General Knowledge Research Articles

Outcomes of Concept-Based Curricula: An Integrative Review.

Complexity and change in health care environments, the rapid pace of knowledge generation, and changing education policy have led to national calls for change in nursing education. Many nursing programs have adopted a concept-based curriculum (CBC) to address these challenges. Yet, much is still uncertain about the outcomes and effectiveness of CBC, which requires large scale, time-consuming, and resource-intensive change. This integrative review assesses the outcomes of CBC in nursing higher education with a focus on the comparison of CBC to traditional curricula. The four relevant themes that emerged after an extensive literature review were critical thinking/clinical judgment, NCLEX-RN© (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) pass rates, graduation rates, and student satisfaction scores. Overall, the evidence base is not robust. A valid and reliable tool to measure clinical judgment is needed. The review specifically addresses CBC effects on student critical thinking and clinical judgment, traditional outcome metrics, (NCLEX-RN success, graduation rates, and student satisfaction), and other perceived benefits. The authors found promising results on the effect CBC may have on critical thinking and clinical judgment and other perceived benefits. Findings were inconclusive on traditional outcome metrics. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].

Clustering Open Data for Predictive Modeling of Residential Energy Consumption across Variable Scales: A Case Study in Andalusia, Spain

The energy budget of households, linked to residential energy consumption (REC), serves as a critical indicator of quality of life and economy trends. Despite the lack of widely available accurate statistics at regional or smaller scales, they are of crucial interest for a better understanding of the features influencing REC and its impact on energy poverty, wellbeing, and the climate crisis. This research aims to present a new information model for predictive parameters and REC forecasting through an innovative use of available open data. Geoprocessing, data mining, and machine learning clustering algorithms were applied to open datasets of location, population, and residential building stock parameters highly correlated with their REC, on the ensemble of 785 municipalities of Andalusia, Spain. The model identified 65 clusters of towns sharing the same potential REC, with 73% of the population concentrated in 10 of these. The resulting data-driven bottom-up model of provincial REC had a mean absolute error of only 0.63%. Furthermore, it provided the territorial distribution, with local resolution, of the identified clusters of cities with similar characteristics. This methodology, with a flexible regional- to city-scale analysis, provides knowledge generation that offers numerous practical applications for energy policy planning. Its future implementation would assist stakeholders and policymakers in enhancing the performance and decarbonization of the residential building stock.

Digital skills in the use of artificial intelligence tools for the formulation of formative research projects from the TECSIS Research Seminar.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has promoted a change in the way research and innovation (R&D) is performed bringing new perspectives, automating time and routine tasks contributing to the generation of knowledge. To take full advantage of the potential of AI, it is proposed to develop strategic digital skills for the use of artificial intelligence tools in the formulation of formative research projects from the TECSIS Research Seminar. The methodology corresponds to a qualitative research with a descriptive analytical approach with a cross-sectional approach in four stages: analysis, design, evaluation and dissemination. The population under study includes the students of the special programs of Computer Engineering and Systems Technology of the University of Caldas. The expected result is the characterization of strategic digital skills of use for the formulation of formative research projects. This project will contribute in the development of a methodological route that exposes in a practical and applied way the strategic digital skills of use of AI tools for the formulation of formative research projects for the special programs of the University.

How consumers’ digital engagement affects regional innovation capacity in China?

Digital technology has altered the geographic distribution of knowledge in regional innovation. Existing studies emphasize the role of firms in the digitalization and innovation nexus, whereas there is little evidence on the effect of consumers' digital engagement on innovation capacity. Using data of 211 cities from 2015 to 2018 in China, this study investigates whether and how consumers' digital engagement affects regional innovation capacity. Our empirical results show that cities with greater knowledge diffusion embedded in consumer digital engagement benefit more from increased regional innovation capacity. Further analyses show that cities with higher digital consumer participation have higher innovation output, more entrepreneurial activities, and increased financial access, boosting city-level knowledge generation and commercialization. Our findings also reveal that consumers’ digital engagement is more beneficial in relatively developing regions, including western, peripheral, and less innovative cities, thereby alleviating the concentration of innovation to some extent.

Collaborative construction of meaning: facilitating sensemaking moments through aesthetic knowledge generation

ABSTRACT In times of accelerating digital transformation processes, it is of crucial importance to convey the meaningfulness of digital work processes to stakeholders. In the current research, the authors provide means for exploring immersive digital interaction for collaborative meaning construction. Thereby, Knowledge Management (KM) activities comprise instantiating and guiding individual and collective sensemaking processes, focusing on the effects of aesthetics and embodiment, i.e. human senses, and the human body. When performing actions in digital sensemaking stakeholders attribute meaning to work tasks through embodied agency and aesthetic performative awareness. The contribution demonstrates how active and traceable knowledge generation can be induced. Knowledge generation needs to be accompanied by an aesthetic coding scheme targeting shared perception and knowledge elicitation.

Knowledge exchange in the arctic environmental studies: Bridging science and the local community in dialogue

In the context of accelerated climate dynamics and uncertainties surrounding climate change research, collaborative approaches to knowledge generation are increasingly cited as a pathway needed for navigating the complexity of challenges. There is a widespread consensus that researcher-community joint expertise deepens our understanding of climatic changes. However, how this unfolds in practical settings lacks rigorous empirical support in the landscape of contemporary environmental studies. The article focuses on the intrinsic process of expert knowledge exchange and creating knowledge-in-action space for meaningful community-researcher partnerships. Addressing these issues draws upon experiences facilitating public events for diverse audiences in different countries and varying settings of scale, format and level of engagement. This account refers to the essential role of dialogue, interactivity, culturally sensitive devotion and visualization as powerful tools in building a platform for knowledge co-creation. It analyzes different ways of designing knowledge exchange that give access to a spectrum of experimentation, self-reflection and liaison with art but also requires mobilizing ethics and flexibility.

Improving smallholders' capacity building by creating an enabling environment for sustainable crop production

CONTEXTSustainably improving food production to meet the needs of a growing population necessitates a dual-pronged approach involving both top-down policy support from governments and grassroots support from social organizations. The combination of these two elements can yield comprehensive and systematic solutions for sustainable crop production, particularly in smallholder-dominated agriculture. However, integrating these approaches to empower smallholders with advanced agricultural technologies and enhance crop sustainability remains a subject that warrants further investigation. OBJECTIVESWe explored collaborative practices for the integration of resources using a dual-pronged approach to empower smallholders for sustainable crop production. METHODSThe DPSIR framework was applied to our case study. Using stratified and random sampling, 258 farmers were recruited from Quzhou, China. We divided the participants into three groups: six farmers who had worked with China-founded Science and Technology backyards (STBs) for 15 years as leading farmers (LF), 90 neighboring farmers (NF) who were closely related to LF, and 162 traditional farmers (TF) from three villages in Quzhou who were not related to STBs. An intervention experiment focusing on the LF and NF was conducted. Interviews were conducted with 258 farmers after harvesting wheat. In addition, we used statistical analyses to examine the differences in yield and economic and environmental benefits among the different groups. Multiple linear regression was used to determine how different factors affected wheat yield, net profit, and technology adoption. We used a mediation model to analyze the mechanisms by which enabling environmental creation affects sustainable production by empowering farmers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSCompared to TF, LF and NF increased social value by 31% and 25%, technology trust by 16% and 5%, and willingness to accept green production technologies and adoption behavior by 20% and 21%, respectively. In addition, LF and NF achieved wheat yield increases accompanied by net profit gains of 86% and 13%, respectively, and LF demonstrated 53% and 52% reductions in nitrogen surplus compared to TF and NF, respectively. The study found that the synergy of social organizations and government support promoted farmers' knowledge generation and sustainable agricultural production by increasing their social value and technology trust. SIGNIFICANCEThis study underscores the pivotal role of STBs in bridging these two approaches and facilitating an environment that empowers smallholders for sustainable crop production. This study provides initial insights into a multi-actor, co-participation-based approach to promoting farmers' capacity, which provides important information for future agricultural policy development and implementation.

Introducing Attribute Association Graphs to Facilitate Medical Data Exploration: Development and Evaluation Using Epidemiological Study Data.

Interpretability and intuitive visualization facilitate medical knowledge generation through big data. In addition, robustness to high-dimensional and missing data is a requirement for statistical approaches in the medical domain. A method tailored to the needs of physicians must meet all the abovementioned criteria. This study aims to develop an accessible tool for visual data exploration without the need for programming knowledge, adjusting complex parameterizations, or handling missing data. We sought to use statistical analysis using the setting of disease and control cohorts familiar to clinical researchers. We aimed to guide the user by identifying and highlighting data patterns associated with disease and reveal relations between attributes within the data set. We introduce the attribute association graph, a novel graph structure designed for visual data exploration using robust statistical metrics. The nodes capture frequencies of participant attributes in disease and control cohorts as well as deviations between groups. The edges represent conditional relations between attributes. The graph is visualized using the Neo4j (Neo4j, Inc) data platform and can be interactively explored without the need for technical knowledge. Nodes with high deviations between cohorts and edges of noticeable conditional relationship are highlighted to guide the user during the exploration. The graph is accompanied by a dashboard visualizing variable distributions. For evaluation, we applied the graph and dashboard to the Hamburg City Health Study data set, a large cohort study conducted in the city of Hamburg, Germany. All data structures can be accessed freely by researchers, physicians, and patients. In addition, we developed a user test conducted with physicians incorporating the System Usability Scale, individual questions, and user tasks. We evaluated the attribute association graph and dashboard through an exemplary data analysis of participants with a general cardiovascular disease in the Hamburg City Health Study data set. All results extracted from the graph structure and dashboard are in accordance with findings from the literature, except for unusually low cholesterol levels in participants with cardiovascular disease, which could be induced by medication. In addition, 95% CIs of Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for all associations identified during the data analysis, confirming the results. In addition, a user test with 10 physicians assessing the usability of the proposed methods was conducted. A System Usability Scale score of 70.5% and average successful task completion of 81.4% were reported. The proposed attribute association graph and dashboard enable intuitive visual data exploration. They are robust to high-dimensional as well as missing data and require no parameterization. The usability for clinicians was confirmed via a user test, and the validity of the statistical results was confirmed by associations known from literature and standard statistical inference.

Politicizing science funding undermines public trust in science, academic freedom, and the unbiased generation of knowledge.

This commentary documents how federal funding agencies are changing the criteria by which they distribute taxpayer money intended for scientific research. Increasingly, STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) funding agencies are requiring applicants for funding to include a plan to advance DEI ("Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion") in their proposals and to dedicate a part of the research budget to its implementation. These mandates undermine the academic freedom of researchers and the unbiased generation of knowledge needed for a well-functioning democracy. Maintaining excellence in science is fundamental to the continuation of the U.S. as a global economic leader. Science provides a basis for solving important global challenges such as security, energy, climate, and health. Diverting funding from science into activities unrelated to the production of knowledge undermines science's ability to serve humankind. When funding agencies politicize science by using their power to further a particular ideological agenda, they contribute to public mistrust in science. Hijacking science funding to promote DEI is thus a threat to our society.

Neo-Colonialism and the Emancipation of Indigenous Religions of Africa: Reconnoitring Reformist Possibilities

Africa is considered to be the second largest continent of the world—only subsequent to Asia. However, its intellectual and cultural contributions to the world remain among the least influential, if not the most undermined, particularly when one considers the written records about the continent and its people as sources and generators of knowledge. Much of what is known of Africa is anchored in the perceptions and attitudes of missionaries, merchants, and historians who occupied the continent due to foreign religious persuasions, commerce, or some biographical accounts of the continent and its people that aided and advanced the undertakings of colonisers in subduing the Africans. In such a context, the African narrative was told from an otherly view, with the main objects of reconnoitring being treated as spectators. For this reason, the essence of the indigenous religions of Africa was destabilised. Using document analysis as a methodological approach, this study critically reflects on neo-colonialism as a system that thwarted the development of indigenous religions of Africa; shows how such a system eroded indigenous religions, such as the San, Ibibio, and Basotho religions; and offers a reformist approach in which the emancipation of indigenous religions of Africa may be based.

Strategies for Herbal Knowledge Inheritance Through Non-Formal Education in Traditional Villages

In the current context of globalization, the process of passing on traditional knowledge, particularly in relation to medicinal plant applications, faces significant hurdles. Kampung Adat Dangiang, facing this challenge, has initiated the establishment of Sekolah Adat as a non-formal education initiative aimed at the conservation and transmission of cultural and traditional knowledge to the next generation. This research investigates Sekolah Adat in Kampung Dangiang as an institution that plays an important role in knowledge preservation, where traditional healing principles and ritualistic practices are passed on across generations. Qualitative methodology, specifically case studies, was adopted in this research, providing a more narrative and exploratory approach to data collection. Through direct interaction, observation of daily rituals, and literature review, the research gathered information enriched by snowball sampling techniques from informants. The results reveal Sekolah Adat as an entity steeped in traditional values, functioning not only as an educational institution but as a living repository of medicinal plant knowledge and ritual practices. The Sekolah Adat introduces a unique pedagogical approach, combining lectures, demonstrations and practical applications, which overall enriches the spiritual existence of learners. The program creates a synergy between traditional herbal wisdom, modern chemical principles, and deep inner healing techniques. Although this integration of tradition and modernity poses challenges, especially in the aspect of scientific validation of ancestral practices, a strong commitment to the efficacy of traditional medicine, supported by generations of knowledge and anecdotes, continues to overcome such obstacles. In conclusion, Sekolah Adat Dangiang stands as a testament to the resilience of traditions that are able to adapt elegantly amidst the changing modern world. It signifies the importance of local wisdom in keeping cultural heritage alive and relevant amidst fast-changing global dynamics.

The Natural Infection of Freshwater Snails with the Avian Air Sac Fluke, Cyclocoelum mutabile (Trematoda: Cyclocoelidae), in Brazil

Trematodes of the family Cyclocoelidae are parasites mainly of the respiratory system of birds and present a cosmopolitan distribution. Although infection with these flukes can result in pathological changes and even bird death, information on their life cycles is scarce and almost entirely based on experimental infection data. Thus, the generation of knowledge on the mollusks that act as natural intermediate hosts of cyclocoelids is necessary and can aid control measures against these air sac trematodes. In the present study, gastropod mollusks collected in an urban stream from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were subjected to the compression technique for the detection of non-emerging larval trematodes. Tailless cercariae with confluent ceca were found in 8/30 (26.7%) specimens of Biomphalaria glabrata and 3/33 (9.1%) specimen of Physella acuta. Samples of the cercariae were subjected to morphological characterization and genetic study (28S, Cox-1, and Nad-1). For comparative purposes, adult trematodes previously collected in the air sac of a common gallinule (Gallinula galeata) found dead in another waterbody from the same region were also characterized. The molecular sequences obtained revealed a high degree of similarity (100% in 28S, 99.2% in Cox-1, and 99.5% in Nad-1) between larval stages found in mollusks and adult parasites found in G. galeata and morphologically identified as Cyclocoelum mutabile. The conspecificity with this widely distributed cyclocoelid was also corroborated by phylogenetic analysis and comparison with isolates of this species previously characterized in Peru and the Czech Republic (99.4–100% and 96.7–97.0% of similarity in Nad-1, respectively). Thus, the integrative analysis carried out in the present work enabled us to identify C. mutabile in mollusks in South America for the first time. The finding of B. glabrata and P. acuta as new intermediate hosts corroborates the importance of freshwater gastropods in the transmission of C. mutabile, as well as the low specificity to the mollusk group, as previously characterized through experimental studies.

Innovative approaches for vaccine trials as a key component of pandemic preparedness - a white paper.

WHO postulates the application of adaptive design features in the global clinical trial ecosystem. However, the adaptive platform trial (APT) methodology has not been widely adopted in clinical research on vaccines. The VACCELERATE Consortium organized a two-day workshop to discuss the applicability of APT methodology in vaccine trials under non-pandemic as well as pandemic conditions. Core aspects of the discussions are summarized in this article. An "ever-warm" APT appears ideally suited to improve efficiency and speed of vaccine research. Continuous learning based on accumulating APT trial data allows for pre-planned adaptations during its course. Given the relative design complexity, alignment of all stakeholders at all stages of an APT is central. Vaccine trial modelling is crucial, both before and in a pandemic emergency. Various inferential paradigms are possible (frequentist, likelihood, or Bayesian). The focus in the interpandemic interval may be on research gaps left by industry trials. For activation in emergency, template Disease X protocols of syndromal design for pathogens yet unknown need to be stockpiled and updated regularly. Governance of a vaccine APT should be fully integrated into supranational pandemic response mechanisms. A broad range of adaptive features can be applied in platform trials on vaccines. Faster knowledge generation comes with increased complexity of trial design. Design complexity should not preclude simple execution at trial sites. Continuously generated evidence represents a return on investment that will garner societal support for sustainable funding. Adaptive design features will naturally find their way into platform trials on vaccines.

‘That’s how we all learn to get along’ – learning in and through ball games in Swedish Physical Education and Health

ABSTRACT Ball games are common content in school physical education and health (PEH), particularly in Sweden. However, criticism has been directed at ball games for focusing too much on performance and competition. In this paper, we explore the learning that occurs in ball games beyond subject-specific knowledge and skills. Data was generated through observations and interviews with four different PEH classes at an upper-secondary school in southern Sweden. Data analysis was based on Uljens’ (2023. Non-affirmative Theory of Education and Bildung (1st ed.). Springer International Publishing.) non-affirmative theory. The findings show that the students learn both subject-specific (e.g. sport techniques, skills, rules and game sense) and generic knowledge and skills (e.g. cooperation, care and providing equal opportunities for everyone) in and through ball games. The findings further draw attention to how more students participate in and learn from ball games when performance and competition is not in focus and when forms of ball games that are less known to the students are used. To conclude, the paper argues that the learning objectives in ball games need to be re-articulated to focus more on the important generic knowledge and skills that students can learn from this PEH content.

Psychosocial factors that favor citizen participation in the generation of scientific knowledge

BackgroundCitizen participation in the generation of scientific knowledge is one of the major challenges facing science and technology systems. This study takes a psychosocial approach to analyzing the process whereby citizens participate in science.MethodA specific questionnaire was answered by 1002 residents of Spain belonging to different age groups, occupations, and education levels.ResultsCluster analysis revealed two profiles: a minority group of people who are well informed, motivated, and interested, recognize the value and impact of science, and would be willing to donate money for and participate in science projects, and a group of people of the opposite profile who feel little if any interest in science. A logistic regression model designed to find the variables that contribute the most to participation showed that gender is a major predictor of participation and that knowing people who have participated in scientific projects is another important motivating factor.ConclusionsOnly a minority group of the population (young, university-educated women) participates prominently in scientific projects. Strategic initiatives are needed to increase the engagement of institutions and the public in citizen science.

The Technology Evolution and Future Trend of Smart Blackboard

As an important tool for educational digitization, the function of the smart blackboard has gradually evolved from a single teaching information-sharing tool to a smart system for knowledge expression, sharing and generation. Smart blackboard technology has been experienced from chalk + blackboard to projection equipment + blackboard, to interactive electronic whiteboard, and then to today's integrated touch, high-definition display and artificial intelligence technology. The evolution process of the smart blackboard is characterized by interactivity, effectiveness and intelligence. At present, the smart blackboard has become a collection of many advanced technologies. It is gradually integrated into modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data analysis and the Internet of Things, making remote collaboration and intelligent classroom management possible. It has become a smart system for big data collection, mining and analysis, evaluation and feedback, and teaching decision-making. Looking forward to the future, the smart blackboard will pay more attention to user experience design, provide an immersive learning experience through Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technology, and optimize personalized teaching content in combination with machine learning, to lay a foundation for building an intelligent and personalized teaching environment.

Fusing domain knowledge with machine learning: A public sector perspective

Machine learning (ML) offers widely-recognized, but complex, opportunities for both public and private sector organizations to generate value from data. A key requirement is that organizations must find ways to develop new knowledge by merging crucial ‘domain knowledge’ of experts in relevant fields with ‘machine knowledge’, i.e., data that can be used to inform predictive models. In this paper, we argue that understanding the process of generating such knowledge is essential to strategically develop ML. In efforts to contribute to such understanding, we examine the generation of new knowledge from domain knowledge through ML via an exploratory study of two cases in the Swedish public sector. The findings reveal the roles of three mechanisms – dubbed consolidation, algorithmic mediation, and naturalization – in tying domain knowledge to machine knowledge. The study contributes a theory of knowledge production related to organizational use of ML, with important implications for its strategic governance, particularly in the public sector.

Groundwater Arsenic Contamination in the Indo-Gangetic Plain of Bihar: The Psychological Well-being and Quality of Life of its Diseased Inhabitants

The health impacts of groundwater arsenic contamination are only partially known until the arsenic menace is deciphered from a psychological standpoint. Arsenic toxicity’s psychological health and well-being perspective is warranted to attain sustainable development goal 3 of the United Nations towards good health and well-being for all. This study assesses psychological well-being and its substantial effect on the quality of life of the arsenic-affected diseased inhabitants of Bihar who reside in the middle Indo-Gangetic plain. Cross-sectional correlational survey research was done on a sample of 382 inhabitants drawn through purposive sampling. T-test, correlation, and regression analysis were employed for the purpose. The psychological well-being of the arsenic-affected diseased inhabitants was poor compared to that of their healthy counterparts. Further, the quality of life of this population is strongly associated with and affected by their psychological well-being. Findings call for immediate attention and intervention from mental health professionals and policymakers. Knowledge generation about the psychological health impacts of groundwater arsenic contamination paves a path to improved human resources and well-being for sustainable development.

How global and national institutions interactively shape firms’ commitment to innovation regimes in latecomer countries

We investigate how the duality of innovation regimes in latecomer countries is institutionally shaped. We first specify the firm-level mechanism of commitment to both knowledge use and knowledge generation regimes with reference to the allocation of government grants across investments in machinery and equipment, and in research and development. Then, we theorize the interactive effects of global and national institutional systems on firms’ commitment to these innovation regimes. Our analysis of firm-level data from 16 latecomer countries classified as either hierarchical or collaborative national institutional systems indicates that, although firms are committed to both innovation regimes, the effect of global cultural rationalization steers firms toward the knowledge generation regime and away from the knowledge use regime. However, this movement away from the knowledge use regime due to rationalization is weaker in hierarchical systems. We contribute to the innovation regime literature by elucidating the firm-level duality in innovation regimes subject to global and national institutional effects.

Casimir Effect in MEMS: Materials, Geometries, and Metrologies-A Review.

Casimir force densities, i.e., force per area, become very large if two solid material surfaces come closer together to each other than 10 nm. In most cases, the forces are attractive. In some cases, they can be repulsive depending on the solid materials and the fluid medium in between. This review provides an overview of experimental and theoretical studies that have been performed and focuses on four main aspects: (i) the combinations of different materials, (ii) the considered geometries, (iii) the applied experimental measurement methodologies and (iv) a novel self-assembly methodology based on Casimir forces. Briefly reviewed is also the influence of additional parameters such as temperature, conductivity, and surface roughness. The Casimir effect opens many application possibilities in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), where an overview is also provided. The knowledge generation in this fascinating field requires interdisciplinary approaches to generate synergetic effects between technological fabrication metrology, theoretical simulations, the establishment of adequate models, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Finally, multiple applications are addressed as a research roadmap.