Industrial Partners Research Articles

Comment: A reexamination of , bed-scale impact and recovery of a commercially important intertidal seaweed

Johnston et al., 2023 (Bed-scale impact and recovery of a commercially important intertidal seaweed. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 561) report that rockweed biomass recovers to pre-harvest levels one year after commercial harvest. The Johnston et al. study has two major problems in design, execution, and interpretation of results: 1) industry partner conflict of interest and statistically undetectable impact of the harvest treatment on Ascophyllum nodosum (rockweed) beds, 2) incomplete statistical analysis with inappropriate inferential conclusions about biomass recovery of harvested rockweed beds. Our analysis of their data shows that the only regions of the coast where rockweed biomass recovered to pre-harvest levels are the three regions where the harvest treatment was never detectable. In the one region where the harvest treatment was detectable, rockweed biomass did not recover to pre-harvest levels in a year. Rockweed is a foundational species in the rocky intertidal food web as well as an ecosystem engineer. The improper interpretation by Johnston, et al. of the study data is misleading ecosystem managers and the public about the impacts of commercial rockweed harvests. Most concerning, this paper sets a false foundation for marine policy on commercial rockweed harvesting in Maine.

Integrating Practical Skills Into Multimodal Transportation Education In Indonesia

This research explores the integration of practical skills into multimodal transportation education in Indonesia. Through qualitative analysis of 50 Indonesian cadets, the study examines the balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application, the effectiveness of current educational practices, and recommendations for improvement. The findings reveal a strong consensus among cadets on the importance of practical skills alongside theoretical knowledge. While some practical training is provided, there is a need for more hands-on experiences and industry exposure. Recommendations include revising curricula to include more practical exercises and case studies, strengthening industry partnerships, enhancing instructor skills, integrating soft skills development, and promoting lifelong learning. These recommendations aim to better prepare students for the demands of the transportation industry and enhance their employability. By implementing these recommendations, educational institutions can bridge the gap between theory and practice, ultimately improving the quality and relevance of transportation education in Indonesia.

MODERNIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT: INNOVATIONS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES

The modernization of higher education system management is an imperative process driven by rapid technological advancements, evolving pedagogical approaches, and the changing landscape of global education. This article explores the innovative strategies, challenges, and opportunities associated with the modernization of higher education system management. It discusses the adoption of digital technologies, data-driven decision-making, quality assurance mechanisms, and theimportance of fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability within higher education institutions. Furthermore, it examines the role of stakeholders, including policymakers, administrators, faculty, students, and industry partners, in shaping the future of higher education management.

Trends in medical device company payments in neurosurgery: a nationwide, multidatabase, geospatial analysis.

Industry partnerships help advance the field of neurosurgery. Given the nature of the field and its close relationship with innovation, neurosurgeons frequently partner with the medical device industry to advance technology and improve outcomes. However, this can create important ethical concerns for patients. In this paper, the authors sought to comprehensively study how physician payments from medical device companies have changed and what geographic parameters influence the trends observed over the years. The authors queried and merged several large databases, including Medicare and Medicaid provider usage data and databases from the Open Payments Program, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, and US Census Bureau. Geospatial analysis was performed using Moran's I and II clustering. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test and geospatially weighted multivariable regression for hot spot and cold spot membership. Data for 952 counties across the continental United States were analyzed. Ninety-seven counties constituted geographic hot spots. These hot spots were primarily concentrated in Florida, the New York-Pennsylvania region, central Colorado, and southwestern United States. Independent predictors of hot spot membership included greater unemployment rates, the percentage of White patients, the presence of mobile homes, and the percentage of county Hispanic and Black populations. Company-based differences were examined. The vast majority of Medtronic's payments were in the form of royalties and licensing (86.6%). Royalties and licensing accounted for the majority of payments for DePuy (69.4%), Globus Medical (62%), and NuVasive (77.1%). In contrast, other companies, such as Boston Scientific, opted to pay physicians in the form of ownership and investment interests (42.1%). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was also assessed. During the onset of the pandemic in 2020, physician payments fell or remained the same across all regions with the exception of the South Atlantic region. However, it was observed that nearly all regions rebounded, with stark elevations in physician payments immediately in 2021. This analysis demonstrates that there are national hot spots and cold spots of physician payments, and offers some social, economic, and company-dependent predictors that may influence the magnitude of payments. Further analysis is needed to better understand this clinical-commercial partnership in healthcare, specifically within neurosurgical practice.

Innovation and evaluation of vocational pharmaceutical education system under the 1 + X certificate system in China

Background and objectivesThe 1 + X certificate system, introduced in China in 2019, integrates academic credentials with vocational skill certificates to meet the heightened demand for skilled talents in the growing economy. This study aims to innovate and evaluate the vocational pharmaceutical education system under the 1 + X certificate framework, specifically addressing the gap between theoretical education and workplace requirements. Materials and methodsA retrospective observational approach analyzed 490 pharmacy students over two academic years. The 2021 cohort underwent 1 + X integrated education, while the 2020 cohort followed conventional education. We collaborated closely with industry partners to identify and compile typical job competencies, formulating work projects aligned with industry demands. Combining the skill level standards and assessment content of “1+X Pharmaceutical Purchasing and Sales” and “1+X Pharmaceutical Preparation”, we revised the course standards, incorporating typical work projects into the 2021 pharmacy professional teaching curriculum. This constituted the fundamental content of the 1 + X education reform. Statistical analysis compared course scores and 1 + X certificate examination performance. ResultsThe 2021 cohort, under the 1 + X educational model, demonstrated higher average scores in pharmacy courses, with significant improvements in pharmacology (1 + X vs. Traditional education: 58.40 ± 14.20 vs. 53.44 ± 14.67), clinical pharmacotherapy (72.74 ± 10.28 vs. 63.15 ± 11.03), and pharmaceutical distribution and marketing (79.34 ± 10.96 vs. 67.50 ± 15.82). 1 + X certificate pass rates and satisfaction with the model were also higher than the 2020 cohort. ConclusionThe 1 + X certificate system is useful for developing talent in Chinese vocational education, effectively integrating assessments with industry standards. Future research should aim at evaluating long-term outcomes and improving quantitative skills assessments for enhanced effectiveness.

Research on the Construction and Application of Online Open Courses for Continuing Education in Management

This article delves into the strategic construction of online open courses (MOOCs) for management continuing education at Lingnan Normal University, outlining a holistic approach to enhance the quality and recognition of these programs. By tailoring course content to reflect local context and industry trends, the university ensures that learners acquire knowledge and skills relevant to the Chinese market. The emphasis on strengthening teacher-student interaction and comprehensive learning support services fosters an environment conducive to active engagement and personalized learning experiences. Furthermore, upgrading the technical capabilities of the course platform ensures seamless access and a user-friendly interface, catering to diverse learner preferences. Collaborations with industry partners for internship training and real-world projects deepen the practical relevance of the courses, bridging the gap between theory and practice. By refining the evaluation and certification system, Lingnan Normal University guarantees the rigor and validity of its online management courses, attracting both domestic and international learners. With a commitment to open cooperation and continuous innovation, the university strives to pioneer new avenues for online education, nurturing future management leaders who will drive socio-economic progress and contribute positively to society.

Raising Awareness of Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education Institutions

Higher education institutions play a crucial role in advancing sustainable development goals. They bear the responsibility of informing and encouraging all stakeholders, including faculty members, students, and industry partners, to collaborate towards achieving these goals. While many universities are integrating Sustainable Development Goals into their operations and educational programs, there is an increasing need to establish collaborative platforms with private sectors and non-governmental organizations to further champion this agenda. Educating the future workforce is a key responsibility of these institutions, and they should actively raise students' awareness of these goals, enabling them to develop competencies related to sustainability. This study aims to explore how higher education institutions can effectively raise awareness of sustainable development goals. In addition, the research contributes to the literature by presenting a curriculum designed in a Turkish higher education institution to foster awareness of sustainable development goals. The findings hold the potential to significantly enrich existing literature on awareness-raising practices and the promotion of sustainability strategies, extending beyond higher education institutions to organizations at large.

Systematic Literature Review Application of Transferable Skills As A Key Factor For Vocational School Graduates

The gap between the competence of vocational school graduates and employers' expectations results in high unemployment among vocational school graduates. Therefore, vocational education needs to develop transferable skills to create a workforce ready to face the demands of the modern job market. This systematic literature review explores the importance of transferable skills and their impact on vocational schools. This study focused on scientific articles published between 2014-2023 using the Scopus database. This review identifies a growing body of literature that emphasizes the importance of equipping students with competencies that are not only relevant to their specific tasks but also valuable across a range of Occupational contexts. The increase in publications in 2023 indicates an increased scientific interest. The focus of research that is widely studied is curriculum, practical learning, extracurricular, and lifelong learning. Collaboration strategies between educators, institutions, and industry partners in developing responsive and relevant curricula will support the development of transferable skills. Then, in the end, the study also proposes future research topics.

A survey of perceptions of exposure to new technology in residents and practicing ophthalmologists

BackgroundIncorporation of the rapid advances in ophthalmologic surgical and diagnostic techniques inherent in the field poses a challenge to residency training programs. This study investigates exposure to new technologies during residency and perception of its impact on practice patterns.MethodsOphthalmology residents at various training levels and practicing ophthalmologists who had completed their training were invited to participate in a survey study assessing exposure to various technologies in residency and in practice. Data collection occurred from December 2022 to June 2023. Descriptive statistics were performed.ResultsThe study received 132 unique responses, including 63 ophthalmology residents and 69 practicing ophthalmologists. 65.2% (n = 45) of practicing ophthalmologists and 47.6% (n = 30) of current residents reported discussion/training on newly developed products on the market (e.g. premium IOLS, MIGS), was “minimally discussed but not emphasized” or “not discussed at all” in residency. 55.1% (n = 38) of practicing ophthalmologists reported that exposure to new technologies during residency did influence types of technologies employed during practice. The majority resident physicians reported enjoying being trained on newer technology and feeling more prepared for future changes in the field (95.2%, n = 60) and felt that having industry partnerships in residency enhances education and training (90.5%, n = 57).ConclusionsConsidering how to maximize exposure to newer technologies/devices during residency training is important, and may contribute to training more confident, adaptable surgeons, who are more likely to critically consider new technologies and adopt promising ones into their future clinical practice.

Starting and sustaining fruitful collaborations in psychology

AbstractMuch of psychological science relies on collaboration—from generating new theories and study ideas, to collecting and analyzing data, to writing and sharing results with the broader community. Learning how to collaborate with others is an important skill, yet this process is not often explicitly discussed in academia. Here, five researchers from diverse backgrounds share their experiences and advice on starting and sustaining collaborations. In doing so, they reflect on aspects of both successful (and failed) collaborations with students, colleagues within and outside of psychology, and members of industry and organizational partners beyond academia. Recommendations and challenges of productive collaborations are discussed, along with examples of how collaborative teams can contribute to psychological science, address real‐world issues, and make the process of conducting research more enjoyable and rewarding.

A Comprehensive Review on Trends and Patterns of Non-communicable Disease Risk Factors in India.

This review explores the trends and patterns of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in India, with a focus on tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and air pollution. Drawing upon existing literature and data, the review highlights the substantial burden imposed by NCDs and their associated risk factors on public health and healthcare systems in India. Key findings reveal the widespread prevalence of these risk factors, particularly among certain demographic groups and in urban areas. Socioeconomic disparities also play a significant role in shaping the distribution of NCD risk factors across the population. The review underscores the importance of addressing NCD risk factors through evidence-based interventions and policies tailored to the Indian context. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for multi-sectoral collaboration among government agencies, healthcare providers, civil society organizations, academia, industry partners, and communities to mitigate the NCD epidemic effectively. By mobilizing collective efforts and resources, India can make significant strides in preventing and controlling NCDs, thereby enhancing population health and well-being.

Automatic welding-robot programming based on product-process-resource models

This paper describes a novel end-to-end approach for automatic welding-robot programming based on a product-process-resource (PPR) model, for one-of-a-kind manufacturing systems. Traditionally, the information needed to program a welding robot is processed and transferred along the manufacturing organisation’s value chain by using several stand-alone digital systems which require extensive human input and high skill to operate. A PPR model is proposed through this research as a platform for storing and processing the necessary information along the value chain seamlessly. Unlike existing approaches which make use of complex algorithms to automatically identify the weldment seams, the approach suggested in this research makes use of information already digitalised by design engineers under the form of ISO 2553:2019 compliant weldment annotations. Hence, the PPR model contains the weldment annotations; it enables the automatic programming of welding robots and reduces human input down to a few minutes only. The applicability in manufacturing of the theoretical concept is demonstrated through technical implementations tested in the laboratory and on the value chain of an engineering-to-order (ETO) industrial partner involved in the metal fabrication industry. The experiments were conducted by creating several products using the proposed artefact. Experiments show that automatic programming of welding robots can be achieved using PPR models. The conducted experiments showed a reduction of about 80% in human input measured in terms of time, when using the proposed solution. The reduction of the human input can free up skilled labour resource which ETO SMEs can reallocate to other tasks.

Insights Into Colorectal Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review of MicroRNA Expression Patterns.

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains a significant contributor to cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as crucial regulators of gene expression and play critical roles in various biological processes, including carcinogenesis. This comprehensive review aims to elucidate the role of miRNAs in CRC by analyzing their expression patterns and functional implications. An extensive literature review identified dysregulated miRNAs associated with differentstages of CRC progression, from initiation to metastasis. These miRNAs modulate key signaling pathways in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in CRC management. Future research directions include elucidating the functional significance of dysregulated miRNAs using advanced experimental models and computational approaches and exploring the therapeutic potential of miRNA-based interventions in personalized treatment strategies for CRC patients. Collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and industry partners will be essential to translate these findings into clinically impactful interventions that improve patient outcomes in CRC.

Abstract 5469: ITCC-P4, a preclinical proof-of-concept drug testing platform as a tool for pharmacological screening in pediatric tumor models

Abstract Cancer remains the main cause of disease-related death in childhood. Pediatric tumors are characterized by a low mutational burden and high intertumoral heterogeneity, with multiple subtypes compared to their adult counterparts. The lack of access to many innovative therapies remains one of the main challenges in the pediatric oncology, especially for the 25% of patients who experience relapses. In this context, the need for the development of a well characterized collection of pediatric models, to provide large scale preclinical testing, is capital for the subsequent identification and prioritization of promising novel therapeutic options. The EU funded “Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer-Pediatric Preclinical Proof-of-Concept Platform” (ITCC-P4) consortium is a unique public-private collaborative project consisting of academic and industrial partners that aimed at establishing a collection of >400 patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models representing the most common high-risk pediatric cancers. The project involved various aspects of model development including the thorough molecular and pharmacological characterization. XenTech’s participation was focused on the development and preclinical in vivo drug testing of Ewing sarcoma (n=17), hepatoblastoma (n=10), rhabdoid tumors (n=6), synovial sarcoma (n=2), rhabdomyosarcoma (n=2) and other tumors (n=6), as part of overall cohort. PDXs were obtained by transplantation of post-surgery tumor specimens, either by grafting tumor fragments into the interscapular region or subcutaneously in the right flank of nude, NOD-Scid or NOD-Scid gamma mice. Tumor xenografts were amplified by serial transplantation, and tissue samples were retained at early passages for molecular characterization. Fragments from established PDX models where frozen to generate a revivable ITCC-P4 PDX collection. Then, proof-of-concept drug testing was conducted, in a single mouse trial format: each tumor type (n=X PDX models) was treated with a dedicated panel of Standard-of-Care (SoC;n=3) and novel targeted therapies (n=6), or combinations of 2 or 3 novel targeted therapies; for each PDX model n=1 mouse being included per treatment. All molecular and drug-testing data obtained by the different partners are being centralized in the R2 repository (https://r2.amc.nl), providing a powerful tool for data integration, visualization and interpretation of the results. A unique collection of well characterized pediatric PDX models derived from the most relevant pediatric tumor types was enabled by a strong public-private collaborative project. This large cohort is now available for preclinical testing of novel therapeutic agents within a non-for-profit spinoff company, ITCC-P4 gGmbH (www.itccp4.com), offering new perspectives to the identification of promising treatment options for children with cancer. Citation Format: Emilie Indersie, Sophie Branchereau, Brice Fresneau, Christophe Chardot, Didier Surdez, Alexandra Saint-Charles, Maria Eugénia Marques da Costa, Ángel M. Carcaboso, Katia Scotlandi, Massimo Moro, Heinrich Kovar, Jan-Henning Klusmann, Klaus-Michael Debatin, Simon Bomken, Louis Chesler, Chris Jones, Beat Schäfer, Marco Wachtel, Johannes Gojo, Walter Berger, Christina Guttke, Maureen Hattersley, Frédéric Colland, Ashley Strougo, Dennis Gürgen, Jens Hoffmann, Julia Schueler, Pablo M. Aviles, María José Guillén, Aniello Federico, Apurva Gopisetty, Justyna Anna Wierzbinska, Andreas Schlicker, Sara Colombetti, Olaf Heidenreich, Fatima Iradier, Nicole Huebener, Natalie Jäger, Jan Koster, Marcel Kool, Gudrun Schleiermacher, Jan J. Molenaar, Birgit Geoerger, David J. Shields, Hubert N. Caron, Louis F. Stancato, Stefan M. Pfister, Gilles Vassal, Eva-Maria Rief, Olivier Déas. ITCC-P4, a preclinical proof-of-concept drug testing platform as a tool for pharmacological screening in pediatric tumor models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5469.

Abstract 5468: Pediatric Preclinical In Vivo Testing (PIVOT) data portal enables access to 15 years of retrospective treatment study data in support of prospective study design

Abstract The PIVOT program (https://preclinicalpivot.org) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded initiative in support of the RACE Act that funds collaborations between academic centers and industry partners to test the efficacy of targeted cancer treatments developed for adult oncology for potential application in diverse pediatric cancers, including cancers of the central nervous system, leukemia, osteosarcoma, sarcoma, and neuroblastoma. In support of the PIVOT program, we have harmonized more than 15 years of data collected during two previous preclinical pediatric testing programs. To disseminate the data and results of these programs broadly we designed and implemented the PIVOT Data Portal. The PIVOT Data Portal is an R Shiny App that makes treatment efficacy data from PIVOT accessible on the web. The data are harmonized which supports comparison of treatment results across different cancer types. The data from the portal are freely available and downloadable. The portal includes study summaries within and across cancer models, statistical reports, tables, and tools for the visualization of treatment results. Data summary tables include entries for objective response measures (ORM), mean outcome, number of tumor studies, and p-value as appropriate. Visualizations include relative tumor volume plots for solid tumors; CD45 plots for leukemia; and survival curves to compare survival time across treatment groups. Treatment study visualizations and data summaries with their related metadata can be generated and downloaded within the Shiny App, allowing researchers to perform further downstream analysis. The portal collectively contains data for 52 agents, 45 drug targets, 34 drug classes (including ADCs, small molecular inhibitors, protein degraders, BiTEs, etc.), and 167 models, with a total of 245,926 data points. Currently, 44% of agents have been tested on 2 or more cancer types. Among the solid tumor models tested, 10 had at least one treatment that resulted in an ORM of maintained complete response (MCR), while 29 leukemia models had an ORM of MCR. Similarly, 48% of agents tested had an ORM of MCR for at least one cancer type. The PIVOT Data Portal makes pediatric cancer model treatment data available without restriction to support retrospective analyses and design of prospective studies. We are working to link cancer model data within the portal to molecular data. Merging outcome data with genomics data will facilitate computational approaches for molecular target identification, personalized treatment, and treatment optimization. Citation Format: Saul E. Acevedo, Tim M. Stearns, Phillip Webster, Vivek Philip, Michael W. Lloyd, Anuj Srivastava, Steven Neuhauser, Dale Begley, Debbie Krupke, Emily L. Jocoy, Carol J. Bult, Jeffrey H. Chuang, Dennis A. Dean. Pediatric Preclinical In Vivo Testing (PIVOT) data portal enables access to 15 years of retrospective treatment study data in support of prospective study design [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5468.

Establishing healthy longevity clinics in publicly funded hospitals

Healthy longevity medicine integrates geroscience and other disciplines into clinical settings, aiming to optimize health throughout one’s lifespan. Multiple factors have led to increased consumer engagement, with private clinics currently meeting the demand for guidance to improve healthy longevity. The establishment of healthy longevity clinics in publicly funded hospitals is a significant development, making longevity-focused healthcare more accessible. These clinics rely on multidisciplinary teams of physicians and allied health professionals. Diagnostics involve comprehensive evaluations of medical history, physical examinations, and various clinical tests to detect early signs of age-related functional decline. Interventions in healthy longevity medicine encompass lifestyle modifications, supplements, repurposed drugs, and social and environmental interventions. Collaboration with research institutions and industry partners is crucial for advancing healthy longevity medicine and creating standardized protocols. In this article, we review the process of creating healthy longevity clinics in public hospitals to ensure the best possible care for individuals pursuing healthy longevity.

Designing Sparse Graphs for Stochastic Matching with an Application to Middle-Mile Transportation Management

Given an input graph [Formula: see text], we consider the problem of designing a sparse subgraph [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] that supports a large matching after some nodes in V are randomly deleted. We study four families of sparse graph designs (namely, clusters, rings, chains, and Erdős–Rényi graphs) and show both theoretically and numerically that their performance is close to the optimal one achieved by a complete graph. Our interest in the stochastic sparse graph design problem is primarily motivated by a collaboration with a leading e-commerce retailer in the context of its middle-mile delivery operations. We test our theoretical results using real data from our industry partner and conclude that adding a little flexibility to the routing network can significantly reduce transportation costs. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, optimization. Funding: This work was supported by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an Alibaba Cainiao Research Grant, and the Singapore Ministry of Education [NUS Startup Grant WBS A-0003856-00-00]. Supplemental Material: Data and the online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01588 .

Resource utilization potential of municipal solid waste affects the sustainable development goals progress in China

In the past decades, municipal solid waste (MSW) has generally been recognized as a substance that poses risks to human health and the ecosystem. With the emergence of the sustainable idea, MSW began to be recognized as a renewable resource and technological methods were used to make MSW as a resource utilization potential (RUP) source. SDGs realization relies on MSW's sustainable management. However, how the MSW's RUP affects to SDGs and how the two are coupled still needs to be explored. In this study, we took China, the largest MSW producer in developing countries, as an example. First, we selected 17 SDG indicators (including 83 nested indicators) and assessed China's SDG progress from 2005 to 2021 based on the SDG weighting calculation method. Regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were then used to explore the direct and indirect impacts of MSW's RUP on the SDGs. Finally, a counterfactual analysis was used to determine the regional heterogeneity of the impact of MSW's RUP on SDGs. The results show that China made greater progress in its SDG scores overall between 2005 and 2021, with particularly strong progress in SDG1 (poverty eradication) and SDG3 (healthy living). The MSW's RUP contributes positively to SDGs 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 17 (economy, health, water, industry, community, and global partnerships). The response of SDGs 2, 7, and 16 (zero hunger, energy, and justice) to MSW's RUP showed a threshold when the MSW's RUP value was 0.3 GJ. The MSW's RUP has a negative impact on SDG13 and SDG15 (climate change and ecosystems). Regional heterogeneity exists in the relationship between MSW's RUPs and the SDGs, therefore the promotion of MSW's RUPs is targeted to different provinces. The MSW's RUP provides significant potential for improvement in energy production and material production, and adherence to managing MSW using a sustainable mindset will contribute to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060.

A biomedical engineering curriculum development: A qualitative study engaging four stakeholders

AbstractBiomedical engineering is critical in improving people's lives through innovative solutions to biological and medical challenges. In the face of today's rapidly evolving climate, the field of biomedical engineering encounters numerous pressures that demand up‐to‐date skills and competencies. The (re‐)development of curricula aligning with industry and societal needs, students' expectations, and academics' expertise while outlining graduates' knowledge (that) and abilities (how) becomes indispensable despite the challenges and complexities presented by conflicting priorities, tight timelines, and scarce resources. This paper presents a qualitative study conducted by a biomedical engineering graduate school at an Australian university. The study engaged four key stakeholders—industry partners, recent graduates, current academics, and students—in a self‐auditing process of an existing biomedical engineering curriculum. This exercise aimed to identify priorities for the future development of the curriculum. The findings reveal the perspectives from the four stakeholder groups, with industry partners and recent graduates focusing on technical and transferable skills and current students and academic staff advocating for breadth and a more practice‐oriented curriculum, where transdisciplinarity should inform biomedical engineering education. We propose that this evidence‐based and bottom‐up approach with multiple stakeholders holds potential implications for fields beyond biomedical engineering education. It provides valuable guidance to educational institutions seeking to (re‐)develop their curricula to align with evolving industry and society demands.

Application of Distributed Graphs for Facilitation of Scalable Botnet Detection and Response

Botnets pose a significant threat to modern network environments, exploiting compromised devices to carry out malicious activities such as distributed denial-of-service attacks, spam campaigns, and data theft. Traditional centralized detection systems often struggle to handle the scale and complexity of botnet attacks, leading to delays in detection and response. In response to these challenges, this paper explores the application of distributed graphs for facilitating scalable botnet detection and response. Distributed graphs offer a promising approach for modelling and analyzing complex network structures, enabling efficient detection of botnet propagation patterns and anomalous behaviour across distributed computing environments. The paper presents an overview of distributed graph-based botnet detection systems, discussing their architecture, design considerations, and key concepts such as graph partitioning, vertex-centric computation, and message passing in distributed graph algorithms. Case studies illustrate the practical application of distributed graph-based botnet detection in diverse network environments, highlighting success stories, challenges encountered, and lessons learned from deploying distributed graph systems in production cybersecurity operations. Finally, the paper discusses challenges and open research questions in the field of distributed graph-based botnet detection, addressing issues such as graph partitioning strategies, fault tolerance, privacy-preserving techniques, and integration with other security tools. It proposes potential avenues for future research and development in scalable botnet detection using distributed graphs, emphasizing the importance of adaptive threat response, collaboration with industry partners, and continuous improvement in detection algorithms for enhancing cybersecurity resilience against botnet attacks.