scholarly journals Ethnographic research as an evolving method for supporting healthcare improvement skills: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia B. Black ◽  
Sandra van Os ◽  
Samantha Machen ◽  
Naomi J. Fulop
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Healthcare Improvement ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Methodological Concern ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background The relationship between ethnography and healthcare improvement has been the subject of methodological concern. We conducted a scoping review of ethnographic literature on healthcare improvement topics, with two aims: (1) to describe current ethnographic methods and practices in healthcare improvement research and (2) to consider how these may affect habit and skill formation in the service of healthcare improvement. Methods We used a scoping review methodology drawing on Arksey and O’Malley’s methods and more recent guidance. We systematically searched electronic databases including Medline, PsychINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL for papers published between April 2013 – April 2018, with an update in September 2019. Information about study aims, methodology and recommendations for improvement were extracted. We used a theoretical framework outlining the habits and skills required for healthcare improvement to consider how ethnographic research may foster improvement skills. Results We included 283 studies covering a wide range of healthcare topics and methods. Ethnography was commonly used for healthcare improvement research about vulnerable populations, e.g. elderly, psychiatry. Focussed ethnography was a prominent method, using a rapid feedback loop into improvement through focus and insider status. Ethnographic approaches such as the use of theory and focus on every day practices can foster improvement skills and habits such as creativity, learning and systems thinking. Conclusions We have identified that a variety of ethnographic approaches can be relevant to improvement. The skills and habits we identified may help ethnographers reflect on their approaches in planning healthcare improvement studies and guide peer-review in this field. An important area of future research will be to understand how ethnographic findings are received by decision-makers.

scholarly journals Applied sport science and medicine of women’s rugby codes: a systematic-scoping review and consensus on future research priorities protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e001108
Author(s):  
Omar Heyward ◽  
Stacey Emmonds ◽  
Gregory Roe ◽  
Sean Scantlebury ◽  
Keith Stokes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Consensus Method ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Delphi Consensus ◽  
Medicine Research ◽  
Sport Science ◽  
Priority Areas ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Scoping Reviews

Women’s rugby (rugby league, rugby union and rugby sevens) has recently grown in participation and professionalisation. There is under-representation of women-only cohorts within applied sport science and medicine research and within the women’s rugby evidence base. The aims of this article are: Part 1: to undertake a systematic-scoping review of the applied sport science and medicine of women’s rugby, and Part 2: to develop a consensus statement on future research priorities. This article will be designed in two parts: Part 1: a systematic-scoping review, and Part 2: a three-round Delphi consensus method. For Part 1, systematic searches of three electronic databases (PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, SPORTDiscus (EBSCOhost)) will be performed from the earliest record. These databases will be searched to identify any sport science and medicine themed studies within women’s rugby. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews will be adhered to. Part 2 involves a three-round Delphi consensus method to identify future research priorities. Identified experts in women’s rugby will be provided with overall findings from Part 1 to inform decision-making. Participants will then be asked to provide a list of research priority areas. Over the three rounds, priority areas achieving consensus (≥70% agreement) will be identified. This study has received institutional ethical approval. When complete, the manuscript will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings of this article will have relevance for a wide range of stakeholders in women’s rugby, including policymakers and governing bodies.

scholarly journals Tocopherols and Tocotrienols—Bioactive Dietary Compounds; What Is Certain, What Is Doubt?

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6222
Author(s):  
Kacper Szewczyk ◽  
Aleksandra Chojnacka ◽  
Magdalena Górnicka
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin E ◽  
Metabolic Disorders ◽  
Tissue Concentration ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Biological Role ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship

Tocopherols and tocotrienols are natural compounds of plant origin, available in the nature. They are supplied in various amounts in a diet, mainly from vegetable oils, some oilseeds, and nuts. The main forms in the diet are α- and γ-tocopherol, due to the highest content in food products. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol is the main form of vitamin E with the highest tissue concentration. The α- forms of both tocopherols and tocotrienols are considered as the most metabolically active. Currently, research results indicate also a greater antioxidant potential of tocotrienols than tocopherols. Moreover, the biological role of vitamin E metabolites have received increasing interest. The aim of this review is to update the knowledge of tocopherol and tocotrienol bioactivity, with a particular focus on their bioavailability, distribution, and metabolism determinants in humans. Almost one hundred years after the start of research on α-tocopherol, its biological properties are still under investigation. For several decades, researchers’ interest in the biological importance of other forms of vitamin E has also been growing. Some of the functions, for instance the antioxidant functions of α- and γ-tocopherols, have been confirmed in humans, while others, such as the relationship with metabolic disorders, are still under investigation. Some studies, which analyzed the biological role and mechanisms of tocopherols and tocotrienols over the past few years described new and even unexpected cellular and molecular properties that will be the subject of future research.

Applications of 3D printing in critical care medicine: A scoping review

2021 ◽  
pp. 0310057X2097665
Author(s):  
Natasha Abeysekera ◽  
Kirsty A Whitmore ◽  
Ashvini Abeysekera ◽  
George Pang ◽  
Kevin B Laupland
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Critical Care Medicine ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Three Dimensional Printing ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dimensional Printing

Although a wide range of medical applications for three-dimensional printing technology have been recognised, little has been described about its utility in critical care medicine. The aim of this review was to identify three-dimensional printing applications related to critical care practice. A scoping review of the literature was conducted via a systematic search of three databases. A priori specified themes included airway management, procedural support, and simulation and medical education. The search identified 1544 articles, of which 65 were included. Ranging across many applications, most were published since 2016 in non – critical care discipline-specific journals. Most studies related to the application of three-dimensional printed models of simulation and reported good fidelity; however, several studies reported that the models poorly represented human tissue characteristics. Randomised controlled trials found some models were equivalent to commercial airway-related skills trainers. Several studies relating to the use of three-dimensional printing model simulations for spinal and neuraxial procedures reported a high degree of realism, including ultrasonography applications three-dimensional printing technologies. This scoping review identified several novel applications for three-dimensional printing in critical care medicine. Three-dimensional printing technologies have been under-utilised in critical care and provide opportunities for future research.

Actual Challenges, Risks and Security Safety

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-83
Author(s):  
Božidar Forca ◽  
Dragoljub Sekulović ◽  
Igor Vukonjanski
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Security Strategy ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
National Security Strategy ◽  
Security Challenges ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Relationship

Security is one of the most common terms in the modern world. This statement is supported by the fact that the term security is used in a wide range of areas. The subject of this paper is national security and the challenges, risks and threats to that security in contemporary international relations. The purpose of the work is twofold. First, to show the diversity of theoretical understanding of the term challenge, risk and threat by various authors. On the other hand, the overriding goal is to analyze the relationship to the challenges, risks and threats in different countries. When it comes to national security, challenges, risks and threats, most often, are identified in a document called the national security strategy. This document, as one of the highest in the hierarchy of political acts of every state, when it comes to security, is passed by almost all modern states of the world. The analysis of numerous national security strategies has revealed that it is possible to identify: 1) the challenges, risks and threats that appear in all strategies, 2) the challenges, risks and threats of security that appear in most strategies, and 3) the challenges, risks and threats of security which are country specific.

scholarly journals Novel Parameterized Distance Measures on Hesitant Fuzzy Sets with Credibility Degree and Their Application in Decision-Making

Symmetry ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaru Li ◽  
Fangwei Zhang ◽  
Qiang Li ◽  
Jing Sun ◽  
Janney Yee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Fuzzy Sets ◽  
Cardinal Number ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Distance Measures ◽  
Hesitant Fuzzy Set ◽  
Hesitant Fuzzy Sets ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship

The subject of this study is to explore the role of cardinality of hesitant fuzzy element (HFE) in distance measures on hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs). Firstly, three parameters, i.e., credibility factor, conservative factor, and a risk factor are introduced, thereafter, a series of novel distance measures on HFSs are proposed using these three parameters. These newly proposed distance measures handle the relationship between the cardinal number and the element values of hesitant fuzzy set well, and are suitable to combine subjective and objective decision-making information. When using these functions, decision makers with different risk preferences are allowed to give different values for these three parameters. In particular, this study transfers the hesitance degree index to a credibility of the values in HFEs, which is consistent with people’s intuition. Finally, the practicability of the newly proposed distance measures is verified by two examples.

scholarly journals “A reward rather than a right”: Facilitators’ perspectives on the place of music in Norwegian prison exceptionalism

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-289
Author(s):  
Áine Mangaoang
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Music Making ◽  
Critical Understanding ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Music Activities

Scholarship on prison music-making projects and programmes to date has largely overlooked the perspectives of prison music facilitators, who form an integral part of many prison music activities. The aim of the study, which was exploratory in nature, was to contribute to a better understanding overall of the relationship between music and imprisonment by focusing on the perspectives of prison music practitioners. Drawing from data collected in four Norwegian prisons through ethnographic research, data was analysed thematically with four key themes emerging: interpersonal communication and emotional connection; social responsibility; prison system and environment, and (in)difference and exclusion. The findings highlight the fact that the range of prison music activities offered in many Norwegian prisons affects music facilitators deeply in a number of ways, and support existing studies that find that prison music practices can contribute to creating a community of caring individuals both inside and outside prisons. Notably, the emergence of the (in)difference and exclusion theme demonstrates a more critical and nuanced view of prison music facilitators’ experiences as going beyond simplistic, romantic notions of music’s function in social transformation. Concerns raised for those who appear to be excluded or differentiated from music-making opportunities in prison – in particular foreign nationals and women – suggest that (even) in the Norwegian context, music in prisons remains a “reward” rather than a fundamental “right.” This study marks a step towards a richer and more critical understanding of prison musicking and aims to inform future research, practice, and the processes involved in the possibilities for offering music in prisons.

Sustainability balanced scorecard architecture and environmental performance outcomes: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suaad Jassem ◽  
Zarina Zakaria ◽  
Anna Che Azmi
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Holistic Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis study aims to assess the current state of research on the use of sustainability balanced scorecards (SBSCs), as they relate to environmental performance-related outcomes. It also seeks to present a conceptual framework proposing relationships between SBSC and environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conducts a systematic literature review of articles published in double-blind peer-reviewed journals that are listed on Scopus and/or Web of Science databases.FindingsThe first part of the paper reveals that two architectures of SBSC appear to be dominant in the literature (SBSC-4 where sustainability parameters are integrated with the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard and SBSC-5 where sustainability is shown as an additional standalone fifth perspective). The next part of the paper presents a conceptual model relating SBSC as decision-making tools to environmental performance outcomes. The paper also indicates that SBSC knowledge mediates the above relationships. Furthermore, based on the theory of expert competence, the presence of experts possibly moderates the relationship between SBSC architecture and environmental performance outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe literature indicates a lack of consensus on establishing a clear linkage on the relationship between SBSC architecture and environmental performance outcomes. As a result, a holistic conceptual framework where SBSC knowledge acts as a mediator and presence of experts as a moderator may be able to provide a more consistent relationship between SBSC architecture and environmental performance outcomes.Practical implicationsThe conceptual framework proposed provides factors to be considered by decision makers, for effective outcomes when aiming to achieve environmental stewardship objectives.Social implicationsEnvironmental performance by business organisations have come under close scrutiny of stakeholders. As a result, the holistic model proposed in the current study may pave the path for decision-makers to achieve superior environmental outcomes, leading to greater satisfaction of stakeholders such as the communities that are impacted by the business operations of an organisation.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to propose a model for future research regarding the link between SBSC and environmental performance outcomes – with expert managers acting as moderators and SBSC knowledge acting as a mediator.

scholarly journals The Effects of Cannabis Use on Cognitive Function in Healthy Aging: A Systematic Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Pocuca ◽  
T Jordan Walter ◽  
Arpi Minassian ◽  
Jared W Young ◽  
Mark A Geyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Older Populations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Chronic Doses

Abstract Background Older adults (≥50 years) represent the fastest-growing population of people who use cannabis, potentially due to the increasing promotion of cannabis as medicine by dispensaries and cannabis websites. Given healthy aging and cannabis use are both associated with cognitive decline, it is important to establish the effects of cannabis on cognition in healthy aging. Objective This systematic scoping review used preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines to critically examine the extent of literature on this topic and highlight areas for future research. Method A search of six databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, and CINAHL) for articles published by September 2019, yielded 1,014 unique results. Results Six articles reported findings for older populations (three human and three rodent studies), highlighting the paucity of research in this area. Human studies revealed largely null results, likely due to several methodological limitations. Better-controlled rodent studies indicate that the relationship between ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cognitive function in healthy aging depends on age and level of THC exposure. Extremely low doses of THC improved cognition in very old rodents. Somewhat higher chronic doses improved cognition in moderately aged rodents. No studies examined the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) or high-CBD cannabis on cognition. Conclusions This systematic scoping review provides crucial, timely direction for future research on this emerging issue. Future research that combines neuroimaging and cognitive assessment would serve to advance understanding of the effects of age and quantity of THC and CBD on cognition in healthy aging.

Urban Spatial Structure and Travel in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingqian Hu ◽  
Jiawen Yang ◽  
Tianren Yang ◽  
Yuanjie Tu ◽  
Jing Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Urban Structure ◽  
Urban Spatial Structure ◽  
Complex Mechanisms ◽  
The Relationship

This article first provides a critical scoping review of empirical literature on the relationship between urban structure and travel in China. The review finds that residential suburbanization alone increases travel, polycentric development has mixed effects, and jobs–housing balance reduces travel. Second, this article compares the empirical findings of the urban structure–travel relationships in China with those observed in other countries, and it identifies contextual factors that can explain the differing relationships in China. We suggest that future research improve data and methodology and broaden the research scope to investigate the complex mechanisms that affect the urban structure–travel relationship in China.

Democracy and Civic Culture

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Sabetti
Keyword(s):  
Political Culture ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
The State ◽  
Civic Culture ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Subject ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Way

This article attempts to take stock of the state of research on democracy and culture by providing answers to several sets of questions. It seeks to improve the understanding of the relationship between culture and action, and between political culture and democratic outcomes. The article begins by exploring the way the literature has dealt with the possible meaning of culture and political culture and their relationship to action. It also suggests why there has been little contribution to democracy derived from political culture research, and identifies how the efforts to rethink how and why the subject matter is approached in certain ways led many analysts to break out of established epistemological demarcations. This eventually led to the reinvigorated tools of investigation and research on democracy and civic culture. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of improved tools of investigation for future research.

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