bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficiency and productivity of hospitals in Vietnam
Authors: Linh Pham Thuy 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relative efficiency and productivity of hospitals during the health reform process.Design/methodology/approachData envelopment analyses method (DEA) with the input‐oriented variable‐returns‐to‐scale model was used to calculate efficiency scores. Malmquist total factor productivity index approach was then employed to calculate productivity of hospitals. Data of 101 hospitals was extracted from databases of the Ministry of Health, Vietnam from the years 1998 to 2006.FindingsThere was evidence of improvement in overall technical efficiency from 65 per cent in 1998 to 76 per cent in 2006. Hospitals' productivity progressed around 1.4 per cent per year, which was mainly due to the technical efficiency improvement. Furthermore, provincial hospitals were more technically efficient than their central counterparts and hospitals located in different regions performed differently.Originality/valueThe paper provides an insight in the performance of Vietnamese public hospitals that has been rarely examined before and contributes to the existing literature of hospital performance in developing countries
Modeling of thermoelastic damping and frequency shift of vibrations in a transversely isotropic solid cylinder
Authors: Sharma J.N. , Singh H. , Sharma Y.D. 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the free vibrations in a stress free and thermally insulated (or isothermal), homogeneous, transversely isotropic, solid cylinder based on three‐dimensional coupled thermoelasticity, which is initially undeformed and kept at uniform temperature.Design/methodology/approachThe displacement potential functions have been introduced in the equations of motion and heat conduction in order to decouple the purely shear and longitudinal motions. The system of governing partial differential equations is reduced to four second‐order coupled ordinary differential equations in radial coordinate by using the method of separation of variables. The matrix Frobenius method of extended power series is employed to obtain the solution of coupled ordinary differential equations along the radial coordinate. The convergence analysis of matrix Frobenius method has been successfully carried out.FindingsThe purely transverse mode is found to be independent of the rest of the motion and temperature change. The natural frequency, dissipation factor, inverse quality factor and frequency shift of vibrations in a stress free solid cylinder get significantly affected due to thermal variations and thermo‐mechanical coupling.Originality/valueA new procedure is used and compared to other methods available in the literature.
Integration of nonlinear mixed hardening models
Authors: Rezaiee‐Pajand Mohammad , Nasirai Cyrus , Sharifian Mehrzad 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a new effective integration method for cyclic plasticity models.Design/methodology/approachBy defining an integrating factor and an augmented stress vector, the system of differential equations of the constitutive model is converted into a nonlinear dynamical system, which could be solved by an exponential map algorithm.FindingsThe numerical tests show the robustness and high efficiency of the proposed integration scheme.Research limitations/implicationsThe von‐Mises yield criterion in the regime of small deformation is assumed. In addition, the model obeys a general nonlinear kinematic hardening and an exponential isotropic hardening.Practical implicationsIntegrating the constitutive equations in order to update the material state is one of the most important steps in a nonlinear finite element analysis. The accuracy of the integration method could directly influence the result of the elastoplastic analyses.Originality/valueThe paper deals with integrating the constitutive equations in a nonlinear finite element analysis. This subject could be interesting for the academy as well as industry. The proposed exponential‐based integration method is more efficient than the classical strategies.
Stochastic and reliability analysis of fluid‐structure interaction problems using finite element models
Authors: Enrique Rojas Jhojan , Bendaou Othmane , El Hami Abdelkhalak , Rade Domingos 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a deterministic, stochastic and reliability analysis through numerical simulations in 2D and 3D dynamic fluid‐structure interaction problems.Design/methodology/approachThe perturbation methods allied to reliability analysis are applied to fluid‐structure finite element models. Reliability analysis couples finite element analysis with first and second order reliability methods and ant colony optimization in a modified first order reliability method.FindingsResults obtained show the potentialities of the proposed methodology and encourage improvement of this procedure for use in complex coupled fluid‐structure systems.Originality/valueThe understanding of the mechanical interaction between a fluid and an elastic solid has a capital importance in several industrial applications. In order to couple the behaviour of two different media, deterministic models have been proposed. However, stochastic analysis has been developed to deal with the statistical nature of fluid‐structure interaction parameters. Moreover, probabilistic‐based reliability analysis intends to find safe and cost‐effective projects.
Thermally induced vibrations of piezo‐thermo‐viscoelastic composite beam with relaxation times and system response
Authors: Sharnappa  , Ganesan N. , Sethuraman Raju 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present numerical studies on thermally induced vibrations of piezo‐thermo‐viscoelastic composite beam subjected to a transient thermal load using coupled finite element method.Design/methodology/approachThe thermal relaxation and viscoelastic relaxations are taken into consideration to obtain the system response. The concept of “memory load” along with the thermal relaxation is accounted for viscoelastic core material. The influence of type of core material on the response of the system also analyzed.FindingsThe findings show viscoelastic behavior with relaxation times in composite sandwich structures.Originality/valueThe paper shows accounting relaxation times as a memory load in composite sandwich structures.
Normal mode analysis in fluid saturated porous medium
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Miglani Aseem , Kumar Sanjay 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is establish a model of the equations of a two‐dimensional problem of fluid saturated porous medium for a half space.Design/methodology/approachA state space approach has been applied to solve the problem. Normal mode analysis is used to obtain the exact expressions for normal stress, tangential stress and pore pressure.FindingsA computer programme is developed and numerical results are obtained for normal stress, tangential stress and pore pressure and depicted graphically for a special model. A particular case of interest has also been deduced from the present investigation.Originality/valueThe disturbance due to force in normal and tangential direction and porosity effect have been observed by the method of normal mode analysis.
Dynamic analysis of an elasto‐plastic sandwich subjected to low velocity impact
Authors: Wali Mondher , Abdennadher Moez , Fakhfakh Tahar , Haddar Mohamed 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the dynamic behaviour of an elasto‐plastic sandwich subjected to low velocity impact.Design/methodology/approachA numerical model is developed with the assumption that the plastic deformation is confined under the contact area. The structure is analyzed using the in‐house finite element code with an appropriate contact law. During the impact progression, two phases (elastic and plastic) related to the impact intensity are considered in the dynamic model. The proportional viscous damping is incorporated in the model. An elasto‐plastic impact algorithm is established to determine the impact force, the sandwich structure displacement and indentation.FindingsThe numerical results are validated by experimental dropping weight impact tests. The influences of the impactor radius, the core material variation and the impactor initial velocity on the dynamic behaviour of the impacted structure are studied.Originality/valueIn order to study the low velocity impact problems by considering the caused plastic deformations, a simple numerical elasto‐plastic impact model of sandwich structure is proposed.
Interactive buckling of stiffened box girder supports
Authors: Bedair Osama 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the structural interactions of stiffened box girders used in bridge construction and industrial facilities.Design/methodology/approachNumerical procedure is presented using combination of energy formulations and mathematical programming techniques to model the interaction between the box girder components.FindingsInteractive buckling is a critical issue that must be accounted for in the design of box girders. Ignoring the structural interaction may lead to failures and damages prior to the expected design life.Practical implicationsIndustrial examples are presented showing the variation of the flange buckling stress for various stiffening configurations. Graphs are presented for several box sections to provide cost‐effective design space that can be effectively used in the industry to optimize the sections proportions.Originality/valueLimited literature dealt with these aspects in the design of box girders. Current design equations available in codes of practice ignore the interaction between the stiffened box girder components. The paper highlights the influence of the flange/web proportions on the behavior of box sections subjected to various types of loadings. It is shown that behavior of the flange is largely affected by the restraints imposed by the webs.
Prediction of flow stress during hot deformation of MA'ed hybrid aluminium nanocomposite employing artificial neural network and Arrhenius constitutive model
Authors: Ahamed H. , Senthilkumar V. 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to develop a suitable artificial neural network (ANN) model that fits best in predicting the experimental flow stress values to the closet proximity for mechanically alloyed Al6063/0.75Al2O3/0.75Y2O3 hybrid nanocomposite.Design/methodology/approachThe ANN model is implemented on neural network toolbox of MATLAB® using feed‐forward back propagation network and logsig functions. A set of 80 training data and 20 testing data were used in the ANN model. The layout of the network is arranged with three input parameters that include temperature, strain and strain rate, one hidden layer with 22 neurons and one output parameter consisting of flow stress. Flow stress was also predicted using Arrhenius constitutive model.FindingsBased on the comparison of the predicted results using ANN model and Arrhenius constitutive model, it was observed that the ANN model has higher accuracy and could be used to estimate the flow stress values during hot deformation of Al6063/0.75Al2O3/0.75Y2O3 hybrid nanocomposite.Originality/valueThe ANN trained with feed forward back propagation algorithm developed, presents the excellent performance of flow stress prediction of Al6063/0.75Al2O3/0.75Y2O3 hybrid nanocomposite with minimum error rates.
Numerical study of wave propagation in thermoelastic diffusive medium by using differential quadrature method
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Kansal Tarun 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the wave propagation in thermoelastic diffusive medium.Design/methodology/approachThe present paper deals with the numerical study of wave propagation in coupled thermoelastic diffusive medium by using DQ method together with fourth‐order Runge‐Kutta method.FindingsThe paper finds solutions of displacements, temperature change and concentration.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper can be sued to solve non‐linear partial differential equations.Originality/valueThe solutions of displacements, temperature change and concentration are illustrated graphically. Numerical examples show that the method yields very good results.
A QoS‐aware service composition approach based on semantic annotations and integer programming
Authors: Paganelli Federica , Ambra Terence , Parlanti David 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a novel quality of service (QoS)‐aware service composition approach, called SEQOIA, capable of defining at run‐time a service composition plan meeting both functional and non‐functional constraints and optimizing the overall quality of service.Design/methodology/approachSEQOIA is a semantic‐driven QoS‐aware dynamic composition approach leveraging on an integer linear programming technique (ILP). It exploits the expressiveness of an ontology‐based service profile model handling structural and semantic properties of service descriptions. It represents the service composition problem as a set of functional and non‐functional constraints and an objective function.FindingsThe authors developed a proof of concept implementing SEQOIA, as well as an alternative composition solution based on state‐of‐the‐art AI planning and ILP techniques. Results of testing activities show that SEQOIA performs better than the alternative solution over a limited set of candidate services. This behaviour was expected, as SEQOIA guarantees to find the service composition providing the optimal QoS value, while the alternative approach does not provide this guarantee, as it handles separately the specification of the functional service composition flow and the QoS‐based service selection step.Originality/valueSEQOIA leverages on semantic annotations in order to make service composition feasible by coping with syntactic and structural differences typically existing across different, even similar, service implementations. To ease the adoption of SEQOIA in real enterprise scenarios, the authors chose to leverage on an XML‐based message model of services interfaces (including but not strictly requiring the use of WSDL).
Pro‐eating disorder websites: facts, fictions and fixes
Authors: Sharpe Helen , Musiat Peter , Knapton Olivia , Schmidt Ulrike 
Published: November 2014

PurposePro‐eating disorder websites are online communities of individuals who do not consider eating disorders to be serious mental illnesses requiring treatment. People visit these websites to meet other like‐minded individuals, to share tips and tricks on how to lose weight and how to otherwise maintain the symptomatology of the disorder. This paper aims to review what is actually known about the risks associated with visiting these websites and provides recommendations for dealing with pro‐eating disorder material.Design/methodology/approachRelevant peer‐reviewed papers were located by means of searching three online journal databases (SCOPUS, PubMed, Web of Knowledge), and through carrying out reference checking. Key words for the search were: pro‐anorexia, pro‐ana, pro‐bulimia, pro‐mia and pro‐eating disorders.FindingsPro eating disorder websites are common and visited by a significant proportion of patients with eating disorders and non‐patients. The sites may be perceived beneficial, as they provide support and a sense of community. Although there is evidence for the harmfulness of pro‐eating disorder content on the internet, there is no clear indication that such sites promote the development or maintenance of eating disorders. Therefore, banning pro eating disorder websites seems inappropriate and unpractical, but measures for web‐hosting companies should be in place allowing them to remove such content. Instead, bodies creating alternative websites for young people should be supported. Clinicians and parents should be made aware of the existence of pro eating disorder websites and how to deal with them.Originality/valueThis paper provides an overview of the research in this field and discusses possible ways in which health professionals and the general public may respond to the existence of these web sites.
Tackling inequalities in primary care mental health
Authors: Killoran Ross Michael , Craig Pauline 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the development activity undertaken by a primary care mental team and public health specialists in Glasgow aimed at expanding the capacity of the primary care team to tackle health inequalities in the local area.Design/methodology/approachIn association with the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH), a partnership between National Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow University, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, work was undertaken to address inequalities within mental health in the context of service provision.FindingsIn an attempt to progress work on inequalities, a suitable model was required and the approach offered by the GCPH was a valuable starting point. Through a systematic consideration of available approaches, and the baseline position, it was possible to begin to reflect on potential interventions, and to consider ways in which outcomes could be measured and reviewed. This process, which evolved in discussion within the team and senior management, became an important starting point for longer term action. It provided a means of beginning to grapple with the impact of inequalities on service provision, and was an important first step in prioritizing possible approaches.Originality/valueThe team is considering further collaboration with GCPH to explore how they might assess the extent of mental health and well‐being concerns in their population and the implications for future service development.
Perceived ethics of online retailers and consumer behavioral intentions
Authors: Limbu Yam B. , Wolf Marco , Lunsford Dale 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of consumers' perception of online retailers' ethical behavior on consumer purchase and revisit intentions.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 259 online shoppers was employed to test the relationships between perceived ethics of online retailers and the intention to revisit and purchase. The measurement model and structural relationships were estimated using AMOS 18.FindingsResults show that perceived ethics of an Internet retailer's website significantly affect consumers' trust and attitudes to the retailer's website that eventually have positive impacts on purchase and revisit intentions. Website trust was positively related to attitude toward the site. The results do not show support for a direct effect between perceived ethics and behavioral intentions, but attitude and trust toward the website mediate these effects.Practical implicationsThe findings support the idea that despite the physical distance between online retailers and customer, behaving ethically has an effect on revisit and purchase intentions. This suggests that online vendors should invest in methods that strengthen consumers' trust of websites. To convey a sense of ethics of the website, websites should ensure that privacy policies are easy to understand, explain clearly how customer information is used, offer secure payment methods, display clearly the terms and conditions of the online transactions, fulfill the orders, and avoid deceptive practices and exaggerations of product characteristics.Originality/valueResearch integrating perceived ethical conduct of retailers and consumer behavior is still in the beginning, and has not explored all outcomes of perceived ethics. This study is an initial attempt to investigate the effects of perceived ethics of retailers on revisit and purchase intentions. This study contributes to the knowledge of consumer perceived ethics and behavioral intentions.
What facilitates communication between people with little or no speech and general practitioners? A research project underway in Melbourne, Australia
Authors: Greenstock Louise , Wickham Brendon 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide an overview of research that is currently underway at The University of Melbourne, Australia, exploring the ways in which people with little or no speech communicate with general practitioners (GPs).Design/methodology/approachThe project aims to explore the potential role of internet technology and high speed broadband in facilitating communication between people with little or no speech and GPs. A literature review was conducted which aimed to draw together existing literature on several topics surrounding the health care communication needs of people with little or no speech and their GPs and to summarise the findings of previous research in these areas. This overview of existing literature informed the development of an exploratory research project.FindingsExisting research shows that people with little or no speech are at risk of receiving sub‐optimal health care and experiencing significant barriers to communication in health care contexts. The exploratory research project is still underway at the time of writing but this aims to conduct a simple needs analysis with a small group of people with little or no speech and a small group of GPs, through the use of reference groups and participant engagement.Originality/valueThis project seeks to explore the potential of internet technology to meet the communication needs of patients with little or no speech and their GPs.
SPAs (smart phone applications) – a new form of assistive technology
Authors: Doughty Kevin 
Published: November 2014

PurposeThis paper seeks to describe how the special built‐in features of modern smart phones can be used to open up the potential of these devices for use as assistive technologies in supporting the independence and quality of life of vulnerable people.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes, through a number of relevant examples, how low‐cost, downloadable applications enable the camera, the microphone, the accelerometer, the GPS receiver and the touch‐screen, to be used for specific assistive purposes.FindingsSmart phones and their applications are capable of providing useful support to a range of vulnerable groups including people with sensory disabilities, diabetics and people suffering from mental health problems, epilepsy or communication issues. It is likely that mobile care services using smart phones will be offered in tandem with home telecare services to extend the independence of the service user from the home to the outside environment.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates how smart phone applications are capable of transforming a high‐performance mobile phone into a number of different assistive devices that can improve the lives of millions of people with and without disability.