VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
From knowledge transfer to knowledge transformation: a manufacturing workplace intervention study

The primary purpose of this study was to describe a knowledge transfer process that included a knowledge broker transferring a body of research to a manufacturing workplace, the establishing of relationships with workplace parties, and the utilization of the knowledge by decision-makers within that workplace. This study was an examination of how an intense, sustained, interactive engagement between a research institute and a workplace can influence workplace decision makers to adopt externally-developed knowledge. This qualitative study encompassed 13 site visits, 72 semi-structured interviews and notes from company meetings and facilitated meetings, and 58 observations and memos, over a period of eight months during 2001. The intervention at the Plant had three distinct phases. The first was establishing a strong relationship with the Medical Officer who had provided entree to the Plant. The second was typified by one-on-one personal interviews with 23 individuals (many of whom I interviewed more than once), attending company meetings as an observer and being conducted on plant tours. The third was when I was facilitating meetings that had been especially convened to discuss the Institute's research. Both social processing outcomes and more traditional knowledge utilization outcomes were noted. The social processing outcomes demonstrated that the research was regarded as relevant and compatible to existing policies and procedures, the workplace parties were receptive to the knowledge, and the research was regarded as emotionally evocative. Yet there were a number of political barriers to knowledge utilization, including a poor safety climate, competition from numerous internally-generated programs, and union-management relations that were not conducive to change. The knowledge utilization outcomes included conceptual use, instrumental, and symbolic use. Conceptual use of the knowledge was demonstrated when conversations on safety became an integral part of daily worklife. Instrumental use of the knowledge was demonstrated when people used the research to solve every-day problems, the superintendents established a “soft-skills” safety training course for the supervisors, and the managers agreed to hold daily plant tours focusing on safety. Symbolic use of the knowledge was demonstrated when management attempted to use the research to further their strategic initiative to institute team-based work processes.

Keywords: Work environment, Study and teaching
Industrial management
Industrial hygiene
Industrial safety
Industrial productivity
Work environment, Psychological aspects
Organizational behavior
Optical polarization of selectively functionalized cadmium selenide nanorods and potential for application in selective detection of oligonucleotides

A nucleic acid biosensing strategy that involves immobilization of oligonucleotide probes onto CdSe nanorods (NRs) is being investigated. Experiments have demonstrated presence of polarization memory in solutions of randomly oriented NRs. This can be related to the mismatch between dielectric constants of NRs and solvent, as well as to anisotropy of optical matrix elements. Selective functionalization of both apexes of CdSe NRs with gold nanoparticles was achieved. This derivatization was selected to allow for preferential immobilization of NRs on a surface. Preliminary work to conduct sandwich-type assay with two oligonucleotide probes complementary to a target sequence was initiated. The proposed design is based on orientation of bioconjugated NRs and the subsequent changes of emission polarization as a result of the hybridization. This biosensor technology may provide a sensitive and selective method for rapid and reliable detection of oligonucleotides in a strategy that does not rely on labeling of probes and targets.
An examination of policy implications for scope of services and geography for telehealth

Background. Why, despite enthusiasm, is telehealth still a relatively minor part of healthcare delivery in many health systems? We examined two less-considered policy issues: the scope of services being offered by telehealth and how this matches existing arrangements for insured services; and how telehealth services, which allow barriers associated with geography to be minimized, are managed in a system organized and financed on provincial/regional boundaries. Specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: (1) How do telehealth programs address the complexities that arise from the conflict between a health care system oriented towards geographically-based coverage and the ability of telehealth to erode distance and access barriers? (2) What types of services do Canadian telehealth programs currently offer? (3) How well does the scope of services currently being offered match existing definitions of insured services? (4) How are telehealth services currently financed? (5) What do these findings mean for the ability to integrate telehealth services into the Canadian health care environment?Conclusion. Despite high hopes that telehealth would improve access to care for rural/remote areas, gatekeeping inherent in certain telehealth systems imposes barriers to unfettered use by rural/remote areas, although it does facilitate other valued activities. Policy approaches are needed to promote a closer match between the expectations for telehealth and the realities reflected by many existing models. Methods. Fifty-three semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders involved in the management of 43 Canadian telehealth programs were conducted. As well, a document review was undertaken. Quantitative activity data was analyzed from 33 telehealth programs. Results. Two telehealth models emerged: telephone-based (N=3), and videoconferencing-based (N=40). Most programs reflected, rather than superseded, existing geographical boundaries; with the technology being used, the videoconferencing models imposed significant barriers to unfettered access by outlying communities because they required sites to acquire expensive technology, be affiliated with an existing telehealth network, and schedule visits in advance. In consequence, much activity was administrative and educational, rather than clinical, and often extended beyond the set of mandatory insured services.
Effects of nitrogen sparging on fermentative hydrogen production

This research examined nitrogen sparging during fermentative hydrogen production in order to develop an understanding of the mechanism(s) by which it increases the H2 yield. A static headspace-gas chromatographic procedure was improved and used to measure dissolved H2 and CO 2 in laboratory-scale continuous mixed-culture bioreactors operated at 25°C, 8 or 10 h hydraulic retention time, N2 sparging at 0 to 86 mL/min/L-liquid and 10 g/L glucose. N2 sparging increased the H2 yield by 36--100%, from approximately 1.1 to 1.5--2.0 mol H2/mol glucose converted. An optimal sparging rate was observed at 12 mL/min/L. Sparging at 80--90 mL/min/L decreased the dissolved H2 and CO2 concentrations by 60% and 90% relative to their unsparged concentrations of approximately 1.3 and 20 mM, respectively. Regardless of the amount of sparging, dissolved H2 and CO2 remained supersaturated with respect to their headspace concentrations. The H2-producing culture also consumed H2, which could be inhibited by removal of CO2. Homoacetogenesis was assumed, but could not be definitively confirmed due to the high background acetate concentrations. Using serum vial activity tests and assuming the H2 consumption rate followed double-Monod-type kinetics, the maximum specific rate of H2 utilisation and the half-saturation constant for CO 2 were measured to be 0.002 mmol H2/mg VSS/h and 0.2 mM HCO 3--, respectively. Existing and new hypotheses for the mechanisms by which N2 sparging increases the H2 yield were evaluated. The assumption that sparging decreases inhibition of NADH:ferredoxin oxidoreductase is not likely because even at the highest sparging rates dissolved H2 was>400 muM whereas the enzyme is inhibited at>0.3 muM. And although H2 consumption was predicted to decrease by 40--60% during N2, sparging, it could not explain the increased H2 yields. Electron balances indicated N2 sparging decreased the concentration of unidentified soluble substances measured as chemical oxygen demand, and a proposed conceptual model indicated this was a possible source of electrons for the increased H2 production. The model assumed kinetic regulation of electron transfer from ferredoxin to H2 or unidentified substances caused by reversible binding of H2 with free hydrogenase. Further research is required to develop and validate the conceptual model.
Glyburide transport in the human mammary gland and the placenta: implications for developmental toxicology

Results. There was no detectable glyburide in any breast milk samples. There was significant transfer of glyburide against the concentration gradient from fetus to mother. Verapamil did not modify glyburide transport. Background. Oral hypoglycemics have been avoided due to assumptions that their placental transfer or transfer into breast milk may cause fetal-neonatal hypoglycemia. Glyburide transfer into breast milk has not been examined. Methods. Women were given a single oral dose of glyburide. Glyburide concentrations were determined in plasma and breast milk. In vitro perfusion studies of human cotyledon were performed to quantify placental transfer. In parallel experiments, verapamil (PgP inhibitor) was added. Conclusions. Glyburide in breast milk is not detectable above the LOD. The maximum relative infant exposure is negligible. This is the first direct evidence of active glyburide transport from the fetus to the mother. These experiments suggest that glyburide is actively effluxed by a transporter other than PgP.
Stream water temperature and climate change - an ecological perspective

Rivers and streams are complex environments where physical, biological and chemical processes take place simultaneously and jointly determine the water quality. Freshwater must be well managed and protected because it shelters an enormous amount of aquatic species. In this context, stream water temperature is a crucial water quality parameter, for it determines the fitness and life of all aquatic organisms. This work reviews the thermal tolerance of such organisms, summarizes their behavioral and physiological responses to temperature, and outlines the major factors determining water temperature. To predict the influence of both air temperature and climate change on streams, Mohseni's non-linear regression model is reviewed and applied to several monitored watersheds in Ontario. A detailed case study involving Wilmot creek shows both the suitability of Mohseni's model for existing temperature regimes, and predicts that an increase of 5°C in air temperature will likely result in an increase in average weekly stream temperatures of between 2.6 and 3.3°C.
Understanding teaching in Polish MBA programs: a case study of perspectives of Polish academic teachers

Polish Higher Educational (HE) programs are currently undergoing the process of reorientation to meet the changing societal, economic and educational needs and demands as a result of the globally transforming Polish context. Among those, MBA (Master of Business and Administration) programs have been the most dynamically developing area in the Polish HE system in the last decade. While their innovative structures and format continue to be the focal point of research during the transformation period, the nature of teaching in these new programs is not as yet documented. This descriptive and interpretative inquiry focuses, therefore, on the latter concern and explores some of the current conceptualizations of teaching and development of professionals in the context of Polish MBA programs. Based on a Canadian model, these programs claim to help students to prepare for the challenges of the transforming business sector by providing them with solid understanding of management issues, opportunities to develop a variety of managerial skills and professional values, as well as encouraging the process of their ongoing professional development. This inquiry explores how these issues, disregarded by Polish academic teachers prior to 1990 and viewed as critical during the post-1990 period, have been integrated into their teaching in MBA programs. This study describes and interprets how Polish academic teachers understand the role of MBA programs in the Polish context and adapt them to local needs. It provides insights into teachers' evolving perspectives on teaching, learning and professional development, as well as the altering classroom practices as influenced by their experiences in a variety of contexts and situations. Finally, it considers a wide array of factors and forces that either encourage or affect the quality of teaching in Polish MBA programs. The literature on teaching in higher education in the countries of the former Eastern bloc focuses primarily on describing changing educational structures as viewed from the perspective of external researchers, rather than its immediate participants. This inquiry fills this gap and emphasizes the understanding of teaching in MBA programs from the standpoint of their teachers and students. It contributes to a better understanding of various factors that influence the nature and focus of teaching in Polish MBA programs.

Keywords: Teaching, Poland
Master of business administration degree, Poland
Business education, Poland
College teachers, Poland
College teachers, Attitudes
College teachers, Poland
Education, Higher, Poland
Cross-cultural study on amae and anger between Japan and Canada

This questionnaire study investigated the understanding, subjective experience, and meta-emotion of anger and amae (a Japanese emotion of wanting to be loved) in Japan and Canada. The participants were Canadian (n = 50) and Japanese (n = 47) undergraduates. The results for anger indicated that the understanding, subjective experience, and meta-emotion of anger were similar between the two cultures, while there were some differences in the elicitor of anger. The results for amae indicated that the Canadians didn't have a superordinate concept that includes both good and bad aspects of amae (although they had an understanding of good and bad amae considered separately). Canadians did not make a clear distinction between feeling amae themselves and accepting other people's amae and, unlike the Japanese, their meta-emotion did not change between good amae and bad amae. The discussion deals with the cross-cultural similarities and differences of these two emotions, and their implications for personally experienced emotions.

Keywords: Emotions
Anger
Japanese, Psychology
Canadians, Psychology
Regulatory barriers to Russian companies entering the Canadian capital market

There is an ongoing trend towards the globalization and internationalization of capital markets among different countries. However, statistics show that the Canadian capital market lacks a substantial presence of foreign companies that is in sharp contrast to the American capital market. In light of this data, it is necessary to evaluate what barriers in the Canadian securities law prevent foreign companies from going public in Canada. This thesis is focused mainly on revealing these barriers based on the analysis of Ontario securities regulation as applied to a potential Russian issuer. Moreover, as a secondary objective this thesis examines the ways in which the Canadian securities regulators may enhance the attractiveness of the Canadian capital markets for foreign issuers on the international arena.
Comprehension of facial emotion and facial display rules in children with spina bifida

Children with spina bifida (SB) have paradoxical social-cognitive abilities. They are friendly and sociable, yet they seem unable to fine-tune their communication to match the needs of the listener. This study investigated the awareness of socially expressed emotion of children with SB. We compared how 12 children with SB and 8 typically developing age peers understood the emotions used to express their feelings (emotional communication), and the emotions used to express socially appropriate affect (emotive communication). Children with SB were less accurate at understanding the displayed facial expressions, and they were less able to identify reasons for modulating the felt emotions in response to social demands. When within-group comparisons were made, children with SB had more difficulty with emotive than with emotional communication. This study yields new findings about the social-cognitive abilities of children with SB, and indicates that they have difficulty with aspects of the social expression of emotion.
Elongin from saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mammalian Elongin is a heterotrimeric transcription elongation factor composed of A, B, and C subunits. Elongin A contains the transcription activity. Elongin C stimulates Elongin A activity, and Elongin B plays a chaperone-like function that stabilizes the Elongin ABC complex. The amino terminus of Elongin A, as well as that of a related transcription elongation factor, TFIIS, also interacts with an RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. In addition to their role as transcription elongation factors, the mammalian Elongins are components of the cellular ubiquitination machinery. In particular, Elongins B and C associate with several E3 ubiquitin ligase activities. I identified sequence homologues of Elongin A and Elongin C, but not Elongin B, in the genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Neither yeast Elongin A nor C sequence homologues were required for cell viability, nor were any obvious phenotypes detected in deletions of the two genes. A recombinant yeast Elongin A/Elongin C complex, which could only be produced in bacteria if the gene products were co-expressed, was purified over several chromatographic steps. The complex did not stimulate transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II, but did associate with an ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro. Using limited proteolysis, the N-terminal 143 residues of yeast Elongin A were shown to be sufficient for interaction with yeast Elongin C. The purified yeast Elongin C/Elongin A1–143 complex was analyzed using circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These studies revealed that yeast Elongin A is unfolded but undergoes a dramatic modification of its structure in the presence of Elongin C. I also identified a stable region of yeast TRIS that was suitable for structure studies by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Termed domain I, this fragment spanned residues 1–111, contained the residues most conserved with mammalian Elongin A, expressed to relatively high levels, and was stable for several weeks. Valerie Booth (Cheryl Arrowsmith Lab) determined the structure of this domain. The structure revealed that a charged surface patch is conserved in TRIS and mammalian Elongin A, possibly reflecting a common protein interaction surface.
The effect of dietary factors on biomarkers of breast cancer risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers

The lifetime risk of developing breast cancer due to an inherited mutation in the breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1, is estimated to be 80%. Management options include screening for early detection or primary prevention with prophylactic surgery or drug therapy. The limited uptake of these options illustrates the need to explore alternative preventive strategies that include dietary or lifestyle changes. Prospective trials using breast cancer as the principle endpoint when evaluating the protective role of nutrients is not feasible in this high-risk population. BRCA1 helps maintain genomic integrity through the participation in antioxidant responses and the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks. Thus, the overall goal of this dissertation was to exploit the known functions of the BRCA1 protein to elucidate a biomarker that could distinguish between BRCA1 mutation carriers and non-carriers, and furthermore, to correlate these markers of susceptibility with levels of dietary factors, more specifically, coffee, selenium and lycopene. These nutrients were selected based on the hypothesis that dietary changes that decrease oxidative damage (possibly linked to estrogen exposure) or enhance the DNA damage repair pathways, may modulate breast cancer risk. We evaluated the ability of a panel of biomarkers that reflected both DNA repair capacity and oxidative status to predict the presence of a BRCA1 mutation, and found no difference. Coffee consumption was associated with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk among mutation carriers. Among women with a BRCA1 mutation, toenail selenium was associated with significantly lower levels of chromosomal damage as assessed by the micronucleus test. An increase in oxidative damage to proteins, and to a lesser extent, lipids, with increasing dietary lycopene intake was limited to mutation carriers. These pro-oxidant effects require confirmation. Collectively, these findings translate into the prevention of BRCA1-associated breast cancer through interventions with selenium and other factors that may minimize chromosomal damage. The prospect of unique diets to prevent hereditary breast cancer may therefore be possible by protecting genomic stability due to an inherited BRCA1 mutation.