Pilot Project Research Articles

Improving the Quality of Intravenous Procedures in a Pediatric High Dependency Unit.

A pilot project was done to improve the quality of intravenous cannulation procedures at the pediatric high-dependency unit (PHDU) of a tertiary eye care hospital. In a nurses-led initiative, baseline data was collected, fishbone root cause analysis was done, and a custom checklist was prepared to test improvement. Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles were done to test change ideas. Simple change ideas such as implementing a well-equipped designated IV trolley, hand hygiene, proper illumination, nursing assistance, reduced movement, and biomedical waste management at the point of care were implemented. The initiative improved the quality of IV procedures from a baseline of 25% to 79%. Healthcare teams used basic QI measures to rapidly improve patient quality of care at no extra cost.

TEHNOLOGIA BLOCKCHAIN PENTRU ÎMBUNĂTĂȚIREA TRASABILITĂȚII ȘI SUSTENABILITĂȚII ECHIPAMENTELOR INDIVIDUALE DE PROTECȚIE ÎN AGRICULTURA DIN ROMÂNIA

Blockchain technology provides a secure and transparent method to improve the traceability and sustainability of personal protective equipment (PPE) in Romanian agriculture. By enabling comprehensive monitoring of PPE across its lifecycle, blockchain addresses gaps in safety and compliance. It ensures adherence to safety standards while reducing risks of counterfeit or defective products. However, several challenges hinder adoption. High costs, limited digital infrastructure, and low digital literacy among farmers create significant barriers. Overcoming these requires targeted investments in rural digital infrastructure and training programs designed to enhance stakeholders’ skills. Public-private partnerships and pilot projects are essential to demonstrate the technology’s benefits and build trust among users. Gradual implementation, supported by collaboration between public and private sectors, can transform Romanian agriculture. Blockchain’s integration can lead to better productivity, improved safety, and greater sustainability. This study examines blockchain’s potential in PPE management, offering insights into its applications, benefits, and necessary steps for successful adoption in the agricultural sector. Through strategic action, Romanian agriculture can leverage blockchain to achieve safer practices and long-term sustainability.

The Role of Consumer Empowerment and Its Comparison in Financial Inclusion in the Global South

This research examines the role of consumer empowerment in advancing financial inclusion across the Global South, focusing on Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The study aims to understand how empowering consumers through economic literacy, protection, and equitable access facilitates meaningful participation in formal financial systems. It employs a qualitative analysis of case studies from Kenya, Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, Liberia and India, combined with a review of relevant policy frameworks and innovations in digital financial services. Findings reveal that consumer empowerment significantly enhances financial inclusion by building trust, fostering financial capability, and enabling access to tailored products. Case studies highlight the transformative impact of mobile platforms like M-Pesa and bKash, Liberia linking the informal financial sector to the formal financial sector pilot project and regulatory measures such as Brazil’s consumer protection laws and India’s responsible lending guidelines. However, barriers such as limited infrastructure, regulatory gaps, and socio-cultural norms continue to impede progress. The study concludes that bridging these gaps requires collaborative efforts to strengthen consumer protection, expand literacy programs, and leverage technology for equitable financial access. By addressing these challenges, stakeholders can create inclusive and resilient financial ecosystems that drive sustainable economic growth in the Global South.

Computer-assisted medical history taking prior to patient consultation in the outpatient care setting: a prospective pilot project

BackgroundFeeding patients’ self-reported medical history into the diagnostic care process may accelerate workflows in clinical routine.MethodsWe prospectively piloted a novel medical history documentation system in a German cardiological outpatient practice and evaluated its feasibility and perceived usefulness. Based on a generic software that allows to record structured information, a customized solution for the cooperating practice was developed and implemented. Prior to the consultation of the physician, the patient used a tablet that guided the user through a structured comprehensive workflow to document the medical history. The retrieved information was arranged by the software into a ready-to-use text format, presented to the physician in an editable form and added to her report. Three user-centered endpoints were explored: i) Appropriateness—measured by the duration of a patient interview; ii) Patient acceptance—assessed by three questions to patients; iii) Usefulness—operationalized by multiple ratings of the physician.ResultsA total of 2,513 patients were approached of which 2,415 provided complete histories. The system was assessed as appropriate for the practical workflow in terms of time and workflows. The patient-system interaction was rated favourably by patients including elderly ones. The system was regarded useful by the physician, reducing her daily workload by about one hour.ConclusionsAutomated history-taking tools deployed before consultation could support physicians in obtaining patients’ medical histories, thereby reducing professionals’ perceived workload. The technical and methodological limitations of our study should be respected, calling for additional future evaluations.

Community perceptions of health accountability meetings with local politicians to improve healthcare quality: a qualitative study in Western Uganda

BackgroundLack of accountability within healthcare systems contributes to suboptimal healthcare quality and ultimately poor health outcomes, especially in low-income countries. In Uganda, our research team implemented a pilot project of quarterly health accountability meetings between community members and their local political leaders to discuss healthcare needs and strategies for quality improvement. In this study, we examine the community members’ understanding and perceptions of the health accountability meetings, as well as the perceived impact of the meetings on local healthcare services and community life.MethodsWe conducted a total of 12 focus group discussions (FGDs), half with men and half with women, in November 2022 across six randomly chosen communities out of the ten communities where health accountability meetings were held. We audio taped, transcribed, and translated all FGDs into English. We collected data on demographics, understanding of the meetings, and perceived changes within healthcare services and the community from 111 participants. Two researchers analyzed the data using an inductive thematic approach, generating five themes.ResultsWe found the following themes: (1) increased inclusivity and promotion of bidirectional communication; (2) increased understanding of patient rights and practicing of collective empowerment by the community; (3) improved provider behavior; (4) enhanced relationships among politicians, community members, and healthcare providers; and (5) identified needs for future improvements.ConclusionThrough this qualitative study, we found that the community members perceived the accountability meetings as beneficial in improving the local healthcare services and community life. The study demonstrates the need to prioritize the voices of local communities in efforts to address the accountability gaps, as well as the potential for utilizing the relationship between community members and politicians to address accountability shortfalls in other governmental functions beyond healthcare.Trial registrationN/A.

Digitised demand response in practice: The role of digital housekeeping for smart energy technologies

The renewable energy transition requires more flexible electricity consumption. This article follows up on Norwegian plans to achieve this through demand response and a piloting of smart home technology targeting indoor heating, which we call Smart Energy Technology (SET). Based on 17 in-depth interviews with participants in a technology pilot project, we map the work required to keep the SET system running, how it impacted electricity-consuming household practices, and analyse why use of the system varied widely among participants. We show that the system in question was too complex for other than exceptionally skilled and motivated users, who engaged in extensive “digital housekeeping”. Other users were navigating a complex Norwegian electricity market using technology they found difficult to operate. This was linked with limited system use, which lowered the energy efficiency contribution of the smart system. Smart systems and their use are highly gendered and have the potential both to challenge and reinforce gendered divisions of labour. More research into the gendered impacts of smart systems in Norway is needed. Simpler and more user-friendly systems are necessary for future pilot projects, more hands-on training for users in such pilots is required, and the daily work required to operate complex smart systems should be recognised more clearly by both smart system developers and policy makers.

Application of forecast‐informed reservoir operations at US Army Corps of Engineers dams in California

AbstractThe US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) prescribes flood control operations for reservoirs it regulates in watershed‐specific water control manuals (WCMs), which can be decades‐old and may not capture changed conditions in the watersheds or include the benefit of state‐of‐the‐science weather and streamflow prediction. Considering the specific characteristics of a reservoir, forecast‐informed reservoir operations (FIRO) may be used to enhance flood risk reduction, improve water availability, and achieve other benefits. The first FIRO pilot project at Lake Mendocino in California focused on determining if water supply reliability could be improved using FIRO without increasing flood risk. The final report concluded that FIRO concepts could indeed improve water supply reliability while enhancing flood risk reduction. Subsequently, USACE chose additional reservoir systems in California with different characteristics as additional pilot study locations to further investigate FIRO concepts. These successful FIRO efforts have provided justification to continue its expansion beyond the initial pilot sites. The lessons learned from the FIRO pilot projects are being used to inform the development of the FIRO Screening Process, a screening level framework intended to scale up the implementation of FIRO. The lessons learned could support FIRO implementation at suitable USACE reservoirs by updating WCMs.

Carbon Soil Mapping in a Sustainable-Managed Farm in Northeast Italy: Geochemical and Geophysical Applications

Recently, there has been increasing interest in organic carbon (OC) certification of soil as an incentive for farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. In this context, this pilot project combines geochemical and geophysical methods to map the distribution of OC contents in agricultural fields, allowing us to detect variations in time and space. Here we demonstrated a relationship between soil OC contents estimated in the laboratory and the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) measured in the field. Specifically, geochemical elemental analyses were used to evaluate the OC content and relative isotopic signature in collected soil samples from a hazelnut orchard in the Emilia–Romagna region of Northeastern Italy, while the geophysical Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) method enabled the in situ mapping of the ECa distribution in the same soil field. According to the results, geochemical and geophysical data were found to be reciprocally related, as both the organic matter and soil moisture were mainly incorporated into the fine sediments (i.e., clay) of the soil. Therefore, such a relation was used to create a map of the OC content distribution in the investigated field, which could be used to monitor the soil C sequestration on small-scale farmland and eventually develop precision agricultural services. In the future, this method could be used by farmers and regional and/or national policymakers to periodically certify the farm’s soil conditions and verify the effectiveness of carbon sequestration. These measures would enable farmers to pursue Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) incentives for the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Extracurricular Tandem as a Powerful Tool for Enhancing Intercultural Communicative Competence

Regular interaction with the representatives of the target language is a key driver in enhancing linguistic and intercultural competence. This study explores the frequency of communication between Kazakhstani students and native speakers, additionally examining their emotions during foreign language interaction. Furthermore, it seeks to identify the efficacy of extracurricular tandem in fostering intercultural communicative competence and the challenges faced by students when studying languages in extracurricular tandem. Following the quantitative method of scientific research, the authors conducted an anonymous survey of 587 foreign language students. To create an opportunity for intercultural communication, the research group developed the website and initiated an extracurricular language tandem pilot project between foreign and local students. The survey findings revealed that only a small portion (11%) of students regularly communicate with native speakers, while the majority of respondents (73%) experience both language difficulties and anxiety during interactions. The extracurricular tandem project provided positive outcomes, with students reporting enhancement in both their linguistic skills and understanding of the target culture. The project contributed the development of friendships and boosted confidence in using the target language. Nevertheless, students encountered some difficulties related to organizational aspects. This study can guide educators and educational institutions in creating conditions that promote intercultural exchange among students and enhance their intercultural communicative skills.

Charting the dual career journey: insights from adolescent athletes in lower secondary sport schools

ABSTRACT A dual career (DC) involves the integration of a sport career with education or employment, including various stages and transitions. Recently, there has been a notable trend of implementing DC programs within specialized sport schools for early adolescence athletes (ages 13–15). As this a crucial but understudied phase of the DC, the aim of this study was to identify current and projected resources and barriers associated with adolescent athletes’ DC in lower secondary school. As part of a larger three-year initiative, the Finnish Lower Secondary Sports Schools Pilot Project, sixteen (9 females and 7 males) adolescent DC athletes were interviewed twice in the eighth grade (M age = 14.4 years) and one year later in the ninth grade. Using the holistic athletic career model and push, pull, anti-push, anti-pull framework and a directed content analysis, the results revealed a range of immediate personal and environmental resources and barriers across athletic, academic, psychological, psychosocial and financial dimensions. They also suggested that interpersonal and institutional support were regarded as crucial assets for managing current challenges, while personal DC competencies, in particular, were emphasized as essential projected resources contributing to the sustainability of a DC in the future. Based on the findings, sports schools should increase the amount of hours dedicated to teaching DC competencies (e.g. emotional awareness, adaptability and social intelligence) to help athletes effectively cope with barriers and transitions. Additionally, flexible scheduling of teaching and training sessions could facilitate a better balance during demanding training periods.

From theory to practice: Designing a European basic income

AbstractBasic income, a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all accredited residents on an individual basis, has garnered a great deal of attention in recent years driven by rising inequalities, the failure of minimum income schemes, labor market transformations, and diverse basic income pilot projects worldwide. However, the successful implementation of a basic income requires a comprehensive and sustained effort. This research contributes to this endeavor by providing an unprecedented microsimulation analysis of the economic feasibility of a European Basic Income (EBI), demonstrating that it can be financed sustainably and equitably without reducing existing tax revenues. The proposed EBI, financed through a reform of the personal income tax and the introduction of common European wealth and greenhouse gas emissions taxes, ensures the material existence of all Europeans and fosters a more egalitarian European Union through its redistributive effects.

Navigating through recent evidence on locoregional breast cancer radiotherapy: an initiative by the scientific association of Swiss radiation oncology.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in women and radiotherapy (RT) is an integral part of its treatment. High-level evidence guides clinical decisions, but given the abundance of guidelines, aneed to navigate within the evidence has been identified by the board of the Scientific Association of Swiss Radiation Oncology (SASRO). Apilot project was initiated aiming to create an overview of recent clinically relevant evidence for BC RT, to make it easily available to (radiation) oncologists and radiation oncologists in training. Apanel of 10radiation oncology experts for BC RT, one expert in BC surgery, and one expert in BC medical oncology critically reviewed the relevant literature. The panel comprehensively represented different geographical regions of Switzerland as well as university, cantonal, and private institutions. We sought to create aconsensual overview of the most relevant questions in BC RT today, accompanied by the most recent and relevant available evidence. From January 2023 to January 2024, the panel met four times to review and work on an initial draft. The final draft was reviewed and accepted by all panelists. We hereby publish this work to make it available to international audiences. After publication, the work will be made available to all SASRO members on the SASRO website. This work is to be updated every 2years. The identified need was addressed with asuccessful pilot project and will be further expanded upon in other tumor pathologies.

Evaluation Of Biology Teachers' Knowledge in Sidoarjo Regarding the Concept of Poliovirus and Wolbachia Infected Mosquitoes

Biology is a dynamic and constantly developing science. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia reported nine cases of childhood polio in East Java in January 2024. In addition, the Ministry of Health launched a pilot project to implement Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes as an innovation to control dengue fever in five big cities in Indonesia. This health problem is studied in biology lessons on viruses in senior high school. This paper aims to analyze the knowledge of the concepts of polioviruses and Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in the biology teacher community in Sidoarjo. The respondents were 43 biology teachers in Sidoarjo. Respondents' prior knowledge was measured by pretest. After the respondent takes the pretest, the respondent gets the concept of the virus. After the material, respondents do a post-test. 11 pretest questions and 11 post-test questions are packaged in Google form. The results showed that all participants participated in the activity from start to finish, taking the pretest, listening to the material, and doing the post-test. The pretest mean score was 40.18, and the post-test mean score was 91.36. The highest pretest score was 81.81. The highest pretest score was 100. A total of 15 teachers (34.88%) were unsure that Wolbachia-infected mosquito was the best solution to reduce disease. Twenty-one respondents (48.83%) agreed mainly with society's concern that the Wolbachia-infected mosquito is dangerous for humans. Respondents' knowledge increased after receiving the concept of the virus

Impact of Diabetes Distress Screening on Individualized Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES): An Evidence-Based Practice Pilot Project

Impact of Diabetes Distress Screening on Individualized Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES): An Evidence-Based Practice Pilot Project

Assessing Chinese-to-English Translation Quality – A Systemic Functional Linguistics Perspective

Translation quality assessment is an important issue in translation teaching and learning, but it has been under-researched in translation studies. Whether a translation is good or not depends largely on a translator’s ability of text analysis. Taking the translation task of TEM8 (Test for English Majors Band 8) in 2023 as an example, this paper presents a pilot project aimed at exploring a systematic way of analyzing translation errors by referring to systemic functional linguistics (SFL). In particular, the paper investigates how SFL-based text analysis of ideational meaning, interpersonal meaning and textual meaning can be used for translation teaching and learning, through comparative analyses of a set of texts, including a Chinese source text, two translation texts from TEM8 in 2023, and an AI-generated literal translation as back translation. The study finds that it is possible to identify, describe and classify translation errors in the translated texts, and more significantly, the resulting error description and classification allows translation teachers a more precise expression of the nature of poor translation or translation errors that would otherwise be simply put as “inadequate” or “awkward” translation, and students a more tangible understanding of what counts as an “excellent” translation. Following the analyses, the paper discusses the pedagogical effects of SFL-based text analysis by conducting a survey and semi-structured interviews with students. The quantitative data show that overall, students held a positive attitude towards translation, and the qualitative data analysis uncovers specific benefits and challenges experienced by the students.

Rethinking Blockchain Technologies for the Maritime Industry: An Overview of the Current Landscape

This survey aims to provide an up-to-date and succinct yet informative overview of the blockchain technologies for the maritime industry. We synthesize the recent advancements in blockchain development and its adoption across maritime sectors, highlighting the key blockchain use cases, including promoting maritime sustainability and optimizing maritime supply chain management through improved traceability, advancing smart shipping with automated processes and fostering collaboration among stakeholders by enhancing transparency. Through an analysis of current implementations, pilot projects, and case studies, we especially focus on identifying the challenges and barriers, reasoning on the status quo, and the opportunities and future perspectives for blockchain in maritime.

Reprocessing of eXpendable BathyThermograph (XBT) profiles from the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas over the time period 1999–2019 with a full metadata upgrade

Abstract. The advent of open science and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development are revolutionizing the ocean-data-sharing landscape for an efficient and transparent ocean information and knowledge generation. This blue revolution raised awareness on the importance of metadata and community standards to activate interoperability of the digital assets (data and services) and guarantee that data-driven science preserves provenance, lineage and quality information for its replicability. Historical data are frequently not compliant with these criteria, lacking metadata information that was not retained, crucial at the time of data generation and further ingestion into marine data infrastructures. The present data review is an example attempt to fill this gap through a thorough data reprocessing starting from the original raw data and operational log sheets. The data gathered using XBT (eXpendable BathyThermograph) probes during several monitoring activities in the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas between 1999 and 2019 have first been formatted and standardized according to the latest community best practices and all available metadata have been inserted, including calibration information never applied, uncertainty specification and bias correction from Cheng et al. (2014). Secondly, a new automatic quality control (QC) procedure has been developed and a new interpolation scheme applied. The reprocessed (REP) dataset has been compared to the data version, presently available from the SeaDataNet (SDN) data access portal, processed according to the pioneering work of Manzella et al. (2003) conducted in the framework of the European Union Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project (Pinardi et al., 2003). The comparison between REP and SDN datasets has the objective to highlight the main differences derived from the new data processing process. The maximum discrepancy among the REP and SDN data versions always resides within the surface layer (REP profiles are warmer than SDN ones) until 150 m depth generally when the thermocline settles (from June to November). The overall bias and root mean square difference are equal to 0.002 and 0.041 °C, respectively. Such differences are mainly due to the new interpolation technique (Barker and McDougall, 2020) and the application of the calibration correction in the REP dataset. The REP dataset (Reseghetti et al., 2024; https://doi.org/10.13127/rep_xbt_1999_2019.2) is available and accessible through the INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Bologna) ERDDAP (Environmental Research Division's Data Access Program) server, which allows for machine-to-machine data access in compliance with the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles (Wilkinson et al., 2016).

Pola Pendekatan Inovatif dalam Rancang Merchandise Budaya Berbahan Dasar Bungkus Semen dalam Pelestarian Wayang Beber

The preservation of local culture requires a creative and innovative approach. This implementation aims to develop innovative approaches in recycling cement packaging into cultural merchandise as part of the preservation efforts of Wayang Beber. The method used involves Objective Oriented Project Planning (OOPP) through a study on the development of an ideal qualitative pattern that will be implemented to transform cement packaging into high-value economic and aesthetic products. The results indicate that the pattern of developing awareness of the importance of preserving Wayang Beber is not only ideal in implementation but can also serve as a pilot project for real implementation. This finding emphasizes the importance of collaboration between educational institutions and communities in developing creative solutions for detailed cultural preservation through the development of innovative products focused on the circular economy.

Five years of monitoring the swampy forest system: a pilot project for acid mine drainage treatment to achieve threshold value

Abstract This research evaluated the effectiveness of the swampy forest system, a unique and cost-effective approach developed based on a conventional method for acid mine drainage treatment at the Jorong coal mine in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The conventional method uses lime for acid neutralization and is often considered expensive. Acid mine drainage, with its high acidity and heavy metal contents, must be mitigated to achieve threshold values before being released into public waters. This research aimed to determine whether the swampy forest system pilot project, implemented in 2019, had sustainable and proper operations. As mandated by applicable regulations, quarterly observations of seven threshold parameters before and after acid mine drainage were conducted between 2019 and 2024. The observations revealed that the swampy forest system could change the parameter values to achieve the threshold value within five years of operations, demonstrating its exceptional long-term sustainability. Conclusively, this system is viable for natural application at a low cost at the closure stage of the abandoned mine.

Finding Common Ground a comparison between coastal nature-based solutions in the Netherlands and British Columbia, Canada

Many coastal communities worldwide are facing challenges caused by increasing sea levels. However, urban development, population growth and industrialisation in low-lying delta regions persists. This includes the Netherlands and British Columbia, Canada. Both regions explore new and innovative flood risk and adaptation strategies by initiating nature-based solutions (NBS) pilot projects and integrating research and community initiatives. The aim of this paper is to learn from the experiences with these NBS pilots and support practitioners with insights and knowledge about the prospectives and implementation process of NBS. Our study takes a bird's eye view by diving into four NBS case study projects that try to enhance flood defence and quality of life while considering ecosystems and community values simultaneously. To better understand current initiatives on NBS, we first describe the historical trajectories of flood risk management and climate adaptation policy in both countries. Then we analyse two urban and two suburban case studies to identify and compare enablers and barriers that surround the implementation of NBS. We use the Pilot Paradox as a framework to reflect on the enablers and barriers, and to formulate recommendations for barriers that are common ground. We found that upscaling of the pilots forms an important challenge in both countries. We also found that Canada is interested in exchanging technical knowledge, experiences, and insights with other countries through the involvement of international researchers, consultants, and students in projects. Such collaboration between countries, communities, practitioners, and academics could accelerate the development of innovative climate adaptation strategies worldwide.