Ultrasonography, with its detailed imaging of the fetus, is very widely used in obstetrics. The primary aim of ultrasound scanning in pregnancy is to limit the risk of obstetric complications by early detection of abnormalities, such as intrauterine growth restriction and macrosomia. Currently, morphometric formulae are used for estimating fetal weight. They utilize basic biometric parameters. However, Hadlock formula, used for fetal weight estimation, has an error rate of 20%. For this reason, researchers all over the world have been looking for other sonographic parameters correlating with fetal weight, with a higher predictive value. The current scientific reports indicate that new sonographic parameters, such as soft tissue thickness values, are useful for fetal weight assessment. The measurements can be conducted in various parts of the fetus’s body, e.g. thigh, upper arm, abdomen or the subscapular area. Different types of measurements are characterized by different levels of correlation with other sonographic and anthropometric parameters as well as body mass and gestational age. Based on the reports, numerous studies proposing new fetal weight calculation formulae have been produced. Apart from soft tissue, some more advanced and detailed measurements are taken, such as those involving adipose and lean tissue or using three-dimensional ultrasound (3D), for determining fetal weight. Ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous tissue thickness in various parts of the body may prove to be a strong predictor of fetal weight, which is useful for sonographic assessment of pregnancy.
The reconciliation of economic growth with environment is currently one of the biggest challenges facing Europe and the world. Demand for natural resources is growing, and global competition in this field causes an increase in pressure on the environment. The necessity of efficient usage of resources entails the need for changes in production models. In this regard, implementing of environmental management systems (EMS) such as international normalized ISO 14001 or European EMAS (Eco-management and Audit Scheme) has enjoyed popularity since the mid-90s and seems to be inevitable. However, some of implemented systems in organisations suffer problems. They are not as effective as was expected and in some points dash companies' hopes. In many cases, management systems are run in the operating level and often they are not sufficiently connected with strategic management and planning. Judging from the number of EMAS registered organisations (compared with ISO 14001) EMAS seems to be a fiasco. A weak system of incentives, insufficient availability of support funds, inadequate information and promotion make the current number of registered organisations not exceed 3000 and it still decreases. Poor knowledge of the society about EMAS and low recognisability of the EMAS logo makes the system a rather useless tool in the communication and marketing fields. The purpose of the considerations contained in the paper is, on the one hand, to describe the unmet expectations of organisations after the implementation of EMAS with regard to the promises made in the strategic documents and on the other hand, to pay attention to challenges that EMAS will face after the publication of the new ISO 14001:2015 standard.
Nowadays, one of a company's priorities is to build its image as responsible and environmental-friendly. Environmental management systems such ISO 14001 or EMAS (Eco-management and Audit Scheme) are tools that help organizations in creating such a picture. Implementing abovementioned systems enjoys popularity since the mid-90s. However, in some organizations, implemented systems suffer problems, and consequently, they are not as effective as expected. In many cases, systems are run at the operating level and often are not sufficiently linked with strategic management and planning. Integration of environmental objectives into the organization's strategy plays a significant role and may be provided by using the widely-known tool BSC (Balanced Scorecard), modified for environmental use. The aim of this article is to present examples of the integration of organizations' environmental objectives with four BSC perspectives. Researches are based on case study analysis obtained from secondary data sources (organizations' environmental statements). Results indicate that the most environmental objectives are posed in the area of internal processes, and the least in the area of finance. Additionally, it has been noted that there is a disproportion between the number of operational objectives and management objectives, which confirms that many environmental management systems are run at the operating level.Keywords: environmental aspects, eco-management and audit scheme, environmental management system, environmental performance indicators, balanced scorecard, environmental reporting.JEL classification: L15, L21, Q51.1 The article was written based on the results of the research project "Research on effectiveness and the efficiency of the Eco-Management and Audit System EMAS in companies on Polish territory". The project was financed by the National Science Centre granted pursuant to decision no DEC-2012/07/N/HS4/02654. Eco-balanced scorecard as a supporting tool in EMAS system 111 ŚRODOWISKOWA ZRÓWNOWAŻONA KARTA WYNIKÓW JAKO NARZĘDZIE WSPIERAJĄCE W SYSTEMIE EMAS Streszczenie: Obecnie jednym z priorytetów przedsiębiorstw jest budowanie wła-snego wizerunku jako firmy odpowiedzialnej i przyjaznej dla środowiska. Systemy zarządzania środowiskowego, jak norma ISO 14001 lub rozporządzenie EMAS (system ekozarządzania i audytu), to narzędzia, które mogą pomóc organizacjom w budowaniu takiego właśnie obrazu. Wdrażanie wymienionych systemów zarzą-dzania cieszy się popularnością od połowy lat 90. Niemniej jednak w niektórych organizacjach wdrożone systemy napotykają problemy, wobec czego nie są tak skuteczne, jak się spodziewano. W wielu przypadkach są one prowadzone na poziomie operacyjnym i często nie są dostatecznie związane z zarządzaniem i planowaniem strategicznym. Integracja celów środowiskowych ze strategią organizacji odgrywa znaczącą rolę i może być dokonana za pomocą powszechnie znanego narzędzia Zrównoważonej Karty Wyników (BSC -Balanced Scorecard) zmodyfikowanego dla celów użytku środowiskowego. Artykuł ma na c...
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