Collection Plan Research Articles

Stakeholders' views and perspectives on treatments of visceral leishmaniasis and their outcomes in HIV-coinfected patients in East Africa and South-East Asia: A mixed methods study.

In visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), combination therapy (liposomal amphotericin B infusion and oral miltefosine) is being considered as an alternative to liposomal amphotericin B monotherapy. We aimed to assess the views of stakeholders in relation to these treatment options. In a mixed methods study, we surveyed and interviewed patients, government functionaries, programme managers, health service providers, nongovernmental organizations, researchers, and World Health Organization (WHO) personnel. We used the Evidence to Decision (EtD) framework for data collection planning and analysis. Constructs of interest included valuation of outcomes, impact on equity, feasibility and acceptability of the treatment options, implementation considerations, monitoring and evaluation, and research priorities. Mortality and non-serious adverse events were rated as "critical" by respectively the highest (61%) and lowest percentages (47%) of survey participants. Participants viewed clinical cure as essential for patients to regain productivity. Non-patient stakeholders emphasized the importance of "sustained" clinical cure. For most survey participants, combination therapy, compared with monotherapy, would increase health equity (40%), and be more acceptable (79%) and feasible (57%). Interviews revealed that combination therapy was more feasible and acceptable than monotherapy when associated with a shorter duration of hospitalization. The findings of the interviews provided insight into those of the survey. When choosing between alternative options, providers should consider the outcomes that matter to patients as well as the impact on equity, feasibility, and acceptability of the options.

ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN AKRAN GERİ BİLDİRİMİ VERME DAVRANIŞLARININ SÜREÇ MADENCİLİĞİ İLE İNCELENMESİ

Akran geri bildirimi öğrencilere birçok yönden fayda sağlayabilir. Ancak bu faydalar, geri bildirim tek yönlü ele alındığında asgari miktarda gerçekleşmektedir. Geri bildirim öncesinde, süresince ve sonrasında diyalog ve öğrenciler arasında iş birliği sürdürülebilirse bu faydalar katlanabilir. Bu noktada geri bildirimi veren öğrencinin aktif katılımı önemlidir. Ancak, öğrencilerin akran geri bildirimi verme davranışları literatürde çok fazla ilgi görmemiştir ve diyalog merkezli iş birlikçi uygulamalarda ise hiç incelenmemiştir. Bu boşluktan yola çıkılarak yapılan bu çalışmada çevrimiçi gerçekleştirilen bir akran geri bildirimi etkinliğindeki öğrencilerin geri bildirim verme davranışları incelenmiştir. Bu etkinlik, iş birlikçi geri bildirim teorisi çerçevesinde tasarlanmış olan Sinerji platformunda gerçekleştirilmiştir ve öğrencilerin bu platformla olan etkileşimleri sonucunda oluşan veri bu çalışmada süreç madenciliği uygulanarak incelenmiştir. Elde edilen büyük verinin ön işlemesi iş birlikçi geri bildirim teorisi temel alınarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, yüksek performans grubundaki öğrencilerin davranışları iş birlikçi geri bildirim teorisiyle ile uyumluyken, orta performanslı öğrencilerin davranışlarında teoriden önemli ölçüde sapmalar olmuştur. Öğrenci geri bildirim verme davranışına dair bulgular geri bildirim öncesinde öğrenciler arasındaki diyalog ve ortaklaşa planlamanın önemini göstermektedir. Ayrıca, bu çalışma öğrenme analitikleri alanında teori eksikliğine yönelik tartışmalara, öğrenme analitiklerini teorik bir temele oturtmanın faydalarını göstererek katkı sunmuştur. Çalışma sonunda önemli öneriler paylaşılmıştır.

Spatiotemporal changes in environmental DNA concentrations caused by fish spawning activity

Determining the timing and location of spawning is critical for the conservation and management of aquatic species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis can be used to monitor fish spawning activity by detecting peaks in eDNA concentrations and nuclear DNA (nuDNA)/mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) ratios; however, the duration and diffusion distance of high concentrations of eDNA produced by spawning activities in water bodies are still unknown, preventing us from making accurate and effective survey plans to monitor spawning activities. Using common carp as a target species, we conducted artificial spawning experiments to investigate the spatiotemporal changes in eDNA concentrations during spawning. The results showed that the nuDNA concentration, mtDNA concentration, and nuDNA/mtDNA ratio that were increased by spawning activity decreased at rates of 7.78 %, 5.22 %, and 2.56 %, respectively, per 0.1 h after reaching the peak. Data simulations were performed to estimate the probability of successful monitoring of carp spawning activity during repeated sampling at different times and distance intervals. The results showed that carp spawning activity over the past 24 h could be monitored by eDNA analysis. Additionally, when carp spawning activity occurs once, spawning activity can be successfully monitored by measuring the nuDNA concentration or the nuDNA/mtDNA ratio with a probability of approximately 50–75 % based on a sampling plan of sample collection every 100 m and every 24 h. Thus, the spawning activity of aquatic species can be estimated with high spatial and temporal accuracy using eDNA analysis.

Overcoming obstacles to accessibility and inclusivity in an Australian regional city: A transdisciplinary research approach

ABSTRACT This paper describes research asking what is required to overcome entrenched obstacles to accessibility and inclusivity in an Australia regional city, in particular for those living with disability. A transdisciplinary, systems thinking approach allowed a range of stakeholders, including many with lived experiences of disability, to create a collective plan of action. This plan included interdependent interventions, independent and ahead of national governance, connecting urban planning policy to education, public transport, housing provision, co-design of public buildings, community infrastructure and inclusive employment practices. Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity within regional planning research was seen as impacting the process and outcomes.

Rapid Implementation of High-Frequency Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.

There have been over 507 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), resulting in 6 million deaths globally. Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a valuable tool in understanding SARS-CoV-2 burden in communities. The National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) partnered with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to implement a high-frequency sampling program. This report describes basic surveillance and sampling statistics as well as a comparison of SARS-CoV-2 trends between high-frequency sampling 3–5 times per week, referred to as USGS samples, and routine sampling 1–2 times per week, referred to as NWSS samples. USGS samples provided a more nuanced impression of the changes in wastewater trends, which could be important in emergency response situations. Despite the rapid implementation time frame, USGS samples had similar data quality and testing turnaround times as NWSS samples. Ensuring there is a reliable sample collection and testing plan before an emergency arises will aid in the rapid implementation of a high-frequency sampling approach. High-frequency sampling requires a constant flow of information and supplies throughout sample collection, testing, analysis, and data sharing. High-frequency sampling may be a useful approach for increased resolution of disease trends in emergency response.

Building coherent monitoring and evaluation plans with the Evaluation Planning Tool for global health

ABSTRACT Practitioners in global health are called to monitor and evaluate their projects. This keeps projects on track, it meets donor and public demand, and it is a key mechanism by which global health organizations hold themselves accountable and improve their community of practice. However, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is time- and resource-consuming, bringing into question whether the effort expended on M&E is worth it. While there has been a shift towards emphasizing the learning aspect of M&E, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other actors still struggle to get value from their efforts. One reason for this is that M&E plans are often not coherent or employed to their full potential. Theories of change, indicator lists, and data collection become a series of disjointed efforts that do not tie together. They become tick-the-box exercises to satisfy donors rather than a logical approach to draw meaningful findings for stakeholders, governments, and local communities. In this paper, we propose a step-by-step approach to utilizing M&E tools to their fullest potential, including: (1) a clearly defined theory of change that captures all program pathways and shows all intermediate objectives needed to achieve impact, (2) indicators which directly reflect the intermediate and ultimate objectives in the theory of change, and (3) a data collection plan which includes appropriate methods to measure indicators and address the questions stakeholders want answered. We make the case for a simpler, more coherent approach to M&E and propose a new tool to help practitioners more easily develop evaluation plans that are rigorous, practical, and worth the effort.

Development of Electronic Business Management Information System At Trinita Elektro Manado Store

The purpose of the study was to determine the results of the development of an electronic business management information system and to produce a valid, practical, and efficient electronic business management management information system at the Trinita Elektro Store. The type of research used is research and development or Research and Development (R&D) using the Borg & Gall development model whose research and development steps consist of data collection and initial planning, product development (initial product), product validation, product revision. , product trial 1, product revision 2, product trial 2 and (8) final product (dissemination and implementation). The subjects in this study were business owners, technicians, cashiers, and customers at the Trinita Elektro Store. Data collection techniques using literature studies, interviews and questionnaires / questionnaires. The instruments used are expert validation sheets and product trial questionnaires. While the data analysis technique used is quantitative descriptive analysis. The results showed that the electronic business management information system was feasible to be tested after being validated by design experts and materials experts at the address https://trinitaelektro.website/.
 Keywords : research and development, management information system, electronic business.

Statistical perspectives on reliability of artificial intelligence systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly popular in many applications. Nevertheless, AI technologies are still developing, and many issues need to be addressed. Among those, the reliability of AI systems needs to be demonstrated so that AI systems can be used with confidence by the general public. In this paper, we provide statistical perspectives on the reliability of AI systems, focusing on the time dimension. That is, the system can perform its designed functionality for the intended period of time. We introduce a so-called “SMART” statistical framework for AI reliability research, which includes five components: Structure of the system, Metrics of reliability, Analysis of failure causes, Reliability assessment, and Test planning. We review traditional methods in reliability data analysis and software reliability, and discuss how those existing methods can be transformed for reliability modeling and assessment of AI systems. Different from traditional reliability studies, the focus of AI reliability is on the software system to include the training data. Thus, we describe recent developments in modeling and analysis of AI reliability for software systems. The paper outlines statistical research challenges in this area, including out-of-distribution detection, the effect of the training set, adversarial attacks, model accuracy, and uncertainty quantification. We discuss how those topics can be related to AI reliability, with illustrative examples. The final element of SMART (test planning), is critical for the demonstration of AI reliability. Therefore we discuss data collection and testing planning, highlighting methods for improving system design in order to achieve higher AI reliability. The paper closes with some concluding remarks.

Food, Energy and Water Nexus: An Urban Living Laboratory Development for Sustainable Systems Transition

From a climate change perspective, the governance of natural common-pool resources—the commons—is a key point in the challenge of transitioning to sustainability. This paper presents the main strategic advances of the São Paulo Urban Living Laboratory (ULL) regarding Food, Energy and Water (FEW Nexus) analysis and modelling at the border of a high biodiverse forest in a peri-urban region in southeast Brazil. It is a replicable and scalable method concerning FEW governance. The FEW Nexus is an analytical guide to actions that will enable a colossal set of innovative processes that the transition to sustainability presupposes. Sustainable governance of the FEW dimensions, seen as an innovation-based process, is approached by a decision making tool to understand the past and future dynamics of the system. The governance framework is based on a multi-criteria and multi-attribute set of sustainability-relevant factors used as indicators to model complex system dynamics (SD) and the stakeholders’ future expectations through a Delphi approach. Based on the three main dimensions of the Ecosystem Services Approach—Physical and Material Conditions, Attributes of Communities, and Rules-in-Use—the tool comprises thirteen specific sustainability indicators such as water and carbon footprints, land use social development, payment for ecosystem services, and land use gain indices. Its development was designed to generate a long-term network of socioenvironmental stakeholders’ decision making processes and collective learning about a higher level of sustainable systems. System Dynamics modelling demonstrates the associations between sustainability indicators and the impacts of payment for ecosystem services on the land use social development index, or on the trophic state index. The Delphi foresight approach, using the Promethee-Gaia method, allows us to understand the positions of multiple agents regarding the transition process. In this context, decision making tools can be very useful and effective in answering the “how to” questions of ULLs and paving the way for transition, providing collective planning and decision support frameworks for sustainability transition management.

WASTE MANAGEMENT SITES - REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE (TPS3R) CONSTRUCTION STUDY IN SEKANAK AREA, PALEMBANG CITY

In Palembang, one of Indonesia's major municipalities, there were several challenges with the solid waste management system, notably in families. Adopting the 3R strategy to reduce waste production is one way to address the waste problem in Palembang (reuse, reduce, recycle). The Reduce-Reuse-Recycle Waste Management Site, or TPS3R, is located in Indonesia. It follows a pattern of waste management on a local or regional scale. One of the numerous tributaries of the Musi River, a significant river in this city that passes through Palembang, is the Sekanak River. The accumulation of waste in the drainage channel and its tributaries is one of the factors contributing to the decline in river water quality. Near the center of the city, the Sekanak region extends along the river's about 10-meter-wide course. Due to the fact that many residents who live close to rivers neglect waste management, the quality of the river water is damaged. It is projected that the TPS3R construction will be able to address the waste issue in the Sekanak area by looking at social, technological, and TPS3R feasibility development factors. The approach of the feasibility study is made up of the stages of work activities, preparatory activities, field surveys, data collection, analytical activities, and activity plan recommendations. The total investment cost for the 15 m × 20 m facility that makes up TPS3R is IDR 290,824,000. The cost of building the infrastructure and purchasing the equipment are included in this amount. Over the course of four days, the weight of organic waste per person per day ranged from 259.60 to 395.07 grams, with an average of 307.12 grams, whereas the weight of non-organic trash per day ranged from 114.02 to 188.85 grams. Average daily intake is 149.34 grams per person

Soil sampling plan design of key facilities for denuclearization based on data quality objective process

The possibility of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has been continuously debated, and the initiative participation of the Republic of Korea has necessitated preemptive measures against neighboring countries. In this study, we present a proposal for formulating a site survey plan when the amount of site information provided is insufficient and the accuracy of the information is not guaranteed. Considering a case wherein “a soil sample analysis is used to determine the presence or absence of nuclear activity” in a radiochemical laboratory, which is a typical key facility for denuclearization, the optimal soil sample collection plan is designed based on international guidelines and public information. In the event of denuclearization, a scenario that is not based on the expertise of the sample collector is set, and the data quality objective (DQO) process is applied to ensure reality. Consequently, the primary sample collection points can be derived in consideration of accessibility, and the sample collection scale can be adjusted according to the cost. By applying the DQO process to ensure sample representativeness and reality, reliable and resource-efficient soil sample collection can be achieved in radiochemical laboratories and other denuclearization facilities.

Dynamic convolutional neural network based e‐waste management and optimized collection planning

AbstractElectronic waste, also known as e‐waste, refers to electrical or electronic devices that are discarded from households and workplaces. These used e‐wastes are meant to be renovated, reused, recycled, or disposed of, and the processing of these wastes often causes disease and harms the environment. As a result, it is important to handle waste and collect it from the disposal site on a regular basis. Besides, in order to separate precious metals from discarded waste, it is important to identify them by category. Therefore, this article proposes a novel method known as e‐waste management by exploiting the dynamic convolutional neural network (DCNN). This enhances the classification accuracy with the aid of exactly mapping the features of the images. Meanwhile, the collection of waste can be optimized in order to reduce the distance and time. The e‐wastes in the smart garbage bin are frequently monitored by smartphone applications to collect the waste on time. Moreover, it also significantly reduces the training error, classification error, localization error, and validation error on the test images. The experimental depicts that the proposed method hones up the classification accuracy to the great extent.

Smart Planning of Waste Management System in Saudi Arabia; Challenges and Opportunities

Solid waste management is one of the most critical problems facing urban areas worldwide. It is quickly becoming a significant issue in emerging countries with high population growth. Waste collection is a time-consuming procedure requiring enormous sums of money and meticulous logistics management. The amount of household waste produced in Riyadh has fluctuated over the years, with the majority being dumped in landfills instead of using them. This inefficient method of waste disposal has several adverse financial and environmental consequences, as landfills take up a large area of the city and emit foul odors and infections. An innovative waste management system should be adopted to address these difficulties, beginning with waste reduction and trash disposal in modern engineered landfills. Waste management solutions include reducing, reusing, recycling, energy recovery, and disposal. This research will focus on recycling, recovery, and disposal since social awareness campaigns could implement the first two strategies to reduce and reuse waste. The analysis also gives a sufficient cost analysis for the proposed methodology. This study opens new avenues for incorporating the value recovery aspect into garbage collection planning and the use of new data capture technologies that allow municipalities to track the mix of recyclables contained in various trash systems.

Conservation psychology strategies for collaborative planning and impact evaluation.

Conservation psychology principles can be useful for aligning organizations and scaling up conservation programs to increase impact while strategically engaging partners and communities. We can use findings and recommendations from conservation psychology to inform organizational collaborations between zoos and aquariums to maximize efficiency and coordination. In this study, we developed and evaluated a collaborative conservation initiative for monarch butterflies built with conservation psychology principles. We present our process for collaborative program planning and the resultant collective conservation plan as well as our formative evaluation findings after 1-year of collaboration. We share best practices for group facilitation and conservation planning along with our evaluation instruments to support future collaborative conservation initiatives.

Editor’s Introduction

Editor’s Introduction

Using the Census Planning Database to Generate Differential Expected Yield Rates to Self-administered Mail Surveys

Expected yield rates are essential to a survey’s data collection plan, as they inform requisite sample sizes to meet the survey’s objectives. Given an overall expected yield rate for a self-administered mail survey, this short take describes a simple method for using the Census Planning Database to assign differential yield rates to lower-level geographies within the study area.

Catastrophe or Revolution

This essay critically examines a statement made by former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, Olivier Blanchard, before and during a debate with one of the authors. Blanchard argued that a Keynesian “revolution” is needed to avert a future “catastrophe.” But analyzing the historical process this essay names the law of capital’s reproduction and tendency toward centralization leads to a grim prediction: the tendency of free capital to centralize and thereby jeopardize all other freedoms threatens today’s liberal-democratic hegemonic institutions. In the face of this prospect, neither Keynesian policy nor a universal basic income seem adequate. The only revolution able to avert catastrophe is the redefinition of the most powerful tool in the history of political struggles: collective planning, subversively regarded as a factor for developing free social individuality and a newly liberated human being.

Registration and primary outcome reporting in behavioral health trials

BackgroundRegistration of research studies is designed to lock investigators into a data collection and analysis plan before a study starts and thereby limit their ability to engage in flexible data analysis and selective outcome reporting. Studies of registered clinical trials show that one- to two-thirds are registered after the study has started and that non-adherence to important design and analytic features, such as reporting data pertaining to all primary outcomes, remains high. Less is known about the effects of registration on research transparency and integrity outside of clinical trials. To address this gap in knowledge, the current study examined the effects of registration on the reporting of research findings in a sample of behavioral health trials published in BMC Public Health.MethodsRegistered trials published in the BMC Public Health section “Health Behavior, Health Promotion and Society” between 2011 and 2015 were included in the study. For each trial, we reviewed associated online submissions from 13 different registration sites. For those determined to have been prospectively registered, we used the trial registry, MEDLINE (Pubmed), PsychINFO, Web of Science and e-mails to investigators to identify subsequent publications from the study that reported results pertaining to primary outcomes. The two investigators then independently reviewed the outcome publication(s) and compared the primary outcomes reported in these to the registered primary outcomes.ResultsThe final analytic sample comprised 136 locatable, registered trials with an identifiable start date. Sixty-eight of the 136 were prospectively registered. Among these prospectively registered trials, only 16 published manuscripts reported outcomes and methods that were concordant with their registrations.ConclusionsRetrospective submission of protocols for publication and retrospective registration remain common in public health research, and adherence to prespecified outcomes is rare. In its current form, registration of behavioral and health promotion trials is likely to have minimal effect on preventing selective outcome reporting in publications, and the pervasiveness of vague and incomplete registry entries means that registries will have limited utility in terms of facilitating replication studies.

Plataformas Digitais para o Ensino e a Formação de Professores: uma experiência do PIBID

Digital technologies are increasingly present in society and education. Thus, the present work deals with the Institutional Program of Teaching Initiation Scholarships (PIBID) as a space for the exploration of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (TDICs) in teaching through a workshop held by participants of the program for teachers of a school of the Biology subproject. In this sense, the objective is to report the development of a workshop on digital platforms for teaching, which were: teacher portal, YouTube, Canva, PhET and CmapCloud to assist teachers in the teaching and learning processes, both in the preparation of materials and resources for classes.  The results showed the proposition of the workshop with teachers provided for in the program's action plan; the collective planning with the Beginners to teaching, a supervisory teacher, school management and area coordinator; and, the application of the workshop on digital platforms for teaching. Finally, notes were made about the contributions of pibid to teacher education and the use of technologies in teaching and learning.

Text Analysis of Social Dialogue on the Offshore Wind Energy Projects: Implications to Renewable Energy Acceptance and Collective Planning

Text Analysis of Social Dialogue on the Offshore Wind Energy Projects: Implications to Renewable Energy Acceptance and Collective Planning