Changing Priorities Research Articles

Evidence-based stroke rehabilitation: do priorities for practice change and feasibility of implementation vary across high income, upper and lower-middle income countries?

Purpose The context of implementation plays an important role in the delivery of optimal treatments in stroke recovery and rehabilitation. Considering that stroke systems of care vary widely across the globe, the goal of the present paper is to compare healthcare providers’ priority of key areas in translating stroke research to clinical practice among High Income Countries, Upper Middle- and Lower Middle-Income Countries (HICs, UMICs, LMICs). We also aimed to compare perceptions regarding the key areas’ feasibility of implementation, and formulate recommendations specific to each socioeconomic region. Methods Data related to recommendations for knowledge translation in stroke, from a primary survey from the second Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable were segregated based on socioeconomic region. Frequency distribution was used to compare the key areas for practice change and examine the perceived feasibility of implementation of the same across HIC, UMIC and LMICs. Results A total of 632 responses from healthcare providers across 28 countries were received. Interdisciplinary care and access to services were high priorities across the three groups. Transitions in Care and Intensity of Practice were high priority areas in HICs, whereas Clinical Practice Guidelines were a high priority in LMICs. Interventions specific to clinical discipline, screening and assessment were among the most feasible areas in HICs, whereas Intensity of practice and Clinical Practice Guidelines were perceived as most feasible to implement in LMICs. Conclusion We have identified healthcare providers’ priorities for addressing international practice change across socioeconomic regions. By focusing on the most feasible key areas, we can aid the channeling of appropriate resources to bridge the disparities in stroke outcomes across HICs, UMICs and LMICs. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION It is pertinent to examine the differences in priorities of stroke rehabilitation professionals and the feasibility of implementing evidence-based practice across socioeconomic regions. There is an urgent necessity for the development of clinical practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation in Low-Middle Income Countries, taking into consideration the cultural, economic and geographical constraints. In upper-middle income countries, encouraging family support and timely screening and assessment for aphasia, cognition and depression appear to be the low hanging fruits to enhance quality of life after stroke. Innovative ways to increase intensity of practice and channelling of resources to improve transitions in care may prove to be the most beneficial in advancing stroke rehabilitation in high income countries.

Commentary

Commentary

Academic Health Sciences Librarian Job Descriptions Do Not Frequently Reflect Emerging Skillsets and Changing Research Needs

Academic Health Sciences Librarian Job Descriptions Do Not Frequently Reflect Emerging Skillsets and Changing Research Needs

Adaptive Behaviour for a Self-Organising Video Surveillance System Using a Genetic Algorithm

Genetic algorithms (GA’s) are mostly used as an offline optimisation method to discover a suitable solution to a complex problem prior to implementation. In this paper, we present a different application in which a GA is used to progressively adapt the collective performance of an ad hoc collection of devices that are being integrated post-deployment. Adaptive behaviour in the context of this article refers to two dynamic aspects of the problem: (a) the availability of individual devices as well as the objective functions for the performance of the entire population. We illustrate this concept in a video surveillance scenario in which already installed cameras are being retrofitted with networking capabilities to form a coherent closed-circuit television (CCTV) system. We show that this can be conceived as a multi-objective optimisation problem which can be solved at run-time, with the added benefit that solutions can be refined or modified in response to changing priorities or even unpredictable events such as faults. We present results of a detailed simulation study, the implications of which are being discussed from both a theoretical and practical viewpoint (trade-off between saving computational resources and surveillance coverage).

BII-Implementation: The causes and consequences of plant biodiversity across scales in a rapidly changing world

The proposed Biology Integration Institute will bring together two major research institutions in the Upper Midwest—the University of Minnesota (UMN) and University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW)—to investigate the causes and consequences of plant biodiversity across scales in a rapidly changing world—from genes and molecules within cells and tissues to communities, ecosystems, landscapes and the biosphere. The Institute focuses on plant biodiversity, defined broadly to encompass the heterogeneity within life that occurs from the smallest to the largest biological scales. A premise of the Institute is that life is envisioned as occurring at different scales nested within several contrasting conceptions of biological hierarchies, defined by the separate but related fields of physiology, evolutionary biology and ecology. The Institute will emphasize the use of ‘spectral biology’—detection of biological properties based on the interaction of light energy with matter—and process-oriented predictive models to investigate the processes by which biological components at one scale give rise to emergent properties at higher scales. Through an iterative process that harnesses cutting edge technologies to observe a suite of carefully designed empirical systems—including the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and some of the world’s longest running and state-of-the-art global change experiments—the Institute will advance biological understanding and theory of the causes and consequences of changes in biodiversity and at the interface of plant physiology, ecology and evolution. INTELLECTUAL MERIT The Institute brings together a diverse, gender-balanced and highly productive team with significant leadership experience that spans biological disciplines and career stages and is poised to integrate biology in new ways. Together, the team will harness the potential of spectral biology, experiments, observations and synthetic modeling in a manner never before possible to transform understanding of how variation within and among biological scales drives plant and ecosystem responses to global change over diurnal, seasonal and millennial time scales. In doing so, it will use and advance state-of-the-art theory. The institute team posits that the designed projects will unearth transformative understanding and biological rules at each of the various scales that will enable an unprecedented capacity to discern the linkages between physiological, ecological and evolutionary processes in relation to the multi-dimensional nature of biodiversity in this time of massive planetary change. A strength of the proposed Institute is that it leverages prior federal investments in research and formalizes partnerships with foreign institutions heavily invested in related biodiversity research. Most of the planned projects leverage existing research initiatives, infrastructure, working groups, experiments, training programs, and public outreach infrastructure, all of which are already highly synergistic and collaborative, and will bring together members of the overall research and training team. BROADER IMPACTS A central goal of the proposed Institute is to train the next generation of diverse integrative biologists. Post-doctoral, graduate student and undergraduate trainees, recruited from non-traditional and underrepresented groups, including through formal engagement with Native American communities, will receive a range of mentoring and training opportunities. Annual summer training workshops will be offered at UMN and UW as well as training experiences with the Global Change and Biodiversity Research Priority Program (URPP-GCB) at the University of Zurich (UZH) and through the Canadian Airborne Biodiversity Observatory (CABO). The Institute will engage diverse K-12 audiences, the general public and Native American communities through Market Science modules, Minute Earth videos, a museum exhibit and public engagement and educational activities through the Bell Museum of Natural History, the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CCESR) and the Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Association.

Respice, Adspice, Prospice: The ‘Marathon Stone’, Lewisohn Stadium, and the changing reception of the classics at City College in the twentieth century

AbstractThroughout its history, New York has received several archaeological objects as gifts, including a mid-fourth-century BCE Greek funerary stele. Dr John Huston Finley, the third president of City College, saw a stele when he was in Greece and asked the Greek Government to gift the stele to the college. The stele, dubbed the ‘Marathon Stone’ by Finley, was dedicated and proudly displayed at City College, now of the City University of New York. This article explores the gift’s context by drawing on contemporary newspaper reports, Finley’s tenuous association of the stele with the battle of Marathon, and the gifting of an archaeological object as a means for promoting ties between City College and Greece. The article then examines the context for the stele’s display, the Neo-Antique Lewisohn Stadium, and argues that the display of the stele and erection of Lewisohn Stadium both embodied Finley’s aspirations for City College to rival Columbia and New York Universities. The demise of the stadium in 1973 and the removal of the stele to a basement signaled a major shift in the significance of the classics, classical art, and Neo-Antique architecture at City College, as well as the changing priorities of the institution.

"Girls Aren't Meant to Exercise": Perceived Influences on Physical Activity among Adolescent Girls-The HERizon Project.

Background. Adolescent girls are less active than boys, with approximately 10% of girls in Ireland and the United Kingdom meeting the minimum recommended daily physical activity (PA) guidelines. This study investigated factors perceived to influence PA among adolescent girls from low socioeconomic areas in order to inform the design of a future intervention (The HERizon Project). Methods. A total of 48 adolescent girls (13–18 years) from low socioeconomic areas of the United Kingdom and Ireland participated in focus groups (n = 8), to explore perspectives of physical activity and the influence of gender within this. Focus groups were thematically analyzed and interpreted within a socioecological framework. Results. Most girls enjoyed PA and were aware of its benefits. They identified both barriers and facilitators to PA at intrapersonal (fear of judgement and changing priorities WITH age), interpersonal (changing social pressures and support from others) and organizational (delivery of PE) levels. Gender inequality was a multilevel factor, crossing all socioecological levels. Conclusion. Although many adolescent girls enjoy PA, their experiences appear to be limited by a fear of judgement and an overarching sense of gender inequality. Future interventions, such as the HERizon Project, should address influences at intrapersonal, interpersonal and organizational levels to promote positive PA experiences for adolescent girls.

Climate change should be recognized for what it is: An issue of national security

ABSTRACT President-Elect Biden should make climate change and ecological instability vital national security priorities.

FOREST BIOECONOMY IN THE SYSTEM OF SUSTAINABLE SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT: GLOBAL AND REGIONAL ORIENTATIONS

The article considers the forest bioeconomics as a component of the “circular” economy. The essential feature of the forest economy is revealed through the main components of sustainable spatial forest management, as well as the forestry globalization. The development strategy of ecosystem technologies for ensuring fuller realization of forest ecosystem services is defined. In order to substantiate regional strategies of sustainable spatial development and bioeconomy, in particular, first of all, it is necessary to identify the most actual issues, problem areas, identify growth points and priorities for change. The use of the method of self-assessment of regions in relation to sustainable regional development (SAT4SLD), which was tested on the example of Glukhiv forest resource region in Sumy region, is recognized in this effective way. Its use has allowed local actors to assess their current state and reach consensus on ways to a more sustainable future while addressing governance, socio-economic and environmental issues. Project directions for the development of forest biotechnologies have been formed, which will contribute to the creation of new jobs and the solution, to some extent, of the region's energy problems. For the effective and efficient implementation of complex and intersectoral biotechnologies (for example, agroforestry) the emphasis is placed on the need to develop integration processes, in particular, between forestry and agriculture.

Пространственная диффузия цифровых инноваций: тренды, проблемы и перспективы эмпирических исследований

The aim of the study was to generalize the world experience of studying the spatial diffusion of digital innovations in order to determine trends in changing priorities, existing problems and possible prospects for empirical research. With the help of the author’s semantic search algorithm, approximately eighty journal articles published in the last twenty years were found in eight bibliographic databases. The use of a moving average and biproportional indices for quantitative analysis of the array of articles revealed four upward trends: an increase in the average annual number of publications on the subject under consideration, increased attention to the deployment of broadband communications, the impact of spatial diffusion on economic growth and the use of regions as territorial units for studying diffusion processes. An informal analysis of the articles led to the identification of five key problems of modern research: a significant discrepancy between the year of publication and the last year of the process under study, analysis of a limited number of digital innovations, lack of a comprehensive understanding of the joint spatial diffusion of several innovations, the dominance of the idea of the homogeneity for the initial territorial units and the unexplored system of factors contributing to or hindering the spread of digital innovations. Comparing the existing experience of studying the spatial diffusion of digital innovations with similar studies of other types of innovations allowed identifying five promising areas for further research: the use of big data; expanding the set of models used with the subsequent creation of a system of methods; the study of hierarchical, network and other methods of spatial diffusion; the definition of spatial innovation waves with an explanation of the reasons for the formation of territorial barriers and filters; creation of a theory of the spatiotemporal spread of digital innovations based on the generalization of empirical research. The necessity of determining the scope of application of the results obtained in diffusion studies outside of regional economic policy is noted

Post COVID-19 return to “new normal” in surgical care: joining the dots

The severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by novel coronavirus was declared an international public health emergency and has burdened the health care system since December 2019. With changing priorities and difficult delivery of health care, researchers are working hard on developing new ways of dealing with the changing scenarios without compromising patient care and safety. Focus on personal protection at hospitals and digital consultations have gained attention. Coronavirus disease 2019 has caused significant life style changes in diet, etiquettes, ways of learning and social media. Keeping this in mind, studies conducted from December 2019 till August 2020 were reviewed and an attempt has been made to define the new normal in surgical care and medical education.

АДАПТИВНЫЙ МЕТОД И АЛГОРИТМ ОПЕРАТИВНОГО ОЦЕНИВАНИЯ ПАРАМЕТРОВ ТРАФИКА В ВЫСОКОСКОРОСТНЫХ КОРПОРАТИВНЫХ МУЛЬТИСЕРВИСНЫХ СЕТЯХ СВЯЗИ

The article deals with an adaptive method developed and an algorithm that implements it for the rapid evaluation of traffic characteristics and parameters in high-speed corporate multiservice communication networks. This algorithm operates in real-time environment. High-speed corporate multiservice networks are characterized by high dynamics of changing their state, including changes in the characteristics of transmitted traffic. Under these conditions, the automated network management system should provide the required quality of communication services and services provided to users. Thus, the relevance of this study is determined by the need to implement network management processes in a mode close to real time, with a given quality in the conditions of dynamic priority of unknown changes in network characteristics. The basis of the proposed method is the concept of conditional non-linear Pareto - optimal filtering by V.S. Pugachev, which consists in the fact that traffic parameters are estimated in two stages. Firstly, the forecast of parameter values is estimated, and then their correction is made with the following observations of parameters. Traffic parameter forecasts are made in a small sliding window, and refinement of current traffic parameter estimates is implemented by pseudogradient procedures, the parameters of which are regulated by the method of fuzzy Takagi-Sugeno logical output. In this case, increments in pseudo-gradient procedures are calculated relative to the average value of previous estimates calculated in a small moving window as well. This method reduced the average relative error of estimating the intensity parameters of non-stationary network traffic by 1.4-1.9 times, and also reduced the size of the sliding window in which it is processed from 1.7 to 4.2 times.The proposed method and algorithm belong to the class of methods and algorithms which require a preliminary training. The average relative error in estimating traffic parameters does not exceed 7%, which is a sufficient value for the implementation of operational network management tasks.

Functions of educational psychologist in prevention addictions of modern youth

The article provides a socio-pedagogical analysis of the problem of adolescents' use of psychoactive substances, alcoholic beverages. Psychological and pedagogical measures aimed at preventing the use of psychoactive substances and alcoholic beverages among young people, which are recommended for use by teachers, are generalized. Psychological and pedagogical principles of organizing the pedagogical process aimed at developing a healthy personality that can learn throughout life, think critically, set goals and achieve them, work in a team, communicate in a multicultural environment, develop skills of equal communication, assertive behavior, listen to others, make decisions, defend one's own opinion, develop the ability to resist the pressure of advertising, learn to recognize the advertising strategies of tobacco and alcohol companies and define the conditions for strengthening I mental health in educational institutions. It is noted that the important priorities of the educational process in the New Ukrainian School are the formation of adolescents' practical skills of responsible behavior in relation to their lives and health, as well as the health and life of the environment and the creation of a safe environment in education. It is emphasized that the update of the existing algorithm of professional preventive and developmental activities involves: revision of the methodology of work with participants in the educational process; changing emphasis and priorities from process to result using effective methods of educational psychologist and social pedagogue. Generalized statistical and analytical data on the activities of educational and methodological centers (centers, offices, laboratories) of the psychological service in the education system indicate the provision of educational psychologists and social educators during the 2018-2019 academic years about 29, 5 million different types of psychological and socio-pedagogical assistance children, adolescents and young people invarious fields.

A vendor recommendation model using neural networks

Suppliers today are considered as a logical extension to a firm that provide critical inputs to its processes. Supplier performance evaluation is vital for any firm to carry out supplier selection and to practice effective supply chain management. Further, the supplier performance measurement system should continuously evolve in a company as a process for improving the capabilities, execution effectiveness and efficiency. Though the supplier performance systems have been well investigated in the literature, very few studies have proposed an order-based supplier selection approach that takes into account the changing priorities of the customer. The research tries to address this gap by attempting to establish a dynamic linkage between customer order priorities and supplier characteristics. A neural network model for the order driven vendor recommendation system that ranks the suppliers as per the requirements of the order has been proposed.

К ВОПРОСУ О РАЗРАБОТКЕ ПАРАМЕТРОВ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ КАДАСТРОВОЙ СИСТЕМЫ

The cadastral system of accounting and registration of rights to immovable property performs im-portant state functions: taxation, protection of private property rights, control over the use and condi-tion of land. The necessity of changing priorities in the development of the cadastral system, namely the organization of a rational land use system, is shown. As a research problem, the issues of develop-ing a system of rational use of land resources and ensuring the ecological well-being of the state terri-tory are considered. The article suggests parameters that affect the efficiency of the cadastral system. Criteria for optimal parameters of efficient cadastral system are developed. Schemes of mutual influ-ence of efficiency indicators of the cadastre system and topographic and geodetic support for cadas-tral works are shown. The relationship of the efficiency indicators of the cadastre system in a unified model of the state accounting and registration system is shown. These schemes can be used to opti-mize the functioning of the cadastral system of the Russian Federation. The role of geotechnologies and geoinformation systems in the automation of cadastral works, as well as the processes of cadastral registration and registration of rights to real estate, the organization of a rational land use system is shown. The approach to assessing the effectiveness of the cadastral system based on data on the eco-logical state of the territory of the state is substantiated.

Leading with score study: changing priorities in undergraduate conducting curricula

The purpose of this study was to examine student learning in an introductory conducting course in which score study was the primary foundational focus; gesture was viewed as part of a larger conducting process and a secondary learning goal to score study. Research has indicated a need for greater emphasis on score study in introductory conducting courses (Silvey, Springer, & Eubanks, 2016; Stewart, 2011). Student reflection is often used to guide students in understanding the relationship of their gesture to the sound of a live ensemble; however, within the studied course, reflection was expanded to focus on the score study process – developing score study skills, practice habits, and concepts. Researchers analyzed student reflections (N = 25) in order to understand student learning and identify potential improvements to the course. Student reflections were coded using a general inductive approach. In their reflections, students discussed evaluating, revising, refining, and integrating approaches; making connections between conducting and other coursework; analyzing the conducting process; and developing their own conducting philosophy. A model that captures the students’ collective learning process is described. Focusing on score study in this introductory conducting course resulted in substantial student learning about an array of conducting skills and concepts in relation to score study. Reflection assisted students in developing a score study process and a growth mindset, both of which support future learning. Findings provide a springboard for future research that examines how a comprehensive and integrated score study process occurring over time can best contribute to the learning of beginning conducting students.

75 Years of International Law-Making at the United Nations

For the last 75 years, the UN has been placed at the centre of international law-making. The Organization can be considered both as a place where international law is discussed, made and interpreted by its Member States and as a proper actor, with its own international legal personality, voice and practice, engaged in the creation and implementation of international law. This article considers the extraordinary position of the UN in providing a unique contribution to the development, codification and implementation of international law in branches ranging from the law of treaties to the legal principles governing the protection and preservation of the marine environment or the criminal accountability for graves violations of international humanitarian law. On its 75th anniversary, the Organization has demonstrated its flexibility and adaptability to the changing priorities and concerns of the international community and facilitated the commitment of its Member States to multilateralism and the principles enshrined in the Charter signed on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco. Indeed, the outlook for the next 25 years of international law-making at the UN looks brighter than it may at first appear.

Reflections on ‘doing’ participatory data analysis with women experiencing long-term homelessness

This paper draws on the lessons learned from the [in]visible project, a community-based research partnership that aimed to learn more about the experiences of women, without children in their care, who experience chronic homelessness in Hamilton, Ontario. Through involving 70 women as participants, we used narrative and arts-based research methods to learn about the experiences and housing needs of this population. The purpose of the [in]visible project was to involve women in identifying gaps in housing services and generate recommendations on how permanent housing for women should be developed. This paper demonstrates how the participation of the women in three distinct data analysis activities including arts-based think tanks, participatory theorizing, and the creation of a conference workshop supported the participation of women at all stages of the data analysis process. This paper contributes to limited scholarship on participatory data analysis by presenting pragmatic and low-barrier ways of ensuring the findings and the direction of advocacy efforts reflect the social justice and change priorities of the women involved.

Heat stress risk and vulnerability under climate change in Durban metropolitan, South Africa—identifying urban planning priorities for adaptation

There is an urgent need to map the geographic location of climate change risks and vulnerability, especially for cities in sub-Saharan Africa, which are experiencing the greatest urban development challenges and vulnerability to climate change impacts. The aim of this study is to investigate current and projected future heat risk, expressed as a heat stress exposure index using high-resolution climate change projections, and a social vulnerability index, to identify areas of potential future heat stress risk in the Durban (eThekwini) metropolitan area, South Africa. Additionally, this is the first study to use high-resolution downscaled climate change projections under Representative Concentration (RCP) 8.5, to construct the heat exposure index using apparent temperature and increases in minimum temperature and a social vulnerability index, using demographic and socio-economic census and land use data to, derived from principal component analysis (PCA) to spatially characterize heat stress within a South African city. Results show that while heat stress is not a current concern, it is projected to increase and become a future concern, mainly as a function of social vulnerability due to household demographic and infrastructural characteristics, and will be experienced in both the rural and inner-city areas of the metro. This study contributes a heat risk framework to identify locations for specific research and adaptation activities on heat stress risk and for urban planning in sub-Saharan African cities, which are characterized by both rural and urban contexts, to address climate change adaptation targeting and priority setting.

An action plan to address the rising burden of colorectal cancer in younger adults

Aim: The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable convened a national Summit to discuss the causes of early-onset colorectal cancer and clinical challenges to mitigating burden of this disease. Materials & methods: Information presented was synthesized through scientific consensus building to determine priorities for new research and practice change. Results: Research priorities include evaluating role of novel risk factors, understanding natural history and identifying ways to implement evidenced-based practices for identifying and managing at-risk persons. Practice change should focus on adoption of guidelines for collecting family history, screening in young adults at risk, provider and population awareness about risk and symptoms, and universal tumor testing. Conclusion: Successful implementation of strategies to address research and practice change will require collaboration from multiple partners.