Fecal microbiota and metabolomics as preclinical diagnostic biomarkers in neonatal microbiome-driven diseases

This thesis focusses on the potential of gut microbiota and fecal volatile organic compounds (VOC) as novel preclinical biomarkers for microbiome-driven neonatal diseases. Fecal volatile organic compounds are hypothesized to reflect the function of the gut microbiota, host and interaction between both. Previous studies have demonstrated that preterm infants who developed late onset sepsis (LOS), can be differentiated from non-LOS cases based on their fecal VOC profile. In this thesis, it has been demonstrated that LOS cases can be differentiated from controls based on their gut microbiota composition in a preclinical phase. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating gastro-intestinal disease, occurring in preterm infants, could also be differentiated from controls based on their fecal VOC profiles and microbiota composition. This difference was mostly profound in severe NEC. Before clinical implementation of fecal VOC as preclinical biomarker, a uniform analytical protocol should be developed. Therefore, potential influencing factors on fecal VOC outcome were assessed. This thesis proposes an analytical protocol for fecal VOC analysis in preterm born infants

The Role of Information Literacy in Higher Education: An Initiative at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco.

This paper, part of which was presented at the 12th annual AMICAL conference at the American University in Bulgaria held in Blagoevgrad, on 29 May 2015, reports on a doctoral research project which explores the meaning and role of information literacy in higher education and lifelong learning. It also highlights an information literacy initiative at a Moroccan university, namely Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, and how its academic library strives to promote it. Living in an age of information tsunami and technological advancement, issues of information access, evaluation, retrieval and effective use, have become significantly critical in our societies. Directing the attention to the issue of information literacy and framing the best practices on how they can be best blended into the learning process of students are of paramount importance. Like other libraries across the globe, Mohammed VI Library at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco has realized the importance of information literacy and has worked in various ways to address this issue. This paper will describe the university strategy of teaching Information Literacy to graduate and undergraduate students in a number of ways. Recommendations to improve and support this initiative, including incorporating information literacy and skills across the university's curriculum, and fostering more effective partnerships between the Al Akhawayn university library and the teaching faculty, will be also discussed in this paper

A portrait of war: a psychosocial analysis of the impact of wars on contemporary visual arts displaying conflicts in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria

This dissertation looks at the impact of wars on contemporary visual arts in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria with a specific focus on the art genre which is characteristic of wars. By examining the relationship between the nature of wars and the artistic outcome, and by investigating the effects of wars on the artists’ identities (collective and personal), I argue that the art scenes of those countries were affected differently according to the specificity of each crisis. While many researchers addressed the issues of war, nation and identity in art, this study takes a psychosocial approach toward analyzing this art genre in the context of the combined influence of psychological factors and the surrounding social environment. This offers a new perspective in viewing this art and contributes in understanding it. I position artworks featuring the war of each country within historical trajectories to illustrate their tight relationship and reveal the diversity of this art among the three scenes. By providing an overview of the histories of the crises, I follow a contextualized method underscoring their role as an essential context that generated different artistic representations and phenomena. I elaborate the depictions of psychological and physical impacts of each war within its social context. I reveal how wars generated the display of national identity through inspecting its various dimensions among the scenes. Furthermore, I propose that artists (re)constructed distinct identities embodied in art as an outcome of war. I find that the nature of the conflict influenced the artist’s aim, targeted audience, (re)constructed identities, portrayal of national identity and modes of representations, thus creating diversities among the scenes. This dissertation demonstrates how the field of visual arts presented a platform for artists in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria to expose the ways in which they were affected by wars. It documents the multi-faceted effects of different conflicts on visual arts and reveals the diverse artistic representations that were created in response

Accès et usage aux systèmes intelligents de soutien à l’autonomie des personnes âgées à domicile : besoins et formations

L’Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques décrit une France qui compterait au 1er janvier 2050 plus de 20 millions de personnes de 65 ans ou plus, soit 8,6 millions de plus qu'en 2013. Les enjeux du vieillissement en France sont donc ceux d’un pays qui vieillit, dont l’espérance de vie augmente très significativement, dont la durée de vie avec au moins une incapacité augmente, et qui doit s’adapter à cette évolution démographique, notamment par des innovations sociales, organisationnelles et technologiques. Ce n’est pas seulement le nombre des âgés qui modifie les équilibres intergénérationnels, mais la longévité elle-même. Les conséquences de cette longévité questionnent sur les plans économique, institutionnelle, sanitaire, mais aussi éducatif, principalement pour le soutien à domicile des personnes âgées en situation de perte d’autonomie, plébiscité par 80% des ménages dans le monde. Elle interroge aussi sur la capacité d’accéder, d’accepter, de prendre en main et d’utiliser les nouvelles technologies et systèmes intelligents émergents. Au regard des processus d’accès, d’acceptation et d’usage de l’innovation que constitue un système d’habitat intelligent, la présente thèse s’est posé la question des déterminants de l’accès à un de ces systèmes intelligents de soutien à domicile des personnes âgées en situation de perte d’autonomie. Elle s’inscrit dans le cadre dispositif Philémon d’accompagnement renforcé au domicile pour des personnes âgées de plus de 60 ans pour lesquels la vulnérabilité ne permet pas un soutien à domicile sans une intervention coordonnée des services d’accompagnement et de soins et que nous mettons en œuvre depuis 2019. Le dispositif s’appuie sur des technologies et des services, et met en place un environnement adapté, et connecté autour d’une table de chevet connectée et de différentes aides techniques. Il est installé par un ergothérapeute complété par une prise en charge globale et coordonnée à domicile (accompagnement, soins, télésanté, téléassistance, prévention et maintien du lien social). A partir d’une étude cas multiples basés sur les référentiels d’accès de Lévesque et al. (2013) et d’acceptabilité et d’usage de Chen et Chan (2104), nous présentons le dispositif et les résultats des évaluations. Ces évaluations visent à objectiver les conditions de mise en œuvre et de pérennité et à mesurer les apports (satisfaction des personnes, de leurs proches aidants et aidants professionnels, préservation de l’autonomie des personnes et de leur santé). Les premiers résultats de ces évaluations ont permis la pérennisation et le déploiement de ce dispositif en Centres de Ressources du territoire par le gouvernement Français

Towards A Better Understanding of The Ethics of Sustainability

Recent challenges and crises have amplified concerns for ethical and sustainable practices, bearing in mind that human is the catalyst of change and implementation of sustainability, scrutiny of ethical values would be crucial for acknowledging the necessity of rapid action-taking. The concept of sustainability arises as a fundamental concept that directs human behaviour in all spheres and from which it is possible to question human choices and decisions in the context of ethical sustainability, and businesses are no exception. In light of the rival competition in markets, the possibility that businesses adopt unethical practices and degrade their sustainability values emerges with the motive of higher profits, this might result in harming societal and environmental values and their brand image once the communicated false pieces of information and wrong actions are revealed. From this point of view, formulating ethical business policies will benefit corporations to ensure their continuity and achieve smoothly the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This paper aims to emphasize the importance of ethical business policies and highlight the correlation between ethics in corporate framework and sustainability through a literature review that suggests a deep understanding of the key concepts: Ethics and sustainability, combined with the capacity of allying both concepts would be a pathway to success when it comes to tackling ethical crises, both in the present and near future. This research contributes to clarifying the renewed emphasis on the concepts of ethics and business ethics, and in identifying the correlation between ethics and sustainability within a corporate work frame. Keywords: Ethics, business ethics, sustainability JEL Classification: M1 Paper type: Theoretical Research Recent challenges and crises have amplified concerns for ethical and sustainable practices, bearing in mind that human is the catalyst of change and implementation of sustainability, scrutiny of ethical values would be crucial for acknowledging the necessity of rapid action-taking. The concept of sustainability arises as a fundamental concept that directs human behaviour in all spheres and from which it is possible to question human choices and decisions in the context of ethical sustainability, and businesses are no exception. In light of the rival competition in markets, the possibility that businesses adopt unethical practices and degrade their sustainability values emerges with the motive of higher profits, this might result in harming societal and environmental values and their brand image once the communicated false pieces of information and wrong actions are revealed. From this point of view, formulating ethical business policies will benefit corporations to ensure their continuity and achieve smoothly the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This paper aims to emphasize the importance of ethical business policies and highlight the correlation between ethics in corporate framework and sustainability through a literature review that suggests a deep understanding of the key concepts: Ethics and sustainability, combined with the capacity of allying both concepts would be a pathway to success when it comes to tackling ethical crises, both in the present and near future. This research contributes to clarifying the renewed emphasis on the concepts of ethics and business ethics, and in identifying the correlation between ethics and sustainability within a corporate work frame. Keywords: Ethics, business ethics, sustainability JEL Classification: M1 Paper type: Theoretical Research&nbsp