Knowledge context,learning and innovation: an integrating framework

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, we develop a framework which identifies those elements of firms’ knowledge context which are important for innovation, and the mechanisms through which that knowledge impacts on firms’ innovation performance. We make four main contributions to the existing literature. First, our characterisation of knowledge context provides the basis for a more specific identification of which elements of firms’ knowledge environment are important for innovation, discriminating between spatial, sectoral and network influences. Second, we reflect the role of innovation ambition in shaping firms’ knowledge search strategies. Third, we differentiate between firms’ interactive and non-interactive knowledge search activities and recognise that these may be complemented by unanticipated and serendipitous knowledge spillovers. Finally, we employ the notion of encoding capacity to reflect firms’ internal ability to assimilate and apply external knowledge, and clarify its distinctiveness from the more general concept of absorptive capacity. Our framework provides an integrating mechanism for existing empirical studies, and suggests a number of new research directions related to the determinants of innovation performance and the heterogeneity of innovation outcomes.     

Plasmon resonant amplification of a hot electron-driven photodiode

Nano Research - We report plasmon resonant excitation of hot electrons in a photodetector based on a metal/oxide/metal (Au/Al2O3/graphene) heterostructure. In this device, hot electrons, excited...     

Gains and losses of the XII-VII component of the "baby-sitter" procedure: a morphometric analysis

The classic hypoglossal transfer to the facial nerve is invariably followed by complications caused by tongue atrophy. In 1984, Terzis introduced the "baby-sitter" procedure which involved a formal cross-facial procedure, in addition to partial neurectomy of the hypoglossal nerve, and an end-to-side coaptation with the ipsilateral facial nerve. This reported study provides, for the first time, quantification of the number of hypoglossal motor fibers needed to successfully restore eye sphincter function, using an end-to-side coaptation with preservation of the tongue. Thirty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups: control, denervated, perineurial window, 20 percent partial neurectomy (PN), 40 percent PN, and 80 percent PN. The procedure involves interposing a nerve graft (saphenous) between the partially severed XII nerve and the upper zygomatic branch of the facial nerve. Evaluation of the behavioral data (blink reflex) revealed good-to-superb return of the blinking mechanism in the 40 percent group, without significant tongue atrophy. Electrophysiologic data in the 40 percent neurectomy group demonstrated superiority to the other groups. Quantitative axonal morphometry of the coaptation sites and graft, as well as motor end-plates of the orbicularis oculi muscle and tongue showed the 40 percent partial neurectomy group to be the optimal group.     

PAC Learning of One-Dimensional Patterns

Developing the ability to recognize a landmark from a visual image of a robot's current location is a fundamental problem in robotics. We consider the problem of PAC-learning the concept class of geometric patterns where the target geometric pattern is a configuration ofk points on the real line. Each instance is a configuration ofn points on the real line, where it is labeled according to whether or not it visually resembles the target pattern. To capture the notion of visual resemblance we use the Hausdorff metric. Informally, two geometric patternsP andQ resemble each other under the Hausdorff metric if every point on one pattern is close to some point on the other pattern. We relate the concept class of geometric patterns to the landmark matching problem and then present a polynomial-time algorithm that PAC-learns the class of one-dimensional geometric patterns. We also present some experimental results on how our algorithm performs.     

Non-functional properties in the model-driven development of service-oriented systems

Systems based on the service-oriented architecture (SOA) principles have become an important cornerstone of the development of enterprise-scale software applications. They are characterized by separating functions into distinct software units, called services, which can be published, requested and dynamically combined in the production of business applications. Service-oriented systems (SOSs) promise high flexibility, improved maintainability, and simple re-use of functionality. Achieving these properties requires an understanding not only of the individual artifacts of the system but also their integration. In this context, non-functional aspects play an important role and should be analyzed and modeled as early as possible in the development cycle. In this paper, we discuss modeling of non-functional aspects of service-oriented systems, and the use of these models for analysis and deployment. Our contribution in this paper is threefold. First, we show how services and service compositions may be modeled in UML by using a profile for SOA (UML4SOA) and how non-functional properties of service-oriented systems can be represented using the non-functional extension of UML4SOA (UML4SOA-NFP) and the MARTE profile. This enables modeling of performance, security and reliable messaging. Second, we discuss formal analysis of models which respect this design, in particular we consider performance estimates and reliability analysis using the stochastically timed process algebra PEPA as the underlying analytical engine. Last but not least, our models are the source for the application of deployment mechanisms which comprise model-to-model and model-to-text transformations implemented in the framework VIATRA. All techniques presented in this work are illustrated by a running example from an eUniversity case study.     

Capturing the response of players to a location-based game

Location-based games offer opportunities for us to learn more about people’s interactions and feelings towards the environment they are in as well as to understand more about the mental models and locations associated with known environments, e.g. a university campus with its associations of learning. In our study, we wanted to manipulate the activities in a game to take advantage of certain locations in the hope of producing certain emotional reactions. However, it is not enough to simply produce these reactions; one must also have a way of capturing any emotions produced whether these are the ones expected or not. The objective of this paper, therefore, was to trial a new methodology for location-based games that aims at capturing the players’ emotional reactions to the activities in a game whilst in certain locations. In order to test the methodology, we designed a location-based game that can be played on any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone that has an accelerometer. The game has been designed to interweave with a persons’ normal activity. As a result, there is little distinction between gaming time and non-gaming time.     

Hands-free administration of subjective workload scales: Acceptability in a surgical training environment

Introduction

Subjective workload measures are usually administered in a visual-manual format, either electronically or by paper and pencil. However, vocal responses to spoken queries may sometimes be preferable, for example when experimental manipulations require continuous manual responding or when participants have certain sensory/motor impairments. In the present study, we evaluated the acceptability of the hands-free administration of two subjective workload questionnaires - the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and the Multiple Resources Questionnaire (MRQ) - in a surgical training environment where manual responding is often constrained.

Method

Sixty-four undergraduates performed fifteen 90-s trials of laparoscopic training tasks (five replications of 3 tasks - cannulation, ring transfer, and rope manipulation). Half of the participants provided workload ratings using a traditional paper-and-pencil version of the NASA-TLX and MRQ; the remainder used a vocal (hands-free) version of the questionnaires. A follow-up experiment extended the evaluation of the hands-free version to actual medical students in a Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) training facility.

Results

The NASA-TLX was scored in 2 ways - (1) the traditional procedure using participant-specific weights to combine its 6 subscales, and (2) a simplified procedure - the NASA Raw Task Load Index (NASA-RTLX) - using the unweighted mean of the subscale scores. Comparison of the scores obtained from the hands-free and written administration conditions yielded coefficients of equivalence of r = 0.85 (NASA-TLX) and r = 0.81 (NASA-RTLX). Equivalence estimates for the individual subscales ranged from r = 0.78 (“mental demand”) to r = 0.31 (“effort”). Both administration formats and scoring methods were equally sensitive to task and repetition effects. For the MRQ, the coefficient of equivalence for the hands-free and written versions was r = 0.96 when tested on undergraduates. However, the sensitivity of the hands-free MRQ to task demands (η_partial² = 0.138) was substantially less than that for the written version (η_partial² = 0.252). This potential shortcoming of the hands-free MRQ did not seem to generalize to medical students who showed robust task effects when using the hands-free MRQ (η_partial² = 0.396). A detailed analysis of the MRQ subscales also revealed differences that may be attributable to a “spillover” effect in which participants’ judgments about the demands of completing the questionnaires contaminated their judgments about the primary surgical training tasks.

Conclusion

Vocal versions of the NASA-TLX are acceptable alternatives to standard written formats when researchers wish to obtain global workload estimates. However, care should be used when interpreting the individual subscales if the object is to make comparisons between studies or conditions that use different administration modalities. For the MRQ, the vocal version was less sensitive to experimental manipulations than its written counterpart; however, when medical students rather than undergraduates used the vocal version, the instrument’s sensitivity increased well beyond that obtained with any other combination of administration modality and instrument in this study. Thus, the vocal version of the MRQ may be an acceptable workload assessment technique for selected populations, and it may even be a suitable substitute for the NASA-TLX.