Current Position Research Articles

How can we conceptualise the current position of the retrospective PhD through published work in British Universities?

ABSTRACT The PhD by retrospective published work remains an under-researched area within doctoral education. Introduced into the United Kingdom (UK) in 1966, this variant of PhD is one of several models of doctoral qualification that exist across the globe that include published research in the final submission. Although the retrospective model is an established way of obtaining a PhD through the inclusion of published research it has, together with the prospective ‘three-paper’ PhD, remained largely peripheral within the British HE sector. This paper places the discussion of this variant of the PhD by published work into its intellectual and instrumental contexts through an examination of epistemological and environmental drivers. This paper is informed by data generated through a series of online surveys of the regulations across the HE sector, the British Library’s EThOS database, and responses from 20 universities.

Mentalizing Care: Adult Attachment and Structural Factors as Predictors of Representational Mind-Mindedness in Early Child-Care Professionals.

Out-of-home childcare is increasingly essential in many children's lives, significantly impacting their wellbeing and development. Central to high-quality care is the concept of caregiver mind-mindedness (MM), the ability to recognize a child as a unique psychological individual with thoughts, feelings, intentions etc., as this capacity is linked with more optimal responsiveness to children's needs. Despite its importance, the factors influencing MM in professional caregivers remain under-researched. We examined the association between structural factors, self-reported adult attachment, and caregiver representational MM assessed in an interview. The sample consisted of 128 childcare professionals from 30 Danish early childcare centers (children aged 0-2.9 years), participating in a randomized controlled trial. Overall, our results showed that longer employment in the current position was associated with higher levels of representational MM, i.e., increased tendency to describe children in terms of their mental states as opposed to more behavioral or external features. In contrast, more years of experience working in childcare as well as attachment-related avoidance were associated with lower levels of representational MM. These results indicate that personal characteristics, like adult attachment, may be a relevant focus for early education and care research and training.

An Alternative Finite Element Formulation to Predict Ductile Fracture in Highly Deformable Materials

Abstract An alternative finite element formulation to predict ductile damage and fracture in highly deformable materials is presented. For this purpose, a finite-strain elastoplastic model based on the Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman (GTN) formulation is employed, in which the level of damage is described by the void volume fraction (or porosity). The model accounts for large strains, associative plasticity, and isotropic hardening, as well as void nucleation, coalescence, and material failure. To avoid severe damage localization, a nonlocal enrichment is adopted, resulting in a mixed finite element whose degrees-of-freedom are the current positions and nonlocal porosity at the nodes. In this work, 2D triangular elements of linear-order and plane-stress conditions are used. Two systems of equations have to be solved: the global variables system, involving the degrees-of-freedom; and the internal variables system, including the damage and plastic variables. To this end, a new numerical strategy has been developed, in which the change in material stiffness due to the evolution of internal variables is embedded in the consistent tangent operator regarding the global system. The performance of the proposed formulation is assessed by three numerical examples involving large elastoplastic strains and ductile fracture. Results confirm that the present formulation is capable of reproducing fracture initiation and evolution, as well as necking instability. Convergence analysis is also performed to evaluate the effect of mesh refinement on the mechanical response. In addition, it is demonstrated that the nonlocal parameter alleviates damage localization, providing smoother porosity fields.

Training the Next Generation of Pediatric Clinical Pharmacologists: Insights and Trainee Perspectives Over 10 Years.

The limited number of researchers with expertise necessary toaddress treatment gaps for children presents an ongoing challenge. The NationalInstitutes of Health established a national Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology T32Training Program in 2012 to train a multidisciplinary, collaborative pediatricclinical pharmacology workforce. We surveyed all current T32 trainees andgraduates since inception to identify strengths and opportunities to enhanceworkforce development. A total of 85 out of 155 (55%) responded, with themajority of respondents being female gender (61%), white race (75%), andworking in academia (75%). Nearly all (97%) reported using clinicalpharmacology in their current position, with 88% planning to remain in clinicalpharmacology in the long term, reinforcing current training efforts. Lifestylefactors and student debt appeared to influence career decisions. Mentors werecritical for introduction and future success in the field. Time and fundinglimitations were perceived as barriers to successful training. There was also apressing need to improve diversity. For workforce development, we suggestsupporting: (1) trainees' lifestyle, by offsetting financial pressures ofresearch training and expanding the geographic footprint of pediatric clinicalpharmacology training; (2) mentorship, by identifying mentors in the field andproviding dedicated support for mentorship; (3) efficiency, by evaluatingcurrent training activities and focusing on activities that maximizeopportunities for future funding; and (4) diversity, by examining barriers todiversity in the workforce in general and expanding early enrichmentopportunities.

An Examination of Career Readiness Among Music Education Doctoral Alumni

The purpose of this research was to examine recent doctoral music education alumni perceptions of how their doctoral programs informed their current work. We placed a specific focus on how the curricular, scholarly, and experiential facets of music education doctoral programs have transferred to graduates’ current positions. Participants ( N = 74) completed a researcher-designed survey based on previously conducted research that consisted of three categories: description of current positions, doctoral experiences, and the significance of doctoral experiences in preparation for their current positions. Results indicated that most participants were employed in full-time tenure track and nontenure track positions and that the most common opportunities during doctoral programs involved writing, presenting, and publishing research. Implications include examining recruitment practices for doctoral programs, degree program environments and expectations, the connection between degree programs and definitions of career success, and ways to prepare alumni for positions both in and outside of R1 institutions.

Management of patients with Crohn's disease – from history to modern approaches

Since the isolation of Crohn's disease as a separate pathology, significant progress has been made both in the diagnosis of the disease and in approaches to the treatment of patients with this pathology. The active introduction of biologics and the top-down approach into clinical practice in patients with negative prognosis factors has led to a significant improvement in treatment results and prognosis in patients. The use of the most effective anti-inflammatory therapy during the «therapeutic window of opportunity» – up to 18 months – is the key to achieving remission, or minimal activity of Crohn's disease by suppressing inflammation and preventing irreversible structural damage to the intestinal wall and, as a result, the development of complications. The article presents an excursion into the history of the discovery of this disease, which is still far from its completion. The approaches to the treatment of patients with this pathology are highlighted with an explanation of the current position based on data from meta-analyses and systematic reviews. A demonstration of a patient with a penetrating phenotype of Crohn's disease in the form of a perianal lesion and a history of oncopathology is presented. Ustekinumab therapy can be considered as an optimal management strategy for patients with Crohn's disease with unfavorable prognosis factors.

How green is your practice? A process for auditing and reimagining career guidance practice for a greener world

This article outlines a method to aid career development professionals in addressing environmental issues through their practice. It is based on a workshop of the same title delivered at the NICEC conference on Career and Sustainability. The result is a facilitated process which supports practitioners to collectively reflect on current practice, acknowledge existing positions, discuss concerns and imagine new, ‘greener’ practice. The workshop takes practitioners through three stages: 1) Audit; 2) Challenges; and 3) Stimulus for change, making use of established typologies of practice and more recent explorations of social justice in career guidance. The audit stage employs Tony Watts’ typology of guidance ideologies to assess practitioners’ current positions and consider criteria for future provision. The five signposts of emancipatory career guidance is proposed as an impetus for the creation of new practice. The workshop is presented here as a tool for others to use and consider.

Deephive: A Reinforcement Learning Approach for Automated Discovery of Swarm-Based Optimization Policies

We present an approach for designing swarm-based optimizers for the global optimization of expensive black-box functions. In the proposed approach, the problem of finding efficient optimizers is framed as a reinforcement learning problem, where the goal is to find optimization policies that require a few function evaluations to converge to the global optimum. The state of each particle within the swarm is defined as its current position and function value within a design space, and the particles learn to take favorable actions that maximize the reward, which is based on the final value of the objective function. The proposed approach is tested on 50 benchmark optimization functions and compared to the performance of other global optimization strategies. Furthermore, the generalization capabilities of the trained particles on the four categories of optimization benchmark functions are investigated. The results show superior performance compared to the other optimizers, desired scaling when the dimension of the functions is varied, and acceptable performance even when applied to unseen functions. On a broader scale, the results show promise for the rapid development of domain-specific optimizers.

Turnover intention and continuing professional development of rural doctors from targeted admission medical education program in China: a cross-sectional study in the post-COVID-19 era

BackgroundTurnover intention (TI) indicates an employee’s intention to depart from their current role within a defined timeframe. In China, the Targeted Admission Medical Education (TAME) program, initiated in 2010, offers tuition-free education to cultivate rural doctors. Despite continuous professional development (CPD) being considered a viable retention strategy, TI of alumni doctors from the TAME program remains high in recent years. This study aims to describe the prevalence of “turnover intention” among alumni doctors of the TAME program doctors in rural placements, and associated factors that predict high turnover intention.MethodsA snowball sampling method was adopted to collect survey responses from 1,369 alumni doctors of the TAME program in Jiangxi Province, China. Based on the survey data, a binary variable was constructed to measure the turnover intention, and multivariate binary logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between doctors’ turnover intention and demographic characteristics, work environment characteristics, and CPD activities. Results were presented using adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.ResultsAmong the 1,369 alumni doctors of the TAME program surveyed in this study, 392 (28.6%) expressed intentions to leave their current positions. Of the respondents, 620 (45.3%) were female, and 930 (67.9%) were married. Additionally, 1,232 respondents (90%) indicated that their fathers were engaged in farm work. Strong associations with turnover intention were notably found among individuals who had undergone training at a higher-level healthcare institution for more than three months (aOR = 6.810, 95% CI: 3.333 to 13.909, p-value < 0.001), particularly those who had participated in CPD through a graduate degree program (aOR = 1.818, 95% CI: 1.272 to 2.597, p-value < 0.001).ConclusionRural doctors in China from the tuition-free medical education program exhibit high turnover intention, especially those in graduate degree programs as CPD. To retain these highly qualified rural doctors, it is vital to offer competitive efficiency wages aligned with their skills and provide ample long-term career growth opportunities within the rural healthcare system.

Resource Efficiency and the Role of Renewable Energy in Miskolc: The City’s Journey Towards Becoming a Smart City

Miskolc, which is the focus of our investigation, is the fourth most populous city in Hungary and the center of one of the most underdeveloped NUTS2 (basic territorial category for the regional policy of the European Union) regions in the European Union. The socialist heavy industry played a decisive role in the development of the city, the decline of which also left deep traces in the city. In its current position, the city tries to manage its available resources as efficiently as possible, and the city management is open to the use of modern urban development tools. This is supported by the fact that Miskolc was the first Hungarian city to join the Green Cities for Sustainable Europe movement in 2011, and then in 2015, it joined the Triangulum project of the EU Smart Cities and Communities program as a follower city. In the process of becoming a smart city, the dimensions of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency were given a prominent role, which should not be surprising considering the traditions of the city. Within this, we must first mention the construction of the geothermal central heating system, with which the city really took significant steps in this field. The main goal of the study is to develop a new smart local concept closely linked to regional development and the key energy sector, through which the local adaptation of the defining elements of the internationally defined smart city in several forms for the city of Miskolc will be presented. In our study, we review how the results achieved by Miskolc so far and the development plans for the future fit in with the smart energy developments of smart cities. Before exploring the processes in Miskolc, we will deal in more detail with the possibilities inherent in district heating and geothermal energy utilization and Hungary’s capabilities.

Long-lasting pure topographical disorientation due to heading disorientation following left retrosplenial infarction: A report of two cases

Topographical disorientation is linked to lesions in the right hemisphere and typically resolves within a few months post-stroke. Persistent topographical disorientation is uncommon and frequently accompanied by impairments in visual memory, complicating the analysis of the underlying mechanisms. Herein, we report two cases of sustained pure topographical disorientation following cerebral hemorrhages in the left retrosplenial region. The patients exhibited disorientation in both familiar and unfamiliar settings, attributable to heading disorientation, a deficit in determining the directional relationship between one’s current position and a target location or external frames. The patients struggled with reconstructing large-scale spatial frameworks and integrating new egocentric and allocentric perspectives upon changes in body orientation. There were no landmark agnosia, egocentric disorientation, or anterograde disorientation. Although mild verbal memory deficits were observed, no other cognitive impairments, including visual memory deficits, were detected. Our findings imply that lesions confined to the left retrosplenial region can induce enduring heading disorientation and suggest a significant role for this area in processing and integrating spatial information necessary for large-scale navigation. Clarifying the features of topographical disorientation will significantly impact the therapeutic approaches, enhancing the quality of life for affected patients by restoring their independence and mobility.

Droplet generation in a co-flowing microchannel under the non-uniform magnetic fields produced by an electric current loop

Micro-magnetofluidics, the study of fluid behavior under magnetic fields in microscale systems, is vital for applications like drug delivery, chemical synthesis, and lab-on-a-chip technologies. Controlling droplet size and formation frequency in these systems is challenging due to the complex interplay of magnetic forces and fluid dynamics. This study introduces a novel approach to control droplet generation in a co-flowing microchannel under a non-uniform magnetic field generated by an electric current loop. Critical parameters such as electric current intensity, continuous phase flow rate, and current loop position are systematically examined for their impact on droplet behavior. The results highlight the unique influence of the magnetic field configuration, specifically the electric current loop, in inducing a transition from dripping to jetting flow patterns with increasing current intensity, leading to larger droplets and reduced generation frequency. Additionally, a distinct behavior of droplet coalescence near the current loop, followed by re-separation, is observed when the loop is positioned downstream of the inlet. Moreover, increasing the continuous phase flow rate consistently reduced droplet size and increased generation frequency, regardless of the current loop’s position

유아교육현장에서 교육과정평가 실행 지원방안 탐색: 함께 응답하며 나아가기

This study aims to explore support strategies for implementing curriculum assessment in the field of early childhood education. Whereas curriculum focus has continuously shifted towards learner-centered, learning-centered, and competency-based approaches, evaluation practices remain rooted in approaches that emphasize educational content and subject knowledge, relying on empirical evidence and objective facts. To this end, this study conducted multiple mini-interviews (MMI) with teachers, administrators, and supervisors to identify challenges in implementing curriculum assessments and to collaboratively find solutions. The collected data were analyzed in six phases following the thematic analysis method proposed by Braun and Clarke(2006). The findings were categorized into three themes: ‘knotting early childhood curriculum and assessment,’ ‘opening the possibilities for practicing curriculum assessment,’ and ‘going along with children and parents in curriculum assessment.’ First, several years after the implementation of the 2019 revised Nuri Curriculum, the questions emerging in the field of early childhood education concern the connections of the essence of early childhood education, curriculum literacy, and curriculum assessment and implementation, which are the complex and entangled ‘knots’. Second, for assessment to be integrated into curriculum implementation, it is essential to go beyond individual teacher practices and explore the possibilities within the relational context, including the cultural and structural atmosphere of the school. Third, if implementing the curriculum in educational settings is a long process of ‘correspondence’ with all beings, it is crucial to seek ways for children and parents as the subjects of curriculum assessment to move forward together in harmony. Based on the diverse educational experiences, current positions, and educational philosophies of the participants, this study offers academic and practical implications for implementing curriculum assessment that lightens the burden of evaluation and refocuses on ‘our classrooms, children, teachers, and communities.’

Factors influencing self-regulated learning ability among Medical undergraduates in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundSelf-regulated learning (SRL) is the core purpose of lifelong learning and the precondition for medical staff to continuously adapt to and excel in their current and future positions. Good SRL abilities positively impact the academic performance and clinical skills of medical students. Despite its importance, the factors influencing SRL among medical students in China remain under-explored. This study investigates these factors among Chinese medical undergraduates.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of undergraduate students at all four medical universities in Guangxi, using a questionnaire developed and tailored by Zude Zhu. Responses from 2,179 Chinese medical undergraduate students were included in the analyses. The data were collected using the College Student SRL Questionnaire which consisted of 69 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (very inconsistent) to 6 (very consistent), and scored by calculating the mean and standard deviation. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22.0 (IBM SPSS Corp).ResultsUnivariate analysis showed that registered residence, specialty, educational system, parental educational background, parenting style, annual household income, parental occupation, grade point average (GPA), engagement in SRL activities, and participation in SRL training were significantly associated with SRL scores (p < 0.05 for all). The results of the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that educational system (“5 + 3”-year) (p < 0.001; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 9.842 to 15.686), mother’s occupation (staff of government agency/institution) (p < 0.001; 95% CI, − 3.798 to − 2.081), GPA (p < 0.001; 95% CI, − 10.009 to − 5.712), engagement in SRL activities (p = 0.001; 95% CI, − 11.903 to − 3.162), and participation in SRL training (p < 0.001; 95% CI, − 15.966 to − 9.972) were positively related to SRL abilities in medical students.ConclusionsFurther studies are necessary to identify additional external (e.g., academic environment, parents’ expectations for their children) and internal factors (e.g., student cadres or not, interest in medicine or not, whether there is a clear career planning) affecting SRL abilities. Initiating relevant training early in the college career could enhance SRL capabilities in medical students.

Difference in long COVID prevalence due to different definitions and long COVID related risk factors

Abstract Several definitions of long COVID are used in research and practice what challenges epidemiological investigations. Here we present differences in long COVID prevalence accounting for several definitions and concordance between the definitions, as well as the risk factors associated with long COVID. Definitions considered were WHO post-COVID19 condition (PCC) definition with several thresholds (at least low - standard definition, moderate or strong impact on daily activities), NICE1 and NICE2 definitions (reported at least one or at least two symptoms), United States National Centre for Health Statistics, and United Kingdom Office for National Statistics definitions and perceived long COVID. Prevalence of long COVID among French adult population (N = 10 615) in autumn 2022 ranged from 1.2% to 13.4%, conditional of the definition. The concordance between the definitions was at best moderate. Next, on a smaller representative sample of a French adult population (N = 1 813) eight potential risk factors groups for long COVID were assessed in a systematic epidemiological investigation, following a conceptual model. Fifteen factors from seven groups were associated with long COVID including early-defined sociodemographic characteristics, pre-existing chronic conditions, short-term work-related factors, current socioeconomic position, health behaviours, infection-related factors, and perception of COVID-19 severity and long COVID. The likelihood of long COVID was higher for individuals with higher number of diseases and for nineteen out of twenty-six most prevalent dyads and a triad. A more standardized definition would facilitate research and surveillance of long COVID. Furthermore, long COVID should be observed as an interplay of social, medical and contextual factors rather than a mere complication of SARS-COV-2 infection, while patients with multimorbidity may present some of the particularly vulnerable population groups.

Relative pose estimation from panoramic images using a hybrid neural network architecture

Camera-based relative pose estimation (RPE) localizes a mobile robot given a view at the current position and an image at a reference location. Matching the landmarks between views is critical to localization quality. Common challenges are appearance changes, for example due to differing illumination. Indirect RPE methods extract high-level features that provide invariance against appearance changes but neglect the remaining image data. This can lead to poor pose estimates in scenes with little detail. Direct RPE methods mitigate this issue by operating on the pixel level with only moderate preprocessing, but invariances have to be achieved by different means. We propose to attain illumination invariance for the direct RPE algorithm MinWarping by integrating it with a convolutional neural network for image preprocessing, creating a hybrid architecture. We optimize network parameters using a metric on RPE quality, backpropagating through MinWarping and the network. We focus on planar movement, panoramic images, and indoor scenes with varying illumination conditions; a novel dataset for this setup is recorded and used for analysis. Our method compares favourably against the previous best preprocessing method for MinWarping, edge filtering, and against a modern deep-learning-based indirect RPE pipeline. Analysis of the trained hybrid architecture indicates that neglecting landmarks in a direct RPE framework can improve estimation quality in scenes with occlusion and few details.

Latin Challenges: Perceptions, Policy and Curriculum for Excellence. Barriers to Teaching Latin in Scottish Schools

Over the last decade, the number of Scottish learners presented for National Qualification exams in Latin has declined. There are a number of factors contributing to this decline. Some of these relate to the study of Classics generally, such as perceptions around the subject being socially and academically elitist, while others are specific to the study of Latin and the challenges arising from it being a language. Some factors are relevant to the situation of Latin internationally, for example the desire for education which is more explicitly relevant to the demands of modern societies, while others relate to specific features of the Scottish education system. Examination of the impact of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and of the Scottish Language Learning policy on education will give context to the current position of Latin within primary and secondary schools. Significant institutional support for the learning of Gaelic and Mandarin and the challenges currently facing all language learning in Scotland in the senior phase of formal schooling must also be considered in any discussion of the barriers to the provision of Latin. The decision of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the body responsible for the accreditation of educational awards in Scotland, to cease offering a National Qualification in Ancient Greek in 2015 was based on low uptake of the subject, making the provision of external assessment no longer viable. It is, therefore, crucial to examine the current status of Latin within Scottish education and to determine the reasons for its decline in order to better understand how to address those issues, where possible, so as to secure the sustainability of the subject in the curriculum as well as its accreditation through National Qualifications.

The Policy Potential of Monitoring Market Proximal Maritime Connectivity Over Time: The Case of Aotearoa New Zealand

AbstractA country’s maritime connectivity is integral to its international trade and regional economic growth. Advancements in technology and complex network theory have elevated maritime connectivity in regional transport policy agendas. This study introduces a novel conceptualisation of the maritime network called the market proximal network which better highlights connectivity concerns and opportunities that leverage a country’s current market position. By implementing a temporal view (using Time-Granularity Graphs) of the market proximal network, connectivity trends can be appreciated. The policy value of this approach is illustrated by the case of Aotearoa New Zealand, a maritime connectivity taker, between January 2018 and June 2021. Five maritime connectivity priorities are identified regarding the country’s gateways onto the major maritime highways. The potential policy value of the temporal view of the market proximal network is illustrated by identifying priorities that are actionable because they are based on the existing business cases that draw shipping companies to call in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Perceptions of Annual Research Evaluations as Preparation for Future and Early Career Faculty

Thousands of university faculty complete annual evaluations to determine their yearly productivity. These assessments often determine the ability of a faculty member to continue in their current position (Zahneis, 2024). Evaluations play a crucial role in shaping the careers of early career tenure track professors. Given the importance of annual reviews, this poster presents the preliminary results of a study designed to examine how departments assess faculty research productivity and to understand their perceptions of the processes used to evaluate them. Providing these results to doctoral students and new faculty can help prepare them for the annual review process. Concerns emerged among the participants regarding the evaluation process. For instance, some participants noted that the quantity of publications was valued more than the quality, and there were no clear research quality standards. Another stated that some colleagues do little research and still receive positive evaluations. Faculty members were more satisfied with reviews when policies clearly outlined expectations. They liked it when alternative publication methods were valued. Participants believed research with students should be equally important to solo or collaborative projects with other faculty. Additionally, the participants appreciated it when their deans and chairs understood and celebrated their research. Participants shared factors that affect their research productivity. Time to complete research was a frequent response. Answers further indicated that support from research and teaching assistants saved them time. Funding to complete studies and research space was instrumental in their success.

Organizational learning programs to fulfilling basic needs at work: significance for work attractiveness and turnover in strained sectors

Purpose This study aims to explore whether participation in employer-provided skills and learning programs can strengthen older workers’ abilities to carry out their work in a meaningful way so that it increases work attractiveness and a willingness to remain in the current job position. Design/methodology/approach A survey was distributed to assistance nurses, nurses and teachers, aged 55 years and older in a Swedish City (n = 1,342), analyzed descriptively and with structural equation modeling. Findings This paper showed positive relationships between active participation in organizational learning programs (OLPs) and autonomy, relatedness, competence and also attractive work. Associations are observed between participation in learning programs, e.g. mentorship, through the strengthened basic needs at work with work attractiveness and lower intention to leave, but not prolonged retirement preference. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional quantitative design restricts drawing causal conclusions about associations. Practical implications OLPs at work may be seen as potential measures to strengthen work conditions, fulfilling basic psychological needs at work and increase work attractiveness in strained welfare sectors. Social implications There are some welfare sectors that – more than others – are strained by challenges to maintain, sustain and develop quality, knowledge and staff due to poor economic and social resources with regard to sustainability, e.g. in the educational and caring sectors. Strengthening organizational measures is needed to support sustainable development. Originality/value This study applies advanced statistical methods, in a large empirical sample, and shows the importance of skills and learning programs for job attractiveness among older workers in female-dominated, strained welfare sectors.