Validation de l’Échelle de confiance à exercer la profession d’ergothérapeute (ÉCEPE)

Introduction. La confiance d’un étudiant en ergothérapie en ses propres capacités à accomplir les différentes activités d’un ergothérapeute, soit son sentiment d’efficacité personnelle (SEP) relativement à la profession d’ergothérapeute, influence son rendement et le développement de ses compétences. Ainsi, accroître le SEP concernant la profession d’ergothérapeute représente indéniablement un des effets désirés par tout programme de formation en ergothérapie, d’où l’intérêt de mesurer le SEP des étudiants. En l’absence d’un outil valide mesurant spécifiquement ce concept, l’Échelle de confiance à exercer la profession d’ergothérapeute (ECEPE) a été développée en 2014, mais n’avait encore fait l’objet d’aucune étude de validation empirique. Objectifs. Étudier la fidélité test-retest, la cohérence interne et la validité de construit de l’ECEPE. Méthode. Soixante-douze étudiants de 1re (n = 33) et 4e (n = 39) année d’un programme québécois d’ergothérapie ont participé à l’étude. Pour examiner la fidélité test-retest, chaque étudiant devait remplir l’ECEPE à deux moments. La cohérence interne ainsi que trois types de validité de construits ont été étudiés : groupes extrêmes, validité convergente et validité divergente. Résultats. La fidélité test-retest est excellente chez les étudiants de 1re année (CCI : 0,92) et de passable à très bonne pour ceux de 4e année (CCI : 0,77). La cohérence interne de l’outil s’est révélée très élevée (a : 0,86). Une différence statistiquement significative (p < 0,001) a été observée entre les résultats des deux groupes d’étudiants (validité de groupes extrêmes). Les résultats à l’ECEPE sont associés à ceux d’un outil mesurant un concept similaire (Student Confidence Questionnaire) (Rho = 0,82 et Rho = 0,66 : p < 0,001) (validité convergente). Aucune relation n’a été trouvée entre les résultats de l’ECEPE et la moyenne scolaire (Rho = 0,04, p = 0,83 et Rho = 0,02, p = 0,92) (validité divergente). Conclusion. L’ECEPE permet de mesurer de façon stable dans le temps le SEP des étudiants relativement à l’exercice de la profession d’ergothérapeute et de différencier les étudiants selon leur niveau de formation en ergothérapie. Le rendement scolaire n’est pas associé aux résultats obtenus à l’ECEPE. Cette première étude de validation empirique permet de constater que l’ECEPE évalue de manière fidèle et valide le SEP relativement à l’exercice de la profession d’ergothérapeute chez des étudiants en ergothérapie. Ce nouvel outil pourrait être pertinent pour évaluer les effets d’un programme de formation en ergothérapie sur le sentiment d’efficacité personnelle des étudiants.                              ____________________________________________________________________________   Validation of the Scale of confidence in practising as a professional occupational therapist (SCPPOT) Introduction. Occupational therapy students’ confidence in their ability to perform occupational therapists’ various tasks, i.e. their self-efficacy in practising as a professional occupational therapist, affects their performance and professional development. Thus one of the desired outcomes of any occupational therapy training program is to increase students’ self-efficacy in practising as a professional occupational therapist, hence the interest in measuring it. Because there was no valid tool specifically measuring this concept, the Scale of confidence in practising as a professional occupational therapist (SCPPOT) was developed in 2014 but as yet no empirical validation studies have been done. Goals/objectives. To study test-retest reliability, internal consistency and construct validity of the SCPPOT. Method. Seventy-two students in the first year (n = 33) and fourth year (n = 39) of a French-language occupational therapy program in Quebec participated in the study. To examine test-retest reliability, students completed the SCPPOT at two different times. The internal consistency as well as three types of construct validity were studied: extreme groups, convergent and discriminant. Results. Test-retest reliability was excellent among first year students (ICC: 0.92) and very good among fourth year students (ICC: 0.77). Internal consistency for the tool was very high (a : 0,86). The difference between the scores for the two groups of students was statistically significant (p < 0.001) (extreme groups validity). Results obtained on the SCPPOT were correlated with those obtained using a tool measuring a similar concept (Student Confidence Questionnaire) (Rho = 0.82 and Rho = 0.66; p < 0.001) (convergent validity). No correlation was found between the SCPPOT and academic performance (Rho = 0.04, p = 0.83 and Rho = 0.02, p = 0.92) (discriminant validity). Conclusion. The SCPPOT produces stable results when assessing self-efficacy in practising as a professional occupational therapist and also differentiates between students at different stages in their occupational therapy training. Academic performance is not correlated with results obtained on the SCPPOT. This first empirical validation study suggests that the SCPPOT generates a reliable, valid assessment of occupational therapy students’ self-efficacy in practising as a professional occupational therapist. Thus, this new tool could be used to assess the impact of an occupational therapy training program on students’ self-efficacy.

Role of the group B antigen of Streptococcus agalactiae a peptidoglycan-anchored polysaccharide involved in cell wall biogenesis: a Peptidoglycan-Anchored Polysaccharide involved in cell wall biogenesis

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B streptococcus, GBS) is a leading cause of infections in neonates and an emerging pathogen in adults. The Lancefield Group B carbohydrate (GBC) is a peptidoglycan-anchored antigen that defines this species as a Group B Streptococcus. Despite earlier immunological and biochemical characterizations, the function of this abundant glycopolymer has never been addressed experimentally. Here, we inactivated the gene gbcO encoding a putative UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate:lipi​dphosphate transferase thought to catalyze the first step of GBC synthesis. Indeed, the gbcO mutant was unable to synthesize the GBC polymer, and displayed an important growth defect in vitro. Electron microscopy study of the GBC-depleted strain of S. agalactiae revealed a series of growth-related abnormalities: random placement of septa, defective cell division and separation processes, and aberrant cell morphology. Furthermore, vancomycin labeling and peptidoglycan structure analysis demonstrated that, in the absence of GBC, cells failed to initiate normal PG synthesis and cannot complete polymerization of the murein sacculus. Finally, the subcellular localization of the PG hydrolase PcsB, which has a critical role in cell division of streptococci, was altered in the gbcO mutant. Collectively, these findings show that GBC is an essential component of the cell wall of S. agalactiae whose function is reminiscent of that of conventional wall teichoic acids found in Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus subtilis. Furthermore, our findings raise the possibility that GBC-like molecules play a major role in the growth of most if not all beta –hemolytic streptococci