Related Research Activities Research Articles

A risk assessment tool for resumption of research activities during the COVID-19 pandemic for field trials in low resource settings

RationaleThe spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 has suspended many non-COVID-19 related research activities. Where restarting research activities is permitted, investigators need to evaluate the risks and benefits of resuming data collection and adapt procedures to minimize risk.ObjectivesIn the context of the multicountry Household Air Pollution Intervention (HAPIN) trial conducted in rural, low-resource settings, we developed a framework to assess the risk of each trial activity and to guide protective measures. Our goal is to maximize the integrity of reseach aims while minimizing infection risk based on the latest scientific understanding of the virus.MethodsWe drew on a combination of expert consultations, risk assessment frameworks, institutional guidance and literature to develop our framework. We then systematically graded clinical, behavioral, laboratory and field environmental health research activities in four countries for both adult and child subjects using this framework. National and local government recommendations provided the minimum safety guidelines for our work.ResultsOur framework assesses risk based on staff proximity to the participant, exposure time between staff and participants, and potential viral aerosolization while performing the activity. For each activity, one of four risk levels, from minimal to unacceptable, is assigned and guidance on protective measures is provided. Those activities that can potentially aerosolize the virus are deemed the highest risk.ConclusionsBy applying a systematic, procedure-specific approach to risk assessment for each trial activity, we were able to protect our participants and research team and to uphold our ability to deliver on the research commitments we have made to our staff, participants, local communities, and funders. This framework can be tailored to other research studies conducted in similar settings during the current pandemic, as well as potential future outbreaks with similar transmission dynamics.The trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov NCT02944682 on October 26. 2016 .

Enabling visibility of the clinician-scientists\u2019 knowledge broker role: a participatory design research in the Dutch nursing-home sector

BackgroundA group of clinician-scientists and managers working within a Dutch academic network, experienced difficulties in clearly defining the knowledge broker role of the clinician-scientists. They found no role clarity in literature, nor did they find tools or methods suitable for clinician-scientists. Clarifying role expectations and providing accountability for funding these knowledge broker positions was difficult. The aim of this research was to design a theory-informed tool that allowed clinician-scientists to make their knowledge broker role visible.MethodsA participatory design research was conducted in three phases, over a 21-month period, with a design group consisting of an external independent researcher, clinician-scientists and their managers from within the academic network. Phase 1 constituted a literature review, a context analysis and a needs analysis. Phase 2 constituted the design and development of a suitable tool and phase 3 was an evaluation of the tool’s perceived usefulness. Throughout the research process, the researcher logged the theoretic basis for all design decisions.ResultsThe clinician-scientist’s knowledge broker role is a knowledge-intensive role and work-tasks associated with this role are not automatically visible (phase 1). A tool (the SP-tool) was developed in Microsoft Excel. This allowed clinician-scientists to log their knowledge broker activities as distinct from their clinical work and research related activities (phase 2). The SP-tool contributed to the clinician-scientists’ ability to make their knowledge broker role visible to themselves and their stakeholders (phase 3). The theoretic contribution of the design research is a conceptual model of professionalisation of the clinician-scientist’s knowledge broker role. This model presents the relationship between work visibility and the clarification of functions of the knowledge broker role. In the professionalisation of knowledge-intensive work, visibility contributes to the definition of clinician-scientists broker functions, which is an element necessary for the professionalisation of an occupation.ConclusionsThe SP-tool that was developed in this research, contributes to creating work visibility of the clinician-scientists’ knowledge broker role. Further research using the SP-tool could establish a clearer description of the knowledge broker role at the day-to-day professional level and improved ability to support this role within organisations.

Perspectives of different stakeholders on data use and management in public health emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa: a meeting report

During public health emergencies (PHEs), data are collected and generated from a variety of activities and sources, including but not limited to national public health programs, research and community-based activities. It is critical that these data are rapidly shared in order to facilitate the public health response, epidemic preparedness, as well as research during and after the epidemic. Nonetheless, collecting and sharing data during PHEs can be challenging, especially where there are limited resources for public health and research-related activities. In a symposium that brought together different stakeholders that were involved in the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreaks in West Africa, meeting attendees shared their perspectives on the values and management of data during PHEs in sub-Saharan Africa. Key factors that could inform and facilitate data management during PHEs in sub-Saharan Africa were discussed, including using data to inform policy decisions and healthcare; a coordinated data collection and management scheme; identifying incentives for data sharing; and equitable data governance mechanism that emphasise principles of reciprocity, transparency and accountability rather that trust between stakeholders or collaborators. Empirical studies are required to explore how these principles could inform best practices for data management and governance during PHE in sub-Saharan Africa.

Enabling holistic design for high energy efficient office buildings through the use of subjective occupant feedback

Today’s high-performance buildings answer to a large and growing number of quantitative performance criteria. Performance gaps between design and actual performance have however been identified as a significant challenge for both energy performance, occupant satisfaction and operational costs. There is no doubt about the importance of a holistic approach to turn the inter-related series of building design and operational challenges into new opportunities. Discipline specific performance criteria are found to limit the possibilities for choosing holistic solutions. In this article we aim to use studies of available theory as well as our own insights of recent examples of holistic design in high-performance buildings to show how todays practice of discipline specific performance criteria and active technology leads to sub-optimal solutions. Through inductive reasoning and insights from literature, personal design experiences and related research activities, we present a view and show that subjective occupant feedback in the post-occupancy phase can gather crucial knowledge and documentation which can empower holistic design solutions and close the performance gaps in future buildings. We further suggest how new solutions for continuous subjective feedback can modernize and improve this process, enabling new ways of designing and operating buildings and contributing to realizing sustainable cities.

Awareness of medical students about research; current practices and future

The struggle towards evidence based medicine can only be achieved if all the healthcare workers are ready to contribute for research and for best practices. One of the most critical components of learning is the seeking of knowledge through research. There is a need of hour that our youngsters into medical fields participate enthusiastically towards research in order to collect a data of their own population so that their specific health problems could be addressed appropriately. There is general perception that research culture in undergraduate MBBS students is lacking. This study focused on to study the awareness of our young undergraduate medical students towards research. A total of 206 medical students were enrolled of which questionnaire of 200 were found within inclusion criteria. Results: overall less than 40% of the students are aware of basics of the research and less than 5% have participated in research related activity. Majority of the students are motivated for doing research. More than 50% students think that lack of training, lack of guidance by faculty, lack of institutional support and lack of funding are important barriers in doing research

Changes to Pediatric Gastroenterology Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lessons Learned: An International Survey of Division and Group Heads

Changes to Pediatric Gastroenterology Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lessons Learned: An International Survey of Division and Group Heads

Exploring Pediatric Tele-Rheumatology Practices During COVID-19: A Survey of the PRCOIN Network.

Healthcare providers were rapidly forced to modify the way they practiced medicine during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many providers transitioned from seeing their patients in person to virtually using telemedicine platforms with limited training and experience using this medium. In pediatric rheumatology, this was further complicated as musculoskeletal exams typically require hands-on assessment of patients. The objective of this study was to examine the adoption of telemedicine into pediatric rheumatology practices, to assess its benefits and challenges, and to gather opinions on its continued use. A survey was sent to the lead representatives of each Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network (PR-COIN) site to collect data about their center's experience with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Responses were received from the majority [19/21 (90%)] of PR-COIN sites. All respondents reported transitioning from in-person to primarily virtual patient visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. All centers reported seeing both new consultations and follow-up patients over telemedicine. Most centers reported using both audio and video conferencing systems to conduct their telemedicine visits. The majority of respondents [13/19 (68%)] indicated that at least 50% of their site's providers consistently used pediatric Gait Arms Legs and Spine (pGALS) to perform active joint count assessments over telemedicine. Over half of the centers [11/19 (58%)] reported collecting patient-reported outcomes (PROs), but the rate of reliably documenting clinical components varied. A few sites [7/19 (37%)] reported performing research-related activity during telemedicine visits. All centers thought that telemedicine visits were able to meet providers' needs and support their continued use when the pandemic ends. Benefits reported with telemedicine visits included convenience and continuity of care for families. Conversely, challenges included limited ability to perform physical exams and varying access to technology. Pediatric rheumatology providers were able to transition to conducting virtual visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare providers recognize how telemedicine can enhance their practice, but challenges need to be overcome in order to ensure equitable, sustainable delivery of quality and patient-centered care.

The Influence of Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Conditions on Fisheries and Socio-Economic Activities of Local Fishermen

Fisheries and socio-economic activities of fishermen, especially traditional local fishermen, largely rely on coastal and marine ecosystem condition. Degradation of coastal and marine resources, particularly coral reefs and fish, is widespread as a result of the increase in pressures on these resources, which tends to continue in parallel with the increase of economic activities in the coastal areas. The high potential of coastal and marine resources has triggered fishermen from outside to utilize these resources for profit without paying attention to their sustainability. This situation creates high competition over resources, leading to conflict of interests and overlapping fishing areas between local and domestic fishermen, as well as those from neighbouring countries. The local fishermen are in a weak position; their fleet, fishing equipment and bargaining position are much worse than the outsiders. Meanwhile, climatic conditions, especially the more frequent extreme weather, also have a major impact on fisheries activities, production and fishermen incomes. This paper discusses these issues in Natuna District, Riau Islands Province, Indonesia. It uses empirical data from Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and my related research activities in this location. Data is also collected from secondary sources, including related books, papers, documents, and research results.

Inhaled aerosol dosimetry: Research-related needs and recommendations

Inhaled aerosols whether beneficial or harmful express their effects depending on the amount initially deposited in the body (i.e. the deposition dose), with clearance mechanisms including dissolution, mucociliary transport and translocation then determining retained dose in the respiratory tract. The many regions of the respiratory tract differ in their shapes, cellular makeups, defenses, and pathologies. As a result, predicting, measuring, and simulating initial deposition doses and subsequent events for deposited particles, vapors and gases presents formidable challenges. Interest in supplementing and in some cases replacing laboratory animals in inhalation studies with in vitro cellular exposures, challenges researchers with both designing exposure systems and defining the internal doses to exposed cells. Addressing these challenges requires the cooperation and collaboration of many specialists that do not normally meet at discipline-specific conferences. To address that historical limitation, research related to the dosimetry of inhaled aerosols has been addressed at a series of three issue oriented international conferences. This paper addresses the research-related needs and recommendations from the third, October 2019 conference held in Irvine, CA, USA. Conference participants were invited to submit suggestions related to research. This paper includes those suggestions plus some offered by e-mail after the conference. Over 40 submitted suggestions are organized into several categories. Sample suggestions include; 1. research-related activities should address an identified health related problem; 2. in vitro aerosol systems require development in order to have better-defined doses to cells and to represent actual in vivo exposures; 3. additional knowledge on respiratory tract anatomy is needed for several species and for the variations within humans and other species; 4. dosimetric models should be expanded in scope, and should improve their usability by non-modelers; and 5. there is value in introducing newcomers to the field of inhaled aerosols. Collaborations among several disciplines are emphasized in order to advance inhaled dosimetry models and their applications to laboratory and real-life inhalation exposures. The suggestions reported here are a snapshot in time from experts from a variety of disciplines. The categories represent the major topic areas discussed at the meeting, but within each area the recommendations are not prioritized. As such, they do not carry the approval of any research institutions, research funding agencies, private entities, or regulatory agencies. The authors are solely responsible for the contents of this paper.

Every nook and cranny: making the library central to research and engagement

This article discusses the institutional spaces, both large and small, where academic libraries may become embedded in research-related activities throughout the university. It then goes on to consider some of the possible changes and outcomes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It outlines current research on opportunities for change in libraries, researcher demands, collaboration and the need for more research about working together. It concludes by suggesting that libraries and individuals should embrace principles of ‘planned happenstance’ so as to expand what may be possible with our new working spaces and realities.

Perspectives of different stakeholders on data use and management in public health emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa: a meeting report

During public health emergencies (PHEs), data are collected and generated from a variety of activities and sources, including but not limited to national public health programs, research and community-based activities. It is critical that these data are rapidly shared in order to facilitate the public health response, epidemic preparedness, as well research during and after the epidemic. Nonetheless, collecting and sharing data during PHEs can be challenging, especially where there are limited resources for public health and research-related activities during a PHE. In a symposium that brought together different stakeholders that were involved in the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreaks in West Africa, meeting attendees shared their perspectives on the values and management of data during PHEs in sub-Saharan Africa. Key factors that could inform and facilitate data management during PHEs in sub-Saharan Africa were discussed, including using data to inform policy decisions and healthcare; a coordinated data collection and management scheme; identifying incentives for data sharing; and equitable data governance mechanism that emphasise principles of reciprocity, transparency and accountability rather that trust between stakeholders or collaborators. Empirical studies are required to explore how these principles could inform best practices for data management and governance during PHE in sub-Saharan Africa.

An Approach to End-to-End Audio Transmission Using Laser Communication

Laser Communication is the most evolving arenas in the field of wireless communication. Presently, laser commutation is espoused in the satellite communication for the purpose of space research related activities because of its benefits such as less power consumption, low cost, flexibility and resistance to the radio interferences. This work is an application of laser communication for transmitting data between two ends. Laser Communication needs the transmitter and receiver to be aligned in line-of-sight. The carrier which transmits the signal is produced by a laser diode. The main objective of this work is to transmit audio signal from transmitter to receiver by using the laser beam as a medium. The complete system for this work consists of a transmitter and a reciever capable of transmititng and recieving the analog signal respectively. The results shows that input signal frequencies are preserved at the output with less distortion. However there is decrease in the amplitude of the received signal which can be increased at the output end and the original signal can be recovered. Signal to Noise Ratio is used as a performance metric and it is derived from experimentation that, for higher frequencies Signal to Noise Ratio is more, and for lower frequencies Signal to Noise Ratio is less.

An overview of diabetes research achievements during a quarter of a century in Diabetes Research Center

Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute (EMRI) is one of the biggest research institutes in Iran that was established to develop research strategies for managing endocrine and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of diabetes related research activities and achievements in the EMRI since its foundation. A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE to find out diabetes-related research studies performed in the EMRI. After data extraction, articles were categorized based on their document types, levels of evidence, diabetes types, and subject areas and were presented in various charts. After removing duplications and screening, 228 remained documents were categorized. The majority of diabetes investigations performed in the Diabetes Research Center (DRC) was on type 2 diabetes (T2D) (37%). Based on document types, most of these publications were original articles. Moreover, clinical studies constituted the greatest amount of evidence in the literature. According to the subject areas, most of the articles were on basic sciences and diabetes-related associated factors, followed by studies related to the management and prevention of diabetes. As one of the most comprehensive research institute, the EMRI has developed its national and international research activities to improve diabetes management and cure through developing new treatment strategies, improving translational research, and applying new emerging technologies such as regenerative medicine.

Challenges in Monte Carlo Simulations as Clinical and Research Tool in Particle Therapy: A Review

The use and interest in Monte Carlo (MC) techniques in the field of medical physics have been rapidly increasing in the past years. This is the case especially in particle therapy, where accurate simulations of different physics processes in complex patient geometries are crucial for a successful patient treatment and for many related research and development activities. Thanks to the detailed implementation of physics processes in any type of material, to the capability of tracking particles in 3D, and to the possibility of including the most important radiobiological effects, MC simulations have become an essential calculation tool not only for dose calculations but also for many other purposes, like the design and commissioning of novel clinical facilities, shielding and radiation protection, the commissioning of treatment planning systems, and prediction and interpretation of data for range monitoring strategies. MC simulations are starting to be more frequently used in clinical practice, especially in the form of specialized codes oriented to dose calculations that can be performed in short time. The use of general purpose MC codes is instead more devoted to research. Despite the increased use of MC simulations for patient treatments, the existing literature suggests that there are still a number of challenges to be faced in order to increase the accuracy of MC calculations for patient treatments. The goal of this review is to discuss some of these remaining challenges. Undoubtedly, it is a work for which a multidisciplinary approach is required. Here, we try to identify some of the aspects where the community involved in applied nuclear physics, radiation biophysics, and computing development can contribute to find solutions. We have selected four specific challenges: i) the development of models in MC to describe nuclear physics interactions, ii) modeling of radiobiological processes in MC simulations, iii) developments of MC-based treatment planning tools, and iv) developments of fast MC codes. For each of them, we describe the underlying problems, present selected examples of proposed solutions, and try to give recommendations for future research.

Mining technologies at Polyus Krasnoyarsk

The article discusses mining efficiency and the related research activities at Polyus Krasnoyarsk. Olimpiada and Blagodat gold fields feature difficult geological, hydrological and geotechnical conditions. Sustainable mining at high rate and high output requires permanent scientific, engineering and design support and supervision. In this regard, the integrated and fruitful efforts are persistently undertaken to improve performance of drilling and blasting, including minimization of seismic and shock wave impact on rock mass beyond the perimeter blast holes, optimization of size grade composition of blasted rock pile, and determination of displacement vector of rocks in muck pile using appropriate instrumentation and software. Furthermore, modification and upgrading of drainage systems and slope stability control is always in process in Olimpiada open pit mines. Polyus Krasnoyarsk engages itself with refining of information on geomechanics and hydrogeology of gold ore bodies. The purpose of these activities is to determine and amend the parameters of ore body occurrence, morphology of faulting, rock contacts and folding structures in rock mass, physical and mechanical properties of rocks, as well as hydrogeological conditions, with updating of the numerical models. Such information at hand ensures mine safety and enables safe and economically efficient decision-making on spoil bank design to provide the required slope stability in open pit mines.

Early Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Neurosurgical Training in the United States: A Case Volume Analysis of 8 Programs

ObjectiveTo determine the impact of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on operative case volume in 8 U.S. neurosurgical residency training programs in early 2020 and to survey these programs regarding training activities during this period.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted of monthly operative case volumes and types for 8 residency programs for 2019 and January through April 2020. Cases were grouped as elective cranial, elective spine, and nonelective emergent cases. Programs were surveyed regarding residents' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on surgical training, didactics, and research participation. Data were analyzed for individual programs and pooled across programs.ResultsAcross programs, the 2019 monthly mean ± SD case volume was 211 ± 82; 2020 mean ± SD case volumes for January, February, March, and April were 228 ± 93, 214 ± 84, 180 ± 73, and 107 ± 45. Compared with 2019, March and April 2020 mean cases declined 15% (P = 0.003) and 49% (P = 0.002), respectively. COVID-19 affected surgical case volume for all programs; 75% reported didactics negatively affected, and 90% reported COVID-19 resulted in increased research time. Several neurosurgery residents required COVID-19 testing; however, to our knowledge, only 1 resident from the participating programs tested positive.ConclusionsThis study documents a significant reduction in operative volume in 8 neurosurgery residency training programs in early 2020. During this time, neurosurgery residents engaged in online didactics and research-related activities, reporting increased research productivity. Residency programs should collect data to determine the educational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents' operative case volumes, identify deficiencies, and develop plans to mitigate any effects.

A Review on Neural Turing Machine (NTM)

One of the significant objectives of artificial intelligence is to design learning algorithms that are executed on general-purpose computational machines inspired by the human brain. Neural Turing Machine (NTM) is a step towards realizing such a computational machine. In the literature, a variety of approaches have been presented for the NTM; however, there is no existing comprehensive survey and taxonomy for NTM methods. This article presents an overview of taxonomies characterizing the critical concepts of the NTM through a comprehensive survey on the related research activities. This in-depth analysis of taxonomies can provide researchers, designers, and application developers with a clear guideline to compare NTM methods. The taxonomy of machine learning, neural networks, and the Turing machine is introduced. The NTM is also inspected in terms of concepts, structure, implemented tasks, and related works. The article further presents research discussions and future challenges in this area.

The Enablers and Outcomes of Research Productivity among Junior High School Mathematics Teachers: A Structural Model

Research is a universally acknowledged tool in and for education. This study investigates the enablers and outcomes of research productivity of high school mathematics teachers. Using partial least square structural equation modelling, data from 211 tenth-grade mathematics teachers of five public schools divisions in the northeastern part of Philippines was evaluated. Findings showed that the research participation and productivity respondents was generally low but the teacher-researchers’ growth potential is immense. The individual-institutional-leadership model strongly and positively influenced research productivity. Leadership in research in the school level is a critical area towards research productivity. The findings have policy implications in terms on how to encourage mathematics teachers to participate in research-related activities that will contribute to a research-informed teaching and learning. It is highly recommended to develop interventions to improve involvement, extrinsic motivation, mentoring, networking, resources, and leadership domains.

INTEREST IN RESEARCH AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS: CHALLENGES FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION.

Objective: To assess research related activities at undergraduate level in private and public medical colleges of Pakistan. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which a questionnaire was applied to medical students at different medical colleges including public and privaite that are Khyber Medical College, King Edward Med College, Federal Medical & Dental College, NWSM and Rehman Medical College. Sample Size was 496 Students participated in the study, sample size was calculated on WHO calculator. Sampling Technique was Convenience sampling technique. Results: This was cross sectional study. A total sample size was 496 in which the mean age of the participents was 22.2 + 8.3 years.While distributing the patients with regards to gender, we observed that in our study 42.14% of the sample was male and 57.86% were female gender. 67% of students were following integrated while 33% conventional type of curriculum and 55% were satisfied with the research content available in their curriculum. About 74% of students said that research classes started from 1st or 2nd year; however, 58% reported there was no faculty available for teaching research in their institute. Conclusion: This study provides a baseline evidence regarding challenges to research during undergraduate medical programs including lack of research faculty, student journals and no assessment of students regarding research.Moreover, it reveals that medical students are likely to undertake and continue research at both undergraduate level and after graduation but there are no guided and mentored research activities available.

Establishing the Need to Broaden Bioengineering Research Exposure and Research Participation in Mechanical Engineering and Its Positive Impacts on Student Recruitment, Diversification, Retention and Graduation: Findings From the UMBC ME S-STEM Scholarship Program.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the current status of exposure to bio-engineering research in community college (CC) students and University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) students, and to estimate relationships between research activities sponsored by the Mechanical Engineering (ME) S-STEM Scholarship Program and improvement in student enrollment/diversification, retention rates, and graduation rates. The analysis drew on data from ME undergraduate academic records at UMBC from 2008 to 2019. A survey was designed to assess the research exposure of CC and UMBC students and their evaluation of the research components included in recruitment and curriculum activities. Results show that exposure to research measured by attending a research seminar was low for the participants, around 37% for CC students and 21% for ME students at UMBC. The survey results indicate the positive impact of the scholarship programs at UMBC on the research exposure and research experience. The impact is more evident in students who originally transferred from a CC. The large increase in recruited female and CC students over the past 10 years indicated that the research-related activities of the ME S-STEM program played an instrumental role in those increases. Because of the research-related activities, the ME S-STEM program achieved retention and graduation rates higher than those in the ME undergraduate program (89% versus 60% for the 6 year graduation rate), as well a higher percentage of students enrolled in graduate school (30% versus 10%). We conclude that there is still a need to implement research-related activities in the ME undergraduate program, starting with student recruitment and continuing through the academic program. Results suggest that there is a positive impact of ME S-STEM research activities on student diversification, retention rates, and percentage of our graduates who are pursuing graduate degree.