A definition of resilience is the capacity to resist mental disorders despite exposure to stress. Little is known about its biological concomitants. In adults, biochemical and hormonal factors have been advocated. Smaller Corpus Callosum (CC) volume and lower Fractional Anisotropy (FA) have been observed in psychiatric and stress-related conditions. There is no Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) study of resilience in adolescence, a critical lifetime period for neural and psychological maturation. We hypothesized that higher FA in the CC would characterize stress-resilient adolescents.

L’instabilité émotionnelle est fréquente à l’adolescence et peut parfois être considérée comme un trouble de l’humeur subsyndromique. Or, les tableaux subsyndromiques de manie ou de dépression à l’adolescence évoluent souvent vers des troubles de l’humeur. Nous avons recherché, chez des adolescents « subsyndromiques », s’il existait des modifications cérébrales voisines de celles retrouvées dans les troubles de l’humeur avérés. Les participants étaient tous issus de la cohorte IMAGEN qui a rassemblé des données de plus de 2000 adolescents européens scolarisés en classes de 4e et 3e. Ils avaient été examinés en imagerie cérébrale anatomique (IRM T1 et de diffusion) et évalués par un entretien diagnostique informatisé permettant l’évaluation d’éventuels symptômes. Une première étude a comparé la microstructure de la substance blanche et le volume de substance grise chez des participants présentant des symptômes bipolaires maniaques subsyndromiques comparés à des adolescents pris comme témoins. Une deuxième étude a été menée chez des adolescents ayant des symptômes subsyndromiques de dépression. L’analyse des images a mis en évidence chez les adolescents à bipolarité subsyndromique des variations de la microstructure de la substance blanche dans plusieurs faisceaux en cours de maturation, et un moindre volume de substance grise dans des régions du cerveau contribuant à la régulation émotionnelle. Chez les adolescents « subdéprimés », des modifications étaient également présentes dans le réseau fronto-striatal. Pour la première fois, des modifications de la structure cérébrale de régions impliquées dans les troubles de l’humeur ont été mises en évidence chez des adolescents scolarisés ayant des symptômes subsyndromiques. Ces résultats suggèrent des particularités de maturation cérébrale à l’adolescence qui pourraient entraîner une vulnérabilité aux troubles de l’humeur.

The role that vitamin D plays in pulmonary function remains uncertain. Epidemiological studies reported mixed findings for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)–pulmonary function association. We conducted the largest cross-sectional meta-analysis of the 25(OH)D–pulmonary function association to date, based on nine European ancestry (EA) cohorts (n 22 838) and five African ancestry (AA) cohorts (n 4290) in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology Consortium. Data were analysed using linear models by cohort and ancestry. Effect modification by smoking status (current/former/never) was tested. Results were combined using fixed-effects meta-analysis. Mean serum 25(OH)D was 68 (sd 29) nmol/l for EA and 49 (sd 21) nmol/l for AA. For each 1 nmol/l higher 25(OH)D, forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1) was higher by 1·1 ml in EA (95 % CI 0·9, 1·3; P<0·0001) and 1·8 ml (95 % CI 1·1, 2·5; P<0·0001) in AA (Prace difference=0·06), and forced vital capacity (FVC) was higher by 1·3 ml in EA (95 % CI 1·0, 1·6; P<0·0001) and 1·5 ml (95 % CI 0·8, 2·3; P=0·0001) in AA (Prace difference=0·56). Among EA, the 25(OH)D–FVC association was stronger in smokers: per 1 nmol/l higher 25(OH)D, FVC was higher by 1·7 ml (95 % CI 1·1, 2·3) for current smokers and 1·7 ml (95 % CI 1·2, 2·1) for former smokers, compared with 0·8 ml (95 % CI 0·4, 1·2) for never smokers. In summary, the 25(OH)D associations with FEV1 and FVC were positive in both ancestries. In EA, a stronger association was observed for smokers compared with never smokers, which supports the importance of vitamin D in vulnerable populations.

A number of Ni-hydroxy-montmorillonite complexes were prepared by titrating NiCl2 solutions with NaOH in the presence of charge-reduced and normal montmorillonite suspensions. These complexes were characterized by chemical analysis, CEC, XRD, IR and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The R (charge-reduced) Ni-hydroxy complexes proved to be merely mechanical mixtures of Ni(OH)2 and clay. The reducibility of Ni contained in these samples was not affected by preliminary heat treatments. The nature of the N (normal) Ni-hydroxy montmorillonites depended principally on the amount of Ni actually incorporated into the precipitates. Neither the OH/Ni ratio selected for the preparation or the quantity of Ni initially added completely determined the type of complex formed. TPR patterns of the N samples generally showed three reduction bands whose respective intensities varied with the quality and the amount of Ni present. One of these reduction bands, occurring at high temperature, measured the extent of incorporation of Ni into the silicate framework during the TPR run. The intensity of this high-temperature band with respect to lower temperature ones was increased by thermal pretreatments. The results emphasize that when TPR patterns of natural Ni-bearing clays are being interpreted it is important to recognize that thermal transformations may occur in the samples caused by the heat supplied during the TPR run itself.

Some parameters of the firing of kaolin around 900°C are examined: (1) firing shrinkage; (2) densification, hardening and textural evolution of kaolin ceramics. Experimental results are accounted for by an empirical formula describing the isotherm firing shrinkage of kaolin ceramics.

Depending on the precursor salt added, the spreading and dispersion of the mineralizer is more or less homogeneous. If, during thermal decomposition, the salt induces much porosity, this effect can counterbalance the shrinkage caused by the mineralizer. The kinetics of shrinkage, and the final density after firing depend both on the latter effects and on the mineralizer cation. A very good correlation is observed between shrinkage, final density (residual pore volume) and the strength of the fired clay product. The introduction of uniformly dispersed mineralizers causes an increase in mechanical resistance (for identical temperatures and firing times) by a factor greater than 3, occasionally 5) and, for equal firing times and mechanical strengths, lowers the firing temperature by 100-200°C.

The interplay of the disc and the dark halo resonances governs the secular evolution of disc galaxies, and the properties of their bar component (Athanassoula 2002). Martinez-Valpuesta et al. (2006), Ceverino & Klypin (2007) and Athanassoula (2007b) confirm and extend this work. Ceverino & Klypin (2007) calculate the orbital frequencies of each particle over the whole temporal evolution, and thus find much broader frequency peaks. In all cases, it is the same resonances that come into play, and, as in Athanassoula 2002, the angular momentum is emitted by near-resonant material in the bar region and absorbed by near-resonant material in the halo and the outer disc. The relative importance of each resonance, however, varies from one case to another. Furthermore, the second and third of the above mentioned studies examine the location of resonant orbits in configuration space and find compatible results.

A total of 16 among the new IAU members have asked to join Commission 20; they are: Jerome Berthier, Nicholas J. Cooper, Marco Delbò, Romina P. Di Sisto, Michael W. Evans, Tetsuharu Fuse, Ludmila Hudkova, Yurij N. Krugly, Elena N. Polyakhova, Zhanna Pozhalova, Alessandro Rossi, Qi Rui, Jonathan D. Shanklin, Slawomira E. Szutowicz, Gino Tuccari and Hong-Suh Yim. Moreover, two requests to join the Commission have been received by astronomers that are already IAU members: Peter De Cat and Ricardo A. Gil-Hutton.

In his address to the Commission, the outgoing president A. Milani explained what he considers have been done well in the past triennium, what has been done only in part, and what has not been done at all. Among the things in which the performance was rated good, he mentioned the successful sponsorship and/or co-sponsorship of four meetings (IAU Colloquia 196 and 197, and Symposia 229 and 236) which have been held in the previous period, as well as of the Symposium on exoplanets to be held next year in China. The only failure in this respect was the proposed meeting in India, which failed already at the proposal definition stage. Also, Milani expressed his satisfaction with the triennial report which has been compiled for the occasion, and his gratitude to the collaborating authors.

A similarity solution is used to analyse the flow in the thin gap between a floating disk and an air table, the similarity solution being that for an axisymmetric stagnation point but with an upper boundary condition within the boundary layer. Viscous effects increase the height of the floating disk by 20% even at a Reynolds number of 50. Theoretical predictions are compared with experimental observations. The effect of the pressure distribution under the disk on the air flux through the table is examined.

The orbital fits of multi-planetary systems from radial velocity data has proved to be a complex task. In some cases, different orbital solutions provide similarly good fits, especially when two planets are near mean-motion resonances. Ferraz-Mello et al (2005) and Goździewski et al (2005) showed that the published best fits of systems HD82932 and HD160691 are dynamically unstable, and re-determined their orbital parameters with Monte Carlo and genetic algorithms. In both cases dynamically stable orbits were found with RMS similar to the published orbits. It was also shown that uncertainties in the stellar mass Ferraz Mello et al (2005) and the stellar jitter Gozdziewski et al (2005) can significantly affect the orbital determination. Ford (2005) used a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to quantify the orbit uncertainties. For some planetary systems he found a strong correlation between the orbital elements and/or significant non-Gaussian error distribution in the parameter space. As a consequence, the actual uncertainties in the orbital fits can be much larger (or smaller) than those published.

The past triennium has continued to see a huge influx of astrometric positions of small solar system bodies provided by near-Earth object (NEO) surveys. As a result, the size of the orbital databases of all populations of small solar system bodies continues to increase dramatically, and this in turn allows finer and finer analyses of the types of motion in various regions of the orbital elements space.

Recent advances in surgical techniques have made it possible to study the changes that are known as degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) in greater depth than ever before. This is an important area of study because degeneration of the lumbar IVDs is associated, perhaps causally, with low back pain: one of the most common and debilitating conditions in the western world. The term degeneration implies an inevitable progression that is characteristic of wear-and-tear-associated conditions. However, modern research on human tissue has shown that this is not the case. Here, disruption of the micro-anatomy that is described as degeneration is an active process, which is probably regulated by locally produced cytokines. This one observation opens up the possibility of inhibiting or even reversing the processes of degeneration. The immediate question is how can the slowly progressive changes of degeneration be treated, particularly as connective tissue repair is thought to be a slow and highly regulated process. In this review, the possibility of using gene therapy as a single-shot, long-lasting therapeutic strategy is discussed, together with an outline of developments in this area to date.

Metallic copper nanostructured particles were synthesised by thermal decomposition of a CuC2O4 precursor obtained via the precipitation reaction between Cu(NO3)2·6H2O and Na2C2O4 in the present of hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG) were used to characterise the particles and their evolution during the transformation to metallic copper. We highlight the nanostructured nature of the oxalate precursor, which is made up of anisotropic nanosized buildings blocks (25nm by 40nm). These produce an anisotropy in the oxalate particle and influence the decomposition pathway. The results show the evolution of the nanostructure as a function of degree of reaction and a possible kinetic model is discussed.

Quelles sont les valeurs qui caractérisent sur le territoire français les rayonnements ionisants et les radionucléides d'origine naturelle ? Comment distinguer dans le résultat d'une mesure la part qui résulte éventuellement d'une activité humaine ? Afin d'essayer de répondre à ces questions, un questionnaire a été adressé aux différents organismes qui effectuent en France des mesures de radioactivité dans l'environnement. Les informations mentionnées dans cette étude se rapportent exclusivement à des observations faites dans l'environnement à l'extérieur des bâtiments et du périmètre des installations nucléaires de base (INB). En outre, elles ne concernent, sauf cas particuliers signalés, que des mesures de rayonnements ou de radioéléments d'origine naturelle dont les résultats n'ont pas été perturbés par l'action de l'homme. L'enquête montre la difficulté actuelle de dresser en France un bilan exhaustif des connaissances acquises concernant les caractéristiques du bruit de fond radioactif d'origine naturelle dans l'environnement. Aujourd'hui en France, dans le domaine de la radioactivité naturelle, les efforts consentis manquent de coordination et d'orientation vers certaines priorités. À ce titre, les mesures des 238U et 232Th précurseurs des 226Ra et 228Ra, des descendants solides émetteurs alpha du radon (par la mesure des EAP du 222Rn et 220Rn), des émetteurs gamma post émanation (214Pb, 214Bi, 212Pb), du 210Pb, 210Po et du 14C doivent être privilégiées.

Les préoccupations concernant la présence de substances radioactives dans l'environnement conduisent régulièrement à des expertises sur les niveaux d'activité des radionucléides dans l'environnement et à des évaluations de leurs impacts radiologiques sur les populations humaines. La crédibilité de ces expertises repose en partie sur la qualité et la fiabilité des mesurages. Ce document présente les systèmes d'organisations de la normalisation, nationale et internationale, ainsi que les documents normatifs publiés et les travaux de normalisation en cours relatifs à la métrologie des radionucléides présents dans les matrices environnementales.

Research in Celestial Mechanics, for the past three years, has mainly focused on the understanding of Chaos on all its aspects. The always larger number of potential applications (meteors, KBO, NEA, asteroids of the main belt but also exoplanets or galactic motions) and the development of new efficient tools, like the symplectic integrators, have allowed the passage from QUALITATIVE models (for example the transfer mechanisms) to real QUANTITATIVE results (like the calculation of lifetimes). This important step has contributed to (re)create collaborations between theoreticians and observers (for example, in the prediction of catastrophic impacts) and to situate the Celestial Mechanics in a wider scientific context.

This Comm. 20 triennial report is prepared as a short summary of the scientific progress in the fields of interest, where, by necessity, only a few highlights are to be mentioned. On the Comm. 20 webpage, the interested reader may find a more complete list of recent references to the relevant literature. Its URL at the time of writing (October 1999) is www.astro.uu.se/IAU/c20/, but mirror sites are expected to have been set up at the time of appearance of these Transactions.