The effect of multitasking on the communication skill and clinical skills of medical students

Abstract Background Mental workload is an abstract concept that perceives cognition as the brain having a small and finite capacity to process information, with high levels of workload associated with poor performance and error. While an individual may be able to complete two different tasks individually, a combination of tasks may lead to cognitive overload and poor performance. In many high-risk industries, it is common to measure mental workload and then to redesign tasks until cognitive overload is avoided. This study aimed to measure the effect of multitasking on the mental workload and performance of medical students completing single and combined clinical tasks. Methods Medical students who had completed basic clinical skills training in a single undergraduate Medical School completed four standardised tasks for a total of four minutes each, consisting of: inactivity, listening, venepuncture and a combination of listening and venepuncture. Task performance was measured using standard binary checklists and with mental workload measured using a secondary task method. Results The tasks were successfully completed by 40 subjects and as expected, mental workload increased with task complexity. Combining the two tasks showed no difference in the associated mental workload and performance at venepuncture (p = 0.082) However, during the combined task, listening appeared to deteriorate (p < 0.001). Conclusions If staff are expected to simultaneously complete multiple tasks then they may preferentially shed communication tasks in order to maintain their performance of physical tasks, leading to the appearance of poor communication skills. Although this is a small-scale study in medical students it suggests that the active assessment and management of clinician workload in busy clinical settings may be an effective strategy to improve doctor-patient communication

Weed assemblage mechanisms and their contribution to foster the agroecological transition

L’agriculture intensive a de nombreuses externalités négatives. De plus en plus d’études mettent en évidence des moyens de les réduire, en substituant les intrants chimiques par des pratiques agroécologiques, valorisant les solutions fondées sur la nature. La compétition pourrait être un levier agroécologique pour réguler les plantes adventices et ainsi réduire les pertes de rendement. Si les plantes adventices préemptent les ressources aux plantes de cultures, la capacité compétitrice des plantes de culture et l’effet sur la limitation d’accès aux ressources pour les plantes adventices reste peu étudiée. Cette thèse a pour objectif de comprendre et quantifier le rôle de la compétition sur l’assemblage des plantes adventices des parcelles de grandes cultures de la Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre, en tenant compte des effets des pratiques agricoles et des caractéristiques paysagères. Je montre que la compétition est un mécanisme majeur de la diversité et de l’abondance des assemblages dans les parcelles, et qu’elle surpasse l’effet des pratiques. Si ces dernières ont souvent des effets négatifs sur la diversité florale, elles n’ont pas toujours d’effet positif sur la production agricole. Ces effets sont très dépendants du contexte, tel que la composition du paysage, le type de culture, et la localisation de l’assemblage dans la parcelle. Enfin, certains éléments du paysage, riches en espèces, peuvent être préservés dans un but de gérer durablement les agroécosystèmes et conserver la biodiversité. En conclusion, la réduction des intrants chimiques semble possible et ces travaux ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives pour la transition agroécologique, et une agriculture plus durable.Conventional farming has major negative environmental externalities. An increasing number of studies highlighted that nature-based solutions could replace agrochemicals. Plant-plant competition has been suggested as an agroecological lever to control weeds and therefore reduce yield loss. Although crop-weed competition has been widely studied to investigate the effect of weeds on crop yield, the effect of crop competitive ability on weeds remains sparsely studied. This PhD thesis focuses on the contribution of competition on weed assemblages in arable fields of the LTSER Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre accounting for the effect of agricultural practices and landscape. I showed that competition is the main mechanism shaping weed diversity and abundance in field cores, a process that outperforms the effect of management practices. If the latter often have negative effects on weed diversity, their positive effects on crop production are not systematic. These effects vary with landscape composition, crop type, management practices and the location within field. In addition, some landscape features, hosting a rich diversity, can sustain crop production and enhance biodiversity conservation. To conclude, reducing agrochemicals seems possible and this work opens new insights to foster the agroecological transition to move toward a more sustainable agriculture

Les mécanismes d’assemblage des plantes adventices et leur contribution à la transition agroécologique

Conventional farming has major negative environmental externalities. An increasing number of studies highlighted that nature-based solutions could replace agrochemicals. Plant-plant competition has been suggested as an agroecological lever to control weeds and therefore reduce yield loss. Although crop-weed competition has been widely studied to investigate the effect of weeds on crop yield, the effect of crop competitive ability on weeds remains sparsely studied. This PhD thesis focuses on the contribution of competition on weed assemblages in arable fields of the LTSER Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre accounting for the effect of agricultural practices and landscape. I showed that competition is the main mechanism shaping weed diversity and abundance in field cores, a process that outperforms the effect of management practices. If the latter often have negative effects on weed diversity, their positive effects on crop production are not systematic. These effects vary with landscape composition, crop type, management practices and the location within field. In addition, some landscape features, hosting a rich diversity, can sustain crop production and enhance biodiversity conservation. To conclude, reducing agrochemicals seems possible and this work opens new insights to foster the agroecological transition to move toward a more sustainable agriculture.L’agriculture intensive a de nombreuses externalités négatives. De plus en plus d’études mettent en évidence des moyens de les réduire, en substituant les intrants chimiques par des pratiques agroécologiques, valorisant les solutions fondées sur la nature. La compétition pourrait être un levier agroécologique pour réguler les plantes adventices et ainsi réduire les pertes de rendement. Si les plantes adventices préemptent les ressources aux plantes de cultures, la capacité compétitrice des plantes de culture et l’effet sur la limitation d’accès aux ressources pour les plantes adventices reste peu étudiée. Cette thèse a pour objectif de comprendre et quantifier le rôle de la compétition sur l’assemblage des plantes adventices des parcelles de grandes cultures de la Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre, en tenant compte des effets des pratiques agricoles et des caractéristiques paysagères. Je montre que la compétition est un mécanisme majeur de la diversité et de l’abondance des assemblages dans les parcelles, et qu’elle surpasse l’effet des pratiques. Si ces dernières ont souvent des effets négatifs sur la diversité florale, elles n’ont pas toujours d’effet positif sur la production agricole. Ces effets sont très dépendants du contexte, tel que la composition du paysage, le type de culture, et la localisation de l’assemblage dans la parcelle. Enfin, certains éléments du paysage, riches en espèces, peuvent être préservés dans un but de gérer durablement les agroécosystèmes et conserver la biodiversité. En conclusion, la réduction des intrants chimiques semble possible et ces travaux ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives pour la transition agroécologique, et une agriculture plus durable

Landscape is the main driver of weed assemblages in field margins but is outperformed by crop competition in field cores

International audienceWeeds are considered a major pest for crops, and as such have been intensively managed by farmers. However, weeds, by providing resources, also support farmland biodiversity. The challenge for sustainable weed management is therefore to maintain weed diversity without compromising crop production. Meeting this challenge requires determining the processes that shape weed assemblages, and how agricultural practices and landscape arrangement affect them. In this study, we assess the effects of crop competition on weeds, nitrogen input, weed control and landscape on both weed diversity and abundance in the margins and centres of 115 oilseed rape fields in Western France. We show that weed assemblages in field cores were mainly shaped by crop height, a proxy of crop competition. By contrast, weed assemblages in field margins increased with the number of meadows in the landscape, revealing the role of spatial dispersal. Using structural equation modelling, we further show that in the field core, weed assemblages were also indirectly shaped by landscape through spatial dispersal from the field margin. Overall, our study gives empirical support for crop competition as a way to reduce the intensity of chemical weeding, and for meadows as a way to enhance biodiversity in the landscape

Anomalie thermique précoce dans le bassin houiller stéphanien de Messeix-Singles, Massif Central français. / Early thermic anomaly in the Stephanian Messeix-Singles coal basin (French Massif Central)

Early thermie anomaly in the Stephanian Messeix-Singles coal basin (French Massif Central) The anthracite occurrence under a small paleocover in the Stephanian Messeix Coal basin is connected with an early thermic anomaly, posterior to the Stephanian В deposition but anterior to the syncline folding dated from end Stephanian. A very early and pretectonic coalification is inferred, with a short hyperthermy. The strong paleorate of temperature growth is shown by the reflectance of vitrinite data, proving a strong coalification. However the low degree of iilite-crystallinity and the occurrence of kaolinite show an apparent low evolution of the mineral assemblages. The thermic anomaly is related to tectonics-controlled water circulations.La présence d'anthracite sous un faible paléorecouvrement dans le bassin houiller stéphanien de Messeix est attribuée à une anomalie thermique précoce postérieure aux dépôts du Stéphanien B, mais antérieure au plissement fini-Stéphanien du bassin. Le fort paléogradient géothermique est attesté par les études de réflectance de la vitrinite, témoignant d'une diagenèse organique avancée. La phase minérale argileuse présente par contre des caractéristiques apparentes de faible maturité (cristallinité de l'illite et largeur de Scherrer (L.S.) des complexes micas ; présence de kaolinite). L'anomalie est attribuée à des circulations chaudes en liaison avec la dynamique structurale.Robert Patrick, Berquer Claudine, Courel Louis, Kubler Bernard, Robert Paul. Anomalie thermique précoce dans le bassin houiller stéphanien de Messeix-Singles, Massif Central français. / Early thermic anomaly in the Stephanian Messeix-Singles coal basin (French Massif Central). In: Sciences Géologiques. Bulletin, tome 41, n°3-4, 1988. pp. 333-349

Ergonomic assessment of the surgeon's physical workload during standard and robotic assisted laparoscopic procedures

International audienceBackgroundStandard laparoscopy is responsible for musculoskeletal problems because of surgeons anti-ergonomic positions. Robot-assisted laparoscopy seems to reduce these musculoskeletal disorders thanks to the surgeons seated position. The objective of this study is to evaluate the muscular strain and cognitive stress induced by these two techniques during real operations conducted on the pig.MethodsElectromyographic activities, heart rate, physical and mental workloads (NASA Tlx and Borg CR-10) were recorded.ResultsPhysical workload and perception of the effort invested was significantly greater during the standard laparoscopies (p<0.05). Mental stress was however identical for the two techniques. In Standard Laparoscopic group, greater physical activity was found for trapezius and dorso-lumbar muscles, and significant appearance of fatigue of the trapezius muscles should also be noted. Finally, heart rate during standard laparoscopy was increased (92.1 ± 1.6 bpm vs 83.7 ± 1.8, p<0,01), confirming greater physical expenditure.ConclusionsRobot-assisted laparoscopy is a less physically stressful surgical technique than standard laparoscopy