Innovative Research Tool Research Articles

Processing of emotional stimuli is reflected by modulations of beta band activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in patients with treatment resistant depression.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) has emerged as a new therapeutic option in patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD). At the same time, DBS offers a unique opportunity as an innovative research tool to study brain function in vivo Indirect measures of brain function such as positron-emission-tomography imaging findings have revealed a hypermetabolism in the sgACC area in patients with TRD that normalizes in parallel with treatment response to DBS. We used direct intracranial recordings via implanted DBS electrodes to study the neuronal oscillatory activity in the sgACC area during a picture viewing task including emotional and neutral stimuli in eight patients with TRD who underwent DBS.We found a stimulus-induced decrease in beta-band and increase in gamma-band activity, with a main effect of valence for event-related desynchronisation in the beta-frequency range (14-30 Hz). Unpleasant stimuli induced the strongest and most sustained beta-power decrease. The degree of beta-band modulation upon emotional stimuli correlated with the patients' rating of stimulus valence. Our findings confirm the involvement of the sgACC area in emotional processing that was more enhanced for unpleasant stimuli. Moreover, stimulus evaluation may be encoded by modulations of beta-band activity.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation in autism spectrum disorder: Challenges, promise, and roadmap for future research.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined complex neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by impairments in social communication, by the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests and activities, and by abnormalities in sensory reactivity. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a promising, emerging tool for the study and potential treatment of ASD. Recent studies suggest that TMS measures provide rapid and noninvasive pathophysiological ASD biomarkers. Furthermore, repetitive TMS (rTMS) may represent a novel treatment strategy for reducing some of the core and associated ASD symptoms. However, the available literature on the TMS use in ASD is preliminary, composed of studies with methodological limitations. Thus, off-label clinical rTMS use for therapeutic interventions in ASD without an investigational device exemption and outside of an IRB approved research trial is premature pending further, adequately powered and controlled trials. Leaders in this field have gathered annually for a two-day conference (prior to the 2014 and 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research, IMFAR) to share recent progress, promote collaboration across laboratories, and establish consensus on protocols. Here we review the literature in the use of TMS in ASD in the context of the unique challenges required for the study and exploration of treatment strategies in this population. We also suggest future directions for this field of investigations. While its true potential in ASD has yet to be delineated, TMS represents an innovative research tool and a novel, possibly transformative approach to the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.

MSPT: an open-source motion simulator for proton therapy

The dosimetric benefits of proton therapy may be greatly degraded when the tumor or organs move during the treatment. Hence, mitigation or adaptive methods have become topics of research interest. These techniques require dose computation on time-dependent patient geometry. We developed an open-source four-dimensional dose computation and evaluation software, Motion Simulator for Proton Therapy (MSPT), for the spot-scanning delivery technique. It aims at highlighting the impact of the patient motion during a treatment delivery by computing dose on the moving patient. The main interest of this simulator lies in the ability to render the impact of a predicted patient motion on a prescribed treatment plan. MSPT used proton pencil beam algorithm for dose computation, and the dose in patient geometry computed by MSPT was able to match that computed by the commercial treatment planning system. MSPT was able to render the impact of motion on patient data sets. This capability makes it an innovative research tool to evaluate and compare different methods of motion management or mitigation. The open-source feature makes it appealing, since it is intended to evolve, to be improved and to be the starting point of new research on patient motion in proton therapy.

Human Urine-Derived Renal Progenitors for Personalized Modeling of Genetic Kidney Disorders.

The critical role of genetic and epigenetic factors in the pathogenesis of kidney disorders is gradually becoming clear, and the need for disease models that recapitulate human kidney disorders in a personalized manner is paramount. In this study, we describe a method to select and amplify renal progenitor cultures from the urine of patients with kidney disorders. Urine-derived human renal progenitors exhibited phenotype and functional properties identical to those purified from kidney tissue, including the capacity to differentiate into tubular cells and podocytes, as demonstrated by confocal microscopy, Western blot analysis of podocyte-specific proteins, and scanning electron microscopy. Lineage tracing studies performed with conditional transgenic mice, in which podocytes are irreversibly tagged upon tamoxifen treatment (NPHS2.iCreER;mT/mG), that were subjected to doxorubicin nephropathy demonstrated that renal progenitors are the only urinary cell population that can be amplified in long-term culture. To validate the use of these cells for personalized modeling of kidney disorders, renal progenitors were obtained from (1) the urine of children with nephrotic syndrome and carrying potentially pathogenic mutations in genes encoding for podocyte proteins and (2) the urine of children without genetic alterations, as validated by next-generation sequencing. Renal progenitors obtained from patients carrying pathogenic mutations generated podocytes that exhibited an abnormal cytoskeleton structure and functional abnormalities compared with those obtained from patients with proteinuria but without genetic mutations. The results of this study demonstrate that urine-derived patient-specific renal progenitor cultures may be an innovative research tool for modeling of genetic kidney disorders.

Proactive Evaluation of Traffic Signs Using a Traffic Sign Simulator

Traffic signs and pavement markings are a crucial aspect of road design since they are essential sources of information for road users to calibrate their driving behavior, evaluate route possibilities and cope with unexpected events. A proactive evaluation of (the quality of) these road design elements will help to improve the safety performance of the roadway. This paper presents the Traffic Sign Simulator, an innovative research tool to study the influence of these elements on road users’ routing decisions, lane choice and visual behavior, to investigate road users’ comprehension of these signs, and to collect suggestions for improvements. Using a driving simulator mock-up, participants navigate through a full HD video from route(s) in which the planned traffic signs have been digitally implemented using specialized software for camera-tracking and 3D video-integration. Participants’ route and lane choice and their visual behavior (using eye tracking) are monitored while driving through the scenario(s). Laptop preand post-tests are applied to collect additional in-depth information concerning the participants’ processing, comprehension and general evaluation of the traffic signs and suggestions for improvement. The paper illustrates the possibilities of the Traffic Sign Simulator with a case study that examined the effectiveness of temporary work zone signalization (i.e., traffic signs, digital information panels and pavement markings) as it was used during the reconstruction works on the Vilvoorde fly-over near Brussels, one of the busiest interchanges in the Belgian motorway network.

A context‐specific research tool to probe the out‐of‐class vocabulary‐related strategies of study‐abroad learners

This mixed‐methods study reports the development and employment of an innovative research tool designed to capture in fine detail the vocabulary‐related strategies used by adult learners of English on a study‐abroad experience when exposed to unfamiliar vocabulary outside the classroom. A questionnaire determined the five most identified with out‐of‐class L2 contact scenarios, and subsequently computer‐based simulations of those scenarios were used as stimuli in semi‐structured interviews to capture the task and/or context‐specific strategic behaviour that learners were manifesting. Scenarios which served to provide entertainment or build interpersonal relationships were the most highly identified with. The simulation tool revealed a strong relationship between contextual features and strategic behaviour, particularly when a salient link existed between contextual intention and comprehension of a target word/phrase.

Appreciative Inquiry: An Innovative New Strategy to Decrease Prescription Drug Abuse on a College Campus

Introduction: This article explores the use of an innovative research tool called Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as a new method of inquiry to help devise prevention strategies to decrease the non-medical use of prescription drugs by college students. In 2011, 1.7 million college-age adults age 18 to 25 used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, the second highest group for this type of abuse. Recently, New Hampshire (NH) prioritized AI as an evidence-based strategy for prescription drug abuse prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether AI could effectively engage a college campus to decrease prescription drug abuse among its students. Methods: A study was performed at a NH college in 2013 involving 47 college students, faculty, administrators, and community partners. Central to the process was the concept of AI, a participatory research method that enables communities to discover its strengths, enhance interconnections, and use social capital to tackle significant issues. Results: Several grassroots strategies emerged to decrease prescription drug abuse including a vision for the college to be a national leader in prevention. Conclusion: Based on our findings, AI is valuable tools to help communities such as a college campus devise strategies to decrease prescription drug use among its population.

Drawing Belgium: Using Mental Maps to Measure Territorial Conflict

Governing divided Belgium is not an easy affair. Traditional tools of political research have provided insights about the dynamics of Belgian federalism but they have fallen short in exploring the territorial dimension of the conflict and its political representations within the population. Mental maps, scarcely used hitherto by political scientists, offer an innovative research tool to dig into territorial conflict dynamics since they aim at capturing the mental representation an individual has of a given object or space through the materialization of their representation with a drawing. This article discusses drawings of Belgium made by over 5000 first year higher education students in this country. The drawings confirm the importance of the two most prominent—and thus symbolic—elements of the territorial conflict in Belgium: the internal language border and the position of Brussels. In triangulation with responses to a questionnaire collected simultaneously, the analyses show that differences between the two language groups in Belgium are not very high, but that opposed visions on the country are reflected by those who exclusively identify themselves with Belgium or with Flanders. We state that if used with caution to ensure both internal and external validity, mental maps can prove to be an innovative but robust research tool for the study of territorial conflict broadly speaking. Because of their flexibility and their openness, mental maps capture the shortcuts citizens use to forge their political and territorial representation of their country.

Standardization of Spinal Manipulation Therapy in Humans: Development of a Novel Device Designed to Measure Dose-Response

ObjectiveThe main objective of this report is to present an innovative research tool that will provide the opportunity to study fundamental aspects of the spinal manipulation dose-physiological response relation in humans. MethodsA servo-controlled linear actuator motor was developed to simulate spinal manipulative therapy. Coefficient of multiple correlations was calculated to assess the degree of similarity between each measured force curves, whereas precision was obtained by comparing resulting peak force and time-to-peak force to the target curves. ResultsThe coefficient of multiple correlations calculations showed that repeatability was very high with all correlation values over 0.98. Precision was also very high with average differences in peak force and time-to-peak force of less than 3 N and less than 5 milliseconds. ConclusionThe tool was designed to optimize precision, repeatability, and safety in the delivery of force to the spine in humans. It offers a unique opportunity to study dose-response relationship for several spinal manipulation parameters such as peak force, time-to-peak force, and preload.

Wordle: A method for analysing MBA student induction experience

This paper examines the use of an innovative qualitative research tool, the Wordle, in the context of management education. Wordle is a free visual presentation software application that allows researchers to produce word clouds which provide an understanding of informant narrative. Wordles are visually attractive and fast to produce. They provide a preliminary research tool that can stimulate further research or focus. The paper presents a case study set in the context of a management education programme, the MBA, where it was found that the use of Wordles quickly and effectively highlighted both positive and negative areas in the student experience at the induction stage of their course. This allowed the programme team to explore elements with their cohort in order to build on areas of strength or address areas that were identified as issues.

The virtual supermarket: An innovative research tool to study consumer food purchasing behaviour

BackgroundEconomic interventions in the food environment are expected to effectively promote healthier food choices. However, before introducing them on a large scale, it is important to gain insight into the effectiveness of economic interventions and peoples' genuine reactions to price changes. Nonetheless, because of complex implementation issues, studies on price interventions are virtually non-existent. This is especially true for experiments undertaken in a retail setting. We have developed a research tool to study the effects of retail price interventions in a virtual-reality setting: the Virtual Supermarket. This paper aims to inform researchers about the features and utilization of this new software application.ResultsThe Virtual Supermarket is a Dutch-developed three-dimensional software application in which study participants can shop in a manner comparable to a real supermarket. The tool can be used to study several food pricing and labelling strategies. The application base can be used to build future extensions and could be translated into, for example, an English-language version. The Virtual Supermarket contains a front-end which is seen by the participants, and a back-end that enables researchers to easily manipulate research conditions. The application keeps track of time spent shopping, number of products purchased, shopping budget, total expenditures and answers on configurable questionnaires. All data is digitally stored and automatically sent to a web server. A pilot study among Dutch consumers (n = 66) revealed that the application accurately collected and stored all data. Results from participant feedback revealed that 83% of the respondents considered the Virtual Supermarket easy to understand and 79% found that their virtual grocery purchases resembled their regular groceries.ConclusionsThe Virtual Supermarket is an innovative research tool with a great potential to assist in gaining insight into food purchasing behaviour. The application can be obtained via an URL and is freely available for academic use. The unique features of the tool include the fact that it enables researchers to easily modify research conditions and in this way study different types of interventions in a retail environment without a complex implementation process. Finally, it also maintains researcher independence and avoids conflicts of interest that may arise from industry collaboration.

Management of food composition database harmonized with EuroFIR criteria using a web application

Web application represents a form of an innovative research tool for capacity development in food and nutrition that is otherwise not commonly exploited. A web application for food composition database (FCDB) management has been produced by the research team of the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in Belgrade, Serbia. In this web application that was also used for development of Serbian FCDB, basic entity is food. Every food has information on names, component values, other identifiers and physical properties, standard food classifications and general food description (coded with Langual thesaurus). Related entities are recipes with all ingredients and retention factors, as well as sample information. In our previous research we identified the need for new national/regional FCDB in the Balkan region. Use of this web application in managing FCDB can provide new quality data harmonized with proposed EuroFIR guidelines. This will enable good communication and easy data interchange between different FCDBs in Europe. In addition, this web application can be a useful training tool for FCDB capacity development on national and/or regional levels and can promote knowledge, skills development and vision in food composition research, training and education.

Career Psychology Research Challenges: A Systems Theory Response

International and South African debate on the future direction of career psychology has suggested a movement towards qualitative, narrative and storied approaches that are informed by the constructivist worldview. The My System of Career Influences (MSCI) reflection process is a qualitative career assessment tool developed in South Africa and Australia and derived from the constructivist Systems Theory Framework (STF) of career development. As a technique, the MSCI demonstrates versatility of application in one on one career counselling or in group settings such as classrooms. More recently, its utility as an innovative research tool has been explored. We overview the STF and the subsequent development of the qualitative career assessment tool, the My System of Career Influences. We describe examples of empirical investigations that use the MSCI as a research tool. The potential of this emerging body of research to address issues facing career development in the postmodern era and in South Africa specifically is discussed.

Imaginary pictures, real life stories: the FotoDialogo method

This paper explores methodological issues of recording, revisiting and portraying women’s life experiences and their connections to the past, to their families and to their communities. It examines the personal histories and collective memories of a group of low‐income Hispanic women, through the application of an innovative research tool that uses pictures and storytelling as projective techniques. The FotoDialogo Method uses a set of original drawings to initiate dialogical interviews, to inspire research participants to tell their stories, and to critically analyze the situations presented in these stories. The research study took place at a community‐based organization providing non‐formal education programs to the Spanish‐speaking population in a US inner‐city setting. The FotoDialogo Method has the potential to be an effective tool to help underprivileged women break the silence concerning their experiences of oppression and to engage them in a process of self‐discovery and transformation that empowers them to become change agents within their families and communities.

Investigating the consumer–environment interaction through image modelling technologies

This study uses an innovative research tool to evaluate the hypothesis of a consumer–environment interaction. A new computer graphics methodology keeps track of the time spent and the number of purchases made during shopping, together with several other behavioural measures. A laboratory experiment uncovered an interaction effect in dwell time and number of purchases between the type of shopping trip (fill-in trip vs. major trip) and the consumers' layout preference. Shoppers taking major trips were more prone to shop in a free-form layout, whereas those taking fill-in trips tended to prefer a grid layout. The article discusses implications for research and practice, identifying areas for future research.

Ecomapping: an innovative research tool for nurses

This paper explores the use of ecomaps as a research tool for capturing data, using the example of the dynamic nature of social networks from which informal carers of people living with motor neurone disease draw their support. The need for social support in relation to health maintenance and disease management has been identified in the literature but little has been published about ways to investigate support networks. Existing discussion in the literature about the use of ecomaps as a clinical tool in social work creates a valuable framework for data collection which can be readily adapted by nurse researchers. We used ecomaps as part of a repertoire of research tools to gather data about the social networks of carers of people living with motor neurone disease. Primary carers participated in three interviews and collaborated in ecomap construction over a period of 10 months during 2003. Analytical correlations were made between ecomaps and interview data. Ecomaps provided a visual means of facilitating discussions around the structure and strength of networks. Being able to represent the social networks visually through ecomapping enabled people to identify each member of the network, examine the strength of each relationship and ascertain the sources of nurture and tension over time. Limitations to this type of data collection arise when participants try to quantify relationships that have been visually produced. Ecomapping is a valuable research tool because it provides visual representation of supportive care networks, capturing strategic data through symbols expressing relationships that may be inadequately portrayed in words. The ecomap incorporates the use of consistent symbols that standardize recipient responses, enabling data comparisons to be made.

Planning teachers' professional development for global education 1

Group consultation was used with educators at different stages of their careers as an innovative research tool in the development of both pre- and in-service teacher training for world citizenship education. The themes identified by the teachers were quite broad, and included the need for more educational philosophy, varied educational methodology and the skills to collaborate with other teachers in order to create a “culture of consultation in schools”. Involving teachers in the field was found to be essential in identifying critical areas for training, as well as for appropriate means and implementation. A survey of seminar participants (n 35) showed new paths for development in the area of collaboration between lower and upper grades. “If we were doctors instead of teachers, and our post-certification training was similar to what we have now, at least half of our patients would die!” (one teacher’s remark)

Exploring the Usefulness of Kelly's Personal Construct Theory in Assessing Student Learning in Science Courses

We explore the utility of George Kelly's Personal Construct Theory, specifically his repertory grid technique, to the assessment of student learning in undergraduate science courses. We provide an in-depth review of the assumptions underlying Personal Construct Theory and how these were reflected in the repertory grid technique Kelly developed. We explain how an adapted version of the repertory grid, sharing some yet not all of Kelly's assumptions, was utilised as a research tool in a recent study involving science instructors and their students. We argue that as well as having applicability as an innovative research tool, an adapted version of Kelly's repertory grid is a useful heuristic for university teachers when used as a classroom assessment technique (CAT) and indicate several features it shares with the more widely-known conceptual mapping technique, which has been used in the study of science teaching and learning for many years. We conclude by highlighting several advantages the use of repertory grids has for both students and instructors.

The Memory of the Spectator

This article, which deals with young spectators, presents an innovative research tool for children's and youth theatre ‐ memory. It relates to the memories left by the various performed plays, their characters and design. Regarding case studies in educational drama, the research indicates a new, important and interesting direction.

The ELDORA/ASTRAIA airborne Doppler weather radar: goals, design, and first field tests

Describes the development and first operation of a innovative research tool for observing atmospheric storms: an airborne X-band Doppler radar. The radar has been built jointly by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO and the Centre de Recherches en Physique de l'Environnement Terrestre et Planetaire (CRPE) in Paris, France. The radar is called ELDORA/ASTRAIA for Electra Doppler Radar/Analyse Stereoscopique par Radar Aeroporte sur Electra. The radar is designed to provide high-resolution measurements of the air motion and rainfall characteristics of very large storms: storms which are frequently too large and/or too remote to be adequately observed by ground-based radars. This paper includes discussions of the scientific impetus and design criteria as well as the engineering solutions to these design needs. The design options and tradeoffs of the resulting capabilities are discussed. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the performance of the system at its first field test, conducted as a part of the international global warming experiment in the equatorial Pacific Ocean known as the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). This evaluation illustrates that the major design goals for the radar - collection of relatively noise-free velocity and reflectivity data using a rapid scanning radar - have been adequately met. Future options for further improvements to the radar are discussed.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>