L'analogie et la représentation de l'art primitif à la fin du XIX siècle

In this paper, we will examine the foundations of Western representation of Paleolithic art at the end of the nineteenth century. Taking the period of 1864-1902 into account, we will prove the leading role of analogy between “modern primitive societies” and “prehistoric societies” in the very definition of “primitive art”. According to us, the representation of the “primitive artist” at that time was largely based in comparison between art which came from modern primitive societies living in Africa, Australia or America, and prehistoric art which was authenticated at about 1865. Through this examination, we will show the way in which analogy functions as a main category in the construction of scientific knowledge.     

L’art bourgeois de la fin du XIX siècle face à l’art mobilier Paléolithique

On the occasion of the centenary of the Emile Cartailhac’s « Mea culpa d’un sceptique”, we want to reflect on one of the main questions of our discipline: Why has so-called « cave art” only been accepted as Paleolithic art in 1902, whereas the so-called « mobiliary art” had been accepted as Paleolithic art at the beginning of 1860s? In this paper, we want to suggest a definition of the conception of primitive art during the last third of the 19th century in order to understand: (A) Why Paleolithic paintings in the walls of some caves (Niaux, Chabot, Altamira) were not accepted as Paleolithic art between 1860 and 1902. (B) Given that what we now call mobiliary art is the same artistic phenomenon that prehistorians of the late 19th century thought of as primitive art, this article allows us to suggest a genealogy of mobiliary art. This genealogy will enable us to show that this concept not only defines a wide variety of forms, from engraving stones to carving in antler or ivory, but hides a multiplicity of meanings and connotations which originated in the period between 1860 and 1900.     

Albert Gaudry et l'émergence de la paléontologie darwinienne au xixe siècle

In this paper, paleontologists who, after the publication of “On the Origin of Species”, applied Darwin's research program on genealogy, are labeled Darwinians, not only evolutionists. A special attention is given to two paleontologists, Albert Gaudry and Gaston de Saporta. New data included in this article are Gaudry's notes written on his copy of “De l'origine des espèces” published in French in 1862. If one tries to grasp the impact of Darwin's work in the XIXth century, contrary to the common attitude, the defense of natural selection as the driven concept of evolution is not considered to be crucial. Later, Charles Depéret synthesized the growing knowledge of the second part of the XIX^th century but did not appear to be more Darwinian than his forerunners. From Darwin's writings it is concluded that the reference to biological progress inherent to Gaudry's and Saporta's works does not radically exclude these authors from the Darwinian realm.     

Tomographie par émission de positons au F-fluorodeoxyglucose dans la mise en évidence de la maladie veineuse thromboembolique

Purpose

Association of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and inflammation reported in the literature may allow the use of FDG PET/CT in the detection of thrombotic process. Published studies remain limited and contradictory. The aim was, therefore, to evaluate the performance of FDG PET/CT for the detection of VTE.

Patients and methods

Patients included in a prospective study evaluating FDG PET/CT for the detection of malignancy in patients with idiopathic VTE were analysed (MVTEP, PHRC 2008). PET/CT images were interpreted initially without and then retrospectively with knowledge of VTE locations.

Results

Hundred and fourteen patients were included in MVTEP study from March 13th 2009 to July 1st 2010. Forty-six patients (median age: 74 years [20-87], 27 males, 19 females) were analysed. No abnormal uptake was initially reported in pulmonary vessels. The retrospective analysis of pulmonary embolism locations did not demonstrate any significant difference in FDG uptake between embolic sites and controlateral vessels (P = 0.883). Initial analysis of lower limbs vessels demonstrated sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) diagnosis of 15 and 99%. The metabolic activity of DVT was significantly higher than the activity of controlateral vessels (P < 0.005) but without showing any significant SUV threshold for DVT diagnosis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that FDG PET/CT could be accurate in detection of VTE. These results need to be completed in a larger study with shorter delay between VTE and FDG PET/CT.     

Les éléments de parure au Paléolithique supérieur en Belgique

Considering that body ornaments are, through the choice of the elements, good cultural markers, along with the transitional geographical position of Belgium in the Palaeolithic, an up-to-date study of the body ornaments has been undertaken to catch the diffusion and contact phenomenon next to the influences in the lithic industries between regions. Despite the fact that the observations made take cultural value once they are considered in a broader frame than the actual political boarders of the country, cultural and chronological tendencies in terms of “fashions” within the Belgian material have nevertheless confirmed their informational potential.     

Hémisynthèse d'antibiotiques aminoglycosidiques: I. - Mise au point d'un réacteur enzymatique à cofacteur

In order to produce specifically N-monoalkylated derivatives of aminoglycoside antibiotics of potential therapeutic values, we have developed an enzymatic reactor. This system uses the aminoglycoside acetyltransferase as catalyst and acetylcoenzyme A as acetyl donor.The immobilization of one aminoglycoside acetyltransferase on different resins has been studied. The coreticulation of this enzyme on DEAE cellulose in the presence of glutaraldehyde gives rise to an enzymatic resin of high efficiency. On the other hand, we have also studied the acetylation of coenzyme A in a simple manner. Acetylation occurs in a quantitative yield when the reaction is performed in the presence of polyvinyl-4 pyridine/divinylbenzene 2 per cent.These conclusions enabled to develop two types of acetylating reactors which give rise without purification to 3-acetyl gentamicin.     

L’architecture de l’épaule au sein du genre Homo : nouvelles interprétations

The morphology of human clavicles can be estimated by projecting them on two perpendicular planes in order to assess the shapes of their cranial and dorsal primary curvatures. In cranial view no differences in curvature appear within the genus Homo, which means the different species had similar arms elevation capacity, especially in protraction. On the contrary, in dorsal view two clavicles morphologies could be defined. The first one is characterized by two curvatures in dorsal view and is possessed by all Homo species, from Homo habilis to Neanderthal, including Homo ergaster, but not modern human, Upper Paleolithic and anatomically modern human remains, who possess clavicles of the second type, characterized by either one curvature, or two slightly pronounced ones in dorsal view. Clavicles displaying two pronounced curvatures in dorsal view are associated with scapula sitting high on the thorax in regard to modern human. However, shoulder with high scapula on the thorax displays two different kinds of architectures: (i) shoulder with short clavicles associated to scapulas sitting more laterally than those of modern human. This group includes earlier Homo like Homo habilis and Homo ergaster and (ii) shoulder with long clavicles associated to scapulas sitting more dorsally on the thorax, like those of modern human. This group includes Homoantecessor and Neanderthals. In other words, within the genus Homo, three shoulders would have existed. Evolution of the shoulder complex is far more complex than previously thought and the arrival of modern bipedalism was not associated to modern shoulder.     

La formation des élites scientifiques chinoises en Europe dans la première moitié du XX siècle : l'exemple du préhistorien Pei Wen Chung

At the beginning of the XXth century a new intellectual elite appears in China. Geology, mineralogy, geography and medicine are the first profitable domains of this movement. In time of the creation of Geological Survey of China and the support of the western countries, the prehistoric archaeology is going to take advantage in this scientific revival. Having followed the educations of the big western universities, young particularly promising Chinese scholars prospect and make important discoveries. One of them, Pei Wen Chung, is so going to come to take the lessons of Abbé Henri Breuil in France, during more than two years (1935-1937) at the Institute of human palaeontology.     

Réévaluation de la présence humaine au Pléistocène inférieur dans le Sud de l'Espagne

The Early Pleistocene locality at Venta Micena (Orce, Guadix-Baza basin, province of Granada, Spain) has provided four fossil remains - skull fragment VM-0, and long bone diaphyses VM-1960, VM-3691, and VM-12000 - which have been tentatively attributed to the hominids. Although several methodologies have been used to ascertain the human affinities of these specimens - including anatomical, morphometric and immunological analyses - the results obtained have not been conclusive, instigating a persistent debate. A taphonomic approach is used here for estimating the probability that a taxon the size of Homo sp. (~ 50 kg) could be represented in the fossil assemblage by four bone fragments and no tooth remain. A least-squares regression analysis between the percentage of teeth and the body mass estimated for each taxon of large mammals (N = 20) predicts a raw abundance of six teeth for Homo sp. in the assemblage. Given that up to the present moment no tooth remains attributable to the hominids has been unearthed during systematic excavations in the Venta Micena quarry, which has provided more than 15,000 fossils of large mammals, this argues strongly against the possibility that the three bone specimens could belong to Homo sp. The phalanx CV-0 from the Early Pleistocene site of Cueva Victoria (Cartagena, Spain) has also been attributed to the genus Homo. The taxonomic assignment of this specimen is biased, however, because it was not compared with Theropithecus oswaldi, the only primate species actually recorded from this karstic locality. A comparative anatomical and morphometric analysis of fossil and modern specimens of Theropithecus suggests that CV-0 can be attributed to T. oswaldi. As a result, Cueva Victoria does not contribute additional information concerning the first human settlements in Europe. By these reasons, apart from the paleoanthropological and archaeological findings from Atapuerca (TD lower levels and Sima del Elefante), the rich archaeological assemblages from Barranco León and Fuente Nueva-3 in Orce, dated 1.3-1.2 Myrs, which include fourteen hundred stone tools of Oldowan technology, constitute at present the only unequivocal evidence of human presence in Southeast Spain during Early Pleistocene times.     

Distribution et échantillonnage des populations de Amblyseius manihoti Moraes (Acari, Phytoseiidae) sur manioc au Brésil

Distribution of Amblyseius manihoti (Acari, Phytoseiidae) on manioc and development of sampling plan
Sampling plans were developed for Amblyseius manihoti , a predator of the cassava green mite Mononychellus progresivus Doreste (Acari, Tetranychidae). Analysis of intra-plant distribution showed a more stable and constant distribution of A. manihoti on the leaves 9–12 (numbering starting from the first fully developed leaf), hence leaves belonging to this stratum were chosen as the sampling unit. Within this unit, A. manihoti displayed aggregated distributions between plants. The proposed binomial and the enumerative sampling procedures permitted reliable estimates of A. manihoti densities. For population monitoring, 100 sample units per field were sufficient to provide satisfactory estimates of densities.     

Relations polyphénols — croissance: Mise en évidence d'un effet inhibiteur des composés phénoliques sur le transport polarisé de l'auxine

Polyphenols and Growth: Inhibition of Polar Auxin Transport by Phenolic Compounds. The possible effects of polyphenols on auxin transport in tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) were investigated. For this purpose, the phenolic content of the material was stimulated by exogenously supplied quinic acid. After the apical bud had been excised, labelled compounds were applied to the cut surface, and the radioactivity transported to the roots was measured. Quinic acid treatment significantly delayed polar transport of labelled auxins (IAA or NAA). It did not affect the migration rate of sucrose^?14C and leucine^?3H. A number of evidences seems to demonstrate that the phenolics are responsible for these modifications, since similar results were recorded when the labelled compounds were supplied simultaneously with polyphenols from tomato. Moreover, a decreased polarity of NAA transport could be observed when the plants were submitted to treatments which lead to an increased level of phenols (boron deficiency, infection by Fusarium oxysporum). The data presented in this paper suggest that phenolic compounds could act on growth processes via the regulation of polar auxin transport.     

Évaluation de la TEP au 18F-FDG dans la tuberculose extrapulmonaire : premiers résultats d’une étude pilote observationnelle

Aim

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis treatment is difficult to assess and there is a need for new tools. The aim of this observational pilot study is to evaluate the potential role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the initial staging and treatment evaluation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods

Twenty-eight patients were included between January 2009 and 2010. Twenty-three had a 18F-FDG PET/CT before treatment and/or during and/or after treatment. All patients will be followed for 18 months after the end of treatment. A control group of five patients with previous history of tuberculosis was also included and PET/CT was performed.

Results

Three cases of differential diagnosis were excluded of the study. The initial PET for staging showed additional lesions in 8/10 patients compared to conventional imaging. At the end of treatment, 6/11 patients had a negative PET, and 5/11 patients had a positive PET. PET had a significant clinical impact for 3/10 patients at initial staging (guiding biopsy or increase of planned treatment duration), and for 3/16 during follow up (extend or early interruption of the treatment). All PET scans in the control group were negative.

Conclusion

18F-FDG PET has an excellent sensitivity for the detection of extrapulmonary tuberculosis lesion and excellent negative predictive values. The impact of initial PET staging seems significant. The interest of 18F-FDG PET for the evaluation of response to treatment remains to be assessed and will be correlated with patients’ follow up in a second phase of this study.