bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Online and social media recruitment
Authors: Ladkin Adele , Buhalis Dimitrios
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to reflect on issues concerning online and social media recruitment in hospitality organisations. It considers the implications for employers and prospective employees, discussing areas of mutual relevance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on existing research to examine the subject of online and social media recruitment. Secondary sources are used to provide a framework for the consideration of online and social media recruitment for hospitality organisations. A model for understanding online- and social media-empowered hospitality recruitment is proposed.

Findings

– Considerations for employers include website attributes, issues of fairness in the recruitments process and brand reputation. For prospective employees, the considerations centre on public and private online profiles. Considerations common to both include the value of an online presence, the blurring of boundaries in online information and legal implications.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a discussion paper drawing on evidence from previous research to explore recruitment issues in the hospitality industry. It raises the profile of recruitment issues, mapping the field and providing the basis for further exploration.

Practical implications

– The paper provides a basis for understanding the impact of online and social media recruitment trends and issues and considers the implications for hospitality employers and prospective employees.

Originality/value

– The paper’s contribution is its reflection on debates from different disciplines and in offering the dual perspective of employers and potential employees from which to consider emerging themes as they relate to online- and social media-empowered recruitment.
Wine tourism suppliers’ and visitors’ experiential priorities
Authors: Quadri-Felitti Donna , Fiore Ann Marie
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate the alignment of experience economy design priorities and perceptions of rural wine tourism suppliers (i.e. winery-farm owners, restaurateurs retailers, lodging providers, attraction operators) with tourists’ perceived experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

– Adapting the 4E (educational, escapist, esthetic and entertainment) measurement scales of Ohet al.(2007), a cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data from 169 suppliers and 970 wine tourists. Factor analyses,t-tests and ANOVA tests were used to explore differences.

Findings

– Supply-side cohesion among the four supplier groups appeared across all experiential design priorities and across three of the 4Es regarding their perceptions of the destination; esthetics was the exception. Significant differences between suppliers’ design priorities and visitors’ experiential perceptions were found on three experiential dimensions, and alignment on esthetics was revealed.

Research limitations/implications

– Unique attributes of the destination may have affected the results with further development of the supplier measurement scale recommended. Results of the tests that used surrogate variables should be approached with caution.

Practical implications

– The study underscores the esthetic experience’s importance to wine tourists and suppliers alike. Results suggest where suppliers should focus their efforts to improve wine tourists’ experiences and what suppliers may expect to emphasize rather than those emphasized by destination managers, i.e. entertainment and education.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to compare experience economy priorities of multiple supply-side stakeholders and wine tourists’ perceived experiences.
Analyzing conversion rates in online hotel booking
Authors: Cezar Asunur , Ögüt Hulisi
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of three main technologies on converting browsers into customers: impact of review rating (location rating and service rating), recommendation and search listings.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper estimates conversion rate model parameters using a quasi-likelihood method with the Bernoulli log-likelihood function and parametric regression model based on the beta distribution.

Findings

– The results show that a high rank in search listings, a high number of recommendations and location rating have a significant and positive impact on conversion rates. However, service rating and star rating do not have a significant effect on conversion rate. Furthermore, room price and hotel size are negatively associated with conversion rate. It was also found that a high rank in search listings, a high number of recommendations and location rating increase online hotel bookings. Furthermore, it was found that a high number of recommendations increase the conversion rate of hotels with low ranks.

Practical implications

– The findings show that hotels’ location ratings are more important than both star and service ratings for the conversion of visitors into customers. Thus, hotels that are located in convenient locations can charge higher prices. The results may also help entrepreneurs who are planning to open new hotels to forecast the conversion rates and demand for specific locations. It was found that a high number of recommendations help to increase the conversion rate of hotels with low ranks. This result suggests that a high numbers of recommendations mitigate the adverse effect of a low rank in search listings on the conversion rate.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the understanding of the drivers of conversion rates in online channels for the successful implementation of hotel marketing.
Hotel daily occupancy forecasting with competitive sets: a recursive algorithm
Authors: Schwartz Zvi , Uysal Muzaffer , Webb Timothy , Altin Mehmet
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to improve the accuracy of hotel daily occupancy forecasts – an essential element in the revenue management cycle – by proposing and testing a novel approach. The authors add the hotel competitive-set’s predicted occupancy as an input of the individual property forecast and, using a recursive approach, demonstrate that there is a potential for significant reduction in the forecasting error.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper outlines the theoretical justification and the mechanism for this new approach. It applies a simulation for exploring the potential to improve the accuracy of the hotel’s daily occupancy forecasts, as well as analysis of data from a field study of two hotel clusters’ daily forecasts to provide empirical support to the procedure’s viability.

Findings

– The results provide strong support to the notion that the accuracy could be enhanced. Incorporating the competitive set prediction by using either a genetic algorithm or the simple linear regression model improves the accuracy of the forecast using either the absolute or the absolute percentage as the error measure.

Research limitations/implications

– The proliferation of data sharing practices in the hotel industry reveals that the timely data sharing-aggregation-dissemination mechanism required for implementing this forecasting paradigm is feasible.

Originality/value

– Given the crucial role of accurate forecasts in revenue management and recent changes in the hotels’ operating environment which made it harder to achieve or maintain high levels of accuracy, this study’s proposed novel approach has the potential to make a unique contribution in the realm of forecasting daily occupancies.
Co-creation and higher order customer engagement in hospitality and tourism services
Authors: Chathoth Prakash K. , Ungson Gerardo R. , Harrington Robert J. , Chan Eric S.W.
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a review of the literature associated with co-creation and higher-order customer engagement concepts and poses critical questions related to the current state of research. Additionally, the paper presents a framework for customer engagement and co-creation with relevance to hospitality transactions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Earlier research on co-production, co-creation, consumer engagement and service-dominant logic are discussed and synthesized. Based on this synthesis, links and contrasts of these varying research streams are presented providing an articulation of key characteristics of each and how these might be applied within a hospitality context.

Findings

– Modalities in service transactions vary among traditional production, co-production and co-creation based on changes in attitudes, enabling technologies and the logic or ideology supporting the change. Transaction characteristics vary among manufacturing, quasi-manufacturing and services based on several key categories including differences in boundary conditions, enablers, success requirements, sustainability requirements, the dominant logic used and key barriers/vulnerabilities. When creating experiential value for consumers, firms should consider several aspects ex-ante, in-situ and ex-post of the change and during the change process.

Research limitations/implications

– Firms need to move toward higher-order customer engagement using co-creative modalities to enhance value creation. Current practices in the hotel industry may not in their entirety support this notion. Ex-ante, in-situ and ex-post considerations for creating experiential value need to be used as part of a checklist of questions for firms to pose in order to move toward managing customer experiences using the service-dominant logic as part of the firm’s orientation toward its market. This would give it the required thrust to create superior engagement platforms that use co-creative modalities while addressing the barriers to higher-order customer engagement as identified in the literature.

Originality/value

– The hospitality and tourism literature on co-creation and higher-order customer engagement is still in its infancy. A synthesis of these early studies provides support for the need for future research on co-creation that more clearly articulates the modality firms could use to move toward co-creation. This paper develops a dynamic framework using characteristics of co-creation that integrate the various stages of value creation (i.e. input, throughput and output).
Residual stresses in steel members: a review of available analytical expressions
Authors: Abambres Miguel , Quach Wai-Meng
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– Although the actual residual stress distribution in any structural steel member can be only obtained by experimental measurements, it is known to be a difficult, tedious and inefficient piece of work with limited accuracy. Thus, besides aiming at clarifying structural designers and researchers about the possible ways of modelling residual stresses when performing finite element analysis (FEA), the purpose of this paper is to provide an effective literature review of the longitudinal membrane residual stress analytical expressions for carbon steel non-heavy sections, covering a vast range of structural shapes (plates, I, H, L, T, cruciform, SHS, RHS and LSB) and fabrication processes (hot-rolling, welding and cold-forming).

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a literature review.

Findings

– Those residual stresses are those often required as input of numerical analyses, since the other types are approximately accounted for through thes-ecurves of coupons cut from member walls.

Practical implications

– One of the most challenging aspects in FEA aimed to simulate the real behaviour of steel members, is the modelling of residual stresses.

Originality/value

– Besides aiming at clarifying structural designers and researchers about the possible ways of modelling residual stresses when performing FEA, this paper also provides an effective literature review of the longitudinal membrane residual stress analytical expressions for carbon steel non-heavy sections, covering a vast range of structural shapes (plates, I, H, L, T, cruciform, SHS, RHS and LSB) and fabrication processes (hot-rolling, welding and cold-forming).
High-skilled newcomers’ identity: learners or experts?
Authors: Søreide Gunn Elisabeth
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the negotiation of learner and worker identities in a group of high-skilled newcomers who participate in an introductory and mentoring programme.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper takes the interdependence of learning, work and identity and a constructivist approach to identity as a point of departure. The design is qualitative with semi-structured interviews as the main source of data.

Findings

– For the learning potential in introductory programmes to be fulfilled, all parties involved must recognise a need for learning. This is especially important in organisations that are knowledge intensive and that demand highly skilled and competent workers, as negotiations of learner identity might be more demanding for this group of employees.

Research limitations/implications

– The current paper is situated in a specific organisational and national context, and only pays attention to some of the negotiations between expert and learner identities that are relevant if induction programmes and initiatives should be experienced as positive. Connections between identity work, learning and job performance for this group of workers should consequently be empirically investigated by a variety of methods and within several organisational and national contexts.

Practical implications

– The paper shows that it is vital for organisers and leaders to be sensitive to the significance that the identity work has for learning, when they plan, execute and evaluate induction programmes and initiatives for high-skilled and competent workers.

Originality/value

– The facilitation of job transitions and induction for high-skilled and experienced workers is underresearched, and the paper shows how identity and learning is closely connected for this group of employees.
Orientation effects for laser sintered polyamide optically translucent parts
Authors: Yuan Mengqi , Bourell David
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyze the additive manufacturing orientation effect of laser sintered polyamide 12 (PA 12) optically translucent parts.

Design/methodology/approach

– Plates with small features, wedges and lithophanes were laser sintered on a SinterStation HiQ™ in different orientations using PA 12. Lithophane performance was assessed using a Picker 240050 X-ray view/light box. All parts were examined using stereomicroscopy to capture the small features.

Findings

– The quality of the lithophane image was substantially improved by orienting the flat plate side to the incident backlit light. Sintering in the ZX/ZY plane significantly increased the contrast and resolution compared to sintering in the XY plane. The thinnest feature thickness possible in the SinterStation HiQ is in the XY plane 0.13 mm, and it is 0.57 mm when manufacturing in the ZX/ZY plane.

Research limitations/implications

– The laser spot size and other machine parameters were not changeable, which limited the manufacturing resolution. Oblique, non-orthogonal orientations were not investigated.

Originality/value

– This is a first effort to investigate the manufacturing orientation effect of laser sintered polyamide optically translucent parts. The manufacturing resolutions on different planes were defined.
Quality improvement of optically translucent parts manufactured from LS and SL
Authors: Yuan Mengqi , Bourell David
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to improve the quality of additive manufactured optically translucent parts by investigating the manufacturing issues, analyzing lithophane production criteria and identifying the best translucent material and additive manufacturing (AM) technology.

Design/methodology/approach

– Figured lithophanes were laser sintered on a 3D Systems SinterStation® HiQ™ with varying layer thickness and plate thickness. Laser sintered (LS) polyamide (PA) 12 blanks were cyanoacrylate infiltrated and polished. Optical properties and performance were compared with the original LS blanks. Lithophanes and blanks were manufactured using 3D systems stereo lithography apparatus (SLA)® Viper ™si2 station, and optical properties and lithophane performance were compared with the LS specimens.

Findings

– When building in the XY plane, it is optimal to sinter with the minimum layer thickness (0.076 mm) and maximum plate thickness (5 mm). Cyanoacrylate infiltration and polishing assists in reducing the LS PA 12 plate surface roughness, but polishing does not affect the lithophane performance. The best LS candidate should have an absorption coefficient of 0.5/mm using a white light source. Improved resolution but reduced contrast was observed on stereolithography (SL) specimens compared to LS parts.

Research limitations/implications

– Transmittance experiments were performed on three SL parts which was not sufficient for optical property calculation. Limited literature was found for new material exploration.

Originality/value

– It is the first effort to study systematically quality improvement issues of LS PA optically translucent parts. A comparison is made of optical performance between parts made using LS and SL.
The use of rapid prototyping techniques (RPT) to manufacture micro channels suitable for high operation pressures and μPIV
Authors: Farré-Lladós Josep , Casals-Terré Jasmina , Voltas Jordi , Westerberg Lars G.
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a new methodology to manufacture micro-channels suitable for high operating pressures and micro particle image velocimetry (μPIV) measurements using a rapid-prototyping high-resolution 3D printer. This methodology can fabricate channels down to 250 μm and withstand pressures of up to 5 ± 0.2 MPa. The manufacturing times are much shorter than in soft lithography processes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The novel manufacturing method developed takes advantage of the recently improved resolution in 3D printers to manufacture an rapid prototyping technique part that contains the hose connections and a micro-channel useful for microfluidics. A method to assemble one wall of the micro-channel using UV curable glue with a glass slide is presented – an operation required to prepare the channel for μPIV measurements. Once built, the micro-channel has been evaluated when working under pressure and the grease flow behavior in it has been measured using μPIV. Furthermore, the minimum achievable channels have been defined using a confocal microscopy study.

Findings

– This technique is much faster than previous micro-manufacturing techniques where different steps were needed to obtain the micro-machined parts. However, due to current 3D printers
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resolutions (around 50 μm) and according to the experimental results, channels smaller than 250-μm2 cross-section should not be used to characterize fluid flow behaviors, as inaccuracies in the channel boundaries can deeply affect the fluid flow behavior.

Practical implications

– The present methodology is developed due to the need to validate micro-channels using μPIV to lubricate critical components (bearings and gears) in wind turbines.

Originality/value

– This novel micro-manufacturing technique overcomes current techniques, as it requires less manufacturing steps and therefore it is faster and with less associated costs to manufacture micro-channels down to 250-μm2 cross-section that can withstand pressures higher than 5 MPa that can be used to characterize microfluidic flow behavior using μPIV.
Understanding the efficacy of micro-CT to analyse high speed sintering parts
Authors: Rouholamin Davood , Hopkinson Neil
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to assess the suitability of micro-computed tomography as a non-destructive method to investigate the morphology of nylon 12 parts produced by high-speed sintering (HSS). The investigation of the effect of changes in the lamp power on the properties of the fabricated parts was another purpose of this study.

Design/methodology/approach

– Nylon 12 parts were manufactured using HSS with various lamp powers. Morphological properties of the parts were measured using micro-computed tomography. Ultimate tensile strength, elongation at break and Young’s modulus of the prepared parts were determined and compared. The effect of lamp power on the properties of the parts was then studied.

Findings

– This paper proposes micro-computed tomography as a suitable technique to study the 3D structure of the parts produced by HSS. The effects of lamp power on the properties of the produced parts were also discussed.

Practical implications

– The findings could result in an improvement in customisation of the parts for various applications through varying the lamp power. The level of lamp power could be tailored to obtain suitable part properties for a target application.

Originality/value

– This study strengthens the fact that HSS is a promising additive manufacturing technique to produce nylon 12 parts, and the properties of the parts could be maximised using a suitable level of lamp power. The results showed that micro-computed tomography could be used as an efficient technique to investigate the morphology of the sintered parts.
A CAD and AM process for maxillofacial prostheses bar-clip retention
Authors: Daniel Steffan , Eggbeer Dominic
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to present novel techniques for designing maxillofacial prostheses using computer-aided design (CAD) and additive manufacture (AM), focusing on the integration of osseointegrated retention components. A fully computer-aided approach is considered as a major step towards reducing patient consultation time and an efficient workflow.

Design/methodology/approach

– The workflow was illustrated through a phantom model. 3D laser scanning was used to capture the phantom anatomy and pre-fabricated geometric features, which enabled the implant positions to be precisely reverse engineered in the data. A novel CAD workflow was used to design the retention mechanisms and a mould. The individual components were fabricated using AM. A definitive silicone prosthesis that incorporated a bar/clip retention mechanism was then fabricated.

Findings

– The research demonstrated that retention components can be integrated into prostheses using appropriate CAD and AM technologies.

Originality/value

– This study demonstrates the feasibility of a computer-aided workflow for designing facial prostheses that incorporate osseointegrated retention mechanisms. Novel techniques were developed to: digitise abutment details using custom scanning locators; design retention components; manufacture retention components using AM; integrate retention components into a CAD and AM prosthesis mould. This overcomes limitations identified in previously published cases and demonstrated significant potential to reduce patient consultation time and create a clinically viable process.
Effect of preheat and layer thickness on selective laser melting (SLM) of magnesium
Authors: Savalani Monica Mahesh , Pizarro Jorge Martinez
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of preheat and layer thickness in selective laser melting (SLM) of magnesium using pulse mode. Magnesium has been considered as a new generation of implant materials which are bioactive and biodegradable for orthopaedic applications.

Design/methodology/approach

– To produce optimal single magnesium tracks to compare the effect of layer thickness and preheat, different laser parameters were investigated. The analysis was made based on digital and electronic microscope images and mechanical measurements.

Findings

– Improvements in the magnesium tracks due to preheating were successfully achieved. The analysis shows better bonding to the surface. The preheated tracks present an improvement in quality surface: smoother and flatter surfaces are discovered for the low layer thicknesses. When the thickness increases, the surface was disrupted and presented high surface roughness values. These were attributed to the Marangoni convection.

Originality/value

– This study continues valuing the fabrication of magnesium with SLM. It shows the improvements of preheat and effect of different layer thicknesses on the part properties.
Improving the fidelity of aerodynamic probes using additive manufacturing
Authors: Jarallah Ishaq , Kanjirakkad Vasudevan P
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to offer the aerodynamic testing community a new procedure for manufacturing high-quality aerodynamic probes suitable for 3D flow measurements with consistent geometry and calibration by taking advantage of the additive manufacturing technology.

Design/methodology/approach

– The design methodology combines the advantages and flexibilities of computer aided design (CAD)/computer aided manufacturing (CAM) along with the use of computational fluid dynamics to design and analyse suitable probe shapes prior to manufacturing via rapid prototyping.

Findings

– A viable procedure to design and possibly batch manufacture geometrically accurate pneumatic probes with consistent calibration is shown to be possible through this work. Multi-jet modelling prototyping methods with wax-based support materials are found to be a cost-effective method when clean and long sub-millimetre pressure channels are to be cut.

Originality/value

– Utilisation of the geometry consistency that is made possible by 3D printing technology for the design and development of pneumatic probes is described. It is suggested that the technique could lead to batch production of identical probes, thus avoiding precious time of a skilled labourer and elaborate individual calibration requirement.
Increasing plant species diversity and extreme species turnover accompany declining soil fertility along a long‐term chronosequence in a biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Zemunik Graham , Turner Benjamin L. , Lambers Hans , Laliberté Etienne
Published: January 2016

Long‐term soil chronosequences provide natural soil fertility gradients that can be used to explore linkages between soils and plant community composition and diversity. Well‐studied forested soil chronosequences have revealed that local (α) plant diversity increases with greater soil age and declining fertility, but corresponding changes in species turnover and beta (β) diversity have not been explored, particularly in extremely species‐rich regions.

We quantified changes in plant species diversity and community composition, and identified the edaphic drivers of these changes, along a >2‐million year retrogressive dune chronosequence in the south‐west Australia biodiversity hotspot.

We found greater plant species diversity across all growth forms as soil development proceeded and concentrations of soil nutrients, particularly phosphorus (P), diminished to extremely low levels (surface soil total P concentrations of 6 mg P kg−1). Despite the high plant α diversity on older nutrient‐impoverished soils, species turnover across the chronosequence was exceptionally high when all growth forms were considered (mean of 1% of species shared between the youngest and oldest soils), and there was complete turnover of woody species along the chronosequence. Such extreme species turnover across the chronosequence reflected large changes in soil chemical properties. In addition, β diversity within individual chronosequence stages increased with declining soil fertility. Shrubs remained the dominant and most speciose growth form throughout the chronosequence.

Synthesis. The large increase in plant α diversity and the extreme species turnover associated with declining soil fertility highlight the central role of soil properties in driving plant community assembly during long‐term ecosystem development, previously only reported from comparatively species‐poor regions. Our finding that plant β diversity increased with declining soil fertility points to a novel mechanism whereby extremely low soil fertility, rather than high productivity, promotes high β diversity. These results suggest that the interaction of an exceptionally diverse plant species pool and nutrient‐impoverished soils provides the basis for the maintenance of such high β diversity at extremely low soil fertility.
Aliskiren improves endothelium‐dependent relaxation of thoracic aorta by activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS signal pathway in SHR
Authors: Gu Yue , Tang Xin , Xie Liping , Meng Guoliang , Ji Yong
Published: January 2016

Aliskiren, a direct renin blocker, has been approved for the treatment of hypertension. However, the potential role of aliskiren on vascular endothelial function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) remains unclear. In the present study, male SHRs at 12 weeks of age were orally administrated 30 mg/kg per day or 60 mg/kg per day aliskiren. After a 4‐week treatment, aliskiren showed a significant effect on the reduction of blood pressure at a dosage of 60 mg/kg per day, but not of 30 mg/kg per day. Moreover, both dosages of aliskiren improved endothelium‐dependent relaxation, reduced dihydroethidium fluorescence intensity, decreased level of malondialdehyde but heightened total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase activity in thoracic aorta in SHR. Aliskiren also markedly increased expression of p85α, an important subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), enhancing phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) at Ser473 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) at Ser1177, as well as cyclic guanosine‐3′5′‐monophosphate (cGMP, a sensitive index of biological activity of nitric oxide) concentration. Furthermore, both anti‐oxidative and endothelium protective effects of aliskiren were diminished when PI3K was inhibited in vivo. The data presented here indicates that, aliskiren improves endothelium‐dependent relaxation of thoracic aorta in SHR, predominantly through attenuating oxidative stress and activation of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway. These data might propose novel strategies to prevent and improve vascular endothelial dysfunction.
Maternal positioning to correct occiput posterior fetal position during the first stage of labour: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Guittier MJ , Othenin‐Girard V , de Gasquet B , Irion O , Boulvain M
Published: January 2016

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of the hands and knees position during the first stage of labour to facilitate the rotation of the fetal head to the occiput anterior position.

Design

Randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland.

Population

A total of 439 women with a fetus in the occiput posterior position during the first stage of labour.

Methods

The women in the intervention group were invited to take a hands and knees position for at least for 10 minutes. Women allocated to the control group received the usual care. For both groups, 15 minutes after randomisation, women completed a short questionnaire to report their perceived pain and the comfort of their position.

Main outcome measures

The rotation of the fetal head in occiput anterior position confirmed by ultrasonography 1 hour after randomisation.

Results

One hour after the randomisation, 35 of 203 (17%) fetuses were diagnosed as being in the occiput anterior position in the intervention group compared with 24 of 209 (12%) in the control group. This difference was not statistically significant (relative risk 1.50; 95% CI 0.93–2.43; P = 0.13). The change in the evaluation of comfort between the randomisation and 15 minutes after showed an improvement in 70 and 39 women, no change in 82 and 78 women and a decrease in 56 and 86 women in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

This study could not demonstrate a benefit of the hands and knees position to correct the occiput posterior position of the fetus during the first stage of labour, but the women reported an increase in their comfort level.

Tweetable abstract

Hands and knees position does not facilitate rotation into occiput anterior but increases the comfort level of women.
Over‐commitment and backsliding in international trade
Authors: KUCIK JEFFREY , PELC KRZYSZTOF J.
Published: January 2016

‘International commitments pay’ could be the mantra of the current literature on international organisations: tying their hands at the international level is a means for governments to push through politically costly, but ultimately welfare‐enhancing reforms. It is argued in this article that this logic has a limit, which can be empirically observed. Past a given point, further depth of integration increases odds of backsliding. This belief is tested in the context of accession to an institution whose rules have been heavily scrutinised: the World Trade Organization (WTO). Countries with low rule of law are imposed a risk premium in the form of demands for deeper concessions, making ‘over‐committing’ possible. This relationship is used to assess the extent to which deeper commitments lead to backsliding. Industry‐level analysis supports these beliefs: deep commitments lead to increased odds of backtracking through a range of legal and extra‐legal mechanisms. Ambitious international commitments can backfire.
Development of Food‐Grade Curcumin Nanoemulsion and its Potential Application to Food Beverage System: Antioxidant Property and In Vitro Digestion
Authors: Joung Hee Joung , Choi Mi‐Jung , Kim Jun Tae , Park Seok Hoon , Park Hyun Jin , Shin Gye Hwa
Published: January 2016

Curcumin nanoemulsions (Cur‐NEs) were developed with various surfactant concentrations by using high pressure homogenization and finally applied to the commercial milk system. Characterization of Cur‐NEs was performed by measuring the droplet size and polydispersity index value at different Tween 20 concentrations. The morphology of the Cur‐NEs was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Antioxidant activity and in vitro digestion ability were tested using 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt, pH‐stat method, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assays. Cur‐NEs were found to be physically stable for 1 mo at room temperature. The surfactant concentration affects particle formation and droplet size. The mean droplet size decreased from 122 to 90 nm when surfactant concentration increased 3 times. Cur‐NEs had shown an effective oxygen scavenging activity. Cur‐NEs‐fortified milk showed significantly lower lipid oxidation than control (unfortified) milk and milk containing curcumin‐free nanoemulsions. These properties make Cur‐NEs suitable systems for the beverage industry.
Perceived Appropriateness of Shared Decision‐making in the Emergency Department: A Survey Study
Authors: Probst Marc A. , Kanzaria Hemal K. , Frosch Dominick L. , Hess Erik P. , Winkel Gary , Ngai Ka Ming , Richardson Lynne D.
Published: January 2016

Objectives

The objective was to describe perceptions of practicing emergency physicians (EPs) regarding the appropriateness and medicolegal implications of using shared decision‐making (SDM) in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of EPs at a large, national professional meeting to assess perceived appropriateness of SDM for different categories of ED management (e.g., diagnostic testing, treatment, disposition) and in common clinical scenarios (e.g., low‐risk chest pain, syncope, minor head injury). A 21‐item survey instrument was iteratively developed through review by content experts, cognitive testing, and pilot testing. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted.

Results

We approached 737 EPs; 709 (96%) completed the survey. Two‐thirds (67.8%) of respondents were male; 51% practiced in an academic setting and 44% in the community. Of the seven management decision categories presented, SDM was reported to be most frequently appropriate for deciding on invasive procedures (71.5%), computed tomography (CT) scanning (56.7%), and post‐ED disposition (56.3%). Among the specific clinical scenarios, use of thrombolytics for acute ischemic stroke was felt to be most frequently appropriate for SDM (83.4%), followed by lumbar puncture to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage (73.8%) and CT head for pediatric minor head injury (69.9%). Most EPs (66.8%) felt that using and documenting SDM would decrease their medicolegal risk while a minority (14.2%) felt that it would increase their risk.

Conclusions

Acceptance of SDM among EPs appears to be strong across management categories (diagnostic testing, treatment, and disposition) and in a variety of clinical scenarios. SDM is perceived by most EPs to be medicolegally protective.
Usability of the Massachusetts Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in the Emergency Department: A Mixed‐methods Study
Authors: Poon Sabrina J. , Greenwood‐Ericksen Margaret B. , Gish Rebecca E. , Neri Pamela M. , Takhar Sukhjit S. , Weiner Scott G. , Schuur Jeremiah D. , Landman Adam B.
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are underutilized, despite evidence showing that they may reduce the epidemic of opioid‐related addiction, diversion, and overdose. We evaluated the usability of the Massachusetts (MA) PDMP by emergency medicine providers (EPs), as a system's usability may affect how often it is used.

Methods

This was a mixed‐methods study of 17 EPs. We compared the time and number of clicks required to review one patient's record in the PDMP to three other commonly performed computer‐based tasks in the emergency department (ED: ordering a computed tomography [CT] scan, writing a prescription, and searching a medication history service integrated within the electronic medical record [EMR]). We performed semistructured interviews and analyzed participant comments and responses regarding their experience using the MA PDMP.

Results

The PDMP task took a longer time to complete (mean = 4.22 minutes) and greater number of mouse clicks to complete (mean = 50.3 clicks) than the three other tasks (CT‐pulmonary embolism = 1.42 minutes, 24.8 clicks; prescription = 1.30 minutes, 19.5 clicks; SureScripts = 1.45 minutes, 9.5 clicks). Qualitative analysis yielded four main themes about PDMP usability, three negative and one positive: 1) difficulty accessing the PDMP, 2) cumbersome acquiring patient medication history information within the PDMP, 3) nonintuitive display of patient medication history information within the PDMP, and 4) overall perceived value of the PDMP despite an inefficient interface.

Conclusions

The complicated processes of gaining access to, logging in, and using the MA PDMP are barriers to preventing its more frequent use. All states should evaluate the PDMP usability in multiple practice settings including the ED and work to improve provider enrollment, login procedures, patient information input, prescription data display, and ultimately, PDMP data integration into EMRs.
Use of a Dedicated, Non–Physician‐led Mental Health Team to Reduce Pediatric Emergency Department Lengths of Stay
Authors: Uspal Neil G. , Rutman Lori E. , Kodish Ian , Moore Ann , Migita Russell T.
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Utilization of emergency departments (EDs) for pediatric mental health (MH) complaints is increasing. These patients require more resources and have higher admission rates than those with nonpsychiatric complaints.

Methods

A multistage, multidisciplinary process to reduce length of stay (LOS) and improve the quality of care for patients with psychiatric complaints was performed at a tertiary care children's hospital's ED using Lean methodology. This process resulted in the implementation of a dedicated MH team, led by either a social worker or a psychiatric nurse, to evaluate patients, facilitate admissions, and arrange discharge planning. We conducted a retrospective, before‐and‐after study analyzing data 1 year before through 1 year after new process implementation (March 28, 2011). Our primary outcome was mean ED LOS.

Results

After process implementation there was a statistically significant decrease in mean ED LOS (332 minutes vs. 244 minutes, p < 0.001). An x‐bar chart of mean LOS shows special cause variation. Significant decreases were seen in median ED LOS (225 minutes vs. 204 minutes, p = 0.001), security physical interventions (2.0% vs. 0.4%, p = 0.004), and restraint use (1.7% vs. 0.1%, p < 0.001). No significant change was observed in admission rate, 72‐hour return rate, or patient elopement/agitation events. Staff surveys showed improved perception of patient satisfaction, process efficacy, and patient safety.

Conclusions

Use of quality improvement methodology led to a redesign that was associated with a significant reduction in mean LOS of patients with psychiatric complaints and improved ED staff perception of care.
Loss of δ‐GABAA receptor‐mediated tonic currents in the adult prelimbic cortex following adolescent alcohol exposure
Authors: Centanni Samuel W. , Burnett Elizabeth J. , Trantham‐Davidson Heather , Chandler L. Judson
Published: January 2016

Delayed maturation of the adolescent prefrontal cortex may render it particularly vulnerable to insults, including those associated with drugs of abuse. Using a rat model of binge alcohol exposure, the present study examined the effect of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure during postnatal days 28–42 on γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurotransmission in the prelimbic cortex. In control rats, patch‐clamp electrophysiology in acute slices obtained at different postnatal ages revealed a developmental increase in the GABAA receptor‐mediated tonic current in layer V pyramidal neurons but no change in layers II/III when measured in the adult. In slices from AIE‐exposed rats, the amplitude of the tonic current was significantly reduced compared with controls when tested at postnatal days 45, 60 and 90–120. This AIE‐induced reduction in tonic current was found to reflect attenuation of currents mediated by δ‐subunit containing receptors. Consistent with this, facilitation of the tonic current by bath application of either ethanol or allopregnanolone was attenuated in slices from AIE‐exposed adult rats compared with control rats. However, expression of this facilitation as a percent of the amplitude of the total current mediated by δ‐GABAA receptors revealed that AIE did not alter their sensitivity to either agonist. Lastly, immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis revealed no change in the expression of δ‐GABAA subunits or their surface expression. Taken together, these studies reveal that AIE exposure results in persistent deficits in δ‐GABAA tonic currents in the adult prelimbic cortex that may contribute to deficits in decision‐making and behavioral control in adulthood.
Maternal and paternal genetic diversity of ancient sheep in Estonia from the Late Bronze Age to the post‐medieval period and comparison with other regions in Eurasia
Authors: Rannamäe E. , Lõugas L. , Niemi M. , Kantanen J. , Maldre L. , Kadõrova N. , Saarma U.
Published: January 2016

Sheep were among the first domesticated animals to appear in Estonia in the late Neolithic and became one of the most widespread livestock species in the region from the Late Bronze Age onwards. However, the origin and historical expansion of local sheep populations in Estonia remain poorly understood. Here, we analysed fragments of the hypervariable D‐loop of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; 213 bp) and the Y‐chromosome SRY gene (130 bp) extracted from 31 archaeological sheep bones dated from approximately 800 BC to 1700 AD. The ancient DNA data of sheep from Estonia were compared with ancient sheep from Finland as well as a set of contemporary sheep breeds from across Eurasia in order to place them in a wider phylogeographical context. The analysis shows that: (i) 24 successfully amplified and analysed mtDNA sequences of ancient sheep cluster into two haplogroups, A and B, of which B is predominant; (ii) four of the ancient mtDNA haplotypes are novel; (iii) higher mtDNA haplotype diversity occurred during the Middle Ages as compared to other periods, a fact concordant with the historical context of expanding international trade during the Middle Ages; (iv) the proportion of rarer haplotypes declined during the expansion of sheep from the Near Eastern domestication centre to the northern European region; (v) three male samples showed the presence of the characteristic northern European haplotype, SNP G‐oY1 of the Y‐chromosome, and represent the earliest occurrence of this haplotype. Our results provide the first insight into the genetic diversity and phylogeographical background of ancient sheep in Estonia and provide basis for further studies on the temporal fluctuations of ancient sheep populations.
Analysis of colorectal cancer outcomes for the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
Authors:   Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,   the Australian Government Department of Health
Published: January 2016

The Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) was introduced in Australia in 2006 with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer. This study looked to evaluate the effectiveness of the NBCSP against this aim. The study linked 2006–2008 NBCSP invitees to colorectal cancer incidence and mortality data and categorized NBCSP invitees diagnosed with colorectal cancer into screen‐detected, interval cancer and nonparticipant subgroups. Colorectal cancers in those not invited into the NBCSP were categorized as the never invited group. Proportional hazards and logistic regression were used to compare mortality, summary stage and other characteristics between groups. Of 12 689 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2006–2008, the never invited group (10 080 cases) had a 15% higher risk of colorectal cancer death by 31 December 2011, compared with NBCSP invitees (after correcting for lead‐time bias). Of the colorectal cancers with “summary stage at first presentation” data (27% of total), diagnoses in the never invited group had 38% higher odds of being more advanced than those diagnosed in NBCSP invitees (distant cancer 19% vs 11%). NBCSP invitees had less risk of dying from colorectal cancer, and were more likely to have less‐advanced colorectal cancers when diagnosed, than noninvitees.