Journal articles on the topic 'Continual-adoption'
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Yousaf, Anish, Abhishek Mishra, and Anil Gupta. "‘From technology adoption to consumption’: Effect of pre-adoption expectations from fitness applications on usage satisfaction, continual usage, and health satisfaction." Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 62 (September 2021): 102655. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102655.
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Martinić, Maša, Jelena Hadžić, and Marko Poljak. "Preliminary Communication and research in Humanistic Sociology Series." In medias res 9, no. 16 (May 26, 2020): 2559–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.46640/imr.9.16.7.
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New technology is referred as any set of productive techniques which offers a significant improvement. What is seen as new’ is obviously subject to continual redefinition, as successive changes in technology are undertaken. The social and political impact of new technologies is complex being subject to variations in managerial strategies, worker resistance, and a host of other cultural and political circumstances. User adoption of new technologies and the models explaining their behaviors is an ongoing research problem. Identifying the factors that affect the adoption of new technologies is understood by developing technology adoption models and theories with different theoretical insights, variables and measurements. To recognize the needs and acceptance of individuals is to realize the factors that drive user acceptance or rejection of technologies. Researchers can conceptualize underlying technology models and theories that may affect the previous, current and future application of technology adoption. As a case study, 50 users of new technology in Croatia were questioned regarding pros and cons and was determined majority will benefit from the use.
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Dong, Tse-Ping, Chia-Liang Hung, and Nai-Chang Cheng. "Enhancing knowledge sharing intention through the satisfactory context of continual service of knowledge management systems." Information Technology & People 29, no. 4 (November 7, 2016): 807–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/itp-09-2014-0195.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how continual enhancement of knowledge management systems (KMSs) enhances knowledge sharing intention. Design/methodology/approach This study integrates information system (IS) success with social cognitive theory (SCT) to explain knowledge sharing intention. Based on a survey of 276 KMS users in Taiwan’s information technology industry, the structural equation model has been applied to examine the influence process from a user satisfactory context to personal cognitive beliefs, and thus knowledge sharing intention. Findings The results indicate that the user satisfactory context stimulated by continual KMS enhancement increases knowledge sharing intention through the mediation of personal cognition of self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. Practical implications The results have empirical implications for learning how to motivate developers’ patience and passion for follow-up improvements to meet user expectations empathically, which has been emphasized for service provision. Originality/value The originality of this research is its explanation of system adoption behavior, which combines the core of IS success with SCT, links user satisfaction to intention to use, and concerns behavior within a specific context.
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Almeida, Maria do Céu, Rita Salgado Brito, Catarina Jorge, and Maria Adriana Cardoso. "Performance Assessment System to Wastewater Utilities Strategic Planning." Water 13, no. 18 (September 10, 2021): 2489. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w13182489.
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Urban water utilities face growing challenges in compliance with increasingly demanding legislation, tightening budgets, ageing personnel, decreasing infrastructure reliability, increasing operational costs, regulatory pressure, and climate change. Within this context, tracking the alignment of the performance with the mission and strategic objectives of the organization, based on reliable and up-to-date data, is of utmost importance to enable effective and continual improvement management. Organizational performance assessment in the water sector has been a topic of growing attention since the 1990s due to the increase in the role of regulators and tighter legislation. Proactive utilities are incorporating sustainability, resource efficiency, resilience, and continual improvement principles in their practices. Strategic planning provides the road map for management and interconnecting the different areas of the organization. An essential component of strategic management planning is the adoption of a tailored performance assessment system (PAS), allowing a better response to these challenges from the water utility management perspective. This paper presents a novel PAS at the strategic level, which was tested and validated with wastewater utilities, in a co-creation process. The proposed PAS fully adopts the objectives recommended in international standards, with a corresponding set of criteria and metrics, and a validated proposal of reference values for the metrics.
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Rovegno, Inez, and Dianna Bandhauer. "Norms of the School Culture That Facilitated Teacher Adoption and Learning of a Constructivist Approach to Physical Education." Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 16, no. 4 (July 1997): 401–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.16.4.401.
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This interpretive case study describes five norms of the school culture that facilitated a teacher’s (the second author) adoption and learning of a constructivist approach to physical education. The second author used a movement approach initially based on Every Child a Winner. The first author conducted field observations at the elementary school across 3 years and formal interviews and numerous informal interviews each day of field work with teachers, principals, staff, and children. The five norms or set of norms were (a) the set of norms defining the school philosophy, (b) teacher learning, (c) teacher participatory power and responsibility, (d) continual school improvement, and (e) the tendency “to feel that we can do anything.” The paper describes how the norms influenced the physical educator and the physical educators’ role in creating and maintaining the norms.
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West, Jamie, Jennifer Atherton, Seán J. Costelloe, Ghazaleh Pourmahram, Adam Stretton, and Michael Cornes. "Preanalytical errors in medical laboratories: a review of the available methodologies of data collection and analysis." Annals of Clinical Biochemistry: International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 54, no. 1 (October 5, 2016): 14–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004563216669384.
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Preanalytical errors have previously been shown to contribute a significant proportion of errors in laboratory processes and contribute to a number of patient safety risks. Accreditation against ISO 15189:2012 requires that laboratory Quality Management Systems consider the impact of preanalytical processes in areas such as the identification and control of non-conformances, continual improvement, internal audit and quality indicators. Previous studies have shown that there is a wide variation in the definition, repertoire and collection methods for preanalytical quality indicators. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry Working Group on Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety has defined a number of quality indicators for the preanalytical stage, and the adoption of harmonized definitions will support interlaboratory comparisons and continual improvement. There are a variety of data collection methods, including audit, manual recording processes, incident reporting mechanisms and laboratory information systems. Quality management processes such as benchmarking, statistical process control, Pareto analysis and failure mode and effect analysis can be used to review data and should be incorporated into clinical governance mechanisms. In this paper, The Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine PreAnalytical Specialist Interest Group review the various data collection methods available. Our recommendation is the use of the laboratory information management systems as a recording mechanism for preanalytical errors as this provides the easiest and most standardized mechanism of data capture.
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Alruwaie, Mubarak. "The Role of Social Influence and Prior Experience on Citizens' Intention to Continuing to Use E-Government Systems." International Journal of Electronic Government Research 10, no. 4 (October 2014): 1–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijegr.2014100101.
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The increasing use of the Internet over recent years has forced governments and individuals to utilise Information & Communication Technology (ICT) in the form of electronic government (e-government). However, the success of e-government delivery is dependent on usage generally but also on growing concerns about perceived social influence and prior experience of e-government service usage; this is in order to ensure better utilisation of ICT investments by retaining current users. Few studies have investigated the influences of perceived social influence and prior experience on personal factors, such as self-efficacy, personal outcome expectation and satisfaction, towards intention to the continual use of e-government systems. To fill this gap, the present research develops a conceptual framework by associating it with citizens' prior experience. A conceptual framework of six constructs is developed by integrating Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT). Theoretically, the present study extends the roles of pre-adoption and post-adoption by offering a self-regulating process through self-efficacy as a physical ability. Further, the study reveals the importance of social influence and prior experience as well as personal outcome expectation and satisfaction as cognitive factors that represent personal goal assessments.
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Chukwu, Daniel Uchenna, Edmund A. Anaele, Hyginus O. Omeje, and Ifeanyi B. Ohanu. "Adopting green building constructions in developing countries through capacity building strategy: survey of Enugu State, Nigeria." Sustainable Buildings 4 (2019): 4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/sbuild/2019004.
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Green building (GB) constructions seeks to address housing demands of the growing populace with better qualities, energy efficiency, using recycled and recyclable materials, improve building lifespan and health of occupants. But GB adoption lags in developing countries. This study focused on driving the adoption of GB constructions in developing countries through capacity building strategy: survey of Enugu State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 135 building workers in educational and industrial sectors across the registered construction companies and higher institutions in Enugu State. Mean and rank were used to answer the research questions, while t-test was used to test five null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that there is need for capacity building in: GB design, GB site, GB construction, GB operation and maintenance, and GB construction and demolition waste management. Cluster t-test analysis showed discrepancies in the agreement of educational and industrial sector workers on GB design and GB construction needs. The implications for not adopting GB are continual conventional constructions with maximal exploitations and resource depletion. Thus, there is a gap in knowledge where sustainable development advocates, government and pioneers of green construction practices could channel efforts toward assisting the developing countries.
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Roberts, Mitchell, Erica Sappington, Ali Yalcin, Jeffrey Lowenkron, David Amzallag, and Carla VandeWeerd. "Increasing Adoption and Utility of Smartwatches in Older Adults." Innovation in Aging 4, Supplement_1 (December 1, 2020): 411–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1326.
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Abstract Older adults (55+) represent one of the fastest growing groups adopting wearable devices (e.g. smartwatches). However, questions remain as to how older adults, healthcare providers and researchers can maximize the ability of these devices to maintain and improve health. The objective of this study was to understand the needs and preferences of older adults in wearable devices, as part of a Florida High Tech Corridor Matching Grant between The Villages Health, Aviv/Xtend Scientific, and The University of South Florida. Six focus groups were conducted with older adults (n=36) living in The Villages, Florida, and were stratified by gender. Topics such as adoption, benefits/concerns, usability, and potential gender differences were explored. Heart rate monitoring, calories burned, and step counting features were most often utilized by current wearable users (43%). Participants reported that the most important benefits of wearables were atrial fibrillation identification, fitness tracking and fall detection. Concerns included privacy, the “learning curve” and too frequent of notifications by the device. Across both genders, choice resonated strongly as a theme. Male and female participants desired personalized, easy to understand outcomes and control over data sharing preferences. Men were interested in continual access to wearable health data, whereas females were interested in daily or weekly summaries. Further, men reported higher on-going use and comfort with smartwatches as compared to females. Participants suggested “low, medium, and high-tech savvy” user profiles and supporting resources (e.g. 1-1 training, paper manuals) to enhance adoption. Recommendations for policy and practice are shared, in light of the findings.
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Vasquez, John A. "The Realist Paradigm and Degenerative versus Progressive Research Programs: An Appraisal of Neotraditional Research on Waltz's Balancing Proposition." American Political Science Review 91, no. 4 (December 1997): 899–912. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2952172.
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Several analysts argue that, despite anomalies, the realist paradigm is dominant because it is more fertile than its rivals. While the ability of the realist paradigm to reformulate its theories in light of criticism accounts for its persistence, it is argued that the proliferation of emendations exposes a degenerating tendency in the paradigm's research program. This article applies Lakatos's criterion that a series of related theories must produce problemshifts that are progressive rather than degenerating to appraise the adequacy of realist-based theories on the balancing of power advanced by neotraditionalists. This research program is seen as degenerating because of (1) the protean character of its theoretical development, (2) an unwillingness to specify what constitutes the true theory, which if falsified would lead to a rejection of the paradigm, (3) a continual adoption of auxiliary propositions to explain away flaws, and (4) a dearth of strong research findings.
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Kros, Dzonatan. "Modernism and tradition and the traditions of modernism." Muzikologija, no. 6 (2006): 19–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/muz0606019k.
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Conventionally, the story of musical modernism has been told in terms of a catastrophic break with the (tonal) past and the search for entirely new techniques and modes of expression suitable to a new age. The resulting notion of a single, linear, modernist mainstream (predicated on the basis of a Schoenbergian model of musical progress) has served to conceal a more subtle relationship between past and present. Increasingly, it is being recognized that there exist many modernisms and their various identities are forged from a continual renegotiation between past and present, between tradition(s) and the avant-garde. This is especially relevant when attempting to discuss the reception of modernism outside central Europe, where the adoption of (Germanic) avant-garde attitudes was often interpreted as being "unpatriotic". The case of Great Britain is examined in detail: Harrison Birtwistle?s opera The Mask of Orpheus (1973?83) forms the focus for a wider discussion of modernism within the context of late/post-modern thought.
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Pearson, Joseph, and Helmut Cölfen. "Practical Aspects of Multiwavelength Analytical Ultracentrifugation." Instruments 3, no. 1 (March 21, 2019): 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/instruments3010023.
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Open-source Multiwavelength Analytical Ultracentrifugation (MWL-AUC) detection systems have been evolving for over a decade. Continual advances emerging out of several research groups have brought the instrumentation technology to increasingly higher levels of performance. The capabilities of MWL-AUC have been documented in many publications, demonstrating the applicability of broad spectrum absorbance acquisitions in analytical ultracentrifugation to a wide array of scientific fields. Despite numerous examples of the usefulness and unique advantages of MWL-AUC, the adoption of the technology by more research groups has been slow. The complexity of the hardware, integration within an ultracentrifuge platform and lack of practical construction and operational information is the likely source of reluctance. Here, we clearly describe the challenges facing a researcher considering adopting MWL-AUC technology in their own laboratories, and provide the information necessary to implement and operate a MWL-AUC system. The discussion includes details of detector assembly, optical alignment, and acquisition parameter settings necessary to achieve high quality experimental results.
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Sheng, Quanhu, Hui Yu, Olufunmilola Oyebamiji, Jiandong Wang, Danqian Chen, Scott Ness, Ying-Yong Zhao, and Yan Guo. "AnnoGen: annotating genome-wide pragmatic features." Bioinformatics 36, no. 9 (January 13, 2020): 2899–901. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa027.
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Abstract Motivation Genome annotation is an important step for all in-depth bioinformatics analysis. It is imperative to augment quantity and diversity of genome-wide annotation data for the latest reference genome to promote its adoption by ongoing and future impactful studies. Results We developed a python toolkit AnnoGen, which at the first time, allows the annotation of three pragmatic genomic features for the GRCh38 genome in enormous base-wise quantities. The three features are chemical binding Energy, sequence information Entropy and Homology Score. The Homology Score is an exceptional feature that captures the genome-wide homology through single-base-offset tiling windows of 100 continual nucleotide bases. AnnoGen is capable of annotating the proprietary pragmatic features for variable user-interested genomic regions and optionally comparing two parallel sets of genomic regions. AnnoGen is characterized with simple utility modes and succinct HTML report of informative statistical tables and plots. Availability and implementation https://github.com/shengqh/annogen.
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Yeung, David W. K., and Leon A. Petrosyan. "A Cooperative Dynamic Environmental Game of Subgame Consistent Clean Technology Development." International Game Theory Review 18, no. 02 (June 2016): 1640008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0219198916400089.
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Cooperative adoption and development of clean technology play a key role to effectively solving the continual worsening industrial pollution problem. For cooperation over time to be credible, a subgame consistency solution which requires the agreed-upon optimality principle to remain in effect throughout the collaboration duration has to hold. In this paper, we present a cooperative dynamic game of collaborative environmental management with clean technology development. A subgame consistent cooperative scheme is derived. It is the first time that cooperative dynamic environmental games with clean technology development are analyzed. Given that there exist discrete choices of production techniques and switching to clean technology brings about cost savings and improved effectiveness, the group optimal solution cannot be obtained with standard differentiable optimization techniques. To overcome this problem the joint optimal solutions for all the possible patterns of production techniques are computed and the pattern with the highest joint payoff is then selected. The analysis widens the scope of study in collaborative environmental management.
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Thakur, Vikash, and Govind Swaroop Pathak. "Employee Well-being and Sustainable Development: Can Occupational Stress Play Spoilsport." Problemy Ekorozwoju 18, no. 1 (January 1, 2023): 188–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.35784/pe.2023.1.20.
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This study examines the notion of sustainable development in corporate organizations and argues that businesses’ adoption of systems/standards to support their sustainable development practices improves employee health and well-being in significant ways. Additionally, the paper analyses the effect of continual or progressive stress that employees face due to their job obligations, circumstances, surroundings, or other workplace pressures and how this affects the organization’s sustainability. Given the growing importance of occupational stress due to technological innovations and global economic progress, it has developed into a worldwide sustainability concern, affecting professionals and all types of employees. Additionally, this study proposes a framework for implementing an integrated management systems (IMS) approach centered on the iterative implementation of sustainable development practices to promote employee health and well-being and minimize workplace demands. Further, the significance of studies exploring the relationship between a company’s sustainable development policies, its employees’ health, and well-being are explored, and future research direction was discussed.
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Koenings, Mallory, and Helen Chipman. "Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance of the Food and Physical Activity Questionnaire for National Nutrition Education Program Evaluation." Current Developments in Nutrition 4, Supplement_2 (May 29, 2020): 1319. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa059_036.
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Abstract Objectives The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a national nutrition education program aimed to improve the health of low-income families in the areas of diet quality, physical activity, food safety, food resource management, and food security. Although EFNEP funds may not be used for research, the program provides an opportunity to disseminate and implement research-based tools and interventions. This study examines the nationwide adoption, implementation, and continual use of the research-tested Food and Physical Activity Questionnaire (FPAQ) for EFNEP adult evaluation. Methods Transition from the Adult Behavior Checklist to the FPAQ was assessed following the RE-AIM dissemination and implementation framework. Specifically, the three factors of Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance. Adoption was measured by the proportion of total EFNEP institutions using the FPAQ. Implementation measures included consistency and modifications made by EFNEP institutions. Lastly, maintenance was assessed via national program outcomes. Results Adoption was 100%. All 76 land-grant universities that deliver EFNEP used FPAQ starting October 1, 2018. On average, FPAQ was used annually by 384 professionals, 1456 paraprofessionals, and 15,705 volunteers. Implementation fidelity was supported through Spanish and English language formatted questionnaires, facilitation guides, and online training. All institutions used the same web-based system to enter participant responses pre and post nutrition education intervention. Modifications included grayscale questionnaires and translation into Chinese, Hmong, Arabic, Somali, and Karen. Averages of 2018 and 2019 FPAQ results show that after completing EFNEP, adults improved behaviors in the areas of diet quality (93%), physical activity (78%), food safety (80%), food resource management (80%), and food security (48%). Conclusions Overall, the FPAQ was successfully adopted and implemented by all 76 universities that deliver EFNEP across the country. As use continues, additional measures of efficacy at the university-level and the national-level may strengthen the assessment of maintenance and public health impact of national nutrition education programs. Funding Sources USDA National institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).
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Patterson, Debra, Megan Pennefather, and Kathleen Donoghue. "Shifting Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners Orientation From Prosecutorial to Patient-Centered: The Role of Training." Journal of Interpersonal Violence 35, no. 21-22 (June 28, 2017): 4757–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0886260517717491.
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Sexual assault forensic examiners (SAFEs) have a complex role that entails providing health care and medical forensic evidence collection. The literature indicates that there are two orientations that guide SAFEs in this role. A patient-centered orientation emphasizes attending to emotional needs, offering options, and respecting survivors’ decisions, which has been linked to positive emotional outcomes. A prosecutorial orientation places emphasis on evidence collection and has been associated with providing fewer comprehensive services. SAFE training may play a pivotal role in guiding new SAFEs to adopt a patient-centered orientation. However, there is a paucity of research examining how training can bolster the adoption of this orientation. Thus, the current qualitative study explored if and how a national blended SAFE training influenced participants’ adoption of a patient-centered orientation. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 64 health care professionals who participated in a national SAFE training. Utilizing analytic induction, the results suggest that the majority of participants entered the training with a prosecutorial orientation but shifted to a patient-centered orientation. Multiple elements of the training influenced this shift including (a) content that dispelled misconceptions of survivors; (b) providing explanations of how attending to survivors’ well-being can lead to positive outcomes; (c) earlier placement of patient-centered content to allow instructors to explain how patient-centered care can be applied to each component of the SAFE role including the medical forensic exam; and (d) continual emphasis on patient-centered care.
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Vaithilingam, Chockalingam Aravind, Reynato Andal Gamboa, and Siow Chun Lim. "Empowered Pedagogy: Catching Up with the Future." Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction 16, Number 1 (June 2, 2019): 1–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.32890/mjli2019.16.1.1.
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Purpose - Recently, a layered and lateral framework that provides opportunities for students to design the pedagogy that creates a broad based, flexible and personalized learning is introduced by the Taylor’s University School of Engineering. This approach creates avenue for the students to design their own curriculum within the framework that is developed with inputs from the industry. The framework, the key components, and the tracking of the performance to align the set outcomes through assessment tool is presented. Methodology - My Study Plan (MySP) a macro-enabled software is used to develop a four-year tier model for the students to design the curriculum with the help of a mentor at the start of the programme. Student’s learning is monitored on a semester-based learning analytics process implementing the Programme Outcomes (PO) Scorecard. The August 2018 cohort of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme is used to pilot this pedagogy. Findings - Currently the PO measurement is done for the graduating student and focus only on the effectiveness of the programme. The Programme Outcome Assessment Review (POAS) used in this study to monitor the MySP the continual monitoring each semester rather towards the end of graduation. Initial simulation of existing PO attainment record of students suggest that this can generate interest towards the learning progress on a semester basis. Significance - The successful adoption sees an effectiveness in the long run in developing graduates through the continual monitoring of the programme outcomes. The graduating students carry the PO scorecard that complements a second transcript for value addition for their studies. Prospective employers can use the PO scorecard as a metric for initial recruitment purposes, a measure for the soft skills achievements of the applicant.
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Tuffour, Joseph Kwadwo, Dinah Akuffo, Awuah Ayebi Kofi, Philip Agyemang Frimpong, and Terrick Sasu. "Adoption of Mobile Commerce and Service in Adentan Municipality of Ghana: An Examination of Factors Influencing Small Enterprises." International Business Research 11, no. 11 (October 16, 2018): 109. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v11n11p109.
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After the introduction of mobile commerce and service, people have acceptance, adopted and used the services for various purposes. However, little attention has been given its continual usage in small enterprises sector in Ghana. Also, studies on the benefits to businesses and barriers of use of mobile commerce and service have been carried out, but extensions of the studies to include examination of the effect of social and demographic factors of small business owners on mobile services use is lacking in the small enterprises sector in Ghana. The study investigates the factors which determine the adoption of mobile commerce and services among small enterprises in the Adentan Municipality of Ghana. The objective of the study is to determine the effects of demographic factors, experience and attitude on the adoption of mobile commerce and service. Data was collected using questionnaires administered to 400 owners of small enterprises in Adentan Municipality. Using structural equation model analysis, the results show that males have less attitude to use mobile commerce and service than females. Also, as people age, attitude to use mobile commerce and service improves. Education and experience have positive effect on attitude to use mobile commerce and service. On the contrary, there is a negative effect of income on attitude. There is a significant positive effect of attitude on mobile commerce and service’s actual usage. The study recommends that, internet service practitioners should develop effective strategies and tactics to improve the attitude to use mobile commerce and service among small businesses owners in Ghana.
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Guelfi, Douglas, Ana Paula Pereira Nunes, Leonardo Fernandes Sarkis, and Damiany Pádua Oliveira. "Innovative Phosphate Fertilizer Technologies to Improve Phosphorus Use Efficiency in Agriculture." Sustainability 14, no. 21 (November 1, 2022): 14266. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su142114266.
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The main discoveries and advances in the development of industrial processes for the most commercially used phosphate fertilizers in the world (single superphosphate, triple superphosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and diammonium phosphate) occurred from 1830 to 1970, followed by improvements and investments to expand worldwide production capacity. A main opportunity now is aggregating new technologies to conventional phosphate fertilizers so they may become even more efficient in supplying P to plants, which involves research related to the technologies for reduction in soil P losses. Thus, some innovations and technologies have begun to be developed and marketed and continue in continual refinement and adoption in agriculture worldwide to reduce conversion of soluble P applied through conventional phosphate fertilizers into unavailable forms in the soil. This is the case of enhanced efficiency fertilizers, which includes groups of phosphate fertilizers with fixation inhibitors and the chemically modified, controlled-release, blends, multifunctional, and synergistic phosphate fertilizers. The technologies presented in detail in this paper were developed to improve the agronomic efficiency of phosphate fertilization in comparison with conventional fertilizers, with costs varying according to raw materials, production technologies, and distance from the consumer market. This synthesis expands knowledge regarding technologies in use, stimulating the development and application of technologies that increase nutrient efficiency, based on results obtained through suitable methods and equipment along with laboratory, greenhouse, and field results. Increased fertilization efficiency should always be linked with greater economic profitability and the lowest environmental impact, following the principles of sustainability and circular economy. The great challenge for innovation is transforming the knowledge generated regarding fertilizers present in patents and scientific publications into technologies appropriate for the fertilizer market and for adoption in agriculture.
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Adegoke, Isaiah, Chen Mingbao, Pearl Abredu, Grace Chikomborero Ndafira, Priscilla Achiaa Amoateng, and Lilian Owusu-Gyan. "Impact Of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices On Organizational Performance In Ghana." Management Science and Business Decisions 1, no. 2 (December 31, 2021): 23–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.52812/msbd.32.
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The study explores the impact of ecological supply chain management practices such as Green Supply Chain, environmental and operational management practices of organizational performance in Ghana. The organizational performance was measured based upon three parameters constituting Sustainable Environmental Performance (SENP), Sustainable Economic Performance (SECP), and Competitiveness (COMP). Exogenous factors included the constructs of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) practices and the single-item construct voluntary adoption of SSCM practices, while endogenous variables included the three aspects of firm performance. The relationship between sustainable management practices and organizational performance was ascertained using Structural Equation Modeling. A few significant results are presented as follows; (1) Environmental Management Practices (EMP) results in enhanced Sustainable Environmental Performance (SENP) and Sustainable Economic Performance (SECP); (2) Organizational Performance has a strong correlation with SECP and COMP; (3) SECP has a substantial and favorable relationship with both competitiveness and sustainable environmental performance, as well as sustainable economic performance. The positive relationship between SSCM practices and firm performance demonstrates that continual sustainable management principles eventually improve community capacity. This ultimately results in an organization’s competitiveness. Additionally, the managerial implications of the results are addressed.
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Wandie, Rebecca Wangare, and Stephen Makau Muathe. "What enhances service delivery in public hospitals in Kenya? The role of total quality management practices." International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478) 11, no. 7 (November 6, 2022): 01–08. http://dx.doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v11i7.2046.
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The public health sector is affected by various challenges, such as operational inefficiencies and poor service delivery. These challenges affect public hospitals' delivery of quality services that meet client expectations. As a result of these issues, public hospitals have adopted the total quality management approach to deal with these challenges. The general objective of this research was to determine the effect of total quality management application on the quality-of-service delivery across public hospitals in Kenya. The study was anchored on a resource-based view, dynamic capabilities, and system approach theories. The research applied a descriptive approach to the target population of 1718 respondents. The sampling approach for the study was a stratified random technique that selected a sample of 250 participants. The findings indicated that employee involvement, technology adoption, continual advancement, and client focus affect service delivery across various public hospitals in Kenya. The research concluded that applying total quality management practices is essential and influences service delivery across various public hospitals. Therefore, the national and county governments are supposed to ensure management’s commitment to the implementation of TQM practices across the county’s healthcare facilities.
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Montanari, Lilian Bueno, Flávio Garcia Sartori, Miguel Jorge de Oliveira Cardoso, Samuel Dutra Varo, Regina Helena Pires, Clarice Queico Fujimura Leite, Karina Prince, and Carlos Henrique Gomes Martins. "Microbiological contamination of a hemodialysis center water distribution system." Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 51, no. 1 (February 2009): 37–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0036-46652009000100007.
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The microbiological monitoring of the water used for hemodialysis is extremely important, especially because of the debilitated immune system of patients suffering from chronic renal insufficiency. To investigate the occurrence and species diversity of bacteria in waters, water samples were collected monthly from a hemodialysis center in upstate São Paulo and tap water samples at the terminal sites of the distribution system was sampled repeatedly (22 times) at each of five points in the distribution system; a further 36 samples were taken from cannulae in 19 hemodialysis machines that were ready for the next patient, four samples from the reuse system and 13 from the water storage system. To identify bacteria, samples were filtered through 0.22 µm-pore membranes; for mycobacteria, 0.45 µm pores were used. Conventional microbiological and molecular methods were used in the analysis. Bacteria were isolated from the distribution system (128 isolates), kidney machine water (43) and reuse system (3). Among these isolates, 32 were Gram-positive rods, 120 Gram-negative rods, 20 Gram-positive cocci and 11 mycobacteria. We propose the continual monitoring of the water supplies in hemodialysis centers and the adoption of effective prophylactic measures that minimize the exposure of these immunodeficient patients to contaminated sources of water.
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Sharbek, Nermin. "How Traditional Financial Institutions have adapted to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and FinTech?" Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence 16, no. 1 (August 1, 2022): 837–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/picbe-2022-0078.
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Abstract This article analyzes the implications of the financial sector’s recent adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). It identifies the advantages of these technologies in terms of fraud protection, cost savings, and efficiency, while also highlighting worries about conventional financial institutions’, such as banks, insurance and reinsurance institutions, and inability to compete with Fintech firms. The report contributes to the conversation about the influence of modern technology by distilling and classifying the tools deployed in established conventional institutions that resulted in continual development and simplification of internal procedures as well as client service delivery. Given the increased competition in the financial industry, Fintech businesses are critical for conventional financial institutions to stay afloat in today’s changing world. The study is directed at researchers who are still in the early phases of investigating the artificial intelligence field in the financial sector. The study reviews prior research that documents the changes occurring inside financial institutions from a global perspective as a result of Fintech and the integration of new technologies. The goals of the paper are fulfilled by (1) furthering theoretical studies on the issue, (2) increasing awareness of the financial industry’s developments, and (3) gathering proof of the influence artificial intelligence and machine learning have had so far.
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Burrello, Jacopo, Guglielmo Gallone, Alessio Burrello, Daniele Jahier Pagliari, Eline H. Ploumen, Mario Iannaccone, Leonardo De Luca, et al. "Prediction of All-Cause Mortality Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Bifurcation Lesions Using Machine Learning Algorithms." Journal of Personalized Medicine 12, no. 6 (June 17, 2022): 990. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jpm12060990.
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Stratifying prognosis following coronary bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an unmet clinical need that may be fulfilled through the adoption of machine learning (ML) algorithms to refine outcome predictions. We sought to develop an ML-based risk stratification model built on clinical, anatomical, and procedural features to predict all-cause mortality following contemporary bifurcation PCI. Multiple ML models to predict all-cause mortality were tested on a cohort of 2393 patients (training, n = 1795; internal validation, n = 598) undergoing bifurcation PCI with contemporary stents from the real-world RAIN registry. Twenty-five commonly available patient-/lesion-related features were selected to train ML models. The best model was validated in an external cohort of 1701 patients undergoing bifurcation PCI from the DUTCH PEERS and BIO-RESORT trial cohorts. At ROC curves, the AUC for the prediction of 2-year mortality was 0.79 (0.74–0.83) in the overall population, 0.74 (0.62–0.85) at internal validation and 0.71 (0.62–0.79) at external validation. Performance at risk ranking analysis, k-center cross-validation, and continual learning confirmed the generalizability of the models, also available as an online interface. The RAIN-ML prediction model represents the first tool combining clinical, anatomical, and procedural features to predict all-cause mortality among patients undergoing contemporary bifurcation PCI with reliable performance.
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Langley, David J. "Digital Product-Service Systems: The Role of Data in the Transition to Servitization Business Models." Sustainability 14, no. 3 (January 24, 2022): 1303. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14031303.
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The Circular Economy, as a guiding model for business processes, is attracting interest due to its potential for aligning business and societal goals as it offers companies the opportunity to simultaneously focus on economic value creation and on the mitigation of environmental damage. It is becoming increasingly clear that digital technologies are an essential component of this model as they enable transparency and efficiency in closing material and energy cycles. Additionally, digitalization leads to efficient business models that revolve around adapting the value proposition to the insights gained from the continual analysis of data, shifting the emphasis of Product-Service Systems towards the service end of the spectrum. As such, these new business models are categorized as forms of Servitization. Despite the increasing importance of Servitization and digitalizing business processes, such as the move towards what is referred to as Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing industry, the associated transition towards widespread adoption of the principles of the Circular Economy is slow. This explorative study investigates key themes and challenges in transitioning towards digitally-enabled Servitization in the manufacturing industry and the relationship with the Circular Economy. Through interviews with experts from the realms of digital technology, Industry 4.0, and business sustainability, a set of research questions is developed that forms a research agenda.
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Summerill, C., S. J. T. Pollard, J. A. Smith, B. Breach, and T. Williams. "Securing executive buy-in for preventative risk management – lessons from water safety plans." Water Supply 11, no. 6 (December 1, 2011): 682–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2011.074.
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Appropriate implementation of water safety plans (WSPs) offers an important opportunity to engage in and promote preventative risk management within water utilities. To ensure success, the whole organization, especially executive management, need to be advocates. Illustrated by four case studies, we discuss the influence of organisational culture on buy-in and commitment to WSPs. Despite an internal desire to undertake risk management, aspects of organisational culture prevented these from reaching full potential. Enabling cultural features included: enthusiastic management; past incidents; accountability; insufficient regulations; image; learning and continual improvement cultures; stakeholder relationships; and empowerment of staff. Blocking features included: lack of awareness and recognition; complacency; poor internal relationships; competing priorities; lack of resources and skills; contrasting internal cultures and a lack of near miss reporting. Benefits of WSP implementation and how management are committed are also discussed. We offer some suggestions to those wishing to generate executive buy-in such as: understanding reasons for hesitance; demonstrate benefits; avoiding complacency; highlight building blocks of WSPs and recognising the value of using the WSP approach to inform sound investment planning. We urge water utilities to consider the influence of organisational culture on the success and sustainability of WSP adoption, and to better understand how effective leadership can mould culture to support implementation.
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CROSS, M. A., S. W. B. IRWIN, and S. M. FITZPATRICK. "Effects of host habitat quality on the viability of Cryptocotyle lingua (Trematoda: Digenea) cercariae." Parasitology 130, no. 2 (September 27, 2004): 195–201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182004006419.
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In an earlier study it was shown that Cryptocotyle lingua cercariae, matured in Littorina littorea from a polluted marine lagoon, displayed slower horizontal swimming rates, and reduced longevity compared to cercariae released by periwinkles from a cleaner environment. This work investigated whether the pollution-induced reduction in swimming rates was due to an inefficient swimming action or the adoption of a less direct swimming path. In addition, cercariae from L. littorea that had been transferred from an ‘unpolluted’ to a ‘polluted’ site for 1 month provided information on the speed with which pollutants affect cercariae through their intermediate hosts. Results indicated that, in general, horizontal swimming rates were reduced due to slower swimming rather than disorientation and longer swimming pathways. Effects of host transplantation to a polluted site were clearly evident after 1 month. Evidence suggested that the pollutants accumulated by the cercariae via their first intermediate host affected the neuromusculature associated with swimming performance rather than sensory structures. Bearing in mind the reduced viability of C. lingua cercariae in polluted sites it is assumed that high prevalence of this digenean in gastropods (at such sites) must be due to their continual introduction by infected birds attracted to these habitats from other areas.
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Tyukaeva, T. I. "Scientific Community in Algeria: Adopting Traditions and Developing Identity." MGIMO Review of International Relations, no. 2(35) (April 28, 2014): 193–200. http://dx.doi.org/10.24833/2071-8160-2014-2-35-193-200.
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The history of scientific development in Algeria, which has not been long, represents a series of continual rises and falls. The Algerian leadership and researchers have been making efforts to create Algeria's national science through protection from the western scientific tradition, which is reminiscent of the colonial period of the country, and at the same time adoption of scientific knowledge and scientific institutions functioning principles from abroad, with no organizational or scientific experience of their own. Since the time the independent Algerian state was established, its scientific development has been inevitably coupled with active support of European countries, especially France, and other western and non-western states. Today the Algerian leadership is highly devoted to the modernization of the national scientific and research potential in strong cooperation with its foreign partners. The article concentrates on examining the present period (the 2000s) of the scientific development in Algeria. The main conclusion is that there still is a number of problems - for Algeria until now lacks an integral scientific community with the state preserving its dominating role in science and research activities. Despite these difficulties, the Algerian science has made an outstanding progress. The efficiently built organizational scientific structure, the growing science and technology cooperation with foreign countries as well as the increasing state expenses in science allow to hope for further success of the Algerian scientific development.
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Cho, Janghee, Samuel Beck, and Stephen Voida. "Topophilia, Placemaking, and Boundary Work." Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 6, GROUP (January 14, 2022): 1–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3492843.
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The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the nature of work by shifting most in-person work to a predominantly remote modality as a way to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In the process, the shift to working-from-home rapidly forced the large-scale adoption of groupware technologies. Although prior empirical research examined the experience of working-from-home within small-scale groups and for targeted kinds of work, the pandemic provides HCI and CSCW researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to understand the psycho-social impacts of a universally mandated work-from-home experience rather than an autonomously chosen one. Drawing on boundary theory and a methodological approach grounded in humanistic geography, we conducted a qualitative analysis of Reddit data drawn from two work-from-home-related subreddits between March 2020 and January 2021. In this paper, we present a characterization of the challenges and solutions discussed within these online communities for adapting work to a hybrid or fully remote modality, managing reconfigured work-life boundaries, and reconstructing the home's sense of place to serve multiple, sometimes conflicting roles. We discuss how these findings suggest an emergent interplay among adapted work practice, reimagined physical (and virtual) spaces, and the establishment and continual re-negotiation of boundaries as a means for anticipating the long-term impact of COVID on future conceptualizations of productivity and work.
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Dev, Purushottam, S. S. Paliyal, and Navjot Rana. "Subhash palekar natural farming - scope, efficacy and critics." Environment Conservation Journal 23, no. 1&2 (February 1, 2022): 99–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.36953/ecj.021896-2158.
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By 2050, India is expected to surpass China as the world's most populated country, with a population of almost 1.7 billion people. To feed this exponentially increasing population, the country must pursue a policy of vertical productivity growth, as the possibilities for additional horizontal expansion of cultivated land are rapidly diminishing. Furthermore, continual cropping depletes soil nutrient resources, necessitating the replenishment of soils with critical major and minor plant nutrients. The country cannot compromise with nutritional supply in order to end "Silent Hunger" and the immoral perpetuation of high concentrations of increasing number of malnourished children and anaemic moms. While the country is intending to restructure its agricultural production system, including R&D, to meet the needs of rising problems, the 2018-19 economic survey established a strong case for the widespread adoption of ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming' (ZBNF) to double farmers' revenue. As a result, crop productivity will remain low, and farmers will not be able to earn enough to double their income and get out of debt with this level of output. Also at the country level, we will not be able to meet the expanding populations food and nutritional demands and hence will fail to meet the sustainable goals of “Zero Hunger and Poverty Elimination” by 2030. Thus, with zero budget natural farming practices we can feed to the India and world, our emphasis is too elaborate all aspects.
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Lourenço, Lillian, Marian Kelly, Jill Tarasuk, Kyla Stairs, Maggie Bryson, Nashira Popovic, and Josephine Aho. "The hepatitis C epidemic in Canada: An overview of recent trends in surveillance, injection drug use, harm reduction and treatment." Canada Communicable Disease Report 47, no. 12 (December 9, 2021): 505–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v47i12a01.
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Hepatitis C continues to be a significant public health concern in Canada, with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) responsible for more life-years lost than all other infectious diseases in Canada. An increase in reported hepatitis C infections was observed between 2014 and 2018. Here, we present changing epidemiological trends and discuss risk factors for hepatitis C acquisition in Canada that may have contributed to this increase in reported hepatitis C infections, focusing on injection drug use. We describe a decrease in the use of borrowed needles or syringes coupled with an increase in using other used injection drug use equipment. Also, an increased prevalence of injection drug use and use of prescription opioid and methamphetamine injection by people who inject drugs (PWID) may be increasing the risk of HCV acquisition. At the same time, while harm reduction coverage appears to have increased in Canada in recent years, gaps in access and coverage remain. We also consider how direct-acting antiviral (DAA) eligibility expansion may have affected hepatitis C rates from 2014 to 2018. Finally, we present new surveillance trends observed in 2019 and discuss how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may affect hepatitis C case counts from 2020 onwards. Continual efforts to i) enhance hepatitis C surveillance and ii) strengthen the reach, effectiveness, and adoption of hepatitis C prevention and treatment services across Canada are vital to reducing HCV transmission among PWID and achieving Canada’s HCV elimination targets by 2030.
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Ahmad, Aromaih. "Learning Beyond the Walls: Mobile Classrooms for Disadvantaged ELLs." Tobacco Regulatory Science 7, no. 5 (September 30, 2021): 3812–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.18001/trs.7.5.1.155.
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Objectives: Although technology-based language instruction has come to be seen as a panacea for all learning-related issues, technology-based language instruction offers a solution to the unsymmetrical entrance to learning resources and shifting to modern teacher-dominated learning approaches. Teachers’ expectations for new technologies to arbitrate unchanging teaching approaches have inhibited the most effective use of technology apps like instant messaging. Significant changes in teaching designs are required to integrate mobile instant messaging and deliver distributed cooperative/synergetic learning for students; this study chose a mobile converted classroom to restructure language training. At the same time, when compared to their peers, the difficulties faced by underprivileged English learners are numerous. By ’disadvantaged,’ we mean learners who have not had optimum linguistic, academic, social, and economic opportunities until they entered Majmaah University. The mobile converted classroom incorporated mobile platforms (such as WhatsApp) by physically scattered learners to collectively deal with content after illustrating IT notions and processes by the teacher. It turns out that mobile converted classrooms allowed English language learners to study at their own pace, increased their entry into distributed learning, boosted their cognitive processes, encouraged on-task activities, and encouraged informal replay of educational videos via WhatsApp (teacher-student and student-student). According to the findings, successful adoption and adaptation of new technologies necessitate consideration of students’ disciplinary knowledge, ability to collaborate, and continual commitment to participate in academically related tasks.
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Geraci-Yee, S., B. Allam, and JL Collier. "Keeping up with advances in qPCR pathogen detection: an example for QPX disease in hard clams." Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 148 (March 31, 2022): 127–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/dao03648.
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With marine diseases on the rise and increased reliance on molecular tools for disease surveillance, validated pathogen detection capabilities are important for effective management, mitigation, and response to disease outbreaks. At the same time, in an era of continual evolution and advancement of molecular tools for pathogen detection, it is critical to regularly reassess previously established assays to incorporate improvements of common practices and procedures, such as the minimum information for publication of quantitative real-time PCR experiments (MIQE) guidelines. Here, we reassessed, re-optimized, and improved the quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay routinely used for Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX) disease monitoring. We made 19 significant changes to the qPCR assay, including improvements to PCR amplification efficiency, DNA extraction efficiency, inhibition testing, incorporation of linearized standards for absolute quantification, an inter-plate calibration technique, and improved conversion from copy number to number of cells. These changes made the assay a more effective and efficient tool for disease monitoring and pathogen detection, with an improved linear relationship with histopathology compared to the previous version of the assay. To support the wide adoption of validated qPCR assays for marine pathogens, we provide a simple workflow that can be applied to the development of new assays, re-optimization of old or suboptimal assays, or assay validation after changes to the protocol and a MIQE-compliant checklist that should accompany any published qPCR diagnostic assay to increase experimental transparency and reproducibility amongst laboratories.
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Holdsworth, David, and Adam Zagorecki. "The SERIES model: development of a practitioner focused emergency response evaluation system." International Journal of Emergency Services 9, no. 3 (July 22, 2020): 313–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijes-01-2020-0003.
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PurposeEffective Emergency Response Management (ERM) system evaluation is vital to the process of continual improvement within emergency response organizations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if an entire ERM system can be captured and encoded within a standardized framework.Design/methodology/approachEmploying an exploratory approach the authors apply a mixed methods case study design and inductive reasoning to analyse documentary evidence provided during the inquest into the London Bombings 2005. The authors use content analysis to investigate the nature of ERM system data availability and apply principals of Network Theory to iteratively develop a framework within which data can be encoded.FindingsThe authors find that complex ERM system data can be captured and stored within a standardized framework. The authors present a conceptual framework and multi-stage mixed methods process, the Standardized Emergency Response Incident Evaluation System (SERIES) model, to support data collection, storage and interpretation. The findings demonstrate that ERM system evaluation can benefit from the adoption of a standardized mixed-methods approach employing data transformation and triangulation. The authors also demonstrate the potential of the proposed standardized model, by integrating qualitative and quantitative data, to support interpretation and reporting through the use of appropriate data visualization.Originality/valueThe SERIES model provides a practical tool and procedural guidelines to capture and share vital ERM system data and information across all emergency services. It also presents an opportunity to develop a large comprehensive multi-incident dataset to support academic inquiry and partnership between academics and practitioners.
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Pham, Ramya, Niki Constantinou, and Donna Plecha. "Utilizing the Hub-and-Spoke Model to Deliver Quality Breast Imaging in a Large Health System." Journal of Breast Imaging 1, no. 1 (March 2019): 51–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jbi/wby010.
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Abstract Healthcare systems are constantly expanding and gaining new territories. This growth is met with challenges in the organization and delivery of quality health care services to a large geographical area. The need for provider and staff coverage at the new sites often outpaces the rate at which additional providers and staff are hired. The need for new technology, equipment, and administrative support to oversee the new sites may also lag. The overall result could compromise patient experience at these outlying locations. The breast imaging division at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UHCMC) instituted many changes to support UHCMC’s continual growth while focusing on consistent quality of care and optimal patient experience. Changes included adoption of the hub-and-spoke organization-design model and incorporation of the integrated practice unit (IPU) concept. In the hub-and-spoke organization-design model, full services are offered at a central hub, with additional limited services provided at the peripheral spoke sites. The IPU is a dedicated team of clinical and nonclinical personnel providing the full care cycle centered on a specific medical condition such as breast health. The breast imaging hubs and spokes are incorporated into the breast health IPUs to provide uniform quality care across a large health system. The purpose of this article is to describe how the breast imaging division, functioning as members of the breast care IPU, utilized the hub-and-spoke concept to provide quality breast imaging services throughout the expanding health system.
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Dalvi, Mahesh G., Anju Singh, Paravastu Rambabu, Nagesh N. Murthy, and Nachiket Gosavi. "Business Sustainability - A Study of Most Sustainable Corporations." Environmental Management and Sustainable Development 8, no. 2 (May 16, 2019): 130. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/emsd.v8i2.14790.
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‘G100’ is the list of most sustainable 100 corporations out of thousands of global leading corporations. G100 corporations are acknowledged every year during the world economic forum. The focus of the study is to identify the key factors which support these corporations to get listed in G100 and to check the relationship of these factors with superior sustainability performance. Literature review enabled us to understand the different motives and factors influencing the drive of sustainability. These are categorized as operational and strategic drivers based on their nature. Multiple regression analysis carried out to check the correlation between the Sustainability drivers and, the repeat performance in G100 by these corporations. Findings helped us conclude that Sustainability initiatives have a motive of an operational benefit and it is also considered as a strategic driver by adding social and environmental dimension in the core purpose of the organization. A positive correlation is confirmed between corporations adopting sustainability as a strategic driver and their performance in G100. Year on year continual improvement is observed in the average scores of G100 corporations and it confirms the contribution of global sustainability indices in helping overall sustainable development.Proposed model adoption may help corporations to drive their sustainability programs and as a result, perform better in G100 with consistency. This study provides insights into sustainability champions and business leaders to understand the role of sustainability drivers. Business leaders can achieve superior sustainability performance in global sustainability indices using the findings of this study. It will also ensure the good governance of sustainability initiatives.
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Gischner, Burton, and Gregory Morea. "NIDDESC-IGES Developments—Today’s Solution." Journal of Ship Production 10, no. 01 (February 1, 1994): 31–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.5957/jsp.1994.10.1.31.
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The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) was first developed in 1980. It has evolved with continual improvements to the current Version 5.1 which was published in October 1991 [1]. Although IGES has proved to be a very valuable tool, difficulties have been encountered in using it for sophisticated transfers, such as for product models or complicated drawings. The long range solution to these difficulties is the emergence of the Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP). The Navy/Industry Digital Data Exchange Standards Committee (NIDDESC) has been a leading player in the development of this international standard. However, in the interim, NIDDESC is also spearheading the efforts to enhance the use of IGES by developing application protocols. Two of these application protocols, for 3D Piping and Engineering Drawings, are the first ones to be developed by the IGES/ PDES (Product Data Exchange using STEP) Organization (IPO), and will lead the way to more productive data transfer before the development of STEP. They will be referenced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) standard for digital data transfer, MIL-D-28000 [2], and should greatly facilitate the occurrence of effective data transfer in these two disciplines. Furthermore, the use of these IGES application protocols is expected to provide significant guidance in the development of application protocols for the emerging STEP standard. This paper focuses on the development of these two application protocols, the involvement of NIDDESC and the shipbuilding industry (as well as the participation of other industry users and vendors), and the significant benefits to be derived from the adoption of these standards.
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Johanson, Erik N., Sally P. Horn, and Chad S. Lane. "Pre-Columbian agriculture, fire, and Spanish contact: A 4200-year record from Laguna Los Mangos, Costa Rica." Holocene 29, no. 11 (July 24, 2019): 1743–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683619862032.
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We present a lake-sediment record of pre-Columbian agriculture and fire history from the lowlands of southern Pacific Costa Rica that captures the arrival of maize agriculture at ca. 3360 cal yr BP in the Diquís subregion of the Gran Chiriquí archeological region. Our 4200-year record from Laguna Los Mangos begins 1000 to 2000 years earlier than other lake records from the region and provides the first microfossil and geochemical evidence of vegetation and fire prior to the establishment of maize agriculture. This early portion of the record shows evidence of fire events associated with land clearance or field preparation and maintenance for subsistence activities. Alternatively, these were wildfires ignited unintentionally by people or naturally by lightning or volcanism. Evidence of early maize by ca. 3200 cal yr BP was found at Laguna Zoncho in the southeastern section of the Diquís subregion. Our discovery of early maize agriculture at ca. 3360 cal yr BP in the Laguna Los Mangos watershed in the northwestern portion of the Diquís subregion indicates a rapid adoption of maize agriculture in the region after initial introduction. Pre-Columbian agriculture and fire activity at Los Mangos is nearly continual until historic times, but with a decline after ca. 1170 cal yr BP, coincident with the early Terminal Classic Drought (TCD). We infer a pronounced drying of the lowland environment at Laguna Los Mangos based on a depositional hiatus in the record at ca. 950 during late TCD. Agricultural proxies indicate reduced watershed activity during the ‘Little Ice Age’ following Spanish contact in southern Central America until the 20th century.
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Dichev, Ilia D. "On the Balance Sheet-Based Model of Financial Reporting." Accounting Horizons 22, no. 4 (December 1, 2008): 453–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2308/acch.2008.22.4.453.
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SYNOPSIS: FASB adopted a balance sheet-based model of financial reporting about 30 years ago, and this model has been gradually expanded and solidified to become the required norm around the world. This article argues that the balance sheet orientation of accounting standard-setting is flawed for the following reasons. First, accounting is supposed to reflect business reality, and thus the essential features of the financial reporting model need to reflect the essential features of the underlying business model. However, the balance sheet orientation of financial reporting is at odds with the economic process of advancing expenses to earn revenues, which governs how most businesses create value, and which represents how managers and investors view most firms. Second, the adoption of the balance sheet approach was driven by conceptual considerations; standard-setters argued that the concept of assets is more fundamental and logically prior to the concept of income. However, this article argues that the concept of income is clearer and practically more useful than the concept of assets, especially with the recent proliferation of intangible assets. Third, earnings is the single most important output of the accounting system. Thus, intuitively, improved financial reporting should lead to improved usefulness of earnings. However, the continual expansion of the balance sheet approach is gradually destroying the forward-looking usefulness of earnings, mainly through the effect of various asset revaluations, which manifest as noise in the process of generating normal operating earnings. During the last 40 years, the volatility of reported earnings has doubled and the persistence of earnings is down by a third, while little has changed in the properties of the underlying business fundamentals.
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Ifeanyi-Nze, Favour Okechi, and Charles Olumakinde Omiyale. "Insights into the recent advances in the pretreatment of biomass for sustainable bioenergy and bio-products synthesis: Challenges and future directions." European Journal of Sustainable Development Research 7, no. 1 (January 1, 2023): em0209. http://dx.doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/12722.
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Recently, biomass has shown its viability as an alternative to fossil fuels. Due to the growing trend in greenhouse gas emissions generated by the continual burning of fossil fuel products, it will be advantageous for humanity to seek a more sustainable and renewable source of energy. Due to its availability, biomass has a promising approach as a feedstock for bioconversion processes that produce energy, fuels, and other chemicals. The carbon dioxide generated by burning biomass has no influence on atmospheric carbon dioxide since it is derived from a renewable source. Despite these benefits, its adoption in bioconversion and biorefinery processes has traditionally been hindered by its recalcitrant nature, as indicated by its intrinsic characteristics. Prior to any conversion process, biomass must be pretreated to enhance product recovery. To satisfy the rising need for renewable and sustainable energy sources, the present conversion efficiency must be improved and the biorefinery concept must transition from using just one biomass component (cellulose) to utilizing the complete biomass component. This study examines numerous pretreatment procedures used prior to any conversion process, the challenges faced, and the future of biomass pretreatment technologies. Physical, hydrothermal, chemical, oxidation, biological, and hybrid pretreatment techniques are evaluated. The review indicates that the ideal approach to biomass pretreatment must be able to deal with the recalcitrant nature of biomass, enhance the crystallinity of cellulose, and provide the greatest recovery of biofuels, bio-char, sugars, and other industrially relevant bioproducts. The data offered in this study will equip readers with the knowledge necessary to effectively identify solutions to pretreatment problems and energy generation from pretreated biomass.
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Belachew, Kiflemariam Yehuala, Ndegwa Henry Maina, Waga Mazengia Dersseh, Bantalem Zeleke, and Frederick L. Stoddard. "Yield Gaps of Major Cereal and Grain Legume Crops in Ethiopia: A Review." Agronomy 12, no. 10 (October 17, 2022): 2528. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102528.
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In Ethiopia, smallholder farmers are responsible for most food production. Though yield levels in grain crops have improved greatly over the years, they are still much lower than their potential. The source of yield improvements and the causes of those yield gaps are not well understood. To explain the drivers of yield gaps and current sources of yield improvements in four major cereals (teff, maize, wheat, and sorghum) and three grain legumes (faba bean, common bean, and soybean), we accessed the databases of the Global Yield Gap Atlas, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia. Refereed journal articles and grey literature were sought in online databases using keywords. The results showed large increases in production of grain crops with little or no increase in areas of production. The yield increases were primarily attributed to genetic gain rather than agronomic improvements. Farmers’ yields remain far lower than those from on-farm trials and on-station trials and the calculated water-limited yield potential. Currently, yields of wheat, maize, sorghum, and common bean in Ethiopia are about 26.8, 19.7, 29.3, and 35.5% of their water-limited yield potentials. Significant portions of the yield gaps stem from low adoption and use of improved varieties, low application of inputs, continual usage of un-optimized crop management practices, and uncontrolled biotic and abiotic stresses. Proper application of fertilizers and use of improved varieties increase yield by 2 to 3 fold and 24–160%, respectively. Cereal-legume intercropping and crop rotation practices increase yield while reducing severity of pests and the need for application of synthetic fertilizers. In contrast, abiotic stresses cause yield reductions of 20–100%. Hence, dissection of the water-limited yield gap in terms of technology, resource, and efficiency yield gaps will allow the prioritization of the most effective intervention areas.
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Anderson, Gillian H., Paul J. Jenkins, David A. McDonald, Robert Van Der Meer, Alec Morton, Margaret Nugent, and Lech A. Rymaszewski. "Cost comparison of orthopaedic fracture pathways using discrete event simulation in a Glasgow hospital." BMJ Open 7, no. 9 (September 2017): e014509. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014509.
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ObjectiveHealthcare faces the continual challenge of improving outcome while aiming to reduce cost. The aim of this study was to determine the micro cost differences of the Glasgow non-operative trauma virtual pathway in comparison to a traditional pathway.DesignDiscrete event simulation was used to model and analyse cost and resource utilisation with an activity-based costing approach. Data for a full comparison before the process change was unavailable so we used a modelling approach, comparing a virtual fracture clinic (VFC) with a simulated traditional fracture clinic (TFC).SettingThe orthopaedic unit VFC pathway pioneered at Glasgow Royal Infirmary has attracted significant attention and interest and is the focus of this cost study.Outcome measuresOur study focused exclusively on patients with non-operative trauma attending emergency department or the minor injuries unit and the subsequent step in the patient pathway. Retrospective studies of patient outcomes as a result of the protocol introductions for specific injuries are presented in association with activity costs from the models.ResultsPatients are satisfied with the new pathway, the information provided and the outcome of their injuries (Evidence Level IV). There was a 65% reduction in the number of first outpatient face-to-face (f2f) attendances in orthopaedics. In the VFC pathway, the resources required per day were significantly lower for all staff groups (p≤0.001). The overall cost per patient of the VFC pathway was £22.84 (95% CI 21.74 to 23.92) per patient compared with £36.81 (95% CI 35.65 to 37.97) for the TFC pathway.ConclusionsOur results give a clearer picture of the cost comparison of the virtual pathway over a wholly traditional f2f clinic system. The use of simulation-based stochastic costings in healthcare economic analysis has been limited to date, but this study provides evidence for adoption of this method as a basis for its application in other healthcare settings.
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MCCLANAHAN, TIMOTHY R., CAROLINE A. ABUNGE, and JOSHUA E. CINNER. "Heterogeneity in fishers' and managers' preferences towards management restrictions and benefits in Kenya." Environmental Conservation 39, no. 4 (July 18, 2012): 357–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892912000197.
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SUMMARYIncreasing the chances that resource users engage in and comply with management regulations is a continual problem for many conservation initiatives globally. This is particularly common when resource users perceive more personal costs than benefits from specific management actions. Analysis of interviews with managers and fishers from 22 landing sites along the coast of Kenya indicated how key stakeholders perceived the scale of benefits and costs from different management strategies. Potential underlying causes of divergent perceptions towards different management tools were evaluated, including marine protected areas, no-take fisheries closures, gear use, minimum size of fish caught and species restrictions. The analysis identified three distinct opinion groups: (1) a group of nine landing sites that scaled their preference for most management restrictions neutral to low, with exceptions for minimum sizes of captured fish and gear restrictions; (2) a group of eight landing sites that scaled their preference for the above and species restrictions and closed season higher, and were more neutral about closures and marine protected areas; and (3) a group containing four landing sites and the managers’ offices that rated their preference for the above and closed areas and marine protected areas as high. Logistic regression was used to examine whether these groups differed in wealth, education, age, perceptions of disparity in benefits, dependence on fishing and distance to government marine protected areas. The most frequent significant factor was the resource users’ perceived disparity between the benefits of the management to themselves and their communities, with the benefits to the government. Consequently, efforts to reduce this real or perceived disparity are likely to increase adoption and compliance rates. Most widespread positively-viewed restrictions, such as gear use and minimum size of fish, should be promoted at the national level while other restrictions may be more appropriately implemented at the community level.
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Lee, Kyung Young, Ying Jin, Cheul Rhee, and Sung-Byung Yang. "Online consumers’ reactions to price decreases: Amazon’s Kindle 2 case." Internet Research 26, no. 4 (August 1, 2016): 1001–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/intr-04-2014-0097.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers respond to price changes by analyzing online product reviews (OPRs) posted on a product (Amazon’s Kindle 2), and to suggest several future research topics on online consumers’ reactions embedded in OPRs. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory case study is conducted using OPRs added to the Kindle 2. By analyzing 6,714 OPRs, the authors examine how online consumers respond to two continual price decreases embedded in the observable (star rating and review depth) and implicit (positive and negative emotions) features of OPRs as well as how the number of OPRs per day has changed after two price drops. Findings – The authors found that all four features of OPRs (star rating, review depth, positive emotion, and negative emotion) and the number of OPRs per day had significantly changed after two price decreases for both long-term and short-term periods. In addition, online consumers’ reactions to price decreases in terms of these four features and the change in the number of OPRs per day were different between the first and the second price drops. Research limitations/implications – This study investigates online consumers’ reactions to price decreases only. Future research should investigate other cases where price changes under the dynamic pricing strategy in order to find the relationship between price increases/decreases and consumers’ reactions. Practical implications – This study implies that online merchants should consider consumer groups’ innovation adoption stages and make strategic decisions for price decreases to improve the sales of their products. Originality/value – While prior research involving the effects of price changes on consumers’ reactions has focussed on offline consumers, this is among the first attempts to address the long- and short-term reactions to price changes in terms of both the observable and implicit features of OPRs, and suggests that consumers’ reactions to price changes in OPRs are more complex.
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Beckie, Hugh J., Ardath Francis, and Linda M. Hall. "The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 27. Avena fatua L. (updated)." Canadian Journal of Plant Science 92, no. 7 (November 2012): 1329–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/cjps2012-005.
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Beckie, H. J., Francis, A. and Hall, L. M. 2012. The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 27. Avena fatua L. (Updated). Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1329–1357. An updated review of biological information is provided for Avena fatua. A widespread species originating in Eurasia, A. fatua is one of the 10 worst annual weeds of temperate agricultural regions of the world. Key weediness traits of this highly selfing species include fecundity, seed shatter, and a large and persistent seed bank with variable degrees of primary seed dormancy. The species occurs in all Canadian provinces and most states in the USA. In Canada, it is most troublesome as a weed in the prairies, where it has spread throughout crop areas in all climatic zones. Depending upon plant density and relative time of emergence, A. fatua competition may reduce annual crop yields by as much as 70%. First cohort emergence of A. fatua coincides with planting and emergence of spring-seeded crops, although additional cohorts can emerge throughout the growing season. Avena fatua is more abundant in zero-than intensive-tillage systems; the former regime promotes earlier and greater emergence because of a shallower and less persistent seed bank. Despite the introduction of highly efficacious herbicides in the 1970s and 1980s, abundance of the species has not declined across the Canadian prairies or elsewhere. The continual evolution of herbicide-resistant A. fatua populations, seed spread via farm machinery, and limited herbicide modes of action for its control threaten sustained annual field crop production in many temperate agricultural areas. Further adoption and integration of multiple non-herbicidal weed management practices, such as enhanced crop seeding rate, competitive crops and cultivars, and precision fertilizer placement, should help mitigate A. fatua interference. The species has some beneficial uses as an alternative feed and food constituent or industrial feedstock, as well as potential in cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) improvement.
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Hampton, Jordan O., Brendan D. Cowled, Andrew L. Perry, Corissa J. Miller, Bidda Jones, and Quentin Hart. "Quantitative analysis of animal-welfare outcomes in helicopter shooting: a case study with feral dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius)." Wildlife Research 41, no. 2 (2014): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr13216.
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Context Helicopter shooting is a common and effective tool for reducing overabundant wildlife populations. However, there is little quantitative information on the humaneness of the method, leading to uncertainty in wildlife-management policy. There is, subsequently, a need for an improved understanding of the welfare implications of helicopter shooting. Aim A study was undertaken to infer the humaneness of helicopter shooting for a case study species, the feral dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius). Methods Seven post-mortem studies (n = 715) and one ante-mortem study (n = 192) were undertaken during routine helicopter shooting programs of free-ranging camels. In these studies, we measured four animal-welfare parameters to allow inference on the humaneness of the technique. These parameters were time to death, instantaneous death rate (proportion of animals for which time to death = 0), wounding rate and location of bullet-wound tract. We also modelled these welfare variables against hypothesised explanatory variables to assist improvement of future programs. Key results The mean wounding rate was 0.4%, and the killing efficacy of the technique was 99.6%. Mean time to death was 4 s, and mean instantaneous death rate was 83%. Each animal displayed a mean 2.4 bullet-wound tracts, with 75%, 63% and 35% of animals shot at least once in the thorax, cranium and cervical spine, respectively. Regression analysis revealed that the identity of the shooter and the nature of the local vegetation were the most important factors associated with an animal experiencing an inferred instantaneous death or not. Conclusions Helicopter shooting of feral camels produces a very low wounding rate and rapid time to death. Shooter identity is the most important consideration for determining animal-welfare outcomes. Improvements to the humaneness of programs can be made by increasing the rigour of shooter selection and training. Implications Wildlife killing methods must be demonstrated to be humane to receive public support; however, few shooting methods are objectively examined. Helicopter shooting can be independently examined and operators assessed. Adoption of this examination template may allow continual improvement by industry as well as increasing societal acceptance of helicopter shooting.
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Dalal, R. C., P. Lawrence, J. A. Doughton, J. Walker, R. J. Shaw, G. Lawrence, D. Yule, et al. "A framework to monitor sustainability in the grains industry." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 39, no. 5 (1999): 605. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea98108.
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Community awareness of the sustainable use of land, water and vegetation resources is increasing. The sustainable use of these resources is pivotal to sustainable farming systems. However, techniques for monitoring the sustainable management of these resources are poorly understood and untested. We propose a framework to benchmark and monitor resources in the grains industry. Eight steps are listed below to achieve these objectives: (i) define industry issues; (ii) identify the issues through growers, stakeholder and community consultation; (iii) identify indicators (measurable attributes, properties or characteristics) of sustainability through consultation with growers, stakeholders, experts and community members, relating to: crop productivity; resource maintenance/enhancement; biodiversity; economic viability; community viability; and institutional structure; (iv) develop and use selection criteria to select indicators that consider: responsiveness to change; ease of capture; community acceptance and involvement; interpretation; measurement error; stability, frequency and cost of measurement; spatial scale issues; and mapping capability in space and through time. The appropriateness of indicators can be evaluated using a decision making system such as a multiobjective decision support system (MO-DSS, a method to assist in decision making from multiple and conflicting objectives); (v) involve stakeholders and the community in the definition of goals and setting benchmarking and monitoring targets for sustainable farming; (vi) take preventive and corrective/remedial action; (vii) evaluate effectiveness of actions taken; and (viii) revise indicators as part of a continual improvement principle designed to achieve best management practice for sustainable farming systems. The major recommendations are to: (i) implement the framework for resources (land, water and vegetation, economic, community and institution) benchmarking and monitoring, and integrate this process with current activities so that awareness, implementation and evolution of sustainable resource management practices become normal practice in the grains industry; (ii) empower the grains industry to take the lead by using relevant sustainability indicators to benchmark and monitor resources; (iii) adopt a collaborative approach by involving various industry, community, catchment management and government agency groups to minimise implementation time. Monitoring programs such as Waterwatch, Soilcheck, Grasscheck and Topcrop should be utilised; (iv) encourage the adoption of a decision making system by growers and industry representatives as a participatory decision and evaluation process. Widespread use of sustainability indicators would assist in validating and refining these indicators and evaluating sustainable farming systems. The indicators could also assist in evaluating best management practices for the grains industry.
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Jordan, Glenn. "SAFETY IN THE OFFSHORE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY: THE NEW REGIME." APPEA Journal 34, no. 2 (1994): 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj93085.
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Following the recommendations of the UK Cullen and COSOP reports, a new regulatory and operational safety regime is being introduced across Australian territorial waters for the offshore petroleum industry. This paper details the concepts behind the new regime including the development and implementation strategies employed to introduce it and the implications to industry and government instrumentalities. The recognition that safety in the work place is an outcome of managerial commitment and a function of work system control is resulting in legislative reforms that will reduce the focus on physical compliance, in favour of a goal-setting legislative approach that places emphasis on systems of managing safety at the work place. By focussing upon ends rather than means, objective based regulation requires organisations to manage the design, construction and operation of facilities to reduce risk to a 'reasonably practicable level*. The details of the management arrangements and risk assessment studies once submitted in a 'safety case' and acknowledged by the regulator, form a co-regulatory guidance document that sets both the standards to be achieved and the mechanism for achieving them. Auditing of the operator against an accepted safety case will occur on a regular basis. Driven by measurement of an operator's safety performance, selected systems will be targeted and audited against the safety case by a team of auditors composed of both government inspectors and operator personnel. Performance measures will be both proactive and reactive in nature and include among other measures, results obtained through the newly created national data base for incidents and accidents. Preparation and assessment of safety cases provides regulators and operators alike with difficulties. Consistency of assessment and objective determination that acceptable minimum standards have been met provide a challenge to government agencies and to the petroleum industry. Recognition of the nature of this challenge has led to the adoption of Quality Management principles among government utilities. A key feature of the Quality Management System will be the introduction of systems that drive change through cyclic updates of the safety case assessment procedures.The safety case concept institutionalises a dialogue between regulator and operator that will facilitate the preparation, submission and assessment of the safety case. This initiative provides for a staged submission process to correspond to the development phase of the facility. It is considered that this methodology will ensure minimal delays in assessment and provide certainty in the business planning process. The new safety case regime provides for a greater level of employee participation both in the preparation of safety cases and the maintenance of safety at the work place. Transparency of approach by both operators and regulators will be needed if public and workforce confidence are to be maintained. Co-operation and continual improvement will hopefully be the hall mark of the Australian safety case regime.
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Jago, J., C. Eastwood, K. Kerrisk, and I. Yule. "Precision dairy farming in Australasia: adoption, risks and opportunities." Animal Production Science 53, no. 9 (2013): 907. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an12330.
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Dairy farm management has historically been based on the experiential learning and intuitive decision-making skills of the owner-operator. Larger herds and increasingly complex farming systems, combined with the availability of new information technologies, are prompting an evolution to an increasingly data-driven ‘precision dairy’ (PD) management approach. Automation and the collection of fine-scale data on animals and farm resources via precision technologies can facilitate enhanced efficiency and decision making on dairy farms. The proportion of dairy farmers using this approach is relatively small (between 10 and 20% of farmers); however, industry trends suggest a continual increase in the use of precision technologies. Australasian PD farms have reported both positive and negative stories regarding the approach but to date there has been little industry attention or co-ordination in Australia or New Zealand. A series of workshops was held in late 2011 between industry-good representatives, researchers and farmers, from Australia and New Zealand, to discuss the opportunities and risks associated with PD. To take advantage of the emerging PD opportunity the trans-Tasman workshop group suggested five focus areas including: industry-good co-ordination and leadership in precision dairy; working to define the on- and off-farm value of PD; improving the technology available to farmers; integration of PD within farming systems for improved management; and developing learning and training initiatives for farmers and service providers. Action in these focus areas will enable future dairy farmers to implement the PD approach with enhanced confidence and effectiveness.