Evaluation of an education and training program to prevent and manage patients’ violence in a mental health setting : a pretest-posttest intervention study

Workplace violence can lead to serious consequences for victims, organizations, and society. Most workplace violence prevention programs aim to train staff to better recognize and safely manage at-risk situations. The Omega education and training program was developed in Canada in 1999, and has since been used to teach healthcare and mental health workers the skills needed to effectively intervene in situations of aggression. The present study was designed to assess the impact of Omega on employee psychological distress, confidence in coping, and perceived exposure to violence. This program was offered to 105 employees in a psychiatric hospital in Montreal, Canada. Eighty-nine of them accepted to participate. Questionnaires were completed before the training, after a short period of time (M = 109 days) and at follow-up (M = 441 days). Repeated-measures ANOVAs and Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated. Results demonstrated statistically significant improvements in short-term and follow-up posttest scores of psychological distress, confidence in coping, and in levels of exposure to violence. This study is one of very few to demonstrate the positive impact of this training program. Further research is needed to understand how to improve the effectiveness of the program, especially among participants resistant to change

Algorithmes incitifs pour le partage de ressources dans les réseaux 802.11 en présence de noeuds égoïstes

La présence des noeuds égoïstes dans les réseaux 802.11 est un problème d’importance car leurs comportements peuvent être nuisible à tous. La détection des noeuds égoïstes permet d’identifier la source du problème. Ensuite, puisque la détection seule n’empêche rien, des actions doivent être entreprises contre les noeuds égoïstes. Ces actions ont pour but de faire cesser ces comportements égoïstes. Dans le cas d’un noeud égoïste qui est rationnel, ses punitions reçues contre ses comportements égoïstes devraient l’inciter à redevenir collaboratif. Dans le cadre de cette étude, les noeuds dit égoïstes ont modifié leur implémentation de la norme 802.11. Des périodes de retrait plus courtes sont attendues par les noeuds égoïstes, ce qui leurs donnent des avantages en terme de débits de données transférés. Pour contrer ce problème, des algorithmes de détection et de réaction contre les noeuds égoïstes sont développés

Acute Stress Disorder Diagnosis, Clusters, and Symptoms as Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Gender Differences in Victims of Violent Crimes

Violent crimes represent a societal problem, and victims, namely women, often develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous studies have identified acute stress disorder (ASD) as a predictor of PTSD, as well as dissociation. However, there are some inconsistencies regarding which cluster or symptom has better predictive power, and the impact of gender is still unknown in victims of violent crimes. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive power of full and partial ASD diagnosis, clusters, and symptoms according to gender. To do so, 39 women and 36 men were evaluated using validated semi-structured clinical interviews within 30 days post crime for ASD and 2 months later for PTSD. Results showed that 52% of individuals had full ASD and 20% has partial ASD, 40% had full PTSD and 17% had partial PTSD. Both full and partial ASD diagnoses, as well as all clusters, and most symptoms, were good predictors of PTSD. No gender differences were observed concerning the predictive power of ASD clusters and symptoms. The decreased emphasis on dissociative reactions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM 5) to establish an ASD diagnosis appears relevant to better identify women and men at risk of PTSD after a violent crime, and to deliver appropriate early preventive interventions

Assessment of the in-plane biomechanical properties of human skin using a finite element model updating approach combined with an optical full-field measurement on a new tensile device

International audienceHuman skin is one of the most important organ of the body. The assessment and knowledge of its properties are very useful for clinical or cosmetic research. Many techniques are used to measure the mechanical properties of this organ, like suction, indentation, torsion or tension tests. The aim of this paper is to present a new device based on tension technique and combining mechanical and optical measurements. The whole procedure used to assess the displacement field as described, and first results of tests performed in vivo are shown

Depolarization-induced translocation of the RNA-binding protein Sam68 to the dendrites of hippocampal neurons.

International audienceThe traffic and expression of mRNAs in neurons are modulated by changes in neuronal activity. The regulation of neuronal RNA-binding proteins is therefore currently receiving attention. Sam68 is a ubiquitous nuclear RNA-binding protein implicated in post-transcriptional processes such as signal-dependent splice site selection. We show that Sam68 undergoes activity-responsive translocation to the soma and dendrites of hippocampal neurons in primary culture. In unstimulated neurons transiently expressing a GFP-Sam68 fusion protein, 90% of the cells accumulated the protein exclusively in the nucleus, and 4% showed extension of GFP-Sam68 to the dendrites. This nuclear expression pattern required the integrity of the Sam68 N-terminus. When present, the dendritic GFP-Sam68 formed granules, 26% of which were colocalized with ethidium bromide-stained RNA clusters. Most of the GFP-Sam68 granules were completely stationary, but a few moved in either a retrograde or anterograde direction. Following depolarization by 25 mM KCl, 50% of neurons displayed dendritic GFP-Sam68. GFP-Sam68 invaded the dendrites after 2 hours with high KCl, and returned to the nucleus within 3 hours after termination of the KCl treatment. A control GFP fusion derived from the SC-35 splicing factor remained fully nuclear during depolarization. No significant change was observed in the phosphorylation of Sam68 after depolarization. Translocation of Sam68 to the distal dendrites was microtubule dependent. Blockade of calcium channels with nimodipine abolished the translocation. Furthermore, inhibition of CRM-1-mediated nuclear export by leptomycin B partially prevented the depolarization-induced nuclear efflux of GFP-Sam68. These results support the possible involvement of Sam68 in the activity-dependent regulation of dendritic mRNAs

Mental health service utilization among students and staff in 18 months following Dawson College shooting

The aim of this study was to investigate service utilization by students and staff in the 18 months following the September 13, 2006, shooting at Dawson College, Montreal, as well as the determinants of this utilization within the context of Canada’s publicly managed healthcare system. Methods A sample of 948 from among the college’s 10,091 students and staff agreed to complete an adapted computer or web-based standardized questionnaire drawn from the Statistics Canada 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey cycle 1.2 on mental health and well-being. Results In the 18 months following the shooting, there was a greater incidence and prevalence not only of PTSD, but also of other anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse. Staff and students were as likely to consult a health professional when presenting a mental or substance use disorder, with females more likely to do so than males. Results also indicated that there was relatively high internet use for mental health reasons by students and staff (14% overall). Conclusions Following a major crisis event causing potential mass trauma, even in a society characterized by easy access to public, school and health services and when the population involved is generally well educated, the acceptability of consulting health professionals for mental health or substance use problems represents a barrier. However, safe internet access is one way male and female students and staff can access information and support and it may be useful to further exploit the possibilities afforded by web-based interviews in anonymous environments

First results on a sensor bio-inspired by electric fish

This article presents the first results of a work which aims at designing an active sensor inspired by the electric fish. Its interest is its potential for robotics underwater navigation and exploration tasks in conditions where vision and sonar would meet difficulty. It could also be used as a complementary omnidirectional, short range sense to vision and sonar. Combined with a well defined engine geometry, this sensor can be modeled analytically. In this article, we focus on a particular measurement mode where one electrode of the sensor acts as a current emitter and the others as current receivers. In spite of the high sensitivity required by electric sense, the first results show that we can obtain a detection range of the order of the sensor length, which suggests that this sensor principle could be used in future for robotics obstacle avoidance

The brain signature of paracetamol in healthy volunteers: a double-blind randomized trial

International audienceBackground: Paracetamol’s (APAP) mechanism of action suggests the implication of supraspinal structures but no neuroimaging study has been performed in humans.Methods and results: This randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial in 17 healthy volunteers (NCT01562704) aimed to evaluate how APAP modulates pain-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging signals. We used behavioral measures and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the response to experimental thermal stimuli with APAP or placebo administration. Region-of-interest analysis revealed that activity in response to noxious stimulation diminished with APAP compared to placebo in prefrontal cortices, insula, thalami, anterior cingulate cortex, and periaqueductal gray matter.Conclusion: These findings suggest an inhibitory effect of APAP on spinothalamic tracts leading to a decreased activation of higher structures, and a top-down influence on descending inhibition. Further binding and connectivity studies are needed to evaluate how APAP modulates pain, especially in the context of repeated administration to patients with pain