bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Z and W charts for controlling service processes
Authors: Requeijo José Gomes , Puga-Leal Rogério , Matos Ana Sofia 
Published: January 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the causes for the discrepancy between the utilization of statistical process control (SPC) in services and manufacturing. Furthermore, an approach for integrating customer demands and technical aspects of a service is presented. Services are very often characterized by a large number of characteristics, with relatively few observations. This research addresses a methodology based on Z and W charts, proposing it for the control of service features. An example associated with service provision is presented to illustrate the computation of Z and W as well as its interpretation.

Design/methodology/approach
The shortcomings of traditional control charts are stated and compared with the control charts for Z and W. An example illustrates how to utilize these charts, their ability to monitor several characteristics simultaneously, along with a continuous monitoring of process capability.

Findings
The proposed approach allowed the representation of several process characteristics in the same charts, even when those characteristics are not collected with the same periodicity. The Z and W charts are dimensionless and can be applied whenever it is possible to estimate process parameters, being an interesting approach to be utilized in Phase 2 of SPC. The difficulty for identifying the existence of non-random patterns emerges as the major shortcoming for these charts.

Research limitations/implications
The proposed approach is a contribute to overcoming the discrepancy that persists between the utilization of SPC in services and manufacturing. Nevertheless, service production and consumption are frequently simultaneous, which constitutes an issue hard to deal with that is not fully addressed in this piece of research. Furthermore, the Z charts also present some disadvantages, notably an increased difficulty for analyzing the existence of non-random patterns, which worsens as increases the number of products/quality characteristics to be checked.

Practical implications
The proposed charts are very flexible and provide a rational utilization of resources. In fact, the representation of several processes is possible, along with the traditional analysis of patterns, thus providing an effective approach for controlling services processes.

Social implications
Several quantitative approaches that have been utilized in manufacturing for a long time are still scarce in services. However, services play a major role in modern economies, being clear that improvements in service provision might have a direct impact on society.

Originality/value
The approach was based on the utilization of Z/W with samples, but it can be extended to individual observations or even to the control of discrete variables. Additionally, a methodology for process capability analysis in real-time is also proposed.
Six Sigma DMAIC project to improve the performance of an aluminum die casting operation in Portugal
Authors: Marques Pedro Alexandre de Albuquerque , Matthé Robert 
Published: January 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an application of the Six Sigma define, measure, analyze, improve, control (DMAIC) problem-solving methodology in a Portuguese industrial enterprise, aimed at reducing the rejection rate of a specific manufactured product due to defects generated in an aluminum gravity die casting operation.

Design/methodology/approach
Along the five-stage roadmap, a set of analytical and conceptual tools was systematically employed to better characterize the problem, define the product’s critical to quality characteristics, estimate the process baseline, determine the relevant cause-and-effect relationships, identify the root causes leading to the high rejection rate, implement an improvement plan, determine the effectiveness of the improvement actions, and put in place a control plan.

Findings
The project team discovered that the high rejection rate was caused by factors inherent to the gravity die casting operation itself and by the mixing of rejected parts made of different types of alloys from other locations within the plant. Another key finding was that the successful execution of the project was only possible due to the belief and support of top management and to the active involvement of the team members.

Practical implications
This case study illustrates a successful practical application of a Six Sigma project in a small-medium enterprise in Portugal, as well as the operational and financial benefits that derived from it; thus providing a good example for others to follow.

Originality/value
Few cases of continual improvement initiatives, including Six Sigma projects, developed at a Portuguese company are available in the literature; this paper fills such void by describing a very successful application that demonstrates the advantages that other companies can learn in terms of adopting structured methodologies to improve the quality of their products and the efficiency of their processes. Moreover, the analysis and conclusions herein presented can be of great importance for companies using gravity die casting technology.
Supply chain of the Indian public distribution system: a new paradigm
Authors: Bohtan Ajay , Vrat Prem , Vij Anil K. 
Published: January 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) in the supply chain of the existing Indian public distribution system (PDS) and to analyse the same with a view to arriving at the vital recommended strategies for making the supply chain more effective and efficient.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines a new hybrid method for improving the usability of SWOT analysis. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been integrated with SWOT analysis. Use of the AHP method on the SWOT factors has yielded analytically determined priorities for the factors included in SWOT analysis and made them commensurable. The main aim in applying the hybrid method was to improve the quantitative information basis of strategy planning processes. The paper was started by listing the various factors of the four different groups of SWOT with reference to the PDS. After further shortlisting, pairwise comparisons were carried out using a software (Super Decisions) to arrive at prioritised factors for each group. The strategy options were then formulated and prioritised on the basis of the existing weightages of each factor.

Findings
The results indicated that use of available ICT solutions as part of the “Digital India” is vital in achieving the most important potential strategy alternatives in improving the supply chain for the PDS.

Practical implications
The analysis helps in identifying strategies to improve the existing supply chain of the Indian PDS and make it more efficient and cost effective.

Originality/value
This paper provides some useful insight into the SWOT analysis of the Indian PDS with specific reference to the supply chain management issues of the PDS.
Use of Cardiac Injury Markers in the Postmortem Diagnosis of Sudden Cardiac Death
Authors: Carvajal‐Zarrabal Octavio , Hayward‐Jones Patricia M. , Nolasco‐Hipolito Cirilo , Barradas‐Dermitz Dulce Ma. , Calderón‐Garcidueñas Ana Laura , López‐Amador Noé 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIn the daily practice of forensic pathology, sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a diagnostic challenge. Our aim was to determine the usefulness of blood biomarkers [creatine kinase CK‐MB, myoglobin, troponins I and T (cTn‐I and T), and lactate dehydrogenase] measured by immunoassay technique, in the postmortem diagnosis of SCD. Two groups were compared, 20 corpses with SCD and 8 controls. Statistical significance was determined by variance analysis procedures, with a post hoc Tukey multiple range test for comparison of means (p < 0.05). SCD cases showed significantly higher levels (p < 0.05) of cTn‐T and cTn‐I compared to the control group. Although only cases within the first 8 h of postmortem interval were included, and the control group consisted mainly of violent death cases, our results suggest that blood troponin levels may be useful to support a diagnosis of SCD.
Individual Physician Penalties Resulting From Violation of Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act: A Review of Office of the Inspector General Patient Dumping Settlements, 2002–2015
Authors: Terp Sophie , Wang Brandon , Raffetto Brian , Seabury Seth A. , Menchine Michael 
Published: January 2017

AbstractObjectiveThe objective was to describe characteristics of civil monetary penalty settlements levied by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) against individual physicians related to violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).MethodsDescriptions of all civil monetary penalty settlements between 2002 and 2015 were obtained from the OIG. Characteristics of settlements against individual physicians related to EMTALA violations were described including settlement date, location, amount, whether there was an associated hospital settlement, the medical specialty of the physician involved, and the nature of the allegation.ResultsOf 196 OIG civil monetary penalty settlements related to EMTALA, eight (4%) were levied against individual physicians, and 188 (96%) against facilities. Seven of the eight penalties against individual physicians were imposed upon on‐call specialists, including six who failed to respond to evaluate and treat a patient in the emergency department (ED), and one who failed to accept appropriate transfer of a patient requiring higher level of care. The only penalty imposed on an emergency physician involved a case where a provider repeatedly failed to provide a medical screening examination to a pregnant teen based on the erroneous belief that a minor could not be evaluated or treated absent parental consent. Four of eight penalties against individual physicians were levied within the first 3 years of the 14‐year study period. Half of all physician settlements were associated with a separate hospital civil monetary penalty settlement.ConclusionsFor emergency physicians, a civil monetary penalty is a feared consequence of EMTALA enforcement, as a physician can be held individually liable for fine of up to $50,000 not covered by malpractice insurance. Although EMTALA is an actively enforced law, and violation of the EMTALA statute often results in hospital citations and fines, and occasionally facility closure, we found that individual physicians are rarely penalized by the OIG following EMTALA violation. Individual physician penalties are far less common than hospital citations or fines related to EMTALA or malpractice claims or payments. The majority of penalties against individual physicians were levied upon on‐call specialists who refused to evaluate and treat ED patients. Only one emergency physician was fined during the study period for a clear violation of the EMTALA statute. Physicians should be diligent to ensure appropriate patient care and that facilities are compliant with the EMTALA statute, but should be aware that settlements against individual physicians are a rare consequence of EMTALA enforcement.
‘The early bird catches the nest’: possible competition between scops owls and ring‐necked parakeets
Authors: Mori E. , Ancillotto L. , Menchetti M. , Strubbe D. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCompetition for critical resources is one of the key mechanisms through which invasive species impact on native communities. Among birds, the widely introduced ring‐necked parakeet Psittacula krameri locally affects cavity‐nesting communities through competition for suitable tree cavities, although it remains unclear to what extent such competition translates into population declines of native species. Here, we studied the potential for nest site competition between ring‐necked parakeets and the native scops owl Otus scops, a small nocturnal migratory raptor, by comparing the spatial distribution of the nest site locations of the raptor before (2002) and after (2015) the parakeet invasion. Pre‐invasion nesting sites of scops owls (2002) strongly coincided with those selected by ring‐necked parakeets, but although both parakeet and scops owl populations increased during the study period, this was no longer true for 2015. Ring‐necked parakeets took over several cavities formerly occupied by scops owls, and land‐use data suggest that because of the higher overall breeding densities in 2015, scops owls were forced to occupy suboptimal breeding habitats to minimize nest site competition with invasive parakeets. Ring‐necked parakeets start breeding early in the season, a behaviour enabling them to secure the best nest sites first, before the owls return from their wintering grounds. Our study highlights that locally observed competition not necessarily impacts on population dynamics of competing species and thus warns against uncritical extrapolation of smaller scale studies for assessing invasive species risks at larger spatial scales. Nonetheless, given the increasing number of studies demonstrating its competitive capacities, monitoring of ring‐necked parakeet populations is prudent and mitigation measures (such as mounting of man‐made nest‐boxes, which are used by scops owls, but not by parakeets) may be justified when the parakeets are likely to invade areas harbouring cavity‐nesters of conservation concern.
Autophagy in renal tubular injury and repair
Authors: Lin F. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAutophagy is a fundamental cellular process that maintains normal function and structure of the cell. It can be induced during stress and serves as an adaptive response for cell survival. Normal kidneys have high metabolic demands yet are relatively hypoxic, especially in the medulla and papilla. Injury or ageing aggravates metabolic perturbation and activates autophagy in many types of renal cells. In the kidney, tubular epithelial cells consume the most energy due to active transport mechanisms and therefore are the most susceptible to injuries from hypoxic or low‐energy states. This brief review will summarize current understandings of the biological function and molecular regulation of epithelial autophagy during tubular injury and repair.
Defining endoscopic response and remission in ulcerative colitis clinical trials: an international consensus
Authors: Vuitton L. , Peyrin‐Biroulet L. , Colombel J. F. , Pariente B. , Pineton de Chambrun G. , Walsh A. J. , Panes J. , Travis S. P. L. , Mary J. Y. , Marteau P. 
Published: January 2017

SummaryBackgroundRecently, endpoints for clinical trials have been changing from measuring clinical response to mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis. Endoscopic evaluation is the current gold standard to assess mucosal lesions and has become a major measure of therapeutic efficacy in addition to patients reported outcomes.AimTo achieve consensus on endoscopic definitions of remission and response for clinical trials in patients with ulcerative colitis.MethodsIn reaching the current international recommendations on an International Organization For the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) initiative, we first performed a systematic review of technical aspects of endoscopic scoring systems. Then, to achieve consensus on endoscopic definitions of remission and response for clinical trials, we conducted a two‐round vote using a Delphi‐style process among fifteen specialists in the field of inflammatory bowel diseases.ResultsThe literature review showed that many endoscopic indices have been proposed to evaluate disease activity in ulcerative colitis; most are unvalidated and arbitrary definitions have been used in clinical trials for defining endoscopic response or remission. At the end of the voting process, the investigators ranked initially the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) 0 for the definition of endoscopic remission, and a decrease in Mayo endoscopic score ≥1 grade or a decrease in UCEIS ≥2 points for the definition of endoscopic response in ulcerative colitis.ConclusionsThese international recommendations represent the first consensus on measurement indices for endoscopic outcomes in ulcerative colitis. They should be subject to prospective testing in clinical trials of ulcerative colitis.
Elemental diet decreases inflammation and improves symptoms in adult eosinophilic oesophagitis patients
Authors: Warners M. J. , Vlieg‐Boerstra B. J. , Verheij J. , van Rhijn B. D. , Van Ampting M. T. J. , Harthoorn L. F. , de Jonge W. J. , Smout A. J. P. M. , Bredenoord A. J. 
Published: January 2017

SummaryBackgroundEosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease, driven by food allergens. Elemental diets are effective for the management of children with EoE, but studies on the effect of elemental diets in adults are scarce and poor palatability challenges dietary adherence.AimTo assess the effects of an elemental diet (Neocate, Nutricia, Utrecht, the Netherlands) on the inflammation, symptoms and endoscopic signs in adult EoE patients.MethodsIn this prospective study, 21 patients with active EoE, confirmed by biopsies showing ≥15 eosinophils per microscopic high power field (HPF) and symptoms of oesophageal dysfunction were included. Patients underwent endoscopy before and 4 weeks after diet. Histological disease activity (peak eosinophil count/HPF), and endoscopic signs were scored by physicians. Symptoms and adherence to the diet were evaluated by questionnaires. Serum total IgE levels and total eosinophil counts were determined and the expression of inflammatory cytokines was analysed by qPCR.ResultsIn total, 17 (81%) of the patients completed the diet, of whom 12 (71%) showed complete histological response (≤15 eosinophils/HPF) and 4 (24%) showed partial histological response (≥50% reduction of baseline eosinophil count). Peak eosinophil counts decreased significantly after the diet from 40 to 9 per HPF (P ≤ 0.001). A marked improvement in endoscopic signs was observed. Symptoms decreased significantly in all subjects, and 15 patients (88%) became completely asymptomatic (P ≤ 0.001). In 14 patients (82%), blood eosinophil count and serum IgE decreased (P ≤ 0.05).ConclusionElemental diet reduces eosinophilic inflammation and induces clinical remission in adult patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis.
Efficacy of olanzapine for the prophylaxis of chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Yang Ting , Liu Qianxin , Lu Min , Ma Lingyue , Zhou Ying , Cui Yimin 
Published: January 2017

AimThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of olanzapine for the prevention of chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).MethodsThe literature was searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of olanzapine for the prophylaxis of CINV using PubMed, Embase, Central, as well as clinicaltrials.gov for unpublished studies. The endpoints of the study were the number of patients who achieved a complete response (CR; no emesis and no rescue) and no nausea in the acute, delayed and overall phases. Two authors independently selected studies, assessed the risk of bias and extracted data. The included RCTs were analysed using RevMan 5.3 provided by the Cochrane Collaboration.ResultsTen RCTs were identified for the meta‐analysis. Compared with other antiemetic agents, olanzapine significantly improved the CR in the delayed and overall phases, but did not enhance the CR in the acute phase. For the control of CINV, olanzapine was better than and comparable with aprepitant in the acute phase and delayed phase, respectively. Compared with placebo, treatment with 5 mg and 10 mg olanzapine exhibited similar efficacy in terms of the CR in the delayed and overall phases.ConclusionsOlanzapine is an excellent alternative for the prophylaxis of CINV. Olanzapine 5 mg per day should be recommended as the initial dose because of equivalent efficacy to a 10 mg dose but a lower potential risk of side effects. Further studies are needed to explore the optimal combination of medicines.
Importance of functional groups in predicting the activity of small molecule inhibitors for Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL
Authors: Kanakaveti Vishnupriya , Sakthivel Ramasamy , Rayala S. K. , Gromiha M. Michael 
Published: January 2017

Evasion of apoptosis owing to aberrant expression of Bcl‐2 (B‐cell lymphoma‐2) anti‐apoptotic proteins is a promising hallmark of cancer. These proteins are associated with resistance to chemotherapy and radiation. Currently available QSAR models are limited to a set of inhibitors corresponding to a particular chemical scaffold, and unified models are required to identify the differential specificity of diverse compounds toward inhibiting these targets. In this study, we predicted the factors driving differential activity and specificity implementing multiplexed QSAR analysis for a dataset of 1,649 reported inhibitors of Bcl‐2 (B‐cell lymphoma‐2) and Bcl‐xL (B‐cell lymphoma‐extra large). We developed QSAR models for seven diverse scaffolds and critically analyzed the chemical space with coupling factors. The correlation values of QSAR models for Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL range from 0.95 to 0.985. The MAE and sMAPE of the models were in the range of 0.052–5.4 nm and 0.41%–10%, respectively, signifying model robustness. The crucial descriptors and moieties accounting for the activity were benchmarked against experimentally determined binding patterns. The comprehensive analysis made in the study explores latent features of the chemical space in a broad perspective. Further, we have developed a user‐friendly Web server for predicting a specific/dual inhibitor of Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL [http://www.iitm.ac.in/bioinfo/APPLE/].
The role of criteria in selecting important areas for conservation in biodiversity‐rich territories
Authors: Sánchez de Dios Rut , Cabal Ruano Ciro , Domínguez Lozano Felipe , Sainz Ollero Helios , Moreno Saiz Juan Carlos 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAimTo improve our knowledge of the process of selection of important plant areas (IPAs), a recent requirement of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The study was conducted at a hotspot of plant conservation in the European continent, using a comprehensive database of plant species distribution in the area.LocationSpain.MethodsWe used range distribution data for 3218 vascular plants found in Spain, in the form of 10 km UTM squares, totalling 169,124 species occurrences across 5508 UTM cells. We identified IPAs by scoring threat status, endemism, rarity, phylogeny and species richness. We then performed two different analyses, with and without incorporating the species richness score of every square. Finally, a null model was used to obtain a general pattern of species occurrences, we computed an index of occurrence richness (SI), and then we selected a number of specific territories of different sizes to reveal differences in sampling effort within the study area.ResultsWe identified IPAs in Spain according to the proposed scoring method. We detected a positive relationship among richness and total score calculated with the rest of the criteria. However, endemism and threat status produced certain specific effects for species‐poor squares. Regarding sample bias, we detected over‐ and under‐recorded areas. This bias seems to be due to the accumulation of field prospecting in species‐rich areas in detriment to poor areas.Main conclusionsWe envisage two different approaches to address IPA selection in hotspots. First, we advocate a complementary scoring‐mapping method for areas where a relatively large amount of range distribution data and plant knowledge is available. Secondly, as richness per se encompasses a great amount of biogeographical information, we suggest using species richness or any other environmental surrogate to delineate preliminary IPAs in poorly known but species‐rich territories.