La décontamination microbienne est sujet majeur de préoccupation du secteur agroalimentaire. Des nouvelles technologies physiques de décontamination, dites athermiques, sont d’un emploi croissant. La Lumière Pulsée, utilisée pour décontaminer les surfaces et les liquides clairs, en fait partie. Elle utilise des flashes de lumière blanche riches en UV, et délivrés en moins d'une milliseconde. La plupart des traitements par lumière pulsée sont définis dans la littérature par des paramètres spécifiques à l'équipement utilisé. Le but de cette étude a été dans un premier temps de caractériser le traitement par lumière pulsée par les grandeurs physiques appropriées (fluence, tension aux bornes de la lampe, etc…), en reliant une dose de lumière à niveau de décontamination microbienne. L'équipement pilote de la société CLARANOR a révélé des réduction logarithmiques allant jusqu'à plus de 5 unités sur des spores de B. subtilis, et de plusieurs autres espèces de bactéries sporulées, avec des fluences inférieures à 1,5 J/cm², appliquée en un seul flash La mise au point d'une méthode d'inoculation par spray à permis d'évaluer l'efficacité décontaminante de la lumière sur différentes surfaces, y compris des hydrophobes, par pulvérisation des microorganismes en couches formées d’une seule épaisseur de cellules. L'application de la technologie sur des surfaces inertes comme le polystyrène a montré une décontamination notamment sur des spores de B. subtilis, et d'A. niger, supérieures à 4 cycles logarithmiques en utilisant des fluences inférieures à 1 J/cm². L'influence des facteurs liés au système d'éclairage a montré une importance capitale des longueurs d'onde UV, mais ne permettent pas de réduire l'efficacité à la seule action de la dose UV-C. L'efficacité de la technologie a permis de réaliser une étude concernant la décontamination de sirop de sucre dans une optique d'application industrielle. Une réduction supérieure à 3 cycles logarithmiques de spores d'A. acidoterrestris dans du sirop de saccharose a été obtenue en flux continu, sur une épaisseur de 10 mm de liquide / Microbial decontamination is a major concern in the food industry. Non-thermal physical technologies are increasingly used. Pulsed Light used to decontaminate surfaces and clear liquids is one of these new technologies. Pulsed Light uses intense flashes of white light rich in UV, delivered in less than one millisecond. Most of treatments are characterised in the literature using parameters which are specific to the equipment. The aim of this study was firstly to characterise the PL treatment in expressing a log reduction as a function of the dose received by the microorganism. The pulsed light pilot of the CLARANOR company allowed a high decontamination of B. subtilis spores and other sporulating bacterial species, with more than 5 log reductions at fluences lower than 1.5 J/cm², obtained in only one flash. The development of a spray inoculation method was made to evaluate the decontamination efficiency on different surfaces, including hydrophobic surfaces, with a monolayer inoculation. The Pulsed light efficiency on inert surfaces such as polystyrene lead to high decontaminations including B. subtilis and A. niger spores, with more than 4 log reductions using fluences lower than 1 J/cm² in both cases. The influence of the physical factors of the light showed that UV wavelengths are essential for the decontamination, but the efficiency is not totally explained by the action of the UV-C dose. The efficiency of pulsed light allowed to study sugar syrup decontamination, in view of industrial application. Three log reductions of A. acidoterrestris spores were obtained in 10 mm thickness sugar syrup, using a flow-through system

Os retalhos cutâneos são amplamente utilizados na cirurgia plástica, principalmente na reparadora. Após o procedimento operatório, uma das principais complicações é a isquemia, podendo ocasionar a necrose do retalho. Vários recursos têm sido estudados com o intuito de aumentar a viabilidade desses retalhos. Dentre esses recursos, o laser de baixa intensidade é uma alternativa de tratamento, uma vez que pode promover um aumento da microcirculação e da neoformação vascular. Entretanto, existem discrepâncias na literatura em relação aos parâmetros empregados no uso do laser de baixa intensidade, principalmente das fluências utilizadas nos tratamentos. Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar o efeito de diferentes fluências do laser de 670nm, na viabilidade do retalho cutâneo randômico em ratos. Foram utilizados 100 ratos, da linhagem Wistar, distribuídos em 5 grupos de 20 animais cada. O retalho cutâneo randômico de base cranial foi realizado com dimensões de 10 X 4 cm e uma barreira plástica foi interposta entre o mesmo e o leito doador. O grupo 1 (controle) foi submetido à simulação de tratamento com o aparelho desligado. O grupo 2 foi submetido à radiação laser com fluência de 3 J/\'CM POT.2\'. Os grupos 3, 4 e 5 foram irradiados com fluências de 6 J/\'CM POT.2\', 12 J/\'CM POT.2\' e 24 J/\'CM POT.2\', respectivamente. Todos os grupos experimentais receberam a radiação laser imediatamente após o procedimento operatório e nos 4 dias subseqüentes, utilizando-se a técnica pontual em contato em 24 pontos distribuídos sobre e ao redor do retalho. No sétimo dia pós-operatório, as porcentagens da área de necrose dos retalhos foram avaliadas pelo método do gabarito de papel e também foi coletada uma amostra do retalho de 10 animais de cada grupo, escolhidos aleatoriamente, para a realização da contagem dos vasos sangüíneos. O grupo 1 apresentou média de área de necrose de 49,92%; o grupo 2 - 41,84%; o grupo 3 - 36,51%; o grupo 4 - 29,45% e o grupo 5 - 20,37%. Na contagem dos vasos, o grupo 1 obteve média de 65,2; o grupo 2 - 92,6; o grupo 3 - 105,5; o grupo 4 - 128,7 e o grupo 5 - 171,0. Na análise estatística, realizou-se a ANOVA, seguida do teste de comparações múltiplas de Tukey. Os resultados mostraram que todos os grupos experimentais apresentaram valores estatisticamente significativos comparados ao grupo controle, sendo que o grupo 5 apresentou a menor área de necrose e o maior número de vasos quando comparado aos demais grupos deste estudo (p < 0,01). O teste de correlação linear de Pearson indicou alta correlação negativa entre a porcentagem de necrose e o número de vasos dos retalhos (-0,972 / p = 0,0001). O laser de baixa intensidade (670nm) aplicado com fluência de 24 J/\'CM POT.2\' foi mais eficaz no aumento da viabilidade do retalho cutâneo randômico em ratos, comparado às outras fluências utilizadas neste estudo. / Skin flaps are widely used in plastic surgery, mainly in repair surgeries. After this reconstructive procedure, one of the main consequences is the decrease of blood flow in the area, which can be responsible by tissue necrosis. In this context, a lot of studies have investigated treatments able to increase the viability of the flap and the low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been chosen as an efficient treatment to reduce post-injury inflammatory processes and to stimulate the formation of new blood vessels. However, the use of a wide range of fluences by different authors and the lack of standardized experimental conditions make it difficult to compare published results. The aim of this study was to investigate the dose-response effects of 670nm laser on the viability of random skin flap in rats. One hundred Wistar male rats were used in this study. The animals were divided into 5 groups: group 1 (control group); group 2 (treated with 3 J/\'CM POT.2\'); group 3 (treated with 6 J/\'CM POT.2\'); group 4 (treated with 12 J/\'CM POT.2\') and group 5 (treated with 24 J/\'CM POT.2\'). The skin flap was made on the back of all animals studied (dimensions: 10 x 4 cm) and before the sutures were done, a plastic sheet was interposed between the flap and the donor site. Laser irradiation was performed immediately after the surgery and on days 1, 2, 3 and 4 post-surgery. The irradiation was made punctually, on 24 points on the skin surface and around it. The percentage of the necrosis area of the flap was calculated by the paper template method at the day 7 postoperative. Moreover, a sample of the skin flaps was collected from 10 rats of each group, which were chosen aleatory, to performe the count of the blood vessels. The animals of all treated groups showed statistically significant differences when compared to the control group (necrosis area: 49, 92%). The necrosis area of the treated groups were 41,82% (group 2), 36,51% (group 3), 29,45% (group 4) and 20,37% (group 5). In the count of blood vessels, group 1 showed the mean of 65,2; group 2 - 92,6; group 3 - 105,5; group 4 - 128,7 and group 5 - 171,0. The ANOVA test, followed by the Tukey test, for multiple comparasions were used. The results showed that all experimental groups showed statistically lower values for the necrosis area compared to the control and a higher number of blood vessels in the skin flap. It can be observed that the best results were found in the animals of group 5 (p < 0,01). In addition, the Pearson coefficient showed a significant negative correlation between necrosis area and the number of vessels (-0,972 / p = 0,0001). This present study has demonstrated that the 670nm laser was efficient to increase the viability of the skin flap, at all fluences used, with a tendency of reaching better results at higher dosages (24 J/\'CM POT.2\').

L’approche constructiviste de l’émotion considère que les traits émotionnels ne sont pas des propriétés intrinsèques des objets mais se construisent « ici et maintenant » lors de l’interaction sensorimotrice individu/environnement. Notre objectif dans ce travail de thèse était de mettre en évidence des effets réciproques entre l’action et l’évaluation émotionnelle, fondés sur le caractère hédonique de la fluence motrice, c’est-à-dire l’aisance avec laquelle une action est réalisée. Nous avons choisi de manipuler la fluence motrice par des mouvements latéralisés des mains exécutés lors d’une tâche de jugement de valence. En effet, il existe des liens marqués entre valence et latéralité, de sorte que le côté dominant d’un individu est associé à la valence positive (Casasanto, 2009). Nous comparons des conditions de congruence et de non-congruence entre la valence des items et le geste de réponse. Nos résultats ont montré des influences bidirectionnelles des actions et de l’évaluation basées sur deux processus distincts. D’une part lors d’un jugement de valence, un effet de compatibilité facilite la réalisation du geste de réponse compatible grâce à la fluence motrice. D’autre part la fluence d’un comportement moteur entraine, par un effet d’attribution, des variations dans l’évaluation de mots neutres ou connotés positivement et négativement. De plus, nos travaux ont mis en évidence le rôle du dispositif de réponse (échelle de jugement de valence et localisation des touches de réponse) sur l’évaluation émotionnelle, soulignant le caractère situé du jugement. Ces résultats sont discutés à la lumière de la conception constructiviste de l’émotion en accord avec une approche incarnée et située de la cognition. / The constructivist approach of emotion considers that emotional features are not intrinsic properties of objects but are rather constructed « right here, right now » during the sensorimotor interactions between an individual and his environment. Our objective in this work was to demonstrate the mutual effects of action and emotional evaluation, grounded on the hedonic character of motor fluency (i.e. the ease with which an action is executed). We manipulated motor fluency by the use of lateralized hand movements in a valence judgment task. Indeed, valence and laterality appear to be linked since our dominant side is associated to positive valence (Casasanto, 2009). We compared conditions based on the congruency and non-congruency between the valence of items and the affective connotation of response movements. Our results indicated bidirectional influences of actions and evaluation based on two separate processes. On one hand during valence judgment, a compatibility effect facilitated the execution of a movement that was consistent due to motor fluency. On the other hand an attribution effect allowed the fluency of a movement to induce variations in the evaluation of neutral and emotional words. Furthermore, our works demonstrated the impact of the response device (orientation of a valence judgment scale and localization of response keys) on emotional judgment, underlying the situated character of evaluation. Those results are discussed in the light of the constructivist conception of emotion, in accordance with an embodied and situated approach of cognition.

Dose management in CT is an increasingly important issue as the number of CT scans per capita continues to rise. One proposed approach for enhanced dose management is to allow the spatial pattern of x-ray fluence delivered to the patient to change dynamically as the x-ray tube rotates about the patient. The changes in incident fluence could be guided using a patient model and optimization method in order to deliver user-defined image quality criteria while minimizing dose. This approach is referred to as fluence field modulated CT (FFMCT). In this work, a framework and optimization method was developed for evaluating the dose and image quality benefits of FFMCT, both in simulated and experimental data. Modulated fluence profiles were optimized for different objects and image quality criteria using a simulated annealing algorithm. Analysis involved comparing predicted image quality maps and dose outcomes to those using conventional methods. Results indicated that image quality distributions using FFMCT agreed better with prescribed image qualities than conventional techniques allow. Dose reductions ranged depending on the task and object of interest. Simulation studies using a simulated anthropomorphic phantom of the chest suggest an average dose reduction of at least 20% compared to conventional techniques is possible, where local dose reductions may be greater than 60%. Across different imaging tasks and objects, integral dose reductions ranged from 20-50% when compared to a conventional bowtie filter. The results of this study suggest that given a suitable collimator approach, FFMCT could reap significant benefits in terms of reducing dose and optimizing image quality. Though the tradeoff between image quality and imaging dose may not be eliminated, it may be better managed using an FFMCT approach.

Der Reaktordruckbehälter (RDB) zählt zu den nicht auswechselbaren Komponenten eines Kernkraftwerkes (KKW). Durch die hohen Neutronen- und Gammaflüsse ist er beschleunigten Alterungsprozessen unterworfen, welche die Lebensdauer eines KKW bestimmen könnten. So haben neben der chemischen Zusammensetzung des RDB-Stahls vor allem die Strahlungsparameter (Neutronen- und Gammafluenzen und deren Spektren) Auswirkungen auf die Versprödungseigenschaften des RDB. Für einen sicheren Betrieb eines KKW ist es daher sehr wichtig, die mögliche Änderung des Materialzustandes vom RDB im Voraus bewerten zu können. Die sogenannten Voreilprobenprogramme gehören deshalb zu den wichtigsten Überwachungsmaßnahmen im KKW. Mit ihnen kann die Restlebensdauer des RDB realistisch und zuverlässig beurteilt werden. In dieser Arbeit werden, neben der Bestimmung der Fluenzen an sich, auch Auswirkungen auf den Teilchenfluss in den Voreilproben, wie zum Beispiel die verschiedenen geometrischen Positionen, untersucht. Damit können mögliche Unsicherheiten bei der Bestimmung der realen Fluenzwerte abgeschätzt werden. Die Berechnungen wurden sowohl mit dem Code TRAMO als auch mit dem Code DORT durchgeführt. Die berechneten Ergebnisse wurden an Aktivierungsmonitoren, die an der RDBAußenoberfläche des KKW Kola, Unit 3 (WWER-440/213), bestrahlt wurden, überprüft. Hauptsächlich kamen Aktivierungsmonitore mit den Reaktionen 54Fe(n,p)54Mn und 58Ni(n,p)58Co zum Einsatz. Die Aktivitätsmessungen wurden vom russischen Partner, dem „Scientific and Engineering Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety“ (SEC NRS) durchgeführt. Es konnte gute Übereinstimmung sowohl zwischen den deterministischen und den stochastischen Berechnungsergebnissen als auch zwischen den berechneten und gemessenen Ergebnissen erzielt werden. Die durchschnittliche Differenz zwischen gemessenen und berechneten Werten betrug nur 5%. Ein Einfluss der Bestrahlungskanäle und der Versteifungsrippen der Kernumfassung auf die Monitoraktivität konnte festgestellt werden. Für die Voreilproben im Bereich des Flussmaximums wurden für den Neutronenfluss E> 0.5 MeV ein Mittelwert von rund 2.45*1012 Neutronen/cm2 berechnet. Dabei können die Unterschiede in Abhängigkeit von der Ausrichtung der Proben zum Reaktorkern bis zu 20% betragen. Abweichungen bis zu 10% können durch die Änderung der Position der Bestrahlungskapseln im Kanal entstehen. Auf Basis dieser Rechnungen wurden die Voreilfaktoren der Bestrahlungsproben bestimmt. Bei mittleren Zykluslängen würde die „End of Life“-Fluenz in den Bestrahlungsproben bereits nach 2 Jahren erreicht werden. Der berechnete maximale Gammafluss beträgt rund 3.4*1012 g/cm2s für E > 1.0 MeV und rund 8.4*1012 g/cm2s für E > 0.5 MeV, wobei der größte Anteil des Flusses (rund 97%) aus Neutronenreaktionen stammt. Damit sind die Gammaflüsse in den Proben zwei bis drei Mal so groß wie die der Neutronen. Trotzdem spielt die Materialschädigung durch die Gammastrahlung eine untergeordnete Rolle, da die DPAQuerschnitte (displacement per atom) von Gammas um etwa zwei bis drei Größenordnungen kleiner sind. Des Weiteren wurde untersucht, ob mögliche Ausheilprozesse durch zu hohe Temperaturen in den Bestrahlungsproben stattfinden könnten. Zu diesem Zweck wurde der Energieeintrag in den Bestrahlungsproben basierend auf den berechneten Teilchenflüssen bestimmt und mit einfachen thermohydraulischen Modellen die mögliche Aufheizung ermittelt. Eine Temperaturerhöhung von rund 20 K wurde mit einem konservativen Ansatz berechnet. Unter vergleichsweise realistischen Bedingungen reduzierte sich die Aufheizung auf unter 5 K. / Reactor pressure vessels (RPV) are non-restorable equipment and their lifetime may restrict the nuclear power plant-life as a whole. Surveillance specimen programs for RPV materials are among the most important measures of in-service inspection pro-grams that are necessary for realistic and reliable assessment of the RPV residual lifetime. In addition to the chemical composition of the RPV steel, the radiation pa-rameters (neutron and gamma fluences and spectra) have the most important impact on the RPV embrittlement characteristics. In this work, different geometric positions which have influence on the radiation conditions of the samples are investigated. Thus, the uncertainties can be determined in the fluence values of surveillance specimens. The fluence calculations were carried out by the codes TRAMO and DORT. This study was accompanied by ex-vessel neutron dosimetry experiments at Kola NPP, Unit 3 (VVER-440/213), which provide the basis for validation of calculated neutron fluences. The main neutron-activation monitoring reactions were 54Fe(n,p)54Mn and 58Ni(n,p)58Co. The activity measurements were carried out by “Scientific and Engineering Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SEC NRS). Good agreement between the deterministic and stochastic calculation results as well as between the calculations and the ex-vessel measurements was found. The aver-age difference between measured and calculated values is 5%. The influence of the channels for surveillance specimens and the shielding effect of a baffle rib on the monitors and on the Monte-Carlo calculated results was studied. For the surveillance specimens in the maximum of the flux, an average flux of around 2.45 * 1012 neutrons/cm2 was calculated for the neutron flux E> 0.5 MeV. The differences in the surveillance specimens could be up to 20% depending on the direction to the core. Discrepancies up to 10% can be caused by the change of the position of the capsules in the irradiation channel. Based on these calculations the lead factor of specimens was determined. The maximum fluence of RPV may be achieved after two cycles. The calculated maximum gamma flux is around 3.4 * 1012 g/cm2s for E> 1.0 MeV and around 8.4 * 1012 g/cm2s for E> 0.5 MeV, with the largest part of the flux (around 97%) from the neutron reactions. The gamma fluxes in the surveillance specimens are two to three times bigger than the neutron fluxes. Nevertheless, the material damage by the gamma radiation is very small, because the dpa (displacement per atom) cross sections of gamma rays are about two to three orders of magnitude smaller. In order to exclude the possibility of healing effects of the samples due to excessive temperatures, the heat release in the surveillance specimens was determined based on the calculated gamma fluences. The analytic treatment of the heat conduction equation and simplified SS geometries were adopted to calculate the range of tem-peratures to be expected. The temperature increase of 20 K above the inlet coolant temperature was estimated using a conservative approach. Under comparatively re-alistic conditions, the heating was reduced to less than 5 K.

Dose management in CT is an increasingly important issue as the number of CT scans per capita continues to rise. One proposed approach for enhanced dose management is to allow the spatial pattern of x-ray fluence delivered to the patient to change dynamically as the x-ray tube rotates about the patient. The changes in incident fluence could be guided using a patient model and optimization method in order to deliver user-defined image quality criteria while minimizing dose. This approach is referred to as fluence field modulated CT (FFMCT). In this work, a framework and optimization method was developed for evaluating the dose and image quality benefits of FFMCT, both in simulated and experimental data. Modulated fluence profiles were optimized for different objects and image quality criteria using a simulated annealing algorithm. Analysis involved comparing predicted image quality maps and dose outcomes to those using conventional methods. Results indicated that image quality distributions using FFMCT agreed better with prescribed image qualities than conventional techniques allow. Dose reductions ranged depending on the task and object of interest. Simulation studies using a simulated anthropomorphic phantom of the chest suggest an average dose reduction of at least 20% compared to conventional techniques is possible, where local dose reductions may be greater than 60%. Across different imaging tasks and objects, integral dose reductions ranged from 20-50% when compared to a conventional bowtie filter. The results of this study suggest that given a suitable collimator approach, FFMCT could reap significant benefits in terms of reducing dose and optimizing image quality. Though the tradeoff between image quality and imaging dose may not be eliminated, it may be better managed using an FFMCT approach.

The aim of the diploma thesis is to diagnostic levels of particular creative abilities in a selected group of population {--} pupils in the fifth grade. Theoretical knowledge is analyzed and compared in the first part. Particular creativity problems are briefly specified using specialized literature, e.g. Creativity barriers, Factors effecting creativity, Methods used for creativity development. Empiric part presents research description of individual levels in creative abilities. Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking were used as a main method of research. Effect of sex, class, school and its size on individual creativity parts was considered within the testing. A relative level of these parts was compared as well.

Harmful algae blooms (HABs) have caused millions dollars in annual losses to the aquaculture industry, inhibited beach recreation, and have threatened marine and human health. HABs and red tides can develop suddenly and their frequency, geographic range, and intensity have increased over the past decade. A possible source for spreading and seeding new areas expanding the geographic range of HABs is ballast water. The process of ballast water discharge has been identified as a primary vector for the translocation of non-indigenous species (NIS) and invasive species. National and international efforts are currently underway to address the impact of NIS and invasive species. Policy is being developed detailing stringent rules to kill, remove, or otherwise inactive organisms in ballast water prior to or upon discharge. Currently, vendors are developing technologies to treat ballast water and U.S. and international facilities are testing these technologies to verify their efficacy. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is commonly employed in ballast water treatment technologies. Previous studies have shown that UV light is effective for disinfecting drinking water, but the response of non-pathogenic and marine organisms is largely unknown. The purpose of this research was to measure the viability of the durable red-tide forming dinoflagellate, Lingulodinium polyedra following UV treatment. Two methods were used to measure the viability signal; manual epifluorescence microscopy with correlated viability stains and Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) fluorometry to measure the physiological state of the organism following UV treatment. The number of cysts was also enumerated. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in the number of living L. polyedra cells following a UV treatment of more than 100 mWs cm-2. The results also have showed a significant increase in the number of L. polyedra cysts following UV treatment as low as 50 mWs cm-2.

Title: Estimation of normative values for the semantic verbal fluency test in older adults over 50 Objective: The aim of the diploma thesis was to create normative values for the semantic verbal fluency test (animal category) for older adults over 50 years, depending on the level of education achieved. Methods: The diploma thesis is constructed as a cross-sectional study. All data were obtained from the international project Survey of Health Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The descriptive statistics of participants were produced with calculated means and standard deviation for continuous variables and percentage for categorical variables. The median and interquartile range for age and semantic verbal fluency test (animal category), and 2nd , 7th , and 16th percentile as the cut-off points for verbal fluency test (animal category) were calculated for participants divided into ISCED - 97 education levels and for each country separately. Results: Data from 64,242 participants aged 66.4 were analyzed, and the female ratio was 55.8 %. All respondents were older adults over 50 years old from 20 European countries. Figures and tables show that all percentiles as cut-off points increased linearly with levels of education. Other result is that the performance in the test gradually decreased with...

Une étude récente rapporte que des participants souffrant de cauchemars idiopathiques fréquents (CIF) produisaient plus d’erreurs de persévération sur une tâche de fluence verbale (TFV) que des participants contrôle (CTL) (Simor et al., 2012). Cela suggère une dysfonction exécutive chez les participants CIF, soutenant le modèle des cauchemars Affective Network Dysfunction (AND). Notre objectif était de reproduire cette trouvaille auprès d’une cohorte francophone. Des TFV lexicale et sémantique ont été administrées à 23 participants avec CIF et à 16 CTL. Contrairement aux attentes, le groupe CIF n’affichait pas plus de persévération (p=.87). L’absence de reproduction pourrait infirmer la suggestion d’une dysfonction exécutive liée au CIF, toutefois des différences méthodologiques entre les études et les complexités de la TFV peuvent jouer un rôle dans le décalage entre les études. Nous suggérons que l’étude future des déficits exécutifs liés aux CIF emploie des tâches neuropsychologiques non linguistiques empiriquement associées au sommeil paradoxal. / A recent study reported that individuals suffering from frequent idiopathic nightmares (NMs) produced more perseveration errors on a verbal fluency task (VFT) than did control participants (CTLs) (Simor et al., 2012). These findings suggest executive dysfunction in NM sufferers and support the Affective Network Dysfunction (AND) model relating NM production. We sought to replicate these results in a French speaking cohort. Lexical and semantic VFTs were administered to 23 participants with frequent NMs, and to 16 CTLs with few NMs. Contrary to expectations, groups did not exhibit more fluency perseveration errors (p=.87). Though failure to replicate may indicate that NM sufferers do not have an executive dysfunction, methodological differences between studies and challenges inherent to the use of the VFT may also play a role in the discrepancy between studies. Future study of executive deficits in NM participants should be measured by non linguistic-dependant neuropsychological tasks empirically linked to REM sleep.