Subject Of Inquiry Research Articles

Policy in practice: exploring perceptions of bacteriophage use in the uk across the one health spectrum: a roundtable discussion

Abstract In 2022, the UK Government launched the My Science Inquiry, an open call for potential topics of inquiry within science and technology. Applied Microbiology International (AMI) recommended bacteriophage as an alternative to antimicrobials, due to the increasingly serious threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This resulted in an inquiry and report by the House of Commons Science, Innovation & Technology Committee, for which the government published a response in March 2024. In July 2024, AMI held a closed roundtable discussion, inviting bacteriophage experts across the One Health spectrum and all stages of the phage development pipeline to discuss some of the major barriers to phage therapy implementation within the UK. Overall, the lack of investment, national infrastructure and public awareness regarding phage therapy, its development and its potential, were agreed upon as the key barriers that need to be overcome to more widely implement phage therapy across the UK. Continuation of the Phage Innovation Network (PIN) was repeatedly recognised as an essential requisite for overcoming these barriers and for ensuring the progress of phage innovation. The aim of this paper is to provide a progressive step for phage therapy, continuing momentum to facilitate their widespread implementation nationally.

Research partnerships as transformational learning experiences

A common partnership between faculty and students in post-secondary education is that of researcher as a primary investigator (PI) and research assistant (RA). In this reflective essay, we examine an unconventional research partnership between Allison, a PI, and Bailey, an RA. Our experiences as PI and RA prompted us to reflect upon our learning partnership. We asked: In what ways might the role of RA be transformative (Mezirow, 1994) in teacher education for both researcher and student when it is approached through partnership? This partnership is unique because of its relational approach, where the PI and the RA collaborated in making decisions about the direction of the RA work. The RA’s perspective offered a different viewpoint on the research focus through which the researcher aimed to gain insights. This approach altered the dynamics of the research partnership, which evolved along the lines of both partners acting as equal contributors and co-learners through the research process. In this paper, we reflect on our consequential learning. Specifically, we focus on the learning that occurred when Bailey self-directed RA work on the topics of radical imagination, restorative justice, and appreciative inquiry, as well as the insights Allison gained through Bailey’s work. We use “I” in our respective sections and “we” and “our” in our collective writing, and we also refer to ourselves in the third person for clarity when needed.

Islamic Chaplaincy in North America: The State of the Field

ABSTRACTThis article surveys the state of research on Islamic chaplaincy in North America. These studies analyze the development of the profession in light of the unique spiritual, emotional, and socio‐political challenges faced by Muslims in the U.S. and Canada. Despite its novelty, this field of research spans multiple academic disciplines, including religious studies, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, and theology. An examination of existing scholarship on Islamic chaplaincy highlights several recurrent topics of inquiry, including the roles and responsibilities of Muslim chaplains, professionalization of Islamic chaplaincy, the negotiation of Muslim women's authority, and Islamic spiritual care as a theology of engagement.

A STUDY OF GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ADOPTED BY THE NEW AGE ORGANIZATIONS

This study looks at the Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) strategies used by Google, a company that is well-known throughout the world for its cutting-edge approaches to workplace culture and sustainability. The corporate agenda is starting to prioritize environmental issues more and more, thus it's important to understand how companies like Google incorporate sustainability into their HRM strategy in order to promote a more environmentally conscious and responsible business environment.Through a comprehensive review of literature and analysis of available resources, this study examines Google's environmental sustainability initiatives, policies, and employee involvement techniques through a thorough evaluation of the literature and analysis of the resources available. Recruitment and selection, performance management, workplace rules and procedures, supplier partnerships, community involvement, employee training and development, and measuring and reporting environmental performance are some of the key topics of inquiry. The results show that Google's GHRM policies are engrained in the company culture and demonstrate a dedication to social responsibility and environmental stewardship. The organization places a strong emphasis on the empowerment and participation of its workforce, promoting a sustainable culture through programs including training, rewards for success, and chances for community service. The implementation of GHRM techniques has several challenges, such as striking a balance between business and environmental objectives, guaranteeing alignment across various organizational roles, and surmounting resistance to change. Organizations may learn a great deal from Google's experiences and lessons gained when creating and implementing their own green HRM policies, which will encourage environmental responsibility and help create a more sustainable future.

A STUDY OF GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ADOPTED BY THE NEW AGE ORGANIZATIONS

This study looks at the Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) strategies used by Google, a company that is well-known throughout the world for its cutting-edge approaches to workplace culture and sustainability. The corporate agenda is starting to prioritize environmental issues more and more, thus it's important to understand how companies like Google incorporate sustainability into their HRM strategy in order to promote a more environmentally conscious and responsible business environment. Through a comprehensive review of literature and analysis of available resources, this study examines Google's environmental sustainability initiatives, policies, and employee involvement techniques through a thorough evaluation of the literature and analysis of the resources available. Recruitment and selection, performance management, workplace rules and procedures, supplier partnerships, community involvement, employee training and development, and measuring and reporting environmental performance are some of the key topics of inquiry. The results show that Google's GHRM policies are engrained in the company culture and demonstrate a dedication to social responsibility and environmental stewardship. The organization places a strong emphasis on the empowerment and participation of its workforce, promoting a sustainable culture through programs including training, rewards for success, and chances for community service. The implementation of GHRM techniques has several challenges, such as striking a balance between business and environmental objectives, guaranteeing alignment across various organizational roles, and surmounting resistance to change. Organizations may learn a great deal from Google's experiences and lessons gained when creating and implementing their own green HRM policies, which will encourage environmental responsibility and help create a more sustainable future.

Brain-computer interfaces and human factors: the role of language and cultural differences-Still a missing gap?

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) aim at the non-invasive investigation of brain activity for supporting communication and interaction of the users with their environment by means of brain-machine assisted technologies. Despite technological progress and promising research aimed at understanding the influence of human factors on BCI effectiveness, some topics still remain unexplored. The aim of this article is to discuss why it is important to consider the language of the user, its embodied grounding in perception, action and emotions, and its interaction with cultural differences in information processing in future BCI research. Based on evidence from recent studies, it is proposed that detection of language abilities and language training are two main topics of enquiry of future BCI studies to extend communication among vulnerable and healthy BCI users from bench to bedside and real world applications. In addition, cultural differences shape perception, actions, cognition, language and emotions subjectively, behaviorally as well as neuronally. Therefore, BCI applications should consider cultural differences in information processing to develop culture- and language-sensitive BCI applications for different user groups and BCIs, and investigate the linguistic and cultural contexts in which the BCI will be used.

Stronger together: towards constructive conversations about strength differences, gender, and sex

ABSTRACT The differences in strength development processes and maximum strength levels between cisgender men and women – i.e. the ‘strength gap’ – are considerably fraught topics, with significant implications for our broader understandings of sex and gender. The polarization of exercise science and sociocultural research about the relationships between strength, gender, and sex adds further challenges. As a result of their highly diverging conclusions on the strength gap as well as the general absence of communication between the two fields, it becomes nearly impossible to have meaningful discussions that acknowledge the not-just-biological, not-just-cultural complexities of strength development and maximal strength levels. To aid in connecting these seemingly disparate academic fields, this paper engages a biocultural reading of research on the strength training body. By framing the body as the ever-developing result of inextricably intertwined biological and cultural influences, this critical reading outlines the limitations of our current understandings of strength, illuminates areas of complexity and contradiction, demonstrates shared concepts, and suggests possible topics for boundary-crossing inquiry.

A Literature Review on the Practice and Challenges of Project-based Learning (PBL) in Teaching Primary (STEM) in China

With the rapid development of modern society, China is more and more eager for innovative talents; therefore, the national policy supports the adoption of Project-based Learning (PBL) pedagogy in Science, technology, engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Although PBL can develop students' ability to solve real-life problems, such as solving the problem of sewage treatment in life, thinking independently, and exploring actively, the implementation of PBL in STEM teaching in Chinese elementary schools is still a great challenge because the current level of teachers in China is inadequate and lacks systematic training. This paper will analyze the positive views and shortcomings of previous researchers in relevant topics of inquiry through the literature review method and then propose some new ideas for improvement. For example, schools need to be better resourced with teachers as well and the government can provide schools with more funds to buy equipment to ensure that teaching and learning are equipped.

Epistemic Autonomy and the Shaping of Our Epistemic Lives

ABSTRACT I present an account of epistemic autonomy as a distinctively wide-ranging epistemic virtue, one that helps us to understand a range of phenomena that might otherwise seem quite disparate – from the appropriate selection of epistemic methods, stances and topics of inquiry, to the harms of epistemic oppression, gaslighting and related phenomena. The account draws on four elements commonly incorporated into accounts of personal autonomy: (i) self-governance, (ii) authenticity, (iii) self-creation and (iv) independence. I further argue that for a distinctively epistemic virtue of autonomy; the above elements must ultimately reliably lead to valuable epistemic goods (for the agent herself and others). I then turn to the domains or ways in which epistemic autonomy so understood, can be made manifest. I suggest that epistemic autonomy is a virtue that allows us to appropriately choose (i) subject matters and areas of inquiry, (ii) methods, sources, and processes of belief formation, (iii) epistemic goals and (iv) epistemic stances or frameworks. So understood, epistemic autonomy has a role to play in shaping most every aspect of our epistemic lives.

Machine Learning and Augmented Intelligence Enables Prognosis of Type 2 Diabetes Prior to Clinical Manifestation.

The global incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) persists at epidemic proportions. Early diagnosis and/or preventive efforts are critical to attenuate the multi-systemic clinical manifestation and consequent healthcare burden. Despite enormous strides in the understanding of pathophysiology and on-going therapeutic development, effectiveness and access are persistent limitations. Among the greatest challenges, the extensive research efforts have not promulgated reliable predictive biomarkers for early detection and risk assessment. The emerging fields of multi-omics combined with machine learning (ML) and augmented intelligence (AI) have profoundly impacted the capacity for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine. This paper explores the current challenges associated with the identification of predictive biomarkers for T2D and discusses potential actionable solutions for biomarker identification and validation. The articles included were collected from PubMed queries. The selected topics of inquiry represented a wide range of themes in diabetes biomarker prediction and prognosis. The current criteria and cutoffs for T2D diagnosis are not optimal nor consider a myriad of contributing factors in terms of early detection. There is an opportunity to leverage AI and ML to significantly enhance the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disease and identify prognostic biomarkers. The innovative technologies being developed by GATC are expected to play a crucial role in this pursuit via algorithm training and validation, enabling comprehensive and in-depth analysis of complex biological systems. GATC is an emerging leader guiding the establishment of a systems approach towards research and predictive, personalized medicine. The integration of these technologies with clinical data can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of T2D, paving the way for precision medicine approaches and improved patient outcomes.

Legal Analysis of Regional Leader Coordination Forums to Support the Implementation of Regional Government Duties and Functions by Government Regulation Number 12 of 2022 in Indonesia

This investigation points to discovering out and analyze the lawful investigation of territorial authority coordination gatherings to bolster the usage of territorial government obligations and capacities in agreement with government control number 12 of 2022 in Indonesia, to discover out and analyze the supporting and repressing variables for the advancement of the Territorial Administration Coordination Gathering organization. in supporting the usage of the obligations and capacities of regulating common government issues, to recognize and analyze endeavors to overcome the variables hindering the Organizational Advancement of the Territorial Administration Coordination Gathering in supporting the execution of the obligations and capacities of regulating common government undertakings in Indonesia. This inquiry is a subjective inquiry about utilizing an inductive approach. The investigative strategies utilized are perception, documentation and interviews. Based on the results of the field examination, it can be concluded that there has been no improvement in the Territorial Administration Coordination Gathering in Indonesia, but the usage of the obligations and capacities of regulating common government undertakings is still being carried out in a few locales. Within the advancement handle, the existing restraining components did not become an issue within the Organizational Improvement of the Territorial Authority Coordination Gathering in Indonesia.

Time, the Middle Stone Age and lithic analyses following the Third Science Revolution

ABSTRACT This paper is a response to the conference session ‘Generic MSA: fact or fiction?’ held as part of the PanAfrican Association Conference in 2022 in Unguja, Tanzania. It questions the validity of the concept of a ‘generic Middle Stone Age’ and goes beyond the simple debate of terminology that has persisted for nearly 75 years. Instead, it uses this as a starting point to discuss the past, present and future of lithic analyses, including the history of terminology in the African Stone Age, the current topics of lithic enquiry and the role of lithic analysis following the Third Science Revolution. It highlights the effect of tensions between science versus humanities approaches and provides suggestions for future lithic analysts. Lithic studies remain of great importance but are only one source of evidence in modern interdisciplinary human origins research. The paper contends that there is not a single approach suitable for all sites or regions since analyses are contingent upon the questions being asked. Instead, it emphasises opportunities for multivocality and suggests that despite the focus here on the Middle Stone Age the conclusions reached are more widely applicable to other times and places.

Editorial (2023)

As we bid 2023 farewell and welcome the new year, it is our pleasure to introduce readers to Issue 49 of Context: Journal of Music Research. While post-pandemic life continues to take shape, and conferences flit between in-person and virtual delivery, Context remains steadfast in its support of the finest musical scholarship. This issue showcases research articles and a report, an interview, and numerous book reviews spanning diverse continents, centuries, and topics of inquiry.

Confessions of a Crap Visual Researcher

Participatory photographic methods aim to redress researcher bias and privilege by involving non-researchers in subject inquiry. When considering the commitment of researchers and the generosity of participants, approaches can be difficult to evaluate and replicate. Moreover, expectations of rigour can create additional pressures, particularly when researchers face increased scrutiny over budget usage, eco-consciousness, stricter ethics guidelines, time-management, and administrative requirements. While photographers considering participatory methods are advised to think carefully about the suitability, less is made of the value of failure or the messiness of photographic practice. This paper is a critical reflection on participatory components of practice-led research in Japan over ten years. Specifically, it problematizes two photographic research projects where participation resulted in methodological shifts in the author’s creative practice. Recognizing the tension between learning from everyday camera users and emancipating them from photography’s various programs, it considers rendering visible uncertainties and time poverty – though not attractive – for shared inquiries.

The Analysis of English Textbooks for Senior High School towards The Characteristics of Microlearning

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the face of English language teaching, creating both obstacles and opportunities for students and teachers. Since textbooks play an important role in providing organized and complete learning materials, this study aims to examine the requirements of English textbooks for twelfth-grade high schools that use microlearning features. The goal is to investigate the feasibility of using microlearning as an effective strategy for textbook use in English language teaching for twelfth-grade students in Indonesia. This study is an analytical study that focuses on several aspects of textbooks. The alignment with the curriculum, the relevancy of material, the appropriateness of teaching techniques, and the fit for the requirements and characteristics of twelfth-grade high school students are all key topics of inquiry. Furthermore, the study investigates the extent to which these textbooks meet local cultural norms and expectations, ensuring that Indonesian English learners have a meaningful learning experience. The outcomes of this study shed light on the strengths and shortcomings of the selected textbooks, offering useful insights into their effectiveness in supporting English language acquisition. Moreover, the report makes pertinent recommendations for prospective enhancements and future research paths

What kind of innovation state matters for social justice? Learning from Poulantzas and going beyond

In the twenty-first century, the notion of the state and its role in innovation and development have become dominant topics of theoretical and empirical inquiry. Although contemporary innovation theorists clearly unpack the myth of market fundamentalism in industrial policy and practice of neo-liberal states, they do not seem to explain precisely how come such states have been justified to play extensive roles in the economy. This paper provides a theoretical explanation by drawing lessons from Poulantzas’ approach to the state and going beyond it to consider alternatives. Accordingly, it conceives the innovation state as a result of the social division of labour and as a condensation of conflicting social relations which have their own materiality. The paper argues that whatever form the innovation state has taken in the western world since the industrial revolution, this has remained predominantly capitalist. Thus, it reproduces the social division of labour that is exploitative and unjust, delivering most benefits of innovation to dominant classes and excluding the very poor and the marginalised. The kind of innovation state that matters for social justice is a non-capitalist one, promoting pluralism of societies of equals through innovation.

Knowledge Institutions and Democratic Erosion: The Invaluable Contributions of Tom Ginsburg

The work of Tom Ginsburg, a leading scholar of comparative constitutional studies, is influential around the world and spans a very wide range of topics. He has played an absolutely essential role in establishing a database of constitutional provisions, both around the world and over time, that has fueled his own research, including his co-authored book on the endurance of national constitutions, and the research of other comparative constitutional scholars. He has contributed important insights about many different areas of comparative constitutional study. In much of his work he has been concerned with the relationship between political forces and political life on the one hand, and constitutional forms of law on the other. Whether on judicial review in new democracies, or on the role of courts and constitutions in authoritarian societies, his work is always interesting and reflects his terrific instinct for important and fruitful topics of inquiry.

Making Smart Things Strange Again: Using Walking as a Method for Studying Subjective Experiences of Smart City Surveillance

Smart cities are commonly seen as places that are defined by surveillance because of their reliance on vast amounts of digital data to improve urban management challenges. Although the infrastructures and technologies that enable smart city surveillance pervade multitudinous urban spaces and everyday practices, they are often “hiding in plain sight,” going unnoticed in the bustle of everyday life. Hence, fostering research settings where citizens can productively reflect on their everyday surveillance constitutes a major challenge for the interrelated projects of doing empirical research about subjective experiences of smart city surveillance and the inclusion of citizens in smart city discussions. Drawing on walking as a method, this study attempts to meet this challenge by developing and empirically testing a methodology of purposive “data walking.” Situating the research in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, participants are instructed to identify data points for public safety purposes on a short walk through the city and reflect on their experiences. Observations and experiences of smart city surveillance are documented with photos, text descriptions, and audio notes, which are shared in real-time with researchers and provide the basis for group reflections. These walks and reflections generate rich visual and textual data that yield insights into embodied and situated constructions of smart city surveillance as an object of subjective inquiry, experiences of visibility, considerations of agency and evaluations of public safety implications. The study considers these empirical results in conjunction with reflections on the methodology, contributing to further methodological explorations for including citizens in smart city discussions and surveillance subjectivity research.

How general practitioners and patients discuss type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases concerns during consultations: Implications for digital health.

To analyse general practitioner-patient consultations about type 2 diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular diseases and describe (i) the nature of self-management discussions; (ii) actions required from patients during and after consultation regarding self-management; and (iii) implications for digital health to support patients during (and after) consultation. This study screened 281 general practitioner consultations conducted in 2017 within the UK general practice setting from an existing dataset containing videos and transcripts of consultations between GPs and patients. Secondary analysis was conducted using a multi-method approach, including descriptive, content, and visualisation analysis, to inform the nature of self-management discussions, what actions are required from patients, and whether digital technology was mentioned during the consultation to support self-management. Analysis of eligible 19 consultations revealed a discord between what self-management actions are required of patients during and after consultations. Lifestyle discussions are often discussed in depth, but these discussions rely heavily on subjective inquiry and recall. Some patients in these cohorts are overwhelmed by self-management, to the detriment of their personal health. Digital support for self-management was not a major topic of discussion, however, we identified a number of emergent gaps where digital technology can support self-management concerns. There is potential for digital technology to reconcile what actions are required of patients during and after consultations. Furthermore, a number of emergent themes around self-management have implications for digitalisation.

Reform and practice of biochemistry experiment teaching under the background of industry-university-research integration

Biochemistry experiment is a basic experiment course that transforms biochemistry knowledge into practical operation, which plays a vital role in training students' hands-on practice and scientific research accomplishment. In order to cultivate students' comprehensive ability (innovation ability, practical ability, problem analysis ability and problem-solving ability), and change the drawbacks of traditional teaching, we give full play to the role of industry-university-research integration in biochemistry experimental teaching. Relying on social resources and professional forces, the curriculum system is designed together, the curriculum experiment is modular, and a large experiment of subject inquiry is formed. Furthermore, the competition should be included in the biochemistry experiment teaching to stimulate students' interest in learning and cultivate students' comprehensive ability.