Knowledge governance, innovation and development

This paper aims to be a very preliminary effort to contribute to a better understanding of the interaction among innovation, competition and intellectual property policies from an evolutionary-developmental perspective. As such, it seeks to build a more coherent framework within which the discussions of both institution building and policy design for development can proceed. In order to accomplish that, the paper introduces the concept of "Knowledge Governance" as an alternative analytical and policy-oriented approach, and suggests that from a public policy/public interest perspective, and within an evolutionary framework, it is a better way to address the problems concerning the production, appropriability and diffusion of knowledge. In doing so, it also intends contribute to broaden the ongoing discussions on the "New Developmentalism".

Innovation and adoption of mobile technology in public organizations: the IBGE case

The use of Mobile and Wireless Information Technologies (MWIT) for provisioning public services by a government is a relatively recent phenomenon. This paper evaluates the results of MWIT adoption by IBGE (The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) through a case study. In 2007, IBGE applied 82,000 mobile devices (PDAs) for data gathering in a census operation in Brazil. A set of challenges for a large scale application of MWIT required intensive work involving innovative working practices and service goals. The case reveals a set of outputs of this process, such as time and cost reductions in service provision, improved information quality, staff training and increased organizational effectiveness and agility.

Level of behavior and knowledge concerning human papillomavirus among university students of a nursing college

INTRODUCTION: Human pappilomavirus is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, and persistent HPV infection is considered the most important cause of cervical cancer. It is detected in more than 98% of this type of cancer. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge concerning human papillomavirus among nursing college students of a private educational institution located in the City of Bauru, SP, and correlate their knowledge according to the course year. METHODS: A descriptive study with a quantitative approach, performed with a questionnaire that permitted the quantification of data and opinions, thus guaranteeing the precision of the results without distortions in analysis or interpretation. The survey was applied to randomly selected 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year nursing college students. Twenty students from each level were selected during August 2009, totaling 80 students of both genders. RESULTS: Observation revealed that 4th-year students had greater knowledge than 1st-year students, reflecting the greater period of study, the lack of knowledge of 1st-year students was due to the low level of information acquired before entering college. CONCLUSIONS: The need for complementary studies which determine the profile and knowledge of a larger number of teenagers in relation to HPV was established. The need for educational programs that can overcome this lack of information is undeniable, especially those aimed at making adolescents less susceptible to HPV and other STDs.

Relationships and knowledge in the firm internationalization process

Based on the variables relationship and knowledge, this article aimed at analyzing how a multinational enterprise selects an entry mode to operate in a particular international market and how this initial choice evolves over time. We devised a rather new theoretical framework to address it by combining three theoretical approaches that have dealt with the firm internationalization: the Uppsala model, the relational approach, and the subsidiary development literature. We constructed a qualitative backward-looking longitudinal case study of the internationalization process of a North-American multinational enterprise in the Brazilian market. Results show that four types of relationships and three types of knowledge played the role in the events that characterized the internationalization of this firm. Based on these results, five new hypotheses concerning the interplay between relationships and knowledge in the internationalization process of the firm are suggested for future empirical tests.

Educational Group Practices in Primary Care: Interaction Between Professionals, Users and Knowledge

OBJECTIVE To investigate the concept understood by Family Healthcare Strategy (ESF) professionals of knowledge, education and subjects participating in learning activities. METHOD Qualitative study carried out with the ESF professionals with university degree, members of the healthcare staff who undertook educational health group activities at Basic Healthcare Units (UBS) in Belo Horizonte. The following triangulation techniques were used: participant observation, photos and field notes; interviews with professionals; and document analysis. RESULTS We identified three interaction patterns that are different from each other. Firstly, the professional questions, listens and provides information to users, trusting in the transmission of knowledge; secondly, the professional questions and listens, trusting that users can learn from each other; thirdly, the professional questions, listens, discusses and produces knowledge with users, both teaching and learning from each other. CONCLUSION There are educational practices that include unique methods capable of creating a militant space for citizenship engagement.

Relationship between the users' contact time in educational programs on diabetes mellitus and self-care skills and knowledge

Abstract OBJECTIVE Check the relationship between the users' contact time in educational programs and self-care and knowledge variables in diabetes mellitus. METHOD A longitudinal study with a quantitative approach with the participation, in the initial phase, of 263 users linked to Basic Health Units in Belo Horizonte, Brazil during the years 2012 and 2013. The data were collected with respect to the total contact time of the users' participation in the educational program as regards knowledge and self-care in acquired diabetes mellitus. The data were analyzed using the Student t-test for comparison of means, considering a 0.05 significance level. RESULTS The final sample included 151 users. The analysis showed that the improvement in self-care scores was statistically higher during an educational intervention of eight hours or more (p-value <0.05). In relation to the scores for knowledge, there was a statistically significant improvement at the end of the educational program. It was not possible to identify a value for the contact time from which there was an increase in mean scores for the ability of knowledge. CONCLUSION To improve the effectiveness of the promotion of skills related to knowledge and self-care in diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to consider the contact time as a relevant factor of the educational program.

Public management, policy capacity, innovation and development

In this paper we discuss the question of what factors in development policy create specific forms of policy capacity and under what circumstances developmentoriented complementarities or mismatches between the public and private sectors emerge. We argue that specific forms of policy capacity emerge from three interlinked policy choices, each fundamentally evolutionary in nature: policy choices on understanding the nature and sources of technical change and innovation; on the ways of financing economic growth, in particular technical change; and on the nature of public management to deliver and implement both previous sets of policy choices. Thus, policy capacity is not so much a continuum of abilities (from less to more), but rather a variety of modes of making policy that originate from co-evolutionary processes in capitalist development. To illustrate, we briefly reflect upon how the East Asian developmental states of the 1960s-1980s and Eastern European transition policies since the 1990s led to almost opposite institutional systems for financing, designing and managing development strategies, and how this led, through co-evolutionary processes, to different forms of policy capacity.

Locus of control and contraceptive knowledge, attitude and practice among university students

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between locus of control and knowledge, attitude and practice regarding pill and condom use among university students. METHODS: The inquiry was developed in Campinas, a city in Southeastern Brazil, in 2006. A total of 295 adolescent newcomers to a public university answered a structured questionnaire and Levenson's multidimensional locus of control scale. The scores of the dimensions of locus of control were calculated and Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess their correlation with knowledge and practice concerning pill and condom use. In order to assess the relationship between the dimensions of locus of control and sociodemographic variables and variables related to the individuals' sex life, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used. RESULTS: Male adolescents had higher scores of powerful others externality when compared to female adolescents (p=0.01). Students living alone had lower internality (p=0.01). When locus of control was compared to condom use in the first intercourse, considering only the 102 students who informed the age of the beginning of sexual activity, greater internality was found among male adolescents who did not use condoms (p<0.05). When the locus of control scores were correlated with contraceptive knowledge and practice, it was found that the higher the powerful others externality locus, the lower the adequate use of contraceptive methods (r = -0.22, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The powerful others externality locus influences the practice of contraceptive use in this group of adolescents.

Hypertensives' Knowledge About High-Sodium Foods and Their Behavior

Abstract Background: In Brazil, the prevalence of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is approximately 30% of the total population. In 2010, SAH was the cause of death of about 9.4 million people worldwide. A healthy dietary pattern is important to maintain proper blood pressure levels and, consequently, disease control. Objectives: To describe the knowledge and practices of hypertensive patients cared for at a public hypertension outpatient clinic, and its relationship with high-sodium food. Methods: We applied a questionnaire to patients with questions related to sociodemographics, dietary pattern, frequency of ingestion of certain foods, and knowledge about their own disease. Results: We studied 221 patients, 56.1% of whom were women, and 53.8% had only elementary education. Their mean age was 57.7 ±13.5 years, and 75.6% of them reported having high blood pressure, and 11.3%, diabetes mellitus. Regarding dietary pattern, 62% used ready-to-use seasonings, but 94.1% reported not adding extra salt to their ready meals. Regarding patients' knowledge about high-sodium foods and SAH, only 8 patients had 100% of right answers, 37 patients had 73.8%, and 42 patients, 57% of right answers. Conclusion: Knowledge about SAH prevention and high-sodium foods was insufficient. Based on this study's findings, more effective educational strategies targeted at this population can be developed.

Knowledge and attitudes of nurses towards alcohol and related problems: the impact of an educational intervention

An exploratory study of quasi-experimental approach that aimed to verify the impact of an educational intervention on attitudes and knowledge of nurses towards alcohol use and associated problems. The sample included 185 nurses, divided into two groups: 84 submitted to a training course and formed the experimental group. Data were collected through a knowledge survey and an attitude scale. The attitudes of the participants of both groups were positive. There were no significant differences between groups in relation to knowledge. The strongest predictors of positive attitudes were possessed preparation to act with chemical dependents (OR = 2.18), "have received increased workload during graduation on the theme, 'alcohol and other drugs'" (OR = 1.70), and "completed graduate school" (OR = 2.59). The educational intervention had a positive impact on the attitudes of nurses towards alcoholics, work and interpersonal relationships with such clientele.

Knowledge of the Portuguese population on Basic Life Support and availability to attend training

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the level of knowledge and the availability of the Portuguese population to attend training in Basic Life Support (BLS) and identify factors related to their level of knowledge about BLS.METHODObservational study including 1,700 people who responded to a questionnaire containing data on demography, profession, training, interest in training and knowledge about BLS.RESULTSAmong 754 men and 943 women, only 17.8% (303) attended a course on BLS, but 95.6% expressed willingness to carry out the training. On average, they did not show good levels of knowledge on basic life support (correct answers in 25.9 ± 11.5 of the 64 indicators). Male, older respondents who had the training and those who performed BLS gave more correct answers, on average (p<0.01).CONCLUSIONThe skill levels of the Portuguese population are low, but people are available for training, hence it is important to develop training courses and practice to improve their knowledge.

Health education: the role and functions of the specialist and the generalist

Education for health is a process in which all public health and medical care personnel are involved. People learn both formally (planned learning experiences) and informally (unplanned learning experiences). Since the patient, the client, the consummer and the community expect public health and medical care personnel to assist them with health and disease issues and problems, the response of the professional "educates" the customer whether the professional intends to educate or not. Therefore, it is incumbent on all public health and medical care professionals to understand their educational functions and their role in health education. It is also important that the role of the specialist in education be clear. The specialist, as to all other specialists, has an in-depth knowledge of his area of expertise, i.e., the teaching/learning process; s/he may function as a consultant to others to enhance the educational potential of their role or s/he may work with a team or with communities or groups of patients. Specific competencies and knowledge are required of the health education specialist; and there is a body of learning and social change theory which provides a frame of reference for planning, implementing and evaluating educational programs. Working with others to enhance their potential to learn and to make informed decisions about health/disease issues is the hallmark of the health education specialist.

Prostate innervation and local anesthesia in prostate procedures

The nerve supply of the human prostate is very abundant, and knowledge of the anatomy contributes to successful administration of local anesthesia. However, the exact anatomy of extrinsic neuronal cell bodies of the autonomic and sensory innervation of the prostate is not clear, except in other animals. Branches of pelvic ganglia composed of pelvic (parasympathetic) and hypogastric (sympathetic) nerves innervate the prostate. The autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the growth, maturation, and secretory function of this gland. Prostate procedures under local anesthesia, such as transurethral prostatic resections or transrectal ultrasound-guided prostatic biopsy, are safe, simple, and effective. Local anesthesia can be feasible for many special conditions including uncomplicated prostate surgery and may be particularly useful for the high-risk group of patients for whom inhalation or spinal anesthesia is inadvisable.

Predicting the distribution of forest tree species using topographic variables and vegetation index in eastern Acre, Brazil

Species distribution modeling has relevant implications for the studies of biodiversity, decision making about conservation and knowledge about ecological requirements of the species. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the use of forest inventories can improve the estimation of occurrence probability, identify the limits of the potential distribution and habitat preference of a group of timber tree species. The environmental predictor variables were: elevation, slope, aspect, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and height above the nearest drainage (HAND). To estimate the distribution of species we used the maximum entropy method (Maxent). In comparison with a random distribution, using topographic variables and vegetation index as features, the Maxent method predicted with an average accuracy of 86% the geographical distribution of studied species. The altitude and NDVI were the most important variables. There were limitations to the interpolation of the models for non-sampled locations and that are outside of the elevation gradient associated with the occurrence data in approximately 7% of the basin area. Ceiba pentandra (samaúma), Castilla ulei (caucho) and Hura crepitans (assacu) is more likely to occur in nearby water course areas. Clarisia racemosa (guariúba), Amburana acreana (cerejeira), Aspidosperma macrocarpon (pereiro), Apuleia leiocarpa (cumaru cetim), Aspidosperma parvifolium (amarelão) and Astronium lecointei (aroeira) can also occur in upland forest and well drained soils. This modeling approach has potential for application on other tropical species still less studied, especially those that are under pressure from logging.