Measuring Efficiency of a Malaysian Hotel Chain using Data Envelopment Analysis

The expansion of the tourism industry in Malaysia, through its linkages, has contributed to growth in other related activities such as accommodation. With the aim to enhance Malaysia as one of the global tourism destinations, hotel sector needs to operate efficiently and provide comfortable accommodations for tourists. Existing studies on the hotel industry in Malaysia has been devoted to the aspects of service quality and customer satisfaction, very little is known about the efficiency of hotels in Malaysia. This study attempted to use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method to measure efficiency in a case study of a Malaysian hotel chain. Panel data covering the observations on the input and output variables for hotels under the chain were collected through mail survey. The panel data was analyzed by the DEA – CCR model and Malmquist Total Factor Productivity (TFP) index to compute the relative efficiency score and Malmquist TFP index of the hotel chain. The results of the CCR model have shown that the hotel chain was not efficient in year 2006 to 2008 as mean efficiency score was less than one (0.984). Hotel C and Hotel L were found to be inefficient. The main sources of inefficiency were the shortfalls in all outputs and surpluses in inputs, number of full-time equivalent employees, employment costs and total operating costs. Based on the findings, recommendations for the inefficient hotels are to improve on the hotel operation, staffing management, cost cutting and resource allocation. As for the whole chain, TFP has increased by 0.8% and 0.7% for the period of 2002-2008 and 2004-2008 respectively, but TFP has decreased by 0.5% for the period 2006-2008. TFP change was mainly due to the technological change. These results showed that the hotel chain has potential to further increase TFP through improvement in technological advancement along with the constant upgrade of organizational factors. The technological advancement can also be associated with the investment in new methods, procedures and techniques in the hotel operation. Hotel A and Hotel D were the best performing hotels within the chain as they were in the first quadrant for all time periods. They are suggested to maintain their performance whereas other hotels under the chain are suggested to benchmark and adopt the best practices of these two hotels. The findings of this study have important implications to the Malaysian hotels chain. The findings served as an index for hotel management to further improve their establishment’s efficiency. The findings also provided hoteliers with a basis for constructing strategies and strategic decision making

Efficiency measurement of a Malaysian hotel chain using DEA

Efficiency evaluation has become an important improvement tool for hotels to sustain in today’s highly competitive environment. This study used DEA approach to evaluate the relative efficiency of a Malaysian hotel chain during the period of 2004 to 2008 in terms of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) change. TFP change is measured using DEA-Malmquist productivity index. DEA is a pragmatic tool which combines multiple inputs and outputs objectively onto an overall measure of organizational efficiency. The Malmquist TFP index measures are decomposed into technical efficiency change and technological change. The decomposition of technical efficiency change into two sub-components, pure technical efficiency change, and scale efficiency change is also discussed in this paper. The actual operating data of five inputs and five outputs were collected from 10 hotels under the chain. Empirical results revealed that the TFP of the hotel chain slightly increased by 0.7% over the time period. Six of the hotels in the chain experienced positive TFP change while the others experienced TFP decline. The quadrant of efficiency was proposed to give a two-dimensional view of the hotel efficiency. Meanwhile, technological change was found to be more important factor of TFP growth as compared to technical efficiency change. Therefore, hotels which faced negative growths of technological change are recommended to improve their efficiency through investment in new technology or by upgrading the necessary skills. Additionally, the paper has also identified the best performing hotel within the chain which can be benchmarked by others who are seeking for performance improvemen

Total factor productivity efficiency changes in a Malaysian hotel chain

This paper investigates the changes in total factor productivity (TFP) of a Malaysian hotel chain during the period of 2002-2008. TFP change is measured by Malmquist index, using data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach. The data were collected from eight hotels under the chain. Overall, the results revealed that the TFP of the hotel chain has slightly increased by 0.8% over the time period. Within the chain, four of the hotels experienced positive TFP change while the others experienced TFP decline. The hotels were segregated into quadrant of efficiency which give a two dimensional view of the hotel efficiency. Technological change is found to be more important factor of TFP growth as compared to technical efficiency change. As such, it is recommended that hotels which experienced negative growths of technological change improve their efficiency through investment in new technology or upgrading the necessary skills

The efficacy of four-slice helical CT in evaluating pancreatic trauma: a single institution experience

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Study objective</p> <p>To assess the efficacy of computed tomography (CT) in evaluating patients with pancreatic trauma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We undertook a retrospective review of all blunt trauma patients admitted to the Chi-Mei Medical Center from January 2004 to June 2006. Every patients underwent abdominal CT scan in emergency department and the CT scans were obtained with a four-slice helical CT. Diagnosis of a pancreatic injury in these patients was by surgical observation or by CT findings. Radiographic pancreatic injuries were classified as deep or superficial lesions. Deep lesions were defined as the hematomas or lacerations >50% thickness of the pancreas. Superficial lesions were described as the hematomas or lacerations <50% thickness of the pancreas; pancreatic edema; and focal fluid accumulation around the pancreas</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nineteen patients with pancreatic trauma, fourteen males and five females, average age 40.6 ± 21.4 years, were included. Most patients (73.7%) with pancreatic trauma had associated organ injuries. CT was performed in all patients and laparotomy in 14 patients. CT was 78.9% sensitive in detecting pancreatic trauma. All deep pancreatic lesions revealed on CT required surgical treatment, and complication was discovered in two patients undergoing delayed surgery. Superficial lesions were managed conservatively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Four-slice helical CT can detect most pancreatic trauma and provide practical therapeutic guidance. Delayed operation might result in complications and is associated with prolonged hospital stays.</p

Development of a Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor for Real-Time Detection of Osteogenic Differentiation in Live Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors have been recognized as a useful tool and widely used for real-time dynamic analysis of molecular binding affinity because of its high sensitivity to the change of the refractive index of tested objects. The conventional methods in molecular biology to evaluate cell differentiation require cell lysis or fixation, which make investigation in live cells difficult. In addition, a certain amount of cells are needed in order to obtain adequate protein or messenger ribonucleic acid for various assays. To overcome this limitation, we developed a unique SPR-based biosensing apparatus for real-time detection of cell differentiation in live cells according to the differences of optical properties of the cell surface caused by specific antigen-antibody binding. In this study, we reported the application of this SPR-based system to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). OB-cadherin expression, which is up-regulated during osteogenic differentiation, was targeted under our SPR system by conjugating antibodies against OB-cadherin on the surface of the object. A linear relationship between the duration of osteogenic induction and the difference in refractive angle shift with very high correlation coefficient was observed. To sum up, the SPR system and the protocol reported in this study can rapidly and accurately define osteogenic maturation of MSCs in a live cell and label-free manner with no need of cell breakage. This SPR biosensor will facilitate future advances in a vast array of fields in biomedical research and medical diagnosis

Highlights from the 2019 International Myopia Summit on 'controversies in myopia'.

Myopia is an emerging public health issue with potentially significant economic and social impact, especially in East Asia. However, many uncertainties about myopia and its clinical management remain. The International Myopia Summit workgroup was convened by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in 2019. The aim of this workgroup was to summarise available evidence, identify gaps or unmet needs and provide consensus on future directions for clinical research in myopia. In this review, among the many 'controversies in myopia' discussed, we highlight three main areas of consensus. First, development of interventions for the prevention of axial elongation and pathologic myopia is needed, which may require a multifaceted approach targeting the Bruch's membrane, choroid and/or sclera. Second, clinical myopia management requires co-operation between optometrists and ophthalmologists to provide patients with holistic care and a tailored approach that balances risks and benefits of treatment by using optical and pharmacological interventions. Third, current diagnostic technologies to detect myopic complications may be improved through collaboration between clinicians, researchers and industry. There is an unmet need to develop new imaging modalities for both structural and functional analyses and to establish normative databases for myopic eyes. In conclusion, the workgroup's call to action advocated for a paradigm shift towards a collaborative approach in the holistic clinical management of myopia

Prognostic Value of Leucocyte Telomere Length in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: Leucocyte telomere length (LTL) has been described as a marker of biological age, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. The association between LTL and clinical characteristics of Asian patients, and their outcomes following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been inconclusive. Objective: To investigate the relationship between LTL and developing AMI, the association of LTL with inpatient and 30-day mortality, and the comparison to LTL with established AMI risk scores in predicting these outcomes. Methodology: 100 patients aged 30-70 years admitted with an AMI to a tertiary referral center between May-Oct 2017 were enrolled; these were matched with 100 non-AMI ('healthy') controls for gender and age (+/- 1 year). Clinical data was obtained prospectively; inpatient and 30-day outcomes documented. LTL was reflected by a well described variable called a tis ratio (TSR). The TSR was measured at enrolment using a quantitative PCR-based methods (qPCR) and results blinded to the clinician

Anaesthesiology & Critical Care Postgraduate Training in Malaysia : training curriculum

This document is the National Postgraduate Medical Curriculum (NPMC) for Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, and is part of the NPMC Project which is intended to cover the development of curricula for all clinical medical specialists in Malaysia. It is to ensure that the training is consistent and competency based, and meets the standards required by the respective national bodies and the National Specialist Register (NSR)

Transgenic Expression of Entire Hepatitis B Virus in Mice Induces Hepatocarcinogenesis Independent of Chronic Liver Injury

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, is most commonly caused by chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, whether HBV plays any direct role in carcinogenesis, other than indirectly causing chronic liver injury by inciting the host immune response, remains unclear. We have established two independent transgenic mouse lines expressing the complete genome of a mutant HBV (“preS2 mutant”) that is found at much higher frequencies in people with HCC than those without. The transgenic mice show evidence of stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and overexpression of cyclin D1 in hepatocytes. These mice do not show any evidence of chronic liver injury, but by 2 years of age a majority of the male mice develop hepatocellular neoplasms, including HCC. Unexpectedly, we also found a significant increase in hepatocarcinogenesis independent of necroinflammation in a transgenic line expressing the entire wildtype HBV. As in the mutant HBV mice, HCC was found only in aged—2-year-old—mice of the wildtype HBV line. The karyotype in all the three transgenic lines appears normal and none of the integration sites of the HBV transgene in the mice is near an oncogene or tumor suppressor gene. The significant increase of HCC incidence in all the three transgenic lines—expressing either mutant or wildtype HBV—therefore argues strongly that in absence of chronic necroinflammation, HBV can contribute directly to the development of HCC

Human SCARB2-Mediated Entry and Endocytosis of EV71

Enterovirus (EV) 71 infection is known to cause hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) and in severe cases, induces neurological disorders culminating in fatality. An outbreak of EV71 in South East Asia in 1997 affected over 120,000 people and caused neurological disorders in a few individuals. The control of EV71 infection through public health interventions remains minimal and treatments are only symptomatic. Recently, human scavenger receptor class B, member 2 (SCARB2) has been reported to be a cellular receptor of EV71. We expressed human SCARB2 gene in NIH3T3 cells (3T3-SCARB2) to study the mechanisms of EV71 entry and infection. We demonstrated that human SCARB2 serves as a cellular receptor for EV71 entry. Disruption of expression of SCARB2 using siRNAs can interfere EV71 infection and subsequent inhibit the expression of viral capsid proteins in RD and 3T3-SCARB2 but not Vero cells. SiRNAs specific to clathrin or dynamin or chemical inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis were all capable of interfering with the entry of EV71 into 3T3-SCARB2 cells. On the other hand, caveolin specific siRNA or inhibitors of caveolae-mediated endocytosis had no effect, confirming that only clathrin-mediated pathway was involved in EV71 infection. Endocytosis of EV71 was also found to be pH-dependent requiring endosomal acidification and also required intact membrane cholesterol. In summary, the mechanism of EV71 entry through SCARB2 as the receptor for attachment, and its cellular entry is through a clathrin-mediated and pH-dependent endocytic pathway. This study on the receptor and endocytic mechanisms of EV71 infection is useful for the development of effective medications and prophylactic treatment against the enterovirus