In-house Projects Research Articles

Reasons for the Failure of Most In-House Software Development in Tanzania: A Case Study of Selected Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs)

Since it has evolved into an essential part of today’s world, 90% of Tanzanian businesses have attempted to develop in-house software for their operations. However, a substantial fraction of these projects haven’t quite achieved what they set out to. The bulk of in-house software development projects in Tanzania have been unsuccessful. This article presents ideas for improving the success rate of in-house software development initiatives and explains why this is the case. As part of the qualitative research methodology, software developers, project managers, and other stakeholders took part in focus groups and interviews. The results show that there are several factors, such as a lack of qualified staff, an inadequate budget allocation, poor project management, a lack of precise project requirements, improper communication, an inadequate amount of resources, and a lack of user involvement, that significantly contribute to the failure of in-house software development projects in Tanzania. The study makes numerous recommendations for enhancing the success rate of in-house software development initiatives in Tanzania. Involving end users throughout the project life cycle, implementing strong project management practices, allocating enough time and resources for software testing, hiring experts to establish and gather precise project requirements, allocating adequate budgets, and setting up efficient communication channels are a few examples of these. Additionally, in-house software development must adhere to the SDLC’s standards by enhancing the model of the SDLC that best suits the nature of the development process.

Improving intuitiveness in geoscience hazard maps: a web-based experiment supporting governmental map development

ABSTRACT Changing societal needs means that new or existing maps need to be continuously developed. It is important that these maps are interpreted in the right way, to avoid misinterpretations and bad decision-making. The map design choices are based upon experience and cartographic theory, and in the end, are a product of expert opinions. This in-house research project aims to test and communicate the impact of these design choices to support the development processes for two Norwegian geoscience maps: Possibility of marine clay and the national Radon susceptibility map. Interviews were conducted with the map owners and based on known challenges with the maps, a web-based experiment was set up to measure intuitiveness for a series of map alternatives. A total of 450 participants, from novices to experts, took part in the experiment. By analyzing and visualizing amounts of correct answers, confidence in the map reading tasks and uncertainties, it was possible to conclude about map intuitiveness and how accessible the map is expected to be. The results show that including an experiment like this can improve cartographic work processes, support map design choices with empirical evidence, and that seemingly small improvements in design significantly improve the participant scores.

Reinvent 4: Modern AI-driven generative molecule design.

REINVENT 4 is a modern open-source generative AI framework for the design of small molecules. The software utilizes recurrent neural networks and transformer architectures to drive molecule generation. These generators are seamlessly embedded within the general machine learning optimization algorithms, transfer learning, reinforcement learning and curriculum learning. REINVENT 4 enables and facilitates de novo design, R-group replacement, library design, linker design, scaffold hopping and molecule optimization. This contribution gives an overview of the software and describes its design. Algorithms and their applications are discussed in detail. REINVENT 4 is a command line tool which reads a user configuration in either TOML or JSON format. The aim of this release is to provide reference implementations for some of the most common algorithms in AI based molecule generation. An additional goal with the release is to create a framework for education and future innovation in AI based molecular design. The software is available from https://github.com/MolecularAI/REINVENT4 and released under the permissive Apache 2.0 license. Scientific contribution. The software provides an open-source reference implementation for generative molecular design where the software is also being used in production to support in-house drug discovery projects. The publication of the most common machine learning algorithms in one code and full documentation thereof will increase transparency of AI and foster innovation, collaboration and education.

On the difficulty of validating molecular generative models realistically: a case study on public and proprietary data

While a multitude of deep generative models have recently emerged there exists no best practice for their practically relevant validation. On the one hand, novel de novo-generated molecules cannot be refuted by retrospective validation (so that this type of validation is biased); but on the other hand prospective validation is expensive and then often biased by the human selection process. In this case study, we frame retrospective validation as the ability to mimic human drug design, by answering the following question: Can a generative model trained on early-stage project compounds generate middle/late-stage compounds de novo? To this end, we used experimental data that contains the elapsed time of a synthetic expansion following hit identification from five public (where the time series was pre-processed to better reflect realistic synthetic expansions) and six in-house project datasets, and used REINVENT as a widely adopted RNN-based generative model. After splitting the dataset and training REINVENT on early-stage compounds, we found that rediscovery of middle/late-stage compounds was much higher in public projects (at 1.60%, 0.64%, and 0.21% of the top 100, 500, and 5000 scored generated compounds) than in in-house projects (where the values were 0.00%, 0.03%, and 0.04%, respectively). Similarly, average single nearest neighbour similarity between early- and middle/late-stage compounds in public projects was higher between active compounds than inactive compounds; however, for in-house projects the converse was true, which makes rediscovery (if so desired) more difficult. We hence show that the generative model recovers very few middle/late-stage compounds from real-world drug discovery projects, highlighting the fundamental difference between purely algorithmic design and drug discovery as a real-world process. Evaluating de novo compound design approaches appears, based on the current study, difficult or even impossible to do retrospectively.Scientific Contribution This contribution hence illustrates aspects of evaluating the performance of generative models in a real-world setting which have not been extensively described previously and which hopefully contribute to their further future development.

Python Dash for Well Data Validation, Visualization, and Processing

Open-source Python libraries play a critical role in facilitating the digital transformation of the energy industry by enabling quick deployment of intelligent data-driven solutions. In this paper, we demonstrate an example of using Dash, a Python framework introduced by Plotly for creating interactive web applications. A fit-for-purpose software was tailored for an in-house research project in well-data validation, visualization, and processing. The application automates quality control of different sets of well-log data files (DLIS/LIS or LAS) for completeness, validity, and repeatability. For this tedious and critical process, a human expert is required to perform tasks using well-log interpretation software. A typical digital log file may contain hundreds or thousands of data channels that are difficult are difficult to visualize and validate manually. Sometimes it takes multiple iterations of communication between the data provider and the data receiver to achieve a final valid deliverable copy. By utilizing open-source Python libraries, such as DLISIO (Equinor ASA, 2022) and LASIO (Inverarity, 2023), a web interface based on Plotly-Dash is developed to visualize and check all data channels automatically and then produce a compliance summary report in PDF or HTML format. The time for validating one DLIS file that has hundreds of data channels is significantly reduced. Implementation of this automated data quality control workflow demonstrates that open-source Python libraries can significantly reduce the time from development to the deployment cycle. Quick implementation of intelligent software based on Python Plotly-Dash enables customized solutions or workflows that further improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of routine data quality control processes.

Music Publishers and Synchronized Scores: Mascagni, Ricordi, and Rapsodia satanica

Music Publishers and Synchronized Scores: Mascagni, Ricordi, and <i>Rapsodia satanica</i>

Future work skills response: A teaching transformation using agility and evidence

Employers are faced with multiple challenges in the workplace, managing and resolving complex problems in the context of a rapidly changing world. As the workplace, and the nature of work becomes more uncertain, we need to develop a rich and diverse skill set amongst employees, to enable them to effectively engage with these challenges.Universities have recently positioned themselves in competitive markets, via a variety of selling points including employability, or cost-effective quality provision. These economic strategies have accompanied recent expansions in online delivery options facilitated through technological enhancements. New media platforms and ‘marketised’ ideas for delivering pedagogy and assessments have resulted in a proliferation of digital equivalence ‘solutions’ to traditional face-to-face or blended teaching approaches. This process was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which forced university teaching academics to produce online provisions for existing degree curriculum. However, the response to employers and employees’ needs for digital transformation has been slower, mainly because the impact on work skills requirements for the future, post pandemic, was unclear as organisations fought for survival in these turbulent times.We describe how a leading blended learning university, reputed for large scale generic courses, responded to this need by supporting an in-house project team to develop a range of bespoke online short courses. We detail the learning design approach, accommodating the constraints Covid-19 had on face-to-face meetings while applying both design and systems thinking. The team developed online creative workshops with industry stakeholders to uncover the work skills deficit and leveraged this learning to co-create, develop, and launch online short courses which responded to employers’ specific skills development needs. The paper contributes to teaching and digital transformation by illustrating a holistic learning design process using a combination of design and systems thinking providing an enhanced user experience design in a digital environment.Keywords: digital transformation; online course development; design thinking; systems thinkingPart of the Special Issue Teaching practices in times of digital transformation <https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.ac86609b>

PharmEnable raises $7.5 million

The biotech firm PharmEnable, which uses artificial intelligence in drug discovery, has raised $7.5 million in a preseries A funding round. The University of Cambridge spin-off is developing small molecules for diseases that are currently undruggable. PharmEnable’s platform is built on the concepts of chemical diversity and unexplored chemical space that two of the cofounders worked on in the lab of chemist David R. Spring. The firm will use the cash to expand in-house projects and partnerships focusing on cancer and neurology.

Prediction of Compound Plasma Concentration-Time Profiles in Mice Using Random Forest.

Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters such as clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (Vd) have been the subject of previous in silico predictive models. However, having information of the concentration over time profile explicitly can provide additional value like time above MIC or AUC, etc., to understand both the efficacy and safety-related aspects of a compound. In this work, we developed machine learning models for plasma concentration-time profiles after both i.v. and p.o. dosing for a series of 17 in-house projects. For explanatory variables, MACCS Keys chemical descriptors as well as in silico and experimental in vitro PK parameters were used. The predictive accuracy of random forest (RF), message passing neural network, 2-compartment models using estimated CL and Vdss, and an average model (as a control experiment) was investigated using 5-fold cross-validation (5-fold CV) and leave-one-project-out validation (LOPO-V). The predictive accuracy of RF in 5-fold CV for i.v. and p.o. plasma concentration-time profiles was the best among the models studied, with an RMSE for i.v. dosing at 0.08, 1, and 8 h of 0.245, 0.474, and 0.462, respectively, and an RMSE for p.o. dosing at 0.25, 1, and 8 h of 0.500, 0.612, and 0.509, respectively. Furthermore, by investigating the importance of the in vitro PK parameters using the Gini index, we observed that the general prior knowledge in ADME research was reflected well in the respective feature importance of in vitro parameters such as predicted human Vd (hVd) for the initial distribution, mouse intrinsic CL and unbound fraction of mouse plasma for the elimination process, and Caco2 permeability for the absorption process. Also, this model is the first model that can predict twin peaks in the concentration-time profile much better than a baseline compartment model. Because of its combination of sufficient accuracy and speed of prediction, we found the model to be fit-for-purpose for practical lead optimization.

Importance of credentials for in-house or outsourced leader appointments in successful versus unsuccessful large public IS contract awards

The goal was to examine the importance of credentials and other factors for in-house versus outsourced procurement project leader appointments, in large public information services (IS) contracts. This research was needed because 45%-50% of public procurement projects around the world have failed in the last decade, and while there was no clear evidence why, some findings pointed to leadership-related factors. To investigate this research question, contract award managers were surveyed to determine which factors were related to leader appointments (in-house versus outsourced) in successful as well as unsuccessful projects. Contract managers rated the importance of award criteria for leader experience, age, gender, education, team size, budget and certification, for successful and unsuccessful expensive public service contracts. The results indicated no single criterion could explain all leadership appointment decisions, but professional certification was a more important factor for in-house versus outsourced information service contracts.

Perfomance analysis of libraries for testing web applications on the ASP.NET Core platform

This paper conducts a performance analysis of three libraries: XUnit, NUnit, MSTest, aiming to compare the time performance. The performance was checked using load test, synchronous and asynchronous tests. The synchronous and asynchronous tests were divided into groups of 10, 25, 50 and 100 test cases. The tests were carried out using an inhouse project written on the ASP.NET Core platform.

Legal narratives of smart cities: opacity, intelligibility, and compliancy in projects, norms, and futures

The study focuses on narratives and legal components that form the legal imaginary of smart city projects. This imaginary consists of archetypes of Law and Technology called to engage with prototypes of public policies and to (re)build legal stereotypes for smart city projects. After all, smart cities take core normative claims and goals into their code, in both the technological and legal senses of the term. The public storytelling of smart cities and the public policies of Big Data projects in the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Montréal are used as case studies, targeting the respective contexts, risks, and legislations. Three axes composed of six variables are applied for the legal analysis in the case studies: opacity (privacy and security), intelligibility (transparency and participation), and compliance (accountability and governance). Such components are central for the contextualization of technological issues of smart cities under a narrative that is more accessible by law, the identification of specific concerns that present social risks to the rule of law, and the justification of measures required by legislation to protect fundamental rights. Brazilian and Canadian legislative references are used as hypothetical exercises on the legal frameworks related to the in-house Big Data projects. Normative sources and elements for further research can be found in each analysis.

Abstract 16 New Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) in Medical Trials: A FamiCord Group Development Pipeline Update

IntroductionSeventeen products in five countries are used in medical experiments and clinical trials. FamiCord Group, the leading stem cell bank in Europe and number 3 worldwide, is a listed biotech group consisting of the European biotech companies Vita 34 (Germany), P.B.K.M. (Poland), Crioestaminal (Portugal), Smart Cells (UK), and more than 30 other subsidiaries. FamiCord Group was founded in 2002 and is located in more than 35 countries in Europe and the Middle East. The Group is engaged in the storage of biological material and the manufacture, development, and approval of cell therapeutics for clinical use. More than 850,000 cryopreserved umbilical cord blood and tissue units and more than 4,200 patients treated with stem cells in clinical trials, experimental therapies, and standard therapies demonstrate the extraordinary expertise in stem cell banking and clinical application.ObjectiveAn overview of the Cell Therapy Pipeline with cell products from the FamiCord Group is shown in Table 1. ATMPs have been developed and manufactured in 3 synergistic R&D centers in Poland, Portugal, and Germany. Twenty preclinical and clinical trials are being conducted as part of in-house and consortia projects.Table 1.Overview of the Cell Therapy Pipeline using cell products of FamiCord GroupCountryProject titlePhaseIndicationGermanyCartiCureClinical trial phase I/IIaCartilage damageGermanyArthroCurePreclinical trial/PoCOsteoarthritisSwedenPro-Trans-1Clinical trial phase I/IIDiabetes type ISwedenPro-Trans-RepeatClinical trial phase IIDiabetes type ISwedenProTrans-YoungClinical trial phase I/IIDiabetes type ISwedenProTrans-19+SEClinical trial phase ICOVID-19CanadaProTrans-19+CAClinical trial phase IICOVID-19PortugalSTROKE34Clinical trialStrokePortugalRescueCordHospital exemptionHIEPortugalMSC-ARDSClinical trial phase IIARDSPortugalMSC-GvHDHospital exemptionAcute GvHDPolandALSTEMClinical trial phase I/IIaALSPolandBIOOPAClinical trial phase I/IIEpidermolysis bullosaPolandCIRCULATEClinical trial phase II/IIINo-option critical limb ischemiaPolandCIRCULATEClinical trial phase II/IIIChronic ischemic heart failurePolandCIRCULATEClinical trial phase II/IIIAcute myocardial infarctionPolandABC THERAPYClinical trial phase I/IICutis laxi/ScarsPolandABC THERAPYMedical experimentDiabetic footPolandCD19_CAR-TClinical trialCancerPolandDystrogenMedical experimentDuchenne dystrophy Abbreviations: ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; GvHD, graft versus host disease; HIE, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; MSC, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells; PoC, proof of concept.MethodsSelected new developments are presented in detail: BIOOPA for treatment of epidermolysis bullosa and CartiCure for treatment of cartilage damage in knee joint.ResultsThe BIOOPA dressing for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa is safe and effective, as no infections or necrosis were observed at the graft implant site during the follow-up period. These patients also reported reduced pain and improved quality of life. When used in orthopedics (CartiCure for cartilage damage), cord tissue-derived MSCs have been shown to be safe and fully integrated into the patient's cartilage, resulting in significant improvement in pain scores and quality of life.DiscussionThe trials presented demonstrate that allogeneic cell therapeutics are the future of regenerative medicine. Use of allogenic technology is the only way to overcome the limitations of the autologous approach: manufacturing process extensively scalable, drug available "off the shelf", applicable in all medical facilities, and economical manufacturing process due to unlimited scalability. Large pharmaceutical companies are investing significantly in this space.

Software integration for 3D lens prototyping and complex lens analysis workflows

PhotonicsViewsVolume 19, Issue 4 p. 40-40 PreviewsFree Access Software integration for 3D lens prototyping and complex lens analysis workflows Ansys Zemax solutions enable rapid prototyping and yield optimization for UpNano's in-house and external projects First published: 01 September 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/phvs.202270409AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume19, Issue4August/September 2022Pages 40-40 RelatedInformation

Evaluation of Clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) Varieties for Koshi Region of Bihar

Background: Field experiment was conducted under In-house Project of the University during kharif seasons of 2015 and 2017 for evaluation of clusterbean varieties for Koshi Region of Bihar. Methods: The experiment was conducted by using randomized complete block design with three replications. Observations were recorded on different agronomic parameters including, plant height, dry matter accumulation, days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, test weight, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index. Economics of crop was also calculated to find out the economic feasibility for the farmers. Result: Result revealed that the significantly taller plants along with higher dry matter accumulation was observed under clusterbean variety Bundel Guar-2 (BG-2). Clusterbean variety Gujarat Guar-2 (GG-2) taken least number of days to maturity, however, highest number of days to maturity was taken by RGC-986 and BG-1. Significantly higher number of pods per plant was observed under RGC-1033. HG-365 resulted into significantly higher number of grains per pod and BG-1 recorded significantly higher test weight. RGC-1033 proved significantly better in terms of grain yield, harvest index and net returns. In terms of stover and biological yield BG-2 proved significantly superior.

Risks associated with the development process of in-house information system projects

To provide a risk management perspective for managers responsible for in-house project development, we investigated how the risks associated with an in-house information system (IS) project evolve during the software development process. We conducted interviews and content analysis to examine the risks that affect project delivery quality. Three companies participated in this research. The results of this study indicate that risks related to organizational structure persist throughout the software development process. Content analysis indicated that in the conducted interviews, sentences regarding task- and actor-related risks characterized the first two phases of this process, and sentences regarding technology-related risks characterized the last two (third and fourth) phases. The results also suggest that different types of risks exert pressure on in-house project teams to reassess the weaknesses and resource allocation in a project and the possible solutions to any potential problems. This research explains risk dynamics throughout the life cycle of in-house IS development. Moreover, the findings of this study can help project managers identify the risks associated with the project development process that directly affect the project results.

Faecal microbiome and metabolic signatures in rectal neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: The prevalence of rectal neuroendocrine tumors (RNET) has increased substantially over the past decades. Little is known on mechanistic alteration in the pathogenesis of such disease. We postulate that perturbations of human gut microbiome-metabolome interface influentially affect the development of RNET. The study aims to characterize the composition and function of faecal microbiome and metabolites in RNET individuals.Methods: We performed deep shotgun metagenomic sequencing and untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomic profiling of faecal samples from the discovery cohort (18 RNET patients, 40 controls), and validated the microbiome and metabolite-based classifiers in an independent cohort (15 RNET participants, 19 controls).Results: We uncovered a dysbiotic gut ecological microenvironment in RNET patients, characterized by aberrant depletion and attenuated connection of microbial species, and abnormally aggregated lipids and lipid-like molecules. Functional characterization based on our in-house and Human Project Unified Metabolic Analysis Network 2 (HUMAnN2) pipelines further indicated a nutrient deficient gut microenvironment in RNET individuals, evidenced by diminished activities such as energy metabolism, vitamin biosynthesis and transportation. By integrating these data, we revealed 291 robust associations between representative differentially abundant taxonomic species and metabolites, indicating a tight interaction of gut microbiome with metabolites in RNET pathogenesis. Finally, we identified a cluster of gut microbiome and metabolite-based signatures, and replicated them in an independent cohort, showing accurate prediction of such neoplasm from healthy people.Conclusions: Our current study is the first to comprehensively characterize the perturbed interface of gut microbiome and metabolites in RNET patients, which may provide promising targets for microbiome-based diagnostics and therapies for this disorder.

Advancing the New European Bauhaus: Sustainable Mobility and Resilient Urban Spaces for a Better Quality of Life – the AdNEB project

The European Commission's New European Bauhaus initiative sets out to answer the question of where and how we should live in the future to achieve an ecologically sustainable, socially inclusive, as well as healthy and attractive development of urban areas. Today’s cities are confronted with the need to simultaneously adapt to climate change, design attractive urban blue-green infrastructures and implement the urban mobility transition. The in-house research project of the German Environment Agency ‘Advancing the New European Bauhaus: Sustainable Mobility and Resilient Urban Spaces for a Better Quality of Life – (AdNEB)’ aims to provide a conceptual, methodical and interdisciplinary contribution to the vision of the New European Bauhaus. AdNEB will address urgent challenges of the urban environment and propose and discuss integrated solutions.

Assessment of the project management system in the context of the implementation of large–scale projects: approaches and indicators

A constant search for effective management tools becomes necessary against the background of economic globalization, growing competition, fast changing environmental factors, increasingly stringent product quality requirements. The project management methodology can boost management efficiency by focusing efforts on a specific area of activity and implementing the necessary strategic changes. As management problems become more complicated, the project management system itself undergoes changes and moves to a new level of organizational maturity, but the process of these changes cannot be considered complete. It is necessary to use performance indicators to boost the motivation of a project team.&#x0D; The research shows that it is necessary to improve the tools used to assess in-house project management systems that rely on the international experience of using both the key indicators and expert assessments that entail a comparison with a certain reference state of the system. The system of indicators should have an integrated management framework designed in the format of a project-oriented structure.&#x0D; The purpose of the article is to consider and generalize the approaches, goals and principles of a system of indicators for assessing project management in an organization and drafting a system of indicators. The coauthors take advantage of the provisions of the project management methodology and framework management models to develop a system of indicators used to assess project management processes and results. Their novelty stems from an approach to the systematization of indicators in the context of subject- and management-focused process groups, specified in the Russian project management standards with a focus on the function of control.

Towards a hybrid project management framework: A systematic literature review on traditional, agile and hybrid techniques

It is the state of the practice in these turbulent times to combine different approaches and project management methods into hybrid and adaptive methods according to the specific needs of the project and the project team. The objective of the present work is to investigate this practice conducting a systematic literature review on project management methods, hybrid agile methods, method tailoring and innovative processes to tailor methodologies. We applied a systematic analysis of the existent research published during period 2000 – 2020 following similar approaches of several scholars. 1.121 articles published from 2000 until 2020 were collected after exhaustive literature search. However, 98 of them were selected for further investigation according to the criteria selection. Results provide key insights and background on agile project management frameworks as well as challenges and best practices implementing an inhouse hybrid agile project management framework. We anticipate the present work to constitute a useful source of information to PM scientists and practitioners. Results identify new dimensions emerging of the synthesis of project management aspects and provide key insights on traditional and agile project management frameworks as well as challenges and best practices implementing an inhouse tailored hybrid agile project management framework. This work contributes to the body of knowledge about the organization mainly of agile and hybrid approaches. We analyzed the found descriptions thoroughly regarding their characteristics and their organization.