Coming from behind to win - A Qualitative research about psychological conditions of adolescents who have undergone open-heart surgery for single ventricle between the ages 0-5

Early recognition of congenital cardiac pathologies and their treatment by means of palliative or corrective surgery at birth or infancy has vital importance. Successful repair of congenital cardiac defects by surgical methods has gained importance especially during the last twenty years. As the scope of the surveillance increased so did the interest in the outcomes of these treatments when the patients had reached puberty and adulthood. The purpose of our research was to study the psychological framework of the adolescents who had experienced these surgeries by listening both the children and the parents talk about their feelings and experiences. Our data was accumulated through interviews with 17 adolescents and their families, using qualitative methods. The main theme at the end of the analysis was "to be strong and resistive". We reached the conclusion that this condition was not a pathological build up but an attitude of coping, as it did not cause loss of functionality. The defensive psychological mechanisms used by these adolescents consisted of repression, compensation and reaction formation. We believe that this information is important to understand the real meaning of the manners displayed when these adolescents and their families pursue their daily lives, communicate and make relationships with their environment and especially professionals in the health services

Planification stratégique pour la gestion des écosystèmes de rivières alpines

International audienceWithin the framework of the Interreg Alpine Space project "SPARE", project partners from six Alpine countries are working together to advance the harmonization of human use requirements and the protection of Alpine rivers. Five different pilot areas across the Alpine space (Dora Baltea, IT; Drôme, FR; Inn, CH; Soča, SL; Steyr, AT) are committed to integrative river and catchment management, and engaged in participatory processes, to improve existing river management practices and to increase awareness and knowledge about the ecosystem services of healthy rivers. The poster will present preliminary outputs of the three-year project, such as the experiences learnt from the five pilot areas, a pan-Alpine overview of priority rivers with high protection needs and an interactive online platform for knowledge exchange & policy support.Dans le cadre du projet Interreg Alpine Space «SPARE», les partenaires du projet de six pays alpins travaillent ensemble pour faire progresser l'harmonisation des besoins humains avec la protection des écosystèmes aquatiques. Cinq zones pilotes à travers l'espace alpin (Dora Baltea, IT, Drôme, FR, Inn, CH, Soča, SL, Steyr, AT) se sont engagées à gérer leurs rivières et bassins versants de manière intégrative, et à mettre en oeuvre des processus participatifs, à la fois pour améliorer les pratiques de gestion des rivières et pour accroître la sensibilisation et les connaissances sur les services écosystémiques des rivières en bonne santé. Le poster présentera les résultats préliminaires du projet triennal, tels que les expériences acquises dans les cinq zones pilotes, un aperçu pan-alpin des cours d'eau prioritaires ayant des besoins de protection élevés et une plateforme interactive en ligne pour l'échange de connaissances et l'appui aux politique

The spatial distribution of ross river virus infections in Brisbane: Significance of residential location and relationships with vegetation types

For the study area of Brisbane City (population 800,000), Australia, 2160 cases of Ross River virus (RRv) infections from the years 1991 to 1996 were geocoded. Their spatial distribution was investigated using census data at the suburb level (162 units). Infection rates have been calculated and adjusted to the age distribution within each suburb. Signed chi-square tests showed that a large number of suburbs has significantly high or low infection rates. Using Principal Component Factor analysis and regression, a relationship was shown between the proportion of wetlands and bushland in a suburb and the infection rate of RRv. Although flight ranges of up to 50 km have been reported for the major vector speciesAedes vigilax (Skuse), this study indicated that RRv infection risk is significantly high relatively close to mosquito habitats. There were significant differences in the infection rate of RRv between years, however the spatial associations did not appear to differ