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Ecosystems of actors that need to interact to create value for end users are becoming an integral part of firms' strategic realities as they reach new markets. However, the phenomenon of ecosystem internationalisation has not been explored in comparison to its practical prevalence. We conceptualise this phenomenon as agent-led structuration on new markets. We build on the structural ecosystem literature and literature on internationalisation challenges to create our recursive process model of ecosystem creation on foreign markets. Creating ecosystems on foreign markets necessitates new ecosystem structures that are adjusted to value propositions by orchestrators through interaction with foreign market actors. The model explains how ecosystem orchestrators drive the international expansion of ecosystems through blueprinting and aligning mechanisms and how these mechanisms help manage liabilities of foreignness. The model accounts for the agency of involved actors, and with the help of the bottleneck concept bridges international business and ecosystem literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to identify typical constraints characteristic of the printing industry and to systematize them through quantitative research. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review method and a quantitative survey conducted on a sample of 237 companies in the printing industry were used to solve the research problems. This study is both theoretical and empirical. Findings: The answers obtained from the respondents, allowed the development of a systematic of constraints, and also helped to expand the knowledge of printing companies. A total of 26 constraints were included, which were divided into four categories: technical, market, social and organizational constraints. Also identified were the key constraints that companies of different sizes - small, medium and large - most often identify in their operations. Research limitations/implications: The developed of a systematic of constraints applies only to the printing industry. It is a flexible tool, i.e., it must be regularly updated and adapted to changing market conditions and the specific needs of the organization, thus enabling effective identification and resolution of current problems. Practical implications: The systematic of constraints is a practical tool that enables printing companies to understand what key constraining factors are affecting their operations and growth. The tool identifies and better understands the industry's major constraints, sensitizing companies to key issues that need to be addressed. Originality/value: The value of the study lies in providing printing companies - regardless of their size - with a dynamic tool to identify the constraints blocking their growth. The article is aimed at industry professionals, managers and researchers who are looking for practical solutions and insights into current constraints affecting the printing sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) competency is an expected outcome of baccalaureate education; however, research indicates nursing graduates enter practice with competency gaps. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges accelerated baccalaureate students experience when learning the steps of EBP. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive design was used to identify bottlenecks to student learning. Results: Learning the steps of EBP in an accelerated format was challenging for students. Data analysis revealed 3 types of bottlenecks that stalled learning: cognitive, procedural, and emotional. Conclusions: Faculty build EBP competency by making explicit the steps that help students progress. Scaffolded learning, collaborative partnerships, and reflective practices are recommended to support student learning in accelerated formats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great importance of the Nile River emerges from the fact that it represents the main water source for Egypt and its being an important water path for sailing or for Nile tourism cruises. Because of climate change and the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Egypt may have to reduce the discharges from the High Aswan Dam (HAD), which may cause a reduction in water depth below a safe level for navigation. Consequently, this study aims to present a quasi-real-time approach to detect the locations of bottlenecks that threat navigation path via mobile Google Maps. Accordingly, the topographic, hydraulic data, the alignment and geometry of the navigational channel, were collected from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt. AutoCAD Civil 3d is adopted in this study to determine navigational bottleneck locations of the Nile River's first reach. Two surface models were created: The Riverbed surface and the navigational path surface using a Triangular Irregular Network (TIN). As a result of the created TIN-Surface modelling ; the amount of sediment, that should be dredged, was estimated (at about 2.1 million.m3). In addition, the navigation path bottlenecks map for the studied reach was created based on minimum water levels at Aswan High Dam's winter closure and the navigational path's geometry. In conclusion, this study provides a simple solution for avoiding bottlenecks by presenting a user-friendly web Google Maps of these locations to represent the Nile River's current navigation condition in quasi-real-time and support the decision-maker on river navigation conditions.

Summary: Cultivated spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a dioecious species. We report high‐quality genome sequences for its two closest wild relatives, Spinacia turkestanica and Spinacia tetrandra, which are also dioecious, and are used to study the genetics of spinach domestication.Using a combination of genomic approaches, we assembled genomes of both these species and analyzed them in comparison with the previously assembled S. oleracea genome.These species diverged c. 6.3 million years ago (Ma), while cultivated spinach split from S. turkestanica 0.8 Ma. In all three species, all six chromosomes include very large gene‐poor, repeat‐rich regions, which, in S. oleracea, are pericentromeric regions with very low recombination rates in both male and female genetic maps. We describe population genomic evidence that the similar regions in the wild species also recombine rarely. We characterized 282 structural variants (SVs) that have been selected during domestication. These regions include genes associated with leaf margin type and flowering time. We also describe evidence that the downy mildew resistance loci of cultivated spinach are derived from introgression from both wild spinach species.Collectively, this study reveals the genome architecture of spinach assemblies and highlights the importance of SVs during the domestication of cultivated spinach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant importance of the Nile River emerges not only from the fact that it represents the main water source for Egypt but also from its being an important water path for sailing to transport goods or for Nile tourism cruises. Because of climate change and the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Egypt may have to reduce the discharges from the High Aswan Dam (HAD), which may cause a reduction in water depth below a safe level for navigation. Consequently, this study aims to present a quasi-real-time approach to detect the locations of bottlenecks that threat navigation path via mobile Google Maps. Accordingly, the topographic, hydraulic data, the alignment and geometry of the navigational channel, were collected from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt. AutoCAD Civil 3d is adopted in this study to determine navigational bottleneck locations of the Nile River's first reach. Two surface models were created: The Riverbed surface and the navigational path surface using a Triangular Irregular Network (TIN). As a result of the created TIN-Surface modelling via the current study; the amount of sediment, that should be dredged, was estimated (at about 2.1 million.m³). In addition, the navigation path bottlenecks map for the studied reach was created based on minimum water levels at Aswan High Dam's winter closure and the navigational path's geometry. In conclusion, this study provides a simple solution for avoiding bottlenecks by presenting a user-friendly web Google Maps of these locations to represent the Nile River's current navigation condition in quasi-real-time and support the decision-maker on river navigation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe World Health Organization defines “infodemic” as the phenomenon of an uncontrolled spread of information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak, causing confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can harm health. The aim of this scoping review is to examine international evidence and identify strategies and bottlenecks to tackle health-related fake news.MethodsWe performed a scoping review of the literature from 1 January 2018 to 26 January 2023 on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus electronic databases. We also performed a search of grey literature on institutional websites. The research question has been defined according to the PCC (population, concept, and context) mnemonic for constructing research questions in scoping reviews.ResultsThe overall research in the scientific databases yielded a total of 5,516 records. After removing duplicates, and screening the titles, abstracts, and full texts, we included 21 articles from scientific literature. Moreover, 5 documents were retrieved from institutional websites. Based on their content, we decided to group recommendations and bottlenecks into five different and well-defined areas of intervention, which we called strategies: “foster proper communication through the collaboration between science and social media companies and users,” “institutional and regulatory interventions,” “check and debunking,” “increase health literacy,” and “surveillance and monitoring through new digital tools.”ConclusionThe multidisciplinary creation of standardized toolkits that collect recommendations from the literature and institutions can provide a valid solution to limit the infodemic, increasing the health education of both citizens and health professionals, providing the knowledge to recognize fake news, as well as supporting the creation and validation of AI tools aimed at prebunking and debunking.

Genetic diversity is the most widely used indicator to evaluate the evolutionary potential of a species. In theory, species with limited distribution are more susceptible to diversity loss. However, some species with restricted distribution occasionally present more diversity than expected, as is the case for some cycads. Ceratozamia kuesteriana is a microendemic species in El Cielo Biosphere Reserve in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Several previously reported populations have been eradicated in the last 10 years. The objective of this work was to estimate the levels of diversity and genetic structure in five populations within the reserve. The results show a high structure and differentiation, even when the populations are geographically proximal. However, overall diversity is high, with recent bottlenecks and alleles departing from neutrality, suggesting a broad, well‐adapted genetic base. Unfortunately, this genetic pool has recently become fragmented, posing a high extinction risk if allelic representativeness is absent in collections or botanical gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Teaching and learning undergraduate statistics has been a most challenging task for undergraduate psychology majors (Salkind, 2017). A seasoned statistics instructor consulted with a seasoned instructional designer on a method to improve a particularly demanding course using a performance improvement approach to address learning difficulties she had noted in previous semesters. The Decoding the Disciplines methodology identified the most challenging concepts and provided a methodology to improve student learning performance. The methodology focused on five core concepts in psychological statistics: probability, variability, central limit theorem, independent/ dependent variables, and degrees of freedom. The Decoding the Disciplines curriculum was used for three semesters. In these three semesters, performance was compared pre and post on these concepts within the semester. Repeated measures t-tests found a significant change in the percentage of correct answers between the pretest and the final exam on the five core concepts.

Abstract Background From a complex systems perspective, implementation should be understood as the introduction of an intervention in a context with which it needs to interact in order to achieve its function in terms of improved health. The presence of intervention-context interactions could mean that during implementation particular patterns of crucial interaction points might arise. We examined the presence of – and regularities in – such ‘bottlenecks for implementation’, as this could create opportunities to predict and intervene in potential implementation problems. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study against the background of municipal intersectoral policymaking in the Netherlands. We asked implementers of health promotion interventions to identify bottlenecks by rating the presence and importance of conditions for implementation in a range of intervention systems. We used descriptive statistics to characterize these systems (by their behaviour change method, health theme and implementation setting) and the conditions that acted as bottlenecks. After stratifying bottlenecks by intervention system and the system’s characteristics, we tested our hypotheses by comparing the number and nature of the bottlenecks that emerged. Results More than half of the possible conditions were identified as a bottleneck for implementation. Bottlenecks occurred in all categories of conditions, e.g., relating to the implementer, the intervention, and political and administrative support, and often connected with intersectoral policymaking, e.g., relating to the co-implementer and the co-implementer’s organization. Both our hypotheses were supported: (1) Each intervention system came across a unique set of – a limited number of – conditions hampering implementation; (2) Most bottlenecks were associated with the characteristics of the system in which they occurred, but bottlenecks also appeared in the absence of such an association, or remained absent in the presence thereof. Conclusions We conclude that intervention-context interactions in integrated health policymaking may lead to both regularities and variations in bottlenecks for implementation. Regularities may partly be predicted by the function of an intervention system, and may serve as the basis for building the capacity needed for the structural changes that can bring about long-lasting health improvements. Variations may point at the need for flexibility in further tailoring the implementation approach to the – mostly unpredictable – problems at individual sites.

Teaching and learning undergraduate statistics has been a most challenging task for undergraduate psychology majors (Salkind, 2017). A seasoned statistics instructor consulted with a seasoned instructional designer on a method to improve a particularly demanding course using a performance improvement approach to address learning difficulties she had noted in previous semesters. The Decoding the Disciplines methodology identified the most challenging concepts and provided a methodology to improve student learning performance. The methodology focused on five core concepts in psychological statistics: probability, variability, central limit theorem, independent/dependent variables, and degrees of freedom. The Decoding the Disciplines curriculum was used for three semesters. In these three semesters, performance was compared pre and post on these concepts within the semester. Repeated measures t-tests found a significant change in the percentage of correct answers between the pretest and the final exam on the five core concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Businesses are constantly making productivity improvements to survive in the highly competitive marketplace. Bottlenecks have been identified as one of the main factors limiting the system performance of manufacturing firms. Thus, identifying bottlenecks in the production process is extremely important to increase productivity. Considering its importance, this case study was designed to identify causes for not meeting the tire target and determine the implications of bottlenecks in the tire manufacturing process. For this purpose, simulation analysis was carried out for the solid resilience tire-building process. Through the investigation, the cushion layer-building process was identified as the bottleneck. To validate the identified limitation, Line balancing and Pareto analysis were conducted. Analysis results confirmed the presence of a bottleneck in the cushion layer-building process. Further, to identify the root causes for not reaching the maximum tire target, Cause-and-Effect analysis and 5WHY analysis were adopted. The study revealed that inadequately maintained outdated machines and frequent power failures are the leading causes of not meeting the maximum production. By answering these issues, the target production can be increased, and the results showed the opportunity to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process by more than 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic membranes offer considerable promise for future industrial applications due to their superior chemical, mechanical, and thermal stabilities, resistance to harsh operating conditions, and long‐term operating processes. However, several bottlenecks still limit their commercial scale‐up in filtration and separation applications, including brittleness, the high costs of conventional ceramic materials, and fouling. Despite several articles in the literature on ceramic membranes, this review focuses on recent progress, technical strategies, and methods to mitigate these limitations that significantly impact their separation and filtration performance. The use of alternative naturally occurring ceramic materials to mitigate the high costs of conventional ceramic materials is discussed, as well as strategies to improve the mechanical strength of brittle ceramic membranes by increasing sintering temperatures and using support materials. Additionally, advanced techniques to mitigate fouling accumulation and wetting in the pores and on the ceramic membrane surface, such as increasing membrane hydrophilicity and surface modification, are addressed. Despite progress in technical solutions for mitigating the bottlenecks of ceramic membranes, these limitations persist. Therefore, the present limitations and future research directions are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precautionary principle justifies postponing the implementation of development projects to await better information about their environmental impacts. But if implementation capacity is congestible, as is often the case in practical settings, a postponed project may have to vie for implementation priority with projects that arrive later. Limitations of implementation capacity create two risks. First, it may sometimes not make sense to go back to a postponed project, even if it is later revealed to be a good one. Second, the planner may find it worthwhile to go back to it, but at the expense of undesirable delay of subsequent projects. We consider a planner facing a sequence of projects that vary stochastically in their (1) importance and (2) improvability, but knowing that implementation capacity is congestible. The scope for congestion implies a 'bonus' for earlier-than-otherwise decisions, in common parlance 'keeping the desk clear', which works against the well-understood option value that encourages postponement. The optimal decision rule depends upon the stochastic environment whereby future projects are generated, in ways that are not obvious. The value of the bonus is increasing in the expected importance of future projects but decreasing in their expected improvability. Higher variability of the importance of projects, in the sense of mean-preserving spread, increases the size of the bonus, but variability in their improvability has a generally ambiguous impact. We characterize the adjusted decision rule and note its implications for the conduct of cost-benefit informed policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) contributes to a significant proportion of disease burden, disability, economic losses, and impact on need of treatment and health care in Brazil, but systematic information about its treatment coverage is scarce. This paper aims to estimate the gap in treatment coverage for MDD and identify key bottlenecks in obtaining adequate treatment among adult residents in the São Paulo Metropolitan area, Brazil. Methods A representative face-to-face household survey was conducted among 2942 respondents aged 18+ years to assess 12-month MDD, characteristics of 12-month treatment received, and bottlenecks to deliver care through the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results Among those with MDD (n = 491), 164 (33.3% [SE, 1.9]) were seen in health services, with an overall 66.7% treatment gap, and only 25.2% [SE, 4.2] received effective treatment coverage, which represents 8.5% of those in need, with a 91.5% gap in adequate care (66.4% due to lack of utilization and 25.1% due to inadequate quality and adherence). Critical service bottlenecks identified were: use of psychotropic medication (12.2 percentage points drop), use of antidepressants (6.5), adequate medication control (6.8), receiving psychotherapy (19.8). Conclusions This is the first study demonstrating the huge treatment gaps for MDD in Brazil, considering not only overall coverage, but also identifying specific quality- and user-adjusted bottlenecks in delivering pharmacological and psychotherapeutic care. These results call for urgent combined actions focused in reducing effective treatment gaps within services utilization, as well as in reducing gaps in availability and accessibility of services, and acceptability of care for those in need.

Background: From a complex systems perspective, implementation should be understood as the introduction of an intervention in a context with which it needs to interact in order to achieve its function in terms of improved health. The presence of intervention-context interactions could mean that during implementation particular patterns of crucial interaction points might arise. We examined the presence of – and regularities in – such 'bottlenecks for implementation', as this could create opportunities to predict and intervene in potential implementation problems. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study against the background of municipal intersectoral policymaking in the Netherlands. We asked implementers of health promotion interventions to identify bottlenecks by rating the presence and importance of conditions for implementation in a range of intervention systems. We used descriptive statistics to characterize these systems (by their behaviour change method, health theme and implementation setting) and the conditions that acted as bottlenecks. After stratifying bottlenecks by intervention system and the system's characteristics, we tested our hypotheses by comparing the number and nature of the bottlenecks that emerged. Results: More than half of the possible conditions were identified as a bottleneck for implementation. Bottlenecks occurred in all categories of conditions, e.g., relating to the implementer, the intervention, and political and administrative support, and often connected with intersectoral policymaking, e.g., relating to the co-implementer and the co-implementer's organization. Both our hypotheses were supported: (1) Each intervention system came across a unique set of – a limited number of – conditions hampering implementation; (2) Most bottlenecks were associated with the characteristics of the system in which they occurred, but bottlenecks also appeared in the absence of such an association, or remained absent in the presence thereof. Conclusions: We conclude that intervention-context interactions in integrated health policymaking may lead to both regularities and variations in bottlenecks for implementation. Regularities may partly be predicted by the function of an intervention system, and may serve as the basis for building the capacity needed for the structural changes that can bring about long-lasting health improvements. Variations may point at the need for flexibility in further tailoring the implementation approach to the – mostly unpredictable – problems at individual sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cause infection, pathogens must overcome bottlenecks imposed by the host immune system. These bottlenecks restrict the inoculum and largely determine whether pathogen exposure results in disease. Infection bottlenecks therefore quantify the effectiveness of immune barriers. Here, using a model of Escherichia coli systemic infection, we identify bottlenecks that tighten or widen with higher inoculum sizes, revealing that the efficacy of innate immune responses can increase or decrease with pathogen dose. We term this concept "dose scaling". During E. coli systemic infection, dose scaling is tissue specific, dependent on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor TLR4, and can be recapitulated by mimicking high doses with killed bacteria. Scaling therefore depends on sensing of pathogen molecules rather than interactions between the host and live bacteria. We propose that dose scaling quantitatively links innate immunity with infection bottlenecks and is a valuable framework for understanding how the inoculum size governs the outcome of pathogen exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inherent capability and increased efficiency of microalgae to convert sunlight into solar chemical energy are further enhanced by the higher amount of oils stored in microalgae compared to other land-based plant species. Therefore, the widespread interest in producing biofuels from microalgae has gained considerable interest among leading energy experts and researchers due to the burgeoning global issues stemming from the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, future energy security, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and the competition for limited resources between food crops and conventional biomass feedstock. This paper aims to present the recent advances in biofuel production from microalgae and the potential benefits of microalgae in the energy and environmental sectors, as well as sustainable development. Besides, bottlenecks and challenges mainly relating to techniques of cultivation and harvesting, as well as downstream processes are completely presented. Promising solutions and novel trends for realizing strategies of producing biofuels from microalgae on an industrial and commercial scale are also discussed in detail. Alternatively, the role of microalgae in the circular economy is thoroughly analyzed, indicating that the potential of scaling up current microalgae-based production could benefit from the waste-to-energy strategy with microalgae as a key intermediate. In the future, further research into combining different microalgae biomass pretreatment techniques, separating the microalgae feedstock from the cultured media, developing new species, and optimizing the biofuel production process should be carried out to reduce the prices of microalgae biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem. The article considers the issue of determining the location of "bottlenecks" on the highways of large cities based on the study of the vehicle's driving mode, obtained as a result of GPS data processing and analysis. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to develop and test the methodology for identifying potential "bottlenecks" on the city's freeway by analyzing the GPS track data of the car. The subject of the study is the interrelationship of the characteristics of the sections of the city’s streetroad network (SRN) with the parameters characterizing the vehicle movement mode in the traffic flow. Methodology. Two experimental routes with the same starting and ending points were chosen to obtain data on traffic conditions on the SRN of the city of Kharkiv, which correspond to typical routes of official movement of personal transport on weekdays. During the movement of the car along the specified routes, GPS tracks were obtained, whose processing made it possible to determine the driving conditions along the entire length of the routes. Results. The work presents a method of researching the vehicle's driving mode by analyzing GPS track data; the determined indicators of the traffic regime, which can be effectively used as criteria for determining potential "bottlenecks" on the city's SRN; the methodology was tested on real traffic routes on the SRN of the city of Kharkiv. For selected routes, the work presents histograms of instantaneous speed distribution, graphs of car movement in "distance - speed" and "time - speed" coordinates. Graphs of changes in specific time in motion, specific idle time, speed gradient, energy gradient, Hermann-Prygozhin criterion were obtained for individual kilometer segments of routes. The specific idle time and the Herman-Prygozhin criterion turned out to be the most effective criteria for the purposes of determining the "bottlenecks" of SRN. Originality. An experimental technique was developed and tested, which allows to determine the potential "bottlenecks" of the city's SRN as a result of conducting short-term and not labor-intensive research. The proposed approach does not require the presence of specialized equipment or software, which makes this method effective when conducting scientific research. Practical value. The possibility of using the proposed method of data processing of GPS tracks to analyze traffic conditions on the city highway and identify potential "bottlenecks" was shown. For the selected routes in Kharkiv, such sections turned out to be Vesnina St. (beyond the intersection with Pushkinska St.); Heroes of Stalingrad Ave. (access to the intersection from Leva Landau Ave.); Gagarina Ave. (access to the intersection with Kashtanova St.)

Bioprospecting of the marine environment for drug development has gained much attention in recent years owing to its massive chemical and biological diversity. Drugs for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections have become part of the search, mainly with respect to enlarging the number of available antibiotics, with a special focus on multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, being the major causative agents in this field. Marine resources offer novel natural products with distinct biological activities of pharmaceutical importance, having the chance to provide new chemical scaffolds and new modes of action. New studies advance the field by proposing new strategies derived from an ecosystemic understanding for preventive activities against biofilms and new compounds suitable as disinfectants, which sustain the natural flora of the skin. Still, the development of new compounds is often stuck at the discovery level, as marine biotechnology also needs to overcome technological bottlenecks in drug development. This review summarizes its potential and shows these bottlenecks and new approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) contributes to a significant proportion of disease burden, disability, economic losses, and impact on need of treatment and health care in Brazil, but systematic information about its treatment coverage is scarce. This paper aims to estimate the gap in treatment coverage for MDD and identify key bottlenecks in obtaining adequate treatment among adult residents in the São Paulo Metropolitan area, Brazil. Methods: A representative face-to-face household survey was conducted among 2942 respondents aged 18+ years to assess 12-month MDD, characteristics of 12-month treatment received, and bottlenecks to deliver care through the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results: Among those with MDD (n = 491), 164 (33.3% [SE, 1.9]) were seen in health services, with an overall 66.7% treatment gap, and only 25.2% [SE, 4.2] received effective treatment coverage, which represents 8.5% of those in need, with a 91.5% gap in adequate care (66.4% due to lack of utilization and 25.1% due to inadequate quality and adherence). Critical service bottlenecks identified were: use of psychotropic medication (12.2 percentage points drop), use of antidepressants (6.5), adequate medication control (6.8), receiving psychotherapy (19.8). Conclusions: This is the first study demonstrating the huge treatment gaps for MDD in Brazil, considering not only overall coverage, but also identifying specific quality- and user-adjusted bottlenecks in delivering pharmacological and psychotherapeutic care. These results call for urgent combined actions focused in reducing effective treatment gaps within services utilization, as well as in reducing gaps in availability and accessibility of services, and acceptability of care for those in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the information collected in T3.1-3.3, online surveys (developed in the online software Qualtrics, translated into local languages) and interviews with scheme managers, the project will, for all schemes with suitable data, evaluate: i) The actual direct annual costs of conducting, administering and archiving the scheme, both in total and on a per site and per species or group of organisms-basis. ii) shadow costs of the scheme, measured as the monetary value of time given by volunteers to the scheme, representing the value added by the scheme and giving a metric of the total human capital in the scheme. iii) the level of engagement within the scheme such as numbers of repeat volunteers, training courses and other activities run in parallel to data collection, data use by authorities and research organizations and the schemes links with the wider community. Following these surveys, workshops held later in the project will allow scheme leaders to come together and discuss ways of increasing their effectiveness and impact. From this, the project will i) identify opportunities to increase cost-effectiveness through schemes exchanging knowledge and adopting new methods and technologies, ii) measure the full human capital provided by the scheme, iii) identify the non-economic valueadded by schemes as knowledge generation, capacity building and community engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sex and gender are recognized as major determinants of health and immunity, their role is rarely considered in clinical practice and public health. We identified six bottlenecks preventing the inclusion of sex and gender considerations from basic science to clinical practice, precision medicine and public health policies. (i) A terminology-related bottleneck, linked to the definitions of sex and gender themselves, and the lack of consensus on how to evaluate gender. (ii) A data-related bottleneck, due to gaps in sex-disaggregated data, data on trans/non-binary people and gender identity. (iii) A translational bottleneck, limited by animal models and the underrepresentation of gender minorities in biomedical studies. (iv) A statistical bottleneck, with inappropriate statistical analyses and results interpretation. (v) An ethical bottleneck posed by the underrepresentation of pregnant people and gender minorities in clinical studies. (vi) A structural bottleneck, as systemic bias and discriminations affect not only academic research but also decision makers. We specify guidelines for researchers, scientific journals, funding agencies and academic institutions to address these bottlenecks. Following such guidelines will support the development of more efficient and equitable care strategies for all.

We examine the impediments to rapid recovery from a supply chain disruption through rapid supply chain growth in capacity. We explore how to minimize the effects of disruptions in supply chains that could be caused by pandemics, wars, supplier down times, absenteeism, distributor bottlenecks, etc. The tools we use include reliability theory, logic, simulation, and other methodologies. Our objective is to better understand supply chain disruptions and to propose solutions to the sustainability problems currently being experienced within supply chains. The authors use models to better comprehend how to avoid supply chain structures that are easily disrupted. Included among the findings are that disruptions cause the loss of production capacity; thus, the ability to rapidly increase production capacity in the same or other parts of the supply chain becomes paramount. Furthermore, structural redundancy can help alleviate the loss of capacity coming from a disruption. One purpose of the models is to foster a basic appreciation for the different lead times and fixed costs associated with capacity expansion of the various supply chain components. There are implications for where within the supply chain additional robustness and capacity are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodoptera litura is a prominent polyphagous pest in India and many other countries, and it's growing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses has posed a greater threat to Indian and world agriculture. A study to acquire knowledge of its genetic features would provide useful information for articulating efficient management strategies. To understand the impact of decades of insecticidal pressure on the genetic diversity of the Indian population of S. litura, we analyzed and compared the S. litura cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene sequences belonging to 21 locations of 10 agro-climatic zones of India and the cox1 sequences of foreign populations of S. litura (retrieved from NCBI). Overall, a low genetic variability among the Indian and foreign populations was exhibited along with a low level of genetic fixation (FST = 0.0088). The population genetic structure studies revealed monophyly along with the presence of five rare haplotypes in the Indian subcontinent. The absence of significant genetic divergence revealed profound interrelations of S. litura populations leading to higher gene flow among the studied countries, which was consistent with the fact that S. litura has sufficient flight capacity for dispersal. Neutrality tests and mismatch distribution analyses indicated that S. litura has had a recent rapid expansion in the absence of any genetic bottleneck. The presence of rare haplotypes in distinct interior regions of India showed the absence of bottlenecks or founder effects in those locations. The findings of this population genetic analysis can aid in the formulation of effective control measures for this migratory pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy security, job development, and minimal environmental damage are just a few of the reasons why green energy technologies have gained popularity. Still, developing these technologies in underdeveloped countries is sluggish due to several bottlenecks. To find and prioritize the bottlenecks to development of green energy technologies (GETs), this study has used the case of South Africa. In this study, technical, financial, social, regulatory, geographical, and institutional bottlenecks are six headings under which 22 bottlenecks are further subdivided. For prioritizing these bottlenecks, a Multi-Objective Optimization based on Ratio Analysis (MOORA) strategy combined with an Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) method was used. The top three bottlenecks impacting the GETs' development involved social, institutional, and regulatory, whereas in sub-headings, corrupt political systems, knowledge of the public, and fixed investments were revealed to be the most significant hurdles. In addition to that, a framework is also developed for assessing how each bottleneck hinders the development of green energy technologies. The results of this study recommend that formulation of policy using the bottom-up approach is important. Notably, politicians at the highest levels should work together to bolster government agencies so that they can monitor and carry out the policies designed to advance GETs. Building the institutional capacity of government offices is crucial for eliminating corruption in political offices and progressing GETs in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Island ecosystems provide natural laboratories to assess the impacts of isolation on population persistence. However, most studies of persistence have focused on a single species, without comparisons to other organisms they interact with in the ecosystem. The case study of moose and gray wolves on Isle Royale allows for a direct contrast of genetic variation in isolated populations that have experienced dramatically differing population trajectories over the past decade. Whereas the Isle Royale wolf population recently declined nearly to extinction due to severe inbreeding depression, the moose population has thrived and continues to persist, despite having low genetic diversity and being isolated for ∼120 years. Here, we examine the patterns of genomic variation underlying the continued persistence of the Isle Royale moose population. We document high levels of inbreeding in the population, roughly as high as the wolf population at the time of its decline. However, inbreeding in the moose population manifests in the form of intermediate-length runs of homozygosity suggestive of historical inbreeding and purging, contrasting with the long runs of homozygosity observed in the smaller wolf population. Using simulations, we confirm that substantial purging has likely occurred in the moose population. However, we also document notable increases in genetic load, which could eventually threaten population viability over the long term. Overall, our results demonstrate a complex relationship between inbreeding, genetic diversity, and population viability that highlights the use of genomic datasets and computational simulation tools for understanding the factors enabling persistence in isolated populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this study is the process of ensuring the performance of technical means of alarm systems that perform the functions of control and safety of the movement of main railroad transport. On the railroads, there are regulations for monitoring and ensuring the necessary technical condition of the elements and devices of alarm system, but the number of failures does not decrease and, in addition, the process of their physical and moral obsolescence must be added. The most problematic areas in the technological process of service have been identified and an example of a management solution for their prevention has been proposed. The problem is determined in finding an effective way to control the process of keeping alarm systems in the required technical condition. The use of the method of finding hidden bottlenecks based on the analysis of failure statistics as risks and impact reduction is proposed. The research identified the lack of methodology in the form of the need to accumulate statistics of failures and constant monitoring of the implementation of the risk management program. In addition, the identified advantages of the methodology suggest that the proposed approach could solve the problem of justifying the most significant problem areas in the process of enabling the performance of railroad automation systems. To eliminate the identified lack of methodology, the development of appropriate software is proposed, with the help of which the statistical base would accumulate automatically. The solution to the problem is proposed in the form of planning for one year to monitor the most dangerous causes of failures. Thus, statistical methods are the most effective in managing organizational structures. It is proposed to adapt the results to the usual form for managers for widespread use in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key contributors to technological innovation. As China’s vanguard for self-reliance and strength in science and technology, specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and novel (SSDN) SMEs have grown into an important motivation for high-quality development, a key stabilizer for the new development paradigm, and a vital force for an innovation-driven China. In recent years, China has been ramping up support for SSDN SMEs, and raised the focus on their development to a new level. At present, some problems and obstacles are befalling the high-quality development of SSDN SMEs, such as imperfect innovation system and mechanism, weak basic research service capabilities, a digital divide in digital transformation, and insufficient vitality of collaboration among players in the innovation ecosystem. In the future, China should promote the high-quality development of SSDN SMEs from system and mechanism, basic input, business environment, and digital empowerment. Specifically, China should increase policy support to consolidate the institutional guarantee for innovative development, build more platforms to form a dynamic innovation ecology, enhance intellectual property protection to spur entrepreneurship, and ramp up upgrading and transformation for the quality and efficiency improvement of traditional enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the bottlenecks to the inclusive higher education for students with disabilities (SWD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzaniaand ways proposed to overcome them. The study useda qualitative approach that was informed by the phenomenological and multiple holistic case study design. A total of 158 research participants from four higher learning institutions in Tanzania were involved. They included 28 academic staff and 28 wardens who were selected through simple random selection. Others were 4 deans of students, 80 students with disabilities, 2 students' leaders with disabilities, 8 personal assistants of students with physical impairments, and 8 heads of academic departments (these were purposively selected). The sample size was, however, determined by the point of saturation. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussion (FGD), and direct observation where thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that allocation of rooms without consideration to SWDs and their personal assistants, difficulties in accessing information, unhygienic hostels, mobility difficulties, difficulties in access to preventive facilities and inadequate counselling services were part of the bottlenecks to inclusive higher education among SWD during COVID-19. The paper suggestsways to overcome the bottlenecks to inclusive education such as allocating rooms for SWDs and their assistants, improvement of infrastructures, orientation on mobility, and purchasing facilities and equipment which improvehygiene within inclusive education. It is recommended in this paper that the universities should establish units and resource centres well furnished with necessary equipment for students with disabilities which will be responsible for all matters related to SWDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the internal mechanisms of bottlenecks in bike-sharing travel. We perform kernel density analysis to obtain analysis points and areas designated by buffer areas. Additionally, we improve the spatial lag model through Tobit regression, so as to avoid the interference of autocorrelation and to set reasonable constraints for dependent variables. The proposed model distinguishes between bike-sharing demand determined by land use and other built environmental factors, which helps to define and identify bottlenecks in bike-sharing travel. Based on a Bayesian network fault tree, we define the diagnosis mode of evidence nodes to calculate the posterior probabilities and to determine the most sensitive factors for bottlenecks. We use Beijing city as the case study. The results show that the most sensitive factors that induce bottlenecks in bike-sharing travel are few subway stations, few bus stops, few bus lines, a low density of bike lanes, and more serious home–work separation. The findings presented here can enhance the generation of bike-sharing trips in response to bike-sharing development and contribute to adjusting the urban structure and reconstructing the green infrastructure layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has become the world’s largest producer and consumer of energy, and ranks first in its wind and solar power installation capacity. However, serious wind and solar curtailment in China has significantly hindered the development and utilization of renewable energy. To address problems in the consumption of renewable energy, this paper analyzes four key factors affecting the capacity of power generated from renewable energy sources: power balance, power regulation performance, transmission capacity, and load level. Focusing on these bottlenecks, we propose seven solutions: centralized and distributed development of renewable energy, improving the peak-load regulation flexibility of thermal power, increasing the proportion of gas turbines and pumped-hydropower storage, construction of transmission channels and a flexible smart grid developing demand response and virtual power plants, adopting new energy active support and energy storage, and establishing appropriate policies and market mechanisms. The Chinese Government and energy authorities have issued a series of policies and measures, and in the past three years, China has had remarkable achievements in the adoption of renewable energy. The rate of idle wind capacity decreased from 17% in 2016 to 7% in 2018, and that of solar decreased from 10% in 2016 to 3% in 2018.

Ceramic membranes have received more attention currently from researchers in membrane distillation (MD) applications due to their outstanding properties. However, despite their superior mechanical, thermochemical stability, and resistance to harsh operating conditions, several bottlenecks still limit their applications in MD. Although there are several published articles on ceramic membranes in MD, the uniqueness of this review lies in the fact that it discusses the critical bottlenecks that significantly affect the performance of ceramic membranes in long-term operation and limit their scale-up to commercial MD applications. Furthermore, recent advances, strategies, and techniques to mitigate these limitations have also been discussed. A discussion on high ceramic membrane fabrication costs and mitigation strategies using alternative low-cost ceramic materials to erstwhile conventional ceramic materials has been presented. In addition, the inherent problems of the brittleness and wetting/fouling of ceramic membranes and recent advances in strengthening ceramic membranes and fouling/wetting control via the development of superhydrophobic and omniphobic ceramic surfaces in MD have been addressed. Consequently, technical bottlenecks that still exist despite recent development in ceramic membranes for MD applications have been highlighted and future research direction in developing robust ceramic membranes in MD applications has been elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis and estimation of advantages from the implementation of HVDC systems in parallel to the loaded alternat-ing current lines as a means of solving the problem of power output from surplus energy regions of the IES of Ukraine were presented. Such regions arise with the active development of new Renewable Energy Resources (RES). Two vari-ants of installation of such systems are proposed and the corresponding analysis of electrical modes of IES of Ukraine with reliability criteria "N-1" was executed. Ref. 11, fig. 4, table.

This study aims to explore the bottlenecks of the Online Travel Portals while catering to business travelers. Data collection was done from Online Travel Portals and 379 foreign tourists using varied scales to determine their comprehensive perceived experience, technology adoption perception, the bottlenecks encountered and the ability to adapt while selecting online travel portals. Findings revealed that building trust is a major bottleneck for business travelers as they are skeptical of online transactions, cases of online thefts and internet security issues is another bottleneck. Safe and secure payment gateway is a big hurdle. Hotels booked through Online Travel Portals are sometimes not up to the mark and quality is a major bottleneck Online Travel Portals felt that expected tour components by the business travelers was the most problematic factor for them. Another problem was the unfavourable payment terms with the suppliers as well as non-availability of right accommodation demanded by the business travelers. Another bottleneck included not meeting the special needs of Business Travelers.

The study aimed to determine Ukraine's food security level, and develop the main directions for its increase. To realize the research purpose several tasks were conducted. Firstly, to calculate Ukraine's Food Security Index and compare it with the average World and average European Food Security Index. Secondly, make a forecast of Ukraine's Food Security Index for the next 5 years, and assess its trends. Thirdly, to establish the main factors that have an impact on Ukraine's Food Security Index. Fourthly, to identify the main bottlenecks and, on the basis of these data, propose the main directions for increasing the level of Ukraine's food security. The global environmental crisis has significantly increased the risk of food insecurity in the world and the likelihood of famine in certain regions. Besides, Russia's war against Ukraine, which destroyed the supply chain infrastructure and exacerbated the problems of providing food to the population, updated the researched issues. Accordingly, the research aimed at identifying the "bottlenecks" of Ukraine's Food Security and developing directions for increasing its level. Based on the results of theoretical and empirical research, the main "bottlenecks" of the process of ensuring food security have been identified and directions for increasing its level have been established. The study carried out the calculation and forecasting of Ukraine's Food Security Index. Moreover, the paper proposed a method of determining the main "bottlenecks" of Ukraine's Food Security Index by assessing the influence of various factors. Based on the analysis, the study developed the main directions for increasing Ukraine's food security level.

Abstract Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv. is a precious medicinal species native to the tropical forests of Vietnam. Due to habitat loss and over-harvesting, this species is endangered in Vietnam. To conserve the species, we investigated genetic variability and population structure using nine microsatellites for 148 individuals from seven populations across the current distribution range of P. vietnamensis in Vietnam. We determined a moderate genetic diversity within populations (HO = 0.367, HE = 0.437) and relatively low population differentiation (the Weir and Cockerham index of 0.172 and the Hedrick index of 0.254) and showed significant differentiation (P < 0.05), which suggested fragmented habitats, over-utilization and over-harvesting of P. vietnamensis. Different clustering methods revealed that individuals were grouped into two major clusters, which were associated with gene flow across the geographical range of P. vietnamensis. This study also detected that ginseng populations can have undergone a recent bottleneck. We recommend measures in future P. vietnamensis conservation and breeding programs.

Bioprospecting of the marine environment for drug development has gained much attention in recent years owing to its massive chemical and biological diversity. Drugs for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections have become part of the search, mainly with respect to enlarging the number of available antibiotics, with a special focus on multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, being the major causative agents in this field. Marine resources offer novel natural products with distinct biological activities of pharmaceutical importance, having the chance to provide new chemical scaffolds and new modes of action. New studies advance the field by proposing new strategies derived from an ecosystemic understanding for preventive activities against biofilms and new compounds suitable as disinfectants, which sustain the natural flora of the skin. Still, the development of new compounds is often stuck at the discovery level, as marine biotechnology also needs to overcome technological bottlenecks in drug development. This review summarizes its potential and shows these bottlenecks and new approaches.

The changing topology of a network is driven by the need to maintain or optimize network function. As this function is often related to moving quantities such as traffic, information, etc., efficiently through the network, the structure of the network and the dynamics on the network directly depend on the other. To model this interplay of network structure and dynamics we use the dynamics on the network, or the dynamical processes the network models, to influence the dynamics of the network structure, i.e., to determine where and when to modify the network structure. We model the dynamics on the network using Jackson network dynamics and the dynamics of the network structure using minimal specialization , a variant of the more general network growth model known as specialization. The resulting model, which we refer to as the integrated specialization model , coevolves both the structure and the dynamics of the network. We show that by reducing dynamic bottlenecks, i.e. reducing the network's maximal asymptotic load, this model simultaneously produces networks with real-world like properties. This includes right-skewed degree distributions, sparsity, the small-world property, and non-trivial equitable partitions. Additionally, when compared to other growth models, the integrated specialization model creates networks with small diameter, minimizing distances across the network. The result are networks that have both dynamic and structural features that allow quantities to more efficiently move through the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Readymade garments are a major textile value chain industry and play a significant role in Pakistan's economic growth, as they make up approximately 54% of export revenues in the textile sector. Because of its importance, companies face intense local and international competition in this region. Currently, textile companies compete for consistency, reliability, customer loyalty, process efficiency, consistency, and distribution costs. Bottlenecks are the key causes of the decreased production, performance, and power of the entire system. It is often within the scheme in various forms, such as management constraints, resources, materials, facilities, procedures, policies, environment, etc., but the approaches and methods for finding the bottlenecks are almost the same. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a wider range of bottlenecks in the garment production unit, identify root causes, and evaluate and suggest possible solutions to eliminate these bottlenecks from a selected garment industry in Karachi, Pakistan. To do this, we have worked in a specific section (i.e., cutting and stitching) on a specific product (i.e., woven pants). Data from factory records, management, and observations have been collected for two months. Pareto Analysis is carried out on the data to find the bottleneck's key area. Cause-Effect Diagrams are then arranged to define hierarchies of causes for individual problems. Finally, potential solutions are being presented for eliminating these bottlenecks to improve the company's performance and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing demand and changing case-mix have resulted in bottlenecks and longer waiting times in emergency departments (ED). However, many process improvement efforts addressing the bottlenecks have limitations, as they lack accurate models of the real system as input accounting for operational complexities. To understand the limitations, this research modelled granular procedural information, to analyse processes in a Level-1 ED of a 1200-bed teaching hospital in the UK. Semi-structured interviews with 21 clinicians and direct observations provided the necessary information. Results identified Majors as the most crowded area, hence, a systems modelling technique, role activity diagram, was used to derive highly granular process maps illustrating care in Majors which were further validated by 6 additional clinicians. Bottlenecks observed in Majors included awaiting specialist input, tests outside the ED, awaiting transportation, bed search, and inpatient handover. Process mapping revealed opportunities for using precedence information to reduce repeat tests; informed alerting; and provisioning for operational complexity into ED processes as steps to potentially alleviate bottlenecks. Another result is that this is the first study to map care processes in Majors, the area within the ED that treats complex patients whose care journeys are susceptible to variations. Findings have implications on the development of improvement approaches for managing bottlenecks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corridor concept aims at reducing the costs, duplication, and delays associated with the construction of transportation and ancillary infrastructure. These include diversification of export markets, supporting indigenous and northern development, expanding interregional and international trade, enhancing northern security and relieving bottlenecks and constraints to the existing transportation infrastructure grid. In support of the Canadian Northern Corridor research agenda, the purpose of this study is to compile a review and evaluation of the constraints impairing the Canadian transport infrastructure grid. It identifies and evaluates the existing and expected bottlenecks and constraints in terminals (ports and airports), connectors (road, rail, and pipelines), and ancillary infrastructure (power transmission and telecommunications). It also outlines the opportunities and constraints for infrastructure development in a potential corridor.

Climate change mitigation is the prime priority of businesses in the modern world, making them inclined to opt for clean energy acceptance. From the end-user perspective, acceptance of novel technologies is inevitably vital in promoting such technologies, and certain factors could play an influential role in shaping the acceptance behavior of businesses in embracing those technologies. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to determine the factors that influence the acceptance of solar panel systems (SPS) by small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Pakistan. A questionnaire survey was conducted in seven districts of Pakistan’s Punjab province from December 2021 to February 2022. The data were collected using a Five-point Likert scale. Based on the questionnaire survey, the variance-based structural equation model technique is utilized. The outcomes are: 1) size of the business, ease of using SPS, and credibility of SPS are the top three driving forces. 2) The cost of SPS, and the pressure of competitors are the bottlenecks to the acceptance of SPS, while the absence of technical skills is a neutral factor. 3) According to the effect size and path coefficients, the cost of SPS, and the size of the business are found to be the most significant factors, while the absence of technical skills is found to have less significance. As it is found that economic incentives majorly affect the acceptance of SPS thus, it is concluded that lowering the cost of SPS will increase its acceptance. Based on empirical results, it is suggested to promote public awareness about the environmentally-friendly nature of solar power systems to improve its acceptability at the individual as well as firm levels.