Edinburgh Napier University

About: Edinburgh Napier University is a education organization based out in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 2665 authors who have published 6859 publications receiving 175272 citations.

Organizational knowledge and communities of practice

Abstract: Les AA. passent en revue les differentes approches utilisees dans la litterature pour traiter des communautes de pratiques. Trois domaines de recherche contribuent actuellement a definir les concepts de communautes de pratiques : les etudes sur l'apprentissage en situation et l'action en situation ; les etudes sur la cognition distribuee (ou l'interaction entre les gens, les artefacts et le contexte dans la resolution des problemes) ; les etudes en communication, en particulier une tradition linguistique explorant les reseaux sociaux au moyen de l'analyse du discours et de l'analyse des conversations. Les etudes de cas de communautes de pratiques sur le lieu de travail relevent de deux types : celles ecrites dans une perspective performative et celles ecrites dans une perspective interpretative ou constructiviste. Les etudes sur les motivations au partage des connaisances et a la participation a une communaute de pratiques appartiennent a deux grandes categories, fondees respectivement sur une philosophie de marche et sur une philosophie de l'attention. Les facteurs de motivations et les incitations identifies dans la litterature sont : les recompenses de type economique, les recompenses sous forme d'acces a l'information et a la connaissance, de creation du capital social, d'avancement et de reconnaissance professionnels, et la creation d'environnements propices a la participation aux communautes de pratiques. Les infrastructures de soutien aux communautes de pratiques sont les technologies pour la communication et la representation, les objets frontieres, les infrastructures sociales ou reseaux de contact. Les communautes virtuelles ne sont pas forcement synonymes de communautes de pratiques. En conclusion, le theme des communautes de pratiques peut etre aligne avec un certain nombre d'etudes en sciences de l'information centrees sur l'ecologie et l'ethologie du lieu de travail.

Surface only modification of bacterial cellulose nanofibres with organic acids

Abstract: Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibres were modified only on their surface using an esterification reaction with acetic acid, hexanoic acid or dodecanoic acid. This reaction rendered the extremely hydrophilic surfaces of BC nanofibres hydrophobic. The hydrophobicity of BC increased with increasing carbon chain length of the organic acids used for the esterification reaction. Streaming (zeta-) potential measurements showed a slight shift in the isoelectric point and a decrease in ζplateau was also observed after the esterification reactions. This was attributed to the loss of acidic functional groups and increase in hydrophobicity due to esterification of BC with organic acids. A method based on hydrogen/deuterium exchange was developed to evaluate the availability of surface hydroxyl groups of neat and modified BC. The thermal degradation temperature of modified BC sheets decreased with increasing carbon chain length of the organic acids used. This is thought to be a direct result of the esterification reaction, which significantly reduces the packing efficiency of the nanofibres because of a reduction in the number of effective hydrogen bonds between them.

Searching for Atrial Fibrillation Poststroke: A White Paper of the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration

Abstract: Cardiac thromboembolism attributed to atrial fibrillation (AF) is responsible for up to one-third of ischemic strokes. Stroke may be the first manifestation of previously undetected AF. Given the efficacy of oral anticoagulants in preventing AF-related ischemic strokes, strategies of searching for AF after a stroke using ECG monitoring followed by oral anticoagulation (OAC) treatment have been proposed to prevent recurrent cardioembolic strokes. This white paper by experts from the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration summarizes existing evidence and knowledge gaps on searching for AF after a stroke by using ECG monitoring. New AF can be detected by routine plus intensive ECG monitoring in approximately one-quarter of patients with ischemic stroke. It may be causal, a bystander, or neurogenically induced by the stroke. AF after a stroke is a risk factor for thromboembolism and a strong marker for atrial myopathy. After acute ischemic stroke, patients should undergo 72 hours of electrocardiographic monitoring to detect AF. The diagnosis requires an ECG of sufficient quality for confirmation by a health professional with ECG rhythm expertise. AF detection rate is a function of monitoring duration and quality of analysis, AF episode definition, interval from stroke to monitoring commencement, and patient characteristics including old age, certain ECG alterations, and stroke type. Markers of atrial myopathy (eg, imaging, atrial ectopy, natriuretic peptides) may increase AF yield from monitoring and could be used to guide patient selection for more intensive/prolonged poststroke ECG monitoring. Atrial myopathy without detected AF is not currently sufficient to initiate OAC. The concept of embolic stroke of unknown source is not proven to identify patients who have had a stroke benefitting from empiric OAC treatment. However, some embolic stroke of unknown source subgroups (eg, advanced age, atrial enlargement) might benefit more from non-vitamin K-dependent OAC therapy than aspirin. Fulfilling embolic stroke of unknown source criteria is an indication neither for empiric non-vitamin K-dependent OAC treatment nor for withholding prolonged ECG monitoring for AF. Clinically diagnosed AF after a stroke or a transient ischemic attack is associated with significantly increased risk of recurrent stroke or systemic embolism, in particular, with additional stroke risk factors, and requires OAC rather than antiplatelet therapy. The minimum subclinical AF duration required on ECG monitoring poststroke/transient ischemic attack to recommend OAC therapy is debated.