Research Group Research Articles

Counteracting knowledge hiding among academics to foster creativity: is organisational support the silver bullet or fools’ gold?

Purpose Knowledge hiding has become one of the main inhibitors to the generation of new research ideas and solutions for the university context. Organisational support has been proven effective in reducing knowledge hiding within corporate settings. Nevertheless, recent evidence emerging from academic studies undervalues its ability to address this issue in university contexts. This paper believes further investigation is needed to produce more conclusive findings. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the positive indirect effect of organisational support on creativity by reducing the three types of knowledge hiding: evasive hiding, playing dumb and rationalised hiding. Design/methodology/approach The research model was tested with survey data from a sample of research groups from public and private universities in an emerging country. Findings The findings suggest that organisational support has a positive indirect effect on creativity by reducing two of the three types of knowledge hiding (evasive hiding and playing dumb). Research limitations/implications The findings cannot be extrapolated to the knowledge hiding that occurs during knowledge transfer. Originality/value The work challenges current evidence that disregards the significance of organisational support in reducing knowledge hiding among academics and reveals that organisational support is essential for addressing the difficulties that result from economic incentive conflicts associated with evasive hiding and playing dumb. Furthermore, effective organisational support is needed to promote a culture of knowledge sharing to gain more respect, recognition and prestige. This support also reduces the harmful practice of rationalised hiding, which is often used both as an ego-defensive mechanism and to maintain positions of academic superiority.

Monitoring psoriatic arthritis in research and clinical practice.

To discuss the varies outcome measure instruments for the assessment of different domains for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) both in trial and clinical practice settings. PsA is a multifaceted chronic inflammatory disease with diverse manifestations. This pose challenges of comprehensive assessment of the outcome of PsA. The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) had developed the core domain set and in the progress of selecting the core outcome measurement set for trials and clinical practice for PsA, using the framework set by Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT). In brief, the core set of "what to measure" has been endorsed, and a standardized way of "how to measure" them are under review. Composite outcome measures for PsA may provide a solution to measuring multiple domains in a nutshell for various purposes in trials and clinical practice. This provides a succinct summary of the current state of outcome measurement in PsA and provides a quick and comprehensive perspective to select relevant outcome measure to use in busy rheumatology clinical settings.

Exhaled volatile organic compounds associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations—a systematic review and validation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations significantly contribute to disease progression, hospitalizations, and decreased quality of life. Early detection of exacerbations through non-invasive methods, such as exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs), could enable timely interventions. This study aimed to identify and validate candidate VOC biomarkers that are associated with exacerbations and stable phases of COPD, and could contribute to the development of a breath-based monitoring device. A systematic review was conducted to identify VOCs associated with COPD and exacerbations. VOCs were selected as candidate biomarkers if they were reported in at least two studies by different research groups. These VOCs were then validated using longitudinal exhaled breath data from the TEXACOLD study, where exhaled breath samples were collected at baseline, during exacerbation, and at follow-up in 14 COPD patients. Sparse partial least squares-discriminant analysis was applied to differentiate between samples collected during exacerbation and those at stable phases. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The systematic review identified nine candidate VOCs. Three were excluded from validation because their dataset overlapped with one used in one of the included review studies. Validation confirmed the discriminatory power of a composite model of these six VOCs, achieving an area under the ROC curve of 0.98, a diagnostic accuracy of 94.3% and a sensitivity of 0.97 and a specificity of 0.93. This study demonstrates that exhaled VOCs can differentiate between exacerbations and stable phases in COPD patients. The validated biomarkers hold promise for future clinical applications, particularly in the development of a non-invasive, breath-based monitoring device for early detection and management of COPD exacerbations, potentially reducing hospitalizations and improving patient outcomes.

Fatigue Predictive Modeling of Composite Materials for Wind Turbine Blades Using Explainable Gradient Boosting Models

Wind turbine blades are subjected to cyclic loading conditions throughout their operational lifetime, making fatigue a critical factor in their design. Accurate prediction of the fatigue performance of wind turbine blades is important for optimizing their design and extending the operational lifespan of wind energy systems. This study aims to develop predictive models of laminated composite fatigue life based on experimental results published by Montana State University, Bozeman, Composite Material Technologies Research Group. The models have been trained on a dataset consisting of 855 data points. Each data point consists of the stacking sequence, fiber volume fraction, stress amplitude, loading frequency, laminate thickness, and the number of cycles of a fatigue test carried out on a laminated composite specimen. The output feature of the dataset is the number of cycles, which indicates the fatigue life of a specimen. Random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), categorical boosting (CatBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and extra trees regressor models have been trained to predict the fatigue life of the specimens. For optimum performance, the hyperparameters of these models were optimized using GridSearchCV optimization. The total number of cycles to failure could be predicted with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.9. A feature importance analysis was carried out using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach. LightGBM showed the highest performance among the models (R2 = 0.9054, RMSE = 1.3668, and MSE = 1.8682).

A new era in early childhood education (ECE): Teachers’ opinions on the application of artificial intelligence

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the role of AI in preschool from the perspective of preschool teachers. The research group consisted of 101 preschool teachers. The study group was selected according to the easily accessible case sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods. The study was a phenomenology, which is a qualitative research design. Qualitative data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. As a result of the analyses, the participants stated they did not feel sufficient regarding Al literacy and competencies. The participants also emphasized that using AI in preschool was appropriate and would improve children’s skills, such as AI literacy and computational thinking. Moreover, they stated that using AI in preschool would cause privacy and security concerns for different reasons, such as not protecting personal data, using children’s pictures, and providing false and misleading information. The participants stated that they were worried about the implementation process of Al due to lack of content knowledge, lack of infrastructure, physical structure of the classroom, and lack of materials. In addition, participants emphasized that if the existing concerns were eliminated, AI could be easily integrated into the preschool period. In addition, it was determined that most participants had problems in modeling and drawing a model related to AI.

Journeys in the Imaginal Realm: How Writing and Sharing Fairy Tales With Groups Can Generate ‘Moments of Magic’

In this article we present an approach to inviting change through Moments of Magic. Moments of Magic is our name for the practice of writing and sharing fairy tales in a participatory action research group or business workshop. The name arises from the notion that fairy tales incorporate elements of change, which are often described as ‘magic.’ By engaging our participants’ imaginations through fairy tale writing, we invite them to access a well of subconscious resources that enables them to author their own tales, discuss the undiscussable, and initiate personal and organizational change. We have noticed that through this process participants often register an inner change, which may arrive instantaneously as a ‘jolt’, or manifest slowly over time.

From Bites to Bytes: Evaluating User Engagement and Mosquito Bite Exposure Patterns with the Bite Diary Smartphone Application.

Mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, significantly impact global health. Traditional methods for monitoring human-mosquito contact, such as human landing catch (HLC) and DNA profiling, have limitations, including biases and a lack of detailed temporal and spatial data. HLC may also raise ethical concerns in some settings. To address these challenges, we developed Bite Diary, a smartphone app for systematically recording mosquito bite exposure. Research participants in eastern Florida attended workshops to learn about the project and mosquito identification. They then used a pilot version of Bite Diary over predefined 7-day periods to log mosquito bites, providing data on bite frequency, timing, and context. Finally, they completed an online questionnaire post-monitoring. The study found high levels of participant engagement, and the technical usability of the app was well-received. The estimated bite exposure rate was 0.62 mosquito bites per person per day (SD = 1.63), with 94% of bite records occurring outdoors. A significant correlation was observed between repellent use and self-reported bite reactions. Several design and interface elements requiring improvement were identified for future studies to reduce survey biases. These findings highlight the utility of bite surveys in evaluating human factors that affect mosquito bite exposure and enhancing our understanding of human-mosquito interactions. Our use of a no-code app builder for Bite Diary may enable other research groups to easily create similar surveys, broadening the potential for bite data collection in diverse settings. This tool could significantly aid in developing targeted strategies for mosquito-borne disease prevention and control.

Blockchain for Pharmaceutical Industry: Present, Past and Future

To better understand the characteristics and evolution of research in Blockchain Technologies for pharma sector, this work reports results from the survey study targeting the Blockchain technologies for pharma industry (BTPI). Despite the existing survey studies on BTPI, our contribution in this work is to provide information to researchers and practitioners willing to enter the Blockchain field, being a source of information to strengthen the research field, guide new studies, and motivate new collaboration among research groups. A survey of Blockchain technologies for pharma industry is conducted with five research questions in which study of high-quality papers published in various journals in the last 5 years from 2018 to 2023 were evaluated. Results shows the increasing interests in this research area. Detailed research result and analysis is done

Development of a community-based peer-support intervention to improve contraceptive agency and diffuse self-injectable contraception in Uganda: Application of the human-centered design approach

BackgroundThe low use of self-injectable contraception, coupled with the recognition that many individuals need support beyond training to use self-care technologies successfully, suggests the need for innovative programming. We describe the participatory human-centered design process we used in two districts of Uganda to develop a community-based peer support intervention to improve women’s agency to make and act on contraceptive decisions and help diffuse self-injectable contraception.MethodsThe design team included multi-disciplinary researchers from Uganda and the United States, representatives of local community-based organizations and village health teams, and local women of reproductive age. The research group conducted 21 in-depth interviews, 12 observations, and six focus group discussions to understand women’s social support needs, contraceptive-seeking experiences, and communication channels. From these data, the design team derived insights into needs and opportunities to improve contraceptive agency and support self-injection use among interested women, spurring a creative idea-generation process to develop a large set of potential solutions. We collectively prioritized the most promising ideas into an integrated, theoretically informed intervention and subsequently prototyped, tested, and refined the intervention.ResultsDesign insights included: women value information from experienced peers and want support to navigate uneven partner dynamics, conflicting contraceptive information, concerns about contraceptive-related side effects, and unreliable contraception services. The final intervention—called I-CAN (English), Nsobola (Lusoga), An Atwero (Langi)—engages experienced self-injection users as ‘mentors’ to support other women (‘mentees’) they recruit in community-based settings. Mentors provide informational, instrumental, appraisal, and emotional support tailored to the individual needs of mentees. This support is designed to improve mentees’ knowledge, consciousness of their rights related to contraception, self-efficacy, and perceived control related to contraceptive decision-making, self-injection self-efficacy, contraceptive access, and ability to act on preferences.ConclusionsOur iterative human-centered design process incorporated diverse, lived experiences and scientific expertise and resulted in a peer support intervention with the potential to fill an important gap in contraception service delivery in Uganda. Our approach demonstrates that creating complex interventions to prioritize support for women’s agency related to contraception in line with a human rights-based approach and to spread new contraceptive methods is feasible.

Re-participation intention in individuals playing tennis for recreational purposes: investigation of differences based on low and high involvement

PurposeThis study examined how the level of involvement influences the re-participation intentions of recreational tennis players.MethodTo measure the participants’ leisure involvement levels; the leisure involvement scale, developed by Kyle et al. (2007) and adapted to the Turkish language by Gürbüz et al. (2018) was used. The behavioral intentions scale developed by Zeithaml et al. (1996) was used to measure participants’ re-participation intentions. The research group consists of a total of 327 volunteer individuals, 172 males (52.6%) and 155 females (47.4%), selected by convenience sampling method among individuals who play tennis for recreational purposes. The normality test of the data obtained was tested by checking the skewness-kurtosis values and it was determined that the data showed normal distribution. In this context, in addition to descriptive statistics, Hierarchical-Non-Hierarchical Clustering Analysis, and Univariate analyses were used in the analysis of the data.ResultsAccording to the research findings, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference in the re-participation intentions of the participants who played tennis for recreational purposes according to their involvement levels.ConclusionIt was observed that participants with high involvement levels had higher re-participation intentions than those with low involvement.

Evaluation of UV-Curable Solid Rocket Propellants’ Properties for Advanced 3D Printing Technologies

Challenges in the traditional cast-and-cure manufacturing of composite solid propellants, such as the use of mandrels and the toxicity of curing agents, are being addressed through new propellant formulations and additive manufacturing techniques. Within this framework, this study aimed to investigate the properties of UV-curable composite solid rocket propellants, focusing on their compatibility with advanced 3D printing technologies. Polybutadiene-based propellants incorporating a specific photoinitiator were examined. Key rheological properties, including the pseudoplasticity and pot-life, were assessed to evaluate the material’s behavior during the printing process. Furthermore, photopolymerization tests were performed using a customized delta illuminator to evaluate the conversion efficiency under UVA and UVC light sources. Concurrently, a modular Cartesian 3D printer was developed and preliminary tests were performed. Rheological tests also revealed a flow index n of 0.32 at 60 °C and 0.46 at 80 °C, indicating significant pseudoplastic behavior. The pot-life tests showed that the viscosity of the propellant reached the upper limit of 106 cP more quickly at higher temperatures, indicating a shorter time range of printability. UVA irradiation resulted in a polymerization conversion rate of about 90%, while UVC exposure did not significantly enhance the conversion rate beyond this value. Finally, the 3D printing tests confirmed the feasibility of producing solid propellant, though challenges related to material segregation and the extrusion consistency were observed. Material separation resulted in a significant impact on the printability, causing underextrusion and nozzle clogging, particularly with smaller nozzle diameters and higher extrusion pressures. Overall, this research represents a significant step forward in the development of UV-curable propellants for additive manufacturing, building on previous advancements by the research group. It demonstrates tangible progress in addressing key challenges such as the printability, material performance, and curing efficiency, while also highlighting areas requiring further refinement. These findings underscore the continuous evolution of this technology toward higher readiness levels, paving the way for its broader application in composite solid propellant manufacturing.

Twenty thousand fishes under the seas: Insights into the collection and storage of trematodes from the examination of 20,000 fishes in the tropical Indo west-Pacific.

The techniques employed to collect and store trematodes vary between research groups, and although these differences are sometimes necessitated by distinctions in the hosts examined, they are more commonly an artefact of instruction. As a general rule, we tend to follow what we were taught rather than explore new techniques. A major reason for this is that there are few technique papers in the published literature. Inspired by a collaborative workshop at the Trematodes 2024 symposium, we outline our techniques and processes for collecting adult trematodes from fishes and discuss the improvements we have made over 40 years of dissections of 20,000+ individual marine fishes. We present these techniques for two reasons: first, to encourage unified methods across the globe, with an aim to produce optimally comparable specimens across temporal periods, across geographic localities, and between research groups; and second, as a resource for inexperienced researchers. We stress the importance of understanding differences in host biology and the expected trematode fauna, which ultimately enables organised and productive dissections. We outline our dissection method for each key organ separately, discuss handling, fixation, and storage methods to generate the most uniform and comparable samples, and explore ethical considerations, issues of accurate host identification, and the importance and potential of clear record keeping.

Phylogeography and genetic structure of domestic pigs in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand: a mitochondrial DNA perspective.

We aimed to explore the distribution and variation of porcine mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages in northern India, expanding on previous local-scale research by incorporating a broader, global context. A total of 82 domestic pigs samples from Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were sequenced for the mtDNA control region (417bp) and compared to 1517 published sequences of Sus scrofa from various regions worldwide. The Uttarakhand sequences, previously analyzed in a local context by our research group, were incorporated into this study for a broader global comparative analysis. The analysis revealed complex clustering patterns of 18 haplotypes with distinct phylogeographic signals, reflecting diverse maternal lineages within the domestic pig populations in these two states of India. Two distinct subspecies of wild boar (W1 and W2) were identified, providing strong phylogeographic evidence for their distribution in India. A novel cluster (MC-I), localized to the Chotanagpur plateau, was detected, offering insights into its connection with the D5 cluster. Significantly, the study found evidence for a separate domestication center in the Himalayan foothills, supported by the presence of most Uttarakhand samples in Cluster D3, linking it to ancient human migration and subsequent pig dispersal across the region. The diverse maternal lineages in Uttarakhand may be linked to ancient human migration, suggesting human-mediated dispersal of pigs in the region. These findings contribute to the understanding of Sus scrofa's evolutionary history and global migration patterns, emphasizing the genetic uniqueness of pigs in the Indian subcontinent and its significance in the broader context of porcine genetic resources.

Young People's Experiences of Out‐of‐Home Care as Conveyed by Video Vlogs

ABSTRACTThis article examines the experiences of young people in out‐of‐home care through video vlogs published on YouTube. YouTube is popular among young people as a communication channel where they can use videos to express their opinions and share hobbies or life experiences through diary‐like vlogs. The research group consists of Finnish‐speaking young people (n = 47) and the study employed narrative analysis as this method is appropriate for exploring video narratives. We identified several key storylines in these young people's vlogs concerning both their experiences before entering out‐of‐home care and their time within it. Like other young individuals, young people in out‐of‐home care have hopes and dreams. However, they have also experienced child welfare processes and life outside the home, raising different issues in their stories. In their vlogs, young people talk openly about their experiences, making vlogs an authentic opportunity to see and hear young people's uncensored opinions about out‐of‐home care. However, the use of vlogs as data in child welfare research is still rare.

2. Types of data and data collation for efficient processing.

Data are the soul of most empirical research. Adequate data collection and their proper collation are essential to arrive at right conclusions. These conclusions are mostly drawn from the statistical analysis of properly collated data. Since the methods of statistical analysis are different for different types of data, a clear understanding of various types of data is necessary for their efficient processing. Whereas broad types of data-quantitative and qualitative-are well known, some researchers struggle with the proper collation of ordinal data and quantitative categories. Additionally, some young researchers need guidance on preparing tables to communicate their results effectively. Graphics add muscles to the skeleton of data and need to be judiciously chosen. This article provides details of various types of data, their adequacy, and their proper collation, including a brief on tables and graphics. Almost all medical researchers carry out these activities - thus, this may have wide ramifications. Although this article primarily targets postgraduate students and young researchers, our interaction with a diverse group of researchers suggests that many experienced researchers may also find this article useful in the management of their data for reaching the right conclusions.

Interplay Between Traditional and Scientific Knowledge: Phytoconstituents and Their Roles in Lung and Colorectal Cancer Signaling Pathways

Natural plant products have been used for cancer treatment since ancient times and continue to play a vital role in modern anticancer drug development. However, only a small fraction of identified medicinal plants has been thoroughly investigated, particularly for their effects on cellular pathways in lung and colorectal cancers, two under-researched cancers with poor prognostic outcomes (lung cancers). This review focuses on the lung and colorectal cancer signaling pathways modulated by bioactive compounds from eleven traditional medicinal plants: Curcuma longa, Astragalus membranaceus, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Althaea officinalis, Echinacea purpurea, Sanguinaria canadensis, Codonopsis pilosula, Hydrastis canadensis, Lobelia inflata, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Zingiber officinale. These plants were selected based on their documented use in traditional medicine and modern clinical practice. Selection criteria involved cross-referencing herbs identified in a scoping review of traditional cancer treatments and findings from an international survey on herbal medicine currently used for lung and colorectal cancer management by our research group and the availability of existing literature on their anticancer properties. The review identifies several isolated phytoconstituents from these plants that exhibit anticancer properties by modulating key signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, RAS/RAF/MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, and TGF-β in vitro. Notable constituents include sanguinarine, berberine, hydrastine, lobeline, curcumin, gingerol, shogaol, caffeic acid, echinacoside, cichoric acid, glycyrrhizin, 18-β-glycyrrhetinic acid, astragaloside IV, lobetyolin, licochalcone A, baicalein, baicalin, wogonin, and glycyrol. Curcumin and baicalin show preclinical effectiveness but face bioavailability challenges, which may be overcome by combining them with piperine or using oral extracts to enhance gut microbiome conversion, integrating traditional knowledge with modern strategies for improved outcomes. Furthermore, herbal extracts from Echinacea, Glycyrrhiza, and Codonopsis, identified in traditional knowledge, are currently in clinical trials. Notably, curcumin and baicalin also modulate miRNA pathways, highlighting a promising intersection of modern science and traditional medicine. Thus, the development of anticancer therapeutics continues to benefit from the synergy of traditional knowledge, scientific innovation, and technological advancements.

Report from Photoelectrochemistry Research Group

Report from Photoelectrochemistry Research Group

Environmental and Health Benefits: A Bibliometric and Knowledge Mapping Analysis of Research Progress

Urbanisation poses significant challenges to urban ecosystems and public health. Urban blue–green spaces are integral to urban ecosystems and play a crucial role in enhancing public health through ecological and social pathways. This paper systematically reviewed research progress on the health benefits of urban blue–green infrastructure from 2014 to 2024, using CiteSpace. By analysing 2346 publications, it revealed the development history and emerging trends in the field. Over the past decade, relevant publications have increased, with two major research groups dominated by China and Western countries but with less cooperation. This lack of collaboration may restrict diverse population inclusion, reduce research generalizability, and hinder bridging policy and cultural gaps. Findings focused on “Ecosystem services”, “physical activity”, and “residential green areas” and also highlighted a shift in research focus from foundational theories to investigating the health mechanisms of blue–green spaces, issues of environmental justice, and the impact of exposure levels on well-being. However, the synergistic effects of blue–green spaces and environmental justice issues require further investigation. Future research should prioritise interdisciplinary and international collaboration, advancing policies and applications to integrate blue–green spaces into health promotion and sustainable urban planning.

Special Events for the Biotechnology Research Group in the 92nd Annual Meeting of the Electrochemical Society of Japan

Special Events for the Biotechnology Research Group in the 92nd Annual Meeting of the Electrochemical Society of Japan

A qualitative interview study to streamline integration of patient participation in research

Integration of the patient perspective in research projects is essential to strengthen the relevance and quality of research results. In order to rectify the lack of structured procedures for patient integration in German research projects, this study summarises the currently available knowledge in a simplified practice-oriented checklist for researchers.Through 13 semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with members of a research group in December 2022, this study explored patient participation possibilities and barriers. The inductive-deductive coding and analysis in the software MAXQDA led to a standardized checklist development for seamless patient integration across similar contexts and research fields.Of 13 experts, nine researchers (69%) incorporated patient insights into their work, covering topics, concepts, focus prioritization, and study materials. Four researchers (31%) faced barriers due to the absence of guidelines. More than 90% recognized potential for patient integration in topic prioritization, concept formation, evaluation, result review, and interpretation. Researchers highlighted barriers such as patient's limited scientific basis, restricted access, and knowledge gaps in patient interaction. Among the respondents, 56% pointed to training needs and 44% to structural barriers such as workload, unclear funding, guidelines and stakeholder involvement. The resulting checklist includes six sub-categories, each with an average of four sub-items, which operationalise the integration process.Current research lacks effective patient inclusion processes due to inadequate access, tools, and knowledge. While immediate training can address some challenges, longer-term changes in policy and funding are necessary. With the new checklist, researchers receive a support tool to integrate the patient perspective in their projects in a systematic manner.