First-hand Knowledge Research Articles

Groundwater Potential Zone Mapping with an Integrated Approach of AHP and GIS Techniques for Koraiyar Basin, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

The overexploitation of groundwater resources and the obvious effects of climate change are putting the world's water supplies under tremendous strain. Evaluating groundwater potential and aquifer productivity is more critical than ever before due to the growing need for drinkable water for people, farms, and factories. Due to its speed and ability to give first-hand knowledge on the resource for future developments, GIS-based studies have lately become quite popular in groundwater research. The purpose of this research is, thus, to identify the groundwater potential. The present investigation made use of a GIS in tandem with the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) method. Lithospheric, geomorphological, land use/cover, lineament density, drainage density, rainfall, soil, and slope were the eight thematic layers that were produced and researched in order to define the groundwater potential zone. Each class in thematic maps is given a weight based on its attributes and water potential capacity, as estimated by the AHP technique. As a result, the groundwater potential zone map was categorized into five levels: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. A medium groundwater potential zone spanning 180.28 km2 of the river basin was determined by the research. The low groundwater potential zone covers 140.44 km2 and the high groundwater potential zone 117.39 km2. Within the basin, there are 127.57 km2 of territory classified as having very low potential and 97.49 km2 as having very high potential.

The international education association of Australia’s first 20 years: strengthening public diplomacy and social licence through professional development, advocacy and research

PurposeThe article examines the ways in which professional associations representing those working in international education are able to shape national systems and thereby change the ways in which the country engages internationally. This is particularly significant for Australia, which has one of the world’s most internationalised higher education systems.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a case study of the International Education Association of Australia, which since 2004 has played a central role in shaping international education policy and practice. It provides an insider account of three authors who have held senior roles in the Association, drawing on first-hand knowledge of institutional history.FindingsThe case study illustrates the ways in which the Association’s professional development, research and policy advocacy activities have helped to broaden Australia’s engagement in international education from a narrow commercial focus. The resulting deeper engagement with a broad range of issues associated with international engagement, including student welfare, outbound mobility, curriculum, migration and transnational education, has transformed policy and practice in Australia.Originality/valueAlthough international education is coming to play an increasingly significant role in many systems, little has been written about the role of professional bodies in influencing the character and quality of international engagement. This paper makes a valuable contribution by demonstrating the practical measures that can be employed by international education professional bodies to strengthen public diplomacy and the social licence for global engagement.

Using an Exploratory Factor Approach to Determine Strategies for Effective Implementation of Teaching Practicum in Schools

Teaching practicum is a vital component of pre-service teaching courses. However, researchers have shown concern about the quality of implementation of these courses. Resultantly, students show low-profile abilities in teaching and learning when they join professional service as teachers. The primary purpose of this study was to develop a scale for exploring strategies for effective practicum implementation and, secondly, to ascertain teachers’ perceptions about the effect of these strategies on the effective implementation of teaching practicum in schools. A survey questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. The questionnaire was developed based on a review of the literature and expert judgment. A total of 77 students participated in the study from a private college of teacher education in Peshawar. The students were selected based on a convenient sampling technique. The dimensionality of the scale was checked through exploratory factor analysis. The principal component analysis revealed a 4-factor structure as an essential strategy for the effective implementation of teaching practicum for pre-service teachers. These strategies were clear communication, showing respect, professional behavior and motivation. It is concluded that the scale can be used for measuring the effectiveness of teaching practicum in other contexts. The results of this study may be used for improving the curriculum implementation of teaching practicum in teacher training institutes. This study is significant as it provides firsthand knowledge to the management and administration of teacher education institutions about the essential strategies that can be used to enrich further teaching practicum, a pivotal element of teacher education.

A NOVEL DOUBLE-SIDE LASER WELDED THICK PLATE: MICROSTRUCTURE AND NUMERICAL PREDICTION OF TENSILE TEST

The study aims to provide firsthand knowledge on finite element simulation (FES) of double-side laser welded (LW) stainless steel 304 (SS-304) thick plates used for automobile application. Double-side welding technique is an idea of achieving complete penetration with minimal heat input. The microstructural evaluation revealed the presence of dendritic growth that results in the enhancement of tensile strength (TS) for the welded sample. There is a slight increase in the delta ferrite content in weldment. The change in microstructure is due to thermal history during solidification. The TS of base metal (BM) was [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]MPa whereas the welded sample exhibited strength of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]MPa. FES was successfully employed to simulate TS with error percentage less than 1.

Making Agreements With Friends: Using an Analogy to Teach Informal Agreements and Bargaining in International Relations Courses

The activity Making Agreements with Friends was developed to help students understand the complex concepts of informal agreements and bargaining. Specifically, this activity sheds light on the reputation costs and strategies (iteration, issue linkage, and coercion) that countries rely on to foster cooperation. To do so, the activity leverages a relatable analogy, in which students are tasked with deciding which of their friends they should (and should not) lend money to at a pub. This approach is valuable because although students do not have firsthand knowledge about creating informal international agreements, they have extensive experience with informal interpersonal agreements. That is, the logic and strategies students use to decide who they can trust in an informal interpersonal agreement are similar to the logic and strategies countries use when making informal international agreements. Anonymous student evaluations and results from a pre-and-posttest on the material provide evidence that this activity is a fun, engaging, and effective way to teach these concepts to undergraduate students.

German-Speaking Émigré Economists in Great Britain and the Analysis of the German War Economy

Abstract The need for analysis of the German war economy became urgent after the defeat of France and the threat of an invasion of Britain by Nazi Germany after the battle of Dunkirk in the summer of 1940. The expertise of émigré scholars now was in strong demand. First, this essay discusses the series of twelve articles that Hans Singer contributed at the request of Keynes to the Economic Journal from 1940 to 1944. An important characteristic of war economies is a shortage of consumer goods, which raises the question of the appropriate rationing scheme. Therefore, the notion of a virtual price system, introduced by Erwin Rothbarth, which takes note of the welfare consequences of interventions into the free choices of consumers, is the focus of the next section. Hal C. Hillmann was a leading analyst of the German war economy, the comparative strength of the great powers, and postwar reconstruction. Finally, the article discusses the role of Nicholas Kaldor, who had firsthand knowledge as a key member of the research team of highbrow economists chaired by John Kenneth Galbraith that at the end of the war studied the effects of Allied bombing on the German war economy. Kaldor's experience, also as the director of the Research and Planning Division of the UN Economic Commission for Europe from 1947 to 1949, significantly influenced his pioneering contributions to growth theory.

Governing Over Distance: Delegating Trust and Dealing with Disorder in the Early East India Company Trade

ABSTRACT This study uses an overlooked case to reveal how the problem of distance shaped the early English East Indies trade. In 1617, preacher William Lesk returned to London from Surat. He had been sent to be a moral leader for East India Company factors, but they returned him when his scandalous behaviour threatened the survival of the Company’s trade in the Mughal empire. The social circumstances of the factory had real, material consequences. The factors sent signed eyewitness accounts of his misdeeds for Company leaders to address, but in London, Lesk’s claims of first-hand knowledge of the East Indies trade and affairs in Surat, along with savvy use of the politics of publicity, meant that Company leaders found him challenging to deal with. The story of Lesk reveals how managing distance required compromises on how best to govern the East Indies trade. Distance shaped how Company leaders interpreted events in the East Indies, while also opening up avenues for resisting Company judgements. Distance informed every aspect of the Company’s operation – not just economic but also social and political – and is essential to understanding how and why the Company developed as it did, both in the East Indies and London.

Article-Processing Fees and Subsidies: The Colonial Entanglement of Knowledge Production in South Africa—The Case of Gender-Based Violence Research

In this article, we studied the contribution of the current South African publishing ecosystem to the hierarchisation, elitism and monopolisation of knowledge production in social-justice studies, taking as an example the research area of gender-based violence (GBV). We examined the Sabinet database of articles published in South African journals on GBV between 2018 and 2022, and reviewed the pre- and post-production value chain related to the publication of these articles (especially the article page-fee structure and the governmental subsidy system). In addition, we couched this discussion in feminist decolonial critique. We conclude that the current publishing ecosystem—with the more or less active involvement and/or support of the government, journals and academics—greatly limits the diversity of voices able to contribute to the production of knowledge on GBV. This ecosystem hampers, minimises or even excludes the first-hand knowledge and experiences of those located outside of academic institutions (particularly, local researchers unaffiliated with South African universities, grassroot activists and members of non-governmental organisations). It conversely renders academics and the tertiary educational institutions which employ them as the only actors capable of benefiting financially from or contributing to the knowledge-production chain and, in return, feeding it. This cycle seems to propel the creation of an echo chamber of views, perspectives and opinions with academics and their tertiary educational institutions de facto acting as the only knowledge producers in the country. We propose that the solution to such an unjust situation is a radical decolonisation of the deeply epi-colonial South African publishing ecosystem.

The Role of Fashion in Crime Symbolism in Ghana, West Africa

ABSTRACT This study delves into the intricate interplay between fashion and deviance, focusing on Ghana, West Africa to address the gap in understanding how clothing choices can serve as symbolic conduits for deviant behavior in Ghana. We adopted a qualitative approach, utilizing ethnographic research design to explore the complex relationship between clothing, symbolism, and deviant behavior in the Ghanaian cultural context. We conducted semi-structured interviews with three categories of participants: 10 deviant or criminal individuals from Nsawam prisons and in the communities through non-participant observation, 8 community members, and 2 law enforcement officers. We employed purposive sampling method to ensure that participants had relevant expertise and firsthand knowledge related to clothing symbolism in deviant subcultures. The study findings mainly revealed that clothes convey identities and codes subtly and is a potent emblem of group connection. The intricate dynamics surrounding the stigmatization and labeling of clothing symbolism have an impact on people’s self-esteem and interaction with law enforcement. To develop guidelines and training programs for law enforcement officers and community members on concrete methods of identifying and comprehending clothing symbolism within deviant and criminal subcultures, policy makers may form a collaborative task force consisting of law enforcement, community leaders, and cultural experts.

Listen to the Scientists: Effects of Exposure to Scientists and General Media Consumption on Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Mechanisms During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, scientists around the globe have engaged in science communication to an unprecedented degree to convey first-hand epidemiological knowledge and information on preventive measures. The present work is aimed at empirically investigating the impact of direct exposure to scientists as compared to general COVID-19-related media consumption (N=698) on central cognitive, affective, and behavioral variables, based on the extended parallel process model (EPPM) and its adaptations. A segment of the sample comprises individuals recruited independently, while others were sourced from an online panel. Importantly, this study sample was conducted at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that direct exposure to scientists positively affected recipients’ knowledge and self-efficacy. General media consumption, by contrast, positively affected perceived threat as well as fear and uncertainty. Both sources positively affected the adherence to protective measures.

'Insulin is super dangerous if you don't know what you're doing': Situating the risks of insulin within the image and performance enhancing drug community.

Insulin is an essential treatment within diabetes management; however, it takes on a role of enhancement within image and performance enhancing drug (IPED) communities due to its anabolic effects. This study sought to provide insight into how IPED users perceive and manage the risks linked to insulin. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 individuals from Australia and United Kingdom who used insulin as part of their IPED protocols. The analysis followed an iterative categorisation approach and applied the lens of situated rationality theory. The decision to incorporate insulin was influenced by peers' experiences and preferences. Participants highlighted the risks and responsibilities associated with insulin use, emphasising the need for precise lifestyle habits. They recognised the potential dangers and called for comprehensive harm reduction strategies within IPED communities to respond to such concerns. Some participants expressed reluctance to discuss insulin openly, underlining the importance of education and awareness to mitigate health risks associated with underground and uninformed use. While people who use IPEDs demonstrate awareness of the risks associated with insulin, their practices of routinisation moderate these risks within the context of IPED use. Silence as a risk-reduction strategy highlights vulnerabilities among certain prospective users, while the hierarchical structure of IPED use establishes expertise and status within the community. Reconsidering insulin risks entails reframing harm reduction messages to better match the social dynamics of IPED communities. Closer ties between IPED communities can enhance support accessibility, particularly through peers, who, with their firsthand knowledge, can offer tailored guidance.

Stranding reports of the Antillean manatee in the middle Magdalena Basin, Colombia 2011 to 2023

The aim of this study was to conduct an analysis of reported events concerning Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) strandings in the middle Magdalena Basin region of Colombia from January 2011 to December 2023. To achieve this, a literature search was conducted in newspapers, news broadcasts, as well as gray and published reports, complemented by interviews and workshops with various governmental and non-governmental organizations. This search resulted in reliable information regarding past experiences involving stranded manatees over the years. Cases attended to by the environmental authority and its partners were also considered. Forty-four stranding events were recorded, with 34 deaths and 10 live manatees. Of the cases discovered, 79.5% of the reported cases were addressed. This effort highlighted the current lack of an official database that would provide firsthand knowledge of Antillean manatee stranding events in Colombia, thereby hindering timely and appropriate territorial management during response to the challenges faced by this species in the region. Furthermore, it underscores the need to implement a standardized response pathway for manatee cases, following appropriate protocols, and promoting the coordination of stakeholders within the regional stranding network in the middle Magdalena Basin. This approach, in addition to supporting the capacity building of communities, institutions, and organizations for improving response knowledge, conservation, and manatee recovery, is of paramount importance for the long-term sustainability of manatee populations in the region.

A protocol for stakeholder engagement in deliver-EE: A pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness trial evaluating effects of meal delivery on the ability of homebound older adults to remain in the community

BackgroundFew clinical trials include a detailed protocol for stakeholder engagement in the design and execution of the clinical trial. Deliver-EE is a pragmatic clinical trial to assess how different types of home-delivered meals can affect older adults' health and well-being. We present the protocol for stakeholder engagement in this national, multi-site trial and initial findings from our efforts. MethodsTwenty-nine participants were recruited to two stakeholder advisory panels. The “Lived Experience Perspectives” panel is defined as the clients, caregivers, and meal delivery drivers with first-hand knowledge and lived experiences with meal delivery. The “System Perspectives” panel is defined as representatives from the larger financial, clinical, regulatory, and operational environments in which meal delivery to homebound older adults operate. Together, these two groups holistically represent interested parties that coordinate the interdependent elements of meal delivery to homebound older adults in order to: 1) inform our understanding of what matters most to older adults, their families, and the larger health and social care systems; 2) provide strategies to overcome challenges conducting the study; 3) enhance dissemination and uptake of study findings; and 4) identify opportunities for future research. ResultsAlthough stakeholder partners share a common goal of using home-delivered meals as a method to improve outcomes for homebound older adults, individuals have different goals for participating as advisors in this research. ConclusionsUnderstanding what individual stakeholders hope to gain from their participation is critical in designing an effective engagement protocol and critical for meaningful and rigorous stakeholder engagement in clinical trials.

81 A rapid-cycle application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research allows timely identification of barriers and facilitators to implementing the World Health Organization’s Emergency Care Toolkit in Zambia

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Implementation science evaluations are often too time-intensive to provide actionable feedback during implementation, suggesting the need for more agile methods. We present an evaluation of the World Health Organization’s Emergency Care Toolkit implementation in Zambia using rapid qualitative methods to provide timely feedback. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We evaluated the implementation of the Emergency Care Toolkit in eight general and referral hospitals in Zambia in 2023 using a rapid-cycle, qualitative template analysis approach grounded in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We gathered qualitative data from operational field notes, focus groups, and key informant interviews of administrators, clinicians, nurses, and support staff in all eight hospitals in Zambia. We parsimoniously applied CFIR constructs and tool-specific codes, focused on barriers and facilitators, to allow for rapid but comprehensive cross-case analysis. The results were used to generate a matrix of stakeholder-relevant, plain-language barriers and facilitators for each tool. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We completed eight site visits with focus groups and interviews following initial implementation in September 2023 to gather firsthand knowledge related to implementation of the Toolkit. The CFIR-focused coding accelerated analysis by centering on barriers and facilitators for each tool while maintaining a comprehensive evaluation framework. Summary tables of barriers and facilitators were easily interpreted by lay stakeholders. Visualization in tables allowed for identification of common themes across tools and hospitals, making comprehensive recommendations to the implementation and dissemination process quickly possible. We anticipate the study findings will empower implementing partners to make timely, actionable improvements. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Rapid-cycle qualitative implementation evaluations allow for rigorous yet timely feedback on the implementation process compared to traditional methods. This efficient strategy is particularly important in resource-constrained environments where inefficient implementation wastes limited resources and create delays that cost lives.

Assessment of knowledge of primary research among post-graduate student-teachers

Primary research gives us first-hand knowledge and new ways of thinking about a subject or question, and it is an important part of both academic and scientific inquiry. It means getting information from experiments, surveys, interviews, observations, and other ways of gathering information. This kind of study is necessary to find out novel ideas, test hypotheses, and prove that theories are correct. This study investigates the knowledge of primary research among post-graduate student-teachers. The study has been conducted on a representative sample of 100 post-graduate student-teachers. A questionnaire developed and validated by the researcher has been used to collect the data. The statistical techniques t-test, two-way ANOVA, and Tukey’s multiple posthoc procedures were used for the analysis. The study found significant differences between post-graduate education (M.Ed.) and physical education (M.P.Ed.), male and female student-teachers with knowledge scores towards conducting primary research.

Biochemical Profiling of the Rinds of Commercial Watermelon Cultivars in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Watermelon rind, often considered agricultural waste and frequently disposed of, contributes to environmental problems and biomass loss. This study seeks to analyze the distinct Biochemical profiles of watermelon rind, highlighting variations among different cultivars of Bangalore, Karnataka. Total soluble solids, pH, Moisture, titratable acidity, total carbohydrates, total proteins, ash, fat, total energy, fibre, total sugars, total phenolic contents, total antioxidant activity and L*, a*, b* color values were estimated for six local commercial varieties to observe the differences between them. The rinds of all six cultivars had significant variations for all the parameters. This study provides the first-hand knowledge regarding watermelon rind biochemical profiles and cultivar difference and shows the potential use of rind in food or beverages due to its naturally contained bioactive compounds.

Industrial Training Program During COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceptions and Challenges

An industrial training program provides working experience to the final-year students to prepare them for the real world. However, these industrial training students were affected in completing the program when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world from 2020 until 2021. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the students’ perceptions of the skills required before joining an industrial training program and to find out the challenges industrial training students faced at the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the research objectives of this study, a qualitative approach was employed among five industrial training students who had completed their industrial training program during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were interviewed and video-recorded. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis. The study's findings show that the students valued five specific skills before joining an industrial training program: leadership, proactive, knowledge management, ICT, and communication skills. Meanwhile, there were two significant challenges faced by the students in completing the industrial training program during the COVID-19 pandemic which missed out on the opportunities to gain firsthand knowledge from their managers and coworkers, and also communication issues including in receiving tasks and guidance, as well as immediate feedback from the supervisors. Thus, universities need to offer courses or activities that help students develop relevant skills that are suitable for WFO and WFH working situations to prepare them for the industrial training program. The quantitative data method can be used to collect extensive data for further study to gain a deeper understanding of the problem.

Assessment of the Spatiotemporal Variability of Urban Heat Island Intensity in Colombo Metropolitan Area


 
 
 During the last few decades, the Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA) has experienced rapid population growth and unplanned urbanization, resulting in the replacement of natural landcover with more impervious surfaces. The primary approach of current study was to determine the gradients of air temperature and assess the spatiotemporal variation of atmospheric urban heat island (AUHI) intensity in the CMA considering a range of rural sites extending in different radial directions from the urban center. A total of sixteen rural observation sites that extend from an urban center in four directions were selected within the CMA, with four sites 3.5 km apart from each other in any direction. The air temperatures at each site were measured using HOBO UX-100-003 temperature data loggers for an 8-day period from 21st to 28th, of February 2022. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference building index (NDBI) were used to determine the influence of land use/land cover on air temperatures. The results revealed that air temperature had a strong positive correlation with NDBI. Thus, the current study suggests that the impervious surface/s is a significant predictor of air temperature over the study area. The higher air temperatures were observed at the urban center in relation to the selected suburban and rural observation sites. Hence, the current study confirms that AUHI exists within the selected study area over the CMA. It was found that AUHI tends to be present throughout the day in the CMA. However, it becomes strong between 12.00 A.M. and 6.00 A.M and mostly weakens in the late afternoon hours. Furthermore, this study found that the timing and magnitudes of AUHI vary from direction to direction across the study area depending on the site-specific characteristics of the rural observation sites. The current study emphasizes that site-specific land use/land cover characteristics can have a significant impact on the interpretation of UHI study results even within a single metropolitan area. Therefore, taking only one rural site might not be effective in determining the UHI intensity and a range of sites need to be considered (to select from) for in-depth analysis of UHI in any given area. The findings of the current study will provide firsthand knowledge for urban planners to identify future trends in UHI in the CMA and will promote further UHI research in this area.
 Keywords: Rural observation site, Atmospheric urban heat island, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
 
 

Marion Evelyn Hong before and after the Curse of the Quon Gwon (1916)

This article is a result of an invitation to share the authors’ knowledge and family stories and offer perspectives about Marion E. Hong (1895–1969, also known as Marion Evelyn Wong). The intent is to provide scholars and researchers with first-hand knowledge about Marion’s life milestones and experiences directly from her family. The main source for the content of this article comes from remembrances of Marion’s descendants and documents as well as photographs in the Kumaradjaja Family History Archive. As Marion’s direct descendants, the authors offer first-hand knowledge about her and insight into possible motivations for making the silent motion picture film The Curse of the Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles with the West (dir. Marion E. Wong, Mandarin Film Company, US, 1916). Lisa Kumaradjaja is Marion’s granddaughter; Lisa’s mother, Arabella Hong Young, is Marion’s daughter who followed in Marion’s footsteps as a singer, performer, and entrepreneur. This article is written by the granddaughter and great-grandson of Marion E. Hong, Lisa Kumaradjaja and Chris Kumaradjaja, who now serve as the family historians. Information for this article has been gathered from the Kumaradjaja Family History Archive, family oral histories, as well as Lisa’s direct recollections of Marion.

Crisis exercise in the framework of coastal geohazards: Experience in the Balearic islands (Spain)

Within an international cooperation network (France, Spain and Portugal) involving researchers, first responders and civil protection authorities, a crisis exercise was held simultaneously in Mallorca and Ibiza (Balearic Islands, Spain). The objectives were to test crisis management procedures defined by operational actors, integrating new developed scientific tools related to landslides and rockfalls, as well as the internal relationship with the new created Technical Advisory Committee. The initiative included a training module for all stakeholders before the exercise explaining the scientific tools used for supporting the decision-making process during the exercise, as well as a field trip in the Tramuntana range in Mallorca to gain first-hand knowledge of the geological hazards threatening the region, mainly rockfalls. More than 70 people were involved in the training exercise, including researchers, civil protection, civil guard, municipalities, representants of the autonomous regions, local and regional crisis management managers from different French and Spanish entities, etc. At the end of the exercise, a joint analysis was made of the strengths and weaknesses found during the development of the exercise and propositions of improvements were made. Local and regional authorities concluded that, thanks to the exercise, they are better prepared to deal with georisks induced by extreme weather, mainly landslides and rockfalls. The scientific community understood the type of operational products they should develop for decision support during disaster risk crises. This experience emphasizes the need to create stronger links between the scientific community and civil protection stakeholders.