Exploring the Ways of Providing High Service Quality at Low Cost in the Economy Hotel Sector

2020 dissertation for MSc. Industry experts uniformly agree that economy hotel sector can be competitive and profitable only if it provides high-quality service at low operating costs. Several researchers, however, believe that this is not possible because constraint models state that low cost always results in low quality and that high quality always requires high investment. A solution would benefit both customers and operators, but most of the existing studies in this field are decades old and often contradict each other. This limitation in the academic literature supports the need for new, up-to-date research. The aim of this study is to find out whether it is possible to provide high service quality at low cost in the economy hotel sector, and if so, how. The secondary data source for the quantitative analysis is Booking.com's extensive database, which contains live data of 712,322 hotels and their more than 100 million guest reviews. This study has revealed that it is possible to provide high quality at low cost while respecting the statements of the constraint models: The hotels need to provide core services at high quality to achieve high perceived quality and reduce or eliminate all non-core services to achieve low-cost operation. The study discusses in detail what the target customers consider core services. Although this analysis resulted in several obvious findings (for example, free Wi-Fi is a core service), it also provides some surprising conclusions

The development of the physical fundamentals of contact soldering as a factor for reducing the number of defects in electronic devices

Automated control systems employ electronic components that are connected with a printed circuit board (PCB) by soldered joints. At elevated temperatures and with high vibration levels, soldering defects may occur that are characterized by the deterioration or complete loss of contact with the PCB, which can lead to the failure of the system. In this work, an approach is proposed to considerably improve the reliability of soldered joints. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

The reliability of soldered joints produced at a low temperature

Under severe service conditions of electronic instruments (at elevated temperatures and vibrations in electronic systems), failures in their operation frequently occur. Severe intrinsic thermal conditions of operating instruments may cause such failures. However, malfunctions in electronic devices may often be due to defects in soldered joints that were made at lowered temperatures. An approach is proposed that makes it possible to considerably improve the reliability of soldered joints. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

On the Possibility of Reducing the Objective Lens Diameter in the Optoelectronic System

AbstractWhen optoelectronic systems (OES) are used for control purposes in mechanical engineering, there is a risk of objective cracking caused by collision with hard particles of the environment. The article shows that it is possible to reduce the objective lens diameter two times without loss of resolution, and thus to improve impact resistance by reducing the probability of collision and objective lens cracking

Defining of the Power of a Control Loop Actuator

AbstractThe input harmonical signal is usually used to define the power consumed by actuators of control loops of regulative systems. It's shown that if there are no limits imposed on the type of input disturbance, the power consumption may increase up to two times

Spatially Resolved Mapping of Local Polarization Dynamics in an Ergodic Phase of Ferroelectric Relaxor

Spatial variability of polarization relaxation kinetics in relaxor ferroelectric 0.9Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.1PbTiO3 is studied using time-resolved Piezoresponse Force Microscopy. Local relaxation attributed to the reorientation of polar nanoregions is shown to follow stretched exponential dependence, exp(-(t/tau)^beta), with beta~~0.4, much larger than the macroscopic value determined from dielectric spectra (beta~~0.09). The spatial inhomogeneity of relaxation time distributions with the presence of 100-200 nm "fast" and "slow" regions is observed. The results are analyzed to map the Vogel-Fulcher temperatures on the nanoscale.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, supplementary materials attached; to be submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

New insight into damage-related phenomena in Si implanted under extreme conditions

New insight into damage formation in Si(100) during self-ion irradiation is gained from processing under extreme conditions. Dislocations form in the near-surface as a result of lattice relaxation in response to strain produced by precursor defects which are shown to be vacancy-type by positron analysis. A model to account for these defects and their distribution is presented. A novel technique is demonstrated which utilizes a subsequent implantation as a depth specific probe to manipulate the vacancy-type defects. Aspects of damage growth which emerge from the probe results are discussed

Similarities and differences in the dolomitization history of two coeval Middle Triassic carbonate platforms, Balaton Highland, Hungary

Dolomitization of platform carbonates is commonly the result of multiphase processes. Documentation of the complex dolomitization history is difficult if completely dolomitized sections are studied. Two Middle Anisian sections representing two coeval carbonate platforms were investigated and compared in the present study. Both sections are made up of meter-scale peritidal–lagoonal cycles with significant pedogenic overprint. One of the sections contains non-dolomitized, partially dolomitized, and completely dolomitized intervals, whereas the other is completely dolomitized. Based on investigations of the partially dolomitized section, penecontemporaneous dolomite formation and/or very early post-depositional dolomitization were identified in various lithofacies types. In shallow subtidal facies, porphyrotopic dolomite was found preferentially in microbial micritic fabrics. Microbially induced dolomite precipitation and/or progressive replacement of carbonate sediments could be interpreted for stromatolites. Cryptocrystalline to very finely crystalline dolomite, probably of pedogenic origin, was encountered in paleosoil horizons. Fabric-destructive dolomite commonly found below these horizons was likely formed via reflux of evaporated seawater. As a result of the different paleogeographic settings of the two platforms, their shallow-burial conditions were significantly different. One of the studied sections was located at the basinward platform margin where pervasive fabric-retentive dolomitization took place in a shallow-burial setting, probably via thermal convection. In contrast, in the area of the other, smaller platform shallow-water carbonates were covered by basinal deposits, preventing fluid circulation and accordingly pervasive shallow-burial dolomitization. In the intermediate to deep burial zone, recrystallization of partially dolomitized limestone and occlusion of newly opened fractures and pores by coarsely crystalline dolomite took place

Predictors of postoperative seizure outcome in low grade glioma: From volumetric analysis to molecular stratification

The importance of the extent of resection (EOR) has been widely demonstrated as the main predictor for survival, nevertheless its effect on tumor related epilepsy is less investigated. A total of 155 patients were enrolled after a first-line surgery for supratentorial Diffuse Low Grade Gliomas (DLGGs). Postoperative seizure outcome was analyzed stratifying the results by tumor volumetric data and molecular markers according to 2016 WHO classification. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were computed to asses EOR, residual tumor volume, and 06T2T1 MRI index (expressing the tumor growing pattern) corresponding to optimal seizure outcome. A total of 70.97% of patients were seizure-free 18 months after surgery. Better seizure outcome was observed in IDH1/2 mutated and 1p/19q codeleted subgroup. At multivariate analysis, age (p = 0.014), EOR (p = 0.030), 06T2T1 MRI index (p = 0.016) resulted as independent predictors of postoperative seizure control. Optimal parameters to improve postoperative seizure outcome were EOR 65 85%, 06T2T1 MRI index 64 18 cm3, residual tumor volume 64 15 cm3. This study confirms the role of EOR and tumor growing pattern on postoperative seizure outcome independently from the molecular class. Higher 06T2T1 MRI index, representing the infiltrative component of the tumor, is associated with worse seizure outcome and strengthens the evidence of common pathogenic mechanisms underlying tumor growth and postoperative seizure outcome