List Of Practices Research Articles

TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIO-CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE ASSIGNMENTS OF RURAL TERRITORIES

The article deals with the problem of developing the infrastructure of socio-cultural purpose of rural territories, which is relevant for the socio-economic system of the region. The purpose of the study is to study the features and trends of the development of socio-cultural infrastructure in rural areas. The author examines the dynamics of indicators of socio-cultural infrastructure of rural areas based on the analysis of data from Rosstat, the Federal State Statistics Service, statistical collections of the Russian Federation and the Vologda Oblast. The study of the state and main trends in the development of socio-cultural infrastructure of rural areas in modern conditions. The loss of the ability of rural municipal institutions to meet the socio-cultural needs of the population was noted. The article also offers an analysis of the results of the sociological survey of the National Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Socio-cultural portrait of regions" conducted with the participation of the author in 2019 and 2021, the purpose of which was to study the socio-cultural characteristics of the population of the Vologda region, data are provided for two major cities of the region (Vologda and Cherepovets) and by districts. The method of conducting the survey is a questionnaire at the respondent's place of residence, the sample size is 1500 people, the sample is representative, the error does not exceed 5%. The questionnaire questions used in the study study the cultural practices used by the residents of the region, the analysis focuses on the place of residence (urban and rural areas). An analysis of the results of a survey of residents of the Vologda Oblast revealed changes in the composition of leisure needs, as well as in ways to meet them among the rural population. In particular, in 2021, there was an increase in the interest of the population of rural areas in the use of previously less popular cultural practices (museums, cinemas, theaters). The analysis leads the author to think about the expansion of the list of preferred cultural practices among the inhabitants of rural areas. The obtained data and the results of the study can be used by federal and regional authorities in the development of management decisions; drawing up strategic programs for the development of socio-cultural infrastructure and the sphere of culture and leisure.

Prioritization of Best Practices in the Implementation of Model‐Based Systems Engineering

AbstractModel‐based systems engineering (MBSE) is a form of systems engineering that is reported to lead to many benefits; yet few companies have successfully implemented MBSE, partly due to a predominance of guidance for adoption that does not recognize differences in organizational context. This paper uses a combination of a literature review and semi‐structured interviews to evaluate the hypothesis that the applicability of best practices varies on a case‐by‐case basis due to factors such as company size, industry, and location. A list of best practices is compiled from existing works and validated with interviews, ultimately resulting in a more complete and accurate list of best practices, along with a recommendation that each company should uniquely assess their circumstances and prioritize this list of best practices accordingly. The findings presented in this paper provide improved guidance towards the use of best practices for successful MBSE implementation.

Do undergraduate general practice placements propagate the ‘inverse care law’?

ABSTRACT Introduction Fifty years since Dr Tudor-Hart’s publication of the ‘Inverse Care Law’, all-cause mortality rates and COVID-19 mortality rates are higher in more deprived areas. Part of the solution is to increase access and availability to healthcare in underserved and deprived areas. This paper examined how socio-economically representative the undergraduate general practice placements are in Northern Ireland (NI). Methods A quantitative study of general practices involved in undergraduate medical placements through Queen’s University Belfast, comparing practice lists by deprivation indices, examining both blanket deprivation and deprivation quintile trends for teaching and non-teaching practices. Results Deprivation data for 135 teaching practices were compared against the 323 NI practices. Teaching practices had fewer patients living in the most deprived quintiles compared with non-teaching practices. Fewer practices with blanket deprivation were involved in undergraduate medical education, 32% compared with 42% without blanket deprivation. Practices in areas of blanket deprivation were under-represented as teaching practices, 10%, compared to 14% of NI general practices that met this criterion. Conclusion Practices with blanket deprivation were under-represented as teaching practices. Exposure to general practice in deprived areas is an essential step to improving future workforce recruitment and ultimately to closing the health inequalities gap. Ensuring practices in high-need areas are proportionately represented in undergraduate placements is one way to direct action in addressing the ‘Inverse Care Law’. This study is limited to NI and further work is required to compare institutions across the UK and Ireland.

A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF HR PRACTICES ON EMPLOYEES’ JOB PERFORMANCE

There is an increasing body of research that demonstrates which methods of human resource management contribute to high performance and which methods lead to high commitment, in addition to numerous assessments of the success of real organisations. It is not quite apparent, however, whether or not this relationship really does exist. This line of inquiry highlights the need of enhancing both our theoretical and analytic frameworks so that we can provide a plausible explanation for the existence of this link. The primary aspects of human resource management are the characteristics and behaviour of organisational performance, the connection between HRM and performance, the prudent use of selected lists of HR practices, and the consideration given to HR-related relationships. A model is offered in order to facilitate a deeper comprehension of these interrelationships. We take a broad look at the existing research on human resource management (HRM) and performance as part of our study. Our goal is to pinpoint any areas in which our knowledge is lacking and to use this information to direct future research.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AS RELATED TO STUDENTS' INTEREST AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN DISTANCE LEARNING

Distance learning is the new mode of instructional delivery today. Parents and their children are doing go hand in hand to cope up with the educational set up.The research sought to investigate the status of parental involvement in the chosen school as well as the students? interest and their relationship to academic performance in distance learning. The study used descriptive method to identify relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable. It used a random sampling technique to gather needed data from one hundred and ninety four students and parents in Liceo de Luisiana in Luisiana, Laguna. The findings of the study were the following: there was no significant relationship on parental involvement, students? interest, and academic performance of the students. The null hypotheses ?parental involvement had no significant relationship to students? interest?, ?parental involvement has no significant relationship to students? academic performance?, and ?students? interest had no significant effect on the academic performance of the students? were supported and accepted. It is evident in the findings that the null hypotheses are accepted. Thus, parental involvement had no significant relationship to the students? interest and academic performance in distance learning. In this regard the following recommendations based on the outcomes of the study. Parents, teachers and educational leaders may have list of best practices of parental intervention in the education of the learners. There also may be webinar or limited-face-face seminar on the intervention of parents in distance learning. Educational institution may empower parents in their involvement in their children?s education both at home and school. They may also consider to monitor the learning of the students in both online and modular classes to guarantee attendance to their studies.

Multi-lab study on the pure-gas permeation of commercial polysulfone (PSf) membranes: Measurement standards and best practices

Gas-separation membranes are a critical industrial component for a low-carbon and energy-efficient future. As a result, many researchers have been testing membrane materials over the past several decades. Unfortunately, almost all membrane-based testing systems are home-built, and there are no widely accepted material standards or testing protocols in the literature, making it challenging to accurately compare experimental results. In this multi-lab study, ten independent laboratories collected high-pressure pure-gas permeation data for H2, O2, CH4, and N2 in commercial polysulfone (PSf) films. Equipment information, testing procedures, and permeation data from all labs were collected to provide (1) accepted H2, O2, CH4, and N2 permeability values at 35 °C in PSf as a reference standard, (2) statistical analysis of lab-to-lab uncertainties in evaluating permeability, and (3) a list of best practices for sample preparation, equipment set-up, and permeation testing using constant-volume variable-pressure apparatuses. Results summarized in this work provide a reference standard and recommended testing protocols for pure-gas testing of membrane materials.

Crossing Bar Lines: The Politics and Practices of Black Musical Space

Crossing Bar Lines: The Politics and Practices of Black Musical Space

Best practices for community-based overdose education and naloxone distribution programs: results from using the Delphi approach

BackgroundOpioid-related overdose deaths have surged in the USA over the last two decades. Overdose fatalities are preventable with the timely administration of naloxone. Syringe service programs (SSP) have pioneered community-based naloxone distribution through overdose prevention and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs. There is a dearth of information with regards to best practices for community-based OEND.MethodsWe utilized a modified Delphi approach to develop a set of best practices for OEND delivery. Starting with an initial list of best practices, we engaged 27 experts, in the field of OEND programming who reviewed, made recommendations for changes, and assigned a priority to each best practice.ResultsTwo rounds of input resulted in a final list of 20 best practices organized into four categories. The mean priority scores ranged from 1.17 to 2.17 (range 1 to 3). The top 5 ranked best practices were ensuring that SSP participants have low barrier, consistent, needs-based access to naloxone and that there is ample naloxone available within communities. While the remaining fifteen best practices were deemed important, they had more to do with organizational culture and implementation climate.ConclusionsIncreasing community-based OEND delivery is essential to reduce opioid overdose deaths; however, it will be insufficient to add programs without an eye toward quality of implementation and fidelity to the model upon which the evidence is based. This list of best practices summarizes the consensus among OEND experts and can serve as a tool for SSPs providing OEND programming to improve services.

Quality Indicators Targeting Low-Value Clinical Practices in Trauma Care

The use of quality indicators has been shown to improve injury care processes and outcomes. However, trauma quality indicators proposed to date exclusively target the underuse of recommended practices. Initiatives such as Choosing Wisely publish lists of practices to be questioned, but few apply to trauma care, and most have not successfully been translated to quality indicators. To develop a set of evidence and patient-informed, consensus-based quality indicators targeting reductions in low-value clinical practices in acute, in-hospital trauma care. This 2-round Research and Development/University of California at Los Angeles (RAND/UCLA) consensus study, conducted from April 20 to June 9, 2021, comprised an online questionnaire and a virtual workshop led by 2 independent moderators. Two panels of international experts from Canada, Australia, the US, and the UK, and local stakeholders from Québec, Canada, represented key clinical expertise involved in trauma care and included 3 patient partners. Panelists were asked to rate 50 practices on a 7-point Likert scale according to 4 quality indicator criteria: importance, supporting evidence, actionability, and measurability. Of 49 eligible experts approached, 46 (94%; 18 experts [39%] aged ≥50 years; 37 men [80%]) completed at least 1 round and 36 (73%) completed both rounds. Eleven quality indicators were selected overall, 2 more were selected by the international panel and a further 3 by the local stakeholder panel. Selected indicators targeted low-value clinical practices in the following aspects of trauma care: (1) initial diagnostic imaging (head, cervical spine, ankle, and pelvis), (2) repeated diagnostic imaging (posttransfer computed tomography [CT] and repeated head CT), (3) consultation (neurosurgical and spine), (4) surgery (penetrating neck injury), (5) blood product administration, (6) medication (antibiotic prophylaxis and late seizure prophylaxis), (7) trauma service admission (blunt abdominal trauma), (8) intensive care unit admission (mild complicated traumatic brain injury), and (9) routine blood work (minor orthopedic surgery). In this consensus study, a set of consensus-based quality indicators were developed that were informed by the best available evidence and patient priorities, targeting low-value trauma care. Selected indicators represented a trauma-specific list of practices, the use of which should be questioned. Trauma quality programs in high-income countries may use these study results as a basis to select context-specific quality indicators to measure and reduce low-value care.

Analysis of the role of General Practice in preventing Avoidable Hospitalisation through a multilevel approach


 Objective. To examine the relationship between Avoidable Hospitalisation (AH) and the activities of General Practitioners (GPs). The study was carried out in the Lazio Region (Italy) within different organizational models of primary care (PC) delivery.
 Methods: Secondary data of a set of GP activities delivered to the Lazio population as listed in the Lazio GPs in 2008, were used. For each GP a set of health services delivered to the patients on their practice lists were measured. The relation between the rates of AH, acute and chronic conditions separately, and the rates of such health services were analyzed through the use of a multilevel Poisson regression model, adjusted according to patients’ health status.
 Results: The study included data from all the active GPs (4,837) in the Lazio Region and their 4,666,037 registered patients. The overall AH rate of the registered patients was 7.7 per 1,000, 2.2 for acute and 5.5 for chronic conditions. The diagnostics prescription by GPs is associated with a 7% (IRR=0.93;95% C.I.:0.89-0.97) reduction of the chronic AH rate. Patients registered at GPs working within a team practice resulted in a hospitalisation rate decrease of 5% (IRR= 0.95; 95% C.I.:0.91-0.99) for avoidable acute conditions.
 Conclusion: The study showed that the role of GPs in preventing AH is substantial, particularly when team practice is performed and specifically when additional diagnostics are prescribed. The study is further evidence in favor of the validity of AH as an outcome measure of quality and accessibility of primary care.

Protein purification strategies must consider downstream applications and individual biological characteristics

BackgroundProteins are used as reagents in a broad range of scientific fields. The reliability and reproducibility of experimental data will largely depend on the quality of the (recombinant) proteins and, consequently, these should undergo thorough structural and functional controls. Depending on the downstream application and the biochemical characteristics of the protein, different sets of specific features will need to be checked.ResultsA number of examples, representative of recurrent issues and previously published strategies, has been reported that illustrate real cases of recombinant protein production in which careful strategy design at the start of the project combined with quality controls throughout the production process was imperative to obtain high-quality samples compatible with the planned downstream applications. Some proteins possess intrinsic properties (e.g., prone to aggregation, rich in cysteines, or a high affinity for nucleic acids) that require certain precautions during the expression and purification process. For other proteins, the downstream application might demand specific conditions, such as for proteins intended for animal use that need to be endotoxin-free.ConclusionsThis review has been designed to act as a practical reference list for researchers who wish to produce and evaluate recombinant proteins with certain specific requirements or that need particular care for their preparation and storage.

Applied methods to detect and prevent vulnerabilities within PLC alarms code

Adversaries may target alerting alarms raised by PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) to prevent notifying operators of critical conditions, to hide faults, to disrupt operations, to cause damages to ICS (Industrial Control Systems) and surrounding environment, or to lead to financial loss. The paper focuses on exposing vulnerabilities of the ladder logic code that handles the alerting alarm messages and how to mitigate them. A real-time test bed of a PLC alarms code was developed and used to conduct several stealthy attack techniques to suppress or hinder alarms by exploiting code vulnerabilities. A novel ladder logic solution that consists of countermeasures against the introduced attacks was proposed, demonstrated, and tested. The countermeasure techniques, such as scan time and heartbeat techniques, were able to detect and prevent the code vulnerabilities and other abnormalities. The provided countermeasure techniques in this experiment could be applied to any PLC to enhance the validity and security of its PLC alarms code.Article HighlightsFour stealthy attack models were introduced to exploit PLC alarms code. They were embedded to skip, delete, fake out, or delay alerting alarms.Real-time countermeasure solutions with different techniques were introduced: scan time code, heartbeat code, and physical plausibility check. They effectively detected and prevented the introduced attack models.PLC alarms Code general abnormalities was validated and detected using scan time techniques.A list of general best code practices for PLC alarms code was introduced to mitigate code vulnerabilities.

How do clinical quality and patient satisfaction vary with provider size in primary care? Evidence from English general practice panel data

We examine the relationship between general practice list size and measures of clinical quality and patient satisfaction. Using data on all English practices from 2005/6 to 2016/17, we estimate practice level models with rich data on patient demographics, deprivation, and morbidity. We use lagged list size to allow for potential simultaneity bias from the effect of quality on list size. We compare results from three different estimation methods: pooled ordinary least squares, random practice effects, fixed practice effects. With all three estimation methods increased list size is associated with reductions in all four measures of patient satisfaction. Increases in list size are associated with worse performance on three clinical quality indicators and better performance on three, though the precision and size of the associations varies with the estimation method. The absolute values of the elasticities of the ten quality indicators with respect to list size are small: in all cases a 10% change in list size would change quality by less than 1%. The lack of evidence that large practices have markedly better quality suggests that encouraging practices to form larger, but looser, groupings, may not, in itself, improve their performance.

Проблемы и предложения по качеству преподавания китайского профессионального образования

The purpose of the study is to identify factors affecting the quality of teaching through the actualization of problems related to the quality of teaching in vocational education. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that theory and practice are combined to solve the tasks assigned to the study. As a result, a practical list of proposals was put forward to promote the improvement of the quality of teacher training in the field of vocational education and to increase the attractiveness of vocational education in general.

The effect of baseline cognition and delirium on long-term cognitive impairment and mortality: a prospective population-based study

SummaryBackgroundThere is an unmet public health need to understand better the relationship between baseline cognitive function, the occurrence and severity of delirium, and subsequent cognitive decline. Our aim was to quantify the relationship between baseline cognition and delirium and follow-up cognitive impairment.MethodsWe did a prospective longitudinal study in a stable representative community sample of adults aged 70 years or older who were registered with a Camden-based general practitioner in the London Borough of Camden (London, UK). Participants were recruited by invitation letters from general practice lists or by direct recruitment of patients from memory clinics or patients recently discharged from secondary care. We quantified baseline cognitive function with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. In patients who were admitted to hospital, we undertook daily assessments of delirium using the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS). We estimated the association of pre-admission baseline cognitive function with delirium prevalence, severity, and duration. We assessed subsequent cognitive function 2 years after baseline recruitment using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Regression models were adjusted by age, sex, education, illness severity, and frailty.FindingsWe recruited 1510 participants (median age 77 [IQR 73–82], 57% women) between March, 2017, and October, 2018. 209 participants were admitted to hospital across 371 episodes (1999 person-days of assessment). Better baseline cognition was associated with a lower risk of delirium (odds ratio 0·63, 95% CI 0·45 to 0·89) and with less severe delirium (–1·6 MDAS point, 95% CI –2·6 to –0·7). Individuals with high baseline cognition (baseline Z score +2·0 SD) had demonstrable decline even without delirium (follow-up Z score +1·2 SD). However, those with a high delirium burden had an even larger absolute decline of 2·2 SD in Z score (follow-up Z score –0·2). Once individuals had more than 2 days of moderate delirium, the rates of death over 2 years were similar regardless of baseline cognition; a better baseline cognition no longer conferred any mortality benefit.InterpretationA higher baseline cognitive function is associated with a good prognosis with regard to likelihood and severity of delirium. However, those with a high baseline cognition and with delirium had the highest degree of cognitive decline, a change similar to the decline observed in individuals with a high amyloid burden in other cohorts. Older people with a healthy baseline cognitive function who develop delirium stand to lose the most after delirium. This group could benefit from targeted cognitive rehabilitation interventions after delirium.

Using Telemedicine to Assess and Manage Psychosis in Neurodegenerative Diseases in Long-Term Care.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has forced a sudden global implementation of telemedicine strategies, including in long-term care (LTC) facilities where many people with dementia and Parkinson disease (PD) reside. Telemedicine offers a unique set of advantages for residents in LTC facilities if effectively supported and implemented, including expanded access to specialists in rural or underserved areas or for people with dementia who cannot travel for off-site visits. Many medical and psychiatric organizations have recently issued new or updated guidelines on the use of telemedicine. On October 22, 2020, a multidisciplinary consensus panel was convened to collate a list of best practices for LTC facilities and specialists when conducting telemedicine with residents with dementia-related psychosis or PD-related psychosis (PDP).A collaborative effort between specialists, facility administrators, and facility staff is essential for the success of telemedicine in the LTC setting. Telemedicine in LTC facilities comes with increased administrative and technical challenges that fall heavily on the shoulders of the LTC facility administrators and staff. Specialists can ease this burden by maintaining flexibility and ensuring expression of empathy and thanks to the staff who are facilitating the visits. LTC staff can provide specialists with valuable information about their patients to aid in evaluation and diagnosis. Specialists can facilitate this exchange of information by speaking to staff who work closely with the resident about any signs of hallucinations or delusions they may have observed. Educational efforts can increase staff understanding of dementia and PDP and empower them to engage with, and facilitate the resident's treatment plan. Using these strategies to take advantage of the benefits of telemedicine, specialists and LTC staff can together expand and improve care for LTC facility residents with dementia-related psychosis or PDP.

The Synthesis of Management Practices at a Perfect Innovation-Active Organization

The article develops an image of a perfect innovatively active organization and tests of its diagnostic capabilities at the enterprises of the machine-building industry. The current conditions of functioning of organizations that actively carry out innovative activities have led to the use of post-neoclassical managerial rationality as a converging epistemic paradigm, which allows to systematically examine the phenomenon of innovative activity. When constructing the image of a perfect innovatively active organization, the existing pool of managerial knowledge, taking into account dynamism, non-linearity, complexity and uncertainty of conditions, was systematized and synthesized on the basis of the use of synergistic approaches, which provided possibilities to form systemic ideas about the characteristics of an organization capable of organic coevolution with the external environment. The hypothesis used for the present study is as follows: the modern market environment is characterized by inequality and dynamic organization, which can be coevoluted only by applying the cognitive potential of a wide social environment. This, in turn, involves an appeal to the mechanisms of self-organization, which are able to create management models of a fundamentally different order of complexity, are sensitive to changes in the external environment, and are able to produce relevant adaptive reactions to these transformations. In the course of the study, the synergistic approach was used to select the congruent properties of a perfect innovation-active organization. The list of progressive management practices of a perfect innovation-active organization is typologized and synthesized. On the basis of the proposed image, a questionnaire is developed, allowing to diagnose the quality of management of innovative development of enterprises of the machine-building industry.

Resource Depletion Risk for Medical Equipment: Embracing the Circular Economy.

Resource Depletion Risk for Medical Equipment: Embracing the Circular Economy.

Ordering Take-Out: Establishing Best Practices for Take-Home Crafts and Kits

In the past, take-home crafts were seen as a bonus service. During the pandemic, they became an expected offering. That’s true even now, when in-person events are becoming possible again.However, there are not many accepted guidelines for creating and distributing take-home crafts. As I’ve worked to provide consistent, high-quality take-home kits, I’ve come up with a list of best practices about what projects to choose and how to execute them. I share them here as a starting place for your own discussion of best practices as take-home kits become a permanent fixture in libraries. These guidelines address general methods for producing successful take-home kits. Specific crafts and skills are outside my scope, but I will recommend sources for these ideas.

Survey of pharmacists on their roles and perceptions of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy in the United States.

To define outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) clinical pharmacy practice across the United States, specifically pharmacist functions, design of pharmacist involvement, and to compare pharmacist training of those who practice in OPAT to infectious diseases pharmacists who do not. A survey of a possible 32 questions was emailed to the American College of Clinical Pharmacists (ACCP) Infectious Diseases Practice and Research Network (PRN) e-mail list. Results were focused on US-based respondents. In total, 87 pharmacists responded; 27 of these pharmacists (31%) practiced in OPAT. Training background did not differ between groups. Programs with an OPAT pharmacist were more likely to have a formal OPAT team compared to those without an OPAT pharmacist (P < .001). OPAT pharmacists were early in their careers with 66.7% practicing <5 years in OPAT. Most OPAT pharmacists (66.7%) practiced at an academic medical center with a median full-time equivalent (FTE) of 0.6. Moreover, 63% utilized a collaborative practice agreement and 81.5% shared job functions with other pharmacist roles, most commonly antimicrobial stewardship. Few OPAT programs involved a dispensing component (28%). The median daily census was 43 patients followed by an OPAT pharmacist. Pharmacists performed a variety of tasks in OPAT. Pharmacist nondispensing involvement in OPAT is an emerging trend in the United States with wide variability in program structure and pharmacist tasks. A ratio of 1 OPAT pharmacist for every 45-70 OPAT patients is proposed to facilitate expansion of pharmacist clinical practice in OPAT.