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For several years, climate change in Luxembourg has increasingly resulted, among other things, in precipitation deficits, which causes damage linked to the phenomenon of shrinkage–swelling of clays, affecting both buildings and infrastructures. The south of Luxembourg, with its predominantly marly and clayey Triassic and Jurassic rocks, is particularly at risk. While the usual stabilisation methods are often used, such as underpinning or injecting under the foundations, they have several drawbacks. As an alternative, innovative rainwater reinjection methods have been tested by our office, with encouraging results, and could help to prevent the occurrence of damage to structures. At the same time, the establishment of a hazard map and the development of technical regulations specifying the parameters to be determined and the tests to be carried out would allow better management of the risk by all stakeholders, as well as the limitation of related costs.

Heavy rains in June 2018 damaged a roadbetween Echternach and Berdorf (Luxembourg)so severely that it had to be closed.The river along the road below it destroyedthe existing stabilisation structures, suchas retaining walls and gabion walls, and severely eroded the natural slope coveringthe underlying Luxembourger Sandstone. Water infiltrated the embankment, causinglandslides extending in several placesto below the body of the roadway. Afterclarifying the geological situation anddetermining the geotechnical parametersof the materials, renovation was carried out using natural materials present on the site,which were used to recreate load-bearingstructures reinforced by geogrids andadapted to the landscape in topographicallyvery difficult conditions. From a sustainabilitystandpoint, landslide materialsand locally excavated materials were reusedin a resource-saving manner.

Au collégial, la réussite des étudiant·e·s aux profils et besoins divers pose un défi face auquel certain·e·s enseignant·e·s peuvent décider de répondre en modifiant leurs pratiques. Parmi les modifications de pratique qui peuvent être envisagées se trouve la classe inversée, qui permet aux étudiant·e·s de s’approprier hors-classe des notions à un rythme et moment qui leur conviennent, avant de miser davantage sur l’apprentissage actif en collaboration avec les collègues lors des périodes de classe. Ce changement offre une façon de diversifier les moyens proposés aux étudiant·e·s en vue de soutenir leur réussite, mais est néanmoins complexe à mettre en place par les enseignant·e·s. La présente thèse porte sur la manière dont l’implantation d’un dispositif de classe inversée est vécue par les étudiant·e·s et les enseignant·e·s dans le contexte d’un cours de biologie au collégial. Plus précisément, il y sera question des liens entre la motivation, l’engagement et la perception d’apprentissage chez les étudiant·e·s ainsi que du processus de développement professionnel chez les enseignant·e·s. La motivation sera examinée selon le cadre de la théorie de l’autodétermination (Ryan et Deci, 2017). Celui-ci permettra de considérer différents types de motivation contrôlée et autonomes et de les mettre en relation avec les dimensions affective, comportementale et cognitive de l’engagement (Fredericks et al, 2004) d’étudiant·e·s en classe inversée. Ce cadre motivationnel sera aussi mobilisé pour explorer la satisfaction des besoins fondamentaux des enseignant·e·s que sont les besoins d’autonomie, de compétence et d’appartenance sociale lors de leur processus de développement professionnel. Le processus vécu lors de la complexe implantation de la classe inversée et les relations entre cette nouvelle pratique et les autres domaines identifiés dans le cadre du modèle interconnecté de développement professionnel de Clarke et Hollingsworth (2002) (personnel, conséquences perçues et externe) sera finalement étudié. Par un devis de type design-based, le changement de pratique vers la classe inversée a été étudié lors de deux itérations. D’une part, la motivation, l’engagement (affectif, comportemental et cognitif), la satisfaction dans les études et la perception d’apprentissage des étudiant·e·s ont été mesurés par un questionnaire auquel un total de 254 étudiant·e·s ont participé. D’autre part, une étude multi-cas a été réalisée auprès de quatre enseignant·e·s via une série de huit entrevues menées sur une période de 18 mois débutant avant le changement de pratiques et se terminant à la suite de la deuxième itération. Des analyses statistiques ont été menées à partir des données issues des questionnaires étudiants, alors que les entrevues ont été analysées par une analyse thématique à deux niveaux. Les résultats montrent que les étudiant·e·s ayant participé à la recherche étaient surtout animé·e·s par une forme de motivation autonome, la motivation extrinsèque identifiée. Les analyses de régression linéaire ont révélé que la motivation intrinsèque est liée positivement à toutes les formes d’engagement ainsi qu’à la satisfaction dans les études et à la perception d’apprentissage. La satisfaction dans les études et la perception d’apprentissage plutôt basses mesurées à la première itération se sont avérées plus élevées à la deuxième. Les ajustements posés par les enseignant·e·s ont été nombreux, notamment lors de la première itération. Ce processus complexe de développement professionnel a été marqué par de multiples aller-retours entre le domaine personnel et les domaines des conséquences observées et de la pratique. L’autonomie dans la pratique professionnelle des enseignant·e·s a permis de mettre en action plusieurs idées et de poser des ajustements au dispositif en cours de route. L’apport du domaine externe a été variable et s’est concrétisé parfois par l’apport des données de cette recherche, par des lectures ou encore par les échanges avec les collègues. Intense pour les enseignant·e·s, ce processus a parfois temporairement déstabilisé leur besoin de compétence. Leur besoin d’appartenance sociale a quant à lui partiellement été comblé. Cette meilleure compréhension du processus vécu permet de tracer une ébauche de recommandations pour la pratique de la classe inversée ainsi que pour le soutien au développement professionnel des enseignant·e·s, tout en éclairant des voies de recherche complémentaires., At the college level, the success of students with various profiles and needs poses a challenge, which some teachers may decide to address by changing their practices. Among the changes that can be considered is the flipped classroom, which allows students to learn concepts out-of-class at a pace and moment that suits them, before focusing more on active learning in collaboration with colleagues during the class periods. This change offers a way to provide multiple means to students in order to support their success but is nonetheless complex to implement by teachers. This thesis examines how the implementation of a flipped classroom is experienced by students and teachers in the context of a college biology course. Specifically, it will examine the relationship between motivation, engagement, and perceived learning by students as well as the process of professional development by teachers. Motivation will be examined within the theoretical framework of self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2017), allowing for the consideration of different types of controlled and autonomous motivation and relating them to the affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of engagement (Fredericks et al, 2004) of students in the flipped classroom. This motivational framework will also be used to explore the satisfaction of teachers’ fundamental needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness during the transformation of their practice. The process experienced by teachers during the complex implementation of the flipped classroom will be studied within the framework of the interconnected model of professional development (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002), allowing for an understanding of the relationships between the practice, personal, consequences and external domains in this context. Using a design-based approach, the change in practice towards the flipped classroom was studied during two iterations. On the one hand, students' motivation, engagement (affective, behavioral, and cognitive), study satisfaction and learning perception were measured by a questionnaire in which a total of 254 students participated. In addition, a multi-case study was conducted with four teachers via a series of eight interviews which took place over an 18-month period beginning before the change in practices and ending following the second iteration. Statistical analyses were performed on the data from the student questionnaires, while the interviews were analyzed using a two-level thematic analysis. Results showed that students who participated in the research were primarily driven by a form identified extrinsic motivation, a form of autonomous motivation. Linear regression analyses revealed that intrinsic motivation was positively related to all forms of engagement as well as to academic satisfaction and perceived learning. The rather low academic satisfaction and perception of learning measured in the first iteration were found to increase in the second. The adjustments made by the teachers were numerous, especially during the first iteration. This complex process of professional development was marked by multiple back and forth between the personal domain and the domains of observed consequences and practice. The autonomy of the teachers' professional practice allowed them to put several ideas into action and to make adjustments to the flipped classroom conditions along the way. The contribution of the external domain varied and was sometimes marked by the contribution of data from this research, by readings or by exchanges with colleagues. Experienced as intense by the teachers, this process sometimes temporarily destabilized their need for competence while their need for relatedness was only partially met. This better understanding of the process allows us to outline recommendations for the implementation of the flipped classroom and for the support of teachers' professional development, while shedding light on complementary research avenues.

Assessment of donor suitability and criteria development for tissue donation evaluation which appropriately addresses the risk factors for disease transmission, especially high risk for Hepatitis B or C, HIV or other transmissible diseases as defined by the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, is a continuing concern for tissue banks. The relationship of drug use, especially IV drugs, has been determined to be associated with an increased possibility of reactive serology (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) in Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. Hepatitis C questions and answers for health professionals. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/hcvfaq.htm; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) in infectious diseases, opioids and injection drug use, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/pwid/opioid-use.html; HIH National Institute on Drug Abuse in Health Consequences of Drug Misuse, 2017. https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/health-consequences-drug-misuse). Therefore, prior drug use determined by medical social history screening frequently results in deferral of a potential donor even when the route of drug administration has not been determined to be intravenous. Because of the association of drug use in numerous cases, which come under Medical Examiner jurisdiction, a possible rule out of a number of otherwise suitable medical examiner cases could occur. This retrospective review of medical examiner cases, tissue bank referrals and tissue donors in a 3-year period examines the relationship, if any, between reactive serology and positive toxicology results. These results would appear to indicate assessment of donor medical social history screening is effective in reducing recovery of high-risk donors.

Background Previous studies have shown that older people can experience a considerable change in their physical performance (PP) over time. Objectives To identify PP trajectories and their association with mortality among nursing home residents who were followed up for 3 years. Design Three-year longitudinal observational study. Setting Subjects of the SENIOR cohort. Subjects Six hundred and four nursing home residents with a mean age of 82.9 ± 9.1 years. Methods Baseline characteristics and the date of death were collected from the medical records. PP was assessed annually by the short physical performance battery (SPPB) test. Multiple imputations were performed to manage the missing data. PP trajectory groups were estimated using latent growth curve analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied to examine the risk of mortality according to the PP trajectory groups. Results Three PP trajectory groups were identified: slow decline (N = 96), moderate decline (N = 234) and fast decline (N = 274). After adjustments for potential confounding variables and the baseline SPPB scores, the residents in the fast decline and moderate decline trajectory groups had an increased risk of mortality compared to those in the slow decline trajectory group, with hazard ratio values of 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.34–2.26) and 1.37 (95% CI = 1.10–1.66), respectively. Conclusions PP trajectories provide value-added information to baseline geriatric assessments and could be used for predicting 3-year mortality among nursing home residents. It may be important to regularly monitor the SPPB score and signal an alert when a fast decline in PP is detected in older people.

Être enseignant à l’ère du numérique dépasse largement le contexte de la classe et s’inscrit dans une réalité de plus en plus complexe au postsecondaire (collégial et universitaire), notamment par une multiplication de l’offre de formation en ligne. Les enseignants du postsecondaire sont d’abord des spécialistes de contenu (Bolduc, 2010) et la formation initiale en éducation n’est pas obligatoire pour eux. Alors que le besoin de formation en éducation est partiellement comblé par une offre de formation créditée et non créditée par les établissements d’enseignement supérieur, nous observons actuellement une décentralisation et un éclatement de cette offre. S’inscrivant en cohérence avec le Plan d’action numérique et le Cadre de référence de la compétence numérique, le présent texte explicitera concrètement les liens entre l’état de la connaissance en développement professionnel et les potentialités du numérique., Being a teacher in digital age goes well beyond the classroom and is part of a reality that is becoming increasingly complex at the post-secondary level (college and university), particularly with the multiplication of online training opportunities. Post-secondary teachers are primarily content specialists (Bolduc, 2010) and educational training is not mandatory for them. While the need for educational training is partially met by a supply of credited and non-credited training by higher education institutions, we are now seeing a decentralization and fragmentation of the offer. In line with the Digital Action Plan and the Digital Competency Framework, this text will explain the links between professional development expectancies and the potential of digital technology.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the domains of intrinsic capacity (ie, cognition, locomotion, sensory, vitality, and psychosocial) proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 3-year adverse health outcomes of nursing home residents. Methods A 3-year incidence of mortality, falls, repeated falls, and autonomy decline (ie, a one-unit increase in the Katz score) was assessed in a cohort of Belgian nursing home residents. Cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). For locomotion, balance, gait speed and chair stand performance were evaluated by the Short Physical Performance Battery test. The sensory domain was measured using the Strawbridge questionnaire for audition and vision. For vitality, abdominal circumference, body mass index, nutritional status (by Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA]) and handgrip strength were assessed. Psychosocial status was evaluated by the EQ-5D and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Missing data were handled by multiple imputations. Cox proportional hazard models, logistic regressions, and analysis of variance were used for the analyses. Results In the multivariable model, a one-unit increase in balance performance and in the nutrition score decreased the probability of death by 12% (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78–0.99) and 4% (HR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.93–0.99), respectively. The risk of falling decreased when there was a one-unit increase in balance performance (HR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.79–0.96) and in the nutrition score (HR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.98). No association was found for intrinsic capacity and repeated falls. Low scores in nutrition (odds ratio = 0.86, 95% CI 0.77–0.96) were associated with a higher probability of autonomy decline. Conclusion Some domains of intrinsic capacity predicted health outcomes among nursing home residents. Nutrition and balance should be regularly checked among this population.