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Organizations implement risk management to mitigate the effects of unforeseen events in their operation settings. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between procurement risk-management strategies and the performance of public higher-learning institutions registered by the National Council for Technical Education and Vocation Training in Tanzania. The findings of the study provide valuable insights that can influence the risk management strategies and performance management policies of public procuring entities. The Principal-Agent Theory guided the study. A convergent parallel mixed-method design was employed, utilizing a census method that included all 16 public high-learning institutions in Dar es Salaam as the sample. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data analysis involved descriptive statistics to compute percentages and means of school respondents. Multiple Regressions was employed for inferential statistics analysis. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis. The study identified risks affecting the performance of PEs including non-compliance risks, planning risks, managerial risks, contract management risks, and project delays. To address these challenges, the study recommends that entities should develop and adhere to their procurement plans, invest in capacity building to strengthen ethical practices to avoid unethical behavior, and address non-compliance issues. Entities should use a combination of strategies based on internal policies, experience, and the preferences of the procurement assignment.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the factors influencing procurement compliance in public procurement performance within the Bahi District Council in Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive research design was employed to gather data from 55 respondents through a closed-ended questionnaire. Findings: The study found that internal control systems, users’ knowledge, and ethics significantly affect procurement compliance at a significance level of p < 0.05. Practical implications: To enhance compliance with public procurement acts and regulations, policymakers are urged to create an enabling environment for the implementation of internal control systems, users’ knowledge, and ethical standards in public entities. Paper type: Empirical research.

The problem addressed in this study is the persistent delays in managing project timelines for water projects at RUWASA. Have resulted in extended lead times, negatively impacting project outcomes and service delivery. Water projects face challenges in managing project timelines, resulting in extended lead times and negative effects on project outcomes. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effect of procurement contract management, on water project lead time management at RUWASA-Dodoma region. The research applied the principal-agent theory to understand the dynamics between stakeholders in procurement and used a cross-sectional research design targeting a population of 150 individuals, with 109 respondents selected through simple random. Data collection included questionnaires and the analysis employed descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis to provide comprehensive insights. The findings revealed significant relationships between procurement efficiency and project lead time management. Descriptive statistics highlighted trends such as delays in contract execution while regression analysis demonstrated that effective procurement strategies positively impacted project timelines. The study concluded that procurement contract management has a significant effect on water project lead time management at RUWASADodoma Region, Tanzania. The study recommended that RUWASA should improve contract management by focusing on clearer and more specific terms in procurement contracts, as this would help address the challenges and inefficiencies hindering project timelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPeople use the internet as a primary source for learning about medical procedures and their associated safety profiles and risks. Although abortion is one of the most common procedures worldwide among women in their reproductive years, it is controversial and highly politicized. Substantial scientific evidence demonstrates that abortion is safe and does not increase a woman’s future risk for depressive disorders or infertility. The extent to which information found on the internet reflects these medical facts in a trustworthy and unbiased manner is not known. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to collate and describe the trustworthiness and political slant or bias of web-based information about abortion safety and risks of depression and infertility following abortion. MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of internet websites using 3 search topics: (1) is abortion safe?, (2) does abortion cause depression?, and (3) does abortion cause infertility? We used the Google Adwords tool to identify the search terms most associated with those topics and Google’s search engine to generate databases of websites related to each topic. We then classified and rated each website in terms of content slant (pro-choice, neutral, anti-choice), clarity of slant (obvious, in-between, or difficult/can’t tell), trustworthiness (rating scale of 1-5, 5=most trustworthy), type (forum, feature, scholarly article, resource page, news article, blog, or video), and top-level domain (.com, .net, .org, .edu, .gov, or international domain). We compared website characteristics by search topic (safety, depression, or infertility) using bivariate tests. We summarized trustworthiness using the median and IQR, and we used box-and-whisker plots to visually compare trustworthiness by slant and domain type. ResultsOur search methods yielded a total of 111, 120, and 85 unique sites for safety, depression, and infertility, respectively. Of all the sites (n=316), 57.3% (181/316) were neutral, 35.4% (112/316) were anti-choice, and 7.3% (23/316) were pro-choice. The median trustworthiness score was 2.7 (IQR 1.7-3.7), which did not differ significantly across topics (P=.409). Anti-choice sites were less trustworthy (median score 1.3, IQR 1.0-1.7) than neutral (median score 3.3, IQR 2.7-4.0) and pro-choice (median score 3.7, IQR 3.3-4.3) sites. Anti-choice sites were also more likely to have slant clarity that was “difficult to tell” (41/112, 36.6%) compared with neutral (25/181, 13.8%) or pro-choice (4/23, 17.4%; P

The problem addressed in this study is the persistent delays in managing project timelines for water projects at RUWASA. Have resulted in extended lead times, negatively impacting project outcomes and service delivery. Water projects face challenges in managing project timelines, resulting in extended lead times and negative effects on project outcomes. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effect of procurement contract management, on water project lead time management at RUWASA-Dodoma region. The research applied the principal-agent theory to understand the dynamics between stakeholders in procurement and used a cross-sectional research design targeting a population of 150 individuals, with 109 respondents selected through simple random. Data collection included questionnaires and the analysis employed descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis to provide comprehensive insights. The findings revealed significant relationships between procurement efficiency and project lead time management. Descriptive statistics highlighted trends such as delays in contract execution while regression analysis demonstrated that effective procurement strategies positively impacted project timelines. The study concluded that procurement contract management has a significant effect on water project lead time management at RUWASA-Dodoma Region, Tanzania. The study recommended that RUWASA should improve contract management by focusing on clearer and more specific terms in procurement contracts, as this would help address the challenges and inefficiencies hindering project timelines.

Federated multipartner machine learning has been touted as an appealing and efficient method to increase the effective training data volume and thereby the predictivity of models, particularly when the generation of training data is resource-intensive. In the landmark MELLODDY project, indeed, each of ten pharmaceutical companies realized aggregated improvements on its own classification or regression models through federated learning. To this end, they leveraged a novel implementation extending multitask learning across partners, on a platform audited for privacy and security. The experiments involved an unprecedented cross-pharma data set of 2.6+ billion confidential experimental activity data points, documenting 21+ million physical small molecules and 40+ thousand assays in on-target and secondary pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Appropriate complementary metrics were developed to evaluate the predictive performance in the federated setting. In addition to predictive performance increases in labeled space, the results point toward an extended applicability domain in federated learning. Increases in collective training data volume, including by means of auxiliary data resulting from single concentration high-throughput and imaging assays, continued to boost predictive performance, albeit with a saturating return. Markedly higher improvements were observed for the pharmacokinetics and safety panel assay-based task subsets.

Objective: To assess whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with menstrual cycle length changes and, if so, how that compares with those undergoing vaccination or no event (control)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis in which we analyzed prospectively tracked cycle-length data from users of a period tracker application who also responded to a survey regarding COVID-19 symptoms and vaccination. We restricted our sample to users aged 16-45 years, with normal cycle lengths (24-38 days) and regular tracking behavior during the five cycles around COVID-19 symptoms or vaccination or a similar time period for those experiencing no event (control group). We calculated the within-user change in cycle length (days) from the three consecutive cycles preevent average (either vaccination, disease, or neither; cycles 1-3) to the event (cycle 4) and postevent (cycle 5) cycles. We used mixed-effects models to estimate the age- and country-adjusted difference in change in cycle length across the groups., Results: We included 6,514 users from 110 countries representing 32,570 cycles (COVID-19 symptoms: 1,450; COVID-19 vaccination: 4,643; control: 421). The COVID-19 cohort experienced a 1.45-day adjusted increase in cycle length during cycle 4 (COVID-19) compared with their three preevent cycles (95% CI 0.86-2.04). The vaccinated group experienced a 1.14-day adjusted increase in cycle length during cycle 4 (COVID-19 vaccine) compared with their preevent average (95% CI 0.60-1.69). The control group (neither vaccine nor disease) experienced a 0.68-day decrease (95% CI -1.18 to -0.19) in a similar time period. Post hoc tests showed no significant differences in the magnitude of changes between the COVID-19 and vaccination cohorts. In both cohorts, cycle length changes disappeared in the postevent cycle., Conclusion: Experiencing COVID-19 is associated with a small change in cycle length similar to COVID-19 vaccination. These changes resolve quickly within the next cycle., Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure Kirsten Weber works for Clue for BioWink, and they received funding from Alison Edelman's grant (NIH NICHD089957 Supplement) for project support. Virginia J. Vitzthum is a paid consultant for Clue by BioWink, GmbH, Berlin, Germany, during the previous 36 months (and since 2017). Blair Darney's institution receives research support from Merck/Organon. Blair Darney reports honoraria and travel funding from SFP and ACOG. Alison Edelman reports receiving honoraria and travel reimbursement from ACOG, WHO, and the CDC for guideline development group activities. Alison Edelman also receives royalties from Up to Date, Inc. Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) receives research funding from OHSU Foundation, Merck, HRA Pharma, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and NIH for which Alison Edelman is the principal investigator. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: We describe awareness about the modified "public charge" rule among Oregon's Mexican-origin Latino/a population and whether concerns about the rule influenced disenrollment from state-funded programs, which do not fall under the public charge., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adults (ages 18-59) recruited at the Mexican consulate and living in the state of Oregon. Our outcomes were awareness (of the public charge, source of knowledge, and confidence in knowledge of the public charge) and disenrolling self or family members from state-funded public healthcare programs due to concerns about the rule. We described outcomes and used logistic regression and calculated adjusted probabilities to identify factors associated with awareness of the public charge., Results: Of 498 Latino/a respondents, 48% reported awareness of the public charge. Among those who knew about the public charge, 14.6% had disenrolled themselves or family members from public healthcare programs and 12.1% were hesitant to seek care due to concerns about the public charge. Younger respondents had a lower adjusted probability of awareness of the public charge (18-24 years: 15.6% (95% CI 3.1-28.2); 30-39 years 54.9% (95% CI 47.7-62.0). Higher education was associated with a higher adjusted probability of awareness of the public charge; ability to speak English was not associated with awareness of the public charge., Conclusion: Our study reveals limited awareness about the public charge among Mexican-origin Oregon Latino/as. Outreach and advocacy are essential to ensure Latino/as know their rights to access available state-funded healthcare programs., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Some users of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant experience bothersome bleeding, which can reduce contraceptive satisfaction and continuation. Few strategies exist to manage this bleeding. The exact mechanism of progestin-induced bleeding is unknown, but it is likely multifactorial (eg, impaired angiogenesis, "leaky" fragile vasculature, and inflammation). Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antiangiogenic properties, which may make it a useful agent for implant-associated bothersome bleeding., Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether curcumin decreases frequent or prolonged bleeding or spotting in contraceptive implant users., Study Design: The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Here, etonogestrel implant users with frequent or prolonged bleeding or spotting were enrolled and randomized to either 600-mg Theracurmin HP (Immunovites, Las Vegas, NV) or placebo daily for 30 days. The term "frequent" was defined as ≥2 independent bleeding or spotting episodes, and the term "prolonged" was defined as ≥7 consecutive days of bleeding or spotting in a 30-day interval. Implant use was confirmed by clinical examination and negative gonorrhea and chlamydia and pregnancy tests. Enrolled participants initiated study treatment after 3 consecutive days of bleeding or spotting; if no bleeding or spotting occurred within 30 days of enrollment, the participants were withdrawn from the study. Study treatments were encapsulated to maintain a similar appearance. Participants used text messages to record daily bleeding patterns and study drug compliance. Bleeding was defined as a day that required the use of protection with a pad, tampon, or liner, and spotting was defined as a day with minimal blood loss that did not require the use of any protection. Our primary outcome was the total number of days without bleeding or spotting during the 30 days of study drug or placebo exposure. The secondary outcomes included total number of bleeding-free days, bleeding episodes, and satisfaction. A sample size of 22 per group provided 80% power at an alpha level of .05 to demonstrate a 6-day difference between groups., Results: From February 2021 to November 2022, 58 individuals enrolled in the study with 54 participants (93%) completing 30 days of treatment (26 in the curcumin group and 28 in the placebo group). Of note, 1 individual in the curcumin arm did not experience a qualifying bleeding event and, thus, never initiated treatment and, per protocol, was withdrawn from the study. Participant characteristics did not differ between groups, including length of implant use at study enrollment (placebo, 521±305 days; curcumin, 419±264 days). The study groups did not differ concerning any bleeding-related outcome (mean days without bleeding or spotting: curcumin, 16.7±6.9; placebo, 17.5±4.8; P=.62; mean bleeding-free days: curcumin, 23.4±4.9; placebo, 22.4±4.5; P=.44; bleeding episodes: curcumin, 2.0±0.8; placebo, 2.1±0.8; P=.63). In addition, satisfaction with the implant as contraception and acceptability of bleeding over the study period did not differ by study group (P=.54 and P=.30, respectively)., Conclusion: Daily use of curcumin did not improve bleeding patterns in users of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant experiencing frequent or prolonged bleeding patterns., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure Blair G. Darney's institution receives research funding from Organon and the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) on which she is PI, and she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Family Planning (SFP) and a Deputy Editor at Contraception . She has received an honorarium from ACOG for committee work. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.