1,721,071 research outputs found
A multi-criteria methodology for evaluating alternative ultrasound devices
No full textSeveral surveys and clinical studies report high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among sonographers and sonologists. Better performing ultrasound devices can increase the number and quality of examinations, but also reduce the user comfort and increase the risk of WMSDs. This should lead the choice of the device to buy and use. To support hospitals or diagnostic centres in selecting the best ultrasound device, this study provides a structured methodology based on a multi-criteria approach, the Analytic Hierarchy Process. It has a Goal (to optimise workers’ well-being and satisfy company production objectives) and 45 evaluation elements. It was applied in an Italian hospital comparing 3 alternatives: wireless, portable, and cart-based. The latter proved to be the best in satisfying the Goal, whereas a previous study obtained that the wireless device was preferable considering only the ergonomic point of view. The case study validated the applicability of the methodology.
Practitioner summary: This paper provides the decision-makers of hospitals or diagnostic centres with a multi-criteria methodology to select the best ultrasound device capable of optimising workers’ well-being and satisfying company production objectives. The methodology can also support manufacturers of ultrasound devices in improving their products
Converting enzyme inhibition, heart rate variability, and myocardial infarction.
No full textLetter, repla
Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of Models for assessing oxygen deficiency hazard: Preliminary results
No full textAsphyxiation risk due to Oxygen Deficiency Hazard (ODH) can be assessed implementing predictive models of indoor oxygen (O2) level. In the literature, all the models estimating the oxygen concentration by volume (C02) in a working environment are based on a deterministic approach and provide a single-point estimate of C02 as output. However, deterministic model outputs can be uncertain since they can be influenced by a lack of knowledge or incompleteness of information about the exact value of ODH determinants, and/or because mathematical equations could not completely characterize ODH. For these reasons, this paper proposes a study for introducing a stochastic approach in ODH assessment and for performing uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of two existing models. To achieve these objectives, the ODH models were implemented in Microsoft® Excel spreadsheets and @RISK by Palisade was utilized. Some realized cases and simulations are discussed, showing the most interesting results in terms of possible indoor C02 values, their likelihood of occurrence, and the inputs having more effect on the O2 level uncertainty. Attention is also given to the description of implications for safety managers and decision-makers
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Leanness measurement methods in manufacturing organisations: a systematic review
No full textThe interest of lean companies in tools to monitor and control their lean implementation process, i.e. their leanness level, is continuously increasing. A multitude of diverse approaches have been proposed in the literature for that purpose. In order to provide some guidance both to practitioners interested in selecting a tool and academics aiming at developing a new approach, a systematic review of the methods to measure leanness in manufacturing organisations is carried out. Thirty-one methods are identified and critically analysed based on a set of comparative dimensions. The main strengths and weaknesses of each approach are highlighted. In particular, this paper’s results show that only less than a third of the methods are able to assess leanness in a complete way, taking into consideration both the degree of lean practices adoption and the performance outcomes resulting from implementation. In order to contribute to the reinforcement of a unifying view of the leanness concept, a new leanness definition is developed. Some further gaps in the literature are pointed out, providing directions for future research
Management practices to conduct ladle treatment processes in the steel industry: a systematic literature review
No full textIn an increasingly competitive context, the European steel industry has to introduce innovative solutions and focus on high-quality production. A key part of the steelmaking process able to increase the product quality is the secondary metallurgy undertaken in Ladle Furnaces (LFs), i.e. a refractory lined vessel, where steel reheating, alloying, and inclusion removal are performed. To increase the efficiency of this equipment, twin LF stations have been recently introduced. This technology also permits enhancing the quality performance, and reducing energy consumption, adverse environmental impacts, and risks for workers. Management practices can facilitate the achievement of such objectives, representing a low-cost lever for enhancing production systems. For these reasons, we carried out a systematic review in the scientific literature about the management practices that enable an effective conduction of ladle treatment processes in a twin LF and in a traditional LF configuration. Twenty practices are identified and analysed based on a set of factors properly defined for this study. The results show that there is only one practice specific for the twin LF management: this is based on the Case-Based Reasoning method to predict the end temperature of molten steel for improving both energy efficiency and quality level. Regarding a traditional LF, the majority of existing practices are focused on the attainment of product quality benefits and on proposals of models to monitor process parameters, optimise energy consumption, and obtain high-quality products. These results may stimulate companies in the implementation of management practices to effectively conduct ladle treatment processes
Resource Overall Equipment Cost Loss indicator to assess equipment performance and product cost
Full text linkPurpose This paper aims to overcome the inability of both comparing loss costs and accounting for production resource losses of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)-related approaches. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a literature review about the studies focusing on approaches combining OEE with monetary units and/or resource issues. The authors developed an approach based on Overall Equipment Cost Loss (OECL), introducing a component for the production resource consumption of a machine. A real case study about a smart multicenter three-spindle machine is used to test the applicability of the approach. Findings The paper proposes Resource Overall Equipment Cost Loss (ROECL), i.e. a new KPI expressed in monetary units that represents the total cost of losses (including production resource ones) caused by inefficiencies and deviations of the machine or equipment from its optimal operating status occurring over a specific time period. ROECL enables to quantify the variation of the product cost occurring when a machine or equipment changes its health status and to determine the actual product cost for a given production order. In the analysed case study, the most critical production orders showed an actual production cost about 60% higher than the minimal cost possible under the most efficient operating conditions. Originality/value The proposed approach may support both production and cost accounting managers during the identification of areas requiring attention and representing opportunities for improvement in terms of availability, performance, quality, and resource losses
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