How to write a research grant proposal.

BACKGROUND: Research is essential for the advancement of science, technology and development. Research requires funding and resource allocation. And funding requires the ability to write research grant application. This skill is acquired by the researchers and investigators while in the job with the help of colleagues. In the competitive world of academic research in college, universities, research bodies and other academic institutions it is essential to have excellent research grant application writing capabilities. This enhances the institution's and the individual's opportunities to conduct meaningful research, especially those which are resource intensive. Although research methodology is taught in the post-graduate curriculum not much training is available regarding research grant writing. OBJECTIVE: In this article a broad outline has been provided about how research grant applications may be written. The objective is to provide young investigators with a framework upon which they can develop their research grant applications. CONTENT: A good research grant application generally facilitates research by providing the essential foundation necessary for the investigators to proceed in their research with clarity and less ambiguity. The current article discusses the landscape review of research grant applications, details of research grant organizations, research grant writing guidance and research grant writing format. The research application should include aims and objectives of the research, details of preliminary work, novelty and translational value, materials and methods (including standard operating procedure), research budget, details of investigators referees, mentor, Gantt chart, approvals and permission, facilities available. As research activities are essential for growth and development of any subject it is important that institutions focus on this important skill for students and academicians.

Exploring the Gantt chart as a tool to highlight double report in case series published during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, some studies describing different aspects of the infection included very similar participants, rising suspicion about double reporting. We aimed to evaluate the Gantt chart as a tool to highlight possible double reporting. The chart is routinely used in business applications to depict tasks of a project, by plotting horizontal bars against time, showing their time span and overlaps. METHODS: All case reports and case series of pregnant women with COVID-19, published by July 15, 2020, were included. Initial and final dates of participants' enrollment, country, city, hospital, and number of pregnancies were plotted in the Gantt chart. Bars stand for enrollment dates of each study, according to hospital and city, thus allowing comparisons. RESULTS: We included 116 articles in the present analysis. The Gantt chart highlighted papers in which some participants were likely the same, thus allowing easier identification of double reporting of cases. Combining all information and pregnancy characteristics and outcomes helped to recognize duplications when the authors did not acknowledged the previous publication. CONCLUSIONS: Unintended double reporting may occur, especially in exceptional times. The Gantt chart may help researchers to visually identify potential duplications, thus avoiding biased estimates in systematic reviews or meta-analysis.

The sex ratio of the koinobiont parasitoid Microcharops anticarsiae Gupta remains female-biased on young larvae of velvetbean in the laboratory environment

The natural parasitic behavior of parasitoidsshould be known by those in charge of planning strategies for the biological control of pests; therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the larval instar of Anticarsia gemmatalisHübner parasitized by Microcharops anticarsiaeGupta in the field and the implication of such parasitic behavior in the sex ratio in the laboratory environment. The length of each larval instar of A. gemmatalisparasitized by M. anticarsiaein the field was determined, and the egg-to-pupa period of the parasitoid and its larval instar lengths were plotted in Gantt charts. According to the chart, A. gemmatalis was parasitized at the first (15%) and second (85%) larval instars in the field, but the length of the first, second and third larval instars of this species was not affected by the parasitism by M. anticarsiaein the field; however, its fourth larval instar was extended and the fifth one was shortened in 2015 but not affected in 2016. The sex ratio of A. gemmatalislarvae parasitized byM. anticarsiaein the field was female-biased, and the sex ratio of early parasitized larvae (3-day old) in the laboratory environment was also female-biased for three cultivated generations. The ‘generation’ factor has affected the egg-to-pupa, pupal and egg-to-adult periods of M. anticarsiae, since females pupated earlier than males in the egg-to-pupa period. Based on the results, M. anticarsiaemostly parasitized the second larval instar of A. gemmatalisin the field, and parasitism in 3-day old larvae in the laboratory environment produced female-biased sex ratio in M. anticarsiae, regardless of the generation.

A timetable organizer for the planning and implementation of screenings in manual or semi-automation mode.

We have designed an Excel spreadsheet to facilitate the planning and execution of screenings performed manually or in semi-automation mode, following a sequential set of events. Many assays involve multiple steps, often including time-sensitive stages, thus complicating the proper implementation to ensure that all plates are treated equally to achieve reliable outcomes. The spreadsheet macro presented in this study analyzes and breaks down the timings for all tasks, calculates the limitation in the number of plates that suit the desired parameters, and allows for optimization based on tolerance of time delay and equal treatment of plates when possible. The generated Gantt charts allow for visual inspection of the screening process and provide timings in a tabulated form to assist the user to conduct the experiments as projected by the software. The program can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net/projects/sams-hts/.

Study on Gantt charts in quality control management in nursing practice / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To know about the influence of quality control based on Gantt chart on work quality and stress,so as to explore effective method of management suitable for them.Methods 52 nurses from the eastern zone of a three A-level hospital in Jiujiang City were randomly selected as the experimental group,they were implemented with Gantt chart management.Another 52 nurses from the western zone of the same hospital were selected as the control group,they were executed traditional experience-based management.The scores of quality of care and nurses stress were compared between the two groups.Results For the score of the quality of care,the experimental group was higher;,for the score of the nurses stress,the experimental group was lower in the overall sides,and the differences were significant except those of the working environment and equipment,which showed no significant difference between two groups.Conclusions Gantt management method can significantly improve the quality of care,moreover,effectively alleviate the nurses'stress.