1,721,134 research outputs found
Improving the performance of surgery-based clinical pathways: a simulation-optimization approach
This paper aims to improve the performance of clinical processes using clinical pathways (CPs). The specific goal of this research is to develop a decision support tool, based on a simulation-optimization approach, which identify the proper adjustment and alignment of resources to achieve better performance for both the patients and the health-care facility. When multiple perspectives are present in a decision problem, critical issues arise and often require the balancing of goals. In our approach, meeting patients’ clinical needs in a timely manner, and to avoid worsening of clinical conditions, we assess the level of appropriate resources. The simulation-optimization model seeks and evaluates alternative resource configurations aimed at balancing the two main objectives—meeting patient needs and optimal utilization of beds and operating rooms. Using primary data collected at a Department of Surgery of a public hospital located in Genoa, Italy. The simulation-optimization modelling approach in this study has been applied to evaluate the thyroid surgical treatment together with the other surgery-based CPs. The low rate of bed utilization and the long elective waiting lists of the specialty under study indicates that the wards were oversized while the operating room capacity was the bottleneck of the system. The model enables hospital managers determine which objective has to be given priority, as well as the corresponding opportunity costs
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The 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
“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
We 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
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
We have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
Expanding the analysis scope of a MATSim transport simulation by integrating the FEATHERS activity-based demand model
MATSim is an agent-based transport simulation model. In contrast to a pure dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model, MATSim is more an agent-based transport than simulation model. which In contrast to a pure dynamic assignment model, can react to choice dimensions route choice, is the only choice treated traffic by a typical DTA. (DTA) Simulating the MATSim mobility can to more choice dimensions than during route choice, which the only choice treated by a represent typical DTA. the mobility and react activity participation of individuals the whole day, is MATSim can additionally mode Simulating choice, departure time and activity participation individuals during the whole day, in MATSim can additionally represent This mode choice, time choice, and other decisions of and is, therefore, policy-sensitive terms of these choice dimensions. allows for departure the analysis of choice, and other decisions and is, therefore, policy-sensitive in terms of these choice dimensions. This allows for the analysis of a wide scope of policies. MATSim can, however, not model the choice of the sequence of activity participation nor the choice of a activity wide scope of policies. MATSim can, however, not model choice part of the of activity participation nor of participation as such. Also, choices of locations are not the typically of sequence the modeling scope. Interventions into the the choice transport activity participation such. Also, choices of locations typically part changes of the modeling scope. Interventions into the transport and land-use systems as may, however, be substantial such are that not they can effect in behavior in terms of these choices. To allow and land-use systems may, however, be substantial such that they can effect changes in behavior in terms of these choices. allow for the assessment of such reactions, the FEATHERS activity-based demand model is coupled with MATSim. This paper To explores for the assessment such reactions, the FEATHERS activity-based demand model is of coupled with MATSim. This paper explores different options of of integration and describes the development steps of the integration FEATHERS and MATSim. different options of integration and describes the development steps of the integration of FEATHERS and MATSim
Assessment of physician performance for diabetes: a bias-corrected data envelopment analysis model
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