Emotion and polarity prediction from Twitter

Classification of public information from microblogging and social networking services could yield interesting outcomes and insights into the social and public opinions towards different services, products, and events. Microblogging and social networking data are one of the most helpful and proper indicators of public opinion. The aim of this paper is to classify tweets to their classes using cross validation and partitioning the data across cities using supervised machine learning algorithms. Such an approach was used to collect real time Twitter microblogging data tweets towards mentioning iPad and iPhone in different locations in order to analyse and classify data in terms of polarity: positive or negative, and emotion: anger, joy, sadness, disgust, fear, and surprise. We have collected over eighty thousand tweets that have been pre-processed to generate document level ground-truth and labelled according to Emotion and Polarity. We also compared some approaches in order to measures the performance of K-NN, Nave Bayes, and SVM classifiers. We found that the K-NN, Nave Bayes, SVM, and ZeroR have a reasonable accuracy rates, however, the K-NN has outperformed the Nave Bayes, SVM, and ZeroR based on the achieved accuracy rates and trained model time. The K-NN has achieved the highest accuracy rates 96.58% and 99.94% for the iPad and iPhone emotion data sets using cross validation technique respectively. Regarding partitioning the data per city, the K-NN has achieved the highest accuracy rates 98.8% and 99.95% for the iPad and iPhone emotion data sets respectively. Regarding the polarity data sets using both cross validation and partitioning data per city, the K-NN achieved 100% for the all polarity datasets

An Exploratory Study of HRM Practices in the Hospitality Sector of Saudi Arabia

Effective human resource management practices are considered to be very important for the overall success of an organization. We have investigated the prevailing human resource management practices in the hospitality sector of Saudi Arabia. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews from the human resource managers and general managers of hotels operating in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Finding of the study shows that proper human resource management practices are not adopted, especially very little attention is given to employees training and development and their performance appraisals. Mangers are confronted with a number of challenges due to ineffective human resource management practices. Limitations of the study and future research directions are given Keywords: HRM practices, Hospitality sector and Saudi Arabia

Exploring Service Quality in the Hospitality Sector from the Perspective of Religious Tourists in Saudi Arabia

In a developing country like KSA some studies have explored individual concepts regarding service quality and customer satisfaction, but fewer if none have investigated their relationship in hotel industry. Clients’ perceptions seem to be largely ignored by the management in hotel industry. Therefore, this study is a customer-centered one and focuses on examining service quality indicated by differences of clients’ expectations and perceptions. It also examines the link between clients’ perception and their overall satisfaction with hotel services. Respondents were interviewed using a modified SERVQUAL (Service quality) questionnaire. Results of the study reveals that relatively high customer perception scores were found for understanding of speci?c needs of client, individual attention by the company, interest in solving client’s problems etc. and low perception was found for advanced reservation technology, employees behavior towards customers , just in time service etc. the article concludes by giving Future research directions and policy recommendations. Keywords: Service Quality, Religious Tourists, Perceptions, Saudi Arabia

Key toolkits of non-pharmacological management in COPD: during and beyond COVID-19

Individuals with COPD are at higher risk of severe disease and mortality if they contract COVID-19. Shielding and social distancing have negatively impacted the delivery of routine care for COPD patients, which should be maintained to avoid further deterioration. We aimed to review the literature about the key toolkits of non-pharmacological treatments of COPD patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we focused on smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation, and telehealth delivery approaches during the COVID-19 crisis. Smoking cessation services are important to mitigate the spread of the virus, especially in people with chronic lung disease; the pandemic, in one way or another, has helped to enhance people's motivation to quit smoking. Also, tele-rehabilitation is considered as effective as conventional pulmonary rehabilitation in controlling symptoms of disease, promoting physical activity, and enhancing self-management of COPD. Telerehabilitation offers flexibility and it could be the dominant mode for providing a pulmonary rehabilitation programme. Finally, the use of telehealth (TH) modes has trended during the pandemic. Consensus about the effectiveness of TH in reducing exacerbation events is still inconclusive. In the context of COPD, further clinical research must concentrate on understanding attitudes, behaviours, and motivations towards smoking cessation. Further recommendations include gauging the feasibility of a long-term tele-rehabilitation programme in large COPD populations, designing more COPD-related mobile apps, and evaluating the feasibility of tele-rehabilitation in clinical practice

Smoking cessation during COVID-19: the top to-do list

As evidence continues to emerge, our understanding of the relationship between smoking and COVID-19 prognosis is steadily growing. An early outlook from World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that smokers are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 disease and are also more likely to be infected, as frequent motions from hand to mouth and sharing of tobacco products such as waterpipes increased the possibility of being infected. In this commentary, we discuss some of the latest evidence on smoking and COVID-19 and emphasise the need to promote the personal and public advantages of smoking cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Thoracic imaging outcomes in COVID-19 survivors

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents a significant global public health challenge. One in five individuals with COVID-19 presents with symptoms that last for weeks after hospital discharge, a condition termed "long COVID". Thus, efficient follow-up of patients is needed to assess the resolution of lung pathologies and systemic involvement. Thoracic imaging is multimodal and involves using different forms of waves to produce images of the organs within the thorax. In general, it includes chest X-ray, computed tomography, lung ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Such modalities have been useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19. These tools have also allowed for the follow-up and assessment of long COVID. This review provides insights on the effectiveness of thoracic imaging techniques in the follow-up of COVID-19 survivors who had long COVID

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections among health students and health care workers in the Najran region, southwestern Saudi Arabia: The need for national guidelines for health students

BACKGROUND: The objectives of the study were to study the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among health college students (HS) and health care workers (HCWs) in the Najran Region of south-western Saudi Arabia and to study the students’ knowledge of occupational exposure to blood-borne viral infections. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 300 HS and 300 HCWs was conducted. RESULTS: An overall seroprevalence of HBV of 1.7% and 8.7% was found among HS and HCWs, respectively. Two-thirds of HS (66.7%, 200) and 23.3% (70) of HCWs lack anti-HBs and are susceptible to HBV infection. An overall seroprevalence of HCV of 0% and 0.3% was found among the HS and HCWs, respectively. The present study indicates poor knowledge among HS and moderate knowledge among HCWs regarding occupationally transmitted blood-borne diseases, safe injection practices, and standard precautions to prevent occupationally transmitted blood-borne infections. CONCLUSION: It is mandatory to develop a structured program to raise awareness among HS, and current health colleges’ curricula should be upgraded to address these issues early. The HS should be considered new recruits to health services in terms of their initial screening for blood-borne infections and vaccination against HBV. The development of a novel continuing medical education and pre-employment awareness program for HCWs is recommended to address the following: blood-borne diseases transmitted occupationally, standard precautions to prevent occupationally transmitted blood borne infections, and safe injection practices

Reduction in hospitalised COPD exacerbations during COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Malaltia pulmonar obstructiva crònica; Factors de risc mèdicsCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica; Factores de riesgo médicosCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Medical risk factorsBackground Reports have suggested a reduction in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly hospital admissions for severe exacerbations. However, the magnitude of this reduction varies between studies. Method Electronic databases were searched from January 2020 to May 2021. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts and, when necessary, full text to determine if studies met inclusion criteria. A modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. A narrative summary of eligible studies was synthesised, and meta-analysis was conducted using a random effect model to pool the rate ratio and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for hospital admissions. Exacerbation reduction was compared against the COVID-19 Containment and Health Index. Results A total of 13 of 745 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review, with data from nine countries. Nine studies could be included in the meta-analysis. The pooled rate ratio of hospital admissions for COPD exacerbations during the pandemic period was 0.50 (95% CI 0.44–0.57). Findings on the rate of community-treated exacerbations were inconclusive. Three studies reported a significant decrease in the incidence of respiratory viral infections compared with the pre-pandemic period. There was not a significant relationship between exacerbation reduction and the COVID-19 Containment and Health Index (rho = 0.20, p = 0.53). Conclusion There was a 50% reduction in admissions for COPD exacerbations during the COVID-19 pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic times, likely associated with a reduction in respiratory viral infections that trigger exacerbations. Future guidelines should consider including recommendations on respiratory virus infection control measures to reduce the burden of COPD exacerbations beyond the pandemic period.The author(s) received no specific funding for this work

Acute Appendicitis among Saudi and Non-Saudi Patients: A Cross-Sectional Based Study

Objective: We conduct this study to discuss the differences between Saudi and non- Saudi patients with acute appendicitis.Background: Acute appendicitis is one of emergency surgeries in developing and developed countries. Its symptoms are vomiting, lower abdominal pain and decreased appetite. Appendicitis needs urgent surgical prouder to avoid its perforation and associated complications which may lead to death. Method: We conduct cross-sectional based study in one of khamis Mushayt, Saudi Araba. 136 patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis were included and their medical records were reviewed after getting their informed consent.Results: We included 136 patients, 90 were non-Saudi and 46 were Saudi. There were no statistically differences in their diagnosis but the distribution of the diagnosis was different.Conclusion: Acute appendicitis was more prevalent among non-Saudi patients, the diagnosis between both was with no significant differences. Keywords: acute appendicitis, Saudi, non-Saudi, diagnosis, cross-sectional, Saudi Arabia and khamis Mushayt

Investigation of anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory potential and ADMET studies of pure compounds isolated from Isodon rugosus Wall. ex Benth

The strong ethnopharmacological utilization of Isodon rugosus Wall. Ex. Benth is evident in the treatment of several types of pain and inflammation, including toothache, earache, abdominal pain, gastric pain, and generalized body pain and inflammation. Based on this background, the antinociceptive effects of the crude extract, various fractions, and essential oil have been reported previously. In this research work, we isolate and characterize pure bioactive compounds from I. rugosus and evaluate possible mechanisms using various in vivo and in vitro models. The pure compounds were analyzed for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities through various assays. The column chromatography of the chloroform fraction of I. rugosus led to the identification of two pure compounds, i.e., 1 and 2. Compound 1 demonstrated notable inhibition (62% writhing inhibition, 72.77% COX-2 inhibition, and 76.97% 5-LOX inhibition) and anti-inflammatory potential (>50% paw edema inhibition at various intervals). The possible mechanism involved in antinociception was considered primarily, a concept that has already been elucidated through the application of naloxone (an antagonist of opioid receptors). The involvement of adrenergic receptors was investigated using a hot plate model (an adrenergic receptor antagonist). The strong ethnomedicinal analgesic background of I. rugosus, supported by previous reports and current observations, leads to the conclusion that I. rugosus is a potential source of antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. It may be concluded from the results that the isolated analgesic compounds of I. rugosus may be a possible alternative remedy for pain and inflammation management with admirable efficacy and safety profiles