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Knowledge building is a social process that is driven by the willingness of people to share their expertise and create new knowledge. Scientific Communities of Practice (CoPs) are communities of professors and researchers whose aim is to foster scientific knowledge generation. In the KM literature, research concerning this kind of CoPs has been substantially neglected so far. The present research analyses the case study of the International Association for Knowledge Management (IAKM) seen as a scientific CoP where members are mostly academics with research interests in developing and promoting knowledge management. Based on a collection of quantitative and qualitative data about member collaborations and scientific production, the study investigates the structure of interactions and the collaborative processes of IAKM members and the specific mechanisms of knowledge building within this CoP, seen as a paradigmatic example of scientific community. Members were asked to respond to a survey regarding their collaborative activities carried out with other IAKM members in the period of 2011 – 2020. The descriptive analysis revealed the kind of collaborations, the distribution of interactions across the community, and the dynamic patterns over time. A follow-up social network analysis was used to provide deeper insight into the community structure and dynamics. The research found that a CoP can really be useful for progress in a scientific field because it can provide a platform for trust and mutual acquaintance that reduces barriers to collaboration and knowledge building across different universities, professional roles, countries, and cultures, which is increasingly important for the progress of science. Most importantly, IAKM exhibited a cohesive and active core membership with pivotal roles played by a number of active members, which contributed significantly to the growth of the Association and, in general, to the advancements in the field of KM through collaborative knowledge building.

This paper explores the work done so far on creating and using digital data regarding stecci – UNESCO-listed world heritage from medieval Bosnia. Firstly, the paper reveals a slow, but steady progress towards creating a wholistic digital catalogue of all existing stecci necropolises and tombstones. Secondly, it discovers an encouraging trend of innovative research methods for analysing these digital data, as well as for production of digital art inspired by these important monuments. Finally, the paper identifies the main problem that hinders faster progress towards ‘digital stecci’ in the costly and somewhat piecemeal approach evidenced in individual endeavours of scholars, professionals and/or artists. More coordinated effort and teamwork is recommended as a way forward.

PURPOSE To assess whether Swiss adult citizens diagnosed with keratoconus have the minimal knowledge that a corneal specialist would expect they should have. METHODS Experts defined the "minimal keratoconus knowledge" (MKK) with respect to definition, risk factors, symptoms, and possible treatment options of keratoconus. A survey was performed in 167 patients with keratoconus [mean age 38.8 years (SD 13.9), 77.7% male] in 5 specialized institutions. Of each participant, salient clinical characteristics, highest educational level, paramedical background, and specific health experience with keratoconus in the social surrounding were obtained. We calculated the proportion of MKK and examined whether patients with higher education and greater disease experience would perform better than those from other groups in multivariate analyses. RESULTS No single citizen reached 100% MKK. The mean MKK was 35.2%, and the range was 0% to 76.2%. Participants with a university degree had only a moderately higher MKK [+8.7% (95% confidence interval: 4.4-13.0); P < 0.001]. Per age decile, the MKK declined by 3.1% (95% confidence interval: 1.2-4.9), P = 0.002. Disease duration, severity of keratoconus in Kmax values, and history of surgical treatment did not significantly increase MKK. Surprisingly, MKK was also lower in patients with a paramedical background [-6.3% (-14.1 to 1.4); P = 0.107]. CONCLUSIONS This sample of Swiss patients with keratoconus did not know more than a third of the MKK. We found a little difference within various subgroups. There is a substantial mismatch between caregivers' expectations of patients' knowledge and patients' active knowledge regarding their condition. This may lead to an inefficient care delivery and misunderstandings.

Objectives: To find out and evaluate and compare hearing threshold of the cleft-side vs. non-cleft side in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), to find out if the severity of the morphological and functional changes on the cleft lip and palate side correlate with severity of the hearing loss, to find out if ears of cleft vs.non cleft side show difference in improvement of the hearing loss with aging. Method: Tympanometry and pure tone audiometry performed in study group of 76 children with UCLP of the left side and median age of 6 years. All of the children previously have undergone operatively repaired left cleft lip and palate under the standard conditions. Tested children have long term history of hearing loss and no ear surgery. Results of tonal audiometry were evaluated for speech frequencies (500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz and 4000 Hz) according to age subgroups of 1-3, 4-7, and 8-12 years. Hearing loss was considered of mild, moderate or severe level. Ears of the non-cleft side with no morphological structural defect, served as control in the evaluation of the hearing thresholds of the ears of cleft side. Results: Highest average of hearing loss across speech frequencies showed youngest age group of 1-3 year. There was no difference between levels of hearing loss between cleft and non-cleft side. At the age of 4-7 yr. cleft side ears showed highest hearing loss average and medians for separate frequencies, if compared with non/cleft side ears. Cleft side ears showed higher incidence of ears with moderate and severe hearing loss which do not improve hearing threshold with aging. Increase of ears with normal hearing is not significant with aging. Ears on cleft side showed mild level ears. Ears of non-cleft side ears showed increase of ears with normal and mild hearing loss with aging.