Tech Foundation

Timely care for open tibia fractures remains difficult in low-resource settings. We evaluated a task-sharing model in Malawi in which trained orthopedic clinical officers (OCOs) delivered external fixation supported by a remote quality assessment tool. We conducted a prospective implementation evaluation across one central and four district hospitals (May 2023-July 2024). The intervention bundled OR refurbishment assured external fixator supply, refresher training, mentoring (on-site and remote), national guideline reinforcement, and a novel Fracture Fixation Assessment Tool for External Fixation (FFATEF). OCOs submitted postoperative radiographs and construct photographs for scoring across four domains (reduction, stability, implantation, and surgical impression; total 0-12 and satisfactory ≥8). Nonparametric tests compared performance by the hospital type; temporal trends were assessed with Spearman correlation. Forty-seven patients (89% male and mean age 32.3years) were treated (central: n=28 and district: n=19). The central hospital managed more severe injuries (Gustilo IIIA/B 69.6% vs. 15.8%). Median FFATEF scores were higher at the central hospital (10.0 [IQR 9-11]) than district hospitals (6.0 [5, 6, 7, 8], p<0.001). Satisfactory scores (≥8) occurred in 93% of central versus 32% of district cases. Central scores improved over time (ρ=0.52; p=0.005) whereas district scores were unchanged (ρ=0.15; p=0.540). Preoperative antibiotic compliance was 100% at the central versus 47% at district hospitals. When embedded within integrated surgical teams and adequate infrastructure, task sharing for open fracture external fixation yielded satisfactory technical performance but lagged district-level implementation despite training. Comprehensive institutional support-mentoring intensity, equipment, supply chains, and referral adherence-is likely required for safe scale-up. Validation of FFATEF against clinical outcomes and economic evaluation of delivery models are priorities.

This work-in-progress introduces 6GTWIN: An Immersive Digital Twin Platform for 5G/6G and beyond Network Monitoring and Experimentation. This platform serves as a Proof of Concept for the use of Immersive Analytics and Digital Twins to provide a more tangible and understandable interface for natural interaction with 5G/6G network infrastructures. The platform provides analysts with a Geographical Information System and a Dashboard to interact with the network orchestrators API for remotely and automatically deploying physical 5G/6G end-to-end networks and edge networks with containerised applications. 6GTwin makes HTTP Requests to the API when interactions occur in the digital twin, reflecting its changes into the physical infrastructure. Furthermore, through a Web View integrated in the Immersive Experience, analysts can visualise Grafana Dashboards with metrics originating from the physical infrastructure.

The rapid expansion of digital platforms in higher education has paved the way for Virtual Exchange (VE) as a viable alternative to traditional student mobility programs. VE leverages online technologies to connect university students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds, enabling cross-cultural communication and global collaboration without the financial and geographical barriers associated with physical exchanges. Despite its potential, challenges remain regarding student engagement, technological limitations, and reduced immersion compared to face-to-face interactions. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VE in fostering intercultural awareness and teamwork skills among university students. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys to measure intercultural competence and collaboration with qualitative interviews to explore students’ experiences in depth. The findings indicate that VE contributes significantly to the development of intercultural understanding, digital literacy, and teamwork, with students reporting enhanced awareness of cultural diversity and improved adaptability in online collaboration. Visual and statistical analyses highlight clear patterns in how VE facilitates skill development, while qualitative data emphasize both the benefits and obstacles students encounter, such as managing time zone differences and cultural nuances. The study concludes that VE represents an inclusive and scalable educational approach that complements traditional exchange programs, offering broader access to global learning opportunities while addressing issues of equity and accessibility. However, its limitations suggest that VE should be integrated strategically, potentially through hybrid models that balance virtual and physical mobility to maximize its impact.

Maternal health outcomes in Nigeria remain among the poorest globally, particularly in northern states such as Zamfara, with socio-cultural factors playing pivotal roles in influencing women’s health-seeking behavior. This study explored how cultural norms, religious beliefs, gender roles, and traditional healthcare systems affect the utilization of maternal health services among women of reproductive age in Zamfara State. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 150 women through surveys and 12 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) sessions across three local government areas: Gusau, Kaura Namoda, and Anka. The findings revealed that early marriage, low level of women's autonomy, practice of spiritual healing, reliance on traditional birth attendants, and minimal male involvement, pose significant obstacles to accessing antenatal and skilled birth care. Even though there is an awareness of the advantages of formal healthcare, cultural preferences, financial limitations, and interpretations of religious beliefs affect women’s choices. The study recommends culturally sensitive health interventions, community engagement, and policy reforms to enhance maternal healthcare utilization.

ABSTRACT Monitoring the body condition of animals offers insights into their energetic needs, prey consumption, and vulnerability to environmental pressures. Southern hemisphere humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) depend on Antarctic krill for their annual energy requirements. Drone‐based photogrammetry was used to assess the energetic cost of migration and reproduction for breeding stock G humpback whales. Body measurements of 103 adult whales (2017–2019) were used to estimate body condition in Colombia (breeding ground) and the Western Antarctic Peninsula (feeding ground) and seasonal change was predicted. Humpback whales reached their peak body condition between early March and late May, and their lowest between late August and early December. The change in body condition was converted into losses of blubber volume, mass, lipid, energy, and ultimately the biomass of krill required to cover migration. On average, an adult humpback whale lost 36 percentage points of its body condition over the migration, equivalent to 12 m 3 or 11,000 kg of blubber tissue, 5000 kg of lipid, 196,000,000 kJ or 57,000 kg of Antarctic krill. By linking migration and reproductive energy costs to krill biomass, our findings provide critical ecological context for understanding how environmental changes such as krill population fluctuations could impact whale populations.

Are current artificial intelligence (AI) research methodologies ready to create successful, productive, and profitable AI applications? This work presents a case study on an industrial AI use case called false call reduction for automated optical inspection to demonstrate the shortcomings of current best practices. We identify seven weaknesses prevalent in related peer-reviewed work and experimentally show their consequences. We show that the best-practice methodology would fail for this use case. We argue amongst others for the necessity of requirement-aware metrics to ensure achieving business objectives, clear definitions of success criteria, and a thorough analysis of temporal dynamics in experimental datasets. Our work encourages researchers to critically assess their methodologies for more successful applied AI research.

Abstract Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients often exhibit an increase in their intracranial volume due to blood collection or brain tissue edema, affecting the intracranial compliance. When the volume of any intracranial compartment exceeds a critical threshold, the compensatory mechanisms become overwhelmed, compromising intracranial compliance and blood supply, which leads to Intracranial Compartment Syndrome (ICCS). This condition exacerbates brain damage through secondary injury. When less aggressive measures to treat ICCS are insufficient, cranial decompression is recommended, with decompressive craniectomy (DC) currently being the preferred technique. Although its effectiveness has been demonstrated, DC is also associated with a high incidence of complications, including cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) disturbances and surgical site infections. Expansive craniotomy (EC) has been proposed as an alternative that leverages the benefits of cranial decompression provided by DC while reducing the associated adverse effects. The E-SPACE clinical study is a prospective, multicenter, observational, comparative-effectiveness study enrolling adult TBI patients diagnosed with ICCS who require cranial decompression. This multicenter comparative-effectiveness observational study will compare the functional outcomes and complications associated with DC and EC over a 12-month period.