Increasing the Efficiency of Enterprises in Tourism Sector Using Innovative Management Methods and Tools

The paper deals with the issue of increasing the efficiency of business management using modern management methods and tools in tourism enterprises. The basis of the paper form hypotheses focused on the use of the concept of Balanced Scorecard, controlling, benchmarking, and talent management within the tourism enterprises. Based on the p-value (0.576) in the case of first hypothesis, we can confirm that there is no statistically significant relationship between the openness of hotels to change, innovation, and the willingness to introduce controlling into management. The p-value (0.004) achieved in the case of the second hypothesis confirmed a statistically significant relationship between the hotel classification category and the use of the modern methods in plan design. In the third hypothesis, we examined whether hotels focusing on the sales maximization tend to use their capital for modernization. Based on the validity of the inequality p-value (0.080), we confirm that there is no statistically significant relationship between the pricing approach and the use of capital. Searching strategic tool in management of a business in tourism is still an actual issue. Businesses are especially managed by financial indicators, but modern methods show the growing significance of non-financial indicators.

Evaluation of the optical criteria for sessile serrated lesions of the colon: A prospective study on a colorectal cancer screening population

Background and study aims We aimed to describe the presence and combination of Hazewinkelʼs optical diagnosis (OD) criteria for sessile serrated lesions (SSL), determining which lesion characteristics increase the probability of a correct OD, with a focus on diminutive lesions. Patients and methods This was a prospective study describing the presence of Hazewinkelʼs OD criteria for SSL in lesions found in consecutive CRC screening colonoscopies. The presence of each OD criterion and their diagnostic combinations in SSL, related to the lesion’s NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic (NICE) classification category, size, and location, were described. The presence of two or more optical criteria was considered diagnostic of SSL. The OD was compared to pathology as the gold standard. Results Seventy-nine SSLs (5.6 %) were diagnosed. Cloud-like appearance was the most prevalent OD criterion (35, 44.3 %). OD criteria were more frequently identified in NICE type 1, ≥ 10 mm, and proximal lesions. Only 26 SLLs fulfilled the OD criteria (sensitivity 32.9 %, 95 % CI 29.1 %–36.7 %). The sensitivity for diminutive SSL was 14.7 %, (95 % CI 11.9 %–17.6 %). Eighty-five lesions were optically diagnosed as SSL. However, only in 26 SSL was this the definitive diagnosis (positive predictive value 30.6 %, 95 % CI 26.9 %–34.3 %). Size > 5 mm and proximal location increased the probability of a correct diagnosis. The overall accuracy of the optical criteria was 92.0 % (95 % CI, 89.8 %–94.2 %). Conclusions The Hazewinkelʼs optical criteria are not reliable for a positive diagnosis of SSL, particularly for diminutive lesions.

Analyzing bidding competitiveness and success rate of contractors competing for public construction projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze and evaluate bidding competitiveness and success rate of contractors bidding for public construction projects (PCPs). Additionally, this research determines the effect of work sector, contractor’s classification category (experience), project size and number of bidders on contractors’ bidding competitiveness, and the influence of work sector and classification category on their success rate. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through 2,296 bidding attempts for 289 tender projects that were announced by the Government Tenders Department in Jordan between 2013 and 2016. The research uses bid competitiveness percentage (BCP) to evaluate contractors’ bidding competitiveness. Pearson correlation is used to investigate the correlation among variables. Hypothesis testing using ANOVA was conducted to evaluate the effect of the abovementioned factors on contractors’ bidding competitiveness, and their success rate. Findings The results of the analysis indicate that contractors’ average BCP and success rate in Jordanian PCPs are 83.8% and 13.3%, respectively. The analysis also reveals that work sector, contractor’s classification category, project size and number of bidders significantly affect contractors’ bidding competitiveness, whereas classification category and work sector do not affect bidding success rate. Therefore, experience of contractors affects their bidding competitiveness, but does not affect their success rate. Originality/value The present research uses contractors’ bidding success rate as a measure to evaluate their bidding competitiveness for PCPs. The novel model of this research can be applied in any country, after considering local regulations, to measure and evaluate contractors’ bidding competitiveness, and success rate when bidding for PCPs. Also, contractors cannot depend on their experience (i.e. classification category) or increasing bidding attempts to win bids and improve bidding success rate, rather than enhance their bidding strategy.

Performance Comparation of Real Time Image Processing Face Recognition for Security System

This research had been developed a system mainly consists of Arduino microcontoller based hardware and neural network based algorithms. The system has been fully assembled and successfully tested. By using two different methods the point feature detector (PFD) method was used as the first method. An Eigen Feature function was utilized to detect feature point of image. The second method is convolutional neural network (CNN) to recognize human face. Using PFD method, a classification value has been setup <11. The classification value is used as classification category of the program to recognize the subject (face image) correctly. By using PFD method, the response of the system from starting of a face image recognition until opening the locker is 20 second. The CNN method used alexnet to classify the image. At least around 300 training input data are use per person. The face recognition’s experiment reached a high recognition’s accuracy of 99.99% level and an average response time of 10 seconds. This research presents how the human face can be recognized and used to control the opening of a door lock.

CoCoX: Generating Conceptual and Counterfactual Explanations via Fault-Lines

We present CoCoX (short for Conceptual and Counterfactual Explanations), a model for explaining decisions made by a deep convolutional neural network (CNN). In Cognitive Psychology, the factors (or semantic-level features) that humans zoom in on when they imagine an alternative to a model prediction are often referred to as fault-lines. Motivated by this, our CoCoX model explains decisions made by a CNN using fault-lines. Specifically, given an input image I for which a CNN classification model M predicts class cpred, our fault-line based explanation identifies the minimal semantic-level features (e.g., stripes on zebra, pointed ears of dog), referred to as explainable concepts, that need to be added to or deleted from I in order to alter the classification category of I by M to another specified class calt. We argue that, due to the conceptual and counterfactual nature of fault-lines, our CoCoX explanations are practical and more natural for both expert and non-expert users to understand the internal workings of complex deep learning models. Extensive quantitative and qualitative experiments verify our hypotheses, showing that CoCoX significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art explainable AI models. Our implementation is available at https://github.com/arjunakula/CoCoX

Trends in Antidepressants Use in Spain between 2015 and 2018: Analyses from a Population-Based Registry Study with Reference to Driving

Antidepressants are considered driving-impairing medicines (DIM). This is a population-based registry study that shows the trend in the use of antidepressants in Castile and León, Spain, from 2015 to 2018. Data on antidepressant dispensations at pharmacies and the adjusted use of these medicines by the driver population are presented. For the purposes of analysis, population distribution by age and gender has been taken into account, as well as the three Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, alcohol, and medicines (DRUID) categories. Antidepressants were used by 8.56% of the general population and 5.66% of drivers. Antidepressants were used more commonly by females than by males (12.12% vs. 4.87%, χ² = 1325.124, p = 0.001), and users increased as the age increased, even if women who drive used less antidepressants after turning 60 years of age. Chronic use of antidepressants was relevant (8.28%) in the same way as daily use (3.15%). Most of the consumption included SSRIs (4.99%), which are also known as “other antidepressants” (3.71%). Regardless of antidepressants consumed, users took 2.75 ± 1.19 DIMs, which are mainly anxiolytics (58.80%) and opioids (26.43%). Lastly, regarding consumption of antidepressants according to the DRUID classification, category I predominated over categories II and III. Our findings should serve as a starting point for health and traffic authorities to raise awareness of the risk for traffic accidents, especially involving SSRIs.

TINGKAT KEPUASAN MAHASISWA TINGKAT II TERHADAP PELAYANAN BAGIAN KEUANGAN STIKes

Kepuasan adalah perasaan senang ataupun kecewa seseorang yang berasal dari perbandingan antara kesannya terhadap kinerja (atau hasil) suatu produk dan harapan-harapannya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui secara umum tingkat kepuasan mahasiswa terhadap pelayanan bagian keuangan yang ada di lingkungan STIKes Dharma Husada Bandung. Total responden adalah 102 mahasiswa dari perwakilan seluruh program studi. Instrumen kuisioner terdiri dari 20 pernyataan. Dari semua kuesioner yang telah disebarkan, kuesioner yang masuk/kembali pada tanggal yang telah ditentukan untuk pengolahan data sebanyak 102 kuesioner. Analisis data dilakukan secara univariat. Hasil penelitian tentang tingkat kepuasan pelayanan bagian keuangan di STIKes Dharma Husada Bandung, menunjukkan nilai kepuasan secara umum sebagai berikut : penilaian untuk kuisioner harapan terhadap sampel responden yang ada memberikan hasil skor rata-rata > 5,00 dengan kategori kalsifikasi adalah sangat Pentingsebesar 60 (58,8%) responden artinya adalah mahasiswa menilai pernyataan kuisioner yang diberikan sangat penting untuk diaplikasikan. Sedangkan penilaian untuk kuisioner kenyataan terhadap respon responden memberikan hasil skor rata – rata > 4,00 – < 4,99 dengan kategori klasifikasi adalah puas sebesar 60 (58,8%) responden artinya mahasiswa merasa puas dengan pelayanan bagian keuangan STIKes Dharma Husada Bandung.Kata Kunci : Tingkat Kepuasan, Pelayanan ABSTRACTSatisfaction is the feeling of pleasure or disappointment of someone who derives from the comparison between his impressions of the performance (or outcome) of a product and its expectations. The studi aims to is to determine the general level of student satisfaction with the service of the financial department in the STIKes Dharma Husada Bandung. The total respondents were 102 students from representatives of all study programs. The questionnaire instrument consists of 20 statements. Of all the questionnaires that have been distributed, the questionnaire that entered/returned on a predetermined date for processing 102 data questionnaires. Data analysis is done univariat The results of research on the level of satisfaction of financial services in STIKes Dharma Husada Bandung, showed the value of satisfaction in general as follows: assessment for questionnaire expectations of the sample respondents who provide results average score> 5.00 with the category of calcification is very important for 60 (58.8%) of respondents means that students judge the questionnaire statement given is very important to be applied. While the assessment for the questionnaire of the reality of the respondent's response gives the result of the average score> 4.00 - <4.99 with the classification category is satisfied by 60 (58.8%) respondents means that students are satisfied with the financial service STIKes Dharma Husada Bandung.Keywords: Level of Satisfaction, Service

Microinvasive Fungal Rhinosinusitis: Proposal of a New Subtype in the Classification

Background: Fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) with mucosal invasion is not classified by the current criteria, and clinical reports on the topic are limited. The aim of this study was to present our 25-year experience on fungal balls with mucosal invasion that do not appear in the FRS classification. Methods: Of 1318 patients who underwent endoscopic surgery with paranasal FRS between November 1994 and July 2019, 372 underwent mucosal biopsies. Medical chart and pathology review were performed on 13 patients diagnosed as having fungal balls with mucosal invasion without accompanying tissue invasion. Results: Histopathologic findings identified all fungi as belonging to the Aspergillus species. In 13 patients, 7 fungal balls were located in the maxillary sinus, 3 in the sphenoid sinus, and 3 in both the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses. The median age at diagnosis was 67 years (interquartile range (IQR): 62–72), and the sex ratio was 1:2 (4 men and 9 women). Five patients had comorbidities—three with diabetes mellitus and two with hematologic malignancy—all of whom received postoperative antifungal therapy. The median duration of antifungal treatment was 13 weeks (IQR: 8–17). No recurrences occurred during the median follow-up period of 30 months (IQR: 22–43). Conclusions: Patients who have been clinically diagnosed with a fungal ball and showed mucosal invasion but no vascular invasion, based on pathologic findings after surgery, may need a new FRS classification category, such as microinvasive FRS, and adjuvant antifungal treatment may be needed for immunocompromised patients with microinvasive FRS. Key points: Fungal rhinosinusitis with mucosal invasion is different from fungal ball and invasive fungal rhinosinusitis and may be classified in a separate category as microinvasive FRS.