How did regional institutions like Mercosur, ASEAN and the EU respond to the pandemic?

Patrick Holden (University of Plymouth) looks at whether regional institutions like the EU, Mercosur and ASEAN have risen to the challenge of the pandemic. Should they – could they – have done more

Fraught Anglo-Irish relations are about to get tenser

Leo Varadkar was attacked by some Brexiters for ‘anti-British’ rhetoric. Patrick Holden (University of Plymouth) finds that Varadkar’s language was no more emotional than that of his predecessor, Enda Kenny, though he was more outspoken about the contradictions of the British position. If Sinn Féin now enter the Irish government, Anglo-Irish tensions may continue to rise

True cost accounting of food using farm level metrics : a new framework

The application of true cost accounting (TCA) at farm level requires a common framework and metric for measuring, capturing and valuing sustainability. We propose such a framework and farm metric that build on the four capitals—natural, social, human and produced—that are essential for sustainability. The framework is developed by reviewing the scientific and technical literature on various approaches and tools that have been used to measure farm sustainability. We use quantifiable aspects of sustainability in the farm metrics. The farm sustainability metrics comprise four capitals with 11 categories and 33 indicators. These indicators can be assessed using bio-physical assessment, descriptive or quantitative methods. Once this information is compiled for a farm, then some of the categories can be monetised to reflect all the costs and benefits of using state-of-the-art TCA. There is a need to establish benchmarks and standards for each of the four types of capitals and indicators for the comparison of food systems. We believe the use of this comprehensive framework and farm metrics will help to correct several deficiencies of the current food system. We conclude by highlighting the benefits and limitations in the use of farm metrics. Measuring all positive and negative externalities at farm level can shift global food systems towards sustainability. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

The Evaluation Self-Efficacy scale

The Evaluation Self-Efficacy Scale(ESE)was developed as an outcomes assessment instrument for social work courses focusing on evaluation. In the two studies on the scale to date, the results regarding its psychometric properties have been encouraging

An assessment of the predictive validity of impact factor scores: Implications for academic employment decisions in social work

Citation for final version: Holden, G., Rosenberg, G., Barker, K., & Onghena, P. (2006). An assessment of the predictive validity of impact factor scores: Implications for academic employment decisions in social work. Research on Social Work Practice, 16, 6, 613-624.Objective: Bibliometrics is a method of examining scholarly communications. Concerns regarding the utility of bibliometrics in general, and the impact factor score (IFS) in particular, have been discussed across disciplines including social work. While there are frequent mentions in the literature of the IFS as an indicator of the impact or quality of scholars’ work, little empirical work has been published regarding the validity of such use. Method: A proportionate, stratified, random sample, of n=323 articles was selected from 17 Web of Science listed social work journals published during the 1992-1994 period. Results: The relationship between journals’ impact factor scores and the actual impact of articles published in those journals (predictive validity) was r = .41 (short term) and r = .42 (long term). Conclusion: The practice of using the IFS as a proxy indicator of article impact merits significant concern as well as further empirical investigation. The final, definitive version of this article has been published in Research on Social Work Practice, 16, 6 © SAGE Publications Ltd at the Research on Social Work Practice page: http://rswp.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com

Phenotype standardization for drug-induced kidney disease.

Drug-induced kidney disease is a frequent cause of renal dysfunction; however, there are no standards to identify and characterize the spectrum of these disorders. We convened a panel of international, adult and pediatric, nephrologists and pharmacists to develop standardized phenotypes for drug-induced kidney disease as part of the phenotype standardization project initiated by the International Serious Adverse Events Consortium. We propose four phenotypes of drug-induced kidney disease based on clinical presentation: acute kidney injury, glomerular, tubular, and nephrolithiasis, along with the primary and secondary clinical criteria to support the phenotype definition, and a time course based on the KDIGO/AKIN definitions of acute kidney injury, acute kidney disease, and chronic kidney disease. Establishing causality in drug-induced kidney disease is challenging and requires knowledge of the biological plausibility for the specific drug, mechanism of injury, time course, and assessment of competing risk factors. These phenotypes provide a consistent framework for clinicians, investigators, industry, and regulatory agencies to evaluate drug nephrotoxicity across various settings. We believe that this is the first step to recognizing drug-induced kidney disease and developing strategies to prevent and manage this condition

USERS AS CO-INVENTORS: A MODEL OF INVOLVING USERS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (RIKON Group)

Despite the increasing importance attributed to the involvement of lead users in the early stages of product development, there have been only limited attempts that comprehensively detail how the lead user involvement approach is implemented in practice. How to effectively involve these lead users and manage the process remains a central dilemma? Based upon a critical literature review and case research, this paper will make a unique contribution to a very significant gap in the user involvement and innovation literature, by presenting a framework that models the processes that enables a company to successfully involve their lead users in their predevelopment activities and in so doing, will obtain implementable guidelines that can be used by firms to enhance the delivery of innovative and appealing new product concepts

Choosing the Appropriate Methodology:Understanding Research Philosophy (RIKON Group)

This paper introduces novice researchers to the differences in philosophical perspectives and the major research implications arising from them. It is our contention that research should not be methodologically led, rather that methodological choice should be consequential to the researcher’s philosophical stance and the social science phenomenon to be investigated. Several philosophical approaches are possible in the science of research, however we perceive that more extreme approaches can be delimiting. We argue that only an intermediate philosophical approach allows the researcher to match philosophy, methodology, and the research problem

Our Year With the Glass: Expectations, Letdowns and Ethical Dilemmas of Technology Trials With Vulnerable People

In this paper, we reflect upon the ethical dilemmas faced during our research exploring the potential of Google Glass as a self-care technology for people with Parkinson's. Our project involved two stages of research: an initial study that explored the overall acceptability and responses of people with Parkinson's to the technology; and a follow-up study that examined participants' experiences of the technology in more depth through further trials and a series of co-design activities. While our first trials were successful, leading to publication and subsequent local and national publicity, our follow-up trials were hampered by technical problems that were often out of our control. We highlight how participants' heightened expectations prior to the second trial, as a result of public discourse around the project, were difficult to meet. This led to our participants articulating their frustrations, feelings of lowered self-confidence, and in some cases a reduced sense of self-worth. We reflect on how the decisions and actions taken during the project led to these dilemmas, and how these relate to contemporary challenges in human-computer interaction research where there is increased focus on in the wild studies of technology use and a pressure to publicly disseminate the findings of research. In doing so, we offer an open and honest account of how a set of ethical dilemmas emerged while conducting technology field trials with a potentially vulnerable group, and offer guidance to future researchers finding themselves in similar circumstances

Pediatric pain and anxiety: A meta-analysis of outcomes for a behavioral telehealth intervention

The utility of using single system designs in an optimal set of circumstances is considered. The effects of a computer network intervention on three outcomes (pain intensity, pain aversiveness and anxiety) were explored in previous evaluations via restricted alternating treatment designs. This paper presents an overview of the results of those evaluations, along with new metaanalyses that combine results across all three studies and explore potential moderating variables. This is followed by a discussion of the utility of this approach for social work research. Final version of the manuscript for citation: Holden, G., Bearison, D., Rode, D., Fishman-Kapiloff, M., Rosenberg, G. & Onghena, P. (2003). Pediatric pain and anxiety: A meta-analysis of outcomes for a behavioral telehealth intervention. Research on Social Work Practice, 13, 693-704