What makes authentic questions authentic?

In some approaches to dialogic pedagogy research, authentic questions have long attracted attention, since the prevalence of authentic questions has been used as an indicator of the dialogic quality of classroom activities. However, this article offers an analysis of the concept of authentic questions in the research literature and shows that this concept is less clear than is commonly assumed. For instance, descriptions and definitions offered are very heterogeneous even within particular studies, and classifications of authentic questions vary across research literature. The analysis identifies four different, implicit conceptual elements in “authentic question” — some of which cannot be reconciled. The analysis also identifies an important underlying theme, namely mutual recognition and respect, in descriptions of authentic questions. Accordingly, the article concludes with the recommendation that future research on authentic questions includes this theme explicitly in reflections on the identification of authentic questions

Optimising the prescription and use of lower limb prosthetic technology: a mixed methods approach

Aim: Lower limb amputation is an increasingly prevalent surgical procedure in the Western world due to the increase of peripheral vascular disease. Not everyone who receives a prosthetic limb will benefit from its use and may abandon this expensive technology, a move which may negatively effect their adjustment to the amputation and also impact on their quality of life. There is currently no consensus on the most important outcomes to measure in lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation, or on the specific outcome measures to be consistently used in prosthetic rehabilitation. The aim of this research is to explore ways to optimise lower limb prosthetic prescription by identifying and gaining a consensus on 1) the most important outcomes of prescription, 2) the most important predictors of prosthetic use, and 3) the most important factors which have an effect on optimising use of the prosthesis. Method: This is a mixed methods study. Repertory grid interviews were conducted with 2 lower limb prosthesis users to explore the values and preferences that prosthetic users have of their prosthetic devices; to investigate users’ perceptions of alternative prosthetic options and to demonstrate a novel method for exploring the values and preferences of lower limb prosthetic users. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 12 multidisciplinary service-providers within the amputation rehabilitation setting, and 6 focus groups were completed with 24 prosthesis users to identify the outcomes and predictors of prosthetic prescription from both the patient and professional perspective. This data was then used to create a Delphi survey of 23 experts within the amputation and prosthetic field, including users, service providers and academics, to develop a consensus on the most important factors to address within the prosthetic prescription process. Findings: The repertory grid interviews highlighted the need to include patient choice and opinion in the prosthetic prescription process, while the focus groups and interviews identified the outcomes and predictors of prosthetic prescription while ascertaining what other factors affect optimal use of the prosthesis. These factors were physical, psychological and social in nature, and in particular, showed how service provision affects optimal use. A consensus on the most important factors to address in the fitting process and service was then established in the Delphi study. Conclusion: By combining user and practitioner knowledge throughout the study, this research has developed a list of the essential elements to be monitored and improved in prosthetic prescription to improve outcomes, as well as highlighting the importance of patient inclusion and choice within the rehabilitation setting. This research indicates how fitting centres can potentially improve the service with the hope of improving fitting rates and user satisfaction and reducing the waste of medical resources

Philosophy outreach through teacher education

Building a university outreach programme is a complex task that requires coordination of funding, regulations, research aims, practical activities and recruitment strategies. This article describes the building of an outreach programme based on the Philosophy with Children practice and the associated changes in the programme’s research focus, practical activities and organisation over the first five years. Where did the initial inspiration come from, what form did it take eventually, and what have we learned? The article outlines our strategies and activities and I argue that two shifts in focus made the programme stronger in terms of impact and research. First, instead of sending university students into classrooms, we turned to teacher training programmes. Second, conversations with teachers indicated that the most interesting research questions were not about cognitive gains but about learning environments, teacher roles, facilitation techniques and other topics from educational studies. The article also assesses the strategies and research from the first six years of the programme and how they have demonstrated both challenges and opportunities in Philosophy with Children

En sag af principiel karakter. Om at definere religion.

This article argues that a more systematic approach to defining religion is needed. The starting point of the article is a case in which a soccer fan club applied for official recognition as a religious denomination. The fan club’s application was rejected, but without stating the criteria which it failed to meet in order to be considered religion. The example suggests that it is still relevant to raise questions both about whether scholars of religion ought to try to define religion, and about how such a case should be handled. This article presents a philosophical-methodological approach to the task of defining religion and it outlines a proposal for a definition based on this method. So, in addition to putting an earlier, well-known discussion and a more recent suggestion in perspective, the article suggests criteria which could have substantiated a rejection of the soccer fan club’s application

En sag af principiel karakter. Om at definere religion.

This article argues that a more systematic approach to defining religion is needed. The starting point of the article is a case in which a soccer fan club applied for official recognition as a religious denomination. The fan club’s application was rejected, but without stating the criteria which it failed to meet in order to be considered religion. The example suggests that it is still relevant to raise questions both about whether scholars of religion ought to try to define religion, and about how such a case should be handled. This article presents a philosophical-methodological approach to the task of defining religion and it outlines a proposal for a definition based on this method. So, in addition to putting an earlier, well-known discussion and a more recent suggestion in perspective, the article suggests criteria which could have substantiated a rejection of the soccer fan club’s application

Semantic-Context-Based Augmented Descriptor For Image Feature Matching

Abstract. This paper proposes an augmented version of local features that enhances the discriminative power of the feature without affecting its invariance to image deformations. The idea is about learning local features, aiming to estimate its semantic, which is then exploited in conjunction with the bag of words paradigm to build an augmented feature descriptor. Basically, any local descriptor can be casted in the proposed context, and thus the approach can be easy generalized to fit in with any local approach. The semantic-context signature is a 2D histogram which accumulates the spatial distribution of the visual words around each local feature. The obtained semantic-context component is concatenated with the local feature to generate our proposed feature descriptor. This is expected to handle ambiguities occurring in images with multiple similar motifs and depicting slight complicated non-affine distortions, outliers, and detector errors. The approach is evaluated for two data sets. The first one is intentionally selected with images containing multiple similar regions and depicting slight non-affine distortions. The second is the standard data set of Mikolajczyk. The evaluation results showed our approach performs significantly better than expected results as well as in comparison with other methods.

Relationship between body image and physical functioning following rehabilitation for lower-limb amputation

The aim of the present study was to evaluate change in body image and the association between body image at discharge and mobility 4 months after rehabilitation. A prospective cohort comprising adults older than or equal to 50 years of age undergoing rehabilitation for first major lower-limb amputation at an inpatient prosthetic rehabilitation program were assessed at discharge and 4 months after rehabilitation. Paired t-tests compared total Amputee Body Image Scale (ABIS), gait velocity, and L-test scores between discharge (T1) and 4 months (T2). Multivariable linear regression assessed relationship between ABIS scores and mobility. Nineteen participants completed assessments (mean±SD age=60.86±6.85 years; 63.20% male patients). Body image changed from T1 (43.58±7.83) to T2 (48.26±12.21), but was not statistically significant (P=0.063). Mobility significantly improved at T2. ABIS scores at T1 were not associated with mobility at T2. Mobility improved after discharge but was not related to body image at T1. Additional research on the impact of body image perception on patient outcomes after rehabilitation is needed

Non-medical factors in prehospital resuscitation decision-making:a mixed-methods systematic review

AIM: This systematic review explored how non-medical factors influence the prehospital resuscitation providers’ decisions whether or not to resuscitate adult patients with cardiac arrest. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review with a narrative synthesis and searched for original quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies on non-medical factors influencing resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Mixed-method reviews combine qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies to answer complex multidisciplinary questions. Our inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed empirical-based studies concerning decision-making in prehospital resuscitation of adults > 18 years combined with non-medical factors. We excluded commentaries, case reports, editorials, and systematic reviews. After screening and full-text review, we undertook a sequential exploratory synthesis of the included studies, where qualitative data were synthesised first followed by a synthesis of the quantitative findings. RESULTS: We screened 15,693 studies, reviewed 163 full-text studies, and included 27 papers (12 qualitative, two mixed-method, and 13 quantitative papers). We identified five main themes and 13 subthemes related to decision-making in prehospital resuscitation. Especially the patient’s characteristics and the ethical aspects were included in decisions concerning resuscitation. The wishes and emotions of bystanders further influenced the decision-making. The prehospital resuscitation providers’ characteristics, experiences, emotions, values, and team interactions affected decision-making, as did external factors such as the emergency medical service system and the work environment, the legislation, and the cardiac arrest setting. Lastly, prehospital resuscitation providers’ had to navigate conflicts between jurisdiction and guidelines, and conflicting values and interests. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underline the complexity in prehospital resuscitation decision-making and highlight the need for further research on non-medical factors in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13049-022-01004-6