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Models of Middle Management Roles and Competencies in Agile Project Governance: A Multiple-Case Study in Nigerian Small-Scale Agile Software Development Project Settings
Get PDFProject governance (PG) is a crucial, multifaceted, and complex activity that is performed during agile software development (ASD) projects, and encompasses the necessary oversight, processes, tools, manpower, and support to accomplish projects. Middle managers (MMs) are important constituents of the governance structure in ASD projects. Despite the efficacy of PG and presence of MMs in ASD teams, PG and middle management in ASD projects are under-researched. There remains a lack of clarity regarding the role of MMs in ASD projects and the pertinent competencies that are important for them to function effectively in ASD project settings, not to mention the implications for agile teams, projects, and PG practice.
This study aims to fill this gap by investigating PG activities in small-scale ASD projects and identifying the roles that MMs perform and competencies that can help MMs thrive in ASD projects. It employed a qualitative and interpretive approach involving case studies in two Nigerian agile-practicing organisations and activity theory. It develops an activity-oriented PG conceptual framework (APGov) that aided the inquiry. Thematic network analysis was used to analyse data.
This study develops a model of 25 pivotal roles through which MMs support agile teams during agile PG. These roles relate to five areas: Planning and coordination for project alignment and execution, Continuous improvement and organisational change, Agile and technical leadership, Monitoring, and Capability building. The study found evidence for the dynamic, instantaneous, and transitory nature of the middle management roles. The study also develops a model of 54 competencies that are pertinent for MMs to operate effectively in ASD teams and projects. They relate to five competence aspects: Socio-relational, Delivery, Business, Results-oriented, and People-oriented. The competencies also relate to three elemental aspects of competence: Input, Personal, and Output. Expert agile practitioners validated the models. The study concludes that MMs are pivotal to PG practice and the effectual functioning of ASD teams in the examined cases. This Nigerian study may help researchers and practitioners in industry to better understand the role and relevance of middle management in the governance and delivery of ASD projects for project success. This study contributes to relevant theory and the ‘middle management in agile’ debate. It delivers alternate and clarifying views that may change beliefs about middle management in agile software project settings and offers implications for information systems practice
Interventions tackling children's food insecurity: A commentary on a systematic review
Get PDFIn the UK, 7% of households are deemed food insecure, that is they are unable to access, acquire and prepare food for the table. Food insecurity is associated with numerous negative impacts for children such as a reduced nutritional intake, social, behavioural and developmental problems and reductions in academic or cognitive performance. Poorer mental health outcomes are also experienced by both children and parents living with food insecurity. A systematic review of interventions to tackle children’s food insecurity was undertaken by Holley et al. (2019). This commentary critically appraises the review and discusses what the findings imply for the provision of such interventions, particularly those related to holiday, activity and food clubs
The Role of Magnetic Fields Across Different Scales in the Early Stages of Star Formation
Get PDFWe investigate the role of magnetic fields in the early stages of star formation and across a variety of scales. We start by focusing on a nearby molecular cloud Lynds 43 and investigating the magnetic field in relation to the density structure, the outflow of a protostellar object and its role compared to turbulent motions and gravity. We then expand this analysis towards other nearby, low-mass star forming regions. We focus primarily on the magnetic field strength and its orientation to the cores and other density structures, as well as its role compared to turbulent motions and gravity. We then move two orders of magnitude further away to the Central Molecular Zone where we investigate the role of the magnetic field in shaping the large-scale kinematics of the region, specifically how it can help inform an orbital model for the material within the CMZ. We also calculate magnetic field strengths of individual clouds and investigate the overall contribution of the magnetic field and also how it relates to the density structures of the individual clouds.
In L43, we find an evolutionary gradient along the isolated filament that L43 is embedded within, with the most evolved source closest to the Sco OB2 association. One of the protostars drives a CO outflow that has created a cavity in the dust structure to the southeast. We find a magnetic field that appears to be aligned with the cavity walls of the outflow. We also find a magnetic field strength of _160_30 _G in the main starless core and up to _90_40 _G in the more diffuse, extended region. These field strengths give magnetically super- and sub-critical values respectively and both are found to be roughly trans-Alfvenic. When we extend some of this analysis to other nearby low-mass star forming regions, we find that many of the evolved cores are already magnetically super-critical and have field strengths in the range of 30{130 _G. We do not find any preferential alignment of the magnetic fields with either the core orientation or the large-scale magnetic field.
In the CMZ we find that the magnetic field follows a proposed orbital model in the western half, but not as well in the eastern half. The eastern half is significantly more confusing with both gas kinematics and the amount of material there which could be affecting the magnetic _eld we observe. Our proposed orbit is continuous in position-velocity space except for a gap in continuity between roughly Sgr A* and the `Brick,' a known chaotic area where open ends of an orbit may be crossing. We also find that the clouds in the CMZ have large magnetic field strengths, on the order of mG, and a majority are sub-Alfvenic and magnetically sub-critical. This suggests a strong influence of the magnetic field within the molecular clouds of the CMZ.
We finally bring all of the sources together to investigate overall trends based on the magnetic field information. We assume that as clouds start to become gravitationally bound, material can then be dragged across magnetic field lines, hence altering their orientation. We find that there is not a single magnetic field strength versus column density relation that explains differing orientations between small-scale magnetic fields in cores and the large-scale magnetic field around it. In the CMZ, we also find that the magnetic field is preferentially perpendicular to the density structure in a majority of the clouds. Compared to conclusions from nearby star-forming regions, this would suggest that the magnetic field is now at the stage of helping to feed material onto central hubs from which star formation may occur. We also find that different modes of star-formation have distinct magnetic field patterns that are common across a variety of sources
The Impact of Rape Myth Education on Jury Decision-Making: A Systematic Review
Get PDFA systematic review of research exploring the impact of providing rape myth countering information to mock-jurors was conducted. The primary aim of the review was to inform the development of an educational intervention for jurors to reduce potential bias in their decision-making based on belief in prevalent rape myths. In total, the following 12 databases were searched: British Education Index, CINAHL, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Educational Administration Abstracts, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Social Care Online. The databases were filtered to return peer-reviewed publications, written in English, and published between 1980 and 2023. The search returned 6,119 potential articles. After duplicates were removed, the 3,202 remaining publications were screened. Only studies that presented rape myth countering information to participants within a mock-juror paradigm were included. Studies that did not compare an information condition to a no-information control condition were excluded, as were those which concerned male rape myths, given the focus on female rape myth beliefs in this review. Eight studies were reviewed and were critically appraised according to validity criteria utilized by Dinos et al. Some evidence emerged to suggest that the provision of judicial directions, expert witness testimony, and complainant statements regarding rape myths can impact upon jury decision-making although the findings were mixed overall. Study limitations regarding internal and external validity were frequently present. Recommendations regarding future research questions and methods are advanced, including those that can inform the development of an effective intervention for jurors
Harmonizing models and measurements: Assessing soil erosion through RUSLE model
Get PDFSoil erosion poses significant ecological and socioeconomic challenges, driven by factors such as inappropriate land use, extreme rainfall events, deforestation, farming methods, and climate change. This study focuses on the Kozhikode district in Kerala, South India, which has seen increased vulnerability to soil erosion due to its unique geographical characteristics, increase in extreme events, and recent land use trends. The research employs RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation), considering multiple contributing factors such as rainfall erosivity (R), slope length and steepness (LS), cover management (C), conservation practices (P), and soil erodibility (K). The study is unique and novel, since it integrates extensive field data collected from agricultural plots across Kozhikode with the RUSLE model predictions, providing a more accurate and context-specific understanding of soil erosion processes and also suggesting management strategies based on risk priority. The study found that Kozhikode experiences an average annual soil loss of 28.7 tons per hectare. A spatial analysis revealed varying erosion risk levels across the district. 52.0% of the area experiences very slight erosion, 10.31% has slight erosion, 6.18% undergoes moderate erosion, 3.88% is moderately severe, 7.34% is at severe erosion risk, 5.6% has very severe erosion, and 14.65% faces extremely severe erosion. Field data collected from agricultural plots across Kozhikode were compared with RUSLE-predicted values, revealing a low root mean square error, indicating a strong correlation between observed and simulated data. Based on these findings, the district was categorized into low, medium, and high-priority regions, with tailored recommendations proposed for each. Implementing these measures could mitigate erosion, preserve soil fertility, and support the long-term sustainability of natural and agricultural ecosystems in Kozhikode. Given the practical challenges in estimating RUSLE factors in Southern India, where data scarcity is a common issue, this preliminary study underscores the need for expanded, long-term field observations to enhance understanding of soil erosion processes at the watershed level
A complete benchmark for polyp detection, segmentation and classification in colonoscopy images
Get PDFIntroduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of deaths worldwide. Early detection and diagnosis of its precursor lesion, the polyp, is key to reduce its mortality and to improve procedure efficiency. During the last two decades, several computational methods have been proposed to assist clinicians in detection, segmentation and classification tasks but the lack of a common public validation framework makes it difficult to determine which of them is ready to be deployed in the exploration room.
Methods: This study presents a complete validation framework and we compare several methodologies for each of the polyp characterization tasks.
Results: Results show that the majority of the approaches are able to provide good performance for the detection and segmentation task, but that there is room for improvement regarding polyp classification.
Discussion: While studied show promising results in the assistance of polyp detection and segmentation tasks, further research should be done in classification task to obtain reliable results to assist the clinicians during the procedure. The presented framework provides a standarized method for evaluating and comparing different approaches, which could facilitate the identification of clinically prepared assisting methods
Superior Vena Cava Syndrome Secondary to Lung Cancer: A Case Report
Get PDFSuperior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a clinical condition caused by the obstruction of venous return through the superior vena cava (SVC). This report presents a 71-year-old male diagnosed with central lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated by SVCS. The report details his clinical presentation, diagnostic
workup, and management, including chemotherapy and symptomatic treatment. SVCS can significantly affect patient outcomes, especially in cases of malignancy, and requires timely intervention
MICROBIAL COMMUNITY SUCCESSION DURING DECOMPOSITION AND POTENTIAL FORENSIC APPLICATIONS
Get PDFReliable estimation of post-mortem interval can be crucial in criminal investigations and required distinguishing different stages of decomposition. Microbial communities play a vital function in decomposition processes and can act as biomarkers to show predictable patterns of succession throughout the period of decomposition. Microbial biomarkers therefore have potential in estimating post-mortem interval (PMI) and developing an additional, reliable approach for determining PMI via microbial community succession. This study investigates the spatial and temporal dynamics of microbial taxa during swine carcass decomposition, examining microbial succession as potential biomarkers for post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation. Swine carcasses, which were used as proxies for this research, gave a comprehensive exploration of microbial communities across various ecological niches, with samples collected from body sites (mouth, belly, anus), internal organs (liver, lung), and surrounding environments (soil, seawater, freshwater, brackish water). Genomic DNA was extracted, quantified, and followed by a 16S rRNA gene amplification using next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). The bacterial composition and biodiversity were analysed using the EzbioCloud microbiome profiling tool, with statistical analyses revealing the microbial dynamics throughout decomposition. The result of this research advances the current understanding of microbial succession patterns in decomposition ecology, highlighting the challenging yet promising nature of identifying suitable microbial biomarkers for PMI estimation. No significant differences in overall community composition were revealed over time, however significant differences in specific bacterial taxa that can be used as post-mortem biomarkers were identified among body sites [belly: Bacteroidetes and families from Firmicutes (Clostridiaceae, Tissierellaceae), Actinobacteria (Corynebacteriaceae)], internal organs [liver: Firmicutes (Lactobacillaceae), and lung: Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes], and environmental niches [Aquatic samples: Pseudomonadaceae (Proteobacteria), Bacteroidaceae (Bacteroidetes) and Acidaminococcaceae (Firmicutes), and soil: Chthoniobacteraceae (Verrucomicrobia) and Chitinophagaceae (Bacteriodetes)] as decomposition progresses. The identification of these specific bacterial taxa during different stages of decomposition offers further approach for estimating PMI, presenting microbial succession as a potential forensic tool
Towards a definition of refractory/ therapy-resistant/ intractable constipation in children: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, online survey
Get PDFBackground
The Rome criteria define childhood functional constipation but do not address refractory constipation. Attempts to define refractory constipation lack consensus. The interchangeable use of “refractory” and “intractable” or “therapy-resistant” constipation and lack of understanding of the therapeutic ceilings before this diagnosis, complicates the definition.
Aim
To conduct an online cross-sectional study among medical professionals and researchers across a range of countries, to propose a consensus definition, terminology and duration of medically unresponsive constipation.
Method
An expert-designed questionnaire was disseminated via Google Forms in a two-stage study over two months targeting pediatric gastroenterology professionals globally and Latin American clinicians with a translated version. The questionnaire had 7 critical questions containing details need to define medically unresponsive constipation. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Review Panel..
Results
The survey involved 1,079 participants: 87 from various countries in the first phase and 992 from Latin America in the second. There were 619 (57.3%) general pediatricians and 462 (43 %) pediatric gastroenterologists. The preferred term to indicate poorly responding constipation was "therapy-resistant constipation" (47.8%), followed by "refractory constipation" (43.6%). The majority of respondents (92.9%) agreed on considering a time frame for defining refractory constipation, with 37.7% suggesting 2-3 months. Four hundred and sixty seven (43.2%) recommended including failure despite maximum laxative therapy with two agents should be considered as previous therapy failure. Compliance with therapy was deemed essential for successful treatment by 91.1%, assessed through detailed history-taking (47.4%) or medical/pharmacy records (29.4%).
Conclusion
Based on the professional views collected in this study, we propose the term ‘Therapy-resistant constipation’ and it can be defined as constipation that is not responding to a maximum dose of at least 2 laxatives of different classes for a minimum of 3 months with good compliance in a secondary, or tertiary care facility