Compression Set Improvement of Thermoplastic Vulcanizates for High Temperature Tubing

It was hypothesized that increasing the curative level of the fluorocarbon rubber (FKM) used in manufacturing of thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) materials would decrease the compression set values of the TPV enough for it to be suitable as a flexible, lightweight alternative to high operating temperature thermoset rubber tubing currently being used for power steering hose. First, promising TPV formulations were identified by varying the polyamide (PA) and FKM used in a Brabender mixer. Four different types of polyamide and four different types of FKM were investigated, with two of the FKM types and one polyamide type identified as being promising. A compounding twin-screw extruder was used to determine the ideal amount of curative and cure system. Materials made on the twin-screw extruder were made into compression set buttons through injection molding, with compression set testing being conducted per ASTM D395-03 Method B. These TPV materials had compression set values of 95%, much greater than the desired value of ≤ 75%. Further experimentation using higher curative levels or modified screw designs for the twin-screw extruder should be conducted to achieve the desired compression set resistance for the PA-FKM system

Secure Network Access via LDAP

Networks need the ability to be access by secure accounts and users. The goal of this project is to configure and expand on LDAP configurations with considerations for AAA via TACACS+ and Radius for network equipment. This will provide adequate security for any given network in terms of access and prevent lose of access to devices which happens all to often with locally configured accounts on devices

Ghosts of Hartwell Hall: 1993 & 2016

The original 1993 student paper was grounded in oral history interviews with two Brockport college employees detailing their experiences with ghosts in Hartwell Hall. To this paper has been added a 2016 investigation of the story, including a stay in the building overnight with paranormal investigators

A process evaluation of the Breakfast For Kids (BFK) student nutrition programs: perspectives of program coordinators

Ensuring students are well fed can have positive social, behavioural, and academic benefits. Schools reach almost all children and the food they consume there can significantly contribute to their overall dietary intake. Universal access to school nutrition programs (SNPs) can ensure that children at-risk for poor nutrient intake have access to safe, healthy foods, thereby promoting growth and development and enhancing academic performance. The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the processes and structures of an Ontario Region’s student nutrition programs and to determine how the public health departments’ staff can support the program. This mixed method evaluation included a quantitative survey (n=62; 76% response rate) and qualitative interviews involving 22 program coordinators. The survey elicited a description of programs and variations in components being offered. Interviews with coordinators provided information regarding strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Current and potential partnerships between programs and health units were also evaluated. All school levels were well represented in both quantitative and qualitative methods, with community-based programs being under-represented. Survey results showed that teachers and volunteer program coordinators were the most involved in planning and delivering programs. Also, more programs had public health inspectors involved (22.4%), compared to public health nurses (14.0%) or nutritionist/dietitians (9.1%). Although only 17.3% of coordinators reported wanting more general public health involvement, 27.8% wanted menu planning and nutrition support, and 25.5% wanted food safety training. Overall, qualitative results showed that SNPs in the Region varied enormously. The major strengths reported by coordinators included universality, the ability to reach needy students, and the ability to provide social opportunities for students. Major weaknesses included forming partnerships, lack of volunteers, scheduling/timing issues, and coordinator work-load. Common threats included lack of sustainable funding, complexity in tracking program use, unreliable help, and school administration conflicts. Finally, opportunities described by coordinators included assistance with menu planning, expansion of program offerings, and assistance with finding community partners. This research has identified strategies to help support SNPs. Because not one program in the Region is run the same way, multiple strategies need to be in place to support programs at individual levels. Therefore, health units can have a major role, whether it is through menu planning, food safety training, helping coordinators find healthy food options, or helping them build partnerships to enhance program support and operations

Implementation of Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150) in Peel Region: A Qualitative Evaluation

INTRODUCTION: With obesity rates rising in Canada, schools have been identified as an ideal setting for health promotion interventions. Across the world, school nutrition policies have been implemented to try and improve the diets and food behaviours of youth; however, policies differ greatly in their design and implementation. While some policies are considered voluntary (where schools are given a guideline with which to create their own policies), the Ontario Ministry of Education’s School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150) was mandated as of September 2011 for all schools in Ontario. Many factors have been identified as facilitators and barriers to school nutrition policy implementation across settings. Additionally, recommendations have been provided in terms of ‘best practices’ for school nutrition policy implementation. It is important to understand why school nutrition policy implementation works better in some contexts compared to others. PURPOSE: The purpose of the research was to: i) describe the school food context (including student food behaviours and influences on those behaviours) in Region of Peel schools; ii) examine, from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, the process of P/PM 150 implementation; including perceived challenges / successes with policy implementation, and its impacts; iii) analyze the results in relation to the constructs of Damschroder’s Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. METHODS: This qualitative study consisted of 5 food service provider interviews, 15 school stakeholder interviews (3 elementary, 12 secondary); 5 elementary school parent focus groups; and 11 student focus groups (7 elementary, 4 secondary). Two surveys were conducted that provided responses to open-ended questions from 46 secondary school parent surveys, and 1,251 Grade 6-10 students. Focus group, interview and open-ended survey data were analyzed using NVivo 10 qualitative analysis software. An interpretive description approach was used. Common themes were coded and patterns were found. Comparisons between participant groups were also analyzed by conducting matrix queries in NVivo 10. A second-coder analyzed a sample of transcripts and high level codes to ensure inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: In relation to the context in which the policy was introduced, participants most frequently expressed negative opinions related to food quality, low variety, and high cost of school food. The most commonly reported student behaviour was bringing their own food from home. Many factors potentially influenced students’ food behaviours, at the individual level (e.g., age, SES), social factors (e.g., parent/peer influence), and macro-level factors (e.g., weather, and community SES). Additionally, school, home and outside (of school) environments were an important factor influencing students’ food choices, as they determined what foods were available and either promoted (e.g., school health promotion activities) or discouraged healthy eating behaviours (e.g., negative role models for healthy eating). In regards to P/PM 150, participants felt that the policy promoted healthy eating, provided students’ access to healthy options, and provided a safety net for students with bad eating habits. They reported concerns regarding freedom of choice, policy content (e.g., ignored portion control, balance), and negative effects on food quality (taste, variety, affordability) and food behaviours. Some adult participants engaged in various activities (e.g. attending workshops, appointing champions) to support implementation, although activities varied widely by school. Some felt the transition was relatively easy while others described it as a larger adjustment. Participants reported a variety of resources and supports for policy implementation, such as policy booklets, workshops/ training events, P/PM 150-specific committees, and support from Public Health; while a variety of resources/supports were mentioned, not all were considered helpful. Lastly, participants described their perceived successes and challenges with implementation which related to outcomes and impacts. In terms of successes, the ability to find popular compliant choices led to positive outcomes on school food quality. That, in addition to school health promotion activities, led to positive impacts on students’ food behaviours. Regarding perceived challenges, participants felt that P/PM 150 significantly limited food choices leading to negative impacts on school food quality, variety, prices/affordability and portions. These changes led to student rebellion, and leaving school grounds to buy unhealthier options from the outside competition that were not bound by the policy. Challenges were also linked to school food revenue loss. Participants provided recommendations to the Ontario Ministry of Education that related to: a) the process of implementation (e.g., follow-up with schools, monitor compliance); b) changing the policy direction (e.g., reducing policy restrictions); and c) increasing clarity/consistency of policy messages (e.g., explaining why the policy is in place). DISCUSSION: The contextual factors found to influence school food behaviours in Peel Region schools corroborates much of what has been reported in the literature. Factors influencing P/PM 150 policy implementation were closely aligned to the constructs described in Damschroder’s Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Two additional constructs were identified that were not reflected in the framework: ‘implementation climate outside the school’ and ‘adaptability of the inner setting’. Study results indicated that these were significant factors influencing implementation in Peel Region schools. Therefore, these factors should be a considered in further revisions of the framework, in particular where it is being used to support policy implementation. CONCLUSION: Understanding the context of the real world setting including the social cultural, physical and economic environment in which a new intervention is being implemented is critically important. This thesis explored the school context in one region in Ontario from the perspective of multiple stakeholders ranging from students to the staff in the food industry. Implementation of a new school food policy (P/PM 150) was found to be complex with many factors influencing its successful uptake by school stakeholders. While participants discussed many challenges and negative outcomes and impacts resulting from P/PM 150, positive impacts on school food and food behaviours were also reported. While P/PM 150 successes were identified, results related to typical food behaviours showed that the home environment still had a significant impact on student food behaviours. Therefore, impacts of the policy could be limited without addressing other environments. Those planning to implement school food policies in the future need to consider comprehensive approaches that address potential influencing factors and environments outside of the school that impact student food behaviours

Identification of a Bacillus thuringiensis Cry11Ba toxin-binding aminopeptidase from the mosquito, Anopheles quadrimaculatus

BACKGROUND: Aminopeptidase N (APN) type proteins isolated from several species of lepidopteran insects have been implicated as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin-binding proteins (receptors) for Cry toxins. We examined brush border membrane vesicle (BBMV) proteins from the mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus to determine if APNs from this organism would bind mosquitocidal Cry toxins that are active to it. RESULTS: A 100-kDa protein with APN activity (APN(Anq )100) was isolated from the brush border membrane of Anopheles quadrimaculatus. Native state binding analysis by surface plasmon resonance shows that APN(Anq )100 forms tight binding to a mosquitocidal Bt toxin, Cry11Ba, but not to Cry2Aa, Cry4Ba or Cry11Aa. CONCLUSION: An aminopeptidase from Anopheles quadrimaculatus mosquitoes is a specific binding protein for Bacillus thuringiensis Cry11Ba

The role of trained champions in sustaining and spreading nutrition care improvements in hospital: qualitative interviews following an implementation study.

BACKGROUND: Many patients are already malnourished when admitted to hospital. Barriers and facilitators to nutrition care in hospital have been identified and successful interventions developed; however, few studies have explored how to sustain and spread improvements. The More-2-Eat phase 1 study involved five hospitals across Canada implementing nutrition care improvements, while phase 2 implemented a scalable model using trained champions, audit and feedback, a community of practice with external mentorship and an implementation toolkit in 10 hospitals (four continuing from phase 1). Process measures showed that screening and assessment from phase 1 were sustained for at least 4 years. The objective of this study was to help explain how these nutrition care improvements were sustained and spread by understanding the role of the trained champions, and to confirm and expand on themes identified in phase 1. METHODS: Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with champions from each phase 2 hospital and recordings transcribed verbatim. To explore the champion role, transcripts were deductively coded to the 3C model of Concept, Competence and Capacity. Phase 2 transcripts were also deductively coded to themes identified in phase 1 interviews and focus groups. RESULTS: Ten interviews (n=14 champions) were conducted. To sustain and spread nutrition care improvements, champions needed to understand the Concepts of change management, implementation, adaptation, sustainability and spread in order to embed changes into routine practice. Champions also needed the Competence, including the skills to identify, support and empower new champions, thus sharing the responsibility. Capacity, including time, resources and leadership support, was the most important facilitator for staying engaged, and the most challenging. All themes identified in qualitative interviews in phase 1 were applicable 4 years later and were mentioned by new phase 2 hospitals. There was increased emphasis on audit and feedback, and the need for standardisation to support embedding into current practice. CONCLUSION: Trained local champions were required for implementation. By understanding key concepts, with appropriate and evolving competence and capacity, champions supported sustainability and spread of nutrition care improvements. Understanding the role of champions in supporting implementation, spread and sustainability of nutrition care improvements can help other hospitals when planning for and implementing these improvements. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02800304, NCT03391752

Stakeholders’ views on the organisational factors affecting application of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare: a scoping review protocol

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers great potential for transforming healthcare delivery leading to better patient-outcomes and more efficient care delivery. However, despite these advantages, integration of AI in healthcare has not kept pace with technological advancements. Previous research indicates the importance of understanding various organisational factors that shape integration of new technologies in healthcare. Therefore, the aim of this study is to provide an overview of the existing organisational factors influencing adoption of AI in healthcare from the perspectives of different relevant stakeholders. By conducting this review, the various organisational factors that facilitate or hinder AI implementation in healthcare could be identified. Methods and analysis: This study will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute framework, which includes the following stages: (1) defining and aligning objectives and questions, (2) developing and aligning the inclusions criteria with objectives and questions, (3) describing the planned approach to evidence searching and selection, (4) searching for the evidence, (5) selecting the evidence, (6) extracting the evidence, (7) charting the evidence, and summarising the evidence with regard to the objectives and questions. The databases searched will be MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (Plus), PubMed, Cohrane Library, Scopus, MathSciNet, NICE Evidence, OpenGrey, O’REILLY, and Social Care Online from January 2000 to June 2021. Search results will be reported based on The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for scoping reviews guidelines. The review will adopt Diffusion of Innovations theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and Stakeholder theory as guiding conceptual models. Narrative synthesis will be used to integrate the findings. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval will not be sought for this scoping review as it only includes information from previously published studies. The results will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal. In addition, to ensure its findings reach relevant stakeholders, they will be presented at relevant conferences.Peer reviewe

Fostering Interactions: The Networking Needs of Community Health Nursing Researchers and Decision Makers

The purpose of the study on which this article is based was to determine the current extent of linkages among Canadian community health nursing researchers and decision makers and to identify perceptions around the structure and function of potential networks. A qualitative research design was utilised to develop common themes across focus groups, a workshop and key informant interviews. The findings suggest that there is a need for a formal community health network to provide an efficient and timely means to link the expertise required to tackle complex community health policy problems, and to create supports for advancing community health science with relevant and high quality research

Piezoelectric force sensors for hexapod transportation platform

Rough terrain is one of the major issues for transporting various objects to different remote locations. Wheeled platforms or robots are not suitable for such tasks due to a lack of ground clearance. Walking robots, despite their slower speed, can be successfully used as transportation platforms that can overcome the environment. However, leg placing requires accurate supervision and the force sensing system must be developed on each foot to acquire equal force distribution between legs and to obtain stable motion over the irregular surface. In this paper, we investigate the improvement of the hexapod robot’s feet by upgrading them with piezoelectric force sensors. By monitoring force dependence on transferred legs, we establish the most suitable hexapod gait for moving over the even surface