WorldWideScience

Sample records for future research issues

  1. Recruitment of oncology nurses for Internet research: issues and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eun-Ok; Chee, Wonshik; Lim, Hyun Ju; Bender, Melinda; Tsai, Hsiu-Min; Yang, Soon-Ok; Lee, Hungsa

    2006-11-03

    To provide future directions for Internet research based on issues raised during the recruitment process of an Internet survey of oncology nurses. Throughout the research process, the research staff recorded issues as they arose and wrote memos regarding recruitment issues and possible reasons for the issues. Weekly group discussions were conducted, and written records of the discussions were kept. The written memos and records were reviewed, and the content was analyzed. The recruitment issues included flexibility required, mutual trust, changing Internet dynamics, and potential selection bias. As the issues indicated, recruiting nurses for the study only through the Internet did not work well. For future Internet research, the authors suggest using multiple Internet and real settings for recruitment, a variety of strategies, the quota sampling method, and creative motivation strategies.

  2. Construct validity-Current issues and recommendations for future hand hygiene research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neo, Jun Rong Jeffrey

    2017-05-01

    Health care-associated infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Hand hygiene is widely regarded as an effective prevention strategy. Often, hand hygiene research is designed and conducted by health care practitioners who may lack formal training in research methods, particularly in the area of social science. In a research context, a construct is a concept that can be measured or observed in some way. A construct can be directly or indirectly measured. For example, height can be directly measured by centimeters, whereas depression can be indirectly measured by a scale of 20 items. Every construct needs to be operationalized by measure(s) to make it a variable. Hence, construct validity refers to the degree of fit between the construct of interest and its operational measure. However, issues with construct validity often weaken the translation from construct to measure(s). This article will (1) describe the common threats to construct validity pertaining to hand hygiene research, (2) identify practical limitations in current research design, and (3) provide recommendations to improve construct validity in future hand hygiene research. By understanding how construct validity may affect hand hygiene research design, there is great potential to improve the validity of future hand hygiene research findings. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Future accelerators: physics issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjorken, J.D.

    1977-11-01

    High energy physics of the future using future accelerators is discussed. The proposed machines and instruments, physics issues and opportunities including brief sketches of outstanding recent results, and the way the proposed machines address these issues are considered. 42 references

  4. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-10-05

    Oct 5, 2017 ... We are listed under Research Associations. D THAT USES A ... Clinical Engineering, Toin University of Yokohama, Yokohama, Aoba ... Special Issue ..... advisable to run the prognosis results at least one hundred times with the Euclidean and ... They are some of the topics left for future research. 5.

  5. Outstanding Issues and Future Directions of Inner Magnetospheric Research (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, P. C.

    2009-12-01

    Several research areas of the inner magnetosphere and ionosphere (MI) system have reached a state, where the coupling mechanisms can no longer be treated as boundary conditions or ad-hoc assumptions in our physical models. It is nothing new that our community has become increasingly aware of the necessity to use global measurements from multiple observation platforms and missions, in order to understand both the system as a whole as well as its individual subsystems. In this presentation we briefly review the current status and outstanding issues of inner MI research. We attempt to establish a working definition of the term "Systems Approach", then present observational tools and techniques that enable such an approach. Physical modeling plays a central role not only in understanding the mechanisms at work, but also in determining the key quantities to be measured. We conclude by discussing questions relevant to future directions. Are there new techniques that need more attention? Should multi-platform observations be included as a default component already at the mission-level in the future? Is solar minimum uninteresting from an MI perspective? Should we actively compare to magnetospheres of other planets? Examples of outstanding issues in inner MI research include the circulation of ionospheric plasma from low to high latitudes and its escape to the magnetosphere, where it is energized by magnetospheric processes and becomes a part of the plasma pressure that in turn affects the ionospheric and magnetospheric electric field. The electric field, in turn, plays a controlling role in the transport of both magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma, which is intimately linked with ionospheric conductance. The conductance, in turn, is controlled by thermospheric chemistry coupled with plasma flow and heating and magnetospheric precipitation and Joule heating. Several techniques have emerged as important tools: auroral imaging, inversions of ENA images to retrieve the

  6. The Soldier-Cyborg Transformation: A Framework for Analysis of Social and Ethical Issues of Future Warfare

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-05-26

    government agency. STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT THE SOLDIER- CYBORG TRANSFORMATION: A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES OF FUTURE...UNCLASSIFIED USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT THE SOLDIER- CYBORG TRANSFORMATION: A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES OF FUTURE...P) Donald A. Gagliano, M.D. TITLE: THE SOLDIER CYBORG TRANSFORMATION: A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES OF FUTURE WARFARE

  7. Environmental trends and issues at the research horizon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwartz, J.H.; Warshaw, C.J.; Stoner, B.; Coerr, S.; O'Neal, J.

    1992-01-01

    This report provides a forecast of environmental trends and issues likely to emerge in the next 5 to 15 years. The report identifies and describes eleven significant emerging tends (i.e., general shifts in environmental policy-making, technology, regulation and public opinion) and - specific environmental issues (i.e., real or perceived environmental problems). The report further describes various debates or key questions that will determine over the next 5 to 15 years the potential government response to these environmental issues. This information is intended to assist the Gas research Institute as a research organization in planning and initiating research projects that will be relevant to important debates in the future

  8. History, Development and Future of TRIGA Research Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    Due to its particular fuel design and resulting enhanced inherent safety features, TRIGA reactors (Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics) constitute a ‘class of their own’ among the large variety of research reactors built world-wide. This publication summarizes in a single document the information on the past and present of TRIGA research reactors and presents an outlook in view of potential issues to be solved by TRIGA operating organizations in the near future. It covers the historical development and basic TRIGA characteristics, followed by utilization, fuel conversion and ageing management of TRIGA research reactors. It continues with issues and challenges, introduction to the global TRIGA research reactor network and concludes with future perspectives. The publication is complemented with a CD-ROM to illustrate the historical developments of TRIGA research reactors through individual facility examples and experiences

  9. Future industrial issues for ANDRA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auverlot, D.

    1998-01-01

    ANDRA manages industrially 90 % in volume of radioactive waste produced in France. This is short life waste of low and medium activity. In compliance with the law of 1991, which transformed it into a public body with an industrial and commercial character, ANDRA also heads aspect 2 of the research into the 10 % of remaining highly active long life waste, by attempting to evaluate the possibilities of storing it in deep geological layers, either reversibly or irreversibly. The industrial issues of the future for ANDRA can be in different forms, following three meeting of major importance for ANDRA and for the producers of nuclear waste. These are: the meeting of 2006, at the end of which, in compliance with the law of 1991, the Parliament must re-examine the question of the management of highly active, long life waste; the renewal of nuclear facilities; the future meeting concerning future generations. However, whatever these different stage and whatever the different types of waste considered, the single and major challenge with which ANDRA is confronted is to prove that it is capable of providing a sure danger-free management of all radioactive waste. In this context, it appears necessary, today, to intensify research into aspects 1 and 3 of the law of 1991, to respect the balance of the three aspects. This in fact constitutes an essential pledge of the credibility of the procedure instituted by the law: at present, to clearly specify the research into surface storing in the short or long terms; building the three laboratories, the authorization for which has been subject to public inquiry. And also to keep, for 2006, the largest possible choice of the geological environment. (author)

  10. Work-related reproductive, musculoskeletal and mental disorders among working women--history, current issues and future research directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishi, Reiko; Kitahara, Teruyo; Masuchi, Ayumi; Kasai, Setsuko

    2002-04-01

    According to the recent changes of working environments and socio-economical conditions, the proportion of working women are increasing in Japan. Characteristics of occupational workload and stress of Japanese working women are consistent with those in many industrialized countries except man-dominant culture. In this review we describe the history, current issues, and future research directions on occupational health of working women, especially focused on reproductive health, work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (WMSDs), and mental disorders. In the reproductive health survey, traditionally main concern was about pregnancy outcomes, then fecundity studies, such as time to pregnancy, became topics recently. Future research will be shifted to outcomes not only during pregnancy but also disorders of hormonal balance and climacterium or health conditions after menopause. WMSDs are reviewed on mainly gender difference and its causative factors. Historically, mental health of working women in Japan has focused on the job stress of nurses. We compare results with a lot of recent researches in Europe and U.S.A., where interaction between occupational stress and family roles were studied. It is not easy to predict the prospective status of female workers in Japan, but social, workplace and familial supports will enhance their health promotion.

  11. Ethical issues in trauma-related research: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Elana; Risch, Elizabeth; Kassam-Adams, Nancy

    2006-09-01

    ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING ABOUT TRAUMA-RELATED STUDIES requires a flexible approach that counters assumptions and biases about victims, assures a favorable ethical cost-benefit ratio, and promotes advancement of knowledge that can benefit survivors of traumatic stress. This paper reviews several ethical issues in the field of traumatic stress: benefit and risks in trauma-related research, whether trauma-related research poses unique risks and if so what those might be, informed consent and mandatory reporting, and supervision of trauma-related research. For each topic, we review potential ethical issues, summarize the research conducted thus far to inform ethical practice, and recommend future practice, research questions and policies to advance the field so that research on trauma can continue to be a win-win situation for all stakeholders in the research enterprise.

  12. Some statistical issues important to future developments in human radiation research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaeth, Michael

    1991-01-01

    Using his two years experience at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation at Hiroshima, the author tries to outline some of the areas of statistics where methodologies relevant to the future developments in human radiation research are likely to be found. Problems related to statistical analysis of existing data are discussed, together with methodological developments in non-parametric and semi-parametric regression modelling, and interpretation and presentation of results. (Author)

  13. Tooth wear and erosion: methodological issues in epidemiological and public health research and the future research agenda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganss, C; Young, A; Lussi, A

    2011-09-01

    This paper addresses methodological issues in the field of tooth wear and erosion research including the epidemiological indices, and identifies future work that is needed to improve knowledge about tooth wear and erosion. The paper is result of the work done at the meetings of the Special Interest Group "Tooth Surface Loss and Erosion" at the 2008, 2009 and 2010 conferences of the European Association for Dental Public Health, and the Workshop "Current Erosion indices- flawed or valid" which took place in Basel in 2007. Although there is consensus about the definition and the diagnostic criteria of various forms of tooth wear, gaps in research strategies have been identified. A basic problem is that fundamental concepts of wear and erosion as an oral health problem, have not yet been sufficiently defined. To a certain extent, tooth wear is a physiological condition, and there is no consensus as to whether it can be regarded as a disease. Furthermore, the multitude of indices and flaws in existing indices, make published data difficult to interpret. Topics for the research agenda are: the initiation of a consensus process towards an internationally accepted index, and the initiation of data collection on the prevalence of various forms of wear on a population-based level. There should be an emphasis on promoting communication between basic and clinical sciences, and the area of Public Health Dentistry. Furthermore, the question of whether tooth wear is a public health problem remains open for debate.

  14. The Past and Future of Nursing Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margaret M. Heitkemper, PhD, RN, FAAN

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available The past three decades have witnessed a remarkable growth in nursing science development. In both Korea and the United States, nurse scientists are poised to address important issues related to the prevention and management of significant health care problems. The need for greater nursing science development in the areas of self management, genetics, geriatrics, health promotion across the lifespan, technology, and mental health are briefly highlighted. Future research efforts will be enhanced by interdisciplinary collaboration and the creation of international nursing research centers. At the same time, we need to remain cognizant of the importance of mentoring future nurse scientists.

  15. Future directions for positive body image research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halliwell, Emma

    2015-06-01

    The emergence of positive body image research during the last 10 years represents an important shift in the body image literature. The existing evidence provides a strong empirical basis for the study of positive body image and research has begun to address issues of age, gender, ethnicity, culture, development, and intervention in relation to positive body image. This article briefly reviews the existing evidence before outlining directions for future research. Specifically, six areas for future positive body image research are outlined: (a) conceptualization, (b) models, (c) developmental factors, (d) social interactions, (e) cognitive processing style, and (f) interventions. Finally, the potential role of positive body image as a protective factor within the broader body image literature is discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. An online forum as a qualitative research method: practical issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eun-Ok; Chee, Wonshik

    2006-01-01

    Despite the positive aspects of online forums as a qualitative research method, very little is known on the practical issues involved in using online forums for data collection, especially for a qualitative research project. The aim of this study was to describe the practical issues encountered in implementing an online forum as a qualitative component of a larger study on cancer pain experience. Throughout the study process, the research staff recorded issues ranging from minor technical problems to serious ethical dilemmas as they arose and wrote memos about them. The memos and written records of the discussions were reviewed and analyzed using content analysis. Two practical issues related to credibility were identified: (a) a high response and retention rate and (b) automatic transcripts. An issue related to dependability was the participants' forgetfulness. The issues related to confirmability were difficulties in theoretical saturation and unstandardized computer and Internet jargon. A security issue related to hacking attempts was noted as well. The analysis of these issues suggests several implications for future researchers who want to use online forums as a qualitative data collection method.

  17. Future directions for positive body image research

    OpenAIRE

    Halliwell, E.

    2015-01-01

    The emergence of positive body image research during the last 10 years represents an important shift in the body image literature. The existing evidence provides a strong empirical basis for the study of positive body image and research has begun to address issues of age, gender, ethnicity, culture, development, and intervention in relation to positive body image. This article briefly reviews the existing evidence before outlining directions for future research. Specifically, six areas for fu...

  18. Ethical Legal and Social Issues of Biobanking: Past, Present, and Future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bledsoe, Marianna J

    2017-04-01

    The past 15 years has seen considerable changes in the research environment. These changes include the development of new sophisticated genetic and genomic technologies, a proliferation of databases containing large amount of genotypic and phenotypic data, and wide-spread data sharing among many institutions, nationally and internationally. These changes have raised new questions regarding how best to protect the participants of biobanking research. In response to these questions, best practices for addressing the legal, ethical, and social issues of biobanking have been developed. In addition, new ethical guidelines related to biobanking have been established, as well as new regulations regarding privacy and human subject protections. Finally, changes in the science and the research environment have raised complex ethical issues related to biobanking, such as questions about the most appropriate consent models to use for biobanking research, commercial use and ownership issues, and whether and how to return individual research results to biobank participants. This article reviews some of the developments over the past 15 years related to the ELSI of biobanking with a look toward the future.

  19. Status of nuclear regulatory research and its future perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, J. I.; Kim, W. S.; Kim, M. W.

    1999-01-01

    A comprehensive investigation of the regulatory research comprising an examination of the research system, its areas and contents, and the goals and financial resources is undertaken. As a result of this study, the future direction of regulatory research and its implementation strategies are suggested to resolve the current issues emerging from this examination. The major issues identified in the study are; (a) an insufficient investment in nuclear regulatory and safety research, (b) an interfacial discrepancy between similar research areas, and (c) a limitation of utilizing research results. To resolve these issues, several measures are proposed : (1) developing a lead project to establish a comprehensive infrastructure for enhancing research cooperation between nuclear organizations including institutes, industry, and universities, with an aim to improve cooperation between projects and to strengthen overall coordination functions among research projects, (2) introducing a certification system on research outcome to promote the proliferation of both research results themselves and their application with a view to enhancing the research quality, (3) strengthening the cooperative system to promote the international cooperative research, and (4) digitalizing all documents and materials relevant to safety and regulatory research to establish KIMS (knowledge and information based management system). It is expected that the aforementioned measures suggested in this study will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of both nuclear regulatory and safety research, if they are implemented after deliberating with the government and related nuclear industries in the near future

  20. CRIEPI's research results (2006-2011) and clarified future issues on alteration behavior of bentonite barrier by alkaline solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, Shingo; Nakamura, Kunihiko; Tanaka, Yukihisa; Hironaga, Michihiko

    2013-01-01

    In radioactive waste disposal facilities, bentonite barrier would be altered by alkaline solutions which arise by leaching of cementitious materials. Consequently suitable properties of the bentonite barrier would be degraded for a long time period. In CRIEPI, the investigation on the alteration of the bentonite under alkaline conditions was started in 2006, and several CRIEPI reports have been published. Specifically, we have investigated the kinetics of montmorillonite dissolution, the mineralogical alteration of compacted bentonite (with high- and low-dry density) and the change of permeability of the compacted bentonite (with high- and low-dry density) during alteration under the alkaline conditions. Furthermore, stability of saponite, which has similar physical properties to the bentonite, under the alkaline conditions was also examined. In this report, we show the outline of those research results, and lay out the clarified future issues extracted from our results. Ten clarified future issues were divided three categories as follows: 1) the estimation of the alteration behavior of the bentonite by alkaline solutions, 2) the elucidation of the mechanism of physical properties (e.g., permeability, swelling properties and mechanistic properties) change of the compacted bentonites during alteration, and 3) the development of the model building and simulation technology concerning the change in physical properties during alteration under alkaline conditions. (author)

  1. Organizational Decline Research Review: Challenges and Issues for a Future Research Agenda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Antônio Ribeiro Serra

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Organizational decline is related to the deterioration of the resource base and performance of an organization for a sustained period of time. Although some studies have been conducted, it remains an understudied phenomenon, despite its importance. The study of organizational decline is faced with challenges to improving and increasing research. In this study, we analyze the scientific field of organizational decline in business and management journals with a high impact factor. We conducted a mixed-method study: a bibliometric study of a sample of 214 articles, and a qualitative study with 41 authors. We used an analysis of citations, co-citations and factor analysis. This enabled the identification of the most influential works and their conceptual approaches. The interviews with the authors were analyzed using content analysis, which complemented our understanding of the challenges and problems facing the theme. The results show that organizational decline can be organized into three different aspects: organizational decline itself; studies on turnaround; and mortality. Specific challenges to overcome are related to a better definition, cognitive issues and other issues on decision-making and specific methodological problems. In addition, it is necessary to evaluate whether theories that explain growth are also able to explain decline.

  2. Future studies and research in Egypt. Overview, examples, perspectives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goell, Edgar

    2012-02-15

    During the last decade there have been several distinct activities and efforts with regards to future research in Egypt. Several institutions and capacities have been created. Although these capacities do not always meet high scientific standards, their results and studies offer important and well-grounded elements for future-oriented discussions and political decisions. Not least because of the Egypt revolt which started in January 2011 and the ongoing complex and conflicting societal struggles in Egypt the objective needs as well as the demand for systematic future thinking and future studies will very likely increase further. For that reason this report presents an overview about the context conditions, experiences and forms of future research in Egypt. The major challenges as well as the major issues are described. The main part is the description of the most important institutions, which are conducting future research, their projects and in addition two concrete projects, which try to practice Sustainable Development in different ways. Finally, several (self-)critical assessments and perspectives from selected experts of the future research community in Egypt will be presented.

  3. History, Development and Future of TRIGA Research Reactors. Companion CD-ROM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    Due to its particular fuel design and resulting enhanced inherent safety features, TRIGA reactors (Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics) constitute a ‘class of their own’ among the large variety of research reactors built world-wide. This publication summarizes in a single document the information on the past and present of TRIGA research reactors and presents an outlook in view of potential issues to be solved by TRIGA operating organizations in the near future. It covers the historical development and basic TRIGA characteristics, followed by utilization, fuel conversion and ageing management of TRIGA research reactors. It continues with issues and challenges, introduction to the global TRIGA research reactor network and concludes with future perspectives. This CD-ROM illustrates the historical developments of TRIGA research reactors through individual facility examples and experiences

  4. Human–environment interactions in urban green spaces — A systematic review of contemporary issues and prospects for future research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kabisch, Nadja, E-mail: nadja.kabisch@geo.hu-berlin.de [Institute of Geography, Humboldt-University Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin (Germany); Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research — UFZ, 04318 Leipzig (Germany); Qureshi, Salman [Institute of Geography, Humboldt-University Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin (Germany); School of Architecture, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, Birmingham City University, The Parkside Building, 5 Cardigan Street, Birmingham B4 7BD (United Kingdom); Haase, Dagmar [Institute of Geography, Humboldt-University Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin (Germany); Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research — UFZ, 04318 Leipzig (Germany)

    2015-01-15

    Scientific papers on landscape planning underline the importance of maintaining and developing green spaces because of their multiple environmental and social benefits for city residents. However, a general understanding of contemporary human–environment interaction issues in urban green space is still incomplete and lacks orientation for urban planners. This review examines 219 publications to (1) provide an overview of the current state of research on the relationship between humans and urban green space, (2) group the different research approaches by identifying the main research areas, methods, and target groups, and (3) highlight important future prospects in urban green space research. - Highlights: • Reviewed literature on urban green pins down a dearth of comparative studies. • Case studies in Africa and Russia are marginalized – the Europe and US dominate. • Questionnaires are used as major tool followed by GIS and quantitative approaches. • Developing countries should contribute in building an urban green space agenda. • Interdisciplinary, adaptable and pluralistic approaches can satiate a knowledge gap.

  5. Human–environment interactions in urban green spaces — A systematic review of contemporary issues and prospects for future research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabisch, Nadja; Qureshi, Salman; Haase, Dagmar

    2015-01-01

    Scientific papers on landscape planning underline the importance of maintaining and developing green spaces because of their multiple environmental and social benefits for city residents. However, a general understanding of contemporary human–environment interaction issues in urban green space is still incomplete and lacks orientation for urban planners. This review examines 219 publications to (1) provide an overview of the current state of research on the relationship between humans and urban green space, (2) group the different research approaches by identifying the main research areas, methods, and target groups, and (3) highlight important future prospects in urban green space research. - Highlights: • Reviewed literature on urban green pins down a dearth of comparative studies. • Case studies in Africa and Russia are marginalized – the Europe and US dominate. • Questionnaires are used as major tool followed by GIS and quantitative approaches. • Developing countries should contribute in building an urban green space agenda. • Interdisciplinary, adaptable and pluralistic approaches can satiate a knowledge gap

  6. The future of scenarios: issues in developing new climate change scenarios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pitcher, Hugh M

    2009-01-01

    In September, 2007, the IPCC convened a workshop to discuss how a new set of scenarios to support climate model runs, mitigation analyses, and impact, adaptation and vulnerability research might be developed. The first phase of the suggested new approach is now approaching completion. This article discusses some of the issues raised by scenario relevant research and analysis since the last set of IPCC scenarios were created (IPCC SRES, 2000) that will need to be addressed as new scenarios are developed by the research community during the second phase. These include (1) providing a logic for how societies manage to transition from historical paths to the various future development paths foreseen in the scenarios, (2) long-term economic growth issues, (3) the appropriate GDP metric to use (purchasing power parity or market exchange rates), (4) ongoing issues with moving from the broad geographic and time scales of the emission scenarios to the finer scales needed for impacts, adaptation and vulnerability analyses and (5) some possible ways to handle the urgent request from the policy community for some guidance on scenario likelihoods. The challenges involved in addressing these issues are manifold; the reward is greater credibility and deeper understanding of an analytic tool that does much to form the context within which many issues in addition to the climate problem will need to be addressed.

  7. The future of scenarios: issues in developing new climate change scenarios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitcher, Hugh M.

    2009-04-01

    In September, 2007, the IPCC convened a workshop to discuss how a new set of scenarios to support climate model runs, mitigation analyses, and impact, adaptation and vulnerability research might be developed. The first phase of the suggested new approach is now approaching completion. This article discusses some of the issues raised by scenario relevant research and analysis since the last set of IPCC scenarios were created (IPCC SRES, 2000) that will need to be addressed as new scenarios are developed by the research community during the second phase. These include (1) providing a logic for how societies manage to transition from historical paths to the various future development paths foreseen in the scenarios, (2) long-term economic growth issues, (3) the appropriate GDP metric to use (purchasing power parity or market exchange rates), (4) ongoing issues with moving from the broad geographic and time scales of the emission scenarios to the finer scales needed for impacts, adaptation and vulnerability analyses and (5) some possible ways to handle the urgent request from the policy community for some guidance on scenario likelihoods. The challenges involved in addressing these issues are manifold; the reward is greater credibility and deeper understanding of an analytic tool that does much to form the context within which many issues in addition to the climate problem will need to be addressed.

  8. Recent NRC research activities addressing valve and pump issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morrison, D.L.

    1996-12-01

    The mission of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is to ensure the safe design, construction, and operation of commercial nuclear power plants and other facilities in the U.S.A. One of the main roles that the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) plays in achieving the NRC mission is to plan, recommend, and implement research programs that address safety and technical issues deemed important by the NRC. The results of the research activities provide the bases for developing NRC positions or decisions on these issues. Also, RES performs confirmatory research for developing the basis to evaluate industry responses and positions on various regulatory requirements. This presentation summarizes some recent RES supported research activities that have addressed safety and technical issues related to valves and pumps. These activities include the efforts on determining valve and motor-operator responses under dynamic loads and pressure locking events, evaluation of monitoring equipment, and methods for detecting and trending aging of check valves and pumps. The role that RES is expected to play in future years to fulfill the NRC mission is also discussed.

  9. Quantum Dots for Cancer Research: Current Status, Remaining Issues, and Future Perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang, Min; Peng, Chun-wei; Pang, Dai-Wen; Li, Yan

    2012-01-01

    Cancer is a major threat to public health in the 21st century because it is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The mechanisms of carcinogenesis, cancer invasion, and metastasis remain unclear. Thus, the development of a novel approach for cancer detection is urgent, and real-time monitoring is crucial in revealing its underlying biological mechanisms. With the optical and chemical advantages of quantum dots (QDs), QD-based nanotechnology is helpful in constructing a biomedical imaging platform for cancer behavior study. This review mainly focuses on the application of QD-based nanotechnology in cancer cell imaging and tumor microenvironment studies both in vivo and in vitro, as well as the remaining issues and future perspectives

  10. Contemporary issues and future directions for research into pathological gambling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickerson, M; Baron, E

    2000-08-01

    The recent healthy increase in research into all aspects of gambling is noted. The dominant theme accounting for most of this research is the mental disorder model of pathological gambling and measures that have been derived from this conceptualization. It is suggested that an alternative approach focusing on the construct of choice or subjective control over gambling may be a research direction that will ensure that progress is maintained. In this paper a context for the discussion is provided by first identifying briefly fundamental conceptual and methodological issues associated with the mental disorder model. In particular it is argued that the heterogeneity of the diagnosis of pathological gambling makes the research task of assessing truly independent variables extremely difficult. Subsequently an illustrative schema is presented that demonstrates both the potential advantages and some of the complexities associated with the dependent variable of self-control over gambling behaviour. The main advantages are argued to be (a) the focus of research is narrowed to one potential cause of harmful impacts rather than the great diversity of impacts themselves, (b) prospective studies of regular gamblers in real gambling venues may be a key source of insight into the development of pathological gambling and (c) it promotes the development of theoretical links with the mainstream of the discipline of psychology. Despite the conceptual difficulties that may be associated with the variable of self-control, it is suggested that these may be overcome because contemporary research into the addictive behaviours has demonstrated considerable success in the definition and measurement of control and related themes such as craving, restraint and temptation.

  11. Female sex trafficking: conceptual issues, current debates, and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meshkovska, Biljana; Siegel, Melissa; Stutterheim, Sarah E; Bos, Arjan E R

    2015-01-01

    Female sex trafficking is a pressing concern. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of relevant issues regarding the concept of female sex trafficking and research in the field of human trafficking, drawing on a variety of disciplines, including economics, gender and sexuality studies, psychology, sociology, law, and social work. We discuss the debates surrounding the definition of human trafficking, compare and contrast it with human smuggling, and outline connections between female sex trafficking and the issue of sex work and prostitution. We further discuss the history and current estimations of female sex trafficking. We then outline the main actors in female sex trafficking, including trafficked persons, traffickers, clients, and service providers, and we overview the trafficking process from recruitment to identification, recovery, and (re)integration. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future research that tie together the concepts of vulnerability, exploitation, and long-term recovery and (re)integration.

  12. Application of diffusion research to solar energy policy issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roessner, J. D.; Posner, D.; Shoemaker, F.; Shama, A.

    1979-03-01

    This paper examines two types of information requirements that appear to be basic to DOE solar-energy-policy decisions: (1) how can the future market success of solar energy technologies be estimated, and (2) what factors influence the adoption of solar energy technologies, and what specific programs could promote solar energy adoption most effectively. This paper assesses the ability of a body of research, referred to here as diffusion research, to supply information that could partially satisfy these requirements. This assessment proceeds, first, by defining in greater detail a series of policy issues that face DOE. These are divided into cost reduction and performance improvement issues which include issues confronting the technology development component of the solar energy program, and barriers and incentives issues which are most relevant to problems of solar energy application. Second, these issues are translated into a series of questions that the diffusion approach can help resolve. Third, various elements within diffusion research are assessed in terms of their abilities to answer policy questions. Finally, the strengths and limitations of current knowledge about the diffusion of innovations are summarized, the applicability of both existing knowledge and the diffusion approach to the identified solar-energy-policy issues are discussed, and ways are suggested in which diffusion approaches can be modified and existing knowledge employed to meet short- and long-term goals of DOE. The inquiry covers the field of classical diffusion research, market research and consumer behavior, communication research, and solar-energy market-penetration modeling.

  13. A research agenda for data and scale issues in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joao, Elsa

    2007-01-01

    The way in which Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) succeeds in its key aim - to integrate the environment into strategic decision-making - is affected by the choice of both data and scale. The data and scale used within SEA fundamentally shape the process. However, in the past, these issues were often not discussed in an explicit or in-depth way. This article proposes a research agenda, and recommendations for future practice, on data and scale issues in SEA. Future research on data issues, spatial and temporal scales (both in terms of detail and extent), tiering, data quality and links to decision-making are recommended. The article concludes that questions of data and scale in SEA are not just technical, they are essential to identifying and understanding the issues that SEA should be addressing, and therefore are a core element of SEA

  14. Ethical and methodological issues in research with Sami experiencing disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melbøe, Line; Hansen, Ketil Lenert; Johnsen, Bjørn-Eirik; Fedreheim, Gunn Elin; Dinesen, Tone; Minde, Gunn-Tove; Rustad, Marit

    2016-01-01

    A study of disability among the indigenous Sami people in Norway presented a number of ethical and methodological challenges rarely addressed in the literature. The main study was designed to examine and understand the everyday life, transitions between life stages and democratic participation of Norwegian Sami people experiencing disability. Hence, the purpose of this article is to increase the understanding of possible ethical and methodological issues in research within this field. The article describes and discusses ethical and methodological issues that arose when conducting our study and identifies some strategies for addressing issues like these. The ethical and methodological issues addressed in the article are based on a qualitative study among indigenous Norwegian Sami people experiencing disability. The data in this study were collected through 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews with altogether 24 Sami people experiencing disability and 13 next of kin of Sami people experiencing disability (8 mothers, 2 fathers, 2 sister and 1 guardian). The researchers identified 4 main areas of ethical and methodological issues. We present these issues chronologically as they emerged in the research process: 1) concept of knowledge when designing the study, 2) gaining access, 3) data collection and 4) analysis and accountability. The knowledge generated from this study has the potential to benefit future health research, specifically of Norwegian Sami people experiencing disability, as well as health research concerning indigenous people in general, providing scientific-based insight into important ethical and methodological issues in research with indigenous people experiencing disability.

  15. Contemporary Research on Parenting: Conceptual, Methodological, and Translational Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sleddens, Ester F. C.; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St. George, Sara M.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can inform future research on the role of parenting in childhood obesity. They include: (1) General versus domain specific parenting styles and practices; (2) the role of ethnicity and culture; (3) assessing bidirectional influences; (4) broadening assessments beyond the immediate family; (5) novel approaches to parenting measurement; and (6) designing effective interventions. Numerous directions for future research are offered. PMID:23944927

  16. Contemporary research on parenting: conceptual, methodological, and translational issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Power, Thomas G; Sleddens, Ester F C; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St George, Sara M

    2013-08-01

    Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can inform future research on the role of parenting in childhood obesity. They include: (1) General versus domain specific parenting styles and practices; (2) the role of ethnicity and culture; (3) assessing bidirectional influences; (4) broadening assessments beyond the immediate family; (5) novel approaches to parenting measurement; and (6) designing effective interventions. Numerous directions for future research are offered.

  17. Research Facilities for the Future of Nuclear Energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ait Abderrahim, H.

    1996-01-01

    The proceedings of the ENS Class 1 Topical Meeting on Research facilities for the Future of Nuclear Energy include contributions on large research facilities, designed for tests in the field of nuclear energy production. In particular, issues related to facilities supporting research and development programmes in connection to the operation of nuclear power plants as well as the development of new concepts in material testing, nuclear data measurement, code validation, fuel cycle, reprocessing, and waste disposal are discussed. The proceedings contain 63 papers

  18. Innovation and Integrity in Intervention Research: Conceptual Issues, Methodology, and Knowledge Translation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malti, Tina; Beelmann, Andreas; Noam, Gil G; Sommer, Simon

    2018-04-01

    In this article, we introduce the special issue entitled Innovation and Integrity in Intervention Science. Its focus is on essential problems and prospects for intervention research examining two related topics, i.e., methodological issues and research integrity, and challenges in the transfer of research knowledge into practice and policy. The main aims are to identify how to advance methodology in order to improve research quality, examine scientific integrity in the field of intervention science, and discuss future steps to enhance the transfer of knowledge about evidence-based intervention principles into sustained practice, routine activities, and policy decisions. Themes of the special issue are twofold. The first includes questions about research methodology in intervention science, both in terms of research design and methods, as well as data analyses and the reporting of findings. Second, the issue tackles questions surrounding the types of knowledge translation frameworks that might be beneficial to mobilize the transfer of research-based knowledge into practice and public policies. The issue argues that innovations in methodology and thoughtful approaches to knowledge translation can enable transparency, quality, and sustainability of intervention research.

  19. Personalized medicine and the role of health economics and outcomes research: issues, applications, emerging trends, and future research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Donnell, John C

    2013-01-01

    The decade since the completion of the sequencing of the human genome has witnessed significant advances in the incorporation of genomic information in diagnostic, treatment, and reimbursement practices. Indeed, as case in point, there are now several dozen commercially available genomic tests routinely applied across a wide range of disease states in predictive or prognostic applications. Moreover, many involved in the advancement of personalized medicine would view emerging approaches to stratify patients in meaningful ways beyond genomic information as a signal of the progress made. Yet despite these advances, there remains a general sense of dissatisfaction about the progress of personalized medicine in terms of its contribution to the drug development process, to the efficiency and effectiveness of health care delivery, and ultimately to the provision of the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. Academicians, payers, and manufacturers alike are struggling not only with how to embed the new insights that personalized medicine promises but also with the fundamental issues of application in early drug development, implications for health technology assessment, new demands on traditional health economic and outcomes research methods, and implications for reimbursement and access. In fact, seemingly prosaic issues such as the definition and composition of the term "personalized medicine" are still unresolved. Regardless of these issues, practitioners are increasingly compelled to find practical solutions to the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving face of personalized medicine today. Accordingly, the articles comprising this Special Issue offer applied perspectives geared toward professionals and policymakers in the field grappling with developing, assessing, implementing, and reimbursing personalized medicine approaches. Starting with a framework with which to characterize personalized medicine, this Special Issue proceeds to

  20. Environmental change, climate, and health: issues and research methods

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McMichael, A. J. (Anthony J.); Martens, Willem Jozef Meine

    2002-01-01

    ... relationships. The agenda of research and policy advice must be extended to include the larger-framed and longer-term environmental change issues. This book identifies the nature and scope of the problem, and explores the conceptual and methodological approaches to studying these relationships, modelling their future realization, providing estimates of health i...

  1. Alarm systems in the nuclear industry - survey of the working situation and identification of future research issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joensson, Anna; Osvalder, Anna-Lisa; Holmstroem, Conny; Dahlman, Sven

    2004-01-01

    Safety issues are important in the control of industrial processes. An essential part for interpreting and avoiding hazardous situations is the alarm system and its design. To increase the knowledge and to develop new design solutions this doctoral project was initiated. The work has been divided into three stages and this paper presents the results of the first stage. The objective of stage one was to investigate how operators in both nuclear and non-nuclear plants work. A comparison between different branches of industry was also performed. From these results a future research issue has been identified. The methods used were observations, interviews and a literature study. The results showed that the operators are satisfied with the performance of the alarm system during normal operating conditions. However, several problems could also be identified but most of them are already well-known in the nuclear industry. Since these problems are well known but still exist, this result contributes to the basic hypothesis that a theoretical basis is lacking for the design of the alarm system. The proposed issue for forthcoming work is therefore to collect and compile existing knowledge about the human information processing and alarm systems, and combine the knowledge from these areas. With a better understanding of the relation between these areas it is possible to develop new design solutions which are better adapted to the human capabilities and limitations. This would support operator performance which in turn increases plant performance and safety. (Author)

  2. Methodological issues of postoperative cognitive dysfunction research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Funder, Kamilia S; Steinmetz, Jacob; Rasmussen, Lars S

    2010-01-01

    Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a subtle impairment of memory, concentration, and speed of information processing. It is a frequent complication following surgery and can have a debilitating effect on patients' recovery and future prognosis. Neuropsychological testing is needed...... to reveal postoperative cognitive decline, and questionnaires are not useful for this purpose. There is a profound lack of consensus regarding the research methodology for detection of cognitive deterioration, especially the diagnostic criteria. Issues, such as baseline performance, learning effects...

  3. Cognitive styles: Controversial issues and research problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia N. Volkova

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents an analytical review of cognitive styles research, considering the problems of its theory, methodology, measurement and practical applications. Issues concerning the prospects, as well as theoretical and practical relevance of cognitive styles research, are discussed. We examine the main causes leading to researchers’ declining interest to study of cognitive styles, related to theory, methodology, measurement and practical applications. The main problems discussed relate to lack of clear definition and common theoretical framework. Moreover, the number of empirical studies prevails over the one aimed at theoretical generalization of empirical results and findings, and therefore the primacy of empirics appears. We analyze the possible ways of advancing the field, suggested research programs and potential perspectives for future research. We pose questions of the relationship between cognitive styles and other psychological constructs, such as abilities and cognitive strategies. We emphasize the need to develop integrative models of cognitive styles in order to systematize and organize a large number of existing cognitive styles dimensions. The main controversial issues concerning cognitive styles’ stability and value are considered. We suggest that cognitive style is a psychological mean of cognitive tasks solving, based on both situation circumstances and subject’s current cognitive resources. Issues concerning cognitive styles may answer the question on the nature of individual differences and clarify psychological mechanisms of personality-situation interaction. Furthermore, it may serve as a basis for integrated studies at the areas of personality and cognitive psychology.

  4. Safety of research reactors. Topical issues paper no. 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alcala-Ruiz, F.; Ferraz-Bastos, J.L.; Kim, S.C.; Voth, M.; Boeck, H.; Dimeglio, F.; Litai, D.

    2001-01-01

    Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) missions. The prime objective of these missions has been to conduct a comprehensive operational safety review of the research reactor facility and to verify compliance with the IAEA Safety Standards. The methods used during an INSARR mission have been collected and analysed. Some of the important issues identified are the following: general ageing of the facility; uncertain status of many research reactors (in extended shutdown); indefinite deferral of return to operation or decommissioning; inadequate regulatory supervision; insufficient systematic (periodic) reassessment of safety; lack of quality assurance (QA) programmes; lack of an international safety convention or arrangement; lack of financial support for safety measures (e.g. safety reassessment, safety upgrading, decommissioning) and utilization; lack of clear utilization programmes; inadequate emergency preparedness; inadequate safety documentation (e.g. safety analysis report, operating rules and procedures, emergency plan); inadequate funding of shutdown reactors; weak safety culture; loss of expertise and corporate memory; loss of information concerning radioactive materials contained in retired experimental devices stored in the facility indefinitely; obsolescence of equipment and lack of spare parts; inadequate training and qualifications of regulators and operators; safety implications of new fuel types. These issues have been addressed by the IAEA Secretariat and the chairman of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG). INSAG has identified three major safety issues that are: the increasing age of research reactors, the number of research reactors that are not operating anymore but have not been decommissioned, and the number of research reactors in countries that do not have appropriate regulatory authorities. This issue paper discusses the concerns generated by an analysis of the results of INSARR missions and those expressed by INSAG. The

  5. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... FEDERAL UNIVERSITY (FROM EMOTIONAL EDUCATION TO GLOBAL. THINKING ... ANNOTATION. The article highlights the topical issues of human education of the future humanistic- ... conditions (continuous self-education, updating and integration of educational resources on the basis of the ...

  6. Ethical issues in action-oriented research in Indonesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachmawaty, Rini

    2017-09-01

    Action-oriented research is one of the most frequent research types implemented to transform community health in Indonesia. Three researchers and 11 graduate students from a developed country in East Asia conducted a fieldwork program in a remote area in South Sulawesi Province. Although the project was completed, whether or not the international standards for human subject research were applied into that study remains unclear. This study aimed to examine ethical issues raised from that case, analyze constraints to the problems, and recommend alternatives to protect vulnerable populations from being exploited by local/international researchers. A problem-solving approach was used in this study. It began with problem identification, evaluation of the action-oriented research goal, investigation of the constraints to the problem, and recommendation of some relevant alternatives to address the central issue. Ethical Consideration: The approval for conducting the action-oriented research that being investigated in this work was only obtained from the Head of local district. Some ethical issues were found in this case. No special protection for this population, no informed consent was obtained from the participants, exposure to social and economic risks, no future benefits for the subjects, and conflict of interests. Lack of control from the local research ethics committee and lack of competence of local researchers on human subject research were considered as the constraints to the problems. Creating an independent research ethics committee, providing research ethics training to the local researchers, obtaining written/video consents from underserved populations, and meeting local health needs were recommended alternatives to solve these problems. Indonesian government bodies should reform their international collaborative system on research involving human subjects. Exploitation may not occur if all participants as well as all local and national governing bodies

  7. Current frontiers and future directions of telecoupling research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, J.

    2016-12-01

    The world has been increasingly interconnected over long distances though processes such as international trade, migration, telecommunication, and disease spread. However, previous studies often focused on socioeconomic or environmental issues of distant processes. While these studies have generated useful information for individual disciplines, integrating socioeconomic and environmental information is essential for holistic understanding of complex global challenges and unbiased decision making to address the challenges. To advance integrated research, the framework of telecoupling (socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances) has been developed to explicitly address both socioeconomic and environmental issues simultaneously. Although the framework is relatively new, it has already been applied to tackle a variety of globally important issues, such as food security, water resources, energy sustainability, land use, international trade (e.g., food, forest products, energy, wildlife, industrial products), species invasion, investment, ecosystem services, conservation, information dissemination, and tourism. These applications have identified many important research gaps (e.g. spillover systems) and hidden linkages (e.g. feedbacks) among distant areas of the world with profound implications for sustainable development, ecosystem health, and human well-being. While working with telecoupling presents more challenges than focusing only on disciplinary issues, support from funding agencies has helped accelerate research on telecoupling and more efforts are being aimed at framework quantification and operationalization. The presenter will provide an overview of the current frontiers, discuss future research directions, and highlight emerging opportunities and challenges in telecoupling research and governance.

  8. Survey Research: Methods, Issues and the Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Ernest W.; Torrisi-Steele, Geraldine; Wang, Victor C. X.

    2015-01-01

    Survey research is prevalent among many professional fields. Both cost effective and time efficient, this method of research is commonly used for the purposes of gaining insight into the attitudes, thoughts, and opinions of populations. Additionally, because there are several types of survey research designs and data collection instruments, the…

  9. Current and future research on corrosion and thermalhydraulic issues of HLM cooled reactors and on LMR fuels for fast reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knebel, J.U.; Konings, R.J.M.

    2002-01-01

    Heavy liquid metals (HLM) such as lead (Pb) or lead-bismuth eutectic (Pb-Bi) are currently investigated world-wide as coolant for nuclear power reactors and for accelerator driven systems (ADS). Besides the advantages of HLM as coolant and spallation material, e.g. high boiling point, low reactivity with water and air and a high neutron yield, some technological issues, such as high corrosion effects in contact with steels and thermalhydraulic characteristics, need further experimental investigations and physical model improvements and validations. The paper describes some typical HLM cooled reactor designs, which are currently considered, and outlines the technological challenges related to corrosion, thermalhydraulic and fuel issues. In the first part of the presentation, the status of presently operated or planned test facilities related to corrosion and thermalhydraulic questions will be discussed. First approaches to solve the corrosion problem will be given. The approach to understand and model thermalhydraulic issues such as heat transfer, turbulence, two-phase flow and instrumentation will be outlined. In the second part of the presentation, an overview will be given of the advanced fuel types that are being considered for future liquid metal reactor (LMR) systems. Advantages and disadvantages will be discussed in relation to fabrication technology and fuel cycle considerations. For the latter, special attention will be given to the partitioning and transmutation potential. Metal, oxide and nitride fuel materials will be discussed in different fuel forms and packings. For both parts of the presentation, an overview of existing co-operations and networks will be given and the needs for future research work will be identified. (authors)

  10. Ambiguity tolerance in organizations: definitional clarification and perspectives on future research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLain, David L; Kefallonitis, Efstathios; Armani, Kimberly

    2015-01-01

    Ambiguity tolerance is an increasingly popular subject for study in a wide variety of fields. The definition of ambiguity tolerance has changed since its inception, and accompanying that change are changes in measurement and the research questions that interest researchers. There is a wealth of opportunity for research related to ambiguity tolerance and recent advances in neuroscience, measurement, trait research, perception, problem solving, and other fields highlight areas of interest and point to issues that need further attention. The future of ambiguity tolerance research is promising and it is expected that future studies will yield new insights into individual differences in reactions to the complex, unfamiliar, confusing, indeterminate, and incomplete stimuli that fall within the conceptual domain of ambiguity.

  11. Telerehabilitation: Policy Issues and Research Tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine D. Seelman

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The importance of public policy as a complementary framework for telehealth, telemedicine, and by association telerehabilitation, has been recognized by a number of experts. The purpose of this paper is to review literature on telerehabilitation (TR policy and research methodology issues in order to report on the current state of the science and make recommendations about future research needs. An extensive literature search was implemented using search terms grouped into main topics of telerehabilitation, policy, population of users, and policy specific issues such as cost and reimbursement. The availability of rigorous and valid evidence-based cost studies emerged as a major challenge to the field. Existing cost studies provided evidence that telehomecare may be a promising application area for TR. Cost studies also indicated that telepsychiatry is a promising telepractice area. The literature did not reference the International Classification on Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF. Rigorous and comprehensive TR assessment and evaluation tools for outcome studies are tantamount to generating confidence among providers, payers, clinicians and end users. In order to evaluate consumer satisfaction and participation, assessment criteria must include medical, functional and quality of life items such as assistive technology and environmental factors. Keywords: Telerehabilitation, Telehomecare, Telepsychiatry, Telepractice

  12. The planning of future research program of underground laboratories in overseas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honma, Nobuyuki; Tanai, Kenji; Hasegawa, Hiroshi

    2002-02-01

    The objectives of this study is to identify the research issues, which are to be conducted in the future underground research laboratory, about operation and logistics systems for the planning of future research and development program. The research programs and experiments, etc. were investigated for the geological disposal projects in overseas sedimentary rocks and coastal geological environments aiming to reflect in the future underground research facility plan in Japan. In the investigation, information on the engineered-barrier performance, design and construction of underground facilities, tunnel support, transportation and emplacement, and backfilling technology, etc. were collected. Based on these informations, the purpose, the content, and the result of each investigations and tests were arranged. The strategy and the aim in the entire underground research facility, and the flow of investigations and tests, etc. were also arranged from the purpose, the relations and the sequence of each investigation and experiment, and the usage of results, etc. (author)

  13. Research methodological issues in evaluating herbal interventions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dipika Bansal

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Dipika Bansal, Debasish Hota, Amitava ChakrabartiPostgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaAbstract: Randomized controlled trials provide the best evidence, and is seen as the gold standard for allopathic research. Herbal therapies are not an integral part of conventional care although they are still used by patients in their health care management. These medicines need to be subjected to rigorous research to establish their effectiveness and safety. Clearly defined treatments are required and should be recorded in a manner that enables other suitably trained researchers to reproduce them reliably. Quality control of herbal products is also a prerequisite of credible clinical trials. Methodological strategies for investigating the herbal interventions and the issues regarding appropriate patient selection, randomization and blinding, placebo effects and choice of comparator, occupational standardization and the selection of appropriate study endpoints to prove efficacy are being discussed. This paper will review research options and propose some suggestions for future research design.Keywords: CAM research, herbal therapies, methodology, clinical trial

  14. Ambiguity Tolerance in Organizations: Definitional Clarification and Perspectives on Future Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David L Mclain

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Ambiguity tolerance is an increasingly popular subject for study in a wide variety of fields. The definition of ambiguity tolerance has changed since its inception, and accompanying that change are changes in measurement and the research questions that interest researchers. There is a wealth of opportunity for research related to ambiguity tolerance and recent advances in neuroscience, measurement, trait research, perception, problem solving, and other fields highlight areas of interest and point to issues that need further attention. The future of ambiguity tolerance research is promising and it is expected that future studies will yield new insights into individual differences in reactions to the complex, unfamiliar, confusing, indeterminate, and incomplete stimuli that fall within the conceptual domain of ambiguity.

  15. Knowledge Management in Startups: Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piera Centobelli

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper conducts a systematic literature review on knowledge management (KM in the context of startups in order to analyze the state of the art, identify research gaps and define a future research agenda. The main findings highlight that, even though there is an increasing number of papers on the topic of KM in startups, several issues are still neglected. Specifically, the paper identifies four main gaps in the body of literature. The first gap deals with the environmental and socio-political factors influencing the adoption of KM in startups. The second gap regards the lack of a comprehensive taxonomy of knowledge management systems (KMSs that may support the processes of knowledge creation, acquisition, storage, transfer, sharing and application. This second gap allows us to identify a third gap concerning the level of alignment between startup’s strategies and technologies adopted. Finally, the fourth gap deals with the issue of the impact of KM on startup’s performances with regard to economic, financial, market, technical, technological, organizational, human and relational performance. From these four gaps, six research questions (RQs have been proposed. These RQs allow us to identify possible areas of analysis to define a future research agenda. Neglecting these issues means underestimating all the possible advantages of KM adoption for a startup to achieve efficiency, effectiveness and scalability goals.

  16. ASSESSMENT OF ALLERGENIC POTENTIAL OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS: AN AGENDA FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

    Science.gov (United States)

    AbstractSpeakers and participants in the Workshop Assessment of the Allergenic Potential of Genetically Modified Foods met in breakout groups to discuss a number of issues including needs for future research. There was agreement that research should move forward quickly in t...

  17. Symbolics in control design: prospects and research issues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Anders

    1994-01-01

    The symbolic processor is targeted as a novel basic service in computer aided control system design. Basic symbolic tools are exemplified. A design process model is formulated for control design, with subsets manipulator, tools, target and goals. It is argued, that symbolic processing will give...... substantial contributions to future design environments, as it provides flexibility of representation not possible with traditional numerics. Based on the design process, views on research issues in the incorporation of symbolic processing into traditional numerical design environments are given...

  18. Water management: Current and future challenges and research directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosgrove, William J.; Loucks, Daniel P.

    2015-06-01

    Water distinguishes our planet compared to all the others we know about. While the global supply of available freshwater is more than adequate to meet all current and foreseeable water demands, its spatial and temporal distributions are not. There are many regions where our freshwater resources are inadequate to meet domestic, economic development and environmental needs. In such regions, the lack of adequate clean water to meet human drinking water and sanitation needs is indeed a constraint on human health and productivity and hence on economic development as well as on the maintenance of a clean environment and healthy ecosystems. All of us involved in research must find ways to remove these constraints. We face multiple challenges in doing that, especially given a changing and uncertain future climate, and a rapidly growing population that is driving increased social and economic development, globalization, and urbanization. How best to meet these challenges requires research in all aspects of water management. Since 1965, the journal Water Resources Research has played an important role in reporting and disseminating current research related to managing the quantity and quality and cost of this resource. This paper identifies the issues facing water managers today and future research needed to better inform those who strive to create a more sustainable and desirable future.

  19. Internet governance origins, current issues, and future possibilities

    CERN Document Server

    Balleste, Roy

    2015-01-01

    Internet Governance: Origins, Current Issues, and Future Possibilities provides an introductory, multidisciplinary account of the forces at work in the evolving concept of internet governance and includes computer history, Internet beginnings, institutions and stakeholders, proposed models of governance, and human rights.

  20. Base technology approaches in materials research for future nuclear applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondo, Tatsuo

    1992-01-01

    In the development of advanced nuclear systems for future, majority of critical issues in material research and development are more or less related with the effects of neutron irradiation. The approaches to those issues in the past have been mainly concerned with interpretation of the facts and minor modification of existing materials, having been inevitably of passive nature. In combating against predicted complex effects arising from variety of critical parameters, approaches must be reviewed more strategically. Some attempts of shifting research programs to such a direction have been made at JAERI in the Base (Common) Technology Programs either by adding to or restructuring the existing tasks. Major tasks currently in progress after the reorientation are categorized in several disciplines including new tasks for material innovation and concept development for neutron sources. The efforts have been set forth since 1988, and a few of them are now mature to transfer to the tasks in the projects of advanced reactors. The paper reviews the status of some typical activities emphasizing the effects of the reorientation and possible extensions of the outcomes to future applications. (author)

  1. Theory and History, Questions and Methodology: Current and Future Issues in Research into ICT in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDougall, Anne; Jones, Anthony

    2006-01-01

    Serious criticisms of research in information and communications technology (ICT) in education have been published recently in both the UK and the USA. This paper addresses several issues raised in these commentaries: a lack of sound theoretical underpinnings to our research, persistent neglect of the history of our sub-discipline, the choice of…

  2. Ethical issues in HIV prevention research with people who inject drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugarman, Jeremy; Rose, Scott M; Metzger, David

    2014-04-01

    particular trial that was conducted in two countries. In addition, other stakeholders may have divergent views on the ethical issues described and may also have identified additional ethical issues that would warrant examination. Adopting similar approaches to addressing ethical issues in future research promises to facilitate this work so that needed strategies to prevent HIV infection among PWIDs can be safely and appropriately tested. Future trials enrolling PWIDs who are at risk of detainment should identify ways of mapping closely their experiences and perceptions in order to better apprehend some of the ethical issues at stake. In addition, scholarly and policy work needs to address the ethical issues related to post-trial access to multi-modal interventions that may be desired by participants, but are not shown to be effective in achieving the primary outcomes of the study.

  3. Environmental Scanning, Futures Research, Strategic Foresight and Organizational Future Orientation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rohrbeck, René; Bade, Manuel

    to adjacent research disciplines. Through such integration and linkage research should produce better recommendations for managers on how to build an organizational future orientation, drive organizational adaptation, and make their firms robust towards external discontinuous change.......In this paper we explore the current understanding on how firms explore future changes and trends as well as plan their managerial responses. We review literature in four research streams: (1) environmental scanning, (2) futures research, (3) peripheral vision, and (4) corporate/strategic foresight....... Through the analysis of more than 250 articles we (a) trace the evolution over time, (b) highlight the linkages between the different research streams, and (c) give recommendations for future research. Overall we call for more cross-fertilization of the different research streams and a stronger linkage...

  4. Academic plastic surgery: a study of current issues and future challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zetrenne, Eleonore; Kosins, Aaron M; Wirth, Garrett A; Bui, Albert; Evans, Gregory R D; Wells, James H

    2008-06-01

    The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the role of a full-time academic plastic surgeon, (2) to define the indicators predictive of a successful career in academic plastic surgery, and (3) to understand the current issues that will affect future trends in the practice of academic plastic surgery. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate the role of current full-time academic plastic surgeons and to understand the current issues and future challenges facing academic plastic surgery. Each plastic surgery program director in the United States was sent the survey for distribution among all full-time academic plastic surgeons. Over a 6-week period, responses from 143 full-time academic plastic surgeons (approximately 31%) were returned. Fifty-three percent of respondents had been academic plastic surgeons for longer than 10 years. Seventy-three percent of respondents defined academic plastic surgeons as clinicians who are teachers and researchers. However, 53% of respondents believed that academic plastic surgeons were not required to teach or practice within university hospitals/academic centers. The 3 factors reported most frequently as indicative of a successful career in academic plastic surgery were peer recognition, personal satisfaction, and program reputation. Dedication and motivation were the personal characteristics rated most likely to contribute to academic success. Forty-four percent of respondents were unable to identify future academic plastic surgeons from plastic surgery residency applicants, and 27% were not sure. Most (93%) of the respondents believed that academic surgery as practiced today will change. The overall job description of a full-time academic plastic surgeon remains unchanged (teacher and researcher). Whereas peer recognition, personal satisfaction, and program reputation were most frequently cited as indicative of a successful plastic surgery career, financial success was rated the least indicative. Similarly, whereas the

  5. Future research needs on material interaction and relocation in LMFR safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niwa, H.

    1994-01-01

    This paper firstly classify the principles in the reactor safety area in future liquid-metal-cooled fast reactors (LMFRs) in order to clarify fundamental objectives of the reactor safety research. Further reduction of the occurrence frequency and also reduction of the consequences of core disruptive accidents should be recognized as the fundamental objectives. Secondary objectives and key R and D issues are developed under these fundamental objectives. This structure of the objectives and R and D issues is proposed as a fundamental framework of the safety researches aiming at development of commercialized large-scale LMFRs. Secondly, we will summarize future experimental research needs in the reactor safety area referring to the fundamental framework mentioned above. Our interest is focused rather on in-pile experiments. Finally, another objective is proposed, that is how to reduce or eliminate the recriticality event by design, utilizing the current knowledge on material motion and interaction which has been accumulated thus far. In this report, we will show an basic approach by means of discharging fuel out of the core. We also propose a measure for discharging fuel to eliminate the recriticality concerns. Experimental needs are also addressed. (author)

  6. Attitude of A Sample of Iranian Researchers toward The Future of Stem Cell Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lotfipanah, Mahdi; Azadeh, Fereydoon; Totonchi, Mehdi; Omani-Samani, Reza

    2018-10-01

    Stem cells that have unlimited proliferation potential as well as differentiation potency are considered to be a promising future treatment method for incurable diseases. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the future trend of stem cell researches from researchers' viewpoints. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study on researchers involved in stem cell research at Royan Institute. We designed a questionnaire using a qualitative study based on expert opinion and a literature review. Content validity was performed using three rounds of the Delphi method with experts. Face validity was undertaken by a Persian literature expert and a graphics designer. The questionnaire was distributed among 150 researchers involved in stem cell studies in Royan Institute biology laboratories. We collected 138 completed questionnaires. The mean age of participants was 31.13 ± 5.8 years; most (60.9%) were females. Participants (76.1%) considered the budget to be the most important issue in stem cell research, 79.7% needed financial support from the government, and 77.5% felt that charities could contribute substantially to stem cell research. A total of 90.6% of participants stated that stem cells should lead to commercial usage which could support future researches (86.2%). The aim of stem cell research was stipulated as increasing health status of the society according to 92.8% of the participants. At present, among cell types, importance was attached to cord blood and adult stem cells. Researchers emphasized the importance of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) rather than hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs, 57.73%). The prime priorities were given to cancer so that stem cell research could be directed to sphere stem cell research whereas the least preference was given to skin research. Regenerative medicine is considered the future of stem cell research with emphasis on application of these cells, especially in cancer treatment. Copyright© by Royan Institute. All rights

  7. Three challenges for future research on cochlear implants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David B. Pisoni

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Cochlear implants (CIs often work very well for many children and adults with profound sensorineural (SNHL hearing loss. Unfortunately, while many CI patients display substantial benefits in recognizing speech and understanding spoken language following cochlear implantation, a large number of patients achieve poor outcomes. Understanding and explaining the reasons for poor outcomes following implantation is a very challenging research problem that has received little attention despite the pressing clinical significance. In this paper, we discuss three challenges for future research on CIs. First, we consider the issue of individual differences and variability in outcomes following implantation. At the present time, we still do not have a complete and satisfactory account of the causal underlying factors that are responsible for the enormous individual differences and variability in outcomes. Second, we discuss issues related to the lack of preimplant predictors of outcomes. Very little prospective research has been carried out on the development of preimplant predictors that can be used to reliably identify CI candidates who may be at high risk for a poor outcome following implantation. Other than conventional demographics and hearing history, there are no prognostic tools available to predict speech recognition outcomes after implantation. Finally, we discuss the third challenge — what to do with a CI-user who has a poor outcome. We suggest that new research efforts need to be devoted to studying this neglected clinical population in greater depth to find out why they are doing poorly with their CI and what novel interventions and treatments can be developed to improve their speech recognition outcomes. Using these three challenges as objectives for future research on CIs, we suggest that the field needs to adopt a new narrative grounded in theory and methods from Cognitive Hearing Science and information processing theory. Without knowing

  8. Methodological Issues and Practices in Qualitative Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Jana

    1993-01-01

    Discusses methodological issues concerning qualitative research and describes research practices that qualitative researchers use to address these methodological issues. Topics discussed include the researcher as interpreter, the emergent nature of qualitative research, understanding the experience of others, trustworthiness in qualitative…

  9. The Job Demands–Resources model: Challenges for future research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evangelia Demerouti

    2011-05-01

    Research purpose: To provide an overview of the JD–R model, which incorporates many possible working conditions and focuses on both negative and positive indicators of employee well-being. Moreover, the studies of the special issue were introduced. Research design: Qualitative and quantitative studies on the JD–R model were reviewed to enlighten the health and motivational processes suggested by the model. Main findings: Next to the confirmation of the two suggested processes of the JD–R model, the studies of the special issue showed that the model can be used to predict work-place bullying, incidences of upper respiratory track infection, work-based identity, and early retirement intentions. Moreover, whilst psychological safety climate could be considered as a hypothetical precursor of job demands and resources, compassion satisfaction moderated the health process of the model. Contribution/value-add: The findings of previous studies and the studies of the special issue were integrated in the JD–R model that can be used to predict well-being and performance at work. New avenues for future research were suggested. Practical/managerial implications: The JD–R model is a framework that can be used for organisations to improve employee health and motivation, whilst simultaneously improving various organisational outcomes.

  10. Health services research and data linkages: issues, methods, and directions for the future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Cathy J; Penberthy, Lynne; Devers, Kelly J; Holden, Debra J

    2010-10-01

    Research on pressing health services and policy issues requires access to complete, accurate, and timely patient and organizational data. This paper describes how administrative and health records (including electronic medical records) can be linked for comparative effectiveness and health services research. We categorize the major agents (i.e., who owns and controls data and who carries out the data linkage) into three areas: (1) individual investigators; (2) government sponsored linked data bases; and (3) public-private partnerships that facilitate linkage of data owned by private organizations. We describe challenges that may be encountered in the linkage process, and the benefits of combining secondary databases with primary qualitative and quantitative sources. We use cancer care research to illustrate our points. To fill the gaps in the existing data infrastructure, additional steps are required to foster collaboration among institutions, researchers, and public and private components of the health care sector. Without such effort, independent researchers, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations are likely to continue building upon a fragmented and costly system with limited access. Discussion. Without the development and support for emerging information technologies across multiple health care settings, the potential for data collected for clinical and transactional purposes to benefit the research community and, ultimately, the patient population may go unrealized. The current environment is characterized by budget and technical challenges, but investments in data infrastructure are arguably cost-effective given the need to reform our health care system and to monitor the impact of health reform initiatives. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  11. Transmission access issues: Present and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahl, P.K.; Gray, R.G.

    1992-01-01

    In recent years, the electric industry has undergone dramatic changes as the federal and state governments have encouraged bulk power production by Independent Power Producers (IPPS) and Qualified Facilities (QFs). With decentralization and the consequent competition in the field of bulk power production, there has emerged the problem of non-utility generators (NUGS) and of transmission dependent utilities accessing the existing transmission systems owned by electric utilities. This paper presents current and future issues related to transmission access by IPPS, QFs and transmission dependent utilities. These issues include: (a) impact on system reliability, (b) impact of pricing strategies, (c) changes in state and federal regulations, (d) transmission proposals by various entities, (e) present access arrangements, (f) formation of the Western Systems Power Pool (WSPP), and (g) siting difficulties. The transmission access problem warrants consideration of transmission services, coordination among electric utilities, joint planning on a regional basis, and accommodation of IPPs and NUGs

  12. Current Status and Issues of Nuclear Engineering Research and Educational Facilities in Universities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    It is important to discuss about nuclear engineering research and educational facilities in universities after new educational foundation. 12 universities investigated issues and a countermeasure of them. The results of a questionnaire survey, issues and countermeasure are shown in this paper. The questionnaire on the future nuclear researches, development of education, project, maintenance of nuclear and radioactive facilities and accelerator, control of uranium in subcritical test facilities, use of new corporation facilities, the fixed number of student, number of graduate, student experiments, themes of experiments and researches, the state of educational facilities are carried out. The results of questionnaire were summarized as followings: the fixed number of student (B/M/D) on nuclear engineering, exercise of reactor, education, themes, educational and research facilities, significance of nuclear engineering education in university and proposal. (S.Y.)

  13. Cross-cutting issues and future directions for the OCD spectrum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollander, Eric; Kim, Suah; Braun, Ashley; Simeon, Daphne; Zohar, Joseph

    2009-11-30

    The research planning agenda for DSM-V examined possible similarities in phenomenology, comorbidity, familial and genetic features, brain circuitry, and treatment response between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and several related disorders that are characterized by repetitive thoughts or behaviors. Such data support a re-examination of the DSM-IV-TR classification of OCD and the anxiety disorders, with possible inclusion of a group of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs) in DSM-V. Various disorders were systematically examined for inclusion in such a grouping, and later a smaller number were determined to meet threshold criteria for inclusion in the OCSDs. The disorders that were originally examined included OCD, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), Tourette's syndrome (TS) and other tic disorders, Sydenham's chorea, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS), trichotillomania (TTM), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), autism, eating disorders, Huntington's and Parkinson's disease, impulse control disorders, as well as substance and behavioral addictions. Certain disorders such as BDD, OCPD, TS, and TTM share many commonalities with OCD in phenomenology, comorbidity, familial and genetic features, brain circuitry, and treatment response. Other disorders, such as the impulse control disorders (ICDs) share some common features with OCD, but also differ in many ways as well. The articles presented in this issue of Psychiatry Research are a result of this international collaboration, which examined diagnostic and classification issues of OCSDs for DSM-V in a conference titled "The Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis: Refining the Research Agenda: Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior Spectrum" held in June 2006 at the American Psychiatric Association's headquarters in Arlington, VA.

  14. Key Research Issues in Clostridium difficile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George Zhanel

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Clostridium difficile is an emerging pathogen that causes C difficile-associated diarrhea, an important nosocomial infection. Control of this infection remains a challenge, and much needs to be determined about the antimicrobial resistance of the organism, antibiotic stewardship, contamination of the patient environment, and various host factors that determine susceptibility or resistance to infection. A national symposium focusing on C difficile infections, the Clostridium difficile Symposium on Emerging Issues and Research, was hosted on November 23, 2004, by the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This symposium, which aimed to summarize key research issues regarding C difficile infections in Canada, had the following objectives: to provide a forum for learning and discussion about C difficile and its impact on the health of Canadians; to identify the key research issues that should be addressed; and to explore potential research funding opportunities and collaboration. The present report summarizes key research issues identified for C difficile infections in Canada by addressing four major themes: diagnosis and surveillance, infection prevention and control, antibiotic stewardship, and clinical management.

  15. Research Issues in Information Access.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molholt, Pat

    1989-01-01

    Discusses traditional library approaches to access to information and the possible impact of information technologies, library automation, and artificial intelligence. Access issues raised by these technologies are identified and a research agenda to explore these issues is outlined. (31 references) (CLB)

  16. Leadership: current theories, research, and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avolio, Bruce J; Walumbwa, Fred O; Weber, Todd J

    2009-01-01

    This review examines recent theoretical and empirical developments in the leadership literature, beginning with topics that are currently receiving attention in terms of research, theory, and practice. We begin by examining authentic leadership and its development, followed by work that takes a cognitive science approach. We then examine new-genre leadership theories, complexity leadership, and leadership that is shared, collective, or distributed. We examine the role of relationships through our review of leader member exchange and the emerging work on followership. Finally, we examine work that has been done on substitutes for leadership, servant leadership, spirituality and leadership, cross-cultural leadership, and e-leadership. This structure has the benefit of creating a future focus as well as providing an interesting way to examine the development of the field. Each section ends with an identification of issues to be addressed in the future, in addition to the overall integration of the literature we provide at the end of the article.

  17. Color in Image and Video Processing: Most Recent Trends and Future Research Directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tominaga Shoji

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The motivation of this paper is to provide an overview of the most recent trends and of the future research directions in color image and video processing. Rather than covering all aspects of the domain this survey covers issues related to the most active research areas in the last two years. It presents the most recent trends as well as the state-of-the-art, with a broad survey of the relevant literature, in the main active research areas in color imaging. It also focuses on the most promising research areas in color imaging science. This survey gives an overview about the issues, controversies, and problems of color image science. It focuses on human color vision, perception, and interpretation. It focuses also on acquisition systems, consumer imaging applications, and medical imaging applications. Next it gives a brief overview about the solutions, recommendations, most recent trends, and future trends of color image science. It focuses on color space, appearance models, color difference metrics, and color saliency. It focuses also on color features, color-based object tracking, scene illuminant estimation and color constancy, quality assessment and fidelity assessment, color characterization and calibration of a display device. It focuses on quantization, filtering and enhancement, segmentation, coding and compression, watermarking, and lastly on multispectral color image processing. Lastly, it addresses the research areas which still need addressing and which are the next and future perspectives of color in image and video processing.

  18. Color in Image and Video Processing: Most Recent Trends and Future Research Directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konstantinos N. Plataniotis

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available The motivation of this paper is to provide an overview of the most recent trends and of the future research directions in color image and video processing. Rather than covering all aspects of the domain this survey covers issues related to the most active research areas in the last two years. It presents the most recent trends as well as the state-of-the-art, with a broad survey of the relevant literature, in the main active research areas in color imaging. It also focuses on the most promising research areas in color imaging science. This survey gives an overview about the issues, controversies, and problems of color image science. It focuses on human color vision, perception, and interpretation. It focuses also on acquisition systems, consumer imaging applications, and medical imaging applications. Next it gives a brief overview about the solutions, recommendations, most recent trends, and future trends of color image science. It focuses on color space, appearance models, color difference metrics, and color saliency. It focuses also on color features, color-based object tracking, scene illuminant estimation and color constancy, quality assessment and fidelity assessment, color characterization and calibration of a display device. It focuses on quantization, filtering and enhancement, segmentation, coding and compression, watermarking, and lastly on multispectral color image processing. Lastly, it addresses the research areas which still need addressing and which are the next and future perspectives of color in image and video processing.

  19. Future methods in pharmacy practice research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Almarsdottir, A B; Babar, Z U D

    2016-01-01

    research. These are demographics, technology and professional standards. Second, deriving from this, it seeks to predict and forecast the future shifts in use of methodologies. Third, new research areas and availability of data impacting on future methods are discussed. These include the impact of aging...... of the trends for pharmacy practice research methods are discussed. © 2016, Springer International Publishing.......This article describes the current and future practice of pharmacy scenario underpinning and guiding this research and then suggests future directions and strategies for such research. First, it sets the scene by discussing the key drivers which could influence the change in pharmacy practice...

  20. Knowledge Management in Startups: Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

    OpenAIRE

    Piera Centobelli; Roberto Cerchione; Emilio Esposito

    2017-01-01

    This paper conducts a systematic literature review on knowledge management (KM) in the context of startups in order to analyze the state of the art, identify research gaps and define a future research agenda. The main findings highlight that, even though there is an increasing number of papers on the topic of KM in startups, several issues are still neglected. Specifically, the paper identifies four main gaps in the body of literature. The first gap deals with the environmental and socio-poli...

  1. Environmental safety issues for semiconductors (research on scarce materials recycling)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Izumi, Shigekazu

    2004-01-01

    In the 21st century, in the fabrication of various industrial parts, particularly, current and future electronics devices in the semiconductor industry, environmental safety issues should be carefully considered. We coined a new term, environmental safety issues for semiconductors, considering our semiconductor research and technology which include environmental and ecological factors. The main object of this analysis is to address the present situation of environmental safety problems in the semiconductor industry; some of which are: (1) the generation and use of hazardous toxic gases in the crystal growth procedure such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), (2) the generation of industrial toxic wastes in the semiconductor process and (3) scarce materials recycling from wastes in the MBE and MOCVD growth procedure

  2. Epidemiologic research programs at the Department of Energy: Looking to the future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) asked the National Research Council in 1989 to establish a Committee on Radiation Epidemiological Research Programs to provide scientific advice on the current status and future direction of DOE's epidemiologic research program. This report is in response to a request from the National Research Council committee to provide advice regarding the future directions of OEHS's epidemiologic research. This report begins with some of the background leading to the current activities of OEHS. In 1990, a committee (the Secretarial Panel for the Evaluation of Epidemiological Research Activities, or SPEERA) established by the secretary of the DOE recommended that DOE enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health and Human Services that outlined the responsibilities of the two departments regarding epidemiologic research. The present report points out that the implementation of the SPEERA recommendations and the MoU by DOE have raised issues that have not been satisfactorily resolved

  3. Prison health service directors' views on research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research in prison: outcomes of a national deliberative roundtable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, Paul Leslie; Guthrie, Jill; Butler, Tony

    2017-06-12

    Purpose Given that prisoners have significant health needs across most areas, the paucity of prisoner health research, and the difficulties involved in the conduct of research in this setting, there is a need to develop research priorities that align with key stakeholder groups. One such group are those responsible for health service provision in prisons - prison health service directors. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Prison health service directors in each Australian state and territory were invited to participate in a national (deliberative) roundtable where the consensus building nominal group technique was utilized. This involved the identification of research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research with prisoners, and ranking research priorities. A thematic analysis was conducted on organizational issues. Findings In total, 13 participants attended the roundtable. Participants identified 28 research priorities and 12 organizational issues. Top ranked research priorities were mental health, cognitive and intellectual disability, post-release health maintenance, ageing prisoners, chronic health conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Themes identified from the organizational issues included prisoner access to research participation, health and research literacy of custodial staff, and institutional protectionism in response to research that may discover negative information about the custodial setting. Research limitations/implications These findings should inform future efforts to improve research infrastructures to undertake research to improve the health of people in Australian prisons, and help to align researchers' efforts with those of a key organizational stakeholder. Originality/value This is the first paper to determine the research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research in prisons of prison health service directors.

  4. Design-based researchissues in connecting theory, research and practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolmos, Anette

    2015-01-01

    the gap. But is this as easy as it sounds? The purpose of the article is to identify and discuss issues involved in applying DBR. The article is based on methodology chapters and essays from three PhD studies applying the DBR framework to implement problem and project based learning (PBL). The findings......During the last 20 years, design-based research (DBR) has become a popular methodology for connecting educational theory, research and practice. The missing link between educational theory, research and educational practice is an ongoing issue and DBR is seen as an integrated methodology to bridge...... indicate several key issues at both the scientific and personal level. Scientifically, the main issues are contribution to theory and the role of the researcher. At the personal level, it is an investment beyond normal research procedures to involve yourself as a researcher in curriculum change....

  5. Future issues in transplantation ethics: ethical and legal controversies in xenotransplantation, stem cell, and cloning research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Robyn S

    2008-07-01

    With little prospect of developing a sufficient supply of human transplantable organs to meet the large and growing demand, attention has turned to xenotransplantation, as well as stem cell and cloning research, as possible approaches for alleviating this allograft shortage. This article explores ethical and legal issues that surround developments in these fields.

  6. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-07-16

    Jul 16, 2016 ... investigated and analyzed from various library and documentary ... It is therefore evident that applied research on issues related to ...... [29] Cutter-SL., Burton-CG., Emrich-CT., Disaster resilience indicators for benchmarking.

  7. Future issues in radiation protection: a Canadian perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haynes, M.J.

    1993-01-01

    Radiation protection has always been a key effectiveness area in Ontario Hydro's nuclear power program. The overall collective and individual dose performance continues to be amongst the best in the world. However, several important issues are emerging and will continue to impact the way in which the radiation protection program is managed. These include proposed reductions in regulatory dose limits based on ICRP 60, worker and public perception of an increased level of radiation risk, an increased presence of organised labour in the formulation of radiation protection policy, our philosophy of self protection coming under challenge and the impact of heavily audited radiation protection practices and programs. Each of these issues will be discussed further in this paper. The Ontario Hydro ALARA program is briefly covered although it is considered not to be a future issue but rather a principle which has been incorporated into the design and operation of our stations for many years. (author). 10 figs

  8. The future of the oceans past: towards a global marine historical research initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwerdtner Máñez, Kathleen; Holm, Poul; Blight, Louise; Coll, Marta; MacDiarmid, Alison; Ojaveer, Henn; Poulsen, Bo; Tull, Malcolm

    2014-01-01

    Historical research is playing an increasingly important role in marine sciences. Historical data are also used in policy making and marine resource management, and have helped to address the issue of shifting baselines for numerous species and ecosystems. Although many important research questions still remain unanswered, tremendous developments in conceptual and methodological approaches are expected to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the global history of human interactions with life in the seas. Based on our experiences and knowledge from the "History of Marine Animal Populations" project, this paper identifies the emerging research topics for future historical marine research. It elaborates on concepts and tools which are expected to play a major role in answering these questions, and identifies geographical regions which deserve future attention from marine environmental historians and historical ecologists.

  9. Emerging issue of e-waste in Pakistan: A review of status, research needs and data gaps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iqbal, Mehreen; Breivik, Knut; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Jones, Kevin C.

    2015-01-01

    This review article focuses on the current situation of e-waste in Pakistan with the emphasis on defining the major e-waste recycling sites, current and future domestic generation of e-waste, hidden flows or import of e-waste and discusses various challenges for e-waste management. Needed policy interventions and possible measures to be taken at governmental level are discussed to avoid the increasing problem of e-waste in the country. Our findings highlight that there is still a general lack of reliable data, inventories and research studies addressing e-waste related issues in the context of environmental and human health in Pakistan. There is therefore a critical need to improve the current knowledge base, which should build upon the research experience from other countries which have experienced similar situations in the past. Further research into these issues in Pakistan is considered vital to help inform future policies/control strategies as already successfully implemented in other countries. - We present a baseline study on e-waste in Pakistan which could guide or facilitate more detailed studies in the future and ultimately lead to improve control strategies.

  10. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-02-15

    Feb 15, 2017 ... Research Article. Special Issue ... In myriad studies implemented, the quality of life has been defined in different ways among which the .... service and trading users in living area. ... market, bakery, barber shop, restaurant, etc.

  11. Emerging issue of e-waste in Pakistan: A review of status, research needs and data gaps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iqbal, Mehreen; Breivik, Knut; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Jones, Kevin C

    2015-12-01

    This review article focuses on the current situation of e-waste in Pakistan with the emphasis on defining the major e-waste recycling sites, current and future domestic generation of e-waste, hidden flows or import of e-waste and discusses various challenges for e-waste management. Needed policy interventions and possible measures to be taken at governmental level are discussed to avoid the increasing problem of e-waste in the country. Our findings highlight that there is still a general lack of reliable data, inventories and research studies addressing e-waste related issues in the context of environmental and human health in Pakistan. There is therefore a critical need to improve the current knowledge base, which should build upon the research experience from other countries which have experienced similar situations in the past. Further research into these issues in Pakistan is considered vital to help inform future policies/control strategies as already successfully implemented in other countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Introduction to the Special Issue “Sport for Social Inclusion: Critical Analyses and Future Challenges”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reinhard Haudenhuyse

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available “Sport for Social Inclusion: Critical Analyses and Future Challenges” brings together a unique collection of papers on the subject of sport and social inclusion. The special issue can be divided into three major parts. The first part consists of three papers tacking on a broad perspective on sport and social exclusion, with specific attention to austerity policies, sport-for-change and exclusion in youth sports. The second part of the special issue tackles specific themes (e.g., group composition and dynamics, volunteering, physical education, youth work, equality, public health and groups (e.g., people with disabilities, disadvantaged girls, youth in society in relation to sport and social exclusion. The third part consists of three papers that are related to issues of multiculturalism, migration and social inclusion. The special issue is further augmented with a book review on Mike Collins and Tess Kay’s Sport and social exclusion (2nd edition and a short research communication. The editors dedicate the special issue to Mike Collins (deceased.

  13. Treading lightly on shifting ground: The direction and motivation of future geological research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witt, A.C.

    2011-01-01

    The future of the geosciences and geological research will involve complex scientific challenges, primarily concerning global and regional environmental issues, in the next 20-30 years. It is quite reasonable to suspect, based on current political and socioeconomic events, that young geoscientists will be faced with and involved in helping to resolve some well defined problems: water and energy security, the effects of anthropogenic climate change, coastal sea level rise and development, and the mitigation of geohazards. It is how we choose to approach these challenges that will define our future. Interdisciplinary applied research, improved modeling and prediction augmented with faster and more sophisticated computing, and a greater role in creating and guiding public policy, will help us achieve our goals of a cleaner and safer Earth environment in the next 30 years. In the far future, even grander possibilities for eliminating the risk of certain geohazards and finding sustainable solutions to our energy needs can be envisioned. Looking deeper into the future, the possibilities for geoscience research push the limits of the imagination.

  14. Argumentation, critical thinking, nature of science and socioscientific issues: a dialogue between two researchers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yacoubian, Hagop A.; Khishfe, Rola

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between two theoretical frameworks for addressing nature of science (NOS) and socioscientific issues (SSI) in school science. These frameworks are critical thinking (CT) and argumentation (AR). For the past years, the first and second authors of this paper have pursued research in this area using CT and AR as theoretical frameworks, respectively. Yacoubian argues that future citizens need to develop a critical mindset as they are guided to (1) practice making judgments on what views of NOS to acquire and (2) practice making decisions on SSI through applying their NOS understandings. Khishfe asserts that AR is an important component of decision making when dealing with SSI and the practice in AR in relation to controversial issues is needed for informed decision making. She argues that AR as a framework may assist in the development of more informed understandings of NOS. In this paper, the authors delve into a dialogue for (1) elucidating strengths and potential of each framework, (2) highlighting challenges that they face in their research using the frameworks in question, (3) exploring the extent to which the frameworks can overlap, and (4) proposing directions for future research.

  15. Supply chain risk management: review, classification and future research directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mittal, M.L.

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to be more efficient, firms have adopted strategies such as outsourcing, global partnerships and lean practices. Although such strategies have tremendous abilities to improve the efficiencies but simultaneously they make the firms vulnerable to market uncertainties, dependencies and disruptions. Moreover, natural calamities and manmade crises have also put negative impact on strategic, operational and tactical performance of supply chains. These factors have triggered the interest of academia and industry to consider the risk issues as prime concerns. To capture the more fine-grained elements of diversified risk issues related to the supply chain we employ a multi-layered top town taxonomy to classify and codify the literature and put forward the probable dimensions for future research. We further study the pool of SCRM literature focusing on coordination, decision making and sector-wise SCRM implementation issues and derive relevant propositions.

  16. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-05-01

    May 1, 2018 ... stability is a very good issue of the power systems resilience to the high disturbances. In this paper, a mirror-fuzzy controller scaled by PSO has been proposed ... In many system analysis, the researchers have configured the ...

  17. Special issue of photosynthetic research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Okamura, M.; Wraight, C.A.; van Grondelle, R.

    2014-01-01

    This Special Issue of Photosynthesis Research honors Louis M. N. Duysens, Roderick K. Clayton, and George Feher, three pioneering researchers whose work on bacterial photosynthesis laid much of the groundwork for our understanding of the role of the reaction center in photosynthetic light energy

  18. Exploring the implications of social change for human development: perspectives, issues and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xinyin

    2015-02-01

    Researchers have investigated the implications of social change for human development from different perspectives. The studies published in this special section were conducted within Greenfield's theoretical framework (2009). The findings concerning links between specific sociodemographic features (e.g., commercial activities, schooling) and individual cognition and social behaviour are particularly interesting because they tap the underlying forces that drive human development. To further understand the issues in these studies and in the field, a pluralist-constructive perspective is discussed, which emphasises the integration of diverse values and practices in both Western and non-Western societies and its effects on the development of sophisticated competencies in individual adaptation to the changing global community. In addition, several issues are highlighted and some suggestions are provided for future explorations in this field. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

  19. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... PROCESS OF FUTURE DESIGNERS TRAINING ... history, eyewitnesses to the memory of Kazan development, as the objects for the ..... Petrov N.Y. Variety of Aspects of Researches of Graphic Activity as Pedagogical.

  20. Quota sampling in internet research: practical issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eun-Ok; Chee, Wonshik

    2011-07-01

    Quota sampling has been suggested as a potentially good method for Internet-based research and has been used by several researchers working with Internet samples. However, very little is known about the issues or concerns in using a quota sampling method in Internet research. The purpose of this article was to present the practical issues using quota sampling in an Internet-based study. During the Internet study, the research team recorded all recruitment issues that arose and made written notes indicating the possible reasons for the problems. In addition, biweekly team discussions were conducted for which written records were kept. Overall, quota sampling was effective in ensuring that an adequate number of midlife women were recruited from the targeted ethnic groups. However, during the study process, we encountered the following practical issues using quota sampling: (1) difficulty reaching out to women in lower socioeconomic classes, (2) difficulty ensuring authenticity of participants' identities, (3) participants giving inconsistent answers for the screening questions versus the Internet survey questions, (4) potential problems with a question on socioeconomic status, (5) resentment toward the research project and/or researchers because of rejection, and (6) a longer time and more expense than anticipated.

  1. Applied watercourse research - An analysis of future needs. Report from a seminar at Hell, North Troendelag, November 20-21, 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skarboevik, E.; Faugli, P.E.

    1996-02-01

    The future needs for research on issues related to Norwegian watercourse management were discussed at a seminar at Hell near Trondheim, on November 20-21, 1995. This publication reviews the work done on the seminar. Several topics in hydrology and applied watercourse management were discussed and suggestions were made for future research activities. General factors believed to influence future research activities include the possible shift in hydrologic and water science perspective from a segmented to a more holistic view of the watercourse: the expected increasing need for interdisciplinary research and institutional cooperation, the continued need for in-depth understanding of certain disciplines, the significance of an upcoming law on watercourse issues, and the effect of climate change. It is recommended that future research should be concentrated to a few watercourses and that a research programme on watercourse environment should be established. Projects are recommended on floods and flood control, on climate change and its effect on watercourses, on knowledge distribution, on the effects of new strategies such as peaking for management of hydroelectric power plants. These recommendations will be used to develop a research programme for the period 1997-2000. 35 refs., 16 figs., 6 tabs

  2. Road safety in a globalised and more sustainable world: current issues and future challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, Stijn; Risser, Ralf

    2014-01-01

    Although many countries have had considerable success in reducing traffic injuries over recent decades, there are still some fundamental problems in this area. At the same time, there is increasing focus on road safety research and policy development in the context of globalisation, sustainability, liveability and health. This special section presents a selection of papers that were presented at the annual ICTCT workshop held on the 8th and 9th of November 2012 in Hasselt, Belgium, and accepted for publication in Accident Analysis and Prevention following the journal's reviewing procedure. The aim of the ICTCT workshop was to analyse road safety facts, data and visions for the future in the wider context of current issues and future challenges in road safety. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-02-01

    Feb 1, 2018 ... the Russian philosophical and sociological thought. The thoughts of the Russian scientist ... Research Article. Special Issue. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0. International License. Libraries Resource Directory. We are ...

  4. A future perspective on technological obsolescenceat NASA, Langley Research Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcintyre, Robert M.

    1990-01-01

    The present research effort was the first phase of a study to forecast whether technological obsolescence will be a problem for the engineers, scientists, and technicians at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). There were four goals of the research: to review the literature on technological obsolescence; to determine through interviews of division chiefs and branch heads Langley's perspective on future technological obsolescence; to begin making contacts with outside industries to find out how they view the possibility of technological obsolescence; and to make preliminary recommendations for dealing with the problem. A complete description of the findings of this research can be reviewed in a technical report in preparation. The following are a small subset of the key findings of the study: NASA's centers and divisions vary in their missions and because of this, in their capability to control obsolescence; research-oriented organizations within NASA are believed by respondents to keep up to date more than the project-oriented organizations; asked what are the signs of a professional's technological obsolescence, respondents had a variety of responses; top performing scientists were viewed as continuous learners, keeping up to date by a variety of means; when asked what incentives were available to aerospace technologists for keeping up to data, respondents specified a number of ideas; respondents identified many obstacles to professionals' keeping up to date in the future; and most respondents expressed some concern for the future of the professionals at NASA vis a vis the issue of professional obsolescence.

  5. Ethical Issues in the Research of Group Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodrich, Kristopher M.; Luke, Melissa

    2017-01-01

    This article provides a primer for researchers exploring ethical issues in the research of group work. The article begins with an exploration of relevant ethical issues through the research process and current standards guiding its practice. Next, the authors identify resources that group work researchers can consult prior to constructing their…

  6. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-10-05

    Oct 5, 2017 ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. ISSN 1112-9867. Available online at http://www.jfas.info. Research Article. Special Issue .... of use. Three critical success factors of e-learning (instructor characteristics, student characteristics .... Total of 95 questionnaires were used for further data analysis.

  7. Report on the international symposium on radiological issues for Fukushima's revitalized future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Nobuhiro

    2015-12-01

    On May 30 - 31, 2015, the fourth and last convention entitled 'International Symposium on Radiological Issues for Fukushima's Revitalized Future' was held in Iizaka Onsen, Fukushima city, under auspices of Institute of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima University and other organizations. The following four subjects were the main topics of this symposium: Decontamination/radioactive waste; Environmental radiation/external exposure; Marine/agricultural products, food, internal exposure; and Issues at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP site. The program included 2 invited lectures by overseas guest speakers, 12 oral presentations, 80 poster presentations, and 2 panel discussion sessions, in which over 600 participants consisting of researchers, experts, community dwellers, and young students had lively discussion in a warm and friendly atmosphere. It is noteworthy that several poster presentations were given by high school and junior college students in Fukushima in this international symposium. This report is a collection of the presentation slides and the transcriptions of Q and A sessions for oral lectures as well as the transcriptions of the panel discussion sessions. (J.P.N.)

  8. Research Issues in VDSL

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Research Issues in VDSL. How to cancel cross-talk? How to remove alien noise? Alien Noise is the crosstalk typically from non-VDSL users, using the same bundle. How to allocate power across different tones, also called Optimal Spectrum Balancing ...

  9. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-05-15

    May 15, 2016 ... Research Article. Special Issue. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0. International License. ... innovation is defined as: accepting ideas or behaviors in the organization that are novel and unfamiliar. Innovation can be in form ...

  10. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-07

    Mar 7, 2018 ... technological innovations and the spread of knowledge. ... In this paper, we propose a conceptual model to search relevant scientific ... The digital libraries are becoming a source for discovering new research trends ... Text mining techniques are used to solve some particular business issues, so it is called.

  11. Color in Image and Video Processing: Most Recent Trends and Future Research Directions

    OpenAIRE

    Tominaga Shoji; Plataniotis KonstantinosN; Trémeau Alain

    2008-01-01

    Abstract The motivation of this paper is to provide an overview of the most recent trends and of the future research directions in color image and video processing. Rather than covering all aspects of the domain this survey covers issues related to the most active research areas in the last two years. It presents the most recent trends as well as the state-of-the-art, with a broad survey of the relevant literature, in the main active research areas in color imaging. It also focuses on the mos...

  12. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-01-15

    Jan 15, 2018 ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Scienc. ISSN 1112-9867 ... (0.9623, 0.3857) and (0.9975, ity, temperature, CO, UVB and. 10 concentration. In by using ANN or Fit model. Research Article. Special Issue .... The EM algorithm is a simple computational implementation to find the posterior mode. Fig.

  13. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-06-05

    Jun 5, 2016 ... because Amir al- Mu'minin's(peace be upon him) name is related to human perfection and. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. ISSN 1112-9867. Available online at http://www.jfas.info. Research Article. Special Issue. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences is licensed under a Creative ...

  14. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-02-24

    Feb 24, 2018 ... community and to outline future research agenda and directions based ..... think that we are stubborn, but in reality, our thinking are more liberal than ... in the rural areas almost all her live, though she went to the cities once to.

  15. Informed Consent: Ethical Issues and Future Challenges in Clinical Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angaran, David M.

    1989-01-01

    A look at pharmaceutical care needs in the future is the basis for discussion of the educational needs of clinical pharmacists. Issues discussed include the appropriate degree (bachelor's vs. doctoral), costs of instruction, faculty/student ratios, the pharmacy practice faculty as role models, and computer-assisted instruction. (MSE)

  16. Ethical responsibilities in nursing: research findings and issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassidy, V R

    1991-01-01

    Discussions in the literature assert that nurses are becoming increasingly cognizant of their ethical responsibilities, but that they are often ill prepared to participate in ethical decision making. A review of selected research literature from 1970 to 1987 was undertaken to validate these assertions. A total of 12 studies related to ethical responsibilities was identified in the review; all studies were published between 1980 and 1987. The majority of studies were at the descriptive and exploratory levels and employed Kohlberg's cognitive theory of moral development as their conceptual framework. Significant findings related to educational level and ethical responsibilities were consistent across studies. Findings related to age and clinical experience were mixed; the effects of economic level, religion-religiosity, ethnicity, and other variables on ethical responsibilities were not significant. Issues raised in the light of the existing research include the use of Kohlberg's theory as a conceptual orientation in nursing groups and limited data on the reliability and validity of instruments used in measuring ethical constructs. Recommendations for future research on ethical responsibilities include the validation of Kohlberg's theory for nursing investigations, exploration of other frameworks for developing a multidimensional view of ethical responsibilities, and the use of qualitative research designs.

  17. Life cycle assessment of renewables: present issues, future outlook and implications for the calculation of external costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frankl, P.

    2002-01-01

    In principle, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is certainly appropriate for estimating external costs of renewables, since major environmental impacts of the latter are generated in phases of the life cycle other than use. In practice however, several issues still remain. They are related to the availability and quality of Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data, to the frit technological development of renewable energy technologies (RET), to the existence of many different applications of the latter and to a strong dependency on local conditions. Moreover, a 'static' picture of present technologies is not enough for policy indications. Therefore some kind of dynamic LCA is needed. These LCA issues are reflected in the calculation of external costs. First, the paper discusses these issues on the examples of two main technologies, namely photovoltaic (PV) and wind. Second, it discusses the results of ExternE for these two specific technologies and gives an outlook for the future. Future needs for a better use of LCA as a support tool for the calcination of external costs are identified. Finally, a new research project funded by the European Commission focused on LCI of renewables is briefly introduced and presented. (author)

  18. Students' Involvement in Faculty Research: Ethical and Methodological Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda M. Ferguson

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Faculty who engage students as participants in their qualitative research often encounter methodological and ethical problems. Ethical issues arise from the fiduciary relationship between faculty and their students, and violations of that relationship occur when the educator has a dual role as researcher with those students. Methodological issues arise from research designs to address these ethical issues. This conflict is particularly evident in faculty research on pedagogy in their own disciplines, for which students are necessary as participants but are captive in the relationship. In this article, the authors explore the issues of double agency when faculty involve students as participants in their research.

  19. Ethical issues in research on children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đurić Slađana

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Ethical issues that appear in researching children are the subject matter of relatively rich scientific literature, as well as a multitude of national and professional ethical codices. The broad thematization of ethical principles is indeed instigated by the rise of awareness of the seriousness of this problem, as well as by growing fears of potential abuse of children in contemporary research projects. General assertion that children are a vulnerable category of subjects that require special attention and protection from misuse in research projects prevails in literature. The main objective of this paper is to present general ethical issues that various areas of expertise researchers face when children and youth are the subjects of their studies. The principle of voluntary participation, the principle of balanced researcher - respondent relationship, and the principles of privacy, confidentiality and anonymity in studies of children are particularly presented.

  20. Future developments in brain-machine interface research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebedev, Mikhail A; Tate, Andrew J; Hanson, Timothy L; Li, Zheng; O'Doherty, Joseph E; Winans, Jesse A; Ifft, Peter J; Zhuang, Katie Z; Fitzsimmons, Nathan A; Schwarz, David A; Fuller, Andrew M; An, Je Hi; Nicolelis, Miguel A L

    2011-01-01

    Neuroprosthetic devices based on brain-machine interface technology hold promise for the restoration of body mobility in patients suffering from devastating motor deficits caused by brain injury, neurologic diseases and limb loss. During the last decade, considerable progress has been achieved in this multidisciplinary research, mainly in the brain-machine interface that enacts upper-limb functionality. However, a considerable number of problems need to be resolved before fully functional limb neuroprostheses can be built. To move towards developing neuroprosthetic devices for humans, brain-machine interface research has to address a number of issues related to improving the quality of neuronal recordings, achieving stable, long-term performance, and extending the brain-machine interface approach to a broad range of motor and sensory functions. Here, we review the future steps that are part of the strategic plan of the Duke University Center for Neuroengineering, and its partners, the Brazilian National Institute of Brain-Machine Interfaces and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Center for Neuroprosthetics, to bring this new technology to clinical fruition.

  1. Future developments in brain-machine interface research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhail A. Lebedev

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Neuroprosthetic devices based on brain-machine interface technology hold promise for the restoration of body mobility in patients suffering from devastating motor deficits caused by brain injury, neurologic diseases and limb loss. During the last decade, considerable progress has been achieved in this multidisciplinary research, mainly in the brain-machine interface that enacts upper-limb functionality. However, a considerable number of problems need to be resolved before fully functional limb neuroprostheses can be built. To move towards developing neuroprosthetic devices for humans, brain-machine interface research has to address a number of issues related to improving the quality of neuronal recordings, achieving stable, long-term performance, and extending the brain-machine interface approach to a broad range of motor and sensory functions. Here, we review the future steps that are part of the strategic plan of the Duke University Center for Neuroengineering, and its partners, the Brazilian National Institute of Brain-Machine Interfaces and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL Center for Neuroprosthetics, to bring this new technology to clinical fruition.

  2. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-10-17

    Oct 17, 2017 ... Perak, Malaysia was observed under ral waste in powder and xtract generated optimum produce highest length of fectively improved shoot ed faster effect on C. ed positive result for the shed light on how the Z. C. nutans. This study ld application. pagation; Zea mays stem. Research Article. Special Issue ...

  3. Some methodological issues in neuroradiological research in psychiatry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, T.; Retz, W.; Hofmann, E.; Becker, G.; Teichmann, E.; Gsell, W.

    1995-01-01

    An outline is given of some of the methodological issues discussed in neuroradiological research on psychiatric illnesses. The strengths and shortcomings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in depicting and quantifying brain structures are described. Temporal lobe anatomy and pathology are easily accessible to MRI, whereas limits on anatomical delineation hamper approaches to frontal lobe study. White matter hyperintense lesions are sensitively depicted by MRI, but specificity is limited. The distinction of vascular and primary degenerative dementia is considerably improved by CT and MRI analysis. Computed tomography (CT) and MRI have enhanced the understanding of treatable organic psychiatric disorders, e.g., normal pressure hydrocephalus. Subcortical and white matter pathology has been replicated in CT and MRI studies of late onset psychiatric disorders, clinical overlap with cerebrovascular disease or neuro degeneration may be of import. Trans cranial sonography findings of brainstem structural change specific to unipolar depression may contribute to the understanding of affective psychoses. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional MRI are likely to stimulate psychiatric research in the future. (author)

  4. Current and Future Research Directions in Requirements Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Betty H. C.; Atlee, Joanne M.

    In this paper, we review current requirements engineering (RE) research and identify future research directions suggested by emerging software needs. First, we overview the state of the art in RE research. The research is considered with respect to technologies developed to address specific requirements tasks, such as elicitation, modeling, and analysis. Such a review enables us to identify mature areas of research, as well as areas that warrant further investigation. Next, we review several strategies for performing and extending RE research results, to help delineate the scope of future research directions. Finally, we highlight what we consider to be the “hot” current and future research topics, which aim to address RE needs for emerging systems of the future.

  5. Future plant of basic research for nuclear energy by university researchers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibata, Toshikazu

    1984-01-01

    National Committee for Nuclear Energy Research, Japan Science Council has completed a future plan for basic nuclear energy research by university researchers. The JSC has recommended the promotion of basic research for nuclear energy based on the plan in 1983. The future plan consists of four main research fields, namely, (1) improvements of reactor safety, (2) down stream, (3) thorium fuel reactors, and (4) applications of research reactor and radioisotopes. (author)

  6. Research Skills for the Future: Research Workforce Under the Spotlight

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Dobozy

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The value and training needs of the future research workforce is under the spotlight. In this article, I take up Ulrich and Dash's (2013 somewhat provocative invitation to engage in discussion and debate about current and future research. In my three-tiered response, I first discuss Ulrich and Dash's article, followed by my own observations about the APEC/Deloitte (2010 research report: "Skills and Competencies Needed in the Research Field: Objectives 2020," and finally, I explore, in some detail, challenges of building a twentyfirst-century research workforce.

  7. Emotion theory and research: highlights, unanswered questions, and emerging issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izard, Carroll E

    2009-01-01

    Emotion feeling is a phase of neurobiological activity, the key component of emotions and emotion-cognition interactions. Emotion schemas, the most frequently occurring emotion experiences, are dynamic emotion-cognition interactions that may consist of momentary/situational responding or enduring traits of personality that emerge over developmental time. Emotions play a critical role in the evolution of consciousness and the operations of all mental processes. Types of emotion relate differentially to types or levels of consciousness. Unbridled imagination and the ability for sympathetic regulation of empathy may represent both potential gains and losses from the evolution and ontogeny of emotion processes and consciousness. Unresolved issues include psychology's neglect of levels of consciousness that are distinct from access or reflective consciousness and use of the term "unconscious mind" as a dumpster for all mental processes that are considered unreportable. The relation of memes and the mirror neuron system to empathy, sympathy, and cultural influences on the development of socioemotional skills are unresolved issues destined to attract future research.

  8. Ethical Issues in Qualitative E-Learning Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather Kanuka

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available In the mid 1980s education researchers began exploring the use of the Internet within teaching and learning practices, now commonly referred to as e-learning. At the same time, many e-learning researchers were discovering that the application of existing ethical guidelines for qualitative research was resulting in confusion and uncertainty among both researchers and ethics review board members. Two decades later we continue to be plagued by these same ethical issues. On reflection on our research practices and examination of the literature on ethical issues relating to qualitative Internet- and Web-based research, the authors conclude that there are three main areas of confusion and uncertainty among researchers in the field of e-learning: (a participant consent, (b public versus private ownership, and (c confidentiality and anonymity.

  9. What Is yet to Come? Three Propositions on the Future of Educational Research as a Common Good

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decuypere, Mathias

    2015-01-01

    This paper offers some explorative notes accompanying the issues I addressed in the journal's moot, which took place at the ECER 2014 conference (Porto, September 1-5). The notes that follow are explicitly written through the eyes of an emerging researcher, and offer three propositions regarding the future of educational research. These three…

  10. Neutrino physics today, important issues and the future

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parke, Stephen J.; /Fermilab

    2010-10-01

    The status and the most important issues in neutrino physics will be summarized as well as how the current, pressing questions will be addressed by future experiments. Since the discovery of neutrino flavor transitions by the SuperKamiokande experiment in 1998, which demonstrates that neutrinos change and hence their clocks tick, i.e. they are not traveling at the speed of light and hence are not massless, the field of neutrino physics has made remarkable progress in untangling the nature of the neutrino. However, there are still many important questions to answer.

  11. Context-based Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) research: A literature review and future agenda

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Jesper; Jonsson, Patrik

    2018-01-01

    must be considered when designing and implementing S&OP. Originality/values – This study focused on identifying relevant research on S&OP design by analysing the contribution of literature to a research framework inspired by contingency based research of operations and supply chain management.......&OP design. Research implications – The findings revealed several gaps in the literature on context-dependent S&OP design. To address these gaps, an agenda for future S&OP contingency research is developed. Practical implications – The findings revealed which contextual areas and specific S&OP design issues...

  12. Green Marketing Mix: A Review of Literature and Direction for Future Research

    OpenAIRE

    Prashant Kumar; Bhimrao Ghodeswar

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a systematic review of literature in green marketing domain and to propose directions for future research. Green marketing issues are delineated from literature extending marketing orientation and marketing mix frameworks. As society becomes more concerned with the natural environment, businesses modify their behaviour in an attempt to address society's concerns. Based on the literature review, the conceptual review and direction for futu...

  13. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... you …? and passive form of a verb. In the Tatar language the verb kuru with gerund is used. In English for strengthening the auxiliary verb do, a modal verb must, a modal construction to be to are used. 6. DISCUSSIONS. The issue touched in this research is object of steady and long interest from domestic ...

  14. The Work-family Field: Gaps and Missing Links as Opportunities for Future Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherina Kuschel

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This review presents a synthesis and a critique of the development of the existing workfamily (WF literature during the last decade in order to highlight gaps and limitations in current research. The study revises 83 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and conference presentations (2004-2014 related to WF in economics, management and psychology disciplines, and classifies the current research into three broad themes for future research paths: i definitions and theories; ii background and outcomes of wf conflict, balance and enrichment; and iii methodological gaps. Advances have been made this decade on meta-analysis and the understanding of the positive side of WF interface. Future research opportunities in this field will include a deeper understanding of how to effectively cope with WF conflict, how to achieve WF enrichment, the use of different methods (qualitative, longitudinal and experimental studies on samples of new occupations, and how researchers could address methodological problems (causality, endogeneity, simultaneity, effect size, and self-selection bias to better handle the complexity of WF issues.

  15. Health technology assessment: research trends and future priorities in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Camilla Palmhøj; Funch, Tina Maria; Kristensen, Finn Børlum

    2011-07-01

    To provide an overview of health services research related to health technology assessment (HTA) and to identify research priorities from a European perspective. Several methods were used: systematic review of articles indexed with the MeSH term 'technology assessment' in PubMed from February 1999-2009; online survey among experts; and conference workshop discussions. Research activity in HTA varies considerably across Europe. The research was categorised into six areas: (1) the breadth of analysis in HTA (such as economic, organizational and social aspects); (2) HTA products developed to meet the needs of policy-makers (such as horizon scanning, mini-HTA, and core HTA); (3) handling life-cycle perspectives in relation to technologies; (4) topics that challenge existing methods and for which HTA should be developed to address the themes more comprehensively (such as public health interventions and organizational interventions); (5) development of HTA capacity and programmes; and (6) links between policy and HTA. An online survey showed that the three areas that were given priority were the relationship between HTA and policy-making (71%), the impact of HTA (62%) and incorporating patient aspects in HTA (50%). Policy-makers highlighted HTA and innovation processes as their main research priority (42%). Areas that the systematic review identified as future priorities include issues within the six existing research areas such as disinvestment, developing evidence for new technologies, assessing the wider effects of technology use, and determining how HTA affects decision-making. In addition, relative effectiveness and individualized treatments are areas of growing interest. The research priorities identified are important for obtaining high quality and cost-effective health care in Europe. Managing the introduction, use and phasing out of technologies challenges health services throughout Europe, and these processes need to be improved to successfully manage future

  16. Issues in protection of human subjects in internet research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eun-Ok; Chee, Wonshik

    2002-01-01

    Despite the increasing use of the Internet among nurses, the use of the Internet in nursing research has been rarely discussed and critiqued in terms of issues in protection of human subjects. In this article, issues in protection of human subjects in Internet research are explored by analyzing an Internet study to propose directions for human protection in Internet research. Issues raised through the study include those related to (a) anonymity and confidentiality, (b) security, (c) self-determination and authenticity, (d) full disclosure, and (e) fair treatment. Based on discussion of the five issues, development of standardized guidelines, investigator triangulation, and information sharing are proposed as directions for protection of human subjects in Internet research.

  17. Synopsis of the 3. biennial Charting our Energy Future Forum 2004 : addressing climate change : issues and solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guelke, C.

    2004-01-01

    This forum explored issues facing the energy industry in British Columbia, Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. It promoted discussions and actions to advance energy technology and policy development. The environment and sustainability panel focused on challenges of the new realities, such as water issues arising from climate change; moving toward a clean energy future; and electronic tools that determine the impact and effects of resource choices and sustainable solutions. The marketing panel focused on the needs of technology developers to speed up commercialization of high efficiency power electronics; hydrogen from hydrocarbons; hybrid liquid fuels and electric engines. The funding and assistance panel focused on federal tax incentives; the industrial research assistance program; and moving toward a sustainable infrastructure through neighbourhood energy storefronts. The investment panel discussed the issues facing investment and control; funding requirements; and investment in distributed generation. It was concluded that sustainable development depends on the efficient use of the world's natural resources and that electricity utility policy should adopt a long term vision that includes cogeneration, renewable energy sources and the use of hydro systems as an energy storage system. It was also suggested that coal and nuclear power will be needed to meet future energy needs

  18. Pharmacological cognitive enhancement – how future neuroscientific research could advance ethical debate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannah eMaslen

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available There are numerous ways people can improve their cognitive capacities: good nutrition and regular exercise can produce long-term improvements across many cognitive domains, whilst commonplace stimulants such as coffee temporarily boost levels of alertness and concentration. Effects like these have been well-documented in the medical literature and they raise few (if any ethical issues. More recently, however, clinical research has shown that the off-label use of some pharmaceuticals can, under certain conditions, have modest cognition-improving effects. Substances such as methylphenidate and modafinil can improve capacities such as working memory and concentration in some healthy individuals. Unlike their more mundane predecessors, these methods of ‘cognitive enhancement’ are thought to raise a multitude of ethical issues. This paper presents the six principal ethical issues raised in relation to pharmacological cognitive enhancers (PCEs – issues such as whether: (1 the medical safety-profile of PCEs justifies restricting or permitting their elective or required use; (2 the enhanced mind can be an ‘authentic’ mind; (3 individuals might be coerced into using PCEs; (4, there is a meaningful distinction to be made between the treatment versus enhancement effect of the same PCE; (5 unequal access to PCEs would have implications for distributive justice; and (6 PCE use constitutes cheating in competitive contexts. In reviewing the six principal issues, the paper discusses how future neuroscientific research might help advance the ethical debate. In particular, the paper presents new arguments about the contribution neuroscience could make to debates about justice, fairness and cheating, ultimately concluding that neuroscientific research into ‘personalised enhancement’ will be essential if policy is to be truly informed and ethical. We propose an ‘ethical agenda’ for neuroscientific research into PCEs.

  19. Design Issues and Inference in Experimental L2 Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, Thom; Llosa, Lorena

    2015-01-01

    Explicit attention to research design issues is essential in experimental second language (L2) research. Too often, however, such careful attention is not paid. This article examines some of the issues surrounding experimental L2 research and its relationships to causal inferences. It discusses the place of research questions and hypotheses,…

  20. Critical Issues in Research Design in Action Research in an SME Development Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath, Helen; O'Toole, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to develop guidelines on the critical issues to consider in research design in an action research (AR) environment for SME network capability development. Design/methodology/approach: The issues in research design for AR studies are developed from the authors' experience in running learning sets but, in…

  1. The Future of Learning Institute

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chemi, Tatiana

    2009-01-01

    this article describes Harvard University’s learning institute, which focuses on several fundamental issues on the future of learning. Specific focus is given to the effect og globalising, digitalising and brain research on learning and education.......this article describes Harvard University’s learning institute, which focuses on several fundamental issues on the future of learning. Specific focus is given to the effect og globalising, digitalising and brain research on learning and education....

  2. Environmental futures research: experiences, approaches, and opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    David N., comp. Bengston

    2012-01-01

    These papers, presented in a special session at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management in June 2011, explore the transdisciplinary field of futures research and its application to long-range environmental analysis, planning, and policy. Futures research began in the post-World War II era and has emerged as a mature research field. Although the...

  3. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUES FOR RESEARCH TOOLS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rekha Chaturvedi

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The research tools refer to the resources researchers need to use in experimental work. In Biotechnology, these can include cell lines, monoclonal antibodies, reagents, animal models, growth factors, combinatorial chemistry libraries, drug and drug targets, clones and cloning tools (such as PCR, method, laboratory equipment and machines, database and computer software. Research tools therefore serve as basis for upstream research to improve the present product or process. There are several challenges in the way of using patented research tools. IP issues with regard to research tools are important and may sometime pose hindrance for researchers. Hence in the case of patented research tools, IPR issues can compose a major hurdle for technology development. In majority instances research tools are permitted through MTAs for academic research and for imparting education. TRIPS provides a provision for exception to patent rights for experimental use of patented technology in scientific research and several countries including India have included this provision in their patent legislation. For commercially important work, licensing of research tools can be based on royalty or one time lump sum payment. Some patent owners of important high-end research tools for development of platform technology create problems in licensing which can impede research. Usually cost of a commercially available research tool is built up in its price.

  4. Review of the status of learning in research on sport education: future research and practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Rui; Mesquita, Isabel; Hastie, Peter A

    2014-12-01

    Research concerning Sport Education's educational impact has shown unequivocal results according to students' personal and social development. Nevertheless, research is still sparse with respect to the model's impact on student learning outcomes. The goal of the present review is to therefore scrutinize what is currently known regarding students' learning during their participation in Sport Education. This research spans a variety of studies, cross various countries, school grades, the sports studied, as well as the methods applied and dimensions of student learning analyzed. While research on the impact of Sport Education on students' learning, as well as teachers' and students' perceptions about student learning has shown students' improvements during the participation in Sport Education seasons, there is still considerable variance in these results. For example, some studies report superior learning opportunities to boys and higher skill-level students while other studies have identified superior learning opportunities for girls and lower skill-level students. These inconsistent results can be explained by factors not considered in the Sport Education research, such as the effect of time on students' learning and the control of the teaching-learning process within Sport Education units. In this review directions for future research and practice are also described. Future research should define, implement, and evaluate protocols for student-coaches' preparation in order to understand the influence of this issue on students' learning as well as consider the implementation of hybrid approaches. Moreover, future studies should consider the interaction of gender and skill level and a retention test in the analysis of students' learning improvements in order to obtain a more realist and complete portrait of the impact of Sport Education. Finally, in order to reach an entirely understanding of the teaching-learning process, it is necessary to use research designs that

  5. Accrediting Professional Education: Research and Policy Issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koff, Robert H.; Florio, David H.

    Research and legal issues that relate to accreditation policy questions for schools, colleges, and departments of education are reviewed, and strategies for integrating empirical information and social/professional values are presented. The discussion divides into three sections: (1) information concerning a variety of contextual issues that…

  6. The future of national research institutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popp, M.

    1992-01-01

    In Germany, the national research centers have prepared, accompanied and stabilized the development of nuclear technology. In the present, political, situation, they are no longer able to make a comparably constructive contribution to the future perspective of nuclear technology. The accompanying scientific services rendered nuclear technology by the national research centers also in the future include the cultivation of qualified expertise. In this way, the link between national research centers and nuclear technology is maintained, albeit at a different level. Cases in point are nuclear fusion or the development of new, advanced reactor lines. (orig.) [de

  7. Ethical issues in medical research in the developing world: a report on a meeting organised by Fondation Mérieux.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrey, Christophe; Wassenaar, Douglas; Gilchrist, Shawn; Ivanoff, Bernard

    2009-08-01

    This paper reports on a multidisciplinary meeting held to discuss ethical issues in medical research in the developing world. Many studies, including clinical trials, are conducted in developing countries with a high burden of disease. Conditions under which this research is conducted vary because of differences in culture, public health, political, legal and social contexts specific to these countries. Research practices, including standards of care for participants, may vary as a result. It is therefore not surprising that ethical issues emerge. This meeting sought to identify and discuss these issues from the perspectives of the many actors in such research, including community representatives, with a view to finding ethical and pragmatic solutions to these issues. Dialogue between these actors was also promoted, with a view to identifying the need to develop such dialogue in future. Drawing from the experiences of the speakers, the colloquium attempted to outline some answers to several key questions characterising the field today. Experiences related to epidemiologic research, vaccine trials, drug trials, diagnostic tests and to some fundamental ethical issues in health research. Speakers were from different countries, disciplines and professions. The meeting provided a forum for consultation and debate between different ethics actors. Both encouraging findings and challenges emerged.

  8. Future Research Themes in Supply Chain Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wieland, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    Guest post on research results published in the article "Mapping the Landscape of Future Research Themes in Supply Chain Management" by Andreas Wieland, Robert Handfield and Christian Durach ( Journal of Business Logistics (2016). Vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 205-212).......Guest post on research results published in the article "Mapping the Landscape of Future Research Themes in Supply Chain Management" by Andreas Wieland, Robert Handfield and Christian Durach ( Journal of Business Logistics (2016). Vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 205-212)....

  9. Future buildings Forum-2025: Toward a methodology for future buildings research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Briggs, R.S.

    1990-10-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore methods that could be used in studying buildings of the future. The methodology that the forum will develop will have a number of likely applications, among them: the development of research agendas for new building energy technologies; the development of information and analytical capabilities usable by other IEA annexes to address their technology assessment needs; and the generation of information that can serve as input to global energy models designed to inform energy policy decisions. This paper is divided into two major sections. The first is an overview of existing methods of futures research. Terms and concepts are explained, providing the basis for the second section. The second section proposes a framework and general methodology for studying future buildings. This preliminary, or strawman, methodology is intended to provoke early thinking and discussions on how the research should be approached. 24 refs., 8 figs.

  10. Transnational nurse migration: future directions for medical anthropological research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prescott, Megan; Nichter, Mark

    2014-04-01

    Transnational nurse migration is a serious global health issue in which inequitably distributed shortages hinder health and development goals. This article selectively reviews the literature on nurse migration that has emerged from nursing, health planning, and the social sciences and offers productive directions for future anthropological research. The literature on global nurse migration has largely focused on push/pull economic logic and the concept of brain drain to understand the causes and effects of nurse migration. These concepts obscure political-economic, historical, and cultural factors that pattern nurse migration and influence the complex effects of nurse migration. Global nurse care chain analysis helps illuminate the numerous nodes in the production and migration of nurses, and management of this transnational process. Examples are provided from the Philippines and India to illustrate ways in which this analysis may be deepened, refined and rendered more critical by anthropological research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The Futures of Qualitative Social Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reiner Keller

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this contribution I begin by reviewing past views on the future of qualitative social research. In different ways, all of these views give the same account of a problematic present state which must be overcome by following their own particular "mandatory directives" for future developments. I then discuss four structural mechanisms from which current problems in the transmission of qualitative and interpretative designs or approaches originate. Recently, supporters of "post-qualitative research" have addressed such problems by arguing for a form of strong theorism in qualitative social research. However, this type of response can lead back to an outdated dominance of theory over research and empirical substance. In conclusion, some alternative options for navigating qualitative and interpretative research through post-positivist waters are discussed. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1401165

  12. e-Learning research: emerging issues?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helen Beetham

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available e-Learning research is an expanding and diversifying field of study. Specialist research units and departments proliferate. Postgraduate courses recruit well in the UK and overseas, with an increasing focus on critical and research-based aspects of the field, as well as the more obvious professional development requirements. Following this year's launch of a National e-Learning Research Centre, it is timely to debate what the field of study should be prioritising for the future. This discussion piece suggests that the focus should fall on questions that are both clear and tractable for researchers, and likely to have a real impact on learners and practitioners. Suggested questions are based on early findings from a series of JISC-funded projects on e-learning and pedagogy.

  13. Food and Health Some Current Issues and Future Trends

    OpenAIRE

    Gormley, T. R. (Thomas Ronan)

    1991-01-01

    This paper deals with some of the many current issues and future trends in the area of food, diet and health in Europe. A complete coverage would be impossible in a short article in view of the extent and complexity of the food system and its major interaction with health. It is also important to stress at the outset that food/diet is only one component of health and other factors such as environment, overall lifestyle and genetics also play a major role. The genetic dimension is of particula...

  14. Fuel-coolant interaction (FCI) phenomena in reactor safety. Current understanding and future research needs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Speis, T.P. [Maryland Univ., College Park, MD (United States); Basu, S.

    1998-01-01

    This paper gives an account of the current understanding of fuel-coolant interaction (FCI) phenomena in the context of reactor safety. With increased emphasis on accident management and with emerging in-vessel core melt retention strategies for advanced light water reactor (ALWR) designs, recent interest in FCI has broadened to include an evaluation of potential threats to the integrity of reactor vessel lower head and ex-vessel structural support, as well as the role of FCI in debris quenching and coolability. The current understanding of FCI with regard to these issues is discussed, and future research needs to address the issues from a risk perspective are identified. (author)

  15. Technology assessment of future intercity passenger transporation systems. Volume 2: Identification of issues affecting intercity transportation

    Science.gov (United States)

    1976-01-01

    Papers on major issues and trends that affect the future of intercity transportation are presented. Specific areas covered include: political, social, technological, institutional, and economic mechanisms, the workings of which determine how future intercity transporation technologies will evolve and be put into service; the major issues of intercity transportation from the point of view of reform, including candidate transporation technologies; and technical analysis of trends affecting the evolution of intercity transportation technologies.

  16. Human factors measurement for future air traffic control systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langan-Fox, Janice; Sankey, Michael J; Canty, James M

    2009-10-01

    This article provides a critical review of research pertaining to the measurement of human factors (HF) issues in current and future air traffic control (ATC). Growing worldwide air traffic demands call for a radical departure from current ATC systems. Future systems will have a fundamental impact on the roles and responsibilities of ATC officers (ATCOs). Valid and reliable methods of assessing HF issues associated with these changes, such as a potential increase (or decrease) in workload, are of utmost importance for advancing theory and for designing systems, procedures, and training. We outline major aviation changes and how these relate to five key HF issues in ATC. Measures are outlined, compared, and evaluated and are followed by guidelines for assessing these issues in the ATC domain. Recommendations for future research are presented. A review of the literature suggests that situational awareness and workload have been widely researched and assessed using a variety of measures, but researchers have neglected the areas of trust, stress, and boredom. We make recommendations for use of particular measures and the construction of new measures. It is predicted that, given the changing role of ATCOs and profound future airspace requirements and configurations, issues of stress, trust, and boredom will become more significant. Researchers should develop and/or refine existing measures of all five key HF issues to assess their impact on ATCO performance. Furthermore, these issues should be considered in a holistic manner. The current article provides an evaluation of research and measures used in HF research on ATC that will aid research and ATC measurement.

  17. Review of the Status of Learning in Research on Sport Education: Future Research and Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Rui; Mesquita, Isabel; Hastie, Peter A.

    2014-01-01

    Research concerning Sport Education’s educational impact has shown unequivocal results according to students’ personal and social development. Nevertheless, research is still sparse with respect to the model’s impact on student learning outcomes. The goal of the present review is to therefore scrutinize what is currently known regarding students’ learning during their participation in Sport Education. This research spans a variety of studies, cross various countries, school grades, the sports studied, as well as the methods applied and dimensions of student learning analyzed. While research on the impact of Sport Education on students’ learning, as well as teachers’ and students’ perceptions about student learning has shown students’ improvements during the participation in Sport Education seasons, there is still considerable variance in these results. For example, some studies report superior learning opportunities to boys and higher skill-level students while other studies have identified superior learning opportunities for girls and lower skill-level students. These inconsistent results can be explained by factors not considered in the Sport Education research, such as the effect of time on students’ learning and the control of the teaching-learning process within Sport Education units. In this review directions for future research and practice are also described. Future research should define, implement, and evaluate protocols for student-coaches’ preparation in order to understand the influence of this issue on students’ learning as well as consider the implementation of hybrid approaches. Moreover, future studies should consider the interaction of gender and skill level and a retention test in the analysis of students’ learning improvements in order to obtain a more realist and complete portrait of the impact of Sport Education. Finally, in order to reach an entirely understanding of the teaching-learning process, it is necessary to

  18. Environmental Justice Research: Contemporary Issues and Emerging Topics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Jayajit; Collins, Timothy W; Grineski, Sara E

    2016-11-01

    Environmental justice (EJ) research seeks to document and redress the disproportionate environmental burdens and benefits associated with social inequalities. Although its initial focus was on disparities in exposure to anthropogenic pollution, the scope of EJ research has expanded. In the context of intensifying social inequalities and environmental problems, there is a need to further strengthen the EJ research framework and diversify its application. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) incorporates 19 articles that broaden EJ research by considering emerging topics such as energy, food, drinking water, flooding, sustainability, and gender dynamics, including issues in Canada, the UK, and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the articles contribute to three research themes: (1) documenting connections between unjust environmental exposures and health impacts by examining unsafe infrastructure, substance use, and children's obesity and academic performance; (2) promoting and achieving EJ by implementing interventions to improve environmental knowledge and health, identifying avenues for sustainable community change, and incorporating EJ metrics in government programs; and (3) clarifying stakeholder perceptions of EJ issues to extend research beyond the documentation of unjust conditions and processes. Collectively, the articles highlight potentially compounding injustices and an array of approaches being employed to achieve EJ.

  19. Environmental Justice Research: Contemporary Issues and Emerging Topics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jayajit Chakraborty

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Environmental justice (EJ research seeks to document and redress the disproportionate environmental burdens and benefits associated with social inequalities. Although its initial focus was on disparities in exposure to anthropogenic pollution, the scope of EJ research has expanded. In the context of intensifying social inequalities and environmental problems, there is a need to further strengthen the EJ research framework and diversify its application. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH incorporates 19 articles that broaden EJ research by considering emerging topics such as energy, food, drinking water, flooding, sustainability, and gender dynamics, including issues in Canada, the UK, and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the articles contribute to three research themes: (1 documenting connections between unjust environmental exposures and health impacts by examining unsafe infrastructure, substance use, and children’s obesity and academic performance; (2 promoting and achieving EJ by implementing interventions to improve environmental knowledge and health, identifying avenues for sustainable community change, and incorporating EJ metrics in government programs; and (3 clarifying stakeholder perceptions of EJ issues to extend research beyond the documentation of unjust conditions and processes. Collectively, the articles highlight potentially compounding injustices and an array of approaches being employed to achieve EJ.

  20. Proceedings of the workshop on future control station designs and human performance issues in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    The nuclear community is currently at a stage where new reactors are being built, advanced reactors are being planned, and existing reactors are undergoing various forms of modernization of their control stations. Nuclear power plants are characterised by a high degree of complexity, where efficient and safe performance is dependent on both a sound technical design and effective teamwork and work practices. Team interactions have long traditions in current nuclear power plants. The way people operate and maintain the plants may need to accommodate technical advances associated with control station modernization and advanced plant control stations. The nuclear community likely to see the introduction of new designs, new tools to support the staff, changes to staffing types and levels, concepts of operation for new reactors that are different from current reactors, e.g., multi-unit control, possible remote operation, distributed decision making, and cooperation across distances. Based on recent experience, there is limited knowledge about human performance issues with regard to upgraded control rooms. However, even less knowledge exists regarding operation and maintenance of control stations for future and more advanced reactor designs. In order to explore these issues, the CSNI Special Experts' Group on Human and Organisational Factors (SEGHOF), now the Working Group on Human and Organizational Factors (WGHOF), and the Halden Reactor Project (HRP) hosted a joint workshop which provided an international forum for utilities, vendors, research bodies and regulators to discuss human performance issues related to control stations for future nuclear power plant designs and for modified control rooms for existing plants. The Norwegian petroleum industry also shared their experiences, especially with integrated and distributed operations among off-shore and on-shore control centres. There were 74 participants from 20 countries at the workshop. Twenty-two papers were

  1. FOSER - Future of Software Engineering Research

    Data.gov (United States)

    Networking and Information Technology Research and Development, Executive Office of the President — The 2010 Report of the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology PCAST, entitled ?Designing a Digital Future: Federally Funded Research and...

  2. Cloud Computing : Goals, Issues, SOA, Integrated Technologies and Future -scope

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Madhu Viswanatham

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The expansion of networking infrastructure has provided a novel way to store and access resources in a reliable, convenient and affordable means of technology called the Cloud. The cloud has become so popular and established its dominance in many recent world innovations and has highly influenced the trend of the Business process Management with the advantage of shared resources. The ability to remain disaster tolerant, on-demand scalability, flexible deployment and cost effectiveness has made the future world technologies like Internet of Things, to determine the cloud as their data and processing center. However, along with the implementation of cloud based technologies, we must also address the issues involved in its realization. This paper is a review on the advancements, scopes and issues involved in realizing a secured cloud powered environments.

  3. Radiant research prospects? A review of nuclear waste issues in social science research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergquist, Ann-Kristin

    2007-05-01

    The present report has been put together on behalf of KASAM and constitutes a review of social science research and literature that been produced on the nuclear waste issue in Sweden, with focus on recent research. The aim with the investigation has been to map the scope of and the direction of the independent research about nuclear waste in Sweden, in relation to the research that has been initiated and financed by the stakeholders that are participating in the decision-making process in the nuclear waste issue. Another aim has been to point out areas that have not been taken into consideration

  4. Return of the "intimate outsider": current trends and issues in family nursing research revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganong, Lawrence

    2011-11-01

    This article reviews family nursing research published from 1996 to 2011. This is a follow-up to a review published in the Journal of Family Nursing in 1995. Findings from the first review are compared with this one, trends in family nursing scholarship are identified, and predictions and suggestions for future directions are offered. The latest generation of family nursing scholarship is conceptually and methodologically sound, and there is evidence of more multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research conducted by family nursing researchers. Scholars are paying more attention to issues of diversity and family context at present than in the past, although there are still aspects of diversity that need more attention. Strong research programs in family nursing exist worldwide; an international synergism has helped promote rapid expansion of family nursing research and theory development. A vigorous movement to promote research to practice initiatives and greater attention to family interventions are exciting developments.

  5. [The future of clinical research: why do we need an ecological approach?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liberati, Alessandro; Moja, Lorenzo P; Moschetti, Ivan

    2006-11-01

    In this paper we try to define the future goals of the clinical research, with particular reference to methodological and policy issues. There is an increasing tension between the real drivers of clinical research and its scientific and ethical aims. To consumers the goal is to strengthen the relevance and usefulness of clinical research. This is possible only if consumers are empowered and actively involved. For the health care systems it is mandatory to re-engineer the process, enforcing national and international legislation. This should help to fill the research-clinical practice gap and to balance the research agenda, better reflecting health priorities. Finally the scientific community should reflect on its own conflicts of interests and analyse the causes of the ethical divide between the needs and the market. Scientists too often seem to loose sight of the original cumulative nature of research and of the idea of research as a collective good. More non-commercial research is needed, integrated with the health care systems, to support a transparent, more realistic and valid information useful for patient care, scientific information.

  6. Future directions of small research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blotcky, A.J.; Rack, E.P.

    1986-01-01

    In prognosticating future perspectives, it is important to realize that the current number of small reactors throughout the world is not overly large and will undoubtedly decrease or at best remain constant in future generations. To survive and remain productive, small reactor facilities must concentrate on work that is unique and that cannot be performed as well by other instruments. Wherever possible, these facilities should develop some form of collaboration with universities and medical center investigators. Future development will continue and will flourish in neutron activation analysis and its applications for a diversity of fields. Fundamental research such as hot atom chemistry will continue to use neutrons from small research reactors. Finally, training of power reactor operators can be an important source of revenue for the small facility in addition to performing an important service to the nuclear power industry

  7. Diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease: past, present and future ethical issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gauthier, S; Leuzy, A; Racine, E; Rosa-Neto, P

    2013-11-01

    There is great interest in the ethical issues associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias given the prevalence of AD and the evolving neuroscience landscape in matters of diagnoses and therapeutics. Much of the ethics discussion arises in the tension between the principle of not doing harm (principle of non-maleficence) in this vulnerable population and the development of effective treatments (principle of beneficence). Autonomy and capacity issues are also numerous, wide-ranging, and concern (1) day to day affairs such as driving safely and spending money wisely, (2) life-time events such as designating a legal representative in case of incapacity, making a will, (3) consenting to treatment and diagnostic procedures, (4) participating in research. The latter issue is particularly thorny and illustrates well the complexity of tackling concerns related to capacity. The impetus to protect AD patients has partly led to ethics regulation and policies making research on inapt patients more difficult because of stringent requirements for signed informed consent or for showing the value of the research to this specific patient population. New issues are arising that relate to earlier diagnosis using biomarkers and (possibly soon) the use of drugs that modify disease progression. We here summarize and discuss the different ethical issues associated with AD from a historical perspective, with emphasis on diagnostic and treatments issues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Ethical issues in the qualitative researcher--participant relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eide, Phyllis; Kahn, David

    2008-03-01

    Qualitative research poses ethical issues and challenges unique to the study of human beings. In developing the interpersonal relationship that is critical to qualitative research, investigator and participant engage in a dialogic process that often evokes stories and memories that are remembered and reconstituted in ways that otherwise would not occur. Ethical issues are raised when this relationship not only provides qualitative research data, but also leads to some degree of therapeutic interaction for the participant. The purpose of this article is to examine some of the controversies inherent in the researcher's dilemma when this occurs, set within the context of a nursing caring theory (Swanson), and the International Council of Nurses Code of ethics for nurses, which provides guidance on global nursing practice.

  9. Ethical Issues in Radiology Journalism, Peer Review, and Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Douglas S; Gardner, James B; Hoffmann, Jason C; Patlas, Michael N; Bhargava, Puneet; Moshiri, Mariam; Remer, Erick M; Gould, Elaine S; Smith, Stacy

    2016-08-17

    Although some research and publication practices are clearly unethical, including fraud and plagiarism, other areas of research and publication, such as informed consent and conflicts of interest, fall into grayer areas. The purposes of this article are, therefore, to review a variety of relevant ethical issues in radiology-related journalism, peer review, and research; to review the radiology literature to date that has addressed these issues; and to present position statements and potential solutions to these problems.

  10. A perspective on future accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richter, B.

    1987-10-01

    Some of the physics and technical issues are discussed which must be resolved before a future linear collider can be built. These issues include the center of mass energy and luminosity required for research in the range desired, length and power requirements, and cost. It is proposed that research and development of such a machine should be done internationally

  11. Stem cell research ethics: consensus statement on emerging issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caulfield, Timothy; Ogbogu, Ubaka; Nelson, Erin; Einsiedel, Edna; Knoppers, Bartha; McDonald, Michael; Brunger, Fern; Downey, Robin; Fernando, Kanchana; Galipeau, Jacques; Geransar, Rose; Griener, Glenn; Grenier, Glenn; Hyun, Insoo; Isasi, Rosario; Kardel, Melanie; Knowles, Lori; Kucic, Terrence; Lotjonen, Salla; Lyall, Drew; Magnus, David; Mathews, Debra J H; Nisbet, Matthew; Nisker, Jeffrey; Pare, Guillaume; Pattinson, Shaun; Pullman, Daryl; Rudnicki, Michael; Williams-Jones, Bryn; Zimmerman, Susan

    2007-10-01

    This article is a consensus statement by an international interdisciplinary group of academic experts and Canadian policy-makers on emerging ethical, legal and social issues in human embryonic stem cells (hESC) research in Canada. The process of researching consensus included consultations with key stakeholders in hESC research (regulations, stem cell researchers, and research ethics experts), preparation and distribution of background papers, and an international workshop held in Montreal in February 2007 to discuss the papers and debate recommendations. The recommendations provided in the consensus statement focus on issues of immediate relevance to Canadian policy-makers, including informed consent to hESC research, the use of fresh embryos in research, management of conflicts of interest, and the relevance of public opinion research to policy-making.

  12. Tour Guiding Research Insights, Issues and Implications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meged, Jane Widtfeldt

    2017-01-01

    The book Tour guiding research – insights, issues and implications by Betty Weiler and Rosemary Black is a most welcome contribution to the specific research field of guided tours within tourism studies. It sets forth to “give an authoritative state-of-art review of the scholarly literature on tour...

  13. Cultural Ecosystem Services: A Literature Review and Prospects for Future Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andra Ioana. Milcu

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Cultural ecosystem services constitute a growing field of research that is characterized by an increasing number of publications from various academic disciplines. We conducted a semiquantitative review of publications explicitly dealing with cultural ecosystem services. Our aims were: (1 to provide an overview of the current state of research, (2 to classify the diversity of research approaches by identifying clusters of publications that address cultural ecosystem services in similar ways, and (3 to highlight some important challenges for the future of cultural ecosystem services research. We reviewed 107 publications and extracted 20 attributes describing their type and content, including methods, scales, drivers of change, and trade-offs between services. Using a cluster analysis on a subset of attributes we identified five groups of publications: Group 1, conceptual focus, deals with theoretical issues; Group 2, descriptive reviews, consists mostly of desktop studies; Group 3, localized outcomes, deals with case studies coming from different disciplines; Group 4, social and participatory, deals mainly with assessing preferences and perceptions; and Group 5, economic assessments, provides economic valuations. Emerging themes in cultural ecosystem services research relate to improving methods for cultural ecosystem services valuation, studying cultural ecosystem services in the context of ecosystem service bundles, and more clearly articulating policy implications. Based on our findings, we conclude that: (1 cultural ecosystem services are well placed as a tool to bridge gaps between different academic disciplines and research communities, (2 capitalizing on the societal relevance of cultural ecosystem services could help address real-world problems, and (3 cultural ecosystem services have the potential to foster new conceptual links between alternative logics relating to a variety of social and ecological issues.

  14. Issues in E-Research: Log In/Out Virtual Fields

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shesha Kanta PANGENI

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Evolution of technology and its tremendous use in education has changed the ways of educational services in higher education around the world. There is worldwide access to higher education through virtual learning environments. This is a new avenue for 21st century education and within a short time, it has been able to establish new culture of learning i.e. e-learning or online learning. As a result, e-learning has been the greater field for educational research. In this context, this paper focuses on methodological issues of the Internet mediated research (e-Research with particular focus on virtual fields. Paper explores and discusses on possible sources of data, methods of data collection, process of analysis and ethical issues to adopt research with virtual fields. In doing so, the purpose is to reveal answer to the question: how do e-Researchers deal with methodological issues related to collecting data, determining data sources, data analysis/interpretation, and ethical considerations? Paper presents examples from the Internet mediated empirical studies. Conclusion of the paper is that e-field or cyberspace is an avenue for modern researchers. Researchers are supported with various Information Communication Technology (ICT tools for field access, data collection, analysis and interpretation. However, they need to pay full attention to deal with major issues such as locating and gaining access to virtual/Internet-mediated fields, selecting e-participants and working with them, and using varieties of ICT tools for data collection, analysis and interpretation.

  15. Third-generation biofuels: current and future research on microalgal lipid biotechnology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Beisson Yonghua

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available One pressing issue faced by modern societies is to develop renewable energy for transportation. Microalgal biomass offers an attractive solution due to its high (annual surface biomass productivity, efficient conversion of solar energy into chemical energy and the ability to grow on non-agricultural land. Despite these considerable advantages, microalgal biofuels are not yet commercially sustainable. Major challenges lie in improving both cultivation technologies and microalgal strains. A microalgal crop species is yet to emerge. In this review, we focus on researches aiming at understanding and harnessing lipid metabolism in microalgae in view of producing lipid-based biofuels such as biodiesel. Current biotechnological challenges and key progresses made in the development of algal models, genetic tools and lipid metabolic engineering strategies are reviewed. Possible future research directions to increase oil yields in microalgae are also highlighted.

  16. Virtual reality rehabilitation for stroke patients: Recent review and research issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arip, Eza Surya Mohd; Ismail, Waidah; Nordin, Md Jan; Radman, Abduljalil

    2017-11-01

    Stroke is one of the main causes of disability in the world. In order for stroke survivors to reduce their disability, they need to go through a rehabilitation process to regain back their independence and improve their quality of life. To guide patients in their rehabilitation process and improve their receptiveness in performing repetitive exercises, a new rehabilitation training program using Virtual Reality (VR) technology has been introduced. This has attracted many researchers to explore more on VR technology as a new tool for stroke patient's rehabilitation. This paper presents a review on existing VR systems that have been developed for stroke rehabilitation. First, recent VR systems utilized for rehabilitation after stroke are delineated and categorized. Each of these categories concludes with a discussion on limitations and any issues that arise from it. Finally, a concise summary with significant findings and future possibilities in VR rehabilitation research is presented in table format.

  17. Ethical and Safety Issues in Doing Sex Work Research: Reflections From a Field-Based Ethnographic Study in Kolkata, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Sunny

    2017-05-01

    While much has been said about the risks and safety issues experienced by female sex workers in India, there is a considerable dearth of information about the difficulties and problems that sex work researchers, especially female researchers, experience when navigating the highly political, ideological, and stigmatized environment of the Indian sex industry. As noted by scholars, there are several methodological and ethical issues involved with sex work research, such as privacy and confidentiality of the participants, representativeness of the sample, and informed consent. Yet, there has been reluctance among scholars to comment on their research process, especially with regard to how they deal with the protocols for research ethics when conducting social and behavioral epidemiological studies among female sex workers in India and elsewhere. Drawing on my 7 months of field-based ethnographic research with "flying" or non-brothel-based female sex workers in Kolkata, India, I provide in this article a reflexive account of the problems encountered in implementing the research process, particularly the ethical and safety issues involved in gaining access and acceptance into the sex industry and establishing contact and rapport with the participants. In doing so, it is my hope that future researchers can develop the knowledge necessary for the design of ethical and non-exploitative research projects with sex workers.

  18. Keeping nurse researchers safe: workplace health and safety issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barr, Jennieffer; Welch, Anthony

    2012-07-01

    This article is a report of a qualitative study of workplace health and safety issues in nursing research. Researcher health and safety have become increasing concerns as there is an increased amount of research undertaken in the community and yet there is a lack of appropriate guidelines on how to keep researchers safe when undertaking fieldwork. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, using different sources of data to find any references to researcher health and safety issues. A simple descriptive approach to inquiry was used for this study. Three approaches to data collection were used: interviews with 15 researchers, audits of 18 ethics applications, and exploration of the literature between 1992 and 2010 for examples of researcher safety issues. Data analysis from the three approaches identified participant comments, narrative descriptions or statements focused on researcher health and safety. Nurse researchers' health and safety may be at risk when conducting research in the community. Particular concern involves conducting sensitive research where researchers are physically at risk of being harmed, or being exposed to the development of somatic symptoms. Nurse researchers may perceive the level of risk of harm as lower than the actual or potential harm present in research. Nurse researchers do not consistently implement risk assessment before and during research. Researcher health and safety should be carefully considered at all stages of the research process. Research focusing on sensitive data and vulnerable populations need to consider risk minimization through strategies such as appropriate researcher preparation, safety during data collection, and debriefing if required. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Sexting: Current Research Gaps and Legislative Issues

    OpenAIRE

    Ngo, Fawn; Jaishankar, K; Agustina, Jose R.

    2017-01-01

    'Sexting, the portmanteau of Sex and Texting, has become a hot topic of debate between the legislators, researchers, educators, parents and teens' (Jaishankar, 2009, para 1). In spite of the considerable and growing body of literature on sexting, there are significant gaps in the current research. A review of research to date also reveals a dearth of cross-national and cross-cultural research on the topic of sexting. Notably, legal and ethical issues abound with the current method for punishi...

  20. Information technology research and development critical trends and issues

    CERN Document Server

    1985-01-01

    Information Technology Research and Development: Critical Trends and Issues is a report of the Office of Technology Assessment of the United States Government on the research and development in the area of information technology. The report discusses information technology research and development - its goals, nature, issues, and strategies; environment and its changes; the roles of the participants; and the health of its field. The book then goes on to four selected case studies in information technology: advanced computer architecture; fiber optic communications; software engineering; and ar

  1. A perspective on future accelerators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richter, B.

    1987-10-01

    Some of the physics and technical issues are discussed which must be resolved before a future linear collider can be built. These issues include the center of mass energy and luminosity required for research in the range desired, length and power requirements, and cost. It is proposed that research and development of such a machine should be done internationally. (LEW)

  2. Future in psychopathology research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heckers, Stephan

    2014-03-01

    Psychopathology research has focused either on the analysis of the mental state in the here and now or on the synthesis of mental status abnormalities with biological markers and outcome data. These two schools of psychopathology, the analytic and the synthetic, make contrasting assumptions, take different approaches, and pursue divergent goals. Analytic psychopathology favors the individual person and unique biography, whereas synthetic psychopathology abstracts from the single case and generalizes to the population level. The dimension of time, especially the prediction of future outcomes, is viewed differently by these two schools. Here I outline how Carpenter's proposal of strong inference and theory testing in psychopathology research can be used to test the value of analytic and synthetic psychopathology. The emerging field of personalized psychiatry can clarify the relevance of psychopathology for contemporary research in psychiatry.

  3. Ethical issues in irregular migration research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duvell, F.; Triandafyllidou, A.; Vollmer, B.

    2008-01-01

    This paper is concerned with the ethical issues arising for researchers engaged in the study of irregular migration. Irregular migration is by definition an elusive phenomenon as it takes place in violation of the law and at the margins of society. This very nature of the phenomenon raises important

  4. Robustness-related issues in speaker recognition

    CERN Document Server

    Zheng, Thomas Fang

    2017-01-01

    This book presents an overview of speaker recognition technologies with an emphasis on dealing with robustness issues. Firstly, the book gives an overview of speaker recognition, such as the basic system framework, categories under different criteria, performance evaluation and its development history. Secondly, with regard to robustness issues, the book presents three categories, including environment-related issues, speaker-related issues and application-oriented issues. For each category, the book describes the current hot topics, existing technologies, and potential research focuses in the future. The book is a useful reference book and self-learning guide for early researchers working in the field of robust speech recognition.

  5. Women and development: future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-01-01

    In 1995 the UN celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing was held. INSTRAW's acting director, Martha Duenas-Loza, gives her overview of INSTRAW's future role and identifies some major issues regarding the advancement of women. INSTRAW is mandated as a UN group to accomplish research on and training of women. Some initial findings are now becoming available. The delay was due to the attention given to pressing problems of health care, nutrition, and education. In the future the international community will not have the option of neglecting women's status issues, which currently are secondary concerns. Some urgent issues are identified as the impact of rapid population growth on the elderly in the world, particularly the majority of elderly women. Migration will have an increasing impact on economic and social infrastructures of all countries. Problems of the elderly must be addressed as individual components within development plans and programs. Other articles in this issue of "INSTRAW News" discuss the situation of elderly women and women migrants. New efforts focus on a new phase of research on women's access to credit. The research aim is to analyze the experiences of current credit mechanisms, to assess the impact on individuals and families, and to consider gender effects. A progress report is available in this issue on gender statistics and a valuation of unpaid work by women. A new module is available for training women in environmental management; a description of this module is available in this issue. The new model is based on prior modules on energy and water, but includes improvements. The future agenda reflects the complexity of problems and solutions today and in the future.

  6. Learning Analytics: Challenges and Future Research Directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlatko Lukarov

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, learning analytics (LA has attracted a great deal of attention in technology-enhanced learning (TEL research as practitioners, institutions, and researchers are increasingly seeing the potential that LA has to shape the future TEL landscape. Generally, LA deals with the development of methods that harness educational data sets to support the learning process. This paper provides a foundation for future research in LA. It provides a systematic overview on this emerging field and its key concepts through a reference model for LA based on four dimensions, namely data, environments, context (what?, stakeholders (who?, objectives (why?, and methods (how?. It further identifies various challenges and research opportunities in the area of LA in relation to each dimension.

  7. Ethical issues in research involving children and young people

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scally, Andy

    2014-01-01

    This article identifies the key ethical issues that need to be addressed in any research study involving children and young people, accessed through the NHS. It makes specific reference to the Declaration of Helsinki and to additional guidance developed for researchers from a variety of disciplines, both within healthcare and in other fields of study. The focus of the paper is on defining the key ethical issues, identifying the complexities in the legislative framework underpinning research involving this patient group and offering practical advice on when, and how, ethical approval needs to be sought

  8. Future atomic physics researches at HIRFL-CSR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai Xiaohong; Xia Jiawen; Zhan Wenlong

    1999-01-01

    A new storage ring system, HIRFL-CSR, is now in construction in the National Laboratory of Heavy Ion Research Facility of Lanzhou, China. The new facility consists of a main ring (CSRm) and an experimental ring (CSRe). With the flexibility of the production and the investigation of highly charged ions and radioactive ion beams the new HIRFL-CSR facility will make many frontier atomic physics researches possible in near future. The future physics researches at the HIRFL-CSR are now under consideration. In this paper an overview of the HIRFL-CSR project is given, and the main atomic physics programs to be carried at the HIRFL-CSR are presented. (orig.)

  9. Reflexive journaling on emotional research topics: ethical issues for team researchers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malacrida, Claudia

    2007-12-01

    Traditional epistemological concerns in qualitative research focus on the effects of researchers' values and emotions on choices of research topics, power relations with research participants, and the influence of researcher standpoints on data collection and analysis. However, the research process also affects the researchers' values, emotions, and standpoints. Drawing on reflexive journal entries of assistant researchers involved in emotionally demanding team research, this article explores issues of emotional fallout for research team members, the implications of hierarchical power imbalances on research teams, and the importance of providing ethical opportunities for reflexive writing about the challenges of doing emotional research. Such reflexive approaches ensure the emotional safety of research team members and foster opportunities for emancipatory consciousness among research team members.

  10. Japanese Strategy for Nuclear Energy Research and Development For the Future

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ihara, Yoshinori [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokyo (Japan)

    1988-04-15

    As for the research and development of nuclear energy, the future is, I believe, very broad, deep and promising and there are still unnoticed frontiers whose development will give rise to the evolution of human society. In order to cultivate the frontiers we should have insight to distinguish what is fundamental and essential from what in not. We should also have a fighting spirit to challenge our dream. The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute really wishes to become the place where many scientists and engineers from abroad meet and work with US with insight and a pioneering spirit. About thirty years ago, the first version of the Japanese 'Long-Term Program for Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy' was drawn up by the Atomic Energy Commission for the first time. Since then, the Long-Term Program has been revised once every five years. The research, development and utilization of nuclear energy in Japan have been guided by the Long-Term Program, and it has clearly shown the Japanese strategy for Nuclear Energy R and D for the future at each stage of the for Nuclear Energy R and D for the future at each stage of the history. The latest version of the Long-Term Program was published in June 1987. It defines the outline of the philosophy and the scheme for promoting the basic measures related to the research, development and utilization of nuclear energy up to the year 2000 based on the long-range nuclear energy policy towards the 21st century. This Long-Term Program was drawn up by taking into consideration the essential changes of the by taking into consideration the essential changes of the environment surrounding nuclear energy during recent years from the viewpoints of the supply and demand for energy, the rise of public concern for nuclear safety, the role of nuclear research and development for the advancement of science and technology, and the international nuclear energy issues. In this article, the author would like to describe the basic

  11. Japanese Strategy for Nuclear Energy Research and Development For the Future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ihara, Yoshinori

    1988-01-01

    As for the research and development of nuclear energy, the future is, I believe, very broad, deep and promising and there are still unnoticed frontiers whose development will give rise to the evolution of human society. In order to cultivate the frontiers we should have insight to distinguish what is fundamental and essential from what in not. We should also have a fighting spirit to challenge our dream. The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute really wishes to become the place where many scientists and engineers from abroad meet and work with US with insight and a pioneering spirit. About thirty years ago, the first version of the Japanese 'Long-Term Program for Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy' was drawn up by the Atomic Energy Commission for the first time. Since then, the Long-Term Program has been revised once every five years. The research, development and utilization of nuclear energy in Japan have been guided by the Long-Term Program, and it has clearly shown the Japanese strategy for Nuclear Energy R and D for the future at each stage of the for Nuclear Energy R and D for the future at each stage of the history. The latest version of the Long-Term Program was published in June 1987. It defines the outline of the philosophy and the scheme for promoting the basic measures related to the research, development and utilization of nuclear energy up to the year 2000 based on the long-range nuclear energy policy towards the 21st century. This Long-Term Program was drawn up by taking into consideration the essential changes of the by taking into consideration the essential changes of the environment surrounding nuclear energy during recent years from the viewpoints of the supply and demand for energy, the rise of public concern for nuclear safety, the role of nuclear research and development for the advancement of science and technology, and the international nuclear energy issues. In this article, the author would like to describe the basic

  12. Drugs and Minorities. Research Issues 21.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, Gregory A., Ed.; And Others

    This volume contains summaries of the latest research focusing on the issue of the extent of drug use and abuse among racial and ethnic minorities and the factors influencing it. Taken into consideration are age and sex differences among users, narcotics addiction, socioeconomic influences, cultural factors, racial factors, demographic factors,…

  13. issues in mounting randomized experiments in educational research ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Admin

    KEY WORDS: Randomized experiment; Educational research; Evaluation; Research ethics;. Methodological issues. INTRODUCTION. No doubt .... and matching methods to control for initial group differences. ... reason that some evaluators are calling for mixed approach to ... in concise and understandable manner. This.

  14. Emerging issues in paediatric health research consent forms in Canada: working towards best practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dove, Edward S; Avard, Denise; Black, Lee; Knoppers, Bartha M

    2013-01-30

    Obtaining a research participant's voluntary and informed consent is the bedrock of sound ethics practice. Greater inclusion of children in research has led to questions about how paediatric consent operates in practice to accord with current and emerging legal and socio-ethical issues, norms, and requirements. Employing a qualitative thematic content analysis, we examined paediatric consent forms from major academic centres and public organisations across Canada dated from 2008-2011, which were purposively selected to reflect different types of research ethics boards, participants, and studies. The studies included biobanking, longitudinal studies, and gene-environment studies. Our purpose was to explore the following six emerging issues: (1) whether the scope of parental consent allows for a child's assent, dissent, or future consent; (2) whether the concepts of risk and benefit incorporate the child's psychological and social perspective; (3) whether a child's ability to withdraw is respected and to what extent withdrawal is permitted; (4) whether the return of research results includes individual results and/or incidental findings and the processes involved therein; (5) whether privacy and confidentiality concerns adequately address the child's perspective and whether standard data and/or sample identifiability nomenclature is used; and (6) whether retention of and access to paediatric biological samples and associated medical data are addressed. The review suggests gaps and variability in the consent forms with respect to addressing each of the six issues. Many forms did not discuss the possibility of returning research results, be they individual or general/aggregate results. Forms were also divided in terms of the scope of parental consent (specific versus broad), and none discussed a process for resolving disputes that can arise when either the parents or the child wishes to withdraw from the study. The analysis provides valuable insight and evidence into

  15. Emerging issues in paediatric health research consent forms in Canada: working towards best practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dove Edward S

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Obtaining a research participant’s voluntary and informed consent is the bedrock of sound ethics practice. Greater inclusion of children in research has led to questions about how paediatric consent operates in practice to accord with current and emerging legal and socio-ethical issues, norms, and requirements. Methods Employing a qualitative thematic content analysis, we examined paediatric consent forms from major academic centres and public organisations across Canada dated from 2008–2011, which were purposively selected to reflect different types of research ethics boards, participants, and studies. The studies included biobanking, longitudinal studies, and gene-environment studies. Our purpose was to explore the following six emerging issues: (1 whether the scope of parental consent allows for a child’s assent, dissent, or future consent; (2 whether the concepts of risk and benefit incorporate the child’s psychological and social perspective; (3 whether a child’s ability to withdraw is respected and to what extent withdrawal is permitted; (4 whether the return of research results includes individual results and/or incidental findings and the processes involved therein; (5 whether privacy and confidentiality concerns adequately address the child’s perspective and whether standard data and/or sample identifiability nomenclature is used; and (6 whether retention of and access to paediatric biological samples and associated medical data are addressed. Results The review suggests gaps and variability in the consent forms with respect to addressing each of the six issues. Many forms did not discuss the possibility of returning research results, be they individual or general/aggregate results. Forms were also divided in terms of the scope of parental consent (specific versus broad, and none discussed a process for resolving disputes that can arise when either the parents or the child wishes to withdraw from the

  16. The future role of research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glaeser, W.

    2001-01-01

    The decline of neutron source capacity in the next decades urges for the planning and construction of new neutron sources for basic and applied research with neutrons. Modern safety precautions of research reactors make them competitive with other ways of neutron production using non-chain reactions for many applications. Research reactors consequently optimized offer a very broad range of possible applications in basic and applied research. Research reactors at universities also in the future have to play an important role in education and training in basic and applied nuclear science. (orig.)

  17. Needs and Requirements for Future Research Reactors (ORNL Perspectives)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ilas, Germina [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bryan, Chris [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gehin, Jess C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2016-02-10

    The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) is a vital national and international resource for neutron science research, production of radioisotopes, and materials irradiation. While HFIR is expected to continue operation for the foreseeable future, interest is growing in understanding future research reactors features, needs, and requirements. To clarify, discuss, and compile these needs from the perspective of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) research and development (R&D) missions, a workshop, titled “Needs and Requirements for Future Research Reactors”, was held at ORNL on May 12, 2015. The workshop engaged ORNL staff that is directly involved in research using HFIR to collect valuable input on the reactor’s current and future missions. The workshop provided an interactive forum for a fruitful exchange of opinions, and included a mix of short presentations and open discussions. ORNL staff members made 15 technical presentations based on their experience and areas of expertise, and discussed those capabilities of the HFIR and future research reactors that are essential for their current and future R&D needs. The workshop was attended by approximately 60 participants from three ORNL directorates. The agenda is included in Appendix A. This document summarizes the feedback provided by workshop contributors and participants. It also includes information and insights addressing key points that originated from the dialogue started at the workshop. A general overview is provided on the design features and capabilities of high performance research reactors currently in use or under construction worldwide. Recent and ongoing design efforts in the US and internationally are briefly summarized, followed by conclusions and recommendations.

  18. Future Secretariat: an innovation research coordination and governance structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojima, D. S.; Johan, R.; Cramer, W.; Fukushi, K.; Allard, S.

    2014-12-01

    Future Earth, an emerging global sustainability research program, will be managed by a novel, internationally distributed secretariat spanning the globe and providing a platform for co-design, co-production, and co-delivery of knowledge to support research on the earth system, global development and transformation toward sustainability. The Future Earth secretariat has an innovative structure consisting of five global hubs functioning as a single entity; these hubs are located in Canada, Japan, France, Sweden, and the United States. The secretariat's reach is extended through a set of regional hubs covering Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, with the potential to expand to additional areas. This secretariat will operate under the auspices of the Future Earth Governing Council The Future Earth Secretariat will support and enable the implementation of knowledge-sharing between research and stakeholder communities to enable society to cope with and to alter global environmental trends, and to transition society toward sustainability. The secretariat will provide coordination support to over 25 global environmental core projects and committees; coordinate scientific work across the whole Future Earth agenda; develop and implement innovative mechanisms for bottom-up inputs, synthesis and integration. Future Earth, as a research program, aims to support global transformations toward sustainability through partnerships among scientific and stakeholder communities worldwide. It brings together existing international environmental research core projects associated with DIVERSITAS, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, the International Human Dimensions Programme, and the World Climate Research Programme—to support coordinated, interdisciplinary research that can be used by decision makers seeking to reduce their impact and provide more sustainable products and services. USGCRP partners with Future Earth through scientific participation in

  19. ENRICH Forum: Ethical aNd Regulatory Issues in Cancer ResearcH

    Science.gov (United States)

    ENRICH Forum: Ethical aNd Regulatory Issues in Cancer ResearcH, designed to stimulate dialogue on ethical and regulatory issues in cancer research and promote awareness of developing policies and best practices.

  20. Future trends and emerging issues for nanodelivery systems in oral and oropharyngeal cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irimie AI

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Alexandra Iulia Irimie,1 Laura Sonea,2 Ancuta Jurj,3 Nikolay Mehterov,4,5 Alina Andreea Zimta,2,3 Liviuta Budisan,3 Cornelia Braicu,3 Ioana Berindan-Neagoe2,3,6 1Department of Prosthodontics and Dental Materials, Faculty of Dental Medicine, 2MedFuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, 3Research Center for Functional Genomics and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 4Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 5Technological Center for Emergency Medicine, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; 6Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Abstract: Oral cancer is a prevalent cancer type on a global scale, whose traditional treatment strategies have several drawbacks that could in the near future be overcome through the development of novel therapeutic and prognostic strategies. Nanotechnology provides an alternative to traditional therapy that leads to enhanced efficiency and less toxicity. Various nanosystems have been developed for the treatment of oral cancer, including polymeric, metallic, and lipid-based formulations that incorporate chemotherapeutics, natural compounds, siRNA, or other molecules. This review summarizes the main benefits of using these nanosystems, in parallel with a particular focus on the issues encountered in medical practice. These novel strategies have provided encouraging results in both in vitro and in vivo studies, but few have entered clinical trials. The use of nanosystems in oral cancer has the potential of becoming a valid therapeutic option for patients suffering from this malignancy, considering that clinical trials have already been completed and others are currently being developed. Keywords: oral cancer, nanoparticle, lipidic nanosystems, polymeric micelles, dendrimers

  1. Methodological Issues in HIV-Related Social Research in Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AJRH Managing Editor

    Methodological Issues in HIV/AIDS Social Research in Nigeria ... convaincue au commencement de l'étude qu'une étude sur l'interaction entre le VIH/sida et les questions sensibles comme les ..... One of the vexed issues was the requirement.

  2. Advancing research on loyalty programs: a future research agenda

    OpenAIRE

    Breugelmans, Els; Bijmolt, Tammo H. A.; Zhang, Jie; Basso, Leonardo J.; Dorotic, Matilda; Kopalle, Praveen; Minnema, Alec; Mijnlieff, Willem Jan; Wünderlich, Nancy V.

    2015-01-01

    This is the authors’ accepted and refereed manuscript to the article Despite the growing literature on loyalty program (LP) research, many questions remain underexplored. Driven by advancements in information technology, marketing analytics, and consumer interface platforms (e.g., mobile devices), there have been many recent developments in LP practices around the world. They impose new challenges and create exciting opportunities for future LP research. The main objective of this paper is...

  3. Exploring Ethical Issues Associated with Using Online Surveys in Educational Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Lynne D.; Allen, Peter J.

    2015-01-01

    Online surveys are increasingly used in educational research, yet little attention has focused on ethical issues associated with their use in educational settings. Here, we draw on the broader literature to discuss 5 key ethical issues in the context of educational survey research: dual teacher/researcher roles; informed consent; use of…

  4. Fifty Years of Quasars From Early Observations and Ideas to Future Research

    CERN Document Server

    Marziani, Paola; Sulentic, Jack

    2012-01-01

    The 50th anniversary of the discovery of quasars in 1963 presents an interesting opportunity to ask questions about the current state of quasar research. Formatted as a series of interviews with noted researchers in the field, each of them asked to address a specific set of questions covering topics selected by the editors, this book deals with the historical development of quasar research and discusses how advances in instrumentation and computational capabilities have benefitted quasar astronomy and have changed our basic understanding of quasars. In the last part of the book the interviews address the current topic of the role of quasars in galaxy evolution. They summarise open issues in understanding active galactic nuclei and quasars and present an outlook regarding what future observational facilities both on the ground and in space might reveal. Its interview format, the fascinating topic of quasars and black holes, and the lively recollections and at times controversial views of the contributors make ...

  5. Needs and Requirements for Future Research Reactors (ORNL Perspectives)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ilas, Germina; Bryan, Chris; Gehin, Jess C.

    2016-01-01

    The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) is a vital national and international resource for neutron science research, production of radioisotopes, and materials irradiation. While HFIR is expected to continue operation for the foreseeable future, interest is growing in understanding future research reactors features, needs, and requirements. To clarify, discuss, and compile these needs from the perspective of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) research and development (R&D) missions, a workshop, titled ''Needs and Requirements for Future Research Reactors'', was held at ORNL on May 12, 2015. The workshop engaged ORNL staff that is directly involved in research using HFIR to collect valuable input on the reactor's current and future missions. The workshop provided an interactive forum for a fruitful exchange of opinions, and included a mix of short presentations and open discussions. ORNL staff members made 15 technical presentations based on their experience and areas of expertise, and discussed those capabilities of the HFIR and future research reactors that are essential for their current and future R&D needs. The workshop was attended by approximately 60 participants from three ORNL directorates. The agenda is included in Appendix A. This document summarizes the feedback provided by workshop contributors and participants. It also includes information and insights addressing key points that originated from the dialogue started at the workshop. A general overview is provided on the design features and capabilities of high performance research reactors currently in use or under construction worldwide. Recent and ongoing design efforts in the US and internationally are briefly summarized, followed by conclusions and recommendations.

  6. Challenges and issues facing the future of nursing education: implications for ethnic minority faculty and students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Sheila P; Davis, Danyetta D

    2010-01-01

    Current trends in higher education in the United States demand that nursing take stock of how it is prepared or being prepared to face challenges and issues impacting on its future. The intense effort made to attract students to pursue advanced training in science and engineering in the United States pales in comparison to the numbers of science and engineering majors produced yearly in international schools. As a result, more and more jobs are being outsourced to international markets. Could international outsourcing become a method of nursing education? Authors submit that to remain competitive, the nursing profession must attract a younger cohort of technologically savvy students and faculty reflective of the growing diverse population in the United States. Additionally, nursing programs in research universities face even more daunting challenges as it relates to mandates for funded research programs of educational units. This article offers suggestions and recommendations for nursing programs in higher education institutions on ways to attract and retain ethnic minorities and of how to harness the power of research to address burgeoning societal health challenges.

  7. VVER operational safety improvements: lessons learnt from European co-operation and future research needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pazdera, F.; Vasa, I.; Zd'arek, J.

    2003-01-01

    The paper summarises involvement of Nuclear Research Institute Rez (NRI) in the areas which are directly related to Reactor Operational Safety and Plant Life Management, it also gives an idea how results of the research projects can be used to enhance safety of VVER reactors. These issues are for many years subject of a wide international co-operation effort, covered by such programmes as PHARE, OECD/NEA TACIS, 5th Framework Programme. Nuclear Research Institute participated in the majority of these programmes and projects, which allowed us to evaluate benefits (especially for VVER reactors) of the projects already finalised or running, as well as to formulate so-called 'future research needs', which possibly may be pursued within 6th Framework Programme. The paper highlights the main features of some projects our Institute was and is involved in, emphasising the most important results, expectations and future needs. It also very briefly, deals with some general and particular lessons learnt within these projects and their application to VVER reactors, especially as to their safety improvement. The paper also mentions VVER-focused projects and activities, co-ordinated by the OECD, which should enable to extend multilateral contacts already existing between organisations of the EU countries to include organisations from Russia, USA, Japan and possibly some other countries

  8. Thirty Years of Social Science Research on High-Level Nuclear Waste: Achievements and Future Challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solomon, Barry D.; Andren, Mats; Strandberg, Urban

    2010-09-01

    Research on high-level nuclear waste management has focused on technical and scientific issues since the U.S. National Academy of Sciences first studied the problem in the mid 1950s and recommended long-term disposal in deep salt formations. In this review, we trace the development of the problem's definition and its associated research since socioeconomic, political and policy issues were first given consideration and nuclear waste management became recognized as more than a technical issue. Three time periods are identified. First, from the mid 1970s to early 1980s, initial research explored institutional dimensions of nuclear waste, including ethics. The second period began in the early 1980s with a concerted effort to solve the problem and site nuclear waste repositories, and ended in the mid 1990s with minimal progress in the U.S. and general stalemate in Asia and Europe (with the notable exception of Sweden). This phase accelerated research on risk perception and stigma of nuclear waste, and elevated a focus on public trust. Great attention was given to repository siting conflicts, while minimal attention was placed on ethics, equity, political systems, and public participation. The last period, since the mid 1990s, has been characterized by continuing political stalemate and increased attention to public participation, political systems and international solutions. Questions of ethics have been given renewed attention, while research on risk perceptions and siting conflicts continues. We frame these periods in a broader context of the shifting role of applied social scientists. The paper concludes with a general discussion of this research area and prospects for future research

  9. Thirty Years of Social Science Research on High-Level Nuclear Waste: Achievements and Future Challenges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solomon, Barry D. (Dept. of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton (United States)), e-mail: bdsolomo@mtu.edu; Andren, Mats; Strandberg, Urban (Center for Public Sector Research, Univ. of Goeteborg, Goeteborg (Sweden))

    2010-09-15

    Research on high-level nuclear waste management has focused on technical and scientific issues since the U.S. National Academy of Sciences first studied the problem in the mid 1950s and recommended long-term disposal in deep salt formations. In this review, we trace the development of the problem's definition and its associated research since socioeconomic, political and policy issues were first given consideration and nuclear waste management became recognized as more than a technical issue. Three time periods are identified. First, from the mid 1970s to early 1980s, initial research explored institutional dimensions of nuclear waste, including ethics. The second period began in the early 1980s with a concerted effort to solve the problem and site nuclear waste repositories, and ended in the mid 1990s with minimal progress in the U.S. and general stalemate in Asia and Europe (with the notable exception of Sweden). This phase accelerated research on risk perception and stigma of nuclear waste, and elevated a focus on public trust. Great attention was given to repository siting conflicts, while minimal attention was placed on ethics, equity, political systems, and public participation. The last period, since the mid 1990s, has been characterized by continuing political stalemate and increased attention to public participation, political systems and international solutions. Questions of ethics have been given renewed attention, while research on risk perceptions and siting conflicts continues. We frame these periods in a broader context of the shifting role of applied social scientists. The paper concludes with a general discussion of this research area and prospects for future research

  10. Methodological issues of postoperative cognitive dysfunction research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Funder, Kamilia S; Steinmetz, Jacob; Rasmussen, Lars S

    2010-01-01

    to reveal postoperative cognitive decline, and questionnaires are not useful for this purpose. There is a profound lack of consensus regarding the research methodology for detection of cognitive deterioration, especially the diagnostic criteria. Issues, such as baseline performance, learning effects...

  11. Ethical Issues and Best Practice Considerations for Internet Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colvin, Jan; Lanigan, Jane

    2005-01-01

    With rapidly increasing public use of the Internet and advances in Web technologies, family and consumer sciences researchers have the opportunity to conduct Internet-based research. However, online research raises critical ethical issues concerning human subjects that have an impact on research practices. This article provides a review of the…

  12. Issues in the definition and measurement of drinking outcomes in alcoholism treatment research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babor, T F; Longabaugh, R; Zweben, A; Fuller, R K; Stout, R L; Anton, R F; Randall, C L

    1994-12-01

    This article reviews methodological and conceptual issues regarding the choice of drinking outcome measures in alcoholism treatment research. The following issues are discussed: Should drinking outcomes be conceptualized in terms of an underlying unitary disorder, or should provision be made for independent outcomes that cover a wide variety of dimensions? Which drinking outcomes are typically measured in treatment evaluation studies and how are they operationalized? What are the empirical associations among drinking outcome measures? If multiple outcomes are measured, which should be given primary importance? Over what period of time should treatment outcome be evaluated? What procedures can be used to detect, correct or prevent the response bias associated with verbal report methods? Because outcome measures need to fit the hypotheses and practical needs of a particular study, it is unlikely that complete standardization can be achieved across all studies. Nevertheless, given the importance of drinking outcomes and the need for economy, two primary dependent measures are recommended: (1) proportion of available drinking days abstinent; and (2) intensity of drinking, as defined by the total amount consumed (in ounces absolute alcohol) during the follow-up period divided by the number of actual drinking days. This article also proposes a strategy that may help to guide the selection of outcome measures in future research.

  13. The Future of FM in the Nordic Countries and a Possible Common Research Agenda

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Per Anker; Andersen, Per Dannemand; Rasmussen, Birgitte

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To identify trends and challenges in relation to the FM profession in the Nordic countries and to identify inputs to a common Nordic research agenda. Theory: The study is based on theory from innovation systems and strategic foresight. Based on a literature review an innovation systems...... that the main issues vary considerably between the four countries, both with regards to megatrends in the strategic environments, the current trends and challenges and the future needs for new competences and knowledge. Despite the large national differences the study is able to identify joint interest across...

  14. Ethics in family violence research: cross-cultural issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontes, L A

    1998-01-01

    This article examines ethical issues in cross-cultural research on family violence. It suggests ways for researchers to increase understanding and avoid abuses of power. Special attention to informed consent, definition of the sample, composition of the research team, research methods, and potential harm and benefit are considered key to designing ethical cross-cultural research. The discussion is illustrated with examples from the literature and from the author's experiences conducting research on sexual abuse in a shanty town in Chile and with Puerto Ricans in the U.S.

  15. Some reflections on researches of Future Earth changes in air quality and climate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Ye Zhang

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Within the context of our current research and understanding of climate change, decisionmakers are particularly concerned with the extent of future climate change, its comprehensive impact, and the types of socioeconomic pathways available with respect to mitigation and adaptation. Among the factors contributing to these important issues, the role of air pollution in global and regional climate warming remains as one of the largest uncertainties. On the basis of understanding of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, specifically, in the role of air pollution in climate change, scenarios establishment, and relationship between the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs. Weaknesses and reflections were discussed here especially in strengthening impact, adaptation and mitigation research that related with changes in air pollution and climate. In the future, there are needs to in-depth understand how and why the air pollution in China is so serious and changing; to understand the likely future changes in air pollution and climate; to strengthen comprehensive impact research and selective reduction strategies related to changes in air pollution and climate. Furthermore, this study outlines the needs to develop strategies to close the loop of differential impacts and costs; to establish co-benefits and sustainable development goals, to identify the crucial risks and options for synergies/trade-offs; to integrate sector-specific details with macro-economics, and to integrate the assessments of the various policy instruments. All these focus areas will help to facilitate the transition of economic development patterns towards green and low-carbon development.

  16. Introduction: The Future of Social Movement Research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stekelenburg, Jacquelien Van; Roggeband, Conny; Stekelenburg, Jacquelien Van; Roggeband, Conny; Klandermans, Bert

    2013-01-01

    In The Future of Social Movement Research, some of the most influential scholars in the field provide a wide-ranging understanding of how social movements arise and persist, engendering unanswered questions pointing to new theoretical strands and fields of research. The resulting work is

  17. What are the priorities for future success in critical care research in the UK? Report from a national stakeholder meeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Tim; Brett, Stephen J

    2015-11-01

    Critical care in the United Kingdom is now well-established in terms of professional status, standards of clinical practice and training, and national audit through professional bodies and government representation. Research is fundamental to the further development and maturation of the specialty, to develop new therapies and technologies, more efficient and effective service organisation, and to improve patient and family experience and outcomes. Critical care research has expanded rapidly in the UK, and now has established organisations and infrastructure to share and develop ideas, through the UK Critical Care Research Forum and similar meetings. In September 2014, the Intensive Care Foundation and Critical Care Leadership Forum hosted a research colloquium to reflect, in part, on achievements, but more importantly plan for the future. With an invited list of participants the meeting explored firstly - the practical delivery of clinical research and secondly - the future financing landscape, from both academic funders' and commercial developers' perspectives. The following article summarises the important 'take home' messages from this meeting and suggests key issues for future strategy.

  18. DDoS Attacks in Cloud Computing: Issues, Taxonomy, and Future Directions

    OpenAIRE

    Somani, Gaurav; Gaur, Manoj Singh; Sanghi, Dheeraj; Conti, Mauro; Buyya, Rajkumar

    2015-01-01

    Security issues related to the cloud computing are relevant to various stakeholders for an informed cloud adoption decision. Apart from data breaches, the cyber security research community is revisiting the attack space for cloud-specific solutions as these issues affect budget, resource management, and service quality. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is one such serious attack in the cloud space. In this paper, we present developments related to DDoS attack mitigation solutions i...

  19. Roadmapping Future E-Government Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bicking, Melanie

    Global electronic markets, virtual organisations, virtual identities, virtual products and services, and Internet-related crime are growing in prominence and importance. In a world that is increasingly non-physical and borderless, what are government's roles, responsibilities and limitations? The Internet plays a central role within the transformation process from traditional governments towards modern and innovative government that the requirements of an Information Society. Based on the findings of the eGovRTD2020 project, that aims at identifying key research challenges and at implementing a model for a holistic government with horizon 2020, this paper explains the necessity to investigate and understand the Internet and in particular government's role and responsibilities in it. Furthermore, the paper provides a research roadmap that details how to address certain issue related research questions.

  20. The Role of MTurk in Education Research: Advantages, Issues, and Future Directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Follmer, D. Jake; Sperling, Rayne A.; Suen, Hoi K.

    2017-01-01

    The advent of online platforms such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) has expanded considerably researchers' options for collecting research data. Many researchers, however, express understandable skepticism of the viability of using platforms such as MTurk. In this article, we provide a background on the use of MTurk as a mechanism for…

  1. Introduction to the special section on "Hormones and cognition: perspectives, controversies, and challenges for future research".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frick, Karyn M

    2012-02-01

    The research of the past two decades has firmly established that hormones modulate numerous aspects of cognitive function, including memory, attention, decision-making, and sensory processing. That such a wide variety of hormones influence cognition mediated by multiple nonhypothalamic brain regions illustrates the critical importance of hormones to neural and cognitive function. The diversity of hormonal effects on cognition is evident in the collection of reviews and original research articles assembled for this special section. Together, these articles provide an overview of recent research on varied topics in hormones and cognition, address controversial issues in the field, and discuss challenges that must be overcome in future research to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms through which hormones modulate cognitive function.

  2. Assessing the impact of systematic reviews on future research: two case studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viswanathan, Meera; Nerz, Patrick; Dalberth, Barbara; Voisin, Christiane; Lohr, Kathleen N; Tant, Elizabeth; Jonas, Daniel E; Carey, Timothy

    2012-07-01

    To evaluate the impact of systematic reviews on research funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) through Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs), and to identify barriers to and facilitators for the effects of these documents on future research. Two AHRQ systematic reviews were selected as case studies to evaluate their impact on future research. Key citations generated by these reports were identified through ISI Web of Science and PubMed Central and traced forward to identify effects on subsequent studies through citation analysis from updated systematic reviews on the topics. Requests for applications and program announcements from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts website were reviewed and dissemination data were obtained from AHRQ. Finally, interviews were conducted with 13 key informants to help identify short-, medium- and long-term impacts of the EPC reviews. The measurable impact of the two EPC reviews is demonstrably greater on short-term outcomes (greater awareness of the issues) than on medium-term (e.g., the generation of new knowledge) or long-term outcomes (e.g., changes in patient practice or health outcomes). Factors such as the topic and the timing of the report relative to the development of the field may explain the impact of these two AHRQ reports. The degree to which the new research can be directly attributed to the AHRQ reviews remains unclear. Key informants discussed several benefits stemming from the EPC reports, including providing a foundation for the research community on which to build, heightening awareness of the gaps in knowledge, increasing the quality of research and sparking new directions of research. However, the degree to which these reports were influential hinged on several factors including marketing efforts, the very nature of the reports and other influences external to the EPC domain. The findings outlined in this article illustrate the importance of numerous factors influencing future

  3. Vitamin D and the brain: key questions for future research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Xiaoying; Gooch, Helen; Groves, Natalie J; Sah, Pankaj; Burne, Thomas H; Eyles, Darryl W; McGrath, John J

    2015-04-01

    Over the last decade a convergent body of evidence has emerged from epidemiology, animal experiments and clinical trials which links low vitamin D status with a range of adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes. This research demonstrates that the timing of exposure to low vitamin D influences the nature of brain phenotypes, as exposures during gestation versus adulthood result in different phenotypes. With respect to early life exposures, there is robust evidence from rodent experiments indicating that transient developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is associated with changes in brain structure, neurochemistry, gene and protein expression and behavior. In particular, DVD deficiency is associated with alterations in the dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems. In contrast, recently published animal experiments indicate that adult vitamin D (AVD) deficiency is associated with more subtle neurochemical and behavioral phenotypes. This paper explores key issues that need to be addressed in future research. There is a need to define the timing and duration of the 'critical window' during which low vitamin D status is associated with differential and adverse brain outcomes. We discuss the role for 'two-hit hypotheses', which propose that adult vitamin D deficiency leaves the brain more vulnerable to secondary adverse exposures, and thus may exacerbate disease progression. Finally, we explore the evidence implicating a role for vitamin D in rapid, non-genomic mechanisms that may involve L-type calcium channels and brain function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled '17th Vitamin D Workshop'. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Methodological issues involved in conducting qualitative research ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The purpose of this article is to describe the methodological issues involved in conducting qualitative research to explore and describe nurses' experience of being directly involved with termination of pregnancies and developing guidelines for support for these nurses. The article points out the sensitivity and responsibility ...

  5. Leaders, leadership and future primary care clinical research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qureshi Nadeem

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A strong and self confident primary care workforce can deliver the highest quality care and outcomes equitably and cost effectively. To meet the increasing demands being made of it, primary care needs its own thriving research culture and knowledge base. Methods Review of recent developments supporting primary care clinical research. Results Primary care research has benefited from a small group of passionate leaders and significant investment in recent decades in some countries. Emerging from this has been innovation in research design and focus, although less is known of the effect on research output. Conclusion Primary care research is now well placed to lead a broad re-vitalisation of academic medicine, answering questions of relevance to practitioners, patients, communities and Government. Key areas for future primary care research leaders to focus on include exposing undergraduates early to primary care research, integrating this early exposure with doctoral and postdoctoral research career support, further expanding cross disciplinary approaches, and developing useful measures of output for future primary care research investment.

  6. Ethical issues in paleopathological and anthropological research experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Licata, Marta; Monza, Francesca

    2017-10-23

    In recent years, archaeologists and anthropologists involved in the study of human remains have had to take into consideration ethical issues, which have come to the fore. The aim of this study is to illustrate the ethical and religious issues involved in relation to the positions of researchers. Ethical issues involve the different study phases of human remains: archaeological excavation, anthropological analysis and, finally, museum display. Osteoarchaeological remains may find a place in museums. However, in recent years, even the display of human remains museum has had to face new important ethical issue involving previously ignored or neglected aspect. The adoption of Native American Grave Protection Act in 1990 in the United States and the Human Tissue Act in 2004 in England, has created new scenarios relating to the storage of human remains in museum. All this caused a series of changes in the study of human remains, but many issues remain open to debate.

  7. Status of muon collider research and development and future plans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    1999-08-01

    Full Text Available The status of the research on muon colliders is discussed and plans are outlined for future theoretical and experimental studies. Besides work on the parameters of a 3–4 and 0.5 TeV center-of-mass (COM energy collider, many studies are now concentrating on a machine near 0.1 TeV (COM that could be a factory for the s-channel production of Higgs particles. We discuss the research on the various components in such muon colliders, starting from the proton accelerator needed to generate pions from a heavy-Z target and proceeding through the phase rotation and decay (π→μν_{μ} channel, muon cooling, acceleration, storage in a collider ring, and the collider detector. We also present theoretical and experimental R&D plans for the next several years that should lead to a better understanding of the design and feasibility issues for all of the components. This report is an update of the progress on the research and development since the feasibility study of muon colliders presented at the Snowmass '96 Workshop [R. B. Palmer, A. Sessler, and A. Tollestrup, Proceedings of the 1996 DPF/DPB Summer Study on High-Energy Physics (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA, 1997].

  8. Ethical Issues in the Use of Humans for Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashaw, W. L.

    The APA Ethical Principles, the University of Georgia policy, standard research texts, and research literature on specific methodologies, all in relation to ethical issues in human research, are discussed. The 10 APA principles state, in essence, that the investigator is responsible for what happens, that confidentiality and the protection of the…

  9. Issues and special features of animal health research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ducrot Christian

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In the rapidly changing context of research on animal health, INRA launched a collective discussion on the challenges facing the field, its distinguishing features, and synergies with biomedical research. As has been declared forcibly by the heads of WHO, FAO and OIE, the challenges facing animal health, beyond diseases transmissible to humans, are critically important and involve food security, agriculture economics, and the ensemble of economic activities associated with agriculture. There are in addition issues related to public health (zoonoses, xenobiotics, antimicrobial resistance, the environment, and animal welfare. Animal health research is distinguished by particular methodologies and scientific questions that stem from the specific biological features of domestic species and from animal husbandry practices. It generally does not explore the same scientific questions as research on human biology, even when the same pathogens are being studied, and the discipline is rooted in a very specific agricultural and economic context. Generic and methodological synergies nevertheless exist with biomedical research, particularly with regard to tools and biological models. Certain domestic species furthermore present more functional similarities with humans than laboratory rodents. The singularity of animal health research in relation to biomedical research should be taken into account in the organization, evaluation, and funding of the field through a policy that clearly recognizes the specific issues at stake. At the same time, the One Health approach should facilitate closer collaboration between biomedical and animal health research at the level of research teams and programmes.

  10. Issues and special features of animal health research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ducrot, Christian; Bed'hom, Bertrand; Béringue, Vincent; Coulon, Jean-Baptiste; Fourichon, Christine; Guérin, Jean-Luc; Krebs, Stéphane; Rainard, Pascal; Schwartz-Cornil, Isabelle; Torny, Didier; Vayssier-Taussat, Muriel; Zientara, Stephan; Zundel, Etienne; Pineau, Thierry

    2011-08-24

    In the rapidly changing context of research on animal health, INRA launched a collective discussion on the challenges facing the field, its distinguishing features, and synergies with biomedical research. As has been declared forcibly by the heads of WHO, FAO and OIE, the challenges facing animal health, beyond diseases transmissible to humans, are critically important and involve food security, agriculture economics, and the ensemble of economic activities associated with agriculture. There are in addition issues related to public health (zoonoses, xenobiotics, antimicrobial resistance), the environment, and animal welfare.Animal health research is distinguished by particular methodologies and scientific questions that stem from the specific biological features of domestic species and from animal husbandry practices. It generally does not explore the same scientific questions as research on human biology, even when the same pathogens are being studied, and the discipline is rooted in a very specific agricultural and economic context.Generic and methodological synergies nevertheless exist with biomedical research, particularly with regard to tools and biological models. Certain domestic species furthermore present more functional similarities with humans than laboratory rodents.The singularity of animal health research in relation to biomedical research should be taken into account in the organization, evaluation, and funding of the field through a policy that clearly recognizes the specific issues at stake. At the same time, the One Health approach should facilitate closer collaboration between biomedical and animal health research at the level of research teams and programmes.

  11. Sampling in Qualitative Research: Rationale, Issues, and Methods

    OpenAIRE

    LUBORSKY, MARK R.; RUBINSTEIN, ROBERT L.

    1995-01-01

    In gerontology the most recognized and elaborate discourse about sampling is generally thought to be in quantitative research associated with survey research and medical research. But sampling has long been a central concern in the social and humanistic inquiry, albeit in a different guise suited to the different goals. There is a need for more explicit discussion of qualitative sampling issues. This article will outline the guiding principles and rationales, features, and practices of sampli...

  12. Future Research on Cyber-Physical Emergency Management Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Jing Wu

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Cyber-physical systems that include human beings and vehicles in a built environment, such as a building or a city, together with sensor networks and decision support systems have attracted much attention. In emergencies, which also include mobile searchers and rescuers, the interactions among civilians and the environment become much more diverse, and the complexity of the emergency response also becomes much greater. This paper surveys current research on sensor-assisted evacuation and rescue systems and discusses the related research issues concerning communication protocols for sensor networks, as well as several other important issues, such as the integrated asynchronous control of large-scale emergency response systems, knowledge discovery for rescue and prototyping platforms. Then, we suggest directions for further research.

  13. Future Public Policy and Ethical Issues Facing the Agricultural and Microbial Genomics Sectors of the Biotechnology Industry: A Roundtable Discussion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diane E. Hoffmann

    2003-09-12

    On September 12, 2003, the University of Maryland School of Law's Intellectual Property and Law & Health Care Programs jointly sponsored and convened a roundtable discussion on the future public policy and ethical issues that will likely face the agricultural and microbial genomics sectors of the biotechnology industry. As this industry has developed over the last two decades, societal concerns have moved from what were often local issues, e.g., the safety of laboratories where scientists conducted recombinant DNA research on transgenic microbes, animals and crops, to more global issues. These newer issues include intellectual property, international trade, risks of genetically engineered foods and microbes, bioterrorism, and marketing and labeling of new products sold worldwide. The fast paced nature of the biotechnology industry and its new developments often mean that legislators, regulators and society, in general, must play ''catch up'' in their efforts to understand the issues, the risks, and even the benefits, that may result from the industry's new ways of conducting research, new products, and novel methods of product marketing and distribution. The goal of the roundtable was to develop a short list of the most significant public policy and ethical issues that will emerge as a result of advances in these sectors of the biotechnology industry over the next five to six years. More concretely, by ''most significant'' the conveners meant the types of issues that would come to the attention of members of Congress or state legislators during this time frame and for which they would be better prepared if they had well researched and timely background information. A concomitant goal was to provide a set of focused issues for academic debate and scholarship so that policy makers, industry leaders and regulators would have the intellectual resources they need to better understand the issues and concerns at stake. The

  14. Future of research libraries

    CERN Document Server

    Naryandas, Narakesari; Kindström, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    Research libraries have been an integral part of the scholarly communication system since that system emerged in its present form. They now face a period of unprecedentedly drastic and rapid change. This is caused, first and foremost, by the migration of much scholarly material to digital formats, raising the question of the future purpose of the 'library space'. Together with this come transfigurational changes to the communication change of recorded information, with the roles of authors , publishers, database producers and librarians and archivists all in a state of flux. Finally, new forms

  15. Clinical Research with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Challenges and Future Directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunoni, Andre Russowsky; Nitsche, Michael A.; Bolognini, Nadia; Bikson, Marom; Wagner, Tim; Merabet, Lotfi; Edwards, Dylan J.; Valero-Cabre, Antoni; Rotenberg, Alexander; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Ferrucci, Roberta; Priori, Alberto; Boggio, Paulo; Fregni, Felipe

    2011-01-01

    Background Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulatory technique that delivers low-intensity, direct current to cortical areas facilitating or inhibiting spontaneous neuronal activity. In the past ten years, tDCS physiological mechanisms of action have been intensively investigated giving support for the investigation of its applications in clinical neuropsychiatry and rehabilitation. However, new methodological, ethical, and regulatory issues emerge when translating the findings of preclinical and phase I studies into phase II and III clinical studies. The aim of this comprehensive review is to discuss the key challenges of this process and possible methods to address them. Methods We convened a workgroup of researchers in the field to review, discuss and provide updates and key challenges of neuromodulation use for clinical research. Main Findings/Discussion We reviewed several basic and clinical studies in the field and identified potential limitations, taking into account the particularities of the technique. We review and discuss the findings into four topics: (i) mechanisms of action of tDCS, parameters of use and computer-based human brain modeling investigating electric current fields and magnitude induced by tDCS; (ii) methodological aspects related to the clinical research of tDCS as divided according to study phase (i.e., preclinical, phase I, phase II and phase III studies); (iii) ethical and regulatory concerns; (iv) future directions regarding novel approaches, novel devices, and future studies involving tDCS. Finally, we propose some alternative methods to facilitate clinical research on tDCS. PMID:22037126

  16. Future plans on the Kyoto University Research Reactor (KUR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibata, Seiichi

    2000-01-01

    The Research Reactor Institute (RRI), Kyoto University, for aiming at performing the 'Experiments using a reactor and its related research', was established in Showa 38 (1963) as a cooperative research institute for universities and so on in allover Japan. Operation using KUR of one of main facilities in RRI was started by 1 MW of its rated output in 1964, and converted to 5 MW in 1968, after which through development , addition and modification of various research apparatus it has been proposed to the cooperative application researches with universities and so on in allover Japan, hitherto. Among these periods, its research organization is improved to six departments containing twenty divisions and two attached research facilities to progress some investigations on future plans at RRI for response to new researching trends. Here were described on present state of research on use of low concentrated uranium fuels at research reactor, and future plans on neutron factory and hybrid reactor. The former aims at establishment of a new research facility capable of alternating to KUR for future academic research on research reactor containing high quality and high degree application of neutron field and safety management and feature upgrading of nuclear energy. And, the latter aims at development on an accelerator drive uncritical reactor combined an accelerator neutron source and an uncritical reactor. (G.K.)

  17. The Job Demands?Resources model: Challenges for future research

    OpenAIRE

    Demerouti, Eva; Bakke, Arnold B.

    2011-01-01

    textabstractMotivation: The motivation of this overview is to present the state of the art of Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model whilst integrating the various contributions to the special issue. Research purpose: To provide an overview of the JD-R model, which incorporates many possible working conditions and focuses on both negative and positive indicators of employee well-being. Moreover, the studies of the special issue were introduced. Research design: Qualitative and quantitative studie...

  18. Navy Telemedicine: Current Research and Future Directions

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reed, Cheryl

    2002-01-01

    .... This report reviews military and civilian models for evaluating telemedicine systems in order to determine future directions for Navy telemedicine research within the current funding environment...

  19. Gender Issues in Action Research: Implications for Adult Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heiskanen, Tuula

    2006-01-01

    Gender equality is a widely recognized value. Still, on the practical level, it is not easy to achieve true gender equality. Gender has proved to be a complicated issue both for research and practice. Gender change projects trying to make changes in detected disadvantages have repeatedly run into a problem: it is difficult to put gender issues on…

  20. Research issues in preparedness for mass casualty events, disaster, war, and terrorism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinton Walker, Patricia; Garmon Bibb, Sandra C; Elberson, Karen L

    2005-09-01

    This article provides a perspective on the types of research questions that might be explored and strategies used in relation to disaster,terrorism, and mass casualty events. Research is addressed in the context of three areas of focus: issues related to the health care provider; issues affecting the patient, individual, family, and community; and issues related to the health care system.

  1. Advanced nuclear reactor safety issues and research needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    On 18-20 February 2002, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) organised, with the co-sponsorship of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in collaboration with the European Commission (EC), a Workshop on Advanced Nuclear Reactor Safety Issues and Research Needs. Currently, advanced nuclear reactor projects range from the development of evolutionary and advanced light water reactor (LWR) designs to initial work to develop even further advanced designs which go beyond LWR technology (e.g. high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and liquid metal-cooled reactors). These advanced designs include a greater use of advanced technology and safety features than those employed in currently operating plants or approved designs. The objectives of the workshop were to: - facilitate early identification and resolution of safety issues by developing a consensus among participating countries on the identification of safety issues, the scope of research needed to address these issues and a potential approach to their resolution; - promote the preservation of knowledge and expertise on advanced reactor technology; - provide input to the Generation IV International Forum Technology Road-map. In addition, the workshop tried to link advancement of knowledge and understanding of advanced designs to the regulatory process, with emphasis on building public confidence. It also helped to document current views on advanced reactor safety and technology, thereby contributing to preserving knowledge and expertise before it is lost. (author)

  2. PROCEEDINGS OF RIKEN/BNL RESEARCH CENTER WORKSHOP FUTURE TRANSVERSITY MEASUREMENTS (VOLUME 29)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boer, D.; Grosse Perdekamp, M.

    2001-01-01

    The RIKEN-BNL Research Center workshop on ''Future Transversity Measurements'' was held at BNL from September 18-20, 2000. The main goal of the workshop was to explore future measurements of transversity distributions. This issue is of importance to the RHIC experiments, which will study polarized proton-proton collisions with great precision. One of the workshop's goals was to enhance interactions between the DIS community at HERA and the spin community at RHIC in this field. The workshop has been well received by the participants; the number of 69 registered participants demonstrates broad interest in the workshop's topics. The program contained 35 talks and there was ample time for lively discussions. The program covered all recent work in the field and in addition some very elucidating educational talks were given. At the workshop the present status of the field was discussed and it has succeeded in stimulating new experimental and theoretical studies (e.g. model calculations for interference fragmentation functions (IFF), IFF analysis at DELPHI). It also functioned to focus attention on the open questions that need to be resolved for near future experiments. In general, the conclusions were optimistic, i.e. measuring the transversity functions seems to be possible, although some new experimental hurdles will have to be taken

  3. A European Perspective on Auditory Processing Disorder-Current Knowledge and Future Research Focus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    IIiadou, Vasiliki; Ptok, Martin; Grech, Helen

    2017-01-01

    Current notions of "hearing impairment," as reflected in clinical audiological practice, do not acknowledge the needs of individuals who have normal hearing pure tone sensitivity but who experience auditory processing difficulties in everyday life that are indexed by reduced performance in other...... of diseases as H93.25 and in the forthcoming beta eleventh version. APDs may have detrimental effects on the affected individual, with low esteem, anxiety, and depression, and symptoms may remain into adulthood. These disorders may interfere with learning per se and with communication, social, emotional......, and academic-work aspects of life. The objective of the present paper is to define a baseline European APD consensus formulated by experienced clinicians and researchers in this specific field of human auditory science. A secondary aim is to identify issues that future research needs to address in order...

  4. Current and future geothermal research in New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graham, I.J.; Browne, P.; Christenson, B.W.; Hunt, T.M.; Weir, G.

    2000-01-01

    Research programs by Crown Research Institutes (Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd. and Industrial Research Ltd.), university departments (Auckland, Massey and Victoria), power companies and private consultancies aim to obtain a better understanding of currently producing geothermal fields in New Zealand, and of deep geothermal systems which might have potential for future resource development. Research is also being directed at industrial and environmental issues related to exploitation, water-rock alteration processes, changes in shallow geothermal systems with time, and mineralisation as it relates to epithermal ore formation. The chemical and physical environment of geothermal reservoirs in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (e.g. Thames, Kawerau, Ohaaki, Ngatamariki, Wairakei, Tongariro, Tauhara and Tokaanu-Waihi) is being quantified with the aim of developing a suite of magma to ambient production scenarios using numerical, reactive transport models. A variety of geological, geochemical and geophysical techniques including fluid inclusion geothermometry, stable isotope analysis, electromagnetic, micro-seismic and magnetotelluric analysis is providing high quality input data. Through experimentation and computer modelling, criteria for assessing the optimal depths for re-injection of production effluents are being developed, and related problems such as silica and calcite scaling, pipeline insulation and chemical corrosion investigated. Paths, flow mechanisms and flow rates of re-injection plumes are being modelled using electrical resistivity, micro-gravity and radioisotope tracer methods. Environmental effects related to testing and development, presently causing concern amongst local authorities and the public, are being quantitatively assessed, and recommendations made to mitigate them. The mechanical and petrological properties of rocks in shallow aquifers undergoing ground subsidence are being determined, and the extent and style of ground deformation investigated

  5. Ethical issues in international biomedical research: an overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, Alice K

    2004-01-01

    Human subjects research has been the focus of numerous controversies over the years. The dilemma lies between the potential harm to individuals who participate in research and the knowledge to be gained from the research study that might benefit society. When research is conducted in developing countries by researchers and sponsors from the United States and other industrialized countries, differences in history, culture, politics, wealth, and power between the countries give rise to unique challenges. In this Article, the author identifies several ethical issues to be considered when research is conducted in developing countries and provides the legal and ethical framework for their resolution.

  6. Risk to researchers in qualitative research on sensitive topics: issues and strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickson-Swift, Virginia; James, Erica L; Kippen, Sandra; Liamputtong, Pranee

    2008-01-01

    Traditionally, risk assessments in research have been limited to examining the risks to the research participants. Although doing so is appropriate and important, there is growing recognition that undertaking research can pose risks to researchers as well. A grounded theory study involving a range of researchers who had undertaken qualitative health research on a sensitive topic was completed. Analysis of the in-depth, face-to-face unstructured individual interviews with 30 Australian public health researchers provided evidence that researchers do confront a number of physical and emotional risks when undertaking research. Training, preparation, and supervision must be taken into account so that the risk to researchers can be minimized. Researchers need to consider occupational health and safety issues in designing research projects that deal with physical and emotional risks. Recommendations for professional supervision, policy development, and minimum training standards for researchers are provided.

  7. Marine Radioecology. Current Research and Future Scope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1967-03-01

    This report consists of answers submitted by various laboratory directors or individual investigators who responded to an International Atomic Energy Agency questionnaire concerning their present research programme, future scope of that programme, the investigators' ideas and opinions on marine radioecology research. Information on the possibility of co-operation with other laboratories is also included

  8. A Vision for the Future of Environmental Research: Creating Environmental Intelligence Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barron, E. J.

    2002-12-01

    The nature of the environmental issues facing our nation demands a capability that allows us to enhance economic vitality, maintain environmental quality, and limit threats to life and property through more fundamental understanding of the Earth. It is "advanced" knowledge of how the system may respond that gives environmental information most of its power and utility. This fact is evident in the demand for new forecasting products, involving air quality, energy demand, water quality and quantity, ultraviolet radiation, and human health indexes. As we demonstrate feasibility and benefit, society is likely to demand a growing number of new operational forecast products on prediction time scales of days to decades into the future. The driving forces that govern our environment are widely recognized, involving primarily weather and climate, patterns of land use and land cover, and resource use with its associated waste products. The importance of these driving forces has been demonstrated by a decade of research on greenhouse gas emissions, ozone depletion and deforestation, and through the birth of Earth System Science. But, there are also major challenges. We find the strongest intersection between human activity, environmental stresses, system interactions and human decision-making in regional analysis coupled to larger spatial scales. In addition, most regions are influenced by multiple-stresses. Multiple, cumulative, and interactive stresses are clearly the most difficult to understand and hence the most difficult to assess and to manage. Currently, we are incapable of addressing these issues in a truly integrated fashion at global scales. The lack of an ability to combine global and regional forcing and to assess the response of the system to multiple stresses at the spatial and temporal scales of interest to humans limits our ability to assess the impacts of specific human perturbations, to assess advantages and risks, and to enhance economic and societal well

  9. Supplier Development Literature Review and Key Future Research Areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muddassir Ahmed

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to develop a Supplier Development (SD literature framework and identify the main focus areas in SD research. To this end, a comprehensive review of the existing SD academic literature has been undertaken, which includes 62 research papers. These papers are classified according to their research content and the research methodology employed. A comprehensive list of future research areas is also presented. Thus, this paper will also briefly explore proposed future research. The review of the SD literature presented here identifies the following main areas of focus: Supplier Development Activities, Practices and Success Factors; Direct or Indirect Supplier Development; Supplier Development as a Reactive or Strategic Process; Supplier Development in a Lean Six Sigma & SME context.

  10. Methodological Issues in Online Qualitative Consumer Behavior Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Žaneta Paunksnienė

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to reveal and discuss the methodological issues related to online qualitative consumer behavior research. A number of methodological issues are examined, related with the online qualitative research on consumer in-store emotional experience implemented by the authors. It is concluded that the Internet is becoming an increasingly attractive environment for consumer behavior research. A large part of scholars use the Internet as a medium for data collection and analysis. At the same time, researchers study the Internet as a source of information about consumer preferences, their virtual communities, prevailing relationships, traditions and attitudes. The Internet is analyzed as a phenomenon in itself, too. In this article, the Internet is analyzed as a tool for communicating with research participants, and collecting, storing and analyzing data. In general, qualitative inquiry is characterized by contextual and naturalistic approach to the study of objects and processes. Therefore, decision to carry out qualitative study in virtual environment must take additional strategic and tactical solutions. Most often, researchers need to decide about the mode of communication that solves time management, spontaneity and security problems. It is also relevant to sampling and its contents. Different solutions from quantitative studies are required in ensuring the ethics and quality of the study. During the analysis of the qualitative data collected through the Internet, mostly in a form of computer communication language (text, specific characteristics, such as backspacing and correction during the communication that impact spontaneity rate, the absence of non-verbal language, etc., are necessary to be taken into accountIt is concluded that all the above-mentioned issues must be addressed individually to the research topic, object, aim, research problem and the specifics of the respondents. When deciding about the method of

  11. Research Library Issues: A Quarterly Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC. RLI 279

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baughman, M. Sue, Ed.

    2012-01-01

    "Research Library Issues" ("RLI") is a quarterly report from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). This issue includes the following articles: (1) Digitization of Special Collections and Archives: Legal and Contractual Issues (Peter B.…

  12. Research Issues in Evaluating Learning Pattern Development in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, John T. E.

    2013-01-01

    This article concludes the special issue of "Studies in Educational Evaluation" concerned with "Evaluating learning pattern development in higher education" by discussing research issues that have emerged from the previous contributions. The article considers in turn: stability versus variability in learning patterns; old versus new analytic…

  13. Future Directions in Parent Education Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaronson, May

    This paper suggests goals for future research programs in parent education. Suggestions include: (1) developing and replicating long-term studies of the effects of parent education, (2) examining the antecedents of adult behavior disorders to plan parenting programs that aim at preventing such disorders, (3) replacing deficit models of parenting…

  14. Focus on the future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanner, M.S.

    1988-01-01

    An assessment is made of what was learned from Halley and recommendations are made for future directions for infrared studies of comets and supporting lab investigations. The following issues are addressed: (1) What steps can be taken to achieve consistent interpretation of Halley infrared data; (2) How successful has the Halley Watch been for infrared studies; (3) What supporting lab research is needed; (4) What are the key infrared observations needed for future comets; and (5) How do current and future NASA programs relate to comet studies

  15. Book Review: Current Issues in International Human Resource Management and Strategy Research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gretzinger, Susanne

    2009-01-01

    The article reviews the book "Current Issues in International Human Resource Management and Strategy Research," edited by Marion Festing and Susanne Royer.......The article reviews the book "Current Issues in International Human Resource Management and Strategy Research," edited by Marion Festing and Susanne Royer....

  16. Special Issue on Gender and Writing | Gender and literacy issues and research: Placing the spotlight on writing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judy M. Parr

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available In this introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Writing Research, we review four decades of research, bringing writing to the forefront in conversations devoted to gender and literacy. We identify the impetus for much of the research on gender and writing and situate the four articles in this special issue within three themes: gender patterns in what and how students write, cognitive and socio-cultural factors influencing gender differences in student writing, and attempts to provide alternatives to stereotypical gender patterns in student writing. These interdisciplinary themes, further developed within the four articles, underscore the need to consider gender as a complex social, cognitive and linguistic characteristic of both reading and writing.

  17. Theory and Theorizing in Nursing Science: Commentary from the Nursing Research Special Issue Editorial Team.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jairath, Nalini N; Peden-McAlpine, Cynthia J; Sullivan, Mary C; Vessey, Judith A; Henly, Susan J

    Articles from three landmark symposia on theory for nursing-published in Nursing Research in 1968-1969-served as a key underpinning for the development of nursing as an academic discipline. The current special issue on Theory and Theorizing in Nursing Science celebrates the 50th anniversary of publication of these seminal works in nursing theory. The purpose of this commentary is to consider the future of nursing theory development in light of articles published in the anniversary issue. The Editorial Team for the special issue identified core questions about continued nursing theory development, as related to the nursing metaparadigm, practice theory, big data, and doctoral education. Using a dialogue format, the editors discussed these core questions. The classic nursing metaparadigm (health, person, environment, nursing) was viewed as a continuing unifying element for the discipline but is in need of revision in today's scientific and practice climates. Practice theory and precision healthcare jointly arise from an emphasis on individualization. Big data and the methods of e-science are challenging the assumptions on which nursing theory development was originally based. Doctoral education for nursing scholarship requires changes to ensure that tomorrow's scholars are prepared to steward the discipline by advancing (not reifying) past approaches to nursing theory. Ongoing reexamination of theory is needed to clarify the domain of nursing, guide nursing science and practice, and direct and communicate the unique and essential contributions of nursing science to the broader health research effort and of nursing to healthcare.

  18. The Future of Nearshore Processes Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elko, N.; Feddersen, F.; Foster, D. L.; Holman, R. A.; McNinch, J.; Ozkan-Haller, H. T.; Plant, N. G.; Raubenheimer, B.; Elgar, S.; Hay, A. E.; Holland, K. T.; Kirby, J. T., Jr.; Lippmann, T. C.; Miller, J. K.; Stockdon, H. F.; Ashton, A. D.; Boehm, A. B.; Clark, D.; Cowen, E.; Dalyander, S.; Gelfenbaum, G. R.; Hapke, C. J.; MacMahan, J.; McNamara, D.; Mulligan, R. P.; Palmsten, M. L.; Ruggiero, P.; Sherwood, C. R.; Hsu, T. J.

    2014-12-01

    Over 70 members of the nearshore coastal processes research community convened in April 2014 to discuss a vision for the future of nearshore science while celebrating the memories and contributions of our recently departed colleague, Abby Sallenger. The participants reviewed community accomplishments over the past four decades. Federal agencies, including FEMA, NOAA, NPS, USGS, USACE, and NRL discussed the most pressing societal needs within the coastal zone. The group engaged in a retrospective of the last four decades of progress, assessed the current status and limitations of nearshore processes research, and developed a vision for the future that focuses on societally relevant problems. The top research topics identified included: Long-term Coastal Impacts: Meaningfully improve our understanding and prediction of the long-term coastal effects of sea level rise and changes in storminess patterns and associated efforts to protect coastal infrastructure. Extreme Events: Coastal flooding, overland flow, and concurrent morphological evolution during extreme events including the subsequent process of coastal recovery. Human and Ecosystem Health: Linkages between physical coastal processes (transport and mixing) and land-based pollution (pathogens, nutrients, toxic contaminants). Critical for addressing these research questions is enabling infrastructure, such as new observational tools and data sets, models, and nearshore-community communication and collaboration. Idea and concepts developed during the meeting (to be published in Shore and Beach) will be presented to foster collaboration and advocacy amongst the wider nearshore community. Meeting materials are available at: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/centers/nearshorefuture/.

  19. Child privacy rights: A ‘Cinderella’ issue in HIV-prevention research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ann Elaine Strode

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Legal debates regarding child participation in HIV research have tended to focus on issues of informed consent. However, much less attention has been given to privacy; accordingly, we classify this as a ‘Cinderella issue’ that has been excluded from ‘the ball’ (academic debate. Here we argue that privacy issues are as important as consent issues in HIV-prevention research. We describe a child’s right to privacy regarding certain health interventions in South African law, and identify four key norms that flow from the law and that could be applied to HIV-prevention research: (i children cannot have an expectation of privacy regarding research participation if they have not given independent consent to the study; (ii children may have an expectation of privacy regarding certain components of the study, such as HIV testing, if they consent independently to such services; (iii children’s rights to privacy in health research are limited by mandatory reporting obligations; (iv children’s rights to privacy in HIV-prevention research may be justifiably limited by the concept of the best interests of the child. We conclude with guidelines for researchers on how to implement these principles in HIV-related research studies.

  20. Current safety issues related to research reactor operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alcala-Ruiz, F.

    2000-01-01

    The Agency has included activities on research reactor safety in its Programme and Budget (P and B) since its inception in 1957. Since then, these activities have traditionally been oriented to fulfil the Agency's functions and obligations. At the end of the decade of the eighties, the Agency's Research Reactor Safety Programme (RRSP) consisted of a limited number of tasks related to the preparation of safety related publications and the conduct of safety missions to research reactor facilities. It was at the beginning of the nineties when the RRSP was upgraded and expanded as a subprogramme of the Agency's P and B. This subprogramme continued including activities related to the above subjects and started addressing an increasing number of issues related to the current situation of research reactors (in operation and shut down) around the world such as reactor ageing, modifications and decommissioning. The present paper discusses some of the above issues as recognised by various external review or advisory groups (e.g., Peer Review Groups under the Agency's Performance Programme Appraisal System (PPAS) or the standing International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG)) and the impact of their recommendations on the preparation and implementation of the part of the Agency's P and B relating to the above subject. (author)

  1. Future Directions for Research on Online Technical Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horvitz, Brian S.

    2017-01-01

    Most research on online learning in higher education has been focused on general education at four-year institutions. There is a need for more research that focuses on online and hybrid education at community colleges in technical education fields. This issue includes articles from eight National Science Foundation funded projects doing innovative…

  2. Science Teachers Taking their First Steps toward Teaching Socioscientific Issues through Collaborative Action Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyunju; Yang, Jung-eun

    2017-06-01

    This study presents two science teachers, Catherine and Jennifer, who took their first steps toward teaching socioscientific issues through collaborative action research. The teachers participated in the collaborative action research project because they wanted to address socioscientific issues but had limited experience in teaching them. The research questions included what kinds of challenges the teachers encountered when implementing socioscientific issues and to what extent they resolved the challenging issues as participating in collaborative action research. The primary data source consisted of audiotapes of regular group meetings containing information on the process of constructing and implementing lesson plans and reflecting on their teaching of socioscientific issues. We also collected classroom videotapes of the teachers' instruction and audiotapes of students' small group discussions and their worksheets. The findings indicated that when addressing socioscientific issues in the classes, the teachers encountered several challenging issues. We categorized them into four: (1) restructuring classroom dynamics and culture, (2) scaffolding students' engagement in socioscientific issues, (3) dealing with values, and (4) finding their niche in schools. However, this study showed that collaborative action research could be a framework for helping the teachers to overcome such challenges and have successful experiences of teaching socioscientific issues. These experiences became good motivation, to gradually develop their understanding of teaching socioscientific issues and instructional strategies for integrating the knowledge and skills that they had accumulated over the years.

  3. A European Perspective on Auditory Processing Disorder-Current Knowledge and Future Research Focus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasiliki (Vivian Iliadou

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Current notions of “hearing impairment,” as reflected in clinical audiological practice, do not acknowledge the needs of individuals who have normal hearing pure tone sensitivity but who experience auditory processing difficulties in everyday life that are indexed by reduced performance in other more sophisticated audiometric tests such as speech audiometry in noise or complex non-speech sound perception. This disorder, defined as “Auditory Processing Disorder” (APD or “Central Auditory Processing Disorder” is classified in the current tenth version of the International Classification of diseases as H93.25 and in the forthcoming beta eleventh version. APDs may have detrimental effects on the affected individual, with low esteem, anxiety, and depression, and symptoms may remain into adulthood. These disorders may interfere with learning per se and with communication, social, emotional, and academic-work aspects of life. The objective of the present paper is to define a baseline European APD consensus formulated by experienced clinicians and researchers in this specific field of human auditory science. A secondary aim is to identify issues that future research needs to address in order to further clarify the nature of APD and thus assist in optimum diagnosis and evidence-based management. This European consensus presents the main symptoms, conditions, and specific medical history elements that should lead to auditory processing evaluation. Consensus on definition of the disorder, optimum diagnostic pathway, and appropriate management are highlighted alongside a perspective on future research focus.

  4. Hydrogen: implications for the future automobile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frise, P. R.; Woodward, W.

    2004-01-01

    'Full text:' The presentation will focus upon the challenges within the automotive manufacturing industry related to the hydrogen fuelled automobile of the future. Challenges and opportunities include issues of power train design and packaging as well as on-road performance capabilities, fuel system packaging and materials for body structures. Due to the size and complexity of the automotive sector, technology changes tend to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but changes are being made to today's cars in preparation for the evolution toward the future hydrogen automobile. Real world applications of new technologies will be described that are assisting automakers to prepare for the hydrogen future today. The work will be described in the context of AUTO21, a national Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE), is helping to position Canada as a leader in automotive research and development. More than 250 researchers in 34 Canadian universities and over 110 industry and government partners contribute to AUTO21 through applied research projects in six themes of study ranging from health and societal issues to pure engineering applications. (author)

  5. Ethical Issues in Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health Research in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Folayan, Morenike Oluwatoyin; Haire, Bridget; Harrison, Abigail; Odetoyingbo, Morolake; Fatusi, Olawunmi; Brown, Brandon

    2015-12-01

    There is increasing interest in the need to address the ethical dilemmas related to the engagement of adolescents in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research. Research projects, including those that address issues related to STIs and HIV, adverse pregnancy outcomes, violence, and mental health, must be designed and implemented to address the needs of adolescents. Decisions on when an individual has adequate capacity to give consent for research most commonly use age as a surrogate rather than directly assessing capacity to understand the issues and make an informed decision on whether to participate in research or not. There is a perception that adolescents participating in research are more likely to be coerced and may therefore not fully comprehend the risk they may be taking when engaging in research. This paper examines the various ethical issues that may impact stakeholders' decision making when considering engaging adolescents in SRH research in Nigeria. It makes a case for lowering the age of consent for adolescents. While some experts believe it is possible to extrapolate relevant information from adult research, studies on ethical aspects of adolescents' participation in research are still needed, especially in the field of sexual and reproductive health where there are often differences in knowledge, attitudes and practices compared to adults. The particular challenges of applying the fundamental principles of research ethics to adolescent research, especially research about sex and sexuality, will only become clear if more studies are conducted. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. NCR-days 2004; research for managing rivers: present and future issues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Makaske, B.; Os, van A.G.

    2005-01-01

    These proceedings are the product of the NCR days 2004, held 46 November 2004 in Wageningen.The NCR days are a yearly conference at which mainly young scientists present their ongoing research on a wide variety of fluvial subjects. The 46 contributions (oral presentations and posters) to the

  7. Climate policies in China, India and Brazil: current issues and future challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellevrat, Elie

    2012-07-01

    Emerging countries will have to tackle different social and economic development challenges in the future, which translate nationally into the concepts of 'harmonious society' in China and 'inclusive growth' in India, and into the Brazilian slogan 'a wealthy country is a country without poverty'. Per capita (current US$), Brazil is more than two times richer than China, which in turn is three times richer than India. This graduation explains the variety of priorities of those countries: reducing inequalities and achieving the development processes in China and Brazil, alleviating poverty and enhancing energy access in India. Furthermore, these countries are increasingly linked internationally, along with the globalization process. Energy security is a key issue for China and India, while Brazil aims at playing a key role on future international energy markets. Emerging economies are progressively laying the foundations for low-carbon development strategies that will depend on their national contexts and priorities. Investments in building and transport infrastructures are increasingly important in all those countries, creating the conditions today for tomorrow's low-carbon economic development. China recently made important resolutions in the framework of its 12. Five-Year Plan, decoupling economic growth from GHG emissions. India has developed eight 'National Missions' on climate change and is now exploring future low-carbon strategies. And Brazil is affirming its position internationally, pushing for innovative 'green growth' concepts, within the framework of the Rio+20 Conference. All countries have already implemented several energy and climate policies and plan to develop them further, through innovative policy institutions and instruments. They are switching progressively from command- and-control to economic instruments. In particular, market-based mechanisms are increasingly used in all countries: mandatory pilot Emission Trading Systems (ETS) in China

  8. International conference on topical issues in nuclear safety. Contributed papers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    The objective of the Conference was to foster the exchange of information on topical issues in nuclear safety, with the aim of consolidating an international consensus on the present status of these issues, priorities for future work, and needs for strengthening international cooperation, including the IAEA recommendations for future activities. This book contains concise contributed papers submitted on issues falling within the thematic scope of the Conference: risk informed decision making, influence of external factors on safety, safety of fuel cycle facilities, safety of research reactors, and safety performance indicators

  9. International conference on topical issues in nuclear safety. Contributed papers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-07-01

    The objective of the Conference was to foster the exchange of information on topical issues in nuclear safety, with the aim of consolidating an international consensus on the present status of these issues, priorities for future work, and needs for strengthening international cooperation, including the IAEA recommendations for future activities. This book contains concise contributed papers submitted on issues falling within the thematic scope of the Conference: risk informed decision making, influence of external factors on safety, safety of fuel cycle facilities, safety of research reactors, and safety performance indicators.

  10. PROCEEDINGS OF RIKEN/BNL RESEARCH CENTER WORKSHOP FUTURE TRANSVERSITY MEASUREMENTS (VOLUME 29).

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boer, D.; Grosse Perdekamp, M.

    2001-01-02

    The RIKEN-BNL Research Center workshop on ''Future Transversity Measurements'' was held at BNL from September 18-20, 2000. The main goal of the workshop was to explore future measurements of transversity distributions. This issue is of importance to the RHIC experiments, which will study polarized proton-proton collisions with great precision. One of the workshop's goals was to enhance interactions between the DIS community at HERA and the spin community at RHIC in this field. The workshop has been well received by the participants; the number of 69 registered participants demonstrates broad interest in the workshop's topics. The program contained 35 talks and there was ample time for lively discussions. The program covered all recent work in the field and in addition some very elucidating educational talks were given. At the workshop the present status of the field was discussed and it has succeeded in stimulating new experimental and theoretical studies (e.g. model calculations for interference fragmentation functions (IFF), IFF analysis at DELPHI). It also functioned to focus attention on the open questions that need to be resolved for near future experiments. In general, the conclusions were optimistic, i.e. measuring the transversity functions seems to be possible, although some new experimental hurdles will have to be taken.

  11. Sexuality in old age: key issues, gender differences and future proposals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noelia Fernández-Rouco

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This work presents a brief overview of some of the most important issues related to sexuality during old age. First, it presents the state of the current situation, in order to later explore some of the elements that have been considered key factors in experiencing sexuality, specifically in this stage of life, while exploring certain needs and difficulties. Similarly, some of the differences between men and women, within this context, are presented. Finally, future proposals aimed at better understanding this topic in old age are presented, with suggestions on how to improve wellbeing and care in regard to sexuality among the aging population.

  12. Research on Language Learning Strategies: Methods, Findings, and Instructional Issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oxford, Rebecca; Crookall, David

    1989-01-01

    Surveys research on formal and informal second-language learning strategies, covering the effectiveness of research methods involving making lists, interviews and thinking aloud, note-taking, diaries, surveys, and training. Suggestions for future and improved research are presented. (131 references) (CB)

  13. Mixed Methods Research: What Are the Key Issues to Consider?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Rajashi

    2016-01-01

    Mixed methods research (MMR) is increasingly becoming a popular methodological approach in several fields due to the promise it holds for comprehensive understanding of complex problems being researched. However, researchers interested in MMR often lack reference to a guide that can explain the key issues pertaining to the paradigm wars…

  14. Introduction to the special issue: permafrost and periglacial research from coasts to mountains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schrott, Lothar; Humlum, Ole

    2017-09-01

    This special issue of Geomorphology includes eleven papers dealing with permafrost and periglacial research from coasts to mountains. The compilation represents a selection from 47 presentations (oral and posters) given at the 4th European Conference on Permafrost - IPA Regional Conference (EUCOP4, June 2014) in the session ;Periglacial Geomorphology;. Geomorphology as a leading journal for our discipline is particularly suitable to publish advances in permafrost and periglacial research with a focus on geomorphic processes. Since 1989 Geomorphology has published 121 special issues and two special issues are explicitly dedicated to permafrost and periglacial research, however, only with a focus on research in Antarctica. In this special issue we present papers from the Canadian Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Spitzbergen, central western Poland, the European Alps, the eastern Sudetes, the southern Carpathians, Nepal, and Antarctica.

  15. Environmental futures research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert L. Olson

    2012-01-01

    Relatively little research on environmental futures has been carried out in the United States. An exception is the long-running futures research that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been conducting since the 1970s. This paper reviews past and current efforts toward developing a capacity for environmental foresight within the EPA, and discusses some...

  16. Special issue call for papers from Business Systems Research Journal

    OpenAIRE

    Pejić Bach, Mirjana

    2011-01-01

    A special issue oft he Business Systems Research Journal with extended versions of selected papers from the 11th International Symposium on Operations Research in Slovenia (SOR’11) will be published under the journal ‘s publishing standards.

  17. A systematic review of microfinance and women's health literature: Directions for future research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Malley, T L; Burke, J G

    2017-11-01

    While growing evidence suggests that microfinance is an effective approach for improved women's health, a significant gap remains in our understanding. The objective of this review is to synthesise the findings from published literature focused on microfinance and health issues particularly affecting women, including HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, mental health, and violence. Forty-one articles that examine the impact of microfinance participation on women's health were identified through a systematic search of electronic databases, coded using a structured abstraction form, and synthesised. Review results indicate that the impact of microfinance on women's health is an area in great need of research and publication attention. Varied quality and reporting in the identified articles restricted the ability to draw concrete conclusions regarding the relationship between microfinance participation and women's health, but led to the identification of current gaps in existing published research. Future research should work to address the recommendations provided in order to offer additional evidence to better understand the use of microfinance programming as a structural intervention to improve women's health.

  18. THE ISSUE OF FORMING FUTURE MUSIC TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE BY COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TOOLS IN THE THEORY OF NATIONAL ART

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyudmila Gavrilova

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with theoretical aspects of forming future music teachers’ professional competence by computer technology tools. The concept of professional competence has become a major criterion of preparing students for professional activities. The issue of the article is relevant as the competence approach has become a basis of implementing computer technologies into future music teachers’ training. The authors give a detailed analysis of implementing computer technologies into musical education. The special attention is paid to using a computer in musical education and making electronic pedagogical resources. The aim of the article is to outline the directions of national art research in the process of implementing computer tools that is one of the most efficient ways of updating process of future music teachers’ training. The article reveals theoretical aspects of forming future music teachers’ professional competence by computer technology tools. The authors point out that implementing musical and computer technologies into music art practice is realized in some directions: using a computer as a new musical instrument in composers, sound engineers, and arrangers’ activities; using a computer for studying the quality of music sound, analysing sounds and music compositions, spectral analysis of acoustic characteristics of singers’ voice; studying ancient music manuscripts due to digital technology; developing hardware and software for music education. A distinct direction of research is the pedagogical aspect of using a computer in music education (music and the use of special software for recording and editing music, the use of multimedia to enhance visibility in education, development of e-learning resources, etc.. The authors conclude that implementing computer technologies into future music teachers’ training makes this process more efficient. In the authors’ opinion the widespread introduction of distance learning

  19. Research and Development Issues for Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Ricci, Katrina

    2002-01-01

    .... While there is a wide range of research issues associated with technical manuals, the focus of the Intelligent Performance Support and Training effort is the development and evaluation of various...

  20. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-05-15

    May 15, 2016 ... Near-fault earthquake issue is almost a new issue in earthquake engineering. ... although those countries had advanced regulations for seismic design of ... allocating the plastic joints according to development guideline and ...

  1. Neuroscience research on the addictions: a prospectus for future ethical and policy analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Wayne; Carter, Lucy; Morley, Katherine I

    2004-09-01

    The increasing evidence that many addictive phenomena have a genetic and neurobiological basis promises improvements in societal responses to addiction that raise important ethical and social policy issues. One of the major potential benefits of such research is improved treatment of drug addiction, but in order to do the research required to realize this promise, it will be necessary to address ethical doubts raised about the capacity of addicted persons to give free and informed consent to participate in studies that involve the administration of drugs of dependence. Neuroscience research on addiction promises to transform the long running debate between moral and medical models of addiction by providing a detailed causal explanation of addiction in terms of brain processes. We must avoid causal models of addiction being misinterpreted as supporting simple-minded social policies, e.g., that we identify the minority of the community that is genetically and biologically vulnerable to addiction and hence can neglect social policy options for reducing addiction, including drug control policies. Causal accounts of addiction supplied by neuroscience and genetic research may also be seen to warrant the use of pharmacotherapies and drug vaccines under legal coercion. Neuroscientists also need to anticipate the ethical issues that may arise if the knowledge that they produce delivers interventions that enhance human cognitive and other capacities. Advances in neuroimaging that enable us to identify "addicts" or predict future risk of addiction will raise concerns about invasion of privacy, third-party use of neuroimaging data, the powers of courts to coerce defendants to undergo such tests, and consumer protection against the overinterpretation of test results. Given the strong public and media interest in the results of their research, neuroscientists and geneticists have a moral obligation, and a professional interest, to minimize popular misunderstandings of their work

  2. Future Tasks of the International Calvin Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. H. Neuser

    1998-12-01

    The first answer includes both a review of the previous six Congresses as well as a glance at recent Calvin literature; the second answer will be developed in the overview which follows, titled The future tasks of Calvin research.

  3. Radon programme: presence and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hulka, J.

    2009-01-01

    In this presentation an overview of radon programme experiences is presented. The paper summarises national radon policy, national programmes, legislation, the role of preventive measures and interventions with respect to existing and future exposure and knowledge of radon risk, problems of remediation strategies, practical protection in dwellings, radon measurements strategies, progress in radon measurement of an individual house (radon diagnosis), radon mapping process and sense of delineation of radon prone areas, natural radioactivity of building materials and radioactivity in public water and their role in the radon programme, public awareness on radon issue and publicity campaign. Some research activities are proposed aiming at effective solutions of radon issues in future

  4. Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Compelling Issues for Geophysical Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhbari, M.; Grigg, N. S.; Waskom, R.

    2014-12-01

    The joint security of water, food, and energy systems is an urgent issue everywhere, and strong drivers of development and land use change, exacerbated by climate change, require new knowledge to achieve integrated solution using a nexus-based approach to assess inter-dependencies. Effective research-based decision support tools are essential to identify the major issues and interconnections to help in implementation of the nexus approach. The major needs are models and data to clearly and unambiguously present decision scenarios to local cooperative groups of farmers, electric energy generators and water officials for joint decisions. These can be developed by integrated models to link hydrology, land use, energy use, cropping simulation, and optimization with economic objectives and socio-physical constraints. The first step in modeling is to have a good conceptual model and then to get data. As the linking of models increases uncertainties, each one should be supplied with adequate data at suitable spatial and temporal resolutions. Most models are supplied with data by geophysical scientists, such as hydrologists, geologists, atmospheric scientists, soil scientists, and climatologists, among others. Outcomes of a recently-completed project to study the water-energy-food nexus will be explained to illuminate the model and data needs to inform future management actions across the nexus. The project included a workshop of experts from government, business, academia, and the non-profit sector who met to define and explain nexus interactions and needs. An example of the findings is that data inconsistencies among sectors create barriers to integrated planning. A nexus-based systems model is needed to outline sectoral inter-dependencies and identify data demands and gaps. Geophysical scientists can help to create this model and take leadership on designing data systems to facilitate sharing and enable integrated management.

  5. Basic research needs to assure a secure energy future. A report from the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2003-02-01

    This report has highlighted many of the possible fundamental research areas that will help our country avoid a future energy crisis. The report may not have adequately captured the atmosphere of concern that permeated the discussions at the workshop. The difficulties facing our nation and the world in meeting our energy needs over the next several decades are very challenging. It was generally felt that traditional solutions and approaches will not solve the total energy problem. Knowledge that does not exist must be obtained to address both the quantity of energy needed to increase the standard of living world-wide and the quality of energy generation needed to preserve the environment. In terms of investments, it was clear that there is no single research area that will secure the future energy supply. A diverse range of economic energy sources will be required--and a broad range of fundamental research is needed to enable these. Many of the issues fall into the traditional materials and chemical sciences research areas, but with specific emphasis on understanding mechanisms, energy related phenomena, and pursuing novel directions in, for example, nanoscience and integrated modeling. An important result from the discussions, which is hopefully apparent from the brief presentations above, is that the problems that must be dealt with are truly multidisciplinary. This means that they require the participation of investigators with different skill sets. Basic science skills have to be complemented by awareness of the overall nature of the problem in a national and world context, and with knowledge of the engineering, design, and control issues in any eventual solution. It is necessary to find ways in which this can be done while still preserving the ability to do first-class basic science. The traditional structure of research, with specific disciplinary groupings, will not be sufficient. This presents great challenges and opportunities for the funders of the

  6. State of the Art, Unresolved Issues, and Future Research Directions in the Fight against Hepatitis C Virus: Perspectives for Screening, Diagnostics of Resistances, and Immunization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia Trucchi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus (HCV still represents a major public health threat, with a dramatic burden from both epidemiological and clinical points of view. New generation of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs has been recently introduced in clinical practice promising to cure HCV and to overcome the issues related to the interferon-based therapies. However, the emergence of drug resistance and the suboptimal activity of DAAs therapies against diverse HCV genotypes have been observed, determining treatment failure and hampering an effective control of HCV spread worldwide. Moreover, these treatments remain poorly accessible, particularly in low-income countries. Finally, effective screening strategy is crucial to early identifying and treating all HCV chronically infected patients. For all these reasons, even though new drugs may contribute to impacting HCV spread worldwide a preventive HCV vaccine remains a cornerstone in the road to significantly reduce the HCV spread globally, with the ultimate goal of its eradication. Advances in molecular vaccinology, together with a strong financial, political, and societal support, will enable reaching this fundamental success in the coming years. In this comprehensive review, the state of the art about these major topics in the fight against HCV and the future of research in these fields are discussed.

  7. Methodological Characteristics and Future Directions for Plyometric Jump Training Research: A Scoping Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo; Álvarez, Cristian; García-Hermoso, Antonio; Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson; Gentil, Paulo; Asadi, Abbas; Chaabene, Helmi; Moran, Jason; Meylan, Cesar; García-de-Alcaraz, Antonio; Sanchez-Sanchez, Javier; Nakamura, Fabio Y; Granacher, Urs; Kraemer, William; Izquierdo, Mikel

    2018-05-01

    Recently, there has been a proliferation of published articles on the effect of plyometric jump training, including several review articles and meta-analyses. However, these types of research articles are generally of narrow scope. Furthermore, methodological limitations among studies (e.g., a lack of active/passive control groups) prevent the generalization of results, and these factors need to be addressed by researchers. On that basis, the aims of this scoping review were to (1) characterize the main elements of plyometric jump training studies (e.g., training protocols) and (2) provide future directions for research. From 648 potentially relevant articles, 242 were eligible for inclusion in this review. The main issues identified related to an insufficient number of studies conducted in females, youths, and individual sports (~ 24.0, ~ 37.0, and ~ 12.0% of overall studies, respectively); insufficient reporting of effect size values and training prescription (~ 34.0 and ~ 55.0% of overall studies, respectively); and studies missing an active/passive control group and randomization (~ 40.0 and ~ 20.0% of overall studies, respectively). Furthermore, plyometric jump training was often combined with other training methods and added to participants' daily training routines (~ 47.0 and ~ 39.0% of overall studies, respectively), thus distorting conclusions on its independent effects. Additionally, most studies lasted no longer than 7 weeks. In future, researchers are advised to conduct plyometric training studies of high methodological quality (e.g., randomized controlled trials). More research is needed in females, youth, and individual sports. Finally, the identification of specific dose-response relationships following plyometric training is needed to specifically tailor intervention programs, particularly in the long term.

  8. Our Continent, Our Future: African Perspectives on Structural ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Our Continent, Our Future: African Perspectives on Structural Adjustment ... Our Future presents the emerging African perspective on this complex issue. ... This important book should be read by students, professors, academics, and ... the Council for the Development of Social Research in Africa in Dakar, Senegal.

  9. Future Directions in Research on Mathematics-Related Teacher Identity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutovac, Sonja; Kaasila, Raimo

    2018-01-01

    Mathematics education research has placed great emphasis on teacher identity, examining both pre- and in-service teachers, and within these cohorts, specialised mathematics teachers and non-specialists such as elementary teachers. Extensive research has already been done; hence, this paper discusses possible future directions for research on…

  10. Qualitative research in rehabilitation science: opportunities, challenges, and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    VanderKaay, Sandra; Moll, Sandra E; Gewurtz, Rebecca E; Jindal, Pranay; Loyola-Sanchez, Adalberto; Packham, Tara L; Lim, Chun Y

    2018-03-01

    Qualitative research has had a significant impact within rehabilitation science over time. During the past 20 years the number of qualitative studies published per year in Disability and Rehabilitation has markedly increased (from 1 to 54). In addition, during this period there have been significant changes in how qualitative research is conceptualized, conducted, and utilized to advance the field of rehabilitation. The purpose of this article is to reflect upon the progress of qualitative research within rehabilitation to date, to explicate current opportunities and challenges, and to suggest future directions to continue to strengthen the contribution of qualitative research in this field. Relevant literature searches were conducted in electronic data bases and reference lists. Pertinent literature was examined to identify current opportunities and challenges for qualitative research use in rehabilitation and to identify future directions. Six key areas of opportunity and challenge were identified: (a) paradigm shifts, (b) advancements in methodology, (c) emerging technology, (d) advances in quality evaluation, (e) increasing popularity of mixed methods approaches, and (f) evolving approaches to knowledge translation. Two important future directions for rehabilitation are posited: (1) advanced training in qualitative methods and (2) engaging qualitative communities of research. Qualitative research is well established in rehabilitation and has an important place in the continued growth of this field. Ongoing development of qualitative researchers and methods are essential. Implications for Rehabilitation Qualitative research has the potential to improve rehabilitation practice by addressing some of the most pervasive concerns in the field such as practitioner-client interaction, the subjective and lived experience of disability, and clinical reasoning and decision making. This will serve to better inform those providing rehabilitation services thereby benefiting

  11. Ethical issues in perinatal mental health research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandon, Anna R; Shivakumar, Geetha; Lee, Simon Craddock; Inrig, Stephen J; Sadler, John Z

    2009-11-01

    To review the background of current ethical standards for the conduct of perinatal mental health research and describe the ethical challenges in this research domain. Current literature reflects a growing sentiment in the scientific community that having no information regarding the impact of psychiatric treatment on the mother and developing fetus/infant poses dangers that may exceed the risks involved in research. However, without sufficient consensus across the scientific community, both regulatory bodies and perinatal researchers find themselves without a framework for decision making that satisfactorily limits the risks and facilitates the benefits of participation of pregnant and lactating women in clinical research. Psychiatric research in perinatal mental health is critically important as it enables clinicians and patients to participate in informed decision-making concerning treatment for psychiatric disorders. Specific areas of concern include fetal safety, maternal risk, the therapeutic misconception, commercial interests, forensic/legal issues, the informed consent process, and study design. Developing guidelines that address ethical challenges and include the views and concerns of multiple stakeholders could improve the access of perinatal women to the benefits of participation in mental health research in addition to providing evidence-based mental healthcare for this subpopulation.

  12. Ethical issues in family violence research in healthcare settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paavilainen, Eija; Lepistö, Sari; Flinck, Aune

    2014-02-01

    Research ethics is always important. However, it is especially crucial with sensitive research topics such as family violence. The aim of this article is to describe and discuss some crucial issues regarding intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, based on the authors' own research experiences. We focus on and discuss examples concerning the definition of family violence, research design, ethical approval, participant recruitment and safety and data collection and processing. During the research process, the significance of teamwork is emphasized. Support provided by the participants to each other and support given by experienced researchers within the team is very important for high ethical standards.

  13. Nuclear standards: current issues and future trends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landis, J.W.

    1985-01-01

    A summary of the important issues that currently face the nuclear standards field is presented and a discussion of how each of these issues is being resolved is given. The economic benefits that properly developed standards produce are listed

  14. Perspectives on learning through research on critical issues-based science center exhibitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedretti, Erminia G.

    2004-07-01

    Recently, science centers have created issues-based exhibitions as a way of communicating socioscientific subject matter to the public. Research in the last decade has investigated how critical issues-based installations promote more robust views of science, while creating effective learning environments for teaching and learning about science. The focus of this paper is to explore research conducted over a 10-year period that informs our understanding of the nature of learning through these experiences. Two specific exhibitions - Mine Games and A Question of Truth - provide the context for discussing this research. Findings suggest that critical issues-based installations challenge visitors in different ways - intellectually and emotionally. They provide experiences beyond usual phenomenon-based exhibitions and carry the potential to enhance learning by personalizing subject matter, evoking emotion, stimulating dialogue and debate, and promoting reflexivity. Critical issues-based exhibitions serve as excellent environments in which to explore the nature of learning in these nonschool settings.

  15. Tectonic vocabulary and materialization: Discourse on the future of tectonic architectural research in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beim, Anne; Bundgaard, Charlotte; Hvejsel, Marie Frier

    2015-01-01

    By referring to the fundamental question of how we unite aesthetics and technology – tectonic theory is necessarily a focal point in the development of the architectural discipline. However, a critical reconsideration of the role of tectonic theory seems necessary when facing the present everyday....... On the occasion of the Second International Conference on Structures & Architecture held in July 2013 in Portugal the authors organized a special session entitled From open structures to the cladding of control bringing together researchers from the Nordic countries to discuss this issue. Likewise the initiative...... to establish a Nordic Network for Research and Teaching in Tectonics is currently forming. This paper seeks to jointly reflect upon these initiatives in order to bring them further, with the intention to clad a discourse on the future of tectonic architectural research that addresses the conditions of everyday...

  16. Future fuel cycle and reactor strategies. Key issue paper no. 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-06-01

    The scope of this paper includes those issues that are expected to remain or become important in the time period from 2015 to 2050. Events in this time frame are difficult to predict with any certainty, so the framework of this paper is necessarily somewhat speculative. The paper includes consideration of all facets of nuclear energy utilization, from ore extraction to final disposal of waste products. The paper first addresses the factors influencing the choice of reactor and fuel cycle. It then goes on to address the quantitatively largest category of reactor types expected to be important during the period; that is, thermal reactors burning uranium and plutonium fuel in various forms. The fast reactor type is then discussed both as stand-alone technology and as technology used in combination with thermal reactors. Thorium fuel use is discussed briefly. This paper is concentrated on the ``medium variant`` energy growth scenario identified in Key Issue Paper No. 1. The effects of either higher or lower growth could, of course, profoundly change the future development of the nuclear power industry. 31 refs, 5 figs, 4 tabs.

  17. Past, Present and Future in Interdisciplinary Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gusdorf, Georges

    1977-01-01

    Presents examples of interdisciplinary research since the origin of western science and predicts that future interdisciplinary approaches to epistemological writing will take into account divergent thinking patterns and thereby end the domination by western intellectual imperialism. For journal availability, see SO 506 201. (Author/DB)

  18. Design issues for numerical libraries on scalable multicore architectures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heroux, M A

    2008-01-01

    Future generations of scalable computers will rely on multicore nodes for a significant portion of overall system performance. At present, most applications and libraries cannot exploit multiple cores beyond running addition MPI processes per node. In this paper we discuss important multicore architecture issues, programming models, algorithms requirements and software design related to effective use of scalable multicore computers. In particular, we focus on important issues for library research and development, making recommendations for how to effectively develop libraries for future scalable computer systems

  19. Solar energy in progress and future research trends

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sen, Zekai [Istanbul Technical Univ., Dept. of Meteorology, Istanbul (Turkey)

    2004-07-01

    Extensive fossil fuel consumption in almost all human activities led to some undesirable phenomena such as atmospheric and environmental pollutions, which have not been experienced before in known human history. Consequently, global warming, greenhouse affect, climate change, ozone layer depletion and acid rain terminologies started to appear in the literature frequently. Since 1970, it has been understood scientifically by experiments and researches that these phenomena are closely related to fossil fuel uses because they emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and methane (CH{sub 4}) which hinder the long wave terrestrial radiation to escape into space, and consequently, the earth troposphere becomes warmer. In order to avoid further impacts of these phenomena, the two concentrative alternatives are either to improve the fossil fuel quality with reductions in their harmful emissions into the atmosphere or more significantly to replace fossil fuel usage as much as possible with environmentally friendly, clean and renewable energy sources. Among these sources, solar energy comes at the top of the list due to its abundance, and more evenly distribution in nature than any other renewable energy types such as wind, geothermal, hydro, wave and tidal energies. It must be the main and common purpose of humanity to sustain environment for the betterment of future generations with sustainable energy developments. On the other hand, the known limits of fossil fuels compel the societies of the world in the long run to work jointly for their gradual replacement by renewable energy alternatives rather than the quality improvement of fossil sources. Solar radiation is an integral part of different renewable energy resources. It is the main and continuous input variable from practically inexhaustible sun. Solar energy is expected to play a very significant role in the future especially in developing countries, but it has also potential prospects for developed

  20. UK energy issues 1987-1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stern, P J

    1987-01-01

    This paper describes and analyses the energy issues and options which the British Government will either choose, or be required, to address over the next five years. After considering the domestic and international environment, the paper looks at the future for: electricity generation, and the coal industry in the light of the decision to privatise the Electricity Supply Industry; the oil and gas sector; research and development; demand and conservation including fuel poverty; energy pricing; international energy issues; and attitudes to energy policy making. 80 refs.

  1. Future directions of multiple behavior change research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geller, Karly; Lippke, Sonia; Nigg, Claudio R

    2017-02-01

    Non-communicable diseases (i.e., chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and obesity) result in 36 million deaths each year. Individuals' habitual participation in a single health-risk behaviors substantially contribute to morbidity and mortality (e.g., tobacco use, daily fast food intake, etc.); however, more concerning is the impact of typically co-occurring or clustering of multiple health-risk behaviors. This burden can be minimized through successful cessation of health-risk behaviors and adoption of healthy behaviors; namely healthy lifestyle adoption or multiple health behavior change (MHBC). MHBC is a developing field and future research recommendations are provided to advance MHBC research. A valid measure of MHBC (i.e., lifestyle) is warranted to provide the needed basis for MHBC investigations and evaluations. MHBC is thought to occur through shared co-variation of underlying motivating mechanisms, but how these relationships influence behavior remains unclear. A better understanding of the relationship between behaviors and the related motivating mechanisms (and potential cross-relationship of influences) is needed. Future research should also aim to improve lifestyles through understanding how to change multiple health behaviors. Finally, MHBC research should target the development of sustainable interventions which result in lasting effects (e.g., capacity, systems, policy and environmental changes), with dissemination considered during development. Focusing MHBC research in these areas will increase our understanding and maximize the impact on the health of populations.

  2. Contracting in vivo research: what are the issues?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Underwood, Wendy J

    2007-07-01

    As a result of increasing internal and external pressures, research institutions are using contract research organizations for the conduct of in vivo research. Many issues arise when contracting animal research, including concern regarding animal health and welfare. Each sponsor institution should develop a program for outsourced in vivo research that evaluates and ensures appropriate care and use of research animals. Each sponsoring institution should consider establishing a policy and procedure for how outsourced in vivo studies will be approved, conducted, and monitored. An approved list of contract facilities can be established on the basis of accepted standards for animal care and use. Written contracts should include confidentiality agreements, the delineation of animal ownership, and the expectation to comply with all applicable regulations and guidelines for research animal care and use. Finally, a process for communication of adverse study or animal welfare events should be established. Thorough evaluation of contract organizations will help ensure appropriate research animal care and use.

  3. Research Library Issues: A Quarterly Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC. RLI 277

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baughman, M. Sue, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    "Research Library Issues" ("RLI") is a quarterly report from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). This issue includes the following articles: (1) Rebalancing the Investment in Collections (H. Thomas Hickerson); (2)…

  4. China's coastal wetlands: conservation history, implementation efforts, existing issues and strategies for future improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Zhigao; Sun, Wenguang; Tong, Chuan; Zeng, Congsheng; Yu, Xiang; Mou, Xiaojie

    2015-06-01

    China has approximately 5.80×10(6)ha coastal wetlands by 2014, accounting for 10.82% of the total area of natural wetlands. Healthy coastal wetland ecosystems play an important role in guaranteeing the territory ecological security and the sustainable development of coastal zone in China. In this paper, the natural geography and the past and present status of China's coastal wetlands were introduced and the five stages (1950s-1970s, 1980s-1991, 1992-2002, 2003-2010 and 2011-present) of China's coastal wetlands conservation from the foundation of the People's Republic in 1949 to present were distinguished and reviewed. Over the past decades, China has made great efforts in coastal wetland conservation, as signified by the implementation of coastal wetland restoration projects, the construction of coastal wetland nature reserves, the practice of routine ecological monitoring and two national wetland surveys, the promulgation of local wetland conservation statutes and specific regulations, the coordination mechanism to enhance management capacity, the wide development of coastal wetland research and public participation, and the extensive communication to strengthen international cooperation. Nonetheless, six major issues recently emerged in China's coastal wetland conservation are evidently existed, including the increasing threats of pollution and human activities, the increasing adverse effects of threaten factors on ecosystem function, the increasing threats of coastal erosion and sea-level rising, the insufficient funding for coastal wetlands conservation, the imperfect legal and management system for coastal wetlands, and the insufficient education, research and international cooperation. Although the threats and pressures on coastal wetlands conservation are still apparent, the future of China's coastal wetlands looks promising since the Chinese government understands that the sustainable development in coastal zone requires new attitudes, sound policies and

  5. Neuroimaging. Recent issues and future progresses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuyama, Hidenao

    2002-01-01

    Recent advances in the technology of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques, include X-ray CT, magnetic resonance imaging, positron CT, etc. The trend of neuroimaging is from the diagnosis of the brain structural change to the functional localization of the brain function with accurate topographical data. Brain activation studies disclosed the responsible regions in the brain for various kinds of paradigms, including motor, sensory, cognitive functions. Another aspect of brain imaging shows the pathophysiological changes of the neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease by abnormal CBF or metabolism changes. It is very important to note that the neurotransmitter receptor imaging is now available for various kinds of transmitters. We recently developed a new tracer for nicotinic type acetylcholine receptor, which might be involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease and its treatment. In the near future, we will be able to visualize the proteins in the brain such as amyloid protein, which will make us to diagnose Alzheimer's patients accurately, and with respect to neuroscience research, not only neuronal functional localizations but also relationship between them will become important to disclose the functional aspects of the brain. (author)

  6. A network approach for distinguishing ethical issues in research and development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwart, Sjoerd D; van de Poel, Ibo; van Mil, Harald; Brumsen, Michiel

    2006-10-01

    In this paper we report on our experiences with using network analysis to discern and analyse ethical issues in research into, and the development of, a new wastewater treatment technology. Using network analysis, we preliminarily interpreted some of our observations in a Group Decision Room (GDR) session where we invited important stakeholders to think about the risks of this new technology. We show how a network approach is useful for understanding the observations, and suggests some relevant ethical issues. We argue that a network approach is also useful for ethical analysis of issues in other fields of research and development. The abandoning of the overarching rationality assumption, which is central to network approaches, does not have to lead to ethical relativism.

  7. Applying comprehensive environmental assessment to research planning for multiwalled carbon nanotubes: Refinements to inform future stakeholder engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, Christina M; Grieger, Khara; Meacham, Connie A; Gooding, Meredith Lassiter; Gift, Jeffrey S; Lehmann, Geniece M; Hendren, Christine O; Davis, J Michael; Burgoon, Lyle

    2016-01-01

    Risk assessments and risk management efforts to protect human health and the environment can benefit from early, coordinated research planning by researchers, risk assessors, and risk managers. However, approaches for engaging these and other stakeholders in research planning have not received much attention in the environmental scientific literature. The Comprehensive Environmental Assessment (CEA) approach under development by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is a means to manage complex information and input from diverse stakeholder perspectives on research planning that will ultimately support environmental and human health decision making. The objectives of this article are to 1) describe the outcomes of applying lessons learned from previous CEA applications to planning research on engineered nanomaterial, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and 2) discuss new insights and refinements for future efforts to engage stakeholders in research planning for risk assessment and risk management of environmental issues. Although framed in terms of MWCNTs, this discussion is intended to enhance research planning to support assessments for other environmental issues as well. Key insights for research planning include the potential benefits of 1) ensuring that participants have research, risk assessment, and risk management expertise in addition to diverse disciplinary backgrounds; 2) including an early scoping step before rounds of formal ratings; 3) using a familiar numeric scale (e.g., US dollars) versus ordinal rating scales of "importance"; 4) applying virtual communication tools to supplement face-to-face interaction between participants; and 5) refining criteria to guide development of specific, actionable research questions. © 2015 SETAC.

  8. Information resources for assessing health effects from chemical exposure: Challenges, priorities, and future issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seigel, S. [National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD (United States)

    1990-12-31

    Issues related to developing information resources for assessing the health effects from chemical exposure include the question of how to address the individual political issues relevant to identifying and determining the timeliness, scientific credibility, and completeness of such kinds of information resources. One of the important ways for agencies to share information is through connection tables. This type of software is presently being used to build information products for some DHHS agencies. One of the challenges will be to convince vendors of data of the importance of trying to make data files available to communities that need them. In the future, information processing will be conducted with neural networks, object-oriented database management systems, and fuzzy-set technologies, and meta analysis techniques.

  9. Pressure ulcer research : current and future perspectives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bader, D.L.; Bouten, C.V.C.; Colin, D.; Oomens, C.W.J.

    2005-01-01

    This book provides an up-to-date scientific account of all aspects related to pressure ulcers and pressure ulcer research, as well as evidence-based knowledge of pressure ulcer aetiology. Further, it describes current and future tools for evaluating patients at risk. It comprises 20 chapters by

  10. Ethical issues in research with homeless youths.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ensign, Josephine; Ammerman, Seth

    2008-05-01

    This paper is a report of a study to document researcher, healthcare provider and programme administrators' experiences with ethical issues in research with homeless youths in North America. While there are legal and ethical guidelines for research with adolescents and with vulnerable populations in general, there are no specific guidelines for the ethical conduct of research with homeless youths. Using a web-based questionnaire, healthcare and social service providers, programme administrators and researchers working with homeless young people throughout the United States of America and Canada were surveyed in 2005. The survey group consisted of 120 individuals; a total of 72 individuals completed the survey. Survey questions included experiences with using incentives in research with homeless youths, consent and experiences with ethics review boards. Numerical data were analysed using frequencies and cross-tabulations. Text data were analysed qualitatively. Researchers doing mental health and/or substance use research tended to use money as a research incentive, whereas healthcare providers and programme administrators tended to use non-monetary incentives. The majority of respondents reported using written consent for research from homeless youths, including minors. Respondents reporting difficulties with ethics review boards were mainly involved with intervention research. Consensus is needed from a variety of stakeholders, including homeless youths and service providers, on use of various types of research incentives for different types of research, as well as use of consent for homeless youths who are minors.

  11. Theme issue on e-mental health: a growing field in internet research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riper, Heleen; Andersson, Gerhard; Christensen, Helen; Cuijpers, Pim; Lange, Alfred; Eysenbach, Gunther

    2010-12-19

    This theme issue on e-mental health presents 16 articles from leading researchers working on systems and theories related to supporting and improving mental health conditions and mental health care using information and communication technologies. In this editorial, we present the background of this theme issue, and highlight the content of this issue.

  12. Chinese villages and their sustainable future: the European Union-China-Research Project "SUCCESS".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumreicher, Heidi

    2008-04-01

    China has 800,000 villages-one person out of seven on the globe is living in a Chinese rural settlement. Yet the global discussions about the situation in China is currently characterised by a disproportionate focus on the development of towns and until now circumstances have generally been neglected in the rural areas, where 70% of the Chinese population is still living. Within the 5 years of the SUCCESS project research, this set of actual problems has been considered and analysed under the principle of sustainability: "What to maintain?" "What to change?" were the overall research questions asked in the SUCCESS project; the researchers were looking for answers under a sustainability regime, respecting the need to raise the quality of life in the villages. Several interweaving processes were used to achieve results: the inter-disciplinary research process between many areas of expertise, the trans-disciplinary process between the researchers and the Chinese villagers, and a negotiation process that made the connection between these two processes. The introduction describes the basic sustainability definition that was orienting the whole study. The innovation lays mostly in the methodology: the inter-disciplinary research co-operation related to practice and to involving the affected communities is needed to manage the significant and growing imbalances between urban and rural areas regarding their sustainability. In the transdisciplinary work, the project developed "village future sentences" that describe the local outcome of the research as one step towards better theoretical understanding of the mechanisms that could lead to a sustainable future, and they also managed to start sustainability processes in the case study sites. The integrated approach of the project helped generating future scenarios for these villages covering all aspects of their development, including urban design issues. Out of these scenarios, the villages developed small projects that could

  13. Researching complementary and alternative medicine

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Adams, Jon

    2007-01-01

    ... the investigation of CAM. Contributors draw upon their own CAM research work and experience to explain and review a range of methods and research issues pertinent to the contemporary of CAM and its future development, such as: field * * * * * the issues facing practitioners who wish to conduct research; how and why qualitative methods should...

  14. Research Library Issues: A Bimonthly Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC. RLI 268

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, G. Jaia, Ed.

    2010-01-01

    "Research Library Issues" ("RLI") is a bimonthly report from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). This special issue includes the following articles: (1) Themes within the ARL Strategic Plan 2010-2012 (Charles B. Lowry); (2) ARL…

  15. Ethical Issues in Conducting Research With Deaf Populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlehofer, Deirdre; Thew, Denise

    2013-01-01

    Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users represent a small population at risk for marginalization from research and surveillance activities resulting from cultural, language, and ethical challenges. The Deaf community’s view of deafness as a cultural identity, rather than a disability, contradicts the medical community’s perception of deafness as a disease or deficiency in need of correction or elimination. These differences continue to have significant cultural and social implications within the Deaf community, resulting in mistrust of research opportunities. Two particularly contentious ethical topics for the Deaf community are the absence of community representation in genetic research and the lack of accessible informed consents and research materials. This article outlines a series of innovative strategies and solutions to these issues, including the importance of community representation and collaboration with researchers studying deaf populations. PMID:24134363

  16. CONTEMPORARY DOMESTIC RESEARCH OF PSYCHOLOGY OF CONSTRUCTING THE FUTURE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexey Vladimirovich Mikhalsky

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses the modern domestic research in the field of psychology of future perception and construction. Time, space, events only become meaningful when a position of observer arises, and when people are directly and vividly involved into them. The presence of human perception – an essential attribute of comprehension, appearance of the value for the time and space, in other words – the attribution of values – a separate measurement, giving the existence of time and space, allowing the existence of semantic relations, an integral component of constructing the future. An array of publications, images, ideas, «memes» on constructing the future is becoming more voluminous, but at the same time, it is very difficult to trace the evolution of a single line of ideas, concepts, theories, research directions, scientific and philosophical approaches to the practical aspects of use. The proposed concept and practical approach of contemporary researchers define a new impetus to scientific research, serves as the basis for practices and, perhaps, is the philosophy that is needed humanity, standing on sharp blades to survive in conditions of information overload, uncertainty and economic fluctuations, on the verge of which can not go – on the verge of using weapons of mass destruction, global international, cross-cultural encounters.

  17. Future directions in international financial integration research - A crowdsourced perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Lucey, B.M.; Vigne, S.A.; Ballester, L.; Barbopoulos, L.; Brzeszczynski, J.; Carchano, O.; Dimic, N.; Fernandez, V.; Gogolin, F.; González-Urteaga, A.; Goodell, J.W.; Helbing, P.; Ichev, R.; Kearney, F.; Laing, E.

    2018-01-01

    This paper is the result of a crowdsourced effort to surface perspectives on the present and future direction of international finance. The authors are researchers in financial economics who attended the INFINITI 2017 conference in the University of Valencia in June 2017 and who participated in the crowdsourcing via the Overleaf platform. This paper highlights the actual state of scientific knowledge in a multitude of fields in finance and proposes different directions for future research.

  18. Pollination ecology in the 21st Century: Key questions for future research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jane C. Stout

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available To inspire new ideas in research on pollination ecology, we list the most important unanswered questions in the field. This list was drawn up by contacting 170 scientists from different areas of pollination ecology and asking them to contribute their opinion on the greatest knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. Almost 40% of them took part in our email poll and we received more than 650 questions and comments, which we classified into different categories representing various aspects of pollination research. The original questions were merged and synthesised, and a final vote and ranking led to the resultant list. The categories cover plant sexual reproduction, pollen and stigma biology, abiotic pollination, evolution of animal-mediated pollination, interactions of pollinators and floral antagonists, pollinator behaviour, taxonomy, plant-pollinator assemblages, geographical trends in diversity, drivers of pollinator loss, ecosystem services, management of pollination, and conservation issues such as the implementation of pollinator conservation. We focused on questions that were of a broad scope rather than case-specific; thus, addressing some questions may not be feasible within single research projects but constitute a general guide for future directions. With this compilation we hope to raise awareness of pollination-related topics not only among researchers but also among non-specialists including policy makers, funding agencies and the public at large.

  19. Ethical and regulatory issues arising from proteomic research and technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reymond, Marc A; Steinert, Ralf; Eder, Frank; Lippert, Hans

    2003-08-01

    Over the last two decades, medical research has begun to make extensive use of products of human origin in therapeutics, oncology, and most recently, in genetic diseases. This has raised many ethical issues involving patient rights, including issues of consent. Besides informed consent, researchers should address several topics when designing studies using human tissues. Reward for the patient should be kept minimal. Sample transfer should be organized along non-profit lines, at least in Europe. Sampling procedures should be at no risk for human volunteers, and at minimal risk for patients. Biosafety aspects should be addressed, in particular when international collaborations are intended or when collaboration is existing between academia and industry. Regulations on importation and exportation of human tissues should be observed. Data acquisition and storage should be addressed in accordance with national data protection regulations, in particular when using computerized databases. If follow-up information is to be taken, the authorization for such information should be requested. The right for patient's information (or for no information) on the research results should also be addressed. The issues of validation and patenting should be also solved, usually by informing the patient that he/she will have no commercial rights on potential research results. The patient should be told if the samples are transferred to another research laboratory or private company. Samples and related data should be destroyed on request at any time point during the course of the study. If possible, traceability of the donor should be ensured.

  20. Research Today Volume 3, Issue 2 April 2017 Newsletter

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-05-05

    for your study [ e.g., 59 MDW CRD Graduate Health Sciences Education (GHSE) (SG5 O&M); SG5 R&D; Tri-Service Nursing Research Program (TSNRP); Defense...59 MDW/SGVU SUBJECT: Professional Presentation Approval 1. Your paper, entitled Research Today Volume 3, Issue 2 April 2017 - Newsletter presented...Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC) internship and residency programs. 3. Please know that if you are a Graduate Health Sciences Education

  1. PROGNOSTICAL COMPETENCE OF THE FUTURE TEACHERS-ACTORS: TO THE ISSUE OF THE CONCEPT DEFINITION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Viktorovna Tsalko

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available In this paper on the basis of the notions of competence, forecasting, prognostical competence the author’s definition of future actors-teachers’ prognostical competence is developed. Under prognostic competence of future actors-teachers we understand a special competence that allows the subject, engaged in professional activities as a performer of roles in the theater (movies, TV, as well as performing teaching activities in the field of arts, to receive the necessary anticipatory information about the phenomenon under investigation (on performing roles in the theatre, films, and television, on the learning process and actors-teachers training. Components of prognostical competence as a type of competencies (cognitive, instrumental and operational and motivational-value are singled out. The feature of the future actor-teacher’s professional activities in the context of prognostical competence is viewed. It is the simultaneous solving the artistic-creative, organizational and teaching-upbringing problems.Purpose. The purpose of the paper is the definition of prognostical competence of future teachers-actors.Methodology. In the research the methods of theoretical level are used: comparison, analysis and synthesis, generalization, concretization; analytical methods; idealization and modeling.Result. The result of the research is the development of the author’s concept of «prognostical competence of the future teachers-actors».Practical implications. Application of the results: The results may be applied to the work of teachers-actors’ trainers as well as the researchers in Pedagogy.

  2. Internet Research: Implications for The Future of Health Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortliffe, Ted

    1999-01-01

    The phenomenal growth in Internet usage, largely due to the success of the World Wide Web, has stressed the international networking infrastructure in ways that were never contemplated when the early ARPAnet emerged from research laboratories in the 1970s. Some of the challenges are logistical and legal, and have to do with management of domain names, intellectual-property agreements, and international business activities. Others are technical, resulting both because we are envisioning applications that the current Internet cannot support, and because the existing infrastructure cannot scale to a world in which a huge portion of the world's population is online and individual homes and businesses may have IP addresses for tens of electronic devices, such as appliances, heating systems, or security alarms. In this presentation, I will discuss some of the US research and testbed activities that are currently underway in an effort to respond to the technical challenges. These include the Internet-2 testbed created by a consortium of academic institutions, and the federal government's Next Generation Internet research initiative. I will explain the difference between these two programs and identify some of the technical requirements other than a simple increase in bandwidth that have been identified for the evolving Internet. This will lead to a discussion of the limitations of the current Internet that have constrained its use in health care and that accordingly help to define the networking research agenda that is of greatest importance to the biomedical community. Policy and regulatory issues that arise because of health care's use of the Internet will also be discussed, as will those technical requirements that may be unique to biomedical applications. One goal of the discussion will be to motivate an international discussion of the ways in which the medical informatics community should be engaged in both basic and applied research in the area of networking and the

  3. Researcher-Researched Difference: Adapting an Autoethnographic Approach for Addressing the Racial Matching Issue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donnalyn Pompper

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This introspective essay was inspired by a desire to reflect on the use of qualitative research methods--where I am a Caucasian woman examining work experiences of women of color. I launched a journey backward to discover respondents' motivation for participating in my focus groups over the years, to closely examine their comfort level with a cross-ethnic dyad. The exercise enabled me to reflect on how I had negotiated power issues inherent in the research process. It contributes to the ongoing dialogue about autoethnography--where understanding of self in socio-cultural context is both the subject and object of the research enterprise. Overall, I interrogate epistemological and methodological practicalities of researching difference.

  4. Research on the Risk Measurement for the Futures Market of Bulk Commodity – Taking the silver futures as the example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Du Yating

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The futures transaction of bulk commodity has played an important role since China became the global manufacturing center. Taking the commodity futures market in Shanghai as the research objective, this article selects the price of silver futures, uses GARCH-VaR and Stress Testing to measure the risk tolerance of the market. The research result shows the silver price is fluctuated within the scope specified by the market and won't influence the stable operation of futures market.

  5. Applying for ethical approval for research: the main issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelling, Leslie

    2016-01-13

    The need to obtain research ethical approval is common to all research involving human participants. This approval must be obtained before research participants can be approached and before data collection can begin. The process of ethical review is one way that research participants can be confident that possible risks have been considered, minimised and deemed acceptable. This article outlines some of the main issues researchers should consider when planning an application for research ethical approval by answering the following six questions: 'Do I need research ethical approval?', 'How many applications will I need to make?', 'Where should I apply for research ethical approval?', 'What do I need to include in my application?', 'What do research ethics committees look for?' and 'What other approvals might I need?' Answering these questions will enable researchers to navigate the ethical review process.

  6. Product Design: Research Trends and an Agenda for the Future

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Di Benedetto, A.C.

    2012-01-01

    Academic research in product design is growing in popular- ity, and new challenging research questions are emerging. This article explores several of these product design research issues. We first explore the role of design as a driver of innovation and as a strategic resource to senior managers for

  7. Ethical issues in Alzheimer's disease research involving human subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Dena S

    2017-12-01

    As we aggressively pursue research to cure and prevent Alzheimer's disease, we encounter important ethical challenges. None of these challenges, if handled thoughtfully, would pose insurmountable barriers to research. But if they are ignored, they could slow the research process, alienate potential study subjects and do damage to research recruits and others. These challenges are (1) the necessity of very large cohorts of research subjects, recruited for lengthy studies, probably ending only in the subjects' death; (2) the creation of cohorts of 'study ready' volunteers, many of whom will be competent to consent at the beginning of the process, but move into cognitive impairment later; (3) reliance on adaptive trial design, creating challenges for informed consent, equipoise and justice; (4) the use of biomarkers and predictive tests that describe risk rather than certainty, and that can threaten participants' welfare if the information is obtained by insurance companies or long-term care providers; (5) the use of study partners that creates unique risks of harm to the relationship of subject and study partner. We need greater attention, at all levels, to these complex ethical issues. Work on these issues should be included in research plans, from the federal to the local, and should be supported through NIH in the same way that it supported work on the ethical, legal and social implications of genetic research. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  8. FuturICT — The road towards ethical ICT

    Science.gov (United States)

    van den Hoven, J.; Helbing, D.; Pedreschi, D.; Domingo-Ferrer, J.; Gianotti, F.; Christen, M.

    2012-11-01

    The pervasive use of information and communication technology (ICT) in modern societies enables countless opportunities for individuals, institutions, businesses and scientists, but also raises difficult ethical and social problems. In particular, ICT helped to make societies more complex and thus harder to understand, which impedes social and political interventions to avoid harm and to increase the common good. To overcome this obstacle, the large-scale EU flagship proposal FuturICT intends to create a platform for accessing global human knowledge as a public good and instruments to increase our understanding of the information society by making use of ICT-based research. In this contribution, we outline the ethical justification for such an endeavor. We argue that the ethical issues raised by FuturICT research projects overlap substantially with many of the known ethical problems emerging from ICT use in general. By referring to the notion of Value Sensitive Design, we show for the example of privacy how this core value of responsible ICT can be protected in pursuing research in the framework of FuturICT. In addition, we discuss further ethical issues and outline the institutional design of FuturICT allowing to address them.

  9. Interestingness of association rules in data mining: Issues relevant ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-08-26

    Aug 26, 2016 ... ... synonymous with the internet has changed the competitive business environment ... Importance of automated methods that address this immensity problem, ... issues that reveal many promising avenues for future research.

  10. A systematic review of methodology applied during preclinical anesthetic neurotoxicity studies: important issues and lessons relevant to the design of future clinical research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Disma, Nicola; Mondardini, Maria C; Terrando, Niccolò; Absalom, Anthony R; Bilotta, Federico

    2016-01-01

    Preclinical evidence suggests that anesthetic agents harm the developing brain thereby causing long-term neurocognitive impairments. It is not clear if these findings apply to humans, and retrospective epidemiological studies thus far have failed to show definitive evidence that anesthetic agents are harmful to the developing human brain. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the preclinical studies published over the past decade, with a focus on methodological issues, to facilitate the comparison between different preclinical studies and inform better design of future trials. The literature search identified 941 articles related to the topic of neurotoxicity. As the primary aim of this systematic review was to compare methodologies applied in animal studies to inform future trials, we excluded a priori all articles focused on putative mechanism of neurotoxicity and the neuroprotective agents. Forty-seven preclinical studies were finally included in this review. Methods used in these studies were highly heterogeneous-animals were exposed to anesthetic agents at different developmental stages, in various doses and in various combinations with other drugs, and overall showed diverse toxicity profiles. Physiological monitoring and maintenance of physiological homeostasis was variable and the use of cognitive tests was generally limited to assessment of specific brain areas, with restricted translational relevance to humans. Comparison between studies is thus complicated by this heterogeneous methodology and the relevance of the combined body of literature to humans remains uncertain. Future preclinical studies should use better standardized methodologies to facilitate transferability of findings from preclinical into clinical science. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Coal: the future in South Africa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1976-07-01

    The whole issue is devoted to the future of coal in South Africa, and includes articles on the Petrick report, coal conversion research in South Africa, the activities of the Fuel Research Institute (on beneficiation, briquetting, carbonization, fluidized bed combustion), Sasol's production of chemical feedstocks from coal, mining methods, and the coal requirements of the electric and chemical industries.

  12. The Evolution and Future of Cognitive Research in Music.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Jack A.

    1993-01-01

    Discusses the evolution and current status of cognitive research in music. Identifies the field's five research branches: (1) sensation; (2) perception; (3) concept formation and memory; (4) affect or emotions; and (5) psychomotor activity. Recommends five changes for the future of cognitive musicology. (CFR)

  13. Research Notes ~ Selecting Research Areas and Research Design Approaches in Distance Education: Process Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudarshan Mishra

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to study the process used for selecting research areas and methodological approaches in distance education in India. Experts from the field of distance education in India were interviewed at length, with the aim of collecting qualitative data on opinions on process-issues for selecting areas for research, research design, and appropriate methodological approaches in distance education. Data collected from these interviews were subjected to content analysis; triangulation and peer consultation techniques were used for cross-checking and data verification. While the findings and recommendations of this study have limited application in that they can only be used in the specific context outlined in this paper, respondents in this study nonetheless revealed the pressing need for more process-oriented research in examining media and technology, learners and learning, and distance learning evaluation processes. Our research, which yielded interesting empirical findings, also determined that a mixed approach – one that involves both quantitative and qualitative methods – is more appropriate for conducting research in distance education in India. Qualitative evidence from our research also indicates that respondents interviewed felt that emphasis should be placed on interdisciplinary and systemic research, over that of traditional disciplinary research. Research methods such as student self-reporting, extensive and highly targeted interviews, conversation and discourse analysis, were determined to as useful for data collection for this study.

  14. Data management issues in mobile ad hoc networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Takahiro

    2017-01-01

    Research on mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) has become a hot research topic since the middle 1990's. Over the first decade, most research focused on networking techniques, ignoring data management issues. We, however, realized early the importance of data management in MANETs, and have been conducting studies in this area for 15 years. In this review, we summarize some key technical issues related to data management in MANETs, and the studies we have done in addressing these issues, which include placement of data replicas, update management, and query processing with security management. The techniques proposed in our studies have been designed with deep considerations of MANET features including network partitioning, node participation/disappearance, limited network bandwidth, and energy efficiency. Our studies published in early 2000's have developed a new research field as data management in MANETs. Also, our recent studies are expected to be significant guidelines of new research directions. We conclude the review by discussing some future directions for research.

  15. "Extremely minimally invasive": recent advances in nanotechnology research and future applications in neurosurgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattei, Tobias A; Rehman, Azeem A

    2015-01-01

    The term "nanotechnology" refers to the development of materials and devices that have been designed with specific properties at the nanometer scale (10(-9) m), usually being less than 100 nm in size. Recent advances in nanotechnology have promised to enable visualization and intervention at the subcellular level, and its incorporation to future medical therapeutics is expected to bring new avenues for molecular imaging, targeted drug delivery, and personalized interventions. Although the central nervous system presents unique challenges to the implementation of new therapeutic strategies involving nanotechnology (such as the heterogeneous molecular environment of different CNS regions, the existence of multiple processing centers with different cytoarchitecture, and the presence of the blood-brain barrier), numerous studies have demonstrated that the incorporation of nanotechnology resources into the armamentarium of neurosurgery may lead to breakthrough advances in the near future. In this article, the authors present a critical review on the current 'state-of-the-art' of basic research in nanotechnology with special attention to those issues which present the greatest potential to generate major therapeutic progresses in the neurosurgical field, including nanoelectromechanical systems, nano-scaffolds for neural regeneration, sutureless anastomosis, molecular imaging, targeted drug delivery, and theranostic strategies.

  16. Young men's health promotion and new information communication technologies: illuminating the issues and research agendas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Mark; Robertson, Steve

    2010-09-01

    The article examines the use of newer, interactive information and communication technologies (ICTs) in young men's health promotion (HP), drawing on gender theory, HP research and evidence on young men's Internet usage. The focus is on highlighting an agenda for research in terms of emerging issues. New forms of social media ICT (for example 'web 2'-based on-line social networking sites, micro-blogging services, i-phones and podcasts) have the potential to enable young men to engage with health information in new and interesting ways. Given concerns about young men's engagement with health services, innovative ICT formats, particularly using the Internet, have been tried. However, issues persist around surfing 'addiction', quality control and equal access. Approaches to HP using new ICTs offer distributed control over information content and quality and a lay social context for accessing information. Online communities can potentially legitimize young men's participation in discourses around health, and support sustained engagement. The article discusses how this could support young men to re-conceptualize healthy choices in the context of masculine imperatives and responsible citizenship if specific conditions are met (for trusting engagement) and risks addressed (such as commercial disinformation). The skill requirements for young men to engage effectively with new ICTs are explored, focusing on health literacy (HL). It is predicted that social marketing approaches to HP for young men will increasingly include new ICTs, making specific requirements for HL. These approaches may appeal narrowly to hegemonic masculinities or broadly to multiple masculinities, including those historically marginalized. Recommendations are made for future research.

  17. Current Issues in LPP Research and Their Impact on Society

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darquennes, Jeroen

    2013-01-01

    After a very broad description of what language policy and planning is about this paper presents an overview of some of the current preoccupations of researchers focusing on language policy and planning as one of the blooming fields of applied linguistics. The current issues in language policy and planning research that are dealt with include…

  18. Oil-based technology and economy prospects for the future. A short introduction to basic issues and a review of oil depletion projections derived from different theories and methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-12-01

    Recognising the world economy's technological dependence on oil and, hence, the serious consequences of a decline in oil production for which the world community is technologically unprepared, The Danish Board of Technology and The Society of Danish Engineers wish to draw attention to the issue and to the different analyses of oil resources and future oil production potentials published by various researchers and institutions, In pursuance of this objective, the two institutions have jointly commissioned this review and organised the conference Oil Demand, Production and Cost - Prospects for the Future. The aim of the review is to outline the characteristics of the cheap-oil economy and provide the participants in the conference and other interested parties with an overview of different scenarios for the future development in demand and supply, presented by various experienced researchers and institutions who base their analyses on different methodologies. The evidence thus provided should constitute a structured framework for the discussion at the conference. (BA)

  19. Rice Genome Research: Current Status and Future Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Han

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Rice ( L. is the leading genomics system among the crop plants. The sequence of the rice genome, the first cereal plant genome, was published in 2005. This review summarizes progress made in rice genome annotations, comparative genomics, and functional genomics researches. It also maps out the status of rice genomics globally and provides a vision of future research directions and resource building.

  20. Ethical issues associated with the use of animal experimentation in behavioral neuroscience research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohl, Frauke; Meijboom, Franck

    2015-01-01

    This chapter briefly explores whether there are distinct characteristics in the field of Behavioral Neuroscience that demand specific ethical reflection. We argue that although the ethical issues in animal-based Behavioral Neuroscience are not necessarily distinct from those in other research disciplines using animal experimentation, this field of endeavor makes a number of specific, ethically relevant, questions more explicit and, as a result, may expose to discussion a series of ethical issues that have relevance beyond this field of science. We suggest that innovative research, by its very definition, demands out-of-the-box thinking. At the same time, standardization of animal models and test procedures for the sake of comparability across experiments inhibits the potential and willingness to leave well-established tracks of thinking, and leaves us wondering how open minded research is and whether it is the researcher's established perspective that drives the research rather than the research that drives the researcher's perspective. The chapter finishes by introducing subsequent chapters of this book volume on Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience.

  1. Talent management : Current theories and future research directions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Al Ariss, A.; Cascio, W.F.; Paauwe, J.

    2014-01-01

    Research on Talent Management (TM) has been lagging behind businesses in offering vision and leadership in this field. After sketching a comprehensive outline of knowledge about TM, theoretical as well as practical, we introduce the papers in this special issue and their important contributions.

  2. The Impact and Future of Arts and Humanities Research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benneworth, Paul Stephen; Gulbrandsen, Magnus; Hazelkorn, Ellen

    2016-01-01

    Drawing on original international research by a cross-European social science team, this book makes an important contribution to the discussion about the future of arts and humanities research. It explores the responses of these fields to the growing range of questions being asked about the value,

  3. Learning from Change: Issues and Experiences in Participatory ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Learning from Change provides an overview of the common themes and ... Read the e-book ... The third raises the key issues and challenges arising from the case studies and discussions, and proposes areas for future research and action.

  4. Future Directions in Research on Racism-Related Stress and Racial-Ethnic Protective Factors for Black Youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Shawn C T; Neblett, Enrique W

    2017-01-01

    Research on racism-related stress and racial-ethnic protective factors represents an important enterprise for optimizing the mental health of African American and other racial and ethnic minority youth. However, there has been a relative dearth of work on these factors in the clinical psychology research literature, and more work is needed in outlets such as these. To this end, the current article adopts a developmental psychopathology framework and uses recent empirical findings to outline our current understanding of racism-related stress and racial-ethnic protective factors (i.e., racial identity, racial socialization, Africentric worldview) for African American youth. We then provide nine recommendations-across basic, applied, and broader/cross-cutting research lines-that we prioritize as essential to advancing the future scientific investigation of this crucial research agenda. Within and across these recommendations, we issue a charge to researchers and clinicians alike, with the ultimate goal of alleviating the negative mental health impact that racism-related stress can have on the well-being and mental health of African American and other racial and ethnic minority youth.

  5. Personalized Telehealth in the Future: A Global Research Agenda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinesen, Birthe; Nonnecke, Brandie; Lindeman, David; Toft, Egon; Kidholm, Kristian; Jethwani, Kamal; Young, Heather M; Spindler, Helle; Oestergaard, Claus Ugilt; Southard, Jeffrey A; Gutierrez, Mario; Anderson, Nick; Albert, Nancy M; Han, Jay J; Nesbitt, Thomas

    2016-03-01

    As telehealth plays an even greater role in global health care delivery, it will be increasingly important to develop a strong evidence base of successful, innovative telehealth solutions that can lead to scalable and sustainable telehealth programs. This paper has two aims: (1) to describe the challenges of promoting telehealth implementation to advance adoption and (2) to present a global research agenda for personalized telehealth within chronic disease management. Using evidence from the United States and the European Union, this paper provides a global overview of the current state of telehealth services and benefits, presents fundamental principles that must be addressed to advance the status quo, and provides a framework for current and future research initiatives within telehealth for personalized care, treatment, and prevention. A broad, multinational research agenda can provide a uniform framework for identifying and rapidly replicating best practices, while concurrently fostering global collaboration in the development and rigorous testing of new and emerging telehealth technologies. In this paper, the members of the Transatlantic Telehealth Research Network offer a 12-point research agenda for future telehealth applications within chronic disease management.

  6. Gender issues in the university research environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alpay, E.; Hari, A.; Kambouri, M.; Ahearn, A. L.

    2010-05-01

    Recruiting and retaining females within science, engineering and technology continues to challenge many European higher education institutions. This study looks at female self-perceptions relating to effective research work and career progression. Focus groups are used to examine the attitudes and experiences of females and a questionnaire is used to explore perceptions in four main skills areas: group work; communication; personal awareness; project planning and management. The study indicates consistent female concerns on issues pertaining to effective female role models, negative work-role stereotypes and the work-life balance of an academic career. For all four skills areas, the average confidence scores of the female participants fell below those of males, but these differences were only statistically significant for perceptions on group work and communication skills and prior to an intense skills development course. Based on these findings, a student workshop on gender issues has been developed, an outline of which is presented.

  7. The Learning of Biology: A Structural Basis for Future Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Darrel L.

    1977-01-01

    This article reviews recent research studies and experiences relating the learning theories of Ausubel to biology instruction. Also some suggestions are made for future research on the learning of biology. (MR)

  8. Issues in the future supply of electricity to the Northeast. [1985 and 2000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meier, P.M.; McCoy, T.H.; Rahman, S.

    1976-06-01

    This assessment of the problems of the electric sector is part of the BNL study on the Energy Future of the Northeast. Topics covered by the issue papers include the potential supply of energy to the Northeast from coal, oil, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, nuclear power, municipal waste, solar energy, and wind power, and the demand for energy in the Northeast from the industrial, transportation, and residential and commercial sectors. This paper compares energy demand projections derived in other parts of the Northeast Energy Perspectives Study to current utility projections; discusses major technical issues in capacity forecasting, including system load factors, outage rates, scale economies, unit sizes, and generation mix planning; discusses major siting constraints faced by each type of generation in the Northeast; and prepares preliminary forecasts of the number and type of new generation facilities necessary by 1985 and 2000, and an analysis of the implications for regional siting policy. (MCW)

  9. Scientists' perspectives on the ethical issues of stem cell research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longstaff, Holly; Schuppli, Catherine A; Preto, Nina; Lafrenière, Darquise; McDonald, Michael

    2009-06-01

    This paper describes findings from an ethics education project funded by the Canadian Stem Cell Network (SCN). The project is part of a larger research initiative entitled "The Stem Cell Research Environment: Drawing the Evidence and Experience Together". The ethics education study began with a series of focus groups with SCN researchers and trainees as part of a "needs assessment" effort. The purpose of these discussions was to identify the main ethical issues associated with stem cell (SC) research from the perspective of the stem cell community. This paper will focus on five prominent themes that emerged from the focus group data including: (1) the source of stem cells; (2) the power of stem cells; (3) working within a charged research environment; (4) the regulatory context; and (5) ethics training for scientists. Additional discussions are planned with others involved in Canadian stem cell research (e.g., research ethics board members, policy makers) to supplement initial findings. These assessment results combined with existing bioethics literature will ultimately inform a web-based ethics education module for the SCN. We believe that our efforts are important for those analyzing the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in this area because our in depth understanding of stem cell researcher perspectives will enable us to develop more relevant and effective education material, which in turn should help SC researchers address the important ethical challenges in their area.

  10. Sleep disturbance due to noise: Current issues and future research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ken Hume

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available There is growing interest in carrying out further research to understand and reduce the impact of aircraft noise on airport neighborhood in anticipation of the projected substantial increase in global aviation. Soundscapes provide new analytical methods and a broader, more comprehensive appreciation of the aural environment, which may have a useful role in understanding noise-induced sleep disturbance and annoyance. Current noise metrics like Leq do not provide a common language to report noise environment to residents, which is a key obstacle to effective noise management and acceptance. Non-auditory effects complicate the production of consistent dose-response functions for aircraft noise affecting sleep and annoyance. There are various end-points that can be chosen to assess the degree of sleep disturbance, which has detracted from the clarity of results that has been communicated to wider audiences. The World Health Organization (WHO-Europe has produced Night Noise Guidelines for Europe, which act as a clear guide for airports and planners to work towards. Methodological inadequacies and the need for simpler techniques to record sleep will be considered with the exciting potential to greatly increase cost-effective field data acquisition, which is needed for large scale epidemiological studies

  11. Is there a future for material fatigue research?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joosse, P.; Bulder, B.

    1996-01-01

    Due to the fact that it is quite difficult to get new funding for (fundamental) wind turbine material related fatigue research the authors started a discussion with the following title: Are there still wind turbine engineering specific fatigue problems? and What are the research goals for the fatigue experts in wind engineering for the second half of the 90 ies . In this paper the present status of the fatigue issue and the discussion following is reported. (au)

  12. Is there a future for material fatigue research?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joosse, P [Stork Product Engineering b.v., Amsterdam (Netherlands); Bulder, B [ECN-Renewable Energy, Petten (Netherlands)

    1996-09-01

    Due to the fact that it is quite difficult to get new funding for (fundamental) wind turbine material related fatigue research the authors started a discussion with the following title: Are there still wind turbine engineering specific fatigue problems? and What are the research goals for the fatigue experts in wind engineering for the second half of the 90{sup ies}. In this paper the present status of the fatigue issue and the discussion following is reported. (au)

  13. The Future of Qualitative Research in Psychology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Demuth, Carolin; Terkildsen, Thomas Schjødt

    2015-01-01

    (Aalborg University) and Günter Mey (Stendal University of Applied Science). The discussion started out by addressing the specifics of qualitative research in the field of psychology, its historical development and the perils of recent trends of standardization and neo-positivistic orientations. In light......In May 2014, a workshop on ”The future of qualitative research in psychology” took place at Aalborg University, Department of Communication & Psychology organized by Carolin Demuth. Participants from Aalborg University engaged in a lively exchange with the two invited discussants Svend Brinkmann...... of the discrepancy of what could be potentially achieved with qualitative methods for psychological research and how they are actually currently applied, the need was stressed to return to an understanding of qualitative methods as a craft skill and to take into account the subjectivity of the researcher...

  14. FutureCoast: "Listen to your futures"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfirman, S. L.; Eklund, K.; Thacher, S.; Orlove, B. S.; Diane Stovall-Soto, G.; Brunacini, J.; Hernandez, T.

    2014-12-01

    Two science-arts approaches are emerging as effective means to convey "futurethinking" to learners: systems gaming and experiential futures. FutureCoast exemplifies the latter: by engaging participants with voicemails supposedly leaking from the cloud of possible futures, the storymaking game frames the complexities of climate science in relatable contexts. Because participants make the voicemails themselves, FutureCoast opens up creative ways for people to think about possibly climate-changed futures and personal ways to talk about them. FutureCoast is a project of the PoLAR Partnership with a target audience of informal adult learners primarily reached via mobile devices and online platforms. Scientists increasingly use scenarios and storylines as ways to explore the implications of environmental change and societal choices. Stories help people make connections across experiences and disciplines and link large-scale events to personal consequences. By making the future seem real today, FutureCoast's framework helps people visualize and plan for future climate changes. The voicemails contributed to FutureCoast are spread through the game's intended timeframe (2020 through 2065). Based on initial content analysis of voicemail text, common themes include ecosystems and landscapes, weather, technology, societal issues, governance and policy. Other issues somewhat less frequently discussed include security, food, industry and business, health, energy, infrastructure, water, economy, and migration. Further voicemail analysis is examining: temporal dimensions (salient time frames, short vs. long term issues, intergenerational, etc.), content (adaptation vs. mitigation, challenges vs. opportunities, etc.), and emotion (hopeful, resigned, etc. and overall emotional context). FutureCoast also engaged audiences through facilitated in-person experiences, geocaching events, and social media (Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube). Analysis of the project suggests story

  15. Conducting multinational, cross-cultural research in the functional gastrointestinal disorders: issues and recommendations. A Rome Foundation working team report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperber, A D; Gwee, K A; Hungin, A P; Corazziari, E; Fukudo, S; Gerson, C; Ghoshal, U C; Kang, J-Y; Levy, R L; Schmulson, M; Dumitrascu, D; Gerson, M-J; Chen, M; Myung, S-J; Quigley, E M M; Whorwell, P J; Zarzar, K; Whitehead, W E

    2014-11-01

    Cross-cultural, multinational research can advance the field of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Cross-cultural comparative research can make a significant contribution in areas such as epidemiology, genetics, psychosocial modulators, symptom reporting and interpretation, extra-intestinal co-morbidity, diagnosis and treatment, determinants of disease severity, health care utilisation, and health-related quality of life, all issues that can be affected by geographical region, culture, ethnicity and race. To identify methodological challenges for cross-cultural, multinational research, and suggest possible solutions. This report, which summarises the full report of a working team established by the Rome Foundation that is available on the Internet, reflects an effort by an international committee of FGID clinicians and researchers. It is based on comprehensive literature reviews and expert opinion. Cross-cultural, multinational research is important and feasible, but has barriers to successful implementation. This report contains recommendations for future research relating to study design, subject recruitment, availability of appropriate study instruments, translation and validation of study instruments, documenting confounders, statistical analyses and reporting of results. Advances in study design and methodology, as well as cross-cultural research competence, have not matched technological advancements. The development of multinational research networks and cross-cultural research collaboration is still in its early stages. This report is intended to be aspirational rather than prescriptive, so we present recommendations, not guidelines. We aim to raise awareness of these issues and to pose higher standards, but not to discourage investigators from doing what is feasible in any particular setting. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Main issues in research and practice of environmental protection for water conservancy and hydropower projects in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ang Chen

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we generally summarize the main issues in the operational period of water conservancy and hydropower projects in China over the past several decades. First, the adverse impacts of these projects since the technical guidelines were proposed in 2006 are analyzed. Then, combined with projects and experience from 2006 to 2014, the four main issues are summarized: (1 There exist many questions in the design and construction of fishways, which are useful for fish migration, and the migration effects are not as expected. (2 Temperature stratification affecting the downstream fish is the major impact of temperature, and alters fish spawning in the reproduction season. (3 Ecological base flow has been one of the primary questions of the last 30 years in China, the greatest related difficulty being quantification of the amount and flow process necessary to satisfy fish life history. (4 Fish habitat protection and restoration are popular topics in recent years with the development of river ecosystem restoration. Fish habitat loss due to the impacts of dam construction and habitat fragmentation has become more and more serious. These four issues are now the main difficulties in water project management, and interact with one another to bear combined effects on river ecosystems. The issues of eco-hydraulic consideration in the design period are the key factors. Finally, future priorities for research and practice of environmental protection for water conservancy and hydropower projects in China are proposed. The main purpose of this paper is to enhance the scientific research, monitoring, and assessment of operating effectiveness.

  17. Customer perceived value—Conceptualization and avenues for future research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Zauner

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Given the present dynamic consumption environment due to technological innovations as well as interlinked economic developments on the macro-, micro-, and societal-level, researchers and managers have been increasingly showing interest in the concept of customer perceived value. However, especially given its vast empirical application, surprisingly little effort has been paid to synthesize various perspectives on the dimensionality, abstraction, and model taxonomy of customer perceived value. Therefore, based on a comprehensive literature review, this article identifies the predominant conceptualization of customer perceived value, thus also providing a sound basis for future empirical assessments of this concept, and discusses avenues for future research. In addition to contributing to research, this study also contributes to practice by comprehensively positioning customer perceived value as a key source of competitive advantage in the context of relationship marketing, management, and business models.

  18. Research of the Stock Price Overreaction and Investor Overconfidence Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bayu Raharja

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This research examines the existing of investor overconfidence in the capital market and the phenomena of stock prices reversal in the future due to the existing of this behavior. It has a different approach to test the existing of investor overconfidence by introducing firm’s growth as the information which has triggered many investors to behave overconfidently. By using multiple regression analysis, the results of this research confirmed our conducted hypothesis, investor tends to behave overconfident to firms which have higher growth. It proofed by the positive relation between firms’ growth and trading volume. Afterward, this research also found that higher growth firms tend to have declining on its performance in the future. The negative relation between firms’ growth and longterm performance means that the stock’s price reversal caused by the existing of investor overconfidence.

  19. The future of qualitative research in psychology--a students' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terkildsen, Thomas; Petersen, Sofie

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this article is to explore the future of qualitative research as seen from a students' perspective. This exploration will initially be incited through a discussion of the use of the term 'qualitative research', and the risks associated with the use of such an umbrella term. It is discussed that the use of an overarching umbrella term can lead to an overhomogenized understanding of qualitative research, that fails to represent the diversity and variety of methodological and epistemological approaches that exist within this research paradigm. It is also discussed that this overhomogenization reinforces the idea of qualitative research as an anti-doctrine to quantitative research, which is argued to discourage interparadigmatic integration. Lastly, it is considered how these (mis)conceptions of qualitative research influence how psychology students are taught about research methodology and how this education could affect these (mis)conceptions. We advocate that the future for qualitative research in psychology should be ensured through a restructure and a refocus on an educational level. This change should overall be centered around teaching students how to be reflective research practitioners based on an in-depth understanding of the variety of epistemologies within both meta-research-paradigms.

  20. Ethical issues and best practice in clinically based genomic research: Exeter Stakeholders Meeting Report

    OpenAIRE

    Carrieri, D; Bewshea, C; Walker, G; Ahmad, T; Bowen, W; Hall, A; Kelly, S

    2016-01-01

    Current guidelines on consenting individuals to participate in genomic research are diverse. This creates problems for participants and also for researchers, particularly for clinicians who provide both clinical care and research to their patients. A group of 14 stakeholders met on 7 October 2015 in Exeter to discuss the ethical issues and the best practice arising in clinically based genomic research, with particular emphasis on the issue of returning results to study participants/patients i...

  1. Interpersonal Psychotherapy: Past, Present and Future

    OpenAIRE

    Markowitz, John C.; Weissman, Myrna M.

    2012-01-01

    The authors briefly describe the origins, theory, and development of interpersonal psychotherapy: its roots in clinical outcome research, its spread from major depression to other psychiatric disorders and its increasing dissemination as an empirically validated clinical intervention included in treatment guidelines. They attempt to forecast research, organizational and training issues the growing interpersonal psychotherapy community may face in the future.

  2. Critical issues with clinical research in children: The example of premature infants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Welty, Stephen E.

    2005-01-01

    Research in pediatrics has led to marked improvements in survival in pediatric patients. In no other age group have these improvements been more dramatic than in neonatology, where antenatal steroid administration to mothers and postnatal utilization of surfactant have led to marked improvements in survival so that infants born at 24 weeks gestation now have a greater than 50% chance of survival. Unfortunately, more than 50% of these patients develop significant complications of prematurity with potential long-term impact on the health of these infants. Therefore, additional research must be done in these patients to prevent these complications or reduce the impact of these complications. There are many practical and some ethical issues that could impede research in the area. Interventional studies have succeeded because literally decades of research defined unequivocally the pathophysiology of diseases such as surfactant deficiency in RDS. Unfortunately, the pathophysiology leading to the complications of prematurity has been extrapolated from old concepts without verification as the population has become smaller and more premature than the previous era. Thus, an extremely important practical issue in pediatric research is whether to design interventions to address the extrapolated pathophysiology risking misinterpretations of the results of such studies. Or should our efforts be focused on defining endpoints associated with the development of diseases and complications which may define pathophysiology more completely but delay the design of interventions to improve the outcomes of patients. Another crucial practical issue in pediatric research is how to power studies so that interventions can be studied adequately. In the US, large neonatal networks have been formed so that large databases can be created and large multi-center trials can be performed. The practical issues associated with these network studies is the center to center variability in patient care

  3. Past performance and future perspectives of burnout research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. B. Schaufeli

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available After a brief introduction on the history of burnout, this article reviews the past performance of burnout research by answering ten key-questions: (1 How can burnout be assessed?; (2 Is burnout limited to the human services?; (3 Is burnout a mental disorder; (4 What is the prevalence of burnout?; (5 Is burnout a global phenomenon?; (6 Is burnout relevant for organisations; (7 What are the causes of burnout?; (8 What are the consequences of burnout?; (9 How can burnout be explained?; (10 Are burnout interventions effective? In the concluding section a future research agenda is drafted on the bases of the answers given to the previous questions. This agenda includes such issues as the measurement and conceptualisation of burnout, mild and severe forms of burnout, epidemiological and cross-cultural perspectives, organisational outcomes, longitudinal investigations, theoretical explanations, and interventions. Opsomming Na ’n kort inleiding oor die geskiedenis van uitbranding gee hierdie artikel ’n oorsig van vorige prestasie van navorsing ten opsigte van uitbranding deur tien sleutelvrae te beantwoord: (1 Hoe kan uitbranding bepaal word?; (2 Is uitbranding beperk tot die mens-dienste?; (3 Is uitbranding ’n geestesafwyking?; (4 Wat is die voorkoms van uitbranding?; (5 Is uitbranding ’n wêreldwye verskynsel?; (6 Is uitbranding relevant vir organisasies?; (7 Wat is die oorsake van uitbranding?; (8 Wat is die gevolge van uitbranding?; (9 Hoe kan uitbranding verklaar word?; (10 Is uitbrandingsingrepe effektief? In die gevolgtrekking word ’n toekomstige navorsingsagenda op grond van die antwoorde op die voorafgaande vrae opgestel. Hierdie agenda sluit aangeleenthede soos die meting en konseptualisering van uitbranding, matige en ernstige vorme van uitbranding, epidemiologiese en kruiskulturele perspektiewe, organisasie- uitkomste, longitudinale ondersoeke, teoretiese verklarings en intervensies in.

  4. Research trends and issues in informal science education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinthong, Tanwarat; Faikhamta, Chatree

    2018-01-01

    Research in informal science education (ISE) become more interesting area in science education for a few decades. The main purpose of this research is to analyse research articles in 30 issues of top three international journals in science education; Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Science Education, and the International Journal of Science Education. The research articles during 2007 and 2016 were reviewed and analysed according to the authors' nationality, informal science education's research topics, research paradigms, methods of data collection and data analysis. The research findings indicated that there were 201 published papers related to informal science education, successfully submitted by 469 authors from 27 different countries. In 2008, there was no article related to informal science education. Statistical analyses showed that authors from USA are the most dominant, followed by UK and Israel. The top three ISE's research topics most frequently investigated by the researchers were regarding students' informal learning, public understanding in science, and informal perspectives, policies and paradigms. It is also found that theoretical framework used in informal science education which is becoming more strongly rooted is in a mix of the sociocultural and constructivist paradigms, with a growing acceptance of qualitative research methods and analyses.

  5. Editorial Review: Touring the Archive 1999–2017 and Mapping the Future of Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research is now an Open Access Journal from this issue onwards. We are particularly pleased that not only new articles, but also our full archive are included in the publishing agreement with Stockholm University Press. To celebrate this turning point in the Journal’s history, we have revisited trends in its development, considered what recent and newly published articles say about its direction, and have explored what we see as important possibilities for our future. This editorial is our reflections on what we have found.

  6. Bridge to the future: nontraditional clinical settings, concepts and issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faller, H S; Dowell, M A; Jackson, M A

    1995-11-01

    Healthcare restructuring in the wake of healthcare reform places greater emphasis on primary healthcare. Clinical education in acute care settings and existing community health agencies are not compatible with teaching basic concepts, principles and skills fundamental to nursing. Problems of clients in acute care settings are too complex and clients in the community are often too dispersed for necessary faculty support and supervision of beginning nursing students. Nontraditional learning settings offer the baccalaureate student the opportunity to practice fundamental skills of care and address professional skills of negotiation, assertiveness, organization, collaboration and leadership. An overview of faculty designed clinical learning experiences in nontraditional sites such as McDonald's restaurants, inner city churches, YWCA's, the campus community and homes are presented. The legal, ethical and academic issues associated with nontraditional learning settings are discussed in relation to individual empowerment, decision making and evaluation. Implications for the future address the role of the students and faculty as they interact with the community in which they live and practice.

  7. Tribal wilderness research needs and issues in the United States and Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dan McDonald; Tom McDonald; Leo H. McAvoy

    2000-01-01

    This paper represents a dialogue between tribal wilderness managers and researchers on the primary research needs of tribal wilderness in the United States and Canada. The authors identify a number of research priorities for tribal wildlands. The paper also discusses some major issues and challenges faced by researchers conducting research in areas that are culturally...

  8. Research issues in the automated testing of Ajax applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Deursen, A.; Mesbah, A.

    2009-01-01

    Note: This paper is a pre-print of: Arie van Deursen and Ali Mesbah. Research Issues in the Automated Testing of Ajax Applications. In Proceedings 36th International Conference on Current Trend in Theory and Practice of Computer Science (SOFSEM), pp. 16-28. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 5901,

  9. Applied watercourse research - An analysis of future needs. Report from a seminar at Hell, North Troendelag, November 20-21, 1995; Anvendt vassdragsforskning - en analyse av fremtidige behov. Rapport fra seminar paa Hell, Nord-Troendelag, 20-21 november 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Skarboevik, E; Faugli, P E [eds.

    1996-02-01

    The future needs for research on issues related to Norwegian watercourse management were discussed at a seminar at Hell near Trondheim, on November 20-21, 1995. This publication reviews the work done on the seminar. Several topics in hydrology and applied watercourse management were discussed and suggestions were made for future research activities. General factors believed to influence future research activities include the possible shift in hydrologic and water science perspective from a segmented to a more holistic view of the watercourse: the expected increasing need for interdisciplinary research and institutional cooperation, the continued need for in-depth understanding of certain disciplines, the significance of an upcoming law on watercourse issues, and the effect of climate change. It is recommended that future research should be concentrated to a few watercourses and that a research programme on watercourse environment should be established. Projects are recommended on floods and flood control, on climate change and its effect on watercourses, on knowledge distribution, on the effects of new strategies such as peaking for management of hydroelectric power plants. These recommendations will be used to develop a research programme for the period 1997-2000. 35 refs., 16 figs., 6 tabs.

  10. Pastoral research: past, present, and future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleason, John J

    2004-01-01

    In healthcare environments of excellence, clinically trained chaplains are valued members of the medical treatment team. There are skills and values they hold in common with medicine and allied health disciplines: enhancing the health and well-being of the patient as a unity of body, mind, and spirit within a unique family and cultural system. This article examines the past, present, and future of pastoral research, including the chaplain's moral imperative to examine practice and to share what is found.

  11. Australian internet histories: Past, present and future

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brügger, Niels

    2012-01-01

    be worth considering in the future: constituting the field based on shared theoretical and methodological reflections; using archived web material to a larger extent; participating in the shaping of a digital research infrastructure for internet studies; and increasing international research relations.......This Afterword compares the articles in this issue of Media International Australia to the ‘first wave’ of Australian internet historiography, a field of study established by Australian internet scholars around 2000. After identifying what is new in the present issue, I outline four paths that may...

  12. Research in pediatric radiology: preparing for our future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strife, J.L.; Ball, W.S. Jr.

    1998-01-01

    The changing healthcare environment challenges the traditional role of academic medicine. Pediatric radiologists involved in research, education and teaching are under pressure to forego such endeavors in favor of increased clinical responsibilities. How we perform research must change if our subspecialty is to survive into the future, as we cannot afford to give up our traditional duties as researchers and educators. To do so could summon the beginning of the end for pediatric radiology. Rather, we must begin the process of restructuring research in pediatric radiology to take into account the efficient use of our resources which provide the greatest return on our investment. (orig.)

  13. Creating Futures through Participation and open-ended experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Husted, Mia; Bladt, Mette; Tofteng, Ditte Maria Børglum

    This workshop will engage participants in a process that enables ‘ordinary people’ to take responsibility for creating new futures and to bring about new anticipations for democratic developments of local and societal issues. Founded in the Critical Utopian Action Research Tradition, the workshop...... will engage participants in a brief version of a Future Creating Workshop....

  14. Research on Future Skill Demands: A Workshop Summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilton, Margaret

    2008-01-01

    Over the past five years, business and education groups have issued a series of reports indicating that the skill demands of work are rising, due to rapid technological change and increasing global competition. Researchers have begun to study changing workplace skill demands. Some economists have found that technological change is…

  15. [Nurses and research: contents and methods. Premise and guide to the use of this issue. 1. Why a special issue for research].

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-01-01

    For the first time in its history, this journal assumes the unusual form of a monograph: the issue is dedicated to the problems of research methodology, as it applies to the nursing context and activities. The purpose and the contents which are developed along the eight "chapters" can be summarised as follows: 1. It is widely recognised that health care systems are undergoing a profound and rapid transformation phase, which is obviously affecting the nursing profession and roles. To minimize the very real risk of being passive observers of the changes, a propositive strategy based on diffuse and intense research activities (aiming at describing, anticipating, assessing, experimenting changes and hypotheses) appears to be a priority choice (besides the more classical and needed institutional battles and arrangements). 2. Since its very beginning (back 15 years ago), this journal had adopted among its main objectives and distinctive features, the promotion of a research oriented mentality in a profession which (mainly, but not exclusively in Italy) has been characterised more in terms of executive and basically dependent tasks. The key thesis all over the years has been that, to be relevant for the whole profession, research should not be conceived as a separate or élite area of interest but it should be as close as possible (in its scope and methods), to the routine activities of the majority of the nurses. 3. The years long experience has produced (both through the materials which have been published, and the training initiatives which the Rdl has promoted) an important body of concepts and suggestions, which appear to be possibly useful to integrate the existing standard literature dedicated to research methods and designs. 4. The structure chosen for the overall organisation of the issue tries to comply to this "experimental" background: after a first part focused on the close articulation between the conceptual and historical specificities of nursing research

  16. HRM and innovation: Themes, contingencies and directions for future research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Florén, H.; Rundquist, J.; Schuler, R.S.; Bondarouk, Tatiana; Ruel, Hubertus Johannes Maria

    2014-01-01

    The purposes of this special issue were to connect Human Resource Management (HRM) research and innovation research and to contribute towards a better understanding of how HRM can be deployed to support organisations in their innovation efforts. In this commentary, we review the results from the

  17. Inhaled actinides: some safety issues and some research problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bair, W.J.

    1978-01-01

    The following topics are discussed: limited research funds; risk coefficients for inhaled particles; the hot particle hypothesis; the Gofman-Martell contention; critical tissues for inhaled actinides inhalation hazards associated with future nuclear fuel cycles; and approach to be used by the inhalation panel

  18. Bioethical Issues in Conducting Pediatric Dentistry Clinical Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrocho-Rangel, Arturo; Cerda-Cristerna, Bernardino; Pozos-Guillen, Amaury

    Pediatric clinical research on new drugs and biomaterials involves children in order to create valid and generalizable knowledge. Research on vulnerable populations, such as children, is necessary but only admissible when researchers strictly follow methodological and ethical standards, together with the respect to human rights; and very especially when the investigation cannot be conducted with other population or when the potential benefits are specifically for that age group. Clinical research in Pediatric Dentistry is not an exception. The aim of the present article was to provide the bioethical principles (with respect to the child/parents' autonomy, benefit/risk analysis, and distributive justice), and recommendations, including informed consent, research ethics committees, conflict of interest, and the "equipoise" concept. Current and future worldwide oral health research in children and adolescents must be conducted incorporating their perspectives in the decision-making process as completely as possible. This concept must be carefully considered when a dental clinical study research is going to be planned and conducted, especially in the case of randomized controlled trials, in which children will be recruited as participants.

  19. A Comparative Analysis between Researchers, Innovative Practitioners, and Department Chairs of Critical Issues for Turnaround Leadership in Community College Instructional Programs and Services 2010 and beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basham, Matthew J.; Campbell, Dale F.

    2011-01-01

    The Community College Futures Assembly has met annually in Orlando, Florida since 1995 to serve as a showcase for best practices in community colleges as well as a think tank for research into the critical issues facing community colleges. Select conference attendees would have the opportunity to participate in focus groups with respect to…

  20. Critical research needs for identifying future changes in Gulf coral reef ecosystems

    KAUST Repository

    Feary, David A.

    2013-07-01

    Expert opinion was assessed to identify current knowledge gaps in determining future changes in Arabian/Persian Gulf (thereafter \\'Gulf\\') coral reefs. Thirty-one participants submitted 71 research questions that were peer-assessed in terms of scientific importance (i.e., filled a knowledge gap and was a research priority) and efficiency in resource use (i.e., was highly feasible and ecologically broad). Ten research questions, in six major research areas, were highly important for both understanding Gulf coral reef ecosystems and also an efficient use of limited research resources. These questions mirrored global evaluations of the importance of understanding and evaluating biodiversity, determining the potential impacts of climate change, the role of anthropogenic impacts in structuring coral reef communities, and economically evaluating coral reef communities. These questions provide guidance for future research on coral reef ecosystems within the Gulf, and enhance the potential for assessment and management of future changes in this globally significant region. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Critical research needs for identifying future changes in Gulf coral reef ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feary, David A.; Burt, John A.; Bauman, Andrew G.; Al Hazeem, Shaker; Abdel-Moati, Mohamed A.; Al-Khalifa, Khalifa A.; Anderson, Donald M.; Amos, Carl; Baker, Andrew; Bartholomew, Aaron; Bento, Rita; Cavalcante, Geórgenes H.; Chen, Chaolun Allen; Coles, Steve L.; Dab, Koosha; Fowler, Ashley M.; George, David; Grandcourt, Edwin; Hill, Ross; John, David M.; Jones, David A.; Keshavmurthy, Shashank; Mahmoud, Huda; Moradi Och Tapeh, Mahdi; Mostafavi, Pargol Ghavam; Naser, Humood; Pichon, Michel; Purkis, Sam; Riegl, Bernhard; Samimi-Namin, Kaveh; Sheppard, Charles; Vajed Samiei, Jahangir; Voolstra, Christian R.; Wiedenmann, Joerg

    2014-01-01

    Expert opinion was assessed to identify current knowledge gaps in determining future changes in Arabian/ Persian Gulf (thereafter ‘Gulf’) coral reefs. Thirty-one participants submitted 71 research questions that were peer-assessed in terms of scientific importance (i.e., filled a knowledge gap and was a research priority) and efficiency in resource use (i.e., was highly feasible and ecologically broad). Ten research questions, in six major research areas, were highly important for both understanding Gulf coral reef ecosystems and also an efficient use of limited research resources. These questions mirrored global evaluations of the importance of understanding and evaluating biodiversity, determining the potential impacts of climate change, the role of anthropogenic impacts in structuring coral reef communities, and economically evaluating coral reef communities. These questions provide guidance for future research on coral reef ecosystems within the Gulf, and enhance the potential for assessment and management of future changes in this globally significant region. PMID:23643407

  2. Critical research needs for identifying future changes in Gulf coral reef ecosystems

    KAUST Repository

    Feary, David A.; Burt, John A.; Bauman, Andrew G.; Al Hazeem, Shaker; Abdel-Moati, Mohamed A R; Al-Khalifa, Khalifa A.; Anderson, Donald M.; Amos, Carl L.; Baker, Andrew C.; Bartholomew, Aaron; Bento, Rita; Cavalcante, Geó rgenes H.; Chen, Chaolun Allen; Coles, Steve L.; Dab, Koosha; Fowler, Ashley M.; George, David Glen; Grandcourt, Edwin Mark; Hill, Ross; John, David Michael; Jones, David Alan; Keshavmurthy, Shashank; Mahmoud, Huda M A; Moradi Och Tapeh, Mahdi; Mostafavi, Pargol Ghavam; Naser, Humood A.; Pichon, Michel; Purkis, Sam J.; Riegl, Bernhard M.; Samimi-Namin, Kaveh; Sheppard, Charles R C; Vajed Samiei, Jahangir; Voolstra, Christian R.; Wiedenmann, Jö rg

    2013-01-01

    Expert opinion was assessed to identify current knowledge gaps in determining future changes in Arabian/Persian Gulf (thereafter 'Gulf') coral reefs. Thirty-one participants submitted 71 research questions that were peer-assessed in terms of scientific importance (i.e., filled a knowledge gap and was a research priority) and efficiency in resource use (i.e., was highly feasible and ecologically broad). Ten research questions, in six major research areas, were highly important for both understanding Gulf coral reef ecosystems and also an efficient use of limited research resources. These questions mirrored global evaluations of the importance of understanding and evaluating biodiversity, determining the potential impacts of climate change, the role of anthropogenic impacts in structuring coral reef communities, and economically evaluating coral reef communities. These questions provide guidance for future research on coral reef ecosystems within the Gulf, and enhance the potential for assessment and management of future changes in this globally significant region. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  3. The future of physical activity research: funding, opportunities and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernhall, Bo; Borghi-Silva, Audrey; Babu, Abraham S

    2015-01-01

    The worldwide impact of physical activity (PA) on health consequences has received increasing attention. At this point in time, there is little disagreement that increasing levels of PA is an important aspect of public health worldwide. The world literature on PA, exercise and fitness has also grown exponentially since the early 1990's. It is clear that there is a voluminous literature in this area of research and the exponential increase in the number of manuscripts has gained substantial momentum since the year 2000. Given the importance of PA research in regards to health outcomes, and apparent popularity of such research (based on the number of manuscripts published), one could argue that the viability and future of PA are indeed bright. However, one could also assume a different view, that although the field is popular, it is saturated and we already know what we need to know regarding the impact of PA on public health. Much of the future viability of PA research will also be dependent on funding sources available. It is also possible that the impact of PA may vary around the world, thus the "global" impact of PA research may be dependent on location. This review will discuss what we perceive as the current landscape and the future of PA research in three select areas of the world, the United States, South America and Asia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Risk perception in an interest group context: an examination of the TMI restart issue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soderstrom, E.J.; Sorensen, J.H.; Copenhaver, E.D.; Carnes, S.A.

    1984-01-01

    Human response to environmental hazards and risks has been the subject of considerable research by social scientists. Work has traditionally focused on either individual response to the risks of an ongoing or future threat (hazards research), or group and organizational response to a specific disaster event (disaster research). As part of a larger investigation of the restart of the Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island (TMI), the response of interest groups active in the restart issue to the continued threat of TMI and to future risks due to restart was examined. After reviewing the restart issue in general, the local dimensions of the restart issue from interest group perspectives are discussed. A method for defining appropriate issues at the community level is reviewed. Differences in the perceived local impacts of alternative decisions, and systems of beliefs associated with differing perceptions are discussed. Finally, the implications of interest group versus individual perceptions of local issues for decision making about TMI, in particular, and about technological hazards management, in general, are discussed. Associated implications for determining socially acceptable risk levels are identified

  5. Current issues relating to psychosocial job strain and cardiovascular disease research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theorell, T; Karasek, R A

    1996-01-01

    The authors comment on recent reviews of cardiovascular job strain research by P. L. Schnall and P. A. Landsbergis (1994), and by T. S. Kristensen (1995), which conclude that job strain as defined by the demand-control model (the combination of contributions of low job decision latitudes and high psychological job demands) is confirmed as a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in a large majority of studies. Lack of social support at work appears to further increase risk. Several still-unresolved research questions are examined in light of recent studies: (a) methodological issues related to use of occupational aggregate estimations and occupational career aggregate assessments, use of standard scales for job analysis and recall bias issues in self-reporting; (b) confounding factors and differential strengths of association by subgroups in job strain-cardiovascular disease analyses with respect to social class, gender, and working hours; and (c) review of results of monitoring job strain-blood pressure associations and associated methodological issues.

  6. Patient issues in health research and quality of care: an inventory and data synthesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Teunissen, G.J.; Visse, M.A.; Boer, P.; Abma, T.A.

    2013-01-01

    Aim The purpose of this review is to generate an inventory of issues that matter from a patient perspective in health research and quality of care. From these issues, criteria will be elicited to support patient(s) (groups) in their role as advisor or advocate when appraising health research, health

  7. Methodological and Practical Issues of Scientific Research on the Retail Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balasescu, M.

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper highlights the role and importance of marketing research in a dynamic and complex sector such as retail. The paper approaches the theoretical issues related to the methods and instruments of marketing research appropriate for the retail market. The theory about qualitative and quantitative research methods is supported by relevant examples which lead to a better understanding of the marketing research process and of its effectiveness on retail activities.

  8. Water temperature issues in the 90's and beyond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Railsback, S.F.

    1993-01-01

    Water temperature issues are expected to receive increasing attention in the 1990s. Temperature impacts are among the most common and most expensive environmental issues requiring mitigation at water projects, but few changes in mitigation technologies and little research have occurred in the past decade. Water projects alter water temperatures because the heat balances in reservoirs and in streams with altered flows are significantly different from natural. Several emerging environmental and regulatory concerns and issues are likely to focus additional attention on temperature. Climate change, should it occur as predicted, can be expected to worsen many water temperature problems and complicate the determination of appropriate mitigation for water projects. The purposes of this paper are to review current water temperature issues and mitigation methods, to identify new and future temperature issues, and to identify research needs

  9. Power plants 2020+. Power plant options for the future and the related demand for research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    This short overview already demonstrates that in the foreseeable future all generation options - nuclear power, fossil-fired power plants and renewable sources of energy - will continue to be applied. If, however, due to climate protection targets, energy conversion processes are to be to switched to CO 2 -free or -low carbon energy sources, comprehensive research endeavours will be required in order to advance existing technology options and to adjust them to changing conditions. This paper is bound to recommend individual fields of research from the viewpoint of the VGB Scientific Advisory Board for the period 2020 and beyond. Firstly, the generation structure in the European high-voltage grid and its development until 2020 will be considered, then the research demand for - Hard coal- and lignite-fired power plants, - Renewables-based electricity generation (wind, solar energy) and - Nuclear-based electricity generation will be outlined briefly, listing the main technology issues to be answered by researchers in order to increase efficiency and to settle any ''loose ends''. Apart from generation technologies, the options for storing electrical energy will also be dealt with. These options can contribute to make the feed-in of renewables-based electricity more permanent and sustainable. (orig.)

  10. Turbulent times : Consequences for crisis management and related future research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Molen, I.; Vos, Marita F.; Vos, Marita

    In this chapter, we will address the idea that organisational resilience calls for management across organisational and discipline borders. We will also discuss the need for related applied research and technological development. Finally, we will look into future research design.

  11. Present status of research reactor and future prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakajima, Ken

    2013-01-01

    Research reactors have been playing an important role in the research and development of the various fields, such as physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, agriculture, medicine, etc. as well as human resource development. However, the most of them are older than 40 years, and the ageing management is an important issue. In Japan, only two research reactors are operational after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. JAEA's reactors suffered from the quake and they are under inspections. Kyoto University Research Reactor, one of the operational reactors, has been widely used for research and human resource development, and the additional safety measures against the station blackout were installed. Besides the affect of the quake, the disposal or treatment of spent fuel becomes an inevitable problem for research reactors. The way of spent fuel disposal or treatment should be determined with the nation-wide and/or international coalition. (author)

  12. Family-friendliness in business as a key issue for the future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stutzer, Erich

    2012-01-01

    These days family-friendliness is a key issue for the future of businesses. Investments in a family conscious personnel policy are considered as forward-looking decisions in companies. This happens against the background of a sustainable personnel policy in times of a decrease in the number of employable persons, an increasing shortage of skilled workers and an ageing workforce. Family-friendly working conditions are becoming a key factor in the competition for staff. When choosing an employer, family-friendliness has become a crucial topic. Employment participation and skills of women, especially of mothers, have greatly increased. To facilitate the realisation of their wish to return to paid employment, however, measures to reconcile work and family are required. Family-conscious measures have been proven to lead to higher employee productivity. Job satisfaction and motivation of employees and accumulation of human capital increase, absenteeism declines, the return of investment rises. Fields of activity for family-friendly measures in companies range from working arrangements, parental leave and re-entry programmes and various child care offers to services for families. In connection with the demographic development the demand for a better reconciliation of work and elder care should in future become ever more important, just as the upkeep of the occupational skills and working capacity of an ageing workforce. Family-friendliness has to become an integral part of corporate culture.

  13. Educational Research: Educational Purposes, the Nature of Knowledge and Ethical Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Alvarado, Julio

    2017-01-01

    Educational research should aim at improving educational practice by analysing the world of Education to understand it and make it better. It should be a critical, reflective and professionally oriented activity. Educational research should have three objectives: to explore issues and find answers to questions (for academics), to share policy…

  14. Reflecting on future research concerning the added value of FM

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Per Anker; van der Voordt, Theo; Coenen, Christian

    2014-01-01

    on contributions to the recently published book “The Added Value of Facilities Management” and related future studies, as well as further exploration of five main themes. Findings – Added value is expected to be central in the future development of FM, which is confirmed by recent foresight studies....... There is a need for a better understanding of alignment between FM and core business, performance measurement methods and how models such as the FM Value Map can be of value to the involved stakeholders. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and branding have great potential to add value......Purpose – This paper aims to summarize recent research findings and reflections on The Added Value of Facilities Management (FM) and to outline perspectives for future research and development of the added value of FM. Design/methodology/approach – The article is based on reflections...

  15. MORECare research methods guidance development: recommendations for ethical issues in palliative and end-of-life care research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gysels, M.; Evans, C.J.; Lewis, P.; Speck, P.; Benalia, H.; Preston, N.J.; Grande, G.E.; Short, V.; Owen-Jones, E.; Todd, C.J.; Higginson, I.J.

    2013-01-01

    Background: There is little guidance on the particular ethical concerns that research raises with a palliative care population. Aim: To present the process and outcomes of a workshop and consensus exercise on agreed best practice to accommodate ethical issues in research on palliative care. Design:

  16. MULTIGENERATIONAL ASPECTS OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION: ISSUES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mare, Robert D

    2014-03-01

    The articles in this special issue show the vitality and progress of research on multigenerational aspects of social mobility, stratification, and inequality. The effects of the characteristics and behavior of grandparents and other kin on the statuses, resources, and positions of their descendants are best viewed in a demographic context. Intergenerational effects work through both the intergenerational associations of socioeconomic characteristics and also differential fertility and mortality. A combined socioeconomic and demographic framework informs a research agenda which addresses the following issues: how generational effects combine with variation in age, period, and cohort within each generation; distinguishing causal relationships across generations from statistical associations; how multigenerational effects vary across socioeconomic hierarchies, including the possibility of stronger effects at the extreme top and bottom; distinguishing between endowments and investments in intergenerational effects; multigenerational effects on associated demographic behaviors and outcomes (especially fertility and mortality); optimal tradeoffs among diverse types of data on multigenerational processes; and the variability across time and place in how kin, education, and other institutions affect stratification.

  17. Arsenolipids in marine oils and fats: A review of occurrence, chemistry and future research needs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sele, Veronika; Sloth, Jens J.; Lundebye, Anne-Katrine

    2012-01-01

    Numerous studies have focused on arsenic in marine organisms, and relatively high natural levels of the element have been reported in marine samples. Despite their seemingly consistent presence in marine oils and fats, there is currently only limited knowledge available on arsenic compounds that ...... to feed and food safety and legislative issues. Analytical techniques, including techniques in the early work on arsenolipids in addition to methods employed today, and relevant sample preparation will be discussed....... of this review is to present current knowledge on the occurrence and chemistry of arsenolipids in marine oils, and to identify future research needs. The occurrence of arsenolipids and their relevance in marine organisms will be discussed, in addition to their relevance for consumers and industry, with respect...

  18. Substorms - Future of magnetospheric substorm-storm research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akasofu, S.I.

    1989-01-01

    Seven approaches and/or areas of magnetospheric substorm and storm science which should be emphasized in future research are briefly discussed. They are: the combining of groups of researchers who study magnetic storms and substorms in terms of magnetic reconnection with those that do not, the possible use of a magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling model to merge the groups, the development of improved input-output relationships, the complementing of satellite and ground-based observations, the need for global imaging of the magnetosphere, the complementing of observations with computer simulations, and the need to study the causes of changes in the north-south component of the IMF. 36 refs

  19. Defining Future Directions for Endometriosis Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    D’Hooghe, Thomas M.; Fazleabas, Asgerally; Giudice, Linda C.; Montgomery, Grant W.; Petraglia, Felice; Taylor, Robert N.

    2013-01-01

    Endometriosis, defined as estrogen-dependent lesions containing endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus, is a chronic and often painful gynecological condition that affects 6% to 10% of reproductive age women. Endometriosis has estimated annual costs of US $12 419 per woman (approximately €9579), comprising one-third of the direct health care costs with two-thirds attributed to loss of productivity. Decreased quality of life is the most important predictor of direct health care and total costs. It has been estimated that there is a mean delay of 6.7 years between onset of symptoms and a surgical diagnosis of endometriosis, and each affected woman loses on average 10.8 hours of work weekly, mainly owing to reduced effectiveness while working. To encourage and facilitate research into this debilitating disease, a consensus workshop to define future directions for endometriosis research was held as part of the 11th World Congress on Endometriosis in September 2011 in Montpellier, France. The objective of this workshop was to review and update the endometriosis research priorities consensus statement developed following the 10th World Congress on Endometriosis in 2008.1 A total of 56 recommendations for research have been developed, grouped under 6 subheadings: (1) diagnosis, (2) classification and prognosis, (3) clinical trials, treatment, and outcomes, (4) epidemiology, (5) pathophysiology, and (6) research policy. By producing this consensus international research priorities statement, it is the hope of the workshop participants that researchers will be encouraged to develop new interdisciplinary research proposals that will attract increased funding support for work on endometriosis. PMID:23427182

  20. Editorial : Introduction to Energy Strategy Reviews theme issueFuture Energy Systems and Market Integration of Wind Power”

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lund, H.; Weijermars, R.

    2013-01-01

    Energy Strategy Reviews (ESR) provides a peer-reviewed publication platformto evaluate strategy options for tomorrow’s energy systems. The focus in this special issue is on “Future Energy Systems and Market Integration of Wind Power” and possible solutions are highlighted from the strategy viewpoint

  1. Future Leadership, Old Issues, New Methods

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Johnson, Douglas

    2000-01-01

    ...) and elsewhere that the future command and leadership challenge will be significant. If a complete transformation of warfare occurs, as some posit, an accompanying transformation of command and leadership may likewise be required...

  2. Attachment theory: progress and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fearon, R M Pasco; Roisman, Glenn I

    2017-06-01

    Attachment is a key subfield in the area of parenting and parent-child relationships research. In this brief overview, we summarise what we consider to be the state-of-the-art of attachment research, focusing primarily on the nature and significance of attachment in infancy and early childhood. We review 4 major topics that are central issues in the scientific literature on attachment: (1) the role of the environment in the development of attachment, (2) the intergenerational transmission of patterns of attachment, (3) the stability of attachment patterns through early adulthood, and (4) the role of attachment in adjustment and maladjustment. We conclude by highlighting several critical unresolved issues and priorities for future research. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Reflecting on future research concerning the added value of FM

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jensen, PA; van der Voordt, Theo; Coenen, C; Sarasoja, AL

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To summarize recent research findings and reflections on The Added Value of Facilities Management and to outline perspectives for future research and development of the added value of FM.
    Methodology - The article is based on reflections on contributions to the recently published book

  4. Worksite health promotion research: challenges, current state and future directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georg F. Bauer

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available

    Background: Worksite health promotion (WHP addresses diverse individual and work-related health determinants. Thus, multiple, non-standardized interventions as well as company outcomes other than health have to be considered in WHP research.

    Methods: The article builds primarily on published research reviews in WHP and related fields. It discusses key practical and research challenges of the workplace setting. The evidence available on the effectiveness of WHP is summarised and conclusions are drawn for future WHP practice and research.

    Results: WHP research on health-oriented, behavioural interventions shows that the level of evidence ranges from suggestive to acceptable for key prevention areas such as physical activity, nutrition, fitness, smoking, alcohol and stress. Such interventions are effective if key conditions are met. Future research is needed on long-term effects, on multi-component programs and on programs, which address environmental determinants of health behaviour as well. Research on work-related determinants of health shows the economic and public health relevance of WHP interventions. Reviews of work-oriented, organisational interventions show that they produce a range of individual and organisational outcomes. However, due to the complexity of the organisational context, the generalisability and predictability of such outcomes remain limited.

    Conclusions: WHP research shows success factors of WHP and provides evidence of its effectiveness. In future, the evidence base should be expanded by developing adaptive, company-driven intervention approaches which allow for continuous optimisation of companies from a health perspective. Also, approaches for active dissemination of such a systemic-salutogenic occupational health management approach should be developed to increase the public health impact of WHP.

  5. A Research on Issues Related to RFID Security and Privacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jongki; Yang, Chao; Jeon, Jinhwan

    Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology for automated identification of objects and people. RFID systems have been gaining more popularity in areas especially in supply chain management and automated identification systems. However, there are many existing and potential problems in the RFID systems which could threat the technology's future. To successfully adopt RFID technology in various applications, we need to develop the solutions to protect the RFID system's data information. This study investigates important issues related to privacy and security of RFID based on the recent literature and suggests solutions to cope with the problem.

  6. Pedagogical Conditions of Future Philologists’ Research Culture Formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina Trufkina

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the problem of - the pedagogical conditions- and it discloses the give phenomenon. In the following work there are outlined three kinds of pedagogical conditions that determine the formation of the future philologist's research culture and it also gives their detailed analysis. The urgency of the paper is determined by progressive methods of contemporary higher education. The aim of the work is to analyse pedagogical conditions that contribute to the research culture formation. The outlook of our investigations is connected with the detailed analysis of the Ŗresearch cultureŗ phenomenon, its components and pedagogical conditions contributing to its development.

  7. Operations Management of Logistics and Supply Chain: Issues and Directions

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Xiang

    2014-01-01

    There has been consensus that logistics as well as supply chain management is a vital research field, yet with few literature reviews on this topic. This paper sets out to propose some hot issues in the current research, through a review of related literature from the perspective of operations management. In addition, we generate some insights and future research directions in this field.

  8. Research by pediatric radiologists - past accomplishments and future opportunities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Effmann, E.L.

    1987-01-01

    Pediatric radiologists have made numerous and important contributions to the body of medical knowledge. This essay reviews aspects of biomedical and radiological research, analyses the state of scholarship in pediatric radiology today, and examines future research opportunities. The author's research interest in cardiopulmonary malformations and in the use of murine models of human disease serve to illustrate of but one of many investigative areas open to academic pediatric radiologists. Finally, the application process for NIH funding is briefly discussed. (orig.)

  9. Essay on Methods in Futures Studies and a Selective Bibliography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Claus

    2005-01-01

    Futures studies is often conflated with science fiction or pop-futurism. Consequently there is a need for demarcation of what is futures studies and what is not. From the same reason the essay stresses the need for quality control to focus on futures research and its methods: Publications in futu...... programme are (only) partly reduced by applying Causal Layered Analysis as an internal quality control. The following selective bibliography is focussed on these methodological issues...

  10. Sources of Return in the Index Futures Markets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Zaremba

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper concerns an issue of existence of a risk premium in equity and index futures markets. The paper consists of four parts. The first part describes the basic hypotheses of forward curves in the futures market. In the second section, I formulate 5 hypotheses concerning a risk premium in the equity futures market, its forecastability, and its dependence on a market segment and development stage. The third part includes an empirical study, which confirms the existence of timedependent and partially predictable risk premium. The research was based on the Polish futures market in the years 2000-2010. The last section of the paper discusses potential implications for the financial market practice and indicates areas for further research.

  11. Ethical issues in brain-computer interface research, development, and dissemination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlek, Rutger J; Steines, David; Szibbo, Dyana; Kübler, Andrea; Schneider, Mary-Jane; Haselager, Pim; Nijboer, Femke

    2012-06-01

    The steadily growing field of brain-computer interfacing (BCI) may develop useful technologies, with a potential impact not only on individuals, but also on society as a whole. At the same time, the development of BCI presents significant ethical and legal challenges. In a workshop during the 4th International BCI meeting (Asilomar, California, 2010), six panel members from various BCI laboratories and companies set out to identify and disentangle ethical issues related to BCI use in four case scenarios, which were inspired by current experiences in BCI laboratories. Results of the discussion are reported in this article, touching on topics such as the representation of persons with communication impairments, dealing with technological complexity and moral responsibility in multidisciplinary teams, and managing expectations, ranging from an individual user to the general public. Furthermore, we illustrate that where treatment and research interests conflict, ethical concerns arise. On the basis of the four case scenarios, we discuss salient, practical ethical issues that may confront any member of a typical multidisciplinary BCI team. We encourage the BCI and rehabilitation communities to engage in a dialogue, and to further identify and address pressing ethical issues as they occur in the practice of BCI research and its commercial applications.

  12. Research and management issues in large-scale fire modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    David L. Peterson; Daniel L. Schmoldt

    2000-01-01

    In 1996, a team of North American fire scientists and resource managers convened to assess the effects of fire disturbance on ecosystems and to develop scientific recommendations for future fire research and management activities. These recommendations - elicited with the Analytic Hierarchy Process - include numerically ranked scientific and managerial questions and...

  13. Cyber security issues in online games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Chen

    2018-04-01

    With the rapid development of the Internet, online gaming has become a way of entertainment for many young people in the modern era. However, in recent years, cyber security issues in online games have emerged in an endless stream, which have also caused great attention of many game operators. Common cyber security problems in the game include information disclosure and cyber-attacks. These problems will directly or indirectly cause economic losses to gamers. Many gaming companies are enhancing the stability and security of their network or gaming systems in order to enhance the gaming user experience. This article has carried out the research of the cyber security issues in online games by introducing the background and some common cyber security threats, and by proposing the latent solution. Finally, it speculates the future research direction of the cyber security issues of online games in the hope of providing feasible solution and useful information for game operators.

  14. Introduction to special issue: moving forward in pediatric neuropsychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daly, Brian P; Giovannetti, Tania; Zabel, T Andrew; Chute, Douglas L

    2011-08-01

    This special issue of The Clinical Neuropsychologist focuses on advances in the emerging subspecialty of pediatric neuropsychology. The national and international contributions in this issue cover a range of key clinical, research, training, and professional issues specific to pediatric neuropsychology. The genesis for this project developed out of a series of talks at the Philadelphia Pediatric Neuropsychology Symposium in 2010, hosted by the Stein Family Fellow, the Department of Psychology of the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel University, and the Philadelphia Neuropsychology Society. Articles that explore clinical practice issue focus on the assessment of special medical populations with congenital and/or acquired central nervous system insults. Research articles investigate the core features of developmental conditions, the use of technology in neuropsychological research studies, and large sample size genomic, neuropsychological, and imaging studies of under-represented populations. The final series of articles examine new considerations in training, advocacy, and subspecialty board certification that have emerged in pediatric neuropsychology. This introductory article provides an overview of the articles in this special issue and concluding thoughts about the future of pediatric neuropsychology.

  15. Issues in researching leadership in health care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simons, Tony; Leroy, Hannes

    2013-01-01

    We provide a review of the research in this volume and suggest avenues for future research. Review of the research in this volume and unstructured interviews with health care executives. We identified the three central themes: (1) trust in leadership, (2) leading by example, and (3) multi-level leadership. For each of these themes, we highlight the shared concerns and findings, and provide commentary about the contribution to the literature on leadership. While relation-oriented leadership is important in health care, there is a danger of too much emphasis on relations in an already caring profession. Moreover, in most health care organizations, leadership is distributed and scholars need to adopt the appropriate methods to investigate these multi-level phenomena. In health care organizations, hands-on leadership, through role modeling, may be necessary to promote change. However, practicing what you preach is not as easy as it may seem. We provide a framework for understanding current research on leadership in health care organizations.

  16. How Research Training Will Shape the Future of Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Souza, Rena N; Colombo, John S

    2017-09-01

    This is a critical time in the history of the dental profession for it to fully embrace the responsibility to safeguard its reputation as a learned profession. In this golden era of scientific and technological advances, opportunities abound to create new diagnostics, preventions, treatments, and cures to improve oral health. Dental schools are the largest national resource entrusted with the responsibility to educate, train, and retain oral health researchers who can leverage such technologies and research opportunities that will benefit the profession at large as well as patients. This article reemphasizes the theme that research training and scholarship must be inextricably woven into the environment and culture in dental schools to ensure the future standing of the profession. An overview of the history of support provided by the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for the training and career development of dentist-scientists is presented. In addition, new data on the outcomes of such investments are presented along with a comparison with other health professions. This overview underscores the need to expand the capacity of a well-trained cadre of oral health researchers through the reengineering of training programs. Such strategies will best prepare future graduates for team science, clinical trials, and translational research as well as other emerging opportunities. The urgent need for national organizations like the American Dental Association, American Dental Education Association, and American Association for Dental Research to create new alliances and novel initiatives to assist dental schools and universities in fulfilling their research mission is emphasized. To ignore such calls for action is to disavow a valuable legacy inherited by the dental profession. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21 st Century."

  17. Future and benefits of corrosion research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staehle, Roger W.

    2002-01-01

    The subject of corrosion is a design science. The subject of stress analysis is a design science as is the subject of heat transfer. When the subject of corrosion is considered in the framework design a clear framework of the priorities and objectives becomes apparent. Further, corrosion becomes a more explicit and important subject in the overall design, manufacturing, and operation phases of equipment: in this framework, the funding and support of corrosion work is necessary to the designers and users of equipment. The subject of corrosion is usually less important in the early stages of operation of equipment: in these early stages, the subjects. Corrosion becomes important to the longer term reliability and safety of equipment. Corrosion is often a principal determiner of design life. Corrosion is often more important after the manufacturing warranty is expired: therefore the subject is often more important to the user than to the manufacturer. In order that the subject of corrosion is considered and incorporated in the design as well as in user specifications, there must be a language and means of easily understood communication between the design-operation community and the corrosion community. For example, the designers do not understand the language of 'pitting potential': rather, they understand design life and permissible stress. Thus, corrosion must be put into terms that can be understood and utilized by designers and operators. Two methodologies have been developed for communicating effectively between the corrosion and the design communities: these are the 'Corrosion Based Design Approach' and the 'Location for Analysis Matrix.' These provide simple check off lists to designers for asking questions and assuring that credible answers have been obtained on issues that affect reliable and economic performance. Both of these subject are discussed in this presentation. The future of corrosion research is its effective linkage with design and operation of

  18. Mental health issues from rising sea level in a remote coastal region of the Solomon Islands: current and future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asugeni, James; MacLaren, David; Massey, Peter D; Speare, Rick

    2015-12-01

    There is little published research about mental health and climate change in the Pacific, including Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates of sea-level rise globally. The aim of this research was to document mental health issues related to sea-level rise for people in East Malaita, Solomon Islands. A cross-sectional study was carried out in six low-lying villages in East Malaita, Solomon Islands. The researcher travelled to villages by dugout canoe. In addition to quantitative, closed-ended questions, open-ended questions with villagers explored individual and community responses to rising sea level. Of 60 people asked, 57 completed the questionnaire. Of these, 90% reported having seen a change in the weather patterns. Nearly all participants reported that sea-level rise is affecting them and their family and is causing fear and worry on a personal and community level. Four themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: experience of physical impacts of climate change; worry about the future; adaptation to climate change; government response needed. Given predictions of ongoing sea-level rise in the Pacific it is essential that more research is conducted to further understand the human impact of climate change for small island states which will inform local, provincial and national-level mental health responses. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

  19. Present status and future prospect of research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takemi, Hirokatsu

    1996-01-01

    The present status of research reactors more than MW class reactor in JAERI and the Kyoto University and the small reactors in the Musashi Institute of Technology, the Rikkyo University, the Tokyo University, the Kinki University and other countries are explained in the paper. The present status of researches are reported by the topics in each field. The future researches of the beam reactor and the irradiation reactor are reviewed. On various kinds of use of research reactor and demands of neutron field of a high order, new type research reactors under investigation are explained. Recently, the reactors are used in many fields such as the basic science: the basic physics, the material science, the nuclear physics, and the nuclear chemistry and the applied science; the earth and environmental science, the biology and the medical science. (S.Y.)

  20. Beyond 2013 - The Future of European Scientific Drilling Research - An introduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camoin, G.; Stein, R.

    2009-04-01

    The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is funded for the period 2003-2013, and is now starting to plan the future of ocean drilling beyond 2013, including the development of new technologies, new emerging research fields as and the societal relevance of this programme. In this context an interdisciplinary and multinational (USA, Europe, Japan, Asian and Oceanian countries), key conference - INVEST IODP New Ventures in Exploring Scientific Targets - addressing all international IODP partners is therefore planned for September 23rd-25th 2009 in Bremen, Germany (more information at http://www.iodp.org and http://marum.de/iodp-invest.html) to discuss future directions of ocean drilling research and related aspects such as ventures with related programmes or with industry. The first critical step of INVEST is to define the scientific research goals of the second phase of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), which is expected to begin in late 2013. INVEST will be open to all interested scientists and students and will be the principal opportunity for the international science community to help shape the future of scientific ocean drilling. The outcome of the conference will be the base to draft a science plan in 2010 and to define new goals and strategies to effectively meet the challenges of society and future ocean drilling. The current EGU Session and the related two days workshop which will be held at the University of Vienna will specifically address the future of European scientific drilling research. The major objectives of those two events are to sharpen the European interests in the future IODP and to prepare the INVEST Conference and are therefore of prime importance to give weight to the European propositions in the program renewal processes, both on science, technology and management, and to provide the participants with information about the status/process of ongoing discussions and negotiations regarding program structure, and provide them

  1. Research on aircraft emissions. Need for future work

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmitt, A [German Aerospace Establishment, Cologne (Germany). Transport Research Div.

    1998-12-31

    Reflecting the present status of the research on aircraft emissions and their impacts upon the atmosphere, task-fields for a work programme for the research on aircraft emissions can be derived. Most important measures are to support the efforts to define adequate reduction measures, and (with highest priority) scenario-writing for the long-term development in aircraft emissions, to be able to include into the decision making process the aspect of in-time-reaction against unwanted future. Besides that, a steady monitoring of global aircraft emissions will be necessary. (author) 5 refs.

  2. Research on aircraft emissions. Need for future work

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmitt, A. [German Aerospace Establishment, Cologne (Germany). Transport Research Div.

    1997-12-31

    Reflecting the present status of the research on aircraft emissions and their impacts upon the atmosphere, task-fields for a work programme for the research on aircraft emissions can be derived. Most important measures are to support the efforts to define adequate reduction measures, and (with highest priority) scenario-writing for the long-term development in aircraft emissions, to be able to include into the decision making process the aspect of in-time-reaction against unwanted future. Besides that, a steady monitoring of global aircraft emissions will be necessary. (author) 5 refs.

  3. The Job Demands?Resources model: Challenges for future research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    E. Demerouti (Eva); A.B. Bakke (Arnold B.)

    2011-01-01

    textabstractMotivation: The motivation of this overview is to present the state of the art of Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model whilst integrating the various contributions to the special issue. Research purpose: To provide an overview of the JD-R model, which incorporates many possible working

  4. Ethical issues in research in low-income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benatar, S R; Fleischer, T E

    2007-06-01

    During the twentieth century, spectacular developments in science, technology and medical practice coupled with economic growth have transformed health care and improved the lives of many people. Despite such progress, the world today is more inequitable than it was 50 years ago: disparities in wealth and health are widening inexorably, and infectious diseases are again becoming a major scourge and pose a threat to the lives of all. Hundreds of millions of people live in degrading poverty, with little, if any, access to health care. Recognition of this context in which much research takes place should sharpen our focus on the ethical requirements for research that could improve the health of a greater proportion of the world's population--one of the most pressing moral problems of our time. The intense debate on ethical dilemmas associated with an expanding programme of clinical research in developing countries has revealed much common ground, but has also left a residuum of controversy. We suggest that contested issues could be resolved by paying greater attention to different world views on the relationship between research and clinical care and by defining policies that both progressively improve the standard of care in research and link research to improved delivery of health care in developing countries.

  5. Overview of Contemporary Issues of Forest Research and Management in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Hong S.; Shifley, Stephen R.; Thompson, Frank R.

    2011-12-01

    With 207 million ha of forest covering 22% of its land area, China ranks fifth in the world in forest area. Rapid economic growth, climate change, and forest disturbances pose new, complex challenges for forest research and management. Progress in meeting these challenges is relevant beyond China, because China's forests represent 34% of Asia's forests and 5% of the worlds' forests. To provide a broader understanding of these management challenges and of research and policies that address them, we organized this special issue on contemporary forest research and management issues in China. At the national level, papers review major forest types and the evolution of sustainable forestry, the development of China's forest-certification efforts, the establishment of a forest inventory system, and achievements and challenges in insect pest control in China. Papers focused on Northern China address historical, social, and political factors that have shaped the region's forests; the use of forest landscape models to assess how forest management can achieve multiple objectives; and analysis and modeling of fuels and fire behavior. Papers addressing Central and South China describe the "Grain for Green" program, which converts low productivity cropland to grassland and woodland to address erosion and soil carbon sequestration; the potential effects of climate change on CO2 efflux and soil respiration; and relationships between climate and net primary productivity. China shares many forest management and research issues with other countries, but in other cases China's capacity to respond to forest management challenges is unique and bears watching by the rest of the world.

  6. Methodological issues and research recommendations for prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristman, Vicki L; Borg, Jörgen; Godbolt, Alison K

    2014-01-01

    methodological concerns and knowledge gaps in the literature. Here we report and make recommendations on how to avoid methodological flaws found in prognostic studies of MTBI. Additionally, we discuss issues of MTBI definition and identify topic areas in need of further research to advance the understanding......, Prevention, Management and Rehabilitation Task Force on the prognosis of MTBI. Of 299 relevant studies, 101 were accepted as scientifically admissible. The methodological quality of the research literature on MTBI prognosis has not improved since the 2002 Task Force report. There are still many...... of prognosis after MTBI. Priority research areas include but are not limited to the use of confirmatory designs, studies of measurement validity, focus on the elderly, attention to litigation/compensation issues, the development of validated clinical prediction rules, the use of MTBI populations other than...

  7. Research Involving Health Providers and Managers: Ethical Issues Faced by Researchers Conducting Diverse Health Policy and Systems Research in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molyneux, Sassy; Tsofa, Benjamin; Barasa, Edwine; Nyikuri, Mary Muyoka; Waweru, Evelyn Wanjiku; Goodman, Catherine; Gilson, Lucy

    2016-12-01

    There is a growing interest in the ethics of Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR), and especially in areas that have particular ethical salience across HPSR. Hyder et al (2014) provide an initial framework to consider this, and call for more conceptual and empirical work. In this paper, we respond by examining the ethical issues that arose for researchers over the course of conducting three HPSR studies in Kenya in which health managers and providers were key participants. All three studies involved qualitative work including observations and individual and group interviews. Many of the ethical dilemmas researchers faced only emerged over the course of the fieldwork, or on completion, and were related to interactions and relationships between individuals operating at different levels or positions in health/research systems. The dilemmas reveal significant ethical challenges for these forms of HPSR, and show that potential 'solutions' to dilemmas often lead to new issues and complications. Our experiences support the value of research ethics frameworks, and suggest that these can be enriched by incorporating careful consideration of context embedded social relations into research planning and conduct. Many of these essential relational elements of ethical practice, and of producing quality data, are given stronger emphasis in social science research ethics than in epidemiological, clinical or biomedical research ethics, and are particularly relevant where health systems are understood as social and political constructs. We conclude with practical and research implications. © 2016 The Authors Developing World Bioethics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Ethics issues experienced in HBM within Portuguese health surveillance and research projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel J Pereira

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In keeping with the fundamental practice of transparency in the discussion and resolution of ethics conflicts raised by research, a summary of ethics issues raised during Portuguese biomonitoring in health surveillance and research is presented and, where applicable, their resolution is described. Methods Projects underway aim to promote the surveillance of public health related to the presence of solid waste incinerators or to study associations between human exposure to environmental factors and adverse health effects. The methodological approach involves biomonitoring of heavy metals, dioxins and/or other persistent organic pollutants in tissues including blood, human milk and both scalp and pubic hair in groups such as the general population, children, pregnant women or women attempting pregnancy. As such, the projects entail the recruitment of individuals representing different demographic and health conditions, the collection of body tissues and personal data, and the processing of the data and results. Results The issue of autonomy is raised during the recruitment of participants and during the collection of samples and data. This right is protected by the requirement for prior written, informed consent from the participant or, in the case of children, from their guardian. Recruitment has been successful, among eligible participants, in spite of incentives rarely being offered. The exception has been in obtaining guardians' consent for children's participation, particularly for blood sampling. In an attempt to mitigate the harm-benefit ratio, current research efforts include alternative less invasive biomarkers. Surveys are currently being conducted under contract as independent biomonitoring actions and as such, must be explicitly disclosed as a potential conflict of interests. Communication of results to participants is in general only practised when a health issue is present and corrective action possible

  9. GIS-Based Planning and Modeling for Renewable Energy: Challenges and Future Research Avenues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernd Resch

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available In the face of the broad political call for an “energy turnaround”, we are currently witnessing three essential trends with regard to energy infrastructure planning, energy generation and storage: from planned production towards fluctuating production on the basis of renewable energy sources, from centralized generation towards decentralized generation and from expensive energy carriers towards cost-free energy carriers. These changes necessitate considerable modifications of the energy infrastructure. Even though most of these modifications are inherently motivated by geospatial questions and challenges, the integration of energy system models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS is still in its infancy. This paper analyzes the shortcomings of previous approaches in using GIS in renewable energy-related projects, extracts distinct challenges from these previous efforts and, finally, defines a set of core future research avenues for GIS-based energy infrastructure planning with a focus on the use of renewable energy. These future research avenues comprise the availability base data and their “geospatial awareness”, the development of a generic and unified data model, the usage of volunteered geographic information (VGI and crowdsourced data in analysis processes, the integration of 3D building models and 3D data analysis, the incorporation of network topologies into GIS, the harmonization of the heterogeneous views on aggregation issues in the fields of energy and GIS, fine-grained energy demand estimation from freely-available data sources, decentralized storage facility planning, the investigation of GIS-based public participation mechanisms, the transition from purely structural to operational planning, data privacy aspects and, finally, the development of a new dynamic power market design.

  10. Muscle dysmorphia: methodological issues, implications for research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suffolk, Mark T; Dovey, Terence M; Goodwin, Huw; Meyer, Caroline

    2013-01-01

    Muscle dysmorphia is a male-dominated, body image-related psychological condition. Despite continued investigation, contention surrounds the nosological status of this disorder. The aim of this article was to review the literature on muscle dysmorphia to provide a qualitative account of methodological issues that may inhibit our understanding. Key areas relating to non-standardized participant groups, measuring instruments, and terminology were identified as potentially inhibiting symptom coherence and diagnostic reliability. New measuring instruments validated with clinical samples and carefully described participant groups, standardized terminology, and a greater emphasis on prospective longitudinal research with specific sub groups of the weight training community would be of interest to the field.

  11. Children's Rights, Educational Research and the UNCRC: Past, Present and Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillett-Swan, Jenna, Ed.; Coppock, Vicki, ED.

    2016-01-01

    "Children's Rights, Educational Research, and the UNCRC" provides international perspectives on contemporary issues pertaining to children's rights in education. The global context, relevance and implications of children's rights, educational research and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) are explored from…

  12. Recent trends for practical rehabilitation robotics, current challenges and the future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yakub, Fitri; Md Khudzari, Ahmad Zahran; Mori, Yasuchika

    2014-03-01

    This paper presents and studies various selected literature primarily from conference proceedings, journals and clinical tests of the robotic, mechatronics, neurology and biomedical engineering of rehabilitation robotic systems. The present paper focuses of three main categories: types of rehabilitation robots, key technologies with current issues and future challenges. Literature on fundamental research with some examples from commercialized robots and new robot development projects related to rehabilitation are introduced. Most of the commercialized robots presented in this paper are well known especially to robotics engineers and scholars in the robotic field, but are less known to humanities scholars. The field of rehabilitation robot research is expanding; in light of this, some of the current issues and future challenges in rehabilitation robot engineering are recalled, examined and clarified with future directions. This paper is concluded with some recommendations with respect to rehabilitation robots.

  13. Campus Climate and Students with Disabilities. NCCSD Research Brief. Volume 1, Issue 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harbour, Wendy S.; Greenberg, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    This research brief summarizes issues related to campus climate issues and disability, to improve social and educational outcomes for students with disabilities, support faculty and staff with disabilities, and increase understanding of disability among nondisabled members of the campus community. Instead of relying on disability services offices…

  14. Power and environmental assessment: Introduction to the special issue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cashmore, Matthew; Richardson, Tim

    2013-01-01

    The significance of politics and power dynamics has long been recognised in environmental assessment (EA) research, but there has not been sustained attention to power, either theoretically or empirically. The aim of this special issue is to encourage the EA community to engage more consistently with the issue of power. The introduction represents a ground-clearing exercise intended to clarify the terms of the debate about power in the EA field, and to contribute to the development of a research agenda. Research trends in the field are outlined, and potential analytic and normative lines of inquiry are identified. The contributions to this special issue represent contrasting conceptual and methodological approaches that navigate the analytical and normative terrain of power dynamics in EA. Together, they demonstrate that power cannot be removed from EA policy or practices, and is a necessary research focus for the development of the field. - Highlights: ► Introduces the themed section on power ► Provides an overview of the papers in the themed section ► Identifies research trends and directions for future research

  15. Operations Management of Logistics and Supply Chain: Issues and Directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available There has been consensus that logistics as well as supply chain management is a vital research field, yet with few literature reviews on this topic. This paper sets out to propose some hot issues in the current research, through a review of related literature from the perspective of operations management. In addition, we generate some insights and future research directions in this field.

  16. The Job Demands-Resources model: challenges for future research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Demerouti, E.; Bakker, A.B.

    2011-01-01

    Motivation: The motivation of this overview is to present the state of the art of Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model whilst integrating the various contributions to the special issue. Research purpose: To provide an overview of the JD–R model, which incorporates many possible working conditions and

  17. Contemporary Research on Parenting: Conceptual, Methodological, and Translational Issues

    OpenAIRE

    Power, Thomas G.; Sleddens, Ester F. C.; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St. George, Sara M.

    2013-01-01

    Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can infor...

  18. ICFA Instrumentation Bulletin, Volume 23, Fall 2001 Issue (SLAC-J-ICFA-023)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Va' Vra, J.

    2003-10-21

    The publication of the ICFA Instrumentation Bulletin is an activity of the Panel on Future Innovation and Development of ICFA (International Committee for Future Accelerators). The Bulletin reports on research and progress in the field of instrumentation with emphasis on application in the field of high-energy physics. It encourages issues of generic instrumentation. This issue has the following articles: (1) ''A Large Area Timing RPC''; (2) ''Applications and New Developments in Resistive Plate Chambers''; and (3) ''Advanced Study of Silicon Photomultipliers''.

  19. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-04-16

    Apr 16, 2018 ... The dimensions to business process strategy factors are .... Investigation pains directed at further exploring these issues are very ... relationship management, material flow management, corporate culture in SMEs' Customer.

  20. Family intervention in Indigenous communities: emergent issues in conducting outcome research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Karen; Sanders, Matthew

    2007-01-01

    Indigenous children and youth are at greater risk of emotional and behavioural problems than non-Indigenous youth, with family life stresses and parenting style identified as common risk factors. There is substantial evidence that parenting programs can improve family relationships and improve child outcomes, however little research has focused on Indigenous communities. Our team is conducting research to evaluate a culturally sensitive adaptation of a mainstream intervention, the Group Triple P---Positive Parenting Program, for Indigenous families. This paper shares some of the insights into research and clinical issues gained as non-Indigenous researchers working with urban, rural and remote Indigenous communities. The experience of the research team and feedback from practitioners and parents have been drawn on for this discussion. Parenting programs need to be sensitive to the political and cultural context in which parenting takes place, flexibly incorporate cultural practices and expectations, and develop an evidence base of outcomes for families in diverse communities. As research is needed to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of these programs, culturally sensitive research practices are also necessary and the value of program evaluation and its benefit to the community must be clear. Community acceptance of the research process and the intervention itself is vital and may be influenced by community perceptions, current priorities, and local issues. If our overall aim is to increase the skilled health and mental health workforce in Indigenous communities and their use of evidence-based interventions, ongoing collaborative relationships between research institutions and service providers will serve to further this aim.

  1. Preparing for an interdisciplinary future: A perspective from early-career researchers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bridle, Helen; Vrieling, A.; Cardillo, Monica; Araya, Yoseph; Hinojosa, Leonith

    2013-01-01

    Increasingly, research is moving towards more interdisciplinary endeavours. Effective collaboration between people from different disciplines is necessary to maximize the potential benefits of interdisciplinarity for future research activity. This paper analyses an approach to fostering the skills

  2. Central unresolved issues in thermal energy storage for building heating and cooling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swet, C.J.; Baylin, F.

    1980-07-01

    This document explores the frontier of the rapidly expanding field of thermal energy storage, investigates unresolved issues, outlines research aimed at finding solutions, and suggests avenues meriting future research. Issues related to applications include value-based ranking of storage concepts, temperature constraints, consistency of assumptions, nomenclature and taxonomy, and screening criteria for materials. Issues related to technologies include assessing seasonal storage concepts, diurnal coolness storage, selection of hot-side storage concepts for cooling-only systems, phase-change storage in building materials, freeze protection for solar water heating systems, and justification of phase-change storage for active solar space heating.

  3. Imagine! On the Future of Teaching and Learning and the Academic Research Library

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Kelly E.

    2014-01-01

    In the future, what role will the academic research library play in achieving the mission of higher education? This essay describes seven strategies that academic research libraries can adopt to become future-present libraries--libraries that foster what Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown have called "a new culture of learning." Written…

  4. Ethical Issues Surrounding the Use of Modern Human Remains for Research in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briers, N; Dempers, J J

    2017-02-01

    Chapter 8 of the South African National Health Act 61 of 2003 (NHA) that deals with the donation of human tissue was promulgated in 2012. The new Act is perceived to impose restrictions on low-risk research involving human remains. This study aimed to identify the issues raised by a research ethics committee (REC) when reviewing protocols where human remains are used as data source. REC minutes from 2009 to 2014 were reviewed, and issues raised by the committee were categorized. In total, 127 protocols submitted to the committee over 6 years involved human remains. Queries relating to science (22.2%) and administration (18.9%) were the most common, whereas queries relating to legal issues constituted only 10.2%. Ethical issues centered on informed consent regarding sensitive topics such as HIV, DNA, and deceased children. The change in legislation did not change the number or type of legal issues identified by the REC.

  5. Ethical issues and best practice in clinically based genomic research: Exeter Stakeholders Meeting Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrieri, D; Bewshea, C; Walker, G; Ahmad, T; Bowen, W; Hall, A; Kelly, S

    2016-09-27

    Current guidelines on consenting individuals to participate in genomic research are diverse. This creates problems for participants and also for researchers, particularly for clinicians who provide both clinical care and research to their patients. A group of 14 stakeholders met on 7 October 2015 in Exeter to discuss the ethical issues and the best practice arising in clinically based genomic research, with particular emphasis on the issue of returning results to study participants/patients in light of research findings affecting research and clinical practices. The group was deliberately multidisciplinary to ensure that a diversity of views was represented. This report outlines the main ethical issues, areas of best practice and principles underlying ethical clinically based genomic research discussed during the meeting. The main point emerging from the discussion is that ethical principles, rather than being formulaic, should guide researchers/clinicians to identify who the main stakeholders are to consult with for a specific project and to incorporate their voices/views strategically throughout the lifecycle of each project. We believe that the mix of principles and practical guidelines outlined in this report can contribute to current debates on how to conduct ethical clinically based genomic research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  6. Research Data Management Education for Future Curators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Scott

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Science has progressed by “standing on the shoulders of giants” and for centuries research and knowledge have been shared through the publication and dissemination of books, papers and scholarly communications. Moving forward, much of our understanding builds on (large scale datasets, which have been collected or generated as part of the scientific process of discovery. How will this be made available for future generations? How will we ensure that, once collected or generated, others can stand on the shoulders of the data we produce?Educating students about the challenges and opportunities of data management is a key part of the solution and helps the researchers of the future to start to think about the problems early on in their careers. We have compiled a set of case studies to show the similarities and differences in data between disciplines, and produced a booklet for students containing the case studies and an introduction to the data lifecycle and other data management practices. This has already been used at the University of Southampton within the Faculty of Engineering and is now being adopted centrally for use in other faculties. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the case studies and the guide, and reflect on the reception the guide has had to date.

  7. Data sharing and dual-use issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezuidenhout, Louise

    2013-03-01

    The concept of dual-use encapsulates the potential for well-intentioned, beneficial scientific research to also be misused by a third party for malicious ends. The concept of dual-use challenges scientists to look beyond the immediate outcomes of their research and to develop an awareness of possible future (mis)uses of scientific research. Since 2001 much attention has been paid to the possible need to regulate the dual-use potential of the life sciences. Regulation initiatives fall under two broad categories-those that develop the ethical education of scientists and foster an awareness and responsibility of dual-use issues, and those which assess the regulation of information being generated by current research. Both types of initiatives are premised on a cautious, risk-adverse philosophy which advocates careful examination of all future endpoints of research endeavors. This caution advocated within initiatives such as pre-publication review of journal articles contrasts to the obligation to share underpinning data sharing discussions. As the dual-use debate has yet to make a significant impact on data sharing discussions (and vice versa) it is possible that these two areas of knowledge control may present areas of ethical conflict for scientists, and thus need to be more closely examined. This paper examines the tension between the obligation to share exemplified by data sharing principles and the concerns raised by the risk-cautious culture of the dual-use debates. The paper concludes by reflecting on the issues of responsibility as raised by dual-use as relating to data sharing, such as the chain of custody for shared data.

  8. Issues and future directions of 'introduction of Risk Informed Regulation'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    In 2004, Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan (NSC) set up a taskforce for developing a scheme of Risk Informed Regulation (RIR) introduction, which had discussed various aspects of utilization of risk information in nuclear regulations. In the final report compiled in 2007, the taskforce identified the significance of RIR introduction from viewpoint of enhancement of rationality, consistency and transparency as well as appropriate allocation of regulatory resources in the nuclear safety regulation and major issues for the further promotion were as follows: NSC is to maintain the comprehensively promoting function of the RIR introduction with reviewing global trends and latest technological knowledge, regulatory bodies are to further enhance the RIR in inspection and operational area, utilities and industries are to utilize further risk information in their self-maintenance activities and to gather trouble information data, academic societies are to establish the standards for risk evaluation technology and RIR, and research institutes are to carry out safety research and risk training for risk-communicators. This article presented summary of the final report aiming at upgrading safety regulation with enhancement of RIR introduction. (T. Tanaka)

  9. Frontier and innovation in future computing and communications

    CERN Document Server

    Zomaya, Albert; Jeong, Hwa-Young; Obaidat, Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    IT technology engineering changes everyday life, especially in Computing and Communications. The goal of this book is to further explore the theoretical and practical issues of Future Computing and Communications. It also aims to foster new ideas and collaboration between researchers and practitioners.

  10. Collaboration on contentious issues: research partnerships for gender equity in Nicaragua's Fair Trade coffee cooperatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanson, Lori; Terstappen, Vincent

    2009-01-01

    In recent years, the use of collaborative and partnership approaches in health and agricultural research has flourished. Such approaches are frequently adopted to ensure more successful research uptake and to contribute to community empowerment through participatory research practices. At the same time that interest in research partnerships has been growing, publications on methods, models, and guidelines for building these partnerships have proliferated. However, partnership development is not necessarily as straightforward or linear a process as such literature makes it appear, particularly when the research involves divisive or contentious issues. This paper explores prevailing views on research partnerships, and also questions the applicability of partnership models using an emerging research program around gender equity and health in Fair Trade coffee cooperatives in Nicaragua as an example. Moreover, the paper introduces some of the complicated issues facing the authors as they attempt to develop and expand partnerships in this research area. The paper culminates with a series of strategies that the authors plan to use that offer alternative ways of thinking about building research partnerships concerning controversial or complex issues in the field of community health and development.

  11. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-10

    Nov 10, 2017 ... 1Faculty of Sports Science and Coaching, Universiti Pendidikan ... face obesity issues because of several factors such as changes in diet intake, lifestyle, physical ...... and its implications for policy and intervention strategies.

  12. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-02-24

    Feb 24, 2018 ... ABSTRACT. Electronic Records and Information Management (e-RIM) framework is paramount for ..... RIM issues and problems that led to information crisis. On the other .... Malaysia: A case study in one government agency”.

  13. Introduction to This Special Issue on Transnational HCI

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shklovski, Irina; Vertesi, Janet; Lindtner, Silvia

    2014-01-01

    It is not surprising that HCI researchers are attracted to the role of technology in global processes as many of us already live inherently transnational lives. While the notion of global connectedness is hardly new, the issues that confront us are more than specific concerns for remote migration......, distributed work, or developing nations. Rather, we argue that transnational HCI is a contemporary condition of the design and use of technological systems, both at home and abroad. This special issue of Human-Computer Interaction is dedicated to exploring how and why a transnational lens matters to the study......, design, and development of computational systems. We consider this theoretical perspective in terms of both present technology use to construct and manage transnational relations and processes, and the possibilities such a lens opens for future research and design. The papers in this issue contribute...

  14. Contemporary issues in anaphylaxis and the evolution of epinephrine autoinjectors: What will the future bring?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenberger, Paul A; Wallace, Dana V; Lieberman, Phillip L; Gregory, Sean M

    2017-10-01

    Food allergy and anaphylaxis appear to be increasing in the United States, especially in young children, and preparedness is paramount to successful emergency management in the community. Although the treatment of choice for anaphylaxis is epinephrine delivered by autoinjection, some devices are challenged by less user-friendly designs or pose the risk of injury, especially in young patients. Human factors engineering has played a larger role in the development of more recent epinephrine autoinjector technologies and will continue to play a role in the evolution and future design of epinephrine autoinjectors. To discuss contemporary issues related to the identification and management of anaphylaxis, current and future epinephrine autoinjector design, and unmet needs for the treatment of special populations, namely, young children weighing less than 15 kg. The literature was reviewed and select articles retrieved to support expert clinical opinions on the need for improved recognition of anaphylaxis, epinephrine autoinjector design, and unmet needs in special populations. Anaphylaxis may be underrecognized and poorly defined in infant- and toddler-aged children, current devices may not be adequate to safely treat these patients (ie, inappropriate needle length), and health care professionals may not be aware of these issues. As epinephrine autoinjector technology continues to evolve, device characteristics that promote safe, user-friendly experiences and give clinicians and their patients confidence to successfully treat anaphylaxis during an emergency, without injury, will be favored. Copyright © 2017 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Future Directions for Urban Forestry Research in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    John F. Dwyer; David J. Nowak; Gary W. Watson

    2002-01-01

    Urban forestry research promises to continue to be an integral part of the growth and development of forestry in urban and urbanizing areas of the United States. The future is expected to bring increased emphasis on research in support of the care of trees and other plants, ecological restoration, and comprehensive and adaptive management across the landscape....

  16. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-05-15

    May 15, 2016 ... Assistant professor, Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran ... Discussing the issue of knowledge leads inevitably to the problem of beliefs because .... the level of definition from truth at the level of examples.

  17. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-04-18

    Apr 18, 2018 ... selectivity of possible lead compounds prior to clinical trials and ... These computational algorithms had resolved previous issues and .... In similarity with the spatial space degree of the universe, these descriptors are running ...

  18. Research, Learning Theory, and the Ideas of Robert G. Sidnell. Special Issue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, David, Ed.; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Intended as a memorial to Robert G. Sidnell, this special issue contains articles about areas of music education which he promoted. In "The Dimensions of Research in Music Education," Sidnell concluded that music education research encompasses all humanistic disciplines as well as the behavioral and social sciences. James Carlsen, in…

  19. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-02-01

    Feb 1, 2018 ... The main goal of this article is to analyze methodological issues in .... methodology and theory and historiology (theory of historic process) whose goal is to .... internal branches of sociology and interdisciplinary links of ...

  20. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-22

    Mar 22, 2018 ... rameter of computation time and convergence rate. The two scheme have shown ... matrix and its inversion repeatedly for every iteration. This issue causes long ..... Some New Findings on Gauss-Seidel. Technique for Load ...

  1. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-02-15

    Feb 15, 2017 ... One of the important issues in the field of human education is the method of ... Encouragement and punishment method in Islamic management has been ... Concept of education refers to the cultivating human talent, this.

  2. Issues in rural adolescent mental health in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyd, Candice P; Aisbett, Damon L; Francis, Kristy; Kelly, Melinda; Newnham, Krystal; Newnham, Karyn

    2006-01-01

    The mental health of adolescents living in rural Australia has received little research attention. In this article, the extant literature on rural adolescent mental health in Australia is reviewed. Given the lack of literature on this topic, the review is centered on a vignette presented at the beginning of the article. The case represented by the vignette is that of a young Australian growing up in a rural area. The issues raised--including the nature of mental health issues for rural adolescents and barriers to seeking professional help--are then discussed in terms of the available literature. The article concludes with a future focus for research efforts in the area of rural adolescent mental health.

  3. Radioisotopes and fungicide research- present status and future prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chatrath, M.S.

    1996-01-01

    The developments in pesticides and radioisotopes fields were so near to each other that at a very early stage in this history, both became linked together and their usefulness was recognised for faster development. The purpose of this communication is to illustrate the present status these techniques in fungicide research by drawing suitable examples and also to bring out the directions in which future research will be going with the aid of these tools. 72 refs

  4. ePatient Conference Explores Future of Personalized Medicine | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... page please turn Javascript on. ePatient Conference Explores Future of Personalized Medicine Past Issues / Spring - Summer 2010 Table of Contents ... your healthcare provider communicate better in the digital future? What is personalized medicine? Some of the nation's top health researchers, computer ...

  5. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-05-16

    May 16, 2018 ... This paper discusses the issues and challenges faced during .... provision of this AELF's office is costly and need permission from the university's management. .... This is to deduct weeks for the assignment and tests because ...

  6. A Consideration of Human Resource Management Future

    OpenAIRE

    Samad Nasiri; Sahar Valikhanfard Zanjani

    2012-01-01

    The prediction of future events, at best, is a risky endeavor. Researchers and theorists have different views about what will happen to human resource managers. Most research has been done on topics of technology, intellectual capital, and government regulation, workforce demographic changes, shrinking organizations, international management and globalization. It is evident that all the issues mentioned play a very important role in human resource management over the coming decades, and some ...

  7. Pathways to the Future: A Review of Military Family Research

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McClure, Peggy

    1999-01-01

    Each chapter in this compendium focuses on a particular topic area and reviews what we have learned, identifies gaps in our present knowledge, and suggests directions for future research on military...

  8. Qualitative Approaches to Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy: Issues and Challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLeod, John

    1996-01-01

    Discusses key issues which address the distinctive dilemmas and challenges associated with qualitative approaches to evaluating counseling. Investigates such concerns as relationships with research participants, ethics, reflexivity, methodological choice, communicability, perspective, and obviousness. Makes some suggestions regarding the link…

  9. The scientific legacy of Little Hans and Little Albert: future directions for research on specific phobias in youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ollendick, Thomas H; Muris, Peter

    2015-01-01

    We review issues associated with the phenomenology, etiology, assessment, and treatment of specific phobias in children and adolescents and provide suggestions for future research and clinical practice. In doing so, we highlight the early case studies of Little Hans and Little Albert and the advances that have been made following the publication of these seminal cases. In recent years, we have witnessed a deeper understanding of the etiology of specific phobias and developed a rich array of evidence-based assessments and treatments with which to address specific phobias in youth. Although much has been accomplished in this area of inquiry, we also note that much remains to be done before we can advance more fully our understanding, assessment, and treatment of specific phobias in youth. It will be important for future work to build more firmly on these developments and to better determine the moderators and mediators of change with our evidence-based treatments and to more vigorously pursue their dissemination in real-word settings.

  10. Challenges and future direction of molecular research in air pollution-related lung cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahadin, Maizatul Syafinaz; Ab Mutalib, Nurul Syakima; Latif, Mohd Talib; Greene, Catherine M; Hassan, Tidi

    2018-04-01

    Hazardous air pollutants or chemical release into the environment by a variety of natural and/or anthropogenic activities may give adverse effects to human health. Air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), heavy metals and particulate matter (PM) affect number of different human organs, especially the respiratory system. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that ambient air pollution is a cause of lung cancer. Recently, the agency has classified outdoor air pollution as well as PM air pollution as Group 1 carcinogens. In addition, several epidemiological studies have shown a positive association between air pollutants to lung cancer risks and mortality. However, there are only a few studies examining the molecular effects of air pollution exposure specifically in lung cancer due to multiple challenges to mimic air pollution exposure in basic experimentation. Another major issue is the lack of adequate adjustments for exposure misclassification as air pollution may differ temporo-spatially and socioeconomically. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to review the current molecular understanding of air pollution-related lung cancer and potential future direction in this challenging yet important research field. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Mixed-Methods Research in Language Teaching and Learning: Opportunities, Issues and Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riazi, A. Mehdi; Candlin, Christopher N.

    2014-01-01

    This state-of-the-art paper foregrounds mixed-methods research (MMR) in language teaching and learning by discussing and critically reviewing issues related to this newly developed research paradigm. The paper has six sections. The first provides a context for the discussion of MMR through an introductory review of quantitative and qualitative…

  12. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-10-05

    Oct 5, 2017 ... ources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan ZainalAbidin, 22200 Besut, ... ty problem has become a major issue in Malaysia for the past two decade ... pollution can be defined as contamination of the indoor or outdoor ...

  13. Collegiate Aviation Research and Education Solutions to Critical Safety Issues. UNO Aviation Monograph Series. UNOAI Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Brent, Ed.

    This document contains four papers concerning collegiate aviation research and education solutions to critical safety issues. "Panel Proposal Titled Collegiate Aviation Research and Education Solutions to Critical Safety Issues for the Tim Forte Collegiate Aviation Safety Symposium" (Brent Bowen) presents proposals for panels on the…

  14. Collaborative international research: ethical and regulatory issues pertaining to human biological materials at a South African institutional research ethics committee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sathar, Aslam; Dhai, Amaboo; van der Linde, Stephan

    2014-12-01

    Human Biological Materials (HBMs) are an invaluable resource in biomedical research. To determine if researchers and a Research Ethics Committee (REC) at a South African institution addressed ethical issues pertaining to HBMs in collaborative research with developed countries. Ethically approved retrospective cross-sectional descriptive audit. Of the 1305 protocols audited, 151 (11.57%) fulfilled the study's inclusion criteria. Compared to other developed countries, a majority of sponsors (90) were from the USA (p = 0.0001). The principle investigators (PIs) in all 151 protocols informed the REC of their intent to store HBMs. Only 132 protocols informed research participants (P ethical and regulatory issues pertaining to HBMs. There was a lack of congruence between the ethical guidelines of developed countries and their actions which are central to the access to HBMs in collaborative research. HBMs may be leaving South Africa without EPs and MTAs during the process of international collaborative research. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. The future of nearshore processes research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elko, Nicole A.; Feddersen, Falk; Foster, Diane; Hapke, Cheryl J.; McNinch, Jesse E.; Mulligan, Ryan P.; Tuba Ӧzkan-Haller, H.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Raubenheimer, Britt

    2014-01-01

    The nearshore is the transition region between land and the continental shelf including (from onshore to offshore) coastal plains, wetlands, estuaries, coastal cliffs, dunes, beaches, surf zones (regions of wave breaking), and the inner shelf (Figure ES-1). Nearshore regions are vital to the national economy, security, commerce, and recreation. The nearshore is dynamically evolving, is often densely populated, and is under increasing threat from sea level rise, long-term erosion, extreme storms, and anthropogenic influences. Worldwide, almost one billion people live at elevations within 10 m of present sea level. Long-term erosion threatens communities, infrastructure, ecosystems, and habitat. Extreme storms can cause billions of dollars of damage. Degraded water quality impacts ecosystem and human health. Nearshore processes, the complex interactions between water, sediment, biota, and humans, must be understood and predicted to manage this often highly developed yet vulnerable nearshore environment. Over the past three decades, the understanding of nearshore processes has improved. However, societal needs are growing with increased coastal urbanization and threats of future climate change, and significant scientific challenges remain. To address these challenges, members of academia, industry, and federal agencies (USGS, USACE, NPS, NOAA, FEMA, ONR) met at the “The Past and Future of Nearshore Processes Research: Reflections on the Sallenger Years and a New Vision for the Future” workshop to develop a nearshore processes research vision where societal needs and science challenges intersect. The resulting vision is comprised of three broad research themes: Long-term coastal evolution due to natural and anthropogenic processes: As global climate change alters the rates of sea level rise and potentially storm patterns and coastal urbanization increases over the coming decades, an understanding of coastal evolution is critical. Improved knowledge of long

  16. Research reactor status for future nuclear research in Europe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raymond, Patrick; Bignan, Gilles; Guidez, Joel [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique - CEA (France)

    2010-07-01

    During the 1950's and 60's, the European countries built several research reactors, partially to support their emerging nuclear-powered electricity programs. Now, over forty years later, the use and operation of these reactors have both widened and grown more specialized. The irradiation reactors test materials and fuels for power reactors, produce radio-isotopes for medicine, neutro-graphies, doping silicon, and other materials. The neutron beam reactors are crucial to science of matter and provide vital support to the development of nano-technologies. Other reactors are used for other specialized services such as teaching, safety tests, neutron physics measurements... The modifications to the operating uses and the ageing of the nuclear facilities have led to increasing closures year after year. Since last ENC, for example, we have seen, only in France, the closure of the training reactor Ulysse in 2007, the closure of the safety test dedicated reactor Phebus in 2008 and recently the Phenix reactor, last fast breeder in operation in the European Community, has been shut down after a set of 'end of life' technological and physical tests. For other research reactors, safety re-evaluations have had to take place, to enable extension of reactor life. However, in the current context of streamlining and reorganization, new European tools have emerged to optimally meet the changing demands for research. However the operation market of these reactors seems now increasing in all fields. For the neutron beams reactors (FRMII, ORPHEE, ILL, ISIS,..) the experimental needs are increasing years after years, especially for nano sciences and bio sciences new needs. The measurement of residual stress on manufactured materials is also more and more utilised. All these reactors have increasing utilizations, and their future seems promising. A new project project based on a neutron spallation is under definition in Sweden (ESSS: European Spallation Source

  17. Research reactor status for future nuclear research in Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raymond, Patrick; Bignan, Gilles; Guidez, Joel

    2010-01-01

    During the 1950's and 60's, the European countries built several research reactors, partially to support their emerging nuclear-powered electricity programs. Now, over forty years later, the use and operation of these reactors have both widened and grown more specialized. The irradiation reactors test materials and fuels for power reactors, produce radio-isotopes for medicine, neutro-graphies, doping silicon, and other materials. The neutron beam reactors are crucial to science of matter and provide vital support to the development of nano-technologies. Other reactors are used for other specialized services such as teaching, safety tests, neutron physics measurements... The modifications to the operating uses and the ageing of the nuclear facilities have led to increasing closures year after year. Since last ENC, for example, we have seen, only in France, the closure of the training reactor Ulysse in 2007, the closure of the safety test dedicated reactor Phebus in 2008 and recently the Phenix reactor, last fast breeder in operation in the European Community, has been shut down after a set of 'end of life' technological and physical tests. For other research reactors, safety re-evaluations have had to take place, to enable extension of reactor life. However, in the current context of streamlining and reorganization, new European tools have emerged to optimally meet the changing demands for research. However the operation market of these reactors seems now increasing in all fields. For the neutron beams reactors (FRMII, ORPHEE, ILL, ISIS,..) the experimental needs are increasing years after years, especially for nano sciences and bio sciences new needs. The measurement of residual stress on manufactured materials is also more and more utilised. All these reactors have increasing utilizations, and their future seems promising. A new project project based on a neutron spallation is under definition in Sweden (ESSS: European Spallation Source Scandinavia). The nuclear

  18. ARL: A Bimonthly Report on Research Library Issues and Actions from ARL, CNI, and SPARC. Number 259

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, G. Jaia, Ed.

    2008-01-01

    "ARL" is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). "ARL" reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff, and users; higher…

  19. Future Contingents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Øhrstrøm, Peter; Hasle., Per F. V.

    2015-01-01

    contingent statements. The problem of future contingents is interwoven with a number of issues in theology, philosophy, logic, semantics of natural language, computer science, and applied mathematics. The theological issue of how to reconcile the assumption of God's foreknowledge with the freedom and moral...... accountability of human beings has been a main impetus to the discussion and a major inspiration to the development of various logical models of time and future contingents. This theological issue is connected with the general philosophical question of determinism versus indeterminism. Within logic, the relation...... about the future. Finally, it should be mentioned that temporal logic has found a remarkable application in computer science and applied mathematics. In the late 1970s the first computer scientists realised the relevance of temporal logic for the purposes of computer science (see Hasle and Øhrstrøm 2004)....

  20. Future Contingents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Øhrstrøm, Peter; Hasle., Per F. V.

    2011-01-01

    contingent statements. The problem of future contingents is interwoven with a number of issues in theology, philosophy, logic, semantics of natural language, computer science, and applied mathematics. The theological issue of how to reconcile the assumption of God's foreknowledge with the freedom and moral...... accountability of human beings has been a main impetus to the discussion and a major inspiration to the development of various logical models of time and future contingents. This theological issue is connected with the general philosophical question of determinism versus indeterminism. Within logic, the relation...... about the future. Finally, it should be mentioned that temporal logic has found a remarkable application in computer science and applied mathematics. In the late 1970s the first computer scientists realised the relevance of temporal logic for the purposes of computer science (see Hasle and Øhrstrøm 2004)....

  1. Family psychology: Past and future reflections on the field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parke, Ross D

    2017-04-01

    Prominent issues in the field of family psychology during my term as editor (1998-2003) of this journal were briefly noted, including a focus on marital issues, divorce, remarriage and family conflict. Parenting, attachment and parent-child relationships were also significant topics in this period. Special sections of the journal focused on cultural variations, families and the law, families and religion, and family routines and rituals. Several neglected issues that need more attention in the future were noted. These include the need to recognize the embeddedness of families in socioecological contexts, the importance of monitoring the impact of secular changes on families, and the value and limitations of viewing family psychology as a separate field. Other topics for a future agenda include the challenge of defining "family" in the midst of changing family forms, the effects of technological change on families, and the challenges of integrating biological research into the family psychology agenda. A multilevel bio-social approach to family research was recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Workplace learning: panacea or challenge? : Epilogue of a special issue on boundaries of workplace learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dr. J. Onstenk

    2012-01-01

    This article reflects on the previous articles in this special issue by discussing some common themes and raising some proposals for future research on the topic of workplace learning and its boundaries. The article subsequently discusses objects and results of workplace learning, the issue of

  3. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-07

    Mar 7, 2018 ... ethical issues behind the retrieval of organs (commitment to ... The article reviews the practices of European countries and attitude of the EU citizens to the .... knowledge that the purchase and sale of donor organs is prohibited ...

  4. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-22

    Mar 22, 2018 ... Voltage decay is an important issue in the power system community. ... of voltage profile, the total real power loss in the system is also determined to ..... Kumar A. Optimal placement of DG in radial distribution systems based.

  5. A horizon scanning assessment of current and potential future threats to migratory shorebirds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutherland, William J.; Alves, José A.; Amano, Tatsuya; Chang, Charlotte H.; Davidson, Nicholas C.; Finlayson, C. Max; Gill, Jennifer A.; Gill, Robert E.; González, Patricia M.; Gunnarsson, Tómas Grétar; Kleijn, David; Spray, Chris J.; Székely, Tamás; Thompson, Des B.A.

    2012-01-01

    We review the conservation issues facing migratory shorebird populations that breed in temperate regions and use wetlands in the non-breeding season. Shorebirds are excellent model organisms for understanding ecological, behavioural and evolutionary processes and are often used as indicators of wetland health. A global team of experienced shorebird researchers identified 45 issues facing these shorebird populations, and divided them into three categories (natural, current anthropogenic and future issues). The natural issues included megatsunamis, volcanoes and regional climate changes, while current anthropogenic threats encompassed agricultural intensification, conversion of tidal flats and coastal wetlands by human infrastructure developments and eutrophication of coastal systems. Possible future threats to shorebirds include microplastics, new means of recreation and infectious diseases. We suggest that this review process be broadened to other taxa to aid the identification and ranking of current and future conservation actions.

  6. Highlights from panel discussion on key issues for future developments in microwave processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gac, F.D.; Iskander, M.F.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports on highlights from a panel discussion on Key Issues for Future Development in Microwave Processing. Although the panelists represented a mix of individuals from government, academia, and industry, only one aspect of industry was represented, namely microwave system manufacturers. For further panel discussions, it is recommended that the materials manufacturing (i.e., microwave user) sector also be represented. Three important points emerged from the panel discussion. The first deals with the credibility and usability of information, be it dielectric property measurements, experimental procedures, or microwave processing results. Second, a considerable communication and education gap continues to exist between the materials community and microwave engineers. Finally, a more realistic approach should be taken in identifying where microwave processing makes sense

  7. Review of existing issues, ethics and practices in general medical research and in radiation protection research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schreiner-Karoussou, A.

    2008-01-01

    A literature review was carried out in relation to general medical research and radiation protection research. A large number of documents were found concerning the subject of ethics in general medical research. For radiation protection research, the number of documents and the information available is very limited. A review of practices in 13 European countries concerning general medical research and radiation protection research was carried out by sending a questionnaire to each country. It was found that all countries reviewed were well regulated for general medical research. For research that involves ionising radiation, the UK and Ireland are by far the most regulated countries. For other countries, there does not seem to be much information available. From the literature review and the review of practices, a number of existing ethical issues were identified and exposed, and a number of conclusions were drawn. (authors)

  8. Informal mentoring at work: A review and suggestions for future research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, Suzanne; van Vuuren, Hubrecht A.; de Jong, Menno D.T.

    2016-01-01

    This paper reviews the literature on informal mentoring at work. Based on two basic premises of interpersonal relationships, it discusses four promising areas in current mentoring research that could be cultivated further by future research. The first premise that we hold is that relationships never

  9. Urban Change: An Overview of Research and Planning Issues

    OpenAIRE

    Korcelli, P.

    1980-01-01

    Three sets of urban policy issues are identified in this paper. These relate to the growth and contraction of metropolitan areas, their changing role in the settlement systems, and their internal organization. Policy-oriented urban models are briefly reviewed. It is concluded that promising research approaches refer to: (a) innovation diffusion and urban growth cycles, (b) interurban migration and demographic change, and (c) spatial interaction within urban regions. These findings are then tr...

  10. Critical utopian action research and the power of future creating workshops

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Husted, Mia; Tofteng, Ditte Maria Børglum

    in a participatory process of democratic development of everyday life. Critical utopian action research is characterized by a methodological preference to the future creating workshop as a method that captures the scientific theoretical approach: The future creating workshop outline a specific method originally...... in upturned-participation. Within traditional participatory planning we talk about a participatory ladder. The steps on the ladder reflects how one can participate in different scales an ways, from being merely an informant to being self-determining and performing. The ladder tells us notion about who...... of exploring, developing and analyzing is a common project between the participant and the researchers. Conclusions: When stressing critique and utopian ideas within upturned participatory processes as the starting point, the CUAR tradition brings new input to the wider society of action research, insisting...

  11. From Contagious to Resilient and Beyond: A Periodization of Four Decades of Educational Research on LGBTQ Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavanagh, Sarah Schneider

    2016-01-01

    This article presents a periodization of educational research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues between 1970 and 2010. Developed through a frame analysis of 105 educational research reports, the periodization maps ideological and chronological patterns in the conceptual frames of research on LGBTQ issues. Five…

  12. Managing ethical issues in sexual violence research using a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.E. Duma

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Conducting research in the area of sexual violence has complex ethical and practical challenges for the researcher. Managing ethical issues in sexual violence is important and can be achieved through the use of pilot studies. The primary purpose of the pilot study was to identify and manage potential ethical and practical problems that could jeopardise the main study or violate the ethical and human rights of participants in the main study on women’s journey of recovery from sexual assault. The secondary purpose was to collect preliminary data in order to determine the human, financial and time resources needed for a planned study. The methods and processes used in conducting the pilot study in the study on women’s journey of recovery are discussed according to each of the objectives of the pilot study, methods used to achieve the objective, observations or findings made during the pilot study, and implications for the main study. This article aims to demonstrate how a pilot study was used to manage identified potential ethical and practical research issues during the recruitment of participants and data collection for the research that was conducted by the first author to investigate women’s journey of recovery from sexual assault trauma within the first week following sexual assault.

  13. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-07

    Mar 7, 2018 ... in the development of more up-to-date urban space. ... The goal of this paper is to analyze the issues of the organization of urban environment in ... The model of transport less micro-district Nebo (ACADEMIA gallery), the ...

  14. E-Commerce Logistics: A Literature Research Review and Topics for Future Research

    OpenAIRE

    Anu Bask; Mervi Lipponen; Markku Tinnilä

    2012-01-01

    E-commerce has attracted increasing interest at the beginning of the 21st century, in both academia and practice. Today, the Internet is commonly used by both consumers and businesses as a means of purchasing goods. The authors’ study focuses on e-commerce logistics, focusing on the physical delivery of goods sold over the Internet. Based on a systematic review of articles, the authors will summarize and analyze the main findings of academic literature and highlight certain research issues ...

  15. Visiting students work with professors to research water resources management issues

    OpenAIRE

    Davis, Lynn

    2009-01-01

    Undergraduate students visiting from universities across the continent, as well as one from Virginia Tech, are working with professors at Virginia Tech on individual research projects in a 10-week summer program that addresses issues related to sustainable management of water resources.

  16. Vocational Psychology: An Analysis and Directions for the Future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Joyce E. A.

    2001-01-01

    Key areas of future research in vocational psychology include changing organizational structures, changing career attitudes, diversity of career development opportunities, international focus, increasing diversity, changing nature of technology, evolving educational systems, increased entrepreneurship, work and family issues, and career-leisure…

  17. Current research issues related to post-wildfire runoff and erosion processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moody, John A.; Shakesby, Richard A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Cannon, Susan H.; Martin, Deborah A.

    2013-01-01

    Research into post-wildfire effects began in the United States more than 70 years ago and only later extended to other parts of the world. Post-wildfire responses are typically transient, episodic, variable in space and time, dependent on thresholds, and involve multiple processes measured by different methods. These characteristics tend to hinder research progress, but the large empirical knowledge base amassed in different regions of the world suggests that it should now be possible to synthesize the data and make a substantial improvement in the understanding of post-wildfire runoff and erosion response. Thus, it is important to identify and prioritize the research issues related to post-wildfire runoff and erosion. Priority research issues are the need to: (1) organize and synthesize similarities and differences in post-wildfire responses between different fire-prone regions of the world in order to determine common patterns and generalities that can explain cause and effect relations; (2) identify and quantify functional relations between metrics of fire effects and soil hydraulic properties that will better represent the dynamic and transient conditions after a wildfire; (3) determine the interaction between burned landscapes and temporally and spatially variable meso-scale precipitation, which is often the primary driver of post-wildfire runoff and erosion responses; (4) determine functional relations between precipitation, basin morphology, runoff connectivity, contributing area, surface roughness, depression storage, and soil characteristics required to predict the timing, magnitudes, and duration of floods and debris flows from ungaged burned basins; and (5) develop standard measurement methods that will ensure the collection of uniform and comparable runoff and erosion data. Resolution of these issues will help to improve conceptual and computer models of post-wildfire runoff and erosion processes.

  18. Predicting Causes of Data Quality Issues in a Clinical Data Research Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khare, Ritu; Ruth, Byron J; Miller, Matthew; Tucker, Joshua; Utidjian, Levon H; Razzaghi, Hanieh; Patibandla, Nandan; Burrows, Evanette K; Bailey, L Charles

    2018-01-01

    Clinical data research networks (CDRNs) invest substantially in identifying and investigating data quality problems. While identification is largely automated, the investigation and resolution are carried out manually at individual institutions. In the PEDSnet CDRN, we found that only approximately 35% of the identified data quality issues are resolvable as they are caused by errors in the extract-transform-load (ETL) code. Nonetheless, with no prior knowledge of issue causes, partner institutions end up spending significant time investigating issues that represent either inherent data characteristics or false alarms. This work investigates whether the causes (ETL, Characteristic, or False alarm) can be predicted before spending time investigating issues. We trained a classifier on the metadata from 10,281 real-world data quality issues, and achieved a cause prediction F1-measure of up to 90%. While initially tested on PEDSnet, the proposed methodology is applicable to other CDRNs facing similar bottlenecks in handling data quality results.

  19. Management research in India: Current state and future directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naresh Khatri

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Concerned over the lack of high quality, context specific management research in India, and the predilection of Indian researchers to follow Western models of research and publication blindly, the authors take stock of Indian management research in this round table discussion and debate some of the relevant issues. Urging Indian researchers to strive for the levels of rigour of the Western models, they make a case for confident indigenous scholarship to suit the development and educational requirements of the country, following context-relevant constructs and methodologies in research and developing curricula, materials and modes of dissemination independently. These ideas were also explored at the second Indian Academy of Management Conference held at IIM Bangalore in December 2011.

  20. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-05-15

    May 15, 2016 ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences is licensed under a Creative ... 1. Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Urmia Branch, ..... Table 4. Sections of the main components of 16 stories building ..... International Journal of Engineering Science and Innovative ... Issue 1, January 2013.