• Neuroinformatics
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Given the amount of knowledge and data accruing in the neurosciences, is it time to formulate a general principle for neuronal dynamics that holds at evolutionary, developmental, and perceptual timescales? In this paper, we propose that the brain (and other self-organised biological systems) can be characterised via the mathematical apparatus of a gauge theory. The picture that emerges from this approach suggests that any biological system (from a neuron to an organism) can be cast as resolving uncertainty about its external milieu, either by changing its internal states or its relationship to the environment. Using formal arguments, we show that a gauge theory for neuronal dynamics—based on approximate Bayesian inference—has the potential to shed new light on phenomena that have thus far eluded a formal description, such as attention and the link between action and perception. This Essay presents a formalism that not only provides a quantitative framework for modelling neural activity but also shows that neuronal dynamics across scales are described by the same principle.

Abstract Moral cognition is associated with activation of the default network, regions implicated in mentalizing about one’s own actions or the intentions of others. Yet little is known about the initial detection of moral information. We examined the neural correlates of moral processing during a narrative completion task, which included an implicit moral salience manipulation. During fMRI scanning, participants read a brief vignette and selected the most semantically congruent sentence from two options to complete the narrative. The options were immoral, moral or neutral statements. RT was fastest for the selection of neutral statements and slowest for immoral statements. Neuroimaging analyses revealed that responses involving morally laden content engaged default and executive control network brain regions including medial and rostral prefrontal cortex, and core regions of the salience network, including anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate. Immoral vs moral conditions additionally engaged the salience network. These results implicate the salience network in the detection of moral information, which may modulate downstream default and frontal control network interactions in the service of complex moral reasoning and decision-making processes. These findings suggest that moral cognition involves both bottom-up and top-down attentional processes, mediated by discrete large-scale brain networks and their interactions.

Stereoelectroencephalographic (SEEG) depth electrodes have the potential to record neural activity from deep brain structures not easily reached with other intracranial recording technologies. SEEG electrodes were placed through deep cortical structures including central sulcus and insular cortex. In order to observe changes in frequency band modulation, participants performed force matching trials at three distinct force levels using two different grasp configurations: a power grasp and a lateral pinch. Signals from these deeper structures were found to contain information useful for distinguishing force from rest trials as well as different force levels in some participants. High frequency components along with alpha and beta bands recorded from electrodes located near the primary motor cortex wall of central sulcus and electrodes passing through sensory cortex were found to be the most useful for classification of force versus rest although one participant did have significant modulation in the insular cortex. This study electrophysiologically corroborates with previous imaging studies that show force-related modulation occurs inside of central sulcus and insular cortex. The results of this work suggest that depth electrodes could be useful tools for investigating the functions of deeper brain structures as well as showing that central sulcus and insular cortex may contain neural signals that could be used for control of a grasp force BMI.

International audience; Le vol en interne - les vols commis par les employés sur leur lieu de travail - représente une masse considérable de délits. La littérature économique et de management n'analyse le vol en interne que pour se demander comment le réduire ; la littérature sociologique en fait un acte de résistance contre l'injustice au travail. Dans ce travail, on replace le vol en interne dans le cadre de la routine activity approach (un courant 'choix rationnel' de la criminologie américaine) à partir d'une enquête dans les secteurs de la grande distribution et du nettoyage. Analyser le vol en interne comme une délinquance routinière permet de voir que celui-ci est moins une déviance par rapport à une norme qu'une fonction des opportunités et de la surveillance. La théorie du principal-agent et des coûts d'agence est mobilisée pour comprendre que la surveillance du vol s'inscrit moins dans une logique de prévention/répression que de tolérance/acceptation de ce qu'on ne peut pas surveiller. Délinquance routinière, le vol en interne provoque moins le scandale qu'il n'est susceptible d'être instrumentalisé par ses victimes - les employeurs pouvant utiliser le vol comme prétexte pour le licenciement. Les enjeux théoriques de la routine activity approach sont discutés en conclusion.

International audience; The vulnerability to suicidal behavior has been modeled in deficits in both valuation and cognitive control processes, mediated by ventral and dorsal prefrontal cortices. To uncover potential markers of suicidality based on this model, we measured several brain morphometric parameters using 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging in a large sample and in a specifically designed study. We then tested their classificatory properties. Three groups were compared: euthymic suicide attempters with a past history of mood disorders and suicidal behavior (N=67); patient controls with a past history of mood disorders but not suicidal behavior (N=82); healthy controls without any history of mental disorder (N=82). A hypothesis-driven region-of-interest approach was applied targeting the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), ventrolateral (VLPFC), dorsal (DPFC) and medial (including anterior cingulate cortex; MPFC) prefrontal cortices. Both voxel-based (SPM8) and surface-based morphometry (Freesurfer) analyses were used to comprehensively evaluate cortical gray matter measure, volume, surface area and thickness. Reduced left VLPFC volume in attempters vs both patient groups was found (P=0.001, surviving multiple comparison correction, Cohen's d=0.65 95% (0.33-0.99) between attempters and healthy controls). In addition, reduced measures in OFC and DPFC, but not MPFC, were found with moderate effect sizes in suicide attempters vs healthy controls (Cohen's d between 0.34 and 0.52). Several of these measures were correlated with suicidal variables. When added to mood disorder history, left VLPFC volume increased within-sample specificity in identifying attempters in a significant but limited way. Our study, therefore, confirms structural prefrontal alterations in individuals with histories of suicide attempts. A future clinical application of these markers will, however, necessitate further research.

We apply some of the ideas of the Ph.D. Thesis of G. A. Margulis to Teichmuller space. Let x be a point in Teichmuller space, and let B_R(x) be the ball of radius R centered at x (with distances measured in the Teichmuller metric). We obtain asymptotic formulas as R tends to infinity for the volume of B_R(x), and also for for the cardinality of the intersection of B_R(x) with an orbit of the mapping class group. Comment: 45 Pages, 2 figures. Minor corrections

A partir de l'analyse socio-historique du millénarisme franciscain au Mexique (seizième siècle), des Réductions jésuites au Paraguay (dix septième-dix huitième siècle) et de l'actuelle Théologie de la libération, on étudie l'imaginaire eschatologico-messianique qu'a accompagné l'évangélisation du Nouveau Monde, qui depuis sa « découverte » a été vu comme Terre Promise où il serait possible de construire un « homme nouveau » et une « nouvelle Eglise » A partir del análisis sociohistórico del milenarismo franciscano en México (siglo XVI), de las Reducciones jesuitas del Paraguay (siglos XVII y XVIII) y de la Teología de la liberación (siglo XX) se estudia el imaginari escatológico- mesiánico que ha acompañado la evangelización del Nuevo Mundo, el cual desde su "descubrimiento" fue visto como una Tierra Prometida en la que sería posible construir un "hombre nuevo" y una "nueva Iglesia".