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A new generation of diagonal self-energies for the calculation of electron removal energies of molecules and molecular ions that has superseded its predecessors with respect to accuracy, efficiency, and interpretability is extended to include non-diagonal self-energies that permit Dyson orbitals to be expressed as linear combinations of canonical Hartree–Fock orbitals. In addition, an improved algorithm for renormalized methods eliminates the convergence difficulties encountered in the first studies of the new, diagonal self-energies. A dataset of outer-valence, vertical ionization energies with almost full-configuration-interaction quality serves as a standard of comparison in numerical tests. The new non-diagonal, renormalized methods are slightly more accurate than their diagonal counterparts, with mean absolute errors between 0.10 and 0.06 eV for outer-valence final states. This advantage is procured at the cost of an increase in the scaling of arithmetic bottlenecks that accompany the inclusion of non-diagonal self-energy terms. The new, non-diagonal, renormalized self-energies are also more accurate and efficient than their non-diagonal predecessors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we compile and characterize a total of 43 collaborative web map projects by a set of parameters that enable the understanding and comparability of current and future projects. We then develop a comprehensive methodological framework to explore volunteered geographic information (VGI) and spatial data infrastructure (SDI) convergence based on this review. The main results show the dominance of citizen science projects, followed by initiatives promoting sustainability values, local development, and governance. Although values remain low, the potential to achieve convergence in VGI–SDI features is very high in citizen science projects, where the presence of experts and the funding of these projects by governments and decision‐making entities enable quality standards in the collection and distribution of the contributed information. The work concludes by addressing two major challenges facing current VGI projects: firstly, accessing affordable technological solutions that allow the creation of collaborative web maps with SDI‐like functions. Secondly, guaranteeing the project's sustainability and the preservation of the information gathered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common cause of deterioration in historic manuscripts is ink transparency or bleeding from the opposite page. Philologists and paleographers can significantly benefit from minimizing these interferences when attempting to decipher the original text. Additionally, computer-aided text analysis can also gain from such text enhancement. In previous work, we proposed the use of neural networks (NNs) in combination with a data model that characterizes the damage when both sides of a page have been digitized. This approach offers the distinct advantage of allowing the creation of an artificial training set that teaches the NN to differentiate between clean and damaged pixels. We tested this concept using a shallow NN, which proved effective in categorizing texts with varying levels of deterioration. In this study, we adapt the NN design to tackling remaining classification uncertainties caused by areas of text overlap, inhomogeneity, and peaks of degradation. Specifically, we introduce a new output class for pixels within overlapping text areas and incorporate additional features related to the pixel context information to promote the same classification for pixels adjacent to each other. Our experiments demonstrate that these enhancements significantly improve the classification accuracy. This improvement is evident in the quality of both binarization, which aids in text analysis, and virtual restoration, aimed at recovering the manuscript's original appearance. Tests conducted on a public dataset, using standard quality indices, reveal that the proposed method outperforms both our previous proposals and other notable methods found in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the European Union (EU) Directive 2005/36, the medical specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) exists with two possible formats: dual degree OMFS called Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (DOMFS) - basic medical and basic dental training and single medical degree Maxillofacial Surgery (MFS). Within the EU and across all of Europe, differences in the nature and quality of OMFS training coexist. By implementing the highest possible standards of training, patient care can be improved. To establish quality metrics for an ideal OMFS training programme, the European OMFS Trainee Forum of the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS) conducted a Delphi consensus protocol from November 2023 to January 2024. Facilitated by the OMFS Section of UEMS, 57 trainees from 32 countries participated. The process involved the definition of three quality levels using the red, amber, and green (RAG) rating system. Following the Delphi process, 46 domains were identified, including features within training programmes/rotations, teaching and education programmes, training placements, recording of training progression and activity, and external assessment of training programmes. The results were aligned with the UEMS OMFS European Training Requirement (ETR). With the introduction of a RAG rating, trainees and trainers can review their training programmes with the aim of improving them by moving domains from Red to Green. Raising the standard of training will benefit our patients. This initiative could mark a significant step towards the harmonisation of OMFS training, improving quality and ensuring consistent, high-level care throughout Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying tenet of evidence-based decision-making in health services is assessing all the relevant evidence. Using the traditional qualitative and quantitative approaches to identifying evidence may not capture the full spectrum of factors that need to be addressed. A selective mixed-method approach may provide a comprehensive assessment of the relevant knowledge. This paper adds to the methodological literature by outlining a novel sequential, mixed-method, exploratory process for identifying evidence-based data standards that may be used for health service decision-making. The three-phase process, entitled Delphi Plus, engages peer-nominated topic-specific experts to assess all publicly available and practice-based items and, through a series of reviews, reach an evidence-based consensus on standards for decision-making. Each process phase is outlined in-depth and supplemented by practical learnings gained through its implementation. The Delphi Plus methodology provides the first comprehensive process for combining the published and practised data to develop evidence-based data standards. The routine use of Delphi Plus would provide a framework for benchmarking in health services, enabling greater monitoring and evaluation of client outcomes and improving quality care. This manuscript describes the process of implementing Delphi Plus and provides an example of data standards generated from its use, which directly inform the Australian Government's Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forensische Psychiatrie, Psychologie, Kriminologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common syndrome in children, which may affect the patient's quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of standard urotherapy (SU) given on the quality of life for children diagnosed with OAB. Methods: The study was conducted on 107 children aged 2 to 13 years who applied to the urology clinic of a hospital in China and were diagnosed with OAB. The QoL was assessed using the Pediatric Incontinence Questionnaire (PINQ). The QoL was evaluated before and 1 month later SU given. Results: Of the 107 children, at baseline, the children with OAB revealed a total mean PINQ score of 27.40 ± 13.19, and the total mean PINQ score was 13.72 ± 9.63 at 1 month later. PINQ score showed a statistically significant difference between before and after 1 month treatment (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The QoL of children with OAB increased may due to SU provided outpatient clinics. And it is important for children and their parents to investigate and monitor to what extent the QoL of children diagnosed with OAB is affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As the rural–urban cancer mortality gap widens, centering care around the needs of rural patients presents an opportunity to advance equity. One barrier to delivering patient‐centered care at rural hospitals stems from limited analytic capacity to leverage data and monitor patient outcomes. This case study describes the experience of a public health cancer surveillance system aiming to fill this gap within the context of a rural cancer network. Methods: To support the implementation of a novel network model intervention in Iowa, the Iowa Cancer Registry began generating hospital‐specific and catchment area reports. Then, the Iowa Cancer Registry supported adapting the network model to fit the context of Iowa's cancer care delivery system by performing data monitoring and reporting functions. Informed by a gap analysis, the Iowa Cancer Registry then identified which quality accreditation standards could be achieved with public health surveillance data and analytic support. Results: The network intervention in Iowa supported 5 rural cancer centers across the state, each concurrently pursuing quality accreditation standards. The Iowa Cancer Registry's hospital and catchment‐specific reports illuminated the cancer burden and needs of rural cancer centers within the network. Our team identified 19 (of the 36 total) quality standards that can be supported by public health surveillance functions typically performed by the registry. These standards encompassed data‐driven quality improvement, patient monitoring, and reporting guideline‐concordant care standards. Conclusions: As rural hospitals continue to face resource constraints, multisectoral efforts informed by data from centralized public health surveillance systems can promote quality improvement initiatives across rural communities. While our work remains preliminary, we predict that analytic support provided by the Iowa Cancer Registry will enable the rural network hospitals to focus their capacity toward developing the infrastructure necessary to deliver high‐quality care and serve the unique needs of rural cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assumption that consumers prefer better quality options over worse ones seems almost definitional. However, a variety of marketplace examples suggest that consumers sometimes choose content that is "so bad it's good," such as Tommy Wiseau's The Room or Rebecca Black's "Friday," over apparently better alternatives (e.g., those of mediocre quality). In 12 preregistered studies (N = 5393) across several content domains (e.g., jokes, talent show auditions), we provide the first controlled, empirical demonstration of consumer preferences for badness (i.e., choosing options because consumers expect them to be bad). We provide initial evidence that these preferences are rooted in expectations of entertainment value from the worst available option. Preferences for these options emerge more frequently when their deviations from quality standards are perceived as benign (i.e., inconsequential). Accordingly, such preferences are less prevalent when consumption is consequential, and involves utilitarian goals or monetary costs. We conclude by exploring the extent to which dimensions such as humor, absurdity, esthetic quality, and utilitarian value underlie so‐bad‐it's‐good perceptions, and highlight several open questions to spark future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether a deep learning (DL) controlled aliasing in parallel imaging results in higher acceleration (CAIPIRINHA)-volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) technique can improve image quality, lesion conspicuity, and lesion detection compared to a standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE technique in gadoxetic acid–enhanced liver MRI. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 168 patients who underwent gadoxetic acid–enhanced liver MRI at 3 T using both standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE and DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE techniques on pre-contrast and hepatobiliary phase (HBP) images. Additionally, high-resolution (HR) DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE was obtained with 1-mm slice thickness on the HBP. Three abdominal radiologists independently assessed the image quality and lesion conspicuity of pre-contrast and HBP images. Statistical analyses involved the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for image quality assessment and the generalized estimation equation for lesion conspicuity and detection evaluation. Results: DL and HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE demonstrated significantly improved overall image quality and reduced artifacts on pre-contrast and HBP images compared to standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE (p < 0.001), with a shorter acquisition time (DL vs standard, 11 s vs 17 s). However, the former presented a more synthetic appearance (both p < 0.05). HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE showed superior lesion conspicuity to standard and DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE on HBP images (p < 0.001). Moreover, HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE exhibited a significantly higher detection rate of small (< 2 cm) solid focal liver lesions (FLLs) on HBP images compared to standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE (92.5% vs 87.4%; odds ratio = 1.83; p = 0.036). Conclusion: DL and HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE achieved superior image quality compared to standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE. Additionally, HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE improved the lesion conspicuity and detection of small solid FLLs. DL and HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE hold the potential clinical utility for gadoxetic acid–enhanced liver MRI. Clinical relevance statement: DL and HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE hold promise as potential alternatives to standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE in routine clinical liver MRI, improving the image quality and lesion conspicuity, enhancing the detection of small (< 2 cm) solid focal liver lesions, and reducing the acquisition time. Key Points: • DL and HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE demonstrated improved overall image quality and reduced artifacts on pre-contrast and HBP images compared to standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE, in addition to a shorter acquisition time. • DL and HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE yielded a more synthetic appearance than standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE. • HR-DL CAIPIRINHA-VIBE showed improved lesion conspicuity than standard CAIPIRINHA-VIBE on HBP images, with a higher detection of small (< 2 cm) solid focal liver lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wheat flour-alfalfa blends containing 5 and 10 g/100 g of non-germinated and germinated alfalfa flour were examined in terms of nutritional composition (protein, lipid, starch, total dietary fibre), mineral profile, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity (ABTS, FRAP), and Mixolab rheological properties while the corresponding standard and sourdough breads were evaluated regarding physical and textural characteristics (specific volume, hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness). The alfalfa flour inclusion resulted in increased protein (11.64–14.87%) and total dietary fibre (1.65–5.82%) contents in all blends, regardless of the alfalfa flour type but in a higher extent with 10 g/100 g inclusion level. Blends were characterised by improved mineral profile, total phenolic content (37.57–162.35 mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant properties (ABTS: 4.37–232.79 µmol TE/100 g, FRAP: 138.05–539.16 µmol TE/100 g) particularly when non-germinated alfalfa flour in quantity of 10 g/100 g was used. Dough rheological properties were not significantly affected by the alfalfa flour type, whilst higher alfalfa flour inclusion level prolonged dough development time. Increased specific volume (2.63–3.62 cm3/g) with decreased crumb hardness (3.82–1.68 N) was recorded upon alfalfa flour incorporation and was more pronounced for sourdough bread. Overall nutrient composition of blends and technological features of the resulting breads were enhanced by alfalfa flour addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the transition from rules‐based to principles‐based accounting standards, particularly focusing on the implementation of ASC 606, and its impact on the quality and value relevance of financial reporting. The study draws on the debate between the detailed, prescriptive nature of rules‐based standards versus the flexible, judgment‐reliant principles‐based standards. Through a comprehensive empirical analysis, it finds that the adoption of ASC 606 has led to a significant improvement in accounting quality, supporting the theory that principles‐based standards, which emphasize reflecting the economic substance of transactions, result in more accurate and informative financial statements. Additionally, the paper reveals that this transition has varied effects across different industries, with the most pronounced improvements in sectors characterized by complex customer contracts and multiple performance obligations. The research further indicates an increase in the value relevance of financial reporting post‐ASC 606 adoption, suggesting that financial statements now provide more relevant information for investors, thereby enhancing market efficiency. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on the optimal approach to financial reporting standards, highlighting the benefits of principles‐based standards while also acknowledging the need for strong regulatory frameworks and professional judgment to mitigate the risks of earnings management and ensure high‐quality financial reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) is a major assessment metric for graduates pursuing licensure and the institutions from which they graduated. Before 2014, the mean NAPLEX first‐time pass rate was roughly 95% every year. Mean pass rates have fallen dramatically since then to less than 80%, with many schools currently unable to achieve a 70% pass rate. Such a drastic decline in NAPLEX performance constitutes a crisis for many schools. Changes to the exam blueprint, administration, and scoring provide a partial explanation for the decline, but the issue of cause ultimately comes down to one simple question: What has changed over the last 10 years that is making it more difficult for graduates to pass NAPLEX on the first attempt? The effects of excessive academic expansion, beginning in 2000, cannot be overlooked. The newest schools, established after 2009, and accelerated (3‐year) programs, many of which are also new, appear to be particularly vulnerable. In 2023, 16 pharmacy schools had first‐time pass rates below 65%. Nine (56%) of those schools opened after 2009 and seven (44%) were accelerated programs. Newer schools have had to compete for a limited supply of qualified faculty, administrators, preceptors and experiential training sites, while also striving to meet enrollment targets amid a dwindling applicant pool. The ability to overcome the NAPLEX crisis depends on first establishing a more effective process of assessing NAPLEX results—one that measures the right metrics in the right way—and upholds fair, but rigorous, quality standards. Stakeholders need access to actionable information and the most relevant, useful data available. The purpose of this article is to provide evidence that the Academy is facing a legitimate crisis and offer four recommendations by which assessment and understanding of the crisis can be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses a significant problem: it is difficult to choose a suitable mobile learning platform effectively since many learning platforms are readily available for users. For this purpose, the study proposes an efficient way to rank and choose the most suitable mobile learning platform by integrating risk analysis and multi-criteria decision-making methods. The selection of a suitable mobile learning platform is challenging due to the vast collection of available platforms. Traditional decision-making approaches often struggle to manage the inherent uncertainty and subjectivity in platform evaluation. To address this, we propose an enhanced methodology that combines grey relational analysis (GRA) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), leveraging their complementary strengths to provide a robust and adaptive solution. The study employs ISO/IEC 9126 software quality standards to locate the most suitable mobile learning platform. FMEA is based on three risk factors: occurrence, severity, and detection. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) is used to determine the relative weight of each risk factor to identify the grey risk priority number that can be calculated for each criterion. Mobile learning platforms are then ranked based on their grey risk priority number. The method was applied to five widely used mobile learning platforms with three decision-makers. In addition, the multi-criteria decision-making software was developed to aid users, educators, and administrators in their decision-making processes. The integrated FMEA-GRA-FAHP technique, using ISO/IEC 9126 standards, provides an effective way of locating the most suitable mobile learning platform and ranking them according to their reliability. This research is believed to be the only study applying an integrated FMEA-GRA-FAHP approach to evaluate the risks and quality of mobile learning platforms. The unique approach overcomes certain limitations of the standalone methods such as FMEA and FAHP, making it a valuable tool for identifying the suitability of mobile learning platforms. In addition, the study underscores the importance of inclusivity and equity in ensuring high-quality education and creating an environment conducive to lifelong learning for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the European Union (EU), new plant varieties to be included in the Common catalog of a member state have to be registered on the national list after plant variety testing processes to establish whether the candidate variety is distinguishable, uniform, and stable (DUS) and meets the cultivation or use value requirement (VCU). Technical development, climate change, and changing consumer needs, including the detection of GMOs, necessitate the innovation of plant variety testing methods. In our study, we assessed new characters, testing methods, and inclusion of additional data for the potential to benefit the DUS and VCU protocols. To achieve our goal, we asked experts to fill in questionnaires for the DUS and VCU methods currently used for a selection of common crops, including potato, maize, lentil, oilseed rape, and perennial grass. Within the EU-funded "InnoVar" project, partners sent out questionnaires to 19 European Countries and to 3 countries outside Europe. Surveys were aimed at analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the current methods. With their help, it is possible to look for a new direction, opportunity, and strategy to incorporate, together with the innovative new techniques, into the development of the new methods. Our study demonstrated that the SWOT analysis could be used to achieve the set goals. Results obtained after evaluation of surveys confirmed that introduction of new characters such as cold tolerance, nitrogen and water efficiency, etc. has become necessary, as has the inclusion of new test methods (molecular markers, precision techniques, organic farming). The development of high-yielding, disease and/or pest-resistant plant varieties with good adaptability and the accurate evaluation of genotypes play a crucial role in ensuring that farmers can access high-performing plant varieties and contribute to sustainable food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed Methods Results Conclusion So What? Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) is an important setting to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Between 2017 and 2018, The Eat Smart Play Smart (ESPS) resources were disseminated to OSHC services across New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness and usability of ESPS to support OSHC healthy eating and physical activity practices.All NSW OSHC services (approximately 1700) were invited to complete an online survey to assess awareness and use of the ESPS resources (manual and online modules). Data were analysed using SPSS (Version 29).A total of 393 OSHC staff responded to the survey. Most (75%) had used the ESPS resources. Of the 25% who had not used the resources, 63% indicated it was because they did not receive the manual and 52% were not aware of the resources. Of the OSHC services that knew about the resources, 69% indicated that ESPS contributed to their service's ability to meet the Australian National Quality Standards. Respondents identified additional support was required regarding physical activity educational materials and professional learning. Suggestions for improvements included offering content in different formats (e.g., digital).This evaluation identified factors influencing the uptake of the ESPS resources and will inform future interventions for OSHC staff to improve knowledge and practices in healthy eating and physical activity promotion.Our findings will support the optimisation of ESPS resources and inform future development of future healthy eating and physical activity interventions in the OSHC setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Oilfield Chemistry is the property of Sichuan University, Oilfield Chemistry Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to fortify cookies to be functional food by adding Clitoria ternatea flower (CT) at concentrations ranging from 0 to 8%. Sensory profiling identified 6% CT as optimal for organoleptic attributes. The addition of CT did not significantly impact protein, lipid, and ash content but decreased energy value and increased insoluble and soluble fibre levels. The inclusion of 6% CT had a significant effect on the overall total phenolic content (TPC), which increased compared to the control sample. Antioxidative activity analyses showed enhanced antioxidative activity in ABTS, DPPH, ORACFL, and PCL assays. The addition of 6% CT inhibited hydroperoxide production in cookies. However, over a period of 6 weeks, a significant rise in peroxide value was observed during the 4th and 6th weeks of storing fortified cookies. All assessed products met the high microbiological quality standards. The sensory evaluation scores showed that CT can create cookies with health benefits and a good overall acceptance score. The texture of the cookies gradually became softer, but no significant changes in visual appearance were observed. CT can be extensively used in baked cookies as a rich source of polyphenols with strong antioxidant properties and high fibre content, as well as a fortification source for the development of functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the influence of the molar ratio of urea-formaldehyde resin (UF) on formaldehyde content and the physical and mechanical properties of MDF panels. The goal was to determine the optimal composition, i.e. the one that exhibits the lowest formaldehyde content without compromising the properties. To that end, there were five treatments. They were characterized by five F:U molar ratios (0.9:1; 1.0:1; 1.1:1; 1.2:1; and 1.3:1). The panels had a nominal density of 750 kg.m−3, dimensions of 40 × 40 × 1.5 cm, 12% resin, 1% paraffin. They were produced with a pressing cycle with a temperature of 170 °C and pressure of 3.6 MPa per 10 min. The physical-mechanical properties of the panels and the formaldehyde content were determined and evaluated following the NBR 15316-2 (2019) standard. Results showed that the formaldehyde content was lower for panels produced with resin molar ratios of 0.9:1, 1.0:1, and 1.1:1, classified as E1. Panels with a resin molar ratio of 1.2:1 were classified as E2. The molar ratio of 1.3:1 exceeded the limits of the standard. Panels with resin molar ratios of 1.1:1, 1.2:1, and 1.3:1 met the standard requirements for all physical-mechanical properties of non-structural MDF for use in dry conditions. These results indicate that the most suitable UF resin molar ratio for producing MDF panels is 1.1:1. This radio provides low formaldehyde content and technological properties compatible with the reference standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room impulse responses (RIRs) are used in several applications, such as augmented reality and virtual reality. These applications require a large number of RIRs to be convolved with audio, under strict latency constraints. In this paper, we consider the compression of RIRs, in conjunction with fast time-domain convolution. We consider three different methods of RIR approximation for the purpose of RIR compression and compare them to state-of-the-art compression. The methods are evaluated using several standard objective quality measures, both channel-based and signal-based. We also propose a novel low-rank-based algorithm for fast time-domain convolution and show how the convolution can be carried out without the need to decompress the RIR. Numerical simulations are performed using RIRs of different lengths, recorded in three different rooms. It is shown that compression using low-rank approximation is a very compelling option to the state-of-the-art Opus compression, as it performs as well or better than on all but one considered measure, with the added benefit of being amenable to fast time-domain convolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Plan – Do – Check – Act (PDCA) cycle is the basis of the process approach applied in ISO management system standards. The experience gained in working with management systems and summarized in the author’s monograph have been creatively adapted and applied in the analysis of the requirements of ISO/IEC 42001:2023 – the first standard for artificial intelligence management systems. This paper presents a method for determining the type of each requirement of the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 standard in relation to the PDCA cycle. The application of the PDCA cycle is demonstrated for selected processes and is used for creating process flowcharts. They can be based on the standards with requirements for quality, educational organizations, research and innovation centres, etc. Further on they can serve as the foundations for developing relevant documented procedures that comprise the artificial intelligence management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the legal requirements and liability issues related to the use of Research-Use-Only (RUO) products in the field of In-House In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVD). RUO products are exclusively intended for research purposes and must not be used for diagnostic procedures in humans. The article examines the legal permissibility of this use and the associated liability issues. It is noted that RUO products are subject to lower regulatory requirements than products for clinical use and must meet certain quality standards. Manufacturers of RUO products are obliged to label their products accordingly, but there is no obligation for market surveillance regarding the intended use of these products. The article also describes the definition and use of "In-House IVD" (In-House In-Vitro Diagnostics) in clinical laboratories. In-House IVD refers to diagnostic tests developed and used by clinical laboratories to diagnose, monitor, or predict certain diseases or conditions. The requirements and liability for the use of Research-Use-Only (RUO) products for diagnostic purposes are also discussed. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Adopting adequate isolation distances is one of the very crucial principles and practices of quality seed production. Upon research and continuous evaluation, isolation distances for each crop, kind and cultivar have been determined in almost all cultivable crops. The development of hybrids through various mechanisms has led to redefining isolation distances in a few crops like pigeonpea based upon the principles of pollination ecology and the activity of various pollinators. Methods: Our study on the direction of male and female blocks, activity and frequency of pollinators and their effect on production potential and quality of seed was systematically conducted at various isolation distances viz., 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 400 m between female (A) and male (R) lines. Result: Our empirical information depicts that an isolation distance of 400 m between male and female parents reduces the chances of genetic contamination and hence the isolation distance in case of hybrid seed production of pigeonpea shall be redefined as 400 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report consensus recommendations on magnetic resonance imaging in active surveillance. These include image quality, T2-weighted imaging and other sequences for lesion measurement, and updated Prostate Cancer Radiological Estimation of Change in Sequential Evaluation score differentiating stable visible and nonvisible disease. Further research is needed to define significant lesion size changes. The Prostate Cancer Radiological Estimation of Change in Sequential Evaluation (PRECISE) recommendations standardise the reporting of prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients on active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer. An international consensus group recently updated these recommendations and identified the areas of uncertainty. A panel of 38 experts used the formal RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method consensus methodology. Panellists scored 193 statements using a 1–9 agreement scale, where 9 means full agreement. A summary of agreement, uncertainty, or disagreement (derived from the group median score) and consensus (determined using the Interpercentile Range Adjusted for Symmetry method) was calculated for each statement and presented for discussion before individual rescoring. Participants agreed that MRI scans must meet a minimum image quality standard (median 9) or be given a score of 'X' for insufficient quality. The current scan should be compared with both baseline and previous scans (median 9), with the PRECISE score being the maximum from any lesion (median 8). PRECISE 3 (stable MRI) was subdivided into 3-V (visible) and 3-NonV (nonvisible) disease (median 9). Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System/Likert ≥3 lesions should be measured on T2-weighted imaging, using other sequences to aid in the identification (median 8), and whenever possible, reported pictorially (diagrams, screenshots, or contours; median 9). There was no consensus on how to measure tumour size. More research is needed to determine a significant size increase (median 9). PRECISE 5 was clarified as progression to stage ≥T3a (median 9). The updated PRECISE recommendations reflect expert consensus opinion on minimal standards and reporting criteria for prostate MRI in AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the efficacy of antioxidants found in pequi leaves was examined for safeguarding pequi biodiesel (EBP) against oxidation. The results reveal notable achievements. The antioxidant activity of AFP (a pequi leaf antioxidant additive) was assessed at various concentrations, demonstrating that as the concentration of AFP increases, the inhibition percentage significantly rises, reaching a remarkable inhibition of 99.12% at 100 mg L−1, with a calculated IC50 of 25.4 mg L−1. Additionally, the analysis of the AFP composition revealed the presence of terpenes and oxygenated compounds, which are well known for their antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the research emphasized the significance of thermogravimetric analysis in evaluating the thermal stability of additives, identifying critical temperatures at which AFP begins to protect biodiesel against oxidation (247.18°C) and the point at which its effectiveness may diminish (469.19°C). The EBP met quality standards regarding acidity, water content and density, but exhibited slightly lower oxidative stability compared with established standards. The correlation between the thermal degradation of biodiesel and the induction period highlighted the efficacy of AFP in mitigating thermal degradation. Nevertheless, it also indicated that maintaining biodiesel quality requires complementary approaches to minimize degradation over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient wheats are valuable genetic resources, though knowledge on their response to micronutrients in the presence of saline irrigation water is scanty. Two studies were conducted to unravel the behavior of ancient emmer and spelt wheats upon exposure to saline (75 and 150 mM NaCl) water and foliar-applied Zn (4 g L− 1) under pot and field conditions. Two weeks after implementing the salt treatment, Zn treatment was implemented twice with one week interval and the plants were exposed to the prolonged salt stress until physiological maturity. Then, an array of physiological processes underlying differential grain yield and quality responses of the ancient and standard wheats to these treatments were scrutinized. Salinity suppressed chlorophyll, relative water content, root volume, stubble yield, and grain yield of emmer and spelt and standard durum and bread wheats. Though, it increased the proline concentration, and Na+/K+ in all wheat genotypes. Emmer wheats indicated smaller salt-induced suppressions in stubble yield and grain yield, despite indicating a greater Na+/K+. Ancient emmer and spelt wheats indicated smaller grain yield components, but out-ranked the standard durum and bread wheats in terms of root volume, grain Zn, and protein concentrations. Zn's effect on the grain yield attributes and grain yield was moderate but it enhanced the grain Zn, particularly in emmer wheats. Novel findings of this study suggest that emmer wheats supplied with foliar-applied Zn are superior to standard durum and bread wheats in terms of grain protein and Zn, root volume, and tolerance to saline water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Economic Administrative & Legal Sciences is the property of Arab Journal of Sciences & Research Publishing (AJSRP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Public services are not transformed by service designers, at least not alone. Designing, implementing and changing a service requires numerous skills, roles and areas of expertise. Governments around the world have realised this and are implementing quality working standards for new public services, all of which call for multidisciplinary approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of China's social economy and residents'living standards, the public's requirements for water quality continue to improve. And China's water quality monitoring standard system is also gradually improving and developing. The prediction of public water quality satisfaction has a significant impact on the subsequent improvement of the water quality monitoring standard system in China. Compared with previous studies, the novelty of this paper lies in the use of grey multivariate model to study public water quality satisfaction. The grey multivariate model FGMC(1, N) is used to predict public water quality satisfaction in seven representative provinces in Eastern, central, northern, northwestern and southwestern China. The results show that public satisfaction with water quality is on the rise in Fujian, Hebei and Sichuan, while it is on the decline in Jiangsu, Henan, Xinjiang and Shaanxi. The results of this study will provide an important reference for the future improvment of China's water quality monitoring standard system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evidence base of what works using high-quality evaluations in tackling societal problems has become the norm in many spheres, including tackling traditional crime. Yet, as we show in the example of fraud faced by organisations, high-quality evaluations are not always possible, or even necessary for tackling problems effectively. Drawing on a review of over 400 research studies exploring the prevention of fraud, this paper finds a paucity of studies meeting the highest quality of standards of evaluation using the Maryland Scale. This is largely because of the barriers to implementing the Maryland Scale, given the challenges of measuring fraud, rather than because of a low quality of research per se. In the absence of high-quality evaluations, this paper uses a novel alternative to the Maryland scale to identify a range of effective tools that organisations can use to prevent fraud. Finally, the paper provides practical and theoretical reflections upon a broader problem of how and to what extent scientific evaluations of high-quality evidence are necessary in combating fraud effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with dementia often experience violations of fundamental human rights and impeded access to healthcare. This study aims to investigate the views of experts regarding the use of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) principles as quality standards for human rights–based care. Methods: A single‐round Delphi e‐consultation with 15 dementia experts was designed to evaluate each CRPD principle and collect feedback on their views about the application of the CRPD principles in dementia care. Results: The CRPD principles were fully endorsed as quality standards; however, several experts commented on the complexities of the use of CRPD principles in relation to information disclosure, capacity assessment, stakeholders' involvement in decision‐making, respecting needs and preferences, holistic approaches in care practice, and protection against abuse, neglect and discrimination. Conclusions: These findings indicate the CRPD quality standards were fully applicable for people with dementia although some clarification around interpretation could assist in their use. Future research should elaborate on further points of support and guidance for dementia care providing examples of good practice from across the globe, and develop a concordant, human rights–based scheme for the implementation and evaluation of dementia services. Implications for Practice: This study suggests that the CRPD can serve as a benchmark for human rights‐based practices in dementia services globally that could enhance nursing care practice. Nursing staff are encouraged to consider human rights in relation to the complexities associated with people with dementia, their caregivers, and other services involved in their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-country surveys often aim at cross-country comparisons. A common quality standard is conducting these surveys within a common fieldwork period, across all participating countries. However, the rate the target sample is achieved within that fieldwork period in each country varies substantially. Thus, the distribution of the interview month often varies substantially in the final sample. This may lead to biased estimates of cross-country differences if the variable of interest exhibit a non-constant trend over time. We demonstrate the implications of such an asynchronous fieldwork, using physical activity measured in the European Social Survey Round 7 collected between September 2014 and January 2015. Accounting for fieldwork month, we present a set of different post-estimation predictions. Physical activity varies across interview month, with countries with more observations during autumn were upward-biased, compared to countries with more observations during winter. Our results demonstrate how comparisons between countries are affected when interview month is omitted, and how accounting for interview month in the analysis is an easy way to mitigate this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automobile Technology & Material is the property of Automobile Technology & Material Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Olsalazine sodium is an anti-inflammatory agent used to treat ulcerative colitis. Both British and European Pharmacopoeia list nine process-related impurities in their monographs. Quantification of the impurities in the final synthesized active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is required to meet the quality standards set by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). Both literature reports and commercial vendors for these impurities are few and far between. The present report describes the synthesis, isolation, purification and characterization of these nine pharmacopeial impurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Recommended since 2012 by the World Health Organization (WHO), seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a community-based intervention to prevent malaria in children in African regions where malaria transmission follows a seasonal pattern. Following the publication of consolidated WHO guidelines for malaria, SMC is expected to reach more children in new geographies in future years. Though SMC has been shown to reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality, there is potential for quality improvement of the intervention implementation. Assisted by ten quality standards from a framework developed by Malaria Consortium, this paper aims to better understand the quality of SMC implementation and identify potential barriers to quality delivery of SMC. Methods A qualitative thematic analysis on data collected after the annual SMC rounds implemented in Burkina Faso and Chad in 2019 was conducted. Sixteen focus group discussions conducted with caregivers and community distributors were analysed. Three selected quality standards for SMC delivery; planning and enumeration; community engagement; and administration of SMC medicines provided overarching quality themes under which subthemes were identified. Results Eight subthemes relating to the three quality standards were identified. Although SMC was well accepted by communities in both settings, common barriers to the quality delivery of SMC were identified including difficulty ensuring adherence to the SMC administration protocol; difficulties reaching mobile populations; concerns around adverse drug reactions; rumours, and concerns about SMC safety; and community distributors’ working conditions. Context-specific barriers included: the suboptimal timeliness of the SMC round in Burkina Faso, and the lack of involvement of female caregivers in mobilization activities in Chad. Conclusion In the context of increased adoption of SMC, this paper provides relevant insights and recommendations for the improved implementation of SMC programmes. These include the integration of strategies addressing communities’ concerns around adverse drug reactions, gender-specific mobilization strategies, and attention to community distributors’ working conditions. It also highlights the importance and utility of further, robust research on the quality of SMC delivery.

No-reference image quality assessment aims to evaluate image quality based on human subjective perceptions. Current methods face challenges with insufficient ability to focus on global and local information simultaneously and information loss due to image resizing. To address these issues, we propose a model that combines Swin-Transformer and natural scene statistics. The model utilizes Swin-Transformer to extract multi-scale features and incorporates a feature enhancement module and deformable convolution to improve feature representation, adapting better to structural variations in images, apply dual-branch attention to focus on key areas, and align the assessment more closely with human visual perception. The Natural Scene Statistics compensates information loss caused by image resizing. Additionally, we use a normalized loss function to accelerate model convergence and enhance stability. We evaluate our model on six standard image quality assessment datasets (both synthetic and authentic), and show that our model achieves advanced results across multiple datasets. Compared to the advanced DACNN method, our model achieved Spearman rank correlation coefficients of 0.922 and 0.923 on the KADID and KonIQ datasets, respectively, representing improvements of 1.9% and 2.4% over this method. It demonstrated outstanding performance in handling both synthetic and authentic scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to respond to the public in a more agile way, some governments have implemented procurement reforms. By reducing red tape, policymakers expect to decrease contracting lead-times and improve quality standards in public procurement. Nevertheless, achieving improved performance also depends on the public officers involved in procurement functions. This paper examines a law change designed to improve procurement agility in the Brazilian public procurement context. Our findings suggest that the new procurement regime has helped to decrease contracting lead-times. However, the results also suggest that procurement managed by more experienced procurement officers tend to take longer. The paper concludes that more experienced procurement officers tend to be more susceptible to organizational inertia because existing goal ambiguity along with incentive structures in the public sector amplify the misalignment between existing practices and expected policy goals. This suggests that policymakers should pay attention to organizational traits, such as public officers' accumulated experience, when designing reforms to make governments more agile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently persists into adulthood. There are practice guidelines that outline the requirements for the assessment and treatment of adults. Nevertheless, guidelines specifying what constitutes a good quality diagnostic assessment and report and the competencies required to be a specialist assessor are lacking. This can lead to variation in the quality and reliability of adult ADHD assessments. Poor quality assessments may not be accepted as valid indicators of the presence of ADHD by other clinicians or services, resulting in wasteful re-assessments and delays in providing treatment. To address this issue the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) proposes a quality framework for adult ADHD assessments - the Adult ADHD Assessment Quality Assurance Standard (AQAS). Methods: The co-authors agreed on five questions or themes that then guided the development of a set of consensus statements. An initial draft was reviewed and amended in an iterative process to reach a final consensus. Results: What constitutes a high-quality diagnostic assessment and report was agreed by consensus of the co-authors. The resulting guideline emphasises the need to evaluate impairment, describes core competencies required by the assessor and highlights the importance of linking the diagnosis to an appropriate post-diagnostic discussion. Assessments should be completed in the context of a full psychiatric and neurodevelopmental review, and need good interview skills, using a semi-structured interview with open questioning and probing to elicit real life examples of symptoms and impairments. It is recommended that 2 hours or more is required for an adequate assessment including both the diagnostic assessment and initial post-assessment discussions. Conclusion: The AQAS has been developed as a practical resource to support reliable and valid diagnostic assessments of adult ADHD. It is intended to complement formal training. A secondary objective is to empower patients by providing them with evidence-based information on what to expect from an assessment and assessment report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a study of the main principles for the formation of public passenger transport service quality standards. The object of the research is public passenger transport services. The task of the study is the development of conceptual foundations for the formation of quality standards using modern innovative technologies. It has been established that the main factor in achieving the quality of public passenger transport services is taking into account innovative technologies and compliance with the criteria and norms of EU standards. Features in the functioning of public passenger transport in the world have been studied, including the use of information platforms for tracking the movement of transport routes, Internet applications, ensuring safety and compliance with environmental requirements. The criteria that serve as indicators of improving the efficiency of the quality of services have been defined, among the main ones are the availability of transportation, comfort, frequency of traffic, and waiting time, quality of service, as well as safety. A system of forming the quality of public passenger transport services has been proposed, which involves determining the needs and requirements of consumers of public passenger transport services, ensures the development of measures to improve the quality of services and their certification. A comprehensive approach to the formation of the quality of public passenger transport services based on the introduction of innovative technologies has been formed, which could make it possible to determine the level of their innovative development, as well as ways to improve it. This approach takes into account the relationship between implemented measures, measuring the level of service quality and the distribution of obligations to ensure the level of services determined by quality criteria. This makes it possible to determine the required level of quality of public passenger transport services and to form a relationship between the level of innovative technologies and the stages of the approach. The practical significance of the results is the design of tools that would ensure the improvement of the quality of public passenger transport services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing proton treatment time improves patient comfort and decreases the risk of error from intrafractional motion, but must be balanced against clinical goals and treatment plan quality. Purpose: To improve the delivery efficiency of spot scanning proton therapy by simultaneously reducing the number of spots and energy layers using the reweighted l1$l_1$ regularization method. Methods: We formulated the proton treatment planning problem as a convex optimization problem with a cost function consisting of a dosimetric plan quality term plus a weighted l1$l_1$ regularization term. We iteratively solved this problem and adaptively updated the regularization weights to promote the sparsity of both the spots and energy layers. The proposed algorithm was tested on four head‐and‐neck cancer patients, and its performance, in terms of reducing the number of spots and energy layers, was compared with existing standard l1$l_1$ and group l2$l_2$ regularization methods. We also compared the effectiveness of the three methods (l1$l_1$, group l2$l_2$, and reweighted l1$l_1$) at improving plan delivery efficiency without compromising dosimetric plan quality by constructing each of their Pareto surfaces charting the trade‐off between plan delivery and plan quality. Results: The reweighted l1$l_1$ regularization method reduced the number of spots and energy layers by an average over all patients of 40%$40\%$ and 35%$35\%$, respectively, with an insignificant cost to dosimetric plan quality. From the Pareto surfaces, it is clear that reweighted l1$l_1$ provided a better trade‐off between plan delivery efficiency and dosimetric plan quality than standard l1$l_1$ or group l2$l_2$ regularization, requiring the lowest cost to quality to achieve any given level of delivery efficiency. Conclusions: Reweighted l1$l_1$ regularization is a powerful method for simultaneously promoting the sparsity of spots and energy layers at a small cost to dosimetric plan quality. This sparsity reduces the time required for spot scanning and energy layer switching, thereby improving the delivery efficiency of proton plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Following the release of the Australian National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health (NSQDMH) Standards in November 2020, our objective was to ensure effective implementation of the Standards. This included the development of an accreditation scheme to allow digital mental health services to be formally assessed against the Standards and provide service users with an assurance of safe and high-quality services. Method: The accreditation scheme was adapted from the one used for the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. As the digital mental health sector was largely unfamiliar with standards and accreditation, the scheme was pilot-tested with a range of service providers and further consultation took place to refine it. Results: The accreditation scheme was launched in November 2022 with support resources published to aid implementation. Conclusions: The NSQDMH Standards accreditation scheme provides an assurance of safety and quality for digital mental health service users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to use the latest technology, namely "Concurrent Engineering ", to redraw production and assembly lines to be more efficient and take less time in manufacturing and delivery. Which will help to earn more money, reduce the cost, achieve quality standards, and continue the production line in the assembly lines of the General Company for Mechanical Industries / Automotive Assembly Line, calculating the workstations and stages until the final production and presenting it to the customer. It was noted that there were multiple problems that led to losses on the assembly line as a result of the lack of distribution and timing of activities across the stages of the production line, causing bottlenecks in some workstations. This was reflected in a loss of about (398) minutes at a cost of about $3,900 per minute, which led to insufficient use of human or material resources (machinery and equipment). The current study presented a proposal through which the assembly line can be restructured and the implementation of some activities that are close in completion time can be synchronized, which in turn leads to reducing the total completion time from (937.5 to 772 minutes), that is, by 16.75%, in addition to maximizing working times and machine operating efficiency. And reduce wasted time at most stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses concerns related to potential health risks associated with chlorine residues in traditional tea bags, which exhibit resistance to decomposition in soil. Consequently, the study utilized carrageenan, derived from Eucheuma cottonii seaweed, as a coating material for edible film. This research explores the impact of carrageenan concentration and drying temperature on the performance of tea bags. This study applied the randomized complete block design to analyze the impact of three carrageenan concentrations (1%, 3%, and 5%) at three different drying temperatures (80°C, 85°C, and 90°C) on carrageenan-based film. The investigation comprehensively evaluates the compliance of the carrageenan-based film with commercial-grade quality standards through critical factors such as thickness, solubility, mechanical strength and hedonic analysis. The findings indicate that the most effective carrageenan-based edible film can be produced at a concentration of 3% and a drying temperature of 90°C, highlighting its potential as an eco-friendly alternative in tea bag production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Educational Sciences (2706-6711) is the property of Qatar University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Continue Education Research is the property of Harbin Normal University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)