Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial : prophylactic swallowing exercises in head-and-neck cancer patients treated with (chemo)radiotherapy (PRESTO trial)

Background: Dysphagia is a common and serious complication after (chemo)radiotherapy (CRT) for head-and-neck cancer (HNC) patients. Prophylactic swallowing exercises (PSE) can have a significantly positive effect on post-treatment swallowing function. However, low adherence rates are a key issue in undermining this positive effect. This current randomized trial will investigate the effect of adherence-improving measures on patients' swallowing function, adherence and quality of life (QOL). Methods: This ongoing trial will explore the difference in adherence and swallowing-related outcome variables during and after PSE in HNC patients performing the same therapy schedule, receiving different delivery methods. One hundred and fifty patients treated in various hospitals will be divided into three groups. Group 1 performs PSE at home, group 2 practices at home with continuous counseling through an app and group 3 receives face-to-face therapy by a speech and language pathologist. The exercises consist of tongue-strengthening exercises and chin-tuck against resistance with effortful swallow. The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument and the Swallowing Exercise Aid are used for practicing. Patients are evaluated before, during and after treatment by means of strength measurements, swallowing and QOL questionnaires. Discussion: Since low adherence rates undermine the positive impact of PSE on post-treatment swallowing function, there is need to develop an efficient PSE protocol maximizing adherence rates

Untangling a Web of Lies: Exploring Automated Detection of Deception in Computer-Mediated Communication

Safeguarding organizations against opportunism and severe deception in computer-mediated communication (CMC) presents a major challenge to CIOs and IT managers. New insights into linguistic cues of deception derive from the speech acts innate to CMC. Applying automated text analysis to archival email exchanges in a CMC system as part of a reward program, we assess the ability of word use (micro-level), message development (macro-level), and intertextual exchange cues (meta-level) to detect severe deception by business partners. We empirically assess the predictive ability of our framework using an ordinal multilevel regression model. Results indicate that deceivers minimize the use of referencing and self-deprecation but include more superfluous descriptions and flattery. Deceitful channel partners also over structure their arguments and rapidly mimic the linguistic style of the account manager across dyadic e-mail exchanges. Thanks to its diagnostic value, the proposed framework can support firms’ decision-making and guide compliance monitoring system development

It’s not what you say, it’s the way you say it! Effective message styles for promoting innovative new services

While innovations are critical to firms' long-term survival, they have a high failure rate. Identifying the factors that encourage consumer adoption of innovations is therefore essential for the successful management of new products and services. While prior research suggests that two message styles (i.e., metaphors and narratives) can help convey the benefits of new services, extant scholarly work has not examined which style increases adoption intentions to a greater extent. Study 1 demonstrates that metaphors enhance adoption intentions more than narratives for incrementally new services (INSs) but not for really new services (RNSs). Study 2 shows that low-figurativeness metaphors enhance adoption intentions more than high-figurativeness metaphors for INSs but not for RNSs and that consumers' negative cognitive responses underlie this effect. These findings have important implications for theory and practice

A Discourse Analysis of Pilgrimage Reviews

This paper is the first to provide an account of the discursive features of online consumer reviews of pilgrimage sites. Drawing from pilgrimage studies and narrativity theory in consumer research, we explore how consumers communicate the spiritual and material aspects of pilgrimage experiences by examining a corpus of 833 consumer reviews on TripAdvisor of the most sacred pilgrimage sites of the world’s major five faith groups. Pilgrims include analytical discursive features to communicate the material aspect of their consumption experience. They reserve narration for spiritual transformation and the experience of strong emotions. Moreover, review ratings are only reflective of the spiritual aspect of their consumption experience. As such, our research complements previous studies by highlighting the material, physical aspect of this extraordinary consumption experience

Global wealth disparities drive adherence to COVID-safe pathways in head and neck cancer surgery

Peer reviewe

Probe measurements on the compass Tokamak

Abstract (English) In our present-day economy, energy demand keeps on rising every day. Energy producing plants based on oil, gas and coal are not sufficient and moreover they emit large quantities of CO2. Nuclear power plants have the drawback that the effects of a disaster are very large and the waste remains radioactive for centuries or even millennia. Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydro energy are a step in the right direction, but with the current state of technology it looks like they will probably not be able to fully support our energy need. A possible solution for the energy problem might be nuclear fusion. Unfortunately these fusion power plants will not be for tomorrow and a lot of research is still to be done. In the Institute of Plasma Physics fusion relevant plasma physics are studied. Important tools used to monitor and investigate plasma in tokamaks are the electric probes which have a reasonably high spatial and temporal resolution. In this thesis existing and new techniques will be applied to investigate the properties of the edge plasma in the COMPASS tokamak by two kinds of electric probes. It will also be checked if the new diagnostic system is installed correct and works properly. The first probe system is the array of Langmuir probes that is located in the divertor region of the tokamak. These probes will be used to determine the electron temperature, plasma density, and the floating potential. Since the divertor region is the ideal place to monitor for the plasma-wall interactions, the obtained data will be used to investigate the relation between the plasma-wall interaction and these data. Another goal is to find the optimum settings to perform the research. The second system of electric probes is installed on the reciprocating manipulator which is equipped with Langmuir and Ball-pen probes (BPP). With this device it is possible to gather data deeper into the plasma by quickly reciprocating in and out of the plasma to avoid overheating and the release of impurities. It is also possible to make a radial profile of some plasma parameters for example the plasma density, the ion temperature and the electron temperature. This new system and the technique will be tested and evaluated. Another relatively new technique is to calculate the ion temperature with the help of a BPP. It will be investigated if the results from this technique are plausible. Again an optimization of the analyzing techniques will be done to find the best settings for data analysis. Due to multiple technical problems and the destruction of the head of the horizontal manipulator, not all experiments have been completed during the time span of this thesis. For now it can be said that the divertor probes work as expected and good results were obtained, but further research will be rewarding as some techniques can be further optimized. The first results of the radial profile made by the reciprocating manipulator are very promising and investigation in this technique will be continued and expanded as soon as the head of the reciprocating manipulator has been replaced. Due to relatively unstable plasma the credibility of the ion temperature data is quite small. Further investigation is necessary to give a decisive answer about the quality and usefulness of this method to determine the ion temperature.   Abtract (Nederlands) In onze hedendaagse economie blijft de vraag naar energie elke dag stijgen. Energieproductie centrales die werken op olie, gas en steenkool zijn niet voldoende en bovendien stoten ze grote hoeveelheden CO2 uit. Kerncentrales hebben het nadeel dat de gevolgen van een ramp zeer groot zijn en het afval radioactief blijft voor vele eeuwen of zelfs millennia. Hernieuwbare energiebronnen zoals wind, zon en water zijn reeds een stap in de goede richting, maar met de huidige staat van de technologie lijkt het dat deze nooit zullen kunnen voldoen aan onze energiebehoefte. Een mogelijke oplossing voor het energieprobleem zou kernfusie kunnen zijn. Jammer genoeg zullen deze kernfusiecentrales nog niet voor morgen zijn en zal er nog veel onderzoek verricht moeten worden. In het \u27Institute of Plasma Physics\u27 wordt onderzoek gedaan naar plasma in functie van kernfusie. Een belangrijke techniek die gebruikt wordt om het plasma te observeren en te onderzoeken in een tokamak, is het gebruik van elektrische sondes/probes. In deze masterthesis zullen bestaande en nieuwe technieken toegepast worden om de eigenschappen van het plasma te onderzoeken en om na te gaan of de nieuwe diagnostische methoden goed werken. Een eerste manier om het plasma te onderzoeken is met behulp van Langmuir probes die zich bevinden in de divertor regio van de tokamak. Deze probes zullen gebruikt worden om de elektronentemperatuur, de plasmadichtheid en het zwevend potentiaal te bepalen. Omdat de divertor regio de ideale plaats is om de interacties van plasma met de wand te bestuderen zullen de verkregen data ook gebruikt worden om het verband tussen de plasma-wand interacties en deze data te onderzoeken. Een ander doel is het vinden van de optimale instellingen voor het onderzoek. Een andere manier om het plasma te onderzoeken door middel van elektrische probes is met behulp van de beweegbare stang die uitgerust is met Langmuir probes en \u27Ball-pen probes (BPP)\u27. Met dit toestel is het mogelijk om data te verkrijgen van dieper in het plasma door een snelle beweging in en uit het plasma, om zo oververhitting en het vrijkomen van onzuiverheden te voorkomen. Het is ook mogelijk om een radiaal profiel te maken van enkele plasma parameters, bijvoorbeeld de plasma dichtheid en de ionen- en elektronentemperatuur. Dit nieuwe systeem en de bijhorende nieuwe techniek zullen worden getest en geëvalueerd. Een andere relatief nieuwe techniek is het bepalen van de ionentemperatuur met behulp van de BPP, daarbij zal onderzocht worden of de resultaten van deze techniek al dan niet geloofwaardig zijn. Opnieuw zal ook een optimalisatie van de analyse technieken gedaan worden om zo de beste instellingen te vinden om de data te analyseren. Door meerdere technische problemen en het stukgaan van de kop van de beweegbare stang zijn niet alle experimenten afgerond tijdens de duur van deze stage. Voorlopig kan gezegd worden dat de divertor probes werken zoals verwacht en goede resultaten gevonden zijn. Verder onderzoek zal lonen omdat sommige technieken nog verder geoptimaliseerd kunnen worden. De eerste resultaten van het radiale profiel gemaakt door de beweegbare probes zijn veelbelovend en onderzoek in deze techniek zal nog verder gezet worden en worden uitgebreid van zodra de kop van de beweegbare stang vervangen is. Door relatief onstabiel plasma is de geloofwaardigheid van de waarden voor de ionentemperatuur (Ti) vrij klein. Verder onderzoek is nodig om zo uitsluitsel te kunnen geven over de kwaliteit en bruikbaarheid van deze methode om Ti te bepalen

Not Whodunit But Whydunit: Story Characters’ Motivations Influence Audience Interest in Services

Service providers and consumer well-being advocates often share stories to promote audience interest in relevant behavior. This research examines how characters’ motivations for engaging in service-related behavior in such stories influence consumers’ interest in services. Across five studies, we show that audiences are more interested in services after reading about a character who acts for intrinsically (vs. extrinsically) motivated reasons. We show that this occurs because the audience identifies more with intrinsically motivated characters. We also examine how consequences of characters’ actions (both for others and for themselves when they make miscalibrated decisions) shape an audience’s service interest in targeted ways, specifically encouraging interest in services that help people while avoiding unintended negative consequences. The results of this work suggest that stories can be an effective way to encourage consumers’ interest in services that enhance personal and societal well-being and identify critical story elements that influence their success in doing so