Groundbreaking Program Helps Make York Region More Inclusive

The IAP has begun the work of making York Region a more welcoming place for newcomers and visible minorities. It needs to continue to collaborate with the community and to raise awareness of its goals.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

Assessment of nicotine dependence in subjects with vascular dementia

Background: Nicotine dependence is an important public health issue. Nicotine dependence is a risk factor for vascular diseases like myocardial infarction and vascular dementia. The rate of nicotine dependence in Indian subjects with vascular dementia is not known. Hence we decided to assess nicotine dependence in subjects with vascular dementia.Methods: Nicotine dependence in subjects with vascular dementia was assessed among subjects presenting to memory clinic of a tertiary care hospital over a period of 16 months. Data regarding sociodemographic profile and severity of nicotine dependence as per Fagerstrom nicotine dependence scale for smoking and smokeless tobacco was analysed using SPSS version 17.Results: Our study shows that in 159 subjects with vascular dementia continuing nicotine dependence was seen in nearly 12% of the subjects. Though the rates are less than the population prevalence for India, it is still relevant as nicotine is not just a risk factor for development of vascular dementia but severe nicotine dependence and longer duration of nicotine use were found to be poor prognostic factors associated with severe dementia. Further as all subjects continued to be nicotine dependent despite having been advised to quit tobacco, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive tobacco cessation intervention be offered to subjects with vascular dementia to improve outcomes.Conclusion: In subjects with vascular dementia continuing nicotine dependence is an important risk factor which must be addressed.  

Effects of different doses of nitrogen treatments on isoprene emission from Ficus glomerata

In the present investigation on the effect of nitrogen treatments on emission of isoprene from Ficus glomerata has been evaluated. Four sets of plants were treated with following four doses of nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrate solution (i) 10 mM (ii) 50 mM (iii) 100 mM (iv) 200 (mM) and control set was designed without any treatment. Nitrogen treated as well as control plants were sampled for isoprene emission using a dynamic flow through enclosure chamber technique and samples were analysed with the help of GC-FID. Isoprene emissions from control, 10 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM, and 200 mM nitrogen treated plants were found to be 27.5 ± 4 ?gg-1h-1, 56 ± 6 ?gg-1h-1, 91 ± 11 ?gg-1h-1, 101 ± 10 ?gg-1h-1, and 15 ± 4 ?gg-1h-1 respectively. Lowest isoprene emission (15 ± 4 ?gg-1h-1) was noticed in plants treated with 200 mM nitrogen. Isoprene emissions were found to increase exponentially in plants treated with nitrogen up to 100 mM. Nevertheless, plants treated with 200 mM nitrogen exhibited decrease in emission by 46 per cent, probably on account of nitrite toxicity and reduction in soil pH at high nitrogen dose

Moral Perspective from a Holistic Point of View for Weighted DecisionMaking and its Implications for the Processes of Artificial Intelligence

In the case of AI, automated systems are making increasingly complex decisions with significant ethical implications, raising questions about who is responsible for decisions made by AI and how to ensure that these decisions align with society's ethical and moral values, both in India and the West. Jonathan Haidt has conducted research on moral and ethical decision-making. Today, solving problems like decision-making in autonomous vehicles can draw on the literature of the trolley dilemma in that it illustrates the complexity of ethical decisions faced in emergency situations, as well as the moral implications of the decisions made. However, a series of moral principles must be understood and cited to avoid insufficient mechanistic explanations. Here we present a compilation of ethical positions both in India and the West

Rational choice and moral judgment as an insurmountable dichotomy for a theory of decisions

From a philosophical point of view, in general we can clearly distinguish two cultures, that is, culture in the context of the natural sciences and culture in the context of the humanities. Attempts are now being made to propose a third notion of culture, one that involves rational choice and moral judgment in this discourse. Before the 2000s, people tended to separate rational choice from moral judgment. However, for some years now, Kant's concept of pure reason as the self-sufficiency of the subject has been questioned by intellectuals. There is a new definition of rationality, that is, rationality must be placed in a given situation to make sense, and it is context dependent, so it can be called situational rationality

A protocol for micropropagation of Alpinia galanga

Emerging buds of rhizome of Alpinia galanga Willd produced shoots and roots simultaneously when cultured in MS medium supplemented with kinetin 3.0 mg

Real Zeros of a Class of Hyperbolic Polynomials with Random Coefficients

We have proved here that the expected number of real zeros of a random hyperbolic polynomial of the form y=Pnt=n1a1cosh⁡t+n2a2cosh⁡2t+⋯+nnancosh⁡nt, where a1,…,an is a sequence of standard Gaussian random variables, is n/2+op(1). It is shown that the asymptotic value of expected number of times the polynomial crosses the level y=K is also n/2 as long as K does not exceed 2neμ(n), where μ(n)=o(n). The number of oscillations of Pn(t) about y=K will be less than n/2 asymptotically only if K=2neμ(n), where μ(n)=O(n) or n-1μ(n)→∞. In the former case the number of oscillations continues to be a fraction of n and decreases with the increase in value of μ(n). In the latter case, the number of oscillations reduces to op(n) and almost no trace of the curve is expected to be present above the level y=K if μ(n)/(n log n)→∞

Clinico-epidemiological profile and risk factors associated with failure of conservative therapy in pediatric empyema patients

Objective: The objective is to study the clinico-epidemiological profile and risk factors associated with failure of conservative therapy in pediatric empyema patients and to correlate the Light’s criteria in the same. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based prospective observational study was performed in the pediatric department of a tertiary care hospital, New Delhi. A total of 74 children of ≤12 years of age having either macroscopic frank pus in pleural tap or a positive Gram-stain or positive culture in pleural fluid were enrolled in the study. Those empyema patients who fail to improve with antibiotics and chest tube drainage after 7–14 days (4 weeks for Staphylococcus aureus and 6–12 weeks for anaerobic organisms, respectively) or develop some complications in the mean time were considered as a failure of therapy. Results: Head nodding, lethargy and inability to feed/drink, prior antibiotic therapy, duration of illness (>7 days) before presenting to the hospital, and growth on the cultures were the main factors associated with the failure of conservative therapy. S. aureus is the most common organism causing empyema. Considering Light’s criteria, significant results were obtained and almost all the enrolled empyema patients found to have exudative pleural fluid. In the study, failure of conservative therapy occurred in 27.03%, prolonged hospitalization was seen among 48.65 % children, 28.38% needed change in antibiotics, and 1.35% children expired. Conclusion: History of prior antibiotic therapy, long duration of illness, and clinical features at admission along with the microorganism involved affect the conservative therapy response and may predispose to complications. Light’s criteria were very well validated in the study for its use in pediatric population

Challenges for the heart failure care: exploratory research with nurses in Ontario

Objectives: to observe the implementation of Canadian protocols for patients with heart failure, and identify with nurses, health education aspects. Method: exploratory research in the period from August to December 2013, where the data collection was carried out by observation during the Shadow Experience and interview of Canadian nurses. For data analysis, we used descriptive statistics. Results: 28 patients were observed in the Shadow Experience strategy at different levels of care, and 13 nurses interviewed. In health education, interpersonal contact was the most used strategy (69,23%), treatment was the priority share (76,92%), followed by prevention (30,77%). There are challenges with respect to harmful lifestyle habits, and self-care considered ineffective (38,46%). Conclusion: interpersonal interaction, which involved professionals and Canadian individuals at different levels of care, helped to identify in their implementation, basic actions and challenges for heart failure