bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the role of service quality, atmosphere and food for revisits in restaurants by using a e-mystery guest approach
Authors: Bichler Bernhard Fabian , Pikkemaat Birgit , Peters Mike
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Quality in foodservices has become essential, and new methodological ways of determining service quality enable a better representation of service processes and help to increase revisits. This paper focuses on the foodservice context and explores the relationship between staff-related service dimensions, atmosphere, food quality and revisit in a full-service setting.

Design/methodology/approach

This study combines an often neglected mystery guest approach with partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to shed more light on customers' service perceptions. The mystery guest approach has been updated with a digitally supported smartphone questionnaire (e-mystery) that provides more reliable results since previous measurements experienced difficulties of feasibility in time-limited settings (N = 247).

Findings

The findings of this study confirm the direct effects of the service quality dimensions reliability, attentiveness and atmosphere on revisit intention and highlight the mediating role of food quality. In detail, the findings showed significant results for service employees' reliability and attentiveness and underlined the role of atmosphere for revisit intention.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper supplements that mystery guest approaches represent a reliable alternative to convenience sampling, especially in combination with a digitally supported questionnaire (e-mystery). Thereby, this paper suggests the further application of e-mystery for the hospitality and tourism industry. In terms of implications, this study highlights the importance of securing food quality by fostering specialized schools and training programs for career starters. Since the findings stress the importance of service quality and atmosphere, managers need to ensure that employees are trained in culturally sensitive communication and services to excel in service-related dimensions.
Driving COBRAs: the power of social media marketing
Authors: Cheung Man Lai , Pires Guilherme D. , Rosenberger III Philip J. , De Oliveira Mauro Jose
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of social media marketing (SMM) efforts, including entertainment, customisation, interaction and trendiness via WeChat, on consumers' online brand-related activities (COBRAs) and their related outcomes, including on-going search behaviour and repurchase intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical framework is tested for luxury cosmetics brands. Data were collected in China from 433 WeChat users utilising a self-administered online survey. Data analysis uses partial least squares–structural equation modelling.

Findings

Entertainment and interaction drive consumers' consuming, contributing and creating behaviours, whilst trendiness drives creating behaviour only. Inconsistent with previous research findings, customisation has a non-significant impact on consumers' consuming, contributing and creating behaviours. Consuming and creating behaviours assist in driving on-going search behaviour and repurchase intention. Contributing behaviours assist in driving on-going search behaviour only.

Research limitations/implications

Cross-sectional in nature, this research adds to the marketing literature by explaining how to use SMM to drive COBRAs for luxury cosmetics in China using WeChat. To enhance the generalisability of the findings, future research might consider a longitudinal design, including comparisons between countries with diverse cultures as well as other industries and product types.

Practical implications

COBRAs may be heightened by using entertaining and trendy content. Incorporating interactive content on social media platforms encourages consumers to consume, contribute and create content on social media brand communities, further driving their on-going search behaviour and repurchase intention.

Originality/value

Examination of SMM's role in the marketing literature largely overlooks the impact of SMM elements on COBRAs. This study contributes to the SMM research by empirically testing a theoretical model, confirming that specific SMM elements – including entertainment and interaction – are key factors in driving consumers' consuming, contributing and creating behaviour on social media brand communities, influencing consumers' on-going search behaviour and repurchase intention.
Dynamical properties and scaling behavior of self-propelled particles: Langevin dynamics
Authors: Amallah Layla , Hader Ahmed , Tanasehte Mohammed , Hariti Yassine , Boughaleb Yahia
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The aim of the present paper is to investigate the behavior of collective motion of living biological organisms in the two-dimensional (2D) plane by adopting a new approach based on the use of Langevin dynamics. Langevin dynamics is a powerful tool to study these systems because they present a stochastic process due to collisions between their constituents.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the dynamical properties and scaling behavior of self-propelled particles were studied numerically by using Langevin dynamics. These dynamics have been affected by the use of only the alignment zone of radiusR.

Findings

The results indicated that the system’s velocity increases with time and reaches to finite value at the equilibrium phase.

Research limitations/implications

This result is more consistent with that of Vicsek’s model. However, the system’s velocity decreases exponentially with the applied noise without taking the zero value for the highest noise value.

Practical implications

As well as, the crossover time of the growth kinetic system decreases exponentially with noise.

Social implications

Scaling behavior has been checked for this system and the corresponding results prove that behavior scales with the same law of the one in Vicsek’s model but with different scaling exponents.

Originality/value

The phase transition observed in Vicsek’s model cannot be reproduced by the Langevin dynamics model, which describes more about the dynamical properties of self-propelled systems.
The effect of support structures on maraging steel MS1 parts fabricated by selective laser melting at different building angles
Authors: Cao Qiqiang , Zhang Jiong , Chang Shuai , Fuh Jerry Ying Hsi , Wang Hao
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to further the understanding of support structures and the likely impacts on maraging steel MS1 parts fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) at 45°, 60° and 75° building angles.

Design/methodology/approach

Two groups of samples, one group with support structures and the other group without support structures, were designed with the same specifications and printed under the same conditions by SLM at 45°, 60° and 75° building angles. Differences in dimensional accuracy, surface roughness, Vickers microhardness, residual stress and microstructure were compared between groups.

Findings

The results showed that with support structures, more accurate dimension and slightly higher Vickers microhardness could be obtained. Larger compressive stress dominated and was more uniformly distributed on the supporting surface. Without support structures, the dimension became more precise as the building angle increased and alternating compressive and tensile stress was unevenly distributed on the supporting surface. In addition, the surface roughness of the outer surface decreased with the increase of the built angle, regardless of the support structures. Furthermore, whether the building angle was 45°, 60° or 75°, the observed microstructures revealed that the support structures altered the orientation of the molten pool and the direction of grain growth.

Originality/value

This paper studies the influence of support structures on the workpieces printed at different building angles. Support structures affect the residual stress distribution, heat dissipation rate and microstructure of the parts, and thus affecting the printing quality. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the support strategy and printing quality to better apply or design the support structures in SLM.
Underlying indicators for measuring smartness of buildings in the construction industry
Authors: Ghansah Frank Ato , Owusu-Manu De-Graft , Ayarkwa Joshua , Darko Amos , Edwards David J.
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study investigates the underlying indicators for measuring the smartness of buildings in the construction industry; where the Smart Building Technology (SBT) concept (which incorporates elements of the Zero Energy Building (NZEB) concept) could ensure efficient energy consumption and high performance of buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

An overarching post-positivist and empirical epistemological design was adopted to analyze primary quantitative data collected via a structured questionnaire survey with 227 respondents. The mean ranking analysis and one-sample t-test were employed to analyse data.

Findings

Research findings revealed that the level of knowledge of smart building indicators is averagely high in the Ghanaian construction industry. Future research is required to evaluate the awareness level of Smart Building Technologies (SBTs) by construction professionals and identify barriers to its adoption.

Originality/value

A blueprint guidance model (consisting of significant indicators for measuring building smartness) was developed to help improve building performance and inform policymakers.
Testing a butterfly commonness hypothesis with data assembled by a citizen science program “Tokyo Butterfly Monitoring”
Authors: Washitani Izumi , Nagai Mihoko , Yasukawa Masaki , Kitsuregawa Masaru
Published: August 2020

We tested a hypothesis regarding species commonness using a database compiled by a citizen science program called “Tokyo Butterfly Monitoring.” The data used were more than 34,000 butterfly records, which were cleansed through expert check after posted by monitoring participants from 2009 to 2017. We hypothesized that butterfly species with multiple annual reproductive cycles and food plants common in city environments are more common and would have more monitoring reports. The generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analysis revealed significant effects of including “cultivated plants” in the larval food menu and “multivoltinism” on the number of individual species reported, which was compatible with the hypothesis. The species with the most records (12% of all records among 90 species) was Zizeeria maha, which reproduces 5–6 times annually and relies on Oxalis corniculata, a small weed common in urban open spaces. Argyreus hyperbius, a southern species that was very rare before the 1990s, ranked third in the current data. Its major host plant is a common garden plant, the pansy, which grows in most gardens and green spaces. The data collected by the monitoring program appear to represent the status of the butterfly community in Tokyo, a megacity subjected to rapid environmental changes.
Evaluating inpatient adverse outcomes under California's Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program
Authors: Keller Michelle S. , Chen Xiao , Godwin Jamie , Needleman Jack , Pourat Nadereh
Published: August 2020

Objective

The California Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP) provided incentive payments to Designated Public Hospitals (DPHs) to improve quality of care. We assessed the program's impact on reductions in sepsis mortality, central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), venous thromboembolisms (VTEs), and hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs).

Data Sources

We used 2009‐2014 discharge data from California hospitals.

Study Design

We used a pre‐post study design with a comparison group. We constructed propensity scores and used them to assign inverse probability weights according to their similarity to DPH discharges. Interaction term coefficients of time trends and treatment group provided significance testing.

Data Extraction

We used Patient Safety Indicators for CLABSI, HAPU, and VTE, and constructed a sepsis mortality measure.

Principal Findings

Discharges from DPHs and non‐DPHs both saw decreases in the four outcomes over the DSRIP period (2010‐2014). The difference‐in‐difference estimator (DD) for sepsis was only significant during two time periods, comparing 2010 with 2012 (DD: −2.90 percent, 95% CI: −5.08, −0.72 percent) and 2010 with 2014 (DD: −5.74, 95% CI: −8.76 percent, −2.72 percent); the DD estimator was not significant comparing 2010 with 2012 (DD: −1.30, 95% CI: −3.18 percent, 0.58 percent) or comparing 2010 with 2013 (DD: −3.05 percent, 95% CI: −6.50 percent, 0.40 percent). For CLABSI, we did not find any meaningful differences between DPHs and non‐DPHs across the four time periods. For HAPU and VTE, the only significant DD estimator compared 2014 with 2010.

Conclusions

We did not find that DPHs participating in DSRIP outperformed non‐DPHs during the DSRIP program. Our results were robust to multiple sensitivity analyses. Given multiple concurrent inpatient safety initiatives, it was challenging to assign improvements over time periods to DSRIP.
Organizational and Human Factors Affecting Forensic Decision‐Making: Workplace Stress and Feedback
Authors: Almazrouei Mohammed A. , Dror Itiel E. , Morgan Ruth M.
Published: August 2020

Although forensic examiners operate in a stressful environment, there is a lack of understanding about workplace stress and feedback. These organizational and human factors can potentially impact forensic science judgments. In this study, 150 practicing forensic examiners from one laboratory were surveyed about their experiences of workplace stress, and the explicit and implicit feedback they receive. Forensic examiners reported that their high stress levels originated more from workplace‐related factors (management and/or supervision, backlogs, and the pressure to do many cases) than from personal related factors (family, medical, and/or financial). The findings showed that a few (8%) of the forensic examiners sometimes felt strong implicit feedback about what conclusions were expected from them and that some (14%) also strongly felt that they were more appreciated when they helped to solve a case (e.g., by reaching a “match” as opposed to an “inconclusive” conclusion). Differences were found when comparing workplace stress and feedback levels across three core forensic science fields (forensic biology, chemistry, and latent prints) and across career stages (early, mid, and late). Gaining insights into the stress factors within a workplace and explicit and implicit feedback has implications for developing policies to improve the well‐being, motivation, and performance of forensic examiners.
Efficient genome editing in filamentous fungi via an improved CRISPR‐Cas9 ribonucleoprotein method facilitated by chemical reagents
Authors: Zou Gen , Xiao Meili , Chai Shunxing , Zhu Zhihua , Wang Ying , Zhou Zhihua
Published: August 2020

DNA double‐strand break (DSB) repair induced by the RNA‐programmed nuclease Cas9 has become a popular method for genome editing. Direct genome editing via Cas9‐CRISPR gRNA (guide RNA) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes assembled in vitro has also been successful in some fungi. However, the efficiency of direct RNP transformation into fungal protoplasts is currently too low. Here, we report an optimized genome editing approach for filamentous fungi based on RNPs facilitated by adding chemical reagents. We increased the transformation efficiency of RNPs significantly by adding Triton X‐100 and prolonging the incubation time, and the editing efficiency reached 100% in Trichoderma reesei and Cordyceps militaris. The optimized RNP‐based method also achieved efficient (56.52%) homologous recombination integration with short homology arms (20 bp) and gene disruption (7.37%) that excludes any foreign DNA (selection marker) in T. reesei. In particular, after adding reagents related to mitosis and cell division, the further optimized protocol showed an increased ratio of edited homokaryotic transformants (from 0% to 40.0% for inositol and 71.43% for benomyl) from Aspergillus oryzae, which contains multinucleate spores and protoplasts. Furthermore, the multi‐target engineering efficiency of the optimized RNP transformation method was similar to those of methods based on in vivo expression of Cas9. This newly established genome editing system based on RNPs may be widely applicable to construction of genome‐edited fungi for the food and medical industries, and has good prospects for commercialization.
Successful use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for airway‐obstructing lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kitazawa Shinsuke , Kobayashi Naohiro , Ueda Sho , Enomoto Yuki , Inoue Yoshiaki , Shiozawa Toshihiro , Sekine Ikuo , Kawai Hitomi , Noguchi Masayuki , Sato Yukio
Published: August 2020

Endobronchial‐invasive lung cancers are generally diagnosed at advanced stages and may require emergency treatment for airway obstruction. Stent implantation is a common intervention for such obstructed airways but certain subsets of patients cannot receive adequate treatment without respiratory support. Veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a salvage therapy for respiratory failure but its usefulness in managing patients with advanced lung cancer remains unclear given the poor prognosis. In recent years, molecular targeted agents for patients with driver mutations offer rapid responses and may be administered even while under critical care. In this report, we describe the case of 39‐year‐old female who presented to our emergency department with severe respiratory distress. A computed tomography scan revealed a large mediastinal tumor invading the tracheal carina causing severe stenosis of the left main bronchus and right main pulmonary artery. ECMO support was required as the respiratory condition remained unstable despite high pressure ventilation. Under ECMO support, the patient underwent bronchial stent implantation and was successfully weaned off ECMO. The tumor was histologically diagnosed as pulmonary adenocarcinoma with anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene rearrangement. Treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, alectinib, induced a marked tumor reduction within a short period. The patient recovered well and is now in remission one year later. This case indicates that intensive respiratory support with ECMO may become a bridge through the critical period for selected patients with respiratory failure secondary to advanced lung cancer.

Key points

Significant findings of this study

ECMO was important to maintain oxygenation during airway intervention for acute respiratory failure due to critical lung adenocarcinoma with ALK gene rearrangement.

What this study adds

With the development of targeted therapies and the improvement in therapeutic bronchoscopy, intensive respiratory support with ECMO may be helpful especially in selected lung cancer patients with oncogenic driver mutations.
The influence of moral disengagement on responses to climate change
Authors: Leviston Zoe , Walker Iain
Published: August 2020

Notions of moral responsibility and ethical obligation pervade social and political discourse about climate change in Australia. However, comparatively little is known about the importance of moral considerations in people’s mitigative and adaptive behaviours. Here, we draw on Bandura’s concept of moral disengagement to explore this issue. We conducted two nationally representative online surveys, 12 months apart. Participants were 5,030 Australian residents, of whom 1,355 participated in both surveys. We found that levels of moral engagement mediate between (a) opinions about the causes of climate change and pro‐environmental behaviour, (b) individual response efficacy and pro‐environmental behaviour, and (c) responsibility for causing climate change and pro‐environmental behaviour. Moreover, people placed more responsibility on groups and organisations, and less on individuals, for both causing and responding to climate change, regardless of their opinion on the causes of climate change. Longitudinal analyses showed that those who became more sceptical about anthropogenic climate change also became less morally engaged. Relatedly, those who became less morally engaged reported feeling less guilty about climate change, though there was evidence suggesting that this relationship is bidirectional. We suggest that moral disengagement is a key mechanism through which reductions in both effortful behaviour and guilt are achieved.
Longitudinal reciprocal relationships between self‐esteem, family support, and life satisfaction in Korean multicultural adolescents
Authors: Kim Eun Hye , Nho Choong Rai
Published: August 2020

This study examines longitudinal reciprocal relationships between self‐esteem, family support, and life satisfaction in Korean multicultural adolescents to draw implications for human service practice and policy. It uses data from the second (2012), fourth (2014), and sixth (2016) Waves of Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), which included 1,307 multicultural adolescents. For the study, the authors used an autoregressive cross‐lagged model to test longitudinal relationships between the variables. The results show that self‐esteem, family support, and life satisfaction were stable over a 4‐year period and that they were mutually and positively significant, except for life satisfaction, which did not show any effect on family support in the fourth and sixth waves. The findings suggest that human service agencies, including school social work services and Multicultural Family Support centers, may develop programs to enhance self‐esteem, family support systems, and life satisfaction for Korean multicultural adolescents.
Beneficial actions of a long‐acting apelin analogue in diabetes are related to positive effects on islet cell turnover and transdifferentiation
Authors: Tanday Neil , Irwin Nigel , Moffett R. Charlotte , Flatt Peter R. , O'Harte Finbarr P. M.
Published: August 2020

Aim

The current study has tested the hypothesis that the positive effects of apelin receptor activation in diabetes are linked to benefits on islet cell apoptosis, proliferation and transdifferentiation using Ins1Cre/+;Rosa26‐eYFP transgenic mice and induction of diabetes‐like syndromes by streptozotocin (STZ) or high‐fat feeding.

Materials and methods

Groups (n = 6–8) of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic and high‐fat diet (HFD)‐fed mice received once‐daily injection (25 nmol/kg) of the long‐acting acylated apelin‐13 analogue, pGlu(Lys8Glu‐PAL)apelin‐13 amide, for 10 or 12 days, respectively.

Results

pGlu(Lys8Glu‐PAL)apelin‐13 amide treatment partly reversed body weight loss induced by STZ and normalized circulating insulin. There was no effect of pGlu(Lys8Glu‐PAL)apelin‐13 amide on these variables in HFD‐fed mice, but an increase in pancreatic insulin content was observed. pGlu(Lys8Glu‐PAL)apelin‐13 amide also fully, or partially, reversed the detrimental effects of STZ and HFD on plasma and pancreatic glucagon concentrations. In HFD‐fed mice, the apelin analogue decreased dietary‐induced elevations of islet, β‐ and α‐cell areas, whilst reducing α‐cell area in STZ‐induced diabetic mice. In terms of islet cell lineage, pGlu(Lys8Glu‐PAL)apelin‐13 amide effectively reduced β‐ to α‐cell transdifferentiation and helped maintain β‐cell identity, which was linked to elevated Pdx‐1 expression. These islet effects were coupled with decreased β‐cell apoptosis and α‐cell proliferation in both models, and there was an accompanying increase of β‐cell proliferation in STZ‐induced diabetic mice.

Conclusion

Taken together these data demonstrate, for the first time, that pancreatic islet benefits of sustained APJ receptor activation in diabetes are linked to favourable islet cell transition events, leading to maintenance of β‐cell mass.
What to do if streams go dry? Behaviour of Balkan Goldenring (Cordulegaster heros, Odonata) larvae in a simulated drought experiment in SW Hungary
Authors: Pernecker Bálint , Mauchart Péter , Csabai Zoltán
Published: August 2020

In case of dryings, the hyporheic zone is one of the most important refugia for stream macroinvertebrate communities, including the few Odonata species living in these habitats, such as Cordulegaster species. There is no information on the desiccation resistance strategies and methods of any members of the genus, including Cordulegaster heros.

We hypothesised that the larvae use burrowing behaviour to survive droughts. In this study, beyond recording the survival rates of the larvae, we tested the effects of the sediment particle size and the body size of the larvae on burrowing behaviour in a 3‐week‐long simulated drought experiment in an indoor artificial stream system.

Eighty larvae were involved in the experiment, from which 60 were treated with drought, and 20 served as controls. Larvae were put into flowing water, into separate special compartments; 1 day later, the flow was ceased, and then, the water level was gradually decreased for 3 weeks.

Approximately 15% of larvae could survive the 3 weeks of drying. The survival probability of drought‐treated larvae was significantly increased if animals burrowed into the sediment. In addition, the survival probability was higher in case of fine substrate material. Size of the larvae only affected the depth of the burrowing, not the survival rate.

However, two‐thirds of the larvae did not dig into the sediment, which implies that surviving via burrowing is not the only mechanism of the species to withstand dry periods.
Source and Quality of Groundwater Surrounding the Qinghai Lake, NE Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
Authors: Li Dong‐sheng , Cui Bu‐li , Wang Ying , Wang Ya‐Xuan , Jiang Bao‐Fu
Published: August 2020

Comprehensive studies on the spatial distribution, water quality, recharge source, and hydrochemical evolution of regional groundwater form the foundation of rational utilization of groundwater resources. In this study, we investigated the water levels, hydrochemistry, and stable isotope composition of groundwater in the vicinity of the Qinghai Lake in China to reveal its recharge sources, hydrochemical evolution, and water quality. The level of groundwater relative to the level of water in the Qinghai Lake ranged from −1.27 to 122.91 m, indicating most of the groundwater to be flowing into the lake. The local evaporation line (LEL) of groundwater was simulated as δ2H = 6.08 δ18O‐3.01. The groundwater surrounding the Qinghai Lake was primarily recharged through local precipitation at different altitudes. The hydrochemical type of most of the groundwater samples was Ca‐Mg‐HCO3; the hydrochemistry was primarily controlled by carbonate dissolution during runoff. At several locations, the ionic concentrations in groundwater exceeded the current drinking water standards making it unsuitable for drinking. The main source of nitrate in groundwater surrounding the Qinghai Lake was animal feces and sewage, suggesting that groundwater pollution should be mitigated in areas practicing animal husbandry in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, regardless of industrial and urbanization rates being relatively low in the region. The scientific planning, engineering, and management of livestock manure and wastewater discharge from animal husbandry practices is a crucial and is urgently required in the Tibetan Plateau.
Comparing clotting factors attributes across different methods of preference elicitation in haemophilia patients
Authors: Tegenge Million A. , Belov Artur , Moncur Megan , Forshee Richard , Irony Telba
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Emerging, systematic approaches for capturing patient input, such as preference elicitation, can provide valuable information for the benefit‐risk assessment of medical products for treating bleeding disorders, such as haemophilia.

Aim

This study aims to identify existing and develop new methods to capture, rank and summarize preference scores for clotting factor therapies.

Methods

Haemophilia patient preference data were compiled from studies identified through literature review and publicly available US FDA patient‐focused drug development meeting documents. Text mining was performed to identify major themes across studies. A standardized preference score was estimated and aggregated.

Results

Ten preference studies that employed qualitative (n = 3), and quantitative methods (n = 7) met the inclusion criteria. Text mining of qualitative and quantitative studies revealed similar themes as the standardized preference attribute importance. We found that seven quantitative studies employed discrete choice experiments (DCE)/conjoint analysis (CA) and examined a range of 5‐12 attributes. For DCE/CA studies published prior to 2014 (n = 4), safety attributes (inhibitor and viral safety) were among the most important attributes, accounting for ~46% of the total utility measured. DCE/CA studies published after 2014 (n = 3) focused on frequency of infusion and reduction of bleeding risk, accounting for ~67% of the total utility. Interestingly, two studies that used different preference elicitation approaches (DCE and a monadic conjoint approach) both ranked infusion frequency as the most important attribute.

Conclusions

Although there are few published patient preference studies for haemophilia, the results of this study can be viewed in the larger context of enhancing scientific methods of incorporating patient input in medical product development.
Stakeholders’ perspectives on models of care in the emergency department and the introduction of health and social care professional teams: A qualitative analysis using World Cafés and interviews
Authors: Cassarino Marica , Quinn Rosie , Boland Fiona , Ward Marie E. , McNamara Rosa , O’Connor Margaret , McCarthy Gerard , Ryan Damien , Galvin Rose , Robinson Katie
Published: August 2020

Background

There is some evidence that health and social care professional (HSCP) teams contribute to enhanced patient and process outcomes in increasingly crowded emergency departments (EDs), but the views of service users and providers on this model of care need investigation to optimize implementation.

Objective

This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of key ED stakeholders about HSCP teams working in the ED.

Methods

Using a participatory design, we conducted World Café focus groups and individual interviews in two Irish hospital sites with 65 participants (purposive sampling) including ED patients and carers/relatives, ED doctors and nurses, HSCPs and pre‐hospital staff. Data were thematically analysed using NVivo software.

Results

Participants reported that ED‐based HSCP teams could improve quality and integration of care and staff experience (Theme 1) and would be appropriate for older adults with complex needs and non‐urgent complaints (Theme 2). Concerns were raised about operational and relational barriers to implementation (Theme 3), and changes in processes and culture were considered necessary for HSCPs to work successfully in the ED (Theme 4). In contrast to service providers, service users’ concerns centred on the importance of positive communication and relations (Theme 5).

Conclusions

Our study indicates potential acceptability of HSCP teams working in the ED, especially to care for older adults; however, operational and relational aspects, particularly developing interdisciplinary and integrated care, need addressing to ensure successful implementation. Differences in priorities between service users and providers (relational vs operational) highlighted the usefulness of gathering views from multiple stakeholders to understand ED processes.
A comparison between Parkinson’s medication errors identified through retrospective case note review versus via an incident reporting system during hospital admission
Authors: Mill Deanna , Bakker Michael , Corre Lauren , Page Amy , Johnson Jacinta
Published: August 2020

Objective

To compare the frequency and type of inpatient Parkinson’s medication errors reported through an incident report system versus those identified through retrospective case note review in a tertiary teaching hospital.

Methods

A search of inpatient medication-related incident reports identified those pertaining to Parkinson’s medication. A discharge diagnoses search identified admissions for patients with Parkinson’s disease over the same time period. A retrospective case note and incident report review were performed to describe and quantify medication-related events.

Key findings

Substantially, more medication-related problems were identified via case note review (n = 805) versus incident reporting system (n = 19). A significantly different pattern of error types was identified utilising case note review versus incident reporting, with case note review more likely to identify delayed dosing, and incident reports more likely to identify wrong dose or formulation administered errors.

Conclusions

Retrospective incident report and case note review can be used to characterise medication administration errors encountered in an inpatient setting. Incident report review alone is insufficient in estimating error rates, and dual data collection methods should be used.
French maritime pine bark extract (pycnogenol) in association with triple combination cream for the treatment of facial melasma in women: a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Lima P.B. , Dias J.A.F. , Esposito A.C.C. , Miot L.D.B. , Miot H.A.
Published: August 2020

Background

Melasma can be recalcitrant to treatment, and relapses are common. Pycnogenol has been reported to be effective in treating melasma.

Objective

To compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of 75 mg pycnogenol taken orally twice a day vs. a placebo, in association with the triple combination and broad‐spectrum sunscreen for the treatment of facial melasma.

Methods

A randomized, double‐blind, parallel, placebo‐controlled study was conducted on 44 women with facial melasma in a single centre from May 2019 through November 2019. Patients with melasma were randomly assigned to orally take 75 mg pycnogenol (PYC) or a placebo (PLAC) twice a day for 60 days. Both groups also received tinted sunscreen [Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 50; Persistent Pigment Darkening (PPD) 17] for daytime use and a topical triple combination at bedtime. The primary outcome was a change from the baseline Modified Melasma Area Severity Index (mMASI) score. Secondary outcomes were improvements in the patients' quality of life (MELASQoL), colorimetric indices and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS).

Results

All participants completed the trial. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 39 (7) years, and 91% were phototypes III–IV. Both groups exhibited a reduction in mMASI scores, MELASQoL scores and colour contrast (P < 0.01). The mean (CI 95%) reductions of the mMASI scores were 49% (36–61%) for PYC and 34% (16–47%) for PLAC. The reductions in mMASI scores and colorimetric contrast were superior for the PYC group (P < 0.05). The analysis of GAIS resulted in an improvement of 86% (CI 95%: 68–96%) for the participants in the PYC group and 55% (CI 95%: 32–73%) for those in the PLAC group. There were no adverse effects related to oral treatment.

Conclusion

Pycnogenol is well‐tolerated and increases the effectiveness of broad‐spectrum sunscreen and the triple combination in the treatment of facial melasma in women.
Color match using instrumental and visual methods for single, group, and multi‐shade composite resins
Authors: Iyer Rubinya Sundar , Babani Vinti Rajendra , Yaman Peter , Dennison Joseph
Published: August 2020

Objective

To evaluate the shade match of three composite resin restorative materials to bi‐layered acrylic teeth instrumentally and visually.

Materials and methods

Three composite materials—Omnichroma [OM], Tetric EvoCeram [TE], and TPH Spectra ST [TS] were placed into occlusal preparations (5 mm diameter, 2 mm depth) on 15 bi‐layered acrylic teeth per each shade A2, B1, B2, C2, and D3. The composites were placed in a single increment and cured using Bluephase G2 light. The L*, a*, and b* readings were obtained using VITA Easyshade V for the teeth and restorations; mean ΔE00 values were calculated and assessed using two‐way analysis of variance with a test of simple effects with multiple comparisons for significance (P < .05). Three teeth were restored to anatomical form with each of the composites for the five shades and were subjectively graded by 30 evaluators as 1—best match, 2—intermediate, and 3—poorest match.

Results

In the instrumental evaluation, OM and TS showed lower ∆E00 values for lighter shades, whereas TE showed lower and similar ∆E00 values for all shades. In the visual evaluation, TE exhibited the best shade match for darker shades C2 and D3. OM and TS matched better with lighter shades.

Conclusion

Shade matching is composite and shade‐dependent. Overall, TE matched the multiple shades better than the other two materials.

Clinical significance

Single and group shade composites displayed shade matching ability inferior to a multi‐shade composite material, which may limit their use in highly esthetic clinical situations.
Effect of conventional and microwave heating on physical and chemical properties of Jasmine brown rice in various forms
Authors: Krongworakul Nucharee , Naivikul Onanong , Boonsupthip Waraporn , Wang Ya‐Jane
Published: August 2020

To study the impact of heating on Jasmine brown rice using microwaves compared to that using conventional method. Morphological, physicochemical properties of uncooked and cooked brown rice samples in native (BR), germinated (GBR) and germinated‐parboiled (PGBR) forms were investigated. It was found that the uncooked rice products had similar macro‐composition (amylose, fat and protein). The microwaves heated the rice four times faster than the conventional way. The cooked grains had large, long, narrow, canal‐like holes on the surface and inner portions. The conventional heating filled the grains with smaller, round holes. Both heating methods created B‐ and V‐type crystals with relative crystallinity of 7–8% at 2θ = 0°–35°, an endothermic peak at 42–61°C with enthalpy (ΔH) of 3–4 J/g, and texture with low hardness and stickiness. However, microwave additionally caused higher pasting temperature and viscosity values, and lower digestibility with higher RS at the expense of RDS and SDS. In terms of the rice forms, PGBR was sensitive to changes in the endothermic peak and digestibility. BR was to changes in the crystallinity, hardness and stickiness. GBR was to pasting properties. Microwave and conventional heating are good methods to diversely modify the properties of rice in various forms. However, diversity was noticed only in some properties.

Practical Applications

The cooked rice properties are affected by a combination of heating mechanisms and rice pre‐treatments. In comparison to the conventional heating mechanism of electronic rice cooker (ERC), the dipole/polar rotation mechanism of microwave oven (MW) induced higher values of porousness, pasting parameters and resistant starch content. The high porousness of the cooked rice supported migration of gas and liquid through such matrices suggesting rapid rate of drying, diffusion, etc. Powder from such cooked rice with higher pasting viscosity and retrogradation suggested a use in products required high viscous gel formation and then retrograded during storage such as bakery products for sugar‐blood‐control‐needed consumers. The digestibility results suggested that PGBR cooked by MW contained highest resistant starch which is the most beneficial to the specific consumer group. Hardness and stickiness of all rice types were equally acceptable as indifferently affected by both heating methods.
Second harmonic generation microscopy using pixel reassignment
Authors: WANG W. , WU B. , ZHANG B. , ZHANG Z. , LI X. , ZHENG S. , FAN Z. , TAN J.
Published: August 2020

Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy is expected to be a powerful tool for observing the cellular‐level functionality and morphology information of thick tissue owe to its unique imaging properties. However, the maximum attainable resolution obtainable by SHG microscopy is limited by the use of long‐wavelength, near‐infrared excitation. In this paper, we report the use of pixel reassignment to improve the spatial resolution of SHG microscopy. The SHG signal is imaged onto a position‐sensitive camera, instead of a point detector typically used in conventional SHG microscope. The data processing is performed through pixel reassignment and subsequent deblurring operation. We present the basic principle and a rigorous theoretical model for SHG microscopy using pixel reassignment (SHG‐PR). And for the first time, the optimal reassignment factor for SHG‐PR is derived based on the coherent characteristics and the dependence of wavelength in SHG microscopy. To evaluate the spatial resolution improvement, images of nano‐beads separated by different distances and of a microtubule array have been simulated. We gain about a 1.5‐fold spatial resolution enhancement compared to conventional SHG microscopy. When a further deblurring operation is implemented, this method allows for a total spatial resolution enhancement of about 1.87. Additionally, we demonstrate the validity of SHG‐PR for raw data with noise.

Lay Description

Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy has emerged as a powerful imaging technique in clinical diagnostics and biological research. SHG microscopy is label‐free and provides intrinsic optical sectioning for three‐dimensional (3D) imaging. However, a near‐infrared excitation wavelength results a restriction in the maximum attainable spatial resolution of SHG microscopy. In this paper, we present a simple resolution‐enhanced SHG imaging method, SHG microscopy using pixel reassignment (SHG‐PR). We demonstrate a rigorous theoretical model for SHG‐PR and derive the optimal reassignment factor. The simulation result shows the clear improvement of the image resolution and contrast in the SHG‐PR after deblurring operation. The FWHM value of single microtubule shows that SHG‐PR enables a spatial resolution enhancement by a factor of 1.5, compared to conventional SHG microscopy. After a proper deblurring operation, this method allows for a total spatial resolution enhancement of about 1.87. The improvements of spatial resolution and contrast are still valid for raw data with noise. It is expected that this method can contribute towards new insights in unstained tissue morphology, interaction of cells, and diseases diagnosis.
Functional organisation of the endomembrane network in the digestive gland of the Venus flytrap: revisiting an old story with a new microscopy toolbox
Authors: BOULOGNE C. , GILLET C. , HUGHES L. , LE BARS R. , CANETTE A. , HAWES C.R. , SATIAT‐JEUNEMAITRE B.
Published: August 2020

Up‐to‐date imaging approaches were used to address the spatiotemporal organisation of the endomembrane system in secretory cells ofDionaea muscipula. Different ‘slice and view’ methodologies were performed on resin‐embedded samples to finally achieve a 3D reconstruction of the cell architecture, using ultrastructural tomography, array tomography, serial block face‐scanning electron microscopy (SBF‐SEM), correlation, and volume rendering at the light microscopy level. Observations of cryo‐fixed samples by high‐pressure freezing revealed changes of the endomembrane system that occur after trap activation and prey digestion. They provide evidence for an original strategy that adapts the secretory machinery to a specific and unique case of stimulated exocytosis in plant cells. A first secretion peak is part of a rapid response to deliver digestive fluids to the cell surface, which delivers the needed stock of digestive materials ‘on site’. The second peak of activity could then be associated with the reconstruction of the Golgi apparatus (GA), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and vacuolar machinery, in order to prepare for a subsequent round of prey capture. Tubular continuum between ER and Golgi stacks observed on ZIO‐impregnated tissues may correspond to an efficient transfer mechanism for lipids and/or proteins, especially for use in rapidly resetting the molecular GA machinery. The occurrence of one vacuolar continuum may permit continuous adjustment of cell homeostasy. The subcellular features of the secretory cells ofDionaea muscipulaoutline key innovations in the organisation of plant cell compartmentalisation that are used to cope with specific cell needs such as the full use of the GA as a protein factory, and the ability to create protein reservoirs in the periplasmic space. Shape‐derived forces of the pleiomorphic vacuole may act as signals to accompany the sorting and entering flows of the cell.
Preliminary clinical evaluation of traditional and a new digital PEEK occlusal splints for the management of sleep bruxism
Authors: Wang Shimin , Li Zheng , Ye Hongqiang , Zhao Wenyan , Liu Yunsong , Zhou Yongsheng
Published: August 2020

Objective

To compare the manual time and preliminary clinical effects between the digital manufactured occlusal splints for sleep bruxism patients with those of traditional hard splints.

Methods

Sixteen individuals (18 to 44 y/o) with clinically diagnosed sleep bruxism were selected based on the inclusion criteria. All patients were divided into two groups, and a random control method was applied. Digital splints (test group) were designed and milled using CAD/CAM. Hard splints (control group) were made of transparent acrylic resin in laboratory office. The manual time spent including impression obtaining, splint production and clinical occlusal adjustment was recorded. A visual analog scale was used to report the subjective evaluations. The maximum depth loss and volumetric loss of the occlusal surface of splints in posterior tooth were measured. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis (P = .05).

Results

Comparing with control group, the manual time spent in test group was significantly less in all of three procedures (P < .001). The VAS scores for retention were not significantly different (P = .086), but the wearing comfort scores of test group were significantly higher (P < .001). Both maximum depth loss (P = .007) and volumetric loss in test group were significantly less than control group (P = .005).

Conclusion

In the current study, the digitally manufactured splints exhibit significantly improved comfort and time efficiency than traditional hard splints. Moreover, the new milling material (PEEK) has better wear resistance than acrylic resins.