Environmental Management Evolution Framework: Maturity Stages and Causal Loops.

Environmental management has become a fundamental concern for organizations, customers, and citizens, yet there are few environmental management metrics that guide toward environmental excellence. This research presents a detailed qualitative model of the evolution of environmental management of a firm through the definition of maturity stages and causal influences. The model provides a technique for assessing maturity stages as well as steps that can assist or negate their ecological advancement. The causal-based classification helps companies to understand the need for nontechnical elements in the process, such as top management commitment. This article also contributes to the literature on integrative multimethod research, as it brings together several approaches to environmental management

Environmental Management Maturity: The Role of Dynamic Validation.

Maturity models enhance the performance of companies by prescribing a trajectory through stages of increasing capability. However, a recent review of maturity models concludes that current maturity models hardly meet the design principles required for prescriptive use. To address this deficiency, we conducted semistructured interviews and a Group Model Building study with industrial companies in Spain in which we studied the progression toward a Leading Green Company as the highest maturity stage of environmental management. The findings from the study were tested using surveys with enterprises in Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom, semistructured interviews in the United Kingdom and case studies in Spain. Using these data sources, we develop a causal model that captures an idealized environmental management maturity dynamic progression though stages. By mapping maturity stages to feedback loops connected to actions to improve those maturity levels, system dynamics can help companies articulate policies for transitioning toward higher maturity stages

Differential clinical characteristics and prognosis of intraventricular conduction defects in patients with chronic heart failure

Intraventricular conduction defects (IVCDs) can impair prognosis of heart failure (HF), but their specific impact is not well established. This study aimed to analyse the clinical profile and outcomes of HF patients with LBBB, right bundle branch block (RBBB), left anterior fascicular block (LAFB), and no IVCDs. Clinical variables and outcomes after a median follow-up of 21 months were analysed in 1762 patients with chronic HF and LBBB (n = 532), RBBB (n = 134), LAFB (n = 154), and no IVCDs (n = 942). LBBB was associated with more marked LV dilation, depressed LVEF, and mitral valve regurgitation. Patients with RBBB presented overt signs of congestive HF and depressed right ventricular motion. The LAFB group presented intermediate clinical characteristics, and patients with no IVCDs were more often women with less enlarged left ventricles and less depressed LVEF. Death occurred in 332 patients (interannual mortality = 10.8%): cardiovascular in 257, extravascular in 61, and of unknown origin in 14 patients. Cardiac death occurred in 230 (pump failure in 171 and sudden death in 59). An adjusted Cox model showed higher risk of cardiac death and pump failure death in the LBBB and RBBB than in the LAFB and the no IVCD groups. LBBB and RBBB are associated with different clinical profiles and both are independent predictors of increased risk of cardiac death in patients with HF. A more favourable prognosis was observed in patients with LAFB and in those free of IVCDs. Further research in HF patients with RBBB is warranted

EMM Model. Environmental Management Maturity Model for Industrial Companies

Environmental management has become an important issue within companies. Despite being a lot of environmental tools that companies may use, there is not a model that guides them towards environmental excellence and makes them see which tool they should use according to their maturity stage. This research hypothesizes that successful corporate environmental management evolves through a series of characteristic stages; independent of industrial context. The research literature in this type of models is scarce, without going into a deep analysis of how environmental management evolves within industrial companies, and hence, not being helpful within companies. As a consequence, the main objective of this research is to define an evolutionary environmental management maturity model. For the development of this model an iterative process has been followed, starting with some semistructured interviews among 19 companies within the Basque Country and two day workshops with environmental experts. As a result of these methods, the first version of the EMM (Environmental Management Maturity) Model has been developed. This version has been improved with the results obtained from a survey carried out within Spanish and Italian companies, leading to the second version of the model. Afterwards the development process was moved to the UK, obtaining some important information through a survey and semi-structured interviews. The third and final version of the EMM Model was completed. The EMM Model proposes six maturity stages: Legal Requirements, Responsibility Assignment and Training, Systematization, ECO2, Eco-Innovative Products and Services and Leading Green Company. For each maturity stage a description, the people involved, the different policies, indicators, Causal Loop Diagrams and Behavior Over Time graphs have been defined. It can be concluded that the maturity stages and consequently the different parts of each of the stages in this research can provide valuable guidance for industrial firms aiming to make progress in environmental matters, as the EMM Model helps them to identify in which maturity stage they are and sets out steps that they can take to move forward

Environmental Management Evolution Framework: Maturity Stages and Causal Loops.

Environmental management has become a fundamental concern for organizations, customers, and citizens, yet there are few environmental management metrics that guide toward environmental excellence. This research presents a detailed qualitative model of the evolution of environmental management of a firm through the definition of maturity stages and causal influences. The model provides a technique for assessing maturity stages as well as steps that can assist or negate their ecological advancement. The causal-based classification helps companies to understand the need for nontechnical elements in the process, such as top management commitment. This article also contributes to the literature on integrative multimethod research, as it brings together several approaches to environmental management

Environmental Management Maturity: The Role of Dynamic Validation.

Maturity models enhance the performance of companies by prescribing a trajectory through stages of increasing capability. However, a recent review of maturity models concludes that current maturity models hardly meet the design principles required for prescriptive use. To address this deficiency, we conducted semistructured interviews and a Group Model Building study with industrial companies in Spain in which we studied the progression toward a Leading Green Company as the highest maturity stage of environmental management. The findings from the study were tested using surveys with enterprises in Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom, semistructured interviews in the United Kingdom and case studies in Spain. Using these data sources, we develop a causal model that captures an idealized environmental management maturity dynamic progression though stages. By mapping maturity stages to feedback loops connected to actions to improve those maturity levels, system dynamics can help companies articulate policies for transitioning toward higher maturity stages

Clinical studies in non-chromosome 4-linked facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

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Mutagenesis studies in transgenic Xenopus intermediate pituitary cells reveal structural elements necessary for correct prion protein biosynthesis

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