On-site Interviews Research Articles

Architectural Evolution of Heritage Masjid in Negeri Sembilan; Heritage Masjid Tanah Datar

The architecture of heritage masjids reflects the physical context to depict the local community's engagement in terms of social, cultural, and behavioral manifestations. The Negeri Sembilan Heritage Masjid's disappearance highlights the need to safeguard cultural heritage. This study intends to present the original, extended layout and the current architectural evolution of the heritage masjid in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. This study demonstrates how the evolution and transformation of heritage masjids display distinct concepts and characteristics of extension as a result of the local community's social and cultural needs. This research includes recommendations for the architects and conservators to manage the legacy of the heritage masjid conservation in the future to sustain the cities among the communities.

The meaning of travel: Anecdotes from children

Research on travel experiences involving children has focused on hedonic aspects of family travel, such as family togetherness and fun, based on recalled data. The present study argues that this perspective overlooks children's agency by oversimplifying their understanding of tourism. The research design was informed by a constructivist grounded theory approach. Data were collected from on-site drawing-elicited in-depth interviews with 53 children ages 3–16. Based on semiotic analysis, this study revealed three themes in children's family tourism experiences: casual leisure, identity formation, and casual learning/serious leisure. Children's understanding and meaning making of family tourism evolved with age, demonstrating children's agency in internalizing, appropriating, and reproducing tourism experiences. Practical implications and study limitations are also discussed.

Risk evaluation for oil tanker berthing and handling operations using the improved DEMATEL-ISM approach

The berthing and handling operation of oil tankers is an important task in the operation of oil ports. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the risk factors in the process of the berthing and handling operation of oil tankers, to explore the relationship between the influencing factors of the risk, and to find out the key factors that incur risk. In this paper, the risk factors of oil tankers’ berthing and handling operations are identified through on-site investigation, interviews, questionnaire surveys and expert consultation. Aiming at the uncertainty of the weight of each risk index during oil tanker berthing and handling, a machine learning algorithm (i.e. Random Forest Weighting) is applied. In this sense, the reliability analysis is used to calculate the generalization error of expert scoring data, and the weight of each index of each evaluation item is obtained according to the minimum error rate, which reduces the impact of subjective weighting in the identification of cause-effect chain components. In order to examine the internal relationship among various factors, the Interpretive Structural Model (ISM) of risk factors is constructed. Furthermore, we analyse the hierarchical relationship between various factors, clarify the mechanism of risk generation, and propose strategies to improve the safety management level of oil tanker terminals. Results show that the used algorithm could identify the key risk factors in the risk oil tanker terminal operations, and provide more effective managerial recommendations.

US WITHDRAWAL PROCESS FROM AFGHANISTAN AND ITS EFFECTS ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

This article’s main concern is to come to an understanding of the reasons why the Afghan army could not be successful
 against the Taliban during the withdrawal process and what the effects were of this failure on international relations.
 The main argument in the study about the failure of the Afghan Army is that because the transition stages from
 the lower identity to the upper have not been completed, and the identity structure was left as a tribal-based one
 rather than integrated Afghan identity, the loyalty to the state could not be fulfilled and therefore the practices like
 bribery or favouritism in assignments led to corruption in the system causing an imperfect structure with a failure
 against the Taliban. As to the effects on international relations, the withdrawal of the USA from the region caused
 the power vacuum in Afghanistan to deepen even more. Whilst analyzing the aspects of the reasons why the Afghan
 army had failed against the Taliban, the on-site observation method is used lasting 6 months between June 2017 and
 January 2018 and the on-site interviews were personally carried out during this aforementioned time period.

Review of the implementation of road preservation and road shoulder widening on SP. Lempake - SP3. Sambera - Santan Project

The main road is a crucial transportation facility that plays a significant role in various community activities in a region, both in urban and rural areas. The total length of this road improvement project is 52.71 km. The enhancement of the SP.Lempake-SP3.Sambera-Santan Road is expected to help improve services and facilitate upgrading road facilities for transportation purposes, benefiting the local community and existing industries. This study utilizes the participatory observation method. Participatory observation is a data collection method that directly involves a researcher in the research location, allowing them to participate in observational activities. The purpose of observation here is for the researcher to be directly engaged in supervising the road preservation and widening project of the SP. Lempake-SP3.Sambera-Santan road. Data collection involves primary data, including on-site observation methods, interviews, documentation, and secondary data used in this report, such as plan drawings, time schedules, and organizational structure. The widening of the SP.Lempake - SP3. Sambera-Santan road consists of several tasks, including preparatory work, excavation, spreading and compacting of Class A aggregates, structural work, and the final finishing work. Challenges faced during the project include weather conditions (rain) and material depletion.

Local ecological knowledge and perception of the causes, impacts and effects of Sargassum massive influxes: a binational approach

ABSTRACT Coastal communities of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico have been affected by atypical influxes of pelagic macroalgae (Sargassum genus) since 2011, entailing ecological, economic and social impacts in need of characterization. We compiled and documented local ecological knowledge (LEK) and perceptions across diverse stakeholder groups from coastal communities in Mexico (Quintana Roo) (n=50 participants) and the United States (Florida) (n=36 participants) through on-site and online interviews and workshops undertaken from January to March of 2022, to understand how the knowledge of this phenomenon varies among communities and to characterize ecological and well-being impacts. Participants in Quintana Roo associated these influxes with both global phenomena (e.g., climate change) and local scale processes (e.g., currents/wind patterns) while Florida participants associated these events more with the latter. The communities in both regions perceived that the economy and the environment were the most impacted well-being categories. While influxes effects were mostly negative (80%) according to Quintana Roo participants (e.g., affected fisheries), Florida participants considered many positive effects of Sargassum (40%) on several well-being and ecological components (e.g., nursery habitat for marine species). In general, the perception of Sargassum as a problem was less pronounced in Florida, and these differences in perception are related to the magnitude of these influxes’ effect on the daily life of these communities. Overall, macroalgae management is still mainly focused on beach cleanup. Documenting LEK is important to delineate scientific research priorities and to provide decision makers with resources to develop efficient public policies and coastal management decisions.

Impact of Servant Leadership and Narcissism on Firm Performance: A Comparative Analysis of U.S. and Chinese International Strategic Distribution Channel Alliances

ABSTRACT An integrative conceptual model developed tested the relative influence of servant leadership and narcissism in relation to strategic variables including adaptation and cooperation on competitive advantage and firm performance. Data were collected using structured on-site interviews conducted with 140 and 95 key respondents of randomly selected manufactuarer-export houses located in U.S. and China, respectively. Empirical results revealed that both strategic variables and leadership variables were positively related to competitive advantage, which, in turn, influenced firm performance. The influence of societal culture was evident in our results in that relationships among antecedents of firm performance were denser for U.S. than they were for Chinese firms. Based on these findings, insights for administrative guidance and implications for influencing and managing a firms ISA between manufacturers and their principal international distribution channel alliance partners were discussed. Research drawbacks are identified and directions for future studies are proffered.

Portraying Trawl Fishery in Albanian Waters: Case Study from the Sarandë Area (Southern Albania)

Abstract The current study provides valuable insight into the trawl fishery operating in southern Albanian waters via an integrated approach based on high-frequency onboard monitoring trawl vessels and on-site interviews with local fishers. Multivariate analyses of the composition of species landings or economic revenue revealed groups that, depending on the group, were distinguished by improved fisheries landings and economic efficiency. The majority of the catch consisted of a variety of demersal and small- and medium-sized pelagic species, confirming the Adriatic Sea's multispecies nature. Target species identified in terms of catches and revenue imply a systematic tactic over a long period of time, and incidental catches are equally important in terms of overall group similarity. The identification of target species groups may be useful in assessing the current sampling stratification schemes.

Using a Comprehensive On-Site Assessment Process to Reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection Rates.

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rates increased substantially in the United States following the emergence of COVID-19 and subsequent surges. The pandemic resulted in hospital capacities being exceeded and crisis standards of care being implemented for sustained periods. As COVID-19 rates in the United States began to stabilize, some facilities did not return to previous CLABSI rates, indicating a change in practices that had a longer-term impact on CLABSI prevention. The authors' large health care system observed similar increases in CLABSI following the emergence of COVID-19, prompting investigation and intervention in the form of a quality improvement project. To identify changes related to ongoing increases in CLABSI, an assessment team conducted standardized on-site assessments at 11 facilities. Site assessments were considered an intervention, as they involved rigorous preassessment investigations and interviews, case reviews, practice observations, on-site staff interviews, and postassessment support for additional interventions. Nine facilities had enough postassessment data to analyze the impact of intervention. The overall CLABSI rate (infections per 1000 line days) at the 9 facilities in the 6 months prior to intervention was 1.42, and the postassessment rate in the 6 months following intervention was 0.44. This indicates the effectiveness of facility-specific investigation followed by targeted performance improvements to reduce the rate of CLABSI.

Development and Validation of Questionnaire to Measure Parents' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Self-Medication of Children with Antibiotics in Bandung, Indonesia.

This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practice of parents regarding antibiotic use in Indonesian children using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The instrument development process was conducted from January 5 to 19, 2023, using the following steps: 1) literature review and item development, 2) internal review and refinement, 3) structural model analysis, and 4) measurement models' reliability and validity. A convenience sample was used to recruit parents as participants from Arcamanik District, Bandung, Indonesia. A total of 83 respondents completed the on-site interview questionnaire. Furthermore, statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Version 21.0 and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) Version 26.0. The content validity for the scales was over 50%, and the reliabilities for the 38 items of the questionnaire were above 0.6, respectively. The suitability of the model was assessed, and the findings showed parameters for indicators: chi-square = 0.0004, CFI = 0.977, RMSEA = 0.044, CMIN/DF = 1.162, AGFI = 0.651, TLI = 0.973, and NFI = 0.860. The GFI parameter did not fit with the output value of 0.718, while the convergent and divergent validity of scores provided evidence in the expected direction. This psychometric development study provides preliminary evidence that the 38-item scales were reliable and valid for assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice toward parents in the self-medication of antibiotics in children.

Research on the Universal Design of Rural Public Spaces in the Context of an Aging Society

Shanghai ranks supreme among Chinese metropolises in terms of an escalating elderly population, thereby making the enhancement of their quality of life a universally acknowledged societal concern. Rural public spaces serve as important places to carry out the activities of tourists and villagers . Catering to the physiological and psychological needs of the elderly, respecting their individual characteristics, and subsequently proffering an unprejudiced spatial service for all users, could more effectively gratify the demands of recreation and daily life. The primary focus of this dissertation is the design of public spaces in Shanghai’s Zhonghua village. By conducting an earnest examination of the intrinsics of rural public space and universal design, the urgency of a universally accessible design for public spaces is analyzed. An on-site survey and interviews furnish insights into the current issues concerning the design of public spaces in Zhonghua village, and strategies to ameliorate spatial designs are proposed.

Can acoustic indices reflect the characteristics of public recreational behavioral in urban green spaces?

Acoustic indicators serve as an effective means of assessing the quality of urban green space soundscape. The informative, easy accessibility and non-invasive nature of acoustic monitoring renders it an excellent tool for studying the interaction among the natural environment, wildlife, and human activities. Urban green space is essential in the urban ecosystem and constitutes the primary location for public outdoor recreation. However, the existing methods for monitoring public recreational behavior, such as on-site observation, drone observation, or questionnaire interviews, require significant labor or professional expertise. All of these methods have their limitations, so there is still much to be researched in the acoustic indices and recreational behavior. As a result, the potential for using acoustic characteristics to monitor public recreational behavior remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study investigates the potential of 5 widely used acoustic indices and acoustic intensity for monitoring public recreational behavior: Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI), Acoustic Diversity Index (ADI), Acoustic Richness (AR), Normalized Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI), and Power Spectral Density (PSD). Data were collected from 35 monitoring points in urban green spaces during the opening hours (6:00–22:00) to analyze the relationship between these indices and public recreational behavior. The findings indicate that (1) ACI, ADI, and AR daily exhibited multi-peak daily variation characteristics similar to those of public recreational behavior, displaying a “W” shape, while NDSI exhibits opposite variation characteristics; (2) the spatial variation characteristics of ACI, ADI, and AR change in response to the green space, and these changes align with public recreational behavior; (3) the correlation analysis and generalized linear mixed model construction further demonstrate that acoustic indices are effective in capturing the dynamic activities of visitor behavior; and (4) PSD undergoes significant temporal dynamic changes along the frequency gradient, with different frequency intervals reflecting the activity information of different recreational behaviors. In conclusion, this research highlights the effectiveness of using acoustic indices to analyze both the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of public recreational behavior in urban green spaces. The results can provide valuable data support for the enhancement and renovation of urban green spaces.

Pedagogy of learning: a praxis of industrial safety

This research analyzes the teaching-learning process of the industrial safety training of the Basic Platform Safety Course, developed by the training company Sampling Planning and Industrial Safety Advisory. The course is compulsory for offshore activities in the oil and gas industry in Brazil. When dealing with safety at sea, it is important to start from the premise that navigation imposes an associated danger, derived from the fact that it develops in an environment not conducive to human life, therefore, this theme is of extreme importance. The objective of the research is to evaluate how the learning pedagogy is related to the safety praxis in the offshore work environment. The type of research was based on a case study developed through observation and on-site interview questionnaires. As a data collection instrument, we used document analysis from theoretical tests, practical exercise sheets, grade maps, frequency controls and evaluation questionnaire, provided from the institution. Consolidated data demonstrate that the selected target audience knows and applies industrial safety standards and that the concepts acquired during the course are important in preventing accident risks. It is concluded that education is characterized by being an instrument of theoretical-practical association through information that can intervene in the reality and promote changes in everyday attitudes, leading to new practices for the construction of citizenship.

Cooperativism as a solution or as an obligation? The formation of cooperatives in small-scale mining in Brazil

The Brazilian state, through the 1988 Federal Constitution, the 1999 Mining Permit Law, and the 2008. Garimpeiro Statute, endorsed the cooperative organizational model as a priority for organizing mineral activity in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the country. Brazil's policymakers understood that the cooperative model could more efficiently reduce the sector's informality and promote cooperation. Against this backdrop, this paper seeks to problematize whether the formalization of cooperatives alone can solve many of the governance problems associated with ASM, as well as offer useful insights into the mechanisms by which cooperatives are constituted. This discussion brought up the question of how mineral cooperatives in Brazil function and whether the way they are constituted influences their ability to organize work and how they function. In order to empirically analyze this question, the research delimited the cooperatives in the state of Minas Gerais, in the southeastern region of the country, as the universe of analysis. Fourteen mineral cooperatives were identified. Data collection was carried out by means of on-site interviews and analysis of the founding by-laws and minutes of incorporation of these organizations. Interviews were also held with agents of the local government. The results presented point out that the formation of cooperatives in Minas Gerais is more linked to external demand and to pressure from the environment than to the endogenous motivation of a group. The cooperatives that were created by the workers' initiative tend to follow the principles of cooperativism in an endogenous way. On the other hand, the cooperatives that were created due to the requirements of regulatory agencies have great difficulties assimilating the cooperative model. Finally, we conclude that the pressure for the formalization of cooperatives was not accompanied by the structuring of public policies that support social organization and collective action, thus motivating the merely formal emergence of cooperatives.

Promoting Geographical Indication of Banyuwangi Liberoid Coffee: A Community Capital Framework

Promoting Geographical Indications (GI) for Liberica coffee in Banyuwangi is essential to enhance its recognition as a strategic economic commodity. This study aims to map communal assets using the Community Capital Framework (CCF) owned by coffee producers, supporting the development of GIs. Data was collected through on-site semi-structured questionnaires and interviews using a qualitative descriptive approach. The analysis, based on the CCF approach encompassing natural, cultural, human, social, political, financial, and built capital, allows for a comprehensive understanding of community resources. Integrating the CCF in promoting GI for Liberica coffee holds potential for sustainable development in Banyuwangi. Considering the seven key capitals (environmental, human, economic, infrastructure, social, cultural, and political) enables the formulation of a comprehensive strategy, ensuring product quality, market value, environmental sustainability, and the community's economic growth. By strengthening the Liberica coffee sector through the integration of CCF and GI promotion, the study facilitates heightened competitiveness, reputation, and market value, benefiting smallholder farmers and fostering overall economic growth. This approach aligns with the broader goals of sustainable development and contributes to the empowerment of the local coffee community in Banyuwangi.

Informal caregivers must open the door to information during heart surgery patients hospitalization. A qualitative study

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background/Introduction Despite the possibility of invasive procedures, open heart surgery is still recommended in cases of severe ischemic heart disease and valvular heart disease. National health authorities recommend that health care professionals in hospital should offer informal caregivers necessary learning and support for burdensome caring duties. Follow-up of heart surgery patients after discharge from hospital can be an informal caregiver challenge. There is a lack of studies on the informal caregivers’ experiences with information from health care professionals from before and during hospitalization. Purpose This study explores the informal caregivers of heart surgery patients experiences of information and communication from health care professionals before and during hospitalization. Methods Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted in informal caregivers to patients, who had undergone open heart surgery. A semi-structured interview guide was used during videotelephony (Facetime), phone or face-to-face onsite interview. The settings were university hospitals in Norway and Denmark respectively and were carried out between November 2022 – January 2023. Data analysis in NVivo software tool, following Braun and Clarke`s 6-step thematic analysis process. Results A total of 12 informal caregivers, married or partnered, two men, mean age 65 years, were interviewed two to four weeks after the patient had been discharged to home following open heart surgery. Two main themes were identified: i) lack of preoperative information and ii) responsibility to chase for in-hospital communication. Informal caregivers must invite themselves to gain access to information before admission. Informal caregivers experienced being a team with the patient before admission and then be separated in the health care system. The information and communication were targeted to the patient. Therefore, it was necessary for informal caregivers to be communicatively strong and thereby force doors open to get needed information for themselves. For some informal caregivers it was manageable while others felt lost and withdrew. Conclusion(s) Informal caregivers to patients undergoing open heart surgery want to be part of the information process before and during hospital admission. They want to be in a team with the patient, but it requires an active invitation from health care professionals.

근린생활시설의 주차문제와 제도 개선 방안

This study reviewed opinions and conducted on-site surveys and interviews with interested residents whether the cause of this conflict was fundamentally an institutional problem or a phenomenon caused by illegal parking by simple people. If the current standards for installing parking lots in neighborhood living facilities cause parking problems, related laws should be actively reviewed and the system should be improved to prevent residents from being damaged by illegal parking.

대학 도서관 내 협업 공간의 경험 디자인

A space serves as a platform of experience, and the overall satisfaction of a space is shaped by various experiential elements that users encounter during their stay. This project aims to pinpoint the spatial experiences in the process of building a student-centered creative, collaborative, and communicative space in a university library that increase the utilization and satisfaction of the space. Furthermore, the project explores how these elements contribute to the overall 'placeness' of the space and how they can be integrated into the refurbishment process. Utilizing service design thinking as a guiding framework, we formulated a vision for the spatial experience, identifying key experiential elements across the servicescape's three dimensions. Specifically, we highlighted the allowance of permissible white noise for the 'ambient condition' dimension, movable furniture and ubiquitous floor outlets for the 'spatial layout and functionality' dimension, and a cozy rest area with a daily-changing arrangement emblematic of the dynamic, open, and independent nature of university students for the 'signs, symbols, and artifacts' dimension. We then generated diverse ideas for embedding the components in the space. The generated ideas were assessed through the desktop-walkthrough technique and incorporated into the renovation. After two months of use of the space, we evaluated students’ UX satisfaction through on-site observation and interviews, and verified that experiential components successfully stimulated students' activities, and the intended placeness was established within the space.

Patient-reported experiences of cancer care related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland

PurposeThis study aims to describe the experience of Swiss oncological patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA national multi-center study including five hospitals covering the three main language regions of Switzerland was conducted between March and July 2021. Patients with melanoma, breast, lung, or colon cancer receiving active systemic anti-cancer treatment at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic were included. We conducted semi-structured telephone or onsite interviews alongside the administration of distress and resilience-validated questionnaires. Thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data and descriptive statistics for the quantitative data.ResultsSixty-two cancer patients with a mean age of 61 (SD=14) (58% female) were interviewed. Based on the interviews, we identified that the experience of having cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic was related to five dimensions: psychological, social, support, healthcare, and vaccination. Three themes transverse the five dimensions: (a) needs, (b) positive changes, and (c) phases of the pandemic. In general, patients did not experience delays or disruptions in their cancer treatment nor felt additionally burdened by the pandemic. Lockdown and isolation were reported as mixed experiences (positive and negative), and access to vaccination reassured patients against the risk of infection and instilled hope to return to normalcy. Additionally, we found low distress levels (M=2.9; SD=2.5) and high resilience scores (M=7; SD=1.3) in these patients.ConclusionSwiss patients with cancer did not express major needs or disruptions in their care during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results identify the mixed experiences of patients and highlight the high resilience levels.

Las Torres Reserve’s Sustainable Tourism Practices in Patagonia

Summary This case study is focused on the Chilean adventure travel company, Las Torres Reserve, which has incorporated sustainable tourism practices into its hospitality business in Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia. The information in this study was gathered through onsite interviews and online research with Las Torres Reserve marketing and management staff during a visit to Las Torres Reserve and the W Circuit in Torres del Paine National Park. The case study used interview and online research to describe the background, history and vision, and sustainable management practices the company has pursued to support conservation of the land and provide education to visitors from all over the world. A thorough presentation of the business and its staff’s practices is outlined, including its variety of accommodation options, sustainability practices, and the work its non-governmental organization (NGO) is doing to support conservation. Hospitality businesses that are in the adventure tourism industry can use this case study as an example of how business management and sustainability initiatives can be used to sustain both a successful tourism business and the land that is essential to its long-term success. Information © The Author 2023