Program Performance Research Articles

Enhancing computational thinking in children through logical puzzles: A machine learning approach for early coding education

This recent growth in early education in coding evidences the rising need for the computing-thinking-skills development in children. Though most of the programming curricula are based upon syntax and other basic concepts of coding, computational thinking encompasses broader cognitive skills, such as problem-solving, abstraction, and logical reasoning. This research therefore intends to fill a gap in research and will investigate the ways pre-coding games employ logical puzzles as an enhancement in developing computational thinking skills in children aged 7-10 years and how these affect the acquisition of programming knowledge. In all, there will be two groups assigned: one will be exposed to logical-oriented puzzle training, Group A, and the other will be a control group, Group B, which receives only regular standard lessons in programming introduction. Pre- and post-measures of computational thinking and basic programming skills will be obtained from the participants. The machine learning algorithms, such as Random Forest for prediction in terms of improvement in subject performance in computational thinking and K-Means clustering to identify patterns in their development of skills, will be implemented in their pure or integrated forms to analyze data. Logistic Regression will be executed in order to model the odds of improved performance in programming given an intervention of exposure to puzzles. The research study will, therefore, apply these algorithms in comparing the performance of the two groups and reveal the aspects of computational thinking to which the greatest influence in a positive way through puzzle activities is exerted. It is expected that children exposed to logical puzzles may show significant improvements in both computational thinking and programming skills. These findings should be useful to educators in their effort to show how logical puzzles can be integrated into the curricula of early coding education to build foundational skills and thereby contribute to a refinement of best practices in STEM education.

Leveraging Partially Context-Sensitive Profiles for Enhanced AOT Compilation: A Review

In the realm of compiler optimization, just-in-time (JIT) compilation dynamically adjusts code execution based on runtime profiling, contrasting with the static approach of ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. While JIT benefits from real-time profiling data, AOT lacks this advantage, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance performance without runtime feedback. This review article explores the integration of partially context-sensitive profiles into AOT compilation, offering insights into optimizing statically compiled programs through advanced profiling techniques. Also, it explores the utilization of partially context-sensitive profiles in ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation to enhance program performance. It delves into the challenges of AOT optimization without runtime profiling, contrasting it with the dynamic optimization capabilities of just-in-time (JIT) compilation. The proposed algorithm strategically leverages partial profiles to identify and optimize hot code segments, presenting a promising avenue for improving AOT compilation efficiency. Through empirical evaluation of diverse benchmarks, the article validates the technique's effectiveness, underscoring its significance in advancing compiler optimization strategies for statically compiled programs.

Women’s perspectives on the acceptability of risk-based cervical cancer screening

BackgroundThe increased knowledge of cervical cancer (CC) risk factors and suboptimal performance of present screening programs has generated interest in shifting from a universal screening approach to one based on individual risk assessment. To inform the future development of risk-based CC screening programs, it is crucial to gain insight into the factors influencing the acceptability of such approach among screening target group women. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the acceptability of risk-based CC screening and to identify potential barriers.MethodsIn this qualitative study, one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample including women aged 30–65 years to explore women’s perspectives on the acceptability of risk-based CC screening. The study was conducted in Estonia, and interviews were conducted from March to September 2023. Potential participants were approached in person by a member of the study team or by their healthcare providers at primary care or gynaecology clinics. The interview guides were developed based on the concept of acceptability of healthcare interventions.ResultsTwenty participants (mean age 44.5, SD = 8.6) with diverse backgrounds were interviewed. The seven components of acceptability (affective attitude, burden, ethicality, opportunity costs, perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, and intervention coherence) were explored as key themes. Generally, women supported risk-based screening. However, we identified several factors that may compromise the acceptability of risk-based screening. The participants were reluctant to accept less intense screening for low-risk women and anticipated that if risk-based approach was implemented, more frequent testing would remain an option. Providing in-person clinician support was expected, requiring additional healthcare resources. Knowledge gaps in CC prevention highlighted the need for accessible information and education. Most women were unworried about sensitive data inclusion in risk score calculations. However, some participants were concerned about potential confidentiality breaches by healthcare workers.ConclusionThis study indicates that risk-based CC screening is acceptable, except for testing low-risk women less frequently. Our findings underscore the necessity for comprehensive understanding of the needs and concerns of the target group women for program development. Healthcare organizations are required to proactively address these needs by implementing comprehensive information dissemination and efficient communication approaches.

Developing National Information Systems to Monitor COVID-19 Vaccination: A Global Observational Study.

Strong information systems are essential for safe and effective immunization programs. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout presented all immunization information systems (IIS) with challenging demands-requiring in-depth vaccine implementation data at all health system levels in real time. The system development approaches taken by countries were heterogeneous, with some countries opting to adapt existing systems and others implementing new ones. Using data reported by Member States to the World Health Organization (WHO), we aim to develop a global understanding of (1) the types of IIS used to monitor COVID-19 vaccination implemented in 2021 and (2) the approaches taken by countries to develop these systems. We conducted a descriptive analysis of data reported through a supplemental questionnaire of the WHO/United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Joint Reporting Form on Immunization, collecting data for 2021 on (1) the use of and developmental approaches taken for 7 IIS functions (appointments, aggregate reporting, individual-level reporting, reminders, home-based records, safety surveillance, and stock management), and (2) modifications needed for digital health frameworks to permit COVID-19 vaccination monitoring. In total, 188 of 194 WHO Member States responded to the supplemental questionnaire, with 155 reporting on the IIS-related questions. Among those reporting, for each of the 7 IIS functions explored, greater than 85% of responding countries reported that the system was in place for COVID-19 vaccines. Among responding countries, "aggregate reporting system" was the system most frequently reported as being in place (n=116, 98.3%), while "reminder system" was the least (n=77, 89%). Among the countries reporting using a system, whether an existing system was adapted for COVID-19 vaccines or a new one was developed varied by system. Additionally, two-thirds (n=127, 67.6%) of countries reported establishing at least one new system, ranging from 72% (n=42) in high-income countries (HICs) to 62% (n=16) in low-income countries. Concurrently, 55.3% (n=104) of countries reported adapting at least one system already in place for COVID-19 vaccines, with 62% (n=36) of HICs reporting this compared to about 53% for other income groups. Of those reporting developing new systems, for each of the systems explored, more than 85% of countries reported that they intended to keep new systems specific to COVID-19 vaccines. Further, 147 of the 188 (78.2%) Member States responding to the supplemental questionnaire responded to the digital health frameworks question. Lastly, 31% (n=46) of responding countries reported needing to adapt them for COVID-19 vaccination systems. HICs had a higher percentage. Nearly all countries have adapted existing or developed new IIS to monitor COVID-19 vaccination. The approaches varied, notably by income group. Reflection is needed on how to sustain the investments made in IIS during the pandemic. Continued support for IIS is critical, given their essential role in program monitoring and performance.

Viability Study of SYCL as a Unified Programming Model for Heterogeneous Systems Based on GPUs in Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology are disciplines that have used GPUs for over two decades to accelerate data processing in computational applications, where CUDA has been the most utilized programming language. However, the exclusive use of CUDA presents a portability issue, as it is only compatible with NVIDIA GPUs and not with other heterogeneous architectures, such as AMD or Intel GPUs, or any other type of accelerator. To address this portability challenge, the Khronos Group recently introduced the SYCL standard, a multi-platform programming model that offers a high-level programming interface. This standard facilitates the development of portable applications that can efficiently leverage the capabilities of different hardware devices, such as NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD GPUs, without needing significant modifications to the source code. Therefore, this thesis set out as its general objective to evaluate the feasibility of SYCL as a unified, portable, and efficient heterogeneous programming model for the design and development of computationally demanding applications on heterogeneous GPU-based systems, specifically in the field of bioinformatics. Initially, a detailed investigation was conducted about heterogeneous programming models, performance metrics, and bioinformatics concepts, in order to establish the theoretical foundations of this thesis. Then, the SW# suite was chosen as the case study, as it represents a clear example of a CUDA-based bioinformatics application for biological sequence alignment. Using the SYCLomatic tool, a complete migration of the CUDA code to SYCL was carried out, which involved modifying the generated code and solving runtime errors. Additionally, the functionality was verified, optimizations were applied, and the resulting SYCL code was standardized to be compatible with other SYCL implementations. Subsequently, multiple experiments were conducted to evaluate the functionality and performance portability of the software migrated to SYCL. These experiments involved running the application on a wide variety of HPC platforms, including different CPUs and GPUs from various manufacturers. The results obtained demonstrated performance comparable to CUDA in most configurations, confirming the effectiveness of SYCL. Moreover, good performance portability across platforms was observed due to SYCL's ability to run on various hardware combinations. Furthermore, performance remained consistent when switching SYCL implementations. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that SYCL is a viable alternative as a unified, portable, and efficient programming model in the context of heterogeneous computing with GPUs for bioinformatics applications. The findings of this study lay the groundwork for the transition of legacy applications and the development of new solutions leveraging the capabilities of SYCL.

What Makes an Effective Chief of Pediatric Cardiology: Insights From Chiefs of North American Pediatric Programs.

Although the position of a pediatric cardiology chief is often seen as the apex of one's academic career, its roles, responsibilities, and qualifications are not well defined in the literature. This study was done to gain further insight of the role and attributes of a pediatric cardiology chief by surveying those who are currently serving the position across North American centers. This was a mixed-methods study with a survey given to North American pediatric cardiology chiefs at programs with fellowship training programs. The survey was a semistructured questionnaire that was independently reviewed by 3 cardiologists. Smaller private practice groups and nonacademic programs were excluded. Survey inventory included items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, open-ended prompts, and targeted questions. A total of 40 of 65 (62%) pediatric cardiology chiefs responded to the survey. Respondents identified key chief attributes included communication skills, honesty/transparency, and conflict-resolution skills. Likert scale data demonstrated participants were satisfied with their position, although many reported growing concerns of increased demands from administration, faculty, and pressures of program performance in the current era. There is also a noted paucity of diversity among those serving in leadership positions within pediatric cardiology, which was acknowledged by survey respondents. We gathered information directly from current North American pediatric cardiology chiefs examining the current era of its role. There are resounding themes on the emphasis for communication, honesty, conflict resolution, and mentorship. Future studies should examine faculty perceptions and a global perspective of the role.

An efficient propositional system for Abductive Logic Programming

Abductive logic programming (ALP) extends logic programming with hypothetical reasoning by means of abducibles, an extension able to handle interesting problems, such as diagnosis, planning, and verification with formal methods. Implementations of this extension have been using Prolog meta-interpreters and Prolog programs with Constraint Handling Rules (CHR). While the latter adds a clean and efficient interface to the host system, it still suffers in performance for large programs. Here, the concern is to obtain a more performant implementation of the SCIFF system following a compiled approach. This paper, as a first step in this long term goal, sets out a propositional ALP system following SCIFF, eliminating the need for CHR and achieving better performance.

Towards embedded academic language development in a teacher education programme

ABSTRACT This study explored contextual factors of student teachers’ weak academic language (AL) performance in a pre-service teacher education programme at a university in Namibia. The aim was to capture their experience in the BEd programme in which English as a second language is the medium of instruction. In interviews with the students (n = 15) and their lecturers (n = 6), as well as analyses of curriculum- and policy documents and students’ writing artefacts, it was evident that the students did not have enough opportunity to practice AL skills, which were introduced in the English for academic purposes (EAP) course and in subsequent courses. Data from interviews, documents and students’ written artefacts showed that the AL interventions had not been integrated across the curriculum. The main suggestion emanating from the study is that programme designers should embed AL across the diciplines in disciplines, with academic staff and the writing centre colleagues working together.

Embodied Learning for Computational Thinking in a Mixed-Reality Context

This study examined the effects of embodied learning experiences on students’ understanding of computational thinking (CT) concepts and their ability to solve CT problems. In a mixed-reality learning environment, students mapped CT concepts, such as sequencing and loops, onto their bodily movements. These movements were later applied to robot programming tasks, where students used the same CT concepts in a different modality. By explicitly connecting embodied actions with programming tasks, the intervention aimed to enhance students’ comprehension and transfer of CT skills. Forty-four first- and second-grade students participated in the study. The results showed significant improvements in students’ CT competency and positive attitudes toward CT. Additionally, an analysis of robot programming performance identified common errors and revealed how students employed embodied strategies to overcome challenges. The effects of embodied learning and the impact of embodied learning strategies were discussed.

MEA2: A Lightweight Field-Sensitive Escape Analysis with Points-to Calculation for Golang

Escape analysis plays a crucial role in garbage-collected languages as it enables the allocation of non-escaping variables on the stack by identifying the dynamic lifetimes of objects and pointers. This helps in reducing heap allocations and alleviating garbage collection pressure. However, Go, as a garbage-collected language, employs a fast yet conservative escape analysis, which is field-insensitive and omits point-to-set calculation to expedite compilation. This results in more variables being allocated on the heap. Empirical statistics reveal that field access and indirect memory access are prevalent in real-world Go programs, suggesting potential opportunities for escape analysis to enhance program performance. In this paper, we propose MEA 2 , an escape analysis framework atop GoLLVM (an LLVM-based Go compiler), which combines field sensitivity and points-to analysis. Moreover, a novel generic function summary representation is designed to facilitate fast inter-procedural analysis. We evaluated it by using MEA 2 to perform stack allocation in 12 wildly-use open-source projects. The results show that, compared to Go’s escape analysis, MEA 2 can reduce heap allocation sites by 7.9

A chronic hepatitis B identification and surveillance program improves care in an integrated health plan.

Optimal management of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) requires surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and identification of antiviral-therapy candidates, but few dedicated CHB-surveillance models have been described. Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) developed a systematic CHB surveillance-and-management program in 2012. We report the results of the program's performance over the initial 8-year period. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients with CHB meeting guideline criteria for HCC surveillance. Eligible patients were invited into the KPNC Liver Care Program (LCP), wherein patients receive reminders to obtain semiannual laboratory and imaging surveillance, which are reviewed by nurse practitioners. Treatment-eligible patients are provided antiviral medications. Since its inception, 14,630 patients met study criteria and 9,373 (64.1%) enrolled in the LCP. Adherence to imaging recommendations was higher in the LCP-managed group (41.5% of patients in the LCP received ≥80% of recommended imaging compared to 10.9% among patients not enrolled (risk ratio = 3.8; p<.001)). Approximately 63% of treatment-eligible patients in both groups received medication, though full-adherence rates were higher in patients managed in the LCP (72.3% vs 63.4%, respectively, p<.001). Among the 197 patients who developed HCC, recommended surveillance imaging was performed more frequently among LCP-managed patients (71.4% vs. 53.8%, respectively, p<.05) who were also significantly more likely to be diagnosed at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage 0/A (95.9% vs. 74.6%; p<.001). In this integrated healthcare system, a systematic program for surveilling and managing patients with CHB appeared beneficial for both process and clinical endpoints.

Hospital variation in post-operative cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use and relationship to post-operative mortality.

It is unclear how extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use varies across paediatric cardiac surgical programmes and how it relates to post-operative mortality. We aimed to determine hospital-level variation in post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use and its association with case-mix adjusted mortality. Retrospective analysis of 37 hospitals contributing to the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium clinical registry from 1 August 2014 to 31 December 2019. Hospitalisations including cardiothoracic surgery and post-operative admission to paediatric cardiac ICUs were included. Two-level multivariable logistic regression with hospital random effect was used to determine case-mix adjusted post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use rates and in-hospital mortality. Hospitals were grouped into extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use tertiles, and mortality was compared across tertiles. There were 43,640 eligible surgical hospitalisations; 1397 (3.2%) included at least one post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run. Case-mix adjusted extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rates varied more than sevenfold (0.9-6.9%) across hospitals, and adjusted mortality varied 10-fold (0-5.5%). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rates were 2.0%, 3.5%, and 5.2%, respectively, for low, middle, and high extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use tertiles (P < 0.0001), and mortality rates were 1.9%, 3.0%, and 3.1% (p < 0.0001), respectively. High extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use hospitals were more likely to initiate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support intraoperatively (1.6% vs. 0.6% low and 1.1% middle, p < 0.0001). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation indications were similar across hospital tertiles. When extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was excluded, variation in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use rates persisted (1.5%, 2.6%, 3.8%, p < 0.001). There is hospital variation in adjusted post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use after paediatric cardiac surgery and a significant association with adjusted post-operative mortality. These findings suggest that post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use could be a complementary quality metric to mortality to assess performance of cardiac surgical programmes.

Paramedic educational programs maintain entry level competency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic required unprecedented changes to emergency medical services (EMS) educational frameworks in the United States. It is unclear if pandemic-related changes impacted paramedic educational outcomes. We aimed to evaluate curricular and performance changes resulting from the initial COVID-19 pandemic on paramedic educational programs. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional evaluation of paramedic educational programs in 2019 and 2020 using the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions annual reports. These reports contain detailed program components and measures of program success. We included programs reporting at least one graduate in the study period. Descriptive statistics (proportions [%], median [interquartile range, IQR]) were calculated for paramedic program characteristics in 2019 and 2020, as well as pandemic specific curriculum changes. Wilcoxon rank-sum and Fisher's exact tests were used to evaluate differences in characteristics by year. The number of paramedic educational programs in our population decreased from 640 programs in 2019 to 612 in 2020, with a statistically significant decrease in clinical hours (2019: 219 [IQR 168‒272]; 2020: 200.5 [IQR 157‒261]). There was no difference in first or third-attempt certification examination success between years. Temporary shutdown was experienced in 34% of programs (duration: 3weeks [2‒7]) and 72% of required curricular changes. Curricular changes commonly included decreased in-person education (86%), traditional classroom lectures (78%), number of clinical sites (78%), and increased online didactic education (92%). Only 20% of programs decreased laboratory simulation or total training hours. During the pandemic, paramedic educational programs changed educational delivery with no observed differences on overall program performance. Identifying key curricular changes and best practices for implementation may be necessary to better optimize future educational delivery.

Variation in Palliative Care Program Performance for Patients with Metastatic Cancer

ContextWhile specialist palliative care is associated with improved end-of-life quality metrics for patients with advanced cancer, its effectiveness may differ between hospitals. ObjectivesTo examine variation in palliative care program performance on end-of-life care quality metrics. MethodsRetrospective cohort study of palliative care programs that participated in the National Palliative Care Registry, 2018-2019. Medicare data for patients age ≥65 who died with metastatic cancer were aggregated on a program-level. Variation in program performance on outcomes (use of hospice, hospice enrollment ≥3 days, use of intensive care in the last 30 days of life, and use of chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life) was quantified by risk-standardized outcome rates (RSOR) and adjusted median odds ratios (aMOR). ResultsThe cohort comprised 235 palliative care programs who delivered care to 33,015 patients. There was substantial variation in use of hospice (median RSOR 65.6%, interquartile range (IQR) 57.5%-74.3%), hospice enrollment ≥3 days (median RSOR 53.6%, IQR 48.6%-58.2%), and use of intensive care (median RSOR 14.1%, IQR 13.1%-15.3%), but not use of chemotherapy (median RSOR 1.5%, IQR 1.4%-1.5%). Variation was greatest for hospice use (aMOR 1.48 [1.39-1.57]), suggesting that patients at programs with high hospice use would be 48% more likely to use hospice than if they received care at programs with low use. ConclusionWe found variation in most end-of-life quality metrics for patients with metastatic cancer. Further work is needed to better understand why variations exist and whether such variations reflect a difference in quality of care.

Efficiency of the decision support system for determining the severity of scoliotic spinal deformity by the analysis of radiographs

BACKGROUND: In 2020, a decision support system was developed at expense of grant from Innovation Promotion Fund and integrated into medical base of prosthetic and orthopedic center “Sсoliologic.ru.” It is the first computer program for determining severity of scoliotic spinal deformity in analysis of radiographs. AIM: To evaluate performance of a computer program for determining Cobb angle by comparing obtained automated data with manual measurement data by various specialists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From medical base of prosthetic and orthopedic center “Sсoliologic.ru,” 411 digital radiographs of spine of children and adolescents were selected, which were drawn by a radiologist (BP-etalon), an orthopedic traumatologist with 5 years of experience and experience in vertebrology (OO), and an orthopedic traumatologist with less than 1 year of experience and no experience in vertebrology (OB) and computer program (KP). The number and proportion of exact matches and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of results of measuring the Cobb angle of reference data were compared with indicators obtained by OO, OB, and KP in, for various types of scoliosis according to the classification of Rigо, as well as in determining the main arc. Bland–Altman graphs were used. The mean absolute deviation (MAD) and MAPE for the main arc with magnitude ranging from 20° to 50° were calculated. RESULTS: The exact matches of KP with standard were 21%. Hence, every fifth measurement of the Cobb angle on X-ray, calculated automatically, was identical to standard. The highest proportion of matches with standard was noted in OO (33%), and the lowest in OB (16%). The highest accuracy of KP was found at types E1 and E2, and the arc of 3 was 30% and 24%, respectively. The proportion of KP matches with standard increased to 61%, with an error of 3°, and to 75%, with an error of 5°; with an error of 7°, the proportion of matches reached 84%. Moreover, the proportion of coincidences of a non-experienced researcher increased from 34% to 58%. When determining magnitude of the main arc of scoliosis, OO increased his/her accuracy by almost 2,6 times, KP by 2,1 times, and OB by 1,5 times. The MAD of KP for all major arcs was 3.8°. Good reliability of the obtained KP indicators compared to the reference (ICC = 0.9) was noted. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a computer program may be recommended for automated determination of Cobb angle, because current algorithm of computer program has been found to be accurate compared to reference measurement. Its accuracy was significantly higher than that of novice orthopedic traumatologists with no experience in vertebrology.

Security Audit of The Public Sector Application Using COBIT 5 and ITIL V4 Framework

The use of information system-based applications has become commonplace in various sectors, including government agencies such as the Social Service and hundreds of villages in North Lampung. One of the applications used is SIKS-NG (Social Welfare Information System - Next Generation) which aims to facilitate the management of population data and community welfare programs. However, along with technological developments, data security is increasingly important to pay attention to. Cybercrime attacks, data leaks, and privacy violations are threats that must be taken seriously. The aim of this final assignment is to determine the extent of the security of the SIKS-NG application based on the results of COBIT 5 and ITIL V4 calculations and provide recommendations for improvements to increase information system security. The method used is the COBIT 5 and ITIL V4 method using the Align, Plan and Organize (APO13), Deliver, Support and Service (DSS05), Investment Management (IM14) domains. Data analysis uses the Capability Level, Maturity Level and Linkert Scale methods. The results of this research show that the Capability Level for the APO13 subdomain process obtained an average of 4.24 with a Gap of -0.24, DSS05 obtained an average value of 4.20 with a Gap of -0.20. From the overall results, the APO13 and DSS05 subdomain framework is at level 4 and has a Gap of -O.22, which means that at this level it shows that this subdomain has been achieved and fulfilled. Meanwhile, the Maturity Level for the IM13 subdomain process is on Scale 4 with an average value of 4.17 with a Gap of 0.83, which means it has not reached the target as expected. So this means that the security of the SIKS-NG application information system has the status of being well managed and must continue to be optimized, it's just that the program performance must be repaired and improved further. Keywords— System Security, COBIT 5, ITIL V4, Capability Level, Maturity Level

기회형 창업자와 생계형 창업자의 인식을 반영한 창업생태계 활성화 방안: IPA 및 추세 분석

This study aims to explore activation strategies for the Korean entrepreneurial ecosystem by reflecting the perceptions of both opportunity-driven and necessity-driven entrepreneurs. Using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and trend analysis, we evaluate key components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and analyze the perception differences between the two types of entrepreneurs. The results indicate significant differences in how opportunity-driven and necessity-driven entrepreneurs perceive the importance and performance of startup support policies, providing valuable policy implications. Specifically, opportunity-driven entrepreneurs highly evaluated the performance of funding and government support programs, whereas necessity-driven entrepreneurs emphasized the importance of social safety nets and tax policies. Based on these perception differences, this study proposes improvement strategies for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, aiming to enhance the survival rate of startups and promote sustainable growth. The findings offer critical policy insights to better support the diverse needs of entrepreneurs.

Exploring Factors Impacting Student Engagement and Performance Towards Work-Based Learning Among Culinary Students

This study explored factors affecting student engagement and performance in Work-Based Learning (WBL) among culinary students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Cawangan Pulau Pinang Branch, using a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews with six (6) Diploma Culinary Arts students from the 2019 and 2020 WBL programs were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed crucial factors influencing engagement and performance. Positive aspects included a strong knowledge base, high discipline, effective time management, and proactive behavior. However, significant barriers such as sexual harassment and unfair treatment by supervisors were identified. The study also highlighted the importance of industry involvement and feedback for successful WBL experiences. To improve the WBL program, it is recommended to enhance collaboration with industry partners, systematically gather feedback, and adopt flexible program designs. Addressing these issues could significantly boost learning outcomes, performance, and overall student engagement in the WBL program.

A Model for Enhancing Organizational Capacity in State Islamic Higher Education Institution Study Programs to Achieve International Reputation

Capacity building in organizations is an innovative strategy aimed at enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, and accountability to achieve global recognition. This article investigates organizational capacity building within the Doctoral Study Program in Islamic Education Management at the Postgraduate Program of the State Islamic University of Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, an institution committed to attaining an international reputation. Using a qualitative approach and descriptive analysis, data were gathered through interviews, observation, and documentation. The study reveals that: (1) the development of organizational capacity to achieve international recognition focuses primarily on human resource development and organizational strengthening; (2) visionary leadership is the most crucial factor in reaching international status; and (3) the process of building organizational capacity involves socializing the goals of international recognition, empowering existing resources, managing the transition through the ADKAR Prosci model, and striving to become an internationally recognized Islamic university. These findings suggest that enhancing organizational capacity in an effective, efficient, and sustainable manner can significantly improve the productivity, performance, and accountability of study programs, contributing to their international reputation.

Progress towards Measles and Rubella Elimination in the South-East Asia Region—2013–2023

The South-East Asia (SEA) Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), through a Regional Committee resolution in 2013, adopted the goal of “measles elimination and rubella control by 2020”. The goal was revised in 2019 to “measles and rubella elimination by 2023”. Countries of the Region have made significant efforts to achieve the goal. Progress has been made in the Region, with five of the 11 countries of the Region having been verified for having eliminated measles and rubella. Surveillance and immunization program performance for measles and rubella has shown an improvement since 2013. This progress has been possible due to a high level of political and programmatic commitment in the countries of the Region, as well as due to the alliances and infrastructures established for disease elimination initiatives in the past, notably for polio, being utilized effectively to implement strategies for measles and rubella elimination. The unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental effect on the immunization and surveillance efforts, leading to a delay in the achievement of measles and rubella elimination in the Region. Challenges to achieve the goal remain; however, efforts are ongoing in countries to not only protect the gains made so far but also to make further progress towards the goal of measles and rubella elimination.