Business Intelligence & Analytics (BI&A) Systems:Measuring End-User Computing Satisfaction (EUCS)

Business intelligence and analytics (BI&A) have become part of almost every com- pany/organisation nowadays, as the benefits of a successful adoption are many. However, the failure scenarios are many as well, with companies/organisations facing dissatisfied employ- ees who do not use the BI&A tools because they find them difficult to use -despite the train- ings-, and others who start using them and then stop this usage. In an effort to help compa- nies/organisations who want to adopt or have adopted a BI&A solution to understand their employees, as well as BI&A vendors to understand their end-users, we conducted this study where we examined the relationships among training, system usage, EUCS and UCI. What is more, we decided to focus only to descriptive BI&A as it is the type of BI&A that is mostly adopted by companies/organisations. The data needed for the study was collected with the help of a questionnaire-based survey and four hypotheses were developed for our literature- based proposed model. Data analysis was conducted with Excel, SPSS and AMOS and all of our hypotheses were confirmed. This is a sign that companies/organisations should keep in- vesting on training in order to achieve higher levels of BI&A usage and eventually higher levels of EUCS and UCI

Comprehensive characterization of an open source document search engine

This work performs a thorough characterization and analysis of the open source Lucene search library. The article describes in detail the architecture, functionality, and micro-architectural behavior of the search engine, and investigates prominent online document search research issues. In particular, we study how intra-server index partitioning affects the response time and throughput, explore the potential use of low power servers for document search, and examine the sources of performance degradation ands the causes of tail latencies. Some of our main conclusions are the following: (a) intra-server index partitioning can reduce tail latencies but with diminishing benefits as incoming query traffic increases, (b) low power servers given enough partitioning can provide same average and tail response times as conventional high performance servers, (c) index search is a CPU-intensive cache-friendly application, and (d) C-states are the main culprits for performance degradation in document search.Web of Science162art. no. 1

Effect of incubation temperature and caseinates on the rheological behaviour of Kefir

AbstractThe effect of incubation temperature and the addition of caseinates on the rheological behaviour of kefir was studied by using a pneumatic tube viscometer of novel design. The results indicated that the incubation time increased as the incubation temperature was reduced and the casein concentration was increased. Kefir samples incubated at 25°C showed the highest values of viscosity, while the samples incubated at 30°C exhibited the lowest viscosity. The addition of caseinates caused the viscosity of the samples to increase and their flow behaviour index values to decrease. Kefir samples incubated at 30°C exhibited the highest flow behaviour index values

Οστική πυκνότητα μετά από κάκωση νωτιαίου μυελού

Εισαγωγή Οι Κακώσεις Νωτιαίου Μυελού (ΚΝΜ) προκαλούν μείωση της οστικής πυκνότητας κάτωθεν της κάκωσης με ένα πολύπλοκο μηχανισμό ο οποίος δεν έχει ακόμη σαφώς διευκρινιστεί. Αυτή η βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση αποσκοπεί στη πρώιμη διάγνωση της Χαμηλής Οστικής Πυκνότητας (ΧΟΠ) σε ασθενείς με ΚΝΜ. Στόχος μας είναι να συνοψίσουμε όλα τα δεδομένα που αφορούν τόσο τη διάγνωση όσο και τη θεραπεία της οστεοπόρωσης σε αυτό τον ιδιαίτερο πληθυσμό. Μεθοδολογία Βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση πραγματοποιήθηκε στη διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα PubMed Database χρησιμοποιώντας τις λέξεις κλειδιά οστική πυκνότητα, κάκωση νωτιαίου μυελού, σκελετική ευθραυστότητα και οστεοπορωτικό κάταγμα. Από τα αρχικά 430 άρθρα αφαιρέθηκαν μελέτες οι διπλασιασμοί και τα υπόλοιπα άρθρα αξιολογήθηκαν από δύο ξεχωριστούς ερευνητές. Κριτήρια αποκλεισμού από την ανασκόπηση ήταν οι μελέτες στις οποίες η οστική πυκνότητα δεν μετρήθηκε, μελέτες στις οποίες έγινε σύγκριση ασθενών με ΚΝΜ και άλλες παθολογίες, μελέτες σε ζωικά μοντέλα, πειραματικές εργαστηριακές και όχι κλινικές μελέτες, άρθρα σε παιδιατρικούς ασθενείς και εργασίες που δεν ήταν διαθέσιμες στην Αγγλική και Ελληνική γλώσσα. Τα 83 άρθρα που απέμειναν χωρίστηκαν σε μελέτες που προσηλώθηκαν στη διάγνωση και μελέτες που επιχείρησαν να θεραπεύσουν τη ΧΟΠ σε ασθενείς με ΚΝΜ. Αποτελέσματα Δεκαοκτώ από τα 32 άρθρα που συμπεριλήφθησαν σε αυτή την ανασκόπηση προσηλώθηκαν στη διάγνωση ΧΟΠ μετά από ΚΝΜ ενώ τα υπόλοιπα 14 διερεύνησαν θεραπευτικές μεθόδους αντιμετώπισης της οστεοπόρωσης σε αυτό το πληθυσμό. Οι περισσότερες από αυτές τις μελέτες (n=13) χρησιμοποίησαν τη τεχνική της Απορροφησιομετρίας Ακτίνων Χ διπλής ενέργειας (DXA) για την αξιολόγηση της οστικής πυκνότητας των ασθενών τους ενώ 5 μελέτες προτίμησαν την Περιφερική Υπολογιστική Τομογραφία (QCT) και μόνο μια μελέτη την Ποιοτική Υπερηχογραφική Μελέτη της Πτέρνας για τη μέτρηση της οστικής πυκνότητας των ασθενών τους. Όσο για τις μελέτες που εστίασαν στη θεραπεία της ΧΟΠ μετά από ΚΝΜ, 8 από αυτές χορήγησαν φαρμακευτικούς παράγοντες, 4 εστίασαν σε εξειδικευμένα προγράμματα φυσικοθεραπείας και 3 συνδύασαν φαρμακευτικούς παράγοντες και προγράμματα φυσικοθεραπείας για να μειώσουν την απώλεια οστού κάτωθεν της βλάβης. Συμπεράσματα Η αρχική ασάφεια για τους παθοφυσιολογικούς μηχανισμούς που οδηγούν στην απώλεια οστικής πυκνότητας κάτωθεν της βλάβης μετά από ΚΝΜ οδήγησαν σε επιστημονική σύγχυση και πληθώρα βιβλιογραφικών αναφορών με διαφορετικές μεθοδολογίες και αποτελέσματα. Σε αυτή την ανασκόπηση συνοψίζονται τα δεδομένα της τελευταίας δεκαετίας που έχουν ως στόχο να αυξήσουν την ευαισθησία και τις γνώσεις των κλινικών γιατρών για το κίνδυνο της ανάπτυξης οστεοπόρωσης μετά από ΚΝΜ. Παρέχουμε επίσης πληροφορίες για την καταλληλότερη στιγμή αξιολόγησης του σκελετού αυτών των ασθενών καθώς και τις θεραπευτικές επιλογές που προλαμβάνουν τα παθολογικά κατάγματα ευθραυστότητας σε αυτό τον ιδιαίτερο πληθυσμόIntroduction Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes rapid osteoporosis below the level of injury in a multi-factorial manner. This literature review focused on the early diagnosis of low bone mass (LBM) in SCI patients and aimed to summarize all the available recent data on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in this unique patient population. Materials and Methods Advanced literature research was conducted in the online PubMed Database using the key words bone mineral density, spinal cord injury, skeletal fragility and osteoporotic fractures. Out of the initial 430 articles, duplicates were removed and the remaining studies were assessed for eligibility. Two reviewers independently extracted data from each study and assessed variable reporting of outcome data. Exclusion criteria were: studies not measuring BMD, studies comparing SCI to other diseases, animal studies, molecular studies, studies including children and studies not written in English. The 83 remaining papers were divided into studies focusing on treatment and studies investigating LBM in SCI. Results Eighteen of the 32 studies focused on the diagnosis of LBM in SCI and 14 focused on the various treatment options to address this phenomenon. Most of these studies (n=13) used the Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) method to evaluate bone mass while 5 studies preferred Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) measurements and one evaluated LBM using calcaneal qualitative ultrasound. In the treatment group of studies, 8 papers administered medication to addressed LBM and 4 clinical protocols used physiotherapy methods to reduce bone loss post SCI while 3 studies combined medical treatment with physiotherapy. Conclusions The unawareness of the unique mechanism through which bone is rapidly lost in the first months post SCI led to an initial scientific confusion. In this review we summarize information to increase physicians’ awareness of the dangers of ‘silent’ osteoporosis progression post SCI. We have also provided information on the best timing to evaluate bone loss as well as treatment options that could prevent fragility fractures in this population

Development of a Robust Read-Across Model for the Prediction of Biological Potency of Novel Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta Agonists

A robust predictive model was developed using 136 novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) agonists, a distinct subtype of lipid-activated transcription factors of the nuclear receptor superfamily that regulate target genes by binding to characteristic sequences of DNA bases. The model employs various structural descriptors and docking calculations and provides predictions of the biological activity of PPARδ agonists, following the criteria of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the development and validation of quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models. Specifically focused on small molecules, the model facilitates the identification of highly potent and selective PPARδ agonists and offers a read-across concept by providing the chemical neighbours of the compound under study. The model development process was conducted on Isalos Analytics Software (v. 0.1.17) which provides an intuitive environment for machine-learning applications. The final model was released as a user-friendly web tool and can be accessed through the Enalos Cloud platform’s graphical user interface (GUI)

Burning Socrates’ School down with Aristophanes: Learning and Teaching under Clouds

In Clouds (Nubes) of Aristophanes, Socrates appears as a sophist school owner, the Phrontisterion (‘thinkery’), in which he hosts students of all ages, in order to teach them not only philosophy, literature, physics but also effective sophistic techniques. In Clouds opposed ideas can be found like the aims of historical Socrates’ educational method, combined with Sophists’ modern ones. Aristophanes by using specific educational techniques, points out the educational contrasts and disagreements (Just Cause Vs Unjust Cause) and highlights the chasm between the empty theoretical discourse of young intellectuals and the real educational practical needs (learning skills, practical adjustment etc.). In this comedy, Aristophanes deals with many educational issues, which are common in every culture. What is his goal, however, when he appears with the Socratic method of learning and teaching (use of initiation vocabulary and terminology, ‘borrowings’ from the philosophic activity at the Thinkery?) What are the benefits for an apprentice student at Aristophanes’ Socrates and what is the purpose of the critical view of Aristophanes educational system of his time

Enhancement of endogenous midbrain neurogenesis by microneurotrophin BNN-20 after neural progenitor grafting in a mouse model of nigral degeneration

We have previously shown the neuroprotective and pro-neurogenic activity of microneurotrophin BNN-20 in the substantia nigra of the “weaver” mouse, a model of progressive nigrostriatal degeneration. Here, we extended our investigation in two clinically-relevant ways. First, we assessed the effects of BNN-20 on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells and neurons derived from healthy and parkinsonian donors. Second, we assessed if BNN-20 can boost the outcome of mouse neural progenitor cell intranigral transplantations in weaver mice, at late stages of degeneration. We found that BNN-20 has limited direct effects on cultured human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells, marginally enhancing their differentiation towards neurons and partially reversing the pathological phenotype of dopaminergic neurons generated from parkinsonian donors. In agreement, we found no effects of BNN-20 on the mouse neural progenitor cells grafted in the substantia nigra of weaver mice. However, the graft strongly induced an endogenous neurogenic response throughout the midbrain, which was significantly enhanced by the administration of microneurotrophin BNN-20. Our results provide straightforward evidence of the existence of an endogenous midbrain neurogenic system that can be specifically strengthened by BNN-20. Interestingly, the lack of major similar activity on cultured human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors and their progeny reveals the in vivo specificity of the aforementioned pro-neurogenic effect

Disruption of paediatric orthopaedic hospital services due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a region with minimal COVID-19 illness

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric orthopaedic services in a paediatric tertiary hospital in South Australia. Methods: A retrospective audit was conducted of orthopaedic activity at a major paediatric tertiary hospital with a Level 1 paediatric trauma centre, where no patients were admitted with COVID-19 illness. Orthopaedic Emergency Department (ED) presentations, outpatient clinics and hospital admissions for the period between 16 March 2020 to 26 April 2020 were studied and compared with the same period in 2019 (18 March 2019 to 28 April 2019). Chi-square tests were performed with p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results: In total, 621 patients presented to the ED with orthopaedic complaints during the pandemic (versus 997 in 2019). However, there was minimal change in the number of ED presentations requiring admission (110 in 2020 versus 116 in 2019). Among patients discharged directly from ED, 27.3% received hospital outpatient referral (versus 39.1% in 2019), with the remaining patients referred to community health services or discharged directly. There was a 509.8% increase in telehealth (video and phone) outpatient consultations compared to 2019 and a 60.6% decline in face-to-face appointments. There was a total of 144 orthopaedic admissions (elective and emergency) compared to 184 in 2019. Admissions for children under seven remained unchanged (32.5% reduction in children aged seven and above). Conclusion: Despite an overall decline in all paediatric orthopaedic hospital activity, the number of emergency admissions for musculoskeletal conditions did not change. Elective surgery numbers for children aged under seven were also unchanged. Appropriate planning and hospital resources allocation are necessary to meet this service requirement in future pandemics. Level of evidence I

In silico assessment of nanoparticle toxicity powered by the Enalos Cloud Platform:Integrating automated machine learning and synthetic data for enhanced nanosafety evaluation

The rapid advance of nanotechnology has led to the development and widespread application of nanomaterials, raising concerns regarding their potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. Traditional (experimental) methods for assessing the nanoparticles (NPs) safety are time-consuming, expensive, and resource-intensive, and raise ethical concerns due to their reliance on animals. To address these challenges, we propose an in silico workflow that serves as an alternative or complementary approach to conventional hazard and risk assessment strategies, which incorporates state-of-the-art computational methodologies. In this study we present an automated machine learning (autoML) scheme that employs dose-response toxicity data for silver (Ag), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and copper oxide (CuO) NPs. This model is further enriched with atomistic descriptors to capture the NPs’ underlying structural properties. To overcome the issue of limited data availability, synthetic data generation techniques are used. These techniques help in broadening the dataset, thus improving the representation of different NP classes. A key aspect of this approach is a novel three-step applicability domain method (which includes the development of a local similarity approach) that enhances user confidence in the results by evaluating the prediction's reliability. We anticipate that this approach will significantly expedite the nanosafety assessment process enabling regulation to keep pace with innovation, and will provide valuable insights for the design and development of safe and sustainable NPs. The ML model developed in this study is made available to the scientific community as an easy-to-use web-service through the Enalos Cloud Platform (www.enaloscloud.novamechanics.com/sabydoma/safenanoscope/), facilitating broader access and collaborative advancements in nanosafety.</p