Research Training Research Articles

The Sherbrooke-Lyon Research Training Program in Acoustics - Projet Samuel de Champlain 2022-2024

We present the Sherbrooke-Lyon Research Training Program in Acoustics ("Projet Samuel de Champlain" 2022-2024, funded by the FRQNT: Fonds de recherche du Québec - Nature et technologies), which brings together teams from Université de Sherbrooke and from Master of Science in Acoustics of Lyon. This project aims to build a joint teaching program in acoustics through joint courses integrated into the graduate programs of the two institutions, research internships, and academic exchanges of students and researchers associated with the project. The joint courses are based on existing activities at the two institutions, whose content and teaching methods (mainly online) are adapted to the project. In the last two academic years, students from Sherbrooke followed the sound perception course of Lyon in co-modal modalities; and conversely, students from Lyon followed the smart acoustic lab module offered at UdeS in virtual mode. Three undergraduate students took also part in the program during their spring/summer internships (in the other partner lab, resp. CRASH and LVA), developing hybrid and virtual content (numerical laboratories). The presentation will focus mainly on how such innovative collaboration modalities can be applied in the context of education and research at university.

Time to STEP UP: methods and findings from the development of guidance to help researchers design inclusive clinical trials

BackgroundIt is important to design clinical trials to include all those who may benefit from the intervention being tested. Several frameworks have been developed to help researchers think about the barriers to inclusion of particular under-served groups when designing a trial, but there is a lack of practical guidance on how to implement these frameworks. This paper describes the ACCESS project, the findings from each phase of the project and the guidance we developed (STEP UP) on how to design more inclusive trials.MethodsDevelopment of the STEP UP guidance had five phases: (1) Scoping literature review, (2) ‘roundtable’ discussion meetings, (3) redesign of trials, (4) interviews and (5) guidance document development, with input from public contributors and the ACCESS team.ResultsOver 40 experts contributed to the ACCESS project—patients and the public, clinicians, NHS research staff, trialists and other academics. The scoping review identified several strategies being used to improve inclusion, mostly around recruitment settings, but there was little evaluation of these strategies. The ‘roundtable’ discussions identified additional strategies being used across the UK and Ireland to improve inclusion, which were grouped into: Communication, Community engagement, Recruitment sites, Patient information, Flexibility, Recruitment settings, Consent process, Monitoring, Training for researchers and Incentives. These strategies were used to redesign three existing trials by applying one of the three INCLUDE frameworks (ethnicity, socioeconomic disadvantage, impaired capacity to consent) to one trial each, to produce the key recommendations for the guidance. Issues around implementation were explored in stakeholder interviews and key facilitators were identified: funders requesting information on inclusion, having the time and funding to implement strategies, dedicated staff, flexibility in trial protocols, and considering inclusion of under-served groups at the design stages. The STEP UP guidance is freely available at http://step-up-clinical-trials.co.uk.ConclusionResearchers should consider inclusivity to shape initial trial design decisions. Trial teams and funders need to ensure that trials are given both the resources and time needed to implement the STEP UP guidance and increase the opportunities to recruit a diverse population.

Time is Money: The Return on Investment of Research in Surgical Training: Brief Title: The ROI of Research in Surgical Training

IntroductionFuture income potential can impact surgical trainees’ career choices, particularly when deciding to subspecialize, which often requires additional training and research time. This study quantifies the effects of added time on career value for eight surgical subspecialties. MethodsThe Net present value(NPV) was calculated for eight subspecialties and general surgery over a 35-year career, factoring in salary, educational debt, tax, inflation, and practice setting. NPV for each was compared over a number of research years (0, 1, 2) using data from the MGMA, AAMC, and US government records. ResultsAfter a 35-year career, six subspecialties in private practice increased career NPV(>$14,000) with 0 research years. One additional research year yielded negative career values for transplant, trauma, and vascular; with two, only cardiovascular and pediatric retained a positive NPV. In academia, 1-2 research years resulted in negative NPV for all but cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. ConclusionsThe financial return of additional training years is highly variable.

Effects of interval treadmill training on spatiotemporal parameters in children with cerebral palsy: A machine learning approach

Quantifying individualized rehabilitation responses and optimizing therapy for each person is challenging. For interventions like treadmill training, there are multiple parameters, such as speed or incline, that can be adjusted throughout sessions. This study evaluates if causal modeling and Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART) can be used to accurately track the direct effects of treadmill training on gait. We developed a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) to specify the assumed relationship between training input parameters and spatiotemporal outcomes during Short Burst Locomotor Treadmill Training (SBLTT), a therapy designed specifically for children with cerebral palsy (CP). We evaluated outcomes after 24 sessions of SBLTT for simulated datasets of 150 virtual participants and experimental data from four children with CP, ages 4–13 years old. Individual BART models were created from treadmill data of each step. Simulated datasets demonstrated that BART could accurately identify specified responses to training, including strong correlations for step length progression (R2 = 0.73) and plateaus (R2 = 0.87). Model fit was stronger for participants with less step-to-step variability but did not impact model accuracy. For experimental data, participants’ step lengths increased by 26 ± 13 % after 24 sessions. Using BART to control for speed or incline, we found that step length increased for three participants (direct effect: 13.5 ± 4.5 %), while one participant decreased step length (−11.6 %). SBLTT had minimal effects on step length asymmetry and step width. Tools such as BART can leverage step-by-step data collected during training for researchers and clinicians to monitor progression, optimize rehabilitation protocols, and inform the causal mechanisms driving individual responses.

T32 programs in emergency medicine: A report from the ACEP-SAEM Federal Research Funding Workgroup.

Advancing care in Emergency Medicine (EM) requires the development of well-trained researchers, but our specialty has lower amounts of research funding compared to similar medical fields. Increasing the number of pathways available for research training supports the growth of new investigators. To address the need for more EM researchers, the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine and the American College of Emergency Physicians convened a Federal Research Funding Workgroup. Here, we report the workgroup recommendations regarding the creation of Research Training Fellowships using the T32 grant structure sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. After reviewing the history of NIH-grant supported research fellowships in EM, we outline the rationale and describe the core components of T32-supported research fellowships, including program design, fellow evaluation, and recruitment considerations.

Institutional Mechanisms for Enhancing Production of Doctoral Research Outputs at Makerere University

In the contemporary knowledge society, research production is being re-purposed in terms of not just its academic value, but also its wider societal value. As such, doctoral research ought to be produced in the context of application. Therefore, universities have a responsibility to enhance the uptake and use of doctoral research outputs. This necessitates institutional mechanisms for enhancing the production of doctoral research outputs for uptake and use beyond academia. We examined the institutional mechanisms for enhancing production of doctoral research outputs at Makerere University using the research knowledge infrastructure (RKI) framework as the analytical lens. This was in light of the dismal uptake and use of research produced at Makerere University by students and staff. We used qualitative single case study research design. We collected data through interviewing and review of documents. We interviewed 10 doctoral program coordinators, three managers of research and graduate training and 13 PhD students we selected purposively. We reviewed seven institutional documents pertaining graduate training at Makerere University: two plans, three policies, one framework and one guideline. We used thematic data analysis to make sense of the data. The findings revealed that due to policy-practice gaps and funding constraints, mechanisms to enhance doctoral research production to facilitate uptake and use of doctoral research outputs beyond the academia were not adequately integrated into doctoral research training. This was shown by the lack of mechanisms to enhance doctoral research commissioning and execution, and gaps in priority setting. Opportunities for productive interactions between doctoral researchers and potential users were missed. As such, doctoral research outputs largely remained within the scholarly community. We recommend that the university should establish interface structures and co-creation spaces to leverage doctoral research commissioning, execution and priority setting to facilitate the uptake and use of doctoral research outputs beyond the scientific community.

Developing advanced citation skills: A mixed-methods approach to corpus technology training for novice researchers

In contrast with most existing corpus technology (CT) studies which focus primarily on general vocabulary and grammar learning, this study investigates the effectiveness of CT in addressing challenges encountered by novice researchers in improving an advanced linguistic skill in EAP writing: using reporting verbs to express rhetorical functions in citations in literature reviews. An eight-week CT training programme featuring a practical framework of the rhetorical functions of citations and utilising the Parallel EAP Corpora was implemented for 50 Chinese postgraduate students who were L2 English users. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Paired-samples t-tests demonstrated statistically significant improvement with medium effect sizes in the frequency and diversity of reporting verb usage in citations, as well as in the complexity of expressing rhetorical functions of citations. These findings were further corroborated by corpus-aided descriptive statistical and textual analyses. Questionnaire data and interviews further revealed students' positive evaluations towards the training informed by the Parallel EAP Corpora, which facilitated participants' learning in various ways. These findings hold substantial value for EAP pedagogy, indicating that the incorporation of pedagogically sound CT training can significantly improve novice researchers’ development of academic discourse through nuanced citation practices and advanced rhetorical strategies for composing literature reviews.

What is known about suicide prevention gatekeeper training and directions for future research.

Suicide prevention training that teaches skills to support a person experiencing thoughts of suicide and create community support networks, often termed, "gatekeeper" training (GKT), has been a longstanding pillar of international, national, and local suicide prevention efforts. GKT aims to improve knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy in identifying individuals at risk for suicide, hopefully enhancing one's willingness and ability to intervene with a person experiencing a crisis. However, little is known about GKT's effectiveness in creating the essential behavior change (e.g., increase in intervening behaviors) it sets out to accomplish. This paper explores the history and theoretical background of GKT, reviews the current state of research on GKT, and provides framing and recommendations for next steps to advance research and practice around GKT. Through positioning GKT appropriately within the field of suicide prevention, we argue that the field of suicide prevention needs more rigorous research around GKT that includes long-term follow-up data on usage of skills learned during training, data on outcomes of those who have received an intervention from a trained gatekeeper, and the integration of implementation science to further our understanding of which trainings are appropriate for which helpers.

Accessible training for academic clinicians and researchers to address the need for academic entrepreneurs.

Accessible training for academic clinicians and researchers to address the need for academic entrepreneurs.

Do creative companies pay higher wages? Micro-level evidence from Bangladesh

The study investigates the correlation between research and development (R&D) and training and development (T&D) investments in creative companies in Bangladesh. It aims to understand the economic benefits of fostering a creative corporate environment, as well as its impact on employee wages. We collected data from a sample of companies in Bangladesh, which included expenditures and employee wages. We used multiple regression models to control for potential confounding factors. The findings reveal a positive correlation between R&D investments and employee wages. Companies that allocate more resources to R&D tend to pay higher wages due to the development of new products and processes, enhanced employees' skills, and the attraction of talented and skilled employees. T&D investments also lead to increased productivity and efficiency, which in turn boosts the company's financial performance. Additionally, T&D can improve employee morale and job satisfaction, leading to lower turnover rates and a more stable workforce.. Keywords: Bangladesh, Creative companies, Employee wages, Higher wages, R&D and T&D, Development, Investments.

Constructing A Makeshift Heat Chamber Suitable For Thermoregulatory Research And Heat Acclimation Training

Constructing A Makeshift Heat Chamber Suitable For Thermoregulatory Research And Heat Acclimation Training

Manual wheelchair training approaches and intended training outcomes for adults who are new to wheelchair use: A scoping review.

Wheelchair training is pivotal for safety, independence, and occupational engagement in the community, yet adults coming into wheelchair use often receive insufficient or untailored training. This research aimed to understand the range and type of manual wheelchair training approaches that exist for adults commencing wheelchair use. A systematic scoping review involved searching eight electronic databases and grey literature up to September 2023. Papers relating to manual wheelchair training for adults and their caregivers were included for data extraction. Eighty-seven articles were included in this review. The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) was used to organise and analyse data related to intended training outcomes. Consumer consultation was not included in this review; however, the outcomes suggest that involving consumers in future wheelchair training research is critical to assure community participation outcomes. Data were extracted from 87 papers. Manual wheelchair training was delivered across diverse contexts encompassing varied support structures, trainer backgrounds, and technology and was commonly directed towards wheelchair users with spinal cord injury. Intended training outcomes most frequently mapped to the activity and participation component of the ICF (n= 39), followed by personal factors (n= 27), body structures and functions (n= 18), and environmental factors (n= 3), with limited focus on longer term occupational engagement outcomes. Most existing manual wheelchair training focussed on the acquisition of individual wheelchair skill and may not facilitate generalised and long-term occupational participation outcomes. Further exploration into the contexts that support occupational engagement, particularly for older adults with progressive conditions, is required to support service provision. We looked at what manual wheelchair training approaches exist for adults who need to use a manual wheelchair and what training helps people to do/achieve. We did a scoping review that looked at literature about manual wheelchair training programs for adult wheelchair users. We found 87 research papers and training programs that we included in our review. We recorded and analysed information from all the papers about the wheelchair training programs and outcomes for people who do these programs. We found that manual wheelchair training can be done in structured or ad hoc ways, can have different amounts of training, can be provided face-to-face or online, and can be given by different allied health professionals and other wheelchair users. Most training programs had short-term outcomes like learning manual wheelchair skills, being able to use the wheelchair properly, and feeling confident about using a wheelchair. Some had longer term outcomes about being able to use the manual wheelchair in everyday activities. Most people who did the training programs that we looked at in this review were manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury. Because not many wheelchair programs have been tried with people who do not have a spinal cord injury, it is hard for occupational therapists to make recommendations about training for other people who use a manual wheelchair. Manual wheelchair training that is done in the community and made to meet the needs of individuals may help people with using their wheelchair for their everyday activities and participate in their community.

The impact of the Prevent Agenda on social work: a systematic literature review

The Prevent Agenda, introduced in 2006, is a counter-terrorism strategy aiming to address radicalisation and extremist behaviour. This systematic literature review (SLR) focuses on its impact on child protection social work, examining how it influences roles, responsibilities and decision-making processes. Analysing articles, governmental reports and relevant literature, the review explores outcomes, such as improved inter-agency communication and heightened awareness of radicalisation risk factors. However, much more pronounced in the literature are very significant concerns that arise about potential biases in targeting, marginalising Muslim minorities and alienating families from support. This SLR offers insights into the multifaceted effects of Prevent on child protection social work, families and communities. Identifying trends and knowledge gaps contributes to understanding how counterterrorism intersects with child welfare. The review’s implications inform policy, professional training and future research for a balanced approach to national security and child and family well-being.

High variability phonetic training facilitates perception-to-production transfer in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants: An acoustic investigation.

This study primarily aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of high variability phonetic training (HVPT) for children with cochlear implants (CIs) via the cross-modal transfer of perceptual learning to lexical tone production, a scope that has been largely neglected by previous training research. Sixteen CI participants received a five-session HVPT within a period of three weeks, whereas another 16 CI children were recruited without receiving any formal training. Lexical tone production was assessed with a picture naming task before the provision (pretest) and immediately after (posttest) and ten weeks after (follow-up test) the completion of the training protocol. The production samples were coded and analyzed acoustically. Despite considerable distinctions from the typical baselines of normal-hearing peers, the trained CI children exhibited significant improvements in Mandarin tone production from pretest to posttest in pitch height of T1, pitch slope of T2, and pitch curvature of T3. Moreover, the training-induced acoustic changes in the concave characteristic of the T3 contour was retained ten weeks after training termination. This study represents an initial acoustic investigation on HVPT-induced benefits in lexical tone production for the pediatric CI population, which provides valuable insights into applying this perceptual training technique as a viable tool in clinical practices.

COVERater-A Free Application for Training Researchers to Accurately Estimate Species Cover in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems.

Visual estimates of cover are widely used among ecologists, from describing vegetation communities to tracking and monitoring species' abundance. However, despite the known bias associated with visual estimates, no standardised training is available to improve these measurements. We developed a free online training tool, the COVERater, that effectively teaches users to visually estimate the percent cover of species in a variety of ecosystems (including alpine heath, arid lands, coral reefs, temperate reefs and wetlands). Prior to training, users with prior professional experience estimated species cover to an average inaccuracy of 5.2%, while users with no experience estimated cover to an average inaccuracy of 7.6%. COVERater training took an average of 31 min and 68 images, and reduced the estimate inaccuracy of users with no prior experience to 5.2%. There was no significant loss of estimate accuracy over 100 days following training. The COVERater can be used anywhere in the world, by data collectors of all experience levels, for projects spanning all spatial scales. By providing researchers with standardised training, our application can reduce variation in cover estimates that arise from human biases, allowing for comparable estimates across global collaborative projects and data syntheses. We encourage all relevant scientists to include COVERater training in their protocols to quantify cover with greater accuracy, improve the veracity of their results and make better inferences about our biosphere.

Patient research partner involvement in rheumatology research: a systematic literature review informing the 2023 updated EULAR recommendations for the involvement of patient research partners

BackgroundPatient research partners (PRPs) are people with a disease who collaborate in a research team as partners. The aim of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to assess barriers and...

Maintaining the Free Flow of Information. A Manifesto-like Intervention for Practice-Based Research in Academic Training Programs for Multimedia Journalism

With a changing media landscape in mind, this article takes a closer look at academic training standards for journalists. Focusing on multimedia production and innovative science, it analyses the impact on business models, resources and working conditions. As an interventionist appeal, it argues in favour of practice-based research and new training methods. Key demands include a greater awareness of the democratic role of journalism, ethical sensitivity and sustainable funding. By interweaving theory, practice and politics, this Manifesto-like paper aims to strengthen the profession of journalism and build a bridge between academia and practical training.

Intervention Programs Focusing on Social Cognition in Schizophrenia

Social cognitive functions make it possible to correctly recognize and interpret the emotions and mental states of others in the social environment, to understand their intentions correctly and to react accordingly. Therefore, these functions arecritical for healthy social interactions and professional success in human life. Social cognitive functions are impaired in many psychiatric and neurological diseases and this impairment negatively affects almost all areas of patients' lives, albeit in different dimensions. According to research findings revealing the relationship between social cognition and social functioning, social cognition should be one of the treatment targets for many diseases. Recently, there has been increasing interest in interventions that target the improvement of these functions. In this article, these training programs, research findings and assessment tools used in these studies are discussed in the specific case of schizophrenia.

Tribal undergraduate to graduate research training and leadership experiences program (NIGMS)

Tribal undergraduate to graduate research training and leadership experiences program (NIGMS)

Classroom action research training to develop professional educators for Muhammadiyah school teachers in Belitung

Classroom action research training to develop professional educators for Muhammadiyah school teachers in Belitung