Principal Research Research Articles

"HE COULD NOT ATTEND THE FUNERAL OF HIS MOTHER. SO, WHAT IS LIFE?": THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF THE FAMILIES OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS LIVING BEHIND IN DISTRICT GUJRAT, PAKISTAN

The current study uses a constructivist epistemological stance and a qualitative research design. This research aims to explore the emotional experiences of the family members of irregular emigrants left behind in the rural areas of district Gujrat, Pakistan. This study is a part of a larger research project. The present research's target population comprises the male family members of the irregular emigrants in the rural areas of district Gujrat. For the present study, a snowball sampling technique has been used to select the respondents because it was complicated to identify irregular emigrants due to their hidden nature. In the first phase of the data collection, some male family members of the emigrants were contacted working in a public sector organization in district Gujrat with the principal researcher. Later on, these initial contacts facilitated the chief researcher to approach various family members of the irregular emigrants in the peripheral villages of Gujrat city. The fieldwork comprised in-depth interviews that were started with a broader discussion on the issue of irregular migration. The initial four in-depth interviews were analyzed parallel, and it led to the emergence of new themes for further interviews. A total of thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted until saturation. Three major themes emerged at the time of border crossing, family gatherings on social events and advice for the aspirants' migrants. Keywords: Irregular Migration, Emotions, Family Left Behind, Border Crossing, Pakistan.

A Systematic Literature Review on the Hybrid Approaches for Recommender Systems

Recommender systems represent a high economic, social, and technological impact at international level due to the most relevant technological companies have been used them as their main services considering that user experience and companies sales have been improved. For this reason, these systems are a principal research area, and the companies optimize their algorithms with hybrid approaches that combine two or more recommendation strategies. A systematic literature review on the hybrid approaches for recommender systems is generated by this work, the objectives are to analyze research line progress and to identify opportunity areas for future investigations. Further, the recent trends about challenges, methodologies, datasets, application domains and evaluation metrics on hybrid approach are identified. An art state from 2016 to 2020 is developed with information systems guide than unlike others works that use less recent guide and software engineering guide. This research will benefit recommender systems community.

Identifying English Language Problems of Novice Engineering Students

English has a paramount role in this digital world of internet and mobile technology. Digital technology has facilitated language learning. This study focused on identifying English language problems of novice engineering students in this modern age of scientific advancement.Convenience sampling method was used since the principal researcher taught the subject of Functional English to participants. Eighty engineering students were surveyed. Research instruments were document analysis and classroom observation. Data were analyzed through an interpretative approach to drawing study outcomes. Results exhibited engineering students faced English language problems in the English language classroom context. Multiple English language problems surfaced, such as poor vocabulary, spelling errors,grammatical errors, writing problems, comprehension problems, and accepting teacher dictation. Additionally, psychological problems were shyness, low self-confidence, nervousness, fear of peer criticism and stage fright.

Management of Character Education Based on Local Wisdom

This article aims to identify and analyze: (1). Planning, (2).Organizing (3).Implementation (4). Evaluation. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. Data collection is carried out by triangulation techniques using interviews, document studies, and field observations. Research location Baiturahman and MA Albasyariah Integrated High School Bandung. With the subject of the principal's research, teachers. The head of the Pencak silat hermitage, Data analysis was carried out through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. Four important foundations are used in this research, including theological, philosophical, six value systems, and theoretical foundations. Then the theory that underlies this research is management theory and character theory. The findings of this study are (1). Planning for Character Education Based on Local Wisdom in the Development of Akhlakul Karimah for integrated high school students has been well structured and systematic, but the planning has not been oriented to the vision and mission of the school (2). The organization has been running according to the program with the same principle of understanding, commitment to responsibility even though it has not been supported by an adequate job analysis. (3). The implementation has gone well. However, they have not paid attention to the resources they have. (4). Evaluation according to the school's work program going forward, however, has not been followed up with innovative programs that meet the needs.

German Camejo (1936–2021)

German Camejo (1936–2021)

Recruiting an underserved, difficult to reach population into a cancer trial: Strategies from the Restore-2 Rehabilitation Trial for gay and bisexual prostate cancer patients.

Sexual minorities are small and under-researched populations that are at disproportionate risk for cancer and poor cancer outcomes. Described as a "hidden population," the principal research challenge has been to develop effective methods to identify and recruit such cancer patients into cancer studies. Online recruitment strategies, as well as targeted clinic recruitment using patient-entered sexual orientation and gender identity data from electronic medical records have potential to transform recruitment, but studies testing the effects of how to recruit using these have not been published. In 2019, we conducted a naturalistic, three-arm, stratified prospective study to compare three recruitment strategies: (a) clinic based recruitment of prostate cancer patients from gay health and urology clinics; (b) directly from the gay community; and (c) online recruitment (through cancer support, sex/dating, and social sites). For each strategy, we estimated time, workload, and direct costs involved. To study how recruitment strategy may affect sampling, we tested for retention rates, demographic and outcome differences across sites. Using these methods, we successfully recruited 401 gay and bisexual prostate cancer patients into a randomized, controlled, 24-month trial testing an online sexual and urinary rehabilitation curriculum tailored for this population. There were seven key results. First, it is possible to recruit substantial numbers of sexual minority men into prostate cancer studies provided online recruitment methods are used. Second, we observed big differences in dropout during study onboarding by recruitment source. Third, within online recruitment, the online sex/dating application (app) was the most successful and efficient, followed by the cancer support site, and then the social networking site. Fourth, while clinics were the cheapest source of recruitment, they were time intensive and low in yield. Fifth, the cancer support site and sex/dating app recruits differed by several characteristics, with the former being more rehabilitation-focused while the latter were younger and more sexually active. Sixth, we found almost no differences in outcomes across the three online recruitment sites. Seventh, because retention in online studies has been a concern, we confirm very low attrition at 3- and 6 months into the trial. For sexual minority cancer research, more research on how to use sexual orientation and gender identity electronic medical record data for clinic-based recruitment is needed. For other small or hard-to-reach populations, researchers should compare and publish online versus offline recruitment strategies.

How tourism research integrates environmental issues? A keyword network analysis

Bibliometric analytics has recently been gaining in importance. Specifically, mapping knowledge and inter-relations among studied subjects is bringing new insights to science, education, and practice. Such bibliometric analysis is applicable to tourist research and we offer an examination of such application to a bioculturally delimited cluster within the field. The main objective of this paper is to analyse author keywords (AK) in the Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism (HLST) category of the Web of Science (WOS) to establish the importance of nature related topics for tourist researchers. As a background and a starting point, it was necessary to identify the principal research topics studied within the whole HLST category. To achieve these objectives all the registers in the Core Collection of the WOS database of the category were downloaded. A co-word analysis was performed for subsequent clustering purposes and centrality parameters were calculated for the whole keyword network within the timeframe 1991 to 2020. The most frequently used words in the category were directly related to tourism and sport, while those referring to the natural environment occurred with a lesser frequency. Eight topics were identified during the analysis, with the tourism cluster having the largest number of components. A cluster dealing with the natural environment and sustainable development was identified and labelled the ECO-CLUSTER for which the principal keywords were: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECOTOURISM and SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. It was found that though the ECO-CLUSTER was relatively homogenous it remained relatively isolated from the rest of the HLST category. This study presents a unique attempt to perform a global analysis of the whole AKs network within the HLST category. It allows the identification of research gaps and improvement in the understanding of tourism research directions.

(Re)Envisioning Mindfulness for Leadership Retention

An emerging body of research has shown that mindfulness practices for school administrators can result in significant benefits, including a reduction in stress and sense of burnout. Concurrently, nearly 20% of school principals exit their position each year—and cite high levels of stress as a primary motivating factor. In this conceptual paper, we seek to align the benefits of mindfulness practices for educators to the causes of principal turnover, as a means to better support local, low-cost strategies to reduce high levels of leadership attrition. We offer a framework that aligns mindfulness research with principal retention research, and follow with an identification of the organizational, social, and cultural barriers to the adoption of mindfulness practices in public schools. We conclude with specific recommendations for school and district leadership to incorporate mindfulness-based interventions into organizational practices in order to help reduce administrator stress, improve task focus, and ultimately address the underlying sources of leadership turnover.

A Call for Data on the Principal Pipeline

In this policy forum commentary, we call for improved national and state-level data collection and access relevant to the principal pipeline. We focus specifically on how access to quality data can inform, has informed, and is critical to policy and practice across three segments of the principal pipeline—principal preparation, licensure, and labor markets—as well as the essential issue of diversity itself and across each pipeline segment. We also outline and explain the types of data collection, storage, and access that would enable more informed and relevant principal pipeline research, policy, and preparation. We then call for action at the state and the federal levels, including reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to expand Title II educator data collection to include principal preparation programs as it does teacher preparation programs. Finally, we conclude with cautions against potential data misuse.

Motion Sickness in Automated Vehicles: Principal Research Questions and the Need for Common Protocols

Motion Sickness in Automated Vehicles: Principal Research Questions and the Need for Common Protocols

Barriers to patient enrolment in phase III cancer clinical trials: interviews with clinicians and pharmaceutical industry representatives

ObjectivesPhase III cancer clinical trials are expensive and time-consuming phases in drug development. Effective patient enrolment can reduce delays and save costs, offering patients an opportunity to benefit from innovative...

Limitations of the new ISO standard for health and wellness apps

Limitations of the new ISO standard for health and wellness apps

The Need to Incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Reflections from a National Initiative Measuring Fruit and Vegetable Intake

The Need to Incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Reflections from a National Initiative Measuring Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Avoiding Whig interpretations in historical research: an illustrative case study

PurposeThe main aim of this paper is to illustrate the importance of avoiding Whig interpretations in historical research. It does so by highlighting examples of what may occur when this is not done. The paper also aims to promote interdisciplinarity, in the form of working with those from other disciplines, as a means to avoid this occurring.Design/methodology/approachThis paper includes an in-depth study of the bookkeeping and financial reporting of two 18th century Portuguese state-sponsored companies using archival sources. The companies were selected because of conflicting insights across disciplines concerning the quality of their bookkeeping and financial reporting – historians have been very critical, while accounting historians have seen little wrong. These differences of opinion have never previously been investigated. The authors demonstrate how information was distributed among the account books and other records of the two companies. The approach adopted enabled a reader to fully understand the recorded economic events. The authors also present and explain the procedures, criteria and accounting terminology used in their annual reports.FindingsThis paper demonstrates how easy is to inadvertently adopt a Whig interpretation of accounting history when the focus of interest is something of which the principal researcher has insufficient understanding or expertise. It also illustrates how important it is to embrace interdisciplinarity by working with those from other discipline to avoid doing so.Research limitations/implicationsThe conclusions from the case study are company-specific and cannot be generalised beyond those companies. However, the implications of this study go beyond the companies in its illustration of the importance of fully understanding historical evidence within its own context.Originality/valueThis paper unveils primary archival sources never previously presented in the literature. It also contributes to the literature by providing an evidence-based justification for the calls previously made to accounting historians to study accounting in its social context and engage with historians from other disciplines.

Framing the Care of Injured Workers: An Empirical Four-Jurisdictional Comparison of Workers' Compensation Boards' Healthcare Policies.

The objective of this study was to explore how workers' compensation policies related to healthcare provision for workers with musculoskeletal injuries can affect the delivery and trajectories of care for injured workers. The principal research question was: What are the different ways in which workers' compensation (WC) policies inform and transform the practices of healthcare providers (HCPs) caring for injured workers? We conducted a cross-jurisdictional policy analysis. We conducted qualitative interviews with 42 key informants from a variety of perspectives in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada, the state of Victoria in Australia and the state of Washington in the United States. The main methodological approach was Framework Analysis. We identified two main themes: (1) Shaping HCPs' clinical practices and behaviors with injured workers. In this theme, we illustrate how clinical practice guidelines and non-economic and economic incentives were used by WCs to drive HCP's behaviours with workers; (2) Controlling workers' trajectories of care. This theme presents how WC policies achieve control of the workers' trajectory of care via different policy mechanisms, namely the standardization of care pathways and the power and autonomy vested in HCPs. This policy analysis shed light on the different ways in which WC policies shape HCP's day-to-day practices and workers' trajectories. A better understanding and a nuanced portrait of these policies' impacts can help support reflections on future policy changes and inform policy development in other jurisdictions.

Diagnostic accuracy and reliability of smartphone captured radiologic images communicated via WhatsApp®.

IntroductionSending radiographic images as instant messages have become a common means of communication between physicians, aiding in triaging and transfer decision-making in emergencies. While use of technology is increasing, this is not the case for the underserved or rural areas of South Africa with no picture archiving and communications system or advanced hardware in place. In these areas, the medical staffing population have nearly universal access to smartphones and could benefit from the ability to share images quickly and easily with trained radiologists. South African data on diagnostic reliability of smartphone captured radiology images is lacking. The objective of the study was to determine the accuracy and reliability of diagnoses made on radiologic images captured with smartphone compared to radiologic images on picture archiving and communication system(PACS).MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with radiographs from June 2018 to July 2019 selected from the PACS system at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital. Images were displayed on PACS computer screen and captured by principal researcher using a smartphone. Five radiology registrars received the images via WhatsApp® and reviewed them on smartphones. After three weeks, registrars viewed images in random order on PACS stations. McNemar's test was used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of smartphone vs PACS and Kappa values calculated for agreement. Reliability was assessed by analysing the results of different registrars and diagnoses separately.Results135 X-rays, representative of common emergency conditions, were selected. For all registrars, PACS accuracy was generally higher than smartphone accuracy. The Kappa values all indicated fair to moderate agreement between smartphone and PACS diagnosis.ConclusionCapturing radiographic images using at least 12-megapixel smartphone and sharing them via WhatsApp® is a reliable method that can be used with a high degree of confidence in emergencies to aid clinical decision making. This method of viewing medical imaging is however not a substitution for images viewed on PACS.

Refugee posttraumatic growth: A grounded theory study.

In response to the unprecedented refugee crisis around the world, a growing body of research has focused on psychological distress among individuals and families forced to flee their homelands. Less attention has been directed toward understanding resilience, adaptation, and growth among this population. This grounded theory study explored the posttraumatic growth experiences of Middle Eastern and Afghan refugees resettled in the United States. The principal researcher conducted 23 interviews with seven couples and 16 individuals aged 25 to 67 years, from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. This study aimed to explore how refugees understand, process, overcome, and grow from the trauma and adversity they have experienced. Findings were used to delineate a model of the process through which refugees experience posttraumatic growth. The overarching theme of moving forward had five specific growth themes: increased awareness of context; tolerating uncertainty; spiritual/religious attunement; consideration of others; and integrating into society. Findings shed light on the complex process of growth and adaptation in the aftermath of war and forced migration. The model can serve as a tool for clinicians to facilitate more empowering posttraumatic narratives with refugee clients rooted in growth experiences.

Role of histone deacetylase inhibitors in androgenic callus induction of Oryza sativa sub indica, in sight into evolution and mode of action of histone deacetylase genes.

The potential of paddy breeding has reached its pinnacle, and hybrids have been the principal research outcome. Hence, our hypothesis was based on improvising the callus induction efficiency of recalcitrant Oryza sativa sub. indica hybrids by intervening into their cellular functions like cell division and histone regulation for the production of doubled haploids, a better output compared to hybrids. Insight into the mechanism of cell division is the foremost concern in altering the same and hence studies on evolution, expression and action of histone deacetylase and its 12 genes (9 HDA and 3 HD-tunin genes) were chosen in the hypothesis. Expression of HDA genes at three stages (anther dehiscence, 1st callusing and second callusing stages) with inhibitor (trichostatin-A) interventions indicated 1st callusing stage as the most important in influencing callus induction and also the genes HDA19, 6, 15 and 5 were the most important. TSA alone had a significant impact on the regulation of the genes HDT 702, HDA19, HDA9, and HDA6. Higher expression of HDA19 and HDA6 was involved in maximizing callus induction; HDA15 had an antagonistic expression compared to HDA19/6 and might be involved in chlorophyll regulation during regeneration. Results of evolutionary analysis on histone deacetylases indicated a long and single lineage of origin denoting its importance in the basic cellular functions. The tubulin deacetylation gene HDA5, which was exclusively found in dicotyledons, had a recent evolutionary history only from terrestrial plants, and also had significant conservation in its motifs and NLS region. By combating the recalcitrant nature of Indica cultivars, molecular editing on a combination of HDA genes will enhance the callus induction and regeneration efficiency of the next generation of doubled haploids, therby improving the total yield.

И вновь – о человеческом капитале…

The article presents an analytical report concerning the latest session of a regular ongoing inter-institute scientific seminar ‘Modern Development Problems’ of IMEMO’s Center of Development and Modernization Studies (CDMS), this one was dedicated to general theoretical questions in modernization and development and took place on December 14, 2021. The seminar was held by CDMS’s principal researcher, Dr. Sci. (Hist.). Eugene B. RASHKOVSKY. Principal presentation called ‘Human Capital’s Role in Factor System of Economic Growth in Developed and Developing Countries’ was given by the head of International Economic Relations Department of IAAS of MSU, Prof., Dr. Sci. (Econ.), Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vitaly A. MELYANTSEV. Those participating in the workshop – staff members of IMEMO along with Russia’s leading scientific and educational institutions like Institute of Oriental Studies, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, MGIMO and others – have discussed a relevant and overlooked in our times problem of human capital as a basis in postmodern development. During the seminar not only the importance of econometric approach to this problem was proved, but also a necessity of its introduction in a broader context of contemporary socio-humanistic knowledge. Furthermore, problems such as state and social support, preserving and increasing human capital were recognized as a priority in modern growth on national level, as well as regional and global ones. Human capital is acknowledged as one of essential factors ensuring both continuity and perspectives of every complex development processes. Erosion and/or loss of continuity and upcoming possibilities of human capital could threaten our world with severe socioeconomic, moral and cultural consequences. The review was prepared by Eugene B. Rashkovsky, Dr. Sci. (Hist.), Principal Researcher, Group of Theoretical Problems of Modernization, Center of Development and Modernization Studies (eug.rashkov@gmail.com).

The Produced Water Conundrum Grows Across Unconventionals

Shale players have a love-hate relationship with water. It’s an essential ally going into downhole to help proliferate fractures in the subsurface and free up stuck hydrocarbons. It’s a parasite coming out - a briny byproduct that can easily outpace oil production from any given well. Likewise, operators must deal with water management on dual fronts. The first is sourcing the water to be used in the fracturing of the well. Second is finding the right solution for the flowback and formation water coming out of the well. Early on, the answer for the former was freshwater sources. However, once the strain set in from general scarcity, drought, environmental concerns or the like, industry started looking hard at the recycle and reuse of produced water - a solution where the problem becomes the answer. Water recycling rates vary widely between unconventional basins. For the domestic oil industry, data provider IHS Markit forecast in an April 2020 report the vast majority of wastewater leaving an oil field in 2022 will still not be recycled. It will instead be injected into disposal wells, which is currently the most common practice for produced water management. This option is costly and risky, especially for wells that are located some distance from the nearest disposal well. It has also come under increased scrutiny because of the potential effects of disposal well use on the surrounding area’s seismic activity. “Going back to the beginning of unconventional resource production, the focus was understandably on the water needed for drilling and completions,” Paola Perez-Pena, a principal researcher at IHS Markit, commented in an analysis. “Now that there is a considerable, established production, operators are realizing the extent to which produced water is not only a sizable matter, but an ongoing and essentially, perpetual one.” Produced water is a mix of the water pumped down the well to assist with fracturing plus residual drilling fluid and formation water. On average, with every barrel of oil produced in the US, more than 4 bbl of wastewater is produced, though that number varies from basin to basin. “With water, what you find is producers consider a number of different piping configurations, storage, and disposal well options, as well as reuse opportunities,” said John Walsh, principal technologist for Worley Advisian and author of the book, Produced Water. “There’s no one single strategy or approach that’s going to solve the water problem. There is no silver bullet.” According to an industry brief by Raymond James in July 2019, pre-pandemic US oilfield water production was already a whopping 50 million BWPD. For scale, this amount of water could cover more than 8,000 football fields with a foot of water, every day. The investment bank estimated just under half of the total produced water came from horizontal basins, despite making up close to 80% of onshore crude production. The report forecast that the total volume of produced water from major oil basins in the US could grow to more than 60 million BWPD by 2030 (Fig. 1).