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1 – 10 of 364Luciano de Brito Staffa Junior, Dayana Bastos Costa, João Lucas Torres Nogueira and Alisson Souza Silva
This work aims to develop a web platform for inspecting roof structures for technical assistance supported by drones and artificial intelligence. The tools used were HTML, CSS and…
Abstract
Purpose
This work aims to develop a web platform for inspecting roof structures for technical assistance supported by drones and artificial intelligence. The tools used were HTML, CSS and JavaScript languages; Firebase software for infrastructure; and Custom Vision for image processing.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted the design science research approach, and the main stages for the development of the web platform include (1) creation and validation of the roof inspection checklist, (2) validation of the use of Custom Vision as an image recognition tool, and (3) development of the web platform.
Findings
The results of automatic recognition showed a percentage of 77.08% accuracy in identifying pathologies in roof images obtained by drones for technical assistance.
Originality/value
This study contributed to developing a drone-integrated roof platform for visual data collection and artificial intelligence for automatic recognition of pathologies, enabling greater efficiency and agility in the collection, processing and analysis of results to guarantee the durability of the building.
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Health systems worldwide are hampered by disconnects between governance, management, and operations, which negatively impact on their ability to deliver efficient, effective, and…
Abstract
Purpose
Health systems worldwide are hampered by disconnects between governance, management, and operations, which negatively impact on their ability to deliver efficient, effective, and safe healthcare services. This paper shows how insights from the Viable System Model (VSM) can help us to conceptualise health system disconnects impacting specialist clinical services and develop solutions to address organisational fragmentation.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study of a specialist clinical service was undertaken, where the VSM was used to guide semi-structured interviews and workshops with clinicians and managers and analysis of findings.
Findings
The VSM provides a coherent way to conceptualise the disconnects and identify their structural underpinnings. Three novel organisational pathologies emerged from the study.
Research limitations/implications
This New Zealand-based study was undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic and a period of major health system reform, introducing uncertainty into service provision that may have impacted stakeholders’ views.
Practical implications
The three novel pathologies affect how health systems define their services, their understanding of the management function, and the importance of coordination. The resulting clarity of functioning could improve service quality, staff and patient satisfaction, and the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare service delivery.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the VSM literature on organisational pathologies by providing three novel pathologies for a perspective that may be useful beyond healthcare and invites consideration of health system disconnects as a coherent field of study.
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Najah Shawish, Mariam Kawafha, Andaleeb Abu Kamel, Dua’a Al-Maghaireh and Salam Bani Hani
This study aims to explore the effects of cat-assisted therapy (Ca-AT) on a patient in their homes, specifically investigating the effects on patient’s memory, behavioral…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the effects of cat-assisted therapy (Ca-AT) on a patient in their homes, specifically investigating the effects on patient’s memory, behavioral pathology and ability to perform activities of daily living, independently.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study design was used in patient’s homes using three measuring scales, namely, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Barthel index (BI) and Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Rating Scale.
Findings
The MMSE and BI mean scores were increased, whereas the Behavioral Pathology mean score was decreased. Patient negative behaviors were improved specifically, aggressiveness, anxieties, phobias, and caregiver burden was decreased.
Practical implications
Patients with AD could significantly benefit from Ca-AT in their own homes, and it could decrease caregiving burden.
Originality/value
Ca-AT is a newly developed type of animal-assisted therapy that uses cats to treat patients, especially elderly people with AD, in their homes.
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Kofi Agyekum, Samuel Fiifi Hammond, Alex Opoku Acheampong and Rhoda Gasue
This study draws on neoclassical and behavioural economics theories to provide an empirical insight into the effect of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study draws on neoclassical and behavioural economics theories to provide an empirical insight into the effect of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing residential buildings in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the quantitative approach involving survey data. A sample size of 242 participants was involved in the study. Applying principal component analysis on the responses from the participants, an index for damp-proofing, cost, knowledge, and social norms was derived. After generating the indexes, the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was applied to estimate the impact of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing.
Findings
The results from the OLS regression revealed that knowledge has a significant positive effect on damp-proofing while costs and social norms have significant negative effect on damp-proofing in Ghana. This study, therefore, concludes that although neoclassical economic factors such as knowledge and cost affect behaviour (damp-proofing), behavioural factors such as social norms also matter.
Practical implications
The outcome of this study calls for policymakers to consider putting in place measures that increase knowledge and promote the use of damp-proofing techniques during the construction of buildings. In addition, the study calls for scholars to partake in collaborative research amongst disciplines such as economics, psychology, and the construction industry in order to provide more innovative solutions, the key of which is finding innovative ways to damp proof buildings.
Originality/value
This study is original in its context as it draws on neoclassical and behavioural economics theories to provide an empirical insight into the effect of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing of residential buildings in Ghana. This is an area that has received less attention in the areas of building biology and building pathology globally.
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M.Teresa Gil-Muñoz and Félix Lasheras-Merino
Rising damp affects the deterioration and conservation of architectural heritage. Air cavities built next to the base of these buildings on an unsaturated floor can reduce the…
Abstract
Purpose
Rising damp affects the deterioration and conservation of architectural heritage. Air cavities built next to the base of these buildings on an unsaturated floor can reduce the damage to foundations and walls due to this. These are passive systems, which are usually designed with no objective data to show their functioning and effectiveness. This is why the authors are presenting this study.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is presented starting with simple field equipment for representative types for a previous cataloguing of cases in Spain. The physical parameters of the air in this research are air speed and evaporation in the cavities and the base, taking the local climate and the particular formal and construction characteristics of each case study as a reference.
Findings
The results of the analysis validate the method and the efficiency of such cavities, whose performance is greater in systems with a variety of features, that is to say, those which work by thermal or wind flow rather than those which only use hygric flow.
Originality/value
This work is novel because there are not in situ experimental works which prove the functioning and effectiveness of these systems.
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Mounir Kouhila, Younes Bahammou, Hamza Lamsyehe, Zakaria Tagnamas, Haytem Moussaoui, Ali Idlimam and Abdelkader Lamharrar
The paper aims to evaluate drying performance of earth mortar by solar drying for more durability, minimize pathologies in traditional construction and determine the influence of…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to evaluate drying performance of earth mortar by solar drying for more durability, minimize pathologies in traditional construction and determine the influence of temperature and humidity on the microstructure of earth mortar using static gravimetric method.
Design/methodology/approach
A convective solar dryer was used for the pretreatment of building and solid materials for construction.
Findings
The humidity influences the mortar sorption – surface water sorption of earth mortar increased with increasing temperature.
Originality/value
The study used a novel method for pretreatment building materials by using solar dryer.
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Gyanajeet Yumnam, Rajkumari Sofia Devi and Charoibam Ibohal Singh
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a premier medical institution in India that has significantly contributed to cancer research. This study aims to highlight…
Abstract
Purpose
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a premier medical institution in India that has significantly contributed to cancer research. This study aims to highlight the cancer research productivity of AIIMS by assessing the impact and reach of the institution’s research output.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was based on 2,078 published papers on cancer of AIIMS indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database from 1989 to 2021. A combination of tools such as Microsoft Excel, Biblioshiny, BibExcel and VOSviewer was used to evaluate and visualize the selected data.
Findings
The analysis revealed the interdisciplinary nature of research outputs, which have collaborative contributions from various fields such as oncology, pathology, radiology and surgery. The most productive research area within cancer was found to be breast cancer. In terms of international collaboration, the analysis revealed that AIIMS has a strong presence in the global cancer research community, with collaborations with researchers from more than 50 countries.
Research limitations/implications
This study has some limitations. First, the study is limited to using only the WoS Core Collection database. Other databases, such as Scopus and PubMed, were excluded. Second, there is ambiguity in author names and nonuniformity in the institutions’ names, which can significantly affect the study’s outcomes.
Practical implications
Identifying research productivity in cancer at AIIMS aids resource allocation, collaboration and strategic planning, enhancing India’s overall cancer research impact and patient outcomes.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is to use scientometric indicators to evaluate AIIMS’s research productivity with particular reference to cancer for the first time. This detailed analysis provides a deeper understanding of AIIMS’s contribution to cancer research and its potential implications.
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Lawrence A. Isiofia, Emmanuel Nna, Francis O. Uzuegbunam and Eziyi O. Ibem
This research examines the association of physical development density, prevalence and types of microbes in colonized façade finishes of buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria.
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the association of physical development density, prevalence and types of microbes in colonized façade finishes of buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey and experimental research designs were adopted. A total of 383 buildings were investigated with samples collected from those with colonized façade finishes. The microbes were identified using the standard procedure for genomic sequencing with descriptive statistics, and the chi-square test used to analyse the data.
Findings
The results revealed a 64% prevalence of microbial colonization and a significant association between this and physical development density with 71.0% of the colonized buildings located in high-density neighbourhoods of the metropolis. The sequencing also showed 24 different microbes with Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichoderma harzianum species being the most common in the colonized façade finishes.
Practical implications
The research informs building professionals and owners of the specific microbes involved in the colonization of façade finishes of buildings in high-density urban areas. It also provides a clue about the nature of damages and defects associated with microbial colonization of building façades and the type of biocide additives required for the production of microbial-resistant façade finishes in the hot-humid tropical environment of Nigeria and beyond.
Originality/value
The study has shown that there is a significant relationship between the intensity of urban land use and microbial colonization of façade finishes of buildings. It also identified some new or less known microbes responsible for the biodeterioration of façade finishes and the effects this has on the buildings and public health in the hot-humid tropics of Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.
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João Pavão, Rute Bastardo and Nelson Pacheco Rocha
This systematic review aimed to identify and categorize applications using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) to support activities outside of direct healthcare…
Abstract
Purpose
This systematic review aimed to identify and categorize applications using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) to support activities outside of direct healthcare provision.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic electronic search was performed, and 53 studies were included after the selection process.
Findings
The results show that FHIR is being used to support (1) clinical research (i.e. clinical research based on interventional trials, data interoperability to support clinical research and advanced communication services to support clinical research), (2) public health and (3) medical education. Despite the FHIR potential to support activities outside of direct healthcare provision, some barriers were identified, namely difficulties translating the proposed applications to clinical environments or FHIR technical issues that require further developments.
Originality/value
This study provided a broad review of how FHIR is being applied in clinical activities outside of direct clinical care and identified three major domains, that is, clinical research, public health and medical education, being the first and most representative in terms of number of publications.
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Salvatore Cincimino, Salvatore Gnoffo, Fabio La Rosa and Sergio Paternostro
Scholarly interest in the business effects of organised crime (OC) has recently increased. This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) on the conditions under…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholarly interest in the business effects of organised crime (OC) has recently increased. This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) on the conditions under which OC could pose a threat to or take control of firms within a particular context.
Design/methodology/approach
We use narrative synthesis and thematic analysis, with a sample of 46 theoretical and empirical studies published over the past 30 years on the relationship between OC and firms within the disciplines of Business, Management and Accounting (BMA).
Findings
SLR and thematic analysis show that scholarly interest has focused on four key domains: OC as a firm, the impact of OC on firms, firms’ efforts to counter OC’s influence and governmental interventions. Using medical metaphors, we also develop a diagram depicting the interplay between OC and firms within the BMA literature.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature shaping an agenda to steer future research towards these four key themes. The effectiveness of anti-OC tools and measures depends on a thorough understanding of local norms, behaviours and business practices. In addition to measurement and methodological challenges, several grey areas remain, including the distinction between criminal enterprises and legitimate businesses. Ambiguities also surround the circumstances under which the OC preys upon firms or employs them to establish dominance over a territory.
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