Working capital management and firm performance in the hospitality and tourism industry

© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103144The aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence concerning the effects of working capital on firm performance in the hospitality and tourism industry. We identify an inverted U-shaped relationship between working capital and firm performance. More specifically, the U-shaped relationship exists for accommodation, food and travel firms. In contrast, a positive linear relationship is valid for sport firms while changes in working capital have no effect on performance for gambling firms. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first empirical research study to extend cross-country analysis in respect of sub-hospitality and tourism industries to a worldwide context. The findings suggest that hospitality and tourism managers should consider the diversity of relationships between working capital and firm performance in sub-hospitality and tourism industries when deciding on an appropriate strategy for working capital management.Peer reviewe

Final Report: Real Approaches to the Study of Antimicrobials During the Pandemic (2020-2024)

Published on Octopus. This is an open access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Final Report: Real Approaches to the Study of Antimicrobials During the Pandemic (2020-2024)" by R. Elshenawy provides a comprehensive analysis of antimicrobial use throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This extensive four-year study focuses on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and antibiotic safety before and during the pandemic. Key phases include a systematic literature review, cross-sectional studies involving retrospective and prospective data, and preparation of detailed reports. The findings underscore significant shifts in antibiotic use, emphasising the need for robust AMS strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This report serves as a crucial resource for healthcare professionals, offering actionable recommendations to enhance AMS practices and ensure patient safety

Initial Investigation into UAV Application of a Biomimetically Derived Span-Wise Morphing Structure

© 2024 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-1126Presented in this paper is the initial evaluation of a span-wise morphing concept for UAV applications. The dynamic response is investigated via a method of external photogrammetry taken of the wing concept structure. A process of metrology is undertaken to ascertain the effective displacement of the wing tip undergoing a large span and chord-wise morphing actuation, based on a biomimetically inspired joint mechanism driven through pneumatic artificial muscles. A static case is employed to ascertain the repeatability of the morphing geometry in relation to the commanded position and to an derived average actuation position. This is repeated under a simulated aerodynamic loading for a UAV application. A dynamic case is also evaluated for the concept in relation to the proposed aircraft application. The resulting dynamic response is also compared to the similarly dynamic response observed in the avian from which the concept is derived

UKHSA Start Smart Then Focus Antimicrobial Stewardship: Effective Implementation During the COVID-19 Pandemic at an NHS Foundation Trust in the UK

This oral presentation about UKHSA Start Smart Then Focus Antimicrobial Stewardship: Effective Implementation During the COVID-19 Pandemic at an NHS Foundation Trust in the UK. It evaluates the implementation of the 'Start Smart Then Focus' (SSTF) antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) toolkit at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust during the COVID-19 pandemic. By analysing 640 patient records from 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2020 (during the pandemic), the study investigates antibiotic prescribing practices for respiratory tract infections. Key findings include a reduction in hospital stay length and consistent mortality rates, with significant changes in antibiotic allergy classifications. The study underscores the resilience of AMS practices during the pandemic and highlights the need for sustainable AMS measures in future public health crises to combat antimicrobial resistance effectively. The study aligns with the UK Next Five-Year Action PlanConfronting Antimicrobial Resistance.Peer reviewe

Understanding The Experiences of People Who Are Considering Ending Their Lives by Assisted Dying: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Assisted dying (AD) is currently illegal in the United Kingdom (UK). Despite this, people from the UK are travelling abroad to organisations in Switzerland, such as Dignitas, in order to complete an assisted death. To be accepted by Dignitas an individual is assessed by a physician and has to either have a terminal illness or be experiencing unbearable suffering and must have capacity to make the decision to complete an assisted death. Although there has been a range of research conducted in countries where AD is legal, little is known about individuals in the UK who travel abroad to access AD. This study sought to explore the experiences of individuals based in the UK who were considering travelling abroad for an assisted death. This was achieved through the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of six participants following semi-structured interviews. Four core themes were identified: contemplating death, dying, and assisted dying; a desire for an honest and open discussion regarding AD; experiences of suffering and deteriorating health; and, the importance of autonomy and control. These findings show that people considering AD are experiencing a wide range of suffering related to their deteriorating health and are worried about the impact this will have on their future lives. Participants felt they had to hide parts of themselves from HCPs due to being unable to talk about their desire for AD. Participants wanted to be able to have autonomy and control over the manner of their death and knowing they could pursue AD brought them comfort. Professional governing bodies can do more to provide training and guidelines to allow HCPs to both support the suffering associated with a request for AD and also to act within the legal framework of the UK

A family of memristive multibutterfly chaotic systems with multidirectional initial-based offset boosting

© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chaos.2023.113518Memristors are commonly used to construct memristive chaotic systems with complex dynamics because of their strong nonlinearity and unique memory effects. In this paper, a simplified multi-piecewise memristor is applied for designing a family of memristive multibutterfly chaotic systems (MMBCSs). By coupling different numbers of the simplified multi-piecewise memristors into a modified Sprott C system, three MMBCSs are constructed. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that the three MMBCSs can not only generate connected 1D(direction)-, 2D(plane)-, and 3D(space)-multibutterfly chaotic attractors (MBCAs), respectively, but also can respectively produce unconnected 1D-, 2D-, and 3D-MBCAs. Also, the number and position of butterfly attractors can be easily controlled by switching the memristor’s integer parameters and initial states, respectively. More importantly, the constructed three MMBCSs exhibit different initial-based offset boosting including 1D-, 2D-, and 3D-boosting behaviors, respectively. Especially, the 3D-initial-offset behavior is found in chaotic systems at the first time. Furthermore, we further implement the physical circuit of the three MMBCSs, and various typical dynamical behaviors are demonstrated by hardware experiments and Multisim simulations. Finally, a medical image encryption solution for online medical treatment is designed based on the proposed MMBCSs.Peer reviewe

2D Janus ZrSSe/SnSSe Heterostructure: A Promising Candidate for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/The distinctive physical characteristics and wide range of potential applications in optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices have ignited significant interest in two-dimensional materials. Intensive research attention has been focused on Janus transition metal dichalcogenides due to their unique properties resulting from symmetry disruption and their potential in photocatalysis applications. Motivated by the current fascination with Janus TMD heterostructures, we conducted first-principles calculations to examine the stability, electronic, and optical properties of monolayers consisting of ZrSSe, SnSSe, and the ZrSSe/SnSSe heterostructure. The results indicate that the Janus ZrSSe/SnSSe heterostructure exhibits a structural and mechanical stability. Using the HSE06 functional, the ZrSSe/SnSSe heterostructure shows an indirect band gap of 1.20 eV, and band edge analysis reveals a type-II band alignment. The potential for photo/electrocatalysis in the ZrSSe/SnSSe heterostructure for water splitting or generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been explored, and it was found that the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can spontaneously activate in acidic (pH = 0) media under light irradiation, with a potential of U = 1.82 eV. Additionally, the ZrSSe/SnSSe heterostructure exhibits strong light absorption across a wide range, from visible light to the ultraviolet region, at various levels. These findings open up possibilities for the application of ZrSSe/SnSSe-based materials in optoelectronic devices.Peer reviewe

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey: The nature of the faint source population and SFR-radio luminosity relation using PROSPECTOR

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting has been e xtensiv ely used to determine the nature of the faint radio source population. Recent efforts have combined fits from multiple SED-fitting codes to account for the host galaxy and an y activ e nucleus that may be present. We show that it is possible to produce similar-quality classifications using a single energy-balance SED fitting code, PROSPECTOR , to model up to 26 bands of UV-far-infrared aperture-matched photometry for ∼31 000 sources in the ELAIS-N1 field from the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) deep fields first data release. One of a new generation of SED-fitting codes, PROSPECTOR accounts for potential contributions from radiative active galactic nuclei (AGN) when estimating galaxy properties, including star formation rates (SFRs) derived using non-parametric star formation histories. Combining this information with radio luminosities, we classify 92 percent of the radio sources as a star-forming galaxy, high-/low-excitation radio galaxy, or radio-quiet AGN and study the population demographics as a function of 150 MHz flux density , luminosity , SFR, stellar mass, redshift, and apparent r -band magnitude. Finally, we use PROSPECTOR SED fits to investigate the SFR-150 MHz luminosity relation for a sample of ∼133 000 3.6 μm-selected z 0 . 5.Peer reviewe

Feasibility of Embedded Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors in Thermoplastic Composite Braided Beam Structure

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-022-10053-0In this paper, consolidation monitoring and structural health monitoring (SHM) of a braided thermoplastic composite beam was performed using a distributed optical fibre sensor (DOFS). The DOFS was manually embedded into the braided preform before melt processing. The real-time strain and temperature data obtained during consolidation and cooling segments were correlated with phase transitions in the thermoplastic matrix. Post consolidation, the quality of the embedded DOFS was investigated using a micro-CT to reveal defects such as waviness and misorientation due to the crude nature of the adopted embedding technique. The manufactured beam was then subjected to repeated loading-unloading cycles in a flexure test. The strain developments along the embedded optical fibre length were comparable with the measurements from Digital Image Correlation (DIC), and further correlated with the post damage observations. Despite the crude method of embedding the optical fibre, the monitored data was useful for consolidation monitoring as well as SHM. This proved that DOFS could be embedded into composite structures without adding cost, time and complexity thus making them feasible for industrial applications.Peer reviewe

Understanding factors influencing the implementation of medicine risk communications by healthcare professionals in clinical practice: a systematic review using the Theoretical Domains Framework

© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.10.004Background Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are known to cause hospitalisation, longer hospital stays, as well as higher healthcare costs and mortality. Unrecognised ADRs are anticipated throughout the medicine lifecycle as, before the medicine reaches the market, clinical trials are conducted for a short period on a limited number of people, who might underrepresent the actual population. After the medicine reaches the market, emergent information that could affect its benefit-to-risk balance is usually shared by regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies through medicine risk communications. Medicines risk communications aim to prevent harm to patients by targeting their behaviour, knowledge, and attitudes, as well as those of health care professionals (HCPs). Despite their important role in translating these communications into their clinical practice, HCPs do not always adhere to the recommendations provided in risk communications. Measurement of medicine risk communications' effectiveness does not necessarily guarantee their implementation, cost-effectiveness, or transferability in real-world situations. To enhance the impact of drug regulatory interventions, implementation science has been encouraged. However, implementation science was not previously used to identify factors affecting HCPs' implementation of medicines risk communications. A recently widely used framework is the Theoretical Domain Framework (TDF). In this systematic review, the TDF was employed to categorise a range of different factors that could affect HCPs’ implementation of medicine risk communications within their clinical contexts. Methods The search strategy involved a set of predefined search terms and fifteen databases, such as EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science and CINAHL PLUS. Searches were conducted from April to May 2018 and updated in June 2021 using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL PLUS. A second reviewer independently conducted the screening process of the initial search. The total number of records screened was 10,475. A study was included if it reported any factors influencing HCPs' uptake of medicine risk communications. Only studies with English or Arabic abstracts were included. Those studies that did not include pharmacovigilance-related medicine risk communications were excluded. Additionally, studies only assessing HCPs' practice or evaluating the effectiveness of risk minimisation measures were excluded. Likewise, studies related to occupational hazards, case reports, interventional studies, and studies not involving HCPs were excluded. In case the published information was insufficient to decide whether to include or exclude a study, the authors were contacted. Furthermore, the authors of seven eligible abstracts were contacted for full-text articles. The mixed method appraisal tool (MMAT) was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. All included studies were assessed by one reviewer, and a total of 16 studies were assessed by two reviewers independently. Disagreements were resolved through discussion. Using thematic analysis and concept mapping, a narrative synthesis was performed, followed by a critical reflection on the synthesis process. This review presents the results of the concept mapping, which involved matching the identified factors to the TDF. Results A total of 28 studies were included. Eleven domains influenced HCPs' implementation of medicine risk communications. A large number of studies included factors related to the “Knowledge” domain (n = 23), followed by “Beliefs about Consequences” (n = 13), “Memory, Attention and Decision Processes” (n = 12) and “Environmental Context and Resources” domains (n = 12). Seven studies reported “social influences” and six studies included factors relating to “Goals”, followed by four studies involving factors related to “Social/Professional Role and Identity”. Underrepresented domains included “Emotion” (n = 2), “Beliefs about Capabilities” (n = 2), “Behavioural Regulation” (n = 1), and “Reinforcement” (n = 1). On the other hand, none of the identified factors were related to the “Skills”, “Optimism”, or “Intentions” domains. Except for “Beliefs about Consequences”, most studies contributing to the other three most commonly reported domains (“Knowledge”; “Environmental Context and Resources”; and “Memory, Attention and Decision Processes”) scored low (1 or 2 out of 5) on the MMAT quality assessment. Moreover, the same number of studies (n = 5) contributing to the “beliefs about consequences” domain had low (1 or 2 out of 5), and intermediate (3 out of 5) scores on the MMAT. Conclusion Medicines risk communications are important tools for disseminating information that may influence the benefit-to-risk balance of medicines. Even though HCPs are required to implement the recommendations of these communications, they do not always adhere to them. Using the TDF enabled the categorization of the range of factors that affect whether or not HCPs implement the recommendations provided in a medicine risk communication. However, most of these factors relate to four domains only (“Knowledge”; “Beliefs about Consequences”; “Memory, Attention and Decision Processes”; and “Environmental Context and Resources”). Additionally, most of the studies contributing to three of these four domains were of low quality. Future research should focus on using implementation science to identify target behaviours for actionable medicine risk communications. Regulators should use such science to develop cost-effective strategies for improving the implementation of medicines risk communication by HCPs.Peer reviewe