Spatiotemporal dynamics and optical vortices in a photorefractive phase-conjugate resonator

A truncated modal expansion approach is used to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of a phase-conjugate resonator as a function of Bragg detuning. The numerical results reveal a rich variety of behaviors. Emphasis is given to the spatial distribution of optical vortices, their trajectories and their relationship to the beam's spatial coherence. The limitations of the model are discussed and experimental results are presented for comparison with the model's predictions and assessment of its soundness

The relevance of non-legal technical and scientific concepts in the interpretation and application of the law of the sea : an analysis of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea

Bibliography: p. 363-375.Of necessity LOSC Articles are brief and in some instances vague and requiring interpretation. There is general consensus that LOSC is successful and that its vagueness in certain areas is an asset allowing a variety of otherwise contrary attitudes to be accommodated. 1 It is necessary to analyse the Articles with a view to a better understanding of them and to possibly prepare for some future conference or convention that will more than likely be necessary to resolve some of the remaining problems. To illustrate the need for greater understanding of some of the Articles of LOSC the United Nations Office for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea found it necessary to convene a conference of 'experts' during 1993 and 1995 to consider the implications of the complex Articles of LOSC which deal with claims to the continental shelf. Criteria contained in Article 76 allowing for maximum outer limits of the continental shelf and other criteria to justify a claim are complicated and require experience in many fields including marine geology, geography, surveying, and geodesy.2 The intention is therefore to analyse the possible interpretation, application and consequences of the implementation of Articles in LOSC, and more particularly in a Southern African context. Provisions of LOSC, where technical and scientific considerations are crucial, will be selected for consideration. These include those involving geodetic, geographical, geological, survey, navigational, organisational, and social and resource factors

IT-enabled Knowledge Management in Primary Care Settings: An Absorptive Capacity Perspective

Primary care medical practices have made sizable IT investments in recent years, primarily deploying electronic medical record (EMR) systems as well as Web-based e-learning applications. The basic assumption here is that developing IT-enabled knowledge management capabilities may significantly improve the innovation and clinical performance of these organizations. Increasing uncertainty in their environment requires them to develop greater absorptive capacity (ACAP), i.e. an organizational learning capability to deal with the external sources of this uncertainty. In applying ACAP theory to primary care settings, this study seeks to answer the following research questions: What are the e-learning and EMR capabilities developed by primary care medical practices in response to increasing environmental uncertainty? To what extent does the development of an e-learning capability influence the development of an EMR capability? To what extent does building ACAP contribute to positive outcomes in terms of medical practices\u27 innovation and clinical performance

Enabling laboratory medicine in primary care through EMR systems use: A survey of Canadian physicians

Important problems remain with regard to the efficiency and effectiveness of laboratory testing in primary care. In view of this, a significant function of electronic medical record (EMR) systems is to enable the practice of laboratory medicine by primary care physicians (PCPs). In addressing this issue, the present study aims to deepen our understanding of the nature and effectiveness of PCPs’ use of EMR systems for patient management and care within the laboratory testing process. To achieve our main objective, a survey of 684 Canadian physicians was realized. Results confirm that the artefactual and clinical contexts of EMR use influence the extensiveness of this use for communicational and clinical purposes. In turn, it is confirmed that the more extensive the use of EMR for laboratory medicine, the greater its impacts on the PCPs’ efficiency and on the quality of care provided by these physicians. The implications of these results are discussed

Les variations géographiques de la santé au Québec : une analyse de l’enquête Santé Québec par aire homogène.

Le présent article propose une lecture de l'enquête Santé Québec, réalisée en 1987, à travers une grille géographique par aire homogène (ou aire sociale). On procède d'abord à l'élaboration de cette grille par aire homogène, puis on en décrit les caractéristiques géo-socio-économiques pour finalement en tracer le bilan sanitaire. Il ressort de cette lecture d'importantes disparités entre les aires homogènes, tant dans les déterminants de l'état de santé (consommation d'alcool, de tabac, activité physique et soutien social), que dans l'état de santé lui-même (diverses pathologies) ou encore dans les conséquences de cet état de santé (incapacité, recours aux services, médication). Cette lecture retrace les populations les plus vulnérables au Québec, c'est-à-dire les résidants des vieux centres-villes et de certains secteurs limitrophes d'agglomérations et de villes, des capitales régionales et de la métropole, ainsi que les résidants de l'arrière-pays et de certaines petites villes de la périphérie.This article proposes to analyse the Québec Health Survey — carried out in 1987 — by using a geographic grid that covers each homogenous area (or social area). First, the grid is elaborated in terms of homogenous areas followed by a description of the geo-socio-economic characteristics of each area, which, in the end, allows for assessing the heath situation in homogenous areas. This analysis brings to light major discrepancies between homogenous areas in such sectors as heath status determinants (alcohol and tobacco consumption, physical activity and social or community support), the actual state of heath (various pathologies) and the consequences that may be attributed to the state of heath (incapacity, recourse to services, medication...). The analysis focuses on Quebec's most vulnerable populations : the low-income residents of the old inner cities and of certain border areas of agglomerations and cities, as well as their counterparts in the regional capitals and in Metropolitan Montréal. Disadvantaged inhabitants of the hinterland and of certain small towns on the periphery are also considered in the analysis

Prospective Physicians’ Intention to Adopt Artificial Intelligence: A Configurational Perspective

Artificial intelligence (AI) drives transformation across medical specialities, requiring current and future generations of physicians to navigate ever-changing digital environments. In this context, prospective physicians will play a key role in adopting and applying AI-based health technologies, underlining the importance of understanding their knowledge, attitudes, and intentions toward AI. To dissociate corresponding profiles, we adopted a configurational perspective and conducted a two-stage survey study of 184 (t_0) and 138 (t_1) medical students at a Canadian medical school. Our principal findings corroborate the existence of distinct clusters in respondents’ AI profiles. We refer to these profiles as the AI unfamiliar, the AI educated, and the AI positive, showing that each profile is associated with different intentions towards future AI use. These exploratory insights on the variety of AI profiles in prospective physicians underline the need for targeted and adaptive measures of education and outreach