Professional Community Research Articles

Literature-based database to inform policy making on marine plastic pollution in ASEAN+3

The ASEAN+3 countries urgently need to present actual data on the state of their marine plastics pollution, so that they can respond to the criticisms of being the top-5 global sources of marine plastics based on modeled predictions, as well as to develop effective response policies based on sound data. While the research outputs on marine plastic pollution have increased spectacularly across these countries, their overall resource capacity to access the data remains lacking. This study describes a robust framework developed to use >700 peer-reviewed research publications from the region that can inform policy-making. First, detailed metadata fields were developed for this database focused on extracting information from the publications that are relevant to regional policy questions being asked to adequately respond to the threats posed by marine plastics. Second, the curation of research publications in this database greatly depended on a team of regional researchers, who were apt in the subject matter and a native language speaker. The latter was critical in the capture of non-English articles to boost the quality of database. Some of the key findings from the broad analyses included the rapid increase in research efforts on marine plastics between 2014 and 2021, which coincided with the growing concerns of this environmental crisis, the dominant publication language was English despite the diversity of countries, and the dominant research topic appeared to be of policy response measures. Overall, the database produced adequate and immediate data, where policy-makers can leverage for urgent actions. For example, the output on the status of marine plastic pollution is ever-increasing, but the region could start to focus on knowledge gaps (e.g., sampling in critical sensitive habitats like seagrasses and coral reefs). Finally, this study presented a comprehensive summary of the current state of marine plastic pollution and knowledge gaps (e.g., technical capacity and equipment) of the region that can facilitate discussions among target audience including the governments as well as international and regional regulating bodies, the research community and plastic waste management professionals.

Features of the Use of Communication Skills by Doctors of Various Specialties

Doctors of various specialties, depending on their professional activities, use specific professional communication skills more often in the doctor-patient model. The list of communication skills used by doctors of different specialties differs. A study was conducted at Tver State Medical University aimed at studying the peculiarities of the use of communication skills by internists, surgeons and obstetricians-gynecologists of the outpatient polyclinic level.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS IN ARCHITECTURE

Lately, architects have begun to favour a more result-oriented way of working based on artificial intelligence (AI) and its use for automation and software applications operation that support work with design data. The research aims to identify and systematise data on computer tools using artificial intelligence algorithms and the prospects for its development in architectural activities. The use of AI algorithms in architectural design is characteristic of all its stages, from the conceptual phase and basic design levels to detailing, development of design documentation, and future implementation, which is why various computer tools are available. The scientific paper describes three groups of AI software products. The first group includes software for architectural activities with AI-based functionality. The second group involves additional plug-ins with AI algorithms, i.e., independently compiled software modules installed and connected to the main programme, expanding its capabilities. The third group comprises online AI platforms, many of which are already available on the Internet and continue to grow in number. These services are usually not associated with professional software but can be used to perform specific architectural design tasks. The reviewed software products suggest that artificial intelligence technologies can transform traditional approaches to architecture and construction, offering architects powerful tools to increase efficiency and creativity. However, it is necessary to note significant doubts in the professional architectural community about whether to implement artificial intelligence fully. It is due to uncertainty about the impact of AI on traditional roles in the architectural industry, displacement from jobs, and the reliability and ethical implications of decision-making based on these particular algorithms. We should also note that the first group of software is the most promising for the future development of the architectural profession, as it provides full-fledged programmes with a comprehensive approach to architectural activities. Keywords: artificial intelligence, software, plugin, architecture.

Application of Balint Intervention Groups in Professional Communication in Medical Science Education

Dear Editor The purpose of this research is to familiarize professors and students of medical sciences with the concept of Balint groups. Michael Balint created the Balint groups in 1957 in order to better understand the relationships between family doctors and their patients (1, 2). According to Michael Balint, in addition to medical education, doctors should also have proper communication skills and characteristics with patients (2, 3). Balint groups are one of the effective methods to improve therapist-client relationships in the form of 90-minute sessions, held weekly to monthly, over several years (4, 5). Each Balint group consists of 6 to 10 members with one to two leaders or facilitators. In these groups, usually, one person presents the desired topic, which can be the condition of a patient, in a period of 3 to 5 minutes, and the desired topic is discussed for an hour or more. All topics discussed in the group are confidential, and the leader emphasizes creating a safe environment that is based on trust and acceptance. The members of the group take turns expressing their opinions on the topic, and finally, the group leader summarizes the opinions, and the final result is obtained (6). Doctors in these groups have meetings to discuss their performance, the psychological aspects of their work, and the relationship between the doctor and the patient (1, 7). One of the goals of Balint groups is to increase one's knowledge by reporting on one's patient, discussing the topic in a safe environment, finding one's mistakes due to the feedback of others, and correcting one's emotional experiences in relation to the patient. Balint group members reveal their innermost feelings and experiences in order to be able to talk about a topic. In this way, members share their content with other group members in a non-judgmental environment. The group members benefit from the feedback of others and compare their experiences with the contents of other colleagues (8). Group discussions about feelings have the benefit of making people more aware of their feelings, thus enabling them to analyze and organize their information. Emotions and feelings in clinical work can be useful for patients if they are tolerated and understood by the doctor (9). Due to the rapid development of technology, the improvement of educational methods, and attention to the needs of patients, the importance of the Balint group should be given more attention due to the change in demographic characteristics (1). As a result, Balint groups have gradually been emphasized in medical education (10). In Balint groups, with the participation of students, the duration is shorter than in normal Balint groups, and the leader may be more active in describing their experiences (11). The presence of students in Balint groups leads to the development of empathy skills among medical students (12). For example, students are placed in a real and uncomfortable clinical situation to observe their reactions and increase their empathetic abilities, thus becoming more patient-centered (12, 13). Studies show that doctors who were part of Balint groups during their student period have a higher sense of control and satisfaction in their work environment. Also, these groups improve the skills of giving bad news in students (11). By attending these classes, students can use the professors' experiences with problematic issues in dealing with patients, which they have not observed during their studies. Improving doctor-patient relationships, reducing job burnout, and managing stress and anxiety are other benefits of participating in Balint groups (1). Medical schools should create an environment for students that will lead to progress in their socialization process (14). Therefore, it is suggested that Balint groups be used to improve teacher-student relationships in medical education.

Features of human capital development and communication

The purpose of this study is to study the sustainability of the personnel management system in the Russian Railways company by analyzing its personnel policy, as well as determining the impact of communication in the team and professional skills on the quality of management decisions. Based on the method of statistical observation of quantitative indicators of the personnel structure of the staff, the following indicators were determined: a change in the percentage of age groups, a change in the percentage of age groups and the level of education of employees. Based on the above indicators, it is possible to track the dynamics of the quality level of personnel management and its impact on the internal personnel processes of the company, and it is also possible to identify the relationship between professional competencies and communications on decisions made by employees. To achieve these goals, a study of generational guidelines, communication in the team, in particular between the immediate supervisor and a specialist, the impact of innovative approaches to training on improving the professional skills of employees, improving the quality of work and relationships in the team was conducted. We will consider various innovative teaching methods such as advanced training courses, retraining, distance learning system and their impact on the professional development of employees. It will also analyze how innovative approaches to learning contribute to the formation of a positive work environment and improve communication in the team. As a result of the research, it will be revealed which specific innovative methods can be most effective in achieving the goals of the organization. The optimal way of developing professional skills and competencies of employees, which can improve the quality of work, is also proposed. The choice of this topic is due to the inherent importance of human capital in the context of achieving the company’s strategic goals. In today’s business world, where competition is becoming more and more acute, the key factor for success is the quality of staff and their professional level. The introduction of innovative approaches in personnel management and building corporate culture is a necessary step to ensure competitiveness and successfully overcome the challenges of the modern market.

Развитие понятия «знак» в культурно-исторической психологии Л.С. Выготского: истоки и перспективные направления исследований. Часть 1.

<p>The year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of cultural and historical psychology. Taking in consideration the growing demand for the ideas and positions of cultural-historical psychology in the world professional community started in 1978 and continues to this day, we have to highlight a number of emerging problems. Without the analysis of these problems it is impossible to further develop the theory itself. Firstly, it is the variety of interpretations and readings of the theoretical foundations of cultural-historical psychology that have emerged over the past decades. Secondly, it is the transformation of the conceptual apparatus of cultural-historical psychology into a "screen" for eclectic and purely empirical constructions of modern research aimed at studying the problems of the development and structure of consciousness and higher psychological functions. At the same time, it is possible to truly understand Vygotsky's concept only on the basis of an analysis of the genesis, content and interrelation of those concepts that make up the methodology of cultural-historical psychology. This article examines the concept of "sign", which is one of the key concepts in the cultural-historical concept of L.S. Vygotsky. The aim is to reconstruct the path that the author of cultural-historical psychology himself took in determining the place and role of this concept in the holistic theoretical and methodological structure of the concept he developed.</p>

How do early childhood education leaders shape professional learning communities?

ABSTRACT This study examined how early childhood leaders working simultaneously as kindergarten teachers perceive the professional learning communities they lead – explicitly identifying the factors that promote or hinder the communities’ development from the leader’s point of view. A qualitative-phenomenological approach was applied using semi-structured interviews of ten early childhood leaders. Factors that contributed to a community’s successful functioning were discussions on practices and real-life dilemmas, active involvement of teachers in community meetings, and creating an atmosphere based on trust and closeness. On the other hand, hindering factors were essentially allocated time to transferring agendas and information from superintendents and limited collaborative culture among teachers beyond community meetings. The findings highlight the considerable potential of professional communities for providing significant assistance to kindergarten teachers to promote children’s education. Nevertheless, leaders need more autonomy in determining the content of meetings and additional knowledge and strategies to strengthen pedagogical collaborations between community participants.

Marketing Communication Through e-WOM Strategy: Case Study in PT. Solusi Senyum Indonesia

Various promotional media are intensified to support the company profile (company image) in order to build reputation and trust in the target market/consumers. The company profile plays an important role in showing identity, by displaying the vision and mission and the products/services offered (Kris Nathan, 2016). The planned strategy must also be considered as well as possible so that it is effective and efficient. According to Henning (2004), E-WoM is a positive or negative review made based on potential, actual and trial results from consumers about a product/service via the internet. In this digital era, E-WoM is one of many marketing communication strategy options and greatly influences consumers' purchasing decisions. In its application some special ethics are required. Furthermore, this journal aims to examine the level of success of the e-WoM strategy and its impact on the company's image using observation methods with qualitative standards resulting from tagging social media platforms and e-commerce. It is hoped that professional communication practitioners within the company and the other will use this strategy as much as possible.

Subjective well-being of public relations and communication professionals in the context of perceived organisational support

Subjective well-being of public relations and communication professionals in the context of perceived organisational support

Methods of Teaching Russian Derivation as a Basis for Expanding the Vocabulary of Foreign Medical Students

The article raises the pedagogical problem of creating an integrated system of training foreign students receiving higher medical education using an intermediary language (English) for the state final certification, which takes place in Russian. The analysis of the texts of situational tasks in examination disciplines (therapy, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics) allowed us to identify their standard structure with the allocation of a finite number of typical syntactic blocks in the tasks, which allowed us to focus on their lexical content and, above all, on the systemic word-formation analysis of different parts of speech, understanding the meanings of words and their significant parts. The formation of students’ systematic understanding of language occurs through the use of functional-communicative, structural-semantic, component methods, modeling methods in word-formation refraction, methods of systematization and classification of word-formation material. This is facilitated by the innovative generalizing course “Scientific activity of a doctor” (8–10 semesters) developed by the authors, the purpose of which is to create motivational attitudes that ensure the use of system data of derivatology in teaching Russian as a foreign language. It is concluded that the creation of an idea of the Russian word structure and its assimilation, form the ability to correlate the basics of different types, to identify word-formation morphemes that make it possible to predict the meaning of previously unknown words and facilitate the understanding of a complex special text of clinical situational tasks, which contributes to the formation of a professional terminological dictionary of a medical university student. It is confirmed that methodological techniques that ensure knowledge of the semantics of communicatively significant derived lexical units make it possible to fully perceive and generate speech. Keywords: methods of teaching, derivation, linguodidactics, professional communication, bilingual education

For Whom the Note Scrolls: A Brief History of the Medical Record's Role in Education and the Risks It Faces in the Age of OpenNotes.

Dating back to ancient civilizations when records were carefully transcribed onto papyrus, clinical documentation has long served as a cornerstone of medical-and especially neurologic-education. From the case histories of Hippocrates to the diurnal patient logs used by trainees in the 18th and 19th centuries, clinical notes have an extended history as invaluable instruments of pedagogy, scholarly practice, and interprofessional communication. The novel paradigm introduced by Lawrence Weed in the 1950s, advocating for the problem-oriented medical record system, revolutionized the clinical note template and emphasized the need for physicians' carefully considered analyses of a patient's presentation to be clearly reflected in well-organized documentation. In the realm of medical records today, however, a profound shift is underway, largely propelled by the emergence of electronic medical records, the OpenNotes mandate of the federal 21st Century Cures Act, and, most recently, artificial intelligence (AI). Appropriately, patients now have full access to their medical records, but this raises critical questions. Should clinical notes now prioritize patient comprehension over their traditional role as educational instruments, aide-mémoire, and repositories of detailed assessments and insights? What role, if any, should AI have in the creation of physician notes and patient-facing clinical documents? These tensions underscore the delicate balance between transparency and the preservation of notes' clinical integrity and analytical depth. As we navigate the path forward, finding an equilibrium between openness and the continued utility of medical records as tools for education and professional communication will be imperative.

Building Bridges Between Technical and Professional Communication and Translation Studies

Building Bridges Between Technical and Professional Communication and Translation Studies

Setting Foundations: An Integrative Literature Review at the Intersections of Technical and Professional Communication and Translation Studies

Setting Foundations: An Integrative Literature Review at the Intersections of Technical and Professional Communication and Translation Studies

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНАЯ ОЦЕНКА ДИАГНОСТИЧЕСКИХ КРИТЕРИЕВ МЕТАБОЛИЧЕСКОГО СИНДРОМА У ВЗРОСЛЫХ ПАЦИЕНТОВ С ИЗБЫТОЧНОЙ МАССОЙ ТЕЛА/ОЖИРЕНИЕМ

Background. Diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is a cluster of risk factors for noninfectious diseases, continue to be discussed and refined by various professional communities. The aim of the study was determination of the incidence of MetS in overweight/obese adult cardiac hospital patients according to the IDF (2005), AHA/NHLBI (2004)/AHA (2023) diagnostic criteria and criteria agreed by IDF/AHA/NHLBI and other scientific societies (2009). Material and methods. 222 patients (103 men and 119 women) with overweight/obesity aged 18 years and older were examined using clinical, laboratory, and instrumental research methods. Results. Among adult patients (46.4% men, 53.6% women), 85.6% (95% CI 80.4-89.6) were found to have MetS according to the IDF (2005) criteria, 82.4% (95% CI 76.9-86.9) according to the AHA/NHLBI (2004) and AHA (2023) criteria, and 87.4% (95% CI 82.4-91.1) according to the criteria agreed by IDF/AHA/NHLBI and other scientific communities (2009). Metabolic syndrome established on the basis of the IDF criteria (2005) and the criteria agreed by the IDF/AHA/NHLBI and other scientific communities (2009) was more often four-component, while that based on the AHA/NHLBI (2004) and AHA (2023) criteria was three-component. Arterial hypertension occurred in 100% of patients with MetS. Conclusion. The presence of four and five components of MS, in particular arterial hypertension in all MetS patients included in the study, indicates the severity of cardiometabolic disorders.

Using Relational Feminism as an Approach to Practice in Working with Families in Special Education

Families of children with disabilities have unique relational needs that may be addressed by practitioners in the field of family science. In this article, we discuss how relational feminism was used as an approach to working with families in a rural Special Education program to facilitate success for very young students with neurodevelopmental disorders and non-specified disabilities. This article provides a brief history of families’ roles in Special Education advocacy, along with the tenets of relational feminism. We discuss ways that relational feminism was used to create connections within the professional community, and with marginalized families. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of using relational feminism to promote connection and voice for families of marginalized and vulnerable individuals in the public education context.

Defining soft skills in nursing: a concept analysis

Abstract Objective To define soft skills in nursing. Methods This is a concept analysis using the Walker and Avant approach. Multiple electronic databases in the English language including CINAHL, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE on EBSCOhost, and Scopus were consulted. Results Soft skills in nursing include the intrapersonal attributes, interpersonal skills, and creativity of the nurse, which, when combined with professionalism, teamwork, and effective communication skills, improve the quality of nursing care and client satisfaction. Conclusions Although hard and soft skills are compatible and synergetic, soft skills are to be prioritized for the success of nursing care in the healthcare industry. This concept analysis adds to the body of knowledge by identifying the attributes of soft skills in nursing and revealing that a good nurse needs more than just good grades to be successful.

The Factors Affecting the Impacts of Using the School Improvement Plan (SIP) on Students' Academic Achievement in Malaysia

While professional learning communities are hailed as the solution to raising teacher quality in Malaysia, other nations, such as the UK and Canada, have started to deprivatize teaching. This theory is predicated on the notion that teaching is a collaborative endeavor in which educators grow as individuals and professionals. Rather, it is a cooperative process in which teacher learning enhances student learning. Furthermore, the traditional classroom is rapidly changing to accommodate the needs of students in the twenty-first century while also encouraging the deprivatizing teaching approach. Consequently, this study presents a curriculum-change implementation strategy one school uses to meet Malaysia's evolving understanding of learning in and for the twenty-first century. Narrating a series of anticipated strategic events clarifies the importance of using distributive leadership as an essential tool for supporting educational enhancement and highlights the benefits of consultative techniques. This study aims to determine the variables that influence how the School Improvement Plan (SIP) affects Malaysian students' academic performance. Using a Google Form approach, this study used a quantitative research design, an effective and systematic way to collect quantifiable data. According to this survey, teacher leadership factors have the most significant impact on students' academic success compared to the other two factors. The results of this study suggested a theoretical framework that forecasts the related factors—principal instructional leadership, teacher leadership, and conducive school environment—that influence the effects of implementing the School Improvement Plan (SIP) on students' academic achievement in Malaysia.

The consequences of micro-discretions and boundaries in the social prescribing link worker role in England: a realist evaluation.

Social prescribing addresses non-medical factors affecting health and well-being. Link workers are key to its delivery by connecting people to relevant support, often in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. Funding from the National Health Service means that link workers are becoming a common part of primary care in England. To explore and understand the implementation of link workers in primary care in England. A realist evaluation addressed the question - When implementing link workers in primary care to sustain outcomes - what works, for whom, why and in what circumstances? Link workers and staff associated with seven primary care sites across England. Researchers spent 3 weeks with each link worker, going to meetings with them, watching them interact with patients, with healthcare staff and with voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. In addition, interviews were conducted with 61 patients and 93 professionals (voluntary, community and social enterprise representatives and healthcare staff, including link workers). Follow-up interviews were conducted with 41 patients and with link workers 9-12 months later. Data were coded and developed into statements to identify how context around the link worker triggers mechanisms that lead to intended and unintended outcomes. We found that link workers exercise micro-discretions in their role - actions and advice-giving based on personal judgement of a situation, which may not always reflect explicit guidance or protocols. Our analysis highlighted that micro-discretions engender positive connections (with patients, healthcare staff, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector) and promote buy-in to the link worker role in primary care. Micro-discretions supported delivery of person-centred care and enhanced job satisfaction. Data also highlighted that lack of boundaries could place link workers at risk of overstepping their remit. Our research focused on link workers attached to primary care; findings may not be applicable to those working in other settings. Data were collected around seven link worker cases, who were selected purposively for variation in terms of geographical spread and how/by whom link workers were employed. However, these link workers were predominately white females. Enabling link workers to exercise micro-discretions allows for responsiveness to individual patient needs but can result in uncertainty and to link workers feeling overstretched. Poor link worker retention may, in part, be associated with a lack of clarity around their role. Research to explore how this shapes intention to leave their job is being conducted by authors of this paper. This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme as award number NIHR130247.

Ethical requirements for the behavior of a private contractor when performing executive actions

The article analyzes the ethical requirements for the behavior of a private executor during execution of executive actions. It is noted that the activity of a private performer belongs to the socionomic type of professions of the system and is associated with constant interaction with people. Professions of this kind mostly make high demands on a person’s health, physical and mental capacity. They are characterized by a complex combination of direct and indirect labor results, immediate and remote in time. The content of work in these professions is characterized by high emotional saturation of interpersonal contacts, high responsibility for the results of communication, for decision-making. In their activities, private executors are faced with the need to evaluate people’s actions from the point of view of the law. Since they observe the most diverse manifestations of people’s activity in the most crisis situations of their lives and have to decide their fate on the basis of legal norms, this profession carries the highest social significance and responsibility. Attention is focused on the fact that the nature of ethical requirements for the behavior of a private executive during executive actions remains insufficiently clarified. It is indicated that the purpose of the article is to determine the model of ethical requirements for the behavior of a private performer during performance of executive actions according to the rules of professional ethics. It is noted that procedural communication, regulated by legislation, with a private executor should be quick and accessible to the parties. The reception time should be as convenient as possible for the participants of the enforcement proceedings. Ethical principles of professional communication and private communication are considered: the prohibition of undue benefit, ensuring the interests of all parties to enforcement proceedings and the private executor, documenting and recording the actions of the private executor, avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality. Issues of mediation in executive proceedings are being investigated. It is concluded that in the course of his professional activity, a private performer, entering into interpersonal relations with various categories of citizens, is obliged to take into account and use various forms of interactions that comply with the law, rules of ethics and communication circumstances.

Factors affecting the formation of negative attitudes in undergraduate nursing students towards their profession: A content analysis.

The attitude of nursing students towards their profession is one of the important factors that have many effects on students and their professional future. A positive attitude leads to academic progress, and in the future, nurses with professional commitment will enter the labour market, and on the contrary, a negative attitude can lead to withdrawal from education and job burnout. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors affecting the formation of negative attitudes in undergraduate nursing students towards their profession. This study was conducted with a qualitative research method and with a content analysis approach in 1400 in nursing and midwifery schools in Tehran. In order to collect data, 21 people were selected by purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted with them. The interviews were recorded and transcribed on paper and analysed. Information in 4 main categories and 11 sub-categories, including defects in the structure of the organisation (including the sub-categories of discrimination, job problems, financial problems, defective organisational management, unfavourable professional communication), inefficient educational system (including the sub-category of defects in clinical education and educational supervision), individual factors (including the sub-classes of lack of interest and low self-esteem), and community beliefs (including the sub-classes of low social value and ignorant society), was included. Various reasons are involved in the formation of a negative attitude towards the nursing profession, and in most cases, these factors are related to the problems of the profession and the educational problems of the profession, which can be solved by adjusting some factors and paying more attention to the profession from upstream organisations. It has raised the nursing profession and improved the conditions of nurses, and in the future, the attitude towards the nursing profession will be improved and can lead to the improvement of the health of the society.