Reflections on Literature : East and West

This publication has three thematic essays written by professors from Pace University and Nanjing Normal University that discuss the similarities and differences between Chinese and western literature. Hongling Lyu identifies certain aesthetic differences between Chinese and western literature, and explains these divergences from a cross-cultural perspective. Li Po presents an overview of the aesthetics of classical literature. Ying Wang draws on her expertise in French literature and feminist studies to discuss the challenge of reading Chinese literature from the historical, cross-cultural, and feminist perspectives. These essays challenge us to go beyond the conventional East-and-West divide with its predictable polarities, and gives us a feasible framework to evaluate the evolution of Chinese literature in the modern era

Analysing online reviews to investigate customer behaviour in the sharing economy: The case of Airbnb

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate attributes that influence Airbnb customer experience by analysing online reviews from users staying in London. It presents a text mining approach to identify a set of broad themes from the textual reviews. It aims to highlight the customers’ changing perception of good quality of accommodations. Design/methodology/approach: This paper analyses 169,666 reviews posted by Airbnb users who stayed in London from 2011 to 2015. Hierarchical clustering algorithms are used to group similar words into clusters based on their co-occurrence. Longitudinal analysis and seasonal analysis are conducted for a more coherent understanding of the Airbnb customer behaviour. Findings: This paper provides empirical insights about how Airbnb users’ mindset of good quality of accommodations changes over a five-year timespan and in different seasons. While there are common attributes considered important throughout the years, exclusive attributes are discovered in particular years and seasons. Research limitations/implications: This paper is confined to Airbnb experiences in London. Researchers are encouraged to apply the proposed methodology to investigate Airbnb experiences in other cities and detect any change in customer perception of quality stay. Practical implications: This paper offers implications for the prioritisation of customer concerns to design and improve services offerings and for alignment of services with customer expectations in the sharing economy. Originality/value: This paper fulfils an identified need to examine the change in customer expectation across the timespan and seasons in the case of Airbnb. It also contributes by illustrating how big data can be used to uncover key attributes that facilitate the engagement with the sharing economy

Machine learning techniques for arrhythmic risk stratification: a review of the literature

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are significant adverse events that affect the morbidity and mortality of both the general population and patients with predisposing cardiovascular risk factors. Currently, conventional disease-specific scores are used for risk stratification purposes. However, these risk scores have several limitations, including variations among validation cohorts, the inclusion of a limited number of predictors while omitting important variables, as well as hidden relationships between predictors. Machine learning (ML) techniques are based on algorithms that describe intervariable relationships. Recent studies have implemented ML techniques to construct models for the prediction of fatal VAs. However, the application of ML study findings is limited by the absence of established frameworks for its implementation, in addition to clinicians’ unfamiliarity with ML techniques. This review, therefore, aims to provide an accessible and easy-to-understand summary of the existing evidence about the use of ML techniques in the prediction of VAs. Our findings suggest that ML algorithms improve arrhythmic prediction performance in different clinical settings. However, it should be emphasized that prospective studies comparing ML algorithms to conventional risk models are needed while a regulatory framework is required prior to their implementation in clinical practice

What have hosts overlooked for improving stay experience in accommodation-sharing? Empirical evidence from Airbnb customer reviews

Purpose In accommodation-sharing, hosts must provide satisfactory stay experiences for guests, who will then express intentions to revisit (behavioral loyalty) and/or recommend the experiences to others (attitudinal loyalty) in their reviews. Through the lens of expectation-confirmation theory, this study aims to investigate the service dimensions customers focus on in their reviews and their relationships with customer-loyalty manifestations in accommodation-sharing. Design/methodology/approach This study uses topic modeling to discover distinctive dimensions from Airbnb reviews from a micro perspective and map them onto overarching themes from a macro perspective, and further examine the relationships among topics using cluster analysis. Findings This study reveals “information” as an important theme rarely mentioned in the literature. Besides, “homeliness” is a unique dimension associated with behavioral and attitudinal loyalty toward accommodation-sharing. Practical implications The findings help accommodation-sharing platforms and hosts identify customer concerns and the drivers of customer loyalty in accommodation-sharing. Originality/value In the existing literature, customer perceptions and loyalty are largely determined through surveys, and the findings are not univocal due to the inconsistencies of measurement items used, the potential response bias and limited sample sizes. This study capitalizes on the wealth of user-generated content and extracts service dimensions and customer loyalty directly from textual reviews, overcoming previous research limitations

Fragmented QRS is independently predictive of long-term adverse clinical outcomes in Asian patients hospitalized for heart failure: A retrospective cohort study

Fragmented QRS (fQRS) results from myocardial scarring and predicts cardiovascular mortality and ventricular arrhythmia (VA). We evaluated the prevalence and prognostic value of fQRS in Asian patients hospitalized for heart failure. This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients hospitalized for heart failure between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2016 at a tertiary center in Hong Kong. The baseline ECG was analyzed. QRS complexes (2 contiguous leads was an independent predictor of SCD (HR 2.679 [1.252, 5.729], = 0.011). In patients without ischaemic heart disease ( = 1,396), fQRS in any leads remained predictive of VA and SCD (adjusted HR 3.526 [1.399, 8.887], = 0.008, and 1.873 [1.103, 3.181], = 0.020, respectively), but not cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR 1.064 [0.671, 1.686], = 0.792). fQRS is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality, VA, and SCD. Higher fQRS burden increased SCD risk. The implications of fQRS in heart failure patients without ischaemic heart disease require further studies. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021 Chan, Zhou, Lee, Li, Tan, Leung, Jeevaratnam, Liu, Roever, Liu, Tse and Zhang.

How students cope with part-time study

This study provides a qualitative test and illustration of a model of how students cope with the demands of part-time study. The model shows that students who are successful in finding the time to complete the requirements of part-time courses do so by adopting three mechanisms; sacrifice, support and the negotiation of arrangements. All three mechanisms operate in four domains, namely work, family, social lives and the self. The mechanisms and domains were related together in a three by four matrix. Data to verify and illuminate the model were gathered by the researchers through an on-line forum discussion on the topic of coping with part-time study. The researchers themselves were studying part-time in a course called Adult Education and Professional Development. Analysis of the data showed that the work domain was very important but little adaptation was possible. The family was seen as the most important domain and all three mechanisms were used. Time was commonly found for part-time study by sacrificing social lives. The self-domain was interpreted as important in establishing motivation and self-determination

Incident heart failure and myocardial infarction in sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 vs. dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor users

Aims This study aimed to compare the rates of major cardiovascular adverse events in sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2I) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4I) users in a Chinese population. SGLT2I and DPP4I are increasingly prescribed for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. However, few population-based studies are comparing their effects on incident heart failure or myocardial infarction. Methods and results This was a population-based retrospective cohort study using the electronic health record database in Hong Kong, including type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving either SGLT2I or DPP4I from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020. Propensity score matching was performed in a 1:1 ratio based on demographics, past comorbidities, and non-SGLT2I/DPP4I medications with nearest neighbour matching (caliper = 0.1). Univariable and multivariable Cox models were used to identify significant predictors for new-onset heart failure, new-onset myocardial infarction, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. Sensitivity analyses with competing risk models and multiple propensity score matching approaches were conducted. A total of 41 994 patients (58.89% males, median admission age at 58 years old, interquartile range [IQR]: 51.2–65.3) were included with a median follow-up of 5.6 years (IQR: 5.32–5.82). In the matched cohort, SGLT2I use was significantly associated with lower risks of new-onset heart failure (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.66, 0.81], P < 0.0001), myocardial infarction (HR: 0.81, 95% CI: [0.73, 0.90], P < 0.0001), cardiovascular mortality (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: [0.53, 0.84], P < 0.001), and all-cause mortality (HR: 0.26, 95% CI: [0.24, 0.29], P < 0.0001) after adjusting for significant demographics, past comorbidities, and non-SGLT2I/DPP4I medications. Conclusions SGLT2 inhibitors are protective against adverse cardiovascular events including new-onset heart failure, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. The prescription of SGLT2I is preferred when taken into consideration individual cardiovascular and metabolic risk profiles in addition to drug–drug interactions

Relationship between autoantibody clustering and clinical subsets in SLE: cluster and association analyses in Hong Kong Chinese

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the existence of, and relationship between autoantibody clusters and clinical subsets in Chinese SLE patients. METHODS: Data from 1928 SLE patients from Hong Kong were analysed. Using cluster analysis, patients were grouped by autoantibodies into clusters. The frequencies of various clinical manifestations were then compared between each cluster. Separate association analyses between individual autoantibodies and clinical manifestations as well as between clinical manifestations were also performed without any prior clustering. RESULTS: Three separate autoantibody clusters were identified, each with significantly different clinical manifestations. Cluster 1 was characterized by anti-dsDNA and the greatest prevalence of renal disorder but the lowest frequencies of other clinical manifestations. Cluster 2 was represented by the predominance of anti-Smith, anti-RNP and aPL, with greater prevalence of malar rash, oral ulcers, arthritis and serositis. Cluster 3 was characterized by anti-Ro and anti-La with greater prevalence of discoid rash, photosensitivity and haematological involvement. Individual association analysis also revealed similar findings. Patients of clusters 2 and 3 were more closely related, while cluster 1 was more distinct, associated with renal disorder only and negatively associated or not associated with other manifestations. CONCLUSION: We conclude that autoantibody clustering and clinical subsets exist in SLE patients of our locality. These clusters may be viewed as a bipolar spectrum of related autoantibody and clinical manifestations. At one end are patients with over-representation of anti-dsDNA and renal disorder, while at the other end are two distinct autoantibody clusters (anti-Sm/anti-RNP/aPL and anti-Ro/anti-La) with overlapping of other clinical manifestations.postprin

Exposición al SARS-CoV-2 y la percepción del riesgo de los trabajadores en entornos no sanitarios de Hong Kong, Nanjing y Wuhan: Un estudio cualitativo multisitio

Introducción: Understanding risk perception that hinges on health-protective behaviors is central to strategies for prevention. Aim: To classify the pattern of potential risk of worker exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and to assess association with risk perception among non-healthcare workers Methods: In a multi-site, qualitative study, we conducted individual in-depth interviews and mini focus group discussions with employees, managerial staff and self-employees from Hong Kong (n=87), Nanjing (n=60), and Wuhan (n=60) between June 2020 and March 2021. Audios were transcribed and categorized by themes following Grounded Theory approach. Results: We identified seven major types of potential risk exposure pattern by category of parameters. The risk perceptions decreased among Type A workers, working at fixed location in office, and no/little contacts with clients/customers, and increased among workers having the concern of asymptomatic characteristics of SAR-CoV-2, daily contact with large size of the unfamiliar crowds, unhygienic behaviors of clients/customers, and use of public transportation to commute to work. The notion that the sense of safety deriving from the implementation and adherence with safety measures despite stringency, and trust with the government was most frequently reported in Nanjing and Wuhan. Conclusion: Study examines COVID-19 risks and risk perceptions among non-healthcare workers in three cities. Variations in risk perceptions were found, influenced by factors such as work patterns and safety measures. Trust in government and concerns about international contacts were common themes. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions, mental health support, and inclusive policies to address occupational health disparities and promote workplace safety.Introducción: Comprender la percepción del riesgo que condiciona conductas de protección de la salud es fundamental para la prevención. Objetivo: Clasificar el patrón del riesgo de exposición de los trabajadores al SRAS-CoV-2 y su asociación con la percepción del riesgo entre los trabajadores no sanitarios. Métodos: Estudio cualitativo multisitio. Realizamos entrevistas en profundidad y minigrupos de discusión con empleados, personal directivo y autoempleados de Hong Kong (n=87), Nanjing (n=60) y Wuhan (n=60) -junio 2020-marzo 2021-. Los audios se transcribieron y clasificaron por temas con enfoque de la teoría fundamentada. Resultados: Se identificaron siete tipos de patrón de exposición (Tipo A-G) al riesgo potencial. Las percepciones de riesgo disminuyeron entre trabajadores de tipo A que trabajaban en oficina y sin contacto con clientes y aumentaron entre trabajadores preocupados por características asintomáticas del SAR-CoV-2, contacto diario con multitudes, comportamientos antihigiénicos de clientes y uso de transporte público para ir al trabajo. La sensación de seguridad por aplicación y cumplimiento de medidas de seguridad y la confianza en el gobierno fue más frecuente en Nanjing y Wuhan. Conclusiones: Se hallaron variaciones en las percepciones del riesgo, influidas por factores como pautas de trabajo y medidas de seguridad. Fueron comunes la confianza en el gobierno y la preocupación por los contactos internacionales. Se requieren intervenciones específicas, apoyo a la salud mental y políticas integradoras para abordar las disparidades en salud laboral y promover la seguridad en el lugar de trabajo