The Xenopus Phenotype Ontology: bridging model organism phenotype data to human health and development.

Background: Ontologies of precisely defined, controlled vocabularies are essential to curate the results of biological experiments such that the data are machine searchable, can be computationally analyzed, and are interoperable across the biomedical research continuum. There is also an increasing need for methods to interrelate phenotypic data easily and accurately from experiments in animal models with human development and disease. Results: Here we present the Xenopus Phenotype Ontology (XPO) to annotate phenotypic data from experiments in Xenopus, one of the major vertebrate model organisms used to study gene function in development and disease. The XPO implements design patterns from the Unified Phenotype Ontology (uPheno), and the principles outlined by the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies (OBO Foundry) to maximize interoperability with other species and facilitate ongoing ontology management. Constructed in Web Ontology Language (OWL) the XPO combines the existing uPheno library of ontology design patterns with additional terms from the Xenopus Anatomy Ontology (XAO), the Phenotype and Trait Ontology (PATO) and the Gene Ontology (GO). The integration of these different ontologies into the XPO enables rich phenotypic curation, whilst the uPheno bridging axioms allows phenotypic data from Xenopus experiments to be related to phenotype data from other model organisms and human disease. Moreover, the simple post-composed uPheno design patterns facilitate ongoing XPO development as the generation of new terms and classes of terms can be substantially automated. Conclusions: The XPO serves as an example of current best practices to help overcome many of the inherent challenges in harmonizing phenotype data between different species. The XPO currently consists of approximately 22,000 terms and is being used to curate phenotypes by Xenbase, the Xenopus Model Organism Knowledgebase, forming a standardized corpus of genotype-phenotype data that can be directly related to other uPheno compliant resources.

A multiperspective on the broad dissemination of research findings to past research participants and the community-at-large

Dissemination of research findings to past research participants and the community-at-large is a critical element to improving health outcomes, yet it is often overlooked by researchers. Few studies have explored how to provide study findings to the community, and no studies have investigated how community members can be involved in this process. This study explored views on the broad dissemination of research findings to community members and the role of the community in the dissemination process. We conducted a comparative analysis from the perspective of researchers, community members, and program officers (POs) from national health research funding agencies. Semistructured interviews were conducted with community members (African American, N = 10; Latino, N = 10), academic researchers (N = 10), and POs (N = 5). Thematic analysis was utilized in which codes and themes were created. One cross-cutting theme was identified, Views on Disseminating Research Findings to Communities. There were three additional themes identified among community members, five among researchers, and four among POs. All groups perceived the value of dissemination to communities as meaningful and ethical. Groups differed in their perceptions of prioritization of dissemination audiences. This study highlighted consensus on the value of broad dissemination to the community-at-large and identified areas of insufficiency in the translational research continuum that could be expanded or improved to ensure targeted groups receive the intended benefits of positive research findings. The long-term benefit of disseminating findings to the community-at-large is increased acceptability of interventions and reduced mistrust in research and researchers.

Status of the Clinician Investigator in America: An Essential Healthcare Provider Driving Advances in Cancer Care

Background: Translation of basic discoveries to clinical care for patients with cancer is a difficult process greatly enabled by physician-trained researchers. Three categories of physicians, with responsibilities spanning from laboratory and preclinical research to direct patient care, are involved in the translational research continuum: physician-scientist (PS), clinician investigator (CI), and academic clinician (AC). Methods: To define how protected time for research efforts is supported, the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) conducted a survey of their member institutions, obtaining 56 responses documenting time spent in research and clinical activities across multiple cancer disciplines, and providing information about funding streams for the different categories of cancer physicians. Results: Responses showed that PSs and ACs are minimally involved in clinical research activities; the driver or clinical research in academic cancer centers is the CI. A significant concern was a lack of stable funding streams for nonbillable clinical research activities, putting the sustainability of the CI in jeopardy. Limited funding was derived from hospital sources, with most support derived from cancer center sources. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of the CI in translational cancer medicine and represents a call to action for institutions and research funding agencies to develop new programs targeted toward CI support to ensure continued progress against cancer.

Learning and growing in a foreign context: Review of literature on cross-cultural adaptation of international students

Research background: Research background: The evolving opportunities of studies at foreign universities and the geographical expansion of the labour market create the need of facilitating a process of adapting students to studying and working. Despite a rapid increase in the number of international students in the higher education sector, little is known about their adaptation. Purpose of the article: The aim is to point out the topicality and importance of the issue of adaptation of foreign students in the globalizing world in the form of the bibliometric analysis of scientific publications. Methods: We use a combination of methods: setting parameter search by keywords, number of citations and publications, their segmentation, as defined by classification disciplines, and graphical analysis. The sample used consists of articles from WoS - Core Collection. Findings & Value added: The findings of this study have important implications for universities and educators in relation to helping students in their pursuit of academic and work success. The results provide a broader view of the research continuum and the publishing trends, in the domain of the adaptation process of students studying at foreign universities.

Reflections on JIC’s twenty-year history and suggestions for future IC research

PurposeThe threefold purpose of this paper is to reflect on the evolution and transformation of the Journal of Intellectual Capital (JIC) over the past 20 years, to project its future research directions, and, finally, to propose an IC ecosystem.Design/methodology/approachWe adopted a combination of a narrative and a systematic review of 700 JIC papers appearing in the journal in its entirety, from Volume 1 (2000) to Volume 20 (2019). The categorization of topics is based on the frequency of keywords in the titles of the papers.FindingsScholars have proposed four stages of intellectual capital (IC) research: definition/awareness, measurement/management, implementation/strategy, and ecosystem. Over the past 20 years, a total of 16 special issues were published in the journal. The five topics with the highest paper counts in descending order are country-specific studies, concept papers, reporting and disclosure, measurement and performance. Four issues require the researcher’s special attention: theoretical development, IC research methodology, national intellectual capital, and data collection. An IC ecosystem is proposed to invite discussion and refinement. For future research, ecosystem-oriented and interdisciplinary research are suggested. Research design aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals are encouraged.Research limitations/implicationsIntellectual capital research has implications for four major types of stakeholders, namely academia, government agencies, practitioners, and top management team of organizations. The major limitation of this research is that this review of twenty years of intellectual capital research is limited exclusively to the papers published in the JIC; IC papers published in relevant journals or conferences were not included.Originality/valueThis paper presents a comprehensive review of the articles published in the first 20 volumes of the JIC. The field of intellectual capital has evolved from the social construction of IC knowledge to IC knowledge diffusion and inheritance. Hopefully, a fully developed IC ecosystem will eventually emerge. IC researchers can position themselves in the IC research continuum and devise distinctive pathways to enhance their contributions to the transformation of IC research.

The Report-Research Continuum: A Differentiation Decision-Making Tool for Teachers to Design Rigorous Student Projects

The purpose of this article is to assist classroom teachers in discerning qualitative differences between a student-written report and student-led research. There are many connotations to the terms “report” and “research,” and they can have implications on how teachers effectively or ineffectively differentiate instruction to challenge students who have high academic ability. In this article, we present what we coin the Report-Research Continuum (R-RC), which is a differentiation decision-making tool for selecting student projects of varied levels of complexity. We also discuss the benefits of student-led reports and research and how they align with national standards. After reading this article, teachers will have an expanded understanding of similarities and differences between the terms “report” and “research” and will be able to use the R-RC to guide their selection of appropriately challenging projects that align with students’ readiness levels and interest areas.

Application of Community-Engaged Research to Inform the Development and Implementation of a Peer-Delivered Mobile Health Intervention for Adults With Serious Mental Illness (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Involving certified peer specialists in all phases of intervention development and research is a high priority to advance peer-delivered services. Certified peer specialists are individuals with a lived experience of a mental illness, and they are trained and accredited to provide Medicaid reimbursable mental health services. Community-engaged research can facilitate the development and implementation of peer-delivered interventions; however, little is known about the processes. We present our application of community-engaged research to inform the development and implementation of a peer-delivered mobile health (mHealth) intervention for adults with serious mental illness. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to present a framework that can be used as a guide for researchers and certified peer specialists to develop and implement peer-delivered mHealth interventions in community settings. METHODS Informed by principles of community-engaged research, we developed the Academic Researchers-Certified Peer Specialists mHealth Research Continuum. Principles of community-engaged research included in the Continuum include the following: (1) develop a clear understanding of the purpose, goal, and population involved in community change; (2) become knowledgeable about all aspects of the community; (3) interact and establish relationships with the community; (4) encourage community self-determination; (5) partner with the community; (6) respect community diversity and culture; (7) activate community assets and develop capacity; (8) maintain flexibility; and (9) commit to long-term collaboration. RESULTS Overall, 4 certified peer specialists participated in all phases of intervention development and research. Individuals who participated in the Academic Researchers-Certified Peer Specialists’ mHealth Research Continuum collaborated on 5 studies advancing peers’ roles in services delivery using mHealth and secured grant funding from a foundation to sustain their study. The Academic Researchers-Certified Peer Specialists’ mHealth Research Continuum has created a rare environment of inclusion by combining scientific expertise and certified peer specialists’ expertise to achieve a shared vision. CONCLUSIONS This study delineates a process by which academic researchers and certified peer specialists participated in community-engaged research to develop and implement peer-delivered mHealth interventions in community settings.