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.

Mock-ups in design : the implications of utlizing [sic] a mock-up review process in professional practice

The purpose of this research is to examine the use of a mock-up review process in interior design projects to better understand the implications of using such a process within the standard professional practice model. The research consisted of interviewing design professionals who utilize mock-ups as part of their standard of practice. These interviews were centered around two groups - those working in shipbuilding, where mock-ups have a long history, and those working in land-based projects, where mock-up use is rare. Analysis of the interviews indicated a positive relationship between mock-up use and collaboration, innovation, and problem solving. The interviews also brought to light concerns on behalf of all the professionals surveyed about the current practice model in land-based building design and construction projects within the United States. The positive relationships shown in the thesis support further research to explore how mock-ups can be best utilized in interior design.

Effective Knowledge Integration in Emergency Response Organizations

Natural and man-made disasters have gained attention at all levels of policy-making in recent years. Emergency management tasks are inherently complex and unpredictable, and often require coordination among multiple organizations across different levels and locations. Effectively managing various knowledge areas and the organizations involved has become a critical emergency management success factor. However, there is a general lack of understanding about how to describe and assess the complex nature of emergency management tasks and how knowledge integration can help managers improve emergency management task performance. The purpose of this exploratory research was first, to understand how emergency management operations are impacted by tasks that are complex and inter-organizational and second, to investigate how knowledge integration as a particular knowledge management strategy can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency tasks. Three types of specific knowledge were considered: context-specific, technology-specific, and context-and-technology-specific. The research setting was the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the study was based on the survey responses from the participants in past EOC activations related to their emergency tasks and knowledge areas. The data included task attributes related to complexity, knowledge area, knowledge integration, specificity of knowledge, and task performance. The data was analyzed using multiple linear regressions and path analyses, to (1) examine the relationships between task complexity, knowledge integration, and performance, (2) the moderating effects of each type of specific knowledge on the relationship between task complexity and performance, and (3) the mediating role of knowledge integration. As per theory-based propositions, the results indicated that overall component complexity and interactive complexity tend to have a negative effect on task performance. But surprisingly, procedural rigidity tended to have a positive effect on performance in emergency management tasks. Also as per our expectation, knowledge integration had a positive relationship with task performance. Interestingly, the moderating effects of each type of specific knowledge on the relationship between task complexity and performance were varied and the extent of mediation of knowledge integration depended on the dimension of task complexity.

Newcomer Integration in Online Knowledge Communities: Exploring the Role of Dialogic Textual Complexity

Using online knowledge communities (OKCs) as informal learning environments poses the question how likely these will integrate newcomers as peripheral participants. Previous research has identified surface characteristics of the OKC dialog as integrativity predictors. Yet, little is known about the role of dialogic textual complexity. This contribution proposes a comprehensive approach based on previously validated textual complexity indexes and applies it to predict OKC integrativity. The dialog analysis of N = 14 blogger communities with a total of 1937 participants identified three main components of textual complexity: dialog participation, structure and cohesion. From these, dialog cohesion was higher in integrative OKCs, thus significantly predicting OKC integrativity. This result adds to previous OKC research by uncovering the depth of OKC discourse. For educational practice, the study suggests a way of empowering learners by automatically assessing the integrativity of OKCs in which they may attempt to participate and access community knowledge.

In-situ formation of solidified hydrogen thin-membrane targets using a pulse tube cryocooler

An account is given of the Central Laser Facility's work to produce a cryogenic hydrogen targetry system using a pulse tube cryocooler. Due to the increasing demand for low Z thin laser targets, CLF (in collaboration with TUD) have been developing a system which allows the production of solid hydrogen membranes by engineering a design which can achieve this remotely; enabling the gas injection, condensation and solidification of hydrogen without compromising the vacuum of the target chamber. A dynamic sealing mechanism was integrated which allows targets to be grown and then remotely exposed to open vacuum for laser interaction. Further research was conducted on the survivability of the cryogenic targets which concluded that a warm gas effect causes temperature spiking when exposing the solidified hydrogen to the outer vacuum. This effect was shown to be mitigated by improving the pumping capacity of the environment and reducing the minimum temperature obtainable on the target mount. This was achieved by developing a two-stage radiation shield encased with superinsulating blanketing; reducing the base temperature from 14 0.5 K to 7.2 0.2 K about the coldhead as well as improving temperature control stability following the installation of a high-performance temperature controller and sensor apparatus. The system was delivered experimentally and in July 2014 the first laser shots were taken upon hydrogen targets in the Vulcan TAP facility.

Beyond the bottom line: redefining the value of design in SME formation

For SMEs to operate in the complex and globalised economic landscape of today engaging with innovation can sustain competitive advantage. Within Design Management, design is being increasingly posited as a strategic resource to facilitate the absorption of new design resources and leverage design knowledge in ways that support SMEs through such economic pressures. Evidencing the relationship between design and economic performance is complex, leading to extensive current research and industry efforts to show how design adds economic value. Despite the value of such efforts, it is important to recognise that innovation means different things to different organizations, especially for start-ups and SMEs. Within the rising tide of design-led innovation, there is a gap being explored in how design can effectively capture and evaluate its contribution within the complex and diverse situations of business development it engages. In seeking to address this gap, this paper presents findings from research undertaken within Design in Action (DiA), an AHRC-funded knowledge exchange hub. Presenting DiA as a single case study, the paper offers methodical reflection on five case example start-up businesses funded by DiA in order to explore the value that design-led innovation approaches offered in their formation.

Practical challenges in moving to Open Access: a focus on research funders and universities

At the Berlin7 conference in Paris on 3 December 2009 Knowledge Exchange provided a workshop on the practical challenges to be addressed in moving to Open Access. Presentations where provided by John Houghton and Alma Swan discussing the outcomes of studies on the costs and benefits of Open Access for institutions and the society as a whole. These were followed by presentations by two funding agencies on the results of financing publication costs both at an institutional and national level in Germany. Also the results of the Springer deal in the Netherlands where presented. The third section was focused on the results of implementing mandates both by funding bodies and institutions.

Glycosylation and Glycodiversification in Polyketide Antibiotics: Unraveling Biosynthetic Steps in Nogalamycin Formation

Soil-dwelling Streptomyces bacteria are known for their ability to produce biologically active compounds such as antimicrobial, immunosuppressant, antifungal and anticancer drugs. S. nogalater is the producer of nogalamycin, a potential anticancer drug exhibiting high cytotoxicity and activity against human topoisomerases I and II. Nogalamycin is an anthracycline polyketide comprising a four-ring aromatic backbone,a neutral deoxy sugar at C7, and an amino sugar attached via an O–C bond at C1 and a C–C bond between C2 and C5´´. This kind of attachment of the amino sugar is unusual thus making the structure of the compound highly interesting. The sugar is also associated with the biological activity of nogalamycin, as it facilitates binding to DNA. Furthermore, the sugar moieties of anthracyclines are often crucial for their biological activity. Together the interesting attachment of the amino sugar and the general reliance of polyketides on the sugar moieties for bioactivity have made the study of the biosynthesis of nogalamycin attractive. The sugar moieties are typically attached by glycosyltransferases, which use two substrates: the donor and the acceptor. The literature review of the thesis is focused on the glycosylation of polyketides and the possibilities to alter their glycosylation patterns. My own thesis work revolves around the biosynthesis of nogalamycin. We have elucidated the individual steps that lead to its rather unique structure. We reconstructed the whole biosynthetic pathway in the heterologous host S. albus using a cosmid and a plasmid. In the process, we were able to isolate new compounds when the cosmid, which contains the majority of the nogalamycin gene cluster, was expressed alone in the heterologous host. The new compounds included true intermediates of the pathway as well as metabolites, which were most likely altered by the endogenous enzymes of the host. The biological activity of the most interesting new products was tested against human topoisomerases I and II, and they were found to exhibit such activities. The heterologous expression system facilitated the generation of mutants with inactivated biosynthetic genes. In that process, we were able to identify the functions of the glycosyltransferases SnogE and SnogD, solve the structure of SnogD, discover a novel C1-hydroxylase system comprising SnoaW and SnoaL2, and establish that the two homologous non-heme α-ketoglutarate and Fe2+ dependent enzymes SnoK and SnoN catalyze atypical reactions on the pathway. We demonstrated that SnoK was responsible for the formation of the additional C–C bond, whereas SnoN is an epimerase. A combination of in vivo and in vitro techniques was utilized to unravel the details of these enzymes. Protein crystallography gave us an important means to understand the mechanisms. Furthermore, the solved structures serve as platforms for future rational design of the enzymes.

Optimization of aeroponic technology for future integration in quality potato seed production systems in tropical environments

Virus and soil borne pathogens negatively impact on the production of potatoes in tropical highland and sub-tropical environments, limiting supply of an increasingly popular and important vegetable in these regions. It is common for latent disease infected seed tubers or field grown cuttings to be used as potato planting material. We utilised an International Potato Centre technique, using aeroponic technology, to produce low cost mini-tubers in tropical areas. The system has been optimised for increased effectiveness in tropical areas. High numbers of seed tubers of cultivar Sebago (630) and Nicola per m2 (>900) were obtained in the first generation, and the system is capable of producing five crops of standard cultivars in every two years. Initial results indicate that quality seed could be produced by nurseries and farmers, therefore contributing to the minimisation of soil borne diseases in an integrated management plan. This technology reduces seed production costs, benefiting seed and potato growers. © ISHS.