Formal Research Research Articles

An all-wales virtual reality project-innovation, design and collaboration to enhance healthcare education

The potential for immersive technologies to augment healthcare training is gaining significant interest. However, its applicability and effectiveness are yet to be fully understood. This project was a response from a bid released by the Cardiff Capital Region to undertake a rapid innovation project, consisting of 3 main phases: 1) feasibility; 2) development; and 3) testing, across Welsh Health Boards. Project governance was provided via the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) in Clinical Excellence, a project board, and a project team with clinical and educational expertise, alongside Virtual Reality (VR) industry and academic partners. We aim to explore the formation of a virtual reality training package with a multi-centred collaborative project to overcome the current challenges of respiratory education, with a particular focus on tracheostomy care, to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond [1]. Phase 1 focused on the development of minimally viable solutions with a key focus on clinical content accuracy and education standards for single user learners. Phase 2 progressed to further develop the VR-based solutions including a multi-player system and virtual debriefing room, allowing the team to focus on key simulation-based learning best practice standards within the design and build [2]. Phase 3 is when system testing occurred over an 8-week period, across 6 Health Boards in NHS Wales involving over 100 multi-professional clinicians commencing in February 2022. On site hospital clinical education session feedback regarding use of the system and perceived opportunities were highly favourable in terms of ease of use, potential for VR in practice, and providing flexibility for mass training needs. Multi-user training was particularly well received. The limitations were lack of resource and time to combine a formal research project regarding the educational impact within busy health boards. This is planned for the next phase. Empirical evidence from other industries demonstrates VR technology is an effective and efficient way of improving training [3]. Developing VR solutions to support healthcare training needs involves a collaborative approach with Health Boards, industry, and academic partners. The design, build, and implementation approach can embed simulation best practice standards to form innovative educational solutions to the challenges seen in the delivery of mass healthcare education. Formal research is required to begin to measure such factors as education transference, patient care impact, and return on investment questions. 1. Chiang DH, Huang CC, Cheng SC, Cheng JC, Wu CH, Huang SS, Yang YY, Yang LY, Kao SY, Chen CH, Shulruf B. Immersive virtual reality (VR) training increases the self-efficacy of in-hospital healthcare providers and patient families regarding tracheostomy-related knowledge and care skills: A prospective pre–post study. Medicine. 2022;101(2):e28570–e28570. 2. Rossler K, Molloy MA, Pastva AM, Brown M, Xavier N. Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice 3. Manolakis K, Papagiannakis G. Virtual Reality simulation streamlines medical training for healthcare professionals. Journal of dentistry. 2022;121:103987.

Expanding the Range of Evidence Use in School Library Practice

The study explores the involvement of school librarians from Croatia and Hong Kong in EBLIP. The main goal of this study is to find out what types of evidence school librarians from Croatia and Hong Kong use in their library practice and how useful they find different evidence types. The research method used in this study is survey and data were collected with an online questionnaire created and delivered with SurveyMonkey. The study reveals that school librarians in Croatia and Hong Kong use a wide variety of evidence sources in support of their library practice. Most often they use evidence from observation, professional interactions and library statistics. School librarians in both regions agree that these three types of evidence are the most useful for their library practice. However, if school librarians wish to demonstrate to stakeholders how school libraries contribute to teaching and learning they need to generate some more objective evidence through formal research. LIS educators and local school library associations may be encouraged to develop educational programs that will enhance school librarians' competences in formal research and involve them in a participatory research community.

Neural evidence suggests phonological acceptability judgments reflect similarity, not constraint evaluation

Acceptability judgments are a primary source of evidence in formal linguistic research. Within the generative linguistic tradition, these judgments are attributed to evaluation of novel forms based on implicit knowledge of rules or constraints governing well-formedness. In the domain of phonological acceptability judgments, other factors including ease of articulation and similarity to known forms have been hypothesized to influence evaluation. We used data-driven neural techniques to identify the relative contributions of these factors. Granger causality analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-constrained magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) data revealed patterns of interaction between brain regions that support explicit judgments of the phonological acceptability of spoken nonwords. Comparisons of data obtained with nonwords that varied in terms of onset consonant cluster attestation and acceptability revealed different cortical regions and effective connectivity patterns associated with phonological acceptability judgments. Attested forms produced stronger influences of brain regions implicated in lexical representation and sensorimotor simulation on acoustic-phonetic regions, whereas unattested forms produced stronger influence of phonological control mechanisms on acoustic-phonetic processing. Unacceptable forms produced widespread patterns of interaction consistent with attempted search or repair. Together, these results suggest that speakers' phonological acceptability judgments reflect lexical and sensorimotor factors.

Community social work in Palestine: from resilience to national resistance

In the absence of a national Palestinian state and in response to the oppressive daily practices of the British Mandate government, the Israeli settlers’ colonial occupation and the Arab governments that ruled the West Bank and Gaza between 1950 and 1967, the Palestinian community has had to create and develop a set of indigenous resilience strategies. Muslih (1993) and Faraj (2017) refer to all these strategies as ‘A’mal Ejtima’y’, or ‘popular social work’, characterised by collectivism, public participation and non-hierarchical design, which has played a role in mobilising masses and facilitating youth engagement in the decolonisation process. Despite more than a century of existence of this form of social work in Palestine, it has received marginal or no attention from formal social work education and research. Recent years have witnessed some indications of the ‘resurrection’ of community social work in its very popular version.

Tensions and Paradoxes of Scaling Up: A Critical Reflection on Physical Activity Promotion.

Achieving system-level, sustainable 'scale-up' of interventions is the epitome of successful translation of evidence-based approaches in population health. In physical activity promotion, few evidence-based interventions reach implementation at scale or become embedded within systems for sustainable health impact. This is despite the vast published literature describing efficacy studies of small-scale physical activity interventions. Research into physical activity scale-up (through case-study analysis; evaluations of scale-up processes in implementation trials; and mapping the processes, strategies, and principles for scale-up) has identified barriers and facilitators to intervention expansion. Many interventions are implemented at scale by governments but have not been evaluated or have unpublished evaluation information. Further, few public health interventions have evaluations that reveal the costs and benefits of scaled-up implementation. This lack of economic information introduces an additional element of risk for decision makers when deciding which physical activity interventions should be supported with scarce funding resources. Decision-makers face many other challenges when scaling interventions which do not relate to formal research trials of scale-up; Methods: To explore these issues, a multidisciplinary two-day workshop involving experts in physical activity scale-up was convened by the University of Newcastle, Australia, and the University of Ottawa, Canada (February 2019); Results: In this paper we discuss some of the scale-up tensions (challenges and conflicts) and paradoxes (things that are contrary to expectations) that emerged from this workshop in the context of the current literature and our own experiences in this field. We frame scale-up tensions according to epistemology, methodology, time, and partnerships; and paradoxes as 'reach without scale', 'planned serendipity' and 'simple complexity'. We reflect on the implications of these scale-up tensions and paradoxes, providing considerations for future scale-up research and practice moving forward; Conclusions: In this paper, we delve deeper into stakeholders' assumptions, processes and expectations of scaling up, and challenge in what ways as stakeholders, we all contribute to desired or undesired outcomes. Through a lens of 'tensions' and 'paradoxes', we make an original contribution to the scale-up literature that might influence current perspectives of scaling-up, provide future approaches for physical activity promotion, and contribute to understanding of dynamic of research-practice partnerships.

Evaluating determinants of wire-snare poaching risk in the Boland Mountain Complex of South Africa

Wire-snare poaching for bushmeat is increasingly recognised as a global threat to biodiversity and is directly linked to the reduction or extirpation of targeted species, threatened species bycatch and the loss of functional ecosystem processes. However, studies evaluating the extent and underlying dynamics of bushmeat poaching in southern Africa remain limited. Despite growing evidence of wire-snaring incidence in the Boland Mountain Complex of South Africa, formal research has been restricted to unverified reporting. Through systematic anti-poaching patrols on private agricultural properties bordering protected areas, this study characterised snaring, compared interview- and patrol-reported incidence to quantify the influence of socioeconomic and biophysical determinants of bushmeat poaching, and spatially predicted poaching risk throughout the region. In total, 671 snares were located during 96 (46%) bi-annual patrols (June 2019 to June 2020), covering a total distance of 1,332 km across 112 private properties. Of these snares, 537 (80%) were anchored and active. Furthermore, snares were primarily positioned along game trails (47%) and fence lines (39%) where they were predominantly anchored to trees (40%) or fence posts (39%). Snares were mainly made of wire (70%) or nylon (19%) and suspended at 0–60 cm (97%). Snaring incidence did not differ significantly (P = 0.186) between interviews (n = 307) and patrols (n = 180), reporting on average 2.32 ± 0.23 (SE) snares on the property in the month preceding each interview and 3.34 ± 0.55 snares removed on interviewed properties (n = 92). Interview-reported snaring positively correlated with the number of resident families per property and the use of lethal control measures but was negatively correlated with owners endorsing punitive measures and where orchards were the primary agricultural output. In contrast, patrol-reported snaring frequency increased with the number of resident families per property, farmer residency and a primary agricultural output of orchards. High risk areas for snaring were predicted between 2.2 and 5.8 km from the nearest public street, between 1.5 and 2.2 km from the nearest settlement, at elevations of 300–500 m, between 1.8 and 2.5 km from the nearest protected area and 0.5–3.2 km from the nearest river, thus identifying new poaching hotspots across the region. This study features a novel interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex nature of bushmeat poaching and adds applied conservation value by optimising current monitoring and law enforcement efforts.

Perceptions of Pharmacy Graduate Students Toward Research Ethics Education: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Developing Country

Despite the potential value of graduate-level research ethics training, most Middle East countries, including Jordan, do not routinely offer formal research ethics training. In students enrolled in Jordanian master’s level graduate program in pharmacy, the current study assessed: 1- differences in pre- and post-enrollment exposure to research ethics core themes, 2- whether this exposure was through a formal course or in an informal setting, and 3- student attitudes towards research ethics education and the need for integrating a dedicated research ethics course into pharmacy graduate programs. A 12-item on-line survey was developed by the authors and disseminated to a convenience sample of current and former master-level pharmacy students in Jordan. A total of 61 eligible respondents completed the survey. A minority of respondents (38%) acknowledged receiving research ethics training prior to enrollment into a postgraduate pharmacy program with nearly half (16%) describing this training as informal. In comparison, a larger percentage of the total respondents (56%) had received research ethics training during their postgraduate program enrollment, with nearly half of those (25%) indicating that this training was informal. A majority of respondents reported a strong need for integrating a formal research ethics course into postgraduate pharmacy curriculum (90%) to support their research training and thesis writing (89%). Overall, the study revealed a notable lack of research ethics education for graduate-level pharmacy students in Jordan.

Gender Disparities in the Career of Neurology Researchers.

To assess gender disparities in neurology researcher careers in the United States. A 34-question survey was distributed to 4,644 US-based American Academy of Neurology members who self-identified as researchers in 2020 addressing the following domains: research and funding, scholarly activities, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) effect, and local institutional climate. A total of 700 (15%) individuals completed the survey (women, n = 231; men, n = 426), with 71% White and >80% conducting research. Women respondents were significantly younger than men, more likely to be assistant professors (32% vs 21%), and less likely to be full professors (18% vs 39%). Compared with men, women received equivalent grants and research support and had comparable or additional formal research training and mentorship. Women had less middle author publications (mean 5.8 [SD 9.2] vs mean 8.2 [SD 11.8], p = 0.03) compared with men but similar first or last author publications (mean 4.3[5.4] vs 6.1 [9.8], p = 0.05). A lower proportion of women presented research at grand rounds or at a national/international conference compared with men (58% vs 69%, p = 0.01). Women spent more time in nonprofessional responsibilities, were less satisfied with their work-life balance, and were less likely to agree with statements addressing equity/diversity and institutional climate. Respondents shared their concerns regarding how the pandemic was affecting neurology research careers, with a higher proportion of women reporting that family responsibilities affected research activities and lead to delayed submission of non-COVID-19-related manuscripts. Our survey of US-based neurology researchers demonstrated continued gender-based disparities in academic rank, manuscript authorship, and invited speaking engagements, although funding opportunities and access to additional training were equivalent. Women were less likely than men to agree that neurology departments support diversity and equity and that the institutional climate was inclusive and transparent. The pandemic had affected both genders in research, but areas were different for women related to family responsibilities. This article also highlights additional areas of research and areas for intervention to improve and reduce gender disparities among neurology researchers.

Digital wonders

How, if at all, does awe foster information seeking? This question was examined through a two-pronged approach. First, in a laboratory setting, participants (n = 34) were exposed to a variety of awe elicitors through a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display. Participants’ quantitative and qualitative responses were gathered immediately after exposure in the laboratory as well as 24 hours later through questionnaires. Second, a stratified sample of participants who voluntarily conducted information seeking (n = 8) completed phenomenologically-informed interviews. Findings indicate that although awe is primarily experiential, information seeking may arise from surprising learners with unknown and unexplained phenomena. Additionally, feelings of perceptual envelopment and accessing the inaccessible characterized participants’ VR-based awe experiences. Emergent findings also reveal that creating awe-inspiring VR content may require reduced didactic information to generate feelings of presence. These findings point to ways that VR may increase learners’ intrinsic motivations for informal and formal research.

Authority is constructed and created … but not by you

This paper engages in a critical review of information literacy practices as manifest through materials shared publicly on the ACRL Sandbox. Focusing primarily on the frames “Authority is Contested and Constructed,” and “Scholarship as Conversation,” we analyze lesson plans shared on the ACRL Sandbox that address those frames, including the positionality of the students for whom the lessons were created. Preliminary analysis finds that most of the lessons shared position students exclusively as information consumers, learning how to find and evaluate existing published research, rather than emphasizing their potential roles as producers. This perspective fails to capitalize on students as creators (e.g., from formal undergraduate research to social media). We conclude by presenting some ways in which information literacy instruction can be adjusted to prepare future librarians to recognize and respect students’ existing knowledge and build upon that knowledge.

Does Research Training lead to Academic Success in Orthopedic Surgery? An Analysis of U.S Academic Orthopedic Surgeons.

Academic surgeons are invaluable for scientific advancement and training the next generation of orthopedic surgeons. This study aimed to describe a cohort of academic orthopedic surgeons currently in practice with common academic metrics. ACGME-accredited orthopedic surgery programs with a university affiliation were identified. The primary independent variable in this study was formal research training as defined by a research fellowship or attainment of a PhD. Outcomes included academic rank, h-index attained, number of publications, and funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 1641 orthopedic surgeons were identified across 73 programs. 116 surgeons (7.07%) received formal academic research training. The academic training group and non-academic training group had a similar completion rate of clinical fellowship programs (93.97% vs 93.77%, p=0.933), attainment of other advanced degrees (10.34% vs 8.46%, p=0.485), and years since completion of training (17.49-years vs 16.28-years, p=0.284). Surgeons completing academic research training had a significantly higher h-index (18.46 vs 10.88, p<0.001), higher publication number (67.98 vs 37.80, p<0.001), and more likely to be NIH funded (16.38% vs 3.15%, p<0.001). Surgeons completing academic training were more likely to be associate professors (34.48% vs 25.77%), professors (25.00% vs 22.82%), and endowed professors (10.34% vs 2.43%) (p<0.001). On regression analysis, formalized research training was independently associated with h-index and NIH funding (p<0.001 for both). Formalized research training, either as a research fellowship or PhD, is associated with an increased h-index and likelihood of NIH funding, although this association was not found for academic rank after adjusted regression analysis.

Barriers to research in interventional radiology within the UK

To identify these barriers to research within interventional radiology (IR) and suggest potential solutions to support IR academia within the UK and beyond. An electronic survey was compiled using Google Forms and distributed to the British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR) members by email and through social media (Twitter). The survey was open between 15 October 2021 and 15 December 2021. Questions included prior research experience and qualifications, research interests and barriers to research development. The data were analysed in Microsoft Excel 365. One hundred and six responses were received with the majority from junior (42.5%) and senior radiology trainees (25.5%). Eight-three percent had not undertaken formal research qualifications with 56.4% stating they would like to undertake a PhD or MD; 81.1% stated they planned to be involved in research. The most common perceived barriers were lack of time (64.2%), lack of research experience (61.3%), and lack of senior supervision (58.5%). Developing and supporting the academic IR infrastructure is vital to ensure the future of IR. Radiology trainees have shown interest in being involved with IR research and undertaking formal research training. Additional support from local hospitals, national societies, and the Royal College of Radiologists are required.

A Follow-Up Review on the Impact of a Participatory Action Research Regarding Outdoor Play and Learning

The aim of the study is to examine educators’ reflections on their practices and views regarding outdoor play and learning (OPL) and unveil the impact and sustainability of participating in participatory action research (PAR). The study draws back on the findings of a PAR conducted three years ago in two different school units that aimed to support children’s OPL. In the current research, we return to the research field, and with the participating educators we attempt to shed light on their experiences after the formal research came to an end. The research has a socio-cultural perspective on outdoor play and learning with references to participative and active relationships between cultural, social, spatial, and psychological factors. Participating in research where all participants were agents of the change (PAR) enabled the educators to enrich their pedagogical agendas and respect children’s need to play outdoors; it further helped them feel confident and develop competencies in designing outdoor activities. However, the findings unveil the challenges that educators face in creating sustainable outdoor landscapes due to the lack of sufficient supervision and governmental support. The study adds new data regarding the release of sustainable long-term changes both in outdoor pedagogies and settings.

Incorporating a trauma-informed perspective in HIV-related research with transgender and gender diverse individuals.

Incorporating a trauma-informed perspective in HIV-related research with transgender and gender diverse individuals.

Impact of Research Training on Newly Graduated Health Professionals' Motivation to Undertake Research.

BackgroundClinical research is vital for improved patient health outcomes. However, there has been a decline in the number of new researchers replacing an aging workforce. This is because multiple factors impact on newly graduated health professionals’ (HPs) readiness and motivation to engage with research training and undertake research when taking up hospital clinical roles.MethodsDrawing on the Expectancy-Value-Cost (EVC) theory, a sequential explanatory mixed methods design involving cross-sectional survey and purposely sampled participant interview data was utilised to investigate the factors that impact on motivation to undertake research for three newly graduated HP groups (allied health, medical and nursing and midwifery). Survey data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, while interview data were thematically analysed to identify recurring themes. Framework analysis was utilised for triangulation of findings.ResultsParticipants’ previous exposure to research training influenced their expectancy to undertake research. Participants who had previous research training reported significantly higher (P < 0.001) research confidence (Median (IQR) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)) compared to those who had no previous research training (Median (IQR) 0.0 (0.0–1.0)). However, in relation to types of values attached to research, participants who demonstrated intrinsic and attainment values were more engaged and motivated to undertake research despite a myriad of barriers compared to those who demonstrated utility value (P < 0.001). The qualitative data revealed six overarching themes in terms of factors that influence motivation (i) Importance of early immersion into formal research training (ii) Attitude to research (iii) Time constraints (iv) Poor visibility of research training opportunities (v) Lack of organisational support (vi) Low returns on effort.ConclusionResearch training builds confidence, however, to foster motivation for the uptake and continued engagement with research, educators would need to help new HPs see the intrinsic and attainment values of research as they move through the career pipeline.

Innovation Behavior of Small and Medium Enterprises in the Philippines

Due to the emergence of technology, there has been a rapid transformation of the way things are done as a result of digitalization innovation for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines to remain competitive. The purpose of this study is to present an overview of innovative behavior and perception among SMEs surveyed from the 2015 World Bank Enterprise Survey and from the 2015 Survey of Innovation and Activities of Establishments for the Philippines. Analysis of the innovation components such as product innovation, process innovation, and mapping of the main innovative activities was examined. The results showed that SMEs spend less on formal research and development and have less purchase or license of any patented or non-patented inventions. Moreover, SMEs provide less formal training to any of its employees specifically for the development and/or introduction of new or significantly improved product services and processes. Innovation showed a negative covariance which means that innovation and R&amp;D expenditures tend to move in inverse directions. This situation should allow the government to come up with national policy interventions that support and encourage innovation especially for the SMEs.

Tackling Environmental Crimes and Biological Threats Across Borders of the Greater Mekong Subregion

Wildlife trafficking and other commodities associated with environmental crimes traded across the borders of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) carry direct or indirect risks for biological threats. Outbreaks associated with these threats can have devasting implications for human populations as well as for farmed or native animal and plant populations. Although the links between environmental crimes and biological threats are obvious, we see two disconnected responses which limits the ability to tackle both the crime and the risks of biological threats. On one hand, there are efforts to improve law enforcement prioritisation and capability to disrupt transnational organised crime. On the other hand, we see increasing resources channelled through a One Health framework that aim to improve early warning surveillance of emerging infectious disease with a focus on diseases that can affect livestock or zoonotic diseases that can affect human health. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore alternative strategies, particularly the need to expand the operational definition of One Health to usher in more joined up partnerships between security sector personnel and human and animal health personnel working along borders of the GMS. This policy commentary draws on a literature review and informal stakeholder discussions conducted in preparation for on ongoing formal research project. This commentary provides policy and program considerations for improving both the enforcement of environmental crimes and early warning biological threat surveillance, preparedness and response in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

ANALISIS KETIDAKSANTUNAN BERBAHASA PADA BERITA ONLINE TENTANG ANCAMAN PENYEBARAN OMICRON PANDEMI COVID-19 TAHAP 3

This study aims to determine language impoliteness in online news, especially in online news about the spread of Omicron "Covid-19 pandemic phase 3". The object of formal research is the use of words that use Geoffrey Leech's Theory as a reference, and the object material in the form of maxims that are carried out, maxims of generosity, maxims of appreciation, maxims of simplicity, maxims of appreciation, maxims of consensus, and maxims of sympathy. The object of research material in the background of language speech problems that have an implicit meaning as communication used in conversation by reporters and resource persons during the interview process. This study aims to determine the analysis of language impoliteness through pragmatic studies. The method used is descriptive research in qualitative form and uses a note-taking technique. This research instrument was carried out by means of a documentation study by observing the language used in the online news of covid-19. The results of the data analysis of this study indicate that there is a lot of language use that is not suitable for use in online beita. By combining the six maxims, the data obtained are 81 utterances and 14 utterances that violate language politeness, including 3 maxims of generosity, 2 maxims of generosity, 2 maxims of praise, 3 maxims of humility, 3 maxims of consensus, 1 maxim of sympathy.

What drives the production and diffusion of mobile apps? An international investigation

AbstractMobile apps have proliferated online in recent years, but related formal research has lagged behind. Using data on a large sample of nations over the years 2018–2020, we estimate the drivers of mobile app production. Results show that more mobile subscribers (capturing demand‐pull effects) increase mobile app production. However, overall E‐participation fails to exert a significant influence. Both FDI inflows and ICT imports contribute to mobile app production, as do the inputs and outputs of overall technological change (patents, researchers, and knowledge workers). These results contrast with the (mostly insignificant) results for capital formation and the rule of law.

Understanding the Differences Between Practice Articles and Applied Research Articles

Understanding the Differences Between Practice Articles and Applied Research Articles