320 research outputs found
Creating room for citizen perspectives in ‘smart city’ Amsterdam through interactive theatre
The ‘smart city’ vision is popular, but it lacks citizen perspectives. The aim of this study was to gain insight into whether and how art-based citizen engagement can create more room for citizen perspectives in smart cities by developing and testing an art-based citizen engagement project in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. To that end, a combination of interactive theatre, interaction design and social research methods was used to bring together diverse publics and innovation professionals for joint exploration of increased dataveillance in cities. The events were studied through observations, and through interviews with participants and organisers. Data analysis was guided by the outcomes, processes and challenges of the responsible innovation dimensions: inclusion, reflexivity, anticipation and responsiveness (Stilgoe et al., 2013). The most important achievements of art-based citizen engagement were: engaging people who would not have engaged with the topic otherwise, encouraging participants to question common phrases and assumptions, exploring future social implications of technologies, and staging meaningful interactions between citizens and professionals. The most significant challenge was to involve citizens in a way that could influence innovation trajectories
What Influences Adolescent Girls' Decision-Making Regarding Contraceptive Methods Use and Childbearing? A Qualitative Exploratory Study in Rangpur District, Bangladesh
BACKGROUND: Bangladesh has the highest rate of adolescent
pregnancy in South Asia. Child marriage is one of the leading
causes of pregnancies among adolescent girls. Although the
country's contraceptive prevalence rate is quite satisfactory,
only 52% of married adolescent girls use contraceptive methods.
This qualitative study is aimed at exploring the factors that
influence adolescent girls' decision-making process in relation
to contraceptive methods use and childbearing. METHODS AND
RESULTS: We collected qualitative data from study participants
living in Rangpur district, Bangladesh. We conducted 35 in-depth
interviews with married adolescent girls, 4 key informant
interviews, and one focus group discussion with community health
workers. Adolescent girls showed very low decision-making
autonomy towards contraceptive methods use and childbearing.
Decisions were mainly made by either their husbands or
mothers-in-law. When husbands were unemployed and financially
dependent on their parents, then the mothers-in-law played most
important role for contraceptive use and childbearing decisions.
Lack of reproductive health knowledge, lack of negotiation and
communication ability with husbands and family members, and
mistrust towards contraceptive methods also appeared as
influential factors against using contraception resulting in
early childbearing among married adolescent girls. CONCLUSIONS:
Husbands and mothers-in-law of newly married adolescent girls
need to be actively involved in health interventions so that
they make more informed decisions regarding contraceptive use to
delay pregnancies until 20 years of age. Misunderstanding and
distrust regarding contraceptives can be diminished by engaging
the wider societal actors in health intervention including
neighbours, and other family members
A qualitative research on co-creating care pathways for Sarcoma and GIST by stimulating reflection
Introduction: Care Pathway Management intends to enhance the quality of care by restructuring care services. As recipients of care, patients have relevant experiential knowledge on the provision of care, but they are rarely involved in Care Pathway Management due to various barriers. This study aims to acquire insights into how patients can be meaningfully involved in Care Pathway Management. Methods: A case study was cond
Event-related fMRI responses in the human frontal eye fields in a randomized pro- and antisaccade task
We examined whether the frontal eye fields (FEF) are involved in the suppression of reflexive saccades. Simultaneous recording of horizontal eye movements and functional magnetic resonance imaging enabled us to perform a randomized pro- and antisaccade task and to sort blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) time series on the basis of task performance. Saccadic reaction time distributions were comparable across tasks indicating a similar effort in preprocessing of the saccades. Furthermore, we found similar BOLD activation in FEF during both correctly performed pro- and antisaccades. Frontal eye field activation started prior to target presentation and saccade generation. While we observed only few erroneous antisaccades, these were associated with a decrease in BOLD activity prior to target presentation, and increased BOLD activity after target presentation relative to correctly performed antisaccades. These findings are consistent with a role of the FEF in the suppression of reflexive saccades. The increase in activity after target presentation for antisaccade errors can only be indirectly linked to such a role but may also reflect activity related to the generation of a correction saccade. Frontal eye field BOLD activity may further represent general arousal, preparatory set, shortterm memory, or salience-map related activity
‘McDonald’s Is Good for My Social Life’. Developing Health Promotion Together with Adolescent Girls from Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods in Amsterdam
There is limited knowledge about key factors that enable adolescent girls with a low socioeconomic position (SEP) to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This paper aims to better understand the comp
Research in haematological cancers: What do patients in the Netherlands prioritise?
Introduction: The experiential knowledge of patients can provide research communi‐
ties with complementary perspectives on disease. The aim of this study was to iden‐
tify and prioritise everyday problems and research needs of haematological cancer
patients and
Research and innovation as a catalyst for food system transformation
Background: Food systems are associated with severe and persistent problems worldwide. Governance approaches aiming to foster sustainable transformation of food systems face several challenges due to the complex nature of food systems. Scope and approach: In this commentary we argue that addressing these governance challenges requires the development and adoption of novel research and innovation (R&I) approaches that will provide evidence to inform food system transformation and will serve as catalysts for change. We first elaborate on the complexity of food systems (transformation) and stress the need to move beyond traditional linear R&I approaches to be able to respond to persistent problems that affect food systems. Though integrated transdisciplinary approaches are promising, current R&I systems do not sufficiently support such endeavors. As such, we argue, we need strategies that trigger a double transformation - of food systems and of their R&I systems. Key Findings and Conclusions: Seizing the opportunities to transform R&I systems has implications for how research is done - pointing to the need for competence development among researchers, policy makers and society in general - and requires specific governance interventions that stimulate a systemic approach. Such interventions should foster transdisciplinary and transformative research agendas that stimulate portfolios of projects that will reinforce one another, and stimulate innovative experiments to shape conditions for systemic change. In short, a thorough rethinking of the role of R&I as well as how it is funded is a crucial step towards the development of the integrative policies that are necessary to engender systemic change - in the food system and beyond
A Systems Approach to Research and Innovation for Food System Transformation
This policy brief of the European Union (EU) Think Tank – part of the FIT4FOOD2030 Coordination and Support Action (CSA) of the FOOD 2030 initiative – is a response and contribution to growing pleas for a ‘systems approach’ to transform food systems for Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) for present and future generations. This policy brief specifically focusses on the necessity of the adoption of a systems approach to Research and Innovation (R&I) in order to foster the transformation of food systems
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