Pragmatic patchwork ethnography, a call to action for health, nutrition and dietetic researchers

Qualitative research methods are increasingly used in nutrition and dietetics research. Ethnography is an underexploited approach which seeks to explore the diversity of people and cultures in a given setting, providing a better understanding of the influences that determine their choices and behaviours. It is argued that traditional ethnography, that is, the methodology of living within participant communities, is a dated practice, with roots in colonialism, accessible to only researchers with the means, connections and status to conduct such research, typically white, privileged males. This paper proposes a formal interpretation of 'patchwork ethnography', whereby research is carried out in situ around existing modern-day commitments of the researcher, thus enabling more researchers within health, nutrition and dietetic practice to benefit from the rich data that can be discovered from communities. This review proposes the concept that pragmatic patchwork ethnography is required, proposing a framework for implementation, providing researchers, particularly within the fields of human nutrition, dietetics and health, the accessibility and means to deploy a meaningful client-centric methodology. We present pragmatic patchwork ethnography as a modern method for use within multiple healthcare settings, thus adding a progressive brick in the wall of qualitative research.

An open-source human-in-the-loop BCI research framework: method and design

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) translate brain activity into digital commands for interaction with the physical world. The technology has great potential in several applied areas, ranging from medical applications to entertainment industry, and creates new conditions for basic research in cognitive neuroscience. The BCIs of today, however, offer only crude online classification of the user's current state of mind, and more sophisticated decoding of mental states depends on time-consuming offline data analysis. The present paper addresses this limitation directly by leveraging a set of improvements to the analytical pipeline to pave the way for the next generation of online BCIs. Specifically, we introduce an open-source research framework that features a modular and customizable hardware-independent design. This framework facilitates human-in-the-loop (HIL) model training and retraining, real-time stimulus control, and enables transfer learning and cloud computing for the online classification of electroencephalography (EEG) data. Stimuli for the subject and diagnostics for the researcher are shown on separate displays using web browser technologies. Messages are sent using the Lab Streaming Layer standard and websockets. Real-time signal processing and classification, as well as training of machine learning models, is facilitated by the open-source Python package Timeflux. The framework runs on Linux, MacOS, and Windows. While online analysis is the main target of the BCI-HIL framework, offline analysis of the EEG data can be performed with Python, MATLAB, and Julia through packages like MNE, EEGLAB, or FieldTrip. The paper describes and discusses desirable properties of a human-in-the-loop BCI research platform. The BCI-HIL framework is released under MIT license with examples at: bci.lu.se/bci-hil (or at: github.com/bci-hil/bci-hil).

Determining the ecological security pattern and important ecological regions based on the supply-demand of ecosystem services: A case study of Xuzhou City, China

The supply-demand for ecosystem services (ESs) is the bridge between ecological security patterns (ESPs) and human wellbeing. This study proposed a research framework of ESP of "supply-demand-corridor-node" and took Xuzhou, China, as a research case, providing a new perspective for the construction of ESPs. The framework was divided into four sections: identifying the ecological source based on the ESs supply; utilizing multi-source economic-social data to characterize the demand of ESs and constructing a resistance surface; defining the ecological corridor in the study area by employing the Linkage Mapper; and identifying crucial ecological protection/restoration areas along the ecological corridor. The results showed that the area of the supply source of ESs in Xuzhou City is 573.89 km², accounting for 5.19% of the city's total area. The spatial distribution of 105 ecological corridors revealed that there were multiple and dense ecological corridors in the middle of the city, but few in the northwest and southeast. A total of 14 ecological protection areas were located primarily in the south of the urban area, and 10 ecological restoration areas were located primarily in the middle and north of the urban area, with a total area of 4.74 km². The findings of this article will be useful in developing ESPs and determining important ecological protection/restoration areas in Xuzhou, China. The research framework could potentially be used in other areas.

Noncancerous Genitourinary Conditions as a Public Health Priority: Conceptualizing the Hidden Burden

OBJECTIVE

To provide a conceptual framework to guide investigations into burdens of noncancerous genitourinary conditions (NCGUCs), which are extensive and poorly understood.

METHODS

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases convened a workshop of diverse, interdisciplinary researchers and health professionals to identify known and hidden burdens of NCGUCs that must be measured to estimate the comprehensive burden. Following the meeting, a subgroup of attendees (authors of this article) continued to meet to conceptualize burden.

RESULTS

The Hidden Burden of Noncancerous Genitourinary Conditions Framework includes impacts across multiple levels of well-being and social ecology, including individual (ie, biologic factors, lived experience, behaviors), interpersonal (eg, romantic partners, family members), organizational/institutional (eg, schools, workplaces), community (eg, public restroom infrastructure), societal (eg, health care and insurance systems, national workforce/economic output), and ecosystem (eg, landfill waste) effects. The framework acknowledges that NCGUCs can be a manifestation of underlying biological dysfunction, while also leading to biological impacts (generation and exacerbation of health conditions, treatment side effects).

CONCLUSION

NCGUCs confer a large, poorly understood burden to individuals and society. An evidence-base to describe the comprehensive burden is needed. Measurement of NCGUC burdens should incorporate multiple levels of well-being and social ecology, a life course perspective, and potential interactions between NCGUCs and genetics, sex, race, and gender. This approach would elucidate accumulated impacts and potential health inequities in experienced burdens. Uncovering the hidden burden of NCGUCs may draw attention and resources (eg, new research and improved treatments) to this important domain of health.

Creating equity in health research to drive more and better evidence

Health research is rapidly changing with evidence being gathered through new agile methods. This evolution is critical but must be globally equitable so the poorest nations do not lose out. We must harness this change to better tackle the daily burden of diseases that affect the most impoverished populations and bring research capabilities to every corner of the world so that rapid and fair responses to new pathogen are possible; anywhere they appear. We must seize this opportunity to make research easier, better and more equitable. Currently too many nations are unable to generate the evidence or translate it to directly change health outcomes in their own communities. It is essential to act and harness this emerging change in how research data can be generated and shared, so that all nations sustainably gain from this development. There are positive examples to draw on from COVID-19, but we now need to act. Here we present an initiative to develop a new framework that can guide researchers in the design and execution of their studies. This highly agile system will work by adapting to risk and complexity in any given study, whilst generating quality, safe and ethical data.

Digital data sources and methods for conservation culturomics

Ongoing loss of biological diversity is primarily the result of unsustainable human behavior. Thus, the long-term success of biodiversity conservation depends on a thorough understanding of human-nature interactions. Such interactions are ubiquitous but vary greatly in time and space and are difficult to monitor efficiently at large spatial scales. However, the Information Age also provides new opportunities to better understand human-nature interactions because many aspects of daily life are recorded in a variety of digital formats. The emerging field of conservation culturomics aims to take advantage of digital data sources and methods to study human-nature interactions and thus to provide new tools for studying conservation at relevant temporal and spatial scales. Nevertheless, technical challenges associated with the identification, access, and analysis of relevant data hamper the wider adoption of culturomics methods. To help overcome these barriers, we propose a conservation culturomics research framework that addresses data acquisition, analysis, and inherent biases. The main sources of culturomic data include web pages, social media, and other digital platforms from which metrics of content and engagement can be obtained. Obtaining raw data from these platforms is usually desirable but requires careful consideration of how to access, store, and prepare the data for analysis. Methods for data analysis include network approaches to explore connections between topics, time-series analysis for temporal data, and spatial modeling to highlight spatial patterns. Outstanding challenges associated with culturomics research include issues of interdisciplinarity, ethics, data biases, and validation. The practical guidance we offer will help conservation researchers and practitioners identify and obtain the necessary data and carry out appropriate analyses for their specific questions, thus facilitating the wider adoption of culturomics approaches for conservation applications.

Performance Evaluation of Construction Companies Using Integrated Entropy-Fuzzy VIKOR Model

The construction sector plays an important role in a country’s economic development. The financial performance of a company is a good indicator of its financial health and status. In Malaysia, the government encourages the construction industry to develop an advanced infrastructure related to health, transport, education and housing. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the operations and financial performance of construction sector companies have been affected recently. Additionally, uncertainty plays a vital role in the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) process. Based on previous studies, there has been no comprehensive study conducted on the evaluation of the financial performance of construction companies by integrating entropy and fuzzy VIKOR models. Therefore, this paper aims to propose an MCDM model to evaluate and compare the financial performance of construction companies with an integrated entropy–fuzzy VIKOR model. A case study is carried out by evaluating the listed construction companies in Malaysia with the proposed model. The findings of this paper indicate that the company ECONBHD achieves the best financial performance over the study period. The significance of this paper is to determine the priority of the financial ratios and ranking of the construction companies with the proposed entropy–fuzzy VIKOR model.

Disaster Risk Science: A Geographical Perspective and a Research Framework

In this article, we recall the United Nations’ 30-year journey in disaster risk reduction strategy and framework, review the latest progress and key scientific and technological questions related to the United Nations disaster risk reduction initiatives, and summarize the framework and contents of disaster risk science research. The object of disaster risk science research is the “disaster system” consisting of hazard, the geographical environment, and exposed units, with features of regionality, interconnectedness, coupling, and complexity. Environmental stability, hazard threat, and socioeconomic vulnerability together determine the way that disasters are formed, establish the spatial extent of disaster impact, and generate the scale of losses. In the formation of a disaster, a conducive environment is the prerequisite, a hazard is the necessary condition, and socioeconomic exposure is the sufficient condition. The geographical environment affects local hazard intensity and therefore can change the pattern of loss distribution. Regional multi-hazard, disaster chain, and disaster compound could induce complex impacts, amplifying or attenuating hazard intensity and changing the scope of affected areas. In the light of research progress, particularly in the context of China, we propose a three-layer disaster risk science disciplinary structure, which contains three pillars (disaster science, disaster technology, and disaster governance), nine core areas, and 27 research fields. Based on these elements, we discuss the frontiers in disaster risk science research.

An analytical framework for delirium research in palliative care settings: integrated epidemiologic, clinician-researcher, and knowledge user perspectives

CONTEXT

Delirium often presents difficult management challenges in the context of goals of care in palliative care settings.

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to formulate an analytical framework for further research on delirium in palliative care settings, prioritize the associated research questions, discuss the inherent methodological challenges associated with relevant studies, and outline the next steps in a program of delirium research.

METHODS

We combined multidisciplinary input from delirium researchers and knowledge users at an international delirium study planning meeting, relevant literature searches, focused input of epidemiologic expertise, and a meeting participant and coauthor survey to formulate a conceptual research framework and prioritize research questions.

RESULTS

Our proposed framework incorporates three main groups of research questions: the first was predominantly epidemiologic, such as delirium occurrence rates, risk factor evaluation, screening, and diagnosis; the second covers pragmatic management questions; and the third relates to the development of predictive models for delirium outcomes. Based on aggregated survey responses to each research question or domain, the combined modal ratings of "very" or "extremely" important confirmed their priority.

CONCLUSION

Using an analytical framework to represent the full clinical care pathway of delirium in palliative care settings, we identified multiple knowledge gaps in relation to the occurrence rates, assessment, management, and outcome prediction of delirium in this population. The knowledge synthesis generated from adequately powered, multicenter studies to answer the framework's research questions will inform decision making and policy development regarding delirium detection and management and thus help to achieve better outcomes for patients in palliative care settings.