Extending Bilingual WordNet via Hierarchical Word Translation Classification

PACLIC 23 / City University of Hong Kong / 3-5 December 200

Medium-term Outcomes of Myocarditis and Pericarditis following BNT162b2 Vaccination among Adolescents in Hong Kong

In this study, we examined the clinical and electrophysiological outcomes of adolescents in Hong Kong who developed myocarditis or pericarditis following BNT162b2 vaccination for COVID-19, and followed-up for 60 to 180 days after their initial diagnosis. Clinical assessments included electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram at the initial admission and follow-up were compared. Treadmill testing was also performed in some cases. Between 14 June 2021 and 16 February 2022, 53 subjects were approached to participate in this follow-up study, of which 28 patients were followed up for >60 days with a median follow-up period of 100 days (range, 61-178 days) and were included in this study. On admission, 23 patients had ECG abnormalities but no high-grade atrioventricular block. Six patients had echocardiogram abnormalities, including reduced contractility, small rim pericardial effusions, and hyperechoic ventricular walls. All patients achieved complete recovery on follow-up. After discharge, 10 patients (35.7%) reported symptoms, including occasional chest pain, shortness of breath, reduced exercise tolerance, and recurrent vasovagal near-syncope. At follow-up, assessments, including ECGs, were almost all normal. Among the three patients with possible ECG abnormalities, all their echocardiograms or treadmill testings were normal. Sixteen patients (57.1%) underwent treadmill testing at a median of 117 days post-admission, which were also normal. However, at follow-up, there was a significant mean bodyweight increase of 1.81kg (95%CI 0.47-3.1 kg, p=0.01), possibly due to exercise restriction. In conclusion, most adolescents experiencing myocarditis and pericarditis following BNT162b2 vaccination achieved complete recovery. Some patients developed non-specific persistent symptoms, and bodyweight changes shall be monitored

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Key Factor Analysis for the Introduction of Cloud Learning in the Retail Industry

[[abstract]]隨著雲端服務的出現，使得企業人力資源教育訓練方式產生極大的變化。以往企業在訓練學習部分通常採用傳統人力培訓方式，也有許多企業已經導入企業內部學習平台提供員工使用，然而學習平台之版本需要經常更新、硬體也要隨之更新，且也要專門資訊人員來維護，相當花費成本。以經濟效益來看，在預算有限因素下，雲端學習(學習雲)服務提供了企業一個低成本的教育訓練模式，企業可將教育課程建構在雲端，當學員有需要時，透過網路雲端服務平台即可提供員工進行教育訓練，滿足學習者多元化的需求，無需參加公司的實體炫練，省下龐大的人事和時間成本。 過去研究中，鮮少有考量企業導入雲端學習的因素研究。而本研究經由文獻探討建構一個較適合的架構，同時以人力需求高的零售業為研究對象，探討零售業導入學習雲的關鍵因素，供後續欲導入或已導入的企業參考。[[abstract]]The use of cloud-learning has significantly changed the methods of training development in many retail companies In the past retail companies used traditional training methods in the company; the retail companies not only have to update computer programmers frequently but also need to hire costly technicians to maintain their internal systems Could-learning has introduced a revolutionary and innovative method professional training that enabled company employees to obtain advanced education without having to spend a lot of money on miscellaneous fees or sacrificing their current jobs in order to attend classes or training seminars From a long term point of view cloud-learning provide a flexible alternative to traditional training methods In the past Cloud-Learning focused mostly on the research of single criterion using statistical analysis to conduct mass questionnaires; researches concerning the integral impact factors are rarely conducted Therefore this paper intends to build a better framework from a professional perspective by choosing the large retail enterprises as the subject of study discussing the critical factors of large retail enterprises to adopt Cloud-Learning system The result of this study could provide enterprises with the intention to adopt the system for their reference or to those which have already adopted it for reference of amendmen

Candida auris: Disinfectants and Implications for Infection Control

Candida auris is a rapidly emerging pathogen and is able to cause severe infections with high mortality rates. It is frequently misidentified in most clinical laboratories, thus requiring more specialized identification techniques. Furthermore, several clinical isolates have been found to be multidrug resistant and there is evidence of nosocomial transmission in outbreak fashion. Appropriate infection control measures will play a major role in controlling the management and spread of this pathogen. Unfortunately, there are very few data available on the effectiveness of disinfectants against C. auris. Chlorine-based products appear to be the most effective for environmental surface disinfection. Other disinfectants, although less effective than chlorine-based products, may have a role as adjunctive disinfectants. A cleaning protocol will also need to be established as the use of disinfectants alone may not be sufficient for maximal decontamination of patient care areas. Furthermore, there are fewer data on the effectiveness of antiseptics against C. auris for patient decolonization and hand hygiene for healthcare personnel. Chlorhexidine gluconate has shown some efficacy in in vitro studies but there are reports of patients with persistent colonization despite twice daily body washes with this disinfectant. Hand hygiene using soap and water, with or without chlorhexidine gluconate, may require the subsequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer for maximal disinfection. Further studies will be needed to validate the currently studied disinfectants for use in real-world settings

A Development and Validation of the Perceived Language Discrimination Scale

This study was conducted to develop the Perceived Language Discrimination (PLD) scale across three samples of international students. In Sample 1 (N ϭ 224), the seven items of the PLD were selected (␣ ϭ .94) through an exploratory factor analysis. In Sample 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (N ϭ 222) provided a cross-validation of the one-factor model. Validity was supported by moderate positive associations of perceived language discrimination with depression (r ϭ .35) and anxiety (r ϭ .36), as well as small negative associations of perceived language discrimination with self-esteem (r ϭ Ϫ.24) and life satisfaction (r ϭ Ϫ.26). Moreover, perceived language discrimination had a large positive association with perceived racial discrimination (r ϭ .62), a moderate negative association with perceived English proficiency (r ϭ Ϫ.49), and a relatively weak association with social desirability (r ϭ .14). Finally, perceived language discrimination added significant incremental variance in predicting depression and anxiety over and above perceived racial discrimination and perceived English proficiency, respectively. The results indicated measurement invariance and validity equivalency for the PLD between males and females as well as between the English and Non-English groups. In Sample 3, the estimated 2-week test-retest reliability (N ϭ 31) was .83

Susceptibility of 'Candida albicans' biofilms to azithromycin, tigecycline and vancomycin and the interaction between tigecycline and antifungals

Despite growing data on antimicrobial lock therapy (ALT) in treating bacterial catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs), ALT has not been established as a treatment option for CR-BSI caused by 'Candida albicans'. Based on our finding that high-dose doxycycline exhibited antifungal activity against mature 'C. albicans' biofilms, we evaluated additional antibacterial agents with Gram-positive activity [azithromycin, tigecycline (TIG) and vancomycin]. After screening these antibiotics, it was found that TIG had substantial antifungal activity against mature C. albicans biofilms. Therefore, TIG was assayed alone and in combination with fluconazole (FLC), amphotericin B (AmB) or caspofungin (CAS). TIG at 2048 μg/mL resulted in a >50% reduction in the growth of planktonic 'C. albicans' cells. TIG inhibited the formation of biofilms from 128 μg/mL. Against mature biofilms, 2048 μg/mL TIG reduced metabolic activity by 84.2%. Furthermore, addition of 512 μg/mL TIG to FLC at all concentrations tested provided additional reduction in the metabolic activity of mature biofilms. However, this was not superior to 512 μg/mL TIG alone. TIG at 512 μg/mL increased the antifungal effect of lower concentrations of AmB (0.03125-0.25 μg/mL), but at 0.03125 μg/mL and 0.0625 μg/mL this effect was not superior to 512 μg/mL TIG alone. TIG inhibited the antifungal effect of higher concentrations of AmB (≥2 μg/mL). TIG at 512 μg/mL inhibited the antifungal activity of CAS at lower concentrations (0.25'8 μg/mL). These data indicate that high-dose TIG is highly active in vitro against planktonic cells, forming biofilms and mature biofilms of 'C. albicans'