Physiotherapy practices and third party payers: issues in professional ethics in British Columbia

During a 4-month period, July 2nd 2014 to November 1st 2014, Canadian physiotherapy (PT) professionals were solicited for participation in an empirical cross-sectional online survey questionnaire. Our research team was interested in exploring the ethical challenges encountered in the interactions between PT professionals and third party payers. Analysis of the survey will be disseminated through scientific publications. The purpose of this report is to give detailed results relevant to your provincial association.

Physiotherapy practices and third party payers: issues in professional ethics in the Prairie provinces

During a 4-month period, July 2nd 2014 to November 1st 2014, Canadian physiotherapy (PT) professionals were solicited for participation in an empirical cross-sectional online survey questionnaire. Our research team was interested in exploring the ethical challenges encountered in the interactions between PT professionals and third party payers. Analysis of the survey will be disseminated through scientific publications. The purpose of this report is to give detailed results relevant to your provincial association.

Physiotherapy practices and third party payers: issues in professional ethics in Ontario

During a 4-month period, July 2nd 2014 to November 1st 2014, Canadian physiotherapy (PT) professionals were solicited for participation in an empirical cross-sectional online survey questionnaire. Our research team was interested in exploring the ethical challenges encountered in the interactions between PT professionals and third party payers. Analysis of the survey will be disseminated through scientific publications. The purpose of this report is to give detailed results relevant to your provincial association.

Physiotherapy practices and third party payers: issues in professional ethics in the Atlantic provinces

During a 4-month period, July 2nd 2014 to November 1st 2014, Canadian physiotherapy (PT) professionals were solicited for participation in an empirical cross-sectional online survey questionnaire. Our research team was interested in exploring the ethical challenges encountered in the interactions between PT professionals and third party payers. Analysis of the survey will be disseminated through scientific publications. The purpose of this report is to give detailed results relevant to your provincial association.

Physiotherapy practices and third party payers: issues in professional ethics in the Northern territories

During a 4-month period, July 2nd 2014 to November 1st 2014, Canadian physiotherapy (PT) professionals were solicited for participation in an empirical cross-sectional online survey questionnaire. Our research team was interested in exploring the ethical challenges encountered in the interactions between PT professionals and third party payers. Analysis of the survey will be disseminated through scientific publications. The purpose of this report is to give detailed results relevant to your provincial association.

Physiotherapy practices and third party payers: issues in professional ethics in Quebec

During a 4-month period, July 2nd 2014 to November 1st 2014, Canadian physiotherapy (PT) professionals were solicited for participation in an empirical cross-sectional online survey questionnaire. Our research team was interested in exploring the ethical challenges encountered in the interactions between PT professionals and third party payers. Analysis of the survey will be disseminated through scientific publications. The purpose of this report is to give detailed results relevant to your provincial association.

Elemental Analysis of Glass and Ink by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

The necessity of elemental analysis techniques to solve forensic problems continues to expand as the samples collected from crime scenes grow in complexity. Laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) has been shown to provide a high degree of discrimination between samples that originate from different sources. In the first part of this research, two laser ablation ICP-MS systems were compared, one using a nanosecond laser and another a femtosecond laser source for the forensic analysis of glass. The results showed that femtosecond LA-ICP-MS did not provide significant improvements in terms of accuracy, precision and discrimination, however femtosecond LA-ICP-MS did provide lower detection limits. In addition, it was determined that even for femtosecond LA-ICP-MS an internal standard should be utilized to obtain accurate analytical results for glass analyses. In the second part, a method using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the forensic analysis of glass was shown to provide excellent discrimination for a glass set consisting of 41 automotive fragments. The discrimination power was compared to two of the leading elemental analysis techniques, µXRF and LA-ICP-MS, and the results were similar; all methods generated >99% discrimination and the pairs found indistinguishable were similar. An extensive data analysis approach for LIBS glass analyses was developed to minimize Type I and II errors en route to a recommendation of 10 ratios to be used for glass comparisons. Finally, a LA-ICP-MS method for the qualitative analysis and discrimination of gel ink sources was developed and tested for a set of ink samples. In the first discrimination study, qualitative analysis was used to obtain 95.6% discrimination for a blind study consisting of 45 black gel ink samples provided by the United States Secret Service. A 0.4% false exclusion (Type I) error rate and a 3.9% false inclusion (Type II) error rate was obtained for this discrimination study. In the second discrimination study, 99% discrimination power was achieved for a black gel ink pen set consisting of 24 self collected samples. The two pairs found to be indistinguishable came from the same source of origin (the same manufacturer and type of pen purchased in different locations). It was also found that gel ink from the same pen, regardless of the age, was indistinguishable as were gel ink pens (four pens) originating from the same pack.

Development and Application of a Multi-dimensional Strategy for Measuring Fidelity of Implementation of a Districtwide Intervention

This symposium describes a multi-dimensional strategy to examine fidelity of implementation in an authentic school district context. An existing large-district peer mentoring program provides an example. The presentation will address development of a logic model to articulate a theory of change; collaborative creation of a data set aligned with essential concepts and research questions; identification of independent, dependent, and covariate variables; issues related to use of big data that include conditioning and transformation of data prior to analysis; operationalization of a strategy to capture fidelity of implementation data from all stakeholders; and ways in which fidelity indicators might be used.

Strontium isotope analysis of seawater and at a mixture of planktic foraminifera during the Paleocene and Early Eocene from different holes of ODP Leg 2008

We refined the strontium isotope seawater curve for the Paleocene and early Eocene by analysis of samples recovered from the Walvis Ridge during Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) Leg 208. The highest 87Sr/86Sr values occurred in the earliest Paleocene at 65 Ma and generally decreased throughout the Paleocene, reaching minimum values between 53 and 51 Ma in the early Eocene before beginning to increase again at 50 Ma. A plausible explanation for the 87Sr/86Sr decrease between 65 and 51 Ma is increased rates of hydrothermal activity and/or the eruption and weathering of large igneous provinces (e.g., Deccan Traps and North Atlantic). Strontium isotope variations closely parallel sea level and benthic d18O changes during the late Paleocene and early Eocene, supporting previous studies linking tectonic reorganization and increased volcanism to high sea level, high CO2, and warm global temperatures.

Synthesis, Modification, and Application of Siloxane Materials for Environmental Sensing

As human populations and resource consumption increase, it is increasingly important to monitor the quality of our environment. While laboratory instruments offer useful information, portable, easy to use sensors would allow environmental analysis to occur on-site, at lower cost, and with minimal operator training. We explore the synthesis, modification, and applications of modified polysiloxane in environmental sensing. Multiple methods of producing modified siloxanes were investigated. Oligomers were formed by using functionalized monomers, producing siloxane materials containing silicon hydride, methyl, and phenyl side chains. Silicon hydride-functionalized oligomers were further modified by hydrosilylation to incorporate methyl ester and naphthyl side chains. Modifications to the siloxane materials were also carried out using post-curing treatments. Methyl ester-functionalized siloxane was incorporated into the surface of a cured poly(dimethylsiloxane) film by siloxane equilibration. The materials containing methyl esters were hydrolyzed to reveal carboxylic acids, which could later be used for covalent protein immobilization. Finally, the siloxane surfaces were modified to incorporate antibodies by covalent, affinity, and adsorption-based attachment. These modifications were characterized by a variety of methods, including contact angle, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dye labels, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The modified siloxane materials were employed in a variety of sensing schemes. Volatile organic compounds were detected using methyl, phenyl, and naphthyl-functionalized materials on a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a refractometer. The Fabry-Perot interferometer was found to detect the analytes upon siloxane extraction by deformation of the Bragg reflectors. The refractometer was used to determine that naphthyl-functionalized siloxanes had elevated refractive indices, rendering these materials more sensitive to some analytes. Antibody-modified siloxanes were used to detect biological analytes through a solid phase microextraction-mediated enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (SPME ELISA). The SPME ELISA was found to have higher analyte sensitivity compared to a conventional ELISA system. The detection scheme was used to detect Escherichia coli at 8500 CFU/mL. These results demonstrate the variety of methods that can be used to modify siloxanes and the wide range of applications of modified siloxanes has been demonstrated through chemical and biological sensing schemes.

Good practices and inclusive Art at the University: the image of the Artist/Teacher and Innovative Pedagogies

The aim of art, as transformer of the individual, has numerous sides which give the human beings a sense of enhancement and growth. It is considered by university the need for our students to take part of this process of social transformation in which they feel the need of helping the community when its members are at risk of social exclusion. Art is considered to be a means, a tool and a purpose for an artis-pedagogue to be used as a guide for the renewal. And the university is also considered as a focus of commitment by means of the development of good practices as well as adopting an open and innovative attitude to any changes aimed at living harmoniously within a more just society.

D6.6 – Summary, Analysis, Road-mapping and Production of Training materials

This deliverable summarizes, validates and explains the purpose and concept behind the RAGE knowledge and innovation management platform as a self-sustainable Ecosystem, supporting innovation processes in the Applied Gaming (AG) industry. The Ecosystem portal will be developed with particular consideration of the demand and requirements of small and medium sized game developing companies, education providers and related stakeholders like AG researchers and AG end-users. The innovation potential of the new platform underlies the following factors: a huge, mostly entire collection of community specific knowledge (e.g., content like media objects, software components and best practices), a structured approach of knowledge access, search and browse, collaboration tools as well as social network analysis tools to foster efficient knowledge creation and transformation processes into marketable technology assets. The deliverable provides an overview of the current status and the remaining work to come, preceding the final version in month 48 of the RAGE project.

Quantitative analysis of methyl and propyl parabens in neonatal DBS using LC–MS/MS

Aim: Excipients are used to overcome the chemical, physical and microbiological challenges posed by developing formulated medicines. Both methyl and propyl paraben are commonly used in pediatric liquid formulations. There is no data on systemic exposure to parabens in neonates. The European Study of Neonatal Exposure to Excipients project has investigated this. Results & methodology: DBS sampling was used to collect opportunistic blood samples. Parabens were extracted from the DBS and analyzed using a validated LC-MS/MS assay.

Discussion & Conclusion: The above assay was applied to analyze neonatal DBS samples. The blood concentrations of parabens in neonates confirm systemic exposure to parabens following administration of routine medicines.

The U.N. convention on the rights of the child: Relevance and application to pediatric clinical bioethics

This article provides an overview of the relevance and import of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to child health practice and pediatric bioethics. We discuss the four general principles of the CRC that apply to the implementation of all rights contained in the document, the right to health articulated in Article 24, and the important position ascribed to parents in fulfilling the rights of their children. We then examine how the CRC is implemented and monitored in law and practice. The CRC and associated principles of child rights provide strategies for rights-based approaches to clinical practice and health systems, as well as to policy design, professional training, and health services research. In light of the relevance of the CRC and principles of child rights to children’s health and child health practice, it follows that there is an intersection between child rights and pediatric bioethics. Pediatric bioethicists and child rights advocates should work together to define this intersection in all domains of pediatric practice.

Evaluation of an alternative spectroscopic approach for aflatoxin analysis: Comparative analysis of food and feed samples with UPLC-MS/MS

Increasing research has highlighted the effects of changing climates on the occurrence and prevalence of toxigenic Aspergillus species producing aflatoxins. There is concern of the toxicological effects to human health and animal productivity following acute and chronic exposure that may affect the future ability to provide safe and sufficient food globally. Considerable research has focused on the detection of these toxins, based on the physicochemical and biochemical properties of the aflatoxin compounds, in agricultural products for human and animal consumption. As improvements in food security continue more regulations for acceptable levels of aflatoxins have arisen globally; the most stringent in Europe. These regulations are important for developing countries as aflatoxin occurrence is high significantly effecting international trade and the economy. In developed countries analytical approaches have become highly sophisticated, capable of attaining results with high precision and accuracy, suitable for regulatory laboratories. Regrettably, many countries that are affected by aflatoxin contamination do not have resources for high tech HPLC and MS instrumentation and require more affordable, yet robust equally accurate alternatives that may be used by producers, processors and traders in emerging economies. It is especially important that those companies wishing to exploit the opportunities offered by lucrative but highly regulated markets in the developed world, have access to analytical methods that will ensure that their exports meet their customers quality and safety requirements.

This work evaluates the ToxiMet system as an alternative approach to UPLC–MS/MS for the detection and determination of aflatoxins relative to current European regulatory standards. Four commodities: rice grain, maize cracked and flour, peanut paste and dried distillers grains were analysed for natural aflatoxin contamination. For B1 and total aflatoxins determination the qualitative correlation, above or below the regulatory limit, was good for all commodities with the exception of the dried distillers grain samples for B1 for which no calibration existed. For B1 the quantitative R² correlations were 0.92, 0.92, 0.88 (<250 μg/kg) and 0.7 for rice, maize, peanuts and dried distillers grain samples respectively whereas for total aflatoxins the quantitative correlation was 0.92, 0.94, 0.88 and 0.91. The ToxiMet system could be used as an alternative for aflatoxin analysis for current legislation but some consideration should be given to aflatoxin M1 regulatory levels for these commodities considering the high levels detected in this study especially for maize and peanuts