Digital transformation in hospitality : a guidance on how to implement and operate a hotel app to generate incremental revenue and to maximize customer value

The way luxury hospitality services are consumed has changed immensely over the last years due to evolving customer expectations, innovative technology and high competition in the market. Therefore, luxury hoteliers are forced to provide a completely seamless and personalized experience to serve the mobile-driven guests. With a personalized hotel-app a hotel can interact with the guest on a variety of different touchpoints during the customer journey to provide an extraordinary experience at all time. The thesis focuses on different hotel-apps and features and analyses which of them can generate incremental revenues. With expert interviews and a conducted online survey, a model on how to implement and operate a hotel-app successfully to maximize customer value and to generate additional revenue was created. The results reveal, that various features can lead to incremental revenue and added customer value, especially the option to order room-service via the app. With the usage of push-notifications an additional revenue increase can be generated among certain customers and discounts should be considered according to the hotels’ strategy. Finally, the study helps as a guidance for hoteliers to know which features should be implemented and prioritized, how these features should be operated in the app and provides key figures on additional generated revenue.A forma como os serviços de hospitalidade de luxo são consumidos mudou imensamente nos últimos anos, devido à evolução das expectativas dos clientes, tecnologia inovadora e alta concorrência no mercado. Portanto, hoteleiros de luxo são forçados a fornecer uma experiência completamente perfeita e personalizada para servir os hóspedes mais tecnológicos. Com uma hotel-app personalizada um hotel pode interagir com o hóspede numa variedade de diferentes pontos de contato durante a viagem do cliente para proporcionar uma experiência extraordinária em todos os momentos. A presente tese tem como foco diferentes aplicações de hotéis e características, e analisa quais delas podem gerar receitas incrementais. Com base em entrevistas com especialistas e um questionário on-line, foi criado um modelo sobre como implementar e gerir uma aplicação hoteleira com sucesso para maximizar o valor do cliente e gerar receita adicional. Os resultados revelam que várias funcionalidades podem conduzir a receitas incrementais e valor acrescentado para o cliente, especialmente a opção de encomendar room-service através da aplicação. Com o uso de notificações, um aumento adicional de receita pode ser gerado entre certos clientes e os descontos devem ser considerados de acordo com a estratégia dos hotéis. Finalmente, o estudo ajuda como orientação para que os hoteleiros saibam quais recursos devem ser implementados e priorizados, como esses recursos devem ser operados na aplicação e fornece números-chave sobre a receita adicional gerada

Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours – different biological entities?

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 40,000 deaths each year in Germany. Twenty-five percent of all lung tumours belong to the group of neuroendocrine tumours, encompassing typical (TC) and atypical carcinoids (AC), large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Even though all four subgroups share some morphological and molecular properties, it is still unclear whether they are different biological entities or form one distinct tumour entity displaying different grades of differentiation. They were previously reported to arise from serotonin producing pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNEC). It is suggested that LCNEC and SCLC originate from the same or similar precursor cells. However, it remains unclear how carcinoids can be integrated into this scheme. Material and Methods: In order to address this question, 74 representative tumour specimens were used for sequencing analysis performed on a MiSeq instrument covering the 221 most important mutation hotspots related to human neoplasias. Additionally, mRNA-expression profiles of 80 tumour samples were determined for 91 selected genes using NanoString nCounter technology. Furthermore, three unequivocal samples of each tumour entity were chosen to be tested for their miRNA signature via 384 well TaqMan low-density array real-time qPCR for the expression of 768 unique miRNAs. Finally, the pulmonary neuroendocrine tumour samples were analysed via TaqMan qPCR and immunohistochemistry for expression of the five most important subunits of the 26S proteasome. Results: 44 miRNAs were identified which showed a significantly different miRNA expression between the subtypes of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours. For 12 miRNAs, the difference was highly significant (p<0.01). Eight of these were negatively correlated with the grade of tumour biology, the other four were positively correlated. Six miRNAs are significantly associated with survival. The mRNA expression analysis showed 48 significant correlations with tumour type. Sixteen most significant (p≤0.001), 20 highly significant (p≤0.01) and 12 significant (p≤0.05) candidates were identified. Nine significant correlations with progression-free survival were found. Overall survival correlated significantly with nine genes. Of the 643 variants that passed the applied filter processing as described above, 122 variants were related to TC, 150 to AC, 164 to LCNEC and the final 207 variants were detected in the SCLC samples. We found a number of molecular features associated with pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours. Conclusion: In summary, we hypothesise that there is adequate evidence that neuroendocrine tumours should be considered an overall biological family of neoplasms. The family of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours can be biologically well distinguished from all other forms of lung cancers. Additionally, better biological understanding of carcinoids and neuroendocrine lung carcinomas will increase the chance of finding new drug targets, maybe resulting in a more personalized therapeutic concept for this group of malignancies

Development of a multimethod for the analysis of photoinitiators migrating into foodstuffs

Photoinitiatoren sind Bestandteile von UV-getrockneten Druckertinten, welche oft beim Bedrucken von Lebensmittelverpackungsmaterialien zum Einsatz kommen. Photoinitiatoren können aus Verpackungsmaterialien in das Lebensmittel migrieren, wodurch es zu einer unerwünschten Kontamination kommt. Das Ziel dieser Masterarbeit war die Entwicklung einer analytischen Methode für die simultane Bestimmung mehrerer Photoinitiatoren in Lebensmitteln und deren Verpackungsmaterialien. Diese Multimethode umfasste insgesamt 22 Photoinitiatoren (unterschiedlich substituierte Benzophenone, Xanthone, Benzoate, etc). Die entwickelte Methode umfasste eine Probenaufarbeitung bestehend aus einer Extraktion mit Acetonitril und anschließender Aufreinigung mittels dispersiver Festphasenextraktion gefolgt von einer Vermessung mittels Gaschromatographie-Massenspektrometrie. Die Methode wurde erfolgreich für Cerealien- und Fruchtsaftmatrix validiert. Für beide Matrices lagen die Bestimmungsgrenzen in den meisten Fällen unter 10 μg/kg Produkt. Mit Hilfe der entwickelten Multimethode wurden unterschiedliche Cerealien und Fruchtsäfte, sowie deren Verpackungsmaterialen, aus österreichischen Supermärkten untersucht. Benzophenon wurde in allen Cerealienproben und deren Verpackungsmaterialien sowie in fast allen Fruchtsaftproben gefunden. In allen Lebensmitteln lagen die Werte unterhalb des spezifischen Migrationslevels von 0.6 mg/kg Lebensmittel. Obwohl in den Verpackungsmaterialien zahlreiche weitere Photoinitiatoren gefunden wurden, wurden in den Lebensmitteln selbst, nur wenige andere Photoinitiatoren in geringen Konzentrationen gefunden. Es wurde beobachtet, dass sowohl die Anzahl als auch die Konzentrationen der Photoinitiatoren in Cerealienproben und deren Verpackungsmaterialien höher waren als in den Fruchtsaftproben und deren Getränkekartons.Photoinitiators are constituents of UV-cured printing inks, which are widely used in the printing of food packaging materials. The photoinitiators can migrate from the packaging material into the foodstuff, leading to an undesirable contamination. The aim of this master thesis was the development of an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of a wide range of photoinitiators in foodstuffs and their respective packaging materials. A total of 22 photoinitiators (various substituted benzophenones, xanthones, benzoates, etc.) were included in this multimethod. The developed method comprised a sample preparation procedure consisting of an acetonitrile extraction and a subsequent clean-up step by dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by a measurement using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method was successfully validated for cereal and fruit juice matrix and provided limits of quantification below 10 μg/kg food for almost all analytes in both matrices. The method was employed for the analysis of various cereal products and fruit juices from the Austrian market as well as their respective packaging materials. The analysis of the different cereal samples showed the presence of benzophenone in all analysed samples and their respective packaging materials. Benzophenone was also found in most fruit juice samples. All findings of benzophenone were below the specific migration level of 0.6 mg/kg product. Although the packaging materials contained numerous different photoinitiators, other photoinitiators apart from benzophenone were found in only a few food samples at very low concentrations. It was observed that the number as well as the concentrations of photoinitiators present in the cereal samples and their respective packaging materials was higher than in the fruit juice samples and the beverage cartons

Screening of Pleural Mesotheliomas for DNA-damage Repair Players by Digital Gene Expression Analysis Can Enhance Clinical Management of Patients Receiving Platin-Based Chemotherapy

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare, predominantly asbestos-related and biologically highly aggressive tumour leading to a dismal prognosis. Multimodality therapy consisting of platinum-based chemotherapy is the treatment of choice. The reasons for the rather poor efficacy of platinum compounds remain largely unknown. Material and Methods: For this exploratory mRNA study, 24 FFPE tumour specimens were screened by digital gene expression analysis. Based on data from preliminary experiments and recent literature, a total of 366 mRNAs were investigated using a Custom CodeSet from NanoString. All statistical analyses were calculated with the R i386 statistical programming environment. Results: CDC25A and PARP1 gene expression were correlated with lymph node spread, BRCA1 and TP73 expression levels with higher IMIG stage. NTHL1 and XRCC3 expression was associated with TNM stage. CHECK1 as well as XRCC2 expression levels were correlated with tumour progression in the overall cohort of patients. CDKN2A and MLH1 gene expression influenced overall survival in this collective. In the adjuvant treated cohort only, CDKN2A, CHEK1 as well as ERCC1 were significantly associated with overall survival. Furthermore, TP73 expression was associated with progression in this subgroup. Conclusion: DNA-damage response plays a crucial role in response to platin-based chemotherapeutic regimes. In particular, CHEK1, XRCC2 and TP73 are strongly associated with tumour progression. ERCC1, MLH1, CDKN2A and most promising CHEK1 are prognostic markers for OS in MPM. TP73, CDKN2A, CHEK1 and ERCC1 seem to be also predictive markers in adjuvant treated MPMs. After a prospective validation, these markers may improve clinical and pathological practice, finally leading to a patients' benefit by an enhanced clinical management

Possibilities and Opportunities of Mobile Devices to Measure the Physical (In)Activity of Young Citizens – First Results of a Case Study in Vienna

“New Media” starting with the introduction of television followed by Video to DVDs and computer games are often made responsible for the lack of movement and outdoor exercises of young people. With the spread of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, digital tools became spatially independent which offers new options and possibilities especially among young people (Direito et al. 2014). Instead of blaming new media as a reason that the young people increasingly stay at home and neglecting physical activities, the possibilities and opportunities of particularly mobile devices are to be examined in the project “ActivE Youth”. The project aims to determine how mobile devices can contribute for collecting data regarding the mobility behavior of the youth and how mobile devices can be used to reduce the lack of physical activity of young people

Fibroblast activation protein-α expression in fibroblasts is common in the tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer and may serve as a therapeutic target

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, emphasizing the need for further diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Cancer invasion and metastasis are affected by the tumor microenvironment (TME), with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) being the predominant cellular component. An important marker for CAF is fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) which has been evaluated as therapeutic target for, e.g., radioligand therapy. The aim of this study was to examine CRC regarding the FAP expression as a candidate for targeted therapy.Methods: 67 CRC, 24 adenomas, 18 tissue samples of inflammation sites and 28 non-neoplastic, non-inflammatory tissue samples of colonic mucosa were evaluated for immunohistochemical FAP expression of CAF in tissue microarrays. The results were correlated with clinicopathological data, tumor biology and concurrent expression of additional immunohistochemical parameters.Results: 53/67 (79%) CRC and 6/18 (33%) inflammatory tissue specimens showed expression of FAP. However, FAP was only present in 1/24 (4%) adenomas and absent in normal mucosa (0/28). Thus, FAP expression in CRC was significantly higher than in the other investigated groups. Within the CRC cohort, expression of FAP did not correlate with tumor stage, grading or the MSI status. However, it was observed that tumors exhibiting high immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67, CD3, p53, and β-Catenin showed a significantly higher incidence of FAP expression.Conclusion: In the crosstalk between tumor cells and TME, CAF play a key role in carcinogenesis and metastatic spread. Expression of FAP was detectable in the majority of CRC but nearly absent in precursor lesions and non-neoplastic, non-inflammatory tissue. This finding indicates that FAP has the potential to emerge as a target for new diagnostic and therapeutic concepts in CRC. Additionally, the association between FAP expression and other immunohistochemical parameters displays the interaction between different components of the TME and demands further investigation

Evaluation of low-cost phage-based Microbial Source Tracking tools for elucidating human fecal contamination pathways in Kolkata, India

Phages, such as those infecting Bacteroides spp., have been proven to be reliable indicators of human fecal contamination in microbial source tracking (MST) studies, and the efficacy of these MST markers found to vary geographically. This study reports the application and evaluation of candidate MST methods (phages infecting previously isolated B. fragilis strain GB-124, newly isolated Bacteroides strains (K10, K29, and K33) and recently isolated Kluyvera intermedia strain ASH-08), along with non-source specific somatic coliphages (SOMCPH infecting strain WG-5) and indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli) for identifying fecal contamination pathways in Kolkata, India. Source specificity of the phage-based methods was first tested using 60 known non-human fecal samples from common animals, before being evaluated with 56 known human samples (municipal sewage) collected during both the rainy and dry season. SOMCPH were present in 40-90% of samples from different animal species and in 100% of sewage samples. Phages infecting Bacteroides strain GB-124 were not detected from the majority (95%) of animal samples (except in three porcine samples) and were present in 93 and 71% of the sewage samples in the rainy and dry season (Mean = 1.42 and 1.83 log(10)PFU/100mL, respectively), though at lower levels than SOMCPH (Mean = 3.27 and 3.02 log(10)PFU/100mL, respectively). Phages infecting strain ASH-08 were detected in 89 and 96% of the sewage samples in the rainy and dry season, respectively, but were also present in all animal samples tested (except goats). Strains K10, K29, and K30 were not found to be useful MST markers due to low levels of phages and/or co-presence in non-human sources. GB-124 and SOMCPH were subsequently deployed within two low-income neighborhoods to determine the levels and origin of fecal contamination in 110 environmental samples. E. coli, SOMCPH, and phages of GB-124 were detected in 68, 42, and 28% of the samples, respectively. Analyses of 166 wastewater samples from shared community toilets and 21 samples from sewage pumping stations from the same districts showed that SOMCPH were present in 100% and GB-124 phages in 31% of shared toilet samples (Median = 5.59 and <1 log(10) PFU/100 mL, respectively), and both SOMCPH and GB-124 phages were detected in 95% of pumping station samples (Median = 5.82 and 4.04 log(10) PFU/100 mL, respectively). Our findings suggest that GB-124 and SOMCPH have utility as low-cost fecal indicator tools which can facilitate environmental surveillance of enteric organisms, elucidate human and non-human fecal exposure pathways, and inform interventions to mitigate exposure to fecal contamination in the residential environment of Kolkata, India