Rate Of Cleanliness Research Articles

Do Precipitation and Temperature Influence Perceptions of Urban Cleanliness?

Abstract This study explores the correlation between weather and the perception of urban cleanliness across the 47 largest cities in Spain. Utilizing survey data conducted by the national Consumers and Users Organization (OCU) in 2015, 2019, and 2023 to assess cleanliness perceptions, we analyze potential associations with precipitation and temperature recorded by weather stations of the Spanish Meteorological Agency. Additionally, we consider computed values of the De Martonne aridity index. The OCU data reveal regional disparities in perceived cleanliness quality. Higher cleanliness scores are obtained in cities located in the northern and north-central regions of Spain, characterized by humid and superhumid climates according to the De Martonne index. Conversely, lower cleanliness ratings are given to cities in the southern and eastern regions of Spain, where a Mediterranean climate and lower aridity index values prevail. In conducting a statistical analysis on the perception of cleanliness and variables related to precipitation and temperature, the results of the chi-square and linear correlation tests found no strong statistical correlation, although a tendency is observed. Cities with higher annual precipitation and lower values of average annual temperature tend to receive better cleanliness ratings, while drier and warmer cities exhibit the worst values of perceived urban cleanliness. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the Gompertz model effectively captures a strong statistical correlation in the relationship between cleanliness perception and the De Martonne index: As aridity increases, cleanliness perception decreases. These results are relevant for the development of future cleaning methods and systems, particularly in light of the climate change scenarios that are anticipated in the Mediterranean region due to warmer and drier conditions and, consequently, an increase in aridity.

Quality of endoscopic surveillance of Lynch syndrome patients in a Swedish cohort.

Background and study aims Risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Lynch syndrome (LS) include sex, age, smoking, high body mass index (BMI), surveillance interval length, and risk genotype. The Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) produces a standardized bowel cleanliness rating. A low BBPS score might be a risk factor for missed early lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between BBPS score and adenoma detection (with known risk factors for CRC) and surveillance interval with CRC detection in LS patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study including 366 LS patients with 1,887 colonoscopies under surveillance in Stockholm, Sweden from 1989 to 2021 was conducted. Associations were tested using linear and logistic regression. Results We found no association between BBPS score and number of adenomas detected. A low BBPS score was found to be associated with older age (regression coefficient (coeff) -0.015; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.026 to -0.004; P = 0.007) and obesity (coeff = -0.48; 95% CI: -0.89 to -0.062; P = 0.024). A higher number of detected adenomas was associated with older age (coeff = 0.008; 95% CI 0.004 to 0.012; P < 0.001), male sex (coeff = 0.097; 95% CI 0.008 to 0.19; P = 0.033) and CRC (coeff = 0.28; 95% CI 0.061 to 0.50; P = 0.012). Surveillance interval length was not significant in CRC detection. Conclusions Bowel cleanliness was not associated with adenoma detection and was less likely achieved in patients who were older and had higher BMI. Adenoma detection was associated with older age and male sex. The results indicate the need for better adherence to guidelines and attention to older age groups, men, and patients with obesity.

CCRA: A colon cleanliness rating algorithm based on colonoscopy video analysis

ObjectiveA Colon Cleanliness Rating Algorithm (CCRA) based on colonoscopy image analysis is proposed in this paper, in order to solve the problem that the results of Colon Cleanliness (or Bowel Preparation Quality) rating caused by manual inspection are inconsistent. MethodsFirstly, CCRA intercepts images from the colonoscopy video. Secondly, each colonoscopy image's stool area is segmented by U-Net to obtain the 2-classification segmentation results. Finally, the colon cleanliness is obtained by comparing the average area of the stool area with the standard proportion. ResultsAfter testing, the pixel accuracy of the U-Net model is 97.02 %, IoU is 83.67 %, accuracy is 92.17 %, recall is 90.21 %, F1-Score is 90.95 %. The accuracy of CCRA is 92.45 %–99.275 % ConclusionThe experimental results show that the CCRA proposed in this paper can quickly and accurately output the colon cleanliness rating of patients without manpower.

Marine litter in mangroves: composition, magnitude, and impacts

Mangroves face a constant entry of marine litter that can alter their natural conditions to solid waste dumps, affecting the ecosystem, organisms, and humans. This work provides information on the main marine litter items and how their composition and magnitude can cause potential negative impacts. The research was carried out as follows: 1) a bibliographic review of the subject, 2) a collection of data in the field and 3) an adaptation of methodologies and international guidelines for the collection of marine litter. Analysis of information collected from environmental indices determined that: (a) the state of cleanliness and the likelihood of being affected by items considered hazardous, (b) a hierarchical and principal component grouping through the composition and magnitude of recorded marine litter, and (c) a sectoral analysis between the two environmental indices. Eleven sites of the fifteen studies evaluated, recorded high densities of marine litter with cleanliness rates between dirty and extremely dirty. These sites are mainly made up of plastic items, of which three sites registered a significant number of items considered hazardous. For this reason, a comprehensive, intelligent, and urgent management plan is required to base on strategies to reduce primary sources, through the adoption and improvement of measures such as education, good management practices, and citizen awareness. A greater number of studies is required for a clearer picture of the subject.

Efficacy of bowel preparation regimens for colon capsule endoscopy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and study aims Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) is an alternative to conventional colonoscopy (CC) in specific clinical settings. High completion rates (CRs) and adequate cleanliness rates (ACRs) are fundamental quality parameters if CCE is to be widely implemented as a CC equivalent diagnostic modality. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of different bowel preparations regimens on CR and ACR in CCE. Patients and methods We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Data were independently extracted per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The primary outcome measures (CR, ACR) were retrieved from the individual studies and pooled event rates were calculated. Results Thirty-four observational (OBS) studies (n = 3,789) and 12 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) (n = 1,214) comprising a total 5,003 patients were included. The overall CR was 0.798 (95 % CI, 0.764–0.828); the highest CRs were observed with sodium phosphate (NaP) + gastrografin booster (n = 2, CR = 0.931, 95 % CI, 0.820–0.976). The overall ACR was 0.768 (95 % CI, 0.735–0.797); the highest ACRs were observed with polyethylene glycol (PEG) + magnesium citrate (n = 4, ER = 0.953, 95 % CI, 0.896–0.979). Conclusions In the largest meta-analysis on CCE bowel preparation regimens, we found that both CRs and ACRs are suboptimal compared to the minimum recommended standards for CC. PEG laxative and NaP booster were the most commonly used but were not associated with higher CRs or ACRs. Well-designed studies on CCE should be performed to find the optimal preparation regimen.

Clinical feasibility of panintestinal (or panenteric) capsule endoscopy: a systematic review.

In recent years, panintestinal capsule endoscopy (PCE) with double-headed capsules has been used to perform complete, single-sitting exploration of both small bowel and colon in different clinical conditions. Double-headed capsules for colonic examination (CCE) have been exploited first in this setting, followed by newer generations of capsules (i.e. PillCam Crohn, PCC) specifically engineered for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of PCE in the form of a systematic review. We performed a comprehensive literature search to identify papers in which CE was specifically used for a PCE of the gastrointestinal tract. Data on CE, bowel preparation regimen, rate of cleanliness and completeness, and data on transit times were analyzed. The primary outcome was to assess the feasibility of a whole-gut exploration with CE. Sixteen (n = 16) studies including 915 CE procedures with CCE1 (n = 134), CCE2 (n = 357) and PCC (n = 424) were included. 13/16 studies were performed in the setting of Crohn's disease. Cleanliness and completeness rates were acceptable in all studies, ranging from 63.9% and 68.6% to 100%, respectively. In conclusion, PCE is a feasible technique, although further structured studies are needed to explore its full potential.

Factors affecting the choice of a dental care provider by older adults based on online consumer reviews

Background: The percentage of patients relying on information provided by their peers in the form of consumer reviews rather than the information found in healthcare reports from federal agencies is expected to increase. To encourage the use of these healthcare reports, which contain data from a more representative sample, several researchers have suggested incorporating consumer reviews in them. Objective: This study aims to identify the factors in online consumer reviews that affect the decisions of healthcare consumers as they choose their providers. Method: We recruited 310 participants through Qualtrics Research Services to participate in a 3*2*2*2 within-subjects study. We used the dentistry domain to test the effect of the valence of the review, the staff rating, the facility cleanliness rating and the dentist’s bedside manner rating on patient's trust in the information, the decision to choose a dentist and the confidence in the decision. Results: The findings suggest that valence of the review, the dentist’s bedside manner rating and the cleanliness rating of the facility significantly influence the consumer’s decision to choose a dentist and their trust in the information. In addition, the staff rating was considered the least important element in the consumer reviews. Conclusion: We conclude that in addition to narratives of patient experience in the form of reviews, consumer ratings like bedside manner and cleanliness are important cues that aid the consumer’s decision-making process while ratings such as a staff rating, which do not consider the interactions with the actual healthcare provider, are not as critical. Highlights Factors were identified in online reviews that affect consumer decisions of healthcare providers. A 3*2*2*2 within-subjects study was conducted based on the dentistry domain. Narratives of patient experiences in the form of reviews and consumer ratings of bedside manner and cleanliness were found to be important cues in a consumer’s decision. Staff ratings which do not consider the interactions with the healthcare provider were not as critical.

Tolerability of Bowel Preparation and Colonoscopy in IBD Patients: Results From a Prospective, Single-Center, Case-Control Study.

Endoscopy plays a fundamental role in the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of bowel preparation and colonoscopy in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) patients compared to subjects participating in a colorectal cancer population screening program. Consecutive enrolment of CD and UC patients and screening subjects (SS) undergoing colonoscopy. Bowel preparation was done by split dose of 2 L PEG-ELS + simethicone. We recorded endoscopic, clinical, and demographic features; cleanliness rating using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS); and sedation doses. Bowel-preparation tolerability, discomfort, and pain during colonoscopy were assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale from 0 to 100 mm. Sixty-three UC (mean age 49.9 ± 14.9 years), 63 CD (mean age 44.0 ± 14.0 years), and 63 SS (mean age 59.9 ± 6.3 years) patients were enrolled. Bowel preparation was similarly tolerated in UC, CD, and SS (P = 0.397). A complete colonoscopy was similarly performed in UC (59/63, 93.7%), CD (58/63, 92.1%), and SS (60/63, 95.2%) (P = 0.364). The BBPS did not show significant differences between UC (6.2 ± 1.6), CD (6.1 ± 1.3), and SS (6.2 ± 1.4) (P = 0.824). The need to increase sedation doses was significantly higher in CD (24/63, 38.1%) and UC (16/63, 25.4%) than in SS (4/63, 6.3%) (P < 0.0001). Bowel preparation is equally tolerated and efficacious in IBD patients and in healthy SS. In IBD, higher sedation doses are needed to guarantee an equally tolerated colonoscopy.

The Bowel CLEANsing National Initiative: A Low-Volume Same-Day Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Preparation vs Low-Volume Split-Dose PEG With Bisacodyl or High-Volume Split-Dose PEG Preparations-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Bowel cleanliness has been shown to be superior with split-dose vs nonsplit preparations; we aimed to directly assess the poorly characterized comparative efficacies of split-dose vs same-day polyethylene glycol (PEG) regimens. In this study, one of a series of randomized trials performed across 10 Canadian endoscopy units, patients undergoing colonoscopies between 10:30 and 16:30 were allocated to PEG low-volume same-day (15 mg bisacodyl the day before, 2 L the morning of the procedure), low-volume split-dose (15 mg bisacodyl the day before, 1 L + 1 L), or high-volume split-dose (2 L + 2 L). Coprimary endpoints were adequate bowel cleansing based on the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale using in turn different threshold cutoffs. Overall, 1,750 subjects were randomized equally across the 3 groups, with no differences in adequate bowel cleanliness rates (low-volume same-day, 90.5%; high-volume split-dose, 92.2%; P = 0.34; and low-volume split-dose, 87.9%; P = 0.17) for the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale ≥6 and 2 for each segment. Willingness to repeat the preparation was not significantly different between low-volume same-day (91.0%) and low-volume split-dose (92.5%; P = 0.40) but was greater than the high-volume split-dose (68.9%; P < 0.01). No significant differences were noted for withdrawal time, cecal intubation, or polyp detection rates. In this large randomized trial of PEG regimens, low-volume same-day resulted in similar bowel cleanliness compared with high-volume or low-volume split-dosing. Willingness to repeat and tolerability were superior with low-volume same-day compared with high-volume split-dose and similar to low-volume split-dose.

국내 에어비앤비를 이용하는 내국인 고객의 숙박시설 선택 속성에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to analyze key attributes of Korean customers about the most well-known online accommodations commerce, AirBnB. A survey was conducted from February 24th to 27th, 2020 on Korean customers who had experience with local AirBnB in the past 12 months. Data from 318 surveys were used in the final analysis. The BWS method, which allows the comparison and confirmation of different conflicting attributes of the same tier, deemed appropriate, so the BWS scores of collected data were analyzed. As a result of using sqrt.BW values to calculate the subjective importance of each attribute, it was found that Korean customers of local AirBnB considered price (4.019) as the most significant, followed by cleanliness ratings (3.900), location ratings (1.974), accuracy ratings (1.865), perceived value ratings (1.492) and variety of photos (1.199) as subjective parameters of importance. The ratings information which were supplied by actual users of the service was considered of importance, while the importance of the amount of reviews(0.741) or photos(0.717) was comparatively low. This demonstrates that customers consider the quality of information upon reservation in relation to how much the information conveys what they need and want to know, rather than the quantity of information. Our findings also imply that the customers shows favor toward a balance of price and quality.

Quality of malaria blood smears from fever patients in Zibo City, Shandong Province from 2011 to 2018

To analyze the quality of malaria blood smears from fever patients in Zibo City from 2011 to 2018, so as to provide the scientific evidence for the development of the malaria post-elimination surveillance strategy. All negative malaria blood smears from fever patients reexamined in the municipal microscopic examination station and all positive blood smears in Zibo City during the period from 2011 to 2018 were reexamined, and the blood smear preparation, dyeing, cleanliness and reexamination results were analyzed. A total of 2 141 negative malaria blood smears and 39 positive blood smears were re-reviewed by the municipal microscopic examination station of Zibo City from 2011 to 2018, with a 99.44% qualification rate of negative blood smears preparation, a 97.62% qualification rate of dyeing, a 93.65% qualification rate of cleanliness, and a 100% consistence with the re-review, and no missing diagnosis was found. A total of 39 positive blood smears were re-reviewed, with a 46.15% qualification rate of blood smears preparation, a 61.54% qualification rate of dyeing, a 76.92% qualification rate of cleanliness, and a 97.44% consistence with the re-review, and a blood smear mistaking the Plasmodium species was found. There were significant differences in the qualification rate of blood smears preparation and dyeing among all districts (counties) in Zibo City (all P values < 0.05), and no significant difference was detected in the qualification rate of blood smear cleanliness (χ2 = 13.72, P >0.05), while significant differences were seen in the qualification rate of blood smears preparation, dyeing and cleanliness each year from 2011 to 2018 (all P values < 0.05). The quality of malaria blood smears is high in all districts of Zibo City; however, the quality of city-level blood smears remains to be improved. Further actions to improve the training of grassroots microscopic examinations and quality control of malaria blood smears are required to ensure the capability of microscopic examinations of Plasmodium during the malaria post-elimination stage.

Intelligent decision support model for recommending restaurant

People’s lifestyles began to change, now they tend to be interested in trying various types of culinary practically. The number of restaurants does not mean someone will visit each restaurant, so it is going to depend on various consideration. Here, an intelligent decision support model was developed to help people to get a restaurant suggestion that suitable for them. Seven parameters were adopted scientifically, i.e. customer interest, price/budget, distance between customer and restaurant, taste rating, cleanliness rating, facilities rating, and halal or nonhalal status. Through using the methods fuzzy logic, cosine similarity distance, selection, and optimization (i.e. hybrid Latin hyper-cube-hill-climbing), model is able to provide restaurant recommendation for individual user or group. In this study, the experiment involved 75 restaurants in Jakarta and eight customers.

New York City Street Cleanliness: Applying Text Mining Techniques to Social Media Information

This study examines social media information within the context of social network theory by utilizing text mining techniques and machine learning algorithms to analyze the tweets and use the information as a proxy to measure the performance of the municipal services. The objective of this study is to provide the government an alternative measure by examining user-generated content, identifying temporal trends and patterns of street cleanliness, evaluating whether people’s opinions are consistent with NYC cleanliness ratings, and assessing the performance of municipal services via sentiment analysis. The results indicate that the analytical approach presented in this study can systematically analyze social media information, and the information can be used as an alternative measure or supplementary evaluation tool to validate the government’s cleanliness ratings and evaluate the performance of the municipal services. This study extends the research on accessing social media feeds to gain valuable insights regarding municipal services’ performance. The analytical approach can be generalized to many other areas where social media information can be utilized.

A meta-regression on the effect of online ratings on hotel room rates

Purpose Online ratings (review valence) have been found to exert a strong influence on hotel room prices. This study aims to systematically synthesize research estimating the impact of online ratings on room rates using a meta-analytical method. Design/methodology/approach From major academic databases, a total of 163 estimates of the effects of online ratings on room rates were coded from 22 studies across different countries through a systematic review of relevant literature. All estimates were converted into elasticity-type effect sizes, and a hierarchical linear meta-regression was used to investigate factors explaining variations in the effect sizes. Findings The median elasticity of online ratings on hotel room rates was estimated to be 0.851. Meta-regression results highlighted four categories of factors moderating the size of this elasticity: data characteristics, research settings, variable measures and publication outlet. Among sub-ratings, results revealed value rating and room rating to exert the largest impact on room rates, whereas staff and cleanliness ratings demonstrated non-significant impacts. Practical implications This study provides practical implications on the relative importance of different types of online ratings for online reputation and revenue management. Originality/value This study represents the first research effort to understand factors moderating the effects of online ratings on hotel room rates based on a quantitative review of the literature. Moreover, this study provides beneficial insights into the specification of empirical hedonic pricing models and data-collection strategies, such as the selection of price variables and choices of model functional forms.

Microbiological evaluation of environmental cleanliness in haematopoietic cell transplant patient rooms: implementing JACIE standards

Environmental hygiene is one of the most important strategies to prevent hospital-acquired infections by reducing pathogens in haematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patient rooms. This study was designed in response to JACIE requirements for microbiological monitoring, and aimed to assess environmental hygiene in protective isolation rooms. Environmental cleanliness was assessed by measuring microbial loads in at-rest and operational conditions sampled from target surfaces, and in passive and active air from rooms occupied by patients with different grades of neutropenia. The study also evaluated whether microbial loads were influenced by isolation precautions. The failure rate of cleanliness on target surfaces in at-rest conditions was 0% compared with 37% for surfaces and 13% for passive and active air samples in operational conditions. Differences in failure rates were observed in the rooms of patients with different levels of neutropenia (P=0.036 for surfaces, 0.028% for passive air). No relationship was found between infections and microbial loads. Microbiological assessment integrated with an enhanced monitoring programme for hospital hygiene provides invaluable information to drive infection control policies in HCT patients. These results highlight the need to set and validate strict standards for the assessment of cleanliness in a clinical setting.

Quality of defoamer enema combined with bellym assage on the colonic preparation in elderly patients with constipation

Objective To explore the role of defoamer enema combined with bellym assage on the colonic preparation in elderly patients with constipation. Methods One hundred patients were divided into two groups by random number table method, the experimental group and the control group with 50 cases each. Patients in the control group were told to drink polyethyleneglycolelectrolytesolution 3 000 ml. Patients in the experimental group were told to drink polyethyleneglycolelectrolytesolution 2 000 ml. After medicinepre paration, the patients of experimental group were given defoamer enema. After that, they were undertaken counterclockwise massage for10 mins, then massageing clockwise until defecation. Results 14 patients with oral catharsis drugs failed to give up check, 46 cases of intervention group and 40 cases of control group finally complete intestinal preparation and colonoscopy. Intervention group patients after bowel preparation before the incidence of abdominal distension, abdominal pain were 6.52% (3/46), 8.70%(4/46), lower than the control group 65.00% (26/40), 25.00% (10/40), the difference was statistically significant (χ2= 32.74, 4.17, P< 0.05). Percent of pass was 65.22%(30/46) for intestinal preparation intervention group, significantly higher than the control group 35.00% (14/40), the difference was statistically significant (χ2= 7.82, P< 0.05). Intervention group intestinal cleanliness ratings of Ottawa total score was 4.00 (4.00), which was lower than the control group7.00 (4.50), the difference was statistically significant (Z= 3.80, P< 0.05). Endoscopic check process, the intervention group arrived at the terminal ileum and mirror back time were 7.00 (3.00) and 9.00 (1.00) min, were less than 9.00(6.50) and 10.50 (3.00) min in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (Z= 2.09, 4.53, P< 0.05). Intervention group of colons polyps detection rate was 67.39% (31/46), higher than that of control group 30.00% (12/40), the difference was statistically significant (χ2= 11.97, P< 0.05). Conclusions The bowel preparation with defoamer enema will enhance the intestinal tract cleaness and the detection rate of polyps in elderly patients with constipation. Key words: Aged; Constipation; Retention enema; Colonoscopy; Colonic preparation

The clinical application of magnetically guided capsule endoscopy to 500 cases of gastric examination

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of magnetically guided capsule endoscopy (MGCE) to stomach examination. Methods Data of 500 patients who received MGCE examination from January 2014 to February 2016 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The feasibility and safety of MGCE were studied by analyzing the detection rate of gastric lesions, transit time, adverse events, clarity and visibility, in comparison with esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD). Results The lesion detecting rate was 57.8%(289/500), the average transit time was (106.0±101.1)min. Overall effective rate of cleanliness was 91.8%. The visibility satisfaction rate was 98.8%. Compared with EGD, MGCE had good detection ability in stomach focal lesions. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 92.0%, 85.7% and 88.3%, respectively. Except for capsule retention occurred in one patient, no other complication happened. Conclusion MGCE, stable and safe, shows high detection and accuracy rates for gastric diseases, and can be used as an effective examination tool. Key words: Capsule endoscopes; Diagnosis; Comparative study; Stomach diseases

Safety of a 1-Day Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy in Children.

Electrolyte-free polyethylene glycol powder (PEG-3350) has been widely used for colonoscopy preparation (prep); however, limited safety data on electrolyte changes exists with 1-day prep regimens. The primary aim of this study was to determine the proportion of patients with significant serum chemistry abnormalities before and at the time of colonoscopy. Secondary aims included evaluation of prep tolerance and bowel cleansing efficacy. We performed a prospective descriptive observational study of pediatric patients scheduled for outpatient colonoscopy who received our standard 1-day, weight-based 4 g/kg PEG-3350 prep with a single stimulant laxative dose and had serum chemistry testing within 60 days before and at the time of colonoscopy. A standardized bowel cleanliness tool (Aronchick scale) was completed by the endoscopist. One hundred fifty-five patients had serum electrolytes data pre- and postprep. Comparison of each patient's chemistries demonstrated statistical equivalence with the 1 exception of blood urea nitrogen levels (P = 0.56). Hypokalemia was detected postprep in 37 subjects (24%), but none had a serum level <3.3 mmol/L, which was deemed to be of no clinical significance. Five patients were hypoglycemic post prep; 3 were 7 years or younger (P = 0.02). The colon cleanliness rating was excellent or good in 77% and suboptimal in 23% of patients. A 1-day, weight-based PEG-3350 bowel prep in children appears safe. Changes in electrolyte levels and renal function were not clinically significant. Children of 7 years or younger seem to be at a higher risk of hypoglycemia compared with older children.

Quality analysis of malaria blood smears of fever patients in Changzhou City in 2014

To understand the quality of blood smears for Plasmodium detection in Changzhou City, so as to provide the technical support for malaria surveillance in the post-elimination period. The blood smears of fever patients from each cities (districts) in Changzhou City in 2014, including more than 3% of the negatives and all the positives, were selected. The quality of the blood smear making, dyeing, cleanliness and results were reviewed by the experts from the municipal malaria microscopy station, and the data were analyzed statistically. Totally 996 negative blood smears were reviewed in 2014, with a review rate of 4.52%. The qualified rates of blood smear making, dyeing and cleanliness were 92.87%, 93.27% and 94.48%, respectively. A total of 34 positive blood smears were reviewed, and there were no false detections and leak detections. The qualified rates of blood smear making and dyeing were more than 90% in all the seven cities (districts). As for qualified rate of cleanliness, except the rate in Qishuyan District (81.36%), those in the other six cities (districts) were all above 90%. The qualified rates of blood smear making, dyeing and cleanliness were all more than 90% in first-class, second-class and third-class hospitals. The major quality defects of the blood smears were sediment, abnormal making and thick membrane shedding, and the proportions were 25.91%, 21.76% and 19.17%, respectively. The quality of blood smears for Plasmodium detection in Changzhou City is satisfying. In the future, the training and supervision still should be strengthened to guarantee the capacity of microscopic examinations for Plasmodium detection in the surveillance of post-elimination period.

Measuring the value of online information to hotel e-bookings: an empirical study from China

Based on empirical data, this study analyses the influence of online information on OTAs’ website on hotel room sales, and the difference among four types of hotel in China hospitality industry. According to the origins, the information on online travel agencies’ website can be classified into three types which influence hotel e-bookings differently. Online reviews and attribute information both influence most of hotel e-bookings significantly except for the variables of cleanliness rating and room rate. Recommended information provided by online travel agencies also has a positive impact on hotel e-bookings except for the variable of browsing index. In terms of the types of hotel, clear differences are also found in the research. The empirical results reveal that online reviews significantly influence the hotel e-bookings except for luxury hotels. But the attribute information of hotels has significant influence on the online bookings of luxury hotels, while room rate has no significant impact on top grade hotels, comfortable hotels and budget hotels. Additionally, the recommended information significantly influences the hotel e-bookings of top grade hotels especially. Furthermore, some managerial implications for online travel agencies and hoteliers are discussed.