A niche of their own: variations of information practices in biodiversity citizen science

PurposeInformation practices become highly complex in biodiversity citizen science projects due to the projects’ large scale, distributed setting and vast inclusion of participants. This study aims to contribute to knowledge concerning what variations of information practices can be found in biodiversity citizen science and what these practices may mean for the overall collaborative biodiversity data production in such projects.Design/methodology/approachFifteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with participants engaged with the Swedish biodiversity citizen science information system Artportalen. The empirical data were analysed through a practice-theoretical lens investigating information practices in general and variations of practices in particular.FindingsThe analysis shows that the nexus of biodiversity citizen science information practices consists of observing, identifying, reporting, collecting, curating and validating species as well as decision-making. Information practices vary depending on participants’ technical know-how; knowledge production and learning; and preservation motivations. The study also found that reporting tools and field guides are significant for the formation of information practices. Competition was found to provide data quantity and knowledge growth but may inflict data bias. Finally, a discrepancy between practices of validating and decision-making have been noted, which could be mitigated by involving intermediary participants for mutual understandings of data.Originality/valueThe study places an empirically grounded information practice-theoretical perspective on citizen science participation, extending previous research seeking to model participant activities. Furthermore, the study nuances previous practice-oriented perspectives on citizen science by emphasising variations of practices.

A structured professional development curriculum for postdoctoral fellows leads to recognized knowledge growth

Postdoctoral training enables research independence and professional readiness. National reports have emphasized professional development as a critical component of this training period. In response, many institutions are establishing transferable skills training workshops for postdocs; however, the lack of structured programs and an absence of methods to assess outcomes beyond participant satisfaction surveys are critical gaps in postdoctoral training. To address these shortcomings, we took the approach of structured programming and developed a method for controlled assessment of outcomes. Our program You3 (You, Your Team, Your Project), co-designed by postdoctoral fellows, focused on discussing specific management and leadership skills agnostic of ultimate career path(s) in a structured manner. We then measured outcomes in a controlled manner, by systematically comparing perceived knowledge and growth as indicators of awareness and confidence in participants against that of non-participants as the control group. You3 participants self-rated greater growth in targeted competencies compared to non-participants independent of the number of years of training. This growth was shown by multiple criteria including self-reporting and associative analysis. Correspondingly, You3 participants reported greater knowledge in 75% of the modules when compared to controls. These data indicate that structured learning, where postdocs commit to a curriculum via a cohort-structure, leads to positive outcomes and provides a framework for programs to assess outcomes in a rigorous manner.

Oxidative Dysregulation in Early Life Stress and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Comprehensive Review

Traumatic stress may chronically affect master homeostatic systems at the crossroads of peripheral and central susceptibility pathways and lead to the biological embedment of trauma-related allostatic trajectories through neurobiological alterations even decades later. Lately, there has been an exponential knowledge growth concerning the effect of traumatic stress on oxidative components and redox-state homeostasis. This extensive review encompasses a detailed description of the oxidative cascade components along with their physiological and pathophysiological functions and a systematic presentation of both preclinical and clinical, genetic and epigenetic human findings on trauma-related oxidative stress (OXS), followed by a substantial synthesis of the involved oxidative cascades into specific and functional, trauma-related pathways. The bulk of the evidence suggests an imbalance of pro-/anti-oxidative mechanisms under conditions of traumatic stress, respectively leading to a systemic oxidative dysregulation accompanied by toxic oxidation byproducts. Yet, there is substantial heterogeneity in findings probably relative to confounding, trauma-related parameters, as well as to the equivocal directionality of not only the involved oxidative mechanisms but other homeostatic ones. Accordingly, we also discuss the trauma-related OXS findings within the broader spectrum of systemic interactions with other major influencing systems, such as inflammation, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and the circadian system. We intend to demonstrate the inherent complexity of all the systems involved, but also put forth associated caveats in the implementation and interpretation of OXS findings in trauma-related research and promote their comprehension within a broader context.

Territorial and Human Geography Challenges: How Can Smart Villages Support Rural Development and Population Inclusion?

Rural areas are significantly affected by spatial vulnerability, the digital gap, depopulation, and population ageing. Marginalized populations are seeking collective well-being, social inclusion, and local development in smart villages, an increasingly important area of interest for scholars and practitioners as well as rural areas and communities. This article attempts to highlight the dominant trends in smart villages planning and depict the characteristics of Greek rural areas and populations alongside the implemented localized smart actions. To achieve this aim, the research utilized the existing literature through bibliometric analysis by extracting data from the Web of Science database. Building upon the bibliometrics, the research focused on identifying localized implemented interventions in the Greek rural areas. The results suggest that innovation, knowledge, growth, and management appear to impact rural smart planning, while the limited interventions of smart villages in Greece focus on social innovation and local development. The study argues that in Greece, a single holistic smart villages model cannot be proposed, due to the country’s geographical and demographical variability. The proposed trends, though, can be implemented locally to encourage rural development and population inclusion; therefore it is recommended to increase local stakeholders’ awareness and active engagement.

The learnability of word knowledge aspects in Thai EFL high school learners

This study investigated the learnability of multiple word knowledge aspects and the relationship between the word knowledge aspects. A total of 261 Thai high school students were measured on receptive and productive word knowledge aspects: word parts, the form-meaning link, and collocations. The current findings indicated that word parts are acquired first, followed by the form-meaning link and collocations, which suggest the receptive and productive continuum of learning word knowledge aspects. The present results also indicated an interdepended association between word knowledge aspects. Overall, the findings suggest receptive and productive knowledge of word knowledge aspects is an essential underpinning for vocabulary knowledge growth. Recommendations for future studies are also discussed.

The Role of Community Engagement in Higher Education: Convergence Relating to Knowledge Growth- a Practical Model and Guidelines

As attention to community engagement nurtures and it is important that instructors, students, and community associatescomprehend how it is conceptualized. This paper representsresults from a qualitative review with academics and community engagement superintendents nationwide with esteem to how they conceptualize community service.This article reiterates the definition and thoughtfulnessof communityservice as one of the crucialareas of Higher Education Establishments in Ethiopia.Itsseizures the significance of a proper methodologyin the direction of community serviceand contributes about a applied method through the multifacetedinteraction between academic societies and communities. The present study will launch a healthierawareness of the community, its traditions, and its cultural programs as anall-inclusive platform for consideratelocalsocieties. Theproposed recommendationsmay facilitate community engagement architects to prepare andimplement community servicesschemes effectively.

DEVELOPING THE ADAPTIVE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN CONTEXT OF ENGINEERING COMPANY PROJECT ACTIVITIES

The concept of Adaptive Knowledge Management is an approach essentially increasing the effectiveness of project participants in their processes that are unpredictable or initialized in advance by unknown events. The research deals with developing the strategy of proactive formation of project team competencies within an industrial enterprise. The most important component of this strategy is the formation of “knowledge coordinators” who are responsible for knowledge management and the creation of training and knowledge sharing regulations. On the basis of this strategy the method of determining the adaptation potential of team members is developed, which is based on the assessment of project task implementation of different complexity, taking into account the identifiers of continuous knowledge growth, which allows predicting the possibilities of increasing the competence level and determining the sustainability of project team members’ knowledge. This method can be used to form a project team considering the accumulated experience and knowledge of its participants.