Personnages dans l’art saharien : le réel et l’imaginé

In the Sahara, wherever there are naked rock surfaces, engravings and paintings have been found in large numbers. This rock art includes various types of images — the oldest dating about ten millenniums — among which human beings, wild or domesticated animals, therianthrops and non-explicit images can be identified. According to periods and styles, the human being has been represented under extremely varied aspects from particularly realistic — similar to the reality — till very simplified, even caricatural drawings. For some realistic representations of women and men, we can observe anatomical or morphological peculiarities which, without being frequent, show cases of steatopygy and gynoïd or androïd obesity, pathological or not. For certain periods, we also find imaginary, fantastic or caricatural representations. These images characterize particularly styles previous to that called “Round Heads”. So, in the Saharan art, the human being has been represented either in his physical truth, or according to multiple stylistic conventions or graphic stereotypes, which could characterize certain ethnic groups.     

Radicaux libres et spermatozoïdes humains: physiologie et physiopathologie

The role of reactive oxygen species in the physiopathology of human sperm function has been emphasized in recent years. Their production in semen has been associated with loss of motility, decreased capacity for spermoocyte fusion and loss of fertility. In semen preparations, there are two major sources of reactive oxygen species: leucocytes and spermatozoa themselve. It has been proposed that reactive oxygen species production by human spermatozoa was dependent upon a membrane-bound NADPH oxidase or a mitochondrial diaphorase. Hydrogen peroxide produced by the dismutation of superoxide anion has been recognized as the most toxic oxidizing species for human spermatozoa. Owing to their high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, it has been proposed that lipid peroxidation of the sperm plasma membrane is largely responsible for defective sperm function. Reactive oxygen species also affect the sperm axoneme as a result of ATP depletion, inhibit mitochondrial functions, and synthesis of DNA, RNA and proteins, produce cytoskeletal modifications and inhibit sperm-oocyte fusion. Human spermatozoa possess enzymatic defence systems such as superoxide dismutase, glutathion peroxidas/reductase and catalase to counteract the toxic effects induced by reactive oxygen species. Correlations have been reported between their effectiveness and the duration of sperm motility. If the excessive production of reactive oxygen species is detrimental for human spermatozoa, they could also participate in the physiological function of the spermatozoa when present at low concentrations. Indeed, reactive oxygen species have been shown to be involved in the activation of several enzymes. Furthermore, sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction and sperm-zona interaction would be enhanced by reactive oxygen species.     

L’eau et le peint : l’élément liquide dans les manifestations picturales du Néolithique

In France and in Spain, shelters painted by the end of the Neolithic are chosen by the men according to four recurring criteria: their Southern orientation, the red color of their walls, their dominant and locatable position and the periodic flows of the water on and near the site. This fourth parameter, called hygrophilia, is analyzed here further to numerous new discoveries of sites with schematic paintings. The revealing of these very diversified flows of water gives evidence of a fine observation of places by men who selected them. Sometimes, the criterion of the hygrophilia was used in the limits of the meaning of this term. Sometimes also, the men added painted or engraved elements to patent these flows: concretions painted in red, lines painted on or against these concretions, drains and cupules engraved to channel and get back the water. The natural potentialities of sites regarding limited flows of the water are transformed into cultural criteria on a local or micro-regional scale.     

Arts et pensée dans l’évolution humaine

Myth and beauty come together to transmit original stories. Music transmits emotion and is found worldwide; it has always been present. Performances of rhythm and dance unite the group and accompany ceremonies. Art also includes anatomy, enabling the body to be harmonised and integrated within social codes. Images use the play of morphemes (elements of the form) and they result from the combination of support and graphical illusion. The icon (representation) turns into schemas while preserving its original meaning. The secondary variations of the forms of images indicate the way in which the worldview is maintained in each community. Symbols have contingent meanings, but their regularity and permanence also demonstrate the universal force that they occupy in the human spirit. Signs and images maintain continuous structural components, such as the elements of a tale. In all of these forms, art participates in the realisation of rituals that punctuate religious life. The logical structure of the figured scenes shows that they illustrate mythical tales.     

Éléments de physiologie et physiopathologie de la microcirculation et de rhéologie. Implications potentielles pour la circulation extracorporelle en chirurgie cardiaque de l’adulte

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is usually performed by defining therapeutic goals based on macro-hemodynamic parameters such as pump flow, mean arterial blood pressure, haemoglobin concentration or venous line saturation. Nevertheless, oxygen transport to tissues and cells is also dependent on the function of the microcirculation and the rheologic properties of blood. This articles summarizes for clinicians that perform CPB several aspects of physiology and pathophysiology of microcirculation and rheology. Physiological and pathophysiological changes of blood and plasma viscosities, red blood cell aggregation and deformability are explained. Potential clinical implications of changes of blood rheology are discussed.     

Apport de l’IRM dans l’imagerie pelvienne : aspect normal et pathologique

The pelvic MRI allows a better morphological analysis of the uterus (cervix and body) and ovaries compared to CT scan either before or after injection. MRI is the modality of choice for preoperative staging and follow-up of cervical and endometrial tumors. MRI assessed tumor response, detect recurrences. MRI also allows better characterization of ovaries lesions.     

De la physiopathologie des calcifications vasculaires aux nouveaux marqueurs biologiques chez l’insuffisant rénal chronique

Vascular calcifications constitute an important risk factor for mortality in chronic kidney disease patients. A better knowledge of physiopathologic phenomena responsible for vascular mineralization leads to emerging biological markers of vascular calcifications. In calcified arteries, presence of bone matrix as well as osteoblast cells suggest that vascular calcification is an active and highly regulated process. In uremic environment, vascular smooth muscle cells can transdifferentiate into osteoblast-like cells. The OPG–RANK–RANKL system is clearly of central significance in controlling vascular calcifications as in bone metabolism. Converging results suggest that circulating OPG determination should be a relevant marker of calcifications. Impairment in inhibitory system such as Matrix Gla Protein and fetuin-A promotes bone matrix calcification. Finally, FGF-23, an early and sensitive marker of bone and mineral disorders in chronic kidney disease patients, appears as a promising marker.     

L’intersubjectif et l’intrasubjectif dans l’expérience de souffrance. Un regard psychanalytique

Psychoanalysis characterises subjectivity as a notion based on the “plurality of psychologically troubled persons”, revealed, for instance, in dreams. The author takes a closer look at a number of Freud’s dream analyses and argues that, in working with the dream, subjects often eject one of their psychologically troubled persons (often the “suffering child”) out of themselves, projecting the person into the Other. As a result, an intersubjective space is created, which is required to receive the divisions originating from the intrasubjective space. Freud’s 1895 Project, however, goes farther: the evacuation of the “disparate part” of the child to the Other grants access to logical and rational judgement, guaranteeing a child’s psychological life a fictional stability (the “Thing” or the “ego”). Freud adds that this process is possible if a Nebenmensch — or “fellow creature” — is present and has the quality of a “helping person” capable of receiving the child’s suffering cry. These two lines of thought, together, help clarify the intersubjective position underlying the analytical work: a tentative encounter between the patient’s distress and the analyst’s presence. Free-floating attention will enable the analyst to receive and hear this distress and ease the patient’s recovery of his or her intrasubjective space.     

Protéomique et marqueurs cardiaques

Cardiovascular diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in western countries and the molecular mechanisms responsible are greatly unknown unless a genetic defect or genes/proteins alteration. The biological complexity has shown that one gene did not encode for one protein but for several, due to mRNA splicing and post-translational modifications. Proteomic analysis is a technology that can provide a global approach to study protein modulation and study by differential comparison various samples. Surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization–time of flight (SELDI–TOF) analysis is a technique, based on combination of chromatography of proteins on proteinchip arrays and mass spectrometry, allowing the comparison of protein profiles from various biological samples. This technology has been particularly used for plasma/serum analysis. We will take, as example, the comparative proteomic analysis of plasma from patients having a myocardial infarction by the SELDI approach in describing the principle, the problems linked to the study of plasma, the protein identification and the validation of the technology using other techniques. These approaches have been proved to be interesting for studying cardiovascular diseases in order to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved and identifying protein interactions and new biological factors/biomarkers involved in cardiovascular.     

Intérêt des marqueurs tumoraux : quelle place pour l’ACE et le CA 15-3 ?

This paper defines, from the current literature, the characteristics of various tumour markers in breast cancer and the potential role of these markers in the management of patients with this malignancy: CA 15-3 and ACE are the serum tumour markers most often used in breast cancer; all analyses for each patient must be performed in the same laboratory, using the same technique; CA 15-3 should not be used for screening or diagnosis; the level of CA 15-3 before treatment is a recognized prognostic factor, the independent value of which has not been proven; if the initial value of CA 15-3 in greater than 50 kU/L, disseminated disease should be actively sought before any treatment decisions are made; an initial elevation of CA 15-3 that does not return to normal reflects a lack of response to treatment and is a strong adverse prognostic factor; the accuracy of tumour markers as early indicators of metastatic disease is well recognized but the clinical benefit has not been established; there is a correlation between tumour markers and clinical response in the treatment of metastatic disease; the level of CA 15-3 in metastatic disease does not predict response to treatment.     

Nouveaux sites paléolithiques de l’oasis de Djizak

The present paper is devoted to the study of Paleolithic settlements recently discovered in the territory of the Djizak Oasis. Some Paleolithic settlements such as Yangikichlak, Azimboulak, Gourdara 1, 2 and Shachmai-Doston were discovered at the roof of the Nourata mountain range in the Farich district. Their cultural layers are not conserved but the single discoveries testify to the presence of prehistoric human camps in the Upper Paleolithic period. The lithic assemblage from the sites of the Djizak Oasis has some similarities with the material coming from the Tachkent site complex and from the Samarkand drainage basin. The discovery of the settlements and their later studies fill gaps on the Paleolithic map of the region.     

Acquérir l’ivoire vrai et lui donner forme : contraintes pratiques et techniques

Dealing with objects made on osseous materials as mammoth ivory involves questions about the availability of this raw material within the territories occupied by palaeolithic societies. In the case of green ivory procurement, this availability is directly linked with the geographical distribution of mammoth populations. The ways of procurement of this raw material seem to be guided also by some cultural traditions. The authors propose a reflexion about these zooarchaeological issues and the first technical gestures, which come in the initial stages of any exploitation of true ivory.     

Le geste et la forme dans l’expression graphique du Néolithique

The parietal painted sign keeps on the memory of gesture that produces it. It is one of the distinctive features of this particular artefact. However, it is not possible to reconstruct this gesture if we do not give the context of the sign, if we do not present the numerous physical and cultural parameters which are in charge of their production. About schematic paintings of Neolithic age, we must take the union of criterions into account such as the parietal and site topography, the cultural constraints that appoint the location of figures and the ritual practices originally of the graphical expression, etc. The painter perceives, adapts and behaves according to this spatial and social environment. We refer here to several strategies: the attention for the parietal microtopography in accordance with the signs to draw, the respect of some criterions that specify the choice of the site like the hygrophilie of places and the rubefaction of rock walls, the need to paint at the limits of the accessibility of site and wall, the use of drawing tools for increase the capacities of the body. The efficiency of the gesture consists in realizing a sign bearing a meaning because in harmony with the features of its support.     

Les hommes de Néandertal du Caucase du Nord : entre l’Ouest et l’Est

A geographical position of the Caucasus in the border between Europe and Asia defines a complex character of the Middle Paleolithic in the region as a whole and in the Northern Caucasus in particular. Today, we can recognize three major cultural areas existed during the Middle Paleolithic in the Northern Caucasus: (1) a local North Caucasian variant of Eastern Micoquian, which is closely related to Eastern Micoquian of Central and Eastern Europe, in the Northwestern Caucasus; (2) a specific Caucasian industry type (called Khostinian Mousterian), which penetrated during later MIS 3 to the Northwestern Caucasus from the Northeastern Black sea cost in the Southern Caucasus; and (3) a similar to Zagros Mousterian industry, which is presented in Weasel Cave in the Northeastern Caucasus.