Les étudiants de bioécologie et la recherche : quand une passion devient contagieuse

La recherche constitue un stimulant efficace pour bien des étudiants. Dans une entrevue qu’elle a accordée à sa collègue Chantal Provost, conseillère pédagogique à la recherche, Marie-Josée Gauvin, professeure de biologie au Cégep de Saint-Laurent, nous livre la manière dont elle s’y prend pour amener les étudiants à se lancer dans un projet de recherche. S’il est vrai que l’encadrement offert par les professeurs est l’un des facteurs clés de la réussite d’une telle approche, il faut aussi souligner le rôle important que jouent la motivation et l’engagement des étudiants, qui se manifestent notamment par la participation de ceux-ci au concours des prix étudiants de l’Association pour la recherche au collégial (ARC)

Performance Prediction and Tissue Ingrowth Evaluation of 3D Plotted Osteochondral Scaffolds

Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye

Biomechanical performance prediction of 3D-plotted scaffolds for tissue engineering

Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye

Biomechanical Performance Prediction of 3D Plotted Osteochondral Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye

« C’est en fait un peu difficile de mourir aujourd’hui » : perceptions d’infirmières au regard de l’aide médicale à mourir pour des adolescents en fin de vie au Québec

The introduction of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Quebec and Canada raises the question of extending this service to minors. The constant presence of nurses at the patient's bedside leads them to receive requests related to MAID. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of nurses working in paediatric oncology services concerning the possibility for adolescents over 14 years of age requesting MAID. Six nurses working in paediatric oncology or palliative care or in direct contact with adolescents at the end of their lives as part of their nursing work took part in an individual semi-directed interview. The results of this research highlight that: 1) nurses recognise their supportive role in the care of patients at the end of life; 2) most have a professional opinion in favour of the MAID for adults and distinguish this from their personal opinion; 3) they value the discussions around the MAID and are concerned about the establishment of criteria for it; and 4) long experience as a nurse leads to more concerns about the expansion of the MAID, but at the same time makes nurses more comfortable providing information about this subject. In light of these findings, academic and paediatric health care institutions need to recognise and evaluate the need for training nurses on MAID to better equip them to deal with such situations and thus better meet the needs of their patients.L’entrée en vigueur de l’aide médicale à mourir (AMM) au Québec et au Canada pose la question de l’élargissement de cette prestation à des mineurs. La présence soutenue des infirmières au chevet du patient les amène à recevoir des demandes liées à l’AMM. Le but de cette étude est d’explorer les perceptions d’infirmières œuvrant en service d’oncologie pédiatrique au regard de la possibilité pour des adolescents de plus de 14 ans, de demander l’AMM. Six infirmières œuvrant en soins oncologiques ou palliatifs pédiatriques ou étant en contact direct avec des adolescents en fin de vie dans le cadre de leur travail d’infirmières ont participé à une entrevue individuelle semi-dirigée. Les résultats de cette recherche mettent en exergue que : 1) les infirmières reconnaissent leur rôle de soutien dans les soins du patient en fin de vie ; 2) la plupart ont une opinion professionnelle en faveur de l’AMM pour les adultes et distinguent celle-ci de leur opinion personnelle ; 3) elles apprécient les discussions autour de l’AMM et sont préoccupées par l’établissement des critères l’encadrant ; et 4) une longue expérience comme infirmière engendre plus de préoccupations sur l’élargissement de l’AMM, mais en même temps rend les infirmières plus à l’aise de fournir des informations à ce sujet. Au vu de ces constats, les établissements universitaires et de santé pédiatrique doivent reconnaître et évaluer la nécessité d’une formation des infirmières sur l’AMM afin de les outiller davantage face à de telles situations et ainsi, mieux répondre aux besoins de leurs patients

Advanced Functional Materials for Intelligent Thermoregulation in Personal Protective Equipment

The exposure to extreme temperatures in workplaces involves physical hazards for workers. A poorly acclimated worker may have lower performance and vigilance and therefore may be more exposed to accidents and injuries. Due to the incompatibility of the existing standards implemented in some workplaces and the lack of thermoregulation in many types of protective equipment that are commonly fabricated using various types of polymeric materials, thermal stress remains one of the most frequent physical hazards in many work sectors. However, many of these problems can be overcome with the use of smart textile technologies that enable intelligent thermoregulation in personal protective equipment. Being based on conductive and functional polymeric materials, smart textiles can detect many external stimuli and react to them. Interconnected sensors and actuators that interact and react to existing risks can provide the wearer with increased safety, protection, and comfort. Thus, the skills of smart protective equipment can contribute to the reduction of errors and the number and severity of accidents in the workplace and thus promote improved performance, efficiency, and productivity. This review provides an overview and opinions of authors on the current state of knowledge on these types of technologies by reviewing and discussing the state of the art of commercially available systems and the advances made in previous research works

Implementing partnering for change in Québec: Occupational therapy activities and stakeholders’ perceptions

Abstract: Background. The occupational therapy school-based Partnering for Change (P4C) model has mostly been documented in Ontario. Purpose. This implementation study describes the implementation of P4C in two Québec elementary schools (P4C-Q), as well as therapy practices, their impacts, factors perceived to influence implementation, and recommendations. Method. A sequential mixed-methods design was applied. Therapists (n=2) completed daily journals, describing activities by P4C-Q level. Therapists and other school-stakeholders (n=11) participated in semi-structured interviews, analyzed through a content analysis framework. Findings. Daily journals illustrated that the majority of therapy time was spent on activities targeting the entire classroom, and on collaboration with educators. Interviews illustrated how coaching was used across different practices, the impact of these practices for schools (e.g., capacity-building) and children (e.g., increased functioning), and highlighted how relationship-building is key to facilitating the implementation of this model. Implications. Lessons learned may be helpful for others implementing P4C in their own contexts

Design and fabrication of 3D-plotted polymeric scaffolds in functional tissue engineering

Regenerating the load-bearing tissues requires 3D scaffolds that balance the temporary mechanical function with the biological requirements. In functional tissue engineering, designing scaffolds with biomimetic mechanical properties could promote tissue ingrowth since the cells are sensitive to their local mechanical environment. This work aims to design scaffolds that mimic the mechanical response of the biological tissues under physiological loading conditions. Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) scaffolds with varying porosities and pore sizes were made by the 3D-plotting technique. The scaffolds were tested under unconfined ramp compression to compare their stress profile under load with that of bovine cartilage. A comparison between the material parameters estimated for the scaffolds and for the bovine cartilage based on the biphasic theory enabled the definition of an optimum window for the porosity and pore size of these constructs. Moreover, the finite element prediction for the stress distribution inside the scaffolds, surrounded by the host cartilaginous tissue, demonstrated a negligible perturbation of the stress field at the site of implantation. The finite element modeling tools in combination with the developed methodology for optimal porosity/ pore size determination can be used to improve the design of biomimetic scaffolds.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Swelling behavior of polymeric membranes to metalworking fluids

International audienceIn some working places, such as metal manufacturing or automotive services, mechanical hazards commonly occur along with chemical hazards, particularly metalworking fluids (MWFs). The presence of these chemicals could modify the properties of gloves made from polymeric materials and thus reduce their protective properties against chemical contamination (solvent, MWFs) and mechanical risks (puncture and cutting). This work focused on determining the swelling characteristics and the resistance of six polymeric membranes which were exposed to seven industrial MWFs. We found that the swelling tests can be used to classify the potential of coating polymers in descending order of their resistance to MWFs: nitrile, polyurethane>poly(vinyl chloride), neoprene> butyl, latex. The analysis by multiple linear regression showed, for the first time, that the density or the viscosity-gravity constant of the fluid and Hansen’s solubility parameters of the polymers have a significant impact on the swelling of polymer. For the first time, two new multiple regression models have been proposed, to predict the swelling phenomena of polymers under various MWFs with an accuracy of 80%. The effect of temperature on mechanical properties and morphology of material was also examine