Specific Skills Research Articles

Formation of Professional Competence in Future Border Guard Officers of Canine Units at a Military Educational Institution

Purpose: This article delves into the formation of professional competence in future border guard officers of canine units at a military educational institution, focusing on the training programs and methodologies aimed at preparing these officers for effective work with canine units. Methods: The study examines the specialized training programs and methodologies utilized to equip future officers with essential skills in dog handling, scent detection, search and rescue operations, obedience training, and tactical deployment. It emphasizes the significance of developing competence in these areas to enhance border control operations involving canines. Results and discussion: By analyzing the specific training approaches of military educational institutions, this study sheds light on the methods employed in preparing future border guard officers, underscoring the necessity of a comprehensive and specialized training regimen for optimal performance in canine unit operations. Implications of the research: The findings of this study contribute to refining training practices and fostering the development of competent canine unit officers within the military framework, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of border control operations. Originality/value: This research adds value by offering insights into the tailored training methodologies essential for nurturing professional competence in future border guard officers of canine units, highlighting the critical role of specialized knowledge and skills in ensuring successful canine-assisted operations in border security.

LEVERAGING GENERATIVE AI: STRATEGIC ADOPTION PATTERNS FOR ENTERPRISES

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving subset of AI technologies that involves creating new content, such as text, images, and audio, using algorithms trained on large datasets. Well-known examples of generative AI technologies include Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT). These innovations are increasingly being integrated into various business applications, from automating content creation and enhancing customer interactions to driving product development and innovation. The importance of generative AI in a business context lies in its potential to augment human creativity, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new business opportunities, making it a critical tool for enterprises aiming to maintain a competitive edge in the digital age. Despite its transformational potential, the implementation of generative AI in businesses faces significant challenges. High implementation costs, the complexity of integrating AI systems into existing infrastructures, a shortage of skilled specialists, and ethical issues related to data privacy and AI-generated content are among the primary obstacles. Additionally, businesses often struggle to align AI initiatives with their strategic goals and ensure that AI outputs meet high standards of quality and compliance. These barriers complicate the large-scale and effective adoption of generative AI, limiting its potential to revolutionize business operations and innovation. The research encompasses a comprehensive review of existing literature, analysis of real-world cases, and synthesis of best practices in the strategic implementation of generative AI. It explores strategic models for the deployment of generative AI in enterprises, identifies key drivers and barriers to its adoption in business environments, and examines the strategic approaches businesses use to integrate generative AI into their operations. Insights and recommendations are provided for enterprises considering the adoption of generative AI technologies. The importance of the research lies in its potential to help businesses overcome implementation challenges and maximize the benefits of generative AI. Understanding strategic models and approaches to AI integration will enable businesses to better navigate the complexities of AI deployment, enhance their innovative capabilities, and ensure sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive market. The conclusions drawn from the research aim to bridge the gap between theoretical insights and practical applications of generative AI, providing a valuable resource for business leaders, technology strategists, and policymakers seeking to leverage AI for competitive advantage.

THE GENERAL CULTURAL ASPECT OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF STUDENTS BY MEANS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The health of young people is a socially significant category of society, the most important condition for the successful implementation of professional knowledge, skill, creative activity, and performance of future specialists. It has long been an axiom: good physical fitness during student years is the key not only to health and successful mastery of educational material, but also, in the future, highly productive mental and physical labor, the birth of healthy children, active longevity and many positive phenomena associated with this.
 Therefore, physical culture, presented in higher educational institutions as an academic discipline that promotes the harmonious development of the individual, is an integral part of higher education. The program of the discipline “Physical Education” states that the goal of physical education of NTUU “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” students is the formation of physical culture of the individual and the ability to purposefully use a variety of means of physical culture, sports, and tourism to preserve and improve health, psychophysical training, and selfpreparation for future professional activities.
 The capabilities of physical culture in achieving these goals are determined by the functions it performs biological, informational, aesthetic, communicative, hedonistic, compensatory and several others.
 Along with this, in modern society, physical culture has begun to perform the functions of a social institution that helps the future specialist to navigate well in market conditions. For this purpose, means of physical education are used to develop students' managerial readiness, desire for leadership, and success.
 As a result of combined educational and physical culture-sports activities, students also develop socially significant qualities: social activity, independence, self-confidence, ambition.
 The task of physical education at a university is not only to develop certain physical skills and abilities in students, to increase the level of physical fitness, and to improve physical qualities. During the training process, future specialists must master the system of scientific, practical, and special knowledge necessary to understand the natural and social processes of the functioning of the physical culture of society and the individual.
 This article will help students understand the essence, objectives, goals and possibilities of physical culture and sports in a wide range of their manifestations.

Strategi Pengembangan Usaha Pelatihan Hidroponik Di Kota Bogor

Hydroponics is a method of cultivating plants without soil that is popular with Indonesian people. Its spread in Indonesia is supported by information openness via the internet and social media. Internet users reaching 77.2% have created a demand for hydroponic training. The urgency of training services is needed because hydroponic cultivation requires special skills. In the city of Bogor, there are business units that provide hydroponic training with limited face-to-face services which are very vulnerable to schedule limitations and social restriction policies by the government. The aim of this research is to formulate a strategy for developing a hydroponics training business in the city of Bogor. The approach uses qualitative methods with the Business Model Canvas framework to map digitalization adaptation and describe existing business models. Alternative strategies are formulated using SWOT analysis which combines internal strategic issues in the form of strengths and weaknesses with external strategic issues in the form of opportunities and threats. The formulated alternative strategy is implemented into the prototype canvas business model. Customer Response Index analysis is carried out to support SWOT analysis to obtain input based on responses from consumers. The research results found that digital adaptation was limited to business model marketing channels. Strength strategic issues lie in segmentation based on demand, service flexibility, and digital marketing adaptation. The weakness issue is dependence on one product and dependence on business partners. Strategic issues of opportunity are opportunities for product diversification, new partnerships, and conversion of training into digital products. The strategic threat issue is the opportunistic risk of business partners. The formulation of an alternative strategy recommends diversifying service products by adding services that are still in the hydroponics business line.

Формування професійної компетентності майбутніх фахівців з професійної освіти засобами цифрових технологій

The relevance of the study is due to the current state of education as a social institution that determines the professional success and competitiveness of young people in the labor market. The competency-based approach to education is one of the key areas for improving higher education in Ukraine. This approach contributes to the realization of the concept of humanistic education, provides for the training of qualified specialists who have not only in-depth knowledge of their profession, but also are able to navigate in related fields, are ready for continuous professional development and social and professional mobility.
 The article considers the content of professional competence of future specialists in vocational education and highlights the principles and approaches aimed at its formation by means of digital technologies. It has been determined that the professional competence of future vocational education specialists is an integrative and dynamic characteristic of a person based on a set of special knowledge, practical skills, abilities and personal qualities. The analysis of the practice of using digital technologies in education has confirmed their significant potential in reforming the content, forms and methods of teaching students. It is noted that the construction of educational interaction on the principles of systematicity, integrity, professional orientation, interactivity, reflection, individualization of learning and social responsibility, as well as the application of the provisions of competence-based, activity-based and personality-oriented approaches will contribute to the training of highly qualified specialists who have a wide range of knowledge and professional skills, show the ability to improve the work process with the help of the latest technologies and have the ability to self-development.
 The prospects of the study are to develop a model of professional training of future vocational education specialists using digital technologies and to organize a pedagogical experiment to determine its effectiveness.

Methods of teaching motor skills and professional orientation skills of information major students in the process of physical education

The article examines the motor skills and characteristics of the psyche of future information technology specialists, which made it possible to determine those indicators that directly affect the educational achievements of students of higher education and to develop model characteristics of the formation of motor skills and professional orientation skills of students of information specialties. At the same time, the relationship between the indicators of special motor training and the level of professional training of future information technology specialists has been determined, and the structure of psychophysical training for the successful mastery of professional abilities and skills of the future specialty in the field of information technology has been determined. The differentiation of physical education of students of higher education according to gender, motivational aspirations and future specialty is substantiated, and on this basis, a methodology for the formation of motor skills and professional orientation skills of future information technology specialists is developed.

Methods of forming skills for improving students' knowledge of competence busy in aquafitness

The article marked the main methods of improving the competent knowledge of students busy in aquafitness, the direction of developing the structure and content of the conditions that involve the use of information technologies that promote the creation, implementation and correction of individual projects of healthy lifestyle and provide the formation of self- government skills for cognitive activity within the physical culture - health and professional orientation. as well as ways to optimize the formation of students of a higher education institution desire for systematic aquafitness lessons. The aim of the study. To determine the methods of improving the competence knowledge of the students of education in the course of aquafitness classes. Methodology. Methods were used to solve the research tasks: theoretical analysis of scientific and scientific-methodical literature, survey, pedagogical observation, testing and methods of mathematical statistics.
 To master the system of knowledge, skills, motor skills, their creative use in educational activities and physical self- improvement during aquafitness classes, the method of giving students freedom of choice was used, to improve the competence knowledge of students, the method of anticipatory independent work was used, with the aim of creating conditions for overcoming cognitive difficulties during aquafitness classes, a problematic method was used. Scientific novelty of the research. The methods of influencing the formation of special abilities and skills among students during aquafitness classes with the aim of improving competence knowledge have been determined. Conclusions. Trends in the development of modern society, its pronounced informatization necessitate the increasingly widespread use of information technologies in the field of education, where the need for their creation and use during aquafitness classes is especially growing.

Methodical mastery of students of physical education faculties as future specialists in the field of teaching gymnastics

The article highlights the theoretical foundations of training future physical education teachers in gymnastics and its teaching methods, defines and substantiates the mastery indicators of this type of activity. At the present time, this problem is also due to the fact that at the current stage of development of the institution of general secondary education, the level of requirements for the professional training of future physical education teachers has significantly increased. The purpose of this work is the theoretical and methodological substantiation, the characteristics of indicators of methodical mastery of future teachers of physical culture in relation to the organization and conduct of gymnastics classes in general secondary education institutions. The analysis of scientific research shows that the training of a physical education teacher requires, first of all, professionally significant knowledge, abilities and skills, as well as the coordination of special personality qualities, namely: proper attitude to professional activity; development of methodical thinking of future teachers of physical education; the ability to work in a team and independently; availability of communication skills; effectively apply acquired knowledge, skills and abilities in professional activities, etc.
 The peculiarities and specifics of educational forms of gymnastics classes in higher education are substantiated for the effective formation of professional skills and skills for conducting various forms of gymnastics classes; mastering practical material and developing the skills of its optimal selection for organizing and conducting gymnastics classes; increasing the level of development of basic motor skills; realization of creative possibilities of students in modeling future professional activity.
 It was established that the methodical mastery of the physical culture teacher is most pronounced in the process of his professional activity in the educational institution, the correspondingly formed system of special knowledge, abilities and skills and the development of the thinking of future specialists.

Experience in conducting practical training at the employer’s organization

The emergence of the Russian economy to new frontiers opens up opportunities for quality education, employment and professional growth for mid-level specialists. The general focus of training is professional; the process is built on the principles of advanced education, defining as the main result the achievement of social and professional competence of the graduate, adequate to the requirements of society and the economy.The modern system of secondary vocational education must meet the requirements of practice-orientedness, take into account the requirements of employers, it is necessary to develop the knowledge, skills and practical skills of a competitive specialist. Competitiveness can only be increased by improving the quality of education. The problem of high-quality training of specialists is due to the insufficient effectiveness of interaction between educational organizations and employers.In the context of the implementation of the competency-based approach, the quality of vocational education is determined by the ability of a young specialist to easily adapt to market conditions for the development of the regional economy, to identify connections between knowledge and real situations; apply acquired knowledge to adequately solve professional problems, as well as mastery of professional competencies and elements of labor functions.The need is being updated and the possibility of implementing elements of dual training within the educational process of the branch of the Siberian University of Transport in Novoaltaysk is being considered. The experience of conducting practical training at the employer’s organization is summarized.

Analysis of the Causes of Crooked Sugarcane Crepe Shafts in Sugar Factories

Practical work is a form of education and vocational implementation that is followed by students so that students can work directly in the business world as well as industry or fabrication. Practical work aims to prepare students to become productive human beings and can immediately work in accordance with their respective fields, students can also feel the atmosphere of production and can help deal with some problems- problems experienced by Engineering professionals inside the factory. Therefore, in welding, knowledge must accompany practice, in more detail it can be said that the design of building construction and machines with welded joints, must also be planned about welding methods. This method of inspection, welding material, and type of weld to be used, based on the function of the building parts or machines designed. Based on the definition of DIN (Deutch Industrie Normen) Galvanized Welded Broken Products is the best way to assemble or connect constructions and products made from iron. This welding method is specifically performed for galvanized materials. The iron welding process requires special preparation and skills. Based on the results of fieldwork practices that have been carried out in CV. Sumber Agung Widodo, The process of making panel tables is carried out into several stages, namely the hollow iron cutting, 45- degree galvanized angle cutting, iron plate cutting, elbow iron cutting, splicing by welding, frame painting, and mounting a series of panels to the finished panel table. The materials used are hollow iron, iron plate, elbow iron, iron paint, wheels. The tools used are ac current welding machines, grinders and elbow rulers. Stage Highlights : Practical work enhances students' readiness for the industrial environment. Welding methods must align with building construction and machine design. Fieldwork at CV. ABC involves various stages, including cutting, welding, painting, and assembly. Keywords : Practical work, Welding methods, Galvanized Welded Products, CV. ABC, Iron welding process

Ağız Kavitesi Karsinomlu Hastada Kemoterapi Sonrası Akut Arteriyel Tromboz-Aile Hekimliği Uygulamasında Karar Vermenin Önemi-Olgu Sunumu

Oral cancer is most common in developing countries, but is also seen in the rest of the world. In more than 90% of cases, squamous cell is found. Treatment is surgical with or without subsequent adjuvant therapy. Patients with tumors have a higher risk of thrombosis, assuming that the underlying pathophysiological mechanism is endothelial dysfunction. The presented case describes the development of acute thrombosis of the right common femoral artery in a patient with late diagnosed carcinoma of the floor of the oral cavity after a consecutive treatment with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and cetuximab. A 62-year-old man was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the floor of the oral cavity, with subsequent surgical resection and radiotherapy. Due to recurrence, a laryngectomy was performed and 6 courses of chemotherapy with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and cetuximab were followed. 2 days after the last infusion, acute peripheral arterial thrombosis was developed. Cancer and applied antitumor therapy exert a synergistic effect on coagulation activation. The exact mechanisms by which thrombotic complications occur are not fully understood. They suggest a toxic damage to the vascular endothelium, which leads to a decreased expression of nitric oxide synthetase and, accordingly, vasodilation, a decrease in anticoagulants and an increase in the levels of procoagulants such as tissue factor, which activates coagulation and induces the activation of platelets. The general practitioner occupies a central role in the health care system in a number of countries. In order to be able to perform its complex activities and successfully solve diverse health problems it is necessary to possess specific knowledge and skills from various fields of medicine.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHING PROFESSION SPECIFIC TRANSLATION TO STUDENT TEACHERS OF ENGLISH ON THE TOPIC OF TEACHERS AND LEARNERS: NEW ROLES AND COMPETENCES.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHING PROFESSION SPECIFIC TRANSLATION TO STUDENT TEACHERS OF ENGLISH ON THE TOPIC OF TEACHERS AND LEARNERS: NEW ROLES AND COMPETENCES.

Analysis of Weld Joint Strength on Galvanized Material Using Rb-26 Electrode

Practical work is a form of education and vocational implementation that is followed by students so that students can work directly in the business world as well as industry or fabrication. Practical work aims to prepare students to become productive human beings and can immediately work in accordance with their respective fields, students can also feel the atmosphere of production and can help deal with some problems- problems experienced by Engineering professionals inside the factory. Therefore, in welding, knowledge must accompany practice, in more detail it can be said that the design of building construction and machines with welded joints, must also be planned about welding methods. This method of inspection, welding material, and type of weld to be used, based on the function of the building parts or machines designed. Based on the definition of DIN (Deutch Industrie Normen) Galvanized Welded Broken Products is the best way to assemble or connect constructions and products made from iron. This welding method is specifically performed for galvanized materials. The iron welding process requires special preparation and skills. Based on the results of fieldwork practices that have been carried out in CV. Sumber Agung Widodo, The process of making panel tables is carried out into several stages, namely the hollow iron cutting, 45-degree galvanized angle cutting, iron plate cutting, elbow iron cutting, splicing by welding, frame painting, and mounting a series of panels to the finished panel table. The materials used are hollow iron, iron plate, elbow iron, iron paint, wheels. The tools used are ac current welding machines, grinders and elbow rulers. Stage

Development of creative skills of future specialists in higher polytechnic colleges of the People's Republic of China

A modern educational environment demands technical students to have well-developed creative skills. The study emphasizes the relevance of developing and implementing an educational programme aimed at fostering the creative abilities of students in technical disciplines within higher polytechnic colleges in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The scholars applied a randomized method for the experimental and control groups. The research sample consisted of 212 students enrolled in the Department [BLINDED], [BLINDED] College (Pingdingshan, China). Before the experiment, all participants had an inadequate level of verbal and non-verbal creativity skills. The experimental group followed a six-month creativity training once a week, while the control group learned the standard curriculum. The scholars used the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking to assess the creative skills of students. The results revealed a statistically significant increase in the average creativity scores among students who completed the training. These results highlight the importance of developing creative skills in future engineers and technical professionals in China and confirm the effectiveness of the proposed training. The practical application of this training approach helps educators improve the quality of education and train highly qualified specialists in technical industries.

Facilitating the transition to residency: A resident-as-coach pilot program

Background The transition from medical school to residency is a critical developmental phase; coaching may help students prepare for this role transition. Aims We explored whether near-peer coaching could improve a specific workplace skill prior to residency. Methods A resident-as-coach program was piloted for the medicine sub-internship, an advanced acting internship rotation. Between March and June 2021, 26 students were assigned a resident coach (n = 16). Resident coaches completed one training session, and student-coach dyads met for one coaching session on ‘pre-rounding’- gathering patient data before rounds. The program was evaluated through surveys and focus groups. Results 20/26 students and 14/16 residents completed the survey. 19/20 students identified a pre-rounding challenge and reported increased pre-rounding efficiency; all committed to one actionable step for improvement. All 16 residents felt their coaching skills improved. In focus groups, students valued the program’s focus on honing a relevant skill in a safe, near-peer setting. Residents expressed their intent to incorporate coaching into their future work. Conclusions A resident-as-coach model can be effective in preparing students for residency, while concurrently building residents’ coaching skills.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Education Policy in Addressing Skill Gaps and Enhancing Employability

The National Education Policy (NEP) was implemented in India to revamp the education system in order to better cater to the demands of the 21st century, with a focus on holistic development, flexibility, and innovation. Potential outcomes of the NEP may involve alterations in curriculum structure, a heightened emphasis on vocational training and skill enhancement, enhancements in teacher education and professional growth, and initiatives to foster equality and inclusivity in education. Nevertheless, a comprehensive evaluation and analysis would be necessary to fully comprehend the impact of the NEP and how effectively it is being executed, along with its real-world consequences. It is imperative to refer to recent reports, studies, or government updates for a more precise evaluation of the current impact of the NEP. This research seeks to evaluate the efficacy of educational policy interventions in addressing skill gaps and improving employability in the job market. Given the rapid advancements in technology and changes in the global economic scenario, the demand for specific skills is constantly evolving, presenting challenges for educational institutions to keep up. This study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of education policy data with qualitative assessments of stakeholder viewpoints. Qualitative evaluations will consist of conducting interviews and focus groups with important stakeholders such as policymakers, educators, employers, and recent graduates. These qualitative perspectives will offer detailed viewpoints on the advantages, disadvantages, and obstacles in implementing current education policies to address skill gaps and enhance workforce preparedness. The results of this research are intended to guide data-driven policy suggestions for enhancing education systems to effectively address the needs of the changing labor market, ultimately leading to continuous economic development, decreased unemployment rates, and enhanced prospects for individuals to secure meaningful and satisfying job opportunities. Keywords: National Education Policy, Skill Development, Employability, Bridging Gap

Process Analysis and Modelling of Operator Performance in Classical and Digitalized Assembly Workstations

Strong competition in the automotive industry has required manufacturers to implement lean production, both with methods and techniques specific to Industry 4.0. At the same time, universities must provide graduates with specific skills for applying these new production methods and techniques. In this context, a lean learning factory was developed in the Pitesti University Center that allows students to learn about, experiment with, and research new lean manufacturing methods and techniques as well as Industry 4.0 in an environment similar to that of enterprises. The research presented in this study aimed to identify the minimum number of repetitions necessary to train operators to perform the same assembly operation while working at two differently organized workstations: one classic and the other including digital techniques. Several indicators were considered in our analysis, such as the number of errors, the number of stops, the effective duration of the work cycle, and the percentage ratio between the standard duration of cyclical activities and the effective duration of the work cycle. The evolution of these indicators was mathematically modelled by regression functions, using the least squares method. The obtained results also highlight the usefulness of applying the DOJO method as a lean-manufacturing-specific learning technique and the efficiency of implementing digital techniques in work organization.

YES: leading a Youth Employment Service towards increasing impact

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes for this case study are as follows: learning outcome 1: evaluate the environmental context of Youth Employment Service (YES) and ascertain whether YES is a social enterprise. Students will provide an analysis of what is happening around the business, and why addressing youth unemployment is an urgent matter to address; learning outcome 2: apply basic financial principles to evaluate the basic profit and loss statement of YES. In a business management class, students need to recognise the importance of applying basic financial principles to ensure the financial sustainability of a business. Therefore, the objective is for students to evaluate the basic profit and loss statement in the case’s exhibit. The focus is not necessarily on the numbers, but rather on the insight that students will gain into the organisation’s strengths and development areas; and learning outcome 3: create recommendations by considering the exploitation of existing opportunities and the exploration of new opportunities to innovate. Students should understand the principles of organisational ambidexterity and provide suggestions on how they can be used by organisations to reshape their desirable future. Case overview/synopsis On 31 March 2022, Leanne Emery Hunter, the chief operating officer of the YES, was considering how YES could increase their impact. Hunter considered how to convince more corporations to sponsor their efforts in creating work experiences for South African youth. In addition to exploiting these efforts that they were already involved with, YES could explore new opportunities to increase their impact, such as focusing on the community hubs and the innovative products they were developing. Expanding YES’s community hubs to serve as support to the youth would require a capital investment in technology and specific skills within the next six months. Hunter, therefore, faced the dilemma of managing the tensions between focusing on YES’s existing offering, which had a social impact, while paying attention to secure their future by focusing on the financial sustainability and expansion of YES. Its ceremonial inauguration in March 2018 was ushered by President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, followed by its registration in October 2018. YES was challenged to look for new ways of creating a proactive growth strategy. YES had a social mission to address youth unemployment, students will, however, need to ascertain whether YES is a social enterprise. The case shares financial results and students have an opportunity to calculate profit and loss and offer recommendations on the financial viability of YES while fulfilling their social mission of contributing to youth employment. Students must give recommendations to resolve the dilemma of Hunter in managing the tension between their existing social impact and the future financial sustainability of the business. Complexity academic level The case is suitable for post-graduate courses in business management in business administration programmes. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Nutrition employability and graduate readiness: The Australian Working in Nutrition study.

Nutrition science graduates contribute to the nutrition workforce by bringing specialist knowledge and skills needed to address future food challenges. This study aims to provide a snapshot of the current employment landscape for nutrition science graduates in Australia and how well their degrees prepare them for employment. A cross-sectional survey of Australian tertiary nutrition graduates was conducted to explore tertiary training, employment pathways and their perceived preparedness for practice. This study included a final sample of 119 graduates from 17 Australian tertiary institutions. Almost two-thirds of respondents had completed further training. Most graduates (77%, n = 91) had worked in a food, nutrition science or health-related role after their degree; the most frequently cited employment settings were government or public health organisations; research, not-for-profit or nongovernment organisations; and the food industry. Work-integrated learning was identified as a key predictor of graduates working in a role that differed from their expectations as a student. The skill categories developed during nutrition training that were most valued in the workplace included nutrition and scientific knowledge, and professional and communication skills. This study offers first insights into the current employment landscape for nutrition graduates across Australia. Findings show that current nutrition science professionals are highly qualified and prepared to navigate the evolving demands of nutrition practice. Regular review of graduate employment will inform nutrition science curriculum to enable graduates to be well equipped in the face of dynamic practice settings.

Automated whole slide morphometry of sural nerve biopsy using machine learning.

The morphometry of sural nerve biopsies, such as fibre diameter and myelin thickness, helps us understand the underlying mechanism of peripheral neuropathies. However, in current clinical practice, only a portion of the specimen is measured manually because of its labour-intensive nature. In this study, we aimed to develop a machine learning-based application that inputs a whole slide image (WSI) of the biopsied sural nerve and automatically performs morphometric analyses. Our application consists of three supervised learning models: (1) nerve fascicle instance segmentation, (2) myelinated fibre detection and (3) myelin sheath segmentation. We fine-tuned these models using 86 toluidine blue-stained slides from various neuropathies and developed an open-source Python library. Performance evaluation showed (1) a mask average precision (AP) of 0.861 for fascicle segmentation, (2) box AP of 0.711 for fibre detection and (3) a mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 0.817 for myelin segmentation. Our software identified 323,298 nerve fibres and 782 fascicles in 70 WSIs. Small and large fibre populations were objectively determined based on clustering analysis. The demyelination group had large fibres with thinner myelin sheaths and higher g-ratios than the vasculitis group. The slope of the regression line from the scatter plots of the diameters and g-ratios was higher in the demyelination group than in the vasculitis group. We developed an application that performs whole slide morphometry of human biopsy samples. Our open-source software can be used by clinicians and pathologists without specific machine learning skills, which we expect will facilitate data-driven analysis of sural nerve biopsies for a more detailed understanding of these diseases.