Applied Research Activities Research Articles

VET centres: from a traditional to a transformational role for students, enterprises and society

Vocational Education and Training (VET) has the potential to move from a traditional function to a transformational ones by extending their activities beyond teaching provision. The transformational role of VET is focused on non-traditional functions like applied research and technical services provision to enterprises supporting SMEs innovation and local and regional development. However, these non-traditional functions belong to a complex process and depend both on internal and external factors to the centres being driven by the need for innovation and problem-solving of those enterprises outside the scope of the traditional institutions. Therefore, applied research in the VET field can be defined as solving real problems in industry that posits VET as a key agent in the Regional Innovation Systems. The approach to non-traditional functions, in general, and to applied research activities are considered some of the key characteristics of excellence in the VET field.

"I See a lot of Crazy Things and I Don't Know What to Believe": Lessons Learned about Health Literacy and Strategies for Communicating with Vaccine-Hesitant College Students.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the American College Health Association (ACHA) has partnered with CommunicateHealth (CH) to develop COVID-19 mitigation resources for colleges and universities. In 2021, the CH team conducted a series of applied research activities to gain a nuanced understanding of factors that shape perceptions of risk and drive vaccine hesitancy among campus audiences-especially college students who are emerging adults (approximately ages 18 to 22). Based on our findings, CH and ACHA identified key traits of vaccine-hesitant college students and implications for future vaccine communication campaigns. First, vaccine-hesitant students are more likely to ask "why" and "how" questions such as "Why do I need to get vaccinated?" and "How was the vaccine developed and tested?". Secondly, these students want to have open, authentic dialogue rather than simply accepting health recommendations from a trusted source. Finally, the CH team noted that vaccine-hesitant students were not highly motivated by their own personal risk of getting sick from COVID-19; concern about spreading COVID-19 to others was a much stronger motivating factor. Leveraging these insights, CH and ACHA developed strategies to apply health literacy principles to reach vaccine-hesitant college students with the right information at the right time-and to leverage relevant motivators and overcome barriers to vaccination. By implementing these strategies, CH and ACHA developed clear and empowering educational materials about COVID-19 vaccination tailored to the unique information needs of vaccine-hesitant students.

Radiation processing in India: The voyage and present status

Establishment of first gamma radiation facility for sterilization of medical products under auspices of UNDP by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in the year 1974 gave a big boost to radiation related applied research activities in India. Today radiation related research is not confined to DAE units but it is being carried out in many universities and other institutes of India. A very positive outcome of this has been that, many industries are adopting radiation technologies. Presently 18 electron beams and 24 gamma processing plants are commercially operating in India. Radiation applications are being explored for radiolysis based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for treatment of waste water and treatment of dry sewage sludge, synthesis of grafted membranes for separation and energy storage purpose, synthesis of high recovery shape memory polymers, synthesis of chemi-resistive, electromechanical and peizo-resistive sensors and other applications. The article briefly describes various activities being presently being pursued or have been completed in recent past. Efforts have been put to guesstimate the direction of the near future activities in-view of the present activities.

Environmental Protection and Superior Recovery of Vegetal Waste and Biomass, Major objectives in the Applied Research Activity

Vegetable biomass consumes a small part of the solar energy, about 1%, but enough to cover the energy needs of mankind and maintain the life of the entire planet [1]. Vegetable biomass is generators of minerals, chemical compounds, materials and fibres for industry and animal husbandry feed. The enormous interest in the superior recovery of biomass and vegetable waste has led to the additional research within the Research and Development Department at Hofigal SA, which I am a member of, in 2022 for: Making soils and substrates, from vegetable waste, for the growth of fungi. Industrial reuse of waste from industrial production activity. Obtain liquid, natural fertilizers and solid compost (humus) by recovering vegetable waste resulting from industrial activity and vegetable biomass resulting from crop maintenance. Create new sources of raw materials by acclimatizing new plants. Create new aqueous and hydroalcoholic plant extracts from spontaneous flora to protect agricultural crops against pests without using synthetic chemicals and other research activities. The major objective of this research is to reduce the amount of waste and plant biomass resulting at Hofigal, as well as to create new resources of plant raw materials, leading to new products and food supplements for health care. For this purpose, we aimed to reduce the amount of vegetable waste, from industrial activity, from 30 tons to one ton/year. We also aimed to obtain 5 tons of plant protection solutions and 20 tons of liquid organic fertilizer from the aerobic fermentation of compost on concrete platforms. This liquid fertilizer will be used for fertilizing the plants with the irrigation/watering of the plants, because it is applied diluted. We managed to acclimatize, in industrial cultures, in a 1-year cycle of culture, five new plants, three from the local spontaneous flora (wormwood, black wormwood and orpine-Sedum telephium) and two from the specific flora of China and Japan (lophantus and perilla). The achievements of the Hofigal Research and Development Department were validated by the Hofigal Scientific Council and proposed in the production plan for the year 2023-2024.

THE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY: CREATING A PIPELINE OF DIVERSITY IN THE LTSS SECTOR

Abstract The long-term services and supports (LTSS) sector is a microcosm of systemic racism that exits in our society. Nationally, half of frontline professional caregivers are nonwhite, while mid- and executive-level managers and board members are predominately white. Research has identified this lack of diversity in management and leadership as a major contributor to turnover and recruitment challenges among frontline staff. We will summarize the findings from three applied research activities: 1) DEI survey of chief executive officers (CEOs) of multi-setting LTSS organizations; 2) interviews with chief diversity officers and CEOs on current workplace DEI efforts and the challenges; and 3) interviews with leaders of color who have had experience with the LTSS sector. Not-for-profit multisite organizations and life plan communities lack diversity among the senior leadership team and board members (12% are people of color). A DEI initiative is more likely to be successful if it has buy-in from the CEO and board members, aligns with the organization’s strategic plan and mission, is integrated into the organizational culture, and is assessed regularly to measure its impact and identify needed adjustments. Leaders of color in aging services acknowledge the barriers – lack of diversity among leaders and residents and the microaggressions that people of color experience - that make it challenging for people of color to work in the field. They recommend increasing diversity among senior leaders, investing in enhancing DEI, and spreading awareness of the LTSS field and its career opportunities to communities of color.

Novel methods for an interesting time: Exploring U.S. local food systems’ impacts and initiatives to respond to COVID*

The COVID‐19 pandemic and associated public health and social distancing mandates caused unprecedented shifts and disruptions for local and regional food systems (LRFS). The pandemic also brought new and heightened attention to the structure and resiliency of US food systems, and LRFS appeared to be positioned to significantly increase the scope and scale of their market reach as a result. Researchers from three universities collaborated with staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service to recruit leaders from sixteen key coalitions within the U.S. LRFS sector to frame an adaptive, community‐driven set of applied research activities to understand important themes, learn from effective responses and gain insights into how local and regional supply chains may change post‐pandemic. In this paper, we summarise urgent and emergent strategies and innovations from LRFS captured in a fall 2020 consumer survey, with additional insights on how the survey was framed and interpreted, considering synthesis of collaborative discussions and project team interactions. We conclude the article with a set of research, policy and technical assistance priorities that were identified and validated by this LRFS network.

A Conceptual Continuous Improvement Framework to Examine the "Problems of Understanding" Applied Research

Objectives: Improving performance to meet strategic priorities, such as teaching balanced with increased applied research activities, has developed into a central, though contentious, discourse for faculty in Ontario colleges. The aim of this article is to analyze and better understand why faculty are not engaged in applied research practices. Method: This article draws from social cognition theory and a social constructivist perspective. The literature review examines the evolution of colleges in Ontario, including the political factors and symbolic artifacts that shape values and organizational practices. This study sought to explore how a conceptual continuous improvement (CI) framework might advance our understanding of the policy shifts between applied research discourses within Ontario colleges in Canada and barriers that faculty face to enact applied research practices. Results: Underpinned by a set of simple principles, including improving through communication, learning through collaboration, and changing through coordination, the conceptual CI processes and systematic method provide opportunities to bridge the different contexts and unveil the varied on-the-ground realities of faculty teaching and research tasks. Conclusions: The findings reveal developmental needs and adaptive institutional challenges related to applied research practice changes have been influenced by political, cultural, and socio-cognition contexts and tasks. Implication for Practice: The inventive conceptual CI framework provides a viable means to analyze the fragmented state of applied research practices across Ontario colleges, which may ignite conversations and inform decision-making as well as suggest approaches to change at other global postsecondary education institutions. The innovative conceptual CI framework analysis tool will be of interest to faculty, institutional leaders, faculty unions, and policymakers.

Evolution of Rutherford’s ion beam science to applied research activities at GNS Science

ABSTRACT This manuscript outlines current research activities based on ion beam science at GNS Science in New Zealand. Ion beam analysis methods include Rutherford backscattering and nuclear reaction analysis which trace back to Rutherford's famous ‘gold foil’ and ‘splitting the atom’ experiments. These ion beam-based methods generally offer the ability to analyse materials for every element of the periodic table, to ppm concentrations, and with depth profiles ranging from a few nm to several microns. Ion beam methods are now also used to modify and create new materials precisely. Rutherford’s early research now has a legacy at GNS Science’s Materials team to discover, design, and develop materials for energy efficient modern applications for a low carbon future. These include magnetic sensors for security products, nanostructured magnetic materials for energy conversion, thermoelectric devices for energy harvesting, and catalytic development for clean energy carriers and energy efficient communication devices.

Уголь как коллекционный объект и источник знаний

At the current stage, museum collections on natural history play an important role in the fundamental and applied research activity and are an essential part of popularizing Earth sciences. This article focuses on natural-scientific collections of the Institute of Coal (which is a structural unit of the Federal Research Center for Coal and Petrochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), documenting interdisciplinary scientific knowledge about coal. Through methods of petrochemical, petrographic and geological research, as well as museological approach systematizing natural samples, the systematic, thematic and educational collections have been formed. They include coals of the Kuzbass and other coal basins, rock formations and paleonthological objects. Being a specific form of preservation of certain natural history processes of regional and global significance, a systematized collection is a tangible and informational resource of scientific explorations. Realization of its scientific-informational potential promotes popularization of the scientific knowledge and search for answers to solve environmental problems.

СЕТЕВОЕ ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЕ ОБЩЕСТВЕННЫХ ИНСТИТУТОВ (ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И КУЛЬТУРЫ) ПО ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЮ СОЦИАЛИЗАЦИИ И ИНКУЛЬТУРАЦИИ ЛИЦ С ОГРАНИЧЕННЫМИ ВОЗМОЖНОСТЯМИ ЗДОРОВЬЯ (РЕГИОНАЛЬНЫЙ АСПЕКТ)

The authors of the article attempted to consider the network interaction of public institutions (education and culture) as a resource for the implementation of the processes of socialization and inculturation of persons with disabilities (OBS). A significant quantitative growth in the past decades of persons with impairment of psychophysical development in Russia and abroad determines the priority of the activities of public institutions. In the problem field of special pedagogy, the place of interaction of education and culture is given. The article provides an analysis of theoretical and applied research activities of public institutions, proposes to systematize the existing network partnership practices. It is shown that network interaction has a significant potential in the field of socio-cultural develop-ment. The cooperation between organizations of education and culture allows us to solve this task the most successfully. Established by means of the network relationships make it possible not only to exchange each other's resources or compensate for their own deficit at the expense of partner resources, but also to combine the available potential. The authors substantiate and describe theoretically the main provisions of the network interaction of social partners: educational and cultural organizations aimed at ensuring the socialization and inculturation of persons with disabilities, i.e. the implementation of the socio-cultural function of education. Based on the analyzed sources, it is concluded that socialization, i.e. adaptation to the social order of life, occurs faster than inculturation – adaptation to the values, traditions and customs of society. Based on these provisions, a model of network coop-eration of educational and cultural institutions has been developed and described – a structural and content model for ensuring the socialization and inculturation of persons with disabilities, which involves the participation in the process of its implementation of specialists of educational and cultural systems necessary for the specifics of interaction. The proposed model makes it possible to expand partnership relations by means of other social spheres. The results of the study (on the example of an inclusive "Theater for all") can be a starting point for pedagogical teams to understand their ability to design their own models using network interaction resources.

Numerical simulation of the sensor for toxic nanoparticles based on the heterostructure field effect transistor

A significant rise in the mass production of products that contain nanoparticles is of growing concern due to the detection of their toxic effects on living organisms. The standard method for analyzing the toxicity of substances, including nanomaterials, is toxicological testing, which requires the substantial consumption of time and material resources. An alternative approach is to develop models that predict the effect of nanomaterials on biological systems. In both cases, for the detection of nanoparticles an effective electronic complex consisting of a sensor with high sensitivity and a data reception/processing/transmission system is necessary. In recent times, fundamental and applied research activities aimed at the application of heterostructure field-effect transistors – high electron mobility transistors–as a base for such sensors have been undertaken. The purpose of this work is to develop a technique for modeling a sensor for toxic nanoparticles based on the heterostructure field-effect transistor. The object of the research is a gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor device structure. The subject of the research is the electrical characteristics of the transistor obtained in static mode. The calculation results show that the dependence between the concentration of the toxic nanoparticles in the test medium and the polarization charge surface density could serve as a base for modeling the sensor for toxic nanoparticles based on the heterostructure field-effect transistor. The primary advantage of the proposed technique is the use of the scaling parameter intended directly for calibrating the polarization charge density in accordance with the two-dimensional electron gas concentration. The obtained results can be utilized by the electronics industry of the Republic of Belarus for developing the hardware components of gallium nitride high-frequency electronics.

Spatial features of training highly qualified scientific and pedagogical personnel in the South of Russia

The key factors of the socio-economic development of society are science, innovation and new educational technologies that shape and reveal the scientific, pedagogical and production potential of the country. The formation of an innovative economic model today is impossible without the intensive development of fundamental and applied research activities, which makes higher educational institutions one of the most influential elements of the implementation of the concept of advanced development of the territory. There is a need to improve the institutional framework, expand the academic network, strengthen interuniversity cooperation for the development and effective operation of the entire educational sphere. The Russian higher education system, which is responsible for the reproduction of professional scientific personnel, is in a state of large-scale transformations, which is reflected in the main institutes for training highly qualified personnel - postgraduate and doctoral studies. Transformations in higher education affect the quality of training of future specialists, and also form a certain imbalance in their territorial organization in different constituent entities of the country. The article discusses the particularity of training, spatial characteristics and provision of subjects of the South of Russia with scientific and pedagogical personnel of the highest qualification.

El papel de los centros de investigación colaborativa en los sistemas de innovación: innovaciones estructurales para la producción de conocimiento

Este artículo trata el problema de los varios tipos de acciones y políticas que se pueden definir como “innovaciones estructurales” en los sistemas nacionales de innovación, prestando especial atención al caso de la transformación de las interacciones entre el sector de la ciencia pública y la industria privada. El estudio se centra en la aparición y difusión de organizaciones que definen un entorno más estable y formalizado para la colaboración y la transferencia de conocimiento entre ciencia y empresa, como los centros de investigación colaborativa (CIC). El objetivo de la investigación es comprender de qué manera los CIC generan transformaciones estructurales en los sistemas de innovación. Empleando un conjunto de datos de encuesta, relativo a una muestra de 128 CIC radicados en España, se analizan las actividades y los resultados de los centros. Los resultados del análisis muestran que los centros se especializan principalmente en actividades de investigación aplicada, desempeñando un papel de productores, más que de transmisores, del conocimiento científico técnico. Así pues, para el caso español, parece que estas innovaciones estructurales cubren un “hueco funcional” entre dominios de actividad diferentes, más que un “hueco estructural” entre sectores.

Teaching Qualitative Research Methods Online: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Online education has become well established as an avenue for flexible access to educational opportunities. Those who teach qualitative research methods online may find it difficult to locate research or best practice literature to inform practice. A scoping review was conducted to identify and synthesize the literature about teaching qualitative research methods courses online. Eleven peer-reviewed journal articles were identified through a scoping review of the literature. The TPACK framework, which defines teacher knowledge in terms of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge, was used as a conceptual framework. Results from this scoping review indicate that online qualitative research methods educators choose course goals, instructional modules, and topics in a manner consistent with instructional design approaches. Pedagogical approaches included orientation strategies, strategic use of instructional media, online discussions, applied research activities, and writing projects. Technology was used for course management, to develop content, for communication, and to enable online teaching strategies in an online environment. The literature informs teaching practice in qualitative research methods education, but more research is needed to develop knowledge in this under explored area.

Urban exceptions. The interruption of consolidated urban logics as an opportunity to regenerate public space in Prishtina

The following chapter gathers some of the Architecture and Urban research activities developed during the 2017/18 academic year of Design Studios at POLIS University in Tirana. The idea was to push forward the topics initially explored within the PhD workshop trying to investigate new Architecture and Urban strategies for the future development of Prishtina as a new European Capital. Prishtina City LAB has been conceptualized as a multidisciplinary platform in which different scale of design projects shared the same issue regarding the city of Prishtina, focusing on specific applied research activities. Prishtina has been studied and conceptualized as a laboratory of Urban Experiments; in order to enrich the capacity of the students to manage urban complexity, Architects, Planners and external professionals have been engaged during one year of academic work. The Urban Planning Studio led by Besnik Aliaj and Sotir Dhamo with Llazar Kumaraku, Enrico Porfido, Eranda Janku; the Studio in Architecture and theory 3rd year led by Loris Rossi and Dorina Papa with the external consultation of Antonello Stella from the Department of Architecture in Ferrara (IT) and some of the work elaborated during the Thesis Studio led by Ledian Bregasi and Saimir Kristo has been stressed the idea of Prishtina City Lab as didactic experiments useful to produce new research topics for the Municipality of Prishtina and the academic environment of POLIS University

Novelty-seeking traits and applied research activities

ABSTRACTWe examine the country-level relationship between novelty-seeking traits and applied research activities. Using DRD4 exon III allele frequencies (DRD4) to proxy for the former and per capita patent applications and grants to proxy for the latter, we find a negative relationship between the two. Our results complement the findings of recent studies about the relationship between novelty-seeking traits, innovation and comparative economic development.

Benchmarking the sustainable manufacturing paradigm via automatic analysis and clustering of scientific literature: A perspective from Italian technologists

Abstract The number of scientific papers in the field of Sustainable Manufacturing (SM) shows a strong growth of interest in this topic in the last 20 years. Despite this huge number of publications, a clear statement of the profound meaning of Sustainable Manufacturing, or at least a strong theoretical support, is still missing. The 6R framework seems to be a first attempt to rationalize this issue, as it is an axiomatic identification of its true nature. Recognizing the pursuing of one or more of the Reduce-Recycle-Reuse-Recover-Redesign-Remanufacture principles allows users to identify if any manufacturing action is in the right direction of sustainability. In the paper, the authors speculate on the use of this framework and its possible extension by referring to all the existing scientific contributions on Sustainable Manufacturing in the SCOPUS® databases as a source of data. Starting from the measurement of the distribution of the scientific papers allocated onto the 6Rs dimensions, by using both author keywords and automatically extracted multiword from texts, the distribution of the scientific papers among the 6R was derived. A new framework is proposed based on analytical text tools to compare the affinity of the applied research activities of the Italian Technologist network SOSTENERE to sustainable manufacturing and provide also a benchmarking view to describe the Italian way to SM with respect to the rest of existing applications.

Introducing the Atacama Desert

This brief introduction is intended to orientate the reader with respect to the principal environmental and historical features of the Atacama Desert, the oldest and continuously driest non-polar temperate desert on Earth. Exploration of its microbiology is relatively recent but both fundamental and applied research activities have grown dramatically in recent years reflecting the substantial interest in its microbial diversity, ecology, biogeochemistry, natural product potential and Mars-analogue properties of this unique and invigorating environment.

Project- versus lecture-based courses: Assessing the role of course structure on perceived utility, anxiety, academic performance, and satisfaction in the undergraduate research methods course

ABSTRACTPrevious research suggests that undergraduate research methods students doubt the utility of course content and experience math and research anxiety. Research also suggests involving students in hands-on, applied research activities, although empirical data on the scope and nature of these activities are lacking. This study compared academic performance, research methods anxiety, perceived utility of research methods, and course satisfaction across students in a large lecture-based course and a smaller project-based course. Results show minimal differences in student outcomes between the courses. Limitations are discussed, as is the ideal scope of project-based learning in the undergraduate mass media research methods course.

A gene expression atlas of adult Schistosoma mansoni and their gonads

RNA-Seq has proven excellence in providing information about the regulation and transcript levels of genes. We used this method for profiling genes in the flatworm Schistosoma mansoni. This parasite causes schistosomiasis, an infectious disease of global importance for human and animals. The pathology of schistosomiasis is associated with the eggs, which are synthesized as a final consequence of male and female adults pairing. The male induces processes in the female that lead to the full development of its gonads as a prerequisite for egg production. Unpaired females remain sexually immature. Based on an organ-isolation method we obtained gonad tissue for RNA extraction from paired and unpaired schistosomes, with whole adults included as controls. From a total of 23 samples, we used high-throughput cDNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) on the Illumina platform to profile gene expression between genders and tissues, with and without pairing influence. The data obtained provide a wealth of information on the reproduction biology of schistosomes and a rich resource for exploitation through basic and applied research activities.