bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Control strategy without phase‐locked loop based on coordinate transformation for three‐phase AC/DC converter
Authors: Zheng Xinxin , Xiao Lan , Wang Zilong , Lei Yun , Wang Chuyang
Published: April 2015

A novel control strategy without phase‐locked loop (PLL) for the three‐phase AC/DC converter is proposed in this study. There is no need to detect the phase angle of the grid and the defect of inaccurate phase‐locking can be remedied. The frequency of the grid can be detected by a frequency tracking method. A linear changed angle from −π to π with the detected grid frequency is generated by the DSP controller to take part in the coordinate transformation. The grid frequency tracking method is realised by negative feedback of reactive power. It can ensure that the frequency of the linear changed angle is the same as the grid frequency. The principle of the proposed control strategy is analysed in details. Compared with the control strategy with PLL, the proposed control strategy does not need complex PLL and it can realise high power factor and low total harmonic distortion in the non‐ideal grid. The structure of the proposed grid frequency tracking method is established and the parameters of it are designed. An 18 kW DSP‐based bidirectional three‐phase AC/DC converter is established. Simulation and experimental results verify theoretical analysis.
Krankenhauskosten ambulant-sensitiver Krankenhausfälle in Deutschland
Authors: Fischbach D.
Published: April 2015

Als ambulant-sensitive Krankenhausfälle (ASK) werden diejenigen Krankenhausfälle definiert, die durch eine besser zugängliche oder bessere Ergebnisse erzielende ambulante Versorgung hätten vermieden werden können. Als solche werden sie von einigen Gesundheitssystemen als Qualitätsindikator für die ambulante Versorgung verwendet. Welche Krankheiten als ambulant-sensitiv definiert werden, variiert von Land zu Land. Krankheitskataloge von ASK wurden bereits in Ländern wie den USA, England, Neuseeland und Kanada zusammengestellt und evaluiert. Für Deutschland existiert jedoch noch kein Katalog. Ziel der Studie ist es daher, anhand des Krankheitskatalogs aus dem englischen Gesundheitssektor die Kosten für ASK in Deutschland abzuschätzen, um so zur weiteren Erforschung dieses Instruments beizutragen. Für die Berechnung dieser Kosten wurde für den Zeitraum von 2003 bis 2010 ein Modell auf Basis der Datenveröffentlichungen gemäß § 21 Krankenhausentgeltgesetz (KHEntgG) der German-Diagnosis Related Groups (G-DRG)-Browser des Instituts für das Entgeltsystem im Krankenhaus (InEK) aufgesetzt. Hierzu wurden alle relevanten DRG-ICD Kombinationen extrahiert, die Anzahl der Fälle pro Kombination mit ihrer jeweiligen Bewertungsrelation und dem durchschnittlichen Zahl-Basisfallwert multipliziert und zuletzt die Produkte in ihre jeweiligen ICD-Gruppen und in die definierten Krankheiten aggregiert, um die Kosten pro Krankheit und die Gesamtkosten zu berechnen. Fallzahlen und errechnete Kosten wurden mit einer weiteren Quelle verglichen. Hieraus ergaben sich für das Jahr 2010 11,7 Millionen Fälle, von denen 10,7% als ASK definiert wurden. Im betrachteten Zeitraum wuchs die Anzahl der ASK um durchschnittlich 0,9% jährlich und 6% insgesamt. Die Gesamtkosten betrugen 37,6 Milliarden Euro (EUR), wobei der Anteil an ASK 3,4 Milliarden EUR ausmachte. 3 der 19 ambulant-sensitiven Krankheiten verantworteten circa 60% der Kosten. Diese ASK-Kosten bilden eine solide Grundlage, um die Erforschung dieses Qualitätsindikators für den deutschen ambulanten Sektor weiter anzutreiben.
Treatment of Orbital Medial Wall Fractures with Titanium Mesh Plates Using Retrocaruncular Approach: Outcomes with Different Techniques
Authors: Gerbino Giovanni , Zavattero Emanuele , Viterbo Stefano , Ramieri Guglielmo
Published: April 2015

Surgical management of medial wall orbital fractures should be considered to avoid diplopia and posttraumatic enophthalmos. Treatment of these fractures remains a challenge for the maxillofacial surgeon because of complex anatomy and limited vision. This article aims to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes in the repair of medial orbital wall fractures using a retrocaruncular approach and titanium meshes, comparing the placement of the titanium mesh with three different techniques: (1) conventional free hand under direct vision, (2) with the assistance of an endoscope, and (c) with the assistance of a navigation system. Eighteen patients who underwent surgery for orbital medial wall fracture were enrolled in the study. On the basis of the implant placement technique, three groups were identified: group 1 (CONV), conventional free hand under direct vision; group 2 (ENDO), endoscopically assisted; group 3 (NAVI), a navigational system assisted (BrainLab, Feldkirchen, Germany). The postoperative quality of orbital reconstruction was assessed as satisfactory in 12 cases, good in 4 cases, and unsatisfactory in 2 cases. Particularly in group 1 (CONV) in four patients out of eight, the posterior ledge of the fracture was not reached by the implant and in one patient the mesh hinged toward the ethmoid. In group 3 (NAVI), in one patient out of five, the posterior ledge of the fracture was not reached. In conclusion, titanium orbital mesh plates and retrocaruncular approach are a reliable method to obtain an accurate orbital medial wall reconstruction. The use of endoscopic assistance through the surgical incisions improves accuracy of treatment allowing better visualization of the surgical field. Navigation aided surgery is a feasible technique especially for complex orbital reconstruction to improve predictability and outcomes in orbital repair.
Sacroiliac Coalition: First Description and Report of a Successful Resection
Authors: Greiner Axel , Baur-Melnyk Andrea , Berezowska Sabina , D'Anastasi Melvin , Birkenmaier Christof
Published: April 2015

The publisher regrets an error in the author name “Melvin D'Anastasi” in the above article in the Global Spine Journal, published online January 30, 2015 (DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1544153). The author's last name was wrong and was incorrectly published as “Melvin D'Anstasi.” The correct author listing appears above.
Maxillofacial Fractures Surgically Managed at Aalesund Hospital between 2002 and 2009
Authors: Helgeland Espen , Dahle IdaMarie , Leira JanInge , Loro LadoLako
Published: April 2015

This study analyses the demographics, etiology, and complications in patients operated for maxillofacial fractures by oral and maxillofacial surgeons at the Aalesund Hospital between 2002 and 2009. A total of 188 fractures in 139 patients were studied. The male-to-female ratio was 3.6:1 and the mean age was 35.7 ± 17.2 years. Males were significantly younger than females ( p < 0.05). Mandibular (52.7%) and zygomatic complex fractures (33.5%) were the most frequent. Most patients (41.7%) sustained their injuries as a result of interpersonal violence (IPV) followed by falls (25.9%) and traffic accidents (15.8%). Significantly more males were victims of IPV ( p < 0.05). Almost half of the female cohort sustained their injuries from falling. More than half of those who sustained their injuries between midnight and morning were intoxicated. The majority of cases were treated by open reduction and internal fixation (56.8%). Posttraumatic and postoperative complications were seen in 25% of the patients, with infection (8.6%) occurring most frequently. Mandibular and zygomatic complex fractures were the most frequent in our study. IPV in association with alcohol and drugs was a major cause of maxillofacial fractures, especially among young adult males. Falls were the predominant cause of fractures among females.
Fast-switching initially-transparent liquid crystal light shutter with crossed patterned electrodes
Authors: Heo Joon , Huh Jae-Won , Yoon Tae-Hoon
Published: April 2015

We propose an initially transparent light shutter using polymer-networked liquid crystals with crossed patterned electrodes. The proposed light shutter is switchable between the transparent and opaque states, and it exhibits a fast response time and a low operating voltage. In the transparent state, the light shutter has high transmittance; in the opaque state, it can block the background image and provides black color. We expect that the proposed light shutter can be applied to see-through displays and smart windows.
The Dirac point electron in zero-gravity Kerr–Newman spacetime
Authors: Kiessling M. K.-H. , Tahvildar-Zadeh A. S.
Published: April 2015

Dirac’s wave equation for a point electron in the topologically nontrivial maximal analytically extended electromagnetic Kerr–Newman spacetime is studied in a limit G → 0, where G is Newton’s constant of universal gravitation. The following results are obtained: the formal Dirac Hamiltonian on the static spacelike slices is essentially self-adjoint and the spectrum of the self-adjoint extension is symmetric about zero, featuring a continuum with a gap about zero that, under two smallness conditions, contains a point spectrum. The symmetry result extends to the Dirac operator on a generalization of the zero-G Kerr–Newman spacetime with different electric-monopole/magnetic-dipole-moment ratios.
Generalized mapping of multi-body dissipative particle dynamics onto fluid compressibility and the Flory-Huggins theory
Authors: Jamali Safa , Boromand Arman , Khani Shaghayegh , Wagner Jacob , Yamanoi Mikio , Maia Joao
Published: April 2015

In this work, a generalized relation between the fluid compressibility, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ), and the simulation parameters in multi-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD) is established. This required revisiting the MDPD equation of state previously reported in the literature and developing general relationships between the parameters used in the MDPD model. We derive a relationship to the Flory-Huggins χ parameter for incompressible fluids similar to the work previously done in dissipative particle dynamics by Groot and Warren. The accuracy of this relationship is evaluated using phase separation in small molecules and the solubility of polymers in dilute solvent solutions via monitoring the scaling of the radius of gyration (Rg) for different solvent qualities. Finally, the dynamics of the MDPD fluid is studied with respect to the diffusion coefficient and the zero shear viscosity.
In situ visualizing the evolution of the light-induced refractive index change of Mn:KLTN crystal with digital holographic interferometry
Authors: Han Jinxin , Lu Qieni , Dai Haitao , Zhao Shuang , Zhang Yimo
Published: April 2015

The light-induced refractive index change in Mn:KLTN crystal, illuminated by focused light sheet, is visualized in situ and quantified by digital holographic interferometry. By numerically retrieving a series of sequential phase maps from recording digital holograms, the spatial distribution of the induced refractive index change can be visualized and estimated readily. This technique enables the observation of the temporal evolution of the refractive index change under different recording situations such as writing laser power, applied voltage, and temperature, and the photoconductivity of Mn:KLTN crystal can be calculated as well, the experimental results are in good agreement with the theory. The research results suggest that the presented method is successful and feasible.
Mo' Money, Mo' Problems: Monetary Motivation Can Exacerbate the Attentional Blink
Authors: Biggs Adam T , Adamo Stephen H , Mitroff Stephen R
Published: April 2015

The attentional blink (AB) is a compelling psychological phenomenon wherein observers are less likely to identify a second target (T2) when it appears approximately 200 ms after a first target (T1) in a rapidly presented stream of items. The present investigation examined how monetary motivation could impact the AB when participants were differentially motivated to identify T1 versus T2. Participants completed one of three conditions where the only difference across conditions was a motivational manipulation: a standard AB task (control condition), a motivated condition with T1 worth double the points of T2, or a motivated condition with T1 worth half the points of T2 (points in the motivated conditions were linked to a possible monetary bonus). Motivation had an expected influence on overall performance as both motivated conditions had higher overall T1 accuracy relative to the control condition. More specific to the question at hand, the AB was exacerbated (ie T2 performance was worse shortly after T1) when T1 was worth more than T2. This finding suggests that participants overallocated attentional resources to T1 processing at the expense of T2 processing, and it supports current theories of the AB.
Metals and secondary metabolites in saxicolous lichen communities on ultramafic and non-ultramafic rocks of the Western Italian Alps
Authors: Favero-Longo Sergio E. , Matteucci Enrica , Morando Mariagrazia , Rolfo Franco , Harris Tanner B. , Piervittori Rosanna
Published: April 2015

There is a long history of studies on lichens found in ultramafic habitats, but comparisons between lichen communities on different ultramafic lithologies are scant, and potential metabolic adaptations to the multiple edaphic stresses of ultramafic substrates have been widely neglected. The present work is the first to characterise differences in the abundance and structure of saxicolous lichen communities on different ultramafic lithologies (dunite, lherzolite, and serpentinite), analysed in two areas of the Western Alps (NW Italy). Differences between communities on various ultramafic lithologies were observed, including differences between a mafic control (Mg-Al metagabbro); however, factors other than the substrate were observed to drive more remarkable differences between lichen communities on ultramafics of alpine and pre-alpine areas. XRF analyses demonstrated that the mineral composition of different lithologies is reflected by metal contents in crustose lichens, with weathering processes accounting for relative shifts in elemental abundances between rocks and thalli. A thin layer cromatography screening of lichen secondary metabolites (LSMs), which are thought to regulate metal and pH homeostasis in thalli, revealed lithological vicariance among dominant lichen species with different LSM patterns and intraspecific variability in LSM production associated with differences in lithology and location. In particular, the presence or absence of norstictic acid in species or lineages/individuals on the different lithologies, in relationship to concentrations of Fe, Mg, and Ni in lichen thalli, was recognised as a metabolic adaptation to metal stress. Pull-up tests revealed that physical factors such as a differential surface disaggregation may contribute more towards differences observed in lichen abundance on the different lithologies investigated.
Practical and theoretical implications of a browsing cascade in Tasmanian forest and woodland
Authors: Hazeldine Alister , Kirkpatrick Jamie B.
Published: April 2015

Browsing cascades have strong implications for biodiversity conservation and fire management. The associational resistance and associational susceptibility hypotheses suggest different mechanisms. We tested the veracity of these two hypotheses by using small dry eucalypt forest and woodland trees. At 67 sites, we measured the height of the browse line and estimated the proportion of foliage remaining below it for all adult individuals of small trees within a 50 × 50 m area, recorded scat numbers, browsing damage to tree seedlings by species and environmental data. The 110–130-cm browse line, and strong relationships between macropod scat numbers and the remaining foliage below the browse line, suggested that Bennetts wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus Shaw) were the main cause of umbrella-shaped trees. The browsers preferred Exocarpos cupressiformis Labill. and Bursaria spinosa Cav. At the other extreme, adult Acacia dealbata Link suffered no browsing damage. All species were browsed as seedlings. Associational resistance occurred in some species and associational susceptibility in others, with the degree of difference in palatability between alternative sources of browse possibly resolving this apparent contradiction. Low browsing pressure is likely to cause woody thickening, an increase in fire hazard and a decrease in biodiversity. Extremely high browsing pressure had no such effects.
Modified Early Warning Score and VitalPac Early Warning Score in geriatric patients admitted to emergency department
Authors: Dundar Zerrin Defne , Ergin Mehmet , Karamercan Mehmet A. , Ayranci Kursat , Colak Tamer , Tuncar Alpay , Cander Basar , Gul Mehmet
Published: April 2015

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) and the VitalPac Early Warning Score (VIEWS) in predicting hospitalization and in-hospital mortality in geriatric emergency department (ED) patients.

Patients and methods

This prospective, single-centered observational study was carried out over 1 month at the ED of a university hospital in patients 65 years of age and older presenting to the ED. The vital parameters of the patients measured on admission to ED were recorded. The MEWS and VIEWS were calculated using the recorded physiological parameters of the patients. Hospitalization and in-hospital mortality were used as the primary outcomes.

Results

A total of 671 patients included in the study. The median age of the patients was 75 (11) years, and 375 (55.9%) were men. The MEWS is effective for discriminating patient groups that have been discharged from ED, admitted to a ward and admitted to ICU [1 (2) vs. 1 (1) vs. 3 (3), respectively, P<0.001]. The VIEWS is also effective for discriminating patient groups that have been discharged from ED, admitted to a ward, and admitted to ICU [2 (3) vs. 5 (5) vs. 8 (8), respectively, P<0.001]. The AUCs of the MEWS and VIEWS were 0.727 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.689–0.765] and 0.756 (95% CI 0.720–0.792) in predicting hospitalization, respectively. The AUCs of the MEWS and VIEWS were 0.891 (95% CI 0.844–0.937) and 0.900 (95% CI 0.860–0.941) in predicting in-hospital mortality, respectively.

Conclusion

The MEWS and VIEWS are powerful scoring systems that are easy-to-use for predicting the hospitalization and in-hospital mortality of geriatric ED patients.
Intravenous dexamethasone in acute management of vestibular neuritis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind trial
Authors: Adamec Ivan , Krbot Skorić Magdalena , Gabelić Tereza , Barun Barbara , Ljevak Josip , Bujan Kovač Andreja , Jurjević Ivana , Habek Mario
Published: April 2015

Introduction

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of intravenous dexamethasone in relieving the symptoms and signs of vestibular neuritis in the emergency department setting.

Patients and methods

This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, superiority, single-blind study. Patients were randomized either to intravenous dexamethasone (group A) or to placebo (group B), with all patients receiving symptomatic therapy. The primary outcome was defined as necessity to hospitalize patients who present with vestibular neuritis in the emergency department. The secondary outcomes were (a) improvement in nystagmus, (b) improvement in postural instability, (c) lessening of nausea, (d) lessening of vomiting, and (e) recovery of subjective symptoms.

Results

Altogether, 100 patients were randomized, 51 into group A and 49 into group B. There was no difference in the hospitalization rate between groups (P=0.284). In both groups, there was a statistically significant difference in the values of all measured variables 2 h after therapy intervention compared with the baseline values. In group A, significantly fewer patients had third-degree nystagmus 2 h after therapy intervention whereas the difference in group B did not reach statistical significance. After therapy, more patients had first-degree nystagmus in group A as well as in group B than before the intervention. There was a significantly greater absolute difference in European Evaluation of Vertigo scale results in group A compared with group B.

Conclusion

The value of dexamethasone cannot be established, given the small sample and limitations of the present study. Some observations consistent with clinical improvement cannot exclude a true treatment effect, and further study is still warranted.
Entecavir Combined With Adefovir Ameliorates Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Who Fail to Respond to Nucleotide (Acid) Analog Monotherapy
Authors: Li Xiang-yong , You Xu , Jie Yu-sheng , Lin Guo-li , Wu Yuan-kai , Huang Ming-xing , Zhang Min , Li Zhan-yi , Xie Dong-ying , Gao Zhi-liang , Chong Yu-tian
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of entecavir (ETV) combined treatment with adefovir (ADV) on chronic hepatitic B (CHB) patients who failed to respond to nucleotide (acid) analog (NA) treatment. On this basis, the possible factors in the combined treatment of these patients will be analyzed. The safety, biochemical index, and the possible factors that might affect the ETV and ADV combined treatment at different points in time were retrospectively analyzed. The biochemical index included the following: virological response, hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA decline, primary nonresponse, biochemical response, and the hepatitis B virus E antigen/hepatitis B virus E antibody seroconversion rate. There were 94 CHB patients and compensated liver cirrhosis patients who received ETV plus ADV treatment for over 12 weeks after failure of treatment with NAs. The authors have also investigated 76 CHB patients (80.9%) and 18 hepatitis B cirrhosis patients (19.1%) in this study. The HBV DNA baseline was 4.4 ± 1.4 log10 IU/mL, and the positive rate of HBeAg before salvage treatment was 78.7% (74/94). The sample sizes were 94, 78, 42, 10, 6, and 1 for follow-up of 24, 48, 96, 144, 192, and 240 weeks, respectively. The virological responses (HBV DNA < 2 log10 IU/mL) and biochemical responses were 52.1%, 74.3%, and 90.4% and 63.1%, 61.6%, and 81.1%, respectively, at 24, 48, and 96 weeks, which showed significant differences (P < 0.001 and P < 0.005, respectively). The HBV DNA decline was presented as mean ± SEM, which were 1.53 ± 1.23, 1.75 ± 1.37, 2.07 ± 1.54, and 2.39 ± 1.77 log10 IU/mL at 12, 24, 48, and 96 weeks, respectively. They showed significant differences compared with the baseline (χ2 = 8.084, P < 0.05). The rate of primary nonresponse was 30.9% (29/94), and the primary treatment failure rates were 26.6% (25/94), 24.4% (19/78), and 4.8% (2/42) at 24, 48, and 96 weeks, respectively. They all have statistical difference (P = 0.011 < 0.05). There were 23 patients who experienced virological breakthrough after the HBV DNA levels were undetectable, whereas after follow-up for 12–24 weeks, the HBV DNA levels were back to undetectable again. ETV plus ADV treatment is an efficient and safe treatment for CHB and compensated liver cirrhosis patients who experienced NA treatment failure. The high quantity of baseline HBV DNA level is a risk factor for poor efficacy of salvage treatment.
Tackling the threat of antimicrobial resistance: from policy to sustainable action
Authors: Shallcross Laura J. , Howard Simon J. , Fowler Tom , Davies Sally C.
Published: April 2015

Antibiotics underpin all of modern medicine, from routine major surgery through to caesarean sections and modern cancer therapies. These drugs have revolutionized how we practice medicine, but we are in a constant evolutionary battle to evade microbial resistance and this has become a major global public health problem. We have overused and misused these essential medicines both in the human and animal health sectors and this threatens the effectiveness of antimicrobials for future generations. We can only address the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through international collaboration across human and animal health sectors integrating social, economic and behavioural factors. Our global organizations are rising to the challenge with the recent World Health Assembly resolution on AMR and development of the Global Action plan but we must act now to avoid a return to a pre-antibiotic era.
Antimicrobial resistance in humans, livestock and the wider environment
Authors: Woolhouse Mark , Ward Melissa , van Bunnik Bram , Farrar Jeremy
Published: April 2015

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans is inter-linked with AMR in other populations, especially farm animals, and in the wider environment. The relatively few bacterial species that cause disease in humans, and are the targets of antibiotic treatment, constitute a tiny subset of the overall diversity of bacteria that includes the gut microbiota and vast numbers in the soil. However, resistance can pass between these different populations; and homologous resistance genes have been found in pathogens, normal flora and soil bacteria. Farm animals are an important component of this complex system: they are exposed to enormous quantities of antibiotics (despite attempts at reduction) and act as another reservoir of resistance genes. Whole genome sequencing is revealing and beginning to quantify the two-way traffic of AMR bacteria between the farm and the clinic. Surveillance of bacterial disease, drug usage and resistance in livestock is still relatively poor, though improving, but achieving better antimicrobial stewardship on the farm is challenging: antibiotics are an integral part of industrial agriculture and there are very few alternatives. Human production and use of antibiotics either on the farm or in the clinic is but a recent addition to the natural and ancient process of antibiotic production and resistance evolution that occurs on a global scale in the soil. Viewed in this way, AMR is somewhat analogous to climate change, and that suggests that an intergovernmental panel, akin to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, could be an appropriate vehicle to actively address the problem.
Developing the elements of information integration in the real estate and user services
Authors: Sillanpää Elina , Sillanpää Ilkka
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of the study is to formulate a model for the information integration development. The service supply chain is managed with information; therefore, the functionality of the flow of information is an essential part of service business. The aim of this study is to address this issue by looking into the meaning and development of the elements of information integration in real estate and user services.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is a qualitative research into elements of information integration and developing them in real estate and user services. Collecting the data for the study consisted of three stages: a workshop and two rounds of interviews.

Findings

– The finding of the study is a model for developing information integration in a real estate and user services. The model presents the meanings of the six elements which integration consists of and which need to be developed to increase information integration.

Research limitations/implications

– In services, the supply chain is typically shorter than in production. This study is limited to analyse the supply chain between a customer and a service provider since these are the most significant and often the only parties in the supply chain of real estate and user services.

Practical implications

– The results can be utilized when developing information integration in the service supply chain and developing service providers operations.

Originality/value

– The research results bring additional value to the previous studies regarding elements of information integration by developing a model for the sequence of development of these elements.
Risk ranking and analysis in PPP water supply infrastructure projects
Authors: Ameyaw Ernest Effah , Chan Albert P.C
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to identify and evaluate the most significant risk factors that strongly affect the implementation of public–private partnership (PPP) water supply projects. PPP for water supply infrastructure services has seen continued growth over the past two decades, following public sector’s budgetary constraints and inability to provide infrastructure-based water services efficiently and cost effectively. However, these projects are often subjected to major risks leading to failures.

Design/methodology/approach

– Following extensive literature review and case study analyses, an international questionnaire survey was conducted with practicing and experienced PPP experts to establish the significant risks in PPP water projects. Both the probability of occurrence and severity of 40 risks were evaluated by the expert panel to determine their significance and impact on water projects procured under the PPP arrangement.

Findings

– The paper presents a derived risk factor list, ranks the factors and describes the “top-ranked” risk factors as: poor contract design, water pricing and tariff review uncertainty, political interference, public resistance to PPP, construction time and cost overrun, non-payment of bills, lack of PPP experience, financing risk, faulty demand forecasting, high operational costs and conflict between partners.

Originality/value

– This factor list broadens PPP stakeholders’ view of important project risks, rather than relying on culture-dependent studies – an area that has received less attention in PPP risk management research. The identified risk factors would provide governments and investors a useful tool in implementing constructive water PPPs by facilitating the development of risk mitigation strategies, particularly for developing countries with poor risk management practices.
Innovations in inpatient flow and bed management
Authors: Waring Teresa S. , Alexander Martin
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address a gap in operations management empirical research through the use of diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory to develop further insight into patient flow and bed management, a problem that has been taxing healthcare organizations across the world.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used an action research (AR) approach and was conducted over an 18-month period within an acute hospital in the north east of England. Data were generated through enacting AR cycles, interviews, participant observation, document analysis, diaries, meetings, questionnaires and statistical analysis.

Findings

– The research conducted within this study has not only led to practical outcomes for the hospital in terms of the successful adoption of a new patient flow system but has also led to new knowledge about the determinants of diffusion for technological and process innovations in healthcare organizations which are complex and highly political.

Research limitations/implications

– AR is not suited to all organizations and is most appropriate within those that are culturally attuned to participative and democratic ways of working. The results from this study are not generalizable but some similar organizations may see merits in this approach.

Social implications

– The AR approach has supported the hospital in adopting the new system, PFMS. This system is helping to improve the quality of patient care, providing facilities to support the work of clinicians, aiding timely discharge of well patients back into the community and saving the hospital money in terms of not needing to open emergency “winter” wards.

Originality/value

– From an operations management perspective this work has demonstrated the potential to bring theory, in this case DOI theory, and practice closer together as well as show how academic research can impact organizations. Local-H intends to continue developing its AR approach and take it into other systems projects.
Operations strategies of engine assembly plants in the Brazilian automotive industry
Authors: Alves Filho Alceu Gomes , Nogueira Edemilson , Bento Paulo Eduardo Gomes
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the operations strategies (OSs) adopted by six of the all seven automobile engine manufacturers in action in Brazil during the years of 2005 and 2006.

Design/methodology/approach

– Semi-structured interviews were held with at least one of the top managers at each engine manufacturing plant to collect information about the aforementioned strategies. The questions were aimed at identifying possible changes, over a four years period, in some of the operations-related competitive priorities and decision areas.

Findings

– This research revealed the strategies adopted by six of the all seven major automobile engine manufacturers installed in Brazil in 2005, enabling a discussion of relevant themes from both the theoretical and practical standpoints. Competitive priorities and decision areas form a very inter-related system and any significant change of OSs requires significant investments, effort and time.

Research limitations/implications

– Case studies were carried out in a specific context of the automobile market in Brazil in 2005 and 2006. Firms must treat operations as a system that changes continuously.

Practical implications

– In dealing with operations as a system, managers should know and apply OS concepts. This is even more important at dynamic (economic) sectors/industries.

Originality/value

– This paper describes and discusses – via qualitative research and in a comprehensive way – the OSs of two groups (established and entrant manufacturers) of firms in a relatively dynamic context in Brazil.
Moral compass framework
Authors: Green Pam , Bowden John A.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is as follows: locate our moral compass framework (Bowden and Green, 2014) within the moral development literature; demonstrate how the framework can be used to analyse complex system-wide problems; and propose change in doctoral education.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper shows the analysis of transcripts of 50 interviews with doctoral students and supervisors. Four scenarios, each a composite derived primarily from the interview data, were analysed using the framework, complemented by reference to the moral development literature.

Findings

– The structure of the framework and meaning of the constructs’ collective morality, moral advocacy and moral mediation are elaborated and further explained through the analysis of the four scenarios, showing how the framework can contribute to resolution of complex system-wide problems and how they facilitate moral development within a multi-level system. Six proposals for change in the doctoral education system, at the individual, organisational and national levels, are derived from those analyses.

Originality/value

– The use of our moral compass framework to analyse the four scenarios demonstrates its applicability to real situations and its complementarity with the moral development literature. The paper also shows that the framework is more powerful and of broader impact than the moral development models published to date. The changes proposed for the doctoral education system, based on the moral compass framework and its application to the four scenarios, have the potential to change practice in ways that benefit everyone involved in the system – candidates, supervisors, management and government personnel.
Students’ environmental responsibility and their willingness to pay for green buildings
Authors: Attaran Sharmin , Celik Bilge Gokhan
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to explore environmental attitudes and how such attitudes, when combined with a specific cost, can affect environmental behavior. Environmental attitudes are important to study due to the rising belief by building occupants that they are owed safe, healthy, environmentally responsible, and comfortable living environments. Universities around the world are responding to such demands as the majority of prospective college students and their parents claim that the environmental record is a determining factor in their selection of a university. Therefore, this study examines the environmental responsibility levels of a sample student population and to explore how these scores, along with gender, impact their willingness to pay for studying and living in green buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

– An online survey consisting of three parts was administered to undergraduate university students to measure environmental responsibility, willingness to pay and demographic variables. Statistical analyses including ANOVA,t-tests and correlation were conducted to explore relationships among variables.

Findings

– Results of statistical analyses show a direct correlation between environmental responsibility and willingness to pay for green buildings, as defined by a leading green building assessment system. Results also show that female students are more environmentally responsible than males.

Practical implications

– Successful generalizations of the findings of this research may lead to better marketing of green buildings to the general public.

Originality/value

– Findings present a unique opportunity for university administrations to develop more focused messages when communicating their environmental record with current and potential students.
An overview of management education for sustainability in Asia
Authors: Wu Yen-Chun Jim , Shen Ju-Peng , Kuo Tsuang
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the holistic picture of sustainability curricula in Asian higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

– Content analysis was conducted based on Asian management education for sustainability in higher education. Online courses arrangement, teaching methods, instructors’ educational background and cross-referencing data between triple bottom line and sustainability courses have been investigated.

Findings

– The paper provides empirical insights about the current state of sustainability education in Asia. The results show that there is an opportunity for interdisciplinary integration, as there are imbalanced sustainability courses offered by business, science and engineering schools. It also suggests that Asian universities should add an international connection and active promotion of sustainability education on their Web sites.

Research limitations/implications

– Findings are based on web-based sustainability -related courses. Future research could apply method of case study to do a deeper study.

Practical implications

– The paper provides an overview of Asian management education for sustainability and curricula analysis through our research, and that this will further assist in the development of interdisciplinary integration in Asian management education for sustainability.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first attempt to gain better understanding of sustainability-related courses offered in leading business/management colleges in Asia.
Calculation of account reachability risk for users having multiple SNS accounts from user’s profile and regional information
Authors: Yoshikuni Ayano , Watanabe Chiemi
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to argue that social networking service users should be vigilant in protecting the relationship between multiple accounts.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, the authors propose the use of account reachability, a measure of privacy risk which demonstrates the possibility of a stranger finding a user’s private account based on information in their public account. In addition, they present ARChecker, a tool to calculate the value of account reachability. ARChecker also provides advice on how to modify the user’s profiles and messages to decrease the privacy risk.

Findings

– The system very simply checks account reachability and shows the result and reasons for accessibility to personal information. From the results, users can learn how to protect themselves from privacy risk by taking certain measures.

Originality/value

– This paper proposes account reachability, a new measure of privacy risk, and presents ARChecker, a tool to calculate the value of account reachability.
Effective keyword query structuring using NER for XML retrieval
Authors: Roko Abubakar , Doraisamy Shyamala , Jantan Azrul Hazri , Azman Azreen
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose and evaluate XKQSS, a query structuring method that relegates the task of generating structured queries from a user to a search engine while retaining the simple keyword search query interface. A more effective way for searching XML database is to use structured queries. However, using query languages to express queries prove to be difficult for most users since this requires learning a query language and knowledge of the underlying data schema. On the other hand, the success of Web search engines has made many users to be familiar with keyword search and, therefore, they prefer to use a keyword search query interface to search XML data.

Design/methodology/approach

– Existing query structuring approaches require users to provide structural hints in their input keyword queries even though their interface is keyword base. Other problems with existing systems include their inability to put keyword query ambiguities into consideration during query structuring and how to select the best generated structure query that best represents a given keyword query. To address these problems, this study allows users to submit a schema independent keyword query, use named entity recognition (NER) to categorize query keywords to resolve query ambiguities and compute semantic information for a node from its data content. Algorithms were proposed that find user search intentions and convert the intentions into a set of ranked structured queries.

Findings

– Experiments with Sigmod and IMDB datasets were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the method. The experimental result shows that the XKQSS is about 20 per cent more effective than XReal in terms of return nodes identification, a state-of-art systems for XML retrieval.

Originality/value

– Existing systems do not take keyword query ambiguities into account. XKSS consists of two guidelines based on NER that help to resolve these ambiguities before converting the submitted query. It also include a ranking function computes a score for each generated query by using both semantic information and data statistic, as opposed to data statistic only approach used by the existing approaches.
Relevance status value model of Index Islamicus on Islamic History and Civilizations
Authors: Othman Roslina , Salahuddin Ashraf Ali
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purposes of this study were to measure the relevance status of Index Islamicus, evaluate the semantic correlation between a query and documents and inquire the basis of its rank. Sorting the retrieved results from the most relevant to the least relevant is the common option of an information retrieval system. This sorting mechanism or relevance judgment is computed by measuring closeness of query with its documents.

Design/methodology/approach

– Forming up 100 queries on Islamic History and Civilizations, with two indexing elements (keyword and concept), a laboratory experiment was generated on its first ten items of the rank. Throughout an experimental research design, the relevance status value formula was used to measure system-computed rank and compare it with mean average precision.

Findings

– The results showed that the average status value of Index Islamicus’s ranking on relevance criterion was 18 per cent effective in terms of retrieving precise documents. Despite the main focus of this study being only on one subject domain and the items calculated were only 1,000, this small percentage of its ranking mechanism proved that semantic correlations between queries with subject domain did not achieve the satisfactory level.

Research limitations/implications

– Implication of this study could be a guideline for further research on ranking mechanism of other search engines because the limitation of this study was Index Islamicus being the only database, which was the focus of this study.

Practical implications

– Throughout this study, Index Islamicus would be benefited knowing the status of its ranking mechanism as well as other databases can make further research on their own ranking method following this study.

Social implications

– Researchers and vendors of online databases can ensure their users a true platform of search engine with a proper ranking list.

Originality/value

– Relevance status value model for Index Islamicus on Islamic History and Civilization that allows the system to rank documents according to the match between document and query and gives the idea of a better index. The model improves the system’s ranking mechanism, and promotes the use of semantic relationships. This research promotes the computation of relevance status value by domain for capturing subject-specific relevance criteria and semantic relationships.
Influence of individual investor sentiment on Taiwan option prices during 2007-2010 financial crisis
Authors: Szu Wen-Ming , Yang Wan-Ru
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper investigates changes in risk-neutral distribution derived from Taiwan stockindex options under different market conditions. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether individual investor sentiment significantly influences the Taiwan option prices.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors adopt the optimization method to estimate the risk-neutral distribution from the Taiwan stock index options and use the t-test to examine the difference in risk-neutral skewness, kurtosis, and confidence interval between the pre-crisis and crisis periods. This paper tests the impact of individual investor sentiment on risk-neutral skewness and confidence interval in two sub-periods.

Findings

– The authors find that errors in individual investors’ expectations significantly influence the Taiwan stock index option prices.

Research limitations/implications

– The data concerning the sentiment of speculative institutional investors are incomplete for the Taiwan option market. Therefore, this paper focusses on the analysis of individual investor sentiment. Further research can study the impact of institutional investor sentiment in emerging markets.

Social implications

– The previous literature has suggested that option prices reflect information before the information is revealed in stock prices. Therefore, an important implication is to analyze the information quality revealed in option prices by studying whether the changes in option prices are due to investor sentiment or non-sentiment-related components.

Originality/value

– Most of the studies in the literature have focussed on the US option market, and their applicability may vary across different microstructures. This paper shows that the influence of individual investor sentiment in an emerging market is different from that in the US market.