Early Framework Research Articles

Development of a framework of potential adverse effects of interventions to improve critical thinking about health choices: A mixed methods study.

Background People need critical thinking skills to make well-informed health choices and avoid waste and unnecessary suffering. However, educational interventions can have adverse effects, which is often overlooked. We created a framework of potential harms of interventions to improve critical thinking about health choices. The objective was to identify potential effects and articulate potential mechanisms. We intended to use the framework to inform the development and evaluation of an intervention in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Methods We created an initial framework drawing on two earlier frameworks. We surveyed external experts using Likert-scale and open-ended items, including researchers, educators, and others, in a variety of relevant fields. We emailed the survey to an international advisory network, and all other experts recommended by respondents. We analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics. We conducted a thematic analysis of the qualitative data. We revised the framework based on those results. To identify any effects missing from the revised framework, we individually interviewed a convenience sample of one teacher from each of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Results We received responses from 38 of 70 external experts (54%). The quantitative survey data suggested respondents agreed with the initial framework overall. However, the qualitative data led to substantial revisions. The revised framework consists of categories of adverse outcomes; outcomes within each category; sub-outcomes; individuals, groups, and populations that might experience each adverse outcome; beneficial outcomes corresponding with adverse outcomes; and potential mechanisms of adverse effects. There are six categories: decision-making harms, psychological harms, equity harms, group and social harms, waste, and other harms. In the interviews with teachers, we did not identify any effects missing from the revised framework. Conclusions As far as we know, the framework is the first tool of its kind for education research. It can be improved upon and adapted.

Guidance on farmer participation in the design, testing and scaling of agricultural innovations

CONTEXTDespite accelerated developments in agricultural innovations, there has been a limited progress in their adoption by smallholder farmers, especially in the Global South. Innovations are not adequately reaching farmers, and new technologies are often unsuitable for farmers, or the overall innovation landscape is discouraging the deployment of innovations at scale. The methodological approaches to designing, testing and scaling of innovations play an important role. Involving farmers in the innovation process from the start increases the likelihood of them being more relevant and having a higher chance of adoption. Whereas there is much literature on participatory approaches, there is a limited guidance on choosing an appropriate level of farmer participation across the innovation process. OBJECTIVEThis study aims to develop practical guidance for researchers, development agents and project managers on how to choose an appropriate methodological approach with a suitable level of farmer participation for designing, testing and scaling of agricultural innovations, according to levels of innovation readiness and innovation use. METHODSRelevant scientific literature on participatory design, research and scaling of agricultural innovations was reviewed, followed by compiling lessons learned from selected vegetable innovation projects implemented by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) in Asia and Africa. A list of methodological approaches for participatory design, testing and scaling of innovations was generated, with various levels of farmer participation. A simple guiding framework was then developed for choosing an appropriate approach with a suitable level of farmer participation, according to the readiness and use of the innovations. Examples of selected approaches and application of the proposed guidance are given in project case studies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSBased on the literature review and experience at WorldVeg, we believe it is critical to choose the right level of participation based on how ready are the innovations for application in the local setting. This dimension of how ready the innovations are has been largely overlooked in earlier frameworks on farmer participation. The developed guidance generally recommends increasing participation with higher levels of technology readiness and use. In addition, farmer consultation in early research design should also be strengthened, to co-design locally relevant innovations. The overall innovation systems' landscape must be considered when researching and scaling new innovations. SIGNIFICANCEThe guidance, experiences and lessons provided in this paper will be useful to various scholars, researchers, development agents, funders and project managers who aim to design, test and scale agricultural innovations in a more inclusive and responsible way.

Digital fluency – a dynamic capability continuum

The impact of digital technologies on the ways people work, learn and live has been debated and researched for half a century. Digital literacy approaches have recurrently been the focus of educational and industry learning; however, current framings of digital literacy are not sufficient to support students’ digital capability development, nor do static digital literacies reflect the dynamic and contextual nature of digital capabilities. A digital capability continuum that fluidly moves between digital foundation skills, digital literacies and digital fluency is a more robust model for education. By unpacking the digital capability continuum and responding to both learning and curriculum paradigms, this paper expands on an earlier framework (Coldwell-Neilson, 2020), the decoding digital literacy framework, as well as building on our research and academic experiences, to inform higher education. A key agenda is that the higher education sector frames digital fluency as a mindset and an attitude. The model and framework underscore that capabilities need to be flexible and transferable across technologies, disciplines and the world of work.

Resilience following childhood adversity: The need for a heuristic multilevel dynamic framework

Both Childhood Adversity (CA) and resilience are heterogeneous constructs that are differently conceptualized and operationalized across studies. CA in any operationalization is associated with mental and physical health problems across the lifespan, but some individuals fare quite well after CA exposure. The large body of studies investigating CA and its consequences includes a growing number of studies on resilience following CA exposure. However, large heterogeneity in study design and conceptualization of resilience hampers integration of findings and our understanding of positive outcomes after CA. Collaborative efforts to move the field forward have been valuable yet insufficient, as a consensus on the conceptualization and study of resilience in the context of CA is still lacking. Therefore, we postulate the need for the practical implementation of a comprehensive multilevel dynamic framework of resilience after CA, which aims to guide the integration of I) the contextual diversity of CA, II) the heterogeneity of resilience operationalization in the context of CA, and III) time dynamics of resilience after CA. We build upon earlier frameworks and postulate that CA occurs in and is impacted by different contexts, such as the direct family environment and the broader community context. Second, we show that studies on resilience following CA measure outcomes across different functional levels (inflammatory, endocrine, brain structure and function, cognitive/emotional/behavioral/social functioning, and health, well-being, and quality of life), adhere to numerous definitions, and are inconsistent in referring to the integral dynamic nature of resilience. In addition, we present a multilevel dynamic framework reporting checklist to encourage practical implementation of our framework and facilitate an explicit conceptualization and assessment of resilience during or after CA exposure. Our framework and corresponding checklist could promote transparency, facilitating the synthesis of research findings, aiding in the identification of gaps for future research, and enabling multilevel modeling on the dynamic interplay between various domains of our framework.

Objective determination of peridynamic material parameters for fiber-reinforced composites with shear nonlinearity – Part 2: Strength properties and strain rate dependence

Formulation and implementation of peridynamic strength parameters and strain rate-dependent behavior of fiber-reinforced composite laminates are presented. This work builds on the earlier framework [1] objectively determining elastic parameters for laminates exhibiting shear nonlinearity. The formulation of the strength parameters uses energy-based failure criteria, specifically addressing intralaminar and interlaminar behaviors. A novel implementation of strain rate effects includes conversion from local strain to nonlocal stretch rates. The current peridynamic approach with shear nonlinearity and strain rate dependence accurately captures multiple experimentally measured metrics, including force vs. time, force vs. displacement, energy vs. time, and damage and delamination extents.

Analysis of nonlinear Timoshenko–Ehrenfest beam problems with von Kármán nonlinearity using the Theory of Functional Connections

In this paper, the Theory of Functional Connections (TFC) is used to analyze static beams, accounting for the von Kármán nonlinearity and using the Timoshenko–Ehrenfest beam theory. The authors extend their earlier framework on linear beam bending problems to nonlinear bending problems using TFC. The TFC results and performance parameters are then compared to those of the Finite Element Method (FEM) to both validate the TFC solutions and compare computational efficiencies. In addition, this paper also focuses on the benefits of using TFC over FEM for stress analysis of beam bending problems. Also, a TFC methodology to solve buckling and free vibration problems for the linearized Timoshenko–Ehrenfest beam equations is introduced and validated. The results within this paper suggest that for most static beam bending problems, TFC provides more accurate solutions in terms of the residuals of the differential equations and a faster solution time when compared to the FEM using linear or quadratic approximations. Also, TFC has the added benefit of calculating stress fields that are continuous and smooth everywhere within the domain of the beam while FEM is limited to a piece-wise continuous stress field.

Prediction of Pyrolysis Kinetics of Biomass: New Insights from Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling

The present work introduces a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR)-based stochastic gradient boosting (SGB) decision tree framework for simulating and capturing of the thermal decomposition kinetics of biomass considering effective parameters of the ultimate analysis (such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur content) and process heating rate. Through a total of 149 pyrolysis kinetics, this study developed an artificial model and subjected it to training and testing phases. The proposed model was validated using error analysis, sensitivity, regression, and outlier detection. The coefficient of determination (R2) and mean relative error (%MRE) were calculated to be 0.993 and 4.354%, respectively, suggesting good performance in the estimation of the pyrolysis kinetic parameters. Also, the sensitivity results indicated the process heating rate to have the strongest effect on the model output with a relevancy factor of 0.43. Eventually, the proposed model showed superior performance compared to earlier frameworks.

Routledge Handbook of Modern Korean Literature

Routledge Handbook of Modern Korean Literature

Measuring the level of energy and health expenditure among energy-poor and non-poor households in india: a disaggregated analysis

ABSTRACT Energy poverty is a complex multidimensional phenomenon perceived differently in developed and developing countries. It becomes necessary to identify the energy-poor households as energy poverty affects households in many ways, with negative consequences. This study is established upon an enhanced version of the multidimensional energy poverty index. Still, it differs from the earlier frameworks, as it incorporates two critical dimensions of 10% measurement and minimum energy required for necessities. Devising a multidimensional energy poverty index, this study analyzed the pattern and magnitude of household expenditure on energy and health among energy-poor and non-poor. This study is demonstrated in India using household-level data from the National Sample Survey 68th round. The results reveal that per capita energy and health expenditure; and the share of health expenditure in the total consumption expenditure among energy-poor households is high. Insights from this study can be a valuable input for policymakers to identify energy-poor households and frame relevant and effective policies to alleviate energy poverty.

Mapping the health systems response to violence against women: key learnings from five LMIC settings (2015\u20132020)

BackgroundViolence against women (VAW) is a global challenge, and the health sector is a key entry point for survivors to receive care. The World Health Organization adopted an earlier framework for health systems response to survivors. However, documentation on the programmatic rollout of health system response to violence against women is lacking in low and middle-income countries. This paper studies the programmatic roll out of the health systems response across select five low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and identifies key learnings.MethodsWe selected five LMIC settings with recent or active programming on national-level health system response to VAW from 2015 to 2020. We synthesized publicly available data and program reports according to the components of the WHO Health Systems Framework. The countries selected are Bangladesh, Brazil, Nepal, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka.ResultsOne-stop centers were found to be the dominant model of care located in hospitals in four countries. Each setting has implemented in-service training as key to addressing provider knowledge, attitudes and practice; however, significant gaps remain in addressing frequent staff turnover, provision of training at scale, and documentation of the impact of training. The health system protocols for VAW address sexual violence but do not uniformly include clinical and health policy responses for emotional or economic violence. Providing privacy to survivors within health facilities was a universal challenge.ConclusionSignificant efforts have been made to address provider attitudes towards provision of care and to protocolize delivery of care to survivors, primarily through one-stop centers. Further improvements can be made in data collection on training impact on provider attitudes and practices, in provider identification of VAW survivors, and in prioritization of VAW within health system budgeting, staffing, and political priorities. Primary health facilities need to provide first-line support for survivors to avoid delays in response to all forms of VAW as well as for secondary prevention.

Future Socio-Political Scenarios for Aquatic Resources in Europe: A Common Framework Based on Shared-Socioeconomic-Pathways (SSPs)

It has proven extremely challenging for researchers to predict with confidence how human societies might develop in the future, yet managers and industries need to make projections in order to test adaptation and mitigation strategies designed to build resilience to long-term shocks. This paper introduces exploratory scenarios with a particular focus on European aquaculture and fisheries and describes how these scenarios were designed. Short-, medium- and long-term developments in socio-political drivers may be just as important in determining profits, revenues and prospects in the aquaculture and fisheries industries as physical drivers such as long-term climate change. Four socio-political-economic futures were developed, based partly on the IPCC SRES (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios) framework and partly on the newer system of Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). ‘Off the shelf’ narrative material as well as quantitative outputs were ‘borrowed’ from earlier frameworks but supplemented with material generated through in-depth stakeholder workshops involving industry and policy makers. Workshop participants were tasked to outline how they thought their sector might look under the four future worlds and, in particular, to make use of the PESTEL conceptual framework (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal) as an aide memoire to help define the scope of each scenario. This work was carried out under the auspices of the EU Horizon 2020 project CERES (Climate change and European aquatic RESources), and for each ‘CERES scenario’ (World Markets, National Enterprise, Global Sustainability and Local Stewardship), additional quantitative outputs were generated, including projections of future fuel and fish prices, using the MAGNET (Modular Applied GeNeral Equilibrium Tool) modeling framework. In developing and applying the CERES scenarios, we have demonstrated that the basic architecture is sufficiently flexible to be used at a wide diversity of scales. We urge the climate science community to adopt a similar scenarios framework, based around SSPs, to facilitate global cross-comparison of fisheries and aquaculture model outputs more broadly and to harmonize communication regarding potential future bioeconomic impacts of climate change.

Discounted Cash Flow Methods in Lease versus Purchase Analysis—A Technical Note

The earlier framework uses the before-tax cost of debt as the discount rate in valuation of lease contracts for the reason that such framework explicitly includes the interest tax credits as a component of each period’s cash flows. The short-cut or modern standard textbook approaches use after-tax cost of debt as the discount rate for the reason that it ignores the interest tax credits. Some existing literatures state the two approaches are equivalent without exploring the reasons analytically. This note provides a mathematical demonstration showing, the two approaches are not equivalent accompanied by numerical examples.

Collective dimensions of leadership: Connecting theory and method

In this introductory article we explain the impetus for creating the Special Issue, along with its goals and the process by which we created it. We present a map of the terrain of collective leadership (CL) that builds on earlier frameworks, recognizing that the terrain is expanding and has become increasingly difficult to traverse. The map is comprised of two axes or dimensions. The first axis, the ‘locus of leadership,’ captures how scholars conceptualize where to look for manifestations of leadership. That is, does the leadership reside in the group or does it reside in the system? The second axis is the view of ‘collectivity’ that plots how scholars conceptualize the collective. Do they see it as an empirical type of leadership or a theoretical lens through which to study leadership? We then plot distinctive CL research into four cells, providing definitions and references to empirical work emblematic for each cell. In introducing and summarizing each of the five articles we have selected for this Special Issue, we show where each of these is located on the CL research map, and distil how each provides a clear connection between theory and method in a way that advances our understanding of CL.

Beyond Marcus theory and the Landauer-Büttiker approach in molecular junctions. II. A self-consistent Born approach.

Marcus and Landauer-Büttiker approaches to charge transport through molecular junctions describe two contrasting mechanisms of electronic conduction. In previous work, we have shown how these charge transport theories can be unified in the single-level case by incorporating lifetime broadening into the second-order quantum master equation. Here, we extend our previous treatment by incorporating lifetime broadening in the spirit of the self-consistent Born approximation. By comparing both theories to numerically converged hierarchical-equations-of-motion results, we demonstrate that our novel self-consistent approach rectifies shortcomings of our earlier framework, which are present especially in the case of relatively strong electron-vibrational coupling. We also discuss circumstances under which the theory developed here simplifies to the generalized theory developed in our earlier work. Finally, by considering the high-temperature limit of our new self-consistent treatment, we show how lifetime broadening can also be self-consistently incorporated into Marcus theory. Overall, we demonstrate that the self-consistent approach constitutes a more accurate description of molecular conduction while retaining most of the conceptual simplicity of our earlier framework.

A hidden Markov model-based approach to reconstructing double minute chromosome amplicons

Double minute chromosomes (DMs) are circular fragments of extrachromosomal DNA. They cause extreme gene amplification in the cells of malignant tumours. Their existence correlates with malignant tumour cell behaviour and drug resistance. Locating DMs is important for informing precision therapy to cancer treatment. Furthermore, accurate detection of double minutes requires precise reconstruction of their amplicons, which are the highly-amplified gene-carrying contiguous segments that adjoin to form DMs. This work presents AmpliconFinder - a Hidden-Markov Model-based approach to detect DM amplicons. To assess its efficacy, AmpliconFinder was used to augment an earlier framework for DM detection (DMFinder), thus improving its sensitivity and robustness to noisy sequence data. Experiments on simulated genomic data show that augmenting DMFinder with AmpliconFinder significantly increased the sensitivity of DMFinder on these data. Moreover, DMFinder with AmpliconFinder found all previously reported DMs in three pediatric medulloblastoma datasets, whereas the original DMFinder framework found none.

The achievement of regulatory excellence in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria: the 2017 National Oil and Gas Policy

This article critically assesses the regulatory landscape for oil and gas development proposed under the 2017 Nigeria gas and petroleum policies, which are together referred to as the Nigeria Oil and Gas Policy (NOGP) 2017, to highlight its capacity to lead to the achievement of regulatory excellence in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. The assessment is based on a conceptual framework developed by the Penn Program on Regulation (PPR) at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2015 to assist the Alberta Energy Regulator – the body responsible for regulating energy development in Alberta, Canada – to identify the best regulatory approach to overcome the challenges of regulating energy development in the province. The PPR framework is selected not only because it is based on a detailed and systematic review of earlier frameworks but also because it is the only framework prepared primarily for the energy sector, though its elements can be easily adapted to other sectors as well. The article’s central argument is that while the NOGP 2017 represents an important step forward in the efforts to effectively regulate the oil and gas industry, there are significant gaps in the regulatory landscape proposed in the policy for the achievement of regulatory excellence. The article identifies those gaps and notes, however, that the achievement of regulatory excellence depends considerably on the implementation framework adopted by the new yet-to-be-established regulator when it comes into operation.

Daoing Medicine: Practice Theory for Considering Religion and Medicine in Early Imperial China

This article is a critique of the neologism “Daoist medicine” (daojiao yixue 道教醫學) that has recently entered scholarly discourse in China. It provides evidence that this expression is an anachronism which found its way into scholarly discourse in 1995 and has now become so widely used that it is seen as representing an undisputed “historical fact.” It demonstrates that the term has no precursor in the pre-modern record, and critiques two substantive attempts to set up “Daoist medicine” as an analytical term. It reviews earlier scholarship on Daoism and medicine, or healing, within the larger context of religion and medicine, and shows how attention has shifted, particularly in relation to the notion of overlap or intersection of these historical fields of study. It proposes that earlier frameworks grounded in epistemology or simple social identity do not effectively represent the complexity of these therapies. Practice theory, on the other hand, provides a useful analytic for unpacking the organisation and transmission of curing knowledge. Such an approach foregrounds the processes and dynamics of assemblage, rather than theoretical abstractions. The article concludes by proposing a focus on the Daoing of medicine, that is, the variety of processes by which therapies come to be known as Daoist, rather than imposing an anachronistic concept like Daoist medicine.

The FRAME: an expanded framework for reporting adaptations and modifications to evidence-based interventions

BackgroundThis paper describes the process and results of a refinement of a framework to characterize modifications to interventions. The original version did not fully capture several aspects of modification and adaptation that may be important to document and report. Additionally, the earlier framework did not include a way to differentiate cultural adaptation from adaptations made for other reasons. Reporting additional elements will allow for a more precise understanding of modifications, the process of modifying or adapting, and the relationship between different forms of modification and subsequent health and implementation outcomes.DiscussionWe employed a multifaceted approach to develop the updated FRAME involving coding documents identified through a literature review, rapid coding of qualitative interviews, and a refinement process informed by multiple stakeholders. The updated FRAME expands upon Stirman et al.’s original framework by adding components of modification to report: (1) when and how in the implementation process the modification was made, (2) whether the modification was planned/proactive (i.e., an adaptation) or unplanned/reactive, (3) who determined that the modification should be made, (4) what is modified, (5) at what level of delivery the modification is made, (6) type or nature of context or content-level modifications, (7) the extent to which the modification is fidelity-consistent, and (8) the reasons for the modification, including (a) the intent or goal of the modification (e.g., to reduce costs) and (b) contextual factors that influenced the decision. Methods of using the framework to assess modifications are outlined, along with their strengths and weaknesses, and considerations for research to validate these measurement strategies.ConclusionThe updated FRAME includes consideration of when and how modifications occurred, whether it was planned or unplanned, relationship to fidelity, and reasons and goals for modification. This tool that can be used to support research on the timing, nature, goals and reasons for, and impact of modifications to evidence-based interventions.

A framework in analysing the strategies for governing innovation networks for public innovation

ABSTRACT Innovation is essentially a collaborative initiative requiring the contribution of all involved actors. As no earlier framework has explicitly focused on the governance of collaborative networks for public innovation, a framework is needed to study how innovation networks contribute to making pubic governance more effective and innovative. This article constructs a conceptual framework consisting of six governance strategies, namely, participating, developing frameworks, managing interactions, sponsoring resources, establishing visions, and diplomacy. It can be applied to analyse specifically how innovation networks are governed to achieve effective innovation. Finally, the framework is discussed and research agendas are set.

Factors associated with the aggressiveness of end-of-life care for patients dying of cancer in hospitals: A nationwide cohort study.

68 Background: There is growing concern about the aggressiveness of cancer care at the end of life (ACCEoL). Recognizing the most affected patients is a cornerstone to improve this public health unmet need. Our aim is to identify factors associated with ACCEoL for cancer patients dying in hospitals. Methods: Cohort study of adults with ICD9CM diagnosis of cancer, who died in public hospitals in mainland Portugal (Jan'10 - Dec'15), identified from the hospital morbidity database (HMD). HMD provided individual clinical and demographic data. The primary outcome is a composite ACCEoL measure of 16 indicators, expanding an earlier framework, validated by an expert panel. We obtained hospital and area-level variables from a hospital survey and National Statistics. We used multilevel random effects logistic regression modelling (p < 0.05). Results: We included 92,155 patients: median age 73 yo; 61.9% male; 53.0% metastatic. ACCEoL prevalence was 71.1%. The most prevalent indicators were > 14 days in hospital (42.7%) and surgery in last 30 days (27.8%). Older age (p < 0.001), breast cancer (OR 0.83; 95%CI 0.76-0.91) and metastatic disease (0.54; 0.50-0.58) were associated with less ACCEoL. In contrast, higher Deyo-Charlson comorbidity index (p < 0.001), gastrointestinal (GI) and hematological malignancies (p < 0.001), and death at a cancer center (1.31; 1.01-1.72) or hospital with medical oncology (MO) dept. (1.29; 1.02-1.63) were associated with higher ACCEoL. There was no association between existence of hospital palliative care services (HPCS) at the hospital of death and ACCEoL. Conclusions: Our study confirmed that clinical factors related with better understanding of disease course are associated with ACCEoL reduction. Patients with more comorbidities and GI malignancies might represent groups with complex needs, and hematological patients may be at increased risk because of unpredictable prognosis. It is important to better understand how to reduce ACCEoL in cancer centers and hospitals with MO dept.; improvement of HPCS could be an answer as these services are usually under-resourced, thus reaching few.