Objective: To prepare a set of statements for randomised clinical trials (RCT) integrity through an international multi-stakeholder consensus. Methods: The consensus was developed via: multi-country multidisciplinary stakeholder group composition and engagement; evidence synthesis of 55 systematic reviews concerning RCT integrity; anonymised two-round modified Delphi survey with consensus threshold based on the average percentage of majority opinions; and, a final consensus development meeting. Prospective registrations: (https://osf.io/bhncy, https://osf.io/3ursn). Results: There were 30 stakeholders representing 15 countries from five continents including triallists, ethicists, methodologists, statisticians, consumer representatives, industry representatives, systematic reviewers, funding body panel members, regulatory experts, authors, journal editors, peer-reviewers and advisors for resolving integrity concerns. Delphi survey response rate was 86.7% (26/30 stakeholders). There were 111 statements (73 stakeholder-provided, 46 systematic review-generated, 8 supported by both) in the initial long list, with eight additional statements provided during the consensus rounds. Through consensus the final set consolidated 81 statements (49 stakeholder-provided, 41 systematic review-generated, 9 supported by both). The entire RCT life cycle was covered by the set of statements including general aspects (n = 6), design and approval (n = 11), conduct and monitoring (n = 19), reporting of protocols and findings (n = 20), post-publication concerns (n = 12), and future research and development (n = 13). Conclusion: Implementation of this multi-stakeholder consensus statement is expected to enhance RCT integrity.
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The security of online assessments is a major concern due to widespread cheating. One common form of cheating is impersonation, where students invite unauthorized persons to take assessments on their behalf. Several techniques exist to handle impersonation. Some researchers recommend use of integrity policy, but communicating the policy effectively to the students is a challenge. Others propose authentication methods like, password and fingerprint; they offer initial authentication but are vulnerable thereafter. Face recognition offers post-login authentication but necessitates additional hardware. Keystroke Dynamics (KD) has been used to provide post-login authentication without any additional hardware, but its use is limited to subjective assessment. In this work, we address impersonation in assessments with Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ). Our approach combines two key strategies: reinforcement of integrity policy for prevention, and keystroke-based random authentication for detection of impersonation. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first attempt to use keystroke dynamics for post-login authentication in the context of MCQ. We improve an online quiz tool for the data collection suited to our needs and use feature engineering to address the challenge of high-dimensional keystroke datasets. Using machine learning classifiers, we identify the best-performing model for authenticating the students. The results indicate that the highest accuracy (83%) is achieved by the Isolation Forest classifier. Furthermore, to validate the results, the approach is applied to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) benchmark dataset, thereby achieving an improved accuracy of 94%. Though we also used mouse dynamics for authentication, but its subpar performance leads us to not consider it for our approach.
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This study analyses how the social construction of integrity takes place within the context of football in the Netherlands. Combining a contextual approach to sports integrity with the analytic lens of sensemaking, this qualitative multi-method case study analyses – in one extreme case in Dutch youth amateur football – why and when the ‘incident’ was perceived as an ‘integrity issue’, and how the meaning of (the) integrity (issue) was socially constructed by (interactions between) stakeholders involved in the case. Our findings show why, when, and how moral norms and values are (not) debated and at stake, and that the social construction of sports integrity is intertwined with the institutional context and the role of secondary stakeholders. It provides insights that can help sports organizations to identify risks in their moral sports culure and to develop measures or policies to safeguard integrity in sport.
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Background: Traditionally, research integrity studies have focused on research misbehaviors and their explanations. Over time, attention has shifted towards preventing questionable research practices and promoting responsible ones. However, data on the prevalence of responsible research practices, especially open methods, open codes and open data and their underlying associative factors, remains scarce.Methods: We conducted a web-based anonymized questionnaire, targeting all academic researchers working at or affiliated to a university or university medical center in The Netherlands, to investigate the prevalence and potential explanatory factors of 11 responsible research practices.Results: A total of 6,813 academics completed the survey, the results of which show that prevalence of responsible practices differs substantially across disciplines and ranks, with 99 percent avoiding plagiarism in their work but less than 50 percent pre-registering a research protocol. Arts and humanities scholars as well as PhD candidates and junior researchers engaged less often in responsible research practices. Publication pressure negatively affected responsible practices, while mentoring, scientific norms subscription and funding pressure stimulated them.Conclusions: Understanding the prevalence of responsible research practices across disciplines and ranks, as well as their associated explanatory factors, can help to systematically address disciplinary- and academic rank-specific obstacles, and thereby facilitate responsible conduct of research.
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Expectations are high for digital technologies to address sustainability related challenges. While research into such applications and the twin transformation is growing rapidly, insights in the actual daily practices of digital sustainability within organizations is lacking. This is problematic as the contributions of digital tools to sustainability goals gain shape in organizational practices. To bridge this gap, we develop a theoretical perspective on digital sustainability practices based on practice theory, with an emphasis on the concept of sociomateriality. We argue that connecting meanings related to sustainability with digital technologies is essential to establish beneficial practices. Next, we contend that the meaning of sustainability is contextspecific, which calls for a local meaning making process. Based on our theoretical exploration we develop an empirical research agenda.
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To elucidate how authoritative knowledge is established for better dealing with unstructured urban problems, this article describes how collaborations between researchers and officials become an instrument for conceptualizing and addressing policy problems. A case study is used to describe a research consortium evaluating the controversial practice of ‘Lifestyle’ based housing allocation in the Dutch domain of social-housing. Analyzing this case in key episodes, we see researchers and policymakers selectively draw on established institutional practices—their so called ‘home practices’—to jointly (re-)structure problems. In addition, we find that restructuring problems is not only intertwined with, but also deliberately aimed at (re-)structuring the relations within and between the governmental practices, the actors are embedded in. It is by selectively tinkering with knowledges, values, norms, and criteria that the actors can deliberately enable and constrain the ways a real-world problem is addressed.
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This book offers a comprehensive, practice-based exploration of Systemic Co-Design (SCD) as it is applied to society’s most complex and urgent transitions. Drawing on collaborative projects from the Expertisenetwork Systemic Co-Design (ESC), it portrays Systemic Co-Design not as a fixed framework but as a reflexive, evolving practice. The chapters present diverse collaborations and inquiries, ranging from inclusive design and digital accessibility to fostering safety cultures and urban co-creation, that illustrate Systemic Co-Design’s capacity to build awareness, trust, and communities, as well as systemic capabilities. The book promotes mutual learning and generates knowledge products such as maps, canvases, cards, games, and embodied interactions that enable meaningful engagement. Key themes that run throughout include continuous reflection, the blending of action research and design experimentation, and collective sense-making across disciplines. The contributions demonstrate how new values, methods, and communities are co-developed with design practitioners, policymakers, educators, and citizens. Together, they demonstrate how Systemic Co-Design achieves practical outcomes while fostering the longterm capacities and cultural shifts necessary for systemic change.
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Over the last decades or so, courses an programs on sustainability not only focus on sustainability issues but also increasingly foster the practices, ways of being, and skills needed to be an effective sustainable leader. This is in line with the UNESCO’s agenda on Education of Sustainable Development (ESD). In addition, Global Citizenship Education courses share the concern for ‘education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the world and awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice and human rights for all.’(Maastricht Global Education Declaration, 2002). In this contribution, which is partly based on my recent experience with a research-action project on the skills and qualities needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (EmpowerSDGs) I would like to explore the place of ethics and integrity in such programs, an how such qualities can be fostered.
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In order to guarantee structural integrity of marine structures in an effective way, operators of these structures seek an affordable, simple and robust system for monitoring detected cracks. Such systems are not yet available and the authors took a challenge to research a possibility of developing such a system. The paper describes the initial research steps made. In the first place, this includes reviewing conventional and recent methods for sensing and monitoring fatigue cracks and discussing their applicability for marine structures. A special attention is given to the promising but still developing new sensing techniques. In the second place, wireless network systems are reviewed because they form an attractive component of the desired system. The authors conclude that it is feasible to develop the monitoring system for detected cracks in marine structures and elaborate on implications of availability of such a system on risk based inspections and structural health monitoring systems
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Exercise is one of the external factors associated with impairment of intestinal integrity, possibly leading to increased permeability and altered absorption. Here, we aimed to examine to what extent endurance exercise in the glycogen‐depleted state can affect intestinal permeability toward small molecules and protein‐derived peptides in relation to markers of intestinal function. Eleven well‐trained male volunteers (27 ± 4 years) ingested 40 g of casein protein and a lactulose/rhamnose (L/R) solution after an overnight fast in resting conditions (control) and after completing a dual – glycogen depletion and endurance – exercise protocol (first protocol execution). The entire procedure was repeated 1 week later (second protocol execution). Intestinal permeability was measured as L/R ratio in 5 h urine and 1 h plasma. Five‐hour urine excretion of betacasomorphin‐7 (BCM7), postprandial plasma amino acid levels, plasma fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP‐2), serum pre‐haptoglobin 2 (preHP2), plasma glucagon‐like peptide 2 (GLP2), serum calprotectin, and dipeptidylpeptidase‐4 (DPP4) activity were studied as markers for excretion, intestinal functioning and recovery, inflammation, and BCM7 breakdown activity, respectively. BCM7 levels in urine were increased following the dual exercise protocol, in the first as well as the second protocol execution, whereas 1 h‐plasma L/R ratio was increased only following the first exercise protocol execution. FABP2, preHP2, and GLP2 were not changed after exercise, whereas calprotectin increased. Plasma citrulline levels following casein ingestion (iAUC) did not increase after exercise, as opposed to resting conditions. Endurance exercise in the glycogen depleted state resulted in a clear increase of BCM7 accumulation in urine, independent of DPP4 activity and intestinal permeability. Therefore, strenuous exercise could have an effect on the amount of food‐derived bioactive peptides crossing the epithelial barrier. The health consequence of increased passage needs more in depth studies.
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