Participatory modeling updates expectations for individuals and groups, catalyzing behavior change and collective action in water-energy-food nexus governance

Participatory modeling is a potentially high-impact approach for catalyzing fundamental sustainability transformations. We test if participation in a group system dynamics modeling exercise increases participants' agency through a novel method to evaluate potential behavioral change using expectations measures. A water-energy-food nexus a functionally interdependent but under-conceptualised system with low consensus and high scientific uncertainty -- was mapped and its evolution simulated by 46 participants in three interventions in a region undergoing hydropower infrastructure development in North-eastern Cambodia. Participants' system-related expectations were measured before and after the interventions. Our results suggest that participants became significantly more optimistic about their individual agency to increase agricultural and fishing income, and interestingly, less likely to participate in local government development planning procedures. Findings also reveal how some uncertainties for multiple variables were reduced within and across the groups. Such converging expectations suggest that participatory modelling could contribute to making collective solutions and institutionalised agreements more likely. This research contributes to innovation in sustainability because it unpacks some underlying mechanics of how participatory processes can lead to new adaptive capacities, shared perspectives and collective actions

L'approche-programme

Rassemble les communications de Claude de Lorimier, Denis Dubois et Louise Cazeault, invités à la table ronde "L'approche-programme : quelle en est la nécessité, quelles en seraient les conséquences?" dans le cadre du 9e colloque de l'AQPC (Montréal, 1989)

Modular pre-processing for automated reasoning in dependent type theory

The power of modern automated theorem provers can be put at the service of interactive theorem proving. But this requires in particular bridging the expressivity gap between the logics these provers are respectively based on. This paper presents the implementation of a modular suite of pre-processing transformations, which incrementally bring certain formulas expressed in the Calculus of Inductive Constructions closer to the first-order logic of Satifiability Modulo Theory solvers. These transformations address issues related to the axiomatization of inductive types, to polymorphic definitions or to the different implementations of a same theory signature. This suite is implemented as a plugin for the Coq proof assistant, and integrated to the SMTCoq toolchain

Dimensions fondant l'accompagnement de la personne souffrante en counseling et en psychothérapie : résultats d'une recherche coopérative

La méthode coopérative utilisée ainsi que les résultats de cette recherche qualitative portant sur les fondements du counseling et de la psychothérapie sont ici présentés. L’étude exploratoire met à profi t une façon non conventionnelle d’explorer le phénomène de la rencontre d’accompagnement, soit à partir de l’expérience qu’en fait l’un des protagonistes, l’accompagnant. L’article ne vise pas à démontrer l’effi cacité d’une approche mais bien à identifi er les dimensions qui constituent les bases essentielles permettant à une personne souffrante de trouver un lieu pour prendre conscience de ce qui constitue son fardeau existentiel et pour qu’elle puisse cheminer vis-à-vis d’elle-même ainsi que dans les différentes sphères de sa vie.This exploratory study uses a non-conventional method in qualitative research on the fundamental dimensions of counselling and psychotherapy to explore the phenomenon of the accompanying relationship based on the experience of one of the protagonists, the psychotherapist. The article does not aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of an approach, but rather to identify the dimensions that essentially allow a suffering person to become aware of his or her existential burden and experience growth in self and in various areas of life

A haven for suffering : second experiential cooperative research study on the foundations of counselling and psychotherapy

Cette deuxième recherche fait suite à celle publiée dans la RCCP en janvier 2008. S’appuyant sur un devis de Recherche Coopérative Expérientielle (Heron & Reason, 2006), la présente étude explore plus avant ce qui fonde le rapport d’accompagnement en counseling et en psychothérapie, particulièrement une dimension qualifiée de spirituelle ou espace de sens. De façon à mieux comprendre comment une dimension spirituelle peut aider à créer une ouverture vers les profondeurs de l’être, les cochercheurs de la présente recherche réflexive ont invité quatre chercheurs spirituels à leur faire part individuellement de leurs points de vue sur la spiritualité. Le processus de groupe et ce qui est ressorti d’essentiel dans les différentes rencontres sont résumés. Puis les sujets-chercheurs identifient, présentent, et étayent sept fondements du counseling qui complètent ceux identifiés dans la première étude. Finalement, un aperçu autocritique ainsi qu’une représentation créative de leurs découvertes (Heron, dans Reason, 1994) concluent cet article.This second study follows up an article published in CJCP in January 2008. Based on Experiential Cooperative Research design (Heron & Reason, 2006), it further explores the fundamentals of the helping relationship in counselling and psychotherapy, in particular a dimension perceived as spiritual or an awareness of the essence of existence. In order to better understand how a spiritual dimension can help create openness to the depths of being, the co-researchers of this reflexive framework study invited four spiritual researchers to share their individual viewpoints on spirituality. The group process and what emerged as essential from these encounters are summarized. The subject-researchers then define, describe, and substantiate seven new counselling foundations that add to those identified in the first study. A critical overview and a creative representation of their findings (Heron, in Reason, 1994) conclude the article

Characterization of the dynamic behavior of a diving board using motion capture data

International audienceThe interaction between a diver and a diving board is one of the key factors of springboard diving performance. An accurate modelling of this interaction could provide new tools to better understand springboard diving performance. This study presents a finite element model of a springboard driven by motion capture data. The aim was to identify springboard mechanical parameters allowing to obtain a model with a mechanical behaviour similar to that observed experimentally. The mechanical characterization method was based on motion capture data of the diver and the springboard. Firstly, these data were used to estimate the interaction forces and moments between the diver and the springboard using an optimization approach. The interaction forces and moments were then applied to the springboard model to be characterized. Finally, the model parameters were identified minimizing the discrepancy between the experimental and numerical vertical displacements of the springboard. The best model obtained from this method led to a maximal mean absolute error between the experimental and numerical vertical displacements between 0.045 m and 0.060 m. An accurate model may help to better understand energy transfers and time synchronisation between the diver and the springboard, which are key points of the diving board performance

Diversity of the gut microbiota and eczema in early life

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A modest number of prospective studies of the composition of the intestinal microbiota and eczema in early life have yielded conflicting results.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To examine the relationship between the bacterial diversity of the gut and the development of eczema in early life by methods other than stool culture.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fecal samples were collected from 21 infants at 1 and 4 months of life. Nine infants were diagnosed with eczema by the age of 6 months (cases) and 12 infants were not (controls). After conducting denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of stool samples, we compared the microbial diversity of cases and controls using the number of electrophoretic bands and the Shannon index of diversity (<it>H'</it>) as indicators.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Control subjects had significantly greater fecal microbial diversity than children with eczema at ages 1 (mean <it>H' </it>for controls = 0.75 vs. 0.53 for cases, P = 0.01) and 4 months (mean <it>H' </it>for controls = 0.92 vs. 0.59 for cases, P = 0.02). The increase in diversity from 1 to 4 months of age was significant in controls (P = 0.04) but not in children who developed eczema by 6 months of age (P = 0.32).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that reduced microbial diversity is associated with the development of eczema in early life.</p