Flourishing Trim tabs Designing business models that catalyze strongly sustainable enterprises: An exploration of Design variety using tools for collaborative modelling modes.

Business models are designed - intentionally and/or by default - by factors that affect the way in which the firm operates in relationship to business’ actors, purpose, place and definition of success over time. The business model, when reviewed as a single unit framework, is effective in providing a lens of experimentation for innovation within that firm (Weiller and Neely, 2013). Part of the research being done in business model innovation is how to develop and use a growing library of visualization tools, participatory design methods and systemic design frameworks in combination with well-researched ontologies. In the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the pursuit of designing business models with the mission to do good to do well, the tools we use to design with, matter. The tools must allow for the inclusion of participants by adapting to a variety of inquiry modes and cognitive abilities, and support participants in re-framing profit-normative narratives to strongly sustainable business model narratives. In this research I looked to examine the design and development of a dialogic design tool, specific to the Flourishing Business Canvas v2.0 (FBC v2.0), that compliments its use from the perspective of different user cognitive abilities and modes of inquiry. The research questions asked relate to exploring what might be a human centred, systemic design approach to Sustainable Business Model Innovation, and how might we explore the variety of collaborative modelling modes in designing Strongly Sustainable (Flourishing) enterprises? This research frames the Business Model Canvas and aforementioned dialogic design tool as a Graphic User Interface (GUI) in the process of Business Model Innovation. It further hints at the act of modelling, using the tools, as a nascent inquiry into how second-order cybernetics plays out in the exploration of design variety using tools for collaborative modelling modes in the discussion. This is a systemic design research project conducted as design action research. It was enacted via a collaboration between Halmstad University in Sweden and Ghent University in Belgium. It was conducted with the support of the Strategic Innovation Lab (sLab) at OCAD University

Lethal Speed: An Analysis Of The Proposed Rule To Implement Vessel Speed Restrictions And Its Impact On The Declining Right Whale Population As Well As The Shipping And The Whale-Watching Industries

North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) [hereinafter right whales] were severely depleted by commercial whaling, despite protection from commercial whaling as early as 1935. Currently, ship strikes and fish net entanglements are the two primary causes of mortality among right whales, and thus the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has targeted these two areas in its implementation of rules and regulations designed to protect right whales. In 2006, NMFS proposed a new set of regulations designed to implement vessel speed restrictions on vessels sixty-five feet or greater in length, in certain areas and at certain times of the year. This Comment addresses the new proposed regulation, and the comments NMFS received in response to its proposal. In addition, this Comment analyzes whether NMFS has considered all possible scenarios in its proposal for vessel speed restrictions. This analysis includes whether NMFS gave due regard to the myriad of scientific evidence suggesting that vessel speed is a key factor in the mortality of right whales, and what economic impacts this restriction may have on commerce. This Comment also addresses the prior regulations implemented by NMFS, other protections for the right whale, and whether there were other more practicable alternatives to this new proposed regulation

Sessional Design-Action Research Curriculum Framework

A gigamap to inform a rural flourishing social enterprise ecosystem Georgian College’s Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation (CCSI) identified Social Entrepreneurship as one of the systemic areas where change-making knowledge and resources could support social impact in a uniquely Canadian rural context. Through its initiative SENCO (the Social Enterprise Network of Central Ontario), CCSI became accountable, by 2022, for the establishment of 35 provincial partnerships, 7000 individuals engaged and 70 accelerated Strongly Sustainable social enterprises within the rural regions surrounding our seven campuses. As part of SENCO’s deliverables aligning to 70 accelerated Strongly Sustainable regional social enterprises, a curriculum framework was researched and designed to support individual community participants in developing a social enterprise idea using the Flourishing Business Canvas 2.0. The Gigamap (Norris and Telfer, 2018) outlines the systemic context as to how this curriculum might shift a uniquely Canadian rural region towards a Flourishing Social Enterprise landscape. Its goal was to explore the possibilities of using the Flourishing Business Canvas 2.0 beyond bounded firms (and their actor ecologies), contributing to the socio-ecological research in systemic design offering potential to what might be the Canadian corollary of Politecnico di Torino program’s Systemic Design Field research in renewal and sustainability of rural communities. (Jones, citing Barbero, 2018

The Impact of a Short-Term Pharmacology Enrichment Program on Knowledge and Science Attitudes in Precollege Students

As our nation and the global economy place an increased demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs, science educators must implement innovative approaches to pique precollege student’s interests in these careers. Pharmacology remains a relevant and engaging platform to teach biology and chemistry concepts, and this strategy applied over several months in the formal classroom increases science literacy in high school students. In order to improve the affordability and accessibility of this educational approach, we developed and assessed the impact of a short-term pharmacology day camp, ‘Pills, Potions, and Poisons’ (PPP), on high school students’ science knowledge and attitudes toward science careers. The PPP program was offered annually from 2009 through 2012, and participants spent 6 days learning about pharmacology and careers in the biomedical sciences. All PPP student participants (n=134) completed surveys assessing their basic science knowledge and science attitudes before and after the program. Students achieved significant gains in their science knowledge by the end (Day 6) of the PPP program (from 41% mean test score to 65%; p<0.001). In addition, the majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the PPP program positively impacted their attitudes toward science (p<0.001). This study provides evidence that a short-term pharmacology-centered science enrichment program can achieve significant gains in participant’s science knowledge as well as motivation and confidence towards science careers. Moreover, we report benefits experienced by the undergraduate, graduate, and professional pharmacy student teaching assistants (TAs, n=10) who reported improved communication skills and an increased interest in future educational work.   Type: Original Researc

Blood manufacturing methods affect red blood cell product characteristics and immunomodulatory activity

Transfusion of red cell concentrates (RCCs) is associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes that may be affected by different blood manufacturing methods and the presence of extracellular vesicles (EVs). We investigated the effect of different manufacturing methods on hemolysis, residual cells, cell-derived EVs, and immunomodulatory effects on monocyte activity. Thirty-two RCC units produced using whole blood filtration (WBF), red cell filtration (RCF), apheresis-derived (AD), and whole blood-derived (WBD) methods were examined (n = 8 per method). Residual platelet and white blood cells (WBCs) and the concentration, cell of origin, and characterization of EVs in RCC supernatants were assessed in fresh and stored supernatants. Immunomodulatory activity of RCC supernatants was assessed by quantifying monocyte cytokine production capacity in an in vitro transfusion model. RCF units yielded the lowest number of platelet and WBC-derived EVs, whereas the highest number of platelet EVs was in AD (day 5) and in WBD (day 42). The number of small EVs (<200 nm) was greater than large EVs (≥200 nm) in all tested supernatants, and the highest level of small EVs were in AD units. Immunomodulatory activity was mixed, with evidence of both inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. Monocytes produced more inflammatory interleukin-8 after exposure to fresh WBF or expired WBD supernatants. Exposure to supernatants from AD and WBD RCC suppressed monocyte lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production. Manufacturing methods significantly affect RCC unit EV characteristics and are associated with an immunomodulatory effect of RCC supernatants, which may affect the quality and safety of RCCs

Spotted-Fever Group Rickettsia in Dermacentor variabilis, Maryland

Three-hundred ninety-two adult Dermacentor variabilis were collected from six Maryland counties during the spring, summer, and fall of 2002. Infection prevalence for spotted fever group Rickettsia was 3.8%, as determined by polymerase chain reaction. Single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis followed by sequencing indicated that all infections represented a single rickettsial taxon, Rickettsia montanensis

Telomere dysfunction accurately predicts clinical outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, even in patients with early stage disease

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Defining the prognosis of individual cancer sufferers remains a significant clinical challenge. Here we assessed the ability of high-resolution single telomere length analysis (STELA), combined with an experimentally derived definition of telomere dysfunction, to predict the clinical outcome of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We defined the upper telomere length threshold at which telomere fusions occur and then used the mean of the telomere 'fusogenic' range as a prognostic tool. Patients with telomeres within the fusogenic range had a significantly shorter overall survival (P  <  0·0001; Hazard ratio [HR] = 13·2, 95% confidence interval [CI]  = 11·6-106·4) and this was preserved in early-stage disease patients (P  <  0·0001, HR=19·3, 95% CI = 17·8-802·5). Indeed, our assay allowed the accurate stratification of Binet stage A patients into those with indolent disease (91% survival at 10 years) and those with poor prognosis (13% survival at 10 years). Furthermore, patients with telomeres above the fusogenic mean showed superior prognosis regardless of their IGHV mutation status or cytogenetic risk group. In keeping with this finding, telomere dysfunction was the dominant variable in multivariate analysis. Taken together, this study provides compelling evidence for the use of high-resolution telomere length analysis coupled with a definition of telomere dysfunction in the prognostic assessment of CLL

Structural and functional analysis of the tandem β-zipper interaction of a streptococcal protein with human fibronectin

Bacterial fibronectin-binding proteins (FnBPs) contain a large intrinsically disordered region (IDR) that mediates adhesion of bacteria to host tissues, and invasion of host cells, through binding to fibronectin (Fn). These FnBP IDRs consist of Fn-binding repeats (FnBRs) that form a highly extended tandem β-zipper interaction on binding to the N-terminal domain of Fn. Several FnBR residues are highly conserved across bacterial species, and here we investigate their contribution to the interaction. Mutation of these residues to alanine in SfbI-5 (a disordered FnBR from the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes) reduced binding, but for each residue the change in free energy of binding was <2 kcal/mol. The structure of an SfbI-5 peptide in complex with the second and third F1 modules from Fn confirms that the conserved FnBR residues play equivalent functional roles across bacterial species. Thus, in SfbI-5, the binding energy for the tandem β-zipper interaction with Fn is distributed across the interface rather than concentrated in a small number of "hot spot" residues that are frequently observed in the interactions of folded proteins. We propose that this might be a common feature of the interactions of IDRs and is likely to pose a challenge for the development of small molecule inhibitors of FnBP-mediated adhesion to and invasion of host cells