bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural product-inspired strategies towards the discovery of novel bioactive molecules
Authors: Gagare Sunita , Patil Pranita , Jain Ashish
Published: April 2024

Background

The intricate molecular frameworks of natural products with biological activity towards human targets offer academic and industrial chemists an important starting point for next generation drug discovery. With a focus on natural products for the production of diverse small-molecule libraries and the evaluation of uncharted chemical space, several strategies have emerged for achieving selective modulation of disease-associated targets. This review highlights some of the significant and more recent synthetic strategies inspired by naturally occurring molecular frameworks, aiming at the discovery and development of novel bioactive molecules. We underscore the potential of these innovative strategies with representative examples to forecast their role in addressing the enduring drug design challenge.

Main text

In this review, we discuss these newer natural product-inspired synthetic approaches, among them diversity-oriented synthesis, biology-oriented synthesis, hybrid natural products, diverted total synthesis, pruning natural products, ring distortion of natural products and integrating natural product framework with a bioactive molecule. Selected representative examples associated with these strategies are given to demonstrate how they have been applied to afford desired bioactivity.

Conclusion

This review elaborates several pioneering and emerging strategies inspired from natural product which allows access to the unexplored chemical space to identify novel molecules possessing noteworthy bioactivity. The corresponding examples highlight the success of these strategies in the discovery of novel bioactive molecules which can be further developed in drug discovery and can be novel probes for chemical biology. Although there are limited number of successful examples, the selectivity, activity, and efficacy associated with natural product-inspired molecules accentuate their importance.
Efficacy of endoscopic sinus surgery in management of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis after control of dental pathology
Authors: Aljeraisi Talal
Published: April 2024

Background

Odontogenic sinusitis (ODS) has clinical features like rhinogenic sinusitis. Although it is usually unilateral, diagnostic overlap could happen. However, ODS necessitates different management which includes dental intervention to eliminate the dental infection source. In some patients, ODS may persist even after management of dental pathology. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical features, and diagnostic criteria of ODS that is persistent after management of dental pathology, and to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) as a therapeutic option of the disease.

Methods

Twenty patients were included in this study. All patients were presented with ODS refractory to medical treatment after management of their dental problems. Clinical features of the patients were analyzed. Also, endoscopic nasal examination and computed tomography of paranasal sinuses (CT) were performed for all patients. ESS were used, with widening of the maxillary ostium for drainage. Follow-up was carried out for at least 6 months.

Results

All patients had unilateral disease, with 3 main complaints: malodourous nasal discharge (90%), facial pain (75%), and nasal obstruction (45%). Endoscopic nasal examination showed either middle meatal purulence (70%) or polypoid mucosa (30%). CT showed either thickened maxillary sinus mucosa (50%), or complete maxillary opacity (50%) with retained foreign body in 2 patients (10%). After ESS, all patients reported relieve of their sinonasal symptoms, and nasal endoscopy showed patent middle meatus, with one patient demonstrated adhesions between the middle turbinate and lateral nasal wall which was asymptomatic.

Conclusion

Prior dental intervention is a suspicious diagnostic landmark for ODS, and unilateral foul nasal discharge is the main prevalent complaint. Nasal endoscopy usually shows purulence or polypoid mucosa in the middle meatus, and CT is a good diagnostic tool for ODS. ESS with good widening of the maxillary ostium is an effective therapeutic option for those patients.
Clinical translation of pluripotent stem cell-based therapies: successes and challenges
Authors: Christiansen Josefine Rågård , Kirkeby Agnete
Published: April 2024

The translational stem cell research field has progressed immensely in the past decade. Development and refinement of differentiation protocols now allows the generation of a range of cell types, such as pancreatic β-cells and dopaminergic neurons, from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in an efficient and good manufacturing practice-compliant fashion. This has led to the initiation of several clinical trials using hPSC-derived cells to replace lost or dysfunctional cells, demonstrating evidence of both safety and efficacy. Here, we highlight successes from some of the hPSC-based trials reporting early signs of efficacy and discuss common challenges in clinical translation of cell therapies.
Nuclear actin dynamics and functions at a glance
Authors: Ulferts Svenja , Lopes Massimo , Miyamoto Kei , Grosse Robert
Published: April 2024

Actin is well known for its cytoskeletal functions, where it helps to control and maintain cell shape and architecture, as well as regulating cell migration and intracellular cargo transport, among others. However, actin is also prevalent in the nucleus, where genome-regulating roles have been described, including it being part of chromatin-remodeling complexes. More recently, with the help of advances in microscopy techniques and specialized imaging probes, direct visualization of nuclear actin filament dynamics has helped elucidate new roles for nuclear actin, such as in cell cycle regulation, DNA replication and repair, chromatin organization and transcriptional condensate formation. In this Cell Science at a Glance article, we summarize the known signaling events driving the dynamic assembly of actin into filaments of various structures within the nuclear compartment for essential genome functions. Additionally, we highlight the physiological role of nuclear F-actin in meiosis and early embryonic development.
Video coding optimization techniques
Authors: Παπαϊωάννου Γεώργιος
Published: April 2024

Οι τεχνικές κωδικοποίησης βίντεο αποδεικνύονται ιδιαιτέρως σημαντικές τα τελευταία χρόνια, λόγω της δραματικής αύξησης της χρήσης βίντεο παγκοσμίως, που απαιτεί διαρκώς υψηλότερη ποιότητα εικόνας, με όσο το δυνατό χαμηλότερη ροή δεδομένων και μεγέθη αποθηκευτικού χώρου. Η έρευνα για μεγαλύτερες αναλύσεις και ρυθμούς προβολής ανά δευτερόλεπτο (frame rate) είναι μια διαρκώς εξελισσόμενη διαδικασία μέσα στην επιστημονική κοινότητα. Η ανάγκη υποστήριξης υψηλών αναλύσεων στο πεδίο της εικόνας, και κατ’ επέκταση των ροών βίντεο, οδηγεί τη βιομηχανία στη δημιουργία νέων προτύπων κωδικοποίησης βίντεο με την αύξηση της υπολογιστικής πολυπλοκότητας κάθε φορά, να αποτελεί έναν από τους πιο κρίσιμους παράγοντες αντιμετώπισης για την ελαχιστοποίησή της. Σε αυτή συμβάλλει, όχι μόνο η αύξηση των αναλύσεων της εικόνας, αλλά και οι νέες τεχνικές κωδικοποίησης, που παρουσιάζονται, για τη μεγιστοποίηση της συμπίεσης. Όλα τα νέα πρότυπα στον χώρο του βίντεο προσφέρουν μεγάλη αποτελεσματικότητα ως προς τη συμπίεση των δεδομένων, αλλά με αντάλλαγμα, όπως προαναφέρθηκε, την αύξηση της υπολογιστικής πολυπλοκότητας, τόσο από την πλευρά του κωδικοποιητή, όσο και από την πλευρά του αποκωδικοποιητή. Οι υπερύψηλες αναλύσεις (UHD) φέρνουν υποχρεωτικά νέες τεχνικές κωδικοποίησης, που περιλαμβάνουν και την παραλληλοποίηση της διαδικασίας. Σε αυτήν τη διατριβή αναπτύξαμε αλγορίθμους, ώστε να αντιμετωπιστεί η υπολογιστική πολυπλοκότητα κατά την κωδικοποίηση, με χρήση πολλών επεξεργαστών (CPUs) και την αξιοποίηση της κάρτας γραφικών (GPU). Στην ουσία, επικεντρωθήκαμε στην ανάπτυξη ενός πολυδιεργασικού (multithreaded) περιβάλλοντος κωδικοποίησης, δημιουργώντας ένα εντελώς νέο σχήμα παράλληλης κωδικοποίησης και αξιολογήσαμε τον αλγόριθμο σε επίπεδο απόδοσης και ποιότητας με τη χρήση διαφόρων σεναρίων λειτουργίας. Ως επέκταση αυτής της προσπάθειας, εξερευνήσαμε και τις δυνατότητες της κάρτας γραφικών, αναθέτοντάς της τους υπολογισμούς της εκτίμησης της κίνησης (motion estimation). Αυτό έγινε με την εφαρμογή ενός νέου καινοτόμου αλγορίθμου γρήγορης αναζήτησης (fast search), που αξιοποιεί την εν γένει χρήση πολλών πυρήνων της κάρτας. Τέλος, προσθέσαμε έναν αλγόριθμο εκτίμησης για την αποφυγή των μη απαραίτητων υπολογισμών, που αφορούν την ακρίβεια της εκτιμώμενης κίνησης (motion estimation), ώστε να αυξήσουμε ακόμη περισσότερο την υπολογιστική αποτελεσματικότητα.
Η αξία της παιδείας κατά τον Πλούταρχο
Authors: Χασαπογιάννης Ιωάννης-Ευάγγελος
Published: April 2024

Η παρούσα μελέτη έχει ως αντικείμενό της την εξέταση των σημαντικότερων παιδαγωγικών αντιλήψεων του Πλουτάρχου, όπως αυτές μας παρουσιάζονται στις πραγματείες του Πῶς δεῖ τὸν νέον ποιημάτων ἀκούειν και Περὶ τοῦ ἀκούειν. Μέσα από τις συγκλίσεις και τις αποκλίσεις των παιδαγωγικών αντιλήψεων του Πλουτάρχου με αυτών της σύγχρονης παιδαγωγικής ο δάσκαλος του δημοτικού μπορεί να εμπλουτίσει τις παιδαγωγικές του γνώσεις και να εφαρμόσει νέες στρατηγικές και μεθόδους στη διδασκαλία του. O Πλούταρχος εκτός από ξεχωριστός συγγραφέας είναι και ένας κλασικός παιδαγωγός, καθώς οι ιδέες του περί αγωγής είναι παγκόσμιες, επίκαιρες και με μόνιμη παρουσία στα πορίσματα και τις αρχές όλων των κλάδων της παιδαγωγικής επιστήμης. Ο νεαρός ακροατής των μύθων και αργότερα των φιλοσοφικών διαλέξεων ακολουθώντας τις υποδείξεις του φιλοσόφου θα μπορέσει στο μέλλον να αυξήσει τη συμμετοχή του στο μάθημα, να χαρεί τη μαθησιακή διαδικασία, να ενισχύσει την αυτοπεποίθησή του, να αποκτήσει την πολυπόθητη εσωτερική γαλήνη και ηρεμία αναπτύσσοντας ταυτόχρονα τη διανοητική του ικανότητα και το ήθος του. Η παιδεία για τον Πλούταρχο είναι το μοναδικό μέσο που διαθέτει ο άνθρωπος για να υπερβεί τις φυσικές του αδυναμίες και να επιτύχει την τελείωσή του. Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι να αναδείξει τη διαχρονική αξία των παιδαγωγικών αντιλήψεων του Πλουτάρχου, να εντοπίσει τα κοινά σημεία των ιδεών του με τις σύγχρονες επιστημονικές θεωρίες, να τα τεκμηριώσει με τη χρήση σύγχρονης βιβλιογραφίας και να τα παρουσιάσει με σαφήνεια ώστε να γίνουν κατανοητά από τον σημερινό αναγνώστη.
Cashew apple in Tanzania: status of utilization, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable development
Authors: Dimoso Noel , Kassim Neema , Makule Edna
Published: April 2024

Cashew apples, although widely available and rich in nutrients are still underutilized after harvest in Tanzania. Approximately 2,327,000 metric tonnes of cashew apples are lost each year. Their counterpart, the cashew nut is highly appreciated and successfully contributes to the national economy. The huge underutilization of cashew apples is a challenge that requires urgent attention in order to achieve both national and global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Improvement of the cashew apple sector could have a positive impact on global SDGs 1, 2, and 3 targets of no poverty, zero hunger, and good health and well-being respectively. At national level, this sector could contribute to the goals of the Tanzania Development Vision (TDV) 2025, namely: high quality livelihood, particularly food self-sufficiency and food security; and a strong and competitive economy, particularly a diversified and semi-industrialized economy with a substantial industrial sector comparable to typical middle-income countries. In addition, the country’s Third Five Year Development Plan III (FYDP III) 2021/22 – 2025/26 has established key strategic interventions, notably those related to competitive industrialization, energy, and food and nutrition security to ultimately achieve the goals of the TDV 2025. To be effective, however, these strategic interventions require continued strong central and local government support and active involvement of stakeholders to ensure program effectiveness yielded towards efficient utilization of widely available natural resources such as cashew apples which has cross-cutting benefits in food, agriculture, health, energy, and economic perspectives. Therefore, the work provides evidence on the utilization status, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable development in Tanzania.
Combining contour-based and region-based in image segmentation
Authors: Dagher Issam , Abboud Elie
Published: April 2024

Background This paper presents an optimized clustering approach applied to image segmentation. Accurate image segmentation impacts many fields like medical, machine vision, object detection. Applications involve tumor detection, face detection and recognition, and video surveillance. Methods The developed approach is based on obtaining an optimum number of clusters and regions of an image. We combined Region-based and contour-based approaches. Initial rough regions are obtained using edge detection. We have used Gabor wavelets for texture classification and spatial resolutions. Color frequencies are also used to determine the number of clusters of the Fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm which gave an optimum number of clusters or regions. Results We have compared our approach with other similar wavelet and clustering techniques. Our algorithm gave better values for segmentation metrics like SNR, PSNR, and MCC. Conclusions Optimizing the number of clusters or regions has a significant effect on the performance of the image segmentation techniques. This will result in better detection and localization of the segmentation-based application.
Assessing risk perceptions that contribute to tetanus toxoid maternal vaccine hesitancy in Kilifi County, Kenya
Authors: Kiyuka Patience Kerubo , Onsomu Moindi Rodgers , Mutua Meshack Nzesei , Mumba Noni , Shauri Halimu Suleiman
Published: April 2024

Background Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions today. However, a growing number of people perceive vaccines as unsafe and unnecessary. Methods We used a mixed method research in which we administered a quantitative survey to men and women of reproductive age, held Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with expectant mothers, and interviewed Key Informants (KI) to understand maternal vaccine hesitancy within a rural setting of Kilifi County, Kenya. Results Of the 104 people surveyed, 70% of the participants were aware of the vaccine that expectant women receive, with 26% stating that they know people in their community who have refused or were hesitant to take maternal vaccination. Reasons for refusals include religion and rumours that have spread in the community that the tetanus toxoid vaccine was a family planning method. Stockout of the vaccine was identified as one of the healthcare factors affecting vaccine uptake. Healthcare workers were the most trusted source for information about maternal vaccines. Conclusion Dissemination of accurate information and continuous engagement with community members can build trust and confidence in maternal vaccines.
Akulturacja z perspektywy dziecka w powieści Giant Agi Maksimowskiej
Authors: Zych Justyna
Published: April 2024

W niniejszym artykule autorka analizuje powieść Giant (2012) Agi Maksimowskiej, historię polskiej nastolatki, która w latach 80. wyemigrowała wraz z rodziną do Kanady, przez pryzmat badań nad akulturacją, prowadzonych przez takich psychologów jak J. W. Berry i M. J. Bennett. Takie ramy lektury pozwalają dostrzec w tej w dużej mierze autobiograficznej opowieści jedenastoletniej dziewczynki typowe zjawiska doświadczane przez jednostki poddane imigracji i wystawione na kulturową inność. Wśród tych zjawisk można wskazać w powieści różne stresory związane z imigracją, zwłaszcza te dotykające głównie nastolatków, kolejne etapy akulturacji, od obrony po integrację, a także mechanizmy psychologiczne stojące za ostateczną postawą bohaterki wobec nowego kraju oraz jej tożsamości narodowej i kulturowej. Potwierdzając większość badań psychologów międzykulturowych, Giant przedstawia trajektorię akulturacji, która w pewnych aspektach odbiega od ogólnego schematu. Niemniej jednak jawi się jako powieść charakteryzująca się psychologicznym autentyzmem, jeśli chodzi o przedstawienie doświadczeń imigrantów, co prawdopodobnie wynika z autobiograficznego kontekstu książki.
Economic convergence in the European Union at the regional level with particular attention to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – a spatio-temporal approach
Authors: Jankiewicz Mateusz
Published: April 2024

The study presents an analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic convergence in the European Union (EU). It is widely known that every crisis can have a negative influence on the economic development of a country or region. This research analysed data for 233 EU regions on the NUTS-2 level in the years 2000-2020.analyzed To verify the occurrence of the convergence process, the spatio-temporal β-convergence models for pooled time series and cross-sectional data (TSCS) were estimated. Expandingthe convergence models with the dummy variables characterising two critical crises in the analysed period (the global financial crisis in 2007-2009 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020) allowed us to verify their impact on the regional convergence processin the EU. The main aim of this research is to assess the influence of presented crises on the economic convergence between EU regions. Because regions cooperate, the spatial element of the β-convergence models was also included. The additional aspect of the study is the comparison of the differences in strength of the influence of the mentioned crises on economic convergence.
Integrating the rent gap into the ground rent theory. Measurement and implications for different models of agriculture
Authors: Czyżewski Bazyli , Lis Piotr , Czyzewska Izabela
Published: April 2024

The aim of this paper is to establish a conceptual framework for the rent gap theory in agriculture and to identify potential implications of the rent gap for socio-economic processes occurring in agriculture and rural areas. From an empirical perspective an attempt was made to determine the state and dynamics of the rent gap phenomenon in agriculture in Poland, considering the regional division. The authors used income approach and Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) for estimating the capitalization rate. It was found that rent gap is a permanent phenomenon in Polish agriculture, the dynamics of which largely depends on macroeconomic factors. A widening rent gap may result in the withdrawal of land from farming and a decline in total factor productivity in agriculture. Thus, the implications of the rent gap may relate to food security. Measuring the rent gap can be a step towards determining the quasi-market value of environmental amenities of land.
The interdependence of R&D, innovations, and productivity: case of Polish manufacturing companies
Authors: Zabłocka-Abi Yaghi Adriana , Tomaszewski Tomasz
Published: April 2024

Motivation: The structural model proposed by Crepon, Duguet, and Mairesse (the CDM model) in 1998 has been the workhorse of the empirical analysis of the relationship between firms’ innovation input and output and performance. Most research applying the CDM methodology shows a positive relationship between firms’ R&D, innovation, and productivity, primarily in highly developed countries. However, some studies do not confirm the universal nature of these relations, pointing to possible differences between countries, sectors, firm characteristics, sources of knowledge, types of innovation, or performance indicators.
Aim: The study aims to explore the relationship between R&D expenditures, patent applications, and labour productivity among Polish manufacturing firms. The study applies a four-stage analysis of the innovation-performance relationship based on the CDM model. The method enables us to track the transformation of innovation input into output and its impact on the performance of companies. The analysis is based on the survey conducted in 2018 on a random sample of 1049 Polish manufacturing firms.
Results: The results reveal interesting insights into the analysed relationship. Firstly, initial results confirm the vital role of cooperation, being an exporter, and functioning in specific markets for deciding to invest in R&D. Secondly, state aid, employees’ education, and being part of the capital group are crucial for the R&D intensity. The analysis confirms a statistically significant positive relationship between Polish manufacturing firms’ innovation input and output. However, the results of the last stage of the analysis indicate that the performance of manufacturing firms is unrelated to the innovation output.
The cultural sector in Polish economy in the regional approach
Authors: Stanowicka Agnieszka , Kobylińska Małgorzata
Published: April 2024

Motivation: In recent years, the impact of cultural factors on the economic development has been analysed. This research concerns the impact of culture on the labour market, the growth of innovation and creativity, participation in creating added value of GDP, stimulating exports, although the cultural sector also affects the development of tourism, entertainment and improvement in the quality of life of residents. Currently, the cultural sector is treated as a long-term economic investment affecting the development of the country.Aim: The goal of the article is to evaluate the functioning of the cultural sector in Poland. This assessment has been made on a regional basis.Results: To achieve the purpose, data of the GUS (Central Statistical Office in Poland) were analysed. The data concerned expenses allocated to culture and national heritage — they included individual types of cultural institutions and number of cultural sector entities in 2018–2021. The results of the analysis of the cultural sector have been presented in tables and diagrams. Using an agglomeration method, the Polish provinces were grouped according to values of the analysed categories of expenses allocated to culture and national heritage in the provinces in year 2021. It was noticed that the development of the cultural sector in Poland is uneven, concentrated in the country’s capital, which is typical for less developed countries. Therefore, main barriers to the development of the cultural sector in Poland were identified. The most important obstacles were: underfunding, lack of systemic solutions to support the demand for cultural goods, unfavourable legal and financial conditions for creators of culture, lack of support for cooperation between public and private cultural sector, dependence of the development of the cultural sector on politics, as well as lack of social acceptance of the cultural policy. Culture is also negatively affected by the processes of globalization, commercialization and recently the Covid 19 pandemic.
The phenomenon of stigmatization in the real estate market
Authors: Tomasik Klaudia
Published: April 2024

Motivation: The following article covers the entire path of stigmatization, from that which directly affects a person to special cases of real estate stigmatization. Market participants have created many types of stigmatization that discredit a property. These range from the more abstract ones (e.g., paranormal phenomena taking place on a property or superstition) to the more serious ones (e.g., a restricted use area). The following article focuses on properties located in restricted use areas and the impact of this factor on property values. It analyzes court rulings by Polish courts on compensation in connection with the decrease in the value of real estate due to the establishment of a restricted use area.Aim: The main goal of the article is to identify the phenomenon of stigmatization in the real estate market, while the specific goal is to identify the phenomenon of stigmatization of real estate in restricted use areas around airports.Results: One of the main reasons why stigmatization occurs in the real estate market is ignorance and people’s fear of what they don’t know. The most common objects of stigmatization are restricted use areas around airports. However, in the court rulings described in the article, there is no consensus on whether stigmatization of real estate in itself affects the value of real estate.
Partia na srebrnym ekranie
Authors: Domke Radosław
Published: April 2024

Artykuł recenzyjny dokładnie omawia najnowszą monografię Piotra Zwierzchowskiego poświęconą filmowym reprezentacjom Polskiej Zjednoczonej Partii Robotniczej. W tekście zostały omówione wszystkie zasadnicze kwestie poruszone w każdym z rozdziałów obszernego opracowania Autora. Przeanalizowano, w jaki sposób bydgoski badacz opisał filmy fabularne, a w jaki dokumentalne. Osobną analizą objęto filmy wyprodukowane w okresie PRL, a osobną powstałe po 1989 r. Zasadnicze tezy Zwierzchowskiego zostały skrupulatnie przedstawione, a jego fundamentalne wypowiedzi szeroko zacytowane. Wraz z monografią Filmowe reprezentacje PZPR polski czytelnik otrzymał niezwykle bogate kompendium wiedzy na temat członków partii pojawiających się w polskim filmie oraz o kontekstach im towarzyszących.
Między ideałem a rzeczywistością. Prawny i społeczny model wójta w teorii i praktyce na Pogórzu Karpackim od XVI do XVIII wieku
Authors: Kołpak Piotr
Published: April 2024

Autor ma na celu opracowanie idealnego modelu wiejskiego wójta w epoce nowożytnej oraz skonfrontowanie go z protokołami rozpraw urzędów gromadzkich wsi Pogórza Karpackiego od XVI do końca XVIII w. Model wójta skonstruowany został na podstawie treści przysiąg urzędniczych, pism teoretyków prawa i poradników gospodarczych. Główne sfery przymiotów dobrego wójta dotyczyły obowiązków: wierności dziedzicowi i gromadzie, sprawiedliwego sądzenia i godnego sprawowania urzędu. W tym kontekście zanalizowane zostały przekazy rozpraw sądowych prowadzonych przeciw wójtom, co miało przynieść wnioski dotyczące m.in. podmiotowości urzędu wójta nowożytnej wsi na Pogórzu Karpackim.
Tools for monitoring software quality in information systems development and maintenance: five key challenges and a design proposal
Authors: Pfeiffer Rolf-Helge , Aaen Jon
Published: April 2024

As software grows in size and complexity, organizations increasingly apply tools to automatically assess software quality of information systems during development and maintenance. Software quality assessment tools (SWQAT) promise fast and actionable insights into the technical state of software through various quality characteristics, such as maintainability, reliability, or security. These tools have been used to support a wide variety of Information Technology (IT) project management decisions related to system development, contract negotiations, project terminations, and even settling legal disputes between suppliers and clients. However, despite their rising importance, questions regarding how they function and how reliable they are to support decision-making have so far escaped scholarly attention. This paper conducts an evaluation of widely used SWQATs and analyzes how they rate the quality of software systems of varying sizes, functionalities, and programming languages. Our results reveal five key challenges for using SWQATs in IT projects. To address these challenges, we propose a design for tailorable SWQATs that allows for more conscious and prudent software quality assessments that better reflect the socio-technical aspect of software systems and the context-specific nature of software quality.
Metaverse adoption for the teaching and learning of project management: an exploratory study of student use
Authors: Mitchell Alanah
Published: April 2024

The rapid adoption of collaboration technologies over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the advancement, growth, and proliferation of metaverse technology capabilities, has created a heightened awareness and comfort with the use of advanced collaboration technologies for online and distance education. This paper presents an exploratory study of how metaverse technologies can be adopted for the teaching and learning of project management concepts and skills specifically, as metaverses have been identified as a legitimate tool for the support of virtual projects. As a part of this work, a task was designed and adopted in an undergraduate project management course. Study results related to the teaching and learning of project management as well as student perceptions of metaverse technology adoption show that students were able to work together in a metaverse environment and collaborate with one another to achieve group consensus on a task. Ultimately, the findings from this case can guide future adoptions of metaverse technologies both in and out of the classroom.
Simple and Explicit Bounds for Multiserver Queues with 11−ρ Scaling
Authors: Li Yuan , Goldberg David A.
Published: April 2024

We consider the first-come-first-serve (FCFS) [Formula: see text] queue and prove the first simple and explicit bounds that scale as [Formula: see text] under only the assumption that interarrival times have finite second moment, and service times have finite [Formula: see text] moment for some [Formula: see text]. Here, ρ denotes the corresponding traffic intensity. Conceptually, our results can be viewed as a multiserver analogue of Kingman’s bound. Our main results are bounds for the tail of the steady-state queue length and the steady-state probability of delay. The strength of our bounds (e.g., in the form of tail decay rate) is a function of how many moments of the service distribution are assumed finite. Our bounds scale gracefully, even when the number of servers grows large and the traffic intensity converges to unity simultaneously, as in the Halfin-Whitt scaling regime. Some of our bounds scale better than [Formula: see text] in certain asymptotic regimes. In these same asymptotic regimes, we also prove bounds for the tail of the steady-state number in service. Our main proofs proceed by explicitly analyzing the bounding process that arises in the stochastic comparison bounds of Gamarnik and Goldberg for multiserver queues. Along the way, we derive several novel results for suprema of random walks and pooled renewal processes, which may be of independent interest. We also prove several additional bounds using drift arguments (which have much smaller prefactors) and point out a conjecture that would imply further related bounds and generalizations. We also show that when all moments of the service distribution are finite and satisfy a mild growth rate assumption, our bounds can be strengthened to yield explicit tail estimates decaying as [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text], depending on the growth rate of these moments.

Funding: Financial support from the National Science Foundation [Grant 1333457] is gratefully acknowledged.

Supplemental Material: The supplemental appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/moor.2022.0131 .
Stoma care and diet in the community
Authors: Burch Jennie
Published: April 2024

Community nurses are often the common link with people in the community with healthcare services. Community nurses are involved in the care of people living with a temporary or permanent stoma and might be asked specialist questions of which they may feel uncertain of appropriate responses. This article describes some basic facts about stoma as well as specialist dietary considerations; which can be used to improve symptoms such as constipation as well as how to prevent issues such as a food bolus obstruction. An increased understanding of stoma-related dietary needs among community nurses will likely improve care outcomes, as they will feel more equipped to offer tailored guidance and support.
In a calm space
Authors: Weinstein Nicole
Published: April 2024

How can primary schools create emotionally and socially safe environments for the rising number of children with autism and social communication needs? Nicole Weinstein speaks to experts and teachers to find out what steps they are taking
Making the most of your space
Authors: Hart Karen
Published: April 2024

When it comes to resources, storage and activities, how can early years settings optimise their outdoors space – even when this is limited? By Karen Hart
Effects of Essential Oils and Their Derivatives on Rumen Fermentation Characteristics and PUFA Biohydrogenation: A Meta-Analysis of In Vitro Studies
Authors:   National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong 16911, West Java, Indonesia, Makmur Malik ,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling (AFENUE) Research Group, IPB University, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia, Yanza Yulianri Rizki ,   Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Riau Islamic University (UIR), Pekanbaru 28284, Riau, Indonesia,   Department of Animal Feed Nutrition and Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, Padjadjaran University, Jatinangor, 45363, West Java Indonesia,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling (AFENUE) Research Group, IPB University, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia, Fitri Ainissya ,   Research Center for Applied Zoology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong 16911, West Java, Indonesia,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling (AFENUE) Research Group, IPB University, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia, . Syarifuddin ,   Animal Husbandry Study Program, Agriculture Faculty, Bosowa University, Makassar 90231, Indonesia, Ridwan Roni ,   Research Center for Applied Zoology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong 16911, West Java, Indonesia,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling (AFENUE) Research Group, IPB University, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia, Jayanegara Anuraga ,   Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, IPB University, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling (AFENUE) Research Group, IPB University, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia
Published: April 2024

The present meta-analysis study was aimed to determine effects of essential oil and their derivatives (EOD) supplementation as natural additives on rumen fermentation characteristics and rumen biohydrogenation (BH) activity in vitro. A meta-analysis database was built from the 28 verified scientific articles and further all data were analysed through the continuous random effects model using OpenMEE. It was evaluated that the EOD levels up to 500 mg/L. It showed that high EOD levels increased pH and acetate concentration (P < 0.001) but reduced ammonia, propionate, the acetate to propionate ratio, total volatile fatty acid, and rumen gas production in vitro (P < 0.001). On the perspective of rumen fatty acids profile, the increased EOD levels also positively accumulating n-9 monounsaturated fatty acid, conjugated linoleic acid c9 t11, as well as n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in the rumen after in vitro fermentation (P < 0.001), and consequently inhibited rumen biohydrogenation (BH) of n-6 and n-3 PUFA (P < 0.001). Meta-regression analysis also showed a negative correlation between EOD supplementation levels and the BH of C18:2 n-6, C18:3 n-3, C20:5 n-3, and C22:6 n-3. It was suggested that the EOD supplementation at 300 mg/L indicated a positive effect on modulating the rumen PUFA metabolism. Above all evidences, it can be concluded that EOD treatment can reduce rumen fermentability but increase the proportion of beneficial fatty acids and inhibit the rate of BH PUFA.
Review on anti-microbial resistance patterns of staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitic cow’s milk: Ethiopian context
Authors:   Fedis Woreda Agricultural Development Office, College of veterinary medicine, Department of veterinary microbiology, Haramaya University, Location: Haramaya 3200 Ethiopia, Gebre Biniyam
Published: April 2024

Aim of this paper is to review antimicrobial resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolated from mastitic cow milk in Ethiopia between 2013- 2023. S. aureus causes chronic intramammary infections, causing financial losses and challenging antimicrobial therapy globally. In Ethiopia meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of bovine mastitis was 47.6% showing S. aureus as the major isolates accounting for 13.4% and 16.5% of clinical and subclinical mastitis. In Ethiopia, there are indication of the misuse of antibiotics coupled with the rapid spread of resistant bacterial nature and inadequate surveillance, which contributed to the problem. According to this review resistance profile of S. aureus studied in Ethiopia, the bulk of tested isolates showed alarmingly high levels of resistance to widely used antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of mastitis, particularly penicillin G and tetracycline. Variuos studies warned low susceptibility of S. aureus to commonly used antimicrobials such as penicillin G and tetracycline as a great concern because this antibiotic represents the main antibiotic group recommended for staphylococcal mastitis infection in Ethiopia. If essential steps to stop the indiscriminate use of antibiotics are not implemented, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus could rise posing major risks to both animal and human health. Therefore, conducting regular antimicrobial sensitivity testing before treatment helps select effective antibiotics which reduce the development of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Further studies should be conducted to detect antimicrobial resistant strains, continiuos surveillance and monitoring of S. aureus to prevent the spread of milk-borne drug-resistant strains throughout communities.
Relationship between parasitism with milk yield and body weight of Mafriwal cattle
Authors:   Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 16100, Malaysia, Nur-Sabrina A.M , Muhamad-Ali H.A.M ,   Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 16100, Malaysia,   Pusat Ternakan Haiwan Air Hitam, Locked Bag 526, Kluang, Johor 86009, Malaysia, Nur-Amalina N ,   Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 16100, Malaysia, Hasimah H ,   UMK Veterinary Diagnostic Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 16100, Malaysia., Wan-Ladiana W.A , Salma C.W. ,   UMK Veterinary Diagnostic Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 16100, Malaysia., Wan K.L ,   Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia, Hayyan Basripuzi N. ,   Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 16100, Malaysia,   UMK Veterinary Diagnostic Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 16100, Malaysia
Published: April 2024

Mafriwal cattle have good characteristics, but parasitism effects on their production have never been explored. This study aimed to determine the relationship between phenotypic markers of parasitism, namely packed cell volume (PCV), peripheral eosinophils count (PEC), nematode eggs (EPG), and coccidia oocyst (OPG) with the milk yield and body weight of Mafriwal cattle. Fecal and blood samples were collected from 242 cattle between 2021 and 2022. PCV and PEC were obtained from blood samples, while EPG and OPG were obtained from fecal samples. PCR was conducted to identify haemoparasite species. Milk yield data and the body weight of calves were also recorded. Spearman’s rank correlation showed that body weight has a negative correlation with PCV (r=-0.4; P<0.01) and a positive correlation with PEC (r=0.39; P<0.01) in 2022. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the effect of phenotypic markers and year of sampling on milk yield and body weight. The best models were selected based on the lowest Akaike Information Criterion. Milk yield decreased significantly (P<0.001) from 2021 to 2022. An increase in PEC led to a significant reduction (P<0.001) in milk yield. Conversely, body weight increased significantly (P<0.001) from 2021 to 2022 and an increase in PCV caused a significant (P<0.001) reduction in body weight. Elevated EPG and OPG led to significant (P<0.01) reductions in body weight but the interaction between EPG and OPG has a significant positive (P<0.001) impact on body weight. Overall, the findings suggest that milk yield and body weight of Mafriwal cattle were significantly affected by parasitism thus necessitating the implementation of parasite control approaches.
A preliminary study of the effects of enrichment on the activity and spatial distribution of captive monitor lizards in Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Thailand
Authors:   Veterinary Technology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand, Huo Xin , Kunya Kirati ,   Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, 111 M. 1, Ratchasima Pak Tongchai Road, Chaimongkol, Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand, Ritthijan Nirattisai ,   Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, 111 M. 1, Ratchasima Pak Tongchai Road, Chaimongkol, Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand, Lohtongkam Pimchanok ,   Veterinary Technology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand, Sukwan Catthareeya ,   Veterinary Technology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand, Wongma Sompong ,   Veterinary Technology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand, Kusonrat Prayuth ,   Veterinary Technology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand, Kumroptanasan Panich ,   Veterinary Technology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Published: April 2024

The monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) has the widest distribution among all extant varanids found across South and Southeast Asia. However, behavioral studies on captive monitor lizard have not been well-documented. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of enrichment items on the activity and spatial distribution of captive monitor lizards. The study involved three adult captive Black water monitors (Hiea dam), three adult Roughnecked monitors (Ngu-hao Chang), and two adult Dumeril’s monitors (Tut-too) in outdoor enclosures. Three treatments were administered: control (no enrichment item), cone (enrichment item), and takraw (enrichment item: a rattan ball). The frequency of activity and spatial distribution of three species of monitor lizards were recorded. The results showed that the percentages of activity and spatial distribution of three species of monitor lizards were not significantly affected by the enrichment items (P > 0.05). However, there were significant differences only in lying behavior between the Hiea dam, Ngu-hao Chang, and Tut-too monitors (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the general behaviors of captive Hiea dam, Ngu-hao chang, and Tut-too monitor lizards were similar, and their spatial distribution was also similar. The behavior and spatial distribution of captive monitor lizards were not affected by the enrichment items.
Efficacy of Mycotoxin Binder on Broiler Performance, Organ Weight, Wishbone Weight, and Gut Length: A Meta-Analysis
Authors:   Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia, Albarki Hajrian Rizqi ,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling Research Group, IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia, Susanto Irwan ,   Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia, Sholikin Mohammad Miftakhus ,   Department of Animal Production and Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling Research Group, IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia Meta-Analysis in Plant Science (MAPS) Research Group, Padjadjaran University, 40173, Bandung, Indonesia,   Center for Tropical Animal Studies (CENTRAS), IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia, Jayanegara Anuraga ,   Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia,   Animal Feed and Nutrition Modelling Research Group, IPB University, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia
Published: April 2024

Mycotoxin-contaminated feed is one of the main causes of contamination that may increase broiler mortality and impair their production. A total of 161 in vivo data acquired from 31 published articles were used as a database for determining the effectiveness of mycotoxin binders on performance and health of broiler. The Hedges’ d value was employed as a measure of effect size (ES) in the present meta-analysis. Increasing mycotoxin binder in feed enhanced body weight (ES=0.784; P<0.001), decreased feed conversion ratio (ES=-0.87; P<0.001), and decreased mortality (ES=-3.98; P<0.001). In terms of average daily gain and mortality suppression, the finisher phase demonstrated the greatest effectiveness of the binder usage compared to the starter and finisher phases. The effectiveness of binders in lowering the incidence of mycotoxin in feed was beneficial in reducing mortality and enhancing broiler performance. In addition, its application into feed may enhance the health condition of broilers by enhancing organ weights and gastrointestinal health.
Cellular angiofibroma arising from the rectocutaneous fistula in an adult: A case report
Authors: Chen Hao-En , Lu Yu-Yang , Su Ruei-Yu , Wang Hong-Hau , Chen Chao-Yang , Hu Je-Ming , Kang Jung-Cheng , Lin Kuan-Hsun , Pu Ta-Wei
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Rectocutaneous fistulae are common. The infection originates within the anal glands and subsequently extends into adjacent regions, ultimately resulting in fistula development. Cellular angiofibroma (CAF), also known as an angiomyofibroblastoma-like tumor, is a rare benign soft tissue neoplasm predominantly observed in the scrotum, perineum, and inguinal area in males and in the vulva in females. We describe the first documented case CAF that developed within a rectocutaneous fistula and manifested as a perineal mass.

CASE SUMMARY

In the outpatient setting, a 52-year-old male patient presented with a 2-year history of a growing perineal mass, accompanied by throbbing pain and minor scrotal abrasion. Physical examination revealed a soft, well-defined, non-tender mass at the left buttock that extended towards the perineum, without a visible opening. The initial assessment identified a soft tissue tumor, and the laboratory data were within normal ranges. Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) revealed swelling of the abscess cavity that was linked to a rectal cutaneous fistula, with a track-like lesion measuring 6 cm × 0.7 cm in the left perineal region and attached to the left rectum. Rectoscope examination found no significant inner orifices. A left medial gluteal incision revealed a thick-walled mass, which was excised along with the extending tract, and curettage was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed CAF diagnosis. The patient achieved total resolution during follow-up assessments and did not require additional hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

CT imaging supports perineal lesion diagnosis and management. Perineal angiofibromas, even with a cutaneous fistula, can be excised transperineally.