Story First, Technology Second

Project Review: <i>SwampScapes</i>

Radical Reality: Documentary Storytelling and the Global Fight for Social Justice reveals how independent documentary makers around the world produce cinematic stories that speak truth to power, and why nonfiction storytelling matters for social justice. Pushing against challenging political and economic constraints, these tenacious filmmakers produce artistic nonfiction stories that stand up for freedom of expression, serve as witnesses to conflict and resilience, maintain cultural memory of human rights abuses, and open intimate windows into acts of protest, reconciliation, and resistance that often go unseen. They collaborate with activists and civil society leaders to create powerful movements of dissent, centering underrepresented voices, providing spaces for community healing and recognition, and challenging damaging narratives of people and their lived realities. And they do so in significant times. Across the globe, repressive forces threaten those who challenge power—including independent nonfiction filmmakers, journalists, and activists. And yet, hope is found in the hands of storytellers who marshal a way forward, again and again, to push the status quo toward justice. Contemporary independent documentaries are an invaluable form of public interest media and a public good, and yet, they are imperiled amid climates that are hostile to freedom of expression and open media systems. This book tells their stories.

Evidence has raised concerns regarding the association between funding sources and doubtful data. Our main outcome was to analyze trends on funding sources in articles published from 1990 to 2020...

IN A MEDIA-SATURATED WORLD, it can be very hard to parse who and what to believe. With the lines between documentary and fiction increasingly blurred in the aesthetics of contemporary filmmaking, documentary practitioners are faced with ongoing questions about the nature of documentary "truth"-from analyzing how the conventions of documentary realism function to renegotiating the terms of documentary's truth contract with its audiences. These age-old questions are enormous in scope, inviting debates that do not necessarily lead to clear, concrete answers. But considering that documentary is often packaged as entertainment or produced to advance an agenda, reviving and reconsidering these kinds of questions is necessary not only to whet the art and craftof making documentaries, but also to enrich the dialogue that occurs among documentary viewers after they have seen a film. Unraveling the complex knot of power embedded in representations of documentary "truth" is an essential practice for filmmakers and spectators seeking to challenge systems of oppression as well as those simply seeking to become more self-aware and informed about the world. Unreliable narrators are merely one thread in that knot, but a discourse about the unreliable narrator as a construct in the documentary form is nevertheless a vital component of these larger conversations.Whether in literature, film, or theoretical essays, the unreliable narrator most often appears in the context of fictional storytelling; far fewer examples of the unreliable narrator have been theorized in nonfiction or documentary filmmaking. Perhaps this is for the obvious reason that the presence of an unreliable narrator suggests a falsification of truth that would seem to invoke a world of fiction. It could be argued that an unreliable narrator works against the very definition of documentary filmmaking; however, documentary filmmaking has always had a tenuous relationship with the ideal of truth. If one accepts the premise that both truth and misrepresentations of truth coexist in the documentary tradition, then the construct of an unreliable narrator can help draw attention to the rhetorical nature of documentary "truth."To explore these issues, this analysis will begin by drawing upon the work of Wayne Booth to establish a working definition of an "unreliable narrator." Revisiting a well-known example of the unreliable narrator in the film Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa (1950) and applying theory developed by Seymour Chatman will help elucidate this definition and make an important distinction between how the unreliable narrator is constructed in written texts versus films. Since documentaries function within a different rhetorical dimension than fictional films, the analysis will proceed by exploring how the concept of the unreliable narrator in documentary has different effects and consequences than in the world of fiction. Close readings of two contemporary documentaries, Laura Poitras's The Oath (2010) and Banksy's Exit Through the GiftShop (2010), will serve as the central focus of these arguments. These two documentaries-one about the war on terrorism, the other about the commercialization of art-are similar in the manner that they suggest the unreliability of their protagonists, but differ greatly in their presentation as reliable documents. Additional scrutiny of Atomic Cafe (1982), directed by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, and Pierce Rafferty, and Luis Bunuel's Land Without Bread (1932) will provide points of comparison to further delineate the significance of precise narrational positioning for framing unreliability in the documentary form. These case studies will illustrate variations in how unreliable narrators are constructed and in how the unreliable narrator functions relative to the perceived intentions of the implied author in each film. Ultimately, this analysis will interrogate how the use of an unreliable narrator in documentary can be a powerful tool to help spectators engage actively with documentaries, invite constructive questioning and critical thinking about the authorial power of filmic narration, and open up more profound layers of meaning for viewers in interpreting films. …

The development of information technology has simplified the exchange of information between different parts of the supply chain. Information quality plays an important role in enhancing supply chain performance. The aim of this research was to explore the relationships between SCM-IT inhibitors, IT enablers, information sharing, and information quality in supply chain management. Data for 183 business units operating in Vlore, Albania during 2017 were analyzed. Direct and mediating or indirect effects were also analyzed. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), an advanced statistical technique with the help of Smart-PLS version 3.2.7. PLS algorithm was used to determine the factor loadings and path coefficients in the theoretical model. The study has concluded that SCM-IT inhibitors have a negative and significant effect on information quality; the mediation effect of information sharing was significant, the mediation effect of IT enablers was significant; however, the multiple mediation effects of IT enablers and information sharing was not significant. These findings are useful for top management and IT specialists of the business units, and also for information technology services and products providers.

Amplifying the voice of youth through planetary health films

The agrarian sector of the economy is one of the strategic segments of the national economy, the level of development of which depends on food security of the country, a significant part of state budget revenues, the preservation of the village, etc. For the further development of agrarian sector of the economy, the qualitative system transformations are required, which, as the experience of the most world developed countries shows, should be based exclusively on the innovative and investment potential of the development of integration relations.It is carried out the complex scientifically-based monitoring of investment support for the development of integration relations in the agrarian sector of the Ukrainian economy. It has been analyzed the attraction of investment resources by integrated economic entities from international financial, credit and banking institutions, as well as export credit agencies during getting the international guarantees for purposes of project financing. It was established that during 1996-2016 years over 16,7 billion dollars US in prices of 2016 were invested in all sources of financing. The structure of attracted investment resources by main groups of financial institutions shows that the largest share in it falls on funds received from bank lending, issuance of Eurobonds and stock exchange activities.There are determined the features of investment mechanisms and the purpose of project financing; it is shown that in general they play a main role in a large investment process, but are only available for large economic entities and transnational corporations.It is confirmed that the lack of an institutional system of state financial support for export in Ukraine significantly reduces the level of competitiveness of domestic agricultural products on international markets. Therefore, in the context of European integration processes, the current problem is reforming the system of support for the export of final technological redistribution products, with simultaneously restriction of foreign trade in raw materials and semi-finished products, which is carried out, in particular, through its internal economic transfer at transfer prices.

Interactive digital technology has great potentiality in providing life-like learning contexts and in-time interactions to facilitate language learning, especially for the low achievers. Contexts are essential for effective language learning. In this study, two types of digital interactive technologies, including interactive digital map (iMap) and augmented reality (AR), were employed to deliver and enhance contextualized learning experiences with gamified learning tasks for the low achievers’. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of type of technology-enhanced learning, including the iMap-enhanced learning and the AR-enhanced learning, on low achievers’ learning performance and attitude while learning from the gamified technology-enhanced contextualized EFL learning. A preliminary experiment showed that (a) the AR-enhanced learning group outperformed the iMap-enhanced learning group on learning performance, (b) all participants’ post attitudes toward the received technology-enhanced learning were significantly increased in all attitude aspects of confidence, preference, anxiety, attention, and learning strategy, and (c) both technology-enhanced learning group revealed similar positive in most attitude aspects, excepted that the AR group showed a higher degree of attention than the iMap group. It was concluded that technology-enhanced contextualized learning is effective in promoting learning attitudes and helping EFL learners achieve acceptable learning performance.

Nowadays the teaching practice supported by digital technology poses a serious challenge to teachers. The pedagogical practice that encompasses the digital resources demands competences that are different from the traditional ones once a new learning culture arises as a result of the ICT integration in the learning and teaching process. The literature review indicates the necessity to reorientate the teacher´s role and work when faced with the digital culture. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present a contribution to modify the practices supported by instrumentalist and deterministic concepts showing a definition to the interactive digital technology term as well as pointing out the teaching competences required for the critical and responsive incorporation of the interactive digital technology in education. Finally, the proposal of a theoretical scheme aims at synthesizing the competences identified in the literature about the use of digital technology in the pedagogical setting

The article deals with the possibilities of developing emotional intelligence in preschool children using interactive digital technology of facial expressions recognition. The analysis of the scientific literature is carried out, the results of the entrance and final diagnostics are described, and the new method of the development of the emotional intelligence of the preschool children and the analysis of the results of the carried-out complex of classes are presented.

The paper characterizes the scientific capacity of Ukrainian regions across the number of organizations involved in R&amp;D, number of employed in R&amp;D, and R&amp;D expenditures. The trends towards the reduction of the number of R&amp;D organizations in Ukraine and the number of employed in R&amp;D are detected. Six scientific centers with the strongest development capacity are determined – Kyiv and Harkivska, Dnipropetrovska, Lvivska, Zaporizka, and Odeska oblasts. The development of scientific capacity in Ukraine and the EU is compared across the parameters of gross R&amp;D expenditures per capita, number of researchers per 1000 employed, gross expenditures per 1 employed in the industry, and gross expenditures per a researcher. The structure of R&amp;D expenditures across the sources of funding is analyzed across Ukrainian regions and compared to EU and OECD countries. The role of research infrastructures in the EU is examined and the situation with their development in Ukraine is described. The parameters of high- and above average technology output, export of high- and above average technology products, knowledge-intensive services, and volume of sold innovative products in Ukraine are analyzed. The measures to be taken to achieve efficient implementation of scientific capacity and economic development of the country and its regions based on innovative development model are suggested. They include integration of the demand for scientific and technological research into the system of regional strategizing, scientific and technological maintenance of regional smart-specialization strategies with attraction of specialists, making R&amp;D the integral component of accomplishment of sectoral, regional, and local innovative programs, development of modern innovative infrastructure accompanied by growing demand for R&amp;D, and integration of the national R&amp;D system with the global research area, etc.

Background: Integrated primary health care (PHC) relies on connectivity and seamless information-sharing across primary, secondary, acute, aged and social care. eHealth tools can promote a better patient journey and avoid duplication of care processes such as pathology and imaging or unplanned attendances at emergency departments and hospitalisations. Conceptual framework: This encompasses integration, Informatics Capability Maturity (ICM), multidisciplinary teamwork and data quality within the Australian National PHC Strategic Framework. Integration includes system, information and people elements that promote or support a team and shared care culture. The ICM reflects how an organisation collects, manages and shares information in the health neighbourhood, manages information communication technologies (ICT), data quality management and governance, and uses health “business intelligence” to achieve multidisciplinary integrated care. Aim: Assess the relationships between the ICM, systems and services integration and use eHealth tools by Integrated Primary Health Care Centres (IPHCCs). Setting: Seven IPHCCs in metropolitan and rural settings in 3 Australian states: an enhanced private general practice, four GP SuperClinics, a “HealthOne” private-public partnership and a Community Health Centre (CHC). These IPHCCs demonstrated a range of funding sources, ownership, organisational structures and leadership. Methods: Mixed methods case study. Data collected through document review, interviews with staff, non-participant observation of the IPHCC, data quality assessment of pseudonymised data from the EHR, and self-assessment of the ICM. A purposeful sample of patients were interviewed. Findings: The IPHCCs were at varying levels of ICM, using clinical and managerial eHealth tools with varying effectiveness for different ends; The lack of a common terminology and universal secure messaging system and limited “clinical coding” were significant barriers to data collection, integration and sharing; Various “work-arounds” were used by clinicians and managers to communicate and share information to compensate for the lack of technical, data and software integration; Patient engagement with eHealth tools, including the PCEHR, was minimal; and Improvement requires strong clinical leadership to ensure standards for data, metadata and secure messaging; a common terminology; integrated electronic decision support tools; accountable data quality management and information governance. Key lessons: Successful use of eHeath tools for system and service integration requires a skilled clinical informatics workforce; technical, semantic and software standards; adequate privacy and security; and clinical leadership to implement and monitor them to successful adoption. Conclusion & recommendations: 1. A multidisciplinary clinical informatics profession to bridge the divide between health, management and computer science in health care policy development and implementation with a patient-centred approach. 2. A common terminology across all health services, education and research sectors. 3. Secure messaging (building on and supported by the National Health Service Directory) 4. Integrated EHR data, metadata and applications to optimise EHR use. 5. Education of and culture change in the health professions to value good documentation, data quality management and information governance. Agencies to act on these recommendations include: Commonwealth and State Departments of Health, Education and Technology; Australian Commission for eHealth (replacing NEHTA); software industry; PHNs; LHDs/LHNs; Health professional bodies; and Higher education institutions.

Evaluating the reproducibility of research in obstetrics and gynecology

Sir, There is increasing concern about the problems of antimicrobial resistance. In the words of the House of Lords’ report published in 1998, ‘Resistance to antibiotics . . . constitutes a major threat to public health and ought to be recognized as such more widely than at present’. Despite this, there is a feeling that the UK’s contribution to the science of antimicrobial chemotherapy is still in decline. Five years ago a systematic review looking at the trends in original research over a 14 year period was published. It showed that over the study period the number of publications from the UK declined. This is a follow-on study to assess the change over the 5 years since that publication. Original articles published in this journal (JAC) and Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (AAC) in 1999 were reviewed. Information was collected on the country of origin of first author, type of paper published and the number of authors. For papers published from the UK first author, the name, number of groups and type of institution involved were noted, as well as the funding source. These data were then compared with data published in 1996, which looked at publications from 1980 to 1994. Of the 805 papers published in 1999, 243 were from JAC and 562 from AAC. The percentage of papers with a UK first author in JAC was 18% (44/243) and in AAC 5.3% (30/562). This compares with 23% in JAC and 4.7% in AAC in 1994 and a total number of papers of 247 and 531, respectively. Using the first author to define country of origin, most papers in AAC were from the USA (41%), with France and Japan providing most of the rest. In JAC, although most papers were from the UK (18%), 16% were from the USA, and France, Japan, Spain and Italy together provided 26%. The most common publication sub-type published in JAC was susceptibility testing (30%), experimental therapeutics was the next most common subtype (11%). In AAC the number of papers published on mechanisms of resistance was 30%, and susceptibility testing made up 21%. The proportion of papers published by JAC on susceptibility testing has decreased from 44.4, 36.9, 19.7 to 34.6% over the years 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1994; papers on mechanisms of resistance have increased marginally from 9.8, 10.8, 11.8, 11.5 to 15% over the same time periods. Of the papers published in JAC on susceptibility testing half were from the UK. For the UK papers, the institution of origin was classified into four groups according to first author. In JAC, hospitalbased research made up 61% of the papers, and universitybased research 35%, whilst industry only 4%. This is similar to the previous findings where hospital-based research made up 61%, with a continued increase in university publications from 7% in 1980 to 30% in 1994 to 35% in 1999. Whereas in AAC, university-based research made up 60% of publications from the UK, an area previously dominated by hospital-based research. The categories of publication were similar from the hospitaland university-based departments. The number of papers published by individual research groups was assessed for the first authors of the UK papers. In total, 30 groups published 73 papers; of this, 37% were published by two NHS groups. When number of groups involved in each project was assessed, 40% were from single groups or departments, 32% from two groups and 12% from four groups or more. The number of authors per paper was 4.3 in JAC and 4.5 in AAC. This is similar to the findings in 1994 (JAC 4.4 and AAC 5.1). Funding, which was not assessed in the 1996 paper, was assessed on this occasion, and it was found that in JAC 52% of papers were funded by industry and in AAC 43% of papers. Although these data are limited, they confirm a continued decrease in the proportion of publications from the UK in JAC and no increase in the publications in AAC. There are more papers coming from a larger number of institutions than previously, although more than a third of the papers are coming from only two institutions. Unfortunately the conclusions are similar to those reached 5 years ago. There is no room for complacency about the state of UK antimicrobial research and with increasing clinical workloads and difficulties in finding funding, this area continues to be a cause for concern; despite recent initiatives there is as yet no detectable strengthening of the UK research base in antimicrobial chemotherapy.

Eric Kabera is a Rwandan documentary and fiction filmmaker and producer. He collaborated on one of the first fictionalised films about the genocide, 100 Days (dir. Nick Hughes), and has participated in a variety of projects related to the process of memorialisation and commemoration of the events of 1994 and their aftermath. Kabera is also the founder of the Rwanda Cinema Centre and the Rwanda Film Festival, which aim to bring the moving image to the country's rural populations. This interview focuses on Kabera's documentary film The Keepers of Memory: Survivors' Accounts of the Rwandan Genocide (2005), which traces the individual trajectories of those affected by the genocide and gives them a platform to voice their experience. Special attention is paid to the relationship with physical surrounding, to image and to the internal and external experience of trauma and memory in their collective and individual forms. The theoretical assertions about memory recording are juxtaposed with pragmatic issues encountered by a filmmaker as practitioner. The interview was conducted on 30 March 2008 in Kigali, Rwanda.