In this paper we explore the suitability of concept mapping as a method for integrating knowledge from science, practice, and policy. In earlier research we described and analysed five cases of concept mapping procedures in the Netherlands, serving different purposes and fields in public health. In the current paper, seven new concept mapping studies of co-produced work are added to extend this analysis. For each of these twelve studies we analysed: (1) how the method was able to integrate knowledge from practice with scientific knowledge by facilitating dialogue and collaboration between different stakeholders in the field of public health, such as academic researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and the public; (2) how the method was able to bring theory development a step further (scientific relevance); and (3) how the method was able to act as a sound basis for practical decision-making (practical relevance). Based on the answers to these research questions, all but one study was considered useful for building more evidence-based public health, even though the extent to which they underpinned actual decision-making varied. The chance of actually being implemented in practice seems strongly related to the extent to which the responsible decision-makers are involved in the way the concept map is prepared and executed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2016.08.014 | DOI Listing |
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Suita-shi, Osaka, Japan.
Background: In aging societies, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, are receiving attention. These diseases are primary targets for preemptive medicine, emphasizing the importance of early detection and preventive treatment before the onset of severe, treatment-resistant damages. However, there is a lack of comprehensive investigation of lesions and molecular targets in the entire organ, whereas spatial identification of early-stage lesions is potentially overlooked at the single-cell level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Background: Consortium-wide studies of volumetric brain imaging measures with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have revealed numerous disease-risk SNPs and emphasized the significance of brain imaging phenotypes as preclinical markers (endophenotypes) for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nevertheless, the bulk of these risk variants are in genomic regions that govern multiple genes, posing major challenges in fine-mapping strategies. Evolutionarily conserved transposable elements are master regulators of gene expression, and by studying these endogenous gene regulatory units in relation to AD endophenotypes, we aimed to better identify the disease-causal gene.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Background: The human brain is a complex inter-wired system that emerges spontaneous functional fluctuations. In spite of tremendous success in the experimental neuroscience field, a system-level understanding of how brain anatomy supports various neural activities remains elusive.
Method: Capitalizing on the unprecedented amount of neuroimaging data, we present a physics-informed deep model to uncover the coupling mechanism between brain structure and function through the lens of data geometry that is rooted in the widespread wiring topology of connections between distant brain regions.
BMC Glob Public Health
January 2025
Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, 80045 CO, USA.
Background: In the USA, many states, including Colorado, have increased criminal penalties for illicit opioid possession, which may alter overdose risk. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between Colorado's increased drug-related criminal legal penalties, risk of overdose, and substance use patterns.
Methods: We used concept mapping - a mixed-methods approach used to develop a conceptual understanding of an issue from a community lens - to engage with people with living and/or lived experience with the criminal legal system, substance use, and/or overdose, their loved ones, and service providers.
Front Plant Sci
December 2024
Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Science (NIAB-C, PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Accessing the underlying genetics of complex traits, especially in small grain pulses is an important breeding objective for crop improvement. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analyze thousands of genetic variants across several genomes to identify links with specific traits. This approach has discovered many strong associations between genes and traits, and the number of associated variants is expected to continue to increase as GWAS sample sizes increase.
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