The Intentional Use of Service Recovery Strategies to Influence Consumer Emotion, Cognition and Behaviour

Service recovery strategies have been identified as a critical factor in the success of. service organizations. This study develops a conceptual frame work to investigate how specific service recovery strategies influence the emotional, cognitive and negative behavioural responses of . consumers., as well as how emotion and cognition influence negative behavior. Understanding the impact of specific service recovery strategies will allow service providers' to more deliberately and intentionally engage in strategies that result in positive organizational outcomes. This study was conducted using a 2 x 2 between-subjects quasi-experimental design. The results suggest that service recovery has a significant impact on emotion, cognition and negative behavior. Similarly, satisfaction, negative emotion and positive emotion all influence negative behavior but distributive justice has no effect

Estimating a size-specific dose for helical head CT examinations using Monte Carlo simulation methods.

PurposeSize-specific dose estimates (SSDE) conversion factors have been determined by AAPM Report 204 to adjust CTDIvol to account for patient size but were limited to body CT examinations. The purpose of this work was to determine conversion factors that could be used for an SSDE for helical, head CT examinations for patients of different sizes.MethodsValidated Monte Carlo (MC) simulation methods were used to estimate dose to the center of the scan volume from a routine, helical head examination for a group of patient models representing a range of ages and sizes. Ten GSF/ICRP voxelized phantom models and five pediatric voxelized patient models created from CT image data were used in this study. CT scans were simulated using a Siemens multidetector row CT equivalent source model. Scan parameters were taken from the AAPM Routine Head protocols for a fixed tube current (FTC), helical protocol, and scan lengths were adapted to the anatomy of each patient model. MC simulations were performed using mesh tallies to produce voxelized dose distributions for the entire scan volume of each model. Three tally regions were investigated: (1) a small 0.6cc volume at the center of the scan volume, (2) 0.8-1.0cm axial slab at the center of the scan volume, and (3) the entire scan volume. Mean dose to brain parenchyma for all three regions was calculated. Mean bone dose and a mass-weighted average dose, consisting of brain parenchyma and bone, were also calculated for the slab in the central plane and the entire scan volume. All dose measures were then normalized by CTDIvol for the 16cm phantom (CTDIvol,16). Conversion factors were determined by calculating the relationship between normalized doses and water equivalent diameter (D-w).ResultsCTDI(vol,16)-normalized mean brain parenchyma dose values within the 0.6cc volume, 0.8-1.0cm central axial slab, and the entire scan volume, when parameterized by D-w, had an exponential relationship with a coefficient of determination (R-2) of 0.86, 0.84, and 0.88, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the conversion factors resulting from these three different tally regions. Exponential relationships between CTDIvol,16-normalized mean bone doses had R-2 values of 0.83 and 0.87 for the central slab and for the entire scan volume, respectively. CTDIvol,16-normalized mass-weighted average doses had R-2 values of 0.39 and 0.51 for the central slab and for the entire scan volume, respectively.ConclusionsConversion factors that describe the exponential relationship between CTDIvol,16-normalized mean brain dose and a size metric (D-w) for helical head CT examinations have been reported for two different interpretations of the center of the scan volume. These dose descriptors have been extended to describe the dose to bone in the center of the scan volume as well as a mass-weighted average dose to brain and bone. These may be used, when combined with other efforts, to develop an SSDE dose coefficients for routine, helical head CT examinations

Estimating radiation doses from multidetector CT using Monte Carlo simulations: Effects of different size voxelized patient models on magnitudes of organ and effective dose.

The purpose of this work is to examine the effects of patient size on radiation dose from CT scans. To perform these investigations, we used Monte Carlo simulation methods with detailed models of both patients and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scanners. A family of three-dimensional, voxelized patient models previously developed and validated by the GSF was implemented as input files using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX. These patient models represent a range of patient sizes and ages (8 weeks to 48 years) and have all radiosensitive organs previously identified and segmented, allowing the estimation of dose to any individual organ and calculation of patient effective dose. To estimate radiation dose, every voxel in each patient model was assigned both a specific organ index number and an elemental composition and mass density. Simulated CT scans of each voxelized patient model were performed using a previously developed MDCT source model that includes scanner specific spectra, including bowtie filter, scanner geometry and helical source path. The scan simulations in this work include a whole-body scan protocol and a thoracic CT scan protocol, each performed with fixed tube current. The whole-body scan simulation yielded a predictable decrease in effective dose as a function of increasing patient weight. Results from analysis of individual organs demonstrated similar trends, but with some individual variations. A comparison with a conventional dose estimation method using the ImPACT spreadsheet yielded an effective dose of 0.14 mSv mAs(-1) for the whole-body scan. This result is lower than the simulations on the voxelized model designated 'Irene' (0.15 mSv mAs(-1)) and higher than the models 'Donna' and 'Golem' (0.12 mSv mAs(-1)). For the thoracic scan protocol, the ImPACT spreadsheet estimates an effective dose of 0.037 mSv mAs(-1), which falls between the calculated values for Irene (0.042 mSv mAs(-1)) and Donna (0.031 mSv mAs(-1)) and is higher relative to Golem (0.025 mSv mAs(-1)). This work demonstrates the ability to estimate both individual organ and effective doses from any arbitrary CT scan protocol on individual patient-based models and to provide estimates of the effect of patient size on these dose metrics

Estimating peak skin and eye lens dose from neuroperfusion examinations: Use of Monte Carlo based simulations and comparisons to CTDI_vol, AAPM report no. 111, and ImPACT dosimetry tool values.

Purpose: CT neuroperfusion examinations are capable of delivering high radiation dose to the skin or lens of the eyes of a patient and can possibly cause deterministic radiation injury. The purpose of this study is to: (a) estimate peak skin dose and eye lens dose from CT neuroperfusion examinations based on several voxelized adult patient models of different head size and (b) investigate how well those doses can be approximated by some commonly used CT dose metrics or tools, such as CTDIvol, American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Report No. 111 style peak dose measurements, and the ImPACT organ dose calculator spreadsheet.Methods: Monte Carlo simulation methods were used to estimate peak skin and eye lens dose on voxelized patient models, including GSF's Irene, Frank, Donna, and Golem, on four scanners from the major manufacturers at the widest collimation under all available tube potentials. Doses were reported on a per 100 mAs basis. CTDIvol measurements for a 16 cm CTDI phantom, AAPM Report No. 111 style peak dose measurements, and ImPACT calculations were performed for available scanners at all tube potentials. These were then compared with results from Monte Carlo simulations.Results: The dose variations across the different voxelized patient models were small. Dependent on the tube potential and scanner and patient model, CTDIvol values overestimated peak skin dose by 26%-65%, and overestimated eye lens dose by 33%-106%, when compared to Monte Carlo simulations. AAPM Report No. 111 style measurements were much closer to peak skin estimates ranging from a 14% underestimate to a 33% overestimate, and with eye lens dose estimates ranging from a 9% underestimate to a 66% overestimate. The ImPACT spreadsheet overestimated eye lens dose by 2%-82% relative to voxelized model simulations.Conclusions: CTDIvol consistently overestimates dose to eye lens and skin. The ImPACT tool also overestimated dose to eye lenses. As such they are still useful as a conservative predictor of dose for CT neuroperfusion studies. AAPM Report No. 111 style measurements are a better predictor of both peak skin and eye lens dose than CTDIvol and ImPACT for the patient models used in this study. It should be remembered that both the AAPM Report No. 111 peak dose metric and CTDIvol dose metric are dose indices and were not intended to represent actual organ doses

Basal Ganglia Calcification Is Associated With Local and Systemic Metabolic Mechanisms in Adult Hypoparathyroidism

CONTEXT: Hypoparathyroidism is characterized by low serum calcium, increased serum phosphorus, and inappropriately low or decreased serum parathyroid hormone, which may be associated with soft tissue calcification in the basal ganglia of the brain. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and factors involved in the pathophysiology of basal ganglia calcification (BGC) in the brain in chronic hypoparathyroidism and to evaluate proposed pathophysiologic mechanisms. DESIGN: Case-control study with retrospective review of medical records over 20 years. SETTING: Single academic medical center. PATIENTS: 142 patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism and computed tomography (CT) head scans followed between January 1, 2000 and July 9, 2020, and 426 age- and sex-matched controls with CT head scans over the same interval.None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic, biochemical, and CT head imaging findings, with semiquantitative assessment of volumetric BGC. RESULTS: The study found that 25.4% of 142 patients followed for a median of 17 years after diagnosis of chronic hypoparathyroidism had BGC, which developed at a younger age than in controls. BGC was 5.1-fold more common in nonsurgical patients and less common in postsurgical patients. Low serum calcium and low calcium/phosphate ratio correlated with BGC. Neither serum phosphorus nor calcium\u2005 7\u2005phosphate product predicted BGC. Lower serum calcium was associated with greater volume of BGC. The extent of BGC varied widely, with nonsurgical patients generally having a greater volume and distribution of calcification. CONCLUSIONS: BGC is associated with low serum calcium and low serum calcium/phosphate ratio, which may be related to severity of the disease, its etiology, or duration of treatment

Peak skin and eye lens radiation dose from brain perfusion CT based on Monte Carlo simulation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to accurately estimate the radiation dose to skin and the eye lens from clinical CT brain perfusion studies, investigate how well scanner output (expressed as volume CT dose index [CTDI(vol)]) matches these estimated doses, and investigate the efficacy of eye lens dose reduction techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peak skin dose and eye lens dose were estimated using Monte Carlo simulation methods on a voxelized patient model and 64-MDCT scanners from four major manufacturers. A range of clinical protocols was evaluated. CTDI(vol) for each scanner was obtained from the scanner console. Dose reduction to the eye lens was evaluated for various gantry tilt angles as well as scan locations. RESULTS: Peak skin dose and eye lens dose ranged from 81 mGy to 348 mGy, depending on the scanner and protocol used. Peak skin dose and eye lens dose were observed to be 66-79% and 59-63%, respectivelAmy, of the CTDI(vol) values reported by the scanners. The eye lens dose was significantly reduced when the eye lenses were not directly irradiated. CONCLUSION: CTDI(vol) should not be interpreted as patient dose; this study has shown it to overestimate dose to the skin or eye lens. These results may be used to provide more accurate estimates of actual dose to ensure that protocols are operated safely below thresholds. Tilting the gantry or moving the scanning region further away from the eyes are effective for reducing lens dose in clinical practice. These actions should be considered when they are consistent with the clinical task and patient anatomy