Terms Of Money Research Articles

Критерии потребительского выбора пищевой продукции в контексте анализа рисков для здоровья

Provision of food quality and safety is among national priorities. The strategy aimed at improving quality of food products in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 highlights a relevant issue as regards Russians consuming low-quality food products. The aim of this study is to identify criteria that determine consumer choice of food products and its influence on health risks. The empirical data used in the study are represented by the results of national social surveys (Russian Public Opinion Research Center, NAFI Research Center, Public Opinion Fund, 2020–2023) and materials obtained by focus interviews with Russian megacity residents (n = 26, spring 2024). Price is the top criterion that determines consumer choices in Russia. We identified three behavioral strategies based on subjective perception of food quality and price: 1) quality is priority regardless of a price (the strategy is typical for middle-aged consumers with higher incomes); 2) a balance between quality and price (including orientation at discounts and special promotion campaigns at points-of-sail); 3) refusal from subjectively more qualitative food products in favor of less qualitative but cheaper ones (the strategy is typical for consumers from senior age groups). Consumer orientation at product price leads to changes in diets in case population incomes are dropping or market prices are growing; in particular, it means a decline in fruit, meat and fish consumption. Significance a consumer places on food taste as a selection criterion results in choosing food products with low ‘objective’ consumer value but a higher ‘subjective’ one, for example, chips, sweetened carbonated beverages, and products with high saturated fat contents. Risky consumer choice is also determined by low interest in healthy diets and absence of any faith in possibility to get objective information. A conclusion is made that it is necessary to make food products, which are subjectively perceived by consumers as more qualitative, more affordable in money terms; to intensify educational activities and to create suitable conditions for making consumers refuse from buying products with low nutrition value.

Criteria that determine consumer choice of food products within health risk analysis

Provision of food quality and safety is among national priorities. The strategy aimed at improving quality of food products in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 highlights a relevant issue as regards Russians consuming low-quality food products. The aim of this study is to identify criteria that determine consumer choice of food products and its influence on health risks. The empirical data used in the study are represented by the results of national social surveys (Russian Public Opinion Research Center, NAFI Research Center, Public Opinion Fund, 2020–2023) and materials obtained by focus interviews with Russian megacity residents (n = 26, spring 2024). Price is the top criterion that determines consumer choices in Russia. We identified three behavioral strategies based on subjective perception of food quality and price: 1) quality is priority regardless of a price (the strategy is typical for middle-aged consumers with higher incomes); 2) a balance between quality and price (including orientation at discounts and special promotion campaigns at points-of-sail); 3) refusal from subjectively more qualitative food products in favor of less qualitative but cheaper ones (the strategy is typical for consumers from senior age groups). Consumer orientation at product price leads to changes in diets in case population incomes are dropping or market prices are growing; in particular, it means a decline in fruit, meat and fish consumption. Significance a consumer places on food taste as a selection criterion results in choosing food products with low ‘objective’ consumer value but a higher ‘subjective’ one, for example, chips, sweetened carbonated beverages, and products with high saturated fat contents. Risky consumer choice is also determined by low interest in healthy diets and absence of any faith in possibility to get objective information. A conclusion is made that it is necessary to make food products, which are subjectively perceived by consumers as more qualitative, more affordable in money terms; to intensify educational activities and to create suitable conditions for making consumers refuse from buying products with low nutrition value.

Automating the search and selection of news in municipal registries: Experiences from a Swedish participatory action research project

This article describes a Swedish case study with a focus on how to enhance journalists’ professional autonomy, local news coverage and local democracy with the help of an automated search tool. The aim was to involve journalists in the development project using the theory of participatory action research and tailor a search tool to their specific needs to search for news stories in documents from municipalities. We conclude that user-centred design is a viable methodology when developing a new tool, but not necessarily when it comes to implementing the tool in journalists’ everyday practice, as the implementation is dependent on other factors connected to management and organizational structures. It became clear that the journalists were optimistic about the automated search tool as long as it made their work more efficient in terms of time and money and offered better possibilities for independent news discovery. We also noticed that some of the journalists’ professional knowledge about a certain geographical area or municipality became subordinate to the knowledge of how to best use available search tools.

FOOD SAFETY RISK ANALYSIS IN MSME PRODUCT SUPPLY CHAIN FROM SCOR, SIX SIGMA AND HACCP INTEGRATION

MSME baster is a business that is engaged in food, especially meatballs. This MSME baster needs to regulate foodprocessing which aims to avoid chemical microbial contamination and others. Starting from raw materials,processing to consumption by consumers, attention is also given to maintaining product safety. The method used indesigning the layout of production facilities at MSME Baster is the integration of Scor, six sigma and Haccp. TheScore method was chosen because it performs and decomposes the process, can measure the supply chain objectivelybased on existing data and can identify improvements that need to be made to create competitive advantage, the SixSigma method to identify problems in the production process and describe the shortcomings in terms of time, money,customers and opportunities, Haccp can reduce the level of risk to morbidity and mortality associated with theconsumption of unsafe food. From the results in the process of making meatballs, there are 3 types that have beendescribed at the determining stage, namely rotten material, material contaminated with fungi, material contaminatedwith the Pareto diagram, it is known that 39% can cause harm to food is control that comes from the upper limit(UCL) of 0.06271 (LCL) of 0.038 with P (average proportion) of 0.07348363, which means that what happened to thecompany the average proportion was 0.07 or 7%

FaceReader as a neuromarketing tool to compare the olfactory preferences of customers in selected markets

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine FaceReader as a tool to compare the olfactory preferences of two selected countries. This paper examines the olfactory preferences of customers in the bakery department of a grocery store in the Slovak and the Spanish market. Design/methodology/approach The aim of this study is to examine subconscious/unconscious preferences in the selection of aromas suitable for the bakery department in the Slovak and the Spanish market. In this case, it is not a classical qualitative sensory testing of the perception of fragrances. The aim is to identify the associations of scents related to the selected sales department through images of the selected aromas. A special platform is used to obtain subconscious/unconscious feedback, which allows online collection of implicit feedback using the software FaceReader 7. Findings The authors noticed the different moods of the two groups of respondents when they answered the question about what they associate with the smell of bakery products. The Spanish respondents were slightly pleasantly disposed, while the Slovak respondents were slightly unpleasantly disposed. The smell of bakery products evoked more memories and emotions in the Spanish respondents than in the Slovak respondents, which can be explained by the higher pleasant mood. The main contribution of this work lies in the new opportunities to obtain feedback that can be used in marketing research and that rely not only on explicit but also implicit data. The extension of the methodological apparatus to implicit feedback presupposes some form of control of the data collected by the questionnaire. The use of biometric tools can represent an efficient alternative in terms of time and money to the use of neuroimaging tools in the selection/research of aromas for specific stores/departments. Research limitations/implications It must be noted that the sample is small, and adequate conclusions cannot be made about entire population. Based on empirical findings and pandemic-related limitations, the authors plan to conduct similar research with real aroma samples and with even larger sample of tested respondents, considering weather, season, olfactory sensitivity (anosmia, hyposmia and normosmia) and participant fatigue (beginning and end of the week). Originality/value Today, marketers are facing the greatest challenge of how to attract consumers’ attention. Every individual has a different perception of the shopping environment based on his own experience, beliefs and attitudes. This is why new marketing techniques and approaches are becoming increasingly popular in the marketing environment.

Creating an Informal Transport Route

Problem, research strategy, and findings This study shares the results of a test I established of a new minibus route in Kampala with the Uganda Transport Operators Federation (UTOF). Informal transport provides the bulk of urban mobility in the Global South but may be limited in the connectivity and spatial coverage it is able to provide. I tested the effectiveness of market response by temporarily subsidizing operations in an unserved location and found that even a limited expansion of routing found passenger demand, showing a countercurrent of travel against the existing pattern of radial, central business district–to-suburb travel. Female street vendors were a particularly important previously unserved group of passengers. For operators, the study revealed that establishing new services can be difficult, requiring organizational capacity and substantial investment and risk in terms of time and money. In parallel, when such investments are made, other formal and informal actors, such as police, government bureaucracy, and competing operators, can act to extract the benefits, further slowing the change and growth of the transport network. Takeaway for practice I describe the implementation steps and lessons learned from a small-scale pilot project that could be scaled for use as a planning intervention as well as to assess the equity of market-driven public transport and identify mobility gaps. This study expands the body of evidence on the effectiveness of informal transport systems for diverse mobility needs and spatial coverage, providing unique data and a methodological approach to address latent and hidden mobility needs for urban residents. It develops a potential avenue of intervention for regulators and planning practitioners for a cheap, light-touch intervention that collaborates with informal transport workers to expand accessibility and equity for passengers.

ChestCovidNet: An Effective DL-based Approach for COVID-19, Lung Opacity, and Pneumonia Detection Using Chest Radiographs Images.

Currently used lung disease screening tools are expensive in terms of money and time. Therefore, chest radiograph images (CRIs) are employed for prompt and accurate COVID-19 identification. Recently, many researchers have applied Deep learning (DL) based models to detect COVID-19 automatically. However, their model could have been more computationally expensive and less robust, i.e., its performance degrades when evaluated on other datasets. This study proposes a trustworthy, robust, and lightweight network (ChestCovidNet) that can detect COVID-19 by examining various CRIs datasets. The ChestCovidNet model has only 11 learned layers, eight convolutional (Conv) layers, and three fully connected (FC) layers. The framework employs both the Conv and group Conv layers, Leaky Relu activation function, shufflenet unit, Conv kernels of 3×3 and 1×1 to extract features at different scales, and two normalization procedures that are cross-channel normalization and batch normalization. We used 9013 CRIs for training whereas 3863 CRIs for testing the proposed ChestCovidNet approach. Furthermore, we compared the classification results of the proposed framework with hybrid methods in which we employed DL frameworks for feature extraction and support vector machines (SVM) for classification. The study's findings demonstrated that the embedded low-power ChestCovidNet model worked well and achieved a classification accuracy of 98.12% and recall, F1-score, and precision of 95.75%.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Methods to Evaluate Cardiotoxicity following the Adverse Outcome Pathway Frameworks.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading global cause of mortality. The potential cardiotoxic effects of chemicals from different classes, such as environmental contaminants, pesticides, and drugs can significantly contribute to effects on health. The same chemical can induce cardiotoxicity in different ways, following various Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs). In addition, the potential synergistic effects between chemicals further complicate the issue. In silico methods have become essential for tackling the problem from different perspectives, reducing the need for traditional in vivo testing, and saving valuable resources in terms of time and money. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are among today's advanced approaches for evaluating chemical hazards. They can serve, for instance, as a first-tier component of Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA). This study employed ML and AI to assess interactions between chemicals and specific biological targets within the AOP networks for cardiotoxicity, starting with molecular initiating events (MIEs) and progressing through key events (KEs). We explored methods to encode chemical information in a suitable way for ML and AI. We started with commonly used approaches in Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) methods, such as molecular descriptors and different types of fingerprint. We then increased the complexity of encoders, incorporating graph-based methods, auto-encoders, and character embeddings employed in neural language processing. We also developed a multimodal neural network architecture, capable of considering the complementary nature of different chemical representations simultaneously. The potential of this approach, compared to more conventional architectures designed to handle a single encoder, becomes apparent when the amount of data increases.

Effectiveness of 4D/5D Scheduling in Planning for Delay Reduction in Construction Projects

Construction projects globally are frequently plagued by chronic issues such as delays and cost overruns. This study examined the feasibility of incorporating 4D (3D + time) and 5D (3D + time + cost) scheduling methodologies in construction planning with the aim of enhancing project efficiency. This study conducted an examination of the advantages associated with increased visualisation, improved task sequencing, proactive delay detection, optimised resource allocation, and integrated cost control while utilising 4D/5D building information modelling (BIM). The implementation of 4D/5D techniques has resulted in reductions in delays ranging from 15% to 50%, as evidenced by global case studies. The present study employed a cost-benefit analysis framework to assess hypothetical projects, aiming to quantify possible savings in terms of time and money. The findings reveal a decrease of 190 days and 22.4 million PKR, respectively, in these two dimensions. The adoption of 4D/5D BIM resulted in a notable increase in stakeholder satisfaction, with ratings improving from 2.6 to 4.2 out of 5. The study's findings indicate that, despite encountering several challenges, the use of 4D/5D scheduling in the Pakistani construction sector yields notable improvements in efficiency and benefits for stakeholders. The recommendations encompass the development of standardised data, software with interoperability capabilities, training programs, and collaborative initiatives within the industry. These measures are crucial for the successful implementation of 4D/5D Building Information Modelling (BIM). Additional investigation might examine the long-term return on investment, the use of these techniques in infrastructure projects, and comparison assessments with traditional methods.

Root Cause Analysis Of Quality Control And Cost Control Of Implementing The Referback Program In First Level Health Facilities

Background: The incidence of chronic diseases in Jambi City is still high from year to year. The Referback Program (PRB) is one of the government's efforts through BPJS Health in collaboration with health facilities to ensure chronic disease sufferers have easier access to obtain the medicines they need at an efficient cost. This research aims to analyze the main problems of quality control and cost control of PRB implementation in terms of man, material-machine, method, market, money and time elements at FKTP in Jambi City. Methods: The research was conducted using qualitative methods using the perspective of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) theory to form research procedures. The informants consisted of the person in charge of PRB, the head of the community health center and PRB participants at FKTP in Jambi City. The research instrument is a structured interview sheet. Data analysis uses thematic analysis techniques according to the RCA flow Results: The research results found that the main cause of the problem was weak coordination between PRB officers and BPJS Health in implementing PRB at FKTP. Conclusion: It is recommended that BPJS Health be more active in providing outreach and special training to PRB officers as well as setting up a clear monitoring and evaluation system regarding the implementation of PRB in FKTP

Molecular Docking, Simulation Against SARS-COV-2, Theoretical Study (DFT) and Superoxide Anion Scavenging by Cyclic Voltammetry of 2-Hydroxyphenyl Imino Naphthalen-2-ol

The simulation in terms of enzymatic activity and the estimation of the process transfer of electronic active sites of the synthesized compound: 2-hydroxyphenyl imino naphthalen-2-ol (Schiff basis) required the use of valuable calculation programs such as the docking, for which we used the Arguslab program and the Gaussian endowed to the calculation of the functional density theory of the molecule studied. And as the experimental study designed under difficult, costly or sometimes impossible conditions, the docking program simulates the molecular binding of the protein target with the ligand, which can reveal the arrangement of the hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds that link the active sites and the ligand; it is an economical step in terms of time and money that can lead to the selectivity of the product of interest in drug manufacturing. In this context, we are currently focused on the study of the inhibitory effect of this molecule with the enzyme (6lu7) fighting against covid-19, and have compared it to the drug chloroquine. The obtained results show that the calculated Gibbs free energy with protease is -9.215 Kcal/mol, which is almost more inhibiting than chloroquine (-7.2652 Kcal/mol). The DFT method allowed us to estimate that the potentially positive sites easily cede an electron when they are brought into contact with oxidizing species during the reduction reaction. The study of the superoxide anion scavenging activity via this product is performed practically by electrochemical way, the Gibbs standard energy (-16.9022 KJ/mol) explains that the reaction can spontaneously form very stable inactive species with the oxidizing ion.

Laboratory Scaled-Down Cementitious Concrete Model Used for Estimating the Bearing Capacity of a Bridge Girder Based on the Similitude Theory.

Bridges are structures subjected to multiple types of loads and combinations during their service life. The uncertainties linked with the materials' behavior and manufacturing processes often necessitate the testing of produced elements on a real scale. This is particularly true for bridge concrete precast girders, which are frequently tested to predict the ultimate carrying load. Testing procedures are time-consuming, expensive in terms of both time and money, and involve a large amount of logistics and auxiliary equipment and devices. Thus, testing scaled-down models in laboratory conditions and extrapolating the obtained results with respect to the real-scale element using similitude theory has become a very common alternative method in the last decade. In this paper, experimental data regarding the efficiency of dimensional analysis computation are discussed. The proposed method involves comparing the values at which failure in bending and shear occurs for a 1:10 cementitious concrete bridge beam model with respect to the values computed for the prototype beam. Regarding the obtained results, a very small difference between the test results and the calculated values can be noticed.

AN ASSESSMENT ON THE MONETARY BUSINESS CYCLE THEORY

In recent years, considerable attention has given to analyzing the business cycle in terms of money. Many researchers have developed dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models that generate business cycle facts and guide for making monetary policy decisions. The aim of this study is to investigate how the persistence of total factor productivity (TFP) and money growth shocks drive the business cycles within an economy. To achieve this aim, we employ a monetary business cycle model with a cash-in-advance constraint, as in Cooley and Hansen (1995). Our results indicate that the volatility of macroeconomic variables is higher when the persistence of TFP shocks is greater compared to that of money growth shocks. Furthermore, TFP shocks seem to have a more significant role in driving variability within the models compared to money growth shocks. This is demonstrated by the higher percentage of variance decomposition attributed to TFP shocks, except in the case of consumption variability.

Reaping what you sow: Historical rice farming and contemporary cooperative behavior in China

This paper investigates how China's long tradition of wetland rice farming affects contemporary cooperative behavior. We exploit a discontinuity in rice farming generated by a natural geographic boundary in China and find a significant positive impact on cooperative behavior today. An increase in the percentage of farmland devoted to rice farming significantly increases the frequency of mutual help in terms of borrowing and lending money, caring for each other's family members, and helping each other with job seeking and house construction. We identify cultural transmission, labor exchange and irrigation networks as the likely driving forces behind this phenomenon.

Exploring pharmacists’ perception of medicines waste and how they can help reduce the burden

Abstract Introduction Medicines waste can occur due to a variety of reasons and lead to financial and environmental implications. Previous studies have investigated how patients manage medicines waste and have identified that the reasons for incorrect disposal could be due to patient convenience, lack of awareness or safety concerns with children1. In this study we have explored the pharmacist's perception of medicine waste to inform future polices that could be introduced to reduce medicines waste. Aim To explore the knowledge and views that pharmacists have about medication waste, and the methods that they use to reduce it, to inform how medication waste is managed. Methods Following ethical approval, a two-phased study was conducted among pharmacists from various sectors in England, 20 of whom had their independent prescribing qualification. In phase one a questionnaire was developed to explore the perceptions of the pharmacists. This included how much of an impact methods such as deprescribing and the education of patients could have on the reduction of medicines waste. The electronic questionnaire was emailed through local and regional networks such as pharmaceutical committees and affiliates of the university. In the questionnaire we asked respondents if they would like to participate in phase two of the study, which involved an interview to gain in-depth knowledge and further perspective. The interviews were recorded and transcribed and then coded into the four themes by the researchers; causes of waste, barriers preventing the reduction of waste, systems in place to reduce waste and patient education. Results When pharmacists were asked how high of a priority reducing waste was in there practice they worked at on a scale of 1 (high priority) to 5 (low priority). It was found that most ranked it to be a low priority, with 12 respondents choosing one and over half (55.9%) choosing 1 or 2, indicating that to pharmacists reducing waste is not currently prioritised in practice. When asked about how often they educate patients on medicine waste disposal, most gave the response either often (32.4%) or sometimes (38.2%) suggesting most patients are not educated about medicine waste disposal. During interviews, the reasons for medicine waste not being a priority was due to time constraints and lack of incentives. Discussion/Conclusion Whilst a small scale study only, the findings suggest that whilst pharmacists seem to see medicine waste as a big issue in the UK, they may not see medicine waste as a high priority in practice. This may be due to a lack of incentives and needing more spare time to perform activities to reduce waste in practice. Schemes and incentive programs need to be implemented to encourage pharmacists to reduce medicine waste in practice before pharmacists are likely to actively try and reduce waste. Further research needs to be done to evaluate for possible schemes or incentive programs and the cost-effectiveness of the schemes in terms of money saved and total medicine waste reduction.

Embracing the Extraordinary: 14 Unconventional Careers for a Changing Job Market

In an ever-evolving landscape of technological advancements and opportunities, the traditional notions of career paths and success have undergone a significant transformation. The changing landscape of career pathways has ushered in a new era, where unconventional and off-beat professions are taking centre stage. As individuals seek fulfilling and financially rewarding careers, the importance of Return on Investment (ROI) and cost-effectiveness has become increasingly prominent in their decision-making process. Gone are the days when the pursuit of careers was confined to well-trodden paths of medicine and engineering, accompanied by hefty tuition fees and prolonged educational journeys. Today, a paradigm shift has occurred, as individuals recognise the immense potential and benefits of exploring alternative career choices that offer not only high demand and good scope but also remarkable ROI. The purpose of this white paper is to provide a comprehensive and insightful exploration of 15 unconventional careers that offer a breath of fresh air in the changing landscape of professional pursuits. It aims to equip readers with an in-depth understanding and valuable insights into a range of non-traditional professions that not only captivate the imagination but also provide promising opportunities for growth and financial stability. Furthermore, this white paper seeks to shed light on the changing dynamics of career pathways and emphasise the significance of considering ROI and cost-effectiveness in career choices. It aims to challenge the prevailing notions of success and encourage individuals to discover and explore unconventional career paths that not only align with their passions but also offer a remarkable return on their investment, both in terms of time and money. By presenting a wealth of information, statistical data, testimonials, and success stories, this white paper endeavours to empower readers to make informed decisions about their educational and professional journeys. It serves as a guiding beacon, showcasing the potential of unconventional careers and dispelling the notion that a costly degree is the only pathway to success. In the following sections, we will delve into the details of 15 unconventional careers, explore the universities and educational institutions offering relevant courses, and examine the countries that exhibit a high demand for these jobs. Our aim is to equip readers with the knowledge and insights needed to join an exciting and rewarding career journey that breaks free from conventional norms. As we explore these unconventional career paths, let us challenge the status quo, embrace the evolving dynamics of the job market, and set our sights on fulfilling and financially viable professional pursuits. Together, let’s create a journey of discovery, where passion and profitability intersect in extraordinary ways.

Multi-analytical approach for Risk identification and its management for successful Infrastructure projects

It has been determined that managing risks is a crucial management technique for achieving project goals in terms of time, money, quality, and degree. On the basis of a thorough analysis of agreement states, this article recognises dangers and categorises them into eight categories. It is viewed in a personal way. It is believed that social body opposition, risk assessment, plan modifications, and work suspension will all have the biggest effects on the project's objectives. This research has produced a few suggestions for reducing the hazards associated with development projects, or mitigation methods. The contract agreements are employed as a tool to track risk, and the client, contractors, and financial backers who are sponsoring the project must specify how they intend to threaten the executive's plan during the project's lifespan. It is intended that clients, contractors, project workers, and governmental organisations will work together to manage projected hazards as they arise, starting at the attainability stage.

Development of a read-across-derived classification model for the predictions of mutagenicity data and its comparison with traditional QSAR models and expert systems

Mutagenicity is considered an important endpoint from the regulatory, environmental and medical points of view. Due to the wide number of compounds that may be of concern and the enormous expenses (in terms of time, money, and animals) associated with rodent mutagenicity bioassays, this endpoint is a major target for the development of alternative approaches for screening and prediction. The majority of old-aged expert systems and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models may show reduced performance over time for their application on newer chemical candidates; thus, researchers constantly try to improve the modeling strategies. In our report, we initially performed traditional classification-based linear discriminant analysis (LDA) QSAR modeling using the benchmark Ames dataset of diverse chemicals (6512 compounds) to recognize the relationship between the molecules and their potential mutagenic behavior. The classical LDA QSAR model is developed from a selected set of 2D descriptors. The LDA QSAR model was developed by using a total of 31 descriptors identified from the analysis of the most discriminating features. Additionally, we have used similarity-derived features obtained from the read-across (RA) to develop an RA-based QSAR model. The developed RA-based LDA QSAR model has better predictivity, transferability, and interpretability compared to the LDA QSAR model, and it uses a very small number of descriptors compared to the classical QSAR model. Different machine learning (ML) models were also developed using the descriptors appearing in the read-across-based LDA QSAR model for comparative studies. We have checked the prediction quality of 216 true external set compounds using the novel similarity-derived RA model. The performance of the OECD toolbox is also compared with the RA-derived LDA QSAR model for a true external set. The current study aimed to explore the significance of the read-across-based algorithm and its application to the most current experimental mutagenicity data to complement already available expert systems.

To change or not to change? Modeling software system interactions using Temporal Graphs and Graph Neural Networks: A focus on change propagation

Context:The world is quickly adopting new technologies and evolving to rely on software systems for the simplest tasks. This prompts developers to expand their software systems by adding new product features. However, this expansion should be cautiously tackled to prevent the degradation of the quality of the software product. Objective:One challenge when modifying code - whether to patch a bug or add a feature- is knowing which components will be affected by the change and amending possible misbehavior. In this context, the study of change propagation or the impact of introducing a change is needed. By investigating how changing one component may impact the functionality of a dependency (another component), developers can prevent unexpected behavior and maintain the quality of their system. Methods:In this work, we tackle the change propagation problem by modeling a software system as a temporal graph where nodes represent system files and edges co-changeability, i.e., the tendency of two files to change together. The graph representation is temporal so that nodes and edges can change with time, reflecting the addition of files in the system and changes in dependencies. We then employ a Temporal Graph Network and a Long Short-Term Memory model to predict which other files will be impacted by a modification performed on a file. Results:We test our model on software systems of different functionality, size, and nature. We compare our results to other published work, and our model shows a significantly higher ability to predict files impacted by a change. Conclusion:The proposed approach effectively predicts change propagation in software systems and can guide developers and software engineers in planning the change and estimating the cost in terms of time and money.

Community bylaws concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights in Machinga District, Malawi: to what extent are they responsive to young people’s needs?

BackgroundCommunity bylaws are commonly accepted mechanisms to influence behaviour change to achieve better health and development outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the uses, benefits, and potential downsides of community bylaws are largely unclear, especially regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which community bylaws in Machinga District in southern Malawi are responsive to young people’s realities and SRHR needs.MethodsIn Phase 1 of this qualitative study, 35 community members were interviewed, including 14 young people (15–24 years), five parents, five traditional leaders, and eleven key informants. Based on findings from Phase 1, eleven members from local youth groups co-created a drama performance that covered issues concerning bylaws and young people’s SRHR (Phase 2). The drama was performed in the community, after which young women (18–24 years), young men (17–24 years), female and male parents discussed on what they saw in the drama, focusing on young people’s SRHR, in four focus group discussions (Phase 3). All transcripts were coded and thematically analysed and narratives were written on main themes.ResultsThree community SRHR bylaws, related to teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and sexual harassment and rape were identified and commonly accepted in the community. While these bylaws intend to reduce SRHR-related issues among young people, they are often not involved in bylaw formulation. The bylaws were associated with protection of girls, and a good reputation for boys, young men and traditional leaders. Bylaw enforcement faced problems, as fines were not in line with national laws, and wealthy offenders could avoid them through bribes. Effects of bylaws on teenage pregnancy rates seemed limited, while some positive effects on school readmission, prevention of child marriage, and reporting sexual harassment were reported.ConclusionsThe study revealed that community bylaws were accepted but not owned by young people, and had different effects on the rich versus the poor, and girls versus young men. Bylaws were associated with punishment in terms of money, which seemed to overpower their potential to promote rights and address social norms underlying SRHR issues of the youth.