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The value problem for knowledge is the problem of explaining why knowledge is more valuable than mere true belief. The problem arises for reliabilism in particular, i.e., the externalist view that knowledge amounts to reliably acquired true belief. Goldman and Olsson argue that knowledge, in this sense, is more valuable than mere true belief due to the higher likelihood of future true beliefs (produced by the same reliable process) in the case of knowledge. They maintain that their solution works given four empirical assumptions, which they claim hold "normally." However, they do not show that their assumptions are externalistically acceptable; nor do they provide detailed evidence for their normality claim. We address these remaining gaps in Goldman and Olsson's solution in a constructive spirit. In particular, we suggest an externalist interpretation of the assumptions such that they essentially spell out what it means for a broad range of organisms capable of belief-like representations to be epistemically adapted to their environment. Our investigation also sheds light on the circumstances in which the assumptions fail to hold and knowledge therefore fails to have extra value in Goldman and Olsson's sense. The upshot is a deeper understanding of their solution as a contribution to naturalized epistemology and a strengthened case for its empirical validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: - An estimated 240,000 newborns die worldwide within 28 days of birth every year due to congenital birth defect. Exposure to poor indoor environment contributes to poor health outcomes. In this research, we aim to evaluate the association between the usage of different type household cooking fuel and congenital birth defects in Nepal, as well as investigate whether air ventilation usage had a modifying effect on the possible association. Methods: - This is a secondary analysis of multi-centric prospective cohort study evaluating Quality Improvement Project in 12 public referral hospitals of Nepal from 2017 to 2018. The study sample was 66,713 women with a newborn, whose information was available in hospital records and exit interviews. The association between cooking fuel type usage and congenital birth defects was investigated with adjusted multivariable logistic regression. To investigate the air ventilation usage, a stratified multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: -In the study population (N = 66,713), 60.0% used polluting fuels for cooking and 89.6% did not have proper air ventilation. The prevalence rate of congenital birth defect was higher among the families who used polluting fuels for cooking than those who used cleaner fuels (5.5/1000 vs. 3.5/1000, p < 0.001). Families using polluting fuels had higher odds (aOR 1.49; 95% CI; 1.16, 1.91) of having a child with a congenital birth defect compared to mothers using cleaner fuels adjusted with all available co-variates. Families not using ventilation while cooking had even higher but statistically insignificant odds of having a child with congenital birth defects (aOR 1.34; 95% CI; 0.86, 2.07) adjusted with all other variates. Conclusion: - The usage of polluted fuels for cooking has an increased odds of congenital birth defects with no significant association with ventilation. This study adds to the increasing knowledge on the adverse effect of polluting fuels for cooking and the need for action to reduce this exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decolonisation aims at exposing the ills of colonialism in an attempt to undo their long-standing effects. Important criticism of curriculum decolonisation has focused on potential conflicts with academic freedom. However, this criticism has to some extent suffered from a perceived lack of agreement on the concept and status of academic freedom itself. The present study views decolonisation in South Africa from the perspective of the international standard afforded by the UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of higher-education teaching personnel (1997). It is argued that, whereas some conceptions of decolonisation are intrinsically in conflict with the recommendation, compliance depends in other cases on implementational details. Moreover, regarding several conceptions, furthering decolonisation and implementing the UNESCO recommendation go hand in hand. In a case study, the Nelson Mandela University Transformation Plan 2018–2020 is critically examined. Finally, it is suggested that there may be considerable benefits associated with using the UNESCO recommendation as a guide in and throughout curriculum transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]