Methodology and Method in Case Study Research

It is the situational specificity or context of qualitative research that ensures the case study remains a methodological approach, inherently valuable in practice-based research. Since this is inherently complex and multifaceted by nature, being able to provide a means of systematically analysing and framing research investigations is pivotal to the credibility of research that can highlight and illuminate these specific contextual issues. This chapter provides a means by which researchers can begin to frame the complexity of phenomena they wish to investigate by deliberately determining its parameter or scope and then framing or binding this. Beyond these processes, an insight into the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data will be provided so that theoretical outcomes can be framed and posited as part of an active contribution to knowledge. The fact that case study can be posited as both methodology and method ensures its capacity to address the need of being able to undertake context-specific evaluatory research or the overall complexity.

Students’ Perception on E-Portfolio for Assessing Translation Skill

Translation is actually the skill which involve students’ active contribution in the assessing process. Meanwhile, e-portfolio regards as one of the method to achieve students’ active contribution in assessing their own translation works since it not only functions to collect the works electronically but can also function to show the sequence of works improvement. The aim of this study is to investigate students’ perception on e-portfolio for assessing their translation skill. It was also intended to discover application preference to apply the e-portfolio method of assessment. The participants of the study are 49 English Department students enrolled in the third year. The data was collected by using questionnaire in the form of closed and open questionnaires. The results indicate that the participants generally prefer to be evaluated by the e-portfolio assessment. Most of them believed that e-portfolio assessment improved their translation quality and enhanced their motivation and the application they chose to apply the e-portfolio is the free application which can be accessed anywhere.

Gut Microbiota in Colorectal Cancer: Associations, Mechanisms, and Clinical Approaches

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with the presence of particular gut microbes, as observed in many metagenomic studies to date. However, in most cases, it remains difficult to disentangle their active contribution to CRC from just a bystander role. This review focuses on the mechanisms described to date by which the CRC-associated microbiota could contribute to CRC. Bacteria like pks+ Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum, or enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis have been shown to induce mutagenesis, alter host epithelial signaling pathways, or reshape the tumor immune landscape in several experimental systems. The mechanistic roles of other bacteria, as well as newly identified fungi and viruses that are enriched in CRC, are only starting to be elucidated. Additionally, novel systems like organoids and organs-on-a-chip are emerging as powerful tools to study the direct effect of gut microbiota on healthy or tumor intestinal epithelium. Thus, the expanding knowledge of tumor-microbiota interactions holds promise for improved diagnosis and treatment of CRC. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cancer Biology, Volume 6 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

An analysis of the benefits and issues in the development of an Enterprise Data Catalogue

<p>Purpose – The purpose of this case study is to examine the rationality for taking an enterprise approach towards metadata’s development. It outlined and discussed the benefits and challenges involved from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Methodology – The data for this case study is collected through a one on one interview method. The findings were discussed and analysed with other literature. Findings – Taking an enterprise wide approach towards the development of metadata offers both short-term and long-term benefits to the Ministry. In particular, the short-term benefits include efficiency in time to answer, re-use and re-purposing of existing information. The long-term benefits are the ability to operate at a strategic level with its data and information. On the other hand, the different level of understanding towards the concept of metadata at present, in addition to a lack of a clear guardianship from a data perspective has lead to challenges in gaining a level of active contribution and ongoing maintenance. This report suggested that it is essential for the Ministry to maintain a constant marketing style of communication to promote the understanding of the metadata and to incorporate the principle of data stewardship in managing the component of metadata mapping. Value – This case study provides value by explaining the concept and outlining the key benefits and issues involved to those organisations discovering the topic of metadata management for the first time. This case study adds additional value by offering rare insights into taking an enterprise approach towards the development of a business metadata, offering practical learning and suggestions for other organisations that are embarking on a similar journey.</p>

An analysis of the benefits and issues in the development of an Enterprise Data Catalogue

<p>Purpose – The purpose of this case study is to examine the rationality for taking an enterprise approach towards metadata’s development. It outlined and discussed the benefits and challenges involved from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Methodology – The data for this case study is collected through a one on one interview method. The findings were discussed and analysed with other literature. Findings – Taking an enterprise wide approach towards the development of metadata offers both short-term and long-term benefits to the Ministry. In particular, the short-term benefits include efficiency in time to answer, re-use and re-purposing of existing information. The long-term benefits are the ability to operate at a strategic level with its data and information. On the other hand, the different level of understanding towards the concept of metadata at present, in addition to a lack of a clear guardianship from a data perspective has lead to challenges in gaining a level of active contribution and ongoing maintenance. This report suggested that it is essential for the Ministry to maintain a constant marketing style of communication to promote the understanding of the metadata and to incorporate the principle of data stewardship in managing the component of metadata mapping. Value – This case study provides value by explaining the concept and outlining the key benefits and issues involved to those organisations discovering the topic of metadata management for the first time. This case study adds additional value by offering rare insights into taking an enterprise approach towards the development of a business metadata, offering practical learning and suggestions for other organisations that are embarking on a similar journey.</p>

Efficient computational modelling of smooth muscle orientation and function in the aorta

Understanding the mechanical effects of smooth muscle cell (SMC) contraction on the initiation and the propagation of cardiovascular diseases such as aortic dissection is critical. Framed by elastic lamellar sheets in the lamellar unit, there are SMCs in the media with a distinct radial tilt, which indicates their contribution to the radial strength. However, the mechanical effects of this type of anisotropy have not been fully discussed. Therefore, in this study, we propose a constitutive framework that models the passive and active mechanics of the aorta, taking into account the dispersed nature of the aortic constituents by applying the discrete fibre dispersion method. We suggest an isoparametric approach by evaluating various numerical integration methods and introducing a non-uniform discretization of the unit hemisphere to increase its computational efficiency. Finally, the constitutive parameters are fitted to layer-specific experimental data and initial computational results are briefly presented. The radial tilt of SMCs is also analysed, which has a noticeable influence on the mechanical behaviour of the aorta. In the absence of sufficient experimental data, the results indicate that the active contribution of SMCs has a remarkable impact on the mechanics of the healthy aorta.

Healthy Teleworking: Towards Personalized Exercise Recommendations

Home-based teleworking, associated with sedentary behavior, may impair self-reported adult health status. Current exercise recommendations, based on universal recipes, may be insufficient or even misleading to promote healthy teleworking. From the Network Physiology of Exercise perspective, health is redefined as an adaptive emergent state, product of dynamic interactions among multiple levels (from genetic to social) that cannot be reduced to a few dimensions. Under such a perspective, fitness development is focused on enhancing the individual functional diversity potential, which is better achieved through varied and personalized exercise proposals. This paper discusses some myths related to ideal or unique recommendations, like the ideal exercise or posture, and the contribution of recent computer technologies and applications for prescribing exercise and assessing fitness. Highlighting the need for creating personalized working environments and strengthening the active contribution of users in the process, new recommendations related to teleworking posture, home exercise counselling, exercise monitoring and to the roles of healthcare and exercise professionals are proposed. Instead of exercise prescribers, professionals act as co-designers that help users to learn, co-adapt and adequately contextualize exercise in order to promote their somatic awareness, job satisfaction, productivity, work–life balance, wellbeing and health.

A geoachaeological view on the Roman economy of Baetica – The case study Munigua (Seville, SW-Spain).

&lt;p&gt;The economy of Roman cities in Baetica, was largely diversified and depending on the city for example specialized in olive oil, halieutic or metallurgical production. The economy of the Hispano-Roman city Munigua (municipium Flavium Muniguense) was particularly based on mining and in the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and 2&lt;sup&gt;nd &lt;/sup&gt;centuries CE Munigua was the largest producer of copper and iron in the Sierra Morena. This contribution focuses on the evaluation of soil potential for practicing agriculture and evidences for prehistoric and historic land use in the vicinity of Munigua. It aims to provide new information to the food supply strategy of Munigua and furthermore a geoarchaeological few on the diversification debate of the urban economy in the conventus Hispalensis. Applying a pedo-geomorphic approach the present study i) shows that the landscape around Munigua has the potential for an agricultural use in larger areas and would have certainly allowed a production of agricultural goods in Roman times. Additionally, the study ii) provides clear evidence for prehistoric and historic land use in region documented by multi-layered colluvial deposits and a preserved Roman hortic soil. Hence, the results pointing to a local cultivation of agricultural products as an active contribution to the food supply of Munigua. Moreover, the study provides geoarchaeological evidences supporting the concept of an economic diversification of Roman cities in Baetica province and Hispania.&lt;/p&gt;