Using hybrid technique: the integration of data analytics and queuing theory for average service time estimation at Immigration Service, Suvarnabhumi Airport

In the past few years, Thai tourism industry has become one of the big markets in the world that makes the number of air passenger has growth rapidly.The survey shows that 15,883,928 passengers arrived at Suvarnabhumi international airport, Thailand in 2015 which increase around 11% every year.Due to this reason, the airport needs to seek for effective strategies to operate an immigration service in order to avoid long waiting time.The effective immigration operation actually can gain passenger satisfaction. In addition, the fast immigration process provides the significant benefit for businesses in the airport because short immigration waiting time would be able to increase the purchase amount in shopping area.This paper aims to propose the hybrid method, the intregration of data analytics and queuing theory, for average service time estimation at the immigration unit, Suvarnabhumi airport. From the experimental study, the proposed technique can estimate the average service time, server utilization and average number of passengers in a queue based on the statistic of arrival passengers. The result shows that the number of opened counter and month are the factors to provide different results

The Influence of Emotional Labor on Job Stress and Satisfaction Among Flight Attendants in Full-Service Airlines Based in Thailand

As frontline employees who interact directly with customers, flight attendants are expected to display proper emotional expression, as required by their jobs. The emotional expression of employees to meet the demand of their jobs is referred to as emotional labor and may affect their job stress and job satisfaction. Thus, the objectives of this study were to examine: 1) the levels of emotional labor, job stress, and job satisfaction among flight attendants working in full-service airlines based in Bangkok, Thailand; and 2) the influence of two forms of emotional labor, namely surface acting and deep acting, on employees’ job stress and job satisfaction. This study encompassed descriptive research utilizing a survey questionnaire. The online questionnaire was distributed to the flight attendants of Thai full-service airlines with a total of 416 valid responses being collected. The results revealed significant influences of emotional labor on both job stress and job satisfaction, including the finding that 1) surface acting has a negative effect on job stress, while deep acting can lead to reducing job stress; and 2) surface acting can lower job satisfaction, while deep acting has a positive effect on job satisfaction. This study contributes to a better understanding of the roles of emotional labor regarding the job stress and job satisfaction of full-service airline flight attendants. Human resource management in airlines should consider effective ways to enhance deep acting among front-line employees as the findings show that this can lead to lower job stress and increased job satisfaction

Cognitive impairment according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment independently predicts the ability of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients to maintain proper inhaler technique

Abstract Background Maintaining correct inhaler technique is crucial in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to investigate the inhaler technique in patients with COPD, to compare it immediately after and at 1 month after training, and to identify the predictors of incorrect inhaler use at 1 month after training. Methods This prospective study was conducted at the COPD clinic of Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand). Patients demonstrating improper inhaler use were trained face-to-face by pharmacists. Inhaler technique was re-assessed immediately after and at 1 month after training. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, pulmonary function tests, 6-min walk distance (6 MWD), modified Medical Research Council scale score, and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score were evaluated. Results Sixty-six patients with COPD who demonstrated at least one critical error during the use of any controller inhaler were enrolled. The mean age was 73.0 ± 9.0 years, and 75.8% patients had moderate/severe COPD. Immediately after training, all patients used dry powder inhalers correctly and 88.1% used pressurized metered-dose inhalers correctly. At 1 month, the number of patients demonstrating the correct technique decreased across all devices. Multivariable analysis revealed that MoCA score ≤ 16 was independently associated with a critical error at 1 month after training (adjusted odds ratio: 12.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.8–88.2, p = 0.010). At 1 month, CAT score (11.4 ± 8.9 vs. 8.4 ± 5.5, p = 0.018) and 6 MWD (351 ± 93 m vs. 372 ± 92 m, p = 0.009) had significantly improved in patients demonstrating the correct technique, and CAT score met the minimal clinically important difference. Conclusions Face-to-face training by pharmacists improved patient performance. However, the number of patients following proper technique had decreased at 1 month after training. Cognitive impairment (MoCA score ≤ 16) independently predicted the ability of COPD patients to maintain proper inhaler technique. Assessment of cognitive function combined with technical re-assessment and repeated training should improve COPD management

Additional file 1 of Cognitive impairment according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment independently predicts the ability of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients to maintain proper inhaler technique

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. Inhaler use checklists for the 4 groups of study inhalers

Additional file 2 of Cognitive impairment according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment independently predicts the ability of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients to maintain proper inhaler technique

Additional file 2: Supplementary Fig. 1. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores in patients with and without incorrect technique at 1 month after training. The optimal cut-off value was 16

Comparison of immunogenicity between intradermal and intramuscular injections of repeated annual identical influenza virus strains post-pandemic (2011-2012) in COPD patients

We compared the antibody responses and persistence of the reduced-dose, 9 µg hemagglutinin (HA)/strain intradermal (ID) injection via the Mantoux technique and the 15 μg HA/strain intramuscular (IM) injection of the repeated annual identical trivalent, inactivated, split-virion vaccine 2011–2012 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Eighty patients were randomized to ID (n = 41) and IM (n = 39) groups. Four weeks post-vaccination, the antibody responses of the two groups were similar; those for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and influenza A(H3N2)–but not influenza B–met the criteria of the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP). The antibody responses for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 rapidly declined in both groups, especially with the ID injection, whereas those for influenza A(H3N2) maintained above the CPMP criteria throughout 12 months post-vaccination. The geometric mean titres for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 persisted above the protective threshold (≥ 40) until 6 months post-vaccination in both the ID and IM groups. The seroprotection rates of the ID and IM groups were above 60% until 3 months and 6 months post-vaccination, respectively. In conclusion, the 9 μg HA/strain ID injection of vaccine 2011–2012 elicited antibody responses similar to the standard dose of 15 μg of the HA/strain IM injection at 4 weeks post-vaccination. However, the antibody responses for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 rapidly declined, especially in the case of the ID injection, whereas they were comparable for influenza A(H3N2). Additional strategies for increasing vaccine durability should be considered, especially for new pandemic strains affecting elderly COPD patients