Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Appraising project performance and Total Quality Management (TQM) practices in the Libyan oil and gas sector

The aim of this study was to appraise project performance and Total Quality Management (TQM) in the Libyan oil and gas sector. In achieving this aim , the study developed five objectives which are: to review current definitions and models of Project Performance in relation to theory and practices, to examine current definitions and models of TQM in a project context, to identify methodological norms in this research domain and propose a way forward , to analyse the interrelationship between TQM principles and project performance practices for oil and gas industry related projects and, finally, to model and propose the predictive value of TQM principles that could be used to enhance project management performance in the Libyan oil and gas industry. The research adopted a mixed methods approach. An extensive literature review was conducted on the history of the oil and gas industry, review of the energy sector in Libya, socio-economic development in Libya, social context and human development in Libya, the current practice in the Libyan energy sector, the importance of TQM, leaders in the Quality Management movement, TQM and performance, project and PM performance and TQM and PM performance. A conceptual framework was developed from the literature. Subsequently, twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with project managers and professionals from three oil and gas companies from different categories of the oil and gas industry. The conceptual framework was improved after the analysis of interview findings, and then a questionnaire was used to launch the next stage of the study. One hundred and thirty-one questionnaires were analysed by SPSS V16 in order to examine the relationship between TQM practices and project performance in the Libyan oil and gas industry related projects, and to predict the model of TQM practices to project performance in the Libyan oil and gas related projects. Key findings of this research were that there was a positive significant relationship between TQM practices and project performance in oil and gas-related projects, and the interesting finding was that the hard TQM practices have more impact on Project Management Performance (PM performance) than the soft practices. Additionally, the predictive models were developed and the highest had a value of (R2=0.776). Consequently, this research has made an important contribution to PM performance in the oil and gas industry by developing a framework of TQM practices that positively impact on PM performance. The practical applications of this research mean that managers can focus on those practices to achieve maximum PM performance in the oil and gas industry. The study highlights opportunities for future research including more in-depth exploration of the TQM practices in other oil and gas industry categories as well as the impact of the interrelationships of the practices on insights into PM performance.
Integrated review of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of maternity health care professionals concerning umbilical cord clamping

Abstract Background Umbilical cord clamp timing has implications for newborn health, which include increased iron stores up to 6 months of age. National and International cord clamping guidelines differ as do health professionals' practices. The rationale for differences in cord clamping practice is unclear. Aims and objective Studies on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of maternity health care professionals about cord clamp timing were synthesized. Similarities and differences between professional groups and understanding of the optimal timing of cord clamp timing for term newborns were compared. Methods An integrative review was undertaken. PubMed, Scopus, MIDIRS, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were searched. Publication date limits were set between January 2007 and December 2020. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) tools. Results Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria, as they included primary research studies that investigated maternity health care professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about umbilical cord clamping, and were written in English. Four main subject areas were identified: a) knowledge of optimal cord clamp timing; b) attitudes and perceptions of early vs deferred cord clamping; c) cord clamping practice; and d) rationale for cord clamping practice. Conclusions Different attitudes and practices were identified between midwifery and medical professionals in relation to cord clamp timing together with health professional knowledge and practice gaps pertaining to optimal cord clamp timing. Contemporary evidence should inform guidelines for clinical practice and be embedded into maternity health professional curricula and professional development programs.
One-dimensional acoustic potential landscapes guide the neurite outgrowth and affect the viability of B35 neuroblastoma cells

On the way towards neuronal stimulation and signalling, standing surface acoustic waves (SSAWs) have become a widely used technique to create well-defined networks of living cells in vitro during the past years. An overall challenge in this research area is to maintain cell viability in long-term treatments long enough to observe changes in cellular functions. To close this gap, we here investigate SSAW-directed neurite outgrowth of B35 (neuroblastoma) cells in microchannels on LiNbO3 chips, employing one-dimensional pulsed and continuous MHz-order SSAW signals at different intensities for up to 40 h. To increase the efficiency of future investigations, we explore the limits of applicable SSAW parameters by quantifying their viability and proliferation behaviour in this long-term setup. While cell viability is impaired for power levels above 15 dBm (32 mW), our investigations on SSAW-directed neurite outgrowth reveal a significant increase of neurites growing in preferential directions by up to 31.3% after 30 h of SSAW treatment.
Water deficit affects inter‐kingdom microbial connections in plant rhizosphere

Summary The frequency and severity of drought are increasing due to anthropogenic climate change and are already limiting cropping system productivity in many regions around the world. Few microbial groups within plant microbiomes can potentially contribute towards the fitness and productivity of their hosts under abiotic stress events including water deficits. However, microbial communities are complex and integrative work considering the multiple co‐existing groups of organisms is needed to better understand how the entire microbiome responds to environmental stresses. We hypothesize that water deficit stress will differentially shape bacterial, fungal, and protistan microbiome composition and influence inter‐kingdom microbial interactions in the rhizospheres of corn and sugar beet. We used amplicon sequencing to profile bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities in corn and sugar beet rhizospheres grown under irrigated and water deficit conditions. The water deficit treatment had a stronger influence than host species on bacterial composition, whereas the opposite was true for protists. These results indicate that different microbial kingdoms have variable responses to environmental stress and host factors. Water deficit also influenced intra‐ and inter‐kingdom microbial associations, wherein the protist taxa formed a separate cluster under water deficit conditions. Our findings help elucidate the influence of environmental and host drivers of bacterial, fungal, and protistan community assembly and co‐occurrence in agricultural rhizosphere environments.
The Use of Social Media as a Persuasive Platform to Facilitate Nutrition and Health Behavior Change in Young Adults: Web-Based Conversation Study

Background Globally, suboptimal dietary choices are a leading cause of noncommunicable diseases. Evidence for effective interventions to address these behaviors, particularly in young adults, is limited. Given the substantial time young adults spend in using social media, there is interest in understanding the current and potential role of these platforms in shaping dietary behavior. Objective This study aims to explore the influence of social media on young adults’ dietary behaviors. Methods We recruited 234 young adults aged 18-24 years and living in Australia, using market and social research panels. We applied a digital ethnography approach to collect data from web-based conversations in a series of forums, where participants responded to different health-themed questions related to health behavior change and persuasion on social media. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis. Results Participants described how social media influenced their decisions to change their health behaviors. Access to social support and health information through web-based communities was juxtaposed with exposure to highly persuasive fast-food advertisements. Some participants expressed that exposure to web-based health-focused content induced feelings of guilt about their behavior, which was more prominent among women. Fast-food advertisements were discussed as a contributor to poor health behaviors and indicated as a major barrier to change. Conclusions Young adults reported that social media is highly persuasive toward dietary behavior through different pathways of social influence. This suggests that social norms on the web are an important aspect of changing young adults’ health behaviors. The commercialization of social media also encourages poor health behaviors, largely through fast-food advertisements. Future social media–delivered dietary interventions should acknowledge the social and environmental factors that challenge the ability of young adults to make individual health behavior improvements. Care should also be taken to ensure that future interventions do not further elicit guilt in a way that contributes to poor mental health within this community.
Species traits explain public perceptions of human-bird interactions.

The impacts of urbanization on bird biodiversity depend on human-environment interactions that drive land management. Although a commonly studied group, less attention has been given to public perceptions of birds close to home, which can capture people's direct, everyday experiences with urban biodiversity. Here, we used ecological and social survey data collected in the metropolitan region of Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. , to determine how species traits are related to people's perceptions of local bird communities. We used a trait-based approach to classify birds by attributes that may influence human-bird interactions, including color, size, foraging strata, diet, song, and cultural niche space based on popularity and geographic specificity. Our classification scheme using hierarchical clustering identified four trait categories, labeled as Metropolitan (grey, loud, seedeaters foraging low to ground), Familiar (yellow/brown generalist species commonly present in suburban areas), Distinctive (species with distinguishing appearance and song), and Hummingbird (hummingbird species, small and colorful). Strongly held beliefs about positive or negative traits were also more consistent than ambivalent ones. The belief that birds were colorful and unique to the regional desert environment was particularly important in fortifying perceptions. People largely perceived hummingbird species and birds with distinctive traits positively. Likewise, urban-dwelling birds from the metropolitan trait group were related to negative perceptions, likely due to human-wildlife conflict. Differences arose across sociodemographics (including income, age, education, and Hispanic/Latinx identity), but explained a relatively low amount of variation in perceptions as compared to the bird traits present in the neighborhood. Our results highlight how distinctive aesthetics, especially color and song, as well as traits related to foraging and diet drive perceptions. Increasing people's direct experiences with iconic species tied to the region and species with distinguishing attributes has the potential to improve public perceptions and strengthen support for broader conservation initiatives in and beyond urban ecosystems.
Pilot evaluation of a home‐based multi‐sensory cognitive stimulation intervention for older people with dementia and caregiver dyads during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Introduction: The impact of the current pandemic on people with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers has been profound. The lockdown and dyadic relationship. The findings of this study contributed to existing research on pandemic periods, when home- based interventions are favoured. home- based caregiver- delivered intervention among Hong Kong Chinese PWD and caregiver dyads. Its findings can contribute to existing research on times of pandemic, when home- based non-pharmacological interventions are favoured.
The influence of Chinese herbal medicines on cancer‐related pressure ulcer wound, fatigue, constipation, and anorexia: A meta‐analysis

We performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the influence of Chinese herbal medicines on cancer‐related pressure ulcer wounds, fatigue, constipation, and anorexia. A systematic literature search up to March 2022 was done and 25 studies included 1777 subjects with cancer‐related symptoms at the start of the study; 953 of them were provided with Chinese herbal medicines and 824 were control. They were reporting relationships about the influence of Chinese herbal medicines on cancer‐related pressure ulcer wounds, fatigue, constipation, and anorexia. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the influence of Chinese herbal medicines on cancer‐related pressure ulcer wounds, fatigue, constipation, and anorexia using the dichotomous method with a random or fixed‐effect model. Chinese herbal medicines had significantly higher effectiveness in treating pressure ulcer wound (OR, 5.94; 95% CI, 3.94‐8.95, P < .001), fatigue (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.78‐4.41, P < .001), and effectiveness on treating constipation (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.57‐4.25, P < .001) compared to control in subjects with cancer‐related symptoms. However, Chinese herbal medicines had no significant effect on treating anorexia (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 0.61‐4.66, P = .31) compared to control in subjects with cancer‐related symptoms. Chinese herbal medicines had significantly higher effectiveness in treating pressure ulcer wound, treating pressure ulcer wound, fatigue, and constipation compared to control in subjects with cancer‐related symptoms. However, Chinese herbal medicines had no significant effect on the effectiveness of treating anorexia compared to control in subjects with cancer‐related symptoms. Further studies are required to validate these findings.
The Effects of False Identification Laws with a Scanner Provision on Underage Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities

We examine the effects of policies aimed at restricting the use of false identification to purchase alcohol on alcohol-related fatal traffic accidents involving underage drivers. We find that the implementation of policies that incentivize alcohol retailers to adopt ID scanners reduces alcohol- related fatal accidents among 16-18 year olds, but we do not find that similar policies like vertical ID laws lead to statistically significant changes in underage alcohol-related fatal crashes. We run a number of specification and falsification tests, and a back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that if all remaining states passed these ID scanner laws, the reduction in underage alcohol- related fatal accidents among 16-18 year olds would generate nearly $270 million in annual economic benefits.
The Behavioral Phenotype of 7q11.23 Duplication Syndrome Includes Risk for Oppositional Behavior and Aggression

ABSTRACT: Objective: 7q11.23 duplication syndrome (Dup7) is a genetic disorder with a variable phenotype associated with cognitive and behavioral characteristics including a high incidence of expressive language difficulties, social anxiety, and oppositional or disruptive behavior. Correlates of aggression and oppositionality were examined. Method: Participants were 63 children with genetically confirmed Dup7 between the ages of 4 and 17 years. A multimethod, multi-informant approach was used to assess aggression and oppositional behavior, and the contributions of cognitive functioning, expressive language, autism spectrum, social anxiety, and hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I) symptomatology were considered. Results: Elevated levels of aggression and oppositional behavior were found. Cognitive functioning, expressive language, and autism spectrum disorder symptomatology were not significantly related to parent ratings of aggression, although young children who had language and nonverbal cognitive delays were most likely to demonstrate examiner-observed aggression. Social anxiety and H/I symptomatology were related to defiant/aggressive and oppositional behavior. Conclusion: Genes in the 7q11.23 region duplicated in Dup7, in transaction with the environment, may contribute to aggressive and oppositional behavior.
A discussion on IGBT short-circuit behavior and fault protection schemes

IGBTs are available with short-circuit withstand times approaching those of bipolar transistors. These IGBTs can therefore be protected by the same relatively slow-acting circuitry. The more efficient IGBTs, however, have lower short-circuit withstand times. While protection of these types of IGBTs is not difficult, it does require a reassessment of the traditional protection methods used for bipolar transistors. An in-depth discussion on the behavior of IGBTs under different short-circuit conditions is carried out and the effects of various parameters on permissible short-circuit time are analyzed. The paper also rethinks the problem of providing short-circuit protection in relation to the special characteristics of the most efficient IGBTs. The pros and cons of some of the existing protection circuits are discussed and, based on the recommendations, a protection scheme is implemented to demonstrate that reliable short-circuit protection of these types of IGBTs can be achieved without difficulty in a PWM power convertor motor drive application. >
COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among health care workers in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) vaccine acceptance, and hesitancy amongst Health Care Workers (HCWs) on the African continent have been examined through observational studies. However, there are currently no comprehensive reviews among these cadre of population in Africa. Hence, we aimed to review the acceptance rate and possible reasons for COVID-19 vaccine non-acceptance/hesitancy amongst HCWs in Africa. Methods We searched Medline/PubMed, Google Scholar, and Africa Journal Online from January, 2020 to September, 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment tool adapted for cross-sectional studies was used to assess the quality of the retrieved studies. DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model was used to pool the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate. Sub-group and sensitivity analyses were performed. Reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were also systematically analyzed. Results Twenty-one (21) studies were found to be eligible for review out of the 513 initial records. The estimated pooled COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 46% [95% CI: 37%-54%]. The pooled estimated COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 37% [95% CI: 27%-47%] in North Africa, 28% [95% CI: 20%-36%] in Central Africa, 48% [CI: 38%-58%] in West Africa, 49% [95% CI: 30%-69%] in East Africa, and 90% [CI: 85%-96%] in Southern Africa. The estimated pooled vaccine acceptance was 48% [95% CI:38%-57%] for healthcare workers, and 34% [95% CI:29%-39%] for the healthcare students. Major drivers and reasons were the side effects of the vaccine, vaccine’s safety, efficacy and effectiveness, short duration of the clinical trials, COVID-19 infections, limited information, and social trust. Conclusion The data revealed generally low acceptance of the vaccine amongst HCWs across Africa. The side effects of the vaccine, vaccine’s safety, efficacy and effectiveness, short duration of the clinical trials, COVID-19 infections, limited information, and social trust were the major reasons for COVID-19 hesitancy in Africa. The misconceptions and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance amongst HCWs must be addressed as soon as possible in the continent to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in Africa.
Antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants induced by four different SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in health care workers in the Netherlands: A prospective cohort study

Background Emerging and future SARS-CoV-2 variants may jeopardize the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns. Therefore, it is important to know how the different vaccines perform against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants. Methods and findings In a prospective cohort of 165 SARS-CoV-2 naive health care workers in the Netherlands, vaccinated with either one of four vaccines (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, AZD1222 or Ad26.COV2.S), we performed a head-to-head comparison of the ability of sera to recognize and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs; Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron). Repeated serum sampling was performed 5 times during a year (from January 2021 till January 2022), including before and after booster vaccination with BNT162b2. Four weeks after completing the initial vaccination series, SARS-CoV-2 wild-type neutralizing antibody titers were highest in recipients of mRNA-1273, followed by recipients of BNT162b2 (geometric mean titers (GMT) of 358 [95% CI 231–556] and 214 [95% CI 153–299], respectively; p<0.05), and substantially lower in those vaccinated with the adenovirus vector-based vaccines AZD1222 and Ad26.COV2. S (GMT of 18 [95% CI 11–30] and 14 [95% CI 8–25] IU/ml, respectively; p<0.001). VOCs neutralization was reduced in all vaccine groups, with the greatest reduction in neutralization GMT observed against the Omicron variant (fold change 0.03 [95% CI 0.02–0.04], p<0.001). The booster BNT162b2 vaccination increased neutralizing antibody titers for all groups with substantial improvement against the VOCs including the Omicron variant. We used linear regression and linear mixed model analysis. All results were adjusted for possible confounding of age and sex. Study limitations include the lack of cellular immunity data. Conclusions Overall, this study shows that the mRNA vaccines appear superior to adenovirus vector-based vaccines in inducing neutralizing antibodies against VOCs four weeks after initial vaccination and after booster vaccination, which implies the use of mRNA vaccines for both initial and booster vaccination.