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Introduction: Football is one of the most visited social and sports fields which could be able to allocate a huge amount of the economy’s circulating capital. Football has been changed smoothly by improved science and technology and the transformative atmosphere of the fourth industrial and fifth social revolutions. Cognitive science is one of the topics based on today's technology that monitors concepts such as perception, consciousness, memory, and learning; therefore, football needs cognitive sciences to maintain its dynamics and update its methods and data. Methods: First, football categories based on content analysis were classified in a decision tree. Then, football indicators based on cognitive science were prioritized with the fuzzy hierarchical analysis method. Results: 16 final factors in 5 sections, including cognitive talent identification, technical quality, psychological issues, injury, and the near future as the most important football factors from a cognitive point of view with the help of GAMS software were identified. Also, cognitive talent development, knowledge and skill of the player, mental and psychological issues in the match, recovery, and improvement of the professional conditions of the player were the most important factors of each five categories. Conclusion: Creating a scientific policy in football with focus on cognitive science to organize football in Iran, especially in the toddler, and junior leagues, leads to some opportunities for club owners, managers, coaches, and players’ families to test the skill and quality of a football player in a serious challenge. If the player has enough capacity, he will be ready to get trained and achieve experience also entering the professional life of sports will happen soon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Unexpected downtime and long response times of electronic health record (EHR) systems not only impact user satisfaction and clinicians’ work efficiency but also bring about potential harm for patients. Despite improvements in the performance of EHR systems’ architecture, hardware, and networks, technical challenges continue to cause problems. We explored the end-user experiences of EHR technical functionality and quality from four large national cross-sectional surveys conducted among Finnish physicians in 2010–21. The results were analyzed by healthcare sector/specialty groups. In most groups, the experiences of stability and reaction speed became worse in 2010–17, which is readily explained by the implementation of the national patient data repository services, but improvements were seen in 2021, suggesting that EHR vendors have solved at least some of the slowness problems. The proportion of physicians reporting having experienced faulty system function with potential or actualized harm for the patient had decreased in operative and medical specialties and in the private sector but remained stable in other groups. Our findings underline the importance of continuing to develop technical qualities – including the implementations of national integrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The changes in market dynamics, customer-to-customer interactions, and the use of artificial intelligence have created a great concern among marketers in understanding customer behaviours such as customer loyalty. Policymakers account for the provision of quality service in terms of subscription numbers. However, little explains the impacts of these dynamics. Drawing up the service quality model, theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and customer loyalty model, the study examined the influence of service quality, technical quality (TQ), functional quality (FQ), and reputational quality (RQ) on customer loyalty (CL). Specifically, the study focuses on moderating gender differences to enhance robustness. Data were collected from 379 respondents and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with smart PLS (partial least square). The results suggested that customer assessment of reputational quality was vital in m-payment services for both males and females. Female customers depicted a more significant positive relationship than male customers, meaning the former are more loyal than the latter. Technical quality negatively influences attitudinal customer loyalty, while functional quality affects behavioural loyalty. The study contributes towards understanding the role of the dimensions of service quality (dSQ), customer loyalty and gender differences. Theoretically, the foundation of this research adds up to the consideration of the moderation effect of gender and their differential assessment of technical and functional quality as predictors of customer loyalty. Implication to managers is improving marketing strategies, and policymakers provide a more enabling environment for m-payment service.

The changes in market dynamics, customer-to-customer interactions, and the use of artificial intelligence have created a great concern among marketers in understanding customer behaviours such as customer loyalty. Policymakers account for the provision of quality service in terms of subscription numbers. However, little explains the impacts of these dynamics. Drawing up the service quality model, theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and customer loyalty model, the study examined the influence of service quality, technical quality (TQ), functional quality (FQ), and reputational quality (RQ) on customer loyalty (CL). Specifically, the study focuses on moderating gender differences to enhance robustness. Data were collected from 379 respondents and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with smart PLS (partial least square). The results suggested that customer assessment of reputational quality was vital in m-payment services for both males and females. Female customers depicted a more significant positive relationship than male customers, meaning the former are more loyal than the latter. Technical quality negatively influences attitudinal customer loyalty, while functional quality affects behavioural loyalty. The study contributes towards understanding the role of the dimensions of service quality (dSQ), customer loyalty and gender differences. Theoretically, the foundation of this research adds up to the consideration of the moderation effect of gender and their differential assessment of technical and functional quality as predictors of customer loyalty. Implication to managers is improving marketing strategies, and policymakers provide a more enabling environment for m-payment service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat dextrin is a modified wheat starch, classified as water-soluble. This study investigated the effect of wheat dextrin as an ingredient in corn flour blends on extrusion characteristics. Blends were prepared at 0, 10 and 20 % fibre content. DOE was used to design experiments and investigate the effects of variables selected to be studied. Feed moisture content was set at 18–25 %, temperature at 110–150 °C and specific feeding load at 0.100–0.150kg/rev. Moisture content, water absorption and solubility indices, color, sectional expansion index, density, hardness, crispiness (work (Wc) and number of spatial ruptures (Nsr)) and specific mechanical energy were evaluated. A regression model was established using response surface methodology, and processing conditions for optimal quality were generated (e.g., WSI: 96.9 %, SME: 96.9 %, final MC: 93.9 %). Wheat dextrin solubility characteristics for moisture content, WAI and WSI were inconclusive, showing a high tendency to insoluble behavior. For expansion, lightness and SME characteristics depended on processing conditions, especially temperature. Crispness was highest at low MC (18.87 %) x high fiber content (20 %) (e.g., Nsr: 1.2–1.5/mm), whereas values were the lowest at high MC (25.70 %) x low fiber content (0 %) (e.g., Nsr: 0.5–0.7/mm). Optimal conditions were set at 12 % fiber content, 19 % feed moisture content, 130 °C and a specific feeding load of 0.146 kg/rev. This study showed that it is impossible to classify wheat dextrin as acting strictly according to soluble fiber characteristics based on extrudate characteristics.

Abstract Background Access to routine antenatal and perinatal services is improved in the last two decades in Nepal. However, gaps remain in coverage and quality of care delivered from the health facilities. This study investigated the delivery of technical quality antenatal and perinatal services from health facilities and their associated determinants in Nepal. Methods Data for this study were derived from the Nepal Health Facility Survey 2015. The World Health Organization's Service Availability and Readiness Assessment framework was adopted to assess the technical quality of antenatal and perinatal services of health facilities. Outcome variables included technical quality scores of i) 269 facilities providing antenatal services and ii) 109 facilities providing childbirth and postnatal care services (perinatal care). Technical quality scores of health facilities were estimated adapting recommended antenatal and perinatal interventions. Independent variables included locations and types of health facilities and their management functions (e.g., supervision). We conducted a linear regression analysis to identify the determinants of better technical quality of health services in health facilities. Beta coefficients were exponentiated into odds ratios (ORs) and reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The significance level was set at p-value

Background: Comprehensive assessment of health care quality is the first step in improving care and achieving health service goals. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of health care quality in Iran based on the Comprehensive Quality Measurement in Health Care model. Methods: In this study, the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Iranian Scientific Information Database (SID), MagIran, and Google Scholar were searched using English and Iran keywords without time limit. STATA 16 software and a random effect model were used for conducting meta-analysis. Results: Of the 750 articles found, 20 were finally included; 13 of which were related to service quality, five to customer quality, and four to technical quality. Overall mean score of service quality was 7.79 [95% CI 7.43-8.15, df = 12, I2 = 98.48, P value < 0.000] out of 10, and overall mean score of customer quality was 73.20 ± 4.56 [95% CI 65.18-81.22, df = 5, I2 = 99.34, P value < 0.001] out of 100. Among the 12 dimensions of service quality, the confidentiality dimension (9.55 ± 0.12) had the highest mean score and the group support dimension (5.92 ± 0.901) had the lowest score. In general, from the viewpoint of service receivers, the technical quality is relatively favorable. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the quality of health care in Iran is significantly far from ideal. Therefore, planning to improve providing health care is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the technical quality of root canal treatment (RCT) depending on the incidence of procedural errors performed by undergraduate students using nickel‐titanium reciprocating and conventional hand instrumentation techniques, and to assess the impact of case difficulty and localization of the teeth (maxillary or mandibular molars). Methods: Dental records and periapical radiographs of molars that were treated with either hand or reciprocating WaveOne (WO) instruments were evaluated retrospectively. The technical quality of RCTs, the incidence of ledge formation, perforation, instrument fracture, overinstrumentation, underfilling, overfilling, inadequate root canal filling, and the effects of case difficulty and tooth localization were compared using the chi‐square test with a significance of 5% (α = 0.05). Results: While overinstrumentation was more frequent in the WO group (247 teeth), the incidence of inadequate root canal fillings was higher in the hand instrumentation group (245 teeth) (p < 0.01). No significant difference was observed in the incidence of other procedural errors (p > 0.05). The number of teeth with acceptable technical quality in preparation and obturation was 172 (69.6%) in the WO group, whereas it was 142 (58%) in the hand instrumentation group, presenting a significant difference between the instrumentation techniques (p < 0.01). Higher technical quality rates were observed with WO instrumentation in the high difficulty category and in maxillary teeth (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Higher technical quality in preparation and obturation can be achieved with WO reciprocating instruments and file‐matched greater tapered gutta‐percha cones. No significant difference was observed between the groups in the incidence of procedural errors except for overinstrumentation and insufficient root canal filling. WO instrumentation and obturation with file‐matched greater tapered gutta‐percha cones provided better technical quality in the high difficulty category and in maxillary teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The technical performance of an improved mechanical recycling process is reported. • Regranulates from this process exhibit higher performance compared to the baseline. • It is demonstrated that the regranulates can be used in higher value applications. • The process is shown to be less negative in the economics and more self-sustaining. Packaging represents the largest fraction of plastic waste in Europe. Currently, mechanical recycling schemes are mainly focused on the recovery of rigid packaging (like bottles), while for flexible packaging, also called films, recycling rates remain very low. Existing mechanical recycling technologies for these films are quite basic, especially in the case of complicated post-consumer flexible plastics (PCFP) waste, leading to regranulate qualities that are often subpar for renewed use in demanding film applications. In this study, the technical and economic value of an improved mechanical recycling process (additional sorting, hot washing, and improved extrusion) of PCFPs is investigated. The quality of the four types of resulting regranulates is evaluated for film and injection molding applications. The obtained Polyethylene-rich regranulates in blown films offer more flexibility (45–60%), higher ductility (27–55%), and enhanced tensile strength (5–51%), compared to the conventional mechanical recycling process. Likewise, for injection molded samples, they exhibit more flexibility (19–49%), enhanced ductility (7 to 20 times), and higher impact strength (1.8 to 3.8 times). An economic assessment is made between the obtained increased market value and the capital investment required. It is shown that the economic value can be increased by 5–38% through this improved recycling process. Overall, the study shows that it is possible to increase the mechanical recycling quality of PCFP in an economically viable way, thus opening the way for new application routes and overall increased recycling rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was prepared in order to reveal the role of the technical and functional quality of the health services provided in the hospitals of the Medical City in Baghdad in achieving patient satisfaction. The hospitals are (Baghdad Teaching hospital, Specialized Surgery Hospital, and Private Nursing Home). A random sample of (264) patients was selected by adopting the questionnaire tool as a measure of the study variables. The questionnaire was distributed to the hospitalized patients in the surveyed hospitals. SPSS Version 25 was used in the analysis. The results showed that the results showed that there is an effective and substantial relation between technical quality and patient satisfaction, as well as a positive and significant realtion between functional quality and patient satisfaction.

Background: The purpose of this study is to propose and test for the moderating role of insurance status on the relationship between service quality (SQ) and service satisfaction (SS) in a hospital setting. The study focuses on the state-run health insurance (SHI) provided to economically deprived families in India. Methodology: Using a reliable and validated structured questionnaire adapted from Dagger’s hierarchical model of health service quality, exit interviews were conducted with 279 respondents. 310 study participants were randomly recruited (response rate = 90%) from the discharge list of general surgery ward of a private hospital in the Thane district of Maharashtra, India. Multi-group Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in AMOS v.22 was used to test for the hypothesized model. Findings: The study finds that patients’ perceptions of different service quality dimensions, including inter-personal, administrative and technical are affected by the insurance status. The analysis identified technical quality as the key determinant of overall perceived service quality for patients insured under SHI. Results support our proposed moderating effect of insurance status on the relationship between service quality and service satisfaction. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that patients receiving free treatment under SHIs may not have higher expectations of inter-personal and/or administrative quality, but are concerned about technical quality. For paid patients all the dimensions of service quality determine overall perceived service quality and service satisfaction. The study findings have implications for market segmentation strategies based on the insurance status. The study provides insights to SHI implementers for improving the program in the long run and also help hospital administrators identify the quality dimensions to focus upon and ensure patient satisfaction and loyalty.

This paper describes a holistic quality model (HQM) and assessment to support decision-making processes in construction. A graded concrete slab serves as an example to illustrate how to consider technical, environmental, and social quality criteria and their interrelations. The evaluation of the design and production process of the graded concrete component shows that it has advantages compared to a conventional solid slab, especially in terms of environmental performance. At the same time, the holistic quality model identifies potential improvements for the technology of graded concrete. It will be shown that the holistic quality model can be used to (a) consider the whole life cycle in decision-making in the early phases and, thus, make the complexity of construction processes manageable for quality and sustainability assessments and (b) make visible interdependencies between different quality and sustainability criteria, to help designers make better-informed decisions regarding the overall quality. The results show how different quality aspects can be assessed and trade-offs are also possible through the understanding of the relationships among characteristics. For this purpose, in addition to the quality assessment of graded concrete, an overview of the interrelations of different quality characteristics is provided. While this article demonstrates how a HQM can support decision-making in design, the validity of the presented evaluation is limited by the data availability and methodological challenges, specifically regarding the quantification of interrelations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Access to routine antenatal and perinatal services is improved in the last two decades in Nepal. However, gaps remain in coverage and quality of care delivered from the health facilities. This study investigated the delivery of technical quality antenatal and perinatal services from health facilities and their associated determinants in Nepal.Methods: Data for this study were derived from the Nepal Health Facility Survey 2015. The World Health Organization's Service Availability and Readiness Assessment framework was adopted to assess the technical quality of antenatal and perinatal services of health facilities. Outcome variables included technical quality scores of i) 269 facilities providing antenatal services and ii) 109 facilities providing childbirth and postnatal care services (perinatal care). Technical quality scores of health facilities were estimated adapting recommended antenatal and perinatal interventions. Independent variables included locations and types of health facilities and their management functions (e.g., supervision). We conducted a linear regression analysis to identify the determinants of better technical quality of health services in health facilities. Beta coefficients were exponentiated into odds ratios (ORs) and reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The significance level was set at p-value < 0.05.Results: The mean score of the technical quality of health facilities for each outcome variable (antenatal and perinatal services) was 0.55 (out of 1.00). Compared to province one, facilities of Madhesh province had 4% lower odds (adjusted OR = 0.96; 95%CI: 0.92, 0.99) of providing better quality antenatal services, while health facilities of Gandaki province had higher odds of providing better quality antenatal services (aOR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.10). Private facilities had higher odds (aOR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.23) of providing better quality perinatal services compared to public facilities.Conclusions: Private facilities provide better quality antenatal and perinatal health services than public facilities, while health facilities of Madhesh province provide poor quality perinatal services. Health system needs to implement tailored strategies, including recruiting health workers, supervision and onsite coaching and access to necessary equipment and medicine in the facilities of Madhesh province. Health system inputs (trained human resources, equipment and supplies) are needed in the public facilities. Extending the safe delivery incentive programme to the privately managed facilities could also improve access to better quality health services in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Nepal has improved access and utilisation of routine maternal and newborn health (MNH) services. Despite improved access to routine MNH services such as antenatal care (ANC), and delivery and postnatal care (PNC) services, the burden of maternal and neonatal deaths in Nepal remains high. Most of those deaths could be prevented by improving utilisation of evidence-informed clinical MNH interventions. However, little is known on determinants of utilisation of such clinical MNH interventions in health facilities (HFs). This study investigated the determinants of utilisation of technical quality MNH services in Nepal. Methods This study used data from the 2015 Nepal Services Provision Assessment. A total of 523 pregnant and 309 postpartum women were included for the analysis of utilisation of technical quality of ANC, and delivery and PNC services, respectively. Outcome variables were utilisation of better quality i) ANC services, and ii) delivery and PNC services while independent variables included features of HFs and health workers, and demographic characteristics of pregnant and postpartum women. Binomial logistic regression was conducted to identify the determinants associated with utilisation of quality MNH services. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CIs) were reported at the significance level of p

Purpose – Happiness levels differ among the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries and follow a downtrend, making such heterogeneity a popular topic to investigate. The paper aims to study the contribution of governance quality on the heterogeneity in happiness levels across MENA countries while controlling for demographic and socioeconomic variables. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies panel random-effects regression analysis on three samples: full sample, rich and poor subsamples, using data from 20 MENA countries over the 2007–2017 period. Findings – The empirical results for the full sample conclude that better technical quality of governance increases happiness in the region. Furthermore, findings suggest that political stability and absence of violence matters for people's happiness only in rich countries. Whereas, control of corruption is positively associated with happiness level in the full sample and poor subsample. Across all three samples, voice and accountability has no impact on happiness. Research limitations/implications – A possible limitation of the paper is using an index for happiness based on a subjective weight distribution. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to implement a novel method using data envelopment analysis. Practical implications – This paper includes implications for policymakers in the MENA region. Governments should strengthen existing laws and create a comprehensive database of laws, fight corruption and prioritize raising income. Originality/value – This paper is the first to categorize MENA countries into rich and poor to analyze how governance quality contributes to the heterogeneity in happiness levels.

Development of effective treatments requires understanding of disease mechanisms. For diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as multiple sclerosis (MS), human pathology studies and animal models tend to identify candidate disease mechanisms. However, these studies cannot easily link the identified processes to clinical outcomes, such as MS severity, required for causality assessment of candidate mechanisms. Technological advances now allow the generation of thousands of biomarkers in living human subjects, derived from genes, transcripts, medical images, and proteins or metabolites in biological fluids. These biomarkers can be assembled into computational models of clinical value, provided such models are generalizable. Reproducibility of models increases with the technical rigor of the study design, such as blinding, control implementation, the use of large cohorts that encompass the entire spectrum of disease phenotypes and, most importantly, model validation in independent cohort(s). To facilitate the growth of this important research area, we performed a meta-analysis of publications (n = 302) that model MS clinical outcomes extracting effect sizes, while also scoring the technical quality of the study design using predefined criteria. Finally, we generated a Shiny-App-based website that allows dynamic exploration of the data by selective filtering. On average, the published studies fulfilled only one of the seven criteria of study design rigor. Only 15.2% of the studies used any validation strategy, and only 8% used the gold standard of independent cohort validation. Many studies also used small cohorts, e.g., for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood biomarker predictors, the median sample size was <100 subjects. We observed inverse relationships between reported effect sizes and the number of study design criteria fulfilled, expanding analogous reports from non-MS fields, that studies that fail to limit bias overestimate effect sizes. In conclusion, the presented meta-analysis represents a useful tool for researchers, reviewers, and funders to improve the design of future modeling studies in MS and to easily compare new studies with the published literature. We expect that this will accelerate research in this important area, leading to the development of robust models with proven clinical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to propose and test for the moderating role of insurance status on the relationship between service quality (SQ) and service satisfaction (SS) in a hospital setting. The study focuses on the state-run health insurance (SHI) provided to economically deprived families in India. METHODOLOGY: Using a reliable and validated structured questionnaire adapted from Dagger's hierarchical model of health service quality, exit interviews were conducted with 279 respondents. 310 study participants were randomly recruited (response rate = 90%) from the discharge list of general surgery ward of a private hospital in the Thane district of Maharashtra, India. Multi-group Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in AMOS v.22 was used to test for the hypothesized model. FINDINGS: The study finds that patients' perceptions of different service quality dimensions, including inter -personal, administrative and technical are affected by the insurance status. The analysis identified technical quality as the key determinant of overall perceived service quality for patients insured under SHI. Results support our proposed moderating effect of insurance status on the relationship between service quality and service satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The study findings indicate that patients receiving free treatment under SHIs may not have higher expectations of inter - personal and/or administrative quality but are concerned about technical quality. For paid patients all the dimensions of service quality determine overal l perceived service quality and service satisfaction. The study findings have implications for market segmentation strategies based on the insurance status. The study provides insights to SHI implementers for improving the program in the long run and also help hospital administrators identify the quality dimensions to focus upon and ensure patient satisfaction and loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the formation process of customer loyalty in hotel businesses with the cognitive affective and conative framework. In this context, price fairness, technical and functional quality are considered as the cognitive process through which customers obtain information about the hotel. Consumption emotions formed by the obtained cognitions were considered as affective process. Customer loyalty constituted by the effect of cognition and emotions was also considered as behavioral intention. A research model was developed by supporting with existing studies and tested with Partial Least Square structural equation model (PLS-SEM). 319 people staying in three different five-star hotels in Konya participated in the research. First, the convergent and discriminant validity of the model were examined and then the results were shown. As a result, it has been determined that price fairness, technical quality and functional quality effect the consumption emotions. In addition, it has been observed that consumption feelings have an effect on customer loyalty. Finally, recommendations developed within the scope of the findings were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volcanic ash emissions are responsible for serious damage to buildings. They can also affect vehicle traffic, cause airport closures and may be hazardous for human health. To verify the effects of the potential addition of this residue to the mixture used in the production of bricks, a detailed study of the clayey material, the volcanic ash and the bricks fired at 800, 950 and 1100 °C was conducted, assessing chemical, mineralogical, physical, mechanical and durability aspects. The addition of 10–20 wt% of volcanic ash delayed the appearance of new phases during brick firing and made them less porous. The bricks maintained their orange colour and became more compact as the firing temperature increased due to sintering and vitrification processes. The addition of volcanic ash reduced the strength of the bricks although the values were always above the limits recommended for construction work with ceramic materials. Bricks with added volcanic ash increased their resistance to decay due to salt crystallization and the general behaviour of the bricks improved when they were fired at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An analysis of the special-purpose road construction machinery market reveals an immensely diverse range of vehicles that can be used in construction. Due to this diversity, users may experience difficulties when choosing a dump truck from a range of vehicles with identical performance parameters. The final choice is often based on the user’s subjective preferences and not always logically justified. This calls for designing a methodology that would make the choice of dump truck model less biased. Purpose of the study: The study is aimed to create a range of research and methodological tools for facilitating the comparative assessment of construction dump trucks that belong to the same category in terms of load capacity, but differ by structure. Methods: We compared and assessed our samples by contrasting the generalized vehicle quality parameters, as reflected by their technical quality coefficient. As research methods for collecting reference data for our assessment, we used information search, statistical analysis of information sources, expert studies, and mathematical modeling. Results: The comparative qualimetric assessment of the technical quality of different dump truck designs has prompted a conclusion that, when it comes to road construction, semi-trailer trucks are more preferable than chassis-based trucks. Specifically, semi-trailer dump trucks are characterized by better sustained performance, maneuvering ability, and terrain crossing capacity. Conclusions: The proposed method of technical quality comparative assessment allows for a more unbiased choice of dump trucks for road construction, based on analyzing their most vital performance parameters.

The purpose of this study is to examine and describe: 1) the influence of functional quality towards the image of the hospital, 2) the influence of technical quality towards the image of the hospital, 3) the influence of image towards the satisfaction of patients of the hospital, 4) the influence of functional quality towards satisfaction of patients at the hospital, 5) the influence of technical quality towards the satisfaction of patients of the hospital, 6) the influ-ence of functional quality to the satisfaction of patients mediated by the image of hospital, 7) the effect of technical quality to the satisfaction of patients mediated by the image of hospital. The approach of the study employed is survey method by collecting data through question-naires. The population was 495 patients of Bahteramas hospital. Sample was taken by random sampling with total sample of 88. Technique of data analysis to answer the problem of re-search hypotheses was partial least square (PLS). Results of the study show that the quality of functional had a positive and significant influence towards the image of the hospital yet in-significant to the satisfaction of the patients. The image of hospital has a positive and signifi-cant effect to the satisfaction of patients. In other side, the study also shows that the role of the hospital as a partial mediation between functional quality and the satisfaction of patients, but the image of hospital does not have any role as a partial mediation between technical quality and the satisfaction of patients.

Background: Comprehensive assessment of health care quality is the first step in improving care and achieving health service goals. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of health care quality in Iran based on the Comprehensive Quality Measurement in Health Care model. Methods: In this study, the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Iranian Scientific Information Database (SID), MagIran, and Google Scholar were searched using English and Iran keywords without time limit. STATA 16 software and a random effect model were used for conducting meta-analysis. Results: Of the 750 articles found, 20 were finally included; 13 of which were related to service quality, five to customer quality, and four to technical quality. Overall mean score of service quality was 7.79 [95% CI 7.43–8.15, df = 12, I2 = 98.48, P value < 0.000] out of 10, and overall mean score of customer quality was 73.20 ± 4.56 [95% CI 65.18–81.22, df = 5, I2 = 99.34, P value < 0.001] out of 100. Among the 12 dimensions of service quality, the confidentiality dimension (9.55 ± 0.12) had the highest mean score and the group support dimension (5.92 ± 0.901) had the lowest score. In general, from the viewpoint of service receivers, the technical quality is relatively favorable. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the quality of health care in Iran is significantly far from ideal. Therefore, planning to improve providing health care is essential.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of distributed leadership (DL) on technical quality (TQ) from the perspective of healthcare workers. Methods: Data were collected from 407 healthcare workers (HWs) selected from 3 hospitals in İzmir. Data were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Findings: Exploratory factor analyses were carried out to determine construct validity of the DL and TQ scales. Three DL factors were identified: hospital structure, cooperation and decision making, and initiative and responsibility; whereas one factor was identified for the TQ scale. Correlation analyses indicated a significant relationship between the TQ and DL dimensions while the regression analyses showed that hospital culture, cooperation and decision making, and initiative and responsibility significantly determined TQ. However, hospital structure had no effect. Conclusion: Cooperation and decision making, and responsibility and initiative are major characteristics of the leadership in the DL approach. The study results emphasize that implementation of DL in hospitals can improve TQ from the perspective of HWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nepal has improved access and utilisation of routine maternal and newborn health (MNH) services. Despite improved access to routine MNH services such as antenatal care (ANC), and delivery and postnatal care (PNC) services, the burden of maternal and neonatal deaths in Nepal remains high. Most of those deaths could be prevented by improving utilisation of evidence-informed clinical MNH interventions. However, little is known on determinants of utilisation of such clinical MNH interventions in health facilities (HFs). This study investigated the determinants of utilisation of technical quality MNH services in Nepal.Methods: This study used data from the 2015 Nepal Services Provision Assessment. A total of 523 pregnant and 309 postpartum women were included for the analysis of utilisation of technical quality of ANC, and delivery and PNC services, respectively. Outcome variables were utilisation of better quality i) ANC services, and ii) delivery and PNC services while independent variables included features of HFs and health workers, and demographic characteristics of pregnant and postpartum women. Binomial logistic regression was conducted to identify the determinants associated with utilisation of quality MNH services. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CIs) were reported at the significance level of p < 0.05 (two-tailed).Results: Women utilised quality ANC services if they attended facilities with better HF capacity (aOR = 2.12;95% CI: 1.03, 4.35). Women utilised better quality delivery and PNC services from private HFs compared to public HFs (aOR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.14, 6.08). Women utilised better technical quality ANC provided by nursing staff compared to physicians (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) =2.89; 95% CI: 1.33, 6.29), and from staff supervised by a higher authority compared to those not supervised (aOR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.92). However, compared to province one, women utilised poor quality delivery and PNC services from HFs in province two (aOR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.63).Conclusions: Women utilised quality MNH services at facilities with better HF capacity, service provided by nursing staff, and attended at supervised HFs/health workers. Provincial and municipal governments require strengthening HF capacities (e.g., supply equipment, medicines, supplies), recruiting trained nurse-midwives, and supervising health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change of theoretical base in the area of welfare economy and due to economic evolution along time, in recent decades happiness has been considered as an important index for measuring welfare in individual and social levels along with other initial proxies such as wealth, consumption, gross domestic production. This particularly has attracted many economists attention such that they investigate the impact of economic variables on happiness. Government is an unclear and effective factor over nations happiness. Because government functions in expanding happiness through two channels. Direct channel and indirect channel. Therefore, the impact of governance over happiness increase is significant. This study is using panel data for investigating the impact of governance over happiness. Six Kaufmann governance indices has been used for assessing 112 nations governance in time period of (2006-2019). These six indices have been divided into two sub-index technical quality and democratic quality and has been evaluated by three equations. Also the sample was divided in two groups and the impact of governance on happiness was studied carefully. Income variable along with two control variables government expenditures and misery index were added to the function. These study findings indicate that there is a positive relationship between increase in income, governance improvement and happiness expansion. The effectiveness of governance quality in parallel with increasing happiness is considerable to democracy quality. This result is confirmed in all poor and rich nations, and its impact on poor nations is more than the rich ones. Income has significant direct effect on expanding happiness. Income coefficients are positive in each 3 group and for the poor is greater than the rich. Two control variables government expenses and misery index in all countries have positive and negative relationship with happiness respectively. The existent relationship holds for rich nations, but the coefficient of government expenses for poor nations is negative. On this basis, it can be said that governments have asignificant and undeniable role in promoting the level of happiness in society by improving the quality of governance and reducing the misery index in the economy. Also the significance of gross domestic production and economic growth should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to investigate patterns and risk factors related to the feasibility of achieving technical quality and periapical healing in root canal non-surgical retreatment, using regression and data mining methods. Methodology This retrospective observational study included 321 consecutive patients presenting for root canal retreatment. Patients were treated by graduate students, following standard protocols. Data on medical history, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up visits variables were collected from physical records and periapical radiographs and transferred to an electronic chart database. Basic statistics were tabulated, and univariate and multivariate analytical methods were used to identify risk factors for technical quality and periapical healing. Decision trees were generated to predict technical quality and periapical healing patterns using the J48 algorithm in the Weka software. Results Technical outcome was satisfactory in 65.20%, and we observed periapical healing in 80.50% of the cases. Several factors were related to technical quality, including severity of root curvature and altered root canal morphology (p

This paper presents research conducted on pine timber sawn from logs obtained from three different forestry regions in western Poland. Forestry regions were characterized in terms of i.e. annual mean temperature and rainfall distribution, soil, growing stock, and technical quality and type of forest. The timber logs were classified in three different quality classes, A, B, and C as per PN-D 95017 (1992). The coefficients of correlation were calculated for pairs of the studied properties (density, modulus of elasticity (MOE), and static bending strength (MOR)) considering the forestry region of origin of the different quality logs. The statistical analysis revealed that there is a strict correlation between quality class of logs, geographical origin in terms of technical quality of forest, and physical and mechanical parameters of sawn timber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses conceptual approaches to defining the perceived quality of transport service, rendered by public transport in the city of Moscow, in particular by rail transport, such as the underground, the Moscow central ring and local trains. The authors put forward their own definition of the notion of perceived quality of transport service. They analyze key indicators of the transport service quality, the two- and four-stage model of its quality and the five-stage model of service marketing, which can be adapted to services of in-city rail transport. Special attention is paid by organizers of passenger transit to the development of public transport in Moscow in general, as well as to raising quality of service by all types of transport, including rail one. Both technical approach and advanced technology of management (intellectual systems used for planning and organization of transit) are used to do it. However, the marketing approach (or studying the perceived quality of transport service) has not been investigated well enough. It provides an opportunity not only to assess the quality of service rendering processes, which is important, but also to conduct mass research of transport service customers in order to find out their attitude to the quality of service by certain comfort parameters, safety, information supply, etc.

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Aim: The present study aimed to examine the influence of the quality of root canal fillings and coronal restorations on the prevalence of periapical lesions. Materials and Methods: Two hundred digital panoramic radiographs were obtained from the archive of Al‑HamziDental Center in Sana’a, Yemen. The final sample consisted of 120 radiographs, and 675 root filled teeth.The quality of root canal fillings was scored according to criteria of length, homogeneity and taper. Coronal status (type of restoration, signs of marginal leakage or decay) was also evaluated. The periapical status was categorized on the basis of presence or absence of radiographical signs of apical periodontitis. Chi-square test was used to determine statistical significance between different parameters. Results: We found that 93.6% of root filled teeth were associated with apical periodontitis. Only 9.2% of root filled teeth were found to have an acceptable standard of root canal fillings, of which 32.3% was also associated to signs of periapical disease. In roots with an unacceptable root canal filling, 95.4% had periapical disease. Teeth with good (14.4%) and poor (32.9%) intra-coronal restorations had apical periodontitis in 93.8% and 97.7% of cases, respectively. Crown restorations were present in 52.7% of root filled teeth, of which 91.0% were associated with periapical lesions. Conclusion: The poor technical quality of root canal fillings and coronal restorations is consistent with a high prevalence of apical periodontitis.

Biocompatibility testing using in vivo tests is often one of the final evaluations of new dental materials. To reduce the likelihood of failure at this late stage, predictive biocompatibility testing using in vitro methods is needed. In this study, we describe a sensitivity analysis of an oral irritation test by evalu­ating changes in the viability, using the MTT assay, of 3-D models with EpiOral constructs as a case study. Experiments that tested sources of variability in the assay led to recommendations regarding the storage of the constructs after arrival, pipetting procedure, use of MTT reagents from different vendors, use of transepithelial electrical resistance measurements, and statistical analyses. A statis­tical model was proposed to evaluate whether test substances yield a positive or negative result and the associated statistical confidence. Testing several test compounds such as the Y-4 polymer, which contains a known irritant, and dentally relevant substances such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at varying concentrations revealed statistically significant results as expected. Lastly, a software app was designed to support a multiwell culture plate layout design. Overall, the findings and sugges­tions documented here will support the further development and potential standardization of this assay system and may be useful for the development of other assays using 3-D constructs.

Objective: To assess the quality and effective coverage (EC) of family planning (FP) and antenatal care (ANC) services in Ethiopia.Design: Secondary analyses of the 2014 Ethiopia Service Provision Assessment Plus Survey and 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data.Setting and Participants: Women using FP and ANC.Main Outcome Measures: Quality indices are created as a proportion of recommended clinical actions done in observations of ANC and FP visits. We adjust the crude coverage of ANC and of FP by the quality to estimate EC for both services.Results: The crude coverage of FP was 61% and 62% for ANC in Ethiopia in 2016. On average, quality was 35.8% during FP visits and 86% of women received <50% of the recommended clinical actions. When adjusting the crude coverage to account for the quality of service, Ethiopia's FP services EC was 22%. On average, ANC quality was 34% and 81% received <50% of the recommended ANC clinical actions. When adjusting the crude coverage by the service quality, the mean EC of ANC services was 22% in Ethiopia.Conclusions: The quality of both FP and ANC services is low in Ethiopia, with women obtaining only a fraction of the standard clinical actions during their visits. In addition, there is considerable variation in EC across Ethiopia's regions, with variation driven largely by variations in crude coverage. To improve EC, actions are needed to improve the quality of ANC and FP care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biodiversity monitoring is a key element of impact assessment follow-up activities, as it has the potential to generate relevant information about the actual impacts of approved projects on the environment. However, the effectiveness of such monitoring programs depends on issues such as technical quality. The extent to which this issue actually affects biodiversity monitoring is unclear. This knowledge gap was addressed in this study, whose main objective was to analyze the technical quality of fauna monitoring, using empirical data from large-scale mining enterprises in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. More specifically, this study aimed at analyzing: 1) whether license conditions related to fauna monitoring programs were being met by mining companies; 2) the extent to which fauna monitoring programs met a set of technical quality criteria; 3) whether there were significant differences among taxonomic groups; and, finally, 4) how fauna monitoring programs can be made more meaningful to decision-makers. A total of 236 fauna monitoring reports were analyzed. Findings indicated that, while companies complied with all license conditions, their fauna programs met, on average, 32% of the desirable technical requirements, and there were no significant differences among taxonomic groups. The main technical quality gaps were found to be lack of driving questions, hypothesis-testing and conceptual models, as well as lack of comparisons between control and impacted areas. Overall, findings indicated that the data generated in such programs have very limited value to decision-makers as they do not shed sufficient light on the actual impacts of mining activities on biodiversity. The study discusses a number of barriers to more meaningful fauna monitoring programs, and highlights the urgent need for revising current Terms of Reference. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Fauna monitoring is an important part of EIA follow-up programs. • Current fauna monitoring has strong limitations. • Fauna monitoring reports have limited value to decision-makers and stakeholders. • Findings indicate the need for regulatory change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease which has incremental prevalence regarding to unhealthy lifestyle. Based on the significant gap between received and standard care in patients with type 2 diabetes, this condition occurred high costs to health system. In order to eliminate this gap, this study aimed at measuring the technical quality of perceived care among patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and method: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 180 people with two type of diabetes in diabetes clinic using convenience sampling method. A three part questionnaire includes demographic information, disease statue and the technical quality questions was that the validity and reliability of it was approved. The data were analyzed using SPSS13software. Results: Total technical quality score was 2.9 which was lower than bench mark 5. The main indices related to diabetic control (HbA1c, blood pressure, LDL) were acceptable regarding Iranian diabetic guideline and they were controlled well. Conclusion: According to notable gap between existing standards and perceived care in type 2 diabetic patients, there is a good opportunity to promote quality of services.