Relevant Knowledge Research Articles

Combining language models for knowledge extraction from Italian TEI editions

This study investigates the integration of language models for knowledge extraction (KE) from Italian TEI/XML encoded texts, focusing on Giacomo Leopardi's works. The objective is to create structured, machine-readable knowledge graphs (KGs) from unstructured texts for better exploration and linkage to external resources. The research introduces a methodology that combines large language models (LLMs) with traditional relation extraction (RE) algorithms to overcome the limitations of current models with Italian literary documents. The process adopts a multilingual LLM, that is, ChatGPT, to extract natural language triples from the text. These are then converted into RDF/XML format using the REBEL model, which maps natural language relations to Wikidata properties. A similarity-based filtering mechanism using SBERT is applied to keep semantic consistency. The final RDF graph integrates these filtered triples with document metadata, utilizing established ontologies and controlled vocabularies. The research uses a dataset of 41 TEI/XML files from a semi-diplomatic edition of Leopardi's letters as case study. The proposed KE pipeline significantly outperformed the baseline model, that is, mREBEL, with remarkable improvements in semantic accuracy and consistency. An ablation study demonstrated that combining LLMs with traditional RE models enhances the quality of KGs extracted from complex texts. The resulting KG had fewer, but semantically richer, relations, predominantly related to Leopardi's literary activities and health, highlighting the extracted knowledge's relevance to understanding his life and work.

Psychic Distance’s Impact on China’s Reverse M&A Innovation

ABSTRACT In this study, we examined Chinese firms’ cross-border reverse mergers and acquisitions (M&As). From the perspective of internal and external uncertainties, as well as the essence of psychic distance (PD), we established five dimensions of the PD of cross-border reverse M&A: cultural distance, national image, degree of internationalization, top management team (TMT)‘s overseas background, and perceived distance. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we found that the impact of PD on innovation performance was a combination of multiple factors, showing three types of configurations: external uncertainty dominant, internal uncertainty dominant, and perceived distance dominant. We further explored the interactions between knowledge conditions, such as firm size, industry relevance, and relative knowledge scale, and PD. This study supplements and expands current theories on the internationalization of emerging market enterprises from the perspective of latecomer countries.

Weapons of Theory

Abstract This article critically engages with central tenets of decolonial thought. While sympathetic to decolonial thought's anti-colonialism and critique of Eurocentric universalism, the article argues that decolonial thought's understanding(s) of knowledge relies on an essentialising centralisation of origins and roots. Against decolonial thought's assertion that a knowledge's relevance for anti-colonial struggle results from its position of exteriority vis-á-vis colonial systems of domination, the article suggests that we need to look at the dialectical and hybrid processes through which bodies of knowledge are made agentic in relation to concrete contexts of political conflict. To discern a body of knowledge's meaning and relevance for anti-colonial struggles, we need to understand that it is continually shaped and reshaped from recurrent practices of reading, dissemination and re-articulation, through which the theory or knowledge body becomes hybridised and reformulated in relation to incessantly evolving contexts.

Robust Commonsense Reasoning Against Noisy Labels Using Adaptive Correction.

Commonsense reasoning based on knowledge graphs (KGs) is a challenging task that requires predicting complex questions over the described textual contexts and relevant knowledge about the world. However, current methods typically assume clean training scenarios with accurately labeled samples, which are often unrealistic. The training set can include mislabeled samples, and the robustness to label noises is essential for commonsense reasoning methods to be practical, but this problem remains largely unexplored. This work focuses on commonsense reasoning with mislabeled training samples and makes several technical contributions: 1) we first construct diverse augmentations from knowledge and model, and offer a simple yet effective multiple-choice alignment method to divide the training samples into clean, semi-clean, and unclean parts; 2) we design adaptive label correction methods for the semi-clean and unclean samples to exploit the supervised potential of noisy information; and 3) finally, we extensively test these methods on noisy versions of commonsense reasoning benchmarks (CommonsenseQA and OpenbookQA). Experimental results show that the proposed method can significantly enhance robustness and improve overall performance. Furthermore, the proposed method is generally applicable to multiple existing commonsense reasoning frameworks to boost their robustness. The code is available at https://github.com/xdxuyang/CR_Noisy_Labels.

Knowledge Utilisation Analysis: measuring the utilisation of knowledge sources in policy decisions

Background: Understanding knowledge utilisation in policymaking is a core task for the social and political sciences. However, limitations and biases abound in commonplace approaches to measuring such use. Consequently, we have little systematic evidence of the extent to which knowledge sources are used in policy decisions. Aims and objectives: This article discusses existing approaches to studying knowledge utilisation and introduces the analytical approach, Knowledge Utilisation Analysis (KUA), which harnesses the growing quantities of documents available online. Methods: KUA offers a four-step procedure that enables researchers to systematically compare policy documents with knowledge sources and measure the degree to which policy decisions follow or contradict relevant knowledge. Findings: The article showcases KUA in a study of Danish primary education and active labour market policies from 2016 to 2021. By analysing 1,159 documents, KUA is leveraged to study levels of knowledge utilisation across policy areas, research methods, and provider types. Discussion and conclusion: KUA contributes methodological innovation to measuring knowledge utilisation by systematically matching knowledge sources with policy decisions. KUA can, thereby, enhance empirical research on the relationship between knowledge and policy.

A study of the intercultural communicative competence and the effects of cultural familiarity on reading comprehension based on ethnicity

As an academic endeavor in an EFL setting especially in the field of reading comprehension, this study intended to examine intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and the effects of cultural familiarity on reading comprehension based on two specific ethnicities (Turk and Fars). To this end, participants, 130 EFL students majoring in English, were chosen from three universities in Iran. The effects of cultural familiarity on students' reading comprehension were examined by utilizing two types of processes, providing relevant background knowledge and text nativization. These two processes were used as two separate treatments for the members of the experimental groups. Members of both control and experimental groups subsequently received reading comprehension tests. Then, to elicit ICC levels, the participants were asked to complete ICC Questionnaire. The statistical analysis of the data revealed the significantly positive effect of cultural familiarity on the reading comprehension performance of both Turk and Fars experimental groups and no significant difference was observed between the reading comprehension performance and ICC level of the ethnic groups of Fars and Turks. The present study emphasizes the facilitating and positive effect of cultural familiarity on the reading comprehension of specific ethnic groups and suggests that cultural familiarity can be a valuable tool for enhancing reading comprehension and promoting language performance and cultural competence of Iranian EFL learners. Therefore, due to the importance of teaching culture in the field of English language teaching, there should be much more attention to cultural and intercultural matters when designing a language curriculum.

Long-Term Survival After Single-Ventricle Palliation: A Swedish Nationwide Cohort Study.

Long-term survival after single-ventricle palliation and the effect of dominant ventricle morphology in large, unselected series of patients are scarcely reported. This nationwide cohort study included all children undergoing operation with single-ventricle palliation during their first year of life in Sweden between January 1994 and December 2019. Data were obtained from institutional records and assessment of underlying cardiac anomaly and dominant ventricular morphology was based on complete review of medical records, surgical reports, and echocardiographic examinations. Data on vital status and date of death were retrieved from the Swedish Cause of Death Register, allowing for complete data on survival. Among 766 included patients, 333 patients (43.5%) were classified as having left or biventricular dominance, and 432 patients (56.4%) as having right ventricular (RV) dominance (of whom 231 patients had hypoplastic left heart syndrome). Follow-up was 98.7% complete (10 patients emigrated). Mean follow-up was 11.3 years (maximum, 26.7 years). Long-term survival was significantly higher in patients with left ventricular compared with RV dominance (10-year survival: 91.0% [95% CI, 87.3%-93.6%] versus 71.1% [95% CI, 66.4%-75.2%]). RV dominance had a significant impact on outcomes after first-stage palliation but was also associated with impaired survival after completed total cavopulmonary connection. In total, 34 (4.4%) patients underwent heart transplantation. Of these 34 patients, 25 (73.5%) had predominant RV morphology. This study provides clinically relevant knowledge about the long-term prognosis in patients with different underlying cardiac anomalies undergoing single-ventricle palliation. RV dominance had a significant impact on outcomes after initial surgical treatment but was also associated with impaired survival after completed Fontan circulation. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03356574.

Towards an optimal competency framework for InterProfessional Informationists (IPI): A multiphased and mixed methods investigation into competency areas, elements, and framework structures

In this mixed methods and multi-phased study, through a multi-round feedback and confirmation process, we established a meaningful approach to developing, revising, and finalizing a competency framework for InterProfessional Informationists (IPI). As an emerging profession, IPI has not yet been established as a formal educational program with a guiding framework. It is important both to the field of practice and to educational programming to develop a competency framework, specifically targeted to IPI, and has been informed/verified through current practice. Our process started with using the initial competency framework developed by Tang and Martin (2019) as the basis, and involved gathering comments from numerous stakeholders, including IPI students and working professionals from relevant communities ranging from health science librarians to library directors, informationists, and LIS scholars and educators. The finalized IPI framework features four levels, six competency areas, and 67 elements, with separate beginner and advanced levels for subject expertise and work practice/culture. By including a variety of voices, this comprehensive framework not only outlines relevant foundational knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs), but also accentuates timely cutting-edge skills and forward-looking elements required of InterProfessional Informationists.

The concept of teaching mechanical engineering students to prepare design documents in accordance with national and international standards

The purpose was to develop the concept of training students - mechanical engineers in the variable formatting of design documents in accordance with national and international standards and to create a set of educational and methodological materials for its implementation.
 The concept envisages the development and implementation of two simultaneously taught courses covering Ukrainian and international requirements for the development and execution of design documents. It is the simultaneous teaching of these courses that makes it possible to acquire the relevant knowledge and skills and to have a unique opportunity to compare different standardisation systems for the same type of design documents in accordance with different stages of the machine life cycle.
 The didactic foundations of the pedagogical process and modern principles of organising the learning process have been applied to involve the higher education seekers in mastering professional experience in the field of mechanical engineering and creating positive changes in the formation and development of the individual.
 New courses have been created and teaching materials have been prepared for mechanical engineering students to study national and international regulatory frameworks and master the practical skills of their use in future professional activities related to the formatting of design documents.
 The work applies a systematic approach that combines elements of the pedagogical system in conjunction with the integrity of the evolutionary development of the applicant, taking into account the dynamic state of development of the modern engineering industry at the national and international levels.
 Acquiring relevant knowledge and skills by higher education seekers in design documents following national and international standards ensures an increase in their professional status and competitiveness in the Ukrainian labor market and accelerates the adaptation of Ukrainian specialists to the current conditions of globalization in mechanical engineering

Supporting and Inhibiting Factors of Agricultural Extension Interpersonal Communication Competence in Enrekang Regency

Agricultural extension workers play an essential role in increasing shallot yields. They provide technical counseling, transfer knowledge and skills, and are involved in post-harvest monitoring, mentoring, and counseling. In addition, they also provide information about business development and marketing. Agricultural extension interpersonal communication competence plays a crucial role in efforts to increase shallot yields in Enrekang. With these competencies, agricultural extension agents can establish good relationships with farmers, understand their needs, and communicate effectively to transfer relevant knowledge and skills. Through effective interpersonal communication, agricultural extension workers can assist farmers in implementing proper cultivation practices, overcoming obstacles, providing motivation, and building collaboration between farmers and related parties. This article uses a qualitative descriptive methodology. The result showed that the agricultural extension interpersonal communication competence is outstanding and has a positive value for farmers in Enrekang Regency. Some farmers are still reluctant and indifferent to following directions from extension agents because they consider themselves quite experienced in farming.
 Keywords: agricultural extension, interpersonal communication, Enrekang

Youth, caregiver and healthcare professional perspectives on planning the implementation of a trauma-informed care programme: A qualitative study.

To explore youth, caregiver and staff perspectives on their vision of trauma-informed care, and to identify and understand potential considerations for the implementation of a trauma-informed care programme in an inpatient mental health unit within a paediatric hospital. We applied the Interpretive Description approach, guided by complexity theory and the Implementation Roadmap, and used Applied Thematic Analysis methods. Twenty-five individuals participated in individual or group interviews between March and June 2022, including 21 healthcare professionals, 3 youth and 1 caregiver. We identified two overarching themes. The first theme, 'Understanding and addressing the underlying reasons for distress', related to participants' understanding and vision of TIC in the current setting comprising: (a) 'Participants' understanding of TIC'; (b) 'Trauma screening and trauma processing within TIC'; (c) 'Taking "a more individualized approach"'; (d) 'Unit programming'; and (e) "Connecting to the community". The second theme, 'Factors that support or limit successful TIC implementation' comprises: (a) 'The need for a broad "cultural shift"'; (b) 'The physical environment on the unit'; and (c) 'Factors that may limit successful implementation'. We identified five key domains to consider within trauma-informed care implementation: (a) the centrality of engagement with youth, caregivers and staff in trauma-informed care delivery and implementation, (b) trauma-informed care core programme components, (c) factors that may support or limit success in implementing trauma-informed care within the mental health unit and (d) hospital-wide and (e) the importance of intersectoral collaboration (partnering with external organizations and sectors). When implementing TIC, there is an ongoing need to increase clarity regarding TIC interventions and implementation initiatives. Youth, caregiver and healthcare professional participants shared considerations important for planning the delivery and implementation of trauma-informed care in their setting. We identified five key domains to consider within trauma-informed care implementation: (a) the centrality of relational engagement, (b) trauma-informed care programme components, (c) factors that may support or limit successful implementation of trauma-informed care within the mental health unit and (d) hospital-wide and (e) the importance of intersectoral collaboration. Organizations wishing to implement trauma-informed care should consider ongoing engagement with all relevant knowledge user groups throughout the process. Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). The local hospital research institute's Patient and Family Advisory Committee reviewed the draft study methods and provided feedback.

Analysis of Environmental Impact Management on C Quarry Mining in Tiron Village, Banyakan District

This research aims to analyze the environmental impacts of C quarry mining in Tiron Village, Banyakan District, and propose appropriate measures for environmental management. The study uses a quantitative approach with a descriptive method. The quantitative approach is employed to test hypotheses using numerical data, while the descriptive method is used to describe and analyze the collected data. The population of this research includes all stakeholders involved in C quarry mining in Tiron Village, Banyakan District. The sample is determined using purposive sampling, selecting respondents with relevant knowledge and experience related to the research. The research instrument used is a questionnaire to measure respondents' perceptions of the impacts of C quarry mining. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire are tested using Pearson correlation and Cronbach's alpha reliability tests, respectively. Data collection is done by distributing questionnaires directly to the respondents. The collected data are analyzed using statistical tests. The findings of this research will provide valuable insights into the environmental impacts of C quarry mining in Tiron Village, Banyakan District. The results will contribute to developing effective environmental management strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of mining activities. This research highlights the importance of sustainable mining practices and the need for collaboration between various stakeholders to protect the environment and ensure the continuity of development projects.

Role of product advantage in shaping product outcome: a hybrid review

PurposeThis study examines current dynamics, consolidates current knowledge, elicits trends, identifies and analyzes primary research clusters, offers future directions, and develops an integrated framework for Product Advantage (PA) research.Design/methodology/approachUsing the SCOPUS database, this study applied bibliometric analysis (208 articles) and conducted content analysis on the 35 curated articles selected using a combination of bibliographic coupling and the most cited articles.FindingsThis study presents the field’s publication trends, most relevant authors, articles, journals, and knowledge structures. It identifies six primary research themes and four major clusters using the thematic map and bibliographic coupling. Marketing and PA, New Product Development (NPD) and PA, Product Innovation and PA, and New product speed and PA are the main clusters. Finally, this study offers directions for future research and provides an integrated framework for PA research.Practical implicationsBy developing an ADO framework of PA, the study offers key insights into how PA shapes product outcomes and identifies key antecedents of PA. Firms must focus on firm factors such as market and technological orientation; product factors, such as development time and pre-announcement proficiency; external factors, such as competition; and environmental factors, such as competitive intensity and technological turbulence. It enables firms to create products with high PA, shaping product outcomes and contributing to their competitive advantage.Originality/valueThis is the first study to conduct a two-stage sequential hybrid review of quality articles on PA. It offers an Antecedents-Decisions-Consequences (ADO) framework based on significant studies and offers cluster-wise directors for future research.

ICT Integration in a Multigrade Context: Exploring Primary School Teachers Experiences

Technology offers pedagogical affordances that can transform teaching and learning in multigrade classrooms to assist in the process of teaching and learning. However, it is challenging for teachers to effectively integrate technology into their classrooms, given the complex and dynamic multigrade context. The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model was a lens through which to explore teachers’ experiences in ICT integration in their multigrade classrooms in selected primary schools in South Africa. A case study design guided this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve teachers thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The findings revealed that access to ICT equipment for teachers and students is crucial. This study has found that generally, it is difficult for teachers to incorporate technology into their teaching because of the caveats, such as the multigrade context and the rural location which presents issues such as lack of basic technology infrastructure, limited training on integrating technology in teaching, time, the teaching context, and support from principals. This study recommends that teachers be trained on ICT usage and given the support needed to function effectively in their multigrade context. For teachers to be digitally connected and ensure ICT integration in the teaching and learning process, they need to be equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to use technology to transform their teaching and create new opportunities for learning.

Exploring clinical reasoning in child language assessment through decoloniality

Purpose Clinical reasoning has been taught, practised, and researched under Western epistemologies, which have been fallible in addressing the complexity of clinical reasoning within Indigenous cultures and societies. We explored how speech-language pathologists in Sri Lanka negotiate and value Indigenous and Western perspectives in clinical reasoning within a decolonial framework. Method This study used participatory research methodology within the decolonised qualitative research paradigm to produce data collaboratively with eight Sri Lankan speech-language pathologists. Oral history narratives and object-based textual reflections generated the necessary data for the study. Systematic visual-textual analysis and reflexive thematic analysis were carried out iteratively, and the data analysis and interpretation were undertaken collaboratively with the participants. Result We generated four key themes about professional education, individuality in practice, holistic thinking, and balancing interests and priorities. The results demonstrate that social, political, and economic forces impact practitioners’ clinical reasoning. Conclusion Practising science in its original form within Indigenous contexts is challenging. Colonial roots and imperialism impact the delivery of appropriate services in socially and politically marginalised communities. Practitioners’ self-awareness about authentic identities and practical wisdom can develop culturally relevant knowledge for equitable practice.

Collaboration, reinvented tools and specialist knowledge: Communication professionals’ experiences of global health crisis management

Communication professionals have a paramount role in global crisis. What did they learn during the covid pandemic that could be used in future global crisis? The aim of this article is to identify and analyze strategy changes among communicators in municipalities and how their conceptions of communicated knowledge transformed during the pandemic. Retrospective interviews and textual material are analyzed with a framework of Mediated Discourse Analysis in combination with Legitimation Code Theory. The analysis shows that the work of the communicators was characterized by collaboration with other professional groups and the civil society, and that the complexity and important time aspects during this crisis gave birth to semi-new, reinvented, discursive tools in the shape of text genres. The communicators’ conceived relevant knowledge as concept-driven and developed the conception that conveyance of knowledge should be thoroughly planned in a way that takes complexity into account.

The Swedish Apparatus of Contract Archaeology and its Entanglement with Society

The Swedish contract archaeology (CA) system has witnessed changes and new goals in the last couple of decades, becoming more steered by the market while new demands have come from Swedish cultural heritage legislation and policies for producing relevant knowledge to society and widening the inclusion of the public. In this paper I examine the Swedish CA system and programs from its three main parties, according to critical heritage studies by Rodney Harrison, especially focusing on the governing tool ‘apparatus’. Criticism, conveyed for instance in a recent survey, has claimed that the apparatus of Swedish CA is unsustainable and inefficient in its present form. This includes deficiencies in the relationships between the parties and with actors and stakeholders outside the system. There is also a democratic discrepancy towards the new heritage goals. I suggest that Harrisons critical view on heritage could be used to argue for changes in the role and boundaries of Swedish CA, taking into accord the conditions of local contexts, interests and needs of communities. An active stance for a more dialogical and inclusive nature of communication could diminish the risk for dissonance, conflict, and negative impacts while creating conditions for positive outcomes and values in society.

Rethinking the recruitment and selection practices of indigenous building contractors in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: criteria and methods

This study investigates and ranks the recruitment and selection criteria and methods for skilled labourers of the Tanzanian indigenous building contractors (IBC). A combined total of 15 selection criteria and selection methods were identified from literature, and data was then collected from 42 construction practitioners, and 8 semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (one sample t-tests) were employed for quantitative data and directed content analysis for the qualitative data. The results showed ‘experience and past performance on similar nature of works’, ‘familiarity with construction methods, material and health and safety issues’ and ‘relevant knowledge in handling and use of tools and equipment’ as the most considered selection criteria. In contrast, ‘Recall former labourers’, ‘Employee referrals’ and ‘Walk in labourers’ are the mostly used recruitment methods. The study provides useful insights into the selection criteria and selection methods for skilled labourers, and baseline for recruitment and selection practices policy directions in developing countries.

Meeting the training needs of a child-protection workforce: perspectives on professional certificates in understanding, assessing, and responding to childhood trauma

ABSTRACT There is a well-established need to ensure that practitioners who work directly with children and young people impacted by abuse are well-equipped to support them. This need is coupled with a lack of evidence-based practice models and specialized responses to abuse-related trauma within the child protection/family support sectors. This study examines the outcomes of a suite of Professional Certificates that aim to support nonspecialist practitioners in developing their capacity to provide trauma-specific therapeutic interventions to children who have experienced child abuse and neglect. A mixed-methods design including both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis was used to evaluate the impact of the Professional Certificates on participants’ practices and development of competencies applicable to their field of work. Findings suggest that the Professional Certificates may help students develop relevant skills and knowledge applicable to a child protection workforce, and allow them to apply their learning in practice. The results of this study have important implications for the training and development of the child protection workforce. They suggest that interventions such as the Professional Certificates may be an effective way to equip graduates with the requisite skills and knowledge to foster a sense of preparedness in their practice.

Improving risk communication: a proof-of-concept randomised control trial assessing the impact of visual aids for neurosurgical consent.

Informed consent is a fundamental component in the work-up for surgical procedures. Statistical risk information pertaining to a procedure is by nature probabilistic and challenging to communicate, especially to those with poor numerical literacy. Visual aids and audio/video tools have previously been shown to improve patients' understanding of statistical information. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of different methods of risk communication in healthy participants randomized to either undergo the consent process with visual aids or the standard consent process for lumbar puncture. Healthy individuals above 18 years old were eligible. The exclusion criteria were prior experience of the procedure or relevant medical knowledge, lack of capacity to consent, underlying cognitive impairment and hospitalised individuals. After randomisation, both groups received identical medical information about the procedure of a lumbar puncture in a hypothetical clinical scenario via different means of consent. The control group underwent the standard consent process in current clinical practice (Consent Form 1 without any illustrative examples), whereas the intervention group received additional anatomy diagrams, the Paling Palette and the Paling perspective scale. Anonymised questionnaires were received to evaluate their perception of the procedure and its associated risks. Fifty-two individuals were eligible without statistically significant differences in age, sex, professional status and the familiarity of the procedure. Visual aids were noted to improve the confidence of participants to describe the risks by themselves (p = 0.009) and participants in the intervention group felt significantly less overwhelmed with medical information (p = 0.028). The enhanced consent process was found to be significantly more acceptable by participants (p = 0.03). There was a trend towards greater appropriateness (p = 0.06) and it appeared to have "good" usability (median SUS = 76.4), although this also did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.06). Visual aids could be an appropriate alternative method for medical consent without being inferior regarding the understanding of the procedure, its risks and its benefits. Future studies could possibly compare or incorporate multiple interventions to determine the most effective tools in a larger scale of population including patients as well as healthy individuals.