NeuroStratE: An educational neuroscience intervention to reduce procrastination behavior and improve executive planning function in higher students

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational cognitive neuroscience intervention (NeuroStratE) focusing on teaching the functioning of the brain and practical tools to address the procrastination behavior of 199 students enrolled at university from 2019 to 2021. The evolution of procrastination behavior is measured by specific scales and the planning ability through the Tower of Hanoi test. We compared the change in procrastination behaviors and planning ability between the pre and post-test to those of a control group. Procrastination behavior reduction and planning ability improved more in the students who followed the intervention (N = 179) than those in the control group (N = 20). Using mixed methods, these results were qualitatively refined with student feedback on the value of the intervention program, along with individual student interviews. This study highlights that it is particularly courses of procrastination and associated practical tools which contributed to reduced procrastination behavior and improved the planning ability

An Examination of Procrastination in a Multi-Ethnic Population of Adolescents from New Caledonia

Background: Although procrastination has been widely studied in adults, comparatively little work has focused on adolescent procrastination, especially in the Pacific region. As a contribution to knowledge and diversification of population sampling, therefore, we examined procrastination in a multi-ethnic sample of adolescents from New Caledonia. Specifically, we examined gender and ethnic differences in procrastination, as well as sociodemographic and ethnic identity predictors of procrastination. Methods: 927 adolescents (474 boys, 453 girls; age M = 13.2 years) completed measures of procrastination and ethnic identity, and reported their ethnicity (Kanak vs. Polynesian vs. European). Sociodemographic data (sex, age, area of residence and socioeconomic status) were also collected. Results: An analysis of variance indicated significant ethnic (Kanak and Polynesian adolescents had higher procrastination than European adolescents) and sex differences (girls had higher procrastination than boys), but no significant interaction. Regression analysis showed that higher procrastination was significantly associated with sex, ethnicity, age, and the interaction between ethnicity and ethnic identity. Moderation analysis showed that ethnic identity moderated the relationship between ethnicity and procrastination, but only in Kanak adolescents. Conclusions: Relatively high levels of procrastination were observed in Kanak and Polynesian adolescents, and in girls. These findings, while preliminary, may have important implications for academic attainment in the New Caledonian context

A Statistical Algorithm for Estimating Chlorophyll Concentration in the New Caledonian Lagoon

Spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton biomass and water turbidity can provide crucial information about the function, health and vulnerability of lagoon ecosystems (coral reefs, sea grasses, etc.). A statistical algorithm is proposed to estimate chlorophyll-a concentration ([chl-a]) in optically complex waters of the New Caledonian lagoon from MODIS-derived “remote-sensing” reflectance (Rrs). The algorithm is developed via supervised learning on match-ups gathered from 2002 to 2010. The best performance is obtained by combining two models, selected according to the ratio of Rrs in spectral bands centered on 488 and 555 nm: a log-linear model for low [chl-a] (AFLC) and a support vector machine (SVM) model or a classic model (OC3) for high [chl-a]. The log-linear model is developed based on SVM regression analysis. This approach outperforms the classical OC3 approach, especially in shallow waters, with a root mean squared error 30% lower. The proposed algorithm enables more accurate assessments of [chl-a] and its variability in this typical oligo- to meso-trophic tropical lagoon, from shallow coastal waters and nearby reefs to deeper waters and in the open ocean

Unsupervised Optical Classification of the Seabed Color in Shallow Oligotrophic Waters from Sentinel-2 Images: A Case Study in the Voh-Koné-Pouembout Lagoon (New Caledonia)

International audienceMonitoring chlorophyll-a concentration or turbidity is crucial for understanding and managing oligo- to mesotrophic coastal waters quality. However, mapping bio-optical components from space in such shallow settings remains challenging because of the strong interference of the complex bathymetry and various seabed colors. Correcting the total satellite reflectance signal from the seabed reflectance in ocean color with high resolution sensors is promising. This article shows how unsupervised clustering approaches can be applied to Sentinel-2 images to classify seabed colors in shallow waters of a tropical oligotrophic lagoon in New Caledonia. Data processing included Lyzenga correction for estimating the water column reflectance, optical spectra standardization for attenuating water absorption effects and clustering using the unsupervised k-means method. This methodological approach was applied on the 497, 560, 664 and 704 nm optical bands of the selected Sentinel-2 image. When applied on non-standardized data, our unsupervised classification retrieved three seafloor clusters, whereas five seafloor clusters could be retrieved using standardized data. For each of these two trials, the computed membership values explained more than 75% of the inertia in each Sentinel-2 wavelength band used for the clustering. However, the accuracy of the method was slightly improved when applied on standardized data. Confusion index mapping of the unsupervised clustering retrieved from these data emphasized the relevance and robustness of our methodological approach. Such an approach for seabed colors classification in optically complex shallow settings will be particularly helpful to improve remote sensing of biogeochemical indicators such as chlorophyll-a concentration and turbidity in fragile coastal environments

Unsupervised clustering for seabed color with Sentinel-2 imagery: a case study on Voh-Koné-Pouembout lagoon (New Caledonia)

International audienc

Unsupervised clustering for seabed color with Sentinel-2 imagery: a case study on Voh-Koné-Pouembout lagoon (New Caledonia)

International audienc

Automated, web-based environment for daily fire risk assessment in New Caledonia

International audienceIn New Caledonia, the increasing number, frequency, and extent of fires represent both a danger to human life and a threat to ecosystems conservation in an area considered to be a sanctuary of biodiversity. A four-year study was carried out in the framework of the INC research project to better understand why fires start and to improve fire prevention. Based on satellite observations, a model was built to calculate the risk of fire ignition, together with a Bayesian network to link data on social, environmental, and climatological risk factors. The model and environmental, geological, and topographical data can be used to assess the impacts of fire on biodiversity and erosion. The purpose of this paper is to present a tool designed to produce on-the-fly maps showing fire risk obtained. This web-based tool implements the model built during the research project and provides fire risk maps every day thanks to an automated recovery of climate data. The user only has to select the date of interest in order that the tool manages all the process of maps creation and display. Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international organization in which governments, trade research, and non-profit structures collaborate to implement open standards related to services and geospatial content, as well as GIS data processing and sharing. The presented tool has been made with some standards specified by OGC (Geography Markup Language, Web Map Service), allowing it to be interoperable with other systems that implements OGC standards. An online tool that exploits live results of the model and automated filling of a database enables identification of high fire risk sites. It then facilitates the task of land and environmental management by combining geographic data on location of water resources and roads that can be used to reach the potentially dangerous sites of fires

Associations between weight status, body satisfaction, ethnic identity and self-esteem in Oceanian adolescents

Background: Self-esteem has consistently been observed to be relatively low in adolescents with obesity. In the Pacific region, the prevalence of obesity in adolescence is high, but few studies have considered issues of self-esteem in this population. Objective: To examine associations between weight status, body dissatisfaction and self-esteem in a sample of New Caledonian adolescents and to test for moderation effects of ethnicity on predictors of self-esteem. Methods: Objective anthropometric measures (height, weight, waist circumference and thickness of skinfolds) were obtained in a multi-ethnic sample of New Caledonian adolescents. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio and the sum of four skinfolds thickness were used as proxies of weight status. Indices of ethnic identity, self-esteem, socio-demographic data (socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, urbanicity of residence) and body dissatisfaction were obtained using survey methods. Results: Between-group analyses indicated that adolescents of European/white origin had significantly higher self-esteem than adolescents with Oceanian Non-European Non-Asian ancestry (ONENA). However, low self-esteem was significantly associated with weight status and body dissatisfactions in European/white adolescents but not ONENA adolescents. Ethnicity moderated the relationships of predictors (BMI z-score, body dissatisfaction, age, urbanicity and ethnic identity) on self-esteem, and the strongest predictors of self-esteem were ethnicity and ethnic identity. Conclusions: While self-esteem has important consequences for adolescent well-being and health outcomes, these results highlight the importance of applying different steps to develop and maintain healthy self-esteem in the Pacific region