No abstract

The results of a geophysical and geotechnical investigation in a sensitive clay deposit affected by numerous landslide scars in Vases Creek Valley near Brownsburg, Quebec, Canada are presented herein. The main objective of this investigation was to assess the suitability of electrical resistivity measurements in marine clay deposits for mapping out areas prone to flowslides. In addition to a 1.6 km-long electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) carried out perpendicular to the axis of the Vases Creek Valley, six piezocone penetration tests and five boreholes with sampling were also performed along the geophysical survey line. Moreover, standard geotechnical parameters and pore water salinity, as well as electrical resistivity of undisturbed clay samples were measured in the laboratory. According to the correlations found between the remoulded shear strength, the pore water salinity and the electrical resistivity, clay samples with salinity below 6.2 g/l are characterized by remoulded shear strength below 1 kPa and electrical resistivity above 2.8 and 10 Ωm measured respectively in the field and in the laboratory. In such conditions, sensitive clay deposits can be prone to flowslides if all other criteria are also met. Based on this resistivity limit value, only one small area of non-sensitive clay was identified in the interpretative stratigraphic cross-section assessed from the field investigation. Otherwise, the deposit is entirely composed of sensitive clay. The ERT is a promising geophysical tool for the delineation of areas prone to large landslides in eastern Canada.

IntroductionPeople with a traumatic brain injury and who present with an unsafe or problematic substance use of psychoactive substances (PAS) face specific challenges in social integration resulting from the negative impacts of substance use on the benefits of rehabilitation services and treatments.MethodsA systematic review of grey and scientific literature was conducted. The selection and coding of the included interventions (according to their characteristics), as well as descriptive analyses, resulted in findings which describe the interventions under study. Grades of evidence strength were attributed to the findings based on a range of factors including the methodological characteristics of the studies. Findings resulting from the systematic review were contextualized with information collected from administrative databases, clinical program documentation, and experiential data obtained from rehabilitation professionals. Recommendations were elaborated based on the aggregated data sources and informal deliberations by a committee involving researchers and clinicians.ResultsOut of 5014 selected references, 14 studies examining 13 interventions which targeted social integration of the management of PAS were included. Interventions with the strongest evidence base are user-centered (i.e., support individual choices and personal autonomy), individualized (i.e., considered individual needs and characteristics), and educational (i.e., support the acquisition of strategies and abilities). The evidence base was considered “emerging” for interventions which are systemic in nature (i.e., relate to familial, social, cultural, educational or professional environments), interdisciplinary (i.e., involve clinicians with distinct training, competences and expertise), and ecological (i.e., which involve interventions in the client’s living settings). While additional research is necessary to better support their efficacy, these interventions exhibited promising effects on various outcomes.ConclusionsThe analysis and synthesis of three streams of information resulted in five clinical practice recommendations relating to integration to school and productive activities, psychological adaptation, integration in living settings and independence, social life and sense of belonging, and finally, use of PAS. Recommendations should help support clinicians in rehabilitation settings.