An Investigation Into The Quality of Meal Service in the NHS Acute Trusts.

The aim of this research was to investigate the discrepancies between in-patients and service providers (hospital caterers and ward staff) on perceptions of the quality of meal services in NHS Acute Trusts. This aim was achieved through comprehensive secondary research into the implications of the NHS’s continued reforms of hospital catering services, the complexity of patients’ food consumption and the nutritional implications of consumption, and the importance of patients satisfaction linked with the models of service quality. After analysing the literature, a framework structured around service gap theory was adopted. Primary research using multimethods and a modified SERVQUAL instrument was carried out on-site at four NHS Acute Trusts in three phases: Phase I- in-patients questionnaire (43.72% response rate, 662 valid returns); Phase II- hospital staff questionnaire (78.24% response rate, 283 valid returns); and Phase III- face-to-face interviews with catering managers (4 participants). The results found that: Patients’ expectations were higher than their perceptions on 17 meal service attributes; Through a path analysis, the best predictor of patient satisfaction was found to be the food properties dimension (of three meal service dimensions from factor analysis), and the regularity of finishing food was found to have a reciprocal interaction with patient satisfaction; The three gaps between the competing interests proposed in the theoretical framework were confirmed: the service gap between patients and service personnel, the quality assurance gap between patients and catering managers, and the managerial gap between service personnel and catering managers. The study has evaluated and provided a greater understanding of meal service in a group of NHS hospitals. Hospital meal services need to review their policies on the provision of food to patients, which should be made more appropriate to the needs of the sick. Eight managerial implications are offered to aid future hospital caterers in understanding some of the underlying complexities of patient satisfaction toward the meal services. Through the development of industry-specific models, a platform has been constructed that can be used for further research into the gaps between the expectations and perceptions of patients, service staff and catering management. This study synthesises concepts from three distinct academic fields (Healthcare Management, Food Choice, and Service Quality) into a coherent instrument, and applies it to the acute hospital meal service field

Creating Value By Object Hyperlinking Along The Consumer Buying Decision Process In The IoT Era

Within the IoT scope, a new application named ‘object hyperlinking’ has evolved. Object hyperlinking is the pervasive presence of different things or objects identified by tags, sensors, and mobile phones that can interact with each other as well as with their neighbors through unique addressing schemes for business purpose. Enabled by Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) technologies such as QR code and NFC, object hyperlinking services make it possible link any object or location to a more comprehensive and editable information. While tagging technologies have good prospects to offer more opportunities in a company’s interaction with its consumers, how this capability can be best applied and what innovative business services be created with object hyperlinking remain to be discovered. This study surveys and examines 76 projects of object hyperlinking in Taiwan and provides a framework to figure out business value and issues of object hyperlinking along the five stages of a consumer buying decision process. Based on the functionality and purpose of object hyperlinking services, this framework is conducted in dimensions of value creation, value orientation, functionality, key factor and challenges, key activities within organization, and managerial issues concerned. Some innovative business models enabled by object hyperlinking will also be introduced. The research results found that only when the information gathered by identified objects is used, analyzed, and distributed into wide business activities in term of marketing, customer service and firm level strategy planning, the effectiveness and value of object hyperlinking services can be realized at its maximum. The integration across different consumer buying decision process is also important. The more applications of object hyperlinking in different buying decisions, the more benefits will be created for customers. Managers can use the list of dimensions proposed in the framework to develop rich IoT business from enhancing service operations with object hyperlinking

The longitudinal effect of social media use on adolescent mental health in the UK: findings from the UK Longitudinal Household Study

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional studies have suggested an association between the use of social media and depression and anxiety in young people. We examined the longitudinal relationship between social media use and young people's mental health, and the role of self-esteem and social connectedness as potential mediators. METHODS: Adolescents (aged 10-15 years) from the UK Longitudinal Household Study (2009-19) were included. Mental health was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Total Difficulties score. The number of hours spent on social media was measured on a 5-point scale, from zero to ≥7 h. Self-esteem and social connectedness were measured at ages 13-14 years. Covariates included demographic and household variables. Unadjusted and adjusted multilevel linear regression models explored whether social media use at ages 12-13 years predicted mental health at ages 14-15 years (expressed as beta values and 95% CIs). Path analysis with structural equation modelling was used to investigate the mediation pathways. FINDINGS: We included 3228 adolescents (1659 [51·4%] girls and 1569 [48·6%] boys) for whom social media and mental health data at ages 12-13 years and 14-15 years were available. In adjusted analysis, no association between time spent on social media and poorer mental health was identified (n=2603; b=0·21 [95% CI -0·43 to 0·84]; p=0·52). In adjusted path analysis, there was no mediation of self-esteem (indirect effect; n=2316; b=0·24 [95% CI -0·12 to 0·66]; p=0·22) or social connectedness (indirect effect; -0·03 [-0·20 to 0·12]; p=0·74), but in unadjusted analysis, 68% of the effect of social media use on mental health was mediated by self-esteem (indirect effect; n=2569; 0·70 [0·15 to 1·30]; p=0.016) but not by social connectedness. Similar results were found when the analysis was re-run on a multiply imputed dataset that filled in missing values using multiple imputation. INTERPRETATION: Our data show the importance of longitudinal evidence. We found there was little evidence to suggest a causal relationship between the use of social media and mental health issues 2 years later. Interventions that address social media use alone might not improve young people's mental health, and considering factors such as self-esteem might be more effective. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research (grant reference PD-SPH-2015). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Institute for Health Research or the UK Department of Health and Social Care

Educating English Language Learners: Grantmaking Strategies For Closing America's Other Achievement Gap

This study draws upon two sources of data: an online survey and telephone interviews. In spring 2012, GFE selected 138 grantmaking organizations to participate in an online survey. The sample was composed primarily of GFE members who had indicated in GFE's 2010 and 2011 benchmarking surveys that they made grants to English learners or immigrants, but it was supplemented with funders identified as significant investors in English learners by Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Fifty-seven grantmakers completed responses to the survey, representing diverse grantmaking entities including family foundations, private foundations, community foundations and corporate funders. Researchers supplemented the survey by conducting in-depth phone interviews with 24 survey respondents selected to represent a range of foundation sizes, organization types, geographic regions and ELL funding priorities. The study also convened an Advisory Committee comprising GFE members who are experienced funders of English learners. The advisory committee offered advice on research design, interpretation of research findings, and supplemental resources (listed in report appendix)

Patellar Tendon Morphology in Trans-tibial Amputees Utilizing a Prosthesis with a Patellar-tendon- Bearing Feature

A patellar-tendon-bearing (PTB) bar is a common design feature used in the socket of trans-tibial prostheses to place load on the pressure-tolerant tissue. As the patellar tendon in the residual limb is subjected to the perpendicular compressive force not commonly experienced in normal tendons, it is possible for tendon degeneration to occur over time. The purpose of this study was to compare patellar tendon morphology and neovascularity between the residual and intact limbs in trans-tibial amputees and healthy controls. Fifteen unilateral trans-tibial amputees who utilized a prosthesis with a PTB feature and 15 age- and sex- matched controls participated. Sonography was performed at the proximal, mid-, and distal portions of each patellar tendon. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to compare thickness and collagen fber organization and a chi-square analysis was used to compare the presence of neovascularity between the three tendon groups. Compared to healthy controls, both tendons in the amputees exhibited increased thickness at the mid- and distal portions and a higher degree of collagen fber disorganization. Furthermore, neovascularity was more common in the tendon of the residual limb. Our results suggest that the use of a prosthesis with a PTB feature contributes to morphological changes in bilateral patellar tendons

Socio-psychological factors, beyond knowledge, predict people's engagement in pollinator conservation

1. Nature conservation often depends on the behaviour of individuals, which can bedriven by socio-psychological factors such as a person's attitude, knowledge andidentity. Despite extensive ecological research about pollinator declines, there hasbeen almost no social research assessing the drivers of people's engagement inpollinator conservation.2. To address this gap, we used a large-scale, online questionnaire in the UnitedKingdom, broadly framed around the Theory of Planned Behaviour. We received atotal of 1,275 responses from a wide range of ages, incomes and education levels,despite a selection bias towards people with a pre-existing interest in pollinators.3. A range of socio-psychological factors predicted people's pollinator conservation actions and explained 45% of the variation. Respondents’ diversity of natureinteractions and perceived behavioural control (feeling able to help pollinators)were consistently important predictors of people's pollinator conservation actions, whilst the importance of other socio-psychological factors depended onthe particular action.4. Notably, knowledge was far less important overall than people's perceptions andother socio-psychological factors, highlighting a knowledge-action gap. Furtherunexplained variation in people's behaviour could partly be due by structural andcontextual factors, particularly regarding social norms around tidiness.5. From a practical perspective, our findings reveal three main insights. First, several simple, low-cost pollinator conservation actions (reduced mowing, leavingareas unmown and creating patches of bare ground for ground-nesting bees)are currently under-utilised so should be priorities for pollinator conservationprogrammes.6. Second, strategies are needed to overcome reported practical barriers, for example by providing free resources (e.g. seeds of pollen- and nectar-rich plants) andcommunicating simple beneficial actions that can be carried out with limited time,space and money

Genetic Dissection of Cardiac Remodeling in an Isoproterenol-Induced Heart Failure Mouse Model.

We aimed to understand the genetic control of cardiac remodeling using an isoproterenol-induced heart failure model in mice, which allowed control of confounding factors in an experimental setting. We characterized the changes in cardiac structure and function in response to chronic isoproterenol infusion using echocardiography in a panel of 104 inbred mouse strains. We showed that cardiac structure and function, whether under normal or stress conditions, has a strong genetic component, with heritability estimates of left ventricular mass between 61% and 81%. Association analyses of cardiac remodeling traits, corrected for population structure, body size and heart rate, revealed 17 genome-wide significant loci, including several loci containing previously implicated genes. Cardiac tissue gene expression profiling, expression quantitative trait loci, expression-phenotype correlation, and coding sequence variation analyses were performed to prioritize candidate genes and to generate hypotheses for downstream mechanistic studies. Using this approach, we have validated a novel gene, Myh14, as a negative regulator of ISO-induced left ventricular mass hypertrophy in an in vivo mouse model and demonstrated the up-regulation of immediate early gene Myc, fetal gene Nppb, and fibrosis gene Lgals3 in ISO-treated Myh14 deficient hearts compared to controls

Just one look:Direct gaze briefly disrupts visual working memory

Direct gaze is a salient social cue that affords rapid detection. A body of research suggests that direct gaze enhances performance on memory tasks (e.g., Hood, Macrae, Cole-Davies, & Dias, Developmental Science, 1, 67–71, 2003). Nonetheless, other studies highlight the disruptive effect direct gaze has on concurrent cognitive processes (e.g., Conty, Gimmig, Belletier, George, & Huguet, Cognition, 115(1), 133–139, 2010). This discrepancy raises questions about the effects direct gaze may have on concurrent memory tasks. We addressed this topic by employing a change detection paradigm, where participants retained information about the color of small sets of agents. Experiment 1 revealed that, despite the irrelevance of the agents’ eye gaze to the memory task at hand, participants were worse at detecting changes when the agents looked directly at them compared to when the agents looked away. Experiment 2 showed that the disruptive effect was relatively short-lived. Prolonged presentation of direct gaze led to recovery from the initial disruption, rather than a sustained disruption on change detection performance. The present study provides the first evidence that direct gaze impairs visual working memory with a rapidly-developing yet short-lived effect even when there is no need to attend to agents’ gaze