bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Managing a variable acute patient flow – categorising the strategies
Authors: Olsson Olle , Aronsson Håkan 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to explore if actions used at a hospital to manage a variable acute patient flow can be categorised using the concepts of lean, agile and leagile.Design/methodology/approach– Empirical evidence from a university hospital was gathered by interviews, internal documents, shadowing and participation in meetings. Identified actions used at both hospital level and departmental level are categorised as lean or agile, while combinations of actions are compared with different leagile approaches.Findings– Actions from every lean and agile category derived from literature are used at the hospital, however in varying extent. Many agile actions are reactive, indicating a lack of proactive measures. Actions that directly manage external variation are also few in numbers. Leagile approaches of all three combinations derived from literature are also used at the hospital.Research limitations/implications– As a single-case study is used, empirical generalisation to other hospitals cannot be deduced. Future research assessing the appropriateness of different actions for managing a variable acute patient flow is encouraged.Practical implications– The use of actions within both lean and agile categories indicate the possibility of combining these process strategies in hospitals, and not only focusing on implementing lean. By cleverly combining lean and agile actions, leagile approaches can be formed.Originality/value– The use of lean in health care has been a topic of research, while the use of agile has been sparsely researched, as well as the combination of the two.
Coordinating collaboration in contractually different complex construction projects
Authors: Lavikka Rita Henriikka , Smeds Riitta , Jaatinen Miia 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The paper aims to compare the coordination of supply chain networks in contractually different complex construction projects.Design/methodology/approach– A comparative case study of the coordination of collaborative work in two successful hospital construction projects was conducted. One of the projects applied multiple dyadic contracts, whereas the other project applied one multi-party contract between the parties. The projects were located in the USA. Data were collected by observing the coordination on the construction sites for six weeks and by conducting 72 interviews.Findings– The paper shows that depending on the contract type, the timing and extent of complementary procedural coordination differs during projects. Compared with one multi-party contract, the dyadic contracts needed to be complemented during the design phase with three additional procedural coordination mechanisms: organizational design, processes for collaborative work and integrated concurrent engineering sessions. Additionally, common rules of conduct were taken into use during the construction phase. However, regardless of the contract type, procedural coordination mechanisms, such as co-located working, collaborative decision-making in inter-organizational meetings, a liaison role and shared project goals were needed throughout the projects.Practical implications– If multiple dyadic contracts are applied, procedural coordination mechanisms have to be co-created by all supply chain parties at the beginning of the project.Originality/value– The paper provides an understanding on successful contractual and complementary procedural coordination mechanisms of supply chain networks in complex construction projects.
Characteristics of the most expensive residential placements for adults with learning disabilities in South East England: a follow-up survey
Authors: Deveau Roy , McGill Peter , Poynter Jo 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of the highest cost residential placements provided for adults with learning disabilities in the South East of England, comparing findings with a previous survey.

Design/methodology/approach
– Lead commissioners for NHS and Local Authority teams in the South-East of England were asked to provide information on the five highest cost placements that they currently commissioned.

Findings
– The average placement cost was £200,000 per annum with a range from £81,000 to £430,000 per annum. Individual characteristics of people placed were broadly similar to those identified in previous studies.

Originality/value
– Significant resources are used to support relatively few individuals. These individuals’ needs and characteristics suggest areas for research and practice development.
The use of cognitive behaviour therapy to treat depression in people with learning disabilities: a systematic review
Authors: Jennings Caroline , Hewitt Olivia 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is currently one of the recommended treatments for depression for the general population and guidance recommends that people with a learning disability should have access to the same treatments as people without a learning disability. The purpose of this paper is to identify, outline and evaluate current research on the effectiveness of CBT for depression for people with a learning disability. The clinical, service and research implications are considered.

Design/methodology/approach
– A systematic search was conducted and five relevant articles were identified for critical review.

Findings
– There is a limited but promising evidence base for the use of CBT for depression with people with learning disabilities.

Research limitations/implications
– The current review identified a number of methodological issues and future research should attempt to overcome these (e.g. small sample sizes and lack of controls). In particular, research should focus on determining the relative contribution of cognitive and behavioural techniques in producing a change in depressive symptoms.

Practical implications
– Services (including those provided as part of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) should be offering CBT-based interventions for people with learning disabilities who are experiencing depression.

Originality/value
– This paper provides a comprehensive and up to date review of the current literature regarding the use of CBT for depression for people with a learning disability. This will be of value to clinicians working with people with a learning disability as well as those commissioning services.
Network analysis and football team performance: a first application
Authors: Trequattrini Raffaele , Lombardi Rosa , Battista Mirella 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to illustrate how network analysis can be used to assess the group relationships within a professional football team, starting from the assumption that team results depend, at least in part, on the interaction between team members on the pitch. Elaborating an evaluation model of team relationships can help management in making conscious choices with regards to footballer assessment, selection and acquisition.Design/methodology/approach– The methodology is based on a qualitative/quantitative approach. Data have been acquired through direct observation. UCINET 6.4 software was used to elaborate the data.Findings– An empirical observation was carried out according to the network analysis applicative process, through the analysis of a UEFA Champions League match. The objective was to illustrate the potential of network analysis to assess football team relationships and identify a system of quantitative key indicators, which can be used to elaborate a framework for evaluating the relationships in professional football teams.Originality/value– This model means that it is possible to analyse elements such as the group members’ attitude towards cooperation, providing an evaluation tool for membership relationships that have not yet been expressed through quantitative indicators, as these indicators are relevant in the development of football game tactics.
Multilevel influences of team viability perceptions
Authors: Costa Patrícia Lopes , Passos Ana Margarida , Barata M. Clara 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this article was to examine how individual positive emotions and team work engagement (TWE) relate to the perceptions of team viability.Design/methodology/approach– A total of 254 teams (N= 1,154 individuals) participated in this study, and a multilevel analysis was conducted of the effects of individual and team-level factors.Findings– The multilevel analysis results suggest a partial compensatory effect. High levels of individual positive emotions and high TWE are associated with a positive effect on the perceptions of team viability. Simultaneously, being part of a highly engaged team has a protective effect on perceptions of team viability, when individuals experience low levels of positive emotions.Research limitations/implications– As the study was conducted with teams involved in a management simulation, generalizing the results to “real world” teams must be done with caution.Practical implications– Nonetheless, these findings have important implications for managers of work groups. They highlight the need to consider collective states of work groups as relevant for their effectiveness, and suggest that promoting positive interactions between team members may result in gains in team viability perceptions, mostly when individual emotions are less positive.Originality/value– We consider both individual and collective affective experiences at work, and focus on a less studied outcome, team viability. Additionally, we empirically demonstrate the relevance of collective states of teams for team members’ individual perceptions, as a top-down influence mechanism.
Representations of team work among organizations with a social entrepreneurship profile
Authors: Pais Celso Alves , Parente Cristina 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to show how work-teams are represented and work in non-profit organizations. From a theoretical point of view, the concepts of macro-team and micro-team, as well as their dynamics rooted in the entrepreneurial world have been discussed.Design/methodology/approach– Seven socially enterprising organizations have been studied through semi-structured individual and collective interviews with managers, technicians with and without supervisory functions and workers. Data discussed here underwent an inductive analysis based on the procedures of grounded theory.Findings– Data analysis supported the outlining of the interviewees’ representations of their belonging to the macro-team and of the working of micro-teams. There seem to be no significant differences between the way teams work in these organizations and in profit-making organizations. However, in the organizations we have analyzed, autonomous planning of activities as a mechanism of work organization and assertiveness as a fundamental communication tool between members stand out.Research limitations/implications– This research did not include the systematic observation of work teams in the field. As such, reliability may be somehow compromised due to the use of the individual and group interview as the single data collection technique.Practical implications– The outline of representations that we have designed points to a set of dimensions that shows, with some reliability, how to build a sense of belonging to the macro-team among the workers of this type of organization. It also clarifies the difference between behaviors that foster effective and ineffective micro-teams. This allows action over the latter to potentiate the first and eventually eliminate the second.Originality/value– Considering the scarce research about team-work in non-profit organizations, this study offers a groundbreaking reflection. Further ahead, one may establish a set of differences and similarities between effective macro and micro-teams in different economic sectors. This way, this study may contribute to more encompassing organizational theories focused on the representations about and the functioning of macro and micro-teams.
Uni-economics: impact of sunspot on quality, productivity & business growth
Authors: Ho Sam 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– Historically, the study of the world’s economy was classified into Micro-economics and Macro-economics. Perhaps, contemporary economists should learn from the universe which we are part of. Let us name this as “Uni-economics.” Many scientists have found that sunspots affect human behavior. Some research findings even relate the 11-year periodic cycle to war and peace of mankind. It is also widely known in the medical profession that sunspot radiation actually affects our human body. With all these evidence in mind, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how sunspot activities can affect business growth since 1960s when the global economy was building up fast since the Second World War.Design/methodology/approach– The econometrics methodology deployed is in three steps. First, time series techniques were deployed to track down the changes of Sunspot Counts over the last 48 years on the world’s four main financial indices, i.e., S & P, FTSE, Nikkei and HSI. Second, the long run function of a particular stock price index could be specified as a natural logarithm transformation function. Finally, Granger’s co-integration methodology is deployed to test the equilibrium relationships.Findings– This paper has harnessed a set of system and process that can ensure the long-term productivity and business growth of firms in this contemporary business world. It is predicted with 80 percent confidence that the next property depression in some affluent cities will happen in 2014/2015, with the global financial tsunami coming in 2019.Originality/value– More important is how organizations can make use of the trade-wind and avoid the counter-wind from the Uni-economics phenomena for their quality, productivity and business growth, in accordance to the Deming Cycle. As recalled from the previous two oil crisis (around 1975, 1986) and the two financial tsunami (1997 and 2008), 40-year-old organizations that can still survive today must have done something good, despite all these turmoil confronting them.
Performance journey mapping: a service performance assessment framework
Authors: Höber Angelika , Pergler Elisabeth , Weitlaner Doris , Grahsl Hans-Peter 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to present the evaluation results of a novel performance measurement framework, which has been designed for the particular needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Prior research indicated that performance measurement is not much engaged in SMEs. The proposed framework aims to address this by creating bottom-up measurement systems based on service delivery processes. The paper presents the framework as well as its tools and gives insights into both the evaluation and its results.Design/methodology/approach– The framework and its tools have been evaluated in a first iteration of prototype implementation according to design science principles. Methodological triangulation was applied engaging participant observation, questionnaires, and formative evaluation. In the course of the evaluation the framework was assessed from a quality, user, and bird’s eye perspective.Findings– The evaluation results show that the application of the Technology Acceptance Model and goal setting theory did contribute to develop a performance measurement system (PMS) that is characterized by usefulness and ease of use. Deficiencies could be noted with regard to renowned quality criteria for PMS, especially concerning balance. First lessons learned are outlined.Originality/value– The main contribution is the theory-driven development of the performance measurement framework and its corresponding tools. The application of this approach resulted in accepted tools and improvements of the motivational power of performance goals. This is important to overcome the current gap between research results and practical application of such frameworks and tools.
MiR‐138/peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor β signaling regulates human hypertrophic scar fibroblast proliferation and movement in vitro
Authors: Xiao Ying‐ying , Fan Peng‐ju , Lei Shao‐rong , Qi Min , Yang Xing‐hua 
Published: March 2015

AbstractExcessive scars affect a patient's quality of life, both physically and psychologically, by causing pruritus, pain and contractures. Because there is a poor understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying the processes of hypertrophic scar formation, most therapeutic approaches remain clinically unsatisfactory. In this study, we found that miR‐138 was downregulated and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPARβ) was inversely upregulated in hypertrophic scar tissues compared to in paired normal skin tissues. Using a dual‐luciferase assay, we validated that miR138 directly targets PPARβ and regulates its expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. In gain‐and‐loss experiments, we found that miR‐138/PPARβ signaling regulated human hypertrophic scar fibroblast proliferation and movement, and affected scarring‐related protein expression, which suggests that miR‐138/PPARβ signaling is important for hypertrophic scarring. Thus, our study provides evidence to help determine whether miR‐138/PPARβ signaling may be a potential target for hypertrophic scarring management.
Optimal strategies for sampling functional traits in species‐rich forests
Authors: Paine C. E. Timothy , Baraloto Christopher , Díaz Sandra 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Functional traits provide insight into a variety of ecological questions, yet the optimal sampling method to estimate the community‐level distribution of plant functional trait values remains a subject of debate, especially in species‐rich forests.

We present a simulation analysis of the trait distribution of a set of nine completely sampled permanent plots in the lowland rain forests of French Guiana.

Increased sampling intensity consistently improved accuracy in estimating community‐weighted means and variances of functional trait values, whereas there was substantial variation among functional traits and minor differences among sampling strategies.

Thus, investment in intensified sampling yields a greater improvement in the accuracy of estimation than does an equivalent investment in sampling design complication.

Notably, ‘taxon‐free’ strategies frequently had greater accuracy than did abundance‐based strategies, which had the additional cost of requiring botanical surveys.

We conclude that there is no substitute for extensive field sampling to accurately characterize the distribution of functional trait values in species‐rich forests.
How do overwinter changes in body condition and hormone profiles influenceWeddell seal reproductive success?
Authors: Shero Michelle R. , Krotz Riley T. , Costa Daniel P. , Avery Julie P. , Burns Jennifer M. 
Published: March 2015

SummaryReproductive success can be influenced by maternal physiological condition at the time of embryo implantation and by foraging success during gestation. Polar marine mammals experience drastic fluctuations in body composition (lipid stores) as a result of life‐history events and large‐scale changes in seasonal productivity and environmental conditions. These species provide the opportunity to explore physiological parameters important to reproductive success.There are conflicting physiological demands on Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) females during the moult period, when animals are at their leanest but still must generate an energetically costly new pelage and begin active gestation.To investigate the impact of post‐moult condition and hormonal mediators on the reproductive success of the southernmost breeding mammal, body composition was determined for post‐moult (fall; 53 non‐reproductive) and pre‐breeding (spring; 31 non‐reproductive, 17 reproductive) adult female Weddell seals. Animals were significantly larger and had greater lipid stores in spring, after the winter foraging period. There were no differences in the proportion of mass or condition gained overwinter between females that gave birth (n = 12) and those that did not (n = 8) the following year.Changes in body condition were correlated with endocrine factors that influence energy allocation, such as cortisol, growth hormone (GH), insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 and thyroid hormones (T3and T4). Of these,GHand T4were significantly higher during the post‐moult period, likely to promote protein sparing and hair regeneration. In addition, females that had higher T4concentrations in fall were significantly more likely to have a pup the following year, possibly due to the role of thyroid hormones in embryo attachment. This suggests that hormones influencing fuel use during the moult may also impact subsequent reproductive success.Unlike some other large pinnipeds, Weddell seals are not capital breeders. This work indicates that gestating Weddell seals do not gain as much mass or energy overwinter in preparation for lactation the following year as lower‐latitude phocid species, which might explain why female Weddell seals rely on foraging to meet energetic demands during lactation.
Larval UV exposure impairs adult immune function through a trade‐off with larval investment in cuticular melanin
Authors: Debecker Sara , Sommaruga Ruben , Maes Tim , Stoks Robby 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Despite the strong impact of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on invertebrates, it is unknown whether it affects immune function across metamorphosis. More generally, the mechanisms on how larval stressors bridge metamorphosis and shape adult fitness in animals with a complex life cycle remain poorly understood.

We studied whether cuticular melanin content is upregulated under UV exposure in the larval stage of the damselfly Coenagrion puella and whether this is traded off across metamorphosis against a key component of the invertebrate immune response, the melanotic encapsulation response, in the adult stage.

Larvae exposed to UV increased the melanin content in their exoskeleton and metamorphosed later and at a smaller mass than animals reared without UV. Across metamorphosis, this was associated with a reduced melanotic encapsulation response, thereby constituting the first proof for a UV‐driven impaired immune response in an invertebrate. The demonstrated costs of UV exposure in terms of age and mass at metamorphosis and reduced adult immune response likely translate into reduced adult fitness.

Path analysis indicated that the immunosuppressive property of larval UV exposure was not mediated by age and mass at metamorphosis, but instead that the adult immune response was traded off against larval cuticular melanin investment.

Melanin‐based trade‐off across metamorphosis provides a new pathway by which effects of larval stressors are carried over to the adult stage and thereby advances our understanding of the still largely enigmatic mechanisms of carryover effects of larval stressors across metamorphosis. Given the mechanistic basis, this carryover effect of larval UV exposure on adult immune function is expected to be general and may constitute a widespread and important cost of UV exposure in invertebrates.