Integrating Environmental Issues Into Corporate Strategy: A Catalyst for Radical Organizational Innovation

This paper presents the results of a study conducted in manufacturing firms operating in the electrical and electronic sectors in Quebec. It investigates the extent to which environmental concerns are integrated into corporate strategy and the entire product development stages. Special attention is paid to the underlying decision process and the benefits derived from being green . Un étude conduite auprès des entreprises québécoises oeuvrant dans les secteur électrique et électronique permet d'évaluer le niveau d'intégration des préoccupations environnementales dans la stratégie corporative et dans les différentes phases du cycle de développement des produits. Les résultats de l'étude analysent les processus décisionnels sous-jacents ainsi que les bénéfices encourus par les entreprises qui ont privilégié une stratégie environnementale plus intense.Electrical indystry; Electronical industry; Environnemental concerns; Product development, Industrie électrique ; Industrie électronique ; Préoccupation environnementales ; Développement des produits

Technological Penetration and Cumulative Benefits in SMEs

The relative importance of the benefits derived from the adoption of computer-based administrative and production applications depends to a large extent on the level of technological penetration attained by a particular firm. This evolutionary perspective is investigated in an empirical study carried out in manufacturing firms operating in one specific sector of industrial activity. L'importance relative des bénéfices provenant de l'adoption des nouvelles technologies de l'information et de production sont fonction en grande partie du niveau de pénétration technologique atteint par la firme. Cette perspective évolutionniste est étudiée dans le cadre d'une recherche empirique menée auprès de petites et moyennes entreprises manufacturières innovatrices oeuvrant dans le secteur du métal.SME ; Adoption of new technologies, Adoption de nouvelles technologies ; PME

Supporting people with traumatic brain injury in their use of public spaces: Identifying facilitating factors and obstacles

AbstractAimDuring the course of the Citizen Accompaniment for Community Integration (APIC) project, people with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) visited several different public places. This study aims to identify and record the facilitating factors and obstacles encountered when engaging in activities in public places.MethodologyThe research design is qualitative. The study is a retrospective analysis of part of the data from the original research, drawn from semi-structured interviews recorded and transcribed verbatim, and from weekly entries in journals kept by the citizen-accompaniers. The sample is made up of 13 individuals with mild, moderate or severe TBI, between the ages of 29 and 69, and nine accompaniers.ResultsParticipants’ comments regarding their use of public places, as well as the accompaniers’ thoughts on which factors promote or impede participation in activities in public places were collected according to the sequence of actions framework: the planning, the trip, and the use of the public place.Discussion and conclusionThe results show that the design of public spaces must take into account the needs for comfort and safety of people with a disability and promote their autonomy and efficiency within the space

Intervention personnalisée d’intégration communautaire (IPIC) et résilience : Pourquoi revenir à la vie, si celle-ci n’a plus de sens ?

Le concept de résilience intéresse de plus en plus les chercheurs, les intervenants, les gestionnaires et les usagers des services de réadaptation. Toutefois, les écrits concernant des interventions soutenant la résilience des personnes et des proches sont très peu abondants. Cet article propose de décrire un programme d’accompagnement communautaire susceptible de soutenir la résilience des personnes ayant un traumatisme craniocérébral (TCC) modéré à sévère, l’Intervention personnalisée d’intégration communautaire (IPIC). L’IPIC, actuellement en implantation, devrait contribuer à soutenir la participation sociale et stimuler la résilience des personnes ayant subi un TCC. Le programme s’appuie sur quatre cadres de référence : l’intégration à la communauté fondée sur la perception de la personne de son intégration communautaire, le modèle écosystémique, le modèle du Processus de production du handicap (PPH) et la démarche pour cibler un but. L’IPIC adopte une perspective d’intervention centrée sur le projet de vie de la personne ayant un TCC.The concept of resilience has captured the attention of a growing number of investigators, care providers, administrators and clients of rehabilitation services, yet the literature on interventions to support the resilience of persons and their loved ones is quite sparse. This article will describe a community-based support program that is likely to support the resilience of persons with a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), the Personalized Community Integration Intervention (PCII). An implementation of PCII is currently underway, and it should help support the social participation of persons who have sustained a TBI. The program is based on four frames of reference : community integration based on the person’s perception of their integration into the community, the ecosystemic model, the Handicap Production Process (HPP) model, and the goal-setting process. PCII adopts the view that interventions should be centered on the life plan of the person with a TBI

BENEFICIAL AND PEST INSECTS ASSOCIATED WITH TEN FLOWERING PLANT SPECIES GROWN IN QUÉBEC, CANADA

Preventive measures are very important in organic agriculture to minimize pest problems. Conservation biological control is one preventive approach. It includes habitat manipulation through which the agroecosystem may be designed to encourage the activity of beneficial insects. The use of flowering strips is one way to do that. This 3-year study was performed on the Organic Agriculture Innovation Platform in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Québec. Canada. It comprises data on insect abundance and composition on ten flowering plant species. Data are collected on beneficial insects such as coccinellid predators and predatory bugs. Are also included in this study observations and counts of insect pests which could also be attracted to this flowering plant species and build up in numbers close to the crop which we are aiming to protect

Study on Alumina-silica-phosphate Compound as Problem Water Treatment: Case Study of Soil Water (Bekasi and Karawang)

Naturally, zeolite is a cation exchanger but this property is also depending on porosity, tetrahedral density and frame density. Cation exchange effectiveness can be changed by structure, Si/Al ratio and effective pore size. Tetrahedral group, T, in zeolite is negative charged and can be substituted isomorphycally by other group like PO2+. The new structure can be functioned as anion or cation exchanger. The exchange capacity of both ions depends on Si/Al/P ratio from the substitution process. The alumina-silica-phosphate (ASP) compound has been made from zeolite from Cikalong, Tasikmalaya, with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADHP) with substitution rate between 30-40%. This product has been tested to Pantura groundwater, in Bekasi and Karawang areas, which have groundwater type of NaCl, CaCl2, MgSO4 and CaCl2/CaSO4. ASP tests on ground water samples show decreasing content of Ca, Mg, Na and K cations in ground water by 32.94%, 3.35%, 2.52% and 23.60% respectively. Sulphate anion also decreases by 15.39% but chloride anion shows no changes. Dig-up well of CaCl2 type also shows a reduction of Ca, Mg, Na and sulphate contents by 46.26%, 18.37%, 16.39% and 10.84%, respectively. Dig-up well of CaSO4 type shows Ca, K and sulphate contents decrease of 89.71%, 33.31% and 5.26%, respectively. CaSO4 dig-up well can be changed to Mg-mix type after processing by ASP compound. Cation exchange capacity of ASP compound to Ca is higher than to K, Mg and Na (Ca>K>Mg>Na). Due to a high cation exchange capacity to K and Mg, ASP compound may be used to reduce the hard water level

Multi-image flock size estimation with CountEm: A casestudy with half a million Common Eiders and Greater Snow Geese

Many of the methods used for estimating population size from ecological surveys have limitations on precision, cost, and/or applicability. The CountEm method was proposed recently for estimating the number of individuals in large groups from single images. It is simple and efficient, and can be applied to any species. Here we present a case study by applying CountEm to a real ecological survey with 278 images of Greater Snow Geese (Anser caerulescens atlanticus) and Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) flocks taken from fixed-wing aircraft in Eastern Canada. First, we evaluated the precision and counting time of CountEm on single images. Second, we developed and tested a new multi-image version of the CountEm software. We show that flock sizes of N?>?35,000 can be estimated on single images in ?5 min, from counting a sample of ?200 birds, yielding relative SEs in the 5%?10% range. Processing times increased to 10?20?min when simultaneously processing large numbers of images that contained over half a million birds with only modest increases in relative SE (range: 10%?15%). Our results suggest that CountEm may be used to save time and resources if incorporated into monitoring programs that utilize imagery in the abundance estimates.Proyecto Puente (Contrato Programa Gobierno de Cantabria-Universidad de Cantabria), Consejería de Universidades, Igualdad, Cultura y Deporte del Gobierno de Cantabri

Professional Service Utilisation among Patients with Severe Mental Disorders

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Generally, patients with serious mental disorders (SMD) are frequent users of services who generate high care-related costs. Current reforms aim to increase service integration and primary care for improved patient care and health-care efficiency. This article identifies and compares variables associated with the use by patients with SMD of services offered by psychiatrists, case managers, and general practitioners (GPs). It also compares frequent and infrequent service use.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>One hundred forty patients with SMD from five regions in Quebec, Canada, were interviewed on their use of services in the previous year. Patients were also required to complete a questionnaire on needs-assessment. In addition, data were collected from clinical records. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most patients used services from psychiatrists and case managers, but no more than half consulted GPs. Most patients were followed at least by two professionals, chiefly psychiatrists and case managers. Care access, continuity of care, and total help received were the most important variables associated with the different types of professional consultation. These variables were also associated with frequent use of professional service, as compared with infrequent service use. In all, enabling factors rather than need factors were the core predictors of frequency of service utilisation by patients with SMD.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study reveals that health care system organisation and professional practice - rather than patient need profiles - are the core predictors of professional consultation by patients with SMD. The homogeneity of our study population, i.e. mainly users with schizophrenia, recently discharged from hospital, may partly account for these results. Our findings also underscored the limited involvement of GPs in this patient population's care. As comorbidity is often associated with serious mental disorders, closer follow-up by GPs is needed. Globally, more effort should be directed at increasing shared-care initiatives, which would enhance coordination among psychiatrists, GPs, and psychosocial teams (including case managers). Finally, there is a need to increase awareness among health care providers, especially GPs, of the level of care required by patients with disabling and serious mental disorders.</p

Typology of adults diagnosed with mental disorders based on socio-demographics and clinical and service use characteristics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mental disorder is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Its cost and negative impact on productivity are substantial. Consequently, improving mental health-care system efficiency - especially service utilisation - is a priority. Few studies have explored the use of services by specific subgroups of persons with mental disorder; a better understanding of these individuals is key to improving service planning. This study develops a typology of individuals, diagnosed with mental disorder in a 12-month period, based on their individual characteristics and use of services within a Canadian urban catchment area of 258,000 persons served by a psychiatric hospital.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From among the 2,443 people who took part in the survey, 406 (17%) experienced at least one episode of mental disorder (as per the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI)) in the 12 months pre-interview. These individuals were selected for cluster analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis yielded four user clusters: people who experienced mainly anxiety disorder; depressive disorder; alcohol and/or drug disorder; and multiple mental and dependence disorder. Two clusters were more closely associated with females and anxiety or depressive disorders. In the two other clusters, males were over-represented compared with the sample as a whole, namely, substance abuses with or without concomitant mental disorder. Clusters with the greatest number of mental disorders per subject used a greater number of mental health-care services. Conversely, clusters associated exclusively with dependence disorders used few services.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study found considerable heterogeneity among socio-demographic characteristics, number of disorders, and number of health-care services used by individuals with mental or dependence disorders. Cluster analysis revealed important differences in service use with regard to gender and age. It reinforces the relevance of developing targeted programs for subgroups of individuals with mental and/or dependence disorders. Strategies aimed at changing low service users' attitude (youths and males) or instituting specialised programs for that particular clientele should be promoted. Finally, as concomitant disorders are frequent among individuals with mental disorder, psychological services and/or addiction programs must be prioritised as components of integrated services when planning treatment.</p

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms