Competitive Program Research Articles

Revival of the Canonic Yakut Traditional Competitions at the Ysyakh Holiday

At present, the modern competitive program of the Yakut holiday Ysyakh, which consists of sports events and is carried out according to modern sports rules, can no longer be considered a cultural code of the ethnic group in the future, since the study of archival documents describing the Yakut traditional games, as well as old photographs depicting the moments of the Yakut traditional competitive games revealed that the imposition of a sports status leads to significant and permanent changes in the rules of the competition, which ultimately leads to a radical change in the sport from the original version of the traditional game. Also, subject to the development of any ethnic type of competition as a sport in the international arena, there is a gradual loss of the ethnic identity of this sport. Therefore, we recommend that the competitive part of the ethnic ritual holiday of Ysyakh, consisting of the Yakut traditional types of competitions, be held according to the reconstructed old rules and canons; thereby, on the one hand, we contribute to the preservation of the authenticity of traditional competitive games, and on the other hand, we provide a connection between authentic traditional games and the types of competitions that have received sports status.

The nature of science: The fundamental role of natural history in ecology, evolution, conservation, and education.

There is a contemporary trend in many major research institutions to de-emphasize the importance of natural history education in favor of theoretical, laboratory, or simulation-based research programs. This may take the form of removing biodiversity and field courses from the curriculum and the sometimes subtle maligning of natural history research as a "lesser" branch of science. Additional threats include massive funding cuts to natural history museums and the maintenance of their collections, the extirpation of taxonomists across disciplines, and a critical under-appreciation of the role that natural history data (and other forms of observational data, including Indigenous knowledge) play in the scientific process. In this paper, we demonstrate that natural history knowledge is integral to any competitive science program through a comprehensive review of the ways in whichthey continue to shape modern theory and the public perception of science. We do so by reviewing how natural history research has guided the disciplines of ecology, evolution, and conservation and how natural history data are crucial for effective education programs and public policy. We underscore these insights with contemporary case studies, including: how understanding the dynamics of evolutionary radiation relies on natural history data; methods for extracting novel data from museum specimens; insights provided by multi-decade natural history programs; and how natural history is the most logical venue for creating an informed and scientifically literate society. We conclude with recommendations aimed at students, university faculty, and administrators for integrating and supporting natural history in their mandates. Fundamentally, we are all interested in understanding the natural world, but we can often fall into the habit of abstracting our research away from its natural contexts and complexities. Doing so risks losing sight of entire vistas of new questions and insights in favor of an over-emphasis on simulated or overly controlled studies.

Somewhere Between a Stopwatch and a Recording Device: Ethnographic Reflections From the Pool

As has recently been highlighted, despite the prevalence of methodological “confessional tales” in ethnography generally, the challenges of undertaking ethnographic research specifically in institutional sports settings remain underexplored. Drawing on data from a 3-year ethnographic study of competitive swimming in the United Kingdom (UK), here we explore some of the practical challenges of balancing different elements of the researcher’s role when undertaking ethnographic “insider” research in familiar settings. In particular, we consider the difficulties of balancing the role of a doctoral researcher and the chosen research role of a volunteer coach with a competitive swimming program. Employing the anthropological concept of liminality, we also analyze the lived challenges of leaving a highly familiar field and entering a state of liminality, where the researcher was caught on the threshold betwixt and between a return to full-time employment in the former “known” role of coach, and a move forward to embrace a new “unknown” role as a full-time member of academic staff.

Rural secondary school leaver attainment inequities for students entering medical programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT The education literature suggests that there are rural–urban differences in educational achievement. Lower educational achievement in rural schools may impact entry into highly competitive medical programmes and disadvantage rural students. Within this study, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and University Entrance (UE) attainment rates are compared across Aotearoa New Zealand secondary schools for 2012–2021. High schools were classified as urban or rural according to the two rural admission schemes used in the medical programmes at the University of Otago and the University of Auckland. Descriptive statistics were calculated and regression models created to adjust for a range of variables. The data demonstrates that rural high schools have lower NCEA and UE attainment. Lower Māori student NCEA and UE attainment, greater socioeconomic disadvantage and differing characteristics account for the majority of differences between rural and urban schools. The lower UE attainment rate for rural schools will likely mean that rural students will have greater difficulty in entering medical programmes and that this inequity is worse for rural Māori students. Medical programme admission pathways need to undergo a fundamental shift–from workforce pathways to workforce and equity pathways in order to address rural workforce issues.

Selection and Recruitment Strategies among Competitive Pediatric Training Programs and the Impact of Diversity

ObjectiveAspects of the written application, interview and ranking may negatively impact recruitment of underrepresented in medicine (URiM) applicants. Our objectives were to explore knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of pediatric faculty who assess potential trainees and how diversity impacts these assessments. MethodsWe performed qualitative interviews of 20 geographically diverse faculty at large pediatric residencies and fellowships. We analyzed data using the constant comparative method to develop themes. ResultsFour main themes emerged.1)Screening applications and offering interviews: A standardized process flawed by subjectivity. Participants screened applications for clinical skills, research activities, or unique attributes and assigned scores based on program values. Strategies to mitigate bias included a holistic approach to review and assigning lesser weight to board scores.2)Interviews: Personality matters. Participants used interviews to obtain additional information about applicants and to assess personality. Strategies to decrease bias included the use of behavior-based questions and blinding interviewers to the application.3)Determination of the rank list: The rise and fall of applicants. Initial rank lists were informed by local scoring systems. Many participants altered lists through subjective inputs from the selection committee. Mitigation strategies included intentional discussion of bias and intentional changes to promote diversity.4)The recruitment process: Values, challenges, and strategies to promote diversity. Most programs enacted bias training and purposeful URiM recruitment. ConclusionsWe describe ways in which bias infiltrates recruitment and strategies to promote diversity. Many strategies are variably implemented and the impact on workforce diversity in pediatric training programs remains unknown.

Breast health equity along the cancer care continuum: Acollaborative grant initiative.

A competitive grants program developed by the American Cancer Society and Pfizer Global Medical Grants funded nine community‐engaged projects with innovative interventions aimed at reducing breast cancer mortality disparities between Black and White women. This introduction details the purpose and scope of this program and addresses the potential of community‐driven projects along the cancer care continuum.

Экосистема инновационных сред территории: дополнительное образование и предпринимательство

In the article, based on part of the conclusions of a qualitative study of the acceleration infrastructure of universities and the concept of social ecosystems, the hypothesis of the concept of innovative environments in the region is formulated. Starting from the organizational weakness of small and medium-sized businesses, the secondary nature of the acceleration infrastructure of universities, and its incorrect orientation to "entrepreneurship" with mandatory access to startups, the structural insufficiency of the innovation environment of the region is stated. The solution to this problem is supposed to be within the framework of the formation of the socio-technical infrastructure of the ecosystem of innovative environments that ensure the continuity of training, education, research and project activities, and the employment of students. Based on the idea of the role of organizational infrastructure in the functioning of socio-cultural communities or environments, as well as on the changes resulting from the "digital" nature of this infrastructure, the main features of the regional innovation ecosystem are conceptualized. It is an organizational and meaningful association of existing subjects of innovative activity, the core of which is the education system (school – college – university), around which a platform of "additional education" is formed with the participation of business and scientific institutions as the main "consumers" of graduates. The cell of the environment is a small working group of students under the mentorship of a teacher, which undergoes a variable design and research trajectory under the supervision of "consumers". The event part of the environment necessarily includes not only project and educational work directly but also a cultural and leisure component. The problem of using the results of research and development is supposed to be solved by either bringing groups into the space of existing business ecosystems (technoparks, etc.) or by using the institute of venture studios acting as operators of such sites. Such an ecosystem should be a universal educational space organized by a "package of services" and included in the "package of social services" of the territory, the variability of which is provided by the function of participating "consumers", as well as a combination of educational, research, cultural, and leisure programs. The testing of the provisions laid down was carried out in the spring and summer of 2023 during the competitive program of the Innovation Promotion Fund.

872 Two Years of Levelling the Playing Field. Challenges in Sustainability Providing a Free Online National Webinar Series and Mock Interview Scheme

Abstract Aim The Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) is a competitive training programme for UK medical graduates providing opportunities to pursue academic, educational, or managerial roles alongside clinical work. SFP interviews require knowledge of research methods and critical appraisal, applicants are also assessed in their approach to managing unwell patients. Information and guidance around the SFP vary greatly between medical schools. Where institutional support is lacking, expensive and poorly evidenced preparation courses have flourished, exploiting applicants, and creating a barrier to access. We sought to address this inequality by providing a free, national, structured teaching programme and running mock interviews. Method For two application cycles we conducted a virtual preparation programme followed by mock interviews with clinical academics, aiming to improve perceived preparation and confidence. Outcomes were assessed using questionnaires following webinars and mock interviews. Results In each cohort, >120 students from 33 Universities, attended webinars. On average, students found the webinars helpful (4.75/5) and interesting (4.72/5). Following the webinars students felt more prepared (p<0.0001) and confident (p<0.0001). Similarly, confidence was significantly improved (p<0.001) by mocks for both cohorts. Recruitment of mentors or interviewers from cohort one for the second cohort was only 7%. Conclusions We have demonstrated that SFP applicant confidence and competence for interview can be improved via delivery of a free virtual preparation programme. Such a programme can be delivered through recruitment of a cohort of motivated clinical academics at zero cost. However, despite the clear benefits reported by applicants, retainment of interviewers and thus sustainability of this programme remain challenging.

Systematization of elements in single and pair figure skating as a component of sport

At the current stage of development of figure skating, its technical and compositional components have undergone drastic changes, even compared to the 2000s. If at the beginning of the last century, the basis of the competition program was formed by figures that require only skating skills and require not so much coordination as technical skills, then the modern competition program involves the performance of a wide arsenal of technical and choreographic elements, among which skating skills are only one of the evaluation criteria. Globalization and evolution of figure skating have brought this sport to a completely new level, expanding the number of disciplines and the variability of technical elements. The increase in the number of performing multi-turn jumps and the increase in the variability of rotations is the main vector that determines the direction of sports training and requires increased attention to these elements on the part of coaches and athletes. The diversity of the competitive program encourages athletes, coaches and choreographers to improve the elements of the technique according to various criteria, as well as to detail its components, which is difficult to achieve without their systematization. Technical elements were divided into classes by M. Panin-Kolomenkin, O. Mishin, and O. Tchaikovsky. Systematization of elements greatly facilitates coaching and is indispensable in judging and also provides an elementary understanding of the components of the sport directly for the athlete. However, in modern scientific literature, the issue of systematization of the main technical elements is highlighted in a fragmentary way, which emphasizes the relevance of this work.

Examination of the Relationship Between the Reaction Time, Competition Result With the Competition Hour in the World Indoor Championships (2006-2022): 60 Meters

The relationship between the reaction time and the total running time of male (n=407) and female (n=345) athletes competing in the 60-meter wind sprint branch at the world indoor championships between 2006 and 2022 and the competition hour was examined in this study. Statistically significant and negative relationships were found between competition hour and athletes' reaction times, competition hour and athletes' competition result ratings in both genders (rho<0.040; p<0.05). When the subject is examined in terms of the stages of the competitions, no relationship was found for both genders in the final stage while the same relationships were preserved in the semi-final stage. At the qualification stage, a positive relationship was observed between the competition hour and the reaction time in both men (rho=0.25) and women (rho=0.22). In particular, it will be important that the competition time zones in the qualification stage are in similar circadian zones so as not to create a disadvantage among the athletes, and that the competition programs should be prepared by taking the performance-limiting and performance-supporting time zones into account.

Peningkatan Daya Saing Usaha Mikro melalui Program Pelatihan Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises

Peningkatan Daya Saing Usaha Mikro melalui Program Pelatihan Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises

Customer behavior across competitive loyalty programs

Customer behavior across competitive loyalty programs

What Makes a City “Smart” and Who Decides? From Vision to Reality in the USDOT Smart City Challenge

ABSTRACT The concept of a “smart city” has gained currency in urban policy as a recognition of the potentially transformative role advanced information technology will play in city operations as the twenty-first century progresses. Who decides what makes a city smart and who is that smart city for are crucial questions for the urbanist literature to systematically address. Despite the concept’s recent popularity, “smart city” is a contested term and remains a chaotic dimension of urban theory. Theorizing the smart city in a US context must address a particular mix of built forms, public policies, and social conditions—all of which shape how transportation and other systems help constitute the city. To deepen understanding of the smart city concept in both theory and practice, this research explores the framing, construction, and contestation of the smart city concept through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT’s) Smart City Challenge (SCC), launched in 2015 as a competitive grant program with the intent to provide a spark for incentivizing the development of smart infrastructure in mid-sized US cities. We compare the action plans of the seven finalist cities selected to create plans to implement their visions, including Columbus, Ohio, the eventual winner. We employ interpretivist content and discourse analysis of the applications and award decision, as well as of early implementation in Columbus, to explore shared meanings of recurring themes and key concepts, building a grounded theory of the smart city in the US context. The findings of the comparative analysis reveal further insights into prevailing challenges in smart city deployment, particularly for areas lacking inherent technology platforms.

Familiarization and update of USDA NIFA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment and Veterinary Service Grant Programs

In order to address the national need for food/large animal vet­erinary services for the public and private sectors of animal agriculture in the United States and Insular Areas, Congress passed into law the National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA) nearly 20 years ago. This Act allowed for the forma­tion, authorization of funding and appropriations of funds to allow the National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) to support the implementation of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) in 2010. The 2014 Farm Bill au­thorized the development of the Veterinary Services Grant Pro­gram (VSGP) in 2016. In coordination with State Animal Health Officials (SAHO), the VMLRP and VSGP support veterinarians through competitively awarded educational loan repayments and grants to fill the most serious veterinary shortage situa­tions in the United States. In addition, the program determines the best possible match between specific shortage situations and applicants’ knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences to enhance the likelihood that awardees will achieve sufficient professional success and satisfaction during their term of ser­vice so that they will continue in their service to the area. The goal of this presentation is to familiarize stakeholders of these two competitive veterinary service programs offered by USDA-NIFA to encourage their involvement and suggestions for en­hancements to the programs.

Competitive neurosurgery residency programs: Predictors of matching outcome and research productivity

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of preresidency research and school as predictors of competitive neurosurgery matching and to assess for any correlations between preresidency and intraresidency research productivity. MethodsIndividuals who graduated from US neurosurgery programs from 2018 through 2020 were assessed for medical school, degree (MD, DO, or PhD), preresidency versus intraresidency publications, author order, article type, and neurosurgery matching outcomes. ResultsMedical school ranking (top 50) and the number of published papers (≥3) before intern year were predictors for matching to a top-25 residency program after adjusting for other covariates (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively). On average, individuals who published more papers before residency published more papers during residency. For the comprehensive clinical papers category, there was a significant difference between individuals from the top 25 residency programs and others, with a stronger correlation between the number of preresidency publications and intraresidency publications for neurosurgeons who attended a top-25 residency program (r = 0.378 and r = 0.179, respectively; p = 0.02). ConclusionMedical school ranking and research productivity as measured by the number of published papers were independently associated with matching to the top 25 residency programs. In addition, high research productivity in the preresidency years was associated with continued productivity during residency, especially in the category of comprehensive clinical papers.

Institute of Feed Research and Agriculture of Podillia of NAAS: formation and present

Purpose. To highlight the contribution of scientists of the Institute of Feed Research and Agriculture of Podillia of NAAS to the development of scientific support for the feed industry in Ukraine, summarize the main scientific achievements. Methods. The analysis of formation and development of the Institute of Feed Research and Agriculture of Podillia of was carried out on the basis of archival documents, periodicals and monographic publications with the use of general scientific (analysis, synthesis) and historical (problematicchronological) research methods. Results. The evolutionary development of the scientific support of the feed production industry in Ukraine is shown through the prism of spatio-temporal fundamental and applied research carried out according to the competitive programs of scientific studies commissioned by the ministries and agencies of Ukraine. An analytical review of the main achievements of the Institute of Feed Research and Agriculture of Podillia of NAAS specialists in the development of scientific approaches to feed production was carried out. Significant achievements of scientists in the separate areas of feed production are outlined: selection and seed production, field and pasture production, procurement and preservation of feeds, ensuring their quality and safety, forming complete rations for high-performance livestock breeding. Publication activity of the researchers during the Institution's existence is characterized. The historical aspect of the Institute personnel management formation is revealed. Practical significance of the specialists in agricultural production scientific developments implementation has been assessed. Conclusions. Contribution of the researchers of the Institute of Feed Research and Agriculture of Podillia of NAAS to the development of feed production as a science is indisputable. The path taken by the staff of the Institute is the path of creative searches of its scientists, researchers, managers to solve the problems of production, procurement, preservation and use of feeds and development of relevant state programs, concepts and forecasts.

Development of Electronic Governance to a Digital Ecosystem

Problem setting. The scientific work is devoted to the study of the economic and legal aspects of the modernization of e-government in Ukraine into a digital ecosystem to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Analysis of recent researches and publications. Aspects of the functioning and development of e-government and the problems of transforming governance into digital attract the attention of researchers from Ukraine. However, the topic of e-government as an ecosystem is not analyzed at all in the publications of domestic scientists. Theoretical and practical aspects of the ecosystem approach as a direction of digitalization of public administration are revealed in the works of foreign authors and public documents of international organizations. Purpose of the research is to analyze the state of e-governance in Ukraine and develop recommendations for improving the regulatory framework for the digital transformation of national governance to an ecosystem model. Article’s main body. The expediency of the ecosystem approach in digital governance is due to the need for state regulation of digital ecosystems. The ecosystem model of governance is based on digital technologies, and the electronic model is based on information and communication technologies. An e-government ecosystem is a complex sociotechnical system that unites citizens, businesses, organizations and authorities and uses electronic platforms to create value and distribute it among its participants. Electronic governance in Ukraine is gradually moving towards its organization as an ecosystem. Today, several dozen digital transformation projects are being developed in Ukraine to automate relations in the government system. However, cyber security experts identified significant problems in the Diya digital project, in particular problems with personal data protection, openness and transparency of digital transformations. Сitizens play a key role in digital public administration, so the goal of human development and protection of their rights should be enshrined in legislation as a priority during digital transformations. Innovative management technologies provide significant opportunities in management, but are risky. The need for thorough research and legal regulation of innovative solutions before their introduction into government processes is emphasized. It is proposed to establish responsibility for the security of data and processes in the digital ecosystem of governance. Conclusions and prospects for development. Legislation and legal acts related to the informatization and digitization of government, economy and society in Ukraine need to be updated taking into account the priority goals of human development and the protection of their rights, the need to increase the level of cyber security and data protection, the development of competitive programs for the automation of the will of citizens, the implementation of the principles of openness and transparency state bodies, monitoring the effectiveness of governance digitization. The prospect of further research is the legal provision of data protection in digital ecosystems.

How the Medicine and Science programmes can overcome the impacts of low SES secondary school educational disadvantage

ABSTRACT This study focuses on educational attainment in New Zealand’s undergraduate programmes in medicine and science (N = 750 and N = 4722, respectively), by following four student cohorts over the course of their degree. This research aimed to identify the extent to which studying in competitive academic programmes (Medicine and BSc) attenuate educational disparity related to schools’ socio-economic backgrounds. We found that Science students coming from the lowest Socioe-conomic Status (SES) schools had lower attainment in their first tertiary year but their achievement improved throughout the programme while outperforming all other students in their third year. However, medicine students from lowest SES schools had lower attainment in their first year but from their second year, their attainment was not significantly different from their counterparts coming from higher SES schools. This study’s findings, support the selection processes for these programmes, allowing students from disadvantaged secondary schools to enrol and succeed in competitive academic programmes.

The investigation of the impact of accountability and transparency on the delivery of educational services based on the 2009 Race to the Top education reform in the United States

In this paper, it will be discussed how the education system can change the accountability system and information transparency interference to achieve better delivery of education services. An accountability system means the existence of systems where individuals and institutions are held to account, and where they are incentivized, monitored, and supported in effective ways. Transparency interventions are the methods to disclose information to the general public. A case study of the Race to the Top (RttT) program implemented in the United States in 2009 and the value-added evaluation of teachers concluded that a competitive education grant program can stimulate reform of the national education system, both in funded and unfunded districts. The positive impact of the program on the funded states is insignificant. The reason may be that the spillover effect of the program makes the unaided states enhance their educational delivery autonomously and blurs the distinction between the funded states and them. A value-added evaluation system that overemphasizes achievement has led to "test score pollution" that undermines the ability of test scores to effectively reflect educational achievement. Excessive education system reform has also placed administrative and operational burdens and increased costs on the education sector. In addition, the lack of acceptance of the "citizen's voice" makes the program lack critical elements of public satisfaction and performance completion.

Parental Education and the Responses to Higher SAT Scores

<h3>Abstract</h3> Using discontinuities within the Swedish SAT system, we study the causal impact of additional admission opportunities on participation in higher education among high-ability students. Students with low-educated parents who marginally pass an SAT score threshold, are more likely to enroll and graduate from programs they could have attended even with a lower score. This suggests that they face behavioral barriers even in a setting where colleges are tuition-free, student grants universal, and application systems simple. In contrast, students with high-educated parents respond to enhanced opportunities in ways that appear rational and informed; particularly by switching to higher-quality, more competitive programs.