Global citizenship education: a case study of the UK-based non-governmental organisation Reading International Solidarity Centre

This thesis examines global citizenship education (GCE) within the context of a case study of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC). It also examines the relations that exist between GCE and (global) citizenship from a critical perspective. GCE is characterised as a form of critical education as revealed through the perspectives of critical educators and education philosophers, through social and educational movements in general, and through the development education movement specifically. The methods of data collection employed include individual interviews, a focus group, observations and documentary analysis. A grounded analysis of the data and a critical discussion of the results provide insight into the policy making and educational strategies of RISC, its delivery of GCE, and the institutionalisation of critical GCE. The study identifies the importance of NGOs in delivering critical GCE on a long-term basis, and their contribution to the development of an education that engenders, through participation, citizen’s awareness of their individual and collective responsibility for inequalities and social change. Thus the emphasis is on the power of agency in (global) citizenship and on citizens’ participation in GCE

Active Membrane Fluctuations Studied by Micropipet Aspiration

We present a detailed analysis of the micropipet experiments recently reported in J-B. Manneville et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4356--4359 (1999), including a derivation of the expected behaviour of the membrane tension as a function of the areal strain in the case of an active membrane, i.e., containing a nonequilibrium noise source. We give a general expression, which takes into account the effect of active centers both directly on the membrane, and on the embedding fluid dynamics, keeping track of the coupling between the density of active centers and the membrane curvature. The data of the micropipet experiments are well reproduced by the new expressions. In particular, we show that a natural choice of the parameters quantifying the strength of the active noise explains both the large amplitude of the observed effects and its remarkable insensitivity to the active-center density in the investigated range. [Submitted to Phys Rev E, 22 March 2001]Comment: 14 pages, 5 encapsulated Postscript figure

Augmentation des cinétiques de diffusion des composés de la pellicule des raisins rouge et blanc par des champs électriques pulsés

In recent years, Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology has been developing in laboratories and is starting to be established in the industry, mainly in the agri-food sector. So far all experimentations on the use of PEF in the wine industry was carried out at the laboratory scale on some kilograms of grapes, or liters of wines. Since 2015, we are studying the interest of the use of PEF on grape polyphenols extraction on a semi-industrial scale of 2 tons per hour. The first tests were carried out by comparing the PEF technology to a control, and a conventional thermovinification with liquid phase vinification and traditional vinification with different fermentation times. The first results obtained are encouraging. Vinified in the liquid phase, the grapes treated with PEF give wines with a color intensity of 20 to 30% higher than the control and a higher TPI of 7 to 17%. In the liquid phase, the treatment of the harvest by PEF does not make it possible to obtain the extraction level of the thermovinification. After a short maceration of 3 days, the polyphenols extraction level is similar to the thermovinification, and greater after 14 days, and so is the color (respectively +12 and +16%). No change in IBMP content was observed. The wines resulting from treatment of the harvest by PEF do not have the aromatic profile of thermovinification wines. The PEF has a fruity character comparable to the control and accentuates the aromatic characteristics of the grape variety. The wine are often judged less aggressive and astringent by reinforcing the perception of sweetness and full bodied. A few tests in white grape harvest by PEF, shows a significant gain of the thiols and terpenols

Better characterizing sleep beliefs for personalized sleep health promotion: the French sleep beliefs scale validation study

Background: The Sleep Beliefs Scale (SBS) is a well-known tool to design and monitor personalized sleep health promotion at an individual and population level. The lack of an established French version limits the development of effective interventions targeting these populations. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate the French version of the SBS in a representative sample of the general population. Methods: Quota sampling was used to recruit 1,004 participants (18–65 years, mean age: 43 years, 54% of female) who underwent an online survey to complete the SBS, and to assess sleep schedules, sleep quality and disorders, and mental health. Cronbach’s α coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, item-internal consistency (IIC), and item discriminant validity (IDV) of the SBS were computed to assess internal validity while bivariate associations with sleep schedules, sleep quality and disorders, and mental health were used to assess external convergent and discriminant validity. Results: The mean score on the SBS was 12.3 ± 4.9. Item 19 (“Quiet & Dark”) showed the highest rate of correct answers (n = 801, 79.8%), while item 20 (“Recovering sleep”) showed the lowest rate of correct answers (n = 246, 24.5%). Overall, the SBS showed satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.87) and confirmed the three-factor structure proposed by the original study. All items were found consistent (IIC > 0.4) and discriminant (IIC > IDV) except for item 20 (“recovering lost sleep by sleeping for a long time”). Females, older participants, and subjects with short time-in-bed, poor sleep quality, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorder had higher SBS scores while participants with depressive symptoms had lower SBS scores. Conclusion: We successfully translated and validated the French version of the SBS in a representative sample, making it a reliable instrument for researchers and clinicians to assess and target sleep beliefs. Correct answers vary from 25 to 80% which underlines the importance of continuing sleep health promotion campaigns by targeting poorly understood behaviors. Our findings also shed light on the fickleness of beliefs that are prone to vary within individuals across time, in step with societal changes. Several associated factors were identified, thus contributing to our understanding of sleep beliefs and offering insights for personalized approaches to enhance sleep health and overall well-being

Narcolepsy and depression

Narcolepsy main symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. Its chronic course is accompanied by psychosocial impairment added to the difficulties and side effects of stimulants and tricyclics long term use. Depressive complaints are occasionally reported. The aim of this paper was to evaluate objectively the possibility of depression in a sample of 12 narcoleptics (7F;5 M), with mean age of 53 years (12 years SD), using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). The results showed absence of depressive disorder in 75.0% of the cases according to BDI (or 58.3% according to HAM-D). The remaining patients had mild depression (only one patient presented major depression). The findings showed no correlation between narcolepsy and major depression.Narcolepsia é um distúrbio do sono caracterizado por sonolência diurna excessiva e ataques de cataplexia. Sendo crônico, traz uma série de dificuldades psicossociais às quais se aliam aquelas geradas pelos efeitos colaterais dos estimulantes e tricíclicos utilizados. Queixas depressivas são encontradas ocasionalmente. Esta pesquisa buscou verificar objetivamente a ocorrência de depressão em narcolépticos. Foi avaliado um grupo de 12 pacientes narcolépticos (7F; 5M) com média de idade de 53 anos (DP 12) usando-se como instrumentos o Inventário de Beck para Depressão (BDI) e a Escala Hamilton de Depressão (HAM-D). Os resultados demonstraram ausência de distúrbio depressivo em 75.0% dos pacientes avaliados pelo BDI e em 58.3% pela HAM-D. Os demais escores evidenciaram depressão leve ou disforia; depressão maior foi encontrada em apenas um caso. Tais achados não sugerem correlação entre narcolepsia e depressão

International Expert Opinions and Recommendations on the Use of Melatonin in the Treatment of Insomnia and Circadian Sleep Disturbances in Adult Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Introduction: Insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, such as the delayed sleep phase syndrome, are frequent in psychiatric disorders and their evaluation and management in early stages should be a priority. The aim of this paper was to express recommendations on the use of exogenous melatonin, which exhibits both chronobiotic and sleep-promoting actions, for the treatment of these sleep disturbances in psychiatric disorders. Methods: To this aim, we conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA on the use of melatonin for the treatment of insomnia and circadian sleep disorders in neuropsychiatry. We expressed recommendations for the use of melatonin in psychiatric clinical practice for each disorder using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method. Results: We selected 41 studies, which included mood disorders, schizophrenia, substance use disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, autism spectrum disorders, neurocognitive disorders, and delirium; no studies were found for both anxiety and eating disorders. Conclusion: The administration of prolonged release melatonin at 2–10 mg, 1–2 h before bedtime, might be used in the treatment of insomnia symptoms or comorbid insomnia in mood disorders, schizophrenia, in adults with autism spectrum disorders, neurocognitive disorders and during sedative-hypnotics discontinuation. Immediate release melatonin at <1 mg might be useful in the treatment of circadian sleep disturbances of neuropsychiatric disorders

Revealing low-dose radiation damage using single-crystal spectroscopy

Data on the rapid reduction of haem proteins in the X-ray beam at synchrotron sources are presented. The use of single-crystal spectroscopy to detect these changes and their implication for diffraction data collection from oxidized species is also discussed