38869 research outputs found
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Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for taxonomic entomology: A brief review
No full textJohnson, JB ORCiD: 0000-0002-9172-8587For over two decades, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been applied to a wide spectrum of problems in the field of insect taxonomy. It provides a rapid, non-destructive and relatively cheap method of metabolomic profiling, which can often be used to discriminate closely related species in the same genus. Furthermore, very little training or entomological knowledge is required to operate the instrument. However, a taxonomist is still required to ensure accurate identification of samples used for NIRS model creation and validation. To date, most research has focused on species of economic or epidemiological importance, such as mosquitoes, flies or stored product pests. However, an increasing number of studies are applying NIRS for entomological research with a purely “academic” purpose. As research continues in this field, NIRS has the potential to become more widely accepted in entomology, allowing for the rapid metabolomic profiling of thousands of species. © 2020 Blackwell Verlag Gmb
Partnering research within the construction industry (1990-2018): A scientometric review
No full textZhao, X ORCiD: 0000-0003-0153-5173This paper performs a scientometric review of the intellectual structure and evolutionary patterns of partnering research within construction industry (CI). Based on 788 bibliographic records retrieved from Scopus published in 1990-2018, CiteSpace is used to facilitate the scientometric analysis and visualisation of construction partnering research. The results show that: 1) the UK, the USA, and China are the primary origins of construction partnering research, and this domain typically arises from inter-organisation collaboration in business management; 2) research topics covered in the field concentrate on partnering application and performance, trust, partnering mechanism to strengthen performance, development of partnering model, critical success factors, reviews of the development of partnering research, and construction innovation promoted by partnering; 3) strategic partnering should be emphasised through supply chain integration in the CI. This paper provides an in-depth understanding of construction partnering research and inspires further inter-organisation collaboration within the CI
Healthcare providers perspective on value in medical travel to India
No full textMedhekar, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-6791-4056Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the supply-side factors that determines the quality of global healthcare services from medical tourism healthcare providers’ (MTHP) perspective, which provide value-in-medical-travel to foreign patients/medical tourists, who travel to India for medical treatment/surgery.
Design/methodology/approach: The thematic content analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 senior MTHP, from 15 private hospitals in India was undertaken, to generate the themes, and identify the supply-side factors necessary for sustainable medical tourism management.
Findings: The findings conclude that MTHP ranked in ascending order, less waiting-time for surgery, healthcare quality and accreditation, staff/surgeon’s expertise, healthcare information, hospital facilities and services, patient-safety, travel-risk, surgical costs and holiday opportunity as essential factors for providing sustainable quality and value-in-medical-travel to patients.
Research limitations/implications: Many private hospital spokespersons declined to be interviewed due to confidentiality and privacy policy
Practical implications: The findings are generalised in case of global private hospitals treating foreign patients. Policy implications suggest that private hospitals in developing countries need to focus on providing value-in-medical-travel, such as accreditation quality of healthcare, no waiting-time, patient-safety, qualified and experienced medical and non-medical staff, hospital facilities and post-surgery care with positive healthcare outcomes.
Social implications: Medical-tour facilitators, hotels and tourism sites need to collaborate with agencies to provide inclusive built environment, first-aid and wheelchair access, to medical tourists, having financial and legal implications for business.
Originality/value: There is little qualitative empirical research on the views of MTHP, regarding management of essential supply-side factors that provide value-in-medical-travel to attract medical tourists to India
Lessons from COVID-19 can prepare global tourism for the economic transformation needed to combat climate change
No full textPabel, A ORCiD: 0000-0003-1409-5496; Thompson, MM ORCiD: 0000-0002-7909-3523The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cessation of almost all international travel in the first half of 2020. A return to pre-pandemic growth patterns will take time and depend on the depth and extent of the recession sparked by COVID-19. The recovery phase will overlap with global efforts to deal with the evolving climate crisis. For the tourism industry to thrive in a future world it must look beyond the temptation of adopting strategies based on a return to the pre-COVID-19 normal of the past and instead seek to understand how it should respond to the emerging transformation of the global economy to carbon neutrality. Many of the lessons that emerged from the pandemic can be applied to strategies to deal with climate change. Of most interest is the success of strategies such as “flattening the curve”. Application of similar strategies plus adoption of the circular economy model to wind back Green House Gas emissions will help avert the global environmental disaster that will occur if global temperatures continue to increase. These strategies point to what a future carbon-neutral economic production system might look like, the path to which could offer the tourism industry numerous opportunities to transform from the current model that favours a high resource consumption model to one that is environmentally friendly and resource neutral. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
The effects of emergency medical service work on the psychological, physical, and social well-being of ambulance personnel: A systematic review of qualitative research
No full textWillis, EM ORCiD: 0000-0001-7576-971X© 2020 The Author(s). Background: High rates of mental distress, mental illness, and the associated physical effects of psychological injury experienced by ambulance personnel has been widely reported in quantitative research. However, there is limited understanding of how the nature of ambulance work contributes to this problem, the significant large toll that emergency medical response takes on the individual, and particularly about late and cumulative development of work-related distress among this first responder workforce. Methods: This study examined peer-reviewed qualitative research published from 2 to 2018 to outline the effect of emergency medical response work on the psychological, psychosocial, and physical health of paramedics, ambulance officers, ambulance volunteers, and call-takers. Databases searched included: Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Ovid EMcare, PsychInfo and Scopus. The systematic review was organised around five key areas: Impact of the work on psychological wellbeing; impact of psychological stress on physical wellbeing; how work-related well-being needs were articulated; effects of workflow and the nature of the work on well-being; and, effects of organisational structures on psychological and physical well-being. Results: Thirty-nine articles met the eligibility criteria. Several factors present in the day-to-day work of ambulance personnel, and in how organisational management acknowledge and respond, were identified as being significant and contributing to mental health and well-being, or increasing the risk for developing conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Ambulance personnel articulated their well-being needs across four key areas: Organisational support; informal support; use of humour; and individual mechanisms to cope such as detachment and external supports. Conclusions: Interactions between critical incidents and workplace culture and demands have an overwhelming impact on the psychological, physical and social well-being of ambulance personnel. These include day-to-day managerial actions and responses, the impact of shift work, poorly-managed rosters, and long hours of work with little time between for recovery. Mental health issues result from exposure to traumatic events, and the way managers and peers respond to worker distress. Ambulance personnel suffering from work-related stress feel abandoned by peers, management, and the service, during illness, in return-to-work, and post-retirement. Policy, programmes and interventions, and education need to occur at an individual, peer, organisational, and government level
Work, lifestyle and location: An exploratory study on the motivations of digital entrepreneurs
No full textBancilhon, AJ ORCiD: 0000-0002-4356-4223At the nexus of alternate ways of working and living, a new type of entrepreneur has emerged. With varying degrees of flexibility over how, when and where they work, Digital Entrepreneurs (DEs) are a potentially significant breed of online business owner about which little is known. This thesis explores the motivations of DEs in creating their businesses, how they balance work with lifestyle domains and the role of location in their lives. Digital entrepreneurship is a highly topical yet under researched phenomenon. Employing a qualitative multiple case study research approach, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with thirty-six digital entrepreneurs in Australia and Bali. The aim of this approach was to gain insight into the subjective experience of DEs and a broader understanding of how they work and live. Motivational theories inform the study’s theoretical framework, with Push-Pull Theory being the most prominent. While a significant body of literature exists in relation to the motivations of traditional entrepreneurs, the digital landscape provides an alternative context for business ownership and allows a new degree of temporal and spatial flexibility.
Five key themes emerged from the research findings through thematic analysis of the data. Each of these five themes provide potentially significant insights into the DE phenomenon and they are discussed and explored in light of relevant literature. These themes are synthesised into a model which presents the key motivational forces for digital entrepreneurship, informed by Push-Pull Theory, in the context of the digital landscape and broader economic and sociocultural environment. In view of DEs’ temporal flexibility, the findings provide insights as to the different approaches DEs take to balancing work with other life domains. Also presented are the work, lifestyle and community factors that emerged as significant for DEs in choosing where to base themselves. Further, in the absence of a widely accepted definition of the term “Digital Entrepreneur” this study proposes a definition based on the research findings. This research has practical implications for regional and tourist areas looking to attract DEs, for the coworking spaces that support them and for those considering digital entrepreneurship
Values, gender, and environmental responsibility: A study of future managers
No full textBhattacharyya, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-0816-0063This study examines the role of gender in determining personal value priorities and environmental attitudes of future manager in developing social context. While previous studies focus on developed markets and only on personal values of individuals, we focus on gender effect on personal values and pro-environmental attitudes of MBA students of an emerging economy. This study is on India since India is characterised as a male-dominated society and a producer of larger number of MBA graduates. Overall, our results shows that personal values and attitude towards environmental responsibility do not vary significantly based on the participants’ gender difference. However, work experience of male MBA students has a significant negative impact on attitudes towards environmental responsibility. Our findings can be used to operationalize the pro-environmental recruitment policy of organisations. The result will also be handy to formulate strategies to improve female participation in MBA cohorts of business schools.
Keywords: Values, gender, environmental attitudes, MBA student
Farmers' markets and tourism: Identifying tensions that arise from balancing dual roles as community events and tourist attractions
No full textThompson, MM ORCiD: 0000-0002-7909-3523An increasing interest in food tourism, and the need to provide diverse tourism experiences, has provided an opportunity for some farmers' markets to evolve from community events into tourist attractions. While this presents opportunities to develop a larger customer base, it also creates challenges. The aim of this paper is to identify the tensions that may arise when farmers' markets attempt to service their local communities as well as attract tourists. An inductive, explorative approach was adopted and thematic content analysis used to extract qualitative data from 14 semi-structured interviews. The results identified tensions between market stakeholders and consumers, including: stall holders' understanding of tourism; the market experience; mix of stall holders and products available; and the different purchasing habits of local and tourist consumers. Highlighting the significance of target marketing and the range of produce offered, a conceptual model was developed that shows how farmers' markets may transition from community events into tourist attractions. This research contributes to our understanding of how a farmers' market may transition into a tourist attraction and identifies indicators that managers should consider when combining tourism with farmers' markets
Pedagogical foundations to online lectures in health professions education
No full textWeber, AD ORCiD: 0000-0002-4797-6428Professional and tertiary health professions education (HPE) has been markedly challenged by the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Mandates for training organisations to reduce social contact during the global pandemic, and make learning available online, provide an opportunity for regional, rural and remote clinicians and students to more easily access learning and professional development opportunities.
Online lectures, while posing an opportunity for regional, rural and remote HPE, entail potential risks. Educators who are familiar with face-to-face pedagogies may find a transition to remote, digital interaction unfamiliar, disarming, and therefore they may not design maximally engaging lectures. The strategies used in a face-to-face lecture cannot be directly transferred into the online environment.
This article proposes strategies to ensure the ongoing effectiveness, efficiency and engagement of lectures transitioning from face-to-face to online delivery. Cognitive learning theory, strategies to promote learner engagement and minimise distraction, and examples of software affordances to support active learning during the lecture are proposed. This enables lecturers to navigate the challenges of lecturing in an online environment and plan fruitful online lectures during this disruptive time. These suggestions will therefore enable HPE to better meet the existing and future needs of regional, rural and remote learners who may not be able to easily access face-to-face learning upon the relaxation of social distancing measures. Strategies to provide equitable HPE to learners who cannot access plentiful, fast internet are also discussed
Presence and prevalence of UV related genetic mutations in uveal melanoma: Similarities with cutaneous melanoma
No full textSteel, JC ORCiD: 0000-0003-3608-7542Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an accepted etiological factor in cutaneous melanoma (CM), however its role in Uveal Melanoma (UM) is controversial. Partly as a consequence, CM and UM are often considered to be separate conditions, and advances in the treatment of CM have not led to joint clinical trials or parallel improvements in survival of UM. This study hypothesized that a subset of UM tumors display evidence of genetic changes consistent with UV-related damage similar to that shown in CM. Analysis of the Broad Institute's Firebrowse depository of 80 UM samples and 343 CM samples, together with the Sanger Institute's Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer depository of 995 UM and 12,447 CM samples was undertaken to identify the most frequently mutated genes, mutation types and specific nucleotide variants (SNVs) in each condition. Somatic mutation data was cross-correlated and shared mutations assessed against known effects of UV radiation. The proportion of samples with C>T substitutions (a classic genetic marker of UV-related damage) was higher in UM than CM on both DNA strands (17.0% vs 13.1% , p = 0.038). The most frequently encountered cross-correlated mutated genes between UM and CM were, in order, BRAF, NRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, TERT, PTEN, ARID2 and KMT2C, with multiple common BRAF point mutations. Each cross-correlated mutation, and each common point mutation in BRAF, was associated with UV-related mechanistic changes. These findings support the hypothesis that the etiology of a substantial minority of UMs may be more UV dependent than previously recognized