scholarly journals Barriers Influencing Vaccine Development Timelines, Identification, Causal Analysis, and Prioritization of Key Barriers by KOLs in General and Covid-19 Vaccine R&D

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marga Janse ◽  
Thomas Brouwers ◽  
Eric Claassen ◽  
Peter Hermans ◽  
Linda van de Burgwal
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Societal Benefit ◽  
Key Innovation ◽  
Hand Off ◽  
Innovation Cycle ◽  
Innovation Barriers ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Proof Of Principle ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

A frequently mentioned factor holding back the introduction of new vaccines on the market are their prohibitively long development timelines. These hamper their potential societal benefit and impairs the ability to quickly respond to emerging new pathogens. This is especially worrisome since new pathogens are emerging at all-time high rates of over one per year, and many age-old pathogens are still not vaccine preventable.Through interviews with 20 key-opinion-leaders (KOLs), this study identified innovation barriers that increase vaccine development timelines. These innovation barriers were visualized, and their underlying causes revealed by means of qualitative root cause analysis. Based on a survey the innovation barriers were quantitatively ranked based on their relative impact on both regular, and Covid-19 vaccine development timelines. KOLs identified 20 key innovation barriers, and mapping these barriers onto the Vaccine Innovation Cycle model revealed that all phases of vaccine development were affected. Affected by most barriers is the area between the preclinical studies and the market entry. Difficult hand-off between academia and industry, lack of funding, and lack of knowledge of pathogen targets were often mentioned as causes. Quantitative survey responses from 93 KOLs showed that general vaccine development and Covid-19 vaccine development are impacted by distinct sets of innovation barriers. For the general vaccine development three barriers were perceived of the highest impact; limited ROI for vaccines addressing disease with limited market size, limited ROI for vaccines compared to non-vaccine projects, and academia not being able to progress beyond proof of principle. Of highest impact on Covid-19 vaccine development, are lack of knowledge concerning pathogen target, high risk of upscaling unlicensed vaccines, and proof of principle not meeting late-stage requirements. In conclusion, the current study demonstrates that barriers hampering timelines in vaccine development are present across the Vaccine Innovation Cycle. Prioritizing the impact of barriers in general, and in Covid-19 vaccine development, shows clear differences that can be used to inform policies to speed up development in both war and peace time.

scholarly journals Time-to-Treatment in Oral Cancer: Causes and Implications for Survival

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1321
Author(s):  
Constanza Saka-Herrán ◽  
Enric Jané-Salas ◽  
Antoni Mari-Roig ◽  
Albert Estrugo-Devesa ◽  
José López-López
Keyword(s):  
Oral Cancer ◽  
Previous Treatment ◽  
Diagnostic Procedures ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Primary Treatment ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

The purpose of this review was to identify and describe the causes that influence the time-intervals in the pathway of diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer and to assess its impact on prognosis and survival. The review was structured according to the recommendations of the Aarhus statement, considering original data from individual studies and systematic reviews that reported outcomes related to the patient, diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals. The patient interval is the major contributor to the total time-interval. Unawareness of signs and/or symptoms, denial and lack of knowledge about oral cancer are the major contributors to the process of seeking medical attention. The diagnostic interval is influenced by tumor factors, delays in referral due to higher number of consultations and previous treatment with different medicines or dental procedures and by professional factors such as experience and lack of knowledge related to the disease and diagnostic procedures. Patients with advanced stage disease, primary treatment with radiotherapy, treatment at an academic facility and transitions in care are associated with prolonged pre-treatment intervals. An emerging body of evidence supports the impact of prolonged pre-treatment and treatment intervals with poorer survival from oral cancer.

scholarly journals Helping Students FIG-ure It Out: A Large-Scale Study of Freshmen Interest Groups and Student Success

AERA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233285842110218
Author(s):  
Lovenoor Aulck ◽  
Joshua Malters ◽  
Casey Lee ◽  
Gianni Mancinelli ◽  
Min Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Groups ◽  
Minority Students ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Racial Minority ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Racial Minority Students ◽  
Freshman Seminars ◽  
Enrollment Rates ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

Freshman seminars are a ubiquitous offering in higher education, but they have not been evaluated using matched comparisons with data at scale. In this work, we use transcript data on over 76,000 students to examine the impact of first-year interest groups (FIGs) on student graduation and retention. We first apply propensity score matching on course-level data to account for selection bias. We find that graduation and re-enrollment rates for FIG students were higher than non-FIG students, an effect that was more pronounced for self-identified underrepresented racial minority students. We then employ topic modeling to analyze survey responses from over 12,500 FIG students to find that social aspects of FIGs were most beneficial to students. Interestingly, references to social aspects were not disproportionately present in the responses of self-identified underrepresented racial minority students.

Rural women entrepreneurs in Oman: problems and opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhail M. Ghouse ◽  
Omar Durrah ◽  
Gerard McElwee
Keyword(s):  
Rural Women ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Opportunities ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Traditional Roles

PurposeThis paper examines the challenges associated with rural women entrepreneurs in Oman. The study is based on women living in rural and highland areas who aim to move beyond their traditional roles in the family seeking avenues for growth and development. It identifies several problems encountered by rural women entrepreneurs and the impact on their future business opportunities.Design/methodology/approachA mixed research approach involving quantitative and qualitative elements was adopted for the study. The research is based on 183 survey responses and personal interviews with 8 rural women entrepreneurs. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted to analyse the quantitative responses and depict a model featuring the intensity of the problems affecting business opportunities. Seven short cases based upon the interviews with rural women entrepreneurs are also detailed.FindingsSeveral problems experienced by rural women entrepreneurs were identified hampering their business ventures, linked to personality, family, educational, socio-cultural, facilities, legal, financial and economic, organizational and geographical, out of which household, organizational and geographical linked problems were most significant. Entrepreneurial opportunities for rural women entrepreneurs are discussed.Practical implicationsThe research suggests that the policymakers should holistically consider how the rural women engaged in informal business for various means can be better supported and sustained by overcoming associated problems, can achieve business opportunities and contribute to regional socio-economic development.Originality/valueThere is a limited literature available on rural women entrepreneurship in an Arab context. The study provides an overview of the challenges and problems experienced by these women and the support areas required to overcome them for their sustainability in this region.

English learners’ readiness for online flipped learning: Interrelationships with motivation and engagement, attitude, and support

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110274
Author(s):  
Lianjiang Jiang ◽  
Haoran Meng ◽  
Nan Zhou
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Learner Readiness ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Environmental Support ◽  
Motivation And Engagement ◽  
Learner Attitude ◽  
High Level ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

As one variant of the conventional flipped model, online flipped learning is increasingly implemented and it becomes important to explore how learners may be ready for it and how learner readiness may relate to motivation, attitude, and support. Informed by a multidimensional conceptualization of learner readiness and motivation and engagement, this study investigates the current situation of learner readiness, focusing on the moderating roles of learner attitude and environmental support in moderating the interrelationships between learner readiness and motivation and engagement in online flipped learning. Based on survey responses from 6,364 English learners across 11 Chinese universities, the results reveal that the students exhibited a generally high level of readiness for online flipped learning, though with significant demographic differences. The results also indicate that learner attitudes and environmental support moderated the impact of learner readiness upon learner motivation and engagement in online flipped learning. The findings call for attention to examine closely what dimensions of learner readiness could shape what aspects of motivation and engagement rather than simply assuming a linear causal relationship between readiness and motivation and engagement. A potential polarizing effect in online flipped learning is also highlighted, with implications discussed.

Abstract 1122‐000242: Effect of Covid‐19 on Stroke Treatment in Australia and New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ela Machiroutu
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Secondary Research ◽  
Stroke Treatment ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Early Adoption ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

Introduction : In general, compared to the rest of the world, the impact of Covid‐19 in the Australia and New Zealand regions has been minimal and this may be attributed to their early adoption of social distancing, stable governments, national wealth and geographic isolation. However, this research was designed to validate this perception amongst the stakeholders. Methods : This research included: primary and secondary research. First, secondary research about Covid‐19 and stroke treatment and Australia and New Zealand in particular was conducted and compiled in a Google spreadsheet. Research sources include Stroke Foundation, Brain Foundation, and World Meters. Data collected included the number of stroke and Covid‐19 cases in Australia and New Zealand as well as a list of stakeholders with their contact information. The stakeholders included neurosurgeons, hospitals, neurologists, interventionists, and vascular surgeons. A survey tool and an interview questions were prepared next. The survey request was emailed to stakeholders, requesting the stakeholders for an interview and survey response. Over the following weeks, survey results came in and interviews were conducted. Since only a small subset of stakeholders responded to the survey (6 survey responses and 4 interviews), this study must be considered to be primarily qualitative in nature. The interviews were conducted online using Zoom. After the interviews, I replayed the interviews and took notes of important details. Results : The survey showed that 83% of the doctors worked in a hospital that had a separate stroke unit and that they perform mechanical thrombectomies most often as a treatment for stroke. Most of the doctors suggested that the stroke numbers have not changed significantly since Covid‐19. Yet, 50% of the doctors said that there had been delays in admitting stroke patients. One third believed Covid‐19 may have made an impact on mortality of stroke patients. One of the interviewees revealed that the main barriers to access to stroke care are the time it takes to treat the patient, fewer locations that treat strokes or perform mechanical thrombectomy, and patients’ reluctance to go to the hospital during the pandemic. Another confirmed that she did think there had been delays due to Covid‐19. Conclusions : Counter to widespread perception, Covid‐19 pandemic DID worsen many barriers for stroke treatment in Australia and New Zealand. These regions have insufficient stroke centers and these are not spread out widely enough for accessibility. Stroke deaths have increased during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Barriers such as time, accessibility, and the patient’s fear of hospitals have affected stroke treatment during the pandemic. Several measures can alleviate the impact: stroke awareness is critical. Every hospital needs to have the ability to assess and treat stroke. Hospitals must run simulations to practice and prepare for different scenarios that they could encounter when dealing with stroke patients. In conclusion, stroke treatment has been affected by the Covid‐19 pandemic and it is critical to minimize and overcome these barriers as stroke is one of the leading causes of death in Australia and New Zealand.

Ownership and leadership in building an innovation culture

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa C. Villaluz ◽  
Ma. Regina M. Hechanova
Keyword(s):  
Ownership Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Model ◽  
Innovation Culture ◽  
Strategy Evaluation ◽  
Support For Innovation ◽  
Sole Proprietorship ◽  
Mediating Variables ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test a culture-building model, CREATE, highlighting the central role of leadership in shaping the predictors of innovation culture. The authors hypothesize that leadership directly predicts innovation culture, as well, as indirectly impacts innovation culture through mediating variables. Also, the authors examine the impact of leadership on innovation by ownership type. Design/methodology/approach A total 631 survey responses were collected from employees of sole proprietorship, family-owned corporations, and non-family corporations. Parallel multiple mediator models were used to test the hypothesized relationships of the variables. Findings The findings show that a leadership variable, role modeling, and support for innovation, directly and indirectly predicts an innovation culture. However, it appears that in sole proprietorship and family-owned corporations, leaders impact on innovation culture are through mediating variables, while in non-family corporations, leaders influence innovation through strategy, evaluation, and rewards. Originality/value The study shows that the culture-building model, CREATE, can be used as a framework for building an innovation culture in organizations. The study also showed that leaders among sole proprietorships, family-owned corporations, and non-family corporations may need to employ different approaches in building an innovation culture in their organizations.

scholarly journals Projects Financed by the European Union’s 6th and 7th Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development in the Andalusian Agrifood Sector. A Gender Perspective Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-252
Author(s):  
Rosario Gómez-Figueroa ◽  
Amelia Sanchís-Vidal ◽  
Luis Palma-Martos
Keyword(s):  
Technological Development ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Gender Perspective ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Equality Of Opportunities ◽  
Framework Programmes ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Perspective Analysis

Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development are the European Union’s key tool for financing research projects and initiatives. The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of research projects in the Andalusian agrifood sector that were financed by the 6th and 7th Framework Programmes from a gender perspective. Our methodology is based on the analysis of survey responses of the researchers who have participated in these projects. Using the data from their responses, we conduct a descriptive analysis from a cross-cutting gender perspective and also analyse the outcomes and results of each project. Our conclusions could serve as guidelines to improve the implementation of the Horizon 2020 Programme with regard to the equality of opportunities between men and women.

scholarly journals The Use of Non-Canonical Amino Acids as a Novel Biocontainment Strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jourdan Witt
Keyword(s):  
Oral Delivery ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Delivery Vector ◽  
The Impact

Advancements in synthetic biology have led to the use of genetically modified organisms in research and industrial fields. Bacteria were one of the first organisms to be genetically engineered due to their fast growth and simple genetics, and have emerged as a major scientific and commercial interest. For instance, modified commensal bacteria can be used as an oral delivery vector of therapeutics, or as probiotics to target specific pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract. The impact of the release of pathogens used in research or vaccine development could be catastrophic to the environment and public health. In addition, there is growing concern about using genetically modified organisms in open systems, as there is a possibility for unintentional proliferation into natural environments. Therefore, is imperative that the environmental safety of genetically modified organisms are addressed, and that adequate biocontainment mechanisms are developed.

scholarly journals The Impact of Participative Decision-Making with Regards to Empowering Employees

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Rozana A Huq
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Employee Empowerment ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

Abstract- There is a growing realisation that in the complexity of the post-modern world, it is becoming less and less feasible to concentrate leadership and decision-making solely at the top of the organisation.  Hence, one of the reasons for empowering employees is that employees are able to take decisions quickly, without looking for manager’s approval all the time, in a participative decision-making capacity. But, the lack of knowledge about employee empowerment and the absence of a framework for implementation has created problems.  Although there is high consensus in the management literature that employee empowerment is necessary for the survival and success of organisations, there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge and understanding of a range of issues concerning employee empowerment, both at the conceptual and practice levels [Conger and Kanungo, 1988; Morrell and Wilkinson, 2002; Huq, 2008; 2010; 2015].  This lack of knowledge is dangerous, as it has serious implications how ‘managers and non-managers conceptualize employee empowerment’ [Hill and Huq, 2004: 1025]. The aim of this research titled: An Investigation of What Employee Empowerment Means in Theory and in Practice [Huq, 2008] was to investigate the meaning of employee empowerment both at the conceptual and practice levels.  An interpretivist approach employing qualitative methods was adopted; it involved conducting two in-depth information-rich case studies, described in this paper as Large Organisation and Small Organisation respectively. The knowledge drawn from the management literature review proved unsatisfactory, hence this author felt the need to conduct a multi-disciplinary research review in order to draw knowledge from another discipline, namely social work [Huq 2008; 2015], where empowerment is an important construct.  However, it is important to note that due to limited space, this author is unable to go into details of both the literature reviews, management and social work, in this paper.It is sufficient for this paper to report that a number of ‘themes’ of employee empowerment exist, but they are fragmented in the management literature. These ‘themes’ are not found in any one place, which leads to confusion when organisations try to implement employee empowerment.  Furthermore, there is a gap with regards to the knowledge of employee empowerment in the management literature and it is important to look at another discipline to get a fuller understanding of ‘empowerment’. A multi-disciplinary literature review thus enabled this author to put together themes of empowerment from the management and social work literature that are relevant to employee empowerment.  These seven themes of employee empowerment are as follows: power-sharing, participative decision-making, devolution of responsibility, people-oriented leadership style, access to information, collaboration and enablement, described as a ‘kaleidoscope of themes’Huq’s Model C, [Huq, 2015], as illustrated in the ‘Introduction’ section of this paper. One of the conclusions of this research is that leaders and managers need to pay attention to the impact of participative decision-making with regards to empowering employees, which has significant implications for human resource management and if implemented properly can lead to a more judicious utilisation of human resources at all levels.

scholarly journals Defensive medicine in neurosurgery: the Canadian experience

2016 ◽  
Vol 124 (5) ◽  
pp. 1524-1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy R. Smith ◽  
M. Maher Hulou ◽  
Sandra C. Yan ◽  
David J. Cote ◽  
Brian V. Nahed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Defensive Medicine ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Risk Environment ◽  
Malpractice Insurance ◽  
The Us ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

OBJECT Recent studies have examined the impact of perceived medicolegal risk and compared how this perception impacts defensive practices within the US. To date, there have been no published data on the practice of defensive medicine among neurosurgeons in Canada. METHODS An online survey containing 44 questions was sent to 170 Canadian neurosurgeons and used to measure Canadian neurosurgeons’ perception of liability risk and their practice of defensive medicine. The survey included questions on the following domains: surgeon demographics, patient characteristics, type of physician practice, surgeon liability profile, policy coverage, defensive behaviors, and perception of the liability environment. Survey responses were analyzed and summarized using counts and percentages. RESULTS A total of 75 neurosurgeons completed the survey, achieving an overall response rate of 44.1%. Over one-third (36.5%) of Canadian neurosurgeons paid less than $5000 for insurance annually. The majority (87%) of Canadian neurosurgeons felt confident with their insurance coverage, and 60% reported that they rarely felt the need to practice defensive medicine. The majority of the respondents reported that the perceived medicolegal risk environment has no bearing on their preferred practice location. Only 1 in 5 respondent Canadian neurosurgeons (21.8%) reported viewing patients as a potential lawsuit. Only 4.9% of respondents would have selected a different career based on current medicolegal risk factors, and only 4.1% view the cost of annual malpractice insurance as a major burden. CONCLUSIONS Canadian neurosurgeons perceive their medicolegal risk environment as more favorable and their patients as less likely to sue than their counterparts in the US do. Overall, Canadian neurosurgeons engage in fewer defensive medical behaviors than previously reported in the US.

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