The Municipal Role in Child Care – Ontario

This paper examines the municipal role in child care based on interviews, surveys, workshops, conferences, and focus groups with officials from Ontario municipalities. The findings reveal that the planning and development of human services is shared between the provincial and municipal levels of government but provincial legislation regarding child care must include the appropriate allocation of responsibility to the municipal level in order to ensure that the service is institutionalized

The determination of the HOR/HER reaction mechanism from experimental kinetic data

Hydrogen oxidation and evolution are important processes from both a fundamental and applied perspective. In interpreting experimental kinetic data, few studies have explicitly accounted for the impact of H* coverage and mass transport, which lead to discrepancies in the kinetic parameters and the resultant reaction mechanism. Here, we present how to determine the kinetic parameters accounting for both effects. We discuss the use of the kinetic parameters towards mechanistic interpretations for HOR/HER and show that, in general, knowledge of the coverage of H* or activation energies may be required to assign a reaction mechanism. We apply these ideas to activity data of several HOR and HER electrocatalysts, such as Au, Pt, MoS2, and CoP

Forecasting New Zealand Corporate Failures 2001-10: Opportunity Lost?

Knowing whether an organization will fail is useful information for investors and other stakeholders. Looking to 36 New Zealand corporate failures (2001-2010), we find that anticipation of their demise was not clearly signalled in the public media. The question then emerges as to whether better forecasts of impending failure could have been derived from information that was publicly available at the time. The aim of this project is to identify the potential for having better anticipated these failures, and to consider implications of that found. Selecting thirteen indicators and three models from the literature, 25 failing and a matched 25 non-failing companies are compared using data up to three years prior to failure. Findings from ANOVA and Chi-Square tests reveal a majority of significant differences which grow closer to failure dates. We conclude that while using such information would have revealed indications of problems for individual companies, definitive assertions of impending failure would not have been justified. Nonetheless, corporate failure forecasts could have been of benefit to users, as long as such forecasts had been qualified as ‘concerns’

Forecasting New Zealand Corporate Failures 2001-10: Opportunity Lost?

Knowing whether an organization will fail is useful information for investors and other stakeholders. Looking to 36 New Zealand corporate failures (2001-2010), we find that anticipation of their demise was not clearly signalled in the public media. The question then emerges as to whether better forecasts of impending failure could have been derived from information that was publicly available at the time. The aim of this project is to identify the potential for having better anticipated these failures, and to consider implications of that found. Selecting thirteen indicators and three models from the literature, 25 failing and a matched 25 non-failing companies are compared using data up to three years prior to failure. Findings from ANOVA and Chi-Square tests reveal a majority of significant differences which grow closer to failure dates. We conclude that while using such information would have revealed indications of problems for individual companies, definitive assertions of impending failure would not have been justified. Nonetheless, corporate failure forecasts could have been of benefit to users, as long as such forecasts had been qualified as ‘concerns’

A computer-assisted motivational social network intervention to reduce alcohol, drug and HIV risk behaviors among Housing First residents.

BackgroundIndividuals transitioning from homelessness to housing face challenges to reducing alcohol, drug and HIV risk behaviors. To aid in this transition, this study developed and will test a computer-assisted intervention that delivers personalized social network feedback by an intervention facilitator trained in motivational interviewing (MI). The intervention goal is to enhance motivation to reduce high risk alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and reduce HIV risk behaviors.Methods/designIn this Stage 1b pilot trial, 60 individuals that are transitioning from homelessness to housing will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. The intervention condition consists of four biweekly social network sessions conducted using MI. AOD use and HIV risk behaviors will be monitored prior to and immediately following the intervention and compared to control participants' behaviors to explore whether the intervention was associated with any systematic changes in AOD use or HIV risk behaviors.DiscussionSocial network health interventions are an innovative approach for reducing future AOD use and HIV risk problems, but little is known about their feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy. The current study develops and pilot-tests a computer-assisted intervention that incorporates social network visualizations and MI techniques to reduce high risk AOD use and HIV behaviors among the formerly homeless. CLINICALTRIALS.Gov identifierNCT02140359

Understanding And Measuring Information Security Culture

The purpose of the current paper was to develop a measurement of information security culture. Our literature analysis indicated a lack of clear conceptualization and distinction between factors that constitute information security culture and factors that influence information security culture. A sequential mixed method consisting of a qualitative phase to explore the conceptualisation of information security culture, and a quantitative phase to validate the model is adopted for this research. Eight interviews with information security experts in eight different Saudi organisations were conducted, revealing that security culture can be constituted as reflection of security awareness and security ownership. Additionally, the qualitative interviews have revealed that factors that influence security culture are top management involvement, policy enforcement, and training. These factors were confirmed formed the basis for our initial information security culture model, which was operationalised and tested in different Saudi Arabian organisations. Using data from two hundred and fifty-four valid responses, we demonstrated the validity and reliability of the information security culture model. We were further able to demonstrate the validity of the model in a nomological net, as well as provide some preliminary findings on the factors that influence information security culture

Evolution Of Feeding Shapes Swimming Kinematics Of Barnacle Naupliar Larvae: A Comparison Between Trophic Modes

A central goal in evolutionary biology is connecting morphological features with ecological functions. For marine invertebrate larvae, appendage movement determines locomotion, feeding, and predator avoidance ability. Barnacle larvae are morphologically diverse, and the morphology of non-feeding lecithotrophic nauplii are distinct from those that are planktotrophic. Lecithotrophic larvae have a more globular body shape and simplified appendages when compared with planktotrophs. However, little is known about whether and how such morphological changes affect kinematics, hydrodynamics, and ecological functions. Here, we compared the nauplii kinematics and hydrodynamics of a lecithotrophic Rhizocephalan species, Polyascus planus, against that of the planktotrophic nauplii of an intertidal barnacle, Tetraclita japonica. High-speed, micro-particle image velocimetry analysis showed that the Polyascus nauplii swam faster and had higher amplitude and more synchronous appendage beating than the Tetraclita nauplii. This fast swimming was accompanied by a faster attenuation of induced flow with distance, suggesting reduced predation risk. Tetraclita nauplii had more efficient per beat cycles with less backward displacement during the recovery stroke. This “anchoring effect” resulted from the anti-phase beating of appendages. This movement, together with a high-drag body form, likely helps direct the suction flow toward the ventral food capturing area. In sum, the tradeoff between swimming speed and predation risks may have been an important factor in the evolution of the observed larval forms

Double layer charging driven carbon dioxide adsorption limits the rate of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction on Gold.

Electrochemical CO[Formula: see text] reduction is a potential route to the sustainable production of valuable fuels and chemicals. Here, we perform CO[Formula: see text] reduction experiments on Gold at neutral to acidic pH values to elucidate the long-standing controversy surrounding the rate-limiting step. We find the CO production rate to be invariant with pH on a Standard Hydrogen Electrode scale and conclude that it is limited by the CO[Formula: see text] adsorption step. We present a new multi-scale modeling scheme that integrates ab initio reaction kinetics with mass transport simulations, explicitly considering the charged electric double layer. The model reproduces the experimental CO polarization curve and reveals the rate-limiting step to be *COOH to *CO at low overpotentials, CO[Formula: see text] adsorption at intermediate ones, and CO[Formula: see text] mass transport at high overpotentials. Finally, we show the Tafel slope to arise from the electrostatic interaction between the dipole of *CO[Formula: see text] and the interfacial field. This work highlights the importance of surface charging for electrochemical kinetics and mass transport