An exploratory study in the use of SERVPERF to measure B2B service quality in the Maltese hotel industry

This paper focuses on the use of the SERVPERF instrument in order to measure service quality. The author visited one of Malta's major hotels . Three identical questionnaires were completed by the hotel's Purchasing Manager. An interview was also held. it seems likely that supplier 2 gives the best service. The results of the questionnaire are discussed in the light of customer-buyer relationships. This includes the use of power, competence and media richness.peer-reviewe

Generalisation : graphs and colourings

The interaction between practice and theory in mathematics is a central theme. Many mathematical structures and theories result from the formalisation of a real problem. Graph Theory is rich with such examples. The graph structure itself was formalised by Leonard Euler in the quest to solve the problem of the Bridges of Königsberg. Once a structure is formalised, and results are proven, the mathematician seeks to generalise. This can be considered as one of the main praxis in mathematics. The idea of generalisation will be illustrated through graph colouring. This idea also results from a classic problem, in which it was well known by topographers that four colours suffice to colour any map such that no countries sharing a border receive the same colour. The proof of this theorem eluded mathematicians for centuries and was proven in 1976. Generalisation of graphs to hypergraphs, and variations on the colouring theme will be discussed, as well as applications in other disciplines.peer-reviewe

Hamiltonicity and σ\sigma-hypergraphs

We define and study a special type of hypergraph. A $\sigma$-hypergraph $H= H(n,r,q$ $\mid$ $\sigma$), where $\sigma$ is a partition of $r$, is an $r$-uniform hypergraph having $nq$ vertices partitioned into $n$ classes of $q$ vertices each. If the classes are denoted by $V_1$, $V_2$,...,$V_n$, then a subset $K$ of $V(H)$ of size $r$ is an edge if the partition of $r$ formed by the non-zero cardinalities $\mid$ $K$ $\cap$ $V_i \mid$, $1 \leq i \leq n$, is $\sigma$. The non-empty intersections $K$ $\cap$ $V_i$ are called the parts of $K$, and $s(\sigma)$ denotes the number of parts. We consider various types of cycles in hypergraphs such as Berge cycles and sharp cycles in which only consecutive edges have a nonempty intersection. We show that most $\sigma$-hypergraphs contain a Hamiltonian Berge cycle and that, for $n \geq s+1$ and $q \geq r(r-1)$, a $\sigma$-hypergraph $H$ always contains a sharp Hamiltonian cycle. We also extend this result to $k$-intersecting cycles

A primary investigation of strategic management in further education (FE) in the small island state of Malta : quo vadis?

This paper investigates the presence of a strategic management regime in the further education (FE) sector in Malta using data gathered in 2012. In this way the type of strategic systems followed (if present) and their implementation is delineated. A qualitative approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of strategic management issues in Maltese FE organizations. Data were collected from seven FE organizations via interviews with senior management team (SMT) officials. The use of strategic management is limited, since only one FE organization has a fully-fledged strategic planning system. Important aspects of strategic planning, like mission statement formulation and performance measurement regimes, are also lacking. An interpretative approach makes it possible to uncover particular nuances in specific sectors in small states. The findings indicate that FE organizations in the Maltese FE sector have a low locus of control, meaning that SMTs may have to shift from strategic planning to strategic thinking.peer-reviewe

Consumption of antibiotics at St Luke’s Hospital : a critical factor behind the local prevalence of antimicrobial resistance?

The intensity of antibiotic use in hospital settings is recognised as possibly the most important factor for the selection of antimicrobial resistance. Hospitals are therefore being encouraged to undertake surveillance and benchmarking of antimicrobial consumption patterns with a view to identify and rectify possible evidence of overuse or misuse. Use of antibiotics at St. Luke's Hospital, Malta (SLH) was assessed retrospectively for the year 2001 as part of participation in two pan-European antibiotic surveillance networks. Total antibiotic use during the study period averaged 147 Defined Daily Doses (DDD) /100 bed days with the three most common antibiotic groups prescribed being the penicillins, cephalosporins and macrolides. Combinations of penicillin with beta-lactamase inhibitor were the predominant antimicrobials in use and their consumption was twice the median for other participating hospitals in the European ARPAC network. Differences were additionally seen for second generation cephalosporins and macrolides, where consumption was also significantly higher at SLH. These findings would explain one possible factor behind the high prevalence of resistance, particularly in Staphylococcus aureus, at SLH and suggest the need to intensify efforts for improved antibiotic stewardship programmes in hospital prescribing.peer-reviewedpeer-reviewe

Strong lensing as a test for Conformal Weyl Gravity

Conformal Weyl Gravity (CWG) predicts galactic rotation curves without invoking dark matter. This makes CWG an interesting candidate theory as an alternative to GR. This removal of the necessity of dark matter arises because the exact exterior solution in CWG for a static, spherically symmetric source provides a linear potential $\gamma r$, which can explain the observed galactic rotation curves with a value for $\gamma$ given by $\sim + 10^{-26} \mathrm{m}^{-1}$. Previous work has also shown that CWG can explain lensing observations, but with $\gamma\sim - 10^{-26} \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ in order to ensure converging rays of light rather than diverging ones. Even though different expressions for the angle of deflection have been derived in CWG in order to remove this inconsistency, this paper shows that the $\gamma$ required to fit the lensing data is several orders of magnitude higher than that required to fit the galactic rotation curves.Comment: 6 pages, 2 tables, 2 figure

The EPR correlation in Kerr-Newman spacetime

The EPR correlation has become an integral part of quantum communications as has general relativity in classical communication theory, however when combined an apparent deterioration is observed for spin states. We consider appropriate changes in directions of measurement to exploit full EPR entanglement for a pair of particles and show that it can be deduced only up to the outer even horizon of a Kerr-Newman black hole, even in the case of freely falling observer.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure