a) M and P or b) M and Cy and P ; 2) Levelling with partial or complete response : V Cy P (in case a) or V M Cy P (in case b) ; 3) Relapse : A and NU. The following results were obtained : 1) Only 42.6% of patients respond to induction therapy ; 2) Fewer than 10% of patients showing a response reach a second levelling with Vincristine ; 3) 50% of those not showing a response reach a levelling between --20 and --50 and have prolonged survival ; 4) Only 20% of non responders are improved by Cy P or A and NU.

[Lumbar intraspinal tumors seen in a rheumatological context].

On the basis of a 50 case study, the authors insist on the difficulty of diagnosing lumbar intraspinal tumors seen in a rheumatological context. The increase in pain and spine and spine stiffness at night are the most significant semiological characteristics. A generally slight neurological deficiency is noted in 29 cases (58%) and 21 patients (41%) have a clinical picture identical to that of discal hernias.

[Rheumatoid foot. Practical podiatric problems].

The rheumatoid foot may obtain relief from practical local measures that prevent the excessive use of drug therapy. These include the decrease in inflammatory phenomena thanks to local injections of corticoids (eventually synoviorthesis), the prevention of deformations through the use of various apparatuses, the protection of the skin of the palms and the nails that are fragile and rapidly altered by local hygiene care. The maintaining of sufficient support and normal walking through the use of plantar prostheses or custommade toe prostheses and by wearing shoes of excellent quality, the maintainance and preservation of articular flexibility and muscular trophicity by adapted kinestherapy and ergo therapy.

[Prostatic osteosis. Retrospective study of 110 cases treated with high-dose estrogens].

On the basis of 110 prostatic osteoses that were histologically proven, constantly painful and demonstrated by X-ray, treated by early estrogenotherapy using very high doses, backed up by a high-dose maintenance estrogenotherapy, the authors study the clinical, radiological, histological and biological profile of this metastatic cancer, as well as the response to treatment. The median actuarial survival time of the patients studied is 18.5 months.

[Physiopathology of rheumatoid psoriasis].

The physiopathology of rhumatoid psoriasis (RP) is poorly known. Besides the genetic factors we study immunological disorders from a series of 51 cases. We found mainly an increase of serum IgA, a decrease of IgM, a low level of circulating immune complexes, sometimes IgG type antiglobulin factor (very seldom IgM type, which explains the sero-negativity) seldom antinuclear antibodies; we found also a diminution of T lymphocytes detected by a decrease of E rosette - forming cells and an increase of the lymphocyte subpopulation forming high avidity EA rosettes, whereas the mitogenic response is normal or slightly decreased in the presence of Con A (not significant).

[Chemotherapy of multiple bone myeloma. Historical and present day aspects. (Second part) (author's transl)].

The authors reviewed the recent data about prognostic factors, criteria of response and chemotherapy in multiple myeloma of bone. They insist on the new staging of durie and salmon anf on the interest of poly chemotherapy.

[Chemotherapy of multiple bone myeloma. Prognostic features and response criteria (First part) (author's transl)].

The authors reviewed the recent data about prognostic factors, criteria of response and chemotherapy in multiple myeloma of bone. They insist on the new staging of durie and salmon and on the interest of polychemotherapy.

[Immunologic disturbances in psoriatic arthropathy (author's transl)].

It was observed in 51 cases of psoriatic arthropathy (PA) an increase of blood IgA and a decrease of IgM, a not significant rise of the level of circulating immune complexes, a positive Waaler-Rose reaction in 9.7% of cases and the presence of antigammaglobulin factors (generally of IgG type) in 55,5% of studied patients. Moreover, it was noted a significant decrease of T lymphocytes as detected by E and "active" E rosettes, of EA-gamma rosettes (ox erythrocytes) and an increase of the percentage of high avidity Fc-gamma receptor bearing cells.

[Suppressor cells of mitogen responses during rheumatoid polyarthritis].

The suppressor activity of mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood (MCPB) during rheumatoid polyarthritis (RP) was studied using experimental protocole. The MCPB stimulated in vitro by concanavaline A (Con A) are capable of suppressing the mitogenis response of autologus cells; moreover, the short-lived spontaneous suppressor cells disappear during 24 hour in vitro incubation that determines an increase in the proliferative response of the incubated cells for 24 hours. In two of the six RP studied, the suppressor activity generated Con A and the spontaneous suppressor activity are nul.

[Multiple myeloma of bones. Retrospective study of prognostic factors based on a series of 243 patients].

The authors have made a retrospective study of 243 cases of multiple myelomas, most of them treated with alkylating agents. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 65 years (+ 10). The ratio of the sexes was 1 : 1.