Innovative Planning Research Articles

Islamic Education Planning: The Concept of Educational Management in Madrasah

This study aims to understand the important role of educational management planning in Madrasah in achieving national education goals. The methodology used is a literature study with a qualitative approach, collecting data from references to books, journals, archives, and related documents. The results of the study indicate that educational management planning has a significant influence on the effectiveness of other management functions, such as organizing, motivating, and supervising. In conclusion, good planning allows educational institutions to direct strategic steps towards achieving long-term visions effectively and efficiently. The novelty of this study lies in the in-depth analysis of the application of educational philosophy in educational management planning in Madrasah, as well as its influence on the national education system. The recommendation from this study is the need to increase awareness among education stakeholders to adopt a more responsive and innovative planning model to face future educational challenges

Roadmap for rebuilding the health system and scenarios of crisis path in Gaza.

The horrific attacks on Gaza have had a profound impact on Gaza's health system, culminating in a multidimensional crisis. The deliberate destruction of vital infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, housing, and public facilities, coupled with the deaths and injuries of medical personnel and support workers has only exacerbated the situation and further highlighted the existing gaps. This unprecedented catastrophe proves the criticality of adopting a new national inclusive integrated approach to meeting the immediate and long-term needs of the population. In this perspective, we explore the recovery roadmap features for rebuilding the health system in Gaza, specifically focusing on determining the primary challenges that might emerge, the trajectory of recovery, and the expected crisis scenarios. The existing evidence and perspectives of key stakeholders, including state and non-state health authorities in Palestine were synthesised. Despite some local and international initiatives undertaken to generate a concrete road to recovery, there remains a need for realistic, innovative, and comprehensive Marshall plans to rebuild Gaza's health system. The article draws on insights and gaps in current efforts and underscores the urgent need to address the challenges of rebuilding the health system. The authors strive to offer an inclusive and realistic path with the potential scenarios toward recovery and resilience considering the mass levels of loss and damage, and ways to move forward for building back a resilient health system in Gaza.

Hybrid Mobile Robot Path Planning Using Safe JBS-A*B Algorithm and Improved DWA Based on Monocular Camera

This paper addresses the formidable challenge of enabling autonomous navigation in Mobile Robots (MRs), focusing on the development of advanced path planning strategies. Despite their pivotal role in diverse applications, they face challenges in dynamic settings due to limitation in existing Global Path Planning (GPP) and Local Path Planning (LPP) techniques. In response to this, we propose an innovative hybrid path planning approach that enhances the A* algorithm with a risk-aware heuristic function and integrates the Jump Point Search (JPS) technique for route optimization. Additionally, B-spline smoothing is employed for perceptually global trajectory refinement. Our approach also includes an innovative improvement to the Dynamic Window Approach (DWA) to align with the proposed enhanced A* algorithm for effective local navigation. Acknowledging the importance of high-quality input in path planning, we present substantial improvements to the IRDC-Net, a monocular-image semantic-segmentation model that we studied previously. Novel improvements include the integration of quantization and the Adam optimizer, along with the implementation of the Balanced Cross-Entropy loss function. These enhancements not only elevate the output quality of IRDC-Net but also reduce the model’s training parameters. The experimental results demonstrate the performance and viability of the proposed algorithm. Ultimately, the hybrid MR’s path planning algorithm exhibits proficiency across various tasks, particularly in addressing the challenge of evading moving obstacles to ensure the robot’s safety while adhering to the global path.

Strategic planning of technological innovation and the competitiveness of small Mexican enterprises

The process of technological innovation and its strategic planning (TISP) is a complex subject that small enterprises must tackle to achieve effective competitiveness (BC). Both subjects have several factors and actions that more of the small Mexican enterprises do not consider so they have low competitiveness. The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between the TISP and the Competitiveness of SMEs (BC), through the hypothetic-deductive method with a correlation scope, with the analysis of some factors such as the definition and composition of its technological platform, actions of change in it; the generation of capacities, their investment capacity, the agile response to environmental changes, and the analysis of the market and competitors, for the study variables. Throw a research instrument applied to 40 businesses in empirical research we find a 0.904 correlation factor so we propose a model that exhibits the variables and dimensions selected in this research.

Exploring the Affordances of Vernacular Digital Games in Developing 21st-Century Skills

The past decade has witnessed an unprecedented surge in technological advancements and an exponential growth in mobile device ownership world-wide. Such transformations have intensified access to digital content, opening up new avenues for non-formal learning. This was particularly true during subsequent crises such as the COVID-19 Pandemic and natural and man-made disasters which have disrupted formal learning and left many learners immobilised. This paper contends that capitalising on the intersection of formal and non-formal learning experiences is integral to innovative planning and value-added education. To dismiss engagement in non-formal leaning transactions is to exclude a significant part of learners’ cognitive processes, preferences and experiences. In particular, this paper focuses on vernacular digital games as an apt example of pervasive technology and a non-formal learning arena. Described as a popular culture text, vernacular games are originally intended for entertainment, as opposed to pedagogical, purposes. However, embedded in their designs are social and developmental affordances that render them potent tools for serendipitous learning and dynamic spaces for developing competencies. In the light of this, this paper proposes a move from gamification, i.e. adding a gaming layer to non-gaming contexts, to adding an educational layer to non-formal digital gaming contexts. To consolidate this proposal, it investigates the 21st-century competencies reportedly acquired and developed through digital gameplay. It also delves into possible design-related paradoxes. More precisely, the paper reflects on how key game design features such as multimodality, adaptivity, cultural narratives and affinity spaces can be harnessed to better cultivate much in-demand 21st-century skills. Although learning skills (in their metacognitive form of higher-order thinking) are part and parcel of 21st-century skills, literacy skills and life skills are equally important. The further longer-term aim is to map development opportunities and optimise learning in ways that are in harmony with today’s changing scenarios, demands and objectives.

Restaurant resilience: A qualitative study of resilience, adaptability, and innovation of the Alabama restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the restaurant industry in Alabama. This qualitative study examines how Alabama restaurants demonstrated resilience and adaptability across three distinct phases of the pandemic, including the period of unrestricted activities, offering a new perspective. The findings highlight significant operational, financial, and labor-related difficulties faced during these phases. Key strategies include operational adjustments, technology integration, and strategic financial management. The study underscores the critical role of technology in maintaining customer connections and adapting service models during disruptions. It introduces a conceptual model that offers valuable contingency plans for operational innovation and resilience, helping restaurants manage crises effectively. Additionally, the research emphasizes the crucial role of government financial support in the survival and recovery of restaurants during the pandemic. The study enriches the existing literature by providing insights into the post-recovery impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant sector.

Exploring strategic decision making as a mediator between enterprise resource planning, innovation, strategic planning, and organizational performance

This study aimed to explore the effect of enterprise resource planning (ERP), innovation (IN), and strategic planning (SP) on the organizational performance (OP) of large industrial companies in Saudi Arabia, with the mediating role of strategic decision-making (SDM). To this end, data was collected from 358 participants and analyzed using structured equation modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS 4. The findings confirmed that ERP positively affects both SDM and OP. Likewise, IN positively affects SDM but does not directly affect OP. On the contrary, SP positively affects both SDM and OP. These results emphasized the important role of SDM as a mediator. Theoretical implications highlight the integration of ERP, IN, SDM, and SP into a coherent model that explains OP dynamics. In practical terms, organizations can leverage these insights to enhance SDM processes aimed at improving operational processes. Overall, this study contributes to the literature by providing a nuanced understanding of how ERP, IN, SDM, and practices collectively drive operational processes in industrial contexts, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

Hello From the Other Side: External Stakeholder Paradoxes Matter for Organizational Ambidexterity

Organizational ambidexterity (OA)—the simultaneous pursuit of explorative and exploitative innovations—engenders nested (paradoxes manifesting across organizational levels) and knotted paradoxes (intertwined co-occurring paradoxes at the same or across organizational levels). Both nested and knotted paradoxes are managed by internal stakeholders using approaches that are socially constructed by influences emanating from within and beyond an organization. External stakeholders also help shape organizational innovations but their influence on the management of paradoxes has largely been overlooked. In this study, we collected and analyzed data from internal ( n = 19) and external stakeholders ( n = 18) in organizations pursuing explorative and exploitative clean energy transitions at nine Canadian energy utilities. We find that the external stakeholders engage with knotted inclusivity–efficiency and existing–emerging needs paradoxes. Our findings add to OA and business and society literature by revealing how the approaches that internal and external stakeholders adopt for paradox management have implications for each other, and thus OA. We also provide practical insight into how external stakeholder paradoxes can be managed through stakeholder inclusivity and enhanced transparency of innovation plans, with positive implications for OA.

Nursing Students' Perception of the Clinical Learning Environment: A Longitudinal, Cohort Study.

The clinical learning environment (CLE) plays a vital role in students' learning in clinical settings. However, to our knowledge, no longitudinal cohort studies have been published on how CLE influences nursing students' learning during clinical placements. This study investigated a cohort of nursing students' perceptions of CLE during their first and third-year clinical placements. The clinical learning environment inventory (CLEI) questionnaire was used in this study. In 2021, a convenience sample of 450 first-year nursing students was invited to complete the CLEI questionnaire. In 2023, the same cohort of students in their third year of study were invited to complete the questionnaire. Personalization, satisfaction, and task orientation had higher mean scores than the other CLEI subscales. The lowest mean scores were found for the teaching innovation and individualization subscales. Multiple regression and bivariate correlation analyses revealed task orientation as the strongest predictor of student satisfaction with the CLE. Nursing students in Singapore have a moderately positive satisfaction with their CLE. Clinical instructors should design innovative lesson plans to improve the student experience and learning in the CLE.

An Empirical Study of Entrepreneurial Intentions of the University Students from Mountainous Region of Pakistan.

Pakistan is an emerging country, that needs to understand the importance of entrepreneurship, which can support its developing economy. Particularly in mountainous region, educated entrepreneurs can develop new business ventures with their innovative ideas and plans. The Hofstede National Culture and the Theory of Planned Behavior are the primary subjects of this research study. The quantitative research approached is used and the data was collected by the questionnaire from the 362 sample of university students from Gilgit-Baltistan with the probability sampling method. The data was tested empirically and analyzed with the help of PLS-SEM. The research findings show positive responses, indicating that students of Gilgit-Baltistan have positive entrepreneurial intentions. The results further revealed that the variable of attitude towards behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control have significant role in developing entrepreneurial intentions. However, the moderating variable of individualism plays an insignificant role in developing entrepreneurial intention. The main contribution of this research was the identification of the various factors which influence the entrepreneurial intention of the university students of Gilgit-Baltistan.

A Non-Compensatory Index of Community Participation in Cross-Border Tourism Development Processes

We propose a composite index to measure and benchmark community participation in cross-border tourism development processes. The index synthesizes information regarding three dimensions of this construct, deemed as very important by the extant literature: residents’ engagement in the planning process and willingness to proactively welcome tourists and provide tourist services directly through sharing-economy platforms. The latter aspect is crucial to develop a local tourist supply able to combine environmental sustainability and financial feasibility in marginal areas, where public funding is scarce and private investments are unprofitable. This study offers a methodological innovation using response rates to open-ended questions to measure residents’ engagement in tourism planning. By applying the ELECTRE III algorithm, which is non-compensatory and ensures reliability in the presence of a high degree of uncertainty, survey information is aggregated in a single figure, which can be easily interpreted by destination managers and policymakers. After COVID-19, in readying for the next pandemic, decision makers should find our index as a very relevant and useful tool for tourism recovery and innovation planning, including compliance with measures to prevent the spread of future infections. We apply the proposed index to ten Croatian and Italian lands involved in a European development project. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with residents, according to an availability sampling design. We obtained 879 valid questionnaires. The robustness of the resulting index is tested through an uncertainty and a sensitivity analysis.

Few-Human-Interaction Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Transbronchial Intervention.

The transbronchial interventional surgery presents challenges with winding and convoluted pathways, prone to compression and friction. Current autonomous planning struggles to reach deeper bronchial positions, and hard to consider multiple conflicting goals simultaneously. This article introduces an innovative planning scheme with preference weights to achieve smooth, frictionless, and collision-free autonomous transbronchial intervention with continuum robot (CR). A few-human-interaction twin-delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (FHITD3) generated from surgeon preference guidance is proposed, which determines the optimal strategy for the motion of CR. Preference knowledge is generated through interaction between human and few diversity samples. An abstract actuator space description is proposed for the posture and position representation of CR during movement within bronchus. A contact motion analysis strategy is proposed to calculate real-time attitude of CR in contact with bronchus. In addition, an oscillation suppression approach to address CR's unsmooth distal end trajectory is proposed. Simulated experiments show that the CR autonomously completes intervention tasks with a smooth and stable trajectory, reducing distal end oscillation by over 45%. It achieves a target endpoint within the fourth level bronchus (approximately 5 mm diameter) with over 90% probability.

Exploring the Potential of Solar Energy for Electricity and Heat Production in Azerbaijan

Taking use of Azerbaijan's advantageous geographic and climatic characteristics, this thesis investigates the potential of solar energy for the generation of heat and electricity in the nation. In order to assess the viability of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electricity production and solar thermal technologies for heating, it evaluates important places with significant sun insolation. The report points up difficulties including geographical variations in solar radiation and infrastructural constraints, but it also implies that these obstacles may be addressed by technical innovation and strategic planning. Azerbaijan's energy security and sustainability may be enhanced by implementing hybrid systems, supporting policies, and infrastructural enhancements that optimize the use of solar energy.

A deep learning model for personalized intra-arterial therapy planning in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study

Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (uHCC) poses a substantial global health challenge, demanding innovative prognostic and therapeutic planning tools for improved patient management. The predominant treatment strategies include Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). Between January 2014 and November 2021, a total of 1725 uHCC patients [mean age, 52.8±11.5 years; 1529 males] received preoperative CECT scans and were eligible for TACE or HAIC. Patients were assigned to one of the four cohorts according to their treatment, four transformer models (SELECTION) were trained and validated on each cohort; AUC was used to determine the prognostic performance of the trained models. Patients were stratified into high and low-risk groups based on the survival scores computed by SELECTION. The proposed AI-based treatment decision model (ATOM) utilizes survival scores to further inform final therapeutic recommendation. In this study, the training and validation sets included 1448 patients, with an additional 277 patients allocated to the external validation sets. The SELECTION model outperformed both clinical models and the ResNet approach in terms of AUC. Specifically, SELECTION-TACE and SELECTION-HAIC achieved AUCs of 0.761 (95% CI, 0.693-0.820) and 0.805 (95% CI, 0.707-0.881) respectively, in predicting ORR in their external validation cohorts. In predicting OS, SELECTION-TC and SELECTION-HC demonstrated AUCs of 0.736 (95% CI, 0.608-0.841) and 0.748 (95% CI, 0.599-0.865) respectively, in their external validation sets. SELECTION-derived survival scores effectively stratified patients into high and low-risk groups, showing significant differences in survival probabilities (P<0.05 across all four cohorts). Additionally, the concordance between ATOM and clinician recommendations was associated with significantly higher response/survival rates in cases of agreement, particularly within the TACE, HAIC, and TC cohorts in the external validation sets (P<0.05). ATOM was proposed based on SELECTION-derived survival scores, emerges as a promising tool to inform the selection among different intra-arterial interventional therapy techniques. This study received funding from the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation, China (Z190024); the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China (81930119); The Science and Technology Planning Program of Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission and Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, China (Z231100004823012); Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program of Precision Medicine, China (10001020108); and Institute for Intelligent Healthcare, Tsinghua University, China (041531001).

The US National Security State and Big Tech: frenemy relations and innovation planning in turbulent times*

I analyze the relation between what Weiss (2014) dubbed the United States National Security State (US NSS) and US Big Tech focusing on artificial intelligence (AI). I argue that the US NSS was an innovation planner until the 1990s and advance the hypothesis that, amid that vacuum, this millennium has seen the emergence of AI planning by US Big Tech. This has resulted in tensions with the US NSS given the centrality of AI in the military–industrial complex and ultimately for buttressing American primacy, which has always been the US NSS’s main goal. Amid today’s global turbulence, this tension has leaned towards a strategic yet asymmetric alliance that I define as a frenemy relation. Beyond the tit-for-tat between the US NSS and Big Tech companies, their experiences as innovation planners open space for prefiguring an alternative, a democratic way of planning innovation for the common good.

More than deliberation is needed: Potential for agonistic moments in community wind energy planning

Although community project planning is widely understood as crucial to equitable wind energy infrastructure planning, involved members of the public nevertheless perceive such participatory interventions as merely pseudo-participatory. Drawing on agonistic planning literature, we argue that this disposition towards tokenism can only be tackled with a (re)politization of community project planning practices. This includes an explicit (re)integration and cultivation of dissent and the potential overthrow of traditionally consensus-oriented formats that follow the deliberative paradigm. For radically political community energy project planning, however, public discourses must be fluid and participants must be open towards dissent, which largely contradicts the typical postures of a deliberative citizen who is supposed to argue in a rational and objective way, using the best arguments to convince others. To examine the feasibility of agonistic approaches for community wind energy planning, we conducted a quantitative discourse analysis on the data set of a large regional survey of an on-going wind energy planning project in Switzerland. We focused on estimating the degree of hegemony of public wind energy discourses and the willingness of residents to engage in participatory settings that can facilitate radically political community project planning (e.g., substantive participation settings). Our results show that for planning individual wind energy projects, the potential for agonistic planning approaches is low, not only because the discourses are already too hegemonic, but also because there is no real willingness to engage in radically political community wind energy project planning. In the context of early, comprehensive, and integrated community planning, however, agonistic approaches could provide the ground for open and innovative participatory planning of renewable energies.

Harnessing the Untapped Potential of Ambulatory Clinical Placements in Prelicensure Nursing Education.

The purpose of this academic-practice partnership was to expand nursing prelicensure educational opportunities beyond the walls of acute care hospital settings and into communities and ambulatory environments to address clinical placement shortages and support clinical practice recruiting efforts. Leaders from Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing, Weber State University and Intermountain Health collaborated to design and implement a plan for innovative clinical placements across the state through regular work sessions, frequent communication, shared electronic cloud documents, and real-time adaptations and adjustments. The successful implementation of the project resulted in the placement of 296 prelicensure students from 36 clinical groups in various ambulatory and community health environments, which increased total clinical rotation days and decreased reliance on hospital and long-term care facilities. Through innovative planning and implementation, academic-practice partnerships can address clinical placement site shortages and harness the untapped potential of underutilized clinical placement opportunities outside acute care hospital settings. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].

Opportunities and Challenges in the Implementation of Modular Construction Methods for Urban Revitalization

The urban landscape is undergoing significant transformations due to economic shifts, urban planning initiatives, technological advancements, and sociopolitical changes. Almost 89% of the U.S. population is projected to reside in urban areas by 2050, which increases a pressing need for innovative and efficient urban revitalization strategies. Modular construction is an extensively researched topic with potential promise for addressing these challenges; however, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of its specific opportunities and challenges within the context of urban revitalization. This paper explores the potential of modular construction methods as a viable solution in densely populated areas with limited space and competing land uses. This study employs a systematic literature review using PRISMA and mixed methods analysis with NVivo to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing modular construction in urban settings. The findings highlight the advantages of modular construction, including reduced construction time, enhanced quality control, and improved sustainability. However, challenges such as land scarcity, restrictive zoning laws, and the need for innovative planning and collaboration among stakeholders are also emphasized. This paper provides valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and developers to effectively leverage modular construction methods for sustainable and efficient urban renewal efforts.

Resilience and Adaptation Strategies for the Franschhoek Rond and Bont Community-based Tourism Route during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Drawing on the resilience theory, this qualitative study analyses adaptation strategies for the Franschhoek Rond and Bont community-based tourism (CBT) route in South Africa using facetoface interviews with thirteen route stakeholders in the Franschhoek Valley. The empirical findings highlight the severity of the effects of the pandemic-induced regulations on businesses along the route. Insights from the study could facilitate recovery efforts by the route’s stakeholders, but underlying prepandemic challenges exacerbated the adverse effects of the pandemic, which hindered the successful implementation of proposed recovery strategies. The study reveals post-pandemic resilience and adaptation strategies for the future-proof sustainability of the CBT sector and provides fresh insights into proposed innovative planning and strategy implications for stakeholders.

Optimizing Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype Treatment Outcomes : A Radiomics and Support Vector Machine -Based Approach to Overall Survival Estimation.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), particularly the IDH-wildtype type, represents a significant clinical challenge due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Despite advancements in medical imaging and its modalities, survival rates have not improved significantly, demanding innovative treatment planning and outcome prediction approaches. This study utilizes a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier using radiomics features to predict the overall survival (OS) of GBM, IDH-wildtype patients to short (< 12 Months) and long (>=12 Months) survivors. A dataset comprising multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) scans from 574 patients was analyzed. Radiomic features were extracted from T1, T2, FLAIR, and T1-Gd sequences. Low variance features were removed, and Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) was used to select the most informative features. The SVM model was trained using a k-fold cross-validation approach. Furthermore, clinical parameters such as age, gender, and MGMT promoter methylation status were integrated to enhance prediction accuracy. The model showed reasonable results in terms of cross-validated AUC of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.80-0.90) with (p-value < 0.001) effectively categorizing patients into short and long survivors. Log-rank test (Chi-square statistics) analysis for the developed model was 0.00029 along with the 1.20 Cohen's d effect size. Most importantly, clinical data integration further refined the survival estimates, providing a more fitted prediction that considers individual patient characteristics by Kaplan-Meier curve with p-value<0.0001. The proposed method significantly enhances the predictive accuracy of OS outcomes in GBM, IDH-wildtype patients. By integrating detailed imaging features with key clinical indicators, this model offers a robust tool for personalized treatment planning, potentially improving OS.