Internal Processes Research Articles

How Does Digital Transformation Moderate Green Culture, Job Satisfaction, and Competitive Advantage in Sustainable Hotels?

Target groups within an organization adopt its culture, reflecting it in all internal and external business processes. Adopting a green organizational culture in hotels with sustainability certificates plays an important role in reshaping business processes by developing sustainability awareness among employees. Digital transformation, which facilitates corporate culture and business processes, plays a role in employee job satisfaction while also supporting environmental, social, and economic sustainability. This research aims to determine the relationship between green organizational culture, job satisfaction, and competitive advantage variables and to examine the moderating role of digital transformation on these relationships. The data-collecting techniques of choice were surveys and semi-structured interviews. While Amos software (Version 24) was used to test the hypothetical model in the analysis of survey data, a Hayes Process macro was used to determine the moderating effect. The interview forms’ data was analyzed using a bag-of-words model. According to the research results, there is a positive relationship between the participation, consistency, and adaptability sub-dimensions of green organizational culture and job satisfaction, while there is no significant relationship between the mission sub-dimension and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the study reveals the moderating role of digital transformation in the effect of job satisfaction on competitive advantage.

Order Management in the Era of Customization

The economic growth and development of the country largely depends on success in the main industries, where mechanical engineering plays a key role. The economies of different countries rely on industrial enterprises that satisfy people’s needs through the production of goods and services. To ensure competitiveness in a dynamically changing market, continuous improvement and development of enterprises is required. In the current conditions, mechanical engineering enterprises increasingly need to adapt to each individual customer, which in turn forces them to rebuild enterprises to the parameters typical for single or small-scale production. The production process is the joint work of tools, equipment and personnel through which products are produced. The complexity of the process of releasing new products is due to the involvement of a large number of departments involved in this process. Order execution is based primarily on the management of production systems. One of the most important processes in enterprise management is the order management process.The purpose of this study is to determine the methods of optimizing the order management process and reducing the influence of the internal cooperation factor on the increase of the period of its implementation at machine-building enterprises. As a methodological basis such general scientific methods as analysis, synthesis, comparison and contrast were used. As the information base, the article analyzes the works of modern authors who consider the issues of order management and such an element of the organizational structure as internal cooperation between departments, their influence on the internal processes of the enterprise and the timing of order execution. The features of the planning process for a single type of production are considered. In the course of the work, the main reasons for the shift in previously determined order completion dates, the most important indicators for order fulfillment, the peculiarities of the planning process at the unit type of production were considered, as well as the most frequently encountered problems during project implementation were identified. In connection with the trend towards changes and development of enterprises, in terms of changes in order management processes for customized products, an increase in the number of created enterprises and an increase in the share of customized products, a conclusion was made about the relevance of studying the order management process in a single type of production at machine-building enterprises. Conclusions are drawn about the need for further study of the issues under consideration. The materials can be used in companies in the real sector of the economy, in administrative structures and in the educational process.

Cortical activity during online motor control in children with and without developmental coordination disorder: a cross-sectional functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

BackgroundChildren with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have impaired online motor control. Researchers posit that this impairment could be due to a deficit in utilizing the internal model control process. However, there is little neurological evidence to support this view because few neuroimaging studies have focused specifically on tasks involving online motor control. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the differences in cortical hemodynamic activity during an online movement adjustment task between children with and without DCD.MethodsTwenty children with DCD (mean age: 9.88 ± 1.67 years; gender: 14M/6F) and twenty age-and-gender matched children with typical development (TD) (mean age: 9.87 ± 1.59 years; gender: 14M/6F) were recruited via convenience sampling. Participants performed a double-step reaching task under two conditions (with and without online adjustment of reaching). Cortical hemodynamic activity during task in ten regions of interest, including bilateral primary somatosensory cortex, primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, superior parietal cortex, and inferior parietal cortex was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. In the analyses, change in oxyhemoglobin (ΔHbO) concentration was used to characterize hemodynamic response. Two-way analyses of variance were conducted for each region of interest to compare hemodynamic responses between groups and conditions. Additionally, Pearson’s r correlations between hemodynamic response and task performance were performed.ResultsOutcome showed that children with DCD required significantly more time to correct their reaching movements compared to the control group (t = 3.948, P < 0.001). Furthermore, children with DCD have a significantly lower ΔHbO change in the left superior parietal cortex during movement correction, compared to children with TD (F = 4.482, P = 0.041). Additionally, a significant negative correlation (r = − 0.598, P < 0.001) was observed between the difference in movement time of reaching and the difference in ΔHbO between conditions in the left superior parietal cortex.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that deficiencies in processing real-time sensory feedback, considering the function of the superior parietal cortex, might be related to the impaired online motor control observed in children with DCD. Interventions could target this issue to enhance their performance in online motor control.

Peningkatan Performa Pelayanan Publik Melalui Penerapan Core Values BerAKHLAK di Kota Singkawang Tahun 2022-2023

In the midst of increasingly high public demands for quality public services, the government through service officers must be able to serve professionally. Implementation and apllication of the core values of BerAKHLAK is one of the main keys to realizing excellent public services. This study aims to examine the process of internalization and application of the core values of BerAKHLAK carried out in Singkawang City in the implementation of public services and their contribution to improving the performance of quality public services for the community. The research method used is a descriptive research type and qualitative approach. Informants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data analysis techniques included data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion/verification sourced from observation, interviews and documentation. The results showed that the internalization of the core values of BerAKHLAK in Singkawang City has been running well and has had a positive impact on improving public service performance. This is evidenced by the increasing value of the public service index in Singkawang City by the Ministry of PAN-RB with a score of 4.22 in 2022 from previously in 2021 getting a score of 3.57. In addition, public satisfaction with public services in Singkawang City has also increased as seen from the value of the public satisfaction index, and the commitment of UPP in Singkawang City to improving the quality of public services. However, there are still weaknesses in several aspects of service. Therefore, The Singkawang City Government must continue to make sustainable efforts to improve the quality of public services in Singkawang City.

The Vacuolar H+-ATPase subunit C is involved in oligogalacturonide (OG) internalization and OG-triggered immunity

In plants, the perception of cell wall fragments initiates signal transduction cascades that activate the immune response. Previous research on early protein dynamics induced by oligogalacturonides (OGs), pectin fragments acting as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), revealed significant phosphorylation changes in several proteins. Among them, the subunit C of the vacuolar H+-ATPase, known as DE-ETIOLATED 3 (DET3), was selected to elucidate its role in the OG-triggered immune response. The Arabidopsis det3 knockdown mutant exhibited defects in H2O2 accumulation, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation, and induction of defense marker genes in response to OG treatment. Interestingly, the det3 mutant showed a higher basal resistance to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea that, in turn, was completely reversed by the pre-treatment with OGs. Our results suggest a compromised ability of the det3 mutant to maintain a primed state over time, leading to a weaker defense response when the plant is later exposed to the fungal pathogen. Using fluorescently labelled OGs, we demonstrated that endocytosis of OGs was less efficient in the det3 mutant, implicating DET3 in the internalization process of OGs. This impairment aligns with the observed defect in the priming response in the det3 mutant, underscoring that proper internalization and signaling of OGs are crucial for initiating and maintaining a primed state in plant defense responses.

What are the character values contained in martial arts and how are they integrated into Character Education? Literature review

Character education is not easy to do in the world of education. Need a good synergy between a series of ongoing learning. Especially with sports specifically taking a role in character education efforts. To achieve physical education by using sports, one part of sports is martial arts. This research departs from the idea that martial arts training provides an opportunity to teach character with the value of traditions and activities contained therein. With different activities and customs from several martial arts and lasting for a long time will form habits (including character values) to behave as designed. The research was conducted using literature review. Data base searching used by Scopus and then analysed with PRISMA Steps. The search was conducted in Scopus using the keywords "value AND education AND in AND martial AND arts", "discipline AND education AND in AND martial AND arts and "the AND value AND of AND discipline AND in AND martial AND arts". After reviewing based on PRISMA steps, 17 relevant articles were obtained. Based on the analysis conducted, there are character values in martial arts (Silat, Tae Kwon do, karate, Judo, Wushu, MMA, Wrestling). Both internalization processes occur through continuous habituation with cultural customs that are unique to each branch of martial arts. The cultivation of character values is also influenced by the quality of the trainers as well as the mastery of character, techniques, and tactics in the martial arts. It is important to note that character education through martial arts is very effective and must be well designed, including in routine activities, ceremonies, exercises, and levels. This process needs to be familiarized and guided by experts who understand cultural techniques and tactics. Keywords: Discipline, character values, character education, martial arts.

Centering the role of community health workers in social risk screening, referral, and follow-up within the primary care setting

BackgroundCommunity health workers (CHWs) remain an underutilized resource in social risk diagnostics in the primary care setting. This process evaluation study seeks to assess the role of CHWs in social risk screening, referral, and follow-up through process mapping to identify barriers to the process for future quality improvement efforts.MethodsResearchers at the Arizona Prevention Research Center (AzPRC) engaged with two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in two of Arizona’s major urban areas to evaluate their internal processes for social risk screening and intervention. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to direct a process mapping exercise to visually describe the workflow, gaps, and barriers to identifying and addressing social risk.ResultsThe process unveiled key areas for health system improvements in the community setting, the organizational setting, and in the implementation of social risk screening, referral, and follow-up. Further, process maps highlight the potential resources needed for effective CHW integration to address social risk in the primary care setting.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate the importance of organizational tools, such as process mapping, to assist primary care settings in evaluating internal processes for quality improvement in addressing social risk and in effectively integrating the CHW workforce. Subsequent research will evaluate rates of social risk screening, referral, and follow-up within all of Arizona’s FQHCs and propose models for CHW integration to address social risk in primary care and strengthen social risk screening reach and effectiveness.

Mental effort during mindless reading? Pupil fluctuations indicate internal processing during levels of inattention.

Mind wandering, an experience characterized by a reduced external focus of attention and an increased internal focus, has seen significant theoretical advancement in understanding its underlying cognitive processes. The levels-of-inattention hypothesis posits that in mind wandering, external attention is reduced in a graded fashion, reflecting different levels of weak versus deep attentional decoupling. However, it has remained unclear whether internal processing during mind wandering, and mindless reading in particular, requires effort and, if so, whether it is graded or distinct. To address this, we analyzed pupil size as a measure of cognitive load in the sustained-attention-to-stimulus task during text reading. We examined whether decoupled external attention is linked to an overall reduction in workload and whether internal focus of attention is graded or represents a distinct cognitive process. Overall, overlooking errors in the text was associated with a small pupil size, indicating reduced effortful processing. However, this effect varied with error type: overlooking high- or medium-level errors (weak decoupling) resulted in reduced pupil size, while overlooking low-level errors (deep decoupling) had no effect on pupil size. Moreover, detecting an error (at any processing level) elicited a task-evoked pupillary response, which was absent when it was overlooked. These findings suggest that weak decoupling reduces internal resource-demanding processing and are in line with the hypothesis that large pupils during deep decoupling may be associated with distinct states of effortful internal processing. They further support both the levels-of-inattention hypothesis and the notion that internal focus is a distinct mode of deeply decoupled processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Analysis of carrier dynamics and thermal effect of the GaAs photoconductive semiconductor switch in lock-on mode

Abstract The lock-on effect of the gallium arsenide photoconductive semiconductor switch (GaAs PCSS) at repetition rate aggravates the current crowding and electric field distortion, which significantly increases the risk of switch damage or even failure. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the carrier transport and the heat generation mechanism for improving the performance and longevity of GaAs PCSS in lock-on mode. The internal physical process of an opposed-electrode GaAs PCSS at low optical energy and strong electric field is analysed and discussed by experiment and simulation. A device-circuit hybrid simulation is employed to investigate the transient electric field, carrier concentration, and lattice temperature distribution within the GaAs PCSS in lock-on mode. The device temperature exhibits a positive correlation with the applied bias electric field, resulting in a peak temperature of 1037.25 K at an electric field of 38 kV/cm. The temperature distribution within the GaAs PCSS indicates a greater possibility for thermal breakdown and damage near the electrodes.

MRI-compatible and sensorless haptic feedback for cable-driven medical robotics to perform teleoperated needle-based interventions.

Surgical robotics have demonstrated their significance in assisting physicians during minimally invasive surgery. Especially, the integration of haptic and tactile feedback technologies can enhance the surgeon's performance and overall patient outcomes. However, the current state-of-the-art lacks such interaction feedback opportunities, especially in robotic-assisted interventional magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), which is gaining importance in clinical practice, specifically for percutaneous needle punctures. The cable-driven 'Micropositioning Robotics for Image-Guided Surgery' (µRIGS) system utilized the back-electromotive force effect of the stepper motor load to measure cable tensile forces without external sensors, employing the TMC5160 motor driver. The aim was to generate a sensorless haptic feedback (SHF) for remote needle advancement, incorporating collision detection and homing capabilities for internal automation processes. Three different phantoms capable of mimicking soft tissue were used to evaluate the difference in force feedback between manual needle puncture and the SHF, both technically and in terms of user experience. The SHF achieved a sampling rate of 800Hz and a mean force resolution of 0.26 ± 0.22N, primarily dependent on motor current and rotation speed, with a mean maximum force of 15N. In most cases, the SHF data aligned with the intended phantom-related force progression. The evaluation of the user study demonstrated no significant differences between the SHF technology and manual puncturing. The presented SHF of the µRIGS system introduced a novel MR-compatible technique to bridge the gap between medical robotics and interaction during real-time needle-based interventions.

A Case Study on Hotels as Noncongregate Emergency Living Accommodations for Returning Citizens

Background:The Transitional Hotel Project (THP) is a noncongregate emergency hotel initiative with comprehensive wraparound services implemented at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was designed to address the emergency housing needs of adults transitioning from incarceration (returning citizens) to community reintegration.Objective:The study aims to explore the external and internal recovery needs of returning citizens participating in the THP, with a focus on their housing stability, mental and behavioral health, employment, and the development of prosocial relationships.Methods:This mixed-methods case study used de-identified case management data, focus groups, and interviews with 24 participants, including employees, key partners, and returning citizens. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes related to the recovery process of returning citizens.Findings:A thematic analysis revealed three primary themes: (a) safety, including both physical and psychological aspects; (b) mutual empathy; and (c) person-centered decision-making. Two subthemes emerged under the safety theme: (a) physical safety and (b) psychological safety. Mutual empathy between participants and peer mentor staff played a critical role in fostering the recovery of returning citizens.Conclusions:The findings suggest that the physical and psychological safety provided within the hotel setting, along with the empathy and support from peer mentor staff, were significant factors contributing to positive changes in returning citizens. These elements of the THP appear to have facilitated improvements in both external recovery needs (e.g., housing stability and employment) and internal recovery processes (e.g., restructured self-identity, human agency, and perceptions of hope).

Limitations and Challenges of Antioxidant Therapy.

Our bodies are constantly exposed to or producing free radicals nearly on a daily basis. These highly reactive molecules are generated through a variety of internal and external processes and pathways within the body. If these free radicals are not neutralized by antioxidants, they can lead to a state of oxidative stress, which has been linked to a wide range of severe and debilitating disorders affecting various systems in the human body. This involves neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, atherosclerosis, fatty liver, inflammation, and aging. Thankfully, the human body is armed with a repertoire of powerful antioxidants with different natures and modes of action. The recent decades witnessed the publication of enormous papers proving antioxidant activity of a novel synthesized compound, plant extract, or a purified drug in vitro, in vivo, and even on human beings. However, the efficacy of antioxidant therapies in clinical trials, including selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A, has been notably inconsistent. This inconsistency can be primarily ascribed to different factors related to the nature of free radical generation, purpose and the specific type of therapy employed, and the intricate oxidative stress connected network, among others. Collectively, these factors will be explored in this review article to decipher the observed shortcomings in the application of antioxidant therapies within clinical settings.

Impact of magnetic and electric fields on the free energy to form a calcium carbonate ion-pair.

Electromagnetic fields are used in water treatment and desalination to regulate scale formation and extend the lifetime of membranes. External electric and magnetic fields can promote or suppress mineral nucleation and growth. However, the molecular-scale mechanisms of such processes remain unknown. Computing the free energies needed to form ion pairs under external fields provides important insights into understanding the elemental steps during the initial formation of mineral scales. In this paper, we used molecular dynamics combined with metadynamics simulations to investigate the free energies of forming the [Ca-CO3]0 ion pair, a fundamental building block of carbonate scales, under a range of magnetic (up to 10 T) and electric (up to 10 V m-1) fields in water. The presence of constant magnetic or electric fields favored the ion pairing reaction and lowered the free energies by up to 3% to 6%. The internal energy and entropic components of the free energy showed significant changes and exhibited non-linear behavior with increasing field strength. The [Ca-CO3]0 ion pairing is an entropy-driven process in the absence of an external field, but the mechanism shifts to an internal energy-driven process under selected external fields, suggesting possible changes in the nucleation pathways.

Implementation of the Frictionless data standard for linked data

Objective and ApproachData linkage centres receive, hold and provision data in a wide variety of formats. Using a consistent, flexible and open metadata standard for data holdings can enable a center to clearly and unambiguously describe their data holdings and facilitate processing pipelines. One such framework is the Frictionless data standard. We present our experience at our data centre implementing this standard for both internal data management and for communication with external data providers and third parties. ResultsOur team has replaced tool-specific metadata files with standard-compliant files to make our pipelines more modular and less fragile. Since the standard is based on JSON, most programming languages will support reading and writing metadata files and we are not restricted to any software. This work has also made our internal tooling interoperable with that of external partners. We find that the standard is well equipped to handle CSV and other delimited files. Our center uses a mix of file types including fixed-width text files which do not have an explicit specification within the standard, but its extensibility has allowed us to define our own file type while staying within the ecosystem. We have also developed tools to convert JSON metadata files to excel workbooks for a more human-friendly format. ConclusionsThe Frictionless data standard can be a powerful tool for data centers in organizing data and building processing pipelines. ImplicationsAdopting the Frictionless data standard for metadata files has streamlined our internal processes and improved internal and external communication.

Interannual ENSO diversity, transitions, and projected changes in observations and climate models

Abstract Diverse characteristics of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events challenge the traditional view of tropical coupled ocean-atmosphere systems. The probability of a transition from one type of event to another is influenced by multiple factors of which many are projected to change. Here we assess the likelihood of ENSO transitions in observations and climate models, including a distinction between events that peak in the Eastern Pacific (EP) and Central Pacific (CP). We find that the initial ENSO state influences the likelihood of certain transitions and that some transitions are not physically possible or stochastically likely. For example, transitions to CP events are more likely than EP events except from a neutral state. We also find that El Niños tend to occur as singular events compared to La Niñas. While consecutive El Niño and La Niña events of EP type are possible, opposing EP events do not occur in succession. We identify several transitions likely driven by internal dynamical processes including neutral conditions to El Niño, CP El Niño to another El Niño, EP El Niño to CP La Niña, CP La Niña to CP El Niño and La Niña, and EP La Niña to neutral and CP El Niño. Projections of future transitions show an increased probability of transitions to CP El Niño events while transitions to EP La Niña events become less frequent under a high-emissions scenario. Accordingly, transitions to these events become more and less likely, respectively. We also find changes in the likelihood of specific transitions in a warming world: consecutive CP El Niño events become more likely while EP El Niño events become less likely to transition into CP La Niña events. These changes are expected to occur as early as 2050 with some changes to be accelerated by the end of the 21st century.

Recent Developments on the Hi Gas of Low-Redshift Galaxies Seen by the 21cm Emission Lines

Abstract As a major interstellar medium, the atomic neutral hydrogen (Hi) plays an important role in the galaxy evolution. It provides the ingredient for star formation, and sensitively traces the internal processes and external perturbations influencing the galaxy. With the beginning of many new radio telescopes and surveys, Hi may make a more significant contribution to the understanding of galaxies in the near future. This review discusses the major development of the 21 cm emission-line Hi observations and studies in the past few years, including its scaling relations with other galaxy properties, its kinematics and structures, its role in environmental studies, and its constraints on hydrodynamical simulations. The local-Universe Hi scaling relations of stellar-mass-selected samples extend smoothly to 109M⊙ stellar mass, with a tentative evolution to the redshift of ~0.1. The development of measurement techniques enables better estimations of Hi non-circular motion, dispersion, and thickness, and new observations revealed extended or extra-planar Hi structures, both helpfully constraining the gas accretion, stellar feedback, and star formation processes of galaxy evolution models. Hi is very useful for tracing the satellite evolution in dense environments, the studies of which would benefit from ongoing blind Hi surveys. Although simulations still cannot fully reproduce Hi gas properties, they help to understand the role of possible factors in regulating Hi properties.

Comparison of Extraction Methods for the Detection of Avian Influenza Virus RNA in Cattle Milk.

Since early 2024, a multistate outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been affecting dairy cattle in the USA. The influenza viral RNA concentrations in milk make it an ideal matrix for surveillance purposes. However, viral RNA detection in multi-component fluids such as milk can be complex, and optimization of influenza detection methods is thus required. Raw bulk tank milk and mastitis milk samples were artificially contaminated with an avian influenza strain and subjected to five extraction methods. HCoV-229E and synthetic RNA were included as exogenous internal process controls. Given the high viral load usually observed in individual raw milk samples, four out of five tested methods would enable influenza detection in milk with normal texture, over a time window of at least 2 weeks post-onset of clinical signs. Nevertheless, sample dilution 1:3 in molecular transport medium prior to RNA extraction provided the best results for dilution of inhibitory substances and a good recovery rate of influenza RNA, that reached 12.5 ± 1.2% and 10.4 ± 3.8% in two independent experiments in bulk milk and 11.2 ± 3.6% and 10.0 ± 2.9% on two cohorts of mastitis milk samples. We have also shown compatibility of an influenza RT-qPCR system with synthetic RNA detection for simultaneous validation of the RNA extraction and RT-qPCR processes.

Quality Assessment of Long-Term Cryopreserved Human Bone-Derived Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Samples: Experience from the Texas Heart Institute Biorepository and Biospecimen Profiling Core.

In biomedical research, biorepositories are pivotal resources that safeguard and supply clinical samples for scientific investigators. Proper long-term cryopreservation conditions are essential to maintain biospecimen quality. In this study, we analyzed the efficacy of sample cryopreservation at the Texas Heart Institute Biorepository and Biospecimen Profiling Core (THI-BRC). Our assessments included a thorough review of internal processes, quality reports, and both internal and external audit outcomes. We examined the integrity of human bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) that were cryopreserved for over 5 years. These samples originated from randomly selected clinical trial participants or commercially sourced cell lines. Parameters such as cell viability, DNA and RNA integrity, population doubling time, sterility, and BM-MSC-specific attributes such as surface antigen expression and differentiation potential were studied. BM-MSC samples cryopreserved for ∼6 months served as our control. Our results demonstrated that the 5-year cryopreserved samples maintained their integrity compared with the shorter-term stored control samples. Moreover, THI-BRC has met accreditation agency standards and has not received any repeated deficiencies over 7 years. Collectively, our findings affirm that THI-BRC's biospecimen storage protocols align with accepted standards as confirmed by the quality assessment of long-term stored clinical samples.

ThP3.7 - Evaluating the Effectiveness of Internal Vetting for General Practitioners Referrals with Urgent Suspicion of Oesophago-Gastric Cancer

Abstract Aim The NHS faces substantial pressure on surgical clinic waiting times especially for urgent suspicion of cancer (USOC). This study audits the effectiveness of internal vetting process and the clinic waiting time for patients referred as USOC for oesophago-gastric cancer. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of all consecutive USOC referrals with suspected oesophago-gastric cancer who had clinic appointment in a single surgical unit between April to September 2022. All patients who fulfilled the Scottish referral criteria for USOC were included. Patients demographics, the urgency of clinic slot utilised and waiting time to clinic were analysed. This study was registered with Clinical Quality Project (LanQIP 14749). Results 275 patients were included; median age was 63 years (IQR 52-73) and 153 (55.6%) were female. 94 (34.2%) patients were appointed as USOC, 120 (43.6%) as urgent and 61 (22.2%) as routine clinic slot. Overall, the median time for clinic appointment was 42 days (IQR 31-63). The median time to clinic was 47, 42 and 21 days for USOC, urgent and routine clinic appointments, respectively. 21 (7.6%) patients did not attend clinic. Of the patients who attended the clinic, 200 (78.7%) had endoscopy requested. Conclusions Although General Practitioners made appropriate referrals, a noteworthy portion of patients were reassigned to urgent or routine clinic slots. Nevertheless, those downgraded in urgency received prompt clinic reviews. This can be attributed to the strategic use of less urgent slots, ensuring timely assessments for patients with urgent suspicion of oesophago-gastric cancer.

UK National Fingerprint Collaborative Exercise 2022-23

In 2022–2023 the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) designed and conducted a two-part fingerprint Collaborative Exercise (CE). The CE focussed on fingermarks contaminated in blood as they provide a complex scenario for forensic units and it involved both fingermark visualisation and comparison elements. Participants were requested to treat the exercise as a major crime submission following internal protocols and were invited to provide comments relating to how the marks were deposited (if appropriate). Overall, forensic units performed well within both parts of the exercise. The exercise highlighted the importance of conducting sequential fingermark visualisation techniques, utilising additional lighting techniques and maintaining detailed notes throughout the fingerprint examination process. The outputs from the CE provided opportunities for forensic units to learn from one another, raise the level of understanding of blood contaminated fingermarks and identify areas of improvement which can be incorporated into internal processes.