PhD Thesis Research Articles

ECR Spotlight – Luis Kuchenmüller

ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Luis Kuchenmüller is an author on ‘ Hyperoxia disproportionally benefits the aerobic performance of large fish at elevated temperature’, published in JEB. Luis is a PhD student in the lab of Timothy Clark at School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia, investigating thermal effects on the cardiorespiratory oxygen supply in fish.

First person – Xiaohuan Sun

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Xiaohuan Sun is first author on ‘ Antagonistic roles of tau and MAP6 in regulating neuronal development’, published in JCS. Xiaohuan is a PhD student in the lab of Liang Oscar Qiang at Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, where she works on exploring cellular and molecular mechanisms in neurobiology.

First person – Mingkai Zhu

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Mingkai Zhu is first author on ‘ Sex hormone receptors, calcium-binding protein and Yap1 signaling regulate sex-dependent liver cell proliferation following partial hepatectomy’, published in DMM. Mingkai conducted the research described in this article while a PhD student in Dr Dong Liu’s lab at Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China and Dr Zhiyuan Gong's lab at National University of Singapore, Singapore. Mingkai is now a research fellow in the lab of Dr Wolfram Goessling at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA, investigating regenerative medicine.

Get set for the quantum workforce

Quantum experts Abbie Bray, Araceli Venegas-Gomez and Mark Elo give their advice for interviews, choosing the right PhD programme and managing risk and reward in the emerging quantum industry.

Critical Evaluation of the 2016 SOSORT Clinical Guidelines on the Detection and Clinical Management of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Using the AGREE II Tool: A Chiropractic Perspective

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to assess the methodological quality of the 2016 Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) guidelines for the detection and management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. MethodsA diverse group of experts, including practicing chiropractors, chiropractors with a Diplomate by the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology, chiropractors with PhD degrees, and chiropractors involved in teaching within chiropractic programs was invited to participate in the study. Experts independently evaluated the guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool. Individual scaled scores were calculated for each item and the 6 domains, with methodological quality considered good if the score was equal to or greater than 70%. ResultsThe 19 experts, including 6 clinicians, 4 chiropractic radiologists, 6 researchers, and 3 lecturers, represented Canada (n = 3), United states (n = 4), France (n = 2), Australia (n = 1), United Kingdom (n = 1), Switzerland (n = 1), Sweden (n = 3), Denmark (n = 2), China (n = 1), and Côte d'Ivoire (n = 1). Domain scaled scores ranged from 38% to 90%. The 4 items of the applicability domain scored between 26% and 45%. The experts made suggestions for improving the applicability of the guidelines’ recommendations. ConclusionThe methodological quality of the 2016 SOSORT clinical practice guidelines was deemed good. However, strategies should be devised to improve their applicability. This could be achieved by involving a more diverse representation of healthcare professions in the development of future guidelines.

О некоторых проблемах регулирования оплаты и стимулирования труда преподавателей вузов в России на федеральном уровне

The article examines the features of the legal regulation of remuneration and labor incentives for university teachers at the federal level. The subject of the research, the results of which are presented in this article, are the features of the legal regulation of remuneration and incentives for the work of university teachers at the federal level. The purpose of the study is to consider possible ways to increase wages and incentive payments for university teachers at the federal level. As research methods, the author included methods such as legal analysis of the existing legal regulation of the activities of a university teacher, as well as the method of situational modeling of the legal regulation of the activities of a university teacher. During the study, it was found that, unfortunately, the current Russian legislation at the federal level does not contain effective incentives for university teachers: the salary of a university teacher practically does not depend on the results of his scientific and educational achievements, bonuses for an academic degree and academic title have been removed, there is no budget doctoral studies, and extended paid leave for teachers is often not fully realized due to the need for additional income for teachers. Ways have been proposed to improve the legal regulation of the activities of university teachers, aimed at stimulating the activities of university teachers at the federal level, including the return to Russian legislation of additional payments for an academic degree and academic title in the amount of at least 40% of their salary, the need for regular payment of bonuses for scientific work , the return of budget-funded doctoral studies, and an increase in the salaries of university teachers based on a single salary scale.

The Australian nursing and midwifery academic workforce: A cross-sectional study

AimTo explore the demographics, employment characteristics, job satisfaction and career intentions of the Australian nursing and midwifery academic workforce. BackgroundThe academic workforce is crucial in preparing the next generation of nurses and midwives. Thus, understanding current satisfaction, challenges, opportunities and intentions is important for recruitment and succession planning. DesignCross-sectional online Australian academic nursing and midwifery survey. MethodRespondents were invited to complete an online survey via social media platforms, advertisements on professional websites and circulation via professional associations. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. ResultsOf the 250 respondents, most were Registered Nurses (n=212), female (n=222), held tenured teaching and research positions (n=126) and were over the age of 50 (n=130). Almost half of respondents held a PhD (n=98), with 55 (43.7%) of those without a Doctoral qualification indicating no intention in undertaking doctoral studies. Over 85% (n=213) of respondents indicated working regular unpaid hours. Female respondents had a significantly higher mean annual teaching allocation compared with males who had higher research workload allocations (p=0.033). Job satisfaction and intention to leave academia were linked with workload and perceived value. Job satisfaction was significantly higher among teaching-only and research-only academics (p=0.005). ConclusionThe sustainability of the Australian nursing and midwifery workforce is at risk due to an ageing workforce and some academics' lack of intention in pursuing doctoral studies. Gender inequities emerged as a finding in this study. Workforce strategies are required to address gender disparities and workload imbalances that have an impact on job satisfaction.

Library and Information Sciences in Romanian higher education today

With 33 years of existence in Romania, higher education in the field of library and information science is today organised by four universities: University of Bucharest, Babes Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu and West University of Timisoara. In 2005, the Bologna Process was implemented in this field as well, with specialized education being organized in three specific cycles: undergraduate and master's studies, postgraduate studies and doctoral studies. Starting with this moment, we are assisting the attempt to standardise the curriculum, implicitly the set of skills and competences that graduates must have after graduation. This is supervised by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education; the competences and skills are listed in the register drawn up by the National Agency for Qualifications, and they are correlated with the ESCO register (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations). By analysing the most recent RAQAHE recommendations (updated in 2022), the ESCO and NAQ registers, we aim to highlight the topicality of the study programmes offered by the four universities. The discussions can be held, in essence, on how prepared graduates are for the labour market and what would be the next steps for a more frequent adaptation of the content of subjects in curriculum in order to take into account the views formulated by The European Network Of Public Employment Services in June 2023, as a contribution to the European Year of Skills. It allows us to formulate some conclusions on the current state of curriculum in Romania.

Assessing the Potential for a PhD in Education Program with Specializations at LSPU-System: A Feasibility Study

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of offering a Doctor of Philosophy in Education program at LSPU. The study utilized a quantitative research design to gather data from 243 respondents consisting of teachers, education professionals, and stakeholders in the field of education. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis to evaluate the potential demand for the program, the availability of qualified faculty members, and the resources needed to support the program. The results showed that there is a high demand for advanced degrees in education, as evidenced by the majority of respondents expressing interest in pursuing a PhD in Education. The study also found that LSPU has an adequate number of qualified faculty members who meet the minimum requirements set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) policies and guidelines. Additionally, LSPU's status as a Center of Development in Teacher Education reflects the university's commitment to excellence in teacher education, which is directly relevant to the proposed PhD in Education program. The study concluded that LSPU is well-positioned to offer a PhD in Education program, given its available resources, qualified faculty, and high demand from potential students. This study's findings can provide valuable insights for LSPU in making informed decisions regarding the development and implementation of a PhD in Education program. The study's implications extend beyond LSPU, as other universities interested in offering similar programs can use these findings as a reference for their own feasibility studies.

College Students' Attitudes & Information Literacy Knowledge Related to Privacy on TikTok

ABSTRACTThis study is a project designed to be part of the PhD dissertation research as a pilot aimed at assessing the study's feasibility and its potential for refinement. The paper presents a study that explored the attitudes and knowledge of college students toward privacy in TikTok. This paper aims to comparatively assess student privacy literacy and privacy‐related concerns along with their response patterns towards the Florida State University policy banning TikTok on campus networks. The study utilizes semi‐structured, qualitative interviews to collect data from five undergraduate students (age 18–24) at Florida State University. It has analyzed and discussed the data collected from these interviews to achieve greater insight into the privacy literacy of students, their privacy concerns, and how Generation Z (Gen Z) students view institutional policies affect their use of social media. Preliminary findings suggests students are skeptical of the ban due to perceived ineffectiveness of the school policy. Analysis showed the new school rules had little effect on students' usage pattern or the amount of time they spent using TikTok.

Hysteresis of habitus: Social origin and career decision-making among Chinese PhD students

Hysteresis of habitus: Social origin and career decision-making among Chinese PhD students

Editorial

The IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering journal contains the peer-reviewed papers presented at the 10th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Structures - AMS 2024. The conference took place between 30.05 to 01.06 2024 at Timisoara, Romania and it was the tenth edition of the scientific event organized by the Department of Materials Engineering and Manufacturing and Department of Mechanics and Strength of Materials from University Politehnica of Timisoara with the support of the Politehnica Foundation, Technical Sciences Academy of Romania and Romanian Academy - Timisoara Branch. Additionally, this tenth edition continues the tradition of previous AMS conferences by providing a platform for researchers, academic staff, young PhD students, and industrial partners to present their scientific achievements in the field of: - Advanced materials-amorphous, nano-structured materials, composites, cellular materials, biomaterials etc.; - Surface engineering; - Modern fabrication, additive manufacturing, joints and recycling technologies; - Materials damage under time-dependent-actions (fatigue, creep, impact, corrosion); - Computational techniques for advanced engineering materials and structures. We hope that our readers find this special issue both interesting and useful. Guest editors Prof. Viorel-Aurel ȘERBAN, University Politehnica of Timisoara, Romania Prof. Liviu MARȘAVINA, University Politehnica of Timisoara, Romania Prof. Ion-Dragoș UȚU, University Politehnica of Timisoara, Romania Assoc.Prof. Emanoil LINUL, University Politehnica of Timisoara, Romania

Institutional Mechanisms for Enhancing Production of Doctoral Research Outputs at Makerere University

In the contemporary knowledge society, research production is being re-purposed in terms of not just its academic value, but also its wider societal value. As such, doctoral research ought to be produced in the context of application. Therefore, universities have a responsibility to enhance the uptake and use of doctoral research outputs. This necessitates institutional mechanisms for enhancing the production of doctoral research outputs for uptake and use beyond academia. We examined the institutional mechanisms for enhancing production of doctoral research outputs at Makerere University using the research knowledge infrastructure (RKI) framework as the analytical lens. This was in light of the dismal uptake and use of research produced at Makerere University by students and staff. We used qualitative single case study research design. We collected data through interviewing and review of documents. We interviewed 10 doctoral program coordinators, three managers of research and graduate training and 13 PhD students we selected purposively. We reviewed seven institutional documents pertaining graduate training at Makerere University: two plans, three policies, one framework and one guideline. We used thematic data analysis to make sense of the data. The findings revealed that due to policy-practice gaps and funding constraints, mechanisms to enhance doctoral research production to facilitate uptake and use of doctoral research outputs beyond the academia were not adequately integrated into doctoral research training. This was shown by the lack of mechanisms to enhance doctoral research commissioning and execution, and gaps in priority setting. Opportunities for productive interactions between doctoral researchers and potential users were missed. As such, doctoral research outputs largely remained within the scholarly community. We recommend that the university should establish interface structures and co-creation spaces to leverage doctoral research commissioning, execution and priority setting to facilitate the uptake and use of doctoral research outputs beyond the scientific community.

A study into the mental health of PhD students in Australia: investigating the determinants of depression, anxiety, and suicidality.

PhD students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing poor mental health. Mental health concerns that arise during their studies can not only affect their study progress but also have long-lasting impacts on their mental health after their studies. Extensive research has been conducted on the mental health of university students, but few studies have focused on PhD students and even fewer on PhD students in Australia. The present study investigated demographic, occupational, psychological, social, and relational determinants of mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and suicidality) in PhD students in Australia. PhD students enrolled in Australian universities were invited to complete an online survey. Results from regression analyses identified key determinants of mental health symptoms in our sample of PhD students (N = 302). In particular, higher levels of imposter thoughts, perfectionism discrepancy, and loneliness were strong predictors of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mental health of PhD students in Australia. Importantly, these findings inform areas of focus where potential strategies can be implemented to better protect the mental health of this population. For example, strategies that mitigate loneliness or foster effective, collaborative student-supervisor relationships.

Creating Capacity for Digital Transformation of Education:

Educational institutions and training programs have faced an accelerated transformation toward the integration of technology. However, it is unclear whether the capacity to train qualified personnel to support this digital transformation in education. In this session, we review university websites across Canada looking at the availability of online PhD programs in Education Technology. Findings indicate only one is offered online only (5% or 1 out of 20) and two provide students with the possibility to study in a blended format for their PhD program, which is 10% (2 out of 20) of all Canadian universities that have PhD programs. Only 5% (1 out of 20) of Canadian institutions provide a PhD program in educational technology; however, this is offered on campus only. While this review excludes the EdD pathway, we did find two EdD programs in educational technology that could be accessed entirely online and one blended program. As technological and conceptual shifts of entire sectors that prioritize digital learning and digital literacy (e.g., B.C. Digital Learning Strategy), there is significant demand for PhD qualified individuals to lead or execute these initiatives. As such, there needs to be more discussion about how to make PhD study more accessible, specifically in educational technology.

The Pursuit of Doctoral Studies in an African Context

This paper discusses the pursuit of doctoral studies in an African context. Doctoral studies are not a new development worldwide. It has been reported that the first conferred doctoral degree was at the University of Paris. This paper examines the situation of doctoral studies in Africa, the role of doctoral students, the role of supervisors, doctoral studies across the globe, and the challenges facing doctoral students in Africa. This paper reveals that the role of a doctoral student is planning research, scheduling meetings, searching for literature, carrying out the research, drafting the thesis preparation, proofreading the thesis, writing the final thesis, submitting the final thesis, defending the final thesis, publishing the final thesis, and communicating the findings in the form of publications. The situation of doctoral studies in Africa, the role of supervisors, doctoral studies across the globe, and the challenges facing doctoral students in Africa have been discussed. It is recommended that the research work should be collaborative to enhance sharing of ideas and knowledge, involvement in presentations at seminars, participating in conferences/workshops, commitment to a research plan, and if possible joining research associations or groups. In this article recommendations for the quality doctoral programs in Africa have been provided. The conclusion states that the effort and input of supervisors also play a critical role in the quality of doctoral students who are turned out at any point in time. So, the future of research in the African context needs special attention regarding the role of role of doctoral candidates, supervisors and the government itself.

Insight into the postgraduate certificate in teaching and learning in higher education, challenges, and opportunities

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the postgraduate program in learning and teaching in higher education. The program was designed to introduce the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to enhance the teaching quality to the higher education academic staff. The research methodology was qualitative, with content analysis, structured observation, and storytelling techniques. The research findings reveal that the program has been designed for the junior staff to engage with the undergraduate students. The program does not consider the senior staff who supervises master’s and PhD students, and they need knowledge about research methodology, thesis and dissertation supervision, and the support system. In conclusion, the program needs to be flexible with more optional or elective courses to specialize or personalize the content and structure for the individual participants.

University leadership within the neoliberal agenda: Reframing the landscape through a principled leadership approach

This article emerged from a doctoral study that explored Nova Scotia university leaders’ leadership beliefs and values, and change agency approaches. “Principled leadership” was conceptualized as an expansion of authentic leadership theory and involved – authenticity (identity), spirituality, and love (an ethic of care). Principled leadership was examined as a possible approach which could facilitate successful change agency. The leader-participants included university presidents, vice-presidents, directors, and deans. A key finding was that leaders were operating within a conceptualization of authenticity. They held honesty, integrity, and trust as critical to their change agency. Another finding was that principled leadership offered an antidote to the depredations on positive leadership resulting from neoliberalism that has seriously impacted Canadian higher education. This study raised questions surrounding the nature of authentic leadership and identity; that is, the core of authenticity is knowing oneself and being true to one’s own values, but what if a leader has “drunk the Kool-Aid of neoliberalism” thereby truly believes that their top-down, autocratic (or destructive leadership) approach was ‘efficient’ (a neoliberal tenet) and crucial to organizational effectiveness and change agency. Can they still be considered authentic leaders? Thus, this study indicated that principled leadership was a useful expansion of Avolio and his colleagues’ authentic leadership theory.

Artificial intelligence in developing doctoral students' research competencies

The study deals with the topical issue of introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into the students’ professional training at the third educational and research level of higher education. The aim of the study is to empirically verify the AI role in building the research competence of future doctors of philosophy (PhDs). The research employed the following methods: monitoring, quantitative, qualitative, comparative data analysis, modelling. The study involved monitoring the development of the students’ research competence of the third educational and research level of higher education according to substantive, design, procedural, optional, communicative components. The method of using AI in building the research competence of PhD students was developed and tested. The level of research competence increased during the implementation of the method of using AI. So, the growth was the following: substantive – by 7.5%, design – by 10%, procedural – by 8.4%, optional – by 11.4%, and communicative – by 8.5% components. The results of the study can be used in the educational process of higher education institutions (HEIs) to create the content of the training of applicants. The prospect of research is the development of recommendations regarding the use of AI tools in the development of their research skills.

Study of Published Urdu Travelogues about Iran

The tradition of travelogue writing in Urdu began in the late nineteenth century. In that period, the Urdu translation of the books related to Iran, written by the English scholars and different personalities, paved the way for the creation of travelogues of Iran in Urdu. As this tradition of travelogue writing in Urdu got popular, the travelogues partially or completely related to Iran also increased in numbers. Having diverse styles, these travelogues may be divided into different kinds in terms of the objectives and motivations of their authors. In this article, a collection of travelogues of Iran published in Urdu is being presented that will be helpful in research about travelogue writing and especially about different aspects of Iranology. Reference: Sufi Malkapuri Hyderabadi, Maulvi Abu Tarab Muhammad Abdul Jabbar Khan Sahib, Mahbub-ul-Zaman Tazkira Shairai Deccan, Part II, Hyderabad (Deccan): Mutaba Rahmani, 1329 Hijri, p. 654 Zaidi, Syeda Nadira, Scholarly and Literary Services of Munshi Mahboob Alam, Supervisor: Ubaidullah Khan, Punjab University, Lahore, Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Year of Defense: 1992, p. 191. Nowshahi, Arif (1986), List of Persian Books of Chapsangi and Kamiyab in Kitabkhana Ganjbakhsh, Volume I, Islamabad: Center for Persian Research of Iran and Pakistan, pp. 938-939. Baig, Mirza Hamid, Bibliography of Translations, Volume II. Prose Literature, Curator: Syed Abdullah, Islamabad: Muqtadra Qaumi Language, 1987, p. 116 Abdi Khajasta, Laila, Translation of Hai-i Haji Baba Isfahani into Persian and Urdu in Ancient India, Magazine of Anjuman Mafakhir, Year 15, Issue IV, Tehran: Anjuman Athar and Mafakhir Farhangi, Winter 1398 Shamsi, p. 14 Abdi Khajasta, Laila, Translation of Hai-i Haji Baba Isfahani into Persian and Urdu in Ancient India, Magazine of Anjuman Mafakhir, Year 15, Issue IV, Tehran: Anjuman Athar and Mafakhir Farhangi, Winter 1398 Shamsi, p. 15 Nowshahi, Arif, List of rare and rare Persian books in Ganjbakhsh Library, Volume 1, Islamabad: Persian Research Center of Iran and Pakistan, p. 849 Nowshahi, Arif, List of rare and rare Persian books in Ganjbakhsh Library, Volume 1, Islamabad: Persian Research Center of Iran and Pakistan, pp. 847-851. Alam, Munshi Mehboob, Biography of Shah Muzaffaruddin Walli of Iran, Lahore: Khadim-ul-Tealim Publishers Punjab, 1902, p. 1. Munshi Mahbub Alam, Safarnamah Baghdad, Khadim-ul-Tealim Press, Lahore, 1921, p. 3.