Outstanding Challenges in Scientific Research on Mindfulness and Meditation

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Davidson ◽  
Cortland J. Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Contemplative Practices ◽  
Large N ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Made In

Van Dam et al. raise a number of critical issues in contemporary research on mindfulness and meditation and offer a prescriptive agenda for future work in this area. While we agree with all of the key points made in their article, there are a number of important issues omitted that are central to a comprehensive agenda for future research in this area. This commentary highlights five key points: (a) Many of the key methodological issues the article raises are not specific to research on mindfulness; (b) contemplative practices are varied, and the landscape of modern scientific research has evolved to focus almost exclusively on one or two types of practice to the exclusion of other forms of practice that are potentially highly impactful; (c) mindfulness and related contemplative practices were not originally developed to treat disease; (d) key issues of duration, intensity and spacing of practice, and the extent to which formal meditation practice is required or whether practice can be piggybacked onto other non–cognitively demanding activities of daily living (e.g., commuting) remain as among the most important practical questions for disseminating these practices more widely, yet have received scant serious research attention; and (e) the use of mobile technology in both disseminating contemplative training and assessing its impact is going to be required to solve some of the key methodological challenges in this area including standardizing training across sites and addressing individual differences (which will require very large- N studies).

scholarly journals Innovation in the Periphery: A Critical Survey and Research Agenda

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Eder
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Survey ◽  
Functional Perspective ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Peripheral Areas ◽  
No Innovation ◽  
Future Work

Scholars of the geography of innovation have produced an impressive body of literature over the last decades. However, until recently this research focused on successful core regions, implicitly assuming that there is no innovation in peripheral areas. This view is being increasingly questioned, which is reflected by a rising number of papers, special issues, and edited volumes on innovation outside of agglomerations. Hence, this rapidly emerging field calls for a critical survey. In order to identify a future research agenda, this article conducts a systematic literature review of the work on innovation in the periphery (1960–2016). As such, it explores the recurring themes and key issues of the field and discusses the various periphery concepts applied, ranging from a geographic to a functional perspective on various scales. In doing so, it outlines options for policy makers and suggests avenues for future research: first, the periphery concept needs more refinement. Second, future studies should include systematic comparisons of regions. Third, an evolutionary perspective might provide new insights. Fourth, future work could explore the benefits peripheries offer for certain kinds of innovation. Fifth, urban–rural linkages might be of higher relevance than assumed. Sixth, research should go beyond the well-known examples. Finally, the analysis could be extended by applying a broader understanding of innovation.

scholarly journals Conclusions – scientific research and its implications

1997 ◽  
Vol 352 (1357) ◽  
pp. 1107-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Research ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Key Issues

The organizers of this meeting felt that it would be appropriate to have two short papers at the end of this volume to summarize the key points that are of relevance to scientists and the insurance and actuarial professions. This was felt to be of particular importance given the very heterogeneous backgrounds of members of the audience at the meeting, namely, scientific, medical, legal, social and financial. The objectives are to summarize the key issues in layman's terms—trying to avoid jargon, exaggeration and a partisan approach. In some ways my task is somewhat easier than Chris Daykin's job, since there are only four scientific and medical presentations compared with seven from the actuarial, social and legal side.

scholarly journals Environmentally Accurate Microplastic Levels and Their Absence from Exposure Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1485-1496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eoghan M Cunningham ◽  
Julia D Sigwart
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Synthetic Polymers ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Global Presence ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Analysis Of Results ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Future Work

Abstract Microplastics (synthetic polymers; <5 mm) are ubiquitous, in the environment and in the news. The associated effects of microplastics on flora and fauna are currently only established through laboratory-based exposure trials; however, such studies have come under scrutiny for employing excessive concentrations with little environmental relevance. This critical review is intended to summarize key issues and approaches for those who are considering the need for local microplastics research, both in terms of environmental pollution and the impacts on aquatic species. A meta-analysis of results from published experimental (n = 128) and environmental (n = 180) studies allowed us to compare the reported impacts from experiments that expose organisms to microplastics, and the concentrations of environmental microplastics found in the wild. The results of this meta-analysis highlight three issues that should be modified in future work (1) use of extreme dosages, (2) incompatible and incomparable units, and (3) the problem of establishing truly informative experimental controls. We found that 5% of exposure trials examined did not use any control treatment, and 82% use dramatically elevated dosages without reference to environmental concentrations. Early studies in this field may have been motivated to produce unequivocal impacts on organisms, rather than creating a robust, environmentally relevant framework. Some of the reported impacts suggest worrying possibilities, which can now inspire more granular experiments. The existing literature on the extent of plastic pollution also has limited utility for accurately synthesizing broader trends, as has been raised in previous reviews; environmental extraction studies use many different units, among which only 76% (139/180) could be plausibly converted for comparison. Future research should adopt the units of microparticles/kg (of sediment) or mp/L (of fluid) to improve comparability. Now that the global presence of microplastic pollution is well established, with more than a decade of research, new studies should focus on comparative aspects rather than the presence of microplastics. Robustly designed, controlled, hypothesis-driven experiments based on environmentally relevant concentrations are needed now to understand our future in the new plastic world.

Citizenship Behavior and Objective Career Outcomes: A Review and Agenda for Future Work

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane M. Bergeron ◽  
Chantal van Esch ◽  
Phillip S. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Citizenship ◽  
Organizational Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Career Outcomes ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Task Behavior ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Future Work

A small but growing body of research on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and objective career outcomes highlights the need for more consistency across studies. This chapter critically examines extant literature and highlights key issues in current research. More specifically, we identify three main issues in the current literature. First, many OCB studies do not include a corollary measure of task behavior. Second, there seems to be an assumption that performance evaluations are positively related to objective career outcomes. Third, it is important to acknowledge that studying reward recommendations is not the same as studying actual rewards. Following discussion of these three issues, we then review the studies on OCB and various objective career outcomes (i.e., productivity, salary and financial rewards, other rewards, promotion and career advancement); point out patterns and trends across the studies; and make recommendations for how the field can move forward in terms of future research directions.

scholarly journals Language and Content Outcomes of CLIL and EMI: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Mathew Graham ◽  
Yunkyeong Choi ◽  
Amin Davoodi ◽  
Shakiba Razmeh ◽  
L. Quentin Dixon
Keyword(s):  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
World Language ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
The World ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Made In

Around the world, language teachers are shifting to content-based instruction (CBI) as a way to teach English, most commonly in the form of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) or English-Medium Instruction (EMI). With the spread of CBI around the world, it is important to understand how this shift in teaching has affected student outcomes. Using a systematic literature review approach, this study examines current literature on the effect of CBI on language and content outcomes. Twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria for this study and were examined. The results show mixed findings on the effectiveness of CBI on student outcomes, with the majority of studies showing either positive or neutral effects for CBI when compared with non-CBI classrooms. However, the study also reveals multiple methodological issues that cause difficulties for any strong conclusions about CBI to be made. In addition, while CLIL in Spain has received a lot of research attention, other countries remain understudied. Therefore, this study concludes with a call for future research of CBI outcomes that examine a variety of countries and account for the methodological flaws identified.

scholarly journals Innovations in aged care: study tours for Japanese health professionals-sharing insights

2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Robert Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Care Management ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Australian Health ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Many ◽  
Care Study ◽  
Made In

With Australian health care management is becoming of increasing interest to Asian organisations,and there have been many advances made in the conduct of informative tours. This article presents a summary of key points to be considered when planning and implementing study tours for health professionals from Japan, especially in the context of aged care. By providing an outline of Japanese culture and traditions,is provided and the mostly anecdotal experience will serve to inform readers about how to conduct such tours so that to meet the learners' needs are met while also preserving the dignity of the aged persons involved. The key issues to be addressed are described using the mnemonic of S.T.U.D.Y.T.O.U.R.S. - where the key letters stand for Specifications, Translation, Understanding culture, Delivery of education, Yen, Timing, Organisation, Unique needs, Residents' values and Safety.The intent of the article is to encapsulate the many factors to be planned and implemented to achieve the outcomes required by the Japanese visitors and to ensure both the necessary professional and financial rewards for the Australian hosts.

Climate change reporting: a commentary on key issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-323
Author(s):  
Gaia Melloni
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Development Goals

Firms are more and more considered key actors for the attainment of sustainable development goals, including climate change (CC) action. Corporate reporting on carbon emissions and CC related issues is considered fundamental not only to evaluate companies’ contributions to CC mitigation, but also to assess how CC affects organizations and how they are adapting to it. The importance of CC reporting has been acknowledged by the Financial Stability Board who has established, in 2015, the Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) to promote and set recommendations for an effective CC disclosure. Existing research documents conflicting results on the factors facilitating the implementation of CC reporting. In this commentary, I review prior literature on CC related disclosure with a particular focus on the most recent findings on the significant economic and ecological factors associated with it. I highlight that size bias, involvement of governance, relationship with emissions activity, integration in corporate reporting and assurance represent the key issues in such domain. I corroborate such findings in lights of early evidence on the TCFD implementation which points at the same factors representing challenges for an effective CC disclosure. This analysis could be of interest for academics, to develop future research on relevant although controversial areas, and for firms, policy makers and other stakeholders to unveil critical issues to be considered in the implementation of CC reporting.

Progress and Prospects for the Development of Computer Generated Actors for Military Simulation, Part 3—The Road Ahead

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 629-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin R. Stytz ◽  
Sheila B. Banks
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Material Management ◽  
Human Behavior Modeling ◽  
The Road ◽  
Force Structure ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Made In

The development of realistic computer-generated synthetic environments, also calleddistributed virtual environments, relies heavily upon computer-generated actors (CGAs) to provide accurate behaviors at reasonable cost so that the synthetic environments are useful, affordable, complex, and high fidelity. Unfortunately, the pace of synthetic environment development and the level of desired CGA performance continue to rise at a much faster rate than CGA capability improvements. This insatiable demand for realism in CGAs for synthetic environments arises from the growing understanding of the significant role that modeling and simulation can play in a variety of uses. These uses include training, analysis, procurement decisions, mission rehearsal, doctrine development, force-level and task-level training, information assurance, cyberwarfare, force structure analysis, sustainability analysis, life cycle costs analysis, material management, infrastructure analysis, and many other uses. In these and other uses of military synthetic environments, CGAs play a central role because they have the potential to increase the realism of the environment while also reducing the cost of operating the environment. The progress made in addressing the technical challenges that must be overcome to realize effective and realistic CGAs for military simulation environments and the technical areas that should be the focus of future work are the subject of this paper, which surveys the technologies and progress made in the construction and use of CGAs. In this, the third installment in the series of papers discussing CGAs, we conclude our discussion of CGA technologies by concluding the discussion of human behavior modeling for CGAs, and we present some suggested future research directions for CGA technologies.

Cancellation and Termination of Assignment Contract of Patrimonial Rights of the Author

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-201
Author(s):  
Tudor-Vlad Sfârlog
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Research ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
The Right ◽  
Made In

Abstract The present study offers the doctrine of the right of intellectual creation new perspectives on the study of the institution of termination of the assignment contract for the patrimonial rights resulting from the intellectual creation. We believe that the present study is rich in doctrinal contributions, formulating new theses and opening the prospect for new perspectives of scientific research. Last but not least, we appreciate that the proposals made in the present study contribute not only to the activity of opinionated in the field, but also to the work of practitioners and direct beneficiaries of the legal provisions on the assignment of patrimonial rights of authors.

A Review of Drug Side Effect Identification Methods

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 3096-3104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuai Deng ◽  
Yige Sun ◽  
Tianyi Zhao ◽  
Yang Hu ◽  
Tianyi Zang
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drug Side Effects ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Network Methods ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The One ◽  
Approved Drugs

Drug side effects have become an important indicator for evaluating the safety of drugs. There are two main factors in the frequent occurrence of drug safety problems; on the one hand, the clinical understanding of drug side effects is insufficient, leading to frequent adverse drug reactions, while on the other hand, due to the long-term period and complexity of clinical trials, side effects of approved drugs on the market cannot be reported in a timely manner. Therefore, many researchers have focused on developing methods to identify drug side effects. In this review, we summarize the methods of identifying drug side effects and common databases in this field. We classified methods of identifying side effects into four categories: biological experimental, machine learning, text mining and network methods. We point out the key points of each kind of method. In addition, we also explain the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Finally, we propose future research directions.

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