Probing Questions Research Articles

An Analysis of the Growth Trends and Factors Influencing Wellness Tourism in Thailand over the Past Five Years

Wellness tourism has emerged as one of the most sought-after destinations in Thailand, increasing greatly and gaining considerable attention in the last few years. Despite this fact, the growth of wellness tourism in Thailand has still not been explained fully. Therefore, the present exploratory investigation will examine the specifics of tourism for wellness in Thailand while uncovering the underlying patterns and trends that can be discerned, thereby delivering relevant insights and valuable knowledge to various stakeholders involved in this thriving business. In sum, a total of ten very detailed and well-conducted in-depth interviews were carried out face-to-face, using a thoughtfully prepared combination of open-ended and probing questions. In particular, the concept of the Compound Growth Rate - CGR - model has been described, analyzed and subsequently applied to identify the quantitative growth and relative size of the phenomenon under consideration in the country. Moreover, an in-depth analysis was made about the identification of the major market players and stakeholders participating in the medical, health and welfare tourism industry. Also, challenges and opportunities that may emerge for the health, welfare, and wellness tourism sectors in Thailand were discussed. In concluding, this study gave an input into dynamically interlinked impacts and components of both the demand and supply sides of the healthcare and tourism sectors in Thailand, where decision-making and strategic planning can effectively be grounded.

Home Bias: Debiasing Techniques From Financial Planners’ Perspectives

Financial planning literature has called for further efforts into understanding investor psychology. Financial planners have the capacity to enhance investor welfare through mitigation of behavioral biases. Thus, the perspectives of financial planners are an important voice in behavioral finance research. Research suggests that home bias remains prevalent and problematic. This research applies a qualitative, thematic analysis approach to understand how home bias has been practically managed by professional financial advisors, with data collected from financial planners in South Africa. Results suggest that strategies such as investing time in educating the client and using probing questions to nudge the client in the right direction were effective. Irrespective of the bias mitigation approach adopted, a strong relationship of trust is foundational to any debiasing activity.

Becoming a True Partner: How HR Leaders Can Earn a Seat at the Leadership Table

As the role of the chief human resources officer continues to evolve, gaining full acceptance as a peer and strategic partner to other C-suite executives remains a challenge for many HR leaders. This article outlines proven strategies for HR to earn a respected seat at the leadership table. Through analyzing academic research and real-world company examples, key recommendations are provided. HR must demonstrate strategic alignment by directly linking people initiatives to overall business goals. Equally important is providing insightful counsel on ambiguous issues through empathetic listening and probing questions. Effective communication and influence skills are also essential to bring others along on strategic changes. Supplementing internal expertise, cultivating external thought leadership through industry events and publications enhances broader credibility. When HR executives successfully operationalize these strategies, they authentically position their function as a driving force behind organizational success while also proving their worth among senior peers. The brief aims to equip aspiring CHROs with actionable guidance for positioning HR as a trusted advisor.

Technology for fast-tracking high-risk head and neck cancer referrals: Co-designing with patients

BackgroundHead and Neck Cancer (HNC) is the eighth most prevalent global cancer. Timely recognition of symptoms is crucial for reducing mortality rates. The EVolution of a patiEnt-REported symptom-based risk stratification sySTem to redesign the suspected Head and Neck cancer referral pathway (EVEREST-HN) study aims to develop and evaluate a risk stratification tool using patient reported symptoms, which will be populated remotely in the community before the patient is seen by the clinician to hasten HNC diagnosis. EVEREST-HN will design a patient SYmptom iNput Clinical (SYNC) system to gather patient symptom data and calculate a risk score to aid clinicians in identifying high-risk cases. This identification potentially allows for high-risk patients to be seen sooner, thereby improving patient outcomes. MethodsThree workshop sessions were conducted involving a total of 17 unique participants, with several contributing to multiple sessions: nine in the co-design session, six in the validation session, and nine in the evaluation session. The co-design session employed online collaboration with patients’ representatives. Thematic analysis was used to identify requirements and concerns informing the development of a low-fidelity prototype. The validation session assessed whether the prototype aligned with patient expectations. In the evaluation session, participants interacted with an online prototype and provided further feedback. ResultsDuring the co-design workshop, participants emphasized the need for a concise and clear SYNC system questionnaire for reporting suspected HNC symptoms. Concerns were raised about questionnaire length, language clarity, and the inclusion of probing questions. Participants suggested concise questions using lay language, incorporating visual aids for topics like alcohol and tobacco use, and making the sexual activity question optional. Recommendations included diverse language options, hard copies for non-English speakers, and phone call options for those uncomfortable with screen-based technology. The validation workshop confirmed that the prototype reflected participants’ ideas. Feedback highlighted the need for call-back features to help those not confident with technology and the need to present symptom questions first before social background questions. Feedback from the evaluation demonstrated a commitment to efficiency, and continuous improvement. ConclusionThis study aims to develop the SYNC system to enhance efficiency of suspected HNC referrals. The workshops highlighted the importance of end-user inclusiveness in the system development life cycle, with collaboration with stakeholders and repeated feedback, providing crucial insights for ensuring the SYNC system effectively addresses the needs and concerns of patients in the context of HNC diagnosis.

Increasing Sexual Violence Reporting and Disclosure in Higher Education Institutions: A Proposed Approach to Critically Analyze the Internal Organizational Context.

This article explores the underreporting of sexual violence (SV) in higher education, highlighting serious implications for survivors who may silently cope with its aftermath instead of accessing crucial resources. We utilize Bolman and Deal's four-frame model for organizational change to assess how internal factors within organizations may influence reporting of SV. The four frames-symbolic, structural, human resources, and political-offer a systematic analysis of the internal organizational context in higher education institutions concerning SV reporting. Our suggested approach offers concrete dimensions and probing questions for examination. Derived from a qualitative study, our recommendations align with Bolman and Deal's four-frame model, aiding in assessing the organizational environment. This approach assists stakeholders in identifying barriers/facilitators in the internal organizational context of higher education institutions, enabling effective planning for improved SV reporting/disclosure. A thorough analysis is essential for understanding factors influencing campus SV reporting. Our proposed critical analysis and recommendations serve as a starting point to identify organizational barriers/facilitators, informing the revision of SV policies and processes, including reporting. Enhanced reporting of sexual assault in higher education benefits forensic nurses and allies, like student affairs, advocacy groups, unions, SV coordinators, health centers, equity departments, human rights officers, and administration. Improved analysis of institutional and cultural contexts allows for tailored services to better meet survivors' needs. Increased reporting should lead institutions to higher service utilization, requiring careful planning for resource allocation.

An empirical evaluation of probing questions investigating question comprehensibility in web surveys

ABSTRACT It is essential for the quality of survey data that questions are easy to understand. We developed four variants of comprehensibility probes measuring the comprehensibility of a survey question as a whole or of individual aspects (vocabulary, sentence complexity, content). We compared the probes on four experimental questions in terms of response distributions and mean comprehensibility scores to assess their sensitivity to capture comprehensibility problems at different levels of granularity, as well as nonresponse and response times as indicators of respondents’ willingness and required effort to answer the probes. We found no differences in the response distributions and mean comprehensibility scores, while item nonresponse and response times differed significantly between the probe versions.

Development of a new patient-reported outcome measure for complex cryptoglandular fistulas (20-Item complex cryptoglandular fistula questionnaire™): a qualitative study

BackgroundThere are limited tools to measure the burden of disease and effectiveness of medical/surgical interventions in patients with cryptoglandular fistulas. The aim of this study was to explore concepts that are relevant and important to patients with complex cryptoglandular fistulas (CCF) and to develop a patient-centred, disease-specific, patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) to assess symptom burden and impacts of CCF.MethodsA targeted literature review was conducted, followed by one-to-one telephone interviews with five colorectal surgeons (USA, n = 3; UK, n = 1; Spain, n = 1) and 20 US adult patients with CCF to inform the development of a conceptual model and a CCF-specific PROM. The targeted literature review informed the development of the preliminary conceptual model and identified a PROM in the literature that was used as a reference to generate the draft CCF-specific PROM. The colorectal surgeon interviews provided insights on the experience of patients with CCF to refine the conceptual model, formulate probing questions for use in patient interviews, and to develop the draft CCF-specific PROM. Patients’ descriptions of their experiences with symptoms and the impacts on their lives and evaluation of the draft CCF-specific PROM in concept elicitation and cognitive interviews were used to develop the final conceptual model and final CCF-specific PROM.ResultsTen symptoms (odour, pain during bowel movement, abscess, post-operative pain, discharge/drainage/leakage, anal/perianal pain, inflammation/swelling, skin irritation, bleeding and itchiness) and 11 impacts (discomfort, inability to exercise, embarrassment, difficulty sitting, worry about disease, adapted life to maintain hygiene, negatively impacted social life/isolation, inability to perform daily activities, reduced interest in sex, negatively impacted intimate relationships and negatively impacted mood) were reported as most salient by patients. The patient experience, clinician perspective, and literature review provided input to item generation. Evaluation of relevance and patient understanding through cognitive interviews with patients provided evidence for the content validity of the new patient-reported outcome measure: the 20-item Complex Cryptoglandular Fistula Questionnaire™ (CCFQ-20™).ConclusionThe CCFQ-20™ is a new clinician-guided, patient-validated, disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure that measures disease impact and quality of life in patients with CCF.

A conceptual framework for reframing artisanal and small-scale mining: understanding characterization of artisanal and small-scale mining in South Africa

The categorization of artisanal and small-scale mining has a significant impact on perception and understanding of the sector, particularly from a livelihood perspective. Several developing countries classify different types of artisanal and small-scale mining based on legal status. Given the nature such activities, the tragedy of the commons theory has been applied to understand the inevitable environmental, economic, sociocultural, safety, and health negative externalities - which are products of informality and illegality. Consequently, formalization is a panacea to sustainability. This article aims to offer a conceptual organization and foundational knowledge for characterization of artisanal and small-scale mining. It seeks to identify existing literature on the subject to avoid replication and acknowledge other scholars. Moreover, the article aims to place the study within the context of existing literature, establishing relationships with other studies and why the research is necessary. This paper pinpoints gaps left from other studies in so far as the characterization of artisanal and small-scale mining is concerned. Thus, reviewing literature abetted in finding similarities and differences on how artisanal and small-scale mining is defined from a scholarly and legal basis. The paper ascertains major claims made by earlier research on this topic, such as environmental impacts, the lack of adequate regulatory framework, and presents querying and probing questions lacking from other studies.

Innovating Web Probing: Comparing Written and Oral Answers to Open-Ended Probing Questions in a Smartphone Survey

Abstract Cognitive interviewing in the form of probing is key for developing methodologically sound survey questions. For a long time, probing was tied to the laboratory setting, making it difficult to achieve large sample sizes and creating a time-intensive undertaking for both researchers and participants. Web surveys paved the way for administering probing questions over the Internet in a time- and cost-efficient manner. In so-called web probing studies, respondents first answer a question and then they receive one or more open-ended questions about their response process, with requests for written answers. However, participants frequently provide very short or no answers at all to open-ended questions, in part because answering questions in writing is tedious. This is especially the case when the web survey is completed via a smartphone with a virtual on-screen keypad that shrinks the viewing space. In this study, we examine whether the problem of short and uninterpretable answers in web probing studies can be mitigated by asking respondents to complete the web survey on a smartphone and to record their answers via the built-in microphone. We conducted an experiment in a smartphone survey (N = 1,001), randomizing respondents to different communication modes (written or oral) for answering two comprehension probes about two questions on national identity and citizenship. The results indicate that probes with requests for oral answers produce four to five times more nonresponse than their written counterparts. However, oral answers contain about three times as many words, include about 0.3 more themes (first probing question only), and the proportion of clearly interpretable answers is about 6 percentage points higher (for the first probing question only). Nonetheless, both communication modes result in similar themes mentioned by respondents.

Measuring mind wandering with experience sampling during task performance: An item response theory investigation

The tendency for individuals to mind wander is often measured using experience sampling methods in which probe questions embedded within computerized cognitive tasks attempt to catch episodes of off-task thought at random intervals during task performance. However, mind-wandering probe questions and response options are often chosen ad hoc and vary between studies with extant little guidance as to the psychometric consequences of these methodological decisions. In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of several common approaches for assessing mind wandering using methods from item response theory (IRT). IRT latent modeling demonstrated that measurement information was generally distributed across the range of trait estimates according to when probes were presented in time. Probes presented earlier in time provided more information about individuals with greater tendency to mind wandering than probes presented later. Furthermore, mind-wandering ratings made on a continuous scale or using multiple categorical rating options provided more information about individuals’ latent mind-wandering tendency – across a broader range of the trait continuum – than ratings dichotomized into on-task and off-task categories. In addition, IRT provided evidence that reports of “task-related thoughts” contribute to the task-focused dimension of the construct continuum, providing justification for studies conceptualizing these responses as a kind of task-related focus. Together, we hope these findings will help guide researchers hoping to maximize the measurement precision of their mind wandering assessment procedures.

Residing among the Departed: Exploring the Lived Experience of Individuals Living Within the Proximity of Cemeteries

This qualitative study is conducted to explore and understand the lived experiences of individuals living within the proximity of cemeteries in depth and to identify the individuals’ challenges and coping strategies to navigate the ongoing challenges associated with their proximity to cemeteries. The study adopted a phenomenological research design. The researchers employed snowballing techniques to carefully select a diverse group of fifteen participants for the study. The interview questions were unstructured and validated by respected experts in the field. The researchers have included supplementary probing questions to ensure the depth and richness of the data, which will only be used if necessary. All collected data was securely stored to safeguard confidentiality and privacy. The information was organized systematically, using transcribing, coding into themes by thematically analyzing, and categories that emerged from the interviews. This allowed for easier analysis and interpretation of the data. Living within the proximity of cemeteries uncovers a complex interplay of emotions, perspectives, and unique narratives that challenge conventional notions of individuals’ life and death. This study sheds light on the diverse ways individuals navigates their existence within this unconventional living environment, offering valuable insights into the individuals’ capacity to find meaning and connection even in the proximity of the departed. This research offers a comprehensive exploration of the lived experiences of individuals residing within cemeteries, contributing valuable insights to both academic discourse and practical applications in various fields.

The Effect of 3D Computer Animated-Content Coaching Style on Student Academic Feat in Motor Vehicle Mechanics Work in Technical Colleges

The impacting of knowledge/skills in the technical college in the recent time in the modern world is by coaching students with 3D computer animated-content in the Western world. The usage of the 3D computer animated-content, makes coaching to be real to students, they see and feel the objects which they use to learn. Eighty-one (81) students was deployed for the probe, sampling of students was not done because of the population that was deployed for the probe, all the students that offers motor vehicle mechanics work in the selected technical colleges were deployed for the probe. The apparatus that was deployed for the probe was motor vehicles mechanics work feat test, was validated using fifteen students from practical college in Anambra State. Three lecturers were deployed for the validation, after the validation a reliability test was conducted and it was detected that the reliability of the apparatus was 0.73, meaning that the apparatus was reliable. Two probe question were raised to guide the probe and two hypotheses were formulated at 0.05 level of implication, to check for level of implication using (ANCOVA) to check the level of implication. Findings were made, and conclusion was also made by the investigator at the end of the probe.

Performance-Based Assessment in Assessing the Students’ Evaluating Skill: How is the implementation in English Learning?

Performance-based assessment (PBA) enables teachers to determine learners’ genuine language competency and promote critical thinking skills. The students applied their knowledge in practical ways during the teaching and learning process. Evaluating skill is one of the higher-order thinking abilities (HOTS) every individual should strive to master. Some research have indicated that this competence is under-evaluated. This study intends to elucidate the utilization of Performance-Based Assessment for evaluating students' skills in learning English. A qualitative research design was used to recruit an English teacher who met the study requirements and was teaching ninth-grade students at SMPN 2 Semarang. Information was collected through classroom observation, document analysis, and interviews. The study revealed that the teacher utilized probing questions in process-oriented assessment while applying performance-based assessment to evaluate students' skills in evaluating English acquisition. Challenging questions were asked during the learning activities to challenge students to think critically about their answers. The teacher led the pupils in a thorough discussion of the learning materials. The assessment questions were primarily open-ended WH questions designed to engage higher-order thinking skills

Cognitively testing Aotearoa’s food security questionnaire in the modern context

The eight well-known food security indicators were developed in 1997 using a stepwise process that involved five focus group interviews (one Māori, one Pakeha, two Pacific, and one mixed ethnicity) of 8-16 people, all of whom were either on a low income or were government beneficiaries(1). As part of the development of the tools and methods for a future New Zealand National Nutrition Survey, these eight indicators were considered for inclusion. The Māori and Technical Advisory Groups convened for the development of the National Nutrition Survey foresaw issues with the interpretation of some of the questions given the changes in the food environment and sources of food assistance in the last 25 years and recommended that cognitive testing should be conducted to see if changes were required. Participants were recruited through two community organisations, a local marae, and community Facebook pages. Participants were given the option of participating in a one-on-one interview or as part of a focus group. During each session, participants were asked five (three original and two new) questions relating to food security (running out of basics, use of food assistance, household food preparation and storage resources). After each question, the participants were asked a series of additional probing questions to ascertain whether they had interpreted the question as intended. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and a qualitative analysis was performed on the transcripts to determine areas of concern with each question. A total of 46 participants completed the cognitive testing of the food security questions, including 26 aged 18-64 years, and 20 aged 65+ years. Participants also spanned a range of ethnicities including 8 Māori, 15 Pasifika, 15 Asian, and 8 New Zealand European or Other. Just over half of the participants (n=24) reported themselves to be financially secure, 16 participants reported that their financial security was borderline, 1 participant reported that they were not at all financially secure, and 5 participants declined to answer. Variable interpretations of terms by participants were found in all questions that were tested. Therefore, answers to the food security questions may have not reflected the actual experience of participants. This study also identified other dimensions of food security not assessed by the current eight indicators (e.g., lack of time, poor accessibility). These findings indicate that the food security questions need to be improved to ensure they are interpreted as intended and that new questions are needed that considers all dimensions of food insecurity (i.e., access, availability, utilisation, and stability). These new and amended questions should be cognitively tested in groups that are more likely to be experiencing food insecurity.

'Walking together': How relationships shape physicians' clinical reasoning.

The clinical reasoning literature has increasingly considered context as an important influence on physicians' thinking. Physicians' relationships with patients, and their ongoing efforts to maintain these relationships, are important influences on how clinical reasoning is contextualised. The authors sought to understand how physicians' relationships with patients shaped their clinical reasoning. Drawing from constructivist grounded theory, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with primary care physicians. Participants were asked to reflect on recent challenging clinical experiences, and probing questions were used to explore how participants attended to or leveraged relationships in conjunction with their clinical reasoning. Using constant comparison, three investigators coded transcripts, organising the data into codes and conceptual categories. The research team drew from these codes and categories to develop theory about the phenomenon of interest. The authors interviewed 15 primary care physicians with a range of experience in practice and identified patient agency as a central influence on participants' clinical reasoning. Participants drew from and managed relationships with patients while attending to patients' agency in three ways. First, participants described how contextualised illness constructions enabled them to individualise their approaches to diagnosis and management. Second, participants managed tensions between enacting their typical approaches to clinical problems and adapting their approaches to foster ongoing relationships with patients. Finally, participants attended to relationships with patients' caregivers, seeing these individuals' contributions as important influences on how their clinical reasoning could be enacted within patients' unique social contexts. Clinical reasoning is influenced in important ways by physicians' efforts to both draw from, and maintain, their relationships with patients and patients' caregivers. Such efforts create tensions between their professional standards of care and their orientations toward patient-centredness. These influences of relationships on physicians' clinical reasoning have important implications for training and clinical practice.

Exploring Student Ageism Perceptions Using Life Review: An Educational Intervention

Background: Addressing student ageism is essential for promoting desires to work with older adults, but little is known about how life review intervention, used as an educational tool in OT programs, can affect ageism. This study aimed to explore the effect of life review on OT students’ ageism perceptions and desires to work with older adults. Design: A qualitative focus group research approach was performed. Method: Thirty entry-level occupational therapy students from a Texas university were used as a convenient sample. After participating in a 4-hour workshop, students conducted a life review with older adult volunteers. Data was collected during a focus group using audio-recording and field notes. A thematic approach to analysis was used including Dedoose web-based software with a code-recode procedure by 2 raters. Measure: A focus group was conducted 2-weeks after the intervention using a semi-structured interview guide with 4 open-ended and 7 probing questions to elicit in-depth discussion of the life review experience. Results: Four themes emerged related to the intervention: (1) experience influenced attitude; (2) preconceived ideas changed; (3) finding similarities and commonalities, and (4) reflective insight. Conclusions: To impact ageism and desires to work with older adults, students should participate in life review experiences during program education.

PENGARUH PERSEKITARAN RUMAH, PENGLIBATAN IBU BAPA, DAN KEPUASAN MURID DALAM PENCAPAIAN AKADEMIK MATA PELAJARAN SEJARAH

This study aims to examine the influence of the home environment, parental involvement, and student satisfaction on academic achievement in History subjects among Orang Asli Pantai students in Malaysia. Involving 63 respondents from two schools in the Batu Pahat area, this study used a quantitative methodology by collecting data through probe questions. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 26. The results of the study show the level of availability of a simple home environment, with variations in completeness and environmental conditions that facilitate review sessions. Parents' involvement in their children's learning shows a modest level, with strong support in providing facilities and encouragement, but less so in aspects of reviewing exercise books and attending school Open Days. The level of student satisfaction with parents, teachers and the school environment is high, but regression analysis shows an insignificant relationship between this level of satisfaction and academic achievement in the History subject. These findings emphasize the need for a more holistic approach in understanding the factors that influence student academic success, especially in the context of Indigenous and minority education. This study provides insight into the complexity of the relationship between environmental factors, family support, and educational satisfaction on academic achievement, and suggests the importance of comprehensive and layered interventions to improve the academic achievement of Orang Asli Pantai students in History subjects. In conclusion, this study shows that despite the influence of home environment availability, parental involvement, and student satisfaction, these relationships vary in strength and significance, indicating the need for a more inclusive and holistic approach to education.

Perspective study on identification of high-impact processes for advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Indian organizations

BACKGROUND: Inequality in India is quite a common phenomenon, the same is intertwined with social stratification and cultural influences. In a classical Indian setup, occupations are driven by social structure. Discrimination in the workplace in India is primarily also the result of structural inequalities. Organizations today are facing challenges in blending different cultures. This study gathered the views of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) implementors and identified the high-impact processes that helped them to advance their work. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to understand the high-impact practices which are being followed by employees implementing DEI in Indian organizations and how the leadership is helping them in driving DEI in their organizations. METHOD: To achieve the stated objective, this study used a semi-structured interview technique that involves asking participants a set of questions and following them up with probe questions to further explore their responses. This interview’s target group involves executives currently engaged in DEI implementation activities. The interview questions are based on the research instrument, a modified version of the Museus Context Culturally Engaging Campus Environment (CECE) model. A purposeful snowball sampling technique with predefined criteria was used for sample selection. The semi-structured interview transcripts were open-coded to derive code lists which then were axially coded for the identification of various themes. RESULTS: The study found that employee hiring & retention, engaging and supporting relationships, culturally relevant and responsive programs. and transformation framework are the four dominant high-impact practices which have significantly helped Indian organizations in implementing and advancing DEI initiatives in their organizations. CONCLUSIONS: By identifying the high-impact practices that helped Indian organizations in implementing DEI initiatives this study adds to the current body of knowledge in workplace diversity research. This study helps policymakers and other stakeholders in promoting, supporting and sustaining DEI initiatives, which now form a part of mandatory ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) reporting to be done by the top 1000 listed companies, Furthermore, entrepreneurs and practitioners can utilize the finding of the study as a guide.

Showcasing the usefulness of web probing: Do subtle variations in questionnaire translation lead to different survey responding?

It is generally taken for granted that comparability in comparative research hinges, among others, on the quality of questionnaire translations. However, what do slight differences in translation mean for respondents’ answers? In this article, we look at a combination of quantitative evidence from split-ballot experiments and qualitative evidence from additional probing questions for three items that were translated according to different translation methods, resulting in different translations, e.g., for “our national way of life.” Two of the three items do not show any quantitative differences between translation versions when implemented in split-ballot experiments. However, using open-ended probing questions we delved deeper into the effects of different translation versions. This allowed us to show that different translations do indeed change respondent understanding. We suggest mechanisms that may lead to different translations (not) having an impact on the data, and we also try to align the results to the notion of equivalence/comparability in translation. Ultimately, we showcase the usefulness of web probing for exploring different translation understandings.

Introduction to Strongyloides stercoralis Anatomy.

Strongyloides stercoralis, commonly known as the human threadworm, is a skin-penetrating gastrointestinal parasitic nematode that infects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Like other Strongyloides species, S. stercoralis is capable of cycling through a single free-living generation. Although S. stercoralis and the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are evolutionarily distant, the free-living adults of S. stercoralis are similar enough in size and morphology to C. elegans adults that techniques for generating transgenics and knockouts in C. elegans have been successfully adapted for use in S. stercoralis. High-quality genomic and transcriptomic data are also available for S. stercoralis. Thus, one can use a burgeoning array of functional genomic tools in S. stercoralis to probe questions about parasitic nematode development, physiology, and behavior. Knowledge gained from S. stercoralis will inform studies of other parasitic nematodes such as hookworms that are not yet amenable to genetic manipulation. This review describes the basic anatomy of S. stercoralis.