The adoption of open government by local governments in Canada: Obstacles and possibilities

The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which dimensions of open government have been adopted by local governments in Canada. Local government structures are sometimes conceptualized as particularly well suited to democratic experimentation. Certainly, it has been the case that many governmental/democratic reform initiatives have started at the local/municipal level. Exploring open government at the local level provides us with insights into two questions. First, it helps us determine the extent to which open government has permeated beyond federal and provincial levels of government in Canada. Second, due to the challenges associated with open government, it allows us to identify and highlight such challenges.Le présent document a pour objet d’explorer dans quelle mesure les administrations locales ont adopté les dimensions d’un gouvernement ouvert. Les structures d’administrations locales sont parfois considérées comme particulièrement bien adaptées à l’expérimentation démocratique. Certes, de nombreuses initiatives liées à la réforme gouvernementale et démocratique ont été lancées au niveau local et municipal. L’exploration d’un gouvernement ouvert au niveau local nous permet d’explorer les enjeux concernant deux questions. Premièrement, cela nous aide à déterminer dans quelle mesure le gouvernement ouvert s’est répandu au-delà du gouvernements fédéral et des gouverenement provinciaux au Canada. Deuxièmement, en raison des défis associés au gouvernement ouvert, cela nous permet d’identifier et de mettre en évidence de tels défis

Michigan’s uneven and unequal approach to taking over municipal governments in financial distress is linked to local drinking water crises.

From 2015 to 2019 the city of Flint, Michigan experienced a drinking water crisis which saw thousands of residents exposed to water-borne diseases and potential lead contamination. In new research, Sara Hughes and Anna Kopec examine the role of Michigan’s municipal takeover laws – which are intended to tackle local financial distress – in shaping water crises in Flint and elsewhere. They find that the state’s municipal takeover policies were often applied unevenly and inequitably, with cities placed under emergency management more likely to experience rising water rates, water service shutoffs, and attempts at privatization, often without public input

Genetic evaluation of relationship between mutations in rpoB and resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to rifampin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rifampin is a first line antituberculosis drug active against bacilli in logarithmic and stationary phase, which interferes with RNA synthesis by binding to bacterial RNA polymerase. Tubercle bacilli achieve resistance to rifampin by accumulation of mutations in a short-81 bp region of the <it>rpoB </it>gene. Among many mutations identified in the <it>rpo</it>B gene, few were verified by molecular genetic methods as responsible for resistance to rifampin (RMP).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study eight different mutations identified in an 81 bp section of a "hot spot" region of the <it>rpo</it>B gene of RMP resistant <it>Mycobacterium tuberculosis </it>clinical strains were evaluated in respect to drug resistance. It was found that: mutations in positions 526 (H/D), 516 (D/V) and 531 (S/L) result in high level resistance to rifampin; mutations in positions 516 (D/Y), 515 (M/I), 510 (Q/H) or a double mutation in codons 512 (S/I) and 516 (D/G) relate to low level of resistance. Gene <it>rpo</it>B carrying mutations in codon 513 (Q/L) introduced into an <it>M. tuberculosis </it>laboratory strain did not cause resistance to rifampin, however the same gene introduced into two different clinical strains did, with the level of resistance depending on the host strain.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Mutations in an 81 bp "hot spot" region of the <it>rpoB </it>of <it>M. tuberculosis </it>lead to different levels of resistance to rifampin. Some mutations in this "hot spot" region of <it>rpoB </it>require a specific genetic background for the host strain to develop resistance to rifampin. Therefore, the identification of such mutations in a clinical <it>M. tuberculosis </it>strain is not enough to classify the given strain as resistant to rifampin.</p

Requirement of focal adhesion kinase in branching tubulogenesis

We previously demonstrated that α3β1 integrins are essential to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-independent branching tubulogenesis in Mardin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells. However, the involvement of integrin downstream signaling molecules remains unclear. In the present study, we successfully isolated cell lines possessing different tubulogenic potentials from the MDCK cells; cyst clones (CA4, CA6) forming cystic structures when cultured in 0.3% type I collagen gel and mass clones (M610, M611, M612) forming aggregated masses. Cyst clones maintained cystic structure in 0.1% collagen gel, whereas mass clones spontaneously developed into tubules. Both clones exhibited various morphologies when cultured on a dish: cyst clones formed aggregated islands, while mass clones were more scattered and exhibited higher migration capacity. Among several focal adhesion machinery proteins examined, only the expression and phosphorylation level of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in mass clones was higher than in cyst clones, while other proteins showed no obvious differences. However, overexpression of wild type FAK in CA6 cells did not facilitate branching tubule formation in 0.1% collagen gel. Targeted decrease in the expression level of FAK in M610 cells with the application of antisense cDNA resulted in a marked reduction of branching tubule formation in 0.1% collagen gel and showed a down-regulation of fibronectin assembly, which is known to promote tubulogenesis. In contrast, overexpression of wild type FAK in CA6 cells had no effect on fibronectin assembly. Taken together, our data demonstrates that FAK is required, but not sufficient for HGF-independent branching tubulogenesis in MDCK cells

Exploring the role of empathy in social enterprise

An exploration into why communities cooperate and what enables us to take another person’s perspective into account transpires as valuable for social development and crucial in many situations in everyday life. The root definition of empathy, a term coined in 1858 by Rudolf Lotze based on a translation of the Greek term: empatheia, defines empathy as an ability to recognise oneself in another. Simply put, empathy is the experience of putting oneself in the shoes of somebody else. Multi-disciplinary interest in empathy provides a rich source of prior literature from where to begin to explore the under-researched role of empathy in Social Enterprise (SE). SE is increasingly recognised as an important contributor to societal and/or environmental regeneration through its pursuit of a social and/or environmental mission. In tackling social inequalities and unmet need, SEs address social problems in entrepreneurial and innovative ways. Inherent to SE is the need to connect and work with others in a much more collaborative way to traditional business, given that the beneficiaries of a SE are the central focus of the social mission and also valuable stakeholders. In working together a sense of reciprocal benefit is shared between the SE and its beneficiaries. The fieldwork took the form of a five month ethnography within one SE based in London. The organisation was established in the 1980s and has grown from a small workforce to now employ approximately one thousand people. The results of the research offer contributions to theory combined with practice, as the ethnographic methods provided the researcher with an opportunity to explore what is said about SE and what is done, in practice. The current research emphasises the connected nature of people and the dependence people have on one another, and this dependence is particularly related to SE. Emergent findings suggest empathy is like a ‘currency’ in SE. The SE and beneficiaries are as reliant on each other to achieve the collective social mission. Empathy emerges as vital for working together with a range of stakeholders, for the purpose of sharing viewpoints and creating welcomed services in the community. Furthermore, empathy emerges as a key contributor in sharing perspectives, motivating action for collective ends and striving for joint goals

Do Service-Providing Nonprofits Contribute to Democratic Inclusion? Analyzing Democracy Promotion by Canadian Homeless Shelters

Nonprofits are key social service providers in many Western welfare states. Yet the nonprofits that deliver government-funded public services are also an important part of civil society and, in theory, promote democratic inclusion through their democratic civil society function. But to what extent do welfare-providing nonprofits carry out democracy-promoting activities in reality and what do these activities include? Using a survey distributed to Canadian charities that operate government-funded homeless shelters, we find evidence of activities falling within three areas of democracy promotion: support for political participation, internal democratic governance, and representative voice. The variation amongst different activities is presented in ideal types, which can inform future studies of the democratic function of nonprofits. Our empirical results point to a vital role of homeless shelters that extends beyond the provision of basic needs and contribute to a better understanding of the modalities of democratic inclusion for excluded populations.

The Effect of Walking an Unfamiliar Versus Companion Dog on Mood, Exercise Enjoyment, and Heart Rate: A Pilot Field Study

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 2: Issue 1, Article 3, 2021. Background: Walking unfamiliar dogs, such as therapy dogs, has been shown to improve physiological exercise responses and exercise adherence, but whether walking a companion dog results in superior benefits is currently unknown. The purpose of the current pilot field study was to elucidate preliminary evidence of how walking an unfamiliar or companion dog influences mood, exercise enjoyment, and heart rate during a 1.5-mile walk. Methods: Participants (n=8) walked 1.5-miles at their own pace with an unfamiliar or companion dog while mood, exercise enjoyment, and heart rate were measured. Point of application #1: Walking an unfamiliar dog resulted in improved pre- to post- exercise mood changes compared to walking their own companion dog. Point of application #2: Enjoyment of exercise was higher while walking the unfamiliar dog compared to the companion dog. Point of application #3: Mean exercise heart rate was significantly higher while walking the unfamiliar versus companion dog although time to completion of the 1.5-miles was unaffected

Social Enterprise in the United Kingdom: Models and Trajectories

This paper begins by describing (in part A) the UK concept of social enterprise and how it is operationalised (section A.1); this is followed by an overview of the challenges of estimating the population of social enterprise in the UK, despite or because of different government-sponsored surveys (section A.2); this first part concludes with a review of the evolution of policy discourse for social enterprise (section A.3). The second part of the paper goes on to describe (sections B.1 to B.4) the different models that have evolved from different origins in the UK (with the main emphasis being on experience in England); in order to contextualise an understanding of these models, it describes three fields (section B.5)—work integration, community development, and public services; these illustrate the fluidity of models in the UK, where typically different models may be found within each field. Finally, Part C describes at a general level the relevant institutional frameworks and trajectories of the main social enterprise models

Hepatocyte tissue factor contributes to the hypercoagulable state in a mouse model of chronic liver injury

Patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis have a dysregulated coagulation system and are prone to thrombosis. The basis for this hypercoagulable state is not completely understood. Tissue factor (TF) is the primary initiator of coagulation in vivo. Patients with cirrhosis have increased TF activity in white blood cells and circulating microparticles. The aim of our study was to determine the contribution of TF to the hypercoagulable state in a mouse model of chronic liver injury