Research Practice in Research Assistantships: Introducing the Special Issue on Research Assistantships

The idea for this special issue came from our mutual interest in research education and the development of future researchers. Our shared program of research has led us to discover the potentials, complexities, and dilemmas associated with research assistantships where newcomers assist more experienced researchers to conduct research projects. We considered a wide range of proposals and papers addressing different aspects of research assistantships. The resulting collection includes self-studies and analyses of others, as well as policy reviews and recommendations. The pieces consider research assistantships involving bachelor's, master's, and doctoral students in four different countries (Canada, Denmark, South Africa, United States) and across a range of disciplines

Team Dynamics and Learning Opportunities in Social Science Research Teams

Although the contemporary research environment encourages knowledge generation through research collaboration rather than individualized projects, limited scholarly attention has been devoted to the practice of collaboration within research teams. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of team dynamics and learning opportunities within four social science research teams. The findings reveal similarities and differences in leadership style and interaction approaches that affected how research was undertaken and the possibilities for team members to learn from each other. The snapshots provide models for other research teams that extend situated learning theories and the existing research base about collaboration, research teams, and research leadership. Key words: research teams, research leadership, researcher development, situated learning Bien que le milieu actuel de la recherche encourage la génération des connaissances par la collaboration en recherche plutôt que par les projets individuels, les universitaires ont accordé peu d’attention à la pratique collaborative au sein des équipes de recherche. Cet article présente une analyse qualitative de la dynamique des équipes et des occasions d’apprentissage au sein de quatre équipes de recherche en sciences sociales. Les résultats révèlent des ressemblances et des différences dans le style de leadership et les démarches d’interaction qui ont eu une influence sur la façon dont la recherche a été entreprise et sur les possibilités pour les membres des équipes d’apprendre l’un de l’autre. Les aperçus offrent des modèles pour d’autres équipes de recherche et contribuent aux théories de l’apprentissage contextualisé et à la base de recherche portant sur la collaboration, les équipes de recherche et le leadership en recherche. Mots clés : équipes de recherche, leadership en recherche, développement des chercheurs, apprentissage contextualis

Mentoring Teachers for Critical Global Consciousness: Infusing Solidarity in International Service Learning

This study examines the little-studied phenomenon of teacher mentoring for global consciousness. It reviews the relationship between secondary school teachers participating in an international service-learning (ISL) project in Nicaragua and an NGO, Canadian Youth Abroad (CYA). CYA facilitates short, but intensive, ISL experiences. The teachers work for a publicly funded Catholic district school board in Ontario, Canada. Teachers who travel to Nicaragua with the students are mentored and accompanied by more experienced peers - veteran CYA/ISL teacher-participants. The mentoring process seeks to impart the CYA’s particular transformative values to the new teacher-participants and through them, to their students. These values challenge the dominant charitable help the poor model of North-South engagement. The teacher-mentors follow CYA\u27s Freirian pedagogical model that stresses the value of solidarity between Canadian and Nicaraguan participants

Fulfilling an ethical obligation: An educative research assistantship

Scant research evidence is available about the day-to-day workings of research assistantships or the educational possibilities they provide for research assistants and their academic supervisors. This case study documents the equitable, educative, and ethical nature of one research assistantship at a Canadian university. Data sources include audio recordings and transcripts from 24 research meetings, along with field notes and textual documents gathered over 8 months as the research assistant and academic supervisor designed, conducted, and presented an interview-based study. Evidence shows the academic supervisor supported the research assistant as she learned research skills and developed confidence as a researcher. The case study provides a potential model of an equitable, educative, and ethical research assistantship for the consideration of other research assistants and academic supervisors. Il existe peu de données de recherche portant sur les activités quotidiennes qu’impliquent les assistanats à la recherche ou sur les possibilités éducatives qu’ils offrent aux assistants à la recherche et à leurs superviseurs académiques. Cette étude de cas évoque la nature équitable, éducative et éthique d’un assistanat à la recherche dans une université canadienne. Les sources de données comprennent des enregistrements et des transcriptions audio de 24 réunions de recherche, des notes d’observation sur le terrain et des textes recueillis au cours de 8 mois pendant lesquels l’assistante à la recherche et le superviseur académique ont conçu, entrepris et présenté une étude reposant sur les entrevues. Des données probantes indiquent que le superviseur a appuyé l’assistante à la recherche pendant qu’elle acquérait des compétences de recherche et prenait confiance en elle comme chercheuse. Cette étude de cas constitue un modèle potentiel d’assistanat à la recherche équitable, éducatif et éthique que pourraient examiner d’autres assistants à la recherche et superviseurs académiques

Location of the narrowest area of the pharynx regarding body mass index and obstructive sleep apnoea severity

Background: Among authors studying morphological determinants of the obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) controversies exist on the location of the narrowest area within the pharynx, critical for development of obstruction. Those disagreements primarily revolve around differences between obese and nonobese OSA patients. Determination whether the location and size of the narrowest area within the pharynx differentiates the obese and nonobese OSA patients. Materials and methods: A population of 55 subjects was investigated after being diagnosed with OSA in the Polysomnography Laboratory of the Department and Clinic of Otolaryngology in the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. Additionally a head computed tomography (CT) was performed in all the subjects. The CT images were used to do several crucial measurements which described the geometry of the facial skeleton as well as soft tissues of the head. The obtained results were correlated with apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) and body mass index (BMI) values. The data were statistically analysed. Results: The distance between the hard palate and posterior pharyngeal wall parallel to the horizontal plane as well as the shortest distance between the soft palate and posterior pharyngeal wall significantly differentiated patients in the subgroups by AHI but not by BMI. Conclusions: Pharyngeal obstruction at the level of the hard and soft palate differentiates patients with severe OSA from patients with mild and moderate OSA regardless of BMI

The anatomy of the tympanic sinus

The tympanic sinus is one of the most important structures of the human temporal bone. Located in its vicinity are the round window, posterior semicircular canal and facial nerve. The study was performed on 30 temporal bones taken from adult cadavers of both sexes. After the tympanic sinus had been identified, its morphological features were evaluated. The sinus was then measured using a graticule with an accuracy of 0.05 mm. Also measured were the shortest distances from the tympanic sinus to the neighbouring structures (the lateral and posterior semicircular canal, the facial nerve canal and the jugular fossa). The measurements were performed under a surgical microscope with eye-piece graduation of 0.05 mm accuracy. Four main morphological types of fossa of the tympanic sinus and two main developmental forms, a deep sinus and a shallow sinus, were distinguished. The existence of a deep sinus was associated with absence of the bridge and the sinus was shallower when the bridge was prominent. The very deep sinuses were located close to the facial canal, in some cases penetrating deep in its vicinity (in some cases even going beyond two thirds of the canal’s circumference), which poses a real risk of facial nerve damage during surgical removal of a lesion located in close proximity to the nerve. In most cases the tympanic sinus is elliptical in shape and its long diameter lies in the vertical plane (mean value: 2.73 × 2.23 mm). The mean distances from the tympanic sinus to the facial nerve canal, lateral semicircular canal, posterior semicircular canal and jugular fossa were 1.5 mm, 2.1 mm, 1.59 mm and 5.5 mm respectively. No correlation was observed between the measurement results and either sex or side

The topographical anatomy of the round window and related structures for the purpose of cochlear implant surgery

The treatment of total deafness using a cochlear implant has now become a routine medical procedure. The tendency to expand the audiological indications for cochlear stimulation and to preserve the remnants of hearing has brought new problems. The authors have studied the topographical anatomy of the internal structures of the ear in the area where cochleostomy is usually performed and an implant electrode inserted. Ten human temporal bones were obtained from cadavers and prepared in a formalin stain. After dissection of the bone in the area of round and oval windows, the following diameters were measured using a microscope with a scale: the transverse diameters of the cochlear and vestibular scalae at the level of the centre of the round window and 0.5 mm anteriorly to the round window, the distance between the windows and the distances from the end of the spiral lamina to the centre of the round window and to its anterior margin. The width of the cochlear scala at the level of the round window was 1.23 mm, and 0.5 mm anteriorly to the round window membrane it was 1.24 mm. The corresponding diameters for the vestibular scala are 1.34 and 1.27 mm. The distances from the end of the spiral lamina to the centre of the round window and to its anterior margin are 1.26 and 2.06 respectively. The authors noted that the two methods of electrode insertion show a difference of 2 mm in the length of the stimulated spiral lamina. The average total length of the unstimulated lamina is 2.06 and 4.06 in the two situations respectively

The supreme turbinate and the drainage of the posterior ethmoids: a computed tomographic study

Background: It is generally acknowledged that the posterior ethmoidal cells drain under the superior nasal turbinate (SorNT) or, rarely, under the supreme nasal turbinate (SmeNT), and the sphenoid ostium (SO) opens to the sphenoethmoidal recess. However, detailed relations between these structures are variable, complex and still not clear. There is no reliable data on the prevalence of SmeNT and drainage of the posterior ethmoidal cells under this structure. The aim of this study was to re-evaluate the anatomy of the aforementioned region. Materials and methods: Multiplanar and three-dimensional reconstruction analysis of 100 thin slice paranasal sinus computed tomography scans. Results: SmeNT was identified in 77 subjects (136 sides). It formed the ostium to the posterior ethmoidal cell adjacent to the skull base or orbit in 58 subjects (91 sides). This cell drained independently from the remaining posterior ethmoidal cells. The sphenoethmoidal (Onodi) cell drained to supreme meatus in 41 subjects (54 sides), and to superior meatus in 37 subjects (49 sides). SO was always located medial to the posteroinferior attachment of SmeNT, or SorNT (in absence of SmeNT). Conclusions: Patients with divergent drainage of the posterior ethmoids (with posterior ethmoidal cell draining to the supreme meatus) may require more extensive surgery to avoid persistence or recurrence of inflammatory disease. SmeNT is more common than thought, but due to its posterior and superior location to SorNT, it is rarely seen intraoperatively. If SmeNT is present, SO is always located medial to its posteroinferior attachment. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 110–115

Team Dynamics and Learning Opportunities in Social Science Research Teams

Although the contemporary research environment encourages knowledge generation through research collaboration rather than individualized projects, limited scholarly attention has been devoted to the practice of collaboration within research teams. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of team dynamics and learning opportunities within four social science research teams. The findings reveal similarities and differences in leadership style and interaction approaches that affected how research was undertaken and the possibilities for team members to learn from each other. The snapshots provide models for other research teams that extend situated learning theories and the existing research base about collaboration, research teams, and research leadership

Ohio Economic Insects and Related Anthropods

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