Degradation of the natural environment has raised major concerns about organization sustainability. The growing trend towards integrating responsible environmentalism into the supply chain has required many organizations to pivot to adopting green supply chain practices. In this paper, we assert that the external environment exercises institutional pressure on organizations to adopting a market orientation, aided by managerial commitment, that espouses green supply chain practices as a strategic resource. A survey of 196 manufacturing managers, largely from the United States, United Kingdom, and India, found that institutional pressure had a significant impact on marketing orientation and market orientation had a significant impact on green supply chain practices. Managerial commitment played a key role in strengthening the relationship between market orientation and green supply chain practices. Lastly, the survey found no difference among United States, United Kingdom, and India manufacturers. We postulate that this no difference could be attributable to the tightly coupled systems found within manufacturing.

Neuroendocrine tumours are rare neoplasms typically arising in the gastrointestinal tract that may result in carcinoid syndrome and/or acquired valvular dysfunction. Herein, we present a unique case of a 68-year-old asymptomatic woman with a primary left ventricular neuroendocrine tumour.

Globalization has resulted in globally dispersed suppliers (Blackhurst et al. 2005). These disperse suppliers are exposed to multiple unforeseen natural and manmade risks and vulnerabilities (Simchi-Levi et al. 2014; Zsidisin et al. 2004). One of the consequences of exposure to manmade and natural risks is supply chain disruption (Schmidt and Raman 2012; Zsidisin et al. 2004). Therefore, the risks and vulnerabilities faced by the supply chain of large enterprises have made them to focus on monitoring supply chain risks and preparing their organizations to be resilient enough to come back after a significant disruption. Supply chain risk is defined as “any risks for the information, material and product flows from the original supplier to the delivery of the final product for the end user” (Jüttner et al. 2003), and resilience is defined as “the capacity for an enterprise to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of turbulent change” (Fiksel 2006). Based on the systems theory, two types of resilience are identified. They are inherent resilience and adaptive resilience (Buikstra et al. 2010). But the third type of resilience, anticipated resilience, is also recognized as essential, which is the company’s ability to continually innovate and be prepared for any adverse effects (Hamel and Valikangas 2003). All three resiliencies are necessary for the continuity of business after a disaster. Apart from this, companies have also realized the importance of transparency or visibility of inherent vulnerabilities of the firm to which a supply chain is exposed to (Kleindorfer and Saad 2005). This work-in-progress paper is based on the data collected from a major supplier in the United States. It focuses on addressing the question, “how does anticipated, inherent and adaptive resilience, as well as supply chain visibility, influence business continuity programs?” The contingent resource-based theory (Brandon-Jones et al. 2014) is employed to establish and explain the relationship among inherent resilience, anticipated resilience, adaptive resilience, supply chain visibility in performance, and business continuity.

The main purpose of this article to present a comprehensive review of the application of the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in the assessment of sustainable and green supply chain management (SCM). In this paper, we systematically identified, reviewed, and categorized the selected papers in various key perspectives, including application area, research problem and study purpose and gap, type of method and technique, name of variables, name and country of authors, related theory, unit of analysis, publication year, number of hypotheses, number of sample and scope, respondents, measure validation, data collection method, and finally, findings and results. The findings of this review study demonstrated that previous works have used the SEM in the field of green SCM. In addition, it appears the manufacturing sector had the highest rank among other sectors. Results report the majority of published papers have used SmartPls and the resource-based theory (RBV) theory achieved first rank among other theories. With 16 records, Journal of Cleaner Production stands out as the most prominent outlet, and scholars published 16 papers in the year of 2016 as the most influential year. According to the findings, we identified the United States with 16 records, as the most prominent country compared to other countries. This review paper proves to be a valuable source of information for readers and practitioners in the field of SCM because it presents useful insights into green and sustainable SCM development and offers a better understanding of the current body of knowledge in these fields.

Dysregulated cell proliferation in the lung is one of the key hallmarks in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Proliferation of type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and fibroblasts is a particularly important event in IPF development. However, it is not understood how such proliferation leads to an advanced stage of fibrosis. Therefore, it is very important to characterize the proliferation of type II AECs in IPF lungs with different histological appearances. Lung samples were removed from the whole lung explants of patients with IPF and patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, control subjects) undergoing lung transplantation at Tampa General Hospital (IRB protocol Pro00032158). Paraffin-embedded lung sections were immunohistochemically labeled for Ki67 (proliferation marker) and pro-SPC (a lineage marker for type II AEC). In normal looking alveoli of PAH and IPF lungs, Ki67 signals were sparsely colocalized with pro-SPC. In mildly affected alveoli with thickened interstitium in IPF lungs, Ki67 signals are noted with higher density than normal alveoli of PAH and IPF. Intriguingly, most of them are either weakly positive or negative for pro-SPC. In severely fibrotic regions in IPF lungs, most of the Ki67 positive cells are negative for pro-SPC. The results indicate that type II AEC proliferation is a key event in IPF. The results also suggest that type II AEC proliferation gradually shifts to proliferation of different cell types as the lung becomes more fibrotic. These cells are presumably dedifferentiated type II AECs that have lost pro-SPC expression or other progenitor cell types.

The emerging environmental awareness of the public, as well as the implementation of governmental regulations, force organisations to employ corporate environmental practices such as green supply chain management (GSCM) and green innovation. Accordingly, both practices are crucial to achieve professional improvement in the environmental performance of these organisations. However, research on the relationship of GSCM, green innovation, and environmental performance is relatively rare. Therefore, this study is aimed to provide empirical evidence showing that GSCM and green innovation practices significantly improve environmental performance in order to encourage organisations to implement these practices. In addition, this study investigates the relationship between GSCM and green innovation practices and the influence of these practices on the environmental performance in 123 manufacturing organisations with ISO 14001 certification. The results of PLS-SEM revealed that there is a significant and positive relationship between GSCM and green innovation, and the environmental performance. Moreover, green innovation had a positive effect on the environmental performance. Furthermore, green innovation had a mediating relationship between GSCM and environmental performance. Therefore, the present paper confirmed the significant influence of GSCM on boosting the green innovation of organisations and on the manufacturing establishments, which eventually improve the environment. In brief, the outcomes of this study provide enhanced understanding about the significant role of green innovation in the manufacturers for improving their GSCM and organisational environmental performance.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test flow as a construct distinctly separate from its antecedents, and the resulting impact on brand attitudes and purchase intent within realistic online shopping three-dimensional virtual environments (3-DVEs). Design/methodology/approach This research utilizes a field study, combined with a survey research design of 348 3-DVE participants. Findings The findings reveal that flow is not a unidimensional construct but rather, a mental state that should be measured separately from its antecedents, with the possibility that certain antecedents may be more relevant than others in different activities. Furthermore, the authors received strong support for the overarching hypothesized model separating the nine dimensions associated with engagement in an activity as antecedents of flow, which, in turn, influences brand attitude and thereafter purchase intention. Research limitations/implications - This study was limited to one type of activity within one 3-DVE but is balanced by the difficulty in gaining access to organizations and computer-mediated environments of this type for examining such phenomena. Practical implications - Businesses using 3-DVEs to market brands should focus their efforts on creating highly enjoyable experiences that result in the feeling of a loss of sense of time for the participants in order to ultimately positively influence purchase intentions. Originality/value Prior research focused on fantasy-based, game-oriented environments, while also neglecting to test all elements of flow, examining "similar to flow" constructs or measuring flow as a unidimensional construct.

For leadership, responding to supply chain disruptions can be paradoxical. Supply chain disruptions can rattle the stability and operational norms of a company and its stakeholders. Without an unwavering effort to contain the damage, such disruptions can easily propagate and become even more damaging. This assertion suggests that decisive leadership is fit for the purpose. However, supply chain disruptions often sever multiple value-generating streams, creating a ripple effect across organizations. Re-establishing production links in a web of inter-organizational exchanges requires careful examination of what is at stake by purchasing and supply managers. This alternative assertion suggests that an adaptive leader is fit for the purpose. The concurrent need for decisiveness in leadership and adaptiveness in leadership can be paradoxical. In this study, we explore this issue by assessing how leader's adaptive decision-making (ADM) affects the extent of operational performance damage caused by different forms of supply chain disruptions. Using paradox and leadership theories, we offer hypotheses related to unexpected, complicated and enduring supply chain disruptions. We empirically test our hypotheses using secondary (financial) and primary (managerial assessment) data from a cross-section of 251 manufacturing firms. Results show a concave curvilinear relationship between leader's ADM and operational damage from supply chain disruptions, suggesting that moderate levels of ADM are optimal. Higher ADM is particularly effective to diminish ripple effects in the face of rare disruptions. Instead, low ADM is more effective in the face of unexpected and complicated disruptions.

Renewable energy should play a crucial role in increasing energy supplies and achieving the potential target of reducing 50% of CO2 emissions by 2050. The main objective of this study is to propose a neuro-fuzzy modelling entitled ensemble-Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) learning to predict and analyse the interrelationship between renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and CO2 emissions of G8+5 countries. This will help the governments and industry sectors to formulate energy policies and develop energy resources sustainably. The prediction method was constructed by extracting the fuzzy rules from the real-world dataset of World Development Indicators (WDI) and generalising the relationships of the inputs and output parameters for accurate prediction of CO2 emissions. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated, and the results show its efficiency in the prediction of CO2 emissions by incorporating the import indicators, including renewable energy consumption and economic growth. The U test of Sasabuchi–Lind–Mehlum (SLM) was conducted to identify the interrelationship results obtained from the ensemble ANFIS learning and the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. The results of SLM test found an inverse U-shape condition among all countries except Brazil. The prediction of CO2 emissions trends using the soft computing approach (ensemble ANFIS) indicated that the consumption of renewable energy reduces CO2 emissions. The proposed soft computing method was found efficient in predicting CO2 emissions. It was in line with the foreseen targets of increasing the renewable energy generation and achieving the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) objectives.

Decision making techniques have been widely used in healthcare and medical industry. This study systematically reviews the conventional and fuzzy decision-making techniques applied in healthcare and medical problems. In total, we evaluated 202 published studies selected from 85 high-ranking journals, in which 130 of those published studies were directly related to the decision-making processes in healthcare and medical issues. Selected studies were classified into nine application areas: environmental sustain ability, waste management, service quality, risk management, medical equipment and material selection, health technology, operation researches in healthcare, hospital healthcare services and other application areas. Furthermore, we classified the selected studies by numerous significant perspectives such as the authors, application areas, utilized techniques, publication time periods, decision-making and study goals, and significant results of the papers. The statistical results show that the year 2012 was ranked first in terms of developed studies within the period of 1989-2018. The techniques of AHP and hybrid approaches were the most frequently implemented decision-making technique in healthcare fields. Notably, the results also show that decision-making approaches and techniques are mostly applied to evaluate and rank different applications of service quality in healthcare and medical industries. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background In January 2015, we created a multidisciplinary Aortic Center with the collaboration of Vascular Surgery, Cardiac Surgery, Interventional Radiology, Anesthesia and Hospital Administration. We report the initial success of creating a Comprehensive Aortic Center. Methods All aortic procedures performed from January 1, 2015 until December 31, 2016 were entered into a prospectively collected database and compared with available data for 2014. Primary outcomes included the number of all aortic related procedures, transfer acceptance rate, transfer time, and proportion of elective/emergent referrals. Results The Aortic Center included 5 vascular surgeons, 2 cardiac surgeons, and 2 interventional radiologists. Workflow processes were implemented to streamline patient transfers as well as physician and operating room notification. Total aortic volume increased significantly from 162 to 261 patients. This reflected an overall 59% (P = 0.0167) increase in all aorta-related procedures. We had a 65% overall increase in transfer requests with 156% increase in acceptance of referrals and 136% drop in transfer denials (P < 0.0001). Emergent abdominal aortic cases accounted for 17% (n = 45) of our total aortic volume in 2015. The average transfer time from request to arrival decreased from 515 to 352 min, although this change was not statistically significant. We did see a significant increase in the use of air-transfers for aortic patients (P = 0.0041). Factorial analysis showed that time for transfer was affected only by air-transfer use, regardless of the year the patient was transferred. Transfer volume and volume of aortic related procedures remained stable in 2016. Conclusions Designation as a comprehensive Aortic Center with implementation of strategic workflow systems and a culture of "no refusal of transfers" resulted in a significant increase in aortic volume for both emergent and elective aortic cases. Case volumes increased for all specialties involved in the center. Improvements in transfer center and emergency medical services communication demonstrated a trend toward more efficient transfer times. These increases and improvements were sustainable for 2 years after this designation.

Paradoxical low flow-low gradient aortic stenosis (PLF-LG AS) is characterized by low stroke volume and gradient despite a normal ejection fraction (EF), and is associated with poorer outcomes. The mechanism of low flow is incompletely understood and is presumed to be related to restrictive filling

To date, the primary focus of global information technology management has been to examine how technologies facilitate the coordination and completion of work within multi-national organizations and improve efficiencies across global supply chains. However, the true global potential of advanced technologies is just starting to emerge. We have discovered that global connectivity has made the world flat. The future of work, especially knowledge work, might not only occur in large, command-control organizations, but through decentralized, fluid networks where individuals largely self-organize and manage themselves, in an “e-lance” economy. The goal of this paper is to develop and test a theory of network governance specific to this new emerging e-lance economy by integrating transaction cost economics with the concepts of social controls. Transaction costs are assessed by measuring demand uncertainty (# of projects and % of projects that were awarded), human asset specificity (# of bids), task complexity (average $ amount of bids and average time projects are open) and frequency (% of repeat customers and % of repeat suppliers). Social controls are assessed by measuring reputation (average supplier reputation), collective sanctions (% of suppliers getting flamed) and restricted access (projects that restrict access to who can bid). We use three measures of e-lance success: the number of project posted to the network, the average number of bids per project, and the total dollar amount exchanges on the network. We empirically test our hypotheses using data from 14,644 projects across a two-month time frame on the website www.elance.com – separating data collection of the independent variables and dependent variables across time. In terms of social controls, restricting access by sealing bids and not Hooker, Lewis, Wasko, Worrell & Yoon – E-lance Governance 2 disclosing budget amounts leads to lower levels of bidding, but not disclosing budgets is associated with more projects being posted. In terms of transaction costs, higher average project values lead to more projects and more money being exchanged, but more bids leads to less monetary exchange. We find that the best predictor of e-lance success across all measures is the number of projects posted in the prior time period – thus active networks where there are lots of projects are the most successful over time.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) associated with tuberculous pericarditis after lung transplantation is a very rare entity. Here we report a unique case of cardiac tamponade due to tuberculous pericarditis, in a patient 4 months after single right lung transplantation, the patient underwent a subxyphoid pericardial window. The pericardial effusion analysis showed exudate effusion with high level of lymphocyte concentration. Both patient and donor didn't have history of TB or TB Exposure.

Supply chain disruptions can be complicated, surprising, infrequent, and often unforgiving to mediocre decisions. Leading organizations through such disruptions can be extremely challenging. This raises a fundamental question: What types of leadership traits are best suited in handling supply chain disruptions? In this paper we offer theoretical and empirical evidence to help address the question. The paper starts by first differentiating characteristics that make supply chain disruptions challenging. Next, based on a thorough review of the literature in crisis leadership, we carefully select traits that seem relevant in effectively handling supply chain disruptions. After validating the selected traits with industry professionals, we hypothesize relationships between the leadership traits and different types of challenging supply chain disruptions. Our investigation uses a combination of archival and survey data from a cross-section of 286 manufacturing firms to empirically test our hypotheses. Results suggest that, leader decisiveness has a positive effect and deliberative leadership has a detrimental effect on mitigating the effects of major supply chain disruptions. The same two traits are also important to consider when facing complex disruptions. In the face of disruptions with limited warning, leader trust plays an important role. These results offer further explanations on the nuances of supply chain disruptions. Leaders should consider emphasizing certain traits to better respond and recover from supply chain disruptions.

In disaster management, a response to an incident that affects various people, communities, and organizations involves multiple parts of the supply chain. When a disaster occurs, people from the entire emergency supply chain are pulled together into one response team in order to ensure an effective disaster response. The whole team needs to work jointly as one unit, because even a small mistake can pose a serious threat to disaster victims’ and team members’ safety, health, and well-being. Research shows that individuals involved in emergency response teams suffer from stress, depression, and anxiety (Tomazin, 2013). Further, the disaster can affect their lives and threaten their well-being (Thompson & McKenna, 2012). In such harsh and unstable working conditions, motivating team members is one of the most critical factors for ensuring a disaster response’s success (Pettit & Beresford, 2009). Supply chain leaders need to develop an environment where team members are able to create value that will improve their morale and dedication. The current research is attempting to answer the question: how do supply chain leaders create value for the disaster team members?

E-business based e-lance networks can impact the coordination and completion of work within organizations and improve efficiencies in global supply chains. This may be particularly true for organizations mitigating sudden demand spikes, or lacking internal expertise and bandwidth. However, little is known about what governance and social control mechanisms impact network success. Utilizing data from 14,644 projects, this research tests a theory of network governance specific to this new emerging e-lance economy by integrating transaction cost economics with the concepts of social controls. For transaction costs, findings indicate that higher average project values lead to more projects and more money being exchanged, but more bids leads to less monetary exchange. For social controls, restricting access by sealing bids and not disclosing budget amounts leads to less bidding, but not disclosing budgets is associated with more projects being posted. The authors further find that the best predictor of e-lance success across all measures is the number of projects posted in the prior time period.