Key Questions Research Articles

Types of learning and varieties of innovation: how does policy learning enable policy innovation?

Policy innovation is considered important for addressing major challenges such as climate change and the sustainable energy transition. Although policy learning is likely to play a key role in enabling policy innovation, the link between them remains unclear despite much research on both topics. To address this gap, we move beyond a binary treatment of policy innovation and differentiate policy problem innovation from policy instrument innovation and policy process innovation. Subsequently, we synthesise the literature on policy learning with the research on the multiple streams framework (MSF), a well-known lens for explaining policy innovation. Like earlier policy learning studies, we distinguish several types of learning by posing the key questions of learning, but in the context of each stream of the MSF: who learns (actors), what (beliefs), how (modes), and to what effect (ripening). This new conceptualisation clarifies the relationship of each type of policy learning to the varieties of policy innovation. Further, it indicates that policy learning is likely to result in policy innovation if and only if it influences the coupling among the three streams during a window of opportunity – through policy entrepreneurship – and not otherwise. We conclude with the implications of this study for future research on policy innovation, policy learning, and the MSF.

The dual-process approach to human sociality: Meta-analytic evidence for a theory of internalized heuristics for self-preservation.

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 126(5) of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (see record 2025-05381-001). The last entry in the Roch et al. (2000) row in Table 3 should appear instead as load decreases taking. All versions of this article have been corrected.] Which social decisions are influenced by intuitive processes? Which by deliberative processes? The dual-process approach to human sociality has emerged in the last decades as a vibrant and exciting area of research. Yet a perspective that integrates empirical and theoretical work is lacking. This review and meta-analysis synthesizes the existing literature on the cognitive basis of cooperation, altruism, truth telling, positive and negative reciprocity, and deontology and develops a framework that organizes the experimental regularities. The meta-analytic results suggest that intuition favors a set of heuristics that are related to the instinct for self-preservation: people avoid being harmed, avoid harming others (especially when there is a risk of harm to themselves), and are averse to disadvantageous inequalities. Finally, this article highlights some key research questions to further advance our understanding of the cognitive foundations of human sociality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Roles of Nucleic Acids in Protein Folding, Aggregation, and Disease.

The role of nucleic acids in protein folding and aggregation is an area of continued research, with relevance to understanding both basic biological processes and disease. In this review, we provide an overview of the trajectory of research on both nucleic acids as chaperones and their roles in several protein misfolding diseases. We highlight key questions that remain on the biophysical and biochemical specifics of how nucleic acids have large effects on multiple proteins' folding and aggregation behavior and how this pertains to multiple protein misfolding diseases.

TMEM106B coding variant is protective and deletion detrimental in a mouse model of tauopathy.

TMEM106B is a risk modifier of multiple neurological conditions, where a single coding variant and multiple non-coding SNPs influence the balance between susceptibility and resilience. Two key questions that emerge from past work are whether the lone T185S coding variant contributes to protection, and if the presence of TMEM106B is helpful or harmful in the context of disease. Here, we address both questions while expanding the scope of TMEM106B study from TDP-43 to models of tauopathy. We generated knockout mice with constitutive deletion of TMEM106B, alongside knock-in mice encoding the T186S knock-in mutation (equivalent to the human T185S variant), and crossed both with a P301S transgenic tau model to study how these manipulations impacted disease phenotypes. We found that TMEM106B deletion accelerated cognitive decline, hind limb paralysis, tau pathology, and neurodegeneration. TMEM106B deletion also increased transcriptional correlation with human AD and the functional pathways enriched in KO:tau mice aligned with those of AD. In contrast, the coding variant protected against tau-associated cognitive decline, synaptic impairment, neurodegeneration, and paralysis without affecting tau pathology. Our findings reveal that TMEM106B is a critical safeguard against tau aggregation, and that loss of this protein has a profound effect on sequelae of tauopathy. Our study further demonstrates that the coding variant is functionally relevant and contributes to neuroprotection downstream of tau pathology to preserve cognitive function.

Actioning the Learning Health System: An applied framework for integrating research into health systems

Health systems across the world experience pervasive gaps in the speed with which high quality evidence is generated, implemented and refined. A Learning Health System (LHS) approach that blends research with health care operations is to eliminate or reduce delays. This paper builds on existing LHS frameworks to deepen our practical understanding of the research-health systems operations interface and to provide actionable insights on how to realize a LHS in practice. We present a LHS action framework that describes how research and health care operations are linked and enacted in a comprehensive LHS approach to advance population health and health equity. Health systems seeking to implement a LHS approach can use this framework to identify capabilities necessary to enact the learning elements, including key questions and methods, to ensure a systematic approach to learning and achieving equity-centered quadruple aim metrics.

Addressing the psychosocial aspects of transition to adult care in patients with cystinosis.

Cystinosis is a rare autosomal-recessive lysosomal storage disease that progressively affects multiple organs beginning with the kidneys. Patients require lifelong multidisciplinary care for the management of kidney disease and progressive extra-renal manifestations, and thus, they are especially fragile and vulnerable during transition from pediatric to adult care. Previous documents have provided guidance to help the medical transition of these highly burdened patients. Patients and their families often experience great psychological distress and face significant social challenges; for these reasons, they often need help from psychologists, social workers, and other psychosocial professionals. Due to the rarity of the disease, most psychosocial professionals have no expertise in this disorder and require advice. To this end, a steering committee (SC) composed of six experts, including pediatric nephrologists, psychologists, and social workers with experience in the care for patients with cystinosis, have identified and addressed seven key questions related to psychosocial challenges of the disease and the burden of treatment. Ten additional international experts (the extended faculty, EF) were invited to answer these questions. Since robust evidence is lacking, as in many rare diseases, conclusions were based on collective agreement between members of the SC and the EF, and the consolidated answers were summarized into expert opinion statements. The present document contains information on the concerns and psychosocial burden of patients with cystinosis and of their caregivers, and provides practical advice for timely and appropriate support to facilitate the transition to adult care.

Transplantation of hematopoietic progenitors in myelofibrosis.

The objective of this work is to generate recommendations on the management of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in primary myelofibrosis (PMF). A comprehensive systematic review of articles published between 1999 and 2015 (January) was used as a source of scientific evidence. The recommendations were produced through a Delphi process involving a panel of 23 experts appointed by the European LeukemiaNet and the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group. Key questions included patient selection, donor selection, pre-transplant management, conditioning regimen, post-transplant management, prevention, and management of post-transplant relapse. Patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease and age < 70 years should be considered candidates for allo-SCT. Patients with intermediate-risk 1 disease and age < 65 years should be considered candidates if they have refractory transfusion-dependent anemia, or a peripheral blood (PB) blast percentage > 2%, or adverse cytogenetics. Splenectomy before transplantation must be decided on a case-by-case basis. Patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease who lack a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling or unrelated donor should be enrolled in a protocol that uses HLA non-identical donors. PB was considered the most appropriate source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplants from HLA-matched unrelated donors and siblings. The optimal intensity of the conditioning regimen has yet to be defined. Strategies such as discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs, infusion of donor lymphocytes, or both were considered adequate to prevent clinical relapse. In conclusion, we provide consensus-based recommendations aimed at optimizing allo-SCT in PMF. Unmet clinical needs were highlighted.

Antecedents and consequences of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic: a natural experiment in Japan

Amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, telework (remote work) has become a widespread practice adopted by companies worldwide. However, Japan has notably maintained a low rate of telework implementation, suggesting cultural factors hindering its adoption. This study aimed to elucidate the antecedents and consequences of teleworking in Japan. Leveraging the natural experiment created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we addressed two key questions: (1) What socio-psychological factors in Japanese workplaces were important for implementing telework in the first place? and (2) How did the implementation of telework subsequently influence socio-psychological factors in these workplaces? Employees from various Japanese companies completed three waves of an online survey before and during the pandemic. Results showed that telework was more likely to be implemented in organizations characterized by a meritocracy. Results also showed that the implementation of telework demonstrated no measurable negative effects but instead increased levels of independence, organizational commitment, and perceived hierarchy mutability.

Crafting Creative Melodies: A User-Centric Approach for Symbolic Music Generation

Composing coherent and structured music is one of the main challenges in symbolic music generation. Our research aims to propose a user-centric framework design that promotes a collaborative environment between users and knowledge agents. The primary objective is to improve the music creation process by actively involving users who provide qualitative feedback and emotional assessments. The proposed framework design constructs an abstract format in which a musical piece is represented as a sequence of musical samples. It consists of multiple agents that embody the dynamics of musical creation, emphasizing user-driven creativity and control. This user-centric approach can benefit individuals with different musical backgrounds, encouraging creative exploration and autonomy in personalized, adaptive environments. To guide the design of this framework, we investigate several key research questions, including the optimal balance between system autonomy and user involvement, the extraction of rhythmic and melodic features through musical sampling, and the effectiveness of topological and hierarchical data representations. Our discussion will highlight the different aspects of the framework in relation to the research questions, expected outcomes, and its potential effectiveness in achieving objectives. Through establishing a theoretical foundation and addressing the research questions, this work has laid the groundwork for future empirical studies to validate the framework and its potential in symbolic music generation.

Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Adults With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Q&A.

@JCO_ASCO guideline on #cannabis in cancer with @JCOOP_ASCO companion Q&A addressing key clinical questions.

Neural Network-Based Sum-Frequency Generation Spectra of Pure and Acidified Water Interfaces with Air.

The affinity of hydronium ions (H3O+) for the air-water interface is a crucial question in environmental chemistry. While sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy has been instrumental in indicating the preference of H3O+ for the interface, key questions persist regarding the molecular origin of the SFG spectral changes in acidified water. Here we combine nanosecond long neural network (NN) reactive simulations of pure and acidified water slabs with NN predictions of molecular dipoles and polarizabilities to calculate SFG spectra of long reactive trajectories including proton transfer events. Our simulations show that H3O+ ions cause two distinct changes in phase-resolved SFG spectra: first, a low-frequency tail due to the vibrations of H3O+ and its first hydration shell, analogous to the bulk proton continuum, and second, an enhanced hydrogen-bonded band due to the ion-induced static field polarizing molecules in deeper layers. Our calculations confirm that changes in the SFG spectra of acidic solutions are caused by hydronium ions preferentially residing at the interface.

Quality Indicators of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Korea.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a procedure that requires significant experiences and skills and has various procedure-related complications, some of which can be severe and even result in the death of patients. Expanding ERCP availability has the advantage of increasing accessibility for patients. However, ERCP poses a substantial risk if performed without proper quality management. ERCP quality management is essential for both ensuring safe and successful procedures and meeting the social demands for enhanced healthcare competitiveness and quality assurance. To address these concerns, the Korean Pancreatobiliary Association established a task force to develop ERCP quality indicators (QIs) tailored to the Korean medical environment. Key questions for five pre-procedure, three intra-procedure, and four post-procedure measures were formulated based on a literature search related to ERCP QIs and a comprehensive clinical review conducted by experts. The statements and recommendations regarding each QI item were selected through peer review. The developed ERCP QIs were reviewed by external experts based on the latest available evidence at the time of development. These domestically tailored ERCP QIs are expected to contribute considerably to improving ERCP quality in Korea.

To Achieve a Win–Win Situation: Reorganizing and Enhancing Agroforestry Ecosystem Assets and Productivity to Inform Karst Desertification Control

The ongoing degradation of fragile ecosystems increasingly diminishes the availability of natural resources. Consequently, the conservation and utilization of ecosystem assets have emerged as a focal point of global research. This study focuses on integrating agroforestry ecosystem assets (AEA) with their capacity to provide ecosystem services, aiming to explore their interconnections and enhance their optimization. We employed a comprehensive literature review method, utilizing the Scopus database to select, analyze, and include 61 pertinent studies on AEA globally. The systematic literature review results show the following: (1) The overall number of published papers is showing an upward trend, indicating that research in this field is gradually expanding. The geographical focus of the literature is primarily in Europe and Asia, with academic institutions being the main contributors to this research. (2) Landmark research findings are mainly concentrated in the areas of identification, quantitative assessment, and decision management. Among these, quantitative assessment is the main focus, while the research on identification, decision management, and influencing factors is relatively limited and explores the relevant key scientific questions. (3) The above information highlights the key areas for improvement in the karst desertification control agroforestry ecosystem, focusing on two aspects: fragile habitats and human–land relationships. Furthermore, this review furnishes essential recommendations for agroforestry practitioners and policymakers across various regions, emphasizing the critical need to thoroughly evaluate and leverage the connections between the quantity and quality of ecosystem assets. Such an approach is pivotal for facilitating the strategic restructuring and optimization of agroforestry ecosystems. This, in turn, aims to elevate the sustainability of AEA utilization and enhance their ability to provide ecosystem services (ES).

The development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior: Protocol for Wave 1 data collection with children and parents by the Developing Belief Network.

The Developing Belief Network is a consortium of researchers studying human development in diverse social-cultural settings, with a focus on the interplay between general cognitive development and culturally specific processes of socialization and cultural transmission in early and middle childhood. The current manuscript describes the study protocol for the network's first wave of data collection, which aims to explore the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior. This work is guided by three key research questions: (1) How do children represent and reason about religious and supernatural agents? (2) How do children represent and reason about religion as an aspect of social identity? (3) How are religious and supernatural beliefs transmitted within and between generations? The protocol is designed to address these questions via a set of nine tasks for children between the ages of 4 and 10 years, a comprehensive survey completed by their parents/caregivers, and a task designed to elicit conversations between children and caregivers. This study is being conducted in 39 distinct cultural-religious groups (to date), spanning 17 countries and 13 languages. In this manuscript, we provide detailed descriptions of all elements of this study protocol, give a brief overview of the ways in which this protocol has been adapted for use in diverse religious communities, and present the final, English-language study materials for 6 of the 39 cultural-religious groups who are currently being recruited for this study: Protestant Americans, Catholic Americans, American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans, and religiously unaffiliated Americans.

DEVELOPING 4D MALAYSIAN MARINE CADASTRE DATA MODEL BASED ON LADM - PRELIMINARY WORKS

Abstract. The complex interactions between terrestrial and aquatic dimensions make effective land management in coastal and marine settings particularly difficult. For thorough spatial data administration, it has been acknowledged that the traditional Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) must incorporate temporal and three-dimensional (3D) elements. The main goal of this work is to develop a 4D Malaysian marine cadastre data model based on LADM that integrates the temporal dimensions (3D + T= 4D) to the current 3D Malaysian marine cadastre data model and to assess how well the extended model handles issues with the representation of 3D marine environment. The depiction and management of temporal data related to shifting coastlines, fluctuating tides, and seasonal fluctuations in the maritime environment are some of the key questions investigated. The findings of this study are expected to provide valuable insights for augmenting land administration methodologies in dynamic marine settings. The outcomes of this research hold significance for sustainable marine development and effective spatial data management in coastal regions.

Effect of Dorsal Preservation Techniques on Septum Strength: An Experimental Animal Study.

This experimental animal model study investigates the impact of different methods employed in preservation rhinoplasty (PR) on the strength of the nasal roof, focusing on three techniques: high strip, low strip, and intermediate strip. Using 15 lamb heads as surgical models, the study addresses key questions related to the strengths of each PR techniques, the influence of septal cartilage harvesting on septum strength, and the effectiveness of spreader grafts for stability. The research involves detailed dissection steps and measurements at various nasal points, evaluating the resistance at each stage. Results indicate that the low strip technique demonstrates the most significant reduction in strength. Furthermore, the combination of PR techniques with structural grafts, specifically spreader grafts, is assessed, revealing the classical rectangular spreader graft to be more effective in stabilizing the dorsum. Despite the limitation of using the lamb heads as models, this study offers valuable insights into the effects of PR on nasal septum strength and provides a foundation for further research on the biomechanics of preservation techniques.

Women Entrepreneurship in Uganda: A Feminist Analysis on the Impact of Women Entrepreneurs’ Social Networks on Business Sustainability

Many studies have been done on social networks and the sustainability of women entrepreneurship. However, these studies do not analyze the impact of social networks on women entrepreneurship from a feminist viewpoint. From an African context, this paper contributes to the studies on social networks and their impact on women entrepreneurship from a feminist perspective. Using semi-structured interviews, we interviewed 109 women entrepreneurs in agribusiness. Key questions included, how do women’s social networks impact on the sustainability of their businesses? Results show that husbands, friendships, saving groups and self- sufficiency positively impact on women business sustainability. It was established that men play a vital role in women business sustainability contrary to popular belief, that the social fabric is being torn apart due to western entrepreneurial tendencies such as competition in social networks and that post-colonial concepts such as urbanization present pseudo benefits that impact women entrepreneurs and their social networks negatively.

Can dynamical systems theory be applied to second language acquisition? The issues of reductionism and intentionality

In this article we address two key questions in the application of dynamical systems theory (DST) to second language acquisition (SLA) that have not been resolved in recent debates about this issue. The first question relates to reductionism. Is an antireductionist position a necessary element of DST? We show that the radical antireductionist stance put forward by key movers of the application of DST to SLA neither follows from the mathematics of DST nor from the application of DST to science and that radical antireductionism results in an impasse for empirical research. In contrast, we argue that reductionism offers ways in which theory-derived hypotheses can be formed about subsystems that can be studied empirically using DST mathematics. The second question relates to intentionality. Are physical systems and mental systems similar enough to justify applying DST principles based in the physical sciences to processes in the human mind? Following Tschacher, we argue that current evidence suggests that there is a limited class of mental phenomena that can arise from physical phenomena. It is only this class of mental phenomena that can currently be modeled using DST mathematics. We offer a discussion of these perspectives to indicate how important it is to resolve these fundamental questions. In our view, these fundamental issues need resolution to put the application of DST to SLA on a solid conceptual and empirical footing.

Research priorities for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in humanitarian crises: A global prioritisation exercise

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions should provide access to safe water and sanitation, and promote good hygiene practices with dignity, comfort and security. Multiple systematic reviews have noted evidence gaps and is a paucity of good quality evidence related to the effectiveness and implementation of WASH programmes and interventions in humanitarian crises. The aim of this study was to generate consensus-based actionable research priorities for the humanitarian WASH sector. A research prioritisation exercise was conducted by adapting the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method. Research questions were compiled from a rapid scoping review, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Questions were reviewed by a technical expert group. An online survey was circulated to score research questions according to five criteria. An overall prioritisation score was calculated and weighted to prioritise questions. A diverse range of 286 global WASH and health experts engaged in the CHNRI process. A list of 128 questions were generated and scored by experts. Prioritised research questions focussed on evaluating existing interventions or programmes, and making iterative changes to current programmes. Other important questions centred on describing WASH conditions and associated health risks in crises contexts. Priorities were also stratified by gender, organisation and region to understand differences globally. The WASH in Crises Research Agenda has identified key research questions of most importance to those implementing WASH in humanitarian crises and has established a list of research priorities. The identified priorities reinforce how more evidence is needed, and underlines the need for research to evaluate current practices in order to improve the quality of humanitarian response. Stakeholders, including donors, international and national organisations, governments and academic institutions, are invited to use this research agenda to encourage, inspire and enable relevant and high-quality research that will be used to inform humanitarian responses.

Profiling Bilateral Skills in High-Performance Male and Female Gaelic Footballers

Background: Bilateral skill in sport refers to an individual’s ability to successfully perform sporting actions with both sides of the body. Two scarcely researched areas in relation to bilateral skills are the effects of opposition proximity on skill execution and bilateral skill in high-performance female athletes. Methods: All skill executions (hand pass, kick pass, hop, solo and shot) during 121 games (76 male, 45 female) were coded using Nacsport, with the participants including male and female tier 1 (n = 181, 134) and Tier 2 (n = 238, 115) adult, high performance Gaelic football players. Irrespective of tier or gender, Gaelic football players relied upon their dominant side for the majority of skill executions. Results: No consistent differences existed between tiers and genders in relation to dominant side use, but top tier male players were generally less reliant on the dominant limb than all female players. In general, top tier male players performed more successfully than the other three tiers. Most skills were executed under low opponent proximity, limiting the requirement to use the non-dominant limb. Conclusions: These findings illustrate the demands of Gaelic football in relation to bilateral skill and identify key questions for future research.