Technology Application in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry of the Middle East Asia

The use of technology has arguably benefited the tourism and hospitality industry of the Middle East. Tourists, on the other side, are also privileged for having easier access to scheduling their trips and finding all of the details they need to schedule the perfect trip with the ubiquitous help from the internet. They can also instantly find the necessary information about any chosen destination by browsing the internet. Theoretically, general technology-enhanced tourism and hospitality are relatively well investigated by researchers, meaning that;investigating the effects of technology-based tourism in the Middle East in the challenging pandemic time can be useful. Thus, this chapter is focused on discussing the advancements of the technology-based tourism and hospitality industry in the Middle East, highlighting the COVID-19 and the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. Current scholarly literature on technology-based tourism in the Middle East is brought into the discussion to generate insightful findings for the tourism policy-makers and relevant stakeholders in the Middle East. Results outline the opportunities and challenges of technology-based tourism in the Middle East with theoretical analysis. Although the chapter has limited discussion on a few Middle Eastern countries, it discovers valuable comprehension for the travelers and tourism policy-makers. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Adherence to nil by mouth guidelines in a tertiary centre

Aim: Fasting before general anaesthetic aims to decrease the volume and acidity of stomach contents during surgery, which therefore reduces the risk of aspiration. This is a second cycle closed loop reaudit which had implemented Nil by mouth (NBM) guidelines during the first cycle as an intervention to improve knowledge. Preoperatively, adult patients should remain fasted for a minimum duration as below: • Solid food= 6 hours, • A cup of milky tea/ fizzy drink= 6 hours, • Clear fluids= 2 hours • Medications= 30 minutes During the second cycle interventions were included such as: teaching to junior doctors and nurses including specific teaching during induction of new surgical doctors and posters displaying the NBM guidelines were placed in surgical wards. These were carried out despite restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The same questionnaire was redistributed amongst staff members (nurses and HCA) throughout various surgical wards and junior doctors. Results were compared with the initial audit during this second cycle to assess whether any improvements had been made after implementation of interventions. Results: Total number of staff: • 56 (63 initial audit) • 82% - NBM for 6 hours for meals (37% initial audit), • 84% -NBM for 6 hours for drinks with particles (62% initial audit), • 91% - 2 hours as the cut off for clear fluids (58% initial audit), • 86% - 30 minutes as cut off for medications (55% initial audit). Conclusions: A significant improvement in knowledge and understanding of the NBM guidelines was demonstrated with all members of staff and practice was in accordance with NICE guidelines.

Comparative Study of Gene Expression Profiling Unravels Functions Associated with Pathogenesis of Dengue Infection.

BACKGROUND: Dengue virus is a potential source of propagating dengue hemorrhagic fever. This virus leads to dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome, benign syndrome, and severe syndrome and due to its infection, there occurs alterations at multiple levels such as gene expression and pathway levels. So, it is critical to understand the pathogenesis of dengue infection in terms of gene expression and the associated functions. METHODS: For this purpose, here, we have analyzed the temporal gene expression profiling for the dengue hemorrhagic fever dataset at 12, 24, and 48 hours. RESULTS: The outcome appears that the dengue hemorrhagic fever evolves differently at different time periods or stages. CONCLUSION: The change in the gene expression pattern increases exponentially from 12 hours to 48 hours and the number of altered functions (pathways) also increases. Wnt, apoptosis, and transcription signaling are among the critical pathways which are dominantly altered. In the initial phase (first 12 hours), only two pathways are altered due to dengue infection, while in the next 12 hours, eight pathways are altered, and finally, in the next 24 hours, 11 pathways are altered and most of these 11 pathways are very critical in terms of biological pathways and functions.