Support Research Activities Research Articles

Research activity among European hand surgery residents.

During residency, most hand surgeons may be encouraged to participate in clinical or basic science research projects. The research committee of the Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand (FESSH) is dedicated to support research activities, especially of young surgeons, including residents. In 2018, we initiated a survey among European hand surgeons to assess hurdles that limit research activity during hand surgery training and to explore if FESSH can take a more active role in promoting research activities.

Abstract 4182: Community and cancer registry collaboration to reduce persistent stomach cancer disparity in Korean Americans: Asian American Stomach Cancer Task Force

Abstract South Korea and Japan have the highest stomach cancer incidence rates worldwide. Using 1988-2012 data from the California Cancer Registry, we have previously reported a striking stomach cancer disparity in Korean Americans, marked by 5 times higher incidence than in non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) and two times higher incidence than in Japanese Americans, the racial/ethnic group with the second highest incidence. The majority of Korean American adults were born in Korea while the majority of Japanese Americans adults were born in the US. Although Korean Americans had a more favorable stage distribution than other Californians in our earlier study, Korean Americans had a worse stage distribution compared to populations in Korea or Japan, where population-based screening is available. Data from South Korea demonstrated benefits of screening endoscopy in improving stage at diagnosis as well as mortality from stomach cancer. Bi-annual stomach cancer screening is now recommended for South Korean adults aged 40 or above, with an estimated participation rate of 75%. The United States lacks well-defined stomach cancer screening guidelines. In this study, we used the 2010-2014 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data and compared stage distribution in Korean Americans in Los Angeles County, other areas in California, and SEER regions outside California. The proportion of early stage disease was highest in Korean Americans in Los Angeles County (49%), followed by other areas in California (41%) and SEER regions outside California (36%). The earlier diagnosis in Los Angeles County compared to other SEER regions was not observed for Japanese Americans or NHWs. It is reasonable to speculate that the increased public and physician awareness particularly in areas with a large Korean community helped Korean Americans somewhat overcome the disparity coming from the high incidence. However, the proportion of localized disease among Los Angeles County Korean Americans was still much lower than the proportion in Korea during the same time period (60-66%), indicating the need for targeted screening or well-defined guidelines for diagnostic endoscopy. Dissemination of these cancer registry findings led to a collaborative partnership between a number of Korean American community physician organizations and Los Angeles County SEER cancer registry, the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program, establishing the ‘Asian American Stomach Cancer Task Force’ (AASCTF). The overarching goal of AASCTF is to reduce stomach cancer disparity in Korean Americans and other immigrants from high risk regions by promoting stomach endoscopy through community campaign and supporting research activities to help the medical community and policy makers to make evidence-based decisions. Citation Format: Eunjung Lee, Juanjuan Zhang, Sohee Park, Amie E. Hwang, Lihua Liu, Haeseong Park, Sang-Hoon Ahn, Anna H. Wu, Dennis Deapen. Community and cancer registry collaboration to reduce persistent stomach cancer disparity in Korean Americans: Asian American Stomach Cancer Task Force [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4182.

Al-Quran dan Budaya: Al-Quran dalam Siklus Kehidupan Muslim

The purpose of this paper is to find out the relationship between the Qur'an and Culture and how to become a good Muslim based on the values ​​of the Qur'an and Culture. The research method used is qualitative in the form of library studies. Data is collected by researching books and journals and other sources that support research activities. The results of this study are that Islam is not born of cultural products. However, it builds a culture, a civilization. A civilization based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. that is finally called Islamic civilization. With this, we can begin to put Islam in our daily lives. Building Islamic culture with a foundation of concepts derived from Islam with its source is the Qur'an. The life of a Muslim must be following the rules set by the Qur'an. Muslims must be able and reluctant (upholding) to uphold a culture that is a local identity in themselves with the foundation of the holy values ​​contained in the Qur'an. Among them is a sincere, knowledgeable and honest attitude to be a Muslim person in undergoing a time struggle that continues to change along with changing patterns of human civilization. Thus, there is no reason for a Muslim to lose his cultural identity to become a good Muslim. Because Al-Qur'an and Culture are clothes that are suitable to be worn by every Muslim in every fragment of life rites

Training and Research Under the Typhoon Committee

ABSTRACT The ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee Training and Research Coordination Group (TRCG), formerly known as the Typhoon Research Coordination Group, has served Members of the Typhoon Committee for more than 20 years. As evident from the change of its name, TRCG has since extended its scope of activities from research to training with a view to bridging the technological gap and enhancing forecasting capability among Members as the development of technology continues to gather pace in recent decades. While the Typhoon Committee right from its early days has been visionary in establishing the three components of meteorology, hydrology and disaster risk reduction (DRR) within its organizational structure, the need for closer collaboration and synergy among the three components has become even apparent and critical as we enter the age of Big Data and face up to the multi-faceted impacts and environmental issues brought about by climate change. As such, TRCG in recent years has also taken on the responsibility of promoting cross-cutting research and training activities in support of the Committee’s Strategic Plan. This paper summarizes the initiatives undertaken by TRCG and the challenges that lie ahead.

Comparative aspects of the care of familial hypercholesterolemia in the “Ten Countries Study”

There is a lack of information on the health care of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The objective of this study was to compare the health care of FH in countries of the Asia-Pacific region and Southern Hemisphere. A series of questionnaires were completed by key opinion leaders from selected specialist centers in 12 countries concerning aspects of the care of FH, including screening, diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment, teaching/training, and research; the United Kingdom (UK) was used as the international benchmark. The estimated percentage of patients diagnosed with the condition was low (overall <3%) in all countries, compared with ∼15% in the UK. Underdetection of FH was associated with government expenditure on health care (ϰ=0.667, P<.05). Opportunistic and systematic screening methods, and the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria were most commonly used to detect FH; genetic testing was infrequently used. Noninvasive imaging of coronary calcium and/or carotid plaques was underutilized in risk assessment. Patients with FH were generally not adequately treated, with <30% of patients achieving guideline recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets on conventional therapies. Treatment gaps included suboptimal availability and use of lipoprotein apheresis and proprotein convertase subtilsin-kexin type 9 inhibitors. A deficit of FH registries, training programs, and publications were identified in less economically developed countries. The demonstration of cost-effectiveness for cascade screening, genetic testing, and specialized treatments were significantly associated with the availability of subsidies from the health care system (ϰ=0.571-0.800, P<.05). We identified important gaps across the continuum of care for FH, particularly in less economically developed countries. Wider implementation of primary and pediatric care, telehealth services, patient support groups, education/training programs, research activities, and health technology assessments are needed to improve the care of patients with FH in these countries.

A Learning System Design Based on Digital Technology Utilization

Digital technology in Indonesia, especially in Manado, begin to grow very rapidly followed by the availability of adequate technology market, better financial economy, and high enthusiasm from the local people, mostly academic educators. Supported by the existence of network based technology, it is mostly expected that the process of transferring information and learning in classroom will be easier and no longer become great problem in the future. People will acceptdigital technology not as a threat, but cultivate and utilize them for the improvement of human civilization, while keep maintaining respect to traditional learning and manual opinions and analysis because after all those concepts are merely the best. This paper based on author experience, observations, and reviews, offers solutions to utilize digital technology for developing aneffective learning process. The research methods are literature study, analysis taken from personal experience, system design, and future implementation. The results of this research givesperspective to design a learning system in a proper way, using digital technology individually or integrated, which will also support research activities and improve good digital technology products designed and produced by people of Indonesia and other Nations.

Integrating Remotely Sensed and GIS Data for the Detailed Geological Mapping in Semi-Arid Regions: Case of Youks les Bains Area, Tebessa Province, NE Algeria

Detailed geologic mapping provides valuable informations about the spatial distribution of lithological outcrops and lineaments; required to carry out the necessary investigations of the geologic, geotechnical and hydrogeological data investigation. The unavailability of geologic coverage at meduim scale in the Nementcha mountains has severely hampered geoscientist to develop and test their hypotheses. In order to exploit multispectral datasets for the characterization of surface materials; Sentinel-2A data was used in the discrimination of geological classes along Youks les Bain area, extreme NE of Algeria. Resampling, orthorectification, atmospheric correction, and radiometric normalization have been applied to the Sentinel-2A radiance data, identified as the first and most important step in processing. The 12/4, 11/3 and 8/4 band ratios combination was adopted to discriminate the different lithologies. Then, to reduce redundant information in highly correlated bands, the principal component analysis has been implemented. The directional filters were applied to undertaken the lineamentary mapping. At last the project was exported and processed in GIS spatial database. The result allows the discrimination of the lithological boundaries and help to a better understanding of the local geology of the study area. The project digital databases represents a key tool to support research activities in the West of Tebessa region.

The Role of Sorghum in Renewables and Biofuels.

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is an important annual C4 cereal crop with unique properties-it can be used in almost all renewable schemes being proposed for renewable fuels and green technologies. In the United States, the grain is currently used as a feedstock in the grain-ethanol process, while in China, the Philippines, and India, sweet sorghums are used in a sugar-to-ethanol process. High-tonnage biomass sorghums are being investigated for their potential use in both cellulosic and lignocellulosic renewables. Other countries have been exploring sorghum's use as a renewable building material and as a potential source of high-value C molecules for the creation of renewable oils and other important industrial chemicals. Sorghum can become a major player in the renewable feedstock industry because of its potential for high-yield production under limited water and inputs, strong research capacities, a well-established seed industry, and a robust history of research on production and cultural practices. The following review highlights various research activities in support of renewables using sorghum as a primary feedstock.

FORUM «TERRITORY OF NDT – 2019»

The article provides a brief information overview of the events of the Forum “Territory NDT – 2019”, which was held from 4 to March 6, 2019 in the central exhibition complex “Expocenter” in Moscow (Russia). Exhibition of instruments and means of NDT and TD was accompanied by a business program. Within the framework of the Forum, round tables were held on topical problems of nondestructive testing and technical diagnostics. The basis of the Forum was an exhibition. The range of equipment demonstrated at the exhibition changes every year, in addition to equipment for non-destructive testing and technical diagnostics, modern test and measurement, testing and analytical equipment begins to appear on the exhibitors' stands. This year, it was felt the orientation towards high-tech solutions for the aviation and space-rocket industry, military-industrial complex, machine-building, metallurgy, oil and gas and other industries. Traditionally, there was a competition of specialists in NDT. The business program in general was aimed at supporting research activities. Among the topics of the round tables that worked in parallel in the two rooms, the greatest interest was caused by: “Non-destructive control in the space industry and the defense industry complex”, “Technical diagnostics in nuclear energy”, “Standardization and metrological support for NDT and TD.”

Multicast and Broadcast Services Over Mobile Networks: A Survey on Standardized Approaches and Scientific Outcomes

Due to the increasing demand for pervasive video and broadcast-like applications, multicast and broadcast communications are expected to assume an important role in upcoming 5G systems. The current research trend is trying to reuse, extend, or adapt reference transmission strategies already designed for the conventional 4G technology. Nevertheless, apart the two reference and standardized methodologies, i.e., multimedia broadcast/multicast service and single cell-point to multipoint, many technical extensions and novel solutions were published in the literature so far. Therefore, in order to provide a clear overview on available solutions (already standardized or simply extending conventional approaches), the present work provides a comprehensive survey on network architectures, communication protocols, transmission strategies, and optimization algorithms to improve the performance of multicast communications over mobile radio systems. The core of the conducted study represents a structured taxonomy, able to properly classify scientific contributions based on their reference standard, targeted goal, addressed methodology, considered application domain, and obtained results. Taking into account this taxonomy, more than one hundred of scientific contributions are presented, classified, and reviewed. The study of the state-of-the-art is further enhanced with the discussion on important lessons learned, which clearly highlight the pros and cons of any investigated approach. A focus is also provided on the main issues on long term evolution multicasting that need to be better investigated, and determine the possible future research directions on this subject. The final goal of this paper is to support research activities devoted to the identification of promising methodologies, that efficiently support the delivery of real-time and on-demand video contents in a TV-like fashion.

Evaluation of wind forecasts over Svalbard using the high-resolution Polar WRF with 3DVAR

ABSTRACTIn this study, the performance of wind forecasts over Svalbard, located between the Arctic Ocean and the Norwegian Sea, was evaluated using the Polar Weather Research and Forecasting (PWRF) model and three-dimensional variational data assimilation (DA) system. The forecasts of the analysis–forecast cycling experiment using the PWRF 3DVAR were compared with those of the cold start experiment using reanalysis as the initial condition. Three strong wind cases that occurred during January and February 2011–2012 were selected, where polar lows were generated on the east coast of Greenland and generated a wind speed above 20 m s−1 in Svalbard. The wind speed forecasts for both cycling and cold start experiments were similar to the highest 10-minute average wind speed for the last 1 hour (HAW). The average root mean square error (RMSE) of the forecasts in the cold start experiment from HAW was 3.78 m s−1 for three cases and was greater than that in the cycling experiment. The forecast performance in the cycling experiment was comparable to, or even better than, that in the cold start experiment, which implies that the cycling system with DA is more useful than the cold start system in forecasting polar weather to support research activities.

For Whom Has the Program to Supporting Research Activities of Female Researchers Been implemented?

For Whom Has the Program to Supporting Research Activities of Female Researchers Been implemented?

SisNasLitbang Academic Social Network Features Recomendation with User Centric Approach

The discrepancies between research activities and the national strategic policy of development and science and technology impact on less useful results of research and abandoned government policies/programs. One of the causes is the absences of media which that can build interactions between researchers/academics, governmennt and business entities. Therefore, it needs a social network that can help interaction and collaboration between the three types of users. The purpose of this study is to determine the technical features required in the proposed social network site. This research is done by observation method and literature study based on user centric approach. This research produces social networking features based on user types, ie researchers / academics, government, and business entities. Recomendation features for researchers / academics focus on the needs of researchers. While the government and business entities have features related to supporting research activities and utilize the results of research.

Marcus Institute for Brain Health: Selecting and Sharing Outcomes to Promote Evidence-Based Treatments

The recently funded Marcus Institute for Brain Health (MIBH) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a clinical care institute for those with a history of TBI and psychological health conditions such as post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. The mission is to deliver comprehensive care, conduct focused research and export knowledge to benefit Veterans, athletes, civilian patients, their families, health care professionals and society. MIBH strives to advance training, educational and research activities in support of the clinical care model. Towards this end, MIBH leadership undertook a process to select programmatic outcome measures, with an eye towards psychometric soundness and previous adoption throughout TBI treatment and research communities. As such, data were collected from a number of programs (e.g., FITBIR, IMPACT, NINDS CDE, TBI Model Systems, TRACK-TBI) regarding outcomes measures utilized/collected. These findings will be presented, as well as measures ultimately selected by MIBH. In addition, plans for MIBH data collection and sharing will be discussed.

Building Mental Health Research Capacity in Kenya: A South - North Collaboration.

This paper describes a mental health capacity-building partnership between the University of Nairobi (UON) and the University of Washington (UW) that was built upon a foundational 30-year HIV/AIDS research training collaboration between the two institutions. With funding from the US National Institute of Mental Health Medical Education Program Initiative (MEPI), UW and UON faculty collaborated to develop and offer a series of workshops in research methods, grant writing, and manuscript publication for UON faculty and post-graduate students committed to mental health research. UON and UW scientists provided ongoing mentorship to UON trainees through Skype and email. Three active thematic research groups emerged that focused on maternal and child mental health, gender-based violence, and HIV-related substance abuse. Challenges to conducting mental health research in Kenya included limited resources to support research activities, heavy teaching responsibilities, clinical duties, and administrative demands on senior faculty, and stigmatization of mental health conditions, treatment, and research within Kenyan society. The partnership yielded a number of accomplishments: a body of published papers and presentations at national and international meetings on Kenyan mental health topics, the institution of systematic mental health data collection in rural clinics, funded research proposals, and a mental health research resource centre. We highlight lessons learned for future mental health research capacity-building initiatives.

International Conference on Computation in Science and Engineering

PREFACEThe role of computation and simulation to support research activities in sciences and technologies has become more important in recent decades. The International Conference on Computation in Science and Engineering (ICCSE) 2017 has been conducted in Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) campus, Bandung, Indonesia, on 10-12 July 2017. This conference is organized by Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB, Indonesia) and supported by UIN Sunan Gunung Jati University. This conference aims at summarizing recent research activities relevant to the computation application in science and engineering and facilitate communication among relevant experts.More than 150 people from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, India, Australia, Korea, and some other countries have participated in this conference. About 150 presentations including 9 plenary talks are presented. The presentations are grouped into 12 areas of particular interest: (1): Complex system Modelling, (2): Energy System Computation, (3): Fluid Dynamics Computation, (4): Artificial Intelligent and Soft Computing, (5): High Energy Physics, (6): Simulation in general, (7): Quantum Computation, (8) HPC, (9): Material Computation, (10): Sub surface modelling and computation, (11): Nuclear and Radiation Computation, and (12): Atmospheric and meteorological computation.From about 100 full papers submitted after the conference for publication in IOP conference proceedings, after peer review process by relevant experts, 83 papers were accepted for publication in this proceeding. We are indebted to all of authors for submitting their original papers.We would like to thank all participants, all members of the International Board, members of the Organizing Committee, and I express my gratitude to all those who helped the success of this conference.Zaki Su’udDwi IrwantoICCSE 2017 ChairmanICCSE 2017 Co-Chairman

The Availability and Effectiveness of Research Supports for Early Career Academic Librarians

For many academic librarians, scholarly research is required in order to attain tenure or promotion and it is widely acknowledged that many early career librarians find this process challenging. Using a survey of >200 untenured or recently tenured academic librarians, this study investigates early career academic librarians' access to and experiences with research support activities designed to develop research skills and confidence. Specific attention is paid to informal mentoring, formal mentoring programs, and writing groups. Responses indicate that early career librarians need supports that target three dimensions of the research experience: research design and methods; work practices and accountability; and emotional elements. Despite this, survey respondents had limited access to formal research supports that offer instruction and guidance in the research process, leaving them to rely heavily on informal mentoring. This study highlights the need for libraries and library organizations to invest their resources in research supports for early career academic librarians, helping them to become more effective and confident researchers.

The Burden of a Remote Trial in a Nursing Home Setting: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundDespite an aging population, older adults are typically underrecruited in clinical trials, often because of the perceived burden associated with participation, particularly travel associated with clinic visits. Conducting a clinical trial remotely presents an opportunity to leverage mobile and wearable technologies to bring the research to the patient. However, the burden associated with shifting clinical research to a remote site requires exploration. While a remote trial may reduce patient burden, the extent to which this shifts burden on the other stakeholders needs to be investigated.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the burden associated with a remote trial in a nursing home setting on both staff and residents.MethodsUsing results from a grounded analysis of qualitative data, this study explored and characterized the burden associated with a remote trial conducted in a nursing home in Dublin, Ireland. A total of 11 residents were recruited to participate in this trial (mean age: 80 years; age range: 67-93 years). To support research activities, we also recruited 10 nursing home staff members, including health care assistants, an activities co-ordinator, and senior nurses. This study captured the lived experience of this remote trial among staff and residents and explored the burden associated with participation. At the end of the trial, a total of 6 residents and 8 members of staff participated in semistructured interviews (n=14). They reviewed clinical data generated by mobile and wearable devices and reflected upon their trial-related experiences.ResultsStaff reported extensive burden in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities to support activities of the trial. Among staff, we found eight key characteristics of burden: (1) comprehension, (2) time, (3) communication, (4) emotional load, (5) cognitive load, (6) research engagement, (7) logistical burden, and (8) product accountability. Residents reported comparatively less burden. Among residents, we found only four key characteristics of burden: (1) comprehension, (2) adherence, (3) emotional load, and (4) personal space.ConclusionsA remote trial in a nursing home setting can minimize the burden on residents and enable inclusive participation. However, it arguably creates additional burden on staff, particularly where they have a role to play in locally supporting and maintaining technology as part of data collection. Future research should examine how to measure and minimize the burden associated with data collection in remote trials.

The role of the Italian Space Agency in investigating high frequencies for satellite communications: The Alphasat experiment

SummarySince the 1970s, satellite communications have been continuously evolving and improving to provide services characterized by increasing complexity and quality. This evolution has been supported by the constant increase in the operating frequency for achieving the necessary high data rates. This contribution focuses on the long‐term key role of the Italian Space Agency in supporting research activities on (and the developments of) high‐frequency satellite communication systems. The Alphasat experiment is the most recent effort of the Italian Space Agency, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, to thoroughly investigate the severe detrimental atmospheric effects impairing radio waves at high frequency (specifically, Ka and Q bands) and the associated fade mitigation techniques (eg, uplink power control, site diversity, and adaptive coding and modulation) required to achieve the typical target quality and availability of modern satellite communication systems.

Toward deeper development of Biogeochemical-Argo floats

The Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) Program aims at operating a network of profiling floats equipped with sensors of key biogeochemical variables for supporting research activities that address impa...