From Naples 1963 to Rome 2013 - A brief review of how the International Research Group on Ostracoda (IRGO) developed as a social communication system

The 1st International Symposium on Ostracoda (ISO) was held in Naples (1963). The philosophy behind this symposium and the logical outcome of what is now known as the International Research Group on Ostracoda (IRGO) is here reviewed, namely ostracodology over the last 50 years is sociologically analysed. Three different and important historic moments for the scientific achievements of this domain are recognised. The first one, between about 1963-1983, is related to applied research for the oil industry as well as to the great interest in the better description of the marine environment by both zoologists and palaeontologists. Another important aspect during this period was the work by researchers dealing with Palaeozoic ostracods, who had their own discussion group, IRGPO. Gradually, the merger of this latter group with those dealing with post-Palaeozoic ostracods at various meetings improved communication between the two groups of specialists. A second period was approximately delineated between 1983 and 2003. During this time-slice, more emphasis was addressed to environmental research with topics such as the study of global events and long-term climate change. Ostracodologists profited also from the research "politics" within national and international programmes. Large international research teams emerged using new research methods. During the third period (2003-2013), communication and collaborative research reached a global dimension. Amongst the topics of research we cite the reconstruction of palaeoclimate using transfer functions, the building of large datasets of ostracod distributions for regional and intercontinental studies, and the implementation of actions that should lead to taxonomic harmonisation. Projects within which molecular biological techniques are routinely used, combined with sophisticated morphological information, expanded now in their importance. The documentation of the ostracod description improved through new techniques to visualise morphological details, which stimulated also communication between ostracodologists. Efforts of making available ostracod information through newsletters and electronic media are evoked.

Instruments measuring spirituality in clinical research: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Numerous instruments have been developed to assess spirituality and measure its association with health outcomes. This study's aims were to identify instruments used in clinical research that measure spirituality; to propose a classification of these instruments; and to identify those instruments that could provide information on the need for spiritual intervention. METHODS: A systematic literature search in MEDLINE, CINHAL, PsycINFO, ATLA, and EMBASE databases, using the terms "spirituality" and "adult$," and limited to journal articles was performed to identify clinical studies that used a spiritual assessment instrument. For each instrument identified, measured constructs, intended goals, and data on psychometric properties were retrieved. A conceptual and a functional classification of instruments were developed. RESULTS: Thirty-five instruments were retrieved and classified into measures of general spirituality (N = 22), spiritual well-being (N = 5), spiritual coping (N = 4), and spiritual needs (N = 4) according to the conceptual classification. Instruments most frequently used in clinical research were the FACIT-Sp and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Data on psychometric properties were mostly limited to content validity and inter-item reliability. According to the functional classification, 16 instruments were identified that included at least one item measuring a current spiritual state, but only three of those appeared suitable to address the need for spiritual intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Instruments identified in this systematic review assess multiple dimensions of spirituality, and the proposed classifications should help clinical researchers interested in investigating the complex relationship between spirituality and health. Findings underscore the scarcity of instruments specifically designed to measure a patient's current spiritual state. Moreover, the relatively limited data available on psychometric properties of these instruments highlight the need for additional research to determine whether they are suitable in identifying the need for spiritual interventions.

Modified Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (CXL) Reduces Corneal Edema and Diurnal Visual Fluctuations in Fuchs' Dystrophy

Purpose: Crosslinking of corneal collagen with riboflavin and ultraviolet-A irradiation (CXL) induces crosslinks within and between collagen fibers. CXL increases corneal biomechanical and biochemical stability and is currently used clinically to treat keratectasia. CXL also significantly reduces the stromal swelling capacity. We investigated whether a modified CXL treatment protocol would be beneficial in early Fuchs' dystrophy with various degrees of corneal edema and diurnal variations in visual acuity. Methods: CXL was performed as published previously with the following modification: in cases where the stroma was thicker than 450 µm after abrasion and 30 minutes of instillation of isoosmolar riboflavin solution, glycerol 70% solution was applied every 5 seconds for two minutes, and central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured using ultrasound pachymetry. Glycerol 70% solution was administered repeatedly until the target corneal thickness of 370-430 µm was reached. During irradiation, CCT was monitored by ultrasound pachymetry every five minutes and glycerol 70% solution was applied, if necessary. Results: Three eyes in two patients were treated using the modified CXL protocol. Representative case: a 50-year-old woman with Fuchs' dystrophy and a history of 3 years of diurnal visual fluctuations was referred to us in March 2008. Preoperative best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was 20/50. We performed modified CXL in the left eye. At one month after CXL, Scheimpflug analysis of CCT showed a reduction of more than 100 µm, and the Corneal Thickness Spatial Profile (CTSP) and Percentage of Increase in Thickness (PIT) showed a regularization of the "flattening" typical for Fuchs' dystrophy. Accordingly, diurnal analysis of corneal thickness showed a distinct postoperative reduction in CCT at all time points measured. At one month after CXL, the patient reported a reduction of diurnal visual fluctuations and we measured an increase in BSCVA to 20/32. The patient showed stable topographical and visual acuity at the three months follow-up. Conclusions: We saw a distinct reduction in CCT, an improvement of the corneal thickness spatial profile (CTSP) and an increase in BSCVA at one month after treatment, which remained stable at the three months follow-up. Patients with early Fuchs' dystrophy and disturbing diurnal visual fluctuations represent a novel application for CXL. Although CXL may not prevent the outcome of the dystrophy, it may increase the patients' visual comfort until keratoplasty becomes necessary.

Narrative interviews: an important resource in qualitative research

Objetives This methodological study explain and emphasize the extent and fertility of the narrative interview in qualitative research. Methods To describe the narrative method within the qualitative research. Results The qualitative research method is characterized by addressing issues related to the singularities of the field and individuals investigated, being the narrative interviews a powerful method for use by researchers who aggregate it. They allow the deepening of research, the combination of life stories with socio-historical contexts, making the understanding of the senses that produce changes in the beliefs and values that motivate and justify the actions of possible informants. Conclusion The use of narrative is an advantageous investigative resource in qualitative research, in which the narrative is a traditional form of communication whose purpose is to serve content from which the subjective experiences can be transmitted.

Using register data to assess the impact of response enhancement methods on the risk of nonresponse bias and survey costs

The pursuit of high response rates to minimise the threat of nonresponse bias continues to dominate decisions about resource allocation in survey research. Yet a growing body of research has begun to question this practice. In this study, we use previously unavailable data from a new sampling frame based on population registers to assess the value of different methods designed to increase response rates on the European Social Survey in Switzerland. Using sampling data provides information about both respondents and nonrespondents, making it possible to examine how changes in response rates resulting from the use of different fieldwork methods relate to changes in the composition and representativeness of the responding sample. We compute an R-indicator to assess representativity with respect to the sampling register variables, and find little improvement in the sample composition as response rates increase. We then examine the impact of response rate increases on the risk of nonresponse bias based on Maximal Absolute Bias (MAB), and coefficients of variation between subgroup response rates, alongside the associated costs of different types of fieldwork effort. The results show that increases in response rate help to reduce MAB, while only small but important improvements to sample representativity are gained by varying the type of effort. These findings lend further support to research that has called into question the value of extensive investment in procedures aimed at reaching response rate targets and the need for more tailored fieldwork strategies aimed both at reducing survey costs and minimising the risk of bias.

Laivan hitsattujen runkorakenteiden ainettarikkomattoman tarkastuksen ohjauksen ja valvonnan kehittäminen

Laivan rungonvalmistuksen laadunvarmistuksessa käytetään viranomaisten valvomia NDT-tarkastuksia vaatimustenmukaisuuden varmistamiseksi. Yleisimmin käytettävät NDT-tarkastusmenetelmät laivanrakennuksessa ovat visuaali-, röntgen-, ultraääni-, magneettijauhe- ja tunkeumanestetarkastukset. Diplomityön tavoitteena oli kehittää laivan hitsattujen runkorakenteiden ainettarikkomattoman tarkastuksen ohjausta ja valvontaa Aker Finnyards:n Turun telakalla. Työn alussa selvitettiin NDT-tarkastuksen ohjauksen ja valvonnannykytila ja tunnistettiin kehityskohteita. Tutkimusmenetelminä käytettiin työnmittausta ja havainnointitutkimusta. Merkittävimmiksi kehityskohteiksi havaittiinyleinen epätietoisuus NDT-tarkastuksista laivan runkoprosessissa, selkeän NDT-tarkastusten ohjausjärjestelmän puuttuminen sekä puutteellinen valvonta. Kehityskohteiden tunnistamisen perusteella luotiin toimintamalli NDT-tarkastusten ohjauksen ja valvonnan kehittämiseksi. Toimintamallissa on kuvattuna NDT-tarkastusprosessin tekijät ja informaatiovirrat. Toimintamalli on tarvittaessa päivitettävissä.

Assessing intellectual capital in a research institute environment in steel industry

Diplomityön tavoitteena oli tutkia aineettoman pääoman hallintaa terästeollisuuden tutkimuslaitosympäristössä, sekä luoda mittaristo kuvaamaan sen tilaa ja kehitystä. Työn rajausten mukaan aineeton pääoma jaettiin Annie Brookingin jaottelun mukaan, ja tarkasteluun valittiin teollisoikeudet sekä henkilöstövoimavarat. Empiirinen osa työstä perustui pääasiassa haastatteluihin sekä Case –yrityksen sisäisiin julkaisuihin. Näitä pyrittiin tulkitsemaan kvalitatiivisten tutkimusmenetelmien oppien mukaan. Tutkimustulosten perusteella voidaan todeta teollisoikeuksien hyödyntämisen olevan suhteellisen vähäistä terästeollisuuden parissa. Syitä tähän on työssä käsitelty melko laajasti. Henkilöstön kehittäminen pitkällä tähtäimellä sekä tiedonkulun tehostaminen henkilöstön keskuudessa ovat puolestaan asioita, joihin kiinnitetään kyseisellä teollisuudenalalla kiitettävässä määrin huomiota. Työn loppupuolella esitelty aineettoman pääoman mittaristo tarjoaa yritykselle työkalun, jonka avulla voidaan monipuolisesti arvioida tätä yrityksille nykyisin elintärkeää asiaa. Lopullista ratkaisumallia se ei aineettoman pääoman mittaamiseen tarjoa, mutta luo kuitenkin tärkeän ensiaskeleen kohti tulevaisuuden yhä kehittyneempiä mittausmenetelmiä.

Quality of Qualitative Research in the Health Sciences : Analysis of the Common Criteria Present in 58 Assessment Guidelines by Expert Users

The number of qualitative research methods has grown substantially over the last twenty years, both in social sciences and, more recently, in the health sciences. This growth came with questions on the quality criteria needed to evaluate this work, and numerous guidelines were published. The latters include many discrepancies though, both in their vocabulary and construction. Many expert evaluators decry the absence of consensual and reliable evaluation tools. The authors present the results of an evaluation of 58 existing guidelines in 4 major health science fields (medicine and epidemiology; nursing and health education; social sciences and public health; psychology / psychiatry, research methods and organization) by expert users (article reviewers, experts allocating funds, editors, etc.). The results propose a toolbox containing 12 consensual criteria with the definitions given by expert users. They also indicate in which disciplinary field each type of criteria is known to be more or less essential. Nevertheless, the authors highlight the limitations of the criteria comparability, as soon as one focuses on their specific definitions. They conclude that each criterion in the toolbox must be explained to come to broader consensus and identify definitions that are consensual to all the fields examined and easily operational.

Development of research networks : the case of social capital

The aim of this study is to explore how a new concept appears inscientific discussion and research, how it diffuses to other fields and out of the scientific communities, and how the networks are formed around the concept. Text and terminology take the interest of a reader in the digital environment. Texts create networks where the terminology used is dependent on the ideas, viewsand paradigms of the field. This study is based mainly on bibliographic data. Materials for bibliometric studies have been collected from different databases. The databases are also evaluated and their quality and coverage are discussed. The thesauri of those databases that have been selected for a more in depth study have also been evaluated. The material selected has been used to study how long and in which ways an innovative publication, which can be seen as a milestone in a specific field, influences the research. The concept that has been chosen as a topic for this research is Social Capital, because it has been a popular concept in different scientific fields as well as in everyday speech and the media. It seemed to be a `fashion concept´ that appeared in different situations at the Millennium. The growth and diffusion of social capital publications has been studied. The terms connected with social capital in different fields and different stages of the development have also been analyzed. The methods that have been used in this study are growth and diffusion analysis, content analysis, citation analysis, coword analysis and cocitation analysis. One method that can be used tounderstand and to interpret results of these bibliometric studies is to interview some key persons, who are known to have a gatekeeper position in the diffusion of the concept. Thematic interviews with some Finnish researchers and specialists that have influenced the diffusion of social capital into Finnish scientificand social discussions provide background information. iv The Milestone Publications on social capital have been chosen and studied. They give answers to the question "What is Social Capital?" By comparing citations to Milestone Publications with the growth of all social capital publications in a database, we can drawconclusions about the point at which social capital became generally approved `tacit knowledge´. The contribution of the present study lies foremost in understanding the development of network structures around a new concept that has diffused in scientific communities and also outside them. The network means both networks of researchers, networks of publications and networks of concepts that describe the research field. The emphasis has been on the digital environment and onthe socalled information society that we are now living in, but in this transitional stage, the printed publications are still important and widely used in social sciences and humanities. The network formation is affected by social relations and informal contacts that push new ideas. This study also gives new information about using different research methods, like bibliometric methods supported by interviews and content analyses. It is evident that interpretation of bibliometric maps presupposes qualitative information and understanding of the phenomena under study.

Hankinnan prosessien systemaattinen kehittäminen

Tämän pro gradu -tutkielman tavoitteena oli standardoida ja kehittää hankinnan prosesseja systemaattisesti. Prosessien standardoiminen edesauttaa organisaation itseohjautuvuutta ja parantaa organisaation kyvykkyyttä. Tämä tutkielma tuottaa uutta tutkimustietoa tutkimusaukkoon hankinnan prosessien systemaattisesta kehittämisestä. Tutkielman teoriaosassa käsitellään prosessiajattelua, ISO 9001 standardin vaikutusta hankintatoimintaan, tunnistetaan hankinnan prosesseja ja esitetään erilaisia hankinnan prosesseihin soveltuvia LEAN Six Sigma kehitystyökaluja. Tutkielman empiirinen osio on toteutettu toimeksiantona suurelle teollisuusyritykselle. Tämän tutkielman empiirisessä osiossa on yhdistelty kvalitatiiviselle ja kvantitatiiviselle tutkimukselle ominaisia tutkimusmetodologioita. Tutkimusmetodologioiden yhdisteleminen tuottaa lisäarvoa tutkielman toteutukselle ja parantaa työn luotettavuutta. Tässä tutkielmassa käytetyt tutkimusmenetelmät koostuvat kvantitatiiviselle tutkimukselle ominaisesta kyselystä hankinnan prosessien nykytilan selvittämiseksi sekä kvalitatiivisen tutkimuksen tutkimusmenetelmille ominaisesta tapaustutkimuksesta. Kyselyn avulla muodostettiin analyysi hankinnan prosessien nykytilasta, jonka pohjalta toimeksiantajayritykselle ehdotettiin kehitettäviä hankinnan prosesseja. Lopulliseksi kehityskohteeksi valittu prosessi määriteltiin aivoriihessä kerätyn tiedon perusteella kehityspotentiaalin esille tuovasta nelikentästä. Kehitettävä prosessi asemoitui samalla tapaustutkimuksella tutkittavaksi tapaukseksi. Kehitettäväksi prosessiksi valittiin saapuvan tavaran vastaanotto ja visuaalinen tarkastaminen. Prosessia kehitettiin mallintamalla ja LEAN Six Sigma menetelmiä hyödyntäen. Prosessimallinnuksen sekä LEAN Six Sigma menetelmien tueksi kerättiin tietoa aivoriihistä ja teemahaastatteluista. Tutkielman tuloksena toimeksiantajayritys sai kokonaiskuvan hankinnan prosessien nykytilasta, kehitetyn tavoiteprosessin ja työohjeen saapuvan tavaran vastaanotolle ja visuaaliselle tarkastukselle sekä jatkossa hankinnan prosessien standardoimista ja kehittämistä helpottavan hankinnan prosessin systemaattisen kehittämismallin. Hankinnan prosessin systemaattinen kehittämismalli on uutta tutkimustietoa, joka asemoituu hankinnan prosessien kehittämisen tutkimusaukkoon. Hankinnan prosessin systemaattista kehittämismallia ei tämän tutkielman pohjalta voida yleistää, koska tutkielma on toteutettu toimeksiantajayrityksen lähtökohdista. Johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että toimeksiantajayritys, muut organisaatiot sekä tutkimuskenttä tarvitsevat lisää tietoa hankinnan prosessien kehittämisestä. Hankinnan prosessien kehittämistä tulisi tutkia enemmän ja erityisesti tässä tutkielmassa esitettyä kehittämismallia tulisi jatkossa testata niin, että kehittämismallin toimivuus voitaisiin yleistää.

Expanding the research horizon in higher education : master's students' perceptions of research assistantships

This study explores how effectively current research assistantships impart research methods, skills, and attitudes; and how well those experiences prepare the next generation of researchers to meet the evolving needs of an ever-expanding, knowledge- based economy and society. Through personal interviews, 7 graduate student research assistants expressed their perceptions regarding their research assistantships. The open- ended interview questions emphasized (a) what research knowledge and skills the graduate students acquired; (b) what other lessons they took away from the experience; and (c) how the research assistantships influenced their graduate studies and future academic plans. After participants were interviewed, the data were transcribed, memberchecked, and then analyzed using a grounded theory research design. The findings show that research assistantships are valuable educational venues that can not only promote research learning but also benefit research assistants' master's studies and stimulate reflection regarding their future educational and research plans. Although data are limited to the responses of 7 students, findings can contribute to the enhancement of research assistantship opportunities as a means of developing skilled future researchers that in tum will benefit Canada as an emerging leader in research and development. The study is meant to serve as an informative source for (a) experienced researchers who have worked with research assistants; (b) researchers who are planning to hire research assistants; and (c) experienced and novice research assistants. Further, the study has the potential to inform future research training initiatives as well as related policies and practices.

Development and evaluation of a research-based prosthodontic clinical record

Introduction: Bien que l'importance de transférer les données de la recherche à la pratique a été largement démontrée, ce processus est toujours lent et fait face à plusieurs défis tels que la conceptualisation des évidences, la validité interne et externe de la recherche scientifique et les coûts élevés de la collecte de grandes quantités de données axées sur le patient. Les dossiers dentaires des patients contiennent des renseignements valables qui donneraient aux chercheurs cliniques une opportunité d'utiliser un large éventail d'informations quantitatives ou qualitatives. La standardisation du dossier clinique permettrait d’échanger et de réutiliser des données dans différents domaines de recherche. Objectifs: Le but de cette étude était de concevoir un dossier patient axé sur la recherche dans le domaine de la prosthodontie amovible à la clinique de premier cycle de l’Université de Montréal. Méthodes: Cette étude a utilisé des méthodes de recherche-action avec 4 étapes séquentielles : l'identification des problèmes, la collecte et l'interprétation des données, la planification et l’évaluation de l'action. Les participants de l'étude (n=14) incluaient des professeurs, des chercheurs cliniques et des instructeurs cliniques dans le domaine de la prosthodontie amovible. La collecte des données a été menée à l’aide d’une revue de littérature ciblée et complète sur les résultats en prosthodontie ainsi que par le biais de discussions de groupes et d’entrevues. Les données qualitatives ont été analysées en utilisant QDA Miner 3.2.3. Résultats: Les participants de l'étude ont soulevé plusieurs points absents au formulaire actuel de prosthodontie à la clinique de premier cycle. Ils ont partagé leurs idées pour la conception d'un nouveau dossier-patient basé sur 3 objectifs principaux: les objectifs cliniques, éducatifs et de recherche. Les principaux sujets d’intérêt en prosthodontie amovibles, les instruments appropriés ainsi que les paramètres cliniques ont été sélectionnés par le groupe de recherche. Ces résultats ont été intégrés dans un nouveau formulaire basé sur cette consultation. La pertinence du nouveau formulaire a été évaluée par le même groupe d'experts et les modifications requises ont été effectuées. Les participants de l'étude ont convenu que le cycle de recherche-action doit être poursuivi afin d'évaluer la faisabilité d’implémentation de ce dossier modifié dans un cadre universitaire. Conclusion: Cette étude est une première étape pour développer une base de données dans le domaine de la prothodontie amovible. La recherche-action est une méthode de recherche utile dans ce processus, et les éducateurs académiques sont bien placés pour mener ce type de recherche.

Lost in Research - Wissensmanagement in komplexen (psychoanalytischen) Forschungsprojekten

Die Wissenschaft weist im Zuge der Entwicklung von der Industrie- zu einer Wissensgesellschaft einschneidende Veränderungen in der Wissensordnung auf, welche sich bis hin zu einem zunehmenden Verlust der wissenschaftlichen Selbststeuerungsmechanismen bemerkbar machen und einen veränderten Umgang mit dem generierten Wissensschatz erfordern. Nicht nur Änderungen in der Wissensordnung und -produktion stellen die Psychoanalyse vor neue Herausforderungen: In den letzten Jahrzehnten geriet sie als Wissenschaft und Behandlungsverfahren zunehmend in die Kritik und reagierte mit einer konstruktiven Diskussion um ein dem Forschungsgegenstand – die Untersuchung unbewusster Prozesse und Fantasien – adäquates psychoanalytisches Forschungsverständnis. Die Auseinandersetzung mit Forderungen gesellschaftlicher Geldgeber, politischer Vertreter und Interessensgruppen wie auch der wissenschaftlichen Community stellt die Psychoanalyse vor besondere Herausforderungen. Um wissenschaftsexternen wie -internen Gütekriterien zu genügen, ist häufig ein hoher personeller, materieller, finanzieller, methodischer wie organisatorischer Aufwand unabdingbar, wie das Beispiel des psychoanalytischen Forschungsinstitutes Sigmund-Freud-Institut zeigt. Der steigende Aufwand schlägt sich in einer zunehmenden Komplexität des Forschungsprozesses nieder, die unter anderem in den vielschichtigen Fragestellungen und Zielsetzungen, dem vermehrt interdisziplinären, vernetzten Charakter, dem Umgang mit dem umfangreichen, hochspezialisierten Wissen, der Methodenvielfalt, etc. begründet liegt. Um jener Komplexität des Forschungsprozesses gerecht zu werden, ist es zunehmend erforderlich, Wege des Wissensmanagement zu beschreiten. Tools wie z. B. Mapping-Verfahren stellen unterstützende Werkzeuge des Wissensmanagements dar, um den Herausforderungen des Forschungsprozesses zu begegnen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden zunächst die veränderten Forschungsbedingungen und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Komplexität des Forschungsprozesses - insbesondere auch des psychoanalytischen Forschungsprozesses - reflektiert. Die mit der wachsenden Komplexität einhergehenden Schwierigkeiten und Herausforderungen werden am Beispiel eines interdisziplinär ausgerichteten EU-Forschungsprojektes näher illustriert. Um dieser wachsenden Komplexität psychoanalytischer Forschung erfolgreich zu begegnen, wurden in verschiedenen Forschungsprojekten am Sigmund-Freud-Institut Wissensmanagement-Maßnahmen ergriffen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird daher in einem zweiten Teil zunächst auf theoretische Aspekte des Wissensmanagements eingegangen, die die Grundlage der eingesetzten Wissensmanagement-Instrumente bildeten. Dabei spielen insbesondere psychologische Aspekte des Wissensmanagements eine zentrale Rolle. Zudem werden die konkreten Wissensmanagement-Tools vorgestellt, die in den verschiedenen Forschungsprojekten zum Einsatz kamen, um der wachsenden Komplexität psychoanalytischer Forschung zu begegnen. Abschließend werden die Hauptthesen der vorliegenden Arbeit noch einmal reflektiert und die geschilderten Techniken des Wissensmanagements im Hinblick auf ihre Vor- und Nachteile kritisch diskutiert.

Research papers

A presentation on writing research papers for SOES 6018. This module aims to ensure that MSc Oceanography, MSc Marine Science, Policy & Law and MSc Marine Resource Management students are equipped with the skills they need to function as professional marine scientists, in addition to / in conjuction with the skills training in other MSc modules. The module covers training in fieldwork techniques, communication & research skills, IT & data analysis and professional development.