Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of human resource (HR) management practices on achieving competitive advantage through studying the mediating role of employee satisfaction ...in the context of five-star hotels in Northern Cyprus. Design/methodology/approach To produce numeric data as well as to test the hypothesis, the researchers employed structural equation modeling and AMOS. The testing included (n=439) questionnaires. The model suggested by the authors examined the tourism sector, and in particular, five-star hotels located in Northern Cyprus. Findings The main research findings revealed that HR practices had a significant effect on competitive advantage. By comparison, the research findings revealed that the mediator variable had no effect on achieving competitive advantage for five-star hotels in Northern Cyprus. Originality/value This study demonstrates originality by responding to the recommendations of prior studies conducted on HR in Northern Cyprus Island. This makes a theoretical contribution to the field, since only Turkey recognizes Northern Cyprus, which makes conducting research on this country a challenge for researchers worldwide. Based on this study's outcomes, this paper discusses its theoretical and practical implications, as well as recommendations for future research.
Machine learning (ML) has succeeded in improving our daily routines by enabling automation and improved decision making in a variety of industries such as healthcare, finance, and transportation, ...resulting in increased efficiency and production. However, the development and widespread use of this technology has been significantly hampered by concerns about data privacy, confidentiality, and sensitivity, particularly in healthcare and finance. The "data hunger" of ML describes how additional data can increase performance and accuracy, which is why this question arises. Federated learning (FL) has emerged as a technology that helps solve the privacy problem by eliminating the need to send data to a primary server and collect it where it is processed and the model is trained. To maintain privacy and improve model performance, FL shares parameters rather than data during training, in contrast to the typical ML practice of sending user data during model development. Although FL is still in its infancy, there are already applications in various industries such as healthcare, finance, transportation, and others. In addition, 32% of companies have implemented or plan to implement federated learning in the next 12-24 months, according to the latest figures from KPMG, which forecasts an increase in investment in this area from USD 107 million in 2020 to USD 538 million in 2025. In this context, this article reviews federated learning, describes it technically, differentiates it from other technologies, and discusses current FL aggregation algorithms. It also discusses the use of FL in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Finally, the problems hindering progress in this area and future strategies to overcome these limitations are discussed in detail.
(1) Background: The use of smart devices to better manage diabetes has increased significantly in recent years. These technologies have been introduced in order to make life easier for patients with ...diabetes by allowing better control of the stability of blood sugar levels and anticipating the occurrence of dangerous events (hypo/hyperglycemia), etc. That being said, the main objectives of the self-management of diabetes is to improve the lifestyle and life quality of patients with diabetes; (2) Methods: We performed a systematic review based on articles that focus on the use of smart devices for the monitoring and better management of diabetes. The search was focused on keywords related to the topic, such as "Diabetes", "Technology", "Self-management", "Artificial Intelligence", etc. This was performed using databases, such as Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed; (3) Results: A total of 89 studies, published between 2011 and 2021, were included. The majority of the selected research aims to solve a diabetes management problem (e.g., blood glucose prediction, early detection of risk events, and the automatic adjustment of insulin doses, etc.). In these studies, wearable devices were used in combination with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques; (4) Conclusions: Wearable devices have attracted a great deal of scientific interest in the field of healthcare for people with chronic conditions, such as diabetes. They are capable of assisting in the management of diabetes, as well as preventing complications associated with this condition. Furthermore, the usage of these devices has improved illness management and quality of life.
•RCA can be fully used in pavement lower layers and concrete pavement surfacing.•There is disparity in reported replacement levels of RCA for asphalt mixtures.•RCA mixes can be improved by chemical, ...thermal, and biological treatments.•RCA is a sustainable alternative to natural aggregates for highway pavements.
Highway pavements are very expensive infrastructures that consume very high amounts of natural resources. Utilisation of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) for highway pavement construction can bring a number of benefits towards environmental, economic and societal sustainability. This would reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry, result in natural resource conservation, reduction in harmful emissions, and minimisation of cost of pavement construction. This paper reviews available literatures on the use of RCA for highway pavements. Both flexible and rigid pavements were covered. The studies revealed that RCA can be applied in all pavement layers; subgrade, capping, subbase, roadbase, and surfacing. The physical and mechanical properties of the RCA and how they affect its performance were studied and compared with those of natural aggregates (NA). Available techniques for improving the performance of RCA in concrete and asphalt mixes were also discussed. The benefits and sustainability gains of RCA utilisation were summarised from available life cycle assessments conducted in the literatures. RCA has been considered as a feasible sustainable alternative to NA in highway pavement applications, but there still exists a large disparity in the recommendations of the replacement levels for asphalt mixes. To ensure that the pavements are sustainable without compromising their quality and functionality, the utilisation of RCA should be encouraged after further indebt studies that would lead to a more consensus standard specifications and guidelines.
The advancement of information and communication technologies and the growing power of artificial intelligence are successfully transforming a number of concepts that are important to our daily ...lives. Many sectors, including education, healthcare, industry, and others, are benefiting greatly from the use of such resources. The healthcare sector, for example, was an early adopter of smart wearables, which primarily serve as diagnostic tools. In this context, smart wearables have demonstrated their effectiveness in detecting and predicting cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the leading cause of death worldwide.
In this study, a systematic literature review of smart wearable applications for cardiovascular disease detection and prediction is presented. After conducting the required search, the documents that met the criteria were analyzed to extract key criteria such as the publication year, vital signs recorded, diseases studied, hardware used, smart models used, datasets used, and performance metrics.
This study followed the PRISMA guidelines by searching IEEE, PubMed, and Scopus for publications published between 2010 and 2022. Once records were located, they were reviewed to determine which ones should be included in the analysis. Finally, the analysis was completed, and the relevant data were included in the review along with the relevant articles.
As a result of the comprehensive search procedures, 87 papers were deemed relevant for further review. In addition, the results are discussed to evaluate the development and use of smart wearable devices for cardiovascular disease management, and the results demonstrate the high efficiency of such wearable devices.
The results clearly show that interest in this topic has increased. Although the results show that smart wearables are quite accurate in detecting, predicting, and even treating cardiovascular disease, further research is needed to improve their use.
Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the retentive force between stud and resilient telescopic crown attachments for implant-retained mandibular overdenture. Patients and methods A total of 20 male ...patients were selected from the Clinic of Removable Prosthodontics Department. Faculty of Dentistry, Sinai University (Kantara). Patients were divided into two equal groups. Group I (control group): patients were treated with two implants of 3.7 mm diameter and 13 mm length (in the canine regions), retaining mandibular overdentures with ball abutments, and by conventional maxillary complete dentures. Group II: patients were treated with two implants of 3.7 mm diameter and 13 mm length (in the canine regions), retaining mandibular overdentures with conical abutments with a 6° taper, and by conventional maxillary complete dentures. Retention force was recorded at the time of insertion (T0), 6 months (T6), and 12 months (T12) later. Results One-way anova revealed significant differences between the two groups in initial retention forces (T0). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups at T6 and T12. Group II (telescopic attachment) was associated with significantly higher retention losses than Group I (ball attachment). In comparing the mean retention loss values for the two groups at different follow-up periods, significant differences were observed for both groups. Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that: telescopic attachment with taper 6° can provide acceptable retention compared to ball and socket attachment during 12 months of overdenture use.
Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nylon versus heat-cure acrylic resin on microbial adhesion of a closed hollowed obturator. Patients and methods Twelve male patients with a ...unilaterally acquired maxillary defect (Aramany Class IV) were chosen from the outpatient clinic of the Prosthodontics Department at the Faculty of Dentistry, Sinai University (Kantara branch). These patients were divided into two equal groups: group I was provided with an obturator made of heat-cured acrylic resin (P.M.M.A.-Vertex), while group II received an obturator made of thermopress resin (nylon breflex, 2 nd edition). Each group underwent microbial evaluation through follow-up recall visits at 2 and 4 weeks. The results were recorded, tabulated, and subjected to statistical analysis. Results There is a significant difference between group I and group II. The conventional acrylic resin group showed higher bacterial adhesion than the nylon. Conclusion Within the limitations of the study, a closed hollow bulb constructed with thermopress resin exhibits reduced bacterial colonization when compared to heat-cured acrylic resin.
Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) are effective in cancers with defective homologous recombination DNA repair (HRR), including BRCA1/2‐related cancers. A test to identify ...additional HRR‐deficient tumors will help to extend their use in new indications. We evaluated the activity of the PARPi olaparib in patient‐derived tumor xenografts (PDXs) from breast cancer (BC) patients and investigated mechanisms of sensitivity through exome sequencing, BRCA1 promoter methylation analysis, and immunostaining of HRR proteins, including RAD51 nuclear foci. In an independent BC PDX panel, the predictive capacity of the RAD51 score and the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) score were compared. To examine the clinical feasibility of the RAD51 assay, we scored archival breast tumor samples, including PALB2‐related hereditary cancers. The RAD51 score was highly discriminative of PARPi sensitivity versus PARPi resistance in BC PDXs and outperformed the genomic test. In clinical samples, all PALB2‐related tumors were classified as HRR‐deficient by the RAD51 score. The functional biomarker RAD51 enables the identification of PARPi‐sensitive BC and broadens the population who may benefit from this therapy beyond BRCA1/2‐related cancers.
Synopsis
Sensitive and highly specific biomarkers usable in archived formalin fixed parafin embedded (FFPE) tumour samples are needed to extend the use of PARP inhibitors beyond BRCA1/2‐related cancers. The RAD51 score may satisfy this clinical unmet need.
The RAD51 score shows complete discriminative capacity in predicting PARP inhibitor response.
The RAD51 score is feasible in routine breast tumor samples without prior exposure to DNA damaging agents.
Carrying a PALB2 mutation is associated with a low RAD51score.
Sensitive and highly specific biomarkers usable in archived formalin fixed parafin embedded (FFPE) tumour samples are needed to extend the use of PARP inhibitors beyond BRCA1/2‐related cancers. The RAD51 score may satisfy this clinical unmet need.
Sputum samples were taken from pregnant women infected with the COVID-19, where the study was conducted on 112 cases, and the results showed that 87 cases developed secondary bacterial infections at ...a rate of 78% and 25 cases were negative by 22%. The samples were cultured on solid media and incubated at 37°C. Then the samples were diagnosed by biochemical tests and using the API system. Six species of bcteria have been isolated (S. aureus, K.pneumonia P. auroginosa, H. influenza, S. pneumonia S. pyogens) by 31, 29, 12, 10, 7, and 5 isolates, respectively, where the result showed that the most common types of pneumonia were S. aureus with a percentage of 34%, followed by K. pneumonia with a percentage of 29%. The sensitivity of the isolates to eight types of common antibiotics was tested (Erythromycin, Trimethoprim, Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Augmentin, Nitrofurantoin, Meropenem, and Amikacin), where the isolates showed a high resistance to antibiotics (Erythromycin, Trimethoprim, Ampicillin), a high sensitivity of 100% to the Nitrofurantoin, and an average sensitivity to other antibiotics
The presence of phyto-hormones in plants at relatively low concentrations plays an indispensable role in regulating crop growth and yield. Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting ...cotton production. It has been reported that exogenous phyto-hormones are involved in various plant defense systems against salt stress. Recently, different studies revealed the pivotal performance of hormones in regulating cotton growth and yield. However, a comprehensive understanding of these exogenous hormones, which regulate cotton growth and yield under salt stress, is lacking. In this review, we focused on new advances in elucidating the roles of exogenous hormones (gibberellin (GA) and salicylic acid (SA)) and their signaling and transduction pathways and the cross-talk between GA and SA in regulating crop growth and development under salt stress. In this review, we not only focused on the role of phyto-hormones but also identified the roles of GA and SA responsive genes to salt stress. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive review of the performance of GA and SA and their responsive genes under salt stress, assisting in the further elucidation of the mechanism that plant hormones use to regulate growth and yield under salt stress.
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