Issue 09: Temporary Migration Policy, Trends, and Ontario’s Economy: 2000-2012

Ontario is unique when it comes to international migration in Canada. It is the leading province in overall flows, including individuals participating in the temporary foreign workers (TFWs) program. Employers hire TFWs on a contractual basis to work here, and from 2000 to 2012, about 800,000 came to Ontario – representing 40% of Canada’s total TFWs. Despite their growing numbers, economic importance, and the rapidly changing landscape of federal immigration policy, there is little work looking at the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or its economic impact on the province. In this research, we found that employers in specific industries, like agriculture, senior business management, and childcare, tended to hire TFWs and did so through specific parts of the Program. Our preliminary results show that the influx of TFWs was statistically associated with shorter job tenure, higher Employment Insurance receipts, and increases in wages in some jobs, but lower wages in others. These effects are particularly significant in industries with large numbers of TFWs. So while TFWs undoubtedly contribute to Ontario’s overall economic development, more research should be done to understand their specific economic effects on particular industries and demographics. This is especially important given the provincial responsibilities in labour, health and education, which federal immigration policy directly impacts

Inserting Migrants into the Global Social Protection Floor

The social protection floor (SPF) is a global initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to provide social security to vulnerable groups. The SPF neglects the rapidly growing population of international migrants and focusses principally on citizens from lower-income countries. The SPF requires a method to evaluate the social protection gap that exists between citizens and non-citizens in countries that receive migrants in order to improve protections for all. The SPF Advisory Group must collaborate more closely with transit and receiving countries, middle- and high-income countries, and regional organizations to reduce the gaps in social protection between citizens and non-citizens

A classification of symmetries of knots

We classify all finite group actions on knots in the 3-sphere. By geometrization, all such actions are conjugate to actions by isometries, and so we may use orthogonal representation theory to describe three cyclic and seven dihedral families of symmetries. By constructing examples, we prove that all of the cyclic and four of the dihedral families arise as symmetries of prime knots. The remaining three dihedral families apply only to composite knots. We also explain how to distinguish different types of symmetries of knots using diagrammatic or topological data. Our classification immediately implies a previous result of Sakuma: a hyperbolic knot cannot be both freely periodic and amphichiral. In passing, we establish two technical results: one concerning finite cyclic or dihedral subgroups of isometries of the 3-sphere and another concerning linking numbers of symmetric knots

Supporting Instructors in Collaborating with Researchers using MOOClets

Most education and workplace learning takes place in classroom contexts far removed from laboratories or field sites with special arrangements for scientific research. But digital online resources provide a novel opportunity for large scale efforts to bridge the real world and laboratory settings which support data collection and randomized A/B experiments comparing different versions of content or interactions [2]. However, there are substantial technological and practical barriers in aligning instructors and researchers to use learning technologies like blended lessons/exercises & MOOCs as both a service for students and a realistic context to conduct research. This paper explains how the concept of a MOOClet can facilitate research-practitioner collaborations. MOOClets [3] are defined as modular components of a digital resource that can be implemented in technology to: (1) allow modification to create multiple versions, (2) allow experimental comparison and personalization of different versions, (3) reliably specify what data are collected. We suggest a framework in which instructors specify what kinds of changes to lessons, exercises, and emails they would be willing to adopt, and what data they will collect and make available. Researchers can then: (1) specify or design experiments that compare the effects of different versions on quantifiable outcomes. (2) Explore algorithms for maximizing particular outcomes by choosing alternative versions of a MOOClet based on the input variables available. We present a prototype survey tool for instructors intended to facilitate practitioner researcher matches and successful collaborations.Comment: 4 page

Possible Futures for the HR Function in Different Market Situations

A hypothetical model is made of the possible future prospects for the human resource management (HRM) function - as an internal, specialised function - within organisations. This model is based on two premises. Firstly that the market situation will influence how many and what type of employees have the power to influence organisational financial performance. And secondly that the type and number of employees with the ability to influence financial performance will in turn influence how the HRM process is managed. In order to develop this model the major roles of traditional and current HR function are first outlined and from these, six key areas of possible HR activities are then elicited. Four possible market scenarios differing in the degree to which employees can influence organisational financial performance are then outlined and related to these six key areas of possible HR activities. The results suggest that in four of the six key areas clear tendencies to outsource HR activities can be expected. However in the fifth area, that of the creation and development of High Performing Work Systems, the internal HR function may play an important role, but only within labour intensive organisations operating in highly competitive market situations .In contrast it is suggested that in the sixth area, that of long term organisational development and change, the internal HR function will have a key role across a variety of market and employee situations

Veterinary student competence in equine lameness recognition and assessment: a mixed methods study

The development of perceptual skills is an important aspect of veterinary education. The authors investigated veterinary student competency in lameness evaluation at two stages, before (third year) and during (fourth/fifth year) clinical rotations. Students evaluated horses in videos, where horses were presented during trot on a straight line and in circles. Eye-tracking data were recorded during assessment on the straight line to follow student gaze. On completing the task, students filled in a structured questionnaire. Results showed that the experienced students outperformed inexperienced students, although even experienced students may classify one in four horses incorrectly. Mistakes largely arose from classifying an incorrect limb as lame. The correct detection of sound horses was at chance level. While the experienced student cohort primarily looked at upper body movement (head and sacrum) during lameness assessment, the inexperienced cohort focused on limb movement. Student self-assessment of performance was realistic, and task difficulty was most commonly rated between 3 and 4 out of 5. The inexperienced students named a considerably greater number of visual lameness features than the experienced students. Future dedicated training based on the findings presented here may help students to develop more reliable lameness assessment skills

A snapshot of the lives of women with polycystic ovary syndrome:a photovoice investigation

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects 6  percent of women. Symptoms include hirsutism, acne, and infertility. This research explores the impact of polycystic ovary syndrome on women's lives using photovoice. Nine participants photographed objects related to their quality of life and made diary entries explaining each photograph. Three themes emerged from thematic analysis of the diaries: control (of symptoms and polycystic ovary syndrome controlling their lives), perception (of self, others, and their situation), and support (from relationships, health care systems, and education). These findings illuminate positive aspects of living with polycystic ovary syndrome and the role pets and social networking sites play in providing support for women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Innovation in tourism: Re-conceptualising and measuring the absorptive capacity of the hotel sector

Recent reviews of research on innovation in tourism have highlighted a number of weaknesses in the literature. Among these is the limited theorising and empirical investigation of innovative practices by tourism organisations. This paper responds to these concerns by examining one important dimension of innovation within commercial tourism organisations, namely their ability to acquire, assimilate and utilise external knowledge (absorptive capacity) for competitive advantage. The topic is pertinent because there is evidence to suggest that tourism organisations are particularly dependent on external sources of knowledge when compared with businesses in other sectors. Following a discussion of the conceptual antecedents of absorptive capacity and its dimensions, a validated instrument for its measurement is developed and used to measure the absorptive capacity of the British hotel sector. The results suggest that current conceptions of absorptive capacity have limitations when applied to tourism enterprises. Absorptive capacity is re-conceptualised to overcome these deficiencies. The research and policy implications of the findings are discussed. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Performance measurement : challenges for tomorrow

This paper demonstrates that the context within which performance measurement is used is changing. The key questions posed are: Is performance measurement ready for the emerging context? What are the gaps in our knowledge? and Which lines of enquiry do we need to pursue? A literature synthesis conducted by a team of multidisciplinary researchers charts the evolution of the performance-measurement literature and identifies that the literature largely follows the emerging business and global trends. The ensuing discussion introduces the currently emerging and predicted future trends and explores how current knowledge on performance measurement may deal with the emerging context. This results in identification of specific challenges for performance measurement within a holistic systems-based framework. The principle limitation of the paper is that it covers a broad literature base without in-depth analysis of a particular aspect of performance measurement. However, this weakness is also the strength of the paper. What is perhaps most significant is that there is a need for rethinking how we research the field of performance measurement by taking a holistic systems-based approach, recognizing the integrated and concurrent nature of challenges that the practitioners, and consequently the field, face

PqsBC, a condensing enzyme in the biosynthesis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa quinolone signal: crystal structure, inhibition, and reaction mechanism

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a number of alkylquinolone-type secondary metabolites best known for their antimicrobial effects and involvement in cell-cell communication. In the alkylquinolone biosynthetic pathway, the β-ketoacyl-(acyl carrier protein) synthase III (FabH)-like enzyme PqsBC catalyzes the condensation of octanoyl-coenzyme A and 2-aminobenzoylacetate (2-ABA) to form the signal molecule 2-heptyl-4(1H)-quinolone. PqsBC, a potential drug target, is unique for its heterodimeric arrangement and an active site different from that of canonical FabH-like enzymes. Considering the sequence dissimilarity between the subunits, a key question was how the two subunits are organized with respect to the active site. In this study, the PqsBC structure was determined to a 2 Å resolution, revealing that PqsB and PqsC have a pseudo-2-fold symmetry that unexpectedly mimics the FabH homodimer. PqsC has an active site composed of Cys-129 and His-269, and the surrounding active site cleft is hydrophobic in character and approximately twice the volume of related FabH enzymes that may be a requirement to accommodate the aromatic substrate 2-ABA. From physiological and kinetic studies, we identified 2-aminoacetophenone as a pathway-inherent competitive inhibitor of PqsBC, whose fluorescence properties could be used for in vitro binding studies. In a time-resolved setup, we demonstrated that the catalytic histidine is not involved in acyl-enzyme formation, but contributes to an acylation-dependent increase in affinity for the second substrate 2-ABA. Introduction of Asn into the PqsC active site led to significant activity toward the desamino substrate analog benzoylacetate, suggesting that the substrate 2-ABA itself supplies the asparagine-equivalent amino function that assists in catalysis