An Assessment of Rewards and Motivation Strategies as Predictors of Employee Job Satisfaction in the Banking Industry in Kenya

This study sought to assess the prediction effect of reward and Motivation strategies on job satisfaction in the Commercial Banks in Kenya. The sample of the study comprised of 78 respondents being 28 managerial staff and 50 line employees drawn from Commercial Banks in Western Kenya. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and interview schedule. Statistically quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive as well as inferential statistics. Study findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between employee reward and job satisfaction and a significant relationship between employee motivation and job satisfaction. Findings of this study have provided vital and relevant information to stakeholders in the banking industry in Kenya and beyond on how reward and motivation strategies can be harnessed to bring about employee job satisfaction for improved organizational performance. The study has also stretched the frontiers of knowledge on the relationship between employee motivation and resultant occupational attitudes. Keywords: Rewards, Motivation, Job Satisfaction, Commercial Bank

Perbandingan Algoritma K-Nearest Neighbor dan Support Vector Machine Untuk Pemberian Rekomendasi Pemilihan Sekolah Lanjutan (Studi Kasus Siswa Kelas IX MTs Nurul Anwar)

Pendidikan merupakan bidang yang paling penting dalam perkembangan suatu bangsa. Dalam rangka mewujudkan tujuan dari pendidikan nasional secara optimal maka setiap siswa perlu menempuh jenjang pendidikan formal setidaknya sampai siswa menempuh Sekolah Lanjutan Tingkat Atas (SLTA) Sejalan dengan hal ini maka setamat SLTP setiap siswa kelas IX seharusnya melanjutkan pendidikan ke SLTA (SMK/SMA/MA/). Siswa kelas IX yang menempuh jenjang pendidikan SLTP sudah pasti akan dihadapkan dengan masalah memilih sekolah lanjutan, baik sekolah menengah umum maupun kejuruan. Memilih sekolah lanjutan menjadi faktor penting karena berkaitan dengan masa depan siswa. Salah satu pemodelan yang bisa digunakan untuk menentukan rekomendasi pemilihan sekolah lanjutan yaitu dengan Data Mining.Pemanfaatan teknik data mining diharapkan dapat membantu dalam Menentukan rekomondasi pemilihan sekolah lanjutan. Pada penelitian ini membandingkan teknik klasifikasi dari kinerja metode K-Nearst Neighbor dan Support VectorMachine.Atribut yang digunakan terdiri dari Nilai UNBK, Minat Siswa, dan Saran BK. Dengan menggunakan masing-masing data training dan data testing sebanyak 35 data. Hasil dari penelitian yang dilakukan, berdasarkan dari nilai akurasinya Support Vector Machine lebih tinggi yaitu 97,1% dibandingkan dengan K-Nearst Neighbor yaitu 85,7% .Hasil akhir dari penelitian ini adalah metode Support Vector Machine lebih baik digunakan dari pada metode K-Nearst Neighbor

A spatial multi-scale fluorescence microscopy toolbox discloses entry checkpoints of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Vero E6 cells

: We exploited a multi-scale microscopy imaging toolbox to address some major issues related to SARS-CoV-2 interactions with host cells. Our approach harnesses both conventional and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and easily matches the spatial scale of single-virus/cell checkpoints. After its validation through the characterization of infected cells and virus morphology, we leveraged this toolbox to reveal subtle issues related to the entry phase of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Vero E6 cells. Our results show that in Vero E6 cells the B.1.1.7 strain (aka Alpha Variant of Concern) is associated with much faster kinetics of endocytic uptake compared to its ancestor B.1.177. Given the cell-entry scenario dominated by the endosomal "late pathway", the faster internalization of B.1.1.7 could be directly related to the N501Y mutation in the S protein, which is known to strengthen the binding of Spike receptor binding domain with ACE2. Remarkably, we also directly observed the central role of clathrin as a mediator of endocytosis in the late pathway of entry. In keeping with the clathrin-mediated endocytosis, we highlighted the non-raft membrane localization of ACE2. Overall, we believe that our fluorescence microscopy-based approach represents a fertile strategy to investigate the molecular features of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with cells

Association of COVID-19 Vaccinations With Intensive Care Unit Admissions and Outcome of Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia in Lombardy, Italy

IMPORTANCE Data on the association of COVID-19 vaccination with intensive care unit (ICU) admission and outcomes of patients with SARS-CoV-2-related pneumonia are scarce. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether COVID-19 vaccination is associated with preventing ICU admission for COVID-19 pneumonia and to compare baseline characteristics and outcomes of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients admitted to an ICU. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study on regional data sets reports: (1) daily number of administered vaccines and (2) data of all consecutive patients admitted to an ICU in Lombardy, Italy, from August 1 to December 15, 2021 (Delta variant predominant). Vaccinated patients received either mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) or adenoviral vector vaccines (ChAdOx1-S or Ad26.COV2). Incident rate ratios (IRRs) were computed from August 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022; ICU and baseline characteristics and outcomes of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients admitted to an ICU were analyzed from August 1 to December 15, 2021. EXPOSURES COVID-19 vaccination status (no vaccination, mRNA vaccine, adenoviral vector vaccine). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The incidence IRR of ICU admission was evaluated, comparing vaccinated people with unvaccinated, adjusted for age and sex. The baseline characteristics at ICU admission of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients were investigated. The association between vaccination status at ICU admission and mortality at ICU and hospital discharge were also studied, adjusting for possible confounders. RESULTS Among the 10 107 674 inhabitants of Lombardy, Italy, at the time of this study, the median [IQR] agewas 48 [28-64] years and 5 154 914 (51.0%) were female. Of the 7 863 417 individuals who were vaccinated (median [IQR] age: 53 [33-68] years; 4 010 343 [51.4%] female), 6 251 417 (79.5%) received an mRNA vaccine, 550 439 (7.0%) received an adenoviral vector vaccine, and 1 061 561 (13.5%) received a mix of vaccines and 4 497 875 (57.2%) were boosted. Compared with unvaccinated people, IRR of individuals who received an mRNA vaccine within 120 days from the last dosewas 0.03 (95% CI, 0.03-0.04; P <.001), whereas IRR of individuals who received an adenoviral vector vaccine after 120 days was 0.21 (95% CI, 0.19-0.24; P <.001). There were 553 patients admitted to an ICU for COVID-19 pneumonia during the study period: 139 patients (25.1%) were vaccinated and 414 (74.9%) were unvaccinated. Compared with unvaccinated patients, vaccinated patients were older (median [IQR]: 72 [66-76] vs 60 [51-69] years; P <.001), primarily male individuals (110 patients [ 79.1%] vs 252 patients [60.9%]; P <.001), with more comorbidities (median [IQR]: 2 [1-3] vs 0 [0-1] comorbidities; P <.001) and had higher ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and fraction of inspiratory oxygen (FiO(2)) at ICU admission (median [IQR]: 138 [100-180] vs 120 [90-158] mm Hg; P =.007). Factors associated with ICU and hospital mortality were higher age, premorbid heart disease, lower PaO2/FiO(2) at ICU admission, and female sex (this factor only for ICU mortality). ICU and hospital mortality were similar between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study, mRNA and adenoviral vector vaccines were associated with significantly lower risk of ICU admission for COVID-19 pneumonia. ICU and hospital mortality were not associated with vaccinated status.These findings suggest a substantial reduction of the risk of developing COVID-19-related severe acute respiratory failure requiring ICU admission among vaccinated people

Preface of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems

This volume contains the proceedings of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems (SEBD - Sistemi Evoluti per Basi di Dati), held in Galzinagno Terme (Padua, Italy) from 2 to 5 July 2023.</p

Preface of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems

This volume contains the proceedings of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems (SEBD - Sistemi Evoluti per Basi di Dati), held in Galzinagno Terme (Padua, Italy) from 2 to 5 July 2023.</p

Multiple Myeloma Treatment in Real-world Clinical Practice : Results of a Prospective, Multinational, Noninterventional Study

Funding Information: The authors would like to thank all patients and their families and all the EMMOS investigators for their valuable contributions to the study. The authors would like to acknowledge Robert Olie for his significant contribution to the EMMOS study. Writing support during the development of our report was provided by Laura Mulcahy and Catherine Crookes of FireKite, an Ashfield company, a part of UDG Healthcare plc, which was funded by Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and Janssen Global Services, LLC. The EMMOS study was supported by research funding from Janssen Pharmaceutical NV and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Funding Information: The authors would like to thank all patients and their families and all the EMMOS investigators for their valuable contributions to the study. The authors would like to acknowledge Robert Olie for his significant contribution to the EMMOS study. Writing support during the development of our report was provided by Laura Mulcahy and Catherine Crookes of FireKite, an Ashfield company, a part of UDG Healthcare plc, which was funded by Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and Janssen Global Services, LLC. The EMMOS study was supported by research funding from Janssen Pharmaceutical NV and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Funding Information: M.M. has received personal fees from Janssen, Celgene, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Novartis, and Takeda and grants from Janssen and Sanofi during the conduct of the study. E.T. has received grants from Janssen and personal fees from Janssen and Takeda during the conduct of the study, and grants from Amgen, Celgene/Genesis, personal fees from Amgen, Celgene/Genesis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, and Glaxo-Smith Kline outside the submitted work. M.V.M. has received personal fees from Janssen, Celgene, Amgen, and Takeda outside the submitted work. M.C. reports honoraria from Janssen, outside the submitted work. M. B. reports grants from Janssen Cilag during the conduct of the study. M.D. has received honoraria for participation on advisory boards for Janssen, Celgene, Takeda, Amgen, and Novartis. H.S. has received honoraria from Janssen-Cilag, Celgene, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, and Takeda outside the submitted work. V.P. reports personal fees from Janssen during the conduct of the study and grants, personal fees, and nonfinancial support from Amgen, grants and personal fees from Sanofi, and personal fees from Takeda outside the submitted work. W.W. has received personal fees and grants from Amgen, Celgene, Novartis, Roche, Takeda, Gilead, and Janssen and nonfinancial support from Roche outside the submitted work. J.S. reports grants and nonfinancial support from Janssen Pharmaceutical during the conduct of the study. V.L. reports funding from Janssen Global Services LLC during the conduct of the study and study support from Janssen-Cilag and Pharmion outside the submitted work. A.P. reports employment and shareholding of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) during the conduct of the study. C.C. reports employment at Janssen-Cilag during the conduct of the study. C.F. reports employment at Janssen Research and Development during the conduct of the study. F.T.B. reports employment at Janssen-Cilag during the conduct of the study. The remaining authors have stated that they have no conflicts of interest. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The AuthorsMultiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable disease, with little information available on its management in real-world clinical practice. The results of the present prospective, noninterventional observational study revealed great diversity in the treatment regimens used to treat MM. Our results also provide data to inform health economic, pharmacoepidemiologic, and outcomes research, providing a framework for the design of protocols to improve the outcomes of patients with MM. Background: The present prospective, multinational, noninterventional study aimed to document and describe real-world treatment regimens and disease progression in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Patients and Methods: Adult patients initiating any new MM therapy from October 2010 to October 2012 were eligible. A multistage patient/site recruitment model was applied to minimize the selection bias; enrollment was stratified by country, region, and practice type. The patient medical and disease features, treatment history, and remission status were recorded at baseline, and prospective data on treatment, efficacy, and safety were collected electronically every 3 months. Results: A total of 2358 patients were enrolled. Of these patients, 775 and 1583 did and did not undergo stem cell transplantation (SCT) at any time during treatment, respectively. Of the patients in the SCT and non-SCT groups, 49%, 21%, 14%, and 15% and 57%, 20%, 12% and 10% were enrolled at treatment line 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4, respectively. In the SCT and non-SCT groups, 45% and 54% of the patients had received bortezomib-based therapy without thalidomide/lenalidomide, 12% and 18% had received thalidomide/lenalidomide-based therapy without bortezomib, and 30% and 4% had received bortezomib plus thalidomide/lenalidomide-based therapy as frontline treatment, respectively. The corresponding proportions of SCT and non-SCT patients in lines 2, 3, and ≥ 4 were 45% and 37%, 30% and 37%, and 12% and 3%, 33% and 27%, 35% and 32%, and 8% and 2%, and 27% and 27%, 27% and 23%, and 6% and 4%, respectively. In the SCT and non-SCT patients, the overall response rate was 86% to 97% and 64% to 85% in line 1, 74% to 78% and 59% to 68% in line 2, 55% to 83% and 48% to 60% in line 3, and 49% to 65% and 36% and 45% in line 4, respectively, for regimens that included bortezomib and/or thalidomide/lenalidomide. Conclusion: The results of our prospective study have revealed great diversity in the treatment regimens used to manage MM in real-life practice. This diversity was linked to factors such as novel agent accessibility and evolving treatment recommendations. Our results provide insight into associated clinical benefits.publishersversionPeer reviewe

KDD process design in collaborative and distributed environments

Il termine Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) si riferisce al processo di scoperta di conoscenza all'interno di grandi volumi di dati, per mezzo di specifici algoritmi. L'applicazione di tali tecniche a contesti organizzativi reali risulta oggi ancora limitata, principalmente a causa della complessità nella configurazione degli algoritmi di analisi dei dati e nella difficoltà nella gestione/esecuzione dei processi di KDD, che impone spesso di far riferimento a contesti di computazione distribuita ed alla interazione tra diversi utenti, tra i quali specialisti con competenze tecniche ed esperti nello specifico dominio oggetto dell'analisi. In questo lavoro viene presentata Knowledge Discovery in Database Virtual Mart (KDDVM), una piattaforma orientata a supportare utenti con diversi livelli di esperienza nella progettazione di processi di KDD in ambito collaborativo e distribuito. La piattaforma si basa su un'architettura aperta, modulare, estensibile ed orientata ai servizi, nella quale vengono messe a disposizione funzionalità di preprocessing, modellazione e postprocessing. In KDDVM, tutte le risorse coinvolte in un processo, comprese le applicazioni, i dati e gli utenti, vengono rappresentate sistematicamente per mezzo di tecnologie semantiche, a vari livelli di astrazione. In tal modo è possibile approcciare il processo di estrazione della conoscenza in modo innovativo, fornendo un supporto più efficace ad utenti non esperti nell'esecuzione di attività complesse. Tra di essi sono disponibili funzionalità per il deployment di tool eterogenei, per la ricerca sintattica e semantica, all'interno di repository, di servizi che corrispondono a determinati requisiti, per il supporto intelligente alla composizione semi-automatica di processi, nonché strumenti capaci di supportare più utenti distribuiti, in un'ottica collaborativa, nella progettazione condivisa di un processo di KDD

A Knowledge-Based Approach to Support Analytic Query Answering in Semantic Data Lakes

The increased flexibility brought by Data Lake technologies, along with size and heterogeneity of quickly changing data sources, bring novel challenges to their management. Making sense of disparate data and supporting users to identify the most relevant sources for a given analytic request are indeed critical requirements to make data actionable. This is particularly relevant in data science applications, where users want to analyse statistical measures from a variety of data sources. To this aim, in the paper we introduce a knowledge-based approach for a Semantic Data Lake, capable of supporting efficient integration of data sources and their alignment to a Knowledge Graph representing indicators of interest, their mathematical formulas and dimensions of analysis. By leveraging manipulation of indicator formulas, a query-driven discovery approach is exploited to dynamically identify the sources, along with the needed transformations, to respond a given