Auntie knows best? public broadcasters and current affairs knowledge

Public service broadcasters (PSBs) are a central part of national news media landscapes. In many countries, PSBs are the first choice of citizens when it comes to news providers. And in perhaps more countries still, PSBs are thought of as specialists in provision of hard news. We test this proposition here using survey data from a large crossnational survey involving indicators of current affairs knowledge and media consumption. Specifically, we examine whether exposure to public versus commercial news influences the knowledge citizens possess about current affairs, both domestically and internationally. We also test, using propensity score analysis, whether there is variation across PSBs in this regard. Results indicate that compared to commercial news, watching PSB has a net positive influence on knowledge of hard news, though not all PSBs are equally effective in contributing to knowledge acquisition. This knowledge gap between PSB and commercial news media consumption appears to be mitigated by factors such as de jure independence,proportion of public financing, and audience share

Indigenous and scientific knowledge: the choice and management of cultivation sites by bedouin in Upper Egypt

This paper investigates the ways in which some bedouin in the Nubian Desert of southeastern Egypt take decisions about both the choice of site for cultivation and the subsequent management of their soils. It explores the complementarity of formal and informal sciences and how each might profitably inform the other. Results show that the bedouin understand the physical limitations and nutrient supply properties of soils, but not aspects such as pH. Decisions on the choice of cultivation site are often made with regard to other perceived risks, such as soil loss and intermittent inundation, rather than just soil quality. It is also apparent that there exists among bedouin a plurality of indigenous knowledge mediated by factors such as experience, wealth levels, household circumstances and production priorities. Understanding indigenous knowledge is essential in helping to develop better use of the soil in this area, about which little is known and which has only a short history of small scale cropping

Two Recursive Frisch-Waugh-Lovell Algorithms and Applications in Representing Bias with Multiple Omitted Variables

The Frisch-Waugh-Lovell (FWL) theorem is a foundational result in the interpretation of regression coefficients estimated by ordinary least squares, and is ubiquitous in econometrics education. In this thesis I present two recursive FWL algorithms, implement both in Python, and study their applications in representing bias with multiple omitted variables. I find that one of the algorithms, recursive FWL decompositions, can be used to obtain an expression of bias with multiple omitted variables that is equivalent to the standard result. By breaking the omitted variable bias result into smaller terms that then simplify into the standard result, the recursive decompositions approach provides a more granular perspective on the form of omitted variable bias

Choice Response Time Differences between Recently Recovered Concussed and Healthy Student-Athletes

Some 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur annually in the United States. Utilization of test batteries and exercise protocols are recommended to ensure athletes recover completely. Many batteries involve response time (RT) tests, which show response time increases post concussion. A major limitation of RT tests is that all are done in static position. Additionally, many studies show a lingering effect on RT. The addition of RT tests to check for lingering symptoms could be beneficial. The purpose of this study was to see if significant differences could be found in RT tests involving dynamic movement between healthy studentathletes and those recently recovered from a concussion. Sixteen student athletes from a major southeastern university were recruited; half were healthy studentathletes (HSA), and half were recently recovered student-athletes (RRSA) from a concussion. Both groups were tested on two random choice response time tasks with dynamic movement using Quickboard (LLC, Memphis, TN). The first task, a delayed choice response time task was done with a 3-5 s delay after each stimulus; the second task was a continuous choice response time task. There were no significant differences between the two groups for either test. In the delayed choice response time task, (U=31, p=0.916), RRSA mean time was 0.68 ± 0.067 s; HSA mean time was 0.70 ± 0.068 s. In the continuous choice response time task (U=25, p=0.401), RRSA mean time was 21.63 ± 2.46 s and HSA mean time was 20.86 ± 2.92 s. There were no errors in the delayed choice response time task. Errors were made in the continuous choice response time task, but with no significant differences (U=27, p=0.765). RRSA mean error rate was 0.75 + 1.43 s; HSA mean error rate was 0.875 ± 0.99 s. This study tested RRSA when deemed fully recovered. One reason RT may be similar is that university officials didn’t allow RRSA to be tested until recovered, therefore response times could have recovered. Previous studies were done within a week of their concussions. Another reason was the low statistical power. It’s possible a larger sample size could lead to a statistical difference

Changing women's roles, changing environmental knowledges: evidence from Upper Egypt

The aim of this paper is to investigate the ways in which changing gender roles in a Bedouin community in Upper Egypt, brought about by settlement over the last 20 years on the shores of Lake Nasser, have impacted on the accumulation and development of indigenous environmental knowledges by Bedouin women. The research was carried out among four groups of Ababda Bedouin in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and involved in-depth monthly conversations carried out over a period of 12 months. The main conclusions of the study are that the women of the study area have had to develop new knowledges which, in some cases, are now different from those held by men because of the different economic circumstances in which many find themselves; that these knowledges are fluid, dynamic and ever-changing with their own internal dynamism; and that socially constructed notions of gender are vital in the development process, notions that are sensitive to both men's and women's interests and their interrelationships

Democratising the knowledge commons: The shared goals of open and community-engaged scholarship

Community-engaged scholarship is at a transitional moment, seeking to effect cultural change in academic and research institutions, which will expand the concept of scholarship to encompass the methodologies and definitions of scholarship embodied in community-university research and engagement. Open scholarship is similarly employed in transforming scholarship to broaden its scope, influence and impact beyond traditional modes of academic practice. Written from the perspective of practitioners of open access publishing, this article explores the development and current state of the open movement and considers intersections and opportunities for collaboration with community-engaged scholarship. </jats:p