1,721,055 research outputs found
Analysing the attractiveness, availability and accessibility of healthcare providers via social network analysis (SNA)
Full text linkDue to the increasing pressure on resource limitations and the need for efficiency improvements, effective healthcare service planning should analyse trends in citizens’ demand for healthcare services, as well as patients’ choices of healthcare providers, which are determined not only by prestige, but also by physical accessibility and availability. The main objective of the present study is to explore the benefits of adopting the social network analysis (SNA) approach to investigate the determinants of a patient's choice of healthcare provider as a way to support better resource allocation decisions in healthcare systems. For the purpose of the analysis, administrative data was used to track the flow of patients within orthopaedic departments of the Lombardy region (Italy) in 2014. A network was developed with two types of nodes: those of orthopaedic departments in the regional hospitals (114 nodes), and those of municipalities (5092 nodes). Using the Louvain algorithm, the communities and sub-communities were determined on the basis of patients’ choices, without any prior geographical considerations or planned catchment areas. Traditional SNA measures and other novel indicators, specifically developed for this study, were applied: in particular, attractiveness (i.e. the preference that patients assign to a certain department against the others available in the same reference area) and confinement (of demand) (i.e. the degree of the unique use of a certain department). A decision support matrix based on these indicators was defined for decision makers to use in evaluating department profiles, and optimizing the location of services and allocation of resources, while preserving accessibility to care and patients’ preferences. The decision support matrix was also evaluated on the basis of real practice and decisions made by regional healthcare managers
A Systematic Literature Network Analysis on Environmental Performance Indicators for supply chains
No full textSupply chain risk management: a new methodology for a systematic literature review
No full textPurpose perspective and as a research area. Given the relevance of the topic, the aim of the present paper is to present a focused literature review, investigating the process of knowledge creation, transfer and development from a dynamic perspective within the context of SCRM.– Supply chain risk management (SCRM) has recently gained increasing attention in the supply chain context, both from the practitioners’ Design/methodology/approach literature review approach to identify the most relevant articles to be included in the study with the citation network analysis in order to unfold the dynamics of the field under study. The authors define this new methodology as systematic literature network analysis.– A review of the literature on SCRM was undertaken. The new proposed methodology combines the systematic Findings identified and, by analysing the evolution over time of key concepts, a number of research directions were identified and discussed.– The paper demonstrates that there are a number of key themes in the field of SCRM. The contributions that influenced the field were Research limitations/implications moving and thus the recognition of streams of research that appear most promising. However, the application of the research methodology, and in particular of the citation network analysis, requires the support of specific computer programs. Moreover, the underlying assumption of the citation network analysis is that, by analysing the network of citations made to and from articles, it is possible to explain the flows of knowledge used to generate new results. This is only partially true since the spread of measures based on impact assessment led many researchers to an excessive use of citations, even if their content is not always decisive for the outcome of their work.– The dynamic nature of current literature review allows the identification of the directions in which research is Practical implications Furthermore from the evidence of the performed literature review some managerial insights can be derived on how to manage supply chain risk: by considering uncertainty in the design of supply chains, by understanding the impact of risks arising from network collaboration and interactions between supply chain partners, by developing proactive mitigation capabilities to hedge the increasing level of risk.– The present paper outlines a research agenda that may facilitate the development of models for managing supply chain risk. Originality/value of a dynamic perspective in order to analyse theory development.– The novelty of this research lies in the combination of two existing methodologies for reviewing the literature and in the adoptio
Sensitivity analysis in polymerization reactions using the divergence criterion
No full textA general runaway criterion based on the divergence of the system has recently been
developed. In this work we have applied the criterion to polymerization reactions. The
runaway limits (or parametric sensitive regions) have been found and compared with
previous criteria. The results show that the new criterion is able to distinguish between runaway
and non-runaway behaviour for these types of systems. A considerable advantage over existing
criteria is that it can be calculated on-line using only temperature measurements and, hence, it
constitutes the core of an early warning runaway detection system we are developing
Lo zigomo nel riequilibrio dell'armonia facciale
No full textIn maintaining facial harmony a key role is played by the relationships among the most important skeletal ridges (nose, zygomatic bones, dento-alveolar process, chin). The zygomatic profile is extremely important both in the conventional frontal and sagittal planes.
Esthetical problems related to malar hypoplasia are often neglected while evaluating patients affected bydento-facial deformities, although in many cases these bones are considerably hypoplastic. The Authors analyse their personal experience in the correction of zygomatic hipoplasia associated with orthognathic surgery
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
Citation network analysis for supporting continuous improvement in higher education
Full text linkContinuous improvement in Higher Education can be supported by effective literature reviews to unveil contemporary and current educational needs and lay the foundations of programmes of study. As no discipline remains static, the aim of this paper is to present a methodology for conducting literature reviews that can complement traditional content-based reviews by revealing the dynamic evolution of a discipline. This methodology is represented by citation network analysis (CNA), a collection of tools that help to detect the dynamics of a field through computer-based systematic analyses of its bibliographic data. Notwithstanding its potential, CNA has been seldom adopted to conduct literature reviews. In this paper, CNA was applied to the evolving field of logistics and supply chain management education. Results provide evidence of the benefits of CNA for the identification of key issues, trends, and evolutionary trajectories supporting continuous improvement in Higher Education in a more scientific and objective way
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
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