Promising Practices Research Articles

An Evaluation of Career Opportunity Readiness Experience (CORE): An Enhancement to Supported Employment for Transition Age Youth with Serious Mental Health Diagnoses.

Transition-age youth (TAY) diagnosed with serious mental health diagnoses have low employment rates. Supported Employment (SE) is a widely adopted evidence-based approach. However, SE engagement and outcomes are mixed with TAY, who have unique developmental needs. This study evaluates the "Career Opportunity Readiness Experience" (CORE), a TAY transitional employment SE add-on. CORE runs in 15-week cycles with 6-8 TAY, supported by Vocational Peer Mentors. CORE includes: (1) workshops, (2) paid internship, and (3) SE transition. CORE participation, key outcomes and feedback were tracked over nine cycles, and for six-months post-CORE participation. Most (97%; 55 of 57) experienced positive outcomes: 74% enrolled in SE, 42% secured employment and 23% enrolled in an education program. Most (82%) reported positive CORE experiences. CORE workshops, internships and vocational peer mentoring are promising TAY SE practices. More research is needed to understand CORE implementation barriers and facilitators and key change mechanisms.

Freytag's dramatic structure: Reflections on designing and delivering impactful trainings.

While many student leadership educators facilitate trainings, research has shown most never actually learn how to design and deliver impactful experiences. This article provides a proven framework for consistently designing and delivering high-impact, high-engagement, and high-enjoyment trainings that leverage experiential learning and reflective dialogue. The "Training Story" method is based on the dramatic structure introduced by German playwright Gustav Freytag (1895). In this article, we share the "Training Story" approach while illuminating promising practices for leadership educators that encourage infusing this model into their training and facilitation regimen.

Engaging workers with disabilities in the financial sector: exploring promising practices through key informant interviews and a rapid literature review

PurposeThis study explores the challenges, barriers and opportunities for engaging persons with disabilities in employment in the Canadian financial sector.Design/methodology/approachWe situated this research within a critical disability conceptual framework to add to existing theories of employee engagement. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study of key informant interviews of the experiences of diverse persons with disabilities in the Canadian financial sector.FindingsWe found that the financial sector has the potential to be a leader in the engagement of workers with disabilities. Key challenges include corporate bureaucracy and a focus on aggressive growth that perpetuates ableist norms of individualism, self-reliance and competitive achievement. Key informant interviews indicated that opportunities for engagement can be fostered by committed leadership, inclusive corporate culture, supportive management, and respectful and responsive workplace accommodations.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the literature on opportunities for equity, diversity and inclusion at work through a critical exploration of the challenges and promising practices associated with supporting engagement of persons with disabilities in the Canadian financial sector and beyond.

Attitudes and Experiences Regarding Communication About Maternal Vaccination: Qualitative Findings from Non-Hispanic Black Pregnant People.

Comprehensive prenatal care incorporates recommended vaccines to help protect the mother, the pregnancy, and the infant from adverse health outcomes and severe illness from vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). However, vaccinations during pregnancy remain underutilized, often influenced by concerns about vaccine safety and low perception of disease risk. Self-reported vaccine hesitancy among pregnant people in the United States has significantly increased in the last few years, and influenza and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccination rates have declined. Furthermore, the number of vaccines routinely recommended during pregnancy has expanded. Communication strategies tailored to pregnant people may help build vaccine confidence among pregnant people and their health care providers. While characteristics and perceptions associated with hesitancy to vaccinate during pregnancy are documented in existing literature, more information is needed on promising communication practices preferred by subgroups of pregnant persons, particularly Black pregnant people who have higher rates of illness from VPDs and greater risk of pregnancy-related complications. This article summarizes literature on the current landscape of prenatal vaccination, discusses qualitative findings from focus groups with non-Hispanic Black pregnant people, and describes promising practices for communicating with this group about vaccination. Promising practices include specifying the benefits of vaccination for both the pregnant person and the infant, outlining potential risks, and emphasizing the overall importance of vaccination during pregnancy, while also acknowledging that many non-Hispanic Black pregnant people may have health concerns they perceive as superseding vaccination.

Assessing the Feasibility of Handheld Cameras to Increase Access to Teleretinal Diabetic Retinopathy Screenings in Safety Net Clinics in Los Angeles

Background: Handheld cameras may increase access to teleretinal diabetic retinopathy screenings (TDRS), as they are more economical and nimbler than traditional desktop cameras. However, their use in safety net clinical settings is less understood. Methods: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health collaborated with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) to pilot the use of handheld cameras in DHS’s TDRS program. This study assessed screening metrics and interviewed TDRS coordinators and photographers about their experiences using these cameras. Results: Handheld cameras were harder to operate and performed less optimally on key screening metrics (e.g., image quality) compared to desktop cameras. However, this challenge appeared to be linked to the selected model rather than to all handheld cameras. The adoption of handheld cameras in DHS was aided by their integration into an existing agency infrastructure that already supported the use of desktop cameras; these operational supports included an established workflow, a data platform, and experienced photographers. Conclusions: The use of handheld cameras for TDRS is a promising practice for assuring equitable access to screenings. Handheld cameras are portable, smaller in size, and lower in cost than desktop cameras. Future projects should invest in and assess the performance of higher-quality models of these cameras, especially their use in safety net clinical settings.

The Innovative Nature of Law. Problem Statement

The central issue of the paper is the innovative potential of law. Much attention is given to the emergence of law, its relationship with religion, and other social regulators. The emphasis is on the fact that law (not law) has a divine origin. This is how its nature was understood in the ancient world. It is shown how there gradually appeared awareness of law as a means of constructing the desired social reality. This paradigm is associated with the university medieval legal science, which saw law as a model of a rationally organized society. University professors taught students not «practical» law, but methods of working with it, so that law could be perceived as a model for building rationally based social practices, a just society based on law. Attention is drawn to the fact that it is the Romano-German (continental) legal system that more than others emphasizes the innovative nature of law and the desire to use it as effectively as possible. The necessity of changing concepts is indicated: «law regulates» — «law creates». This is the purpose of innovative jurisprudence, which creates legal mechanisms for development in the broadest sense of the word. It is proved that the leaders in the legal field will be those educational and scientific centers that will create a «legal environment for promising social practices and new markets» in order to ensure the technological superiority of Russia.

Private sector engagement for immunisation programmes: a pragmatic scoping review of 25 years of evidence on good practice in low-income and middle-income countries

IntroductionMany National Immunisation Programmes attempt to leverage the private sector ; however, there is limited consolidated and synthesised documentation on good practices, gaps and lessons learnt. A 2017 WHO guidance...

Morphological and fish mesohabitat dynamics following an experimental flood under different sediment availability

AbstractExperimental floods have been increasingly used as a promising practice to rehabilitate river ecosystems downstream of dams; however, the morphological and habitat dynamics they determine under different sediment supply conditions still poses relevant research and management questions. This study investigates the morphological and fish mesohabitat dynamics following an experimental flood, in two river reaches subject to different sediment supply regimes. We chose the lower Spöl River (Switzerland) as a relevant case study, subject to an experimental flood program for several years. Downstream of the dam, a tributary supplies large amounts of sediment to the Spöl dividing the study area into two homogeneous reaches with different sediment availability but similar flow conditions during the experimental flood. We analyzed and quantified the changes in morphology and fish habitat suitability for the Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) at the mesoscale in these two reaches caused by the 2021 experimental flood, which lasted 11 h and had a peak magnitude corresponding to a 1‐year return interval in the pre‐dam flow regime. We found almost no correlation between changes in the channel morphology and in habitat suitability for this event. In the upstream reach, located immediately downstream of the dam, we observed a narrower channel with a regular longitudinal sequence featuring nearly immobile coarse rapids, interspersed with more dynamic, finer riffles. Here, reach‐scale morphodynamics and the shifts of the mesohabitat mosaic and the suitable habitats were below 10%. Conversely, the downstream reach, characterised by a wider channel and much higher sediment supply of well‐sorted, finer bed material, was dominated by alternate bar instability and migration at the reach scale, which caused a 45% shift in its pre‐flood habitat mosaic. Nevertheless, in the same reach, the overall suitability of habitats remained relatively unchanged. We attributed these different dynamics to two main factors: (i) more prolonged bedload mobility conditions and (ii) the occurrence of bar migration in the downstream reach compared to the upstream one. This study (i) underscores the critical importance of considering sediment supply from downstream tributaries when designing and monitoring the effects of experimental floods, (ii) supports the use of morphodynamic models in the related planning and monitoring phases and (iii) shows the relevance of integrating morphodynamics and eco‐hydraulic analysis to support the implementation of such flow restoration programs.

Results of the nationale survery on algerian beekeebing (breeding practices, health situation)

The honey bee plays a crucial role in maintaining plant biodiversity and environmental equilibrium, making beekeeping a vital activity in Algeria. However, the proliferation of Varroa ectoparasitic mites, causing varroasis, poses a significant threat to beekeeping in the region. This study, conducted between March and July 2022, aimed to comprehensively characterize the state of beekeeping in Algeria and identify its primary challenges. The survey was disseminated via email to beekeeping associations and individual beekeepers, with responses from 100 participants subjected to analysis, most of the respondents 97%, are men. 66% of the respondents practice sedentary and 34% transhumance. The findings shed light on the impediments to beekeeping development in recent years, including factors such as drought, elevated mortality rates, and the prevalence of bee pathologies. Notably, a significant portion of beekeepers refrains from conducting mortality analyses. The survey also revealed a substantial decline in honey production compared to previous years. However, positive aspects emerged, such as the presence of beekeepers employing sound beekeeping practices, including frame renewal, colony protection against adverse weather conditions, and the practice of transhumance. Furthermore, periodic varroasis screening in bee colonies was observed as a promising practice. Most beekeepers 98% use annual treatments for varroa mites in light of these findings, it is imperative for beekeeping associations to actively engage and take measures to organize and enhance the beekeeping sector, thereby addressing the current challenges.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte in vitro models: benchmarking progress and ongoing challenges.

Recent innovations in differentiating cardiomyocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have unlocked a viable path to creating in vitro cardiac models. Currently, hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) remain immature, leading many in the field to explore approaches to enhance cell and tissue maturation. Here, we systematically analyzed 300 studies using hiPSC-CM models to determine common fabrication, maturation and assessment techniques used to evaluate cardiomyocyte functionality and maturity and compiled the data into an open-access database. Based on this analysis, we present the diversity of, and current trends in, in vitro models and highlight the most common and promising practices for functional assessments. We further analyzed outputs spanning structural maturity, contractile function, electrophysiology and gene expression and note field-wide improvements over time. Finally, we discuss opportunities to collectively pursue the shared goal of hiPSC-CM model development, maturation and assessment that we believe are critical for engineering mature cardiac tissue.

Effect of Level of Sulphur and Phosphorus on Yield and Quality of Soybean Grown in Inceptisol

The field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2017 at Post Graduate Research Farm, Rajarshee Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, College of Agriculture Kolhapur, with the view to study the effect of levels of sulphur and phosphorus on yield and quality of soybean grown in inceptisol. The soil of the experimental site was slightly alkaline in reaction, very low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and medium in available potassium and deficient in available sulphur. The field experiment was carried out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications and sixteen treatments comprising four levels of sulphur (0, 20, 40, and 60 kg ha-1) through elemental sulphur and four levels of phosphorus (0, 75, 100, and 125 kg ha-1) through DAP. The result indicated that the significantly highest grain yield (27.20 q ha-1, 25.04 q ha-1 respectively) was recorded by application of sulphur and phosphorus at 60 kg ha-1 (S4) and 100 kg ha-1 (P3) than rest of the sulphur and the phosphorus levels. The application of (S4, P3) at 60 kg ha-1 and 100 kg P ha-1 showed significantly highest straw yield (38.85 q ha-1, 35.50 q ha-1 respectively) than rest of the combination of sulphur and Phosphorus levels. The quality parameter records highest percent of 1000 grain weight, oil content and oil yield were found in 60 kg S along with 100 kg P ha-1 while the lowest seed yield, 1000 grain weight and oil content were found in control. Therefore, application of 60 kg S with 100 kg P appeared as the promising practice for obtaining higher seed yield and better quality of Soybean.

Integrating Single-Case and Qualitative Approaches: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of a Science Comprehension Intervention for Students with Extensive Support Needs

Despite advances in inclusion and access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities at large, students with extensive support needs (ESN) continue to receive instruction that is disconnected from the general curriculum and general education peers. One area of the general curriculum that students with ESN have historically lacked access to is science. However, ongoing research in this area has identified several evidence-based and promising practices that support the science learning of students with ESN. This project used a convergent mixed-methods single-case research design, specifically a single case adapted alternating treatments design paired with qualitative methods, to explore how an intervention to support comprehension of science content supported student learning and engagement for four middle school students with ESN. Implications of the study findings, as well as the value added from the mixed-methods approach, will be discussed.

Impact Assessments - existing procedures and potentials for health and health equity

Abstract Impact assessment tools are used in policy making all over Europe, some have a legal foundation, others were performed voluntarily for certain measures. Usually, impact assessment procedures are dedicated to specific policy areas or political fields. As policies often have impacts in more than one political area, an interlinkage of impact assessments would be appropriate - also to foster co-benefits of policy making. To follow this approach of a more integrated way of impact assessment, it is necessary to gain an overview and understanding of different procedures in place on national level. As policy making is important for designing healthy living environments, a specific task in the EU Joint Action Prevent NCD is focussing on fostering health and well-being through impact assessment procedures. Therefore, an assessment of the existing impact assessments in the participating member states will be performed in 2024. By using a document analysis of guiding material like guidelines, standards or web applications for the specific impact assessment types, it will be investigated how health and health equity aspects are already included. A qualitative comparison of the results can deliver similarities and differences but also promising practices in the member states. The preliminary results of this analysis will be presented. By learning about the different impact assessment procedures in place, potential synergies and entry points for health and health equity could be found. In a next step, a comprehensive checklist for health and health equity should be developed and piloted in the member states. The final version of checklist should be a guiding material that could be included in various Impact Assessment procedures. Key messages • Impact assessment procedures are important for policy making and can foster co-benefits in various political fields. • By learning about the different impact assessment procedures in place, potential synergies and entry points for health and health equity could be found.

The power of partnership: Strategies for pan-Canadian spread and scale of paramedics providing palliative care.

Paramedics and Palliative Care is an example of a promising practice ("pilot") that underwent successful spread and scale across Canada. Through the support of two pan-Canadian health organizations and concurrent evolution of the profession of paramedicine, this innovation has become integrated into practice. Evaluation of the innovation sites showed positive impact in all elements of the quintuple aim, and data from the expansion sites mirrors this success. Paramedic comfort and confidence is improved. Patient and family satisfaction is high. Quality indicators such as time spent at home, and home deaths, improved after program launch. There are time and cost savings with the program in place. The framework that enabled this spread and scale is presented and elaborated, to support further uptake of this innovation and provide a blueprint for successful expansion of other promising practices to support healthcare improvement across Canada.

The More the Better? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Benefits of More than Two External Representations in STEM Education

Over the last decades, a multitude of results in educational and psychological research have shown that the implementation of multiple external representations (MERs) in educational contexts represents a valuable tool for fostering learning and problem-solving skills. The context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has received great attention because it necessitates using various symbolic (e.g., text and formula) and graphical representations (e.g., pictures and graphs) to convey subject content. Research has mainly explored effects of combining two representations, but the potential benefits of integrating more than two representations on students’ learning remain underexplored. This gap limits our understanding of promising educational practices and restricts the development of effective teaching strategies catering to students’ cognitive needs. To close this gap, we conducted a systematic review of 46 studies and a meta-analysis that included 132 effect sizes to evaluate the effectiveness of using more than two representations in STEM education and to identify moderating factors influencing learning and problem-solving. A network diagram analysis revealed that the advantages of learning and problem-solving with MERs are also applicable to more than two representations. A subsequent meta-analysis revealed that the learning with more than two representations in STEM can have advantageous effects on students cognitive load (Hedges′g=0.324,p<.001,95%CI[0.164,0.484]\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{Hedges}}{^\\prime}g =0.324,~p<.001,~95\\%~\ ext{CI}~[0.164, 0.484]$$\\end{document}) and performance (Hedges′g=0.118,p<.001,95%CI[0.050,0.185]\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{Hedges}}{^\\prime}g =0.118,~p<.001,~95\\%~\ ext{CI}~[0.050, 0.185]$$\\end{document}) compared to learning with two representations without notable differences in learning time. The analysis of moderating factors revealed that benefits of learning with more than two representations primarily depend on the provision of appropriate support.

Effects of Different Straw Returning Periods and Nitrogen Fertilizer Combinations on Rice Roots and Yield in Saline–Sodic Soil

Straw return is an effective management practice for improving physical and chemical properties of saline–sodic soil in Northeast China. Straw decomposition and nutrient release are deeply influenced by soil and climatic factors. In Northeast China, straw decomposes slowly due to the long winter with low temperatures. Therefore, the season of straw return may be a key issue affecting rice. However, the impact of returning straw in different seasons on rice is disregarded and not commonly researched. We conducted a 2-year field experiment, including two residue management treatments: spring straw return treatment (SR) and autumn straw return treatment (AR), each containing five different N rates (0, 90, 180, 270, and 360 kg ha−1) as sub-treatments. The results reveal that, compared with the spring straw returning treatment, the autumn straw returning treatment significantly improved root morphology and root vigor and increased the number of spikes per unit area, which directly increased rice yield by 4.76% (2020) and 6.62% (2021). In addition, rice yield showed an increasing and then decreasing trend with the increase in N fertilizer application, and it was at its maximum when the N application rate was 270 kg ha−1. Compared to the spring straw return treatment, the autumn straw return treatment was able to reduce 31.46% (2020) and 38.48% (2021) of N fertilizer application without decreasing rice yield. Our findings demonstrate that straw return combined with nitrogen fertilization may be a promising management practice for improving rice root systems and yield in saline–sodic soils, and under the conditions of the autumn straw returning treatment, the best nitrogen fertilizer application rate was 270 kg ha−1.

Surface soil sampling underestimates soil carbon and nitrogen storage of long-term cover cropping

Cover cropping is a promising management practice for soil health and climate change mitigation by improving soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stocks. However, limited studies focused on deeper soil layers (>30 cm depth) where soil C is more stable than that in surface soil (≤30 cm depth). Here, deep soil sampling was conducted in a 15-year cover cropping experiment, in a horticulture-grain system on sandy loam soil. The SOC and TN stocks were expressed on an equivalent soil mass basis using a cubic spline model. Overall, long-term cover cropping had significantly greater SOC and TN stocks by 22 % (95 %CI: 5–43 %) and 26 % (95 %CI: 6–49 %), respectively in the 0–120 cm depth, compared to no cover cropping. Additionally, the mean SOC and TN sequestration rate (0–30 cm depth) was 0.53 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 and 0.06 Mg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively. However, if only 0–15 cm depth was evaluated, long-term cover cropping did not significantly affect SOC and TN stocks. These results indicated that shallow sampling (<15 cm depth) may not provide comprehensive information on the effect of long-term cover cropping on soil C and N storage. To better understand the mechanism of bulk soil C and N storage, we investigated their distribution between particulate and mineral-associated organic matter pools (POM and MAOM). We found POM pool was the main store of bulk SOC and TN stocks in surface soils while it was the MAOM pool in deeper soil layers, without soil texture change with soil depth. These findings indicated that soil C and N sources for bulk SOC and TN accrual differed in surface and deeper soils. Our study demonstrated that long-term cover cropping can facilitate SOC accumulation in the soil below 15 cm deep, which calls into question carbon capture protocols that focus on shallow soil depths.

Child-Directed Healing Play and student–teacher relationships. Evaluating a promising practice among primary-aged children in Zimbabwe

This mixed methods study evaluates the effectiveness of Child-Directed Healing Play (CDHP) in improving student–teacher relationships in 7 Private Primary Schools in Zimbabwe. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaires were administered to 31 trained teachers. Sixty-two children (22 girls and 40 boys) aged between 3 and 12, from ECD to Grade 7 were screened using the Youth Outcome Questionnaires (YOQ) completed by parents. Thirty-one children were assigned into intervention group (IG) and 31 in control group (CG). Quantitative data were gathered at two points in time: prior to the intervention (pre-test) and after the completion of the intervention (post-test) using the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) Short Form. Qualitative data were collected using CDHP Session Evaluation Forms. Results showed that 32 % of teachers had 0 ACEs while 40 % had 1 to 2 and 28 % had 3–5 ACEs. The p-values for the “Closeness” and “Conflict” variables were 0.05355 and 0.1378 respectively, indicating the intervention may have improved the “Closeness” and reduced the “Conflict” in the relationships, although the results did not reach statistical significance. Qualitative findings reveal the effectiveness of CDHP in improving closeness through establishment of therapeutic relationships characterised by increased openness, trust, emotional regulation and mutual understanding. The improved closeness between the teacher and student is reflective of the intervention’s potential to be both curative and preventive (resilience-building).

Navigating the Contradictions of ePortfolio Implementation: A Practice-Based Approach Through the Lens of Activity Theory

EPortfolios have emerged as promising technology and practices to redefine pedagogical and learning practices in higher learning institutions. This study examines ePortfolio technology and practices implementation at - a dual-sector educational institution offering higher education and vocational training programs. The implementation, spearheaded by a dedicated central teaching and learning unit in collaboration with faculty academics, signifies a strategic institutional shift towards enhanced reflective practice and learning documentation. While prior research has acknowledged the general integration of ePortfolios within university pedagogy, there exists a lack of literature examining the nuanced challenges and prospects presented by learning design frameworks. Our paper seeks to address this gap by employing activity theory as an analytical framework to dissect the complexities of ePortfolio implementation within higher learning environments. Through the methodological lens of action research, we provide a nuanced narrative of the multi-faceted hurdles encountered during the roll-out of the ePortfolio platform and practices. Our findings not only delineate these obstacles but also showcase ePortfolios’ potential for pedagogical innovation. The paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on digital pedagogies, offering valuable insights for educators, administrators, and policymakers to navigate the challenges of ePortfolio implementation process. This way the study offers ways to navigate such challenges to harness the full spectrum of ePorfolio systems and practices to support successful implementation in higher education institutions.

Inclusive Faculty Hiring: Promising Practices for Increasing Higher Education Faculty Diversity

This paper reviews and synthesizes the extant work on promising practices in recruiting and hiring diverse college faculty in an equitable, inclusive process. First, I discuss the substantial demographic mismatch between faculty, the general working-age population, and undergraduate students. I then discuss the evidence that representational faculty diversity benefits students. I then integrate the literature on promising practices in inclusive faculty recruitment to recommend four strategies: better position advertisements, ongoing, proactive recruitment, thoughtful committee assignment and training, and a more deliberate, deliberative process. I offer multiple tactics within each strategy and urge institutions to adopt and prioritize whatever mix of these and other strategies/tactics makes the most sense for them.