Diverse virtual social networks: Implications for remote software testing teams

This paper evaluates offshore outsourcing in the IT testing industry and determines what conditions determine its success. There is particular focus on the influence of diversity in teams on group relationships. Two studies are described: the first, investigated the perceptions of professional software testers on the critical factors of offshore outsourcing; and the second study looked at the ability for diverse teams to form close working relationships through virtual networks. We find that overt diversity factors inhibit interaction across nationality boundaries. The limitations of virtual networks for fostering personal communications is apparent in preventing group members from overcoming the initial aversion to mix with out-group members, which could be achieved with closer and more personal communications between members with different diversity factors in normal face to face communications. Where software testing teams are outsourced globaly, and must rely on virtual communications, there seems potential for significant difficulties in developing close working relationships, which on the one hand, can be negative for group cohesion, but one the other hand, can be positive for encouraging imparitality

The Qatar Biobank: background and methods

Background: The Qatar Biobank aims to collect extensive lifestyle, clinical, and biological information from up to 60,000 men and women Qatari nationals and long-term residents (individuals living in the country for ≥15 years) aged ≥18 years (approximately one-fifth of all Qatari citizens), to follow up these same individuals over the long term to record any subsequent disease, and hence to study the causes and progression of disease, and disease burden, in the Qatari population. Methods: Between the 11th-December-2012 and 20th-February-2014, 1209 participants were recruited into the pilot study of the Qatar Biobank. At recruitment, extensive phenotype information was collected from each participant, including information/measurements of socio-demographic factors, prevalent health conditions, diet, lifestyle, anthropometry, body composition, bone health, cognitive function, grip strength, retinal imaging, total body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and measurements of cardiovascular and respiratory function. Blood, urine, and saliva were collected and stored for future research use. A panel of 66 clinical biomarkers was routinely measured on fresh blood samples in all participants. Rates of recruitment are to be progressively increased in the coming period and the recruitment base widened to achieve a cohort of consented individuals broadly representative of the eligible Qatari population. In addition, it is planned to add additional measures in sub-samples of the cohort, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain, heart and abdomen. Results: The mean time for collection of the extensive phenotypic information and biological samples from each participant at the baseline recruitment visit was 179 min. The 1209 pilot study participants (506 men and 703 women) were aged between 28–80 years (median 39 years); 899 (74.4 %) were Qatari nationals and 310 (25.6 %) were long-term residents. Approximately two-thirds of pilot participants were educated to graduate level or above. Conclusions: The pilot has proven that recruitment of volunteers into the Qatar Biobank project with intensive baseline measurements of behavioural, physical, and clinical characteristics is well accepted and logistically feasible. Qatar Biobank will provide a powerful resource to investigate the major determinants of ill-health and well-being in Qatar, providing valuable insights into the current and future public health burden that faces the country.Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and the Supreme Council of Healt

A survey: medical health record data security based on interplanetary file system and blockchain technologies

The adoption of modern health records is growing more mature, yet security issues always accompany it. Interplanetary file system (IPFS) and blockchain are developing technologies with decentralization, distributed fault tolerance, and trustworthiness. Using IPFS and blockchain technology to tackle medical health record data security issues is a very promising trend, and it is presently being utilized to secure medical health record data security. This article first explains the idea of IPFS and highlights the classification of existing IPFS and blockchain techniques before briefly discussing distributed ledger to tackle the existing medical health record data security challenges and faults. Finally, to preserve medical health records, a new medical health record storage architectural model based on IPFS and blockchain technologies is presented

Ki67 expression in invasive breast cancer: the use of tissue microarrays compared with whole tissue sections.

BACKGROUND: Although the prognostic value of Ki67 in breast cancer is well documented, using optimal cut-points for patient stratification, reproducibility of the scoring and interpretation of the results remains a matter of debate particularly when using tissue microarrays (TMAs). This study aims to assess Ki67 expression assessed on TMAs and their matched whole tissue sections (WTS). Moreover, whether the cut-off used for WTS is reproducible on TMA in BC molecular classes and the association between Ki67 expression cut-off, assessed on TMAs and WTS, and clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome were tested. METHOD: A large series (n = 707) of primary invasive breast tumours were immunostained for Ki67 using both TMA and WTS and assessed as percentage staining and correlated with each other, clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome. In addition, MKI67 mRNA expression was correlated with Ki67 protein levels on WTS and TMAs in a subset of cases included in the METABRIC study. RESULTS: There was moderate concordance in Ki67 expression between WTS and TMA when analysed as a continuous variable (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.61) and low concordance when dichotomised (kappa value = 0.3). TMA showed low levels of Ki67 with mean percentage of expression of 35 and 22% on WTS and TMA, respectively. MKI67 mRNA expression was significantly correlated with protein expression determined on WTS (Spearman Correlation, r = 0.52) and to a lesser extent on TMA (r = 0.34) (p < 0.001). Regarding prediction of patient outcome, statistically significant differences were detected upon stratification of patients with tumours expressing Ki67 at 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30% in TMA. Using TMA, ≥20% Ki67 provided the best prognostic cut-off particularly in triple-negative and HER2-positive classes. CONCLUSION: Ki67 expression in breast cancer can be evaluated using TMA although different cut-points are required to emulate results from WTS. A cut-off of ≥20% for Ki67 expression in BC provides the best prognostic correlations when TMAs are used

Molecular Detection of Haemonchus spp Parasite in Human in Babylon Province, Iraq

Stool samples of 100 human were collected the diagnosis of Haemonchus worm in Babylon province usied Microscopic examination by PCR assay. The human were classified into sub-groups according to age, locality and sex in order to study association of these risk factors with rate of infection. The results showed, by using (PCR) based on detection 18srRNA gene to Haemonchus worm human stool samples that the persons was infected with this worm , and the infection rate was (32%) The rate of positive cases, infection was the highest in Western Hamza district and it was (40%), followed Al-Musayyab district was (34.61%), and the rate in Al-Qassim a District was (30%), whereas in Al Mahaweel district it was (20.83%), The present study showed no significant impact of geographical variation. The infection rate of Haemonchus worm for human in age group (41-60) was (43.75%) while in age group (21-40) was (38.46%), in age group (11-20) was (26.66%), and in age group (&lt; 10 years) was (20%), and the statistical analysis reveals that there was no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference in the infection rate of parasite between age intervals. This current study concluded the rate of infected male with Haemonchus worm was (40%) and females was (27.69%) Through the above, we found that the percentage of infection in females was greater than males, when results statistical analyzed showed there are no significant effect in infected rate at (P&gt;0.05) on sex. The study is the first in lraq to diagnosis the presence of Haemonchus worm in human in Iraq

Effect of Adding Corn Cobs Fermented with Ganoderma spp. to the Soil on Some Growth Indicators of Cucumber Plants

This study involved the isolation and identification of certain pathogenic agents causing seed rot, seedling death, and root rot in cucumber plants. The pathogens were isolated from infected cucumber plants, and their pathogenicity was tested. Their control was examined using the fleshy fungi G. applanatum and G. resinaceum. The results revealed significant differences among the fungal isolates obtained from cucumber plants, indicating a substantial effect on reducing the germination rate of cucumber seeds used in the study. The fungus F. oxysporum showed a significantly greater impact compared to the other fungal isolates, with a germination rate of 13.13%. The isolate R. solani followed, showing a germination rate of 16.13%, compared to the control treatment, which recorded a germination rate of 90%. The field experiment results demonstrated the superiority of the treatment (50% soil + 50% corn cobs fermented with G. resinaceum) combined with the pathogenic fungi in achieving the highest total phenolic content in the leaves, reaching 138.64 ppm. In comparison, the treatment (50% soil + 50% corn cobs fermented with G. applanatum) resulted in a total phenolic content of 137.47 ppm. Regarding the total glycoside content, the treatment (50% soil + 50% corn cobs fermented with G. resinaceum) in combination with the pathogenic fungi recorded the highest content, reaching 57.65 ppm. In the same treatment (50% soil + 50% corn inoculated with G. applanatum) the glycoside content was 56.91 ppm. Regarding peroxidase enzyme activity, the treatment with pathogenic fungi (50% soil + 50% corn cob fermented with G. racinaceum) produced the maximum peroxidase level at 20.23 ppm, which was significantly better than other treatments the , except the treatment ( 50% soil +). 50% G. applanatum), in which 19.67 ppm of peroxidase was recorded. Regarding total sugar content, the treatment (50% soil + 50% corn cobs fermented with G. resinaceum) combined with the pathogenic fungi recorded the highest total sugar content, reaching 7.89 ppm. This was significantly superior to the other treatments, except for the treatment (50% soil + 50% corn cobs fermented with G. applanatum), which recorded a total sugar content of 7.57 ppm.&nbsp