The Use of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to Follow the Leaf/Stem Ratio of Legumes During Drying

Legume-rich mixed swards allow the production of a high quantity protein-rich forage with low nitrogen input. Nevertheless, during hay or silage making, dry matter losses as high as, 40 and 25 % have been recorded (Ciotti & Cavallero, 1979; Stilmant et al., 2004). These losses have mainly been linked to the high sensitivity to physical loss of legume leaves during drying. The development of a tool to characterise leaf losses or leaf/stem ratio during drying will help us to define the technical approach to reach the best compromise between quality loss reduction and good pre-wilting of legum-rich mixed swards. The aim of the present work was to test the potentialities of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to quantify legume leaf/stem ratio in mixed grass-legume swards. The mixtures tested were perennial ryegrass-white clover (PR-WC), perennial ryegrass-red clover (PR-RC), timothy-red clover (T-RC) and cocksfoot-lucerne (C-L) swards. This technique has been successfully used to quantify leaf/stem ratio in pure perennial ryegrass swards (Leconte et al. 1999)

Assessing attentional bias for alcohol-related cues using eye tracking in a virtual reality environment

peer reviewedSeveral experimental paradigms were developed to measure attentional biases towards alcohol-related cues. However, most of them are based on reaction times to two-dimensional stimuli displayed on a computer screen, such that their ecological validity has been questioned. To address this, we integrated an eye tracking system into a virtual reality headset (ET-VR) and measured attentional biases in a subclinical population of alcohol users. In this exploratory study, forty social drinkers were recruited and immersed in a virtual bar including alcohol-related stimuli. Attentional focus was assessed using dwell time and number of fixations for these alcohol-related stimuli as well as for neutral stimuli unrelated to alcohol consumption. The results show that the number of fixations and, to a lesser extent, the dwell time for alcohol- related cues were positively correlated with the drinking motivation of the participants. In contrast, no significant correlation was found for neutral stimuli. In conclusion, the present study shows that alcohol-induced attentional biases can be studied using an ET-VR device in a subclinical population of alcohol users.3. Good health and well-bein

Assessing attentional bias for alcohol-related cues using eye tracking in a virtual reality environment

peer reviewedSeveral experimental paradigms were developed to measure attentional biases towards alcohol-related cues. However, most of them are based on reaction times to two-dimensional stimuli displayed on a computer screen, such that their ecological validity has been questioned. To address this, we integrated an eye tracking system into a virtual reality headset (ET-VR) and measured attentional biases in a subclinical population of alcohol users. In this exploratory study, forty social drinkers were recruited and immersed in a virtual bar including alcohol-related stimuli. Attentional focus was assessed using dwell time and number of fixations for these alcohol-related stimuli as well as for neutral stimuli unrelated to alcohol consumption. The results show that the number of fixations and, to a lesser extent, the dwell time for alcohol- related cues were positively correlated with the drinking motivation of the participants. In contrast, no significant correlation was found for neutral stimuli. In conclusion, the present study shows that alcohol-induced attentional biases can be studied using an ET-VR device in a subclinical population of alcohol users.3. Good health and well-bein

Some novel applications of VR in the domain of health

Recent progress in virtual reality (VR) technologies make immersion more accessible to everyone, and, in particular, developments aimed at the entertainment industry are being brought into to the domain of health. The main uses of VR in health are of two forms. First, it is a new method to diagnose and to treat patients; second, it is a new method to train and/or teach healthcare and emergency-response professionals. There are several reasons for using VR in healthcare. First, virtual environments (VE) are fully under control, so that the user (patient or professional) is then safe from any harm and the session can be interrupted if necessary. Second, there are many instances where placing the user in a real environment would be very hard to do and/or very costly. A major advantage of VR is that this user can instead be immerged in an equivalent artificial/virtual environment through the use of immersive technologies. Third, with regard to teaching, a significant advantage of VR is that it allows one “to bring the body to learning”, thereby effectively embedding new knowledge into the muscles. Below, we describe several uses of VR at our university in the domain of health. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

Electrospun Contrast Agent-Loaded Fibers for Colon-Targeted MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging is a diagnostic tool used for detecting abnormal organs and tissues, often using Gd(III) complexes as contrast-enhancing agents. In this work, core–shell polymer fibers have been prepared using coaxial electrospinning, with the intent of delivering gadolinium (III) diethylenetriaminepentaacetate hydrate (Gd(DTPA)) selectively to the colon. The fibers comprise a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) core loaded with Gd(DTPA), and a Eudragit S100 shell. They are homogeneous, with distinct core–shell phases. The components in the fibers are dispersed in an amorphous fashion. The proton relaxivities of Gd(DTPA) are preserved after electrospinning. To permit easy visualization of the release of the active ingredient from the fibers, analogous materials are prepared loaded with the dye rhodamine B. Very little release is seen in a pH 1.0 buffer, while sustained release is seen at pH 7.4. The fibers thus have the potential to selectively deliver Gd(DTPA) to the colon. Mucoadhesion studies reveal there are strong adhesive forces between porcine colon mucosa and PEO from the core, and the dye-loaded fibers can be successfully used to image the porcine colon wall. The electrospun core–shell fibers prepared in this work can thus be developed as advanced functional materials for effective imaging of colonic abnormalities