First Author Research Articles

Contextually appropriate nurse staffing models: a realist review protocol

IntroductionDecisions about nurse staffing models are a concern for health systems globally due to workforce retention and well-being challenges. Nurse staffing models range from all Registered Nurse workforce to a...

Rocks Really Rock: electronic field trips via Web Google Earth can generate positive impacts in attitudes toward Earth sciences in middle- and high-school students

Abstract. Earth sciences (ESs) are relevant to society and its relationship with the Earth system. However, ES education in K-12 environments in the United States faces several challenges, including limited exposure to ESs, lack of awareness of ES careers, and low ES literacy. International associations have recognized these challenges and recommended that Earth scientists improve the public's perception of the relevance of ES. In recent years, informal science communication and outreach platforms such as the Streaming Science model of electronic field trips (EFTs), which connect K-12 classrooms with science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) professionals, have gained popularity as an educational technology tool. EFTs are inexpensive, have spatiotemporal benefits, and have proven an effective informal science education pathway for introducing STEM content into formal classrooms to increase positive attitudes and interest in STEM careers. Nevertheless, EFTs in ES for K-12 environments have not been widely disseminated, and their impact on ES education has yet to be studied. This study presents the creation and implementation of an EFT in geology called “Rocks Really Rock: An Electronic Field Trip across Geological Time.” The program was implemented in seven schools in spring 2022. The EFT was built in Web Google Earth and had six stops that featured prerecorded videos recorded in different locations in Idaho (USA). The lead presenter or author used multimedia and science communication strategies such as storytelling to develop and teach concepts related to geological time, rock formation, and landscape-forming geological processes. The content aligned with four specific topics listed in the National Science Foundation's Earth Sciences Literacy Principles and intersected with the Next Generation Science Standards for middle-school classrooms. Participating students (n=120) completed a post-assessment after the program implementation to evaluate its impact. Results showed that the EFT positively impacted students' attitudes toward geology, geology careers, and perceptions of geology literacy. We identified the three main factors that determined a positive attitude change in K-12 students toward ES: (1) the use of videos and the Web Google Earth platform to create outreach materials for K-12 students, (2) the use of storytelling to craft the content of an EFT, and (3) the asynchronous interactions between teacher, student, and scientist. The results indicated a statistically significant positive change in attitudes toward geology, suggesting that participating in the EFT increased students' positive attitudes toward ES. These findings demonstrate the potential of expanding EFT to other ES fields and reaching middle- and high-school students. We suggest that EFTs are effective outreach tools that can address the challenges in ES education and that can be extended to other ES areas and distributed to students in middle, high, and home schools to support science educators in ES education.

Recommendations for Next Steps in Our Understanding of Use of Antipsychotics Among Older People in the Post-Acute Long-Term Care Environments: Article 3 of 3.

This article is the third installment of a multi-part series on the history and usage of antipsychotics in older people living in nursing and assisted living facilities. This article presents next steps and recommendations for appropriate usage of antipsychotics in the older population based on the lead author's early drafts, submitted to the editors prior to his untimely death, of this series and on his consultations with the coauthors. Dr Levenson emphasized in his focus on next steps related to antipsychotic use: that all providers should review the history of antipsychotic use and recognize clinically legitimate alternative explanations for the findings. His conclusions were that "off label" usage should not be a reason to exclude the appropriate use of antipsychotics. His overall recommendations to clinicians are to assess and diagnose the underlying cause of the problem, understand the treatment options and select the best one to address the clinical problem and/or the symptom if the problem cannot be fully resolved, and to focus on all medications, not just antipsychotics, in a patient's regimen to aid in a comprehensive understanding of the assessment and inform therapeutic recommendations.

A systematic literature review: Trends and current state of research on Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), 2010–2022

AbstractTigers are one of the most recognized and charismatic predator on earth, yet their habitats have declined, their numbers are low, and substantial threats to their survival persist. Although, tiger conservation is high priority globally and tigers are generally considered well studied, there has been no comprehensive global assessment of tiger-related publications aimed at identifying trends, assessing their status and pinpointing research gaps. Utilizing PRISMA framework, we conducted an extensive search across multiple databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, to gather research related to Bengal tigers. Following thorough screening, we selected and evaluated 491 articles published between 2010 and 2022 to address these issues. The results show that publications on Bengal tigers have steadily on rise, with an average of 40 papers/year within this period. We found that most research was focused on the theme of tiger biology. Information on leopards and dholes was also frequently associated with tiger research. The highest number of lead authors originated from India (n = 192), where most research was also conducted. Authors from USA (n = 111) and UK (n = 38) were the next most productive, even though tigers are not found in or anywhere near these countries. We demonstrate that there is only limited amount of transboundary research, and that relatively little tiger research is conducted in the forests beyond protected areas. Similarly, very important but the least studied themes ─Poaching, Population and Socio-culture dimension should be the priority of future research efforts. Additionally, research on tourism, economic aspects and technological inputs are essential for the sustainable conservation of Bengal tigers.

Teaching and learning rural governance in law schools: an account of an experiment with clinical legal education

ABSTRACT Clinical legal education (CLE) strives to develop competent and socially relevant legal professionals who can render legal services to the masses. Clinics are largely known to focus on the needs of individual clients as opposed to imparting community legal education. However, a growing body of literature suggests that clinics must focus more on social justice lawyering. This article aims at contributing to this emerging body of work. The Rural Governance, Justice, and Citizen Participation clinic elective course (course) has been taught at the O.P. Jindal Global University by the lead author of this article since 2010. The co-author of this article was a student in the inaugural batch of the course. The course aims at familiarising students with the growing “disconnect” between the promise and reality of law. The authors recommend that the guarantee of “equal access to justice” can be achieved as follows: (i) law schools must offer clinical courses focused on rural communities; (ii) the Bar Council of India must introduce clinical courses that focus on the legal needs of rural communities; and (iii) law schools must adopt a “good practices” framework for teaching community-centric clinical courses to empower rural communities.

Protocol for an independent patient data meta-analysis of prophylactic mesh placement for incisional hernia prevention after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery: a collaborative European Hernia Society project (I-PREVENT-AAA)

IntroductionIncisional hernia (IH) is a prevalent and potentially dangerous complication of abdominal surgery, especially in high-risk groups. Mesh reinforcement of the abdominal wall has been studied as a potential intervention...

Researchers consider links between genetics and psychosis in teen use of psychedelics

Genetics may be more responsible for an association between psychedelic use by teens and manic symptoms than the use of the drug itself. A recent study of 16,255 adolescent twins found that psychedelic use was associated with lower rates of psychotic symptoms when adjusting for other drug use. However, psychedelic use was associated with more manic symptoms in teens with a higher genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder. The findings are focused on psychedelic‐assisted therapy, which has shown promise in treating some psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the risk of psychotic or manic symptoms in teens who use psychedelics recreationally, not therapeutically. This study used the Swedish Twin Registry to investigate links between recreational psychedelic use and self‐reported psychotic or manic symptoms in adolescents. Among the 16,255 participants included in the analyses, 541 reported past use of psychedelics, most of whom (535 of 541 [99%]) also reported past use of other drugs. The findings come with significant limitations and should be interpreted with caution, the researchers concluded. Among the conflicts of interest reported, the lead author was the founder of Eudelics, a company which markets mindfulness, leadership, and psychedelics. Simonsson, O., et al. (2024, Mar 13). Adolescent psychedelic use and psychotic or manic symptoms. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.0047.

How low back pain is managed-a mixed methods study in 32 countries. Part 2 of Low Back Pain in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Series.

BACKGROUND: The Lancet Series of Low Back Pain (LBP) highlighted the lack of LBP data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The study aimed to describe (1) what LBP care is currently delivered in LMICs, and (2) how that care is delivered. METHODS: An online mixed-methods study. A Consortium for LBP in LMICs (n=65) was developed with an expert panel of leading LBP researchers (>2 publications on LBP) and multidisciplinary clinicians and patient partners with five years of clinical/lived LBP experience in LMICs. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Two researchers independently analyzed qualitative data using deductive and inductive coding and developed a thematic framework. FINDINGS: Forty-seven (85%) of 55 invited panel members representing 32 LMICs completed the survey (38% women; 62% men). The panel included clinicians (34%), researchers (28%), educators (6%), and patient partners (4%). Pharmacotherapies and electrophysiological agents were the most used LBP treatments. The Thematic Framework comprised of eight themes: (1) Self-management is ubiquitous; (2) Medicines are the cornerstone; (3) Traditional therapies have a place; (4) Society plays an important role; (5) Imaging use is very common; (6) Reliance on passive approaches; (7) Social determinants influence LBP care pathway; and (8) Health systems are ill-prepared to address LBP burden. INTERPRETATION: LBP care in LMICs did not consistently align with the best available evidence. Findings will help research prioritization in LMICs and guide global LBP clinical guidelines. FUNDING: The lead author's Fellowship was supported by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Supervising Undergraduate Law Students’ Dissertations: A Four-Step Review

The literature on supervision focuses primarily on postgraduate supervision. Whilst there is some scholarship on supervising undergraduates, there is essentially no scholarship on supervising undergraduate law students specifically. This article investigates undergraduate law students’ attitudes toward dissertation supervision. In 2020–2021, the lead author supervised 12 LLB(Hons) students’ 15,000-word dissertations at the University of Auckland. The supervision process was in four parts: reviewing the proposal; reviewing the introduction; reviewing the first draft (10,000 words); and reviewing the second draft (15,000 words). The authors invited the supervisees to complete a survey on their supervision experience. This article surveys the literature on the supervision of undergraduate students, describes the lead author’s supervision process, and presents and discusses the study results. Students reported that each step in the four-step review process was helpful for their dissertation progress and achieving their goals for the dissertation, and provided useful feedback that was more useful than anticipated for each step in the review process. Students also reported that they received sufficient and appropriate contact with their supervisor, and sufficient guidance from the supervisor — allowing sufficient autonomy. The article also identifies students’ perceived difficulties and reflects on ways the process could mitigate those difficulties.

Life is Too Short to Be Serious All the Time

In this food for thought article, we introduce the ‘Donald Duck Phenomenon’ to consider ten of the more unconventional reasons for publishing in academia. These include (i) symbolic immortality, (ii) personal satisfaction, (iii) a sense of pride, (iv) serious leisure, (v) cause credibility, (vi) altruism, (vii) collaboration with a friend or family member, (viii) collaboration with a hero, (ix) conflict or revenge, and (x) for amusement. The article was inspired by the lead author’s social media search for a co-author with the surname ‘Duck’. Through LinkedIn, the lead author, Associate Professor William E. Donald, who is based in the UK and specialises in Sustainable Careers and Human Resource Management, found a collaborator, Dr Nicholas Duck, who is based in Australia and specialises in Organisational Psychology. While the collaboration may appear to be somewhat ‘quackers’, per one of Donald Duck’s famous phrases “Life is too short to be serious all the time, so if you can’t laugh at yourself then call me… I’ll laugh at you, for you”. We hope that this article offers some interesting insights and acts as a way to stimulate conversation around unconventional reasons for publishing in academia.

Advanced Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy: Advantages for Neck Treatment and Volumization of the Midface.

The aged neck is the most common motivator for patients seeking facial rejuvenation. Unlike the deflated midface, surgical treatment is still the gold standard for optimal outcomes. It is our view that the majority etiology of both the aged neck and deflated midface is gravity's effects on the superficial soft tissue envelope, leading to soft tissue redundancy. It is also our view that the deep-plane rhytidectomy is supported by anatomy, embryology, and clinical evidence as the best methodology to treat soft tissue redundancy without producing the aesthetic and longevity issues associated with superficial musculoaponeurotic system techniques. As one of the early pioneers in deep-plane rhytidectomy, the lead author will define contemporary advances in deep-plane technique such as dissection entry point, flap design, and flap fixation concepts that allow aggressive approach to treating both the aged neck and deflated midface.

The Why, What and Where Podcast on the Updated 2023 IWGDF Guideline on Offloading Treatments for Diabetes-Related Foot Ulcers.

In this podcast the lead authors of the 2023 International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) guideline on offloading treatments for diabetes-related foot ulcers briefly discuss why we need offloading treatments for people with diabetes-related foot ulcers, what the new international offloading guideline recommends, and where offloading treatment might go into the future.A podcast audiois available with this article.

Generative AI: is it a paradigm shift for higher education?

ABSTRACT In this special issue, we explore the opportunities and challenges of using Generative AI (GenAI), in particular, text generators in higher education learning and teaching. As GenAI has become increasingly popular with many staff and students, this special issue provides an overview of the current state of the field and offers insights into future research. This introduction paper consists of four parts. It begins by providing an overview of AI and Generative AI, identifying the gap and framing the special issue relating to the gaps. The second part explores the opportunities and challenges of GenAI in higher education, as identified in the literature. The third part provides an overview of the papers included in the special issue. The final part is the self-reflection of the lead author. The special issue aims to serve as a valuable resource for higher education stakeholders, such as students, practitioners, researchers and managers. We hope this collection will help advance knowledge and future research, encourage innovation and inform evidence-based policy and practices in the field of Generative AI in higher education.

Report calls for collaboration to support 988/911 systems working together

Observing the need for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to achieve its full potential, RAND Corporation researchers this month released a new report that examines three jurisdictions that have established models of 988/911 interoperability — a process for identifying calls that are a good fit for transfer. A collaboration among relevant stakeholders should be at the table to ensure the right level of care from the right type of service organization, according to the lead author of the report.

Challenging pre-service teacher habitus: A self-study of unit design in teacher education

AbstractThe purpose of our paper was to examine how John, the lead author, attempted to bridge the reality-congruence gap between how his Health and Physical Education (HPE) pre-service teachers (PSTs) knew HPE, before commencing the undergraduate unit (subject) central to this paper and how we know contemporary HPE as teacher educators. Here we use reality congruence according to its figurational sociology meaning as “the knowledge of it that is possible” (Giovannini, 2015, n.p.). The “it that is possible,” is the broad disciplinary knowledge necessary for teaching HPE contemporarily, that both authors have acquired over many years. A self-study approach was adopted, using Norbert Elias’s figurational sociology to deductively analyse John’s practice in teaching the reported unit. We used a two-phase approach, with phase one being an exploration of John’s experience of unit design and phase 2 examining John’s assumptions about his practice and his students. We found that John’s approaches were effective in influencing his students to learn and value reality-congruent HPE. Supporting qualitative student satisfaction data suggested many HPE-PSTs valued the teaching approaches John used, which also aligned with their learning preferences. Through planning teacher education curriculum content that challenges traditional notions of PE in particular, it is possible for teacher educators to influence HPE-PSTs towards learning and embracing more reality congruent HPE.

The Detailed Anatomy of the Deep Plane of the Face and Neck with Current Nomenclature.

The fundamental goal of modern face and neck lifting is to enhance and restore a more youthful facial appearance by addressing soft tissue descent. There are variations in described facelift technique including superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) flaps, composite flaps, deep plane, skin flaps, and subperiosteal facelifts, among others. The term "deep plane rhytidectomy" was originally described by Hamra. This term has since been linked with facelift surgery with recent advances including incision placement, treatments of SMAS-platysma complex, and mastoid crevasse among others. In the lead authors' experience, using deep plane techniques have demonstrated superior facial surgical rejuvenation results with less dependence on ancillary measures such as fat grafting or implantation for midface volumization. In order to successfully perform any face or neck lift, it is key to understand the relationship of the skin, the fat compartments, and the ligamentous attachments. This chapter details the anatomy of the deep plane of the face and neck and explains some nuances as it relates to surgical lifting. We also describe recent anatomical revelations of the mandibular ligament and its management in deep plane face lifting. In this chapter, given this opportunity to share personal experiences and preferences, the authors hope to describe relevant anatomy for the deep plane and provide some clarity on the merits of deep plane face and neck lift technique.

In Case You Haven't Heard…

Middle‐aged adults in the U.S. tend to report significantly higher levels of loneliness than their European counterparts, possibly due in part to weaker family ties and greater income inequality, according to research published in the journal American Psychologist, an American Psychological Association news release stated. “Our research illustrates that people feel lonelier in some countries than in others during middle age,” said lead author Frank Infurna, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University. “It also sheds light on reasons this may be occurring and how governments can address it with better policies.” Considering the increased public health focus in the United States, as evidenced by the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory on the epidemic of loneliness and isolation, and abroad, as countries such as the United Kingdom and Japan have appointed ministers to address the problem, the researchers explored how loneliness has historically changed over time and how it differs across countries. Infurna and his colleagues examined data from ongoing, nationally representative longitudinal surveys from the United States and 13 European countries, with more than 53,000 participants from three different generations: (the ‘Silent Generation,’ ‘Baby Boomers’ and ‘Generation X.’ Data were collected from 2002 to 2020 and only included responses given when participants were between the ages of 45 and 65.

Perspectives of patients, parents, and health care providers on facilitators of and barriers to the transition from pediatric to adult care in inflammatory bowel disease: a qualitative descriptive study

Abstract Background The typical transition from pediatric to adult care in patients with inflammatory bowel disease occurs with an increase in health care utilization and a decrease in adherence to medications and scheduled appointments. An effective transition could reduce negative impacts but requires identifying opportunities to improve this process. This study aims to describe barriers and facilitators of transition according to patients, parents, and health care providers. Methods This study used a qualitative description approach. The lead author conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 patients, 13 parents, and 15 providers recruited from Western Canada. Latent content analysis identified themes in interview transcripts. Results The theme of preparedness emerged across all groups as a transition facilitator. Other facilitators that emerged included patient characteristics, supportive parents, home environment, and supportive adult care team. Themes of barriers that emerged included patient factors, “hovering parents” and family factors, navigating a new health care system, and travel distance. Conclusions This study describes facilitators and barriers according to each stakeholder involved in the transition process. Future studies should focus on designing and evaluating interventions aimed at promoting facilitators and addressing identified barriers in patients preparing to transition from pediatric to adult care.

Advanced Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy: Advantages For Neck Treatment and Volumization of The Midface.

The aged neck is the most common motivator for patients seeking facial rejuvenation. Unlike the deflated midface, surgical treatment is still the gold standard for optimal outcomes. It is our view that the majority etiology of both the aged neck and deflated midface is gravity's effects on the su-perficial soft tissue envelope, leading to soft tissue redundancy. It is also our view that the deep-plane rhytidectomy is supported by anatomy, embryology, and clinical evidence as the best meth-odology to treat soft tissue redundancy without producing the aesthetic and longevity issues asso-ciated with SMAS techniques. As one of the early pioneers in deep-plane rhytidectomy, the lead author will define contemporary advances in deep-plane technique such as dissection entry point, flap design, and flap fixation concepts that allow aggressive approach to treating both the aged neck and deflated midface.

In Case You Haven't Heard…

The support of grandparents who are in good health and close by correlates with a lower use of antidepressants in mothers, a new study finds, CNN Health reported on Feb. 16. “Mothers are less likely to purchase antidepressants if their own parents are younger than 70, employed and do not have severe health problems,” said the study's lead author, Dr. Niina Metsä‐Simola, a lecturer and demographics researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Researchers tracked 488,000 mothers of young children in Finland between 2000 and 2014, according to the report published Feb. 15 in Population Studies. The research team collected demographic data, including whether the mother had a partner or was separated, as well as the age, health, distance and employment status of the grandparents, both maternal and paternal. The connection between access to grandparents' help and a lower use of antidepressants was especially strong in mothers who were separated from their partners, the study said. “Grandparents are an important source of support to families with children, and support from others is well known to protect individuals from depression,” Metsä‐Simola said via email.