Radiographers' involvement in research activities and opinions on radiography research: A Nordic survey

Introduction: Radiographers' engagement in research is important for the development of evidence-based practice in radiography; however, radiographers' interest in research has rarely been reported. This study sought to ascertain radiographers' opinions about radiography research and investigate their involvement in research activities in four Nordic countries.Methods: This study was conducted in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. A study-specific questionnaire was developed in English and adapted to each language of the study sample, and the content and face validity of the adaptations were evaluated. An online tool was used to collect the study data. The questionnaire link was distributed in September 2019 to radiographers working in clinical settings in four Nordic countries (n = 4572).Results: The overall response rate was 14% (n = 662/4572). Research involvement was reported by 33% of the respondents; data collection was the main type of contribution. Radiographers who contributed to research were more likely to be male, have longer work experience, hold a master's or doctoral degree, work as managers and be employed in university hospitals. Nearly all agreed that radiography research is needed to promote the radiography profession and provide the evidence base for radiographic practice. However, only 14% were aware of the current research evidence regarding their professional field of specialisation, and 19% indicated that they developed current practices based on research evidence.Conclusion: The findings indicate that, although radiographers had positive attitudes towards radiography research, their involvement in research and utilisation of research evidence in practice is low.</p

Radiation dose differences between thoracic radiotherapy planning CT and thoracic diagnostic CT scans

Purpose: To compare the absorbed dose from computed tomography (CT) in radiotherapy planning (RP CT) against those from diagnostic CT (DG CT) examinations and to explore the possible reasons for any dose differences. Method: Two groups of patients underwent CT-scans of the thorax with either DG-CT (n=55) or RP-CT (n=55). Patients from each group had similar weight and body mass index (BMI) and were divided into low (25). Parameters including CTDIvol, DLP and scan length were compared. Results: The mean CTDIvol and DLP values from RP-CT (38.1 mGy, 1472 mGy·cm) are approximately four times higher than for DG-CT (9.63 mGy, 376.5 mGy·cm). For low BMI group, the CTDIvol in the RP-CT scans (36.4 mGy) is 6.3 times higher than the one in the DG-CT scans (5.8 mGy). For high BMI group, the CTDIvol in the RP-CT (39.6 mGy) is 2.5 times higher than the one in the DG-CT scans (15.8 mGy). In the DG-CT scans a strong negative linear correlation between noise index (NI) and mean CTDIvol was observed (r =-0.954, p=0.004); the higher NI, the lower CTDIvol. This was not the case in the RP-DG scans. Conclusion: The absorbed radiation dose is significantly higher and less BMI dependent for RP-CT scans compared to DG-CT. Image quality requirements of the examinations should be researched to ensure that radiation doses are not unnecessarily high

Radiation chemistry of solid-state carbohydrates using EMR

We review our research of the past decade towards identification of radiation-induced radicals in solid state sugars and sugar phosphates. Detailed models of the radical structures are obtained by combining EPR and ENDOR experiments with DFT calculations of g and proton HF tensors, with agreement in their anisotropy serving as most important criterion. Symmetry-related and Schonland ambiguities, which may hamper such identification, are reviewed. Thermally induced transformations of initial radiation damage into more stable radicals can also be monitored in the EPR (and ENDOR) experiments and in principle provide information on stable radical formation mechanisms. Thermal annealing experi-ments reveal, however, that radical recombination and/or diamagnetic radiation damage is also quite important. Analysis strategies are illustrated with research on sucrose. Results on dipotassium glucose-1-phosphate and trehalose dihydrate, fructose and sorbose are also briefly discussed. Our study demonstrates that radiation damage is strongly regio-selective and that certain general principles govern the stable radical formation

Radiographers' involvement in research activities and opinions on radiography research : A Nordic survey

INTRODUCTION: Radiographers' engagement in research is important for the development of evidence-based practice in radiography; however, radiographers' interest in research has rarely been reported. This study sought to ascertain radiographers' opinions about radiography research and investigate their involvement in research activities in four Nordic countries.METHODS: This study was conducted in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. A study-specific questionnaire was developed in English and adapted to each language of the study sample, and the content and face validity of the adaptations were evaluated. An online tool was used to collect the study data. The questionnaire link was distributed in September 2019 to radiographers working in clinical settings in four Nordic countries (n = 4572).RESULTS: The overall response rate was 14% (n = 662/4572). Research involvement was reported by 33% of the respondents; data collection was the main type of contribution. Radiographers who contributed to research were more likely to be male, have longer work experience, hold a master's or doctoral degree, work as managers and be employed in university hospitals. Nearly all agreed that radiography research is needed to promote the radiography profession and provide the evidence base for radiographic practice. However, only 14% were aware of the current research evidence regarding their professional field of specialisation, and 19% indicated that they developed current practices based on research evidence.CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that, although radiographers had positive attitudes towards radiography research, their involvement in research and utilisation of research evidence in practice is low.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Strategies should be developed to improve knowledge and skills related to evidence-based practice and stimulate radiographers' engagement in research

Facilitators for and barriers to radiography research in public healthcare in Nordic countries

Introduction:It has been suggested that the future of diagnostic imaging relies on engagement inresearch and evidence-based practice. This implies a role transition from a clinical radiographer to aclinical radiographer-researcher. Clinical radiographers’stimuli for engaging in research in Nordiccountries are unknown. This study aimed to address this gap.Methods:Cross-sectional data collection via an online questionnaire on facilitators for and barriers toparticipation in radiography research was carried out among 507 clinical radiographers in publichealthcare in the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.Results:Support from colleagues (odds ratio [OR] 2.62) and other professionals (OR 2.74), and self-esteem in research skills (OR2.21), were facilitators for radiography research. Lack of knowledgeand skills to conduct research (OR 2.48) was revealed to hinder radiographers’participation in research.The absence of a radiography research culture in the workplace explained non-participation in research(OR 1.75).Conclusion:This study revealed significant factors for clinical radiographers’participation in research.Implications for practice:A strategy for establishing a radiography research culture in healthcare isproposed that is novel for the context. Management support for knowledge development and activityleading to inter-professional research projects across knowledgefields, provision of a radiographyresearch lead and acknowledgement of radiography research among colleagues signify the establishmentof the culture. These prerequisites might provide a paradigm change towards not only the symbiosis of aclinical radiographer and an autonomous researcher but also a partner who adds radiography research toevidence-based practice in diagnostic imaging

Comparative analysis of food webs based on flow networks: effects of nutrient supply on structure and function of coastal plankton communities

The objective of COMWEB was to develop efficient analytical, numerical and experimental methods for assessing and predicting the effects of nutrient (N, P, Si) supply on the stability and persistence of pelagic food web structure and function in coastal waters. The experimental comparative work included a geographic gradient covering Baltic, Mediterranean, and NE Atlantic waters and a NE Atlantic gradient in state of eutrophication. COMWEB has been an experimental approach to coastal eutrophication, studying effects of enhanced nutrient supply on components and flows of the entire lower pelagic food web. Flow network representations of pelagic food webs has been a framework of data reduction and flows were established by sophisticated inverse modelling. Fundamental information on physiological properties of functional key species in the pelagic food web was used to constrain flow estimations. A main conclusion derived from the flow networks was that very little energy and materials were transferred from the microbial food web to the main food chain. The lower food web could therefore be described as two parallel food chains with relatively limited interaction between heterotrophic groups. Short-term effects of nutrient perturbations were examined in mesocosms along the geographic gradient. The response was comparable in all systems, with a stronger effect on the activity and biomass of autotrophic groups than those of heterotrophic ones. Mediterranean waters showed much lower autotrophic biomass response than Baltic and NE Atlantic waters, which responded almost equally. The response of primary production was, however, more comparable. High phytoplankton lysis rate explained this low accumulation of biomass in Mediterranean waters. The study of Atlantic coastal waters of different eutrophic states revealed that the ecological response was higher in the closed nutrient perturbed mesocosms than in open systems exposed for >4 summer months (summer/autumn season). The Atlantic lagoon evolved gradually from the natural oligotrophic situation towards the more eutrophicated North Sea during fertilisation. The responses observed on seasonal and long-term scale (>10 years) may therefore be equal. The differences between short-term (weeks) and intermediate-term (seasonal) responses is most likely a result of the different time scales of perturbation and observation and the variable exchange rates with surrounding waters (water dilution rate). The analysis of pelagic flow networks provided a framework of diagnostic criteria for state and quality assessment of coastal waters. The nutrient loading rates related better to estimates of biotic fluxes than to concentrations of biotic compartments and total nutrients. On the contrary, the concentration of biotic compartments, or the biomasses, related better to total nutrient concentrations. Primary production, mesozooplankton grazing and growth, fraction of primary production consumed by grazers, bacterial production relative to primary production, cycling indices, and path lengths were all well related to nutrient loading rate. Autotrophic biomass, ratio of autotrophic to heterotrophic biomass, and fraction of pico-cyanobacteria of total autotrophic biomass were all related to total nutrients. Some of these variables, which responded equally in all systems, have the potential of becoming unified response functions in a management model for European coastal waters. COMWEB has provided further insight into the mechanisms behind coastal eutrophication. A main achievement is the conceptual framework for unified response functions, important components of management models for nutrient emission to coastal waters