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(Aim) The COVID-19 has caused 6.26 million deaths and 522.06 million confirmed cases till 17/May/2022. Chest computed tomography is a precise way to help clinicians diagnose COVID-19 patients. (Method) Two datasets are chosen for this study. The multiple-way data augmentation, including speckle noise, random translation, scaling, salt-and-pepper noise, vertical shear, Gamma correction, rotation, Gaussian noise, and horizontal shear, is harnessed to increase the size of the training set. Then, the SqueezeNet (SN) with complex bypass is used to generate SN features. Finally, the extreme learning machine (ELM) is used to serve as the classifier due to its simplicity of usage, quick learning speed, and great generalization performances. The number of hidden neurons in ELM is set to 2000. Ten runs of 10-fold cross-validation are implemented to generate impartial results. (Result) For the 296-image dataset, our SNELM model attains a sensitivity of 96.35 ± 1.50%, a specificity of 96.08 ± 1.05%, a precision of 96.10 ± 1.00%, and an accuracy of 96.22 ± 0.94%. For the 640-image dataset, the SNELM attains a sensitivity of 96.00 ± 1.25%, a specificity of 96.28 ± 1.16%, a precision of 96.28 ± 1.13%, and an accuracy of 96.14 ± 0.96%. (Conclusion) The proposed SNELM model is successful in diagnosing COVID-19. The performances of our model are higher than seven state-of-the-art COVID-19 recognition models. © 2023 CRL Publishing. All rights reserved.
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Purpose: This paper aims to establish a systematic cognition to alleviate the supply–demand contradiction in rural financial markets from an integrated perspective of knowledge management and proposes the concept of rural financial knowledge ecosystem (RFKE) to encourage multifaceted solutions. Design/methodology/approach: The authors qualitatively describe the process that the knowledge management dilemmas cause the supply–demand contradiction in the rural finance and further summarize a systematic methodology from three dimensions: the knowledge subject, the knowledge environment and the knowledge ecology. Findings: The authors list four types of knowledge management dilemmas leading to the supply–demand contradiction in the rural finance, i.e. the weak knowledge sharing, the poor knowledge flow, the slow knowledge updating and the imperfect knowledge environment. Meanwhile, the RFKE model consisting of the ecological subject, the ecological environment and the ecological regulation is also presented. Research limitations/implications: The role of knowledge management in improving the allocation of financial resources to various rural financial market participants (government, rural financial institutions, farmers, agricultural enterprises, etc.). Originality/value: The authors creatively give the RFKE model, which complements and enriches the theory of knowledge management. Meanwhile, relevant management practices are urgently needed under the macro circumstance of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rural revitalization in China. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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PurposeAlthough a body of studies investigates how networking capabilities (NCs) form and maintain interorganizational relationships that affect firm performance, little is known about this relationship in crisis contexts. This article explores managers' perceptions of environmental uncertainties and how this perception influences NC development and subsequent firm performance, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a quantitative research approach to complete this objective, utilizing primary data from a survey of North American firms (N = 212), mostly (62.3%) small- and medium-sized. Data were analyzed via the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique.FindingsThe authors found that managers' perception of environmental uncertainties positively impacts the NCs to initiate and develop relationships, which is associated with better firm performance during crises. The capability to initiate and develop relationships supports the firm's access to relevant resources that may be converted into business performance.Originality/valueBy analyzing managers' perceptions of environmental uncertainties and the development of NCs, the study results expand upon previous research by highlighting that starting new relationships and developing existing ones may be an efficient managerial response immediately after a crisis occurs.
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The article discuses the suggestions by various leading scientists to remain healthy during pandemic. It is reported by Eric Feigl Ding, chief of the Covid risk task force at the New England Complex Systems Institute that Vitamin D plays a crucial role in immune health. It is further reported that to prevent chronic illnesses one should eat well, be active, should avoid tobacco, and be moderate with alcohol.
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To develop and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a longitudinal pediatric distance learning curriculum for general emergency nurses, facilitated by nurse educators, with central support through the Improving Acute Care Through Simulation collaborative. Kern's 6-step curriculum development framework was used with pediatric status epilepticus aimed at maintaining physical distancing, resulting in a 12-week curriculum bookended by 1-hour telesimulations, with weekly 30-minute online asynchronous distance learning. Recruited nurse educators recruited a minimum of 2 local nurses. Nurse educators facilitated the intervention, completed implementation surveys, and engaged with other educators with the Improving Pediatric Acute Care through Simulation project coordinator. Feasibility data included nurse educator project engagement and curriculum engagement by nurses with each activity. Efficacy data were collected through satisfaction surveys, pre-post knowledge surveys, and pre-post telesimulation performance checklists. Thirteen of 17 pediatric nurse educators recruited staff to complete both telesimulations, and 38 of 110 enrolled nurses completed pre-post knowledge surveys. Knowledge scores improved from a median of 70 of 100 (interquartile range: 66-78) to 88 (interquartile range: 79-94) (P =.018), and telesimulation performance improved from a median of 60 of 100 (interquartile range: 45-60) to 100 (interquartile range: 85-100) (P =.016). Feedback included a shortened intervention and including physician participants. A longitudinal pediatric distance learning curriculum for emergency nurses collaboratively developed and implemented by nurse educators and Improving Pediatric Acute Care through Simulation was feasible for nurse educators to implement, led to modest engagement in all activities by nurses, and resulted in improvement in nurses' knowledge and skills. Future directions include shortening intervention time and broadening interprofessional scope.
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The recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (Covid-19) has been causing many disruptions among the education systems worldwide, most of them due to the abrupt transition to online learning. The sudden upsurge in digital electronic devices usage, namely personal computers, laptops, tablets and smart-phones is unprecedented, which leads to a new wave of both mental and physical health problems among students, for example eye-related illnesses. The overexpo-sure to electronic devices, extended screen time usage and lack of outdoor sun-light have put a consequential strain on the student's ophthalmic health because of their young age and a relative lack of responsibility on their own health. Failure to take appropriate external measures to mitigate the negative effects of this process could lead to common ophthalmic illnesses such as myopia or more serious conditions. To remedy this situation, we propose a software solution that is able to track and capture images of its users' eyes to detect symptoms of eye illnesses while simultaneously giving them warnings and even offering treatments. To meet the requirements of a small and light model that is operable on low-end devices without information loss, we optimized the original MobileNetV2 model with depth-wise separable convolutions by altering the parameters in the last layers with an aim to minimize the resizing of the input image and obtained a new model which we call EyeNet. Combined with applying the knowledge distillation technique and ResNet-18 as a teacher model to train the student model, we have suc-cessfully increased the accuracy of the EyeNet model up to 87.16% and support the development of a model compatible with embedded systems with limited computing power, accessible to all students. © The Authors.
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Purpose: Since the subject matters of human resources activities on knowledge intensive firms have been changed by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this study aims to analyze the impact of stock options on talent retention (knowledge worker retention) and knowledge productivity (innovation) in terms of patents, which directly affect the financial performance of knowledge intensive firms. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on agency and contingency theory to design the causality model, this study analyzes the data obtained from 227 publicly traded knowledge intensive firms in information technology (IT) and healthcare sectors. Panel data analysis is used to determine the long run causal relationship between firm innovation, knowledge worker retention and financial performance, in addition to ANOVA for evaluating firm size as a lurking variable on the effect of stock options. Findings: The results of this study demonstrate that, when firm size is taken into account, (1) stock options significantly affect knowledge worker retention and firms' financial performance, and this impact is stronger in a during-pandemic situation than in a pre-pandemic situation (2) firm innovation significantly affects firms' financial performance and this impact is stronger in a during-pandemic situation than in a pre-pandemic situation;(3) knowledge worker retention doesn't have a significant impact on firm innovation and firms' financial performance. Moreover, random effect regression analysis for long-term relationships also depicts the same results: knowledge worker retention has non-significant impact on firm innovation and financial performance, but firm innovation significantly affects financial performance. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, the authors are the first to compare the effects of stock options, knowledge worker retention and firm innovation in both pre- and during-pandemic scenarios where firm size is taken into consideration. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Drawing on qualitative research, this study explores the Iranian EFL teachers' technological needs and their suggestions for using computer-assisted language learning (CALL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed the narratives produced by 66 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers for their themes through deductive and inductive thematic analysis phases using MAXQDA. The findings indicate that CALL teacher preparation programs should prioritize technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), then technological content knowledge (TCK), and finally technological knowledge (TK). Moreover, teachers stated that CALL teacher preparation programs should develop their knowledge concerning the intersections of TCK/TPK and TPK/TK. Furthermore, Iranian EFL teachers suggested that CALL can be used during the pandemic if cooperation among teachers, students, and parents will be made, technological-related infrastructures will be developed, and teacher preparation programs will develop EFL teachers' collaboration, digital literacy, teacher autonomy, and TPK with special attention to the educational needs made by the pandemic situation. The findings have implications for teacher educators, professional development course designers and providers, and decision-makers by highlighting promising directions to devote their precious time and resources. © 2022, The Author(s).
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The way an organization operates has a pattern to it. A knowledge-based way of understanding these patterns and implementing according to them retains the competitive advantage of the organizations. Thus, identifying factors is important because, if successful, it results in shared intellectual capital. Changing the core of the pattern upon which the organization works creates several problems in retaining an organization's competitiveness. This research focuses on identifying the elements which have a significant influence on an organization's operations due to the remote working of employees during situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the relationships of factors among each other have been explored from the available research. Based on the study of various organizations it has been found that not much work has been done to identify such factors even though several organizations have suddenly opted for their workforce to work remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in lost productivity and opportunities, organizational dis-balances, and a slower rate of development. The generated model may help organizations to understand the weak notes of remote working and implement structural changes accordingly to improve the productivity in remote working and tackle the productivity and opportunity loss due to remote workforce. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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A delay in accepting or refusing a vaccination despite the availability of vaccination services is described as vaccine hesitancy. The vaccine hesitancy among the Filipinos is a significant challenge to achieving herd immunity. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy of Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology students and staff. Total sampling and descriptive study methodology were employed. To gather information about the profile, information sources, and hesitation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, a questionnaire was created. Both informed consent and permission to conduct were secured. Researchers used a variety of statistical tools to assess the data. The respondents' likely reasons to get vaccinated were to protect themselves and others, and the recommendation from a healthcare provider can help encourage those hesitant to get vaccinated. Moreover, the main reasons for their hesitancy were their fear of the side effects, and poor knowledge about the vaccine. With this, educational programs meant to educate those individuals who had vaccine hesitancy must be conducted. Moreover, vaccine hesitancy must be monitored, as it is expected to vary over time. Therefore, campaigns to disseminate the importance of the vaccine in the nation's public health must be continuously conducted for all types of diseases. © 2023, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.
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Objective: To assess the knowledge of Brazilian dentists and final-year dental undergraduates concerning COVID-19. Material and Methods: We conducted a self-administered online questionnaire about the symptoms, incubation period, and transmission routes of COVID-19. In total, there were three questions addressing these topics and 15 correct answers, so each participant could score from 0 to 15 points. Besides that, data such as sex, age, education level, years of work experience and place of work were collected. All data were submitted to statistical analysis with a 5% significance level. Results: 476 participants were recruited. Regarding the respondents' perception of the most common symptoms of COVID-19, 99.4% responded fever, 95.2% cough, and 99.2% dyspnea. About the incubation period, 56.3% answered from 1 to 14 days. About the transmission routes, 98.3% recognized transmission through droplets, 80.3% through direct contact with infected persons, and 70.4% through indirect routes. The median knowledge score was 10 (4 - 14). Regarding the socio-demographic variables, participants aged 30 years or more had a higher score than those aged up to 29 years old (p=0.004). For education level, specialist dentists presented a higher score than undergraduates (p=0.006), general dentists (p=0.048) and Ph.D. (p=0.016). Participants with 15 years or more of work experience had a higher score than undergraduates (p=0.003). Concerning the workplace, participants working in the public sector had a higher score than those working in the private sector or universities (p=0.015). Conclusion: Participants recognized the main symptoms, incubation period, and transmission routes of the COVID-19 virus;however, the knowledge level of specialist dentists, older dentists, more experienced dentists, and dentists working in the public sector was higher than the other participants.
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Amid digital developments, data journalism has gained a strong foothold among news publishers and in public discourse. With its authoritative claims and informative visualizations, it can play a significant role in the actions of citizens and people in power. This mixed-method case study explores a distinct epistemology developed in an independent form of data journalism in public service media in Scandinavia, not subordinate to traditional news values or investigative journalism. The study investigates its knowledge and truth claims, approach to data, transparency practices, and resources invested to claim reliable knowledge. The epistemology is characterized by innovative practices in the visualizing of essentially prejustified datasets. It claims public value offering general information and audience-friendly explorations of individual perspectives on topics on the public agenda. The approach to data views reality as measurable facts yet indicates epistemic ambiguity regarding figures' reliability, guided by a principle of reasonableness in the justifications of truth claims. © The Author(s) 2023.
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In view of the mental health issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, this study draws on the theories of proactive coping and altruism to examine how knowledge sharing can be used to address employee performance and mental wellbeing. Emotional intelligence is modelled as a moderator in these relationships. Two studies were conducted in Australia and Vietnam to validate the proposed relationships. The results show that only knowledge donating has a positive effect on employee performance, whereas both types of knowledge sharing are significantly related to positive mental wellbeing. Emotional intelligence exerted significant moderation effects between knowledge donating and positive mental health in the case of Australia, and between collecting and performance in the Vietnam study. This study enriches knowledge sharing literature by integrating into position psychology. The findings have implications for practitioners to adopt a cost-effective means to address mental health and increase job performance. © 2023 The Operational Research Society.
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Research and development in agricultural sector are becoming a crucial issue, especially to answer to growing global market needs and, in general, for rural innovation development. The innovation process involves stakeholders of all levels and rural development requires both personal farmers' characteristics along with favourable socio-political and infrastructural environment. Many countries and governments have executed innovation projects for agricultural firms, involving a number of actors from the public and private sectors. However, the literature lacks of studies that investigate the identification of the main factors that determine the agricultural entrepreneurs' probability to adopt new technologies during a crisis context. Thus, through the adoption of the Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study aims at filling this lack. More specifically, the exploratory empirical analysis focuses on a sample of 130 agricultural entrepreneurs operating in a rural developing Italian region, during the historical context of global pandemic crisis of COVID-19. The results provided several insights showing the factors that influence the adoption of technologies, such as the Attitude to Environmental-Economic Sustainability and the Planned Behavioural Control. An important role is also assumed by the past farmer's technological experience. The paper offers implications for entrepreneurs and public government. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
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The Covid-19 pandemic suspended established practices that, in normal times, are seen as central to the functioning of education systems. For example, in England, school closures led to the cancellation of national examinations in 2020, and their attempted replacement with an algorithmic model. Following public outcry about what were seen as the unjust effects of the application of that model, there was a very public policy reversal, and examination grades were awarded on the basis of moderated teacher assessments or Centre Assessed Grades, resulting in substantial grade inflation. This paper draws on research that investigated the actors involved in examinations policy in this period and focuses especially on the sources of expertise and the kinds of knowledge that were mobilised - or not - in the decision to cancel examinations, to develop the algorithm and to revert to Centre Assessed Grades. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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Purpose: Unintended consequences of knowledge management (KM) can be harmful if they are calamitous. However, they can occasionally be advantageous during catastrophes. The purpose of this study is to investigate how KM can be accidentally propitious during the COVID-19 pandemic using the case of Netflix. Design/methodology/approach: Explanatory factor analysis, multilevel and multiple regressions were used with a sample of 45 countries. Findings: In the authors' sample, the hypothesized direct relationship between culture (i.e. individualism, power distance and indulgence) and collective pandemic resilience (CPR) was found. In addition, the hypothesized moderating effect of Netflix KM on the relationship between culture and CPR was partially confirmed. The findings suggest that KM during the pandemic can generate an unintended consequence of intensifying the degree of CPR. Research limitations/implications: Small sample size, data paucity and the constructed variable of CPR might limit the generalizability of this study's results. Nonetheless, one important research implication is that KM qua unintended consequences can have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between culture and resilience. Practical implications: This paper highlights how organizations and society can cocreate the value of KM accidentally for the benefit of a larger public during calamities. Also, firms should proactively search for a wider application of their KM beyond their original intention. Originality/value: This paper initiates a new discussion of positive consequences of unintended KM. Unlike individual-level studies of collective resilience in the past, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this study generates country-level implications for the first time. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Even before the current (2020/2021) pandemic began, Conversational User Interfaces (CUI) had been seen as a valuable way to ease the burden on medical staff in many countries. In times of restricted direct contact with people, the need for online or virtual tools to connect patients with physicians has become even more visible. In addi-tion, these restrictions hamper the training conditions for prospective doctors. This paper describes the design and implementation of a CUI covering patients' minor complaints of the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), which can be correlated with infection by COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to provide pilot test results for an online anamnesis and diagnosis tool supporting the cooperative work of specialists and non-specialists at their workplaces. We have designed and created the cooperative online anamnesis and diagnosis system (COLDS) using 1) a knowledge-based system for the anamnesis mainly of complaints related to ENT including the eyes, 2) a knowledge base of disorders regard-ing ENT and eyes, and 3) a user interface that assists patients as well as cooperative processes involving non-specialists and specialists. COLDS is part of a clinical decision support system. The system has been evaluated in a two-tier pilot test process set in a real-life environment: Tier 1 was concerned with the usability of the system;whereas Tier 2 involved medical specialists to evaluate the outcome and recommendations created by the system based on an adapted Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) framework. Medical interns and doctors evaluated the system with a five-point Likert scale and the results show that 4.38 for the ease of system and 4.51 for overall satisfac-tion with the system at the confidence interval 95%. © 2023 ICIC International.
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Purpose: The purpose of this research is to understand everyday information behavior (IB) during the Covid-19 pandemic at the "new normal” stage, focusing on the notions of experiential knowledge (EK), i.e. knowledge acquired by first-hand experience or in personal interactions, and local knowledge (LK) as perception of local environment. Design/methodology/approach: Seventeen interviews were carried out in February–May 2021, in a district of the city of Madrid (Spain). Interview transcripts were analyzed according to grounded theory, to identify major and complementary themes of EK and LK. Findings: Participants' stories show that EK cooperated with information originating from government, scientific authorities and mainstream media, in patterns of convergence and divergence. While convergence produces "thick knowledge” (knowledge perceived as solid, real and multidimensional), divergence leads to uncertainty and collaboration, but it also supports a critical stance on authorities' information. In addition, participants' perceptions of LK emphasize its human component. LK and EK are exchanged both explicitly and tacitly. Originality/value: The paper presents the first approach to understanding EK and LK and their function during the health crisis, characterizing them as alternative information systems and as topics deserving major attention in research on IB and crisis management. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Background: The society must routinely practice precautionary measures and precautions to control the spread of Coronavirus, as no vaccines and antiviral treatments are currently available. This study examines non-teaching faculties knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to COVID-19, their relationships and identified the pandemics vulnerable population inorder to provide recommendations for policies and behavioural interventions.Materials and methods: A total of 90 non-teaching staff from a private dental institution participated in this study. A self administered, 12 item questionnaire was circulated among the non-teaching staff. Only completely filled forms were taken into account for analysis by using SPSS software version 23 with Pearson Chi square test method.Results: The final analysis was done using responses from 89 non-teaching faculties. On the whole, knowledge regarding COVID-19 was found to be moderate among these no-teaching staff. Conclusion: This study shows a baseline knowledge regarding this pandemic. Even though the participants had fair knowledge, their attitude towards answering the questions was good.
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During the COVID-19 outbreak, fake news regarding the disease have spread at an increasing rate. Let's think, for instance, to face masks wearing related news or various home-made treatments to cure the disease. To contrast this phenomenon, the fact-checking community has intensified its efforts by producing a large number of factchecking reports. In this work, we focus on empowering knowledge-based approaches for misinformation identification with previous knowledge gathered from existing fact-checking reports. Very few works in literature have exploited the information regarding claims that have been already fact-checked. The main idea that we explore in this work is to exploit the detailed information in the COVID-19 fact check reports in order to create an extended Knowledge Graph. By analysing the graph information about the already checked claims, we can verify newly coming content more effectively. Another gap that we aim to fill is the temporal representation of the facts stored in the knowledge graph. At the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to associate the temporal validity to the KG relations. This additional information can be used to further enhance the validation of claims.