Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Co-infections in COVID-19 patients and correlation with mortality rate. Minireview.

Purpose The goal of our review was to gather information on the most important community-acquired and hospital-acquired co-infections among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, and to examine not only the effect of these co-infections on disease outcomes but also to identify the possible risk factors that predispose COVID-19 patients to co-infections. Methods Medline (PubMed) and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles published between January 1st, 2020, and September 31st, 2021, on the topic of co-infections among COVID-19 patients. Results Among community-acquired and hospital-acquired co-infections, bacterial and fungal co-infections are equally frequent, followed by viral co-infections that affected a relatively smaller portion of patients. Overall, co-infections were more frequent in the hospital than at the community level. Risk factors for acquiring co-infections include male gender, longer length of hospital stay, presence of supportive treatment, such as ventilation, the admission to intensive care units, the administration of medications, such as steroids or antibiotics, and certain blood parameters, such as high C-reactive protein or lymphopenia. The presence of co-infections could aggravate the COVID-19 disease severity, prolong the healing time of patients, and lead to worse disease outcomes overall. Conclusion Co-infections may increase the mortality of COVID-19 patients, especially in the hospital setting. Paying closer attention to hygiene, adhering to diagnostic and therapeutic protocols, implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs could decrease the occurrence of co-infections and lead to improved outcomes for COVID-19 patients.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation during Respiratory Pandemics: Past, Present, and Future

The role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the management of severe acute respiratory failure, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, has become better defined in recent years in light of emerging high-quality evidence and technological advances. Use of ECMO has consequently increased throughout many parts of the world. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, however, has highlighted deficiencies in organizational capacity, research capability, knowledge sharing, and resource use. Although governments, medical societies, hospital systems, and clinicians were collectively unprepared for the scope of this pandemic, the use of ECMO, a highly resource-intensive and specialized form of life support, presented specific logistical and ethical challenges. As the pandemic has evolved, there has been greater collaboration in the use of ECMO across centers and regions, together with more robust data reporting through international registries and observational studies. Nevertheless, centralization of ECMO capacity is lacking in many regions of the world, and equitable use of ECMO resources remains uneven. There are no widely available mechanisms to conduct large-scale, rigorous clinical trials in real time. In this critical care review, we outline lessons learned during COVID-19 and prior respiratory pandemics in which ECMO was used, and we describe how we might apply these lessons going forward, both during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in the future.
Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination uptake among community members in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional online survey

Objective Vaccination is recognised as the most effective approach to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the long run. However, the global vaccination uptake is still suboptimal. Although a considerable number of studies have focused on factors influencing intention or acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination, few explore the factors that affect actual vaccination uptake. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination uptake among the general public in a developed country. Design A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between June and August 2021. Setting and participants Community members in Hong Kong were recruited through convenient and snowball sampling to complete an anonymous online survey. Outcome measures The outcomes of this study included participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, vaccination status and perceived impact of COVID-19, and their attitudes towards COVID-19. Results A total of 358 valid questionnaires were received. The results showed that 50.8% of the participants received two doses of the vaccine. Multivariable logistic regression analysis suggested that the participants’ vaccination uptake was associated with their jobs affected by COVID-19, had an income source, perceived good/excellent physical health status, perceived COVID-19 exposure, perceived good/excellent knowledge of COVID-19, learnt about the vaccine from printed materials and perceived that their family members were at risk of contracting COVID-19. Conclusions This is one of the first few cross-sectional studies that explored factors associated with the actual vaccination uptake of the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results can provide insights for formulating strategies to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in developed countries.
Multi-criteria decision making methods for rural water supply: a case study from Bangladesh

Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) is a process of evaluating alternatives against relevant decision making criteria. Several methods are available to facilitate the evaluation steps. This paper deals with a rural water supply problem in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Three different MCDM methods – weighted summation, analytical hierarchy process, and novel approach to imprecise assessment and decision environments – were used to evaluate the suitable water supply alternative. The ranking of alternatives obtained from these MCDM techniques produced similar results. Among five water supply alternatives evaluated, rainwater harvesting systems and deep tube wells scored first and second, respectively, for all three evaluation methods. In addition, sensitivity analyses were carried out for the MCDM techniques and these results did not show drastic variations either. This finding implies that while selection of MCDM technique is important, when evaluating similar problems more emphasis should be given to defining the problem comprehensively and thus selecting the relevant criteria and priorities to factor into the decision problem.
Relationship-Quality Judgment Model for Construction Project Procurement: A Conjoint Measurement

AbstractRelationship quality as a measure of working relationships in construction has been associated with four general attributes of trust, commitment, teamwork, and performance satisfaction. These attributes have been previously explored and identified within New Zealand construction sector. However, much ambiguity remains as to what are the values or preference of parties involved in construction project procurement and how the attributes are traded-off in real decision making processes. Basically how do the industry practitioners judge their relationship quality based on the four mentioned attributes. Data is collected from New Zealand industry practitioners through a conjoint full profile questionnaire technique. Via conjoint and cluster analysis a judgment model for relationship quality is extracted. The overall aggregate conjoint analysis suggests that performance satisfaction is the most important attribute in judging relationship quality in construction activities. The other three attributes als.
Prompsit’s Submission to the IWSLT 2018 Low Resource Machine Translation Task

This paper presents Prompsit Language Engineering’s submission to the IWSLT 2018 Low Resource Machine Translation task. Our submission is based on cross-lingual learning: a multilingual neural machine translation system was created with the sole purpose of improving translation quality on the Basque-to-English language pair. The multilingual system was trained on a combination of in-domain data, pseudo in-domain data obtained via cross-entropy data selection and backtranslated data. We morphologically segmented Basque text with a novel approach that only requires a dictionary such as those used by spell checkers and proved that this segmentation approach outperforms the widespread byte pair encoding strategy for this task.
Factors driving website success – the key role of Internet customisation and the influence of website design quality and Internet marketing strategy

In the age of the digital economy, companies need a greater understanding of how they can add value to consumers through their websites. This research uses the concept of Internet marketing theory to understand the path to website success (WSS), and uses a Structure Equation Model to build an integrated cause-effect relationship model for WSS, in order to explore Internet customisation (IC), website design quality, and Internet marketing strategy (IMS); which have been identified as key drivers of a WSS by previous research. To provide a deeper analysis this research also tests for intervening variables that affect a WSS. The results confirm that all three variables positively influence WSS, and show that IMS is an intervening variable between IC and WSS. From a practical perspective, this research shows that businesses must engage in IC planning and create IMS to attract consumers to browse and purchase products from their website.
Agronomic traits, secondary metabolites and element concentrations of Lavandula angustifolia leaves as a response to single or reiterated drought stress: How effective is the previously experienced stress?

Abstract In nature, plants are constantly challenged by an array of drought episodes, which critically affect the distribution of the plants. The drought episodes might occur recurrently, so the plants endure drought by adjusting and shifting their metabolisms. The impacts of subjecting plants to drought stress have been widely investigated, but reports on how reiterated drought stress affects the plants are limited. The present study was designed to investigate the response of lavender, a reputed medicinal and aromatic plant, against single drought, recovery and reiterated drought stress at greenhouse conditions. In this regard, the experimental design was based on three cycles of 11 days of drought by withholding water, followed by subsequent periods of 6 days of recovery, and then double-stressed and single-stressed periods. As expected, the present findings revealed that single stress decreased the fresh and dry weights of the leaf, stem and root. Reiterated drought stress caused critical reductions in the fresh weight of the leaf, stem and root, while the dry weight of stem and root were not significantly affected. Of the estimated traits, only the dry weight of leaf increased with reiterated drought stress. The mineral status of the leaves was adversely affected with single stress, but the effects of recovery and reiterated stress were not in accordance with the improvement in water contents of the leaf and soil. Regarding essential oil compounds, eucalyptol, camphor and endo-borneol were predominant. Single and reiterated drought stress increased camphor percentage, while recovery and full irrigation decreased the percentage. Endo-borneol was decreased under single stress, but reiterated stress increased the percentage of the compound. Considering the phenolic acids, stressed and non-stressed groups were well discriminated and hence, phenolic acids might be useful as good indicators of the stress response in lavender.
An Overview of the Biosurfactants Enhanced Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

The alarming rate of oil spills is escalating by each passing day. Oil spills have affected humans, marine animals and birds. These spills expand in the mean time and become an alarming threat for various lives present surrounding that particular ecosystem. The contamination causes skin irritation, respiratory disorders, and hereditary diseases in case of humans whereas the oil coats the feathers of the birds and causes distorting issues in flying. The reproduction and nesting time of these birds also get affected. Similarly, the delicate relationships of marine organisms get disrupted and the food gets contaminated. Biosurfactants are the surface active biomolecules present in microorganisms. In recent years, biosurfactants have earned a great attention as they hold the potential of emulsifying and biodegrade the crude oil. This study aims to address the types, properties, mechanism of action and production of biosurfactants from microorganisms.
A National Study on the Relationship Between Programmatic Factors and Athletic Training Education Board of Certification Pass Rates

In athletic training education, the first-time Board of Certification (BOC) pass rate is a significant marker of a program's success, and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and requires programs to maintain a first-time 3-year aggregate BOC examination pass rate over 70% (Standard 11). Published research on BOC pass rates on professional master's (PM) programs is limited. Therefore, it is essential to identify modifiable factors that have a relationship with first-time pass rates. The aim of this study aim was to investigate the relationships between programmatic factors and the first-time BOC pass rate for PM athletic training students while controlling for student and institutional factors. This study is necessary to fill the literature gap and identify PM programmatic factors that may be significant in predicting student success in PM athletic training programs. Cross-section study. A multiple regression analysis of program-level data that captured student, programmatic, and institutional factors obtained from the deidentified CAATE data was conducted on 77 PM athletic training programs in the 2018–2019 reporting year. Independent variables included in the study were institutional type, admissions selectivity, cohort diversity, clinical immersion hours per week, students per core faculty member, students per lab faculty member, percent doctoral faculty, and total spending on professional development. The dependent variable was the programmatic 1-year, first-time BOC pass rate. A significant positive relationship was found between admissions selectivity, clinical immersion hours per week, percentage of doctoral faculty, and total amount spent on professional development and 1-year, first-time BOC program pass rates. These results suggest that increased programmatic investments into development of faculty and the evaluation of the clinical immersive experience may help programs increase their first-time BOC pass rate.
Effect of financial capability on customer relationship management in private hospitals in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of financial capability on customer relationship management in private hospitals in Kenya. The study adopted descriptive survey design. It targeted 161 private hospitals which are accredited by NHIF in Kenya and which formed the unit of analysis of the study. Simple random sampling was then be used to obtain the 644 respondents. The researcher utilized a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale to gather the data. The collected data was coded and entered in SPSS for further analysis. Descriptive and inferential analysis was conducted. The findings indicate there was a statistical and significant relationship between financial capabilities and customer relationship management. Financial capabilities explained 48.5% of the variability in customer relationship management in private hospitals. Hospitals should plan ahead forecast on financial emerging issues to avoid financial distress. Good governance is critical in an organization because it enables flexible adjustments to the emerging spending patterns as strategic demands arise.
The Impact of University-Related Variables on Students’ Perceived Employability and Mental Well-Being: An Italian Longitudinal Study

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a disruptive impact on the academic context and labor market. Indeed, the pandemic shock in such fields has been related to several changes with implications for young people’s careers and well-being. This two-wave longitudinal study, conducted in Italy, aimed to explore the predictiveness of some individual and organizational factors on students’ perceived employability and well-being. A total of 301 Italian students, aged between 18 and 33 (M = 20.63, SD = 1.99), completed a self-report questionnaire measuring career ambition, university reputation, university commitment, technostress related to technology-enhanced learning, perceived employability, and mental well-being at both time points. A path analysis showed that career ambition, university reputation, and organizational commitment positively predicted employability, which, in addition to such variables, positively affected well-being. In contrast, technostress was identified as a risk factor both for students’ perceptions of finding a job and for their well-being. These findings provide a theoretical contribution to a better understanding of the factors involved in undergraduates’ perceived employability and well-being. Moreover, they suggest the need to improve academic-related variables to enhance individuals’ resources in coping with the pandemic challenges.
Partner Phubbing and Marital Satisfaction: The Mediating Roles of Marital Interaction and Marital Conflict

A growing number of studies have suggested that partner phubbing is negatively associated with marital satisfaction. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms between this relationship. The current study investigated whether marital interaction and marital conflict mediate the relationship between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction. A sample of 470 Chinese married adults completed questionnaires regarding demographics, partner phubbing, marital interaction, marital conflict, and marital satisfaction. The results suggested that (a) partner phubbing was negatively associated with marital satisfaction; (b) both marital interaction and marital conflict partially mediated the association between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction; and (c) marital interaction and marital conflict sequentially mediated the association between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction. These findings promote our understanding of how partner phubbing is associated with marital satisfaction.
Morphological Spectrum of Glomerulonephritis in Medical Renal Biopsies: A Single-Center Study

Background Glomerulonephritis is among the most common and serious non-communicable diseases in the world, and some of them are major causes of chronic kidney disease, which eventually leads to kidney failure. In developing countries, it is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Chronic kidney disease affects 10-16% of the adult population in Asia, including 21.2% in Pakistan. This study aims to determine the frequency and spectrum of glomerulonephritis at our center. Methodology This is a cross-sectional analysis of 81 renal core biopsies obtained between August 2020 and August 2021. The histopathological reports, demographic data, and relevant laboratory investigations, such as blood urea and creatinine levels, were collected. All cases were blindly reviewed by two pathologists with a special interest in medical renal pathology. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results The majority of the patients (46.9%) were between the ages of 21 and 40 years. There was a slight male predominance, with 44 (54.3%) of the 81 participants being male. Hematuria was reported in 20 (24.7%) patients, with mean serum urea and creatinine levels of 75 mg/dL and 2.6 mg/dL, respectively. Nephrotic syndrome was the most common indication for a renal biopsy, accounting for 54 (67.7%) of the 81 cases. Chronic glomerulonephritis is classified into two categories, namely, primary and secondary glomerulonephritis. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), the leading cause of primary glomerulonephritis, was found in 25 (30.9%) 81 patients. Furthermore, lupus nephritis (9.9%) and advanced glomerulonephritis (9.9%) were found in equal proportions among secondary glomerulonephritis. Conclusions According to our study, nephrotic syndrome was the most common indication for medical renal biopsy, with FSGS being the most common primary glomerulonephritis. Lupus nephritis and advanced glomerulonephritis were the most common secondary glomerulonephritis diagnoses.
An Association between Alexithymia and the Characteristics of Sport Practice: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study which aimed to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of sport practice (weekly training duration, level of practice) and alexithymia in adults who were officially licensed at a sports club. Methods: From a sample of sports club licensed adults, 188 participants were included. The participants completed computerized questionnaires on anthropometric data and characteristics of sport practice (level and weekly time spent on sport practice) as well as alexithymia (TAS 20), depression (BDI-13) and anxiety traits (STAI-Y form B). Results: In this sample, 91 (48.4%) and 97 (51.6%) athletes engaged in recreational and competitive sport practice, respectively. We observed a prevalence of 31.9% for alexithymia. Moreover, alexithymics were more involved in competitive than recreational practice (40.2% versus 23.1%, respectively; p = 0.019) and they were less anxious (63.9% versus 80.2%, respectively; p = 0.010). Finally, alexithymia was significantly more pronounced than non-alexithymia among sports competition practitioners (OR: 3.57 (95 CI [1.26–10.08]; p = 0.016) and we observed less alexithymia in team sports practice than confrontation sports (OR: 0.20 (95 CI [0.05–0.78]; p = 0.020). Conclusions: Alexithymic athletes were more involved in competition than recreational sports compared to non-alexithymic subjects, whilst there were more alexithymic athletes in confrontation sports than in team sports.
Common Beliefs and Reality About Partial Least Squares: Comments on Rönkkö & Evermann (2013)

This article addresses Ronkko and Evermann’s criticisms of the partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling. We contend that the alleged shortcomings of PLS are not due to problems with the technique, but instead to three problems with Ronkko and Evermann’s study: (a) the adherence to the common factor model, (b) a very limited simulation designs, and (c) overstretched generalizations of their findings. Whereas Ronkko and Evermann claim to be dispelling myths about PLS, they have in reality created new myths that we, in turn, debunk. By examining their claims, our article contributes to reestablishing a constructive discussion of the PLS method and its properties. We show that PLS does offer advantages for exploratory research and that it is a viable estimator for composite factor models. This can pose an interesting alternative if the common factor model does not hold. Therefore, we can conclude that PLS should continue to be used as an important statistical tool for management and organizational research, as well as other social science disciplines.