Push-pull charge-transfer organic molecules exhibit large second-order nonlinear optical nonlinearity , and have been used to manufacture efficient photonic devices .We study a series of CT molecules by using the two-photon scattering method with a tunable femto-second pulsed-laser to obtain the value of the molecular first hyperpolarizability (£]) .We discuss the relationship between the£]value and chemical structure , and compare the£]values with the two-level model prediction for several incident laser excitation wavelength.

La première implication des récepteurs aux interférons de type 1 (IFNAR1) dans le contrôle de la voie Jak/STAT induite par les IFNs a été établie par mon laboratoire il y a une dizaine d'années (Marchetti et al., 2006). Une des questions fondamentales était alors de déterminer comment et pourquoi l'endocytose des IFNARs pouvait contrôler la voie Jak/STAT. Deux acteurs clés du tri endosomal ont attiré notre attention : Hrs (Hepatocyte growth factor-Regulated tyrosine kinase Substrate) et STAM (Signal Transducing Adaptor Molecule). Ces deux protéines constituent le complexe ESCRT-0 (Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport-0) les localisant, de manière idéale, à l'interface entre signalisation cellulaire et trafic membranaire.La combinaison de la biologie moléculaire et cellulaire, de la biochimie et de la microscopie à fluorescence, nous a permis d'établir que STAM s'associe au complexe IFNAR1 à la membrane plasmique afin d'y exercer son effet inhibiteur sur la signalisation Jak/STAT. Cette inhibition est levée lorsqu'IFNAR est libéré dans l'endosome et qu'il peut ainsi être recruté par Hrs sous la dépendance de l'IFN-α. En nous basant sur des expériences de déplétion par shRNA ou d'inhibition pharmacologique, nous avons identifié PTP1B (Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B) en tant qu'activateur de la voie Jak/STAT induite par les IFNs. Le blocage sélectif de l'endocytose d'IFNAR par déplétion de clathrin, nous a permis de montrer que l'activation de PTP1B est inhibée à la membrane plasmique. Cela a été confirmé par des expériences d'interaction protéine-protéine (Proximity Ligation Assay) indiquant que STAM est constitutivement associé à IFNAR1, tandis que l'interaction entre IFNAR1 et Hrs a seulement lieu à l'endosome.Ainsi, nos résultats permettent d'établir un modèle dans lequel, à la membrane plasmique, STAM est un frein permanent à la signalisation Jak/STAT, qui est levé après l'endocytose d'IFNAR et sa libération dans l'endosome de tri. De plus, nous avons montré que l'interaction Hrs/STAM dans l'endosome précoce permet de différencier, de manière sélective, l'activation de la signalisation Jak/STAT médiée par l'IFN-α ou l'IFN-β. / A decade ago, my laboratory established the first role of type I IFNs receptor (IFNAR) endocytosis in the control of Jak/STAT signaling induced by type 1 IFNs (Marchetti et al., 2006). A salient question is now to elucidate why and how IFNAR endocytosis could control the Jak/STAT pathway. Two key players of endosomal sorting retained our interest: Hrs (Hepatocyte growth factor-Regulated tyrosine kinase Substrate) and STAM (Signal Transducing Adaptor Molecule). These two classical components of the ESCRT-0 (Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport-0) complex were ideally placed at the interface between signaling and membrane trafficking. By using a combination of molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, and fluorescent microscopy, we could establish that STAM binds to the IFNAR complex at the plasma membrane to exert an inhibitory effect on Jak/STAT signaling. This inhibition is removed when IFNAR is delivered to the sorting endosome by interacting with Hrs upon IFN-α stimulation. Based on shRNA down-expression and pharmacological inhibition, we further involve the PTP1B (Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B) as it activates Jak/STAT signaling upon IFN stimulation. We could also show that PTP1B activation is inhibited by STAM at the plasma membrane from experiments where IFNAR endocytosis was blocked by siRNA-mediated clathrin down-expression. This was further confirmed by protein-protein interaction experiments (Proximity Ligation Assay) showing that STAM was constitutively associated with IFNAR1, whereas the interaction between IFNAR1 and Hrs occured only at the sorting endosome. Our results therefore allow to draw a model where STAM is a constitutive handbrake on Jak/STAT signaling at the plasma membrane that is released after IFNAR endocytosis and delivery to the sorting endosome. We further show that Hrs/STAM interaction at the early endosome allows to selectively distinguish the activation of Jak/STAT signaling mediated by IFN-α or IFN-β.

While the role of obesity in health outcomes has been well described, the role of low body mass index (BMI), body weight relative to height, has largely been ignored. Those with low BMI are commonly excluded completely or combined with the normal BMI category in BMI studies. However, there have been some studies indicating poorer health outcomes among those with lower BMI, particularly that of increased risk of mortality. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of low BMI throughout the lifespan. Data from the Health and Retirement Study was used to evaluate 1) the association between childhood health and socioeconomic status (SES) exposures and low BMI in midlife adulthood, 2) the association between low BMI and health related outcomes in midlife adulthood (ages 50 to 65), and 3) the association between low BMI in midlife and health related outcomes, including mortality, over a longer follow-up (maximum of 20 years). To increase sample size, two low BMI definitions were used: the traditional Few significant results were found. Low BMI status was consistently associated with older age and female gender as well as current smoking status. Childhood exposure of respiratory disease and greater SES disadvantages was more common among those with low BMI in adulthood. In midlife adulthood, low BMI status was associated with increased difficulties with activities of daily living with either definition of low BMI. Increased risk of fracture was associated with a low BMI definition of <18.5. Increased risk of lung disease and decreased risk of high blood pressure was associated with a low BMI definition of ≤20. An analysis of those 30 years old or older found low BMI to be associated with increased risk of mortality and decreased risk of diabetes regardless of low BMI definition. When low BMI was defined as <18.5, those with low BMI were also more likely to experience difficulty with one or more activities of daily living. When low BMI was defined as ≤20, low BMI status was associated with greater risk of lung disease and decreased risk of high blood pressure. Further research is needed to fully characterize the role of low BMI on health outcomes as well as the role of SES on low BMI. Additionally, there is a need for greater understanding of the potential biological mechanisms of low BMI for health outcomes. Currently, there are few studies evaluating health outcomes and SES of low BMI. Limiting studies to the extreme upper end of the BMI spectrum limits the overall understanding of the role of BMI in health and may overlook unique characteristics and challenges those with low BMI may face.

No / It is known that cells within the inflammatory background in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) provide signals essential for the continual survival of the neoplastic Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells. However, the mechanisms underlying the recruitment of this inflammatory infiltrate into the involved lymph nodes are less well understood. In this study, we show in vitro that HRS cells secrete lymphotoxin-α (LTα) which acts on endothelial cells to upregulate the expression of adhesion molecules that are important for T cell recruitment. LTα also enhances the expression of hyaluronan which preferentially contributes to the recruitment of CD4+ CD45RA+ naïve T cells under in vitro defined flow conditions. Enhanced expression of LTα in HRS cells and tissue stroma; and hyaluronan on endothelial cells are readily detected in involved lymph nodes from cHL patients. Our study also shows that although NF-κB and AP-1 are involved, the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway is the dominant regulator of LTα production in HRS cells. Using pharmacological inhibitors, our data suggest that activity of COX1, but not of COX2, directly regulates the expression of nuclear c-Fos in HRS cells. Our findings suggest that HRS cell-derived LTα is an important mediator that contributes to T cell recruitment into lesional lymph nodes in cHL.

Chez les organismes complexes, comme les mammifères, les séquences de régulation génomique, dispersées sur les chromosomes, peuvent interagir à l'intérieur de l'espace nucléaire pour effectuer des actions coordonnées de régulations géniques. La méthylation de l'ADN et les modifications post-traductionnelles des histones, en combinaison avec des séquences de régulation, des facteurs protéiques et des ARNs non codants, conduisent à une organisation supérieure de la chromatine spécifique du type cellulaire. Cependant, l'organisation et la dynamique de la chromatine in vivo à l'échelle supérieure à celle du nucléosome reste encore largement méconnues. L'objectif général des travaux de notre équipe est d'élucider l'organisation de la chromatine à l'échelle supranucléosomale et sa dynamique in vivo, dans différents contextes physiologiques ou pathologiques, afin de comprendre leurs participations au contrôle et à la coordination de l'expression des gènes chez les mammifères. Notre hypothèse de travail est que certains compartiments nucléaires permettent un confinement de contacts chromatiniens spécifiques facilitant les régulations génomiques. L'objectif principal de mon travail de thèse était de développer une nouvelle méthode, simple et directe, permettant de cartographier et d'analyser les régions du génome murin qui sont associées aux compartiments nucléaires importants pour la régulation de l'expression des gènes (lamine nucléaire, les nucléoles, usines à transcription ou corps de Cajal). Le principe de notre méthode repose sur des traitements à haut sel de noyaux cellulaires transcriptionnellement actifs. Des séquençages à haut-débit permettent ensuite d'identifier les régions génomiques retenues dans les complexes nucléaires ainsi rendus d'insolubles. Elle a donc été appelée HRS-Seq : High-salt Recovered Sequences-sequencing (séquençage de séquences récupérées à haut-sel). Mon programme de travail s'est déroulé en 4 étapes distinctes : 1- la mise en œuvre et l'amélioration de la partie expérimentale (test HRS), 2- l'adaptation des techniques de séquençage à haut-débit à notre méthode (collaboration avec L. Journot, H. Parrinello, E. Dubois), 3 – l'application d'une analyse statistiques adéquate afin d'identifier les HRS (collaboration avec C. Reynes et R. Sabatier, statisticiens) et 4- l'analyse bio-informatique de ces régions destinée à les cartographier et à les caractériser (collaboration avec J. Mozziconacci et A. Cournac).Dans un premier temps, nous avons utilisé la méthode HRS-seq sur des noyaux de cellules de foie de souris. L'analyse bioinformatique des HRS nous a permis de réaliser la toute première cartographie de ces régions chez la souris et de découvrir leurs principales caractéristiques. Les régions HRS peuvent être classées en deux catégories distinctes : Les HRS riches en AT sont fortement associées à la lamine nucléaire, tandis que celles riches en GC sont associées aux régions géniques. La présence exceptionnelle, parmi cette dernière catégorie, des gènes codant pour les protéines d'histones, indique que le test HRS permet la rétention des Corps des Loci d'Histones (HLB – Histone Locus Body), un type spécifique de corps de Cajal. De plus, grâce à une analyse croisée avec des données de Hi-C disponibles dans la littérature, nous avons pu montrer que les HRS présentent entre-elles une haute probabilité de contact dans l'espace tridimensionnel du noyau, et qu'elles sont fortement enrichies en certaines séquences répétées (gènes des ARNt). L'ensemble de ces résultats nous permet de valider expérimentalement notre méthode. Dans un second temps, nous avons appliqué cette méthode à 3 autres types cellulaires : des cellules souches embryonnaires, des cellules progénitrices neurales et des neurones (collaboration avec T. Bouschet). Le but de ce travail est de déterminer comment les régions HRS évoluent au cours de la différentiation cellulaire. Les analyses statistiques et bioinformatiques sont en cours. / In complex organisms like mammals, regulatory sequences, dispersed on the chromosomes, can interact together within the nuclear space to tightly coordinate gene expression. DNA methylation and post-translational histone modifications combine with regulatory sequences, proteic factors and non-coding RNA, to provide cell-type specific patterns of higher-order chromatin organization. However, the in vivo organization of the mammalian chromatin beyond the simple nucleosomal array remains largely enigmatic. The general objective of our group is to elucidate the in vivo organization and dynamic of the chromatin at the supranucleosomal scale in diverse physiological and pathological contexts, in order to better understand how they are involved in the maintenance and coordination of gene expression in mammals. Our working hypothesis is that some nuclear compartments are confining specific chromatin contacts in order to facilitate genomic regulations. The principal objective of my thesis was to develop a novel straightforward method to map and to characterize genomic regions that are associated, in the mouse, with nuclear compartments that are important for gene regulation (nuclear lamina, nucleolus, transcription factories, Cajal bodies). The principle of our method is based on high-salt treatments of transcriptionally active cell nuclei. High-throughput sequencings then allow to identify the genomic regions that are retained in the resulting insoluble nuclear complexes. We thus named this method the HRS-seq (High-salt Recovered Sequences-sequencing). My working program was divided into 4 steps: 1- the improvement of the experimental procedure (HRS assay), 2- the adaptation of the NGS techniques to our method (collaboration with L. Journot, H. Parrinello, E. Dubois), 3- the use of an adequate statistical analysis in order to identify the HRS (Collaboration with C. Reynes and R. Sabatier, statisticians), 4- the bioinformatics analysis of these regions in order to map and to characterize them (collaboration with J. Mozziconacci and A. Cournac). We first used the HRS-seq method on mouse liver cells. The bioinformatics analysis allowed us to obtain the first global profiling of HRS in the mouse and to discover their essential characteristics. The HRS can be classified into two categories: the AT-rich HRS are linked to lamina associated domains, while GC-rich HRS are strongly associated to genes. The presence of histone genes amongst this latter category suggests that the Histone Locus Bodies (HLBs), a specific type of Cajal's body, is retained in the HRS assay. Furthermore, thanks to a cross-analysis with Hi-C data available in international databases, we have shown that the HRS display a high contact probability in the tri-dimensional space of the nucleus and that they are highly enriched in some specific repeat sequences (tRNA genes). Globally, these results allow us to validate the experimental approach used in the HRS-seq method. In a second time, we have applied this method to 3 other cell types: mouse embryonic stem cells, neural progenitor cells and neurons (collaboration with T. Bouschet). The aim of this work is to determine how the HRS regions are regulated during cell differentiation. Statistical and bio-informatics analyses are in progress.

Ce manuscrit présente le rayonnement de second harmonique provenant de plusieurs milieux diélectriques allant de la réponse interfaciale à la réponse volumique. Ce travail de thèse constitue une première étape dans le but d'étudier une bulle de savon dans un piège optique par génération de second harmonique. Deux axes de recherche sont ainsi explorés : d'une part l'étude de la génération de second harmonique sur deux tensioactifs le TTAB et le SDS, constituants de base d'une bulle de savon, et de l'autre l'élaboration d'un nouveau dispositif expérimental permettant d'allier un piège optique à une excitation de second harmonique par un laser femtoseconde. Dans un premier temps, on explicite le montage optique reposant sur le principe d'un microscope confocal inversé et les mesures associées de la réponse harmonique d'interface air/verre et air/eau. Dans un second temps, on s'intéresse comme objet modèle, en lieu et place de la bulle, à une microparticule de silice. Ainsi, on commence par analyser sa réponse harmonique en microscopie non linéaire quand celle-ci se trouve déposée sur une matrice de verre. L'étude de cet objet met en avant l'interdépendance entre les aspects d'optique linéaire mesurés à la longueur d'onde fondamentale et l'intensité harmonique mesurée. Par la suite, cette microsphère est placée au sein du piège optique réalisé par un second faisceau. Malgré la faible taille et la symétrie de la particule diélectrique, on parvient à mettre en évidence la réponse harmonique d'une particule unique piégée. Enfin, dans une dernière partie, on s'intéresse à caractériser la génération de second harmonique pour des solutions savonneuses, première étape dans la réalisation d'une bulle. Les mesures de diffusion de second harmonique en volume pour des solutions de TTAB et SDS de diverses concentrations montrent un comportement similaire et une singularité lors du passage de la concentration micellaire critique. Lors de l'étude du signal de second harmonique à l'interface air/eau savonneuse en revanche, on mesure des comportements différents pour des tensioactifs anioniques et cationiques, provenant de la charge de surface et de l'orientation de l'eau sous-jacente / This thesis reports an experimental study of harmonic radiation from various dielectric media. We both study second harmonic generation on interfaces and hyper Rayleigh scattering in solutions. We present the first step for the realization of the following project : the study of the second harmonic generation on an optically trapped soapy bubble. To do so, two main axis of investigation are developped. Firstly, we study the harmonic response of two commonly used surfactants such as TTAB, a cationic one and SDS carrying a negative charge. This study consits of understanding the main component of a soapy bubble. We investigate how harmonic intensity is modified with an increase of soap concentration. These experiements are carried both in volume and at the air/water interface. The harmonic scattered intensity shows similar features for SDS and TTAB, as a sudden drop appearing at the critical micelar concentration. However, on the surface, the two oppositely charged surfactants give a radically different evolution of second harmonic signal versus their concentration. Indeed, the water molecules of the surroundings behaves in an opposite manner with negative or positive charged surfactants. The second axis of research that we work on in this thesis, is on a novel experimental development. We combine an optical tweezer to trap microsized particles with a femtosecond laser probe to generate the second harmonic. This is a first step in order to trap a bubble and study it with second harmonic generation. This non linear inverted confocal microscope is used to study harmonic profil of an silica bead stuck on a sample. This study gives a glance of the complexity of the correlation between linear optics effects on the laser probe beam and the created harmonic intensity. We also perform experiments on a trapped particle and we measure the harmonic response of an unique particle

Le développement de nanomatériaux à propriétés optiques et fonctionnalisés pour un marquage spécifique est en plein essor dans le domaine de l'imagerie biologique. Parmi les agents de contraste exogènes déjà utilisés, les marqueurs fluorescents tels que les nanocristaux semi-conducteurs (CdSe/ZnS,…) et les molécules organiques naturelles (GFP,…) ou synthétiques (fluorescéine,…) souffrent respectivement de clignotements (blinking) et de photo-blanchiment (bleaching) c'est-à-dire d'une faible tenue au rayonnement lumineux incident. Récemment, la microscopie de Génération de Second Harmonique (GSH) à partir de structures non-centrosymétriques de certains matériaux ou molécules optiquement non linéaires (ONL), s'est révélée un outil particulièrement prometteur. Les inconvénients du clignotement et du photo-blanchiment sont en effet absents pour le processus non linéaire de GSH. De plus, le principe de fonctionnement des marqueurs ONL repose sur un processus non résonant, contrairement aux marqueurs fluorescents, ce qui est un avantage décisif pour le choix de la longueur d'onde d'excitation des nanosondes. Pour des illuminations dans le proche infrarouge, cela permet de limiter l'énergie déposée dans le milieu biologique, d'augmenter la profondeur d'imagerie et enfin de bien séparer spectralement les signaux des marqueurs ONL de l'auto-fluorescence naturelle de certains échantillons. Notre objectif, dans ce contexte, était la synthèse et la caractérisation de nouvelles nanosondes ONL de forme sphérique et de taille inférieure à 100nm. Le matériau de structure cristalline non centrosymétrique retenu est l'iodate de fer (Fe(IO3)3) car ses éléments chimiques sont peu toxiques et que ses propriétés paramagnétiques peuvent également donner un contraste en imagerie par résonance magnétique (IRM) ce qui est potentiellement intéressant par rapport à d'autres cristaux ONL tels que ZnO, KNbO3, BaTiO3 et KTP. D'un point de vue synthèse, les microémulsions inverses sont bien référencées dans la littérature pour leur rôle de gabarit permettant un bon contrôle de la taille et de la morphologie des nanomatériaux obtenus par co-précipitation. Dans ce travail, les nano-réacteurs ont été préparés à partir des systèmes AOT/alcane/eau et Triton/1-hexanol/cyclohexane/eau. De manière très originale et pratique, le développement d'un banc optique de diffusion Hyper-Rayleigh (HRS) a permis de suivre in-situ et en temps réel les cinétiques de cristallisation des nanoparticules de Fe(IO3)3 en fonction de conditions expérimentales variables. Les mécanismes de croissance et de cristallisation des nano-bâtonnets de Fe(IO3)3 ont été élucidés en combinant d'autres techniques physico-chimiques usuelles comme la diffraction des rayons X, la diffusion dynamique de la lumière et la microscopie électronique en transmission. Nous avons démontré que la température et la nature du tensioactif influencent les forces d'interaction à l'interface organique-inorganique ce qui permet, pour certaines conditions expérimentales, de réduire la taille et la polydispersité des nanocristaux en fin de processus. Toutefois, avant d'envisager l'utilisation de ces derniers en tant que marqueurs optiques spécifiques, il est nécessaire d'encapsuler ces nanocristaux en raison de la faible stabilité du composé aux pH physiologiques. Les premiers essais de stabilisation en microémulsions par une couche de silice ont permis d'obtenir des nanoparticules de taille ~ 10 nm avec une forte réponse ONL. La caractérisation complète et la fonctionnalisation de ces nanostructures ainsi qu'une optimisation des interactions à l'interface particules – films de tensioactifs constituent les perspectives de ce travail. / The development of functionalized nanomaterials with optical properties for a site-specific labeling or conjugation has undergone a rapid growth in the biological imaging field. Among the exogenous contrast agents which are already used, fluorescent nanocrystals such as semi-conductor (CdSe / ZnS, ...) and natural organic molecules (GFP, ...) or synthetic molecules (fluorescein, ...) suffer from blinking and photobleaching, respectively. Recently, Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) from acentric structures of some Non-Linear Optical (NLO) materials or organic molecules appeared to be particularly promising. Indeed, the major disadvantages of blinking and photobleaching are absent in the SHG process. Additionally, imaging of NLO probes is based on a non-resonant process, contrary to traditional fluorescent probes, which is key in terms of excitation wavelength. Near infrared illumination can limit the energy deposited in the biological tissues, increase the imaging depth and, finally, the SHG signal can be more readily spectrally resolved from the natural auto-fluorescence. The main objectives of this thesis were the synthesis and characterization of new NLO nanoprobes with a spherical shape and a size lower than 100 nm. The non-centrosymmetric material of interest is iron iodate (Fe(IO3)3). Its chemical elements are non toxic and its paramagnetic response may also provide a contrast in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which is not the case of the other NLO crystals such as ZnO, KNbO3, BaTiO3 and KTP. From a synthesis point of view, reverse microemulsions are well documented in the literature as good templates for the size and shape control of nanomaterials obtained by a coprecipitation reaction. In this work, nanoreactors were prepared from the AOT/alkane/water and Triton/1-hexanol /cyclohexane/water systems..A very original and convenient setup based on the Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering (HRS) was implemented so that the real-time crystallization kinetics of the growing acentric iron iodate nanocrystals in microemulsions could be measured according to different experimental conditions. We demonstrate that HRS is a fast, valuable and nondestructive alternative to probe in-situ the crystallization and growth dynamics of Fe(IO3)3 nanorods whereas the growth mechanism was elucidated by a combination of Dynamic Light Scattering, X-ray diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy experiments. The binding interaction between surfactant molecules and colloidal particles was studied as a function of the synthesis temperature as well as the surfactant nature. In some experimental conditions the size and polydispersity of the final nanorods can be thus reduced. However, the use of iron iodate as specific NLO optical probes is so far restricted due to its low stability at physiological pH. Preliminary encapsulation tests by a thin silica-coating in reverse microemulsions show the presence of ~ 10nm nanocparticles with a strong NLO response. The complete characterization and functionalization of these nanostructures as well as the optimization of the binding interactions at the organic-inorganic interface are the prospects of this work

Parmi les propriétés optiques non linéaires (ONL), le doublement de fréquence fait partie des plus étudiées. L'introduction de la commutation moléculaire pourrait élargir le domaine d'application des matériaux ONL.<br />Notre travail de thèse a consisté à trouver de nouvelles possibilités de commutation ONL à l'aide de calculs DFT et ZINDO.<br />Les commutations par processus chimique ont été étudiées dans le cas de la protonation de complexes de nickel, qui induit la rotation de l'hyperpolarisabilité et de l'oxydation partielle de tétrathiafulvalènes fonctionnalisés.<br />Les commutations par processus physique ont été envisagées dans le cas de la transition de spin de complexes de fer(III), de l'effet de la température sur l'équilibre acide-base de dérivés stilbènes et enfin d'un changement conformationnel d'un complexe de chrome et d'un composé diorganoboré.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that strong social networks have a positive effect on physical and psychological well-being. Research suggests that Internet use may affect social networks. However it is not clear if Internet use has a positive or negative effect on social networks. One theory suggests that Internet use displaces face-to-face contacts and off line social participation. Another theory suggests Internet use replaces high quality face-to-face ties with weaker online ties. Other studies however suggest the Internet has a positive effect on social networks. Because older adults have shrinking social networks, but may have more discretionary time than other age groups, the Internet may be a tool that can be used to strengthen social networks for this age group. METHODS: This study uses a sample from the 2004 wave of the Health and Retirement Survey to assess the association between Internet use and social networks. Age is tested for moderation of the association between Internet use and social networks. Oversampling and design effects of the sample are accounted for using weights and special procedures in SAS version 9.1. Univariate, bivariate and linear regression analyses are employed for the examination of associations and moderation. RESULTS: In regression models (n=2,284) considering a number of control variables, frequency of contact with friends, frequency of contact with family, and attendance at organizational meetings (not including religious services), were found to have a significant positive association with Internet use, while in-person contact with family members (other than children) had a significant negative association with Internet use. Age was not found to moderate any of the significant associations between Internet use and measures of social networking. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the Internet could be used as a tool in interventions designed to strengthen social networks for older adults and that policies to increase the availability of the Internet should be considered. Internet use is not associated with a decrease in social participation based on attendance of religious services or other organizations. The amount of time spent on Internet use is not considered in this study and is a limitation.

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2017-11-03T20:50:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JessicaDeAndradePessoa_DISSERT.pdf: 10020769 bytes, checksum: daeec5fd94bc7d6846a49b3d22ead059 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-11-17T19:54:39Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 JessicaDeAndradePessoa_DISSERT.pdf: 10020769 bytes, checksum: daeec5fd94bc7d6846a49b3d22ead059 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-17T19:54:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JessicaDeAndradePessoa_DISSERT.pdf: 10020769 bytes, checksum: daeec5fd94bc7d6846a49b3d22ead059 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-27 / A ayahuasca ? uma bebida com propriedades psicod?licas amplamente utilizada por popula??es ind?genas da regi?o amaz?nica. Esse preparo cont?m a triptamina psicod?lica N,N-dimetiltriptamina (DMT), e inibidores da monoamina oxidase (iMAO), como harmina e harmalina. A ayahuasca ? considerada um psicod?lico seroton?rgico, e que pode levar a um estado alterado de consci?ncia com semelhan?as a uma experi?ncia on?rica, com intensas altera??es na percep??o, pensamentos, humor, emo??o, e experi?ncias tidas como m?sticas. Correlatos neurais dos efeitos agudos da ayahuasca t?m sido investigados por diferentes t?cnicas de neuroimagem funcional, incluindo a eletroencefalografia (EEG). Neste trabalho exploramos mudan?as espectrais de EEG em 50 volunt?rios saud?veis, utilizando desenho randomizado duplo-cego placebo-controlado. Metade recebeu uma sess?o com a ayahuasca, a outra metade com placebo. Ap?s a administra??o da subst?ncia, os volunt?rios foram monitorados durante 4 horas por um equipamento de EEG. A fim de melhorar a qualidade dos dados, os volunt?rios foram solicitados a realizar 2 tarefas simples em tr?s instantes espec?ficos: antes da ingest?o, 2h e 4 horas ap?s a ingest?o. Na primeira tarefa, deveriam tentar permanecer acordados, e intercalar per?odos de 20 segundos de olhos abertos, e 40 segundos de olhos fechados, durante 5 minutos. Na segunda tarefa, eles deveriam permanecer de olhos fechados, tentando se manter acordados, por outros 5 minutos. A an?lise espectral (2h) revelou que a pot?ncia de alfa ? significativamente menor no grupo ayahuasca que no placebo nas regi?es occipital e temporoparietal ? direita. Encontramos, ainda, aumento significativo em 2h na pot?ncia de teta na regi?o temporoparietal ? direita. A an?lise de correla??o revelou correspond?ncias entre a pot?ncia de alfa (2h) e a pontua??o obtida em duas escalas sens?veis aos efeitos de psicod?licos - a Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS) e o Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ). Apresentamos, ainda, achados de tra?ados curiosos, encontrados na inspe??o visual dos tra?ados de EEG. De modo geral, nossos resultados sugerem que a inibi??o das oscila??es alfa em regi?es posteriores do c?rebro desempenha papel importante na experi?ncia psicod?lica, talvez compartilhando mecanismos presentes durante a experi?ncia on?rica. / Ayahuasca is a brew with psychedelic properties largely used by indigenous populations from the Amazon basin. It contains the psychedelic tryptamine N,N-dimethyltriptamine (DMT), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (iMAO), such as harmine and harmaline. Ayahuasca is consid-ered to be a serotonergic psychedelic, capable of inducing an altered state of consciousness with similarities to an oneiric experience, with intense alterations in perception, though, humor, emo-tion, and mystical-type experiences. The neural correlates of its acute effects have been inves-tigated by different neuroimaging techniques, including electroencephalography (EEG). In this study, we explored EEG spectral changes in 48 healthy volunteers using a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Half of the volunteers received ayahuasca, half received placebo. We used an EEG system to monitor all volunteers throughout the dosing session, which lasted approximately 4-hours. Aiming to improve data quality, the volunteers were asked to perform two controlled tasks at three specific moments: before intake, 2h and 4h after intake. For the first task, they alternated moments of eyes open (20 seconds) with eyes closed (40 seconds) for 5 minutes, avoiding falling asleep. During the second task they should keep their eyes closed for another 5 minutes, again avoiding falling asleep. Spectral analysis at 2h after intake shows reduced alpha power, and increased theta and beta in the ayahuasca group with respect to the placebo, mainly in occipital and right temporoparietal regions. Correlation analysis revealed correspondences between the alpha power (2h) and individual scores on two scales used to measure psychedelic effects ? the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS) and the Mystical Experi-ence Questionnaire (MEQ). Additionally, we also present EEG traces with electrophysiological events that might be of importance for the representation of the psychedelic experience. Over-all, our results suggest that the inhibition of alpha oscillations, increased theta and beta in right posterior brain regions play an important role on the psychedelic experience, maybe sharing mechanisms present during the oneiric experience.