Designing an online mentoring system for self-awareness and reflection on lifelong learning skills

Mentoring supports the processes of becoming self-aware of personal beliefs and engaging with a topic of concern in a reflective manner. With new media, new opportunities and new means for mentoring have arisen. In this contribution, we outline how an established face-to-face mentoring process has been ‘translated’ into an online mentoring system. The paper outlines the design decisions made for an initial online mentoring system supporting mentees to gain self-awareness of and to reflect about life-long learning skills. The purpose of the development process was to detect the essential and the suitable elements for an online version of a face-to-face mentoring practice

A multilevel model for movement rehabilitation in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) using virtual environments

This paper presents a conceptual model for movement rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury (TBI) using virtual environments. This hybrid model integrates principles from ecological systems theory with recent advances in cognitive neuroscience, and supports a multilevel approach to both assessment and treatment. Performance outcomes at any stage of recovery are determined by the interplay of task, individual, and environmental/contextual factors. We argue that any system of rehabilitation should provide enough flexibility for task and context factors to be varied systematically, based on the current neuromotor and biomechanical capabilities of the performer or patient. Thus, in order to understand how treatment modalities are to be designed and implemented, there is a need to understand the function of brain systems that support learning at a given stage of recovery, and the inherent plasticity of the system. We know that virtual reality (VR) systems allow training environments to be presented in a highly automated, reliable, and scalable way. Presentation of these virtual environments (VEs) should permit movement analysis at three fundamental levels of behaviour: (i) neurocognitive bases of performance (we focus in particular on the development and use of internal models for action which support adaptive, on-line control); (ii) movement forms and patterns that describe the patients' movement signature at a given stage of recovery (i.e, kinetic and kinematic markers of movement proficiency), (iii) functional outcomes of the movement. Each level of analysis can also map quite seamlessly to different modes of treatment. At the neurocognitive level, for example, semi-immersive VEs can help retrain internal modeling processes by reinforcing the patients' sense of multimodal space (via augmented feedback), their position within it, and the ability to predict and control actions flexibly (via movement simulation and imagery training). More specifically, we derive four - key therapeutic environment concepts (or Elements) presented using VR technologies: Embodiment (simulation and imagery), Spatial Sense (augmenting position sense), Procedural (automaticity and dual-task control), and Participatory (self-initiated action). The use of tangible media/objects, force transduction, and vision-based tracking systems for the augmentation of gestures and physical presence will be discussed in this context

Valorisation de la biodiversité des levures dans la zone Océan indien (Réunion, Madagascar). Le cas du métabolisme des arômes chez la levure Saprochaete suaveolens, isolée du fruit du pitahaya

International audienceno abstrac

Budding-like division of all-aqueous emulsion droplets modulated by networks of protein nanofibrils.

Networks of natural protein nanofibrils, such as cytoskeletal filaments, control the shape and the division of cells, yet mimicking this functionality in a synthetic setting has proved challenging. Here, we demonstrate that artificial networks of protein nanofibrils can induce controlled deformation and division of all-aqueous emulsion droplets with budding-like morphologies. We show that this process is driven by the difference in the immersional wetting energy of the nanofibril network, and that both the size and the number of the daughter droplets formed during division can be controlled by modulating the fibril concentration and the chemical properties of the fibril network. Our results demonstrate a route for achieving biomimetic division with synthetic self-assembling fibrils and offer an engineered approach to regulate the morphology of protein gels

Harnessing catalytic pumps for directional delivery of microparticles in microchambers

The directed transport of microparticles in microfluidic devices is vital for efficient bioassays and fabrication of complex microstructures. There remains, however, a need for methods to propel and steer microscopic cargo that do not require modifying these particles. Using theory and experiments, we show that catalytic surface reactions can be used to deliver microparticle cargo to specified regions in microchambers. Here reagents diffuse from a gel reservoir and react with the catalyst-coated surface. Fluid density gradients due to the spatially varying reagent concentration induce a convective flow, which carries the suspended particles until the reagents are consumed. Consequently, the cargo is deposited around a specific position on the surface. The velocity and final peak location of the cargo can be tuned independently. By increasing the local particle concentration, highly sensitive assays can be performed efficiently and rapidly. Moreover, the process can be repeated by introducing fresh reagent into the microchamber

Global groundwater droughts are more severe than they appear in hydrological models:an investigation through a Bayesian merging of GRACE and GRACE-FO data with a water balance model

Realistic representation of hydrological drought events is increasingly important in world facing decreased freshwater availability. Index-based drought monitoring systems are often adopted to represent the evolution and distribution of hydrological droughts, which mainly rely on hydrological model simulations to compute these indices. Recent studies, however, indicate that model derived water storage estimates might have difficulties in adequately representing reality. Here, a novel Markov Chain Monte Carlo - Data Assimilation (MCMC-DA) approach is implemented to merge global Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) changes from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its Follow On mission (GRACE-FO) with the water storage estimations derived from the W3RA water balance model. The modified MCMC-DA derived summation of deep-rooted soil and groundwater storage estimates is then used to compute standardized groundwater drought indices globally to show the impact of GRACE/GRACE-FO DA on a global index-based hydrological drought monitoring system. Our numerical assessment covers the period of 2003–2021, and shows that integrating GRACE/GRACE-FO data modifies the seasonality and inter-annual trends of water storage estimations. Considerable increases in the length and severity of extreme droughts are found in basins that exhibited multi-year water storage fluctuations and those affected by climate teleconnections

An experimental study investigating the effect of pain relief from oral analgesia on lumbar range of motion, velocity, acceleration and movement irregularity

Background Movement alterations are often reported in individuals with back pain. However the mechanisms behind these movement alterations are not well understood. A commonly cited mechanism is pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pain reduction, from oral analgesia, on lumbar kinematics in individuals with acute and chronic low back pain. Methods A prospective, cross-sectional, experimental repeated-measures design was used. Twenty acute and 20 chronic individuals with low back pain were recruited from General Practitioner and self-referrals to therapy departments for low back pain. Participants complained of movement evoked low back pain. Inertial sensors were attached to the sacrum and lumbar spine and used to measure kinematics. Kinematic variables measured were range of motion, angular velocity and angular acceleration as well as a determining movement irregularity (a measure of deviation from smooth motion). Kinematics were investigated before and after administration of oral analgesia to instigate pain reduction. Results Pain was significantly reduced following oral analgesia. There were no significant effects on the kinematic variables before and after pain reduction from oral analgesia. There was no interaction between the variables group (acute and chronic) and time (pre and post pain reduction). Conclusion The results demonstrate that pain reduction did not alter lumbar range of motion, angular velocity, angular acceleration or movement irregularity questioning the role of pain in lumbar kinematics

Intraoperative fracture of phacoemulsification sleeve

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We describe a case of intraoperative fracture of phacoemulsification sleeve during phacoemulsification surgery.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Phacoemulsification surgery was performed in the left eye of a 58-year-old lady with grade II nuclear sclerosis & grade I cortical cataract. Towards the end of quadrant removal, there was anterior chamber instability with impaired followability of nuclear fragments. The distal part of the fractured sleeve remained inside the anterior chamber upon removal of the phacoemulsification probe. The retained sleeve was retrieved with a pair of forceps through the corneal incision site, which did not require widening. There was no missing fragments retained intraocularly and the patient had an uneventful recovery with vision of 20/25 at three months post-operatively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Phacoemulsification sleeve fracture is an uncommon complication. With early identification of this condition and proper management, major complications can be avoided.</p

Visual overviews for discovering key papers and influences across research fronts

Gaining a rapid overview of an emerging scientific topic, sometimes called research fronts , is an increasingly common task due to the growing amount of interdisciplinary collaboration. Visual overviews that show temporal patterns of paper publication and citation links among papers can help researchers and analysts to see the rate of growth of topics, identify key papers, and understand influences across subdisciplines. This article applies a novel network-visualization tool based on meaningful layouts of nodes to present research fronts and show citation links that indicate influences across research fronts. To demonstrate the value of two-dimensional layouts with multiple regions and user control of link visibility, we conducted a design-oriented, preliminary case study with 6 domain experts over a 4-month period. The main benefits were being able (a) to easily identify key papers and see the increasing number of papers within a research front, and (b) to quickly see the strength and direction of influence across related research fronts.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64320/1/21160_ftp.pd

Semi‐Siccative Oils and Bioactive Fractions Isolated from Reunion Island Fruit Co‐Product: Two Case Studies

Semi-Siccative Oils and Bioactive Fractions Isolatedfrom Reunion Island Fruit Co-Product: Two Case StudiesAlice Delvar, Pascale de Caro,* Yanis Caro,* Alain Shum Cheong Sing, Rudy Thomas,and Christine RaynaudThis paper focused on the use of agro-industrial wastes of strawberry guava (Psidiumcattleianum) and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) generated by the agriculturalindustry on Reunion Island, according to two routes: extraction of semi-siccative oilsfrom the seeds and extraction of bioactive compounds from residual pulp and peels.Oil content, fatty acid, carotenoids, tocopherol, and sterol concentrations aredetermined in the seed oils obtained by four different extraction processes usingSoxhlet extraction, extraction by hexane and ethanol, mechanical pressing andsupercritical-carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction. The oil extraction yields ranged from15 to 30% w/w for strawberry guava and passion fruit, respectively. Both oils areclassified as semi-siccative and had a similar total unsaturated fatty acid content(88%) with a prevalence of linoleic acid (70–78%). High contents in phytosterols andinα-tocopherol are particularly detected in strawberry guava oil. The antioxidantactivities of the bioactive compounds extracted by water and ethanol from pulp andpeels are characterized byα,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test. After purificationon polymeric resin, significant antioxidant activities are recorded (half maximalinhibitory concentration (IC50) from 11 to 50 g L-1) and are related to polyphenolcontents (20.7 to 42.5 g gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry extract).Practical Applications: There is a great interest on the use of tropical fruit wastesbecause of their large availabilities. Strawberry guava and passion fruit are often usedin the food industry, for juice and jam production. The seeds, pulp, and peel residuesare in fact a by-product of their industrial processing, which should be valuablyprocessed instead of just throwing away. We can state that the extracted seed (richin polyunsaturated fatty acids) of strawberry guava and passion fruit can be used inthe industrial production of emulsions, paints, and varnishes. Within the positiveaspects of the study, one can also distinguish the use of these tropical fruit by-products as beneficial sources of many valuable bioactive compounds, for example,carotenoids, tocopherols, phytosterols, and especially polyphenols, for functionalformulations. Moreover, it may be the experimental basis for further developmentand use in food industr