Ryerson University

About: Ryerson University is a education organization based out in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Population. The organization has 7671 authors who have published 20164 publications receiving 394976 citations. The organization is also known as: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute & Ryerson Institute of Technology.

Motivations: The Entrepreneurial Mind and Behavior

Abstract: In this chapter various theories and approaches to motivational research are reviewed and applied to the study of the entrepreneur. These are discussed with respect to both necessity and opportunistic entrepreneurship. Various models that integrate internal and external motivation are explored and the concept of risk is examined as a form of motivation. The role of goals and goal setting is also discussed in the motivational framework and is tied to intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. In addition, work and life satisfaction are reviewed as they impact entrepreneurial motivation with specific attention paid to career motivation. Finally, achievement motivation is discussed, not only in terms of a unidimensional model, but also in terms of a multi-dimensional model to predict the performance of firms using the motivation characteristics of the entrepreneur.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of On-Road Simulator and Cognitive Driving Assessment in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at an increased risk of driving impairment. There is a need for tools with sufficient validity to help clinicians assess driving ability. OBJECTIVE: Provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of the primary driving assessment methods (on-road, cognitive, driving simulation assessments) in patients with MCI and AD. METHODS: We investigated (1) the predictive utility of cognitive tests and domains, and (2) the areas and degree of driving impairment in patients with MCI and AD. Effect sizes of were derived and analyzed in a random effects model. RESULTS: Thirty-two articles (including 1,293 AD patients, 92 MCI patients, 2,040 healthy older controls) met inclusion criteria. Driving outcomes included: On-road test scores, pass/fail classifications, errors; caregiver reports; real world crash involvement; and driving simulator collisions/risky behavior. Executive function (ES [95% CI]; 0.61 [0.41, 0.81]), attention (0.55 [0.33, 0.77]), visuospatial function (0.50 [0.34, 0.65]), and global cognition (0.61 [0.39, 0.83]) emerged as significant predictors of driving performance. Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B, 0.61 [0.28, 0.94]), TMT-A (0.65 [0.08, 1.21]), and Maze test (0.88 [0.60, 1.15]) emerged as the best single predictors of driving performance. Patients with very mild AD (CDR = 0.5) mild AD (CDR = 1) were more likely to fail an on-road test than healthy control drivers (CDR = 0), with failure rates of 13.6%, 33.3% and 1.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The driving ability of patients with MCI and AD appears to be related to degree of cognitive impairment. Across studies, there are inconsistent cognitive predictors and reported driving outcomes in MCI and AD patients. Future large-scale studies should investigate the driving performance and associated neural networks of subgroups of AD (very mild, mild, moderate) and MCI (amnestic, non-amnestic, single-domain, multiple-domain). Language: en

The importance of reversibility in modeling soot nucleation and condensation processes

Abstract: Given the upcoming EURO 6 regulations, which include limits on particle number density (and hence size) for soot emissions from land vehicles, soot models must be capable of accurately predicting soot particle sizes. Previous modeling work has demonstrated the importance of the relative strengths of nucleation and condensation in predicting soot primary particle size; however, fundamental models still rely on tunable constants for modeling both processes, which limits predictive capability. Recent investigations into nucleation and condensation processes suggest that both processes are not thermodynamically favored to occur from 5-ringed PAHs, yet 5-ringed PAHs have been experimentally observed in abundance within nascent soot particles. This contradiction leads to the understanding that nucleation and condensation from 5-ringed PAHs is plausible, although they are likely highly reversible processes. A fundamental reversible model for nucleation and condensation is developed through the use of statistical mechanics and the results from several recent works. The model is highly sensitive to both the binding energy and the vibration frequencies created during the nucleation and condensation processes, although reasonable values are obtained through an extensive literature review. A model for tracking the PAHs on the surface of soot particles is developed, which allows for the calculation of the reverse rate of nucleation and condensation. The inclusion of reversibility in the nucleation and condensation subroutines enables the model to accurately reproduce all relevant soot morphological parameters determined experimentally for the atmospheric pressure, laminar, ethylene–air Santoro flame. This is due to more accurate partitioning of PAH mass through the nucleation and condensation processes. The developed reversible model represents an advancement in fundamental soot formation modeling by replacing tunable constants with fundamental physics.