bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Control of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Blood Stream Infections in England
Authors: Duerden Brian , Fry Carole , Johnson Alan P. , Wilcox Mark H. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infection (BSI) is a major healthcare burden in some but not all healthcare settings, and it is associated with 10%–20% mortality. The introduction of mandatory reporting in England of MRSA BSI in 2001 was followed in 2004 by the setting of target reductions for all National Health Service hospitals. The original national target of a 50% reduction in MRSA BSI was considered by many experts to be unattainable, and yet this goal has been far exceeded (∼80% reduction with rates still declining). The transformation from endemic to sporadic MRSA BSI involved the implementation of serial national infection prevention directives, and the deployment of expert improvement teams in organizations failed to meet their improvement trajectory targets. We describe and appraise the components of the major public health infection prevention campaign that yielded major reductions in MRSA infection. There are important lessons and opportunities for other healthcare systems where MRSA infection remains endemic.
An X-ray spectroscopic search for dark matter in the Perseus cluster with Suzaku
Authors: Tamura Takayuki , Iizuka Ryo , Maeda Yoshitomo , Mitsuda Kazuhisa , Yamasaki Noriko Y. 
Published: March 2015

We present the results from deep Suzaku observations of the central region of the Perseus cluster. Bulbul et al. (2014, ApJ, 789, 13) reported the detection by XMM-Newton instruments of an unidentified X-ray emission line at an energy around 3.5 keV in spectra for the Perseus and other clusters. They argued for a possibility of the decay of sterile neutrino, a dark matter candidate. We examine Suzaku X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) spectra of the Perseus cluster for evidence in the 3.5 keV line and other possible dark matter features in the 2–6 keV energy band. In order to search for and constrain a weak line feature with the XIS, observations of the Crab Nebula are used to evaluate the system's effective area. We found no line feature at the claimed position with a systematic line flux upper limit at a half (1.5 eV in line equivalent width) of the claimed best-fitting value by Bulbul et al. (2014). We discuss this inconsistency in terms of instrumental calibration errors and modeling of continuum emission. Future prospects for high-energy resolution spectroscopy with ASTRO-H are presented.
What drives the disintegration of the loan origination value chain in the banking business
Authors: Scannella Enzo 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the vertical disintegration of the bank loan origination value chain. This paper conducts a study on the credit information market from the perspective of the bank’s decision to vertically disintegrate the loan origination value chain. The main aim is to identify the relevant drivers of the decision to vertically disintegrate the credit assessment phase in the lending business.Design/methodology/approach– Transaction cost economics and information asymmetry are the typical perspectives of analysis of the vertical scope of business value chains.Findings– This paper argues that in order to capture the drivers underlying the dynamic evolution of the vertical scope of bank loan origination business models, the above perspectives must be combined and integrated further with a resource-based view and the modularity perspective. Combining managerial and financial perspectives, this paper offers an examination of the drivers of vertical disintegration in the lending value chain and, specifically, in the credit assessment phase.Originality/value– Although the existence of substantial research on value chain vertical integration/disintegration in the literature, none has directly focussed on the credit assessment value chain. It leaves a gap that the paper aims to overcome. The value chain disintegration has deep managerial and financial implications at firm and industry levels, and the comprehension of the rational underlying it is critical to maintaining competitive business model configurations in the bank lending industry.
Key drivers for informal project coordination among sub-contractors
Authors: Aagaard Annabeth , Eskerod Pernille , Madsen Erik Skov 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– Despite good project front-end planning, projects typically need continuous coordination among the participants concerning scope of work, pace, and timing during the execution phase to be accomplished without delays. Coordination can be formal or informal. Research shows that informal coordination of residual and unforeseen interdependencies enhances time saving and facilitates better understandings. Still though, many sub-contractors choose not to coordinate informally. The purpose of this paper is to identify drivers that enhance or inhibit informal coordination among sub-contractors during project execution.

Design/methodology/approach
– A qualitative, explorative case study approach was applied, involving 15 SME sub-contractors within the offshore wind power energy sector.

Findings
– Six drivers which enhance informal coordination and three drivers which inhibit informal coordination among sub-contractors in projects were identified.

Practical implications
– The findings imply that management in project-oriented organizations can enhance informal coordination across project sub-contractors in the project execution phase by facilitating trust building; by emphasizing previous collaboration successes with the sub-contractors and the possibility of future common projects; by being explicit about expectations on informal coordination; and by developing sub-contractor contracts that are not very tight in economic terms, but instead give some leeway in relation to coordination.

Originality/value
– The paper contributes to a gap on coordination within projects and in the specificity of the context of offshore wind energy in which the concept of informal coordination across sub-contractors is explored.
Maturity assessment: towards continuous improvements for project-based organisations?
Authors: Backlund Fredrik , Chronéer Diana , Sundqvist Erik 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the empirical research on project management (PM) maturity assessments, specifically based on a maturity model.

Design/methodology/approach
– The empirical data are based on a case study including in-depth interviews with a semi-structured approach, followed by a focus group interview. A survey was distributed within a project-based organisation (PBO) and to client and stakeholder representatives, and then analysed. The organisation in the case study is a project department within a Swedish mining company.

Findings
– Careful considerations are needed when choosing a PM maturity model (PM3) as the model structure can influence the assessment’s focus. It is also important to include both internal and external project stakeholders in the assessment to achieve an efficiency and effectiveness perspective when analysing PM capabilities. Valid information from an assessment is crucial, therefore, clear communication from management is important in order to motivate the participants in the assessment.

Research limitations/implications
– Improved understanding for implementing and applying a PM3 contributes to the increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles when assessing PM maturity, which also creates a basis for further research initiatives.

Practical implications
– An increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles should be valuable for practitioners introducing and applying a PM3.

Social implications
– Projects are a common way of working in many businesses. Activities which aim to improve PM capabilities should contribute to more effective and efficient project performance.

Originality/value
– This case study gives an in-depth insight into the implementation of a PM3 within a PBO. Through conducting a literature review, it was found that this type of empirical research is rare.
Grade control in multi-variable ore deposits as a quality management problem under uncertainty
Authors: Kumral Mustafa 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide a decision-making tool on where to send mining parcels extracted in such a way as to minimize losses arising from mis-classification. The problem is complicated because actual values of mining parcels cannot be known and the decision is made on the basis of the estimation/simulations of the parcels generated from sparse data.

Design/methodology/approach
– The loss minimization associated with mis-classification is formulated as a non-linear optimization problem and solved by successive mixed integer programming. By assigning reasonable values to some variables making problem non-linear, the problem is converted to a mixed integer programming (MIP) and is solved by a standard MIP optimization engine.

Findings
– A case study was conducted to see the performance of the proposed approach on a deposit with gold and silver variables. The proposed approach was also compared with conventional grade control approaches. The results showed that the approach proposed could be used for solving grade quality control problem.

Practical implications
– Grade quality control problem is well-known problem and there is no effective solution approach. This paper proposes to solve the problem through standard operation research software. As such, mine planner and engineers have a means to deal with grade quality problem in mining operations.

Originality/value
– The paper formulates multi-variable grade quality control problem as an optimization problem on the contrary to previous one-shot approaches. This can increase profit and operation efficiency. The research also use target grades rather than cut-off grade posing problems in mining operations.
The impact of quality management systems on the performance of manufacturing firms
Authors: Kafetzopoulos Dimitrios P. , Psomas Evangelos L. , Gotzamani Katerina D. 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide additional evidence of the impact of ISO 9001 effectiveness on three dimensions of a firm’s performance, namely product quality, operational performance and business performance.

Design/methodology/approach
– The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model. A sample of 287 ISO 9001 certified Greek manufacturing firms is used for this purpose.

Findings
– According to the study findings, ISO 9001 effectiveness directly contributes to product quality and operational performance. Although it has no direct impact on manufacturing firms’ business performance, it has an indirect impact through the moderator of operational performance.

Research limitations/implications
– The sample of the responding manufacturing companies is limited to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from one country (Greece). In addition, the effects of the internal business environment and endogenous business factors have not been assessed through the present study.

Practical implications
– The study offers clear implications for managers who focus on elements that will increase the ISO 9001 effectiveness and desire to choose strategies, allocate resources and improve their firm’s performance.

Originality/value
– The present study contributes to the literature gap aiming at examining the degree to which ISO 9001 effectiveness influences the performance of certified firms. The concept of “ISO 9001 effectiveness” is introduced as the extent to which its prescribed quality objectives are met.
Applying the four-eyes principle to management decisions in the manufacturing sector
Authors: Hiebl Martin R.W. 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to explore the application of the four-eyes principle (4EP) to management decisions in large family firms in the manufacturing sector, a heretofore neglected area of business and management research.

Design/methodology/approach
– A theoretical analysis was first conducted of the 4EP in general and its application in family firms based on agency and stewardship theories. A qualitative field study of 15 large Austrian firms from the manufacturing sector with various degrees of family involvement was then conducted to explore how the 4EP is applied in these firms.

Findings
– From the theoretical analysis, it can be concluded that the 4EP may generally serve as a mechanism to limit agency conflicts. Due to a theoretically lower level of agency conflicts in family firms than in non-family firms, a lower application of the 4EP in family firms can be expected. However, the field study shows that large family firms also regularly adopt the 4EP and that family-managed firms demonstrate a more flexible and opportunistic usage of the 4EP, limiting both its associated downsides and advantages. The present paper further shows that such flexible 4EP usage in family-managed firms may increase their abilities to make quick business decisions and to display high levels of flexibility; however, it may also increase the risk of making suboptimal decisions and experiencing unfavorable managerial behavior as firms grow in size and international activity.

Originality/value
– This is the first paper to analyze the application of the 4EP in large family firms. Six propositions and a preliminary model of the 4EP in family firms are developed in the paper, which may lead to further research on the practical applications of the 4EP.
Prospective study of topical 5‐aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy for the treatment of severe adolescent acne in Chinese patients
Authors: Ma Ying , Liu Ye , Wang Qianqian , Ren Jie , Xiang Leihong 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAcne vulgaris is one of the most common skin diseases in adolescents. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of topical 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA)‐mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of severe acne in Chinese adolescent patients. Twenty‐one Chinese adolescent patients aged 12–18 years with Pillsbury III–IV severe facial acne were treated with three courses of ALA‐PDT. A 5% ALA lotion was applied topically for 60 min followed by irradiation with light‐emitting diode light at 633 nm with a light intensity of 75–80 mW/cm2 and a light dose of 90–96 J/cm2. Clinical assessment was conducted before and after each treatment, and at each follow‐up session. The total effective rates were 85.71%, 90.48%, and 95.23% after the three PDT sessions, and at the 4‐ and 8‐week follow ups, respectively. ALA‐PDT is an effective treatment for severe adolescent acne vulgaris, and is associated with mild and reversible side‐effects.
Green roof plant species diversity improves ecosystem multifunctionality
Authors: Lundholm Jeremy T. 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Constructed ecosystems such as green roofs often contain monocultures or low‐diversity plant communities, but adding more plant species to these systems can increase ecosystem service provisioning. Mixture advantage, when species‐rich treatments outperform the best monocultures, is desirable in constructed ecosystems due to the cost of increasing diversity. However, there have not been any studies in constructed ecosystems that have quantitatively compared mixtures with the best monocultures for multifunctionality, and there have been few studies that have examined how provision of ecosystem services changes over time as plant communities develop. In a green roof system, I predicted (i) that the mixture advantage would be stronger for ecosystem multifunctionality than for single ecosystem functions and (ii) that ecosystem service provisioning and complementarity in above‐ground biomass would increase over time.

Fifteen monocultures of plant species from five life‐form groups (succulents, tall forbs, dwarf shrubs, creeping forbs, grasses) were compared with three‐species mixtures of the same life‐form and mixtures of species from three and five different life‐forms in a modular green roof system. Indicators of ecosystem services including above‐ground production, thermal regulation, stormwater retention, nutrient uptake and carbon sequestration and two indices of ecosystem multifunctionality were compared.

Canopy density increased over time while substrate temperature decreased, suggesting higher provisioning of valuable ecosystem services. For single services, the positive relationship between planted species richness and ecosystem service grew stronger over time, but was consistently strong over time for multifunctionality. Quantile regression indicated a weak mixture advantage for several services including both multifunctionality indices. While the effects were small, different species optimized different functions, thus multifunctioning is enhanced in more diverse mixtures by combining species that maximize different functions. Tripartite partitioning of canopy density showed that overyielding and trait‐independent complementarity fluctuated between years in response to shifts in species abundances, but dominance and trait‐dependent complementarity increased over time.

Synthesis and applications. This study provides the first evidence in a constructed ecosystem that mixtures can outperform the best monocultures for multiple ecosystem services. Mixtures of plant life‐forms can improve green roof performance. The biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships observed in natural ecosystems can also occur in novel and highly simplified engineered ecosystems.
Frost hollows of the boreal forest: a spatiotemporal perspective
Authors: Plasse Catherine , Payette Serge 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Frost hollows (FH) are small, confined lichen‐dominated ecosystems surrounded by lichen woodlands. FH are impacted by repetitive frosts occurring during the growing season. We evaluated the dynamics of FH across the boreal forest in eastern Canada and assessed the influence of latitude as the main geoclimatic factor controlling their development.

The distribution and abundance of FH along 39 longitudinal transects were based on aerial photographs and field validation. Black spruce (Picea mariana) in FH and adjacent woodlands were sampled for age determination, year of tree establishment, height growth rate of spruce, and intensity and frequency of frost rings.

Most FH are located in the southern part of the boreal forest, in depressions bordered by dry, open, lichen woodlands. The inception and development of FH are not dependent on latitude but rather on the presence of lichen woodlands. Frost‐induced thúfurs and frost rings were more frequent and abundant in the southernmost FH, whereas the northernmost FH were devoid of thúfurs. Black spruce established synchronously in FH across the boreal forest, an indication of a climatic control associated with cloudier, humid conditions reducing radiative frost activity. Most FH spruce established after 1933 and peaked in the 1980s. Fewer frost events were recorded in the 1980s than in the 1990s. In the latter decade, frost events became more frequent, intense and synchronous across the boreal forest.

Synthesis. The distribution of frost hollows (FH) is related to the presence of dry lichen woodlands that exacerbate frost activity during the growing season. Synchronous frost‐ring frequency across the biome also suggests that shared climatic conditions, in particular freezing temperature, humidity and cloudiness, are at the origin of the dynamics of FH. A longer growing season creates propitious conditions for a higher frequency of frost events and more intense soil cryoturbation. FH are climate‐sensitive ecosystems which can be used as proxies of the impact of global change on the boreal biome.
Delayed Expected Loss Recognition and the Risk Profile of Banks
Authors: BUSHMAN ROBERT M. , WILLIAMS CHRISTOPHER D. 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the extent to which delayed expected loan loss recognition (DELR) is associated with greater vulnerability of banks to three distinct dimensions of risk: (1) stock market liquidity risk, (2) downside tail risk of individual banks, and (3) codependence of downside tail risk among banks. We hypothesize that DELR increases vulnerability to downside risk by creating expected loss overhangs that threaten future capital adequacy and by degrading bank transparency, which increases financing frictions and opportunities for risk‐shifting. We find that DELR is associated with higher correlations between bank‐level illiquidity and both aggregate banking sector illiquidity and market returns (i.e., higher liquidity risks) during recessions, suggesting that high DELR banks as a group may simultaneously face elevated financing frictions and enhanced opportunities for risk‐shifting behavior in crisis periods. With respect to downside risk, we find that during recessions DELR is associated with significantly higher risk of individual banks suffering severe drops in their equity values, where this association is magnified for banks with low capital levels. Consistent with increased systemic risk, we find that DELR is associated with significantly higher codependence between downside risk of individual banks and downside risk of the banking sector. We theorize that downside risk vulnerability at the individual bank level can translate into systemic risk by virtue of DELR creating a common source of risk vulnerability across high DELR banks simultaneously, which leads to risk codependence among banks and systemic effects from banks acting as part of a herd.
Aortic Dissection and Sudden Unexpected Deaths: A Retrospective Study of 31 Forensic Autopsy Cases
Authors: Li Yang , Li Ling , Mu Hong‐Shu , Fan Shuan‐Liang , He Fang‐Gang , Wang Zhen‐Yuan 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAcute aortic dissection (AAD) is the most common cause of sudden unexpected death related to aortic diseases. A retrospective study of 31 sudden unexpected deaths caused by AAD was conducted at Xi'an Jiaotong University Forensic Center from 2001 to 2012. We summarized the forensic characteristics of AAD and assessed the clinically diagnostic accuracy of AAD. The characteristics of sudden unexpected death due to AAD were male predominant (male: female = 6.7:1), relatively young with the mean age of 44, and predominance of type A dissection (77.4%). Cardiac tamponade was the most frequent cause of sudden death (87.1%). Of the 31 cases, 26 (83.9%) patients were not recognized clinically and were misdiagnosed with acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, cholecystitis, acute gastroenteritis, renal/urinary lithiasis, or acute pancreatitis. In summary, AAD can be difficult to recognize, diagnosis is therefore sometimes delayed or missed. The medicolegal death investigation can help physicians have a better understanding of AAD.