Flying to Quality: Cultural Influences on Online Reviews

Customers increasingly consult opinions expressed online before making their final decisions. However, inherent factors such as culture may moderate the criteria and the weights individuals use to form their expectations and evaluations. Therefore, not all opinions expressed online match customers’ personal preferences, neither can firms use this information to deduce general conclusions. Our study explores this issue in the context of airline services using Hofstede’s framework as a theoretical anchor. We gauge the effect of each dimension as well as that of cultural distance between the passenger and the airline on the overall satisfaction with the flight as well as specific service factors. Using topic modeling, we also capture the effect of culture on review text and identify factors that are not captured by conventional rating scales. Our results provide significant insights for airline managers about service factors that affect more passengers from specific cultures leading to higher satisfaction/dissatisfaction

Optimization Framework for Temporal Interference Current Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Tibial Nerves Based on In-Silico Studies

Compared to the existing noninvasive methods, temporal interference (TI) current stimulation is an emerging noninvasive neuromodulation technique that can improve the ability to focus an electrical field on a target nerve. Induced TI field distribution depends on the anatomical structure of individual neurons, and thus the electrode and current optimization to enhance the field focus must reflect these factors. The current study presents a TI field optimization framework for focusing the stimulation energy on the target tibial nerve through extensive electrical simulations, factoring in individual anatomical differences. We conducted large-scale in-silico experiments using realistic models based on magnetic resonance images of human subjects to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methods for tibial nerve stimulation considering overactive bladder (OAB) treatment. The electrode position and current intensity were optimized for each subject using an automated algorithm, and the field-focusing performance was evaluated based on the maximum intensity of the electric fields induced at the target nerve compared with the electric fields in the neighboring tissues. Using the proposed optimization framework, the focusing ability increased by 12% when optimizing the electrode position. When optimizing both the electrode position and current, this capability increased by 11% relative to electrode position optimization alone. These results suggest the significance of optimizing the electrode position and current intensity for focusing TI fields at the target nerve. Our electrical simulation-based TI optimization framework can be extended to enable personalized peripheral nerve stimulation therapy to modulate peripheral nerves.11Ysciescopu

Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the association between the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the risk of fracture. We identified relevant studies by searching three electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library) from their inception to October 20, 2010. Two evaluators independently extracted data. Because of heterogeneity, we used random-effects meta-analysis to obtain pooled estimates of effect. We identified 12 studies: seven case-control studies and five cohort studies. A meta-analysis of these 12 observational studies showed that the overall risk of fracture was higher among people using SSRIs (adjusted odds ratio [OR]?=?1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.511.90, I2?=?89.9%). Subgroup analysis by adjusted number of key risk factors for osteoporotic fracture showed a greater increased fracture risk in those adjusted for fewer than four variables (adjusted OR?=?1.83, 95% CI 1.572.13, I2?=?88.0%) than those adjusted for four or more variables (adjusted OR?=?1.38, 95% CI 1.271.49, I2?=?46.1%). The pooled ORs anatomical site of fracture in the hip/femur, spine, and wrist/forearm were 2.06 (95% CI 1.842.30, I2?=?62.3%), 1.34 (95% CI 1.131.59, I2?=?48.5%), and 1.51 (95% CI 1.261.82, I2?=?76.6%), respectively. Subgroup analysis by exposure duration revealed that the strength of the association decreased with a longer window of SSRI administration before the index date. The risk of fracture was greater within 6 weeks before the index date (adjusted OR?=?3.83, 95% CI 1.967.49, I2?=?41.5%) than 6 weeks or more (adjusted OR?=?1.60, 95% CI 0.932.76, I2?=?63.1%). Fracture risk associated with SSRI use may have a significant clinical impact. Clinicians should carefully consider bone mineral density screening before prescribing SSRIs and proper management for high-risk populations. (c) 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.N