ABSTRACT
A question answering system that receives as input a question in Spanish and returns the answer is presented. Preguntas y Respuestas {questions and answers} (PryRe) has two main components: 1) An information retrieval component that identifies the meaning of the question using its semantic properties. This component transforms the question into a triplet: R (C, V), where R is the relation or link, C is the concept or main idea, and V is the value of the concept. Example: Cual es la hierba que mejora la digestion? {What is the herb that improves digestion?} becomes R(C, V) = mejora (hierba, digestion) {improves(herb, digestion)}. This component uses natural language processing modules;2) a component that uses the triplet to carry out a query analysis on PryRe's ontology, to identify the answer, which in the example is Manzanilla {Chamomile}. This component performs the semantic identification of the question while traveling on parts of the ontology. Details of the PryRe system are given, as well as tests on herbalism and Coronavirus. It shows an acceptable accuracy (82%). Resources used in this work are (A) a notation used to describe ontologies, and (B) the deductive capability of PryRe.
ABSTRACT
This research evaluated some factors that could affect compliance with home confinement during the covid-19 pandemic by citizens of Latin American countries. Data from 229 days was used counted from the first confirmed infection in the region related to mobility, the interest of people in learning about issues related to the new coronavirus, the rigor of the policies that restricted the movement of people, the trust of citizens towards their governments, unemployment and deaths from covid-19. He estimated a model with panel data for twelve Latin American countries from them. The main results suggest that a greater rigor of governments, a good level of trust towards them, and an increase in unemployment were associated with greater compliance with home confinement to mitigate the pandemic's effects.
ABSTRACT
Using a rich set of administrative data, we study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transition to tertiary education for students with disabilities in Chile. Enrollment rates in primary and secondary education in Chile differ by less than 2 percentage points for students with or without disabilities, but there is an approximately 17 percentage point gap in enrollment in tertiary education. Our difference in differences analysis finds that the pandemic significantly decreased the probability of students with disabilities taking the admission test to tertiary education and enrolling in high-quality tertiary institutions, increasing the inequality in tertiary education. While the pandemic affected the transition to higher education for all students in Chile, students with disabilities were more adversely affected. Understanding how the pandemic has affected opportunities for students with disabilities is critical for informing policies of inclusion.
ABSTRACT
Lean service aims at identifying and eliminating Muda or waste (non-value-added activities). The purpose of this paper is to answer the research questions: Which types of waste can be observed in supermarket stores during COVID-19 pandemic? How has it impacted the operational processes in stores? An exploratory case study based on structured direct observation has been conducted. A supermarket store in a Spanish mid-size city has been selected and observed for more than 30 weeks. Methods to gather data were document analysis, direct and participative observation and informal interviews with customers and employees. Seven types of Muda (defects, motion, over-processing, inventory, overproduction, transportation, and time) were identified and measured prior to COVID-19 pandemic and after the first weeks. The results show that all types of Muda increased significantly during the first four weeks after the pandemic outbreak, but they decrease afterwards when actions were implemented by the management. Copyright © 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
ABSTRACT
Telework was increasing its boom over time, and due to the pandemic (Covid 19) has been found to be one of the most important issues today, since most if not all companies have had to resort to it. This importance is reflected in the reviews that were made through the search on the Web of Science (WoS) platform, making an analysis of the publications by countries, magazines, organizations and authors;finding that the countries with more discussion on the subject, through the publication of documents are the United States, England and Canada. Continuing with the analysis of networks, to conclude with the metaphor of the tree, composed by root (classic), trunk (structural) and leaves (recent), this last one conformed by four clusters, achieving that the revision of this research has a solid bibliographic support and showing in this analysis the impact that teleworking has in the home environment, costs, satisfaction and mental health. © 2022. Aibi, Revista de Investigacion Administracion e Ingenierias. All right reserved.
ABSTRACT
A question answering system that receives as input a question in Spanish and returns the answer is presented. Preguntas y Respuestas {questions and answers} (PryRe) has two main components: 1) An information retrieval component that identifies the meaning of the question using its semantic properties. This component transforms the question into a triplet: R (C, V), where R is the relation or link, C is the concept or main idea, and V is the value of the concept. Example: ¿Cuál es la hierba que mejora la digestión? {What is the herb that improves digestion?} becomes R(C, V) = mejora (hierba, digestión) {improves(herb, digestion)}. This component uses natural language processing modules;2) a component that uses the triplet to carry out a query analysis on PryRe's ontology, to identify the answer, which in the example is Manzanilla {Chamomile}. This component performs the semantic identification of the question while traveling on parts of the ontology. Details of the PryRe system are given, as well as tests on herbalism and Coronavirus. It shows an acceptable accuracy (82%). Resources used in this work are (A) a notation used to describe ontologies, and (B) the deductive capability of PryRe. © 2022 Instituto Politecnico Nacional. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and a disproportionate threat to older adults, having an impact on their biopsychosocial and spiritual sphere. Objective: To explore the perceptions and experiences of an older adult during and after diagnosis of COVID-19. Methods: Single case study, with Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological approach. An in-depth interview was applied, which began with a generative question and five open-ended questions to deepen the phenomenon of perceptions and experiences of suffering from COVID-19. Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis technique was used for data analysis and interpretation. Results: The informant was an older adult of 66 years of age, who has been living with type 2 diabetes for 22 years, which made him vulnerable to the contagion of COVID-19. From the life experience, 4 categories and 8 subcategories were identified, where the impact of COVID-19 on corporeality, subjective expressiveness of the body in the face of the disease, the body in the interaction with others, awareness of support from a superior being and humanized attention in the lived world were addressed. Conclusion: The disease caused psychological, physical, social and spiritual changes since the appearance of signs and symptoms. Among them the feeling of fear, sadness, loneliness, deterioration of social and family function due to social isolation. Among the coping mechanisms of the disease is the family and God. © 2022, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The use of nitazoxanide has previously yielded successful results in vitro against the coronavirus. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of the use of nitazoxanide at an early stage among healthcare workers exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. This was a prospective study carried out in 2020. Healthcare personnel who presented with COVID-19 symptoms, in different 3 hospitals were invited to take Paramix (nitazoxanide), 500 mg orally, every 6 h for 2 days and then 500 mg twice a day for 4 days. To compare the hospitalization percentage, a group of healthcare workers with a respiratory viral infection without COVID-19 criteria were also followed-up. Over a period of 3 months, 150 healthcare workers (111 women and 39 men) presented respiratory symp- toms with COVID-19 criteria (mean age, 36±10.6 years;range, 18-68 years). Only one female medical doctor, one nurse and one male from the auxiliary services had to be hospitalized and one death was registered It was thus concluded that nitazoxanide yielded successful results in vitro against previous coronavirus and may prove to be useful against SARS-CoV-2 as an early intervention to avoid complications, decreasing the expected number of hospitalizations among infected healthcare workers. © 2021 World Academy of Sciences Journal. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Recent estimates suggest that up to 34% of frontline workers in healthcare (FLWs) at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response are reporting elevated symptoms of psychological distress due to resource constraints, ineffective treatments, and concerns about self-contamination. However, little systematic research has been carried out to assess the mental health needs of FLWs in Europe, or the extent of psychological suffering in FLWs within different European countries of varying outbreak severity. Accordingly, this project will employ a mixed-methods approach over three work packages to develop best-practice guidelines for alleviating psychological distress in FLWs during the different phases of the pandemic. Work package 1 will identify the point and long-term prevalence of psychological distress symptoms in a sample of Irish and Italian FLWs, and the predictors of these symptoms. Work package 2 will perform a qualitative needs assessment on a sample of Irish and Italian FLWs to identify sources of stress and resilience, barriers to psychological care, and optimal strategies for alleviating psychological distress in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Work package 3 will synthesise the findings from the preceding work packages to draft best practice guidelines, which will be co-created by a multidisciplinary panel of experts using the Delphi method. The guidelines will provide clinicians with a framework for alleviating psychological distress in FLWs, with particular relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic, but may also have relevance for future pandemics and other public health emergencies.