Obstacles à l’insertion socioprofessionnelle de personnes ayant des problèmes graves de santé mentale : données empiriques et repères théoriques

Les auteurs décrivent les obstacles à l'insertion socioprofessionnelle des personnes atteintes de troubles mentaux graves selon les perspectives de divers acteurs. Des groupes thématiques (22) ont été formés dans la plupart des régions du Québec et ont réuni 87 personnes utilisatrices de services participant à une démarche d'insertion socioprofessionnelle, 47 non participants et 51 employeurs. Quatre-vingt responsables de programmes de réadaptation au travail ont répondu à un questionnaire structuré. Les obstacles identifiés par ces groupes de répondants sont comparés à ceux décrits dans d'autres études. Il s'avère que les résultats sont semblables : l'obstacle le plus saillant est relatif aux préjugés à l'endroit de la maladie mentale et des personnes qui souffrent de problèmes de santé mentale, quel que soit l'acteur interrogé. Ces obstacles sont revus en fonction des théories du sentiment d'efficacité (Bandura, 1977, 1997), de l'attribution causale (Weiner, 1986) et du comportement planifié (Ajzen, 1991, 1996). Cette analyse des obstacles à l'insertion socioprofessionnelle faite à la lumière de ces trois théories permet de proposer des points d'appui à de nouveaux outils et stratégies d'insertion.Barriers to socio-professional integration of people with severe mental disorders: empirical data and theoretical points of reference The authors describe the barriers related to socio-professional integration of people with severe mental disorders according to different perspectives of various people involved. Focus groups (22) have been conducted in almost every region in Quebec involving 87 participants in vocational rehabilitation programs, 47 non participants and 51 employers. Eighty (80) vocational program administrator completed a questionaire. The barriers identified by these groups are compared with those described in other studies. It seems that the results are similar: the main obstacle is prejudice towards mental illness and people with mental disorders, no matter who is questionned. Barriers to socio-professional integration are reviewed according to the theories of feeling of self-efficiency (Bandura, 1977,1997), causal attribution (Weiner, 1986) and planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991, 1996). Analysis of barriers to socio-professional integration carried out in the light of these three theories, allows to suggest points of reference for new tools and integration strategies.Obstáculos a la inserción socioprofesional de personas con problemas graves de salud mental: datos empíricos y marcos teóricos Los autores describen los obstáculos que se presentan a la inserción socioprofesional de personas con problemas mentales graves según las perspectivas de varios actores. Fueron formados 22 grupos temáticos en la mayoría de las regiones del Quebec y se reunieron a 87 personas usuarias que participan en un program dirigido hacia la inserción socioprofesional, 47 no participantes y 51 empleadores. 80 responsables de programas de readaptación al trabajo respondieron a un cuestionario estructurado. Los obstáculos identificados en las respuestas de estos grupos son comparados con los descritos en otras investigaciones. Se revela que los resultados son similares: el obstáculo más saliente se relaciona con los perjuicios con respecto a la enfermedad mental y de personas que sufren problemas de salud mental, cualquiera que sea el actor entrevistado. Estos obstáculos están, enmarcados en función de la teorías del sentimiento de eficacia (Bandura, 1977, 1997), de la atribución causal (Weiner, 1986) y del comportamiento planificado (Ajzen, 1991, 1996). Este análisis de los obstáculos a la inserción socioprofesional a partir de la luz aportada por estas tres teorías permite proponer ciertos puntos de apoyo a nuevos instrumentos y estrategias de inserción.Obstáculos à inserção sócio-profissional de pessoas que sofrem de problemas graves de saúde mental: dados empíricos e referências teóricas Os autores descrevem os obstáculos à inserção sócio-profissional das pessoas atingidas por problemas mentais graves segundo a perspectiva de vários autores. 22 grupos temáticos foram formados na maior parte das regiões do Quebec e reuniram 87 pacientes que participam de um programa de inserção sócio-profissional, 47 não-participantes e 51 empregadores. 80 responsáveis por programas de readaptação ao trabalho responderam a um questionário estruturado. Os obstáculos identificados por eles foram comparados aos descritos em outros estudos. Provou-se que os resultados foram semelhantes: o obstáculo mais evidente está associado aos preconceitos com a doença mental e as pessoas que sofrem de problemas de saúde mental, pouco importa a pessoa interrogada. Estes obstáculos são examinados segundo as teorias do sentimento de eficácia (Bandura, 1977, 1997), da atribuição causal (Weiner, 1986) e do comportamento planificado (Ajzen, 1991, 1996). Esta análise dos obstáculos à inserção sócio-profissional feita à luz destas três teorias permite propor pontos de apoio a novas ferramentas e estratégias de inserção

The use of alkaline hydrolysis as a novel strategy for chloroform remediation: feasibility of using urban construction wastes and evaluation of carbon isotopic fractionation

Laboratory and field-scale pilot experiments were performed to evaluate the feasibility of chloroform degradation by alkaline hydrolysis and the potential of δ13C values to assess this induced reaction process at contaminated sites. In batch experiments, alkaline conditions were induced by adding crushed concrete (pH 12.33 ± 0.07), a filtered concrete solution (pH 12.27 ± 0.04), a filtered cement solution (pH 12.66 ± 0.02) and a pH 12 buffer solution (pH 11.92 ± 0.11). The resulting chloroform degradation after 28 days was 94, 96, 99, and 72%, respectively. The experimental data were described using a pseudo-first-order kinetic model, resulting in pseudo-first-order rate constant values of 0.10, 0.12, 0.20, and 0.05 d−1, respectively. Furthermore, the significant chloroform carbon isotopic fractionation associated with alkaline hydrolysis of chloroform (−53 ± 3¿) and its independence from pH in the admittedly limited tested pH range imply a great potential for the use of δ13C values for in situ monitoring of the efficacy of remediation approaches based on alkaline hydrolysis. The carbon isotopic fractionation obtained at the lab scale allowed the calculation of the percentage of chloroform degradation in field-scale pilot experiments where alkaline conditions were induced in two recharge water interception trenches filled with concrete-based construction wastes. A maximum of approximately 30−40% of chloroform degradation was achieved during the two studied recharge periods. Although further research is required, the treatment of chloroform in groundwater through the use of concrete-based construction wastes is proposed. This strategy would also imply the recycling of construction and demolition wastes for use in value-added applications to increase economic and environmental benefits

The use of alkaline hydrolysis as a novel strategy for chloroform remediation: The feasibility of using construction wastes and evaluation of carbon isotopic fractionation

Laboratory and field-scale pilot experiments were performed to evaluate the feasibility of chloroform degradation by alkaline hydrolysis and the potential of δ13C values to assess this induced reaction process at contaminated sites. In batch experiments, alkaline conditions were induced by adding crushed concrete (pH 12.33 ± 0.07), a filtered concrete solution (pH 12.27 ± 0.04), a filtered cement solution (pH 12.66 ± 0.02) and a pH 12 buffer solution (pH 11.92 ± 0.11). The resulting chloroform degradation after 28 days was 94, 96, 99, and 72%, respectively. The experimental data were described using a pseudo-first-order kinetic model, resulting in pseudo-first-order rate constant values of 0.10, 0.12, 0.20, and 0.05 d-1, respectively. Furthermore, the significant chloroform carbon isotopic fractionation associated with alkaline hydrolysis of chloroform (-53 ± 3‰) and its independence from pH in the admittedly limited tested pH range imply a great potential for the use of δ13C values for in situ monitoring of the efficacy of remediation approaches based on alkaline hydrolysis. The carbon isotopic fractionation obtained at the lab scale allowed the calculation of the percentage of chloroform degradation in field-scale pilot experiments where alkaline conditions were induced in two recharge water interception trenches filled with concrete-based construction wastes. A maximum of approximately 30-40% of chloroform degradation was achieved during the two studied recharge periods. Although further research is required, the treatment of chloroform in groundwater through the use of concrete-based construction wastes is proposed. This strategy would also imply the recycling of construction and demolition wastes for use in value-added applications to increase economic and environmental benefits. © 2014 American Chemical Society

Identifying the Source of Methane in Groundwater in a ‘virgin’ Area with Regards to Shale Gas Exploitation: A Multi-isotope Approach.

The Upper Ordovician Utica Shale located in the St. Lawrence Lowlands (Quebec, Canada) represents a promising reservoir of unconventional gas, which is still ‘virgin’ with respect to fracking due to a de facto moratorium. A project was initiated in order to evaluate the vulnerability of shallow groundwater with respect to potential future activities carried out at depth. The geochemical aspect of the project, relying on isotopes of various compounds from shallow groundwater and rock samples, will help establish baseline gas concentrations in the aquifer, evaluating whether gas concentrations and isotopic ratios vary over time, and identifying the source(s) of methane

Comparative ICE Genomics: Insights into the Evolution of the SXT/R391 Family of ICEs

Integrating and conjugative elements (ICEs) are one of the three principal types of self-transmissible mobile genetic elements in bacteria. ICEs, like plasmids, transfer via conjugation; but unlike plasmids and similar to many phages, these elements integrate into and replicate along with the host chromosome. Members of the SXT/R391 family of ICEs have been isolated from several species of gram-negative bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae, the cause of cholera, where they have been important vectors for disseminating genes conferring resistance to antibiotics. Here we developed a plasmid-based system to capture and isolate SXT/R391 ICEs for sequencing. Comparative analyses of the genomes of 13 SXT/R391 ICEs derived from diverse hosts and locations revealed that they contain 52 perfectly syntenic and nearly identical core genes that serve as a scaffold capable of mobilizing an array of variable DNA. Furthermore, selection pressure to maintain ICE mobility appears to have restricted insertions of variable DNA into intergenic sites that do not interrupt core functions. The variable genes confer diverse element-specific phenotypes, such as resistance to antibiotics. Functional analysis of a set of deletion mutants revealed that less than half of the conserved core genes are required for ICE mobility; the functions of most of the dispensable core genes are unknown. Several lines of evidence suggest that there has been extensive recombination between SXT/R391 ICEs, resulting in re-assortment of their respective variable gene content. Furthermore, our analyses suggest that there may be a network of phylogenetic relationships among sequences found in all types of mobile genetic elements

Photolysis of RDX and nitroglycerin in the context of military training ranges.

Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and nitroglycerin (NG) are two energetic materials commonly found in the environment on military training ranges. They are deposited on the ground in the form of solid particles, which can then dissolve in infiltration water or in surface water bodies. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether photolysis by sunlight can significantly contribute to the natural attenuation of RDX and NG (as solid particles or dissolved in surface water) at mid-northern latitudes, where training ranges of Canada and many European countries are located. Experiments conducted at 46.9 degrees N show that both compounds are degraded by sunlight when dissolved in water, with half-lives between 1 and 120d, depending on the compound and time of year. Numerical models may be useful in predicting such photolysis rates, but the models should take into account current ozone levels, as older radiation datasets, collected before the ozone depletion observed since the late 1970s, underestimate the RDX/NG photolysis rate. For solid RDX or NG-bearing particles, photolysis is slower (half-lives of 2-4months), but the degradation rate is still rapid enough to make this process significant in a natural attenuation context. However, photolysis of NG embedded within solid propellant particles cannot proceed to completion, due to the stable nitrocellulose matrix of the propellant. Nonetheless, photolysis clearly constitutes an important attenuation mechanism that should be considered in conceptual models and included in numerical modeling efforts

1,2,3 GO ! Modèle théorique et activités d'une initiative communautaire pour les enfants et parents de six voisinages de la grande région de Montréal

Les relations entre les conditions de pauvreté et la qualité du développement des enfants sont désormais connues ; la nécessité d'intervenir tôt et de façon intensive également. L'initiative communautaire 1,2,3 GO ! (visant l'empowerment des communautés et de leurs membres) s'appuie sur un modèle d'organisation hiérarchique du développement de l'enfant et sur le modèle écologique-transactionnel. Elle a trois buts complémentaires : promouvoir le développement physique, cognitif, social et affectif des tout-petits ; assurer le soutien aux parents et aux intervenants ; soutenir les efforts de prise en charge de la communauté pour offrir aux parents et aux tout-petits un environnement stimulant, bienveillant et chaleureux. Cet article vise à faire connaître l'initiative 1,2,3 GO !. Il décrit le processus de sa mise sur pied, présente ses fondements théoriques et débouche sur la description d'exemples concrets d'activités réalisées auprès des enfants et des familles depuis sa mise sur pied

Overestimation of nitrate and nitrite concentrations in water samples due to the presence of nitroglycerin or hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine.

A large number of laboratory studies have reported nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−) to be among the most common degradation products of the high explosives nitroglycerin (NG) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX). Additionally, several field studies have reported the presence of RDX or NG along with NO3− in groundwater near production plants. Most studies, however, did not specify whether their NO2− and NO3− analyses were performed on samples which also contained RDX or NG. Inconsistent NO2−/NO3− results obtained in our laboratory suggested that the presence of RDX or NG in water samples caused an overestimation of NO2− and NO3− concentrations when using two of the most common analytical methods, namely ionic chromatography and automated colorimetry. This could have important implications for mass balance calculations and for environmental decisions. This paper focused on quantifying the overestimation of NO2−/NO3− due to the presence of RDX and NG, and finding a method for extracting RDX and NG from water samples without affecting NO2−/NO3−. Results showed that the overestimation can be predicted using regression coefficients; however the margin of error at the 95% confidence level was between 5 and 15%. Alternatively, a cartridge was found which retains both RDX and NG without affecting NO2−/NO3−. The cartridge can be used for concentrating the RDX or NG in dilute environmental samples, while removing RDX/NG from solution to allow the interference-free analysis of NO2−/NO3−. Additionally, if recovery of RDX/NG from the cartridges is not desired, the cartridges could be used for the extraction of more than one sample, thus reducing the costs