L'objectif de ce projet est l’étude de la plasticité des circuits corticaux dans le contexte de l'apprentissage des souris « sauvages » et modèles du syndrome de l’X fragile. Des études sur l'efficacité de la combinaison d'enregistrement des potentiels de champ locaux extracellulaires avec la stimulation laser UV (LSPS) pour cartographier les réseaux ont été réalisées. Nous avons trouvé des enregistrements de champs extracellulaires qui pourraient être utilisés pour détecter les réponses synaptiques évoquées par LSPS. Nos résultats indiquent une méthode alternative pour obtenir des cartes complètes de réseaux intracorticaux excitateurs. Ensuite, nous avons développé un paradigme d'apprentissage associatif sensoriel et étudié ses effets sur les réseaux intracorticaux excitateurs du cortex baril. Ex vivo un affaiblissement des projections excitatrices entre les couches 4 et 2/3 qui dans les colonnes de vibrisses C a été observée. Enfin, nous avons utilisé ces mêmes approches dans une souris modèle du syndrome de l'X fragile (FXS). Pour étudier les liens entre les déficits sensoriels, l'apprentissage associatif et les altérations fonctionnelles des réseaux sensoriels, nous avons utilisé un modèle de souris mutantes dans lequel la pathologie FXS était ciblée sur la couche 4 du cortex somatosensoriel. Il a été constaté que les souris WT présentaient une dépression similaire, alors qu'elle était absente FXS. En conclusion, les études sur les mutants sensoriels de type sauvage ont mis en lumière les conséquences de l'apprentissage sur les réseaux corticaux sensoriels et les liens entre la plasticité des réseaux corticaux sensoriels et les capacités cognitives. / The aim of this project is to study the plasticity of the cortical circuits in the context of the learning of wild type mice and models of Fragile X Syndrome. First, investigations into the efficacy of recording combination of extracellular local field potentials with UV laser stimulation (LSPS) to map networks were performed. We found extracellular field records could be used to detect the synaptic responses evoked by LSPS. Our results indicate an alternative method for obtaining complete maps of excitatory intracortical networks. Next, we developed a sensory associative learning paradigm and studied its effects on excitatory intracortical networks the barrel cortex. Ex vivo a weakening of the excitatory projections between layers 4 and 2/3 which in the columns of vibrissae C was observed and declined function of the speed of the behavioural response. Finally, we used these same approaches in a Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) model mouse. To study the links between sensory deficits, associative learning, and functional alterations of sensory networks, we used a model of mutant mice in which the FXS pathology was targeted to the layer 4 of the somatosensory cortex. Our hypotheses were that behavioural conditioning would change the cortical sensory circuits of the FXS sensory mutant and that the abnormal plasticity of these circuits would in turn affect the performance. It was found the WT mice exhibited a similar depression, whereas it was absent FXS. In conclusion, wild type mouse and FXS sensory mutant studies shed light on the consequences of learning on sensory cortical networks and on the links between plasticity of sensory cortical networks and cognitive abilities.

Self-help counselling is an important industry that not only influences its immediate users’ behavior but also society and social behaviors more generally. Since New Ageis a main branch of self-help, and since positivity is a dominant concept in (New Age) self-help discourse, it is worth analyzing how positivity might be achieved in terms of language use. The present study investigates whether the adjectives in a couple of New Age publications contribute to communicating positivity and, if yes, how. What adjectives are used and how can they be categorized in terms of positive, negative, neutral or undetermined connotations as well as semantic prosody? The findings support the hypothesis that the use of “positive adjectives” (Rozin, Berman & Royzman, 2010, p. 536) is what helps to make New Age self-help books convey a positive spirit.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:44:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LuizFFJ_DISSERT.pdf: 561001 bytes, checksum: d3e0298e76c38d08d3b0c195db8c91b5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-25 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The complex human behavior related to exercise involves cognitive, physical and emotional processing. The recent theories about exercise s intensity regulation have highlighted the role played by psychophysics aspects in controlling exercise s intensity. In this regard, recent evidences have shown that there is variability in human capacity in perceiving interoceptives clues. Thus, subjects more sensitive show higher physiological arousal to physical and/or emotional stress, and sensations with higher intensity. In fact, studies have evidenced that interoceptive feedback modifies behavior in exercise with free load. However, exercise recommendations are based in a constant load standard. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the influence of interoceptive sensibility on psychophysics responses during dynamic exercise performed with constant load. Twenty-four adult males were allocated into two groups accordingly with their interoceptive sensibility: high sensibility (n=11) and low sensibility (13). They underwent to an incremental test (IT) and then randomly to two sections of moderate and severe exercise intensity for 20 minutes. Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), affective feelings (AF), alert state (AS), and percentage of associative thoughts were collect during exercise. A two-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used to assess differences between psychophysics responses. There were differences between group in RPE, AF, and AS in moderate intensity. There was no difference in any measure in severe intensity. We conclude that subjects with high interoceptive sensibility feel dynamic moderate exercise more intense than the subjecs with low interoceptive sensibility / INTRODU??O: O complexo comportamento humano de realizar exerc?cio f?sico envolve processamento cognitivo, f?sico e emocional. As recentes teorias sobre fadiga e reposta afetivas ao exerc?cio f?sico atribuem importante papel na regula??o da intensidade do esfor?o aos fatores interoceptivos. Al?m disso, Evid?ncias recentes tem apontado haver variabilidade na capacidade humana em perceber esses est?mulos interoceptivos. Dessa forma, pessoas mais sens?veis apresentam excita??o fisiol?gica mais acentuada ao estresse f?sico e/ou emocional, e maior intensifica??o dessas sensa??es. Adicionalmente, estudos tem relatado que feedback interoceptivo diminui a intensidade do esfor?o exercida, e que pessoas com maior sensibilidade interoceptiva controlam melhor a intensidade de esfor?o em tarefas com ritmo livre. Contudo, os modelos de prescri??o de exerc?cio f?sico din?mico apresentam padr?o de intensidade de esfor?o fechado, e n?o ? conhecida as repostas psicofisiol?gicas entre os grupos de variabilidade interoceptiva durante a realiza??o de exerc?cio f?sico. OBJETIVO: O presente estudo verificou a influ?ncia da sensibilidade interoceptiva sobre as repostas psicofisiol?gicas em exerc?cio din?mico com carga constante. M?TODOS: A amostra foi composta por 24 homens jovens adultos, insufientemente ativos, que foram designados a dois grupos de acordo com seus n?veis de sensibilidade interoceptiva: Alta sensibilidade (n=11) e Baixa sensibilidade (n=13). Todos foram submetidos a um teste incremental (TI) em cicloerg?metro para identifica??o do limiar de variabilidade da frequ?ncia card?aca (LiVFC) e da pot?ncia pico (PP). Posteriormente, os sujeitos foram submetidos (em ordem aleat?ria e cruzada) a dois protocolos experimentais de exerc?cio f?sico em cicloerg?metro durante 20 minutos com intensidade correspondente a 20% abaixo e 20% acima LiVFC. Durante os protocolos experimentais as respostas de Frequ?ncia Card?aca (FC), Percep??o Subjetiva de Esfor?o (PSE), Val?ncia Afetiva (VA), Estado de Alerta e N?vel de pensamento Dissociativo-Associativo ao exerc?cio f?sico foram registradas. O teste de Shapiro-Wilk e as an?lises da m?dia, assimetria e curtose verificaram a normalidade de distribui??o dos dados. O Teste de Mauchly verificou a esfericidade dos dados de medidas repetidas. O Teste t para amostra independente e o Teste de Mann Whitney verificaram as igualdade dos dados descritivos entre os grupos. A ANOVA two away (grupo x momentos) para medidas repetidas verificou as poss?veis diferen?as entre as respostas psicofisiol?gicas. RESULTADOS: Houve diferen?a estatisticamente significante entre os grupos na PSE (F(3,36)=18,50, p=0,000), VA (F(3,36)=4,14, p=0,01) e no Estado de Alerta (F(3,36)=4,03, p=0,01) no exerc?cio realizado em intensidade correspondente a 80% LiVFC. Na intensidade correspondente a 120% LiVFC n?o houve diferen?a entre os grupos, somente entre os momentos em cada grupo. CONCLUS?O: A sensibilidade interoceptiva modifica as respostas psicofisiol?gicas durante a realiza??o de exerc?cio f?sico din?mica com intensidade moderada (abaixo do LiVFC)

A contribuição e objetivo desta tese é desenvolver um modelo de redes neurais artificiais, baseado em princípios de memória associativa, capaz de resolver o problema de planejamento e controle ponto a ponto de trajetória de um braço mecânico imerso em um ambiente parcialmente conhecido e/ou sujeito a ruídos. O modelo proposto é formado por dois planos: plano seqüência temporal e plano ângulo. Para o plano seqüência temporal, o novo modelo proposto chamado de Memória Associativa Multidirecional Temporal (TMAM) é capaz de armazenar e recuperar n-tuplas de informações, lidar com informações ruidosas e/ou incompletas e aprender seqüências temporais. TMAM utiliza representação contínua e realimentação autoassociativa. O plano ângulo é formado pelo modelo RBF que é responsável por produzir as informações de ângulos das juntas do braço mecânico. A composição dos dois planos forma o sistema completo que é responsável pelo planejamento e controle ponto a ponto de trajetória. Em resumo, o sistema recebe informações do ponto origem e do ponto alvo, estabelece uma trajetória para atingir o ponto alvo a partir do ponto de origem e transforma os pontos espaciais da trajetória em valores de ângulos das juntas. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o modelo TMAM é capaz de recuperar, interpelar e extrapolar pontos nas seqüências, é capaz de gerar trajetórias, de memorizar seqüências de diferentes tamanhos e de lidar com duas trajetórias ao mesmo tempo. O modelo apresenta também rápido treinamento. O modelo RBF é capaz de recuperar as saídas desejadas apresentando um erro pequeno e é capaz de receber um padrão que apresenta um ponto final inatingível e gerar um conjunto de ângulos que representa um ponto final atingível. / The aim of this project is to develop an artificial neural networks model based on principles of associative memory. This neural network model must be able to solve the problem of trajectory planning and point to point control of a robot arm, which is located in a partially known and/or noisy environment. The proposed model is composed by two surfaces: the temporal sequence surface and the angle surface. For the temporal sequence surface the new propose model Temporal Multidirectional Associative Memmy (TMAM) is able to store and recall n-tuplas of information, to deal with noisy and/or incomplete information and to learn temporal sequences. TMAM uses a continuas representation and autoassociative feedback. A RBF model is used to implement the angle surface, which is liable for producing the angle information for the joint of the robot arm. The two surfaces compose the whole system which is liable for the trajectory planning and system control. Hence, the system receives information about the initial point and the target point, constructs the trajectory to reach the target point from the initial point and converts the spatial points which compose the trajectory, in values of joint angles. The obtained results show that TMAM model can recall, interpolate and extrapolate points in the sequences. The model has the ability of generating new trajectories and memorizing different size of sequences at the same time. This model also shows fast learning. The RBF model can recall the desired outputs with a small error and can receive a pattern which is formed by an unreachable final point and generate a set of angles which, in turn, represent a reachable final point.

Orientador: Miguel Juan Bacic / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T16:28:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Campos_JorgedePaiva_M.pdf: 4861029 bytes, checksum: f261c5789c45114d334c39f798e08bca (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar as possíveis formas de organização das pequenas e médias empresas, quando organizadas e articuladas sob a forma de redes de empresas e pólos industriais para a ação conjunta. Investiga-se como se formam, como funcionam, qual a influência das ações conjuntas na competitividade e os fatores restritivos e impulsionadores deste tipo de organização. Entende-se que a junção e organização das várias firmas instaladas numa dada região contribuem para a sua transformação econômica, principalmente quando levam a cabo o propósito inicial de atuar conjuntamente nas várias frentes possíveis. O trabalho apresenta um estudo destacando um projeto prático de ação conjunta aplicados às pequenas e médias empresas, exeqüível e de fácil entendimento. Como destaque, são apresentados os passos necessários para a formação de associações de empresas, o passo inicial para qualquer tipo de atuação conjunta, de acordo com a legislação. Entende-se que a junção das pequenas firmas pode resultar em benefícios para todos os participantes e também para o entorno. Os exemplos dos distritos industriais italianos, as redes de empresas e o trabalho comunitário mostram as vantagens do trabalho associativista / Abstract: The focus of this study is to analyze the possible ways of small and medium companies organization, when organized and articulated as a net of companies and industrials poles for a joined action. This study verifies how the net is created, how it works, what is the influence of the joined actions in the competitively, the restrictive features and what stimulate this kind of organization. It is known that the organization of many companies installed in one region contributes for their economic transformation, mainly when these companies have the initial of purpose acting together in all market areas. This study emphasizes a pratical project based on a joint effort applied to the small and medium companies, of easy understanfing and execution. Distinctively, it presents the necessary steps for the formation of joint ventures, the first necessary step to any kind of joined action, according to the legislation. As a result, the joining of small companies can bring benefits for all participants and also to the region. The example of Italian industrial districts, the nets of companies and the communitarian work show the advantages of the associative work / Mestrado / Gestão da Qualidade Total / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Este estudio presenta los resultados de una investigación que examina la efectividad del enfoque léxico como forma de instrucción explícita sobre la adquisición de la competencia léxica en aprendices de español como lengua extranjera. El estudio esta guiado por dos preguntas de investigación. La primera pregunta de investigación (PI 1) examina el impacto del enfoque léxico sobre la adquisición de la competencia léxica. La segunda pregunta de investigación (PI 2) examina si la efectividad del enfoque léxico en el grupo de alumnos examinados viene condicionada por las creencias de los participantes acerca de las estrategias empleadas en dicho método. La aplicación del enfoque léxico se basó en una propuesta pedagógica consistente en una unidad didáctica de creación propia. Se analizaron los datos obtenidos tanto de forma cuantitativa como cualitativa. Los resultados confirmaron empíricamente la validez del enfoque léxico como principio metodológico para adquirir la competencia léxica. Del mismo modo, se encontró una relación entre las creencias de los participantes y las estrategias de aprendizaje empleadas. / This paper reports the results of a study that examined the effectiveness of the lexical approach as a form of explicit instruction in relation to the acquisition of lexical competence in learners of Spanish as a foreign language. The study was guided by two research questions. The first question aimed to examine the impact of the lexical approach with regard to the lexical competence. The second question asked whether the effectiveness of the lexical approach was conditioned by the learner’s beliefs regarding the learning strategies inherent to the lexical approach. The lexical approach was applied by means of a lesson plan based on a self-created design. The data obtained was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results obtained empirically confirm the validity of the lexical approach as a methodological principle suitable for the teaching of lexical competence. Similarly, a relationship was found between the learner’s beliefs and the learning strategies they employed.

La capacité des organismes à survivre dans un environnement changeant dépendlargement de leur aptitude à prendre des décisions adaptées. Cette fonction complexerésulte notamment de l’intégration de processus de prédiction et de contrôle de l’action,classiquement étudiés dans le corpus théorique et méthodologique des apprentissagesassociatifs. Les bases neurobiologiques de ces processus sont largement distribués au seinde circuits au sein desquels le cortex préfrontal et son afférence principale, le thalamusmédiodorsal (MD) jouent un rôle important. Dans ce contexte, le travail entrepris au coursde ce travail de thèse visait à déterminer le rôle fonctionnel des échanges entre ces deuxstructures dans le cadre de la prise de décision.Une première partie de ce travail a visé à confirmer le rôle spécifique du MD dans lesprocessus de prise de décision. Par l’utilisation d’un protocole expérimental nécessitantl’intégration des contingences instrumentales et Pavloviennes pour obtenir unerécompense, nous avons démontré que des rats porteurs d’une lésion du MD n’étaient pascapables d’adapter leur comportement en fonction des changements de valeur de larécompense, confirmant ainsi le rôle fondamental du MD dans la représentation du but.Surla base de ce résultat, nous avons ensuite entrepris une étude d’anatomie descriptive visantà caractériser finement l’architecture des projections thalamocorticales issues du MD. Cetteétude nous a permis de démontrer que de multiples voies thalamocorticales issues du MDtrouvent leur origine dans des populations neuronales thalamiques essentiellementségrégées mais également que la région orbitofrontale était innervée par une régionthalamique méconnue, le thalamus submédian. Pour éprouver les fonctions de cesdifférentes voies, nous avons d’abord mis en place une stratégie d’inactivation réversible depopulations neuronales sélectionnées sur la base de leurs projections spécifiques par uneméthode pharmacogénétique conditionnelle. L’utilisation de cette méthode nous a permisde révéler que la capacité de l’animal à se représenter la valeur ou la relation actionrécompensedépend de la direction des échanges entre le MD et le cortex préfrontalmédian. Par ailleurs, une approche lésionnelle comparée plus classique nous a permisd’identifier un rôle fonctionnel spécifique du thalamus submédian dans la mise à jour descontingences Pavloviennes.12Pris dans leur ensemble, ces résultats sont en accord avec l’idée que des bouclesthalamocorticales distinctes sont impliquées dans les processus de prédiction et de contrôlede l’action nécessaires à une prise de décision adaptée. / Survival of living organisms depends on the ability to make decision adapted to theircurrent needs and desires. Such an ability results from the integration of multiple basiccognitive processes such as events prediction and action control. These processes are bestinvestigated within the framework of associative learning. Past research has demonstratedthat these processes are supported by a widespread neuronal circuit, in which the prefrontalcortex and his major afferent structure, the mediodorsal thalamus (MD), play a central role.In this context, this thesis work aimed at investigating the functional role of the exchangesbetween these two structures in decision making.In a first part of this work, we assessed the role of the MD in prediction and control.We showed that MD lesioned rats are unable to adapt their behavior to a change in rewardvalue, in an experimental procedure asking the integration of instrumental and Pavloviancontingencies. This result confirmed the fundamental role of MD in goal representation. As asecond step, we performed an anatomical study in order to characterize the architecture ofthe thalamocortical pathways arising from the MD. We first showed that multiplethalamocortical pathways originate from segregated neuronal populations within the MD.We also discovered a poorly known thalamic structure innervating the orbitofrontal cortex,the submedius nuclei. In order to understand the functional role of these pathways, we useda conditional chemogenetic technique aimed at inactivating neuronal populations selectedon the basis of their projections. Using this technique, we showed that the animal’s abilitiesto represent either the value or the action-reward relationship depend on the directionalityof MD and prefrontal cortex exchanges. Finally, we identified a specific role for thesubmedius nuclei in updating Pavlovian contingencies, by using a more classical lesioningapproach.Taken together, these results support the idea that decision making involved severalthalamocortical loops, differentially supporting prediction and action control.

Dans un contexte de profondes transformations de l’action publique, cette thèse étudie les relations entre associations et pouvoirs publics, en consolidant une approche en termes d’interactions. Alors que les relations entre ces deux acteurs sont souvent envisagées de manière unilatérale, dans le sens d’une influence croissante de l’intervention publique sur les fonctionnements et projets associatifs, elle analyse également l’influence des associations sur les pouvoirs publics, moins explorée par la littérature. Sont étudiées pour cela les associations qui fournissent des services sociaux et médico-sociaux de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon, en combinant matériaux qualitatif et quantitatif. La perspective théorique mobilisée est socio-économique et s’appuie sur la critique du courant économique standard pour lequel les associations ne sont perçues qu’à travers leur rôle économique de prestataires de services. Cette thèse adopte ainsi une perspective plus complexe, en considérant également le rôle politique des associations. Aussi, son approche est contextualisée, historiquement et institutionnellement, comme suggéré par la démarche institutionnaliste. Sont ainsi étudiées les évolutions dans la régulation de l’État-providence depuis 1945 pour aboutir à la caractérisation du modèle actuel oscillant entre encadrement renforcé et mise en concurrence des associations. Enfin, l’exploration des dimensions organisationnelles et stratégiques des associations permet de mettre en évidence leur diversité dans le processus interactif, au-delà de la rationalisation. / In a context of profound changes in public policy, this thesis investigates the relationship between associations and public authorities by consolidating an approach in terms of interactions. Relations between these two entities are often considered unilaterally, pointing solely the increasing influence of public intervention on the functioning and projects of non-profit organizations, whereas this thesis looks also at the impact of associations on government, which is less explored in the literature. Associations providing social and “médico-social” services in the Languedoc-Roussillon Region are studied by a combination from qualitative and quantitative data. The theoretical perspective mobilized is a socio-economic one. It is built on the criticism of economic standard current according to which associations are perceived only through their economic role of service providers. By considering the political role of associations as well, this thesis adopts a more complex approach. Moreover, this approach is historically and institutionally contextualized, as suggested by the Institutionalist theory. The analysis of the changes in the regulation of the welfare state since 1945, leads to the characterization of the current model that oscillates between an enhanced supervision and a competitive tendering of the associations. Finally, the exploration of organizational and strategic features of the associations highlights, beyond rationalization, their diversity in the studied interactive process.

This study examined the effects of linguistic task demands on the neuroanatomical localization of the neural response related to automatic semantic processing of concrete German nouns combining the associative priming paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To clarify the functional role of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) for semantic processing with respect to semantic decision making compared to semantic processing per se, we used a linguistic task that involved either a binary decision process (i.e., semantic categorization; Experiment 1) or not (i.e., silently thinking about a word's meaning; Experiment 2). We observed associative priming effects indicated as neural suppression in bilateral superior temporal gyri (STG), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), occipito-temporal brain areas, and in medial frontal brain areas independently of the linguistic task. Inferior parietal brain areas were more active for silently thinking about a word's meaning compared to semantic categorization. A conjunction analysis of linguistic task revealed that both tasks activated the same left-lateralized occipito-temporo-frontal network including the IFG. Contrasting neural associative priming effects across linguistic task demands, we found a significant interaction in the right IFG. The present fMRI data give rise to the assumption that activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) in the semantic domain might be important for semantic processing in general and not only for semantic decision making. These findings contrast with a recent study regarding the role of the LIFG for binary decision making in the lexical domain (Wright et al. 2011).

This diploma thesis studied the interaction of ionic and amphiphilic fluorescent probes with polyelectrolytes. The research of such colloidal system could be helpful in deeper understanding of interactions between polyelectrolytes and surfactants. The aim of this thesis was to determine whether ionic or amphiphilic probes are suitable for this research. Two polyelectrolytes, sodium polystyrene sulfonate and hyaluronan were used in this study. Interactions of polyelectrolytes with fluorescent probes (4-Di-2-Asp, methylene blue, dodecyl acridine orange, DiO and DiA) were studied in this work. Then cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylamonium bromide was added to this system. Samples were studied using fluorescence and UV/VIS spectroscopy. Emission and absorption spectra of these probes were recorded. This experiment was based on hypothesis that due to positive charge these probes will bind to the negatively charged polyelectrolyte. Formation of dimers or other aggegates was presumed for fluorescent probes dodecyl acridine orange and methylene blue. When 4-Di-2-Asp was used,changes in fluorescence intensity and absorption spectra in connection with possible formation of aggregates was supposed to be observed. It should be noted that formation of dimers for 4-Di-2-Asp is not described in literature. The formation of dimers wasn't clearly demonstrated during the measurement. Formation of dimers was observed only with dodecyl acridine orange. Probes DiO and DiA were used only in the study of the interaction with polyelectrolytes. These fluorescent probes showed up as inappropriate, because they adsorbed on tube walls. When cationic surfactant was added to hyaluronan-fluorescent probe system, surfactant pushed away fluorescent probe and bonded electrostatically to negatively charged groups of polyelectrolyte.