This study introduces a cross-country comparative analysis of the role of News Ombudsperson in the public media corporations in Spain and France. It investigates the specific media self-regulatory processes established to reduce reputational risks and increase the trust and credibility of the media organisations. It aims to fill in the gaps in prior research by applying a qualitative framework developed using indicators derived from scholarly work on regulation and governance and media management. The variables selected for the analysis are extracted from prior interdisciplinary research and focus on media self-regulatory processes, complaints management mechanisms, election, reporting procedures, checks and balances, roles, visibility and transparency of News Ombudspersons in two countries which represent the Polarised Pluralist media system category. Research questions are raised in relation to the main variables identified for the comparative analysis. Data were collected from multiple publicly available international sources, including public media organizations databases, national media regulatory authorities, and academic studies. Results reveal cross-country variations. The systematic investigation of different forms of self-regulatory procedures might lead to concrete recommendations and best practice models for media organizations beyond the European Union. Further research could address the role of media audiences as relevant stakeholders in media governance processes.

Online shopping has eliminated the need to visit physical commercial centres. As a result, trips to these centres have shifted from primarily shopping-motives to leisure, companionship, and dining. The shifting in consumer behaviour is implicated in the growing spatial agglomeration of restaurants/cafes within commercial centres in European cities. Conversely, in southern cities, various casual restaurants/cafes also serve as leisure and companionship hubs. However, their spatial patterns are less explained. This article aims to elucidate the spatial pattern of these diverse restaurants/cafes in a typical southern city, Surabaya City. In this study, we employ the term ‘food services’ to encompass the various types of restaurants/cafes found in southern cities. We gather Points of Interest (POIs) data about food services via web scraping on Google Maps, then map out their spatial distribution across 116 spatial units of Surabaya City. Utilising k-means cluster analysis, we classify these 116 spatial units into six distinct clusters based on the composition of food service variants. Our findings show that City Centres and Sub-City Centres are locations for different types of restaurants/cafes. The City Centre is typically a location for fine dining restaurants and cafes, whereas Sub-City Centres are locations for fast casual dining and fast food restaurants. Cafes and fast food restaurants are centralised throughout downtown areas. Casual food service restaurants, such as casual style dining, coffee shops, and food stalls, are dispersed along business, residential zones, and periphery areas without intense domination of any specific variant.

Given the heavy workload faced by teachers, automatic speaking scoring systems provide essential support. This study aims to consolidate technological configurations of automatic scoring systems for spontaneous L2 English, drawing from literature published between 2014 and 2024. The focus will be on the architecture of the automatic speech recognition model and the scoring model, as well as on features used to evaluate phonological competence, linguistic proficiency, and task completion. By synthesizing these elements, the study seeks to identify potential research areas, as well as provide a foundation for future research and practical applications in software engineering.

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different organic nutrient solutions and day of harvest on growth parameters, biomass and chemical composition of hydroponically grown sorghum red fodder. The experiment was a 3 × 2 factorial design comprising of 3 nutrient solutions (cattle, poultry and rabbit) and 2 harvesting regimes (8th and 10th day). Cattle, poultry and rabbit dungs were collected fresh and processed into nutrient solutions. Sorghum red seeds were treated, planted on trays, and irrigated twice per day with organic nutrient solution according to the treatments. Growth parameters which were investigated included fodder mat thickness, seedling height, leaf length and width, number of leaves, fresh and dry matter yield; and proximate composition. The results showed that sorghum red fodder irrigated with cattle manure nutrient solution (NS) harvested at 10 days was higher in all, except one (fodder mat thickness) of the growth parameters considered. The crude protein (CP) was highest and similar (P > 0.05) for Poultry NS harvested at 8 and 10 days, and Cattle NS at 10 days (13.13%, 12.67%, and 12.69% respectively). The ash content also favored Cattle NS at 10 days. Cattle NS at 10 days harvest was significantly (P < 0.05) the highest (7.00%), but comparable (P > 0.05) with Rabbit NS at 10 days for NDF. Fresh and DM yields were highest for Cattle harvested at 10 and 8 days respectively. The study recommends Cattle NS as hydroponic organic NS for sorghum red as it enhances fresh and dry matter yields, and nutritive values.

After the oil and economic boom of the 20th century, Doha experienced significant development in terms of the architectural scene, design, function, and sociocultural transformations. The advancements in global architecture have facilitated innovative and streamlined construction processes, while creating a paradigm shift in the overall architecture of dwellings and how people navigate around the house. In this context, this research aims to study the impact of globalization on housing typologies and the factors influencing their evolution, focusing on the city of Doha as a case study. This study is based on a qualitative research approach that centers its investigation on Doha while exploring strategies for preserving Arabic-Islamic identity. The research investigation used a content analysis methodology to analyze three additional case studies within the MENA region. The results indicate that new housing typologies have emerged in cities due to globalization and changes in physical and sociocultural dimensions. In addition, preserving older neighborhoods and housing typologies through a bottom-up approach is essential for design creativity and climatic and sociocultural sensitivity while exchanging knowledge and sharing experiences between generations. Furthermore, this article promotes heritage awareness and encourages local authorities to preserve Doha’s surviving historic neighborhoods and architectural language to restore the city’s urban identity. The findings of this research can provide helpful guidance to architects and urban planners on how Doha’s housing has developed until the contemporary period.

Recent technological advances in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering have spurred interest in biopolymers for various biomedical applications. The advantage of biopolymers is their favorable characteristics for these applications, among which proteins are of particular importance. Proteins are explored widely for 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering applications, wound healing, drug delivery systems, implants, etc., and the proteins mainly available include collagen, gelatin, albumin, zein, etc. Zein is a plant protein abundantly present in corn endosperm, and it is about 80% of total corn protein. It is a highly renewable source, and zein has been reported to be applicable in different industrial applications. Lately, it has gained attention in biomedical applications. This research interest in zein is on account of its biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and certain unique physico-chemical properties. Zein comes under the GRAS category and is considered safe for biomedical applications. The hydrophobic nature of this protein gives it an added advantage and has wider applications in drug delivery. This review focuses on details about zein protein, its properties, and potential applications in biomedical sectors.