Major Themes Research Articles

Barriers to Black Medical Students and Residents Pursuing and Completing Surgical Residency in Canada: A Qualitative Analysis.

The limited available data suggest that the Canadian surgical workforce does not reflect the racial diversity of the patient population it serves, despite the well-established benefits of patient-provider race concordance. There have been no studies to date that characterize the systemic and individual challenges faced by Black medical students in matching to and successfully finishing training in a surgical specialty within a Canadian context that can explain this underrepresentation. Using critical qualitative inquiry and purposive sampling to ensure sex, geographical, and student or trainee year heterogeneity, we recruited self-identifying Black medical students and surgical residents across Canada. Online in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed through an inductive reflexive narrative thematic process by 4 analysts. Twenty-seven participants including 18 medical students and 9 residents, were interviewed. The results showed 3 major themes that characterized their experiences: journey to and through medicine, perceptions of the surgical culture, and recommendations to improve the student experience. Medical students identified lack of mentorship and representation as well as experiences with racism as the main barriers to pursuing surgical training. Surgical trainees cited systemic racism, lack of representation, and insufficient safe spaces as the key deterrents to program completion. The intersection with sex exponentially increased these identified barriers. Except for a few surgical programs, medical schools across Canada do not offer a safe space for Black students and trainees to access and complete surgical training. An urgent change is needed to provide diverse mentorship that is transparent, acknowledges the real challenges related to systemic racism and biases, and is inclusive of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Successful Practices of Novice Urban Physical Education Teachers

Purpose: Guided by the cultural relevance cycle, this study examined experiences of two novice physical education teachers in urban schools. We focused on successes that teachers encountered while navigating their novice years. Methods: Two purposefully sampled participants completed five journal entries and five semistructured interviews lasting between 45 and 90 min each. To promote trustworthiness, we utilized multiple coders, a peer debriefer, and triangulated data from multiple sources. Participants reviewed themes and responded to researchers’ interpretations. Results: We present the results through three major themes. The first theme involves knowledge of students and community. The second theme describes belonging in the school and community, and the third theme discusses curricular realignment. Discussion and Conclusion: By focusing on elements that empowered novice teachers to find success, initial teacher preparation programs and in-service teacher mentoring programs in urban school districts might identify teaching experiences that may contribute to novice teacher retention.

The value of work simulation rehabilitation: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Using simulation methods that replicate specific job demands can accelerate return-to-work following an illness or injury. However, the components of simulation vary markedly. OBJECTIVE: The current study explores the perceptions and experiences of service users to better understand what aspects are required to facilitate a well-designed, work-specific simulation. METHODS: Thirteen injured workers (10 men, 3 women) and four staff (3 allied health, 1 manager) involved in a simulation-based rehabilitation program were interviewed. Interview data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three major themes resulted: 1) simulation can facilitate successful rehabilitation, 2) the importance of offering multiple, realistic simulations to replicate varying occupations, and 3) effective simulation involves collaboration with a worker’s existing health professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation tasks can be effectively integrated into injury rehabilitation, although are challenging to implement and require further validation studies. The present findings may provide some guidance for rehabilitation services looking to implement this method within a broader, biopsychosocial return-to-work program.

Publishing a Research: Shared Experiences of Preservice Teachers as Novice Researchers in Research Journals

<p style="text-align: justify;">Publishing research is crucial and is of utmost significance. However, it is a daunting task for most researchers, especially if one is a beginner with very limited experience. The generalizability of much of the previously published research was limited to the negative aspects of the publishing process rather than the whole circumstances they had to face. Therefore, this article sought to explore the experiences of preservice teachers as novice researchers in publishing their research outputs in a research journal. This study employed a qualitative-phenomenological approach. Five major themes emerged from the interview with eight purposively selected former preservice teachers who had first-time encounters in publishing that the research investigates. These themes were encapsulated through the acronym “FLAME,” namely: (a) facing personal circumstances, (b) leveraging positive dispositions, (c) acknowledging dependency on research promoter, (d) meeting publishing standards, and (e) encountering poor physical and mental well-being. This article concludes that the journal publishing process is a multidimensional and enriching experience, providing the full spectrum of positive and negative experiences for novice researchers. This paper highlighted some implications that can be used as a guide to support novice researchers in the publication process.</p>

Black Friday and Consumer Misbehavior: A Qualitative Analysis of Pakistan’s Black Friday Sale

The purpose of the research was to observe, explore, and analyze the behaviours and misbehaviours of Pakistani consumers during the Black Friday sale. The factors that lead the consumers to misbehave in the discounted event were observed and explored as well. This study undertook the consumers who were shopping during the Black Friday sale. The observations, interviews, and images were collected to analyze. The data analysis was done by coding major themes. By using these factors a conceptual framework of factors generating the consumer misbehaviour was proposed. The suggestions to solve these problems were also given to retailers.

Fart for Fart's Sake? The Fantastical Reality, Sacred-Profane Musical Bodies, and Nostalgic Millennial Masculinities in Swiss Army Man

Abstract This article explores the uses of music, voice, and sound in Daniels’ 2016 film Swiss Army Man (SAM)—a story about a friendship between a stranded, suicidal loner (Paul Dano) and a farting, talking corpse (Daniel Radcliffe). We argue that the film's unique play between nondiegetic and diegetic sound, musical references to popular culture, and privileging of bodily noise (particularly farting) generate a distinctive soundscape that adds new dimensions to SAM's major themes of loneliness and nostalgia. This study draws upon scholarship in musicology, film studies, social history, and queer studies to better define the sonic techniques that the directors and composers employ. In doing so, it also helps us locate how sound articulates the film's genre, its construction of masculinity, and the queerness of the two protagonists’ relationship. Our goal is to provide insight into a film in which farting equals music, and meaning is made through colliding dualities: sacredness vs. vulgarity, a hyperbody that is both dead and alive, heterosexual yearning vs. homoromantic bonding, and even comedy vs. tragedy.

Practicing the Concept of Ubiquitous Learning: Constructing an Online Music Course on an International Education Platform

We developed a one-year course run of String Music Appreciation as an international online course on the British open education platform to present music teaching videos. Three main features were presented including music lesson explanations, instrumental playing demonstrations, and live music performances. The course contained four major themes and a total of 97 steps. Using the testing data provided by the education platform, we analyzed the performance of learners to understand how well the course was taught using three test data in the statistics dashboard including course-run measures, total statistics, and statistics by week. We reviewed the course's star rating in a one-year run. The result of teaching the course needs to be evaluated and adjusted in a future study.

Blockchain adoption in supply chains: implications for sustainability

This study aims to systematically review the current academic literature on blockchain and supply chain management (SCM) to explore the antecedents and sustainable outcomes of blockchain adoption and identify factors that influence blockchain adoption at different stages of implementation in supply chains (SC). This review follows the 6 steps and 14 decisions of conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) to comprehensively review 69 papers published in Academic Journal Guide (AJG) 3 and above journals between 2008 and 2023. Based on the content analysis of the selected papers, this study identifies antecedents and outcomes for blockchain adoption. This study further identifies influential factors in each blockchain implementation stage. A conceptual framework is developed to facilitate the conceptual development of blockchain adoption for sustainability in SCs. This study extends the prior studies of blockchain adoption in SCM with the consideration of how blockchain affects the SCM from the aspects of economic, social, and environmental. This review identifies four major themes in the topic of blockchain implementation and SCM, thus assisting researchers in avoiding focusing on the investigation of mature and saturated topics. The research gaps are identified, and future research directions are recommended for scholars, thereby enabling the comprehensive development of blockchain adoption in SCs.

Women’s entrepreneurship education: a systematic review and future agenda

Purpose In this systematic review of the literature on women’s entrepreneurship education, this paper aims to examine the current state of the field. The authors analyze publication trends, identify major themes and propose an agenda for future research. Design/methodology/approach The authors review 363 articles published between 1993 and 2023, to develop a synthesized overview of women’s entrepreneurship education, complete with insights into the journals that have provided the most coverage of this topic, as well as how it has emerged over time. Findings The authors tracked the evolution of research themes and collaboration networks over a 30-year period. Results show there has been significant growth in research on women’s entrepreneurship education, as evidenced by a surge of publications on the topic and the total number of citations. Originality/value The authors categorized and analyzed six thematic clusters within the literature: entrepreneurial intention, ethical perspectives, gender-specific barriers, gender stereotypes, rural entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Building on these thematic clusters, this study discusses future research directions to advance the field.

"Cold feet": A qualitative study of medical students who seriously considered emergency medicine but chose another specialty.

Emergency medicine (EM) has historically been among the most competitive specialties in the United States. However, in 2022 and 2023, 219 of 2921 and 554 of 3010 respective National Resident Matching Program positions were initially unfilled. Medical students' selection of a medical specialty is a complex process. To better understand recent trends in the EM residency match, this qualitative study explored through one-on-one interviews the rationale of senior medical students who seriously considered EM but ultimately pursued another specialty. A convenience sample of senior medical students from across the United States was recruited via multiple mechanisms after the 2023 match. Participant characteristics were collected via an online survey. Qualitative data were generated through a series of one-on-one semistructured interviews and thematic analysis of the data was performed using a constant comparative approach. Sixteen senior medical students from 12 different institutions participated in the study. Thematic saturation was reached after 12 interviews but data from all 16 interviews were included for qualitative analyses. Five major themes emerged as important in students' consideration but ultimate rejection of EM as a career: (1) innate features of EM attracted or dissuaded students, (2) widespread awareness of a recent workforce report, (3) burnout in EM, (4) their perception of EM's standing in the health care landscape, and (5) early EM experience and exposure. This qualitative study identified five major themes in the career decisions of senior medical students who seriously considered EM but chose another specialty. These findings may help inform the perceptions of students and guide future EM recruitment efforts.

Design guidelines for movement-assistive clothing based on a comprehensive understanding of older adults' needs and preferences.

This study aimed to explore the needs and wants of older adults in the context of movement-assistive clothing (MSC), with a focus on muscle strength and posture correction. A survey was conducted to understand the needs and wants of older adults, considering aspects of functions and designs, and to evaluate the comfort, safety, ease of use, usefulness, and intention of users to purchase and use products. A total of 408 individuals aged > 65 years participated in the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive analyses, such as mean, standard deviation, percentages, Cronbach's alpha, chi-square test, independent t-test, analysis of variance, and regression using IBM SPSS 27.0. Exploratory Factor Analysis was also conducted to test the hypotheses. Open-ended questions were extracted using major themes after color-coding. Based on the results, design recommendations were derived, including the development of pants and innerwear with casual, minimalist styles, featuring achromatic colors, and utilizing stretchy, breathable fabrics. Comfort, safety, ease of use, and usefulness emerged as critical factors influencing the purchase and use of MSC by older adults. This study aimed to establish design guidelines by understanding the needs and wants of older adults and considering the aspects of movement-assistive clothing to relieve musculoskeletal issues. Accordingly, these findings are expected to aid in the creation of wearable suits using flexible fabric artificial muscles for active musculoskeletal correction in older adults.

Cultivating Students’ Agency by Infusing Number Talks with Notice and Wonder

ABSTRACT Instructional routines, like Number Talks and Notice and Wonder, engage students in doing and then talking about their mathematical thinking. Number Talk routines are short mathematical discussions where students mentally solve and share the strategies they used to make sense of the problem. In comparison, the Notice and Wonder routine asks students to reflect on a high-interest visual prompt with multiple entry points, share their noticings and wonderings, and then the teacher steers the discussion toward a mathematical question to explore further. But what happens when the Notice and Wonder routine is used in conjunction with a Number Talk? In this descriptive case study, we analyze whether and how this variation of a Number Talk provides a class of third-grade students opportunities to exercise agency. Findings from this study yielded two major themes: 1) agency is built when authority is shared during a mathematical discussion, and 2) Notice and Wonder is an instructional routine that supports sharing authority. We then discuss why this matters and next steps for research and practice.

Rethinking the consultation paradigm: Validity evidence for a new framework, a multimethods study.

In-hospital consultation is essential for patient care. We previously proposed a framework of seven specific consultation types to classify consult requests to improve communication, workflow, and provider satisfaction. This multimethods study's aim was to evaluate the applicability of the consult classification framework to real internal medicine (IM) consults. We sought validity evidence using Kane's validity model with focus groups and classifying consult requests from five IM specialties. Participants attended five 1 h semi-structured focus groups that were recorded, transcribed, and coded for thematic saturation. For each specialty, three specialists and three hospitalists categorized 100 (total 500) random anonymized consult requests. The primary outcome was concordance in the classification of consult requests, defined as the sum of partial concordance and perfect concordance, where respectively 4-5/6 and 6/6 participants classified a consult in the same category. We used χ2 tests to compare concordance rates across specialties and between specialists and hospitalists. Five major themes were identified in the qualitative analysis of the focus groups: (1) consult question, (2) interpersonal interactions, (3) value, (4) miscommunication, (5) consult framework application, barriers, and iterative development. In the quantitative analysis, the overall concordance rate was 88.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 85.7-91.4), and perfect concordance was 46.6% (95% CI: 42.2-51.1). Concordance differed significantly between hospitalists and specialists overall (p = .01),with a higher proportion of hospitalists having perfect concordance compared to specialists (67.2% vs. 57.8%, p = .002). The consult classification framework was found to be applicable to consults from five different IM specialties, and could improve communication and education.

How Perceptions of Aging Influence Physical Activity and Exercise in Older Age: Exploring the Behavior of People Aged 70+ Years Engaged in Fall Prevention Activities.

For older people, physical inactivity increases fall risk as well as other preventable health conditions. Despite the well-documented benefits of physical activity, uptake and adherence continue to challenge efforts aimed at increasing physical activity and reducing falls. Nested within a randomized controlled trial, this study reports on the factors influencing the physical activity behavior of people, aged between 70 and 90years, engaged in StandingTall, a home-based balance exercise program proven to reduce falls in the community. The perception of aging, physical activity in older age, and the delivery of exercise were identified as major themes, with the perception of aging an overarching theme influencing both preferences for physical activity in older age and exercise delivery. Findings demonstrate the importance of considering the role of aging, the influence aging has on physical activity and exercise behavior, and how aging influences the delivery and design of exercise programs including falls prevention activities for older people.

Exploring the nutritional landscape and emerging trends in kidney stone research: visualization and bibliometric analysis

BackgroundKidney stones, or renal nephrolithiasis, are common and dangerous, increasing the risk of chronic kidney disease. Dietary manipulation is essential for the prevention and recurrence of kidney stones. Research into nutrition and kidney stones lacks library analysis, making it difficult to identify new trends. This bibliometric study was conducted to explore the current landscape of research on nutrition and kidney stones worldwide. This paper also emphasizes significant research trends in this area over the past two decades, aiming to assist researchers in understanding the current research status and identifying potential future directions.MethodsThe scholarly literature pertaining to diet and kidney stones was systematically explored utilizing SciVerse Scopus to identify pertinent research articles released from 2003 to 2022. The examination encompassed an assessment of publication patterns, key contributors, focal areas of research, prevalent themes, influential articles, and emerging research avenues. Following data extraction to Excel, analyses, including frequencies, percentages, and linear regression, were conducted. Visual exploration was facilitated through the use of the VOSviewer program version 1.6.19.ResultsBetween 2003 and 2022, 697 publications on nutrition and kidney stones were identified. There were 478 original articles (68.58%), 120 reviews (17.22%) and 99 other types of publications (14.20%). The United States is the most productive country, with significant growth in research in the fields of nutrition and kidney stones. The United States has demonstrated the strongest partnerships between researchers’ networks from various countries. Cluster analysis revealed three major research themes: sex differences in kidney stone disease, the correlation between increased dietary acid consumption and calcium oxide kidney stones, and nephrolithiasis associated with a ketogenic diet.ConclusionsThis study offers a thorough examination of nutrition and kidney stone research, encompassing key research domains, collaborative networks, and emerging patterns. The findings can aid researchers in gaining insight into the present landscape of the discipline and determining future research directions.

THE DANGERS OF ENERGY DRINKS TO THE HEALTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE

This study has conducted a systematic review of the dangers of energy drinks (EDs) to the health of young people. 10 peer-reviewed articles published within the last five years were identified after careful screening of the search results in different databases. One major theme was apparent from the systematic review: energy drink consumption has adverse impacts on the health of young adults. The dangers of EDs manifest in form of reduced sleep, missed breakfasts, increased blood pressure and heart rate, cardiovascular issues, mental health problems, and oral health. A large proportion of young adults are unaware of the danger of energy drinks, and only associate them with improved performance. Public health initiatives should aim to educate the youth about the adverse impacts of EDs. Companies should also practice transparency in labeling with appropriate instructions for the right age of use. Research Aims. What are the dangers of energy drinks to young people’s health Methods. This research employed a systematic review of clinical articles which contained information answering the research question. A search was conducted on EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and Gale using the keywords, “energy drinks” and “the health of young people.” This study categorized young adults as teenagers and the youth aged 10-25 years. Results. Adolescents prone to consuming large amounts of energy drinks are most likely to demonstrate emotional problems, such as anxiety, stress, depression, and nervousness. Conclusion. Overall, young adults face significant risks to their mental, dental, emotional, physical, and behavioral health due to using EDs. Oral health is affected, as EDs reduce the pH level of the saliva. High acidity in oral cavities is associated with various dental issues. Emotional and behavioral problems mediated by reduced sleep and missed breakfast are one of the major impacts of ED consumption. Moreover, EDs affect the blood pressure and heart rate by causing them to rise. Sweetened energy drinks will increase blood glucose and insulin levels. Therefore, public health initiatives should aim to increase education and awareness about the dangers of energy drinks.

Remote consultations in community mental health: A qualitative study of clinical teams.

Accessing community mental health care through remote consultations is perceived as not possible or beneficial for all service users. Delivering remote consultations may not be practical or appropriate for all clinicians or community mental health teams. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Remote consultation cannot be a 'one-size-fits-all' model of community mental health care. A flexible approach is needed to offering remote consultation that considers its suitability for the service-user, service and clinician. INTRODUCTION: Responding to COVID-19, community mental health teams in the UK NHS abruptly adopted remote consultations. Whilst they have demonstrable effectiveness, efficiency, and economic benefits, questions remain around the acceptability, feasibility and medicolegal implications of delivering community mental health care remotely. To explore perceived advantages, challenges, and practice adaptations of delivering community mental health care remotely. Ten community mental health teams in an NHS trust participated in a service evaluation about remote consultation. Fifty team discussions about remote consultation were recorded April-December 2020. Data analysis used a framework approach with themes being coded within a matrix. Three major horizontal themes of operations and team functioning, clinical pathways, and impact on staff were generated, with vertical themes of advantages, challenges, equity and adaptations. Remote consultation is an attractive model of community mental healthcare. Clinical staff note benefits at individual (staff and service-user), team, and service levels. However, it is not perceived as a universally beneficial or practical approach, and there are concerns relating to access equality. The suitability of remote consultation needs to be considered for each service-user, clinical population and clinical role. This requires a flexible and hybrid approach, attuned to safeguarding equality.

Sustainable Young Nursing Business Manager Leadership Competency: The Philippines Experience

The global shortage of qualified nurse managers, particularly evident in the Philippines, is rooted in the absence of training programs for transitioning nurses into management roles. Recent studies highlight this gap, leading to the promotion of inexperienced nurses to leadership positions and resulting in ineffective management practices and compromised care quality. Recognizing the importance of sustainable leadership competency for the long-term viability of healthcare services, a study in Metro Manila seeks to address these issues. The research focuses on gathering insights from nursing business experts regarding essential skills for sustainable leadership among young nursing business managers. The study aims to not only explore these perspectives but also assess the competency levels of young nurse managers using a newly developed survey tool. The objectives encompass determining expert views on necessary skills, profiling participants based on demographic factors, assessing competency levels, and drawing recommendations from the mixed-methods study results. Employing a mixed-method approach, the study initially conducted interviews with nursing business leaders in Manila. The themes derived from these interviews were then utilized in formulating the questionnaire. The findings revealed demographic variations among participants, influencing their responses. Five major themes emerged, reflecting participant perspectives on the competency of young nurse business managers: professional conduct, educational competency, individual assessment, trans-cultural competency, and informatics tech competency. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the diverse skills and competencies required by young nurse business leaders for effective functioning in occupational and professional settings. These competencies, spanning professional conduct, individual assessment, cultural competence, and technological proficiency, are deemed critical components in assessing and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of young nursing leaders, as emphasized in the existing literature. The study underscores the imperative for comprehensive training programs to enhance the competency of young nursing leaders, contributing to the overall quality and sustainability of healthcare services. Keywords: Nursing, leadership, Management, Concepts Investigated: professional conduct, individual assessment, culturally-inclined competency, informatics tech competency, educational competencies, Exploratory sequential Mixed-method , purposive sampling , The Philippines, South East Asia

Integration of Disability Awareness Improves Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward People with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities (PWD) often require special accommodations and more comprehensive healthcare yet frequently have encounters with physicians who are unprepared to provide tailored and complete care. A multipronged disability awareness curriculum for second-year medical students was implemented, including content on disability etiquette, patient-centered and interprofessional learning sessions for individuals with physical disabilities and intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a debriefing session with physiatrists. The objective of this study was to utilize a mixed methods approach to evaluate the disability awareness curriculum in undergraduate medical education (UME). Assessment was conducted using course evaluations, pre- and post-surveys including the Attitudes and Perspectives Towards Persons with Disabilities (APPD) scale and Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS), and student focus groups. The mean scores from both the APPD (2.11 ± 0.43 pre-score vs. 1.7 ± 0.39 post-score) and MAS (2.45 ± 0.43 pre-score vs. 2.25 ± 0.55 post-score) indicate the curriculum improved medical students’ attitudes toward PWD (p < 0.05), with lower numbers representing more favorable attitudes. After completing the curriculum, medical students’ attitudes were comparable to those of doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students. Qualitative analysis from focus groups highlighted four major themes: education, comfort level, impact on future practice, and disability differences. This curriculum has potential as a valuable framework for delivering effective disability education to medical students to prepare future physicians to serve PWD and their unique needs. It meets core competencies, provides an opportunity to learn in interprofessional environments, and integrates PWD into the educational process.

Lecturers’ experiences of online learning communication in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A phenomenological study

Background Indonesia is currently implementing educational reforms to enhance university teaching and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected Indonesian universities, requiring lecturers to implement various changes. The phenomenon of online learning communication at various universities in Indonesia is critical considering today’s increasingly fierce competition due to digital disruption coupled with the impact of the pandemic. Therefore, lecturers must implement appropriate methods to conduct online learning communication effectively. Methods This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to explore lecturers’ understanding of the implementation of changes in online learning communication at Indonesian universities. In-depth interviews and field observations were conducted with lecturers who were efficient in online learning using a specific measurement standard. The research participants were identified using purposive sampling with a snowball approach. The study comprised 10 lecturers from UPN Veteran Jakarta who were experienced and efficiently delivered online lectures. Results The results provide a review of factors identified by the phenomenological and qualitative study that contribute to online learning communication, such as chemistry, lecturer preparation, and learning materials. The results of this study revealed several themes. Each section centers on the major themes that emerged from the datasets. Conclusion Our findings aid in a better understanding of the benefits and constraints of using online learning communication in the classroom. These findings are crucial for university lecturers developing methods for enhancing the implementation of online learning communication. Moreover, the findings revealed that lecturers should engage in and create trusting interactions with their students. Providing technical support to keep both teachers and students engaged can be useful. More crucially, multimedia support and learning systems are essential for properly addressing lecturers’ tasks and learning materials. This study improves the understanding of online learning communications implemented by lecturers.