Boolean Ring Cryptographic Equation Solving

This paper considers multivariate polynomial equation systems over GF(2) that have a small number of solutions. This paper gives a new method EGHAM2 for solving such systems of equations that uses the properties of the Boolean quotient ring to potentially reduce memory and time complexity relative to existing XL-type or Groebner basis algorithms applied in this setting. This paper also establishes a direct connection between solving such a multivariate polynomial equation system over GF(2), an MQ problem, and an instance of the LPN problem

The QUIPPED Project: Exploring Relevance and Rigor of Action Research Using Established Principles and Criteria

This paper is the last in a series of three manuscripts published in the TQR journal over the past few years. This work is part of a larger program of research that has been carried out by a team of researchers detailing various aspects of a three year action research project carried out from 2005 and 2008. This particular paper addresses issues of quality in action research by critiquing our research against five interdependent principles and criteria raised in the literature specifically by Davison, Martinson and Kock which was published in 2004. Our action research project aimed to facilitate interprofessional education for health care learners in the Faculty of Health Sciences at a Canadian University

Action Research as a Qualitative Research Approach in Inter- Professional Education: The QUIPPED Approach

The Canadian government supports the transformation of education for health care providers based on the recognized need for an inter- professional collaborative approach to care . This first paper in a series of papers demonstrates the credibility of an action research approach for the promotion and understanding of inter- professional education (IPE). Located in the critical paradigm, this action research project is concerned with creating an educational environment that enhances the ability of learners and educators to provide patient-centred care through inter- professional collaboration. The QUIPPED project has invited various stakeholders (faculty an d learners from various disciplines, consumers of health care, university administration and clinicians) to participate in the collaborative transformation of the educational culture and the co- creation of a shared knowledge for IPE

Boolean Ring Cryptographic Equation Solving

This paper considers multivariate polynomial equation systems over GF(2) that have a small number of solutions. This paper gives a new method EGHAM2 for solving such systems of equations that uses the properties of the Boolean quotient ring to potentially reduce memory and time complexity relative to existing XL-type or Groebner basis algorithms applied in this setting. This paper also establishes a direct connection between solving such a multivariate polynomial equation system over GF(2), an MQ problem, and an instance of the LPN problem

South Eastern Interprofessional Collaborative Learning Environment (SEIPCLE): Nurturing Collaborative Practice

AbstractBackground: There has been tremendous pressure on Canada’s healthcare system to respond to the increasingly complex health needs of the population despite worsening constraints in financial and human resources. Interprofessional collaborative practice has been seen as an enabler for improving patient care and meeting the current demands on the healthcare system.Methods: The South Eastern Interprofessional Collaborative Learning Environment (SEIPCLE) project, funded by HealthForceOntario, focused on the development and evaluation of the collaborative practice care model in three clinical settings in Southeastern Ontario, Canada. The project was exploratory in nature and used a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests matched with non-equivalent control groups. Several different measures were used, including the Collaborative Practice Assessment Tool (CPAT), an Interprofessional Clinical Education Survey, and a Patient Participation Survey. Quantitative outcome measures were derived from these instruments using factor analysis, and analyzed using regression modelling with co-variates. Focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires provided qualitative data that was coded conceptually and used to complement the results of analyses using quantitative measures. Intervention teams participated in educational components that addressed identified weaknesses in their collaborative practice. Educational components included online modules, workshops, and real-time activities.Findings: Implementation of educational components in the clinical setting posed a number of challenges to reducing the exposure time for some of the intervention teams. Barriers to and enablers of the development of collaborative practice in the healthcare system were identified.Conclusion: Overall, all three intervention teams demonstrated an increase in perceived levels of collaborative practice. Although the results were not statistically significant, the effect, size, and magnitude of change were considered substantial

Hydrolysis of Chlorogenic Acid in Sunflower Flour Increases Consumer Acceptability of Sunflower Flour Cookies by Improving Cookie Color

Sunflower meal, a byproduct of sunflower oil pressing, is not commonly used in alkaline baking applications. This is because chlorogenic acid, the main phenolic antioxidant in sunflower seeds, reacts with protein, giving the baked product a green discoloration. Our group previously demonstrated that a chlorogenic acid esterase from Lactobacillus helveticus hydrolyzes chlorogenic acid in sunflower dough cookie formulations, resulting in cookies that were brown instead of green. This study presents a sensory analysis to determine the acceptability of enzymatically upcycled sunflower meal as an alternative protein source for those allergic to meals from legumes or tree nuts. We hypothesized that the mechanism of esterase-catalyzed chlorogenic acid breakdown does not influence the cookies’ sensory properties other than color and that consumers would prefer treated, brown cookies over non-treated cookies. Cookies made from sunflower meal were presented under green lights to mask color and tested by 153 panelists. As expected, the sensory properties (flavor, smell, texture, and overall acceptability) of the treated and non-treated cookies were not statistically different. These results corroborate proximate analysis, which demonstrated that there was no difference between enzymatically treated and non-treated cookies other than color and chlorogenic acid content. After the cookie color was revealed, panelists strongly preferred the treated cookies with 58% indicating that they “probably” or “definitely” would purchase the brown cookies, whereas only 5.9% would buy green, non-treated cookies. These data suggest that esterase-catalyzed breakdown of chlorogenic acid represents an effective strategy to upcycle sunflower meal for baking applications

Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness against Hospitalisation with Confirmed Influenza in the 2010-11 Seasons: A Test-negative Observational Study

Immunisation programs are designed to reduce serious morbidity and mortality from influenza, but most evidence supporting the effectiveness of this intervention has focused on disease in the community or in primary care settings. We aimed to examine the effectiveness of influenza vaccination against hospitalisation with confirmed influenza. We compared influenza vaccination status in patients hospitalised with PCR-confirmed influenza with patients hospitalised with influenza-negative respiratory infections in an Australian sentinel surveillance system. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated from the odds ratio of vaccination in cases and controls. We performed both simple multivariate regression and a stratified analysis based on propensity score of vaccination. Vaccination status was ascertained in 333 of 598 patients with confirmed influenza and 785 of 1384 test-negative patients. Overall estimated crude vaccine effectiveness was 57% (41%, 68%). After adjusting for age, chronic comorbidities and pregnancy status, the estimated vaccine effectiveness was 37% (95% CI: 12%, 55%). In an analysis accounting for a propensity score for vaccination, the estimated vaccine effectiveness was 48.3% (95% CI: 30.0, 61.8%). Influenza vaccination was moderately protective against hospitalisation with influenza in the 2010 and 2011 seasons

Divergence in Dialogue

Copyright: 2014 Healey et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC; http://www.esrc.ac.uk/) through the DynDial project (Dynamics of Conversational Dialogue, RES-062-23-0962) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC; http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/) through the RISER project (Robust Incremental Semantic Resources for Dialogue, EP/J010383/1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript