Best Practice Life Expectancy:An Extreme value Approach

OpenAIRE

Medford, Anthony

2017-01-01

Background: Whereas the rise in human life expectancy has been extensively studied, the evolution of maximum life expectancies, i.e., the rise in best-practice life expectancy in a group of populations, has not been examined to the same extent. The linear rise in best-practice life expectancy has been reported previously by various authors. Though remarkable, this is simply an empirical observation. Objective: We examine best-practice life expectancy more formally by using extreme value th...

Best-practice life expectancy: An extreme value approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony Medford

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Whereas the rise in human life expectancy has been extensively studied, the evolution of maximum life expectancies, i.e., the rise in best-practice life expectancy in a group of populations, has not been examined to the same extent. The linear rise in best-practice life expectancy has been reported previously by various authors. Though remarkable, this is simply an empirical observation. Objective: We examine best-practice life expectancy more formally by using extreme value theory. Methods: Extreme value distributions are fit to the time series (1900 to 2012 of maximum life expectancies at birth and age 65, for both sexes, using data from the Human Mortality Database and the United Nations. Conclusions: Generalized extreme value distributions offer a theoretically justified way to model best-practice life expectancies. Using this framework one can straightforwardly obtain probability estimates of best-practice life expectancy levels or make projections about future maximum life expectancy. Comments: Our findings may be useful for policymakers and insurance/pension analysts who would like to obtain estimates and probabilities of future maximum life expectancies.

Remote sensing: best practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Gareth [Sgurr Energy (Canada)

2011-07-01

This paper presents remote sensing best practice in the wind industry. Remote sensing is a technique whereby measurements are obtained from the interaction of laser or acoustic pulses with the atmosphere. There is a vast diversity of tools and techniques available and they offer wide scope for reducing project uncertainty and risk but best practice must take into account versatility and flexibility. It should focus on the outcome in terms of results and data. However, traceability of accuracy requires comparison with conventional instruments. The framework for the Boulder protocol is given. Overviews of the guidelines for IEA SODAR and IEA LIDAR are also mentioned. The important elements of IEC 61400-12-1, an international standard for wind turbines, are given. Bankability is defined based on the Boulder protocol and a pie chart is presented that illustrates the uncertainty area covered by remote sensing. In conclusion it can be said that remote sensing is changing perceptions about how wind energy assessments can be made.

Best Practices for Use of Blended Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Margolis, Amanda R; Porter, Andrea L; Pitterle, Michael E

2017-04-01

Objective. To determine instructional best practice recommendations for use of blended learning from the students' perspective. Methods. Three focus groups were created, one for each of the first three years at a school of pharmacy. The focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed for content analysis. Results. Ten instructional best practices were identified from the focus groups: setting the stage, consistency when team teaching, timeliness in posting materials, time on task, accountability for online activities, use of structured active learning, instructor use of feedback on student preparation, incorporation of student feedback into the course, short reviews of online material during class, and ensuring technologies are user friendly. Conclusion. Instructors using blended learning should consider incorporating these best practices into their course design and management. More evaluation is needed to see if implementation of these practices affects student performance.

Best Management Practices Monitoring Guide for Stream Systems

OpenAIRE

Mesner, Nancy

2011-01-01

Best Management Practices Monitoring Guide for Stream Systems provides guidance on establishing a water quality monitoring program that will demonstrate the effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce nonpoint source pollution in stream systems.

ESTSC - Software Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

DOE Scientific and Technical Software Best Practices December 2010 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Responsibilities 2.1 OSTI/ESTSC 2.2 SIACs 2.3 Software Submitting Sites/Creators 2.4 Software Sensitivity Review 3.0 Software Announcement and Submission 3.1 STI Software Appropriate for Announcement 3.2

Retrofit Best Practices Guide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stovall, T.K.

2004-01-13

Few people add siding or change their windows just to reduce their energy bills. But whatever your reasons for retrofitting your home, this will be an important opportunity to improve your home's energy efficiency. Not only will this reduce your utility bills, it will also improve your comfort level and improve our environment. Retrofitting your house is a big deal, and you shouldn't underestimate the effort that will be required to plan the job properly. The energy conservation rewards can be great, but there are also pitfalls that you'll want to avoid. That's what this Best Practices Guide is all about. We can't cover all the issues in these few pages, but we'll tell you some things you need to know if you're changing your siding or windows, and tell you where to learn more about other changes you may want to make to your house. What exactly is a ''best practice''? To put this guide together, we've tested products, talked to contractors and manufacturers, and reviewed the results from a large number of house retrofits. Of course, ''best'' will vary according to the situation. That's why you must start with a careful examination of your house and its existing condition.

Best practices in road transport: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mar Fernández Vázquez-Noguerol

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Road transport aspects are becoming increasingly important due to their high impact on economic, environmental and social sustainability. Considering the triple bottom line approach, best practices play a fundamental role within organisations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse several sustainable initiatives in road transport adopted by companies. Design/methodology/approach: The findings were developed and evaluated based on empirical data captured through a survey of 98 professionals involved in logistics and transport activities. Additionally, key literature on transport initiatives was reviewed to supplement the framework for the implementation of best practices in road transport. Findings: The exploratory study shows the importance of each best practice and determines the level of implementation of each initiative, comparing the results among different dealers (retailers, wholesalers, carriers and manufacturers, type of transport fleet and companies’ revenues. Research limitations/implications: The sample of 98 companies was based on simple search filters and the group is not wholly representative of all sectors. Respondents were mainly managers from Spain involved in logistics and transport activities. Surveyed companies included manufacturing, retailers, wholesalers and third-party logistics providers. Practical implications: The most common best practices in road transport are identified, including initiatives related to: efficiency, reusability, safety, optimization, emissions, waste and recycling. Initiatives that influence road transport are ranked by their degree of implementation in the companies analysed.  Social implications: Implementation of some of these best practices may help lessen negative impacts of road transport on society and the environment. Originality/value: The study results indicate which practices are most frequently used and their level of implementation depending on companies’ roles in the

Attaining and maintaining 'best practice' in environmental management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNally, P.

1993-01-01

While environmental issues are constantly changing and becoming increasingly regulated, the key to high performance in environmental management is the application of best practice - best practicable technology of sites - specific standards, practices and procedures. The author also emphasised that the application of best practice in environmental management of mine sites is a dynamic process and that requires a combination of efficient environmental management and efficient production. Timing of application of technology and social factors are also determining factors in this process. The particular case of the Ranger uranium mine site is presented were the major environmental issues relate to water management, tailing management and rehabilitation. The management procedure used at Ranger for a research project proposal is outlined

Health Physics and Waste Minimization Best Practices benchmarking study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, V.

1995-01-01

The Health Physics and Waste Minimization Best Practices project examines the usefulness of benchmarking as a tool for identifying health physics and waste minimization best practices for low-level solid radioactive waste (LLW) in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The goal of the project is to identify best practices from the nuclear power industry that will reduce the amount of LLW going to disposal in a cost-effective manner. An increase in worker efficiency and productivity is a secondary goal. These practices must be adaptable for implementation in the DOE complex. Once best practices are identified, ranked, and funded for implementation, a pilot implementation will be done at the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Best practices in nursing homes. Clinical supervision, management, and human resource practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Dellefield, Mary Ellen

2008-07-01

Human resource practices including supervision and management are associated with organizational performance. Evidence supportive of such an association in nursing homes is found in the results of numerous research studies conducted during the past 17 years. In this article, best practices related to this topic have been culled from descriptive, explanatory, and intervention studies in a range of interdisciplinary research journals published between 1990 and 2007. Identified best practices include implementation of training programs on supervision and management for licensed nurses, certified nursing assistant job enrichment programs, implementation of consistent nursing assignments, and the use of electronic documentation. Organizational barriers and facilitators of these best practices are described. Copyright 2009, SLACK Incorporated.

METAMODELS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BEST PRACTICES FRAMEWORKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arthur Nunes Ferreira Neto

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the generation and application of ontological metamodels of frameworks of best practices in IT. The ontological metamodels represent the logical structures and fundamental semantics of framework models and constitute adequate tools for the analysis, adaptation, comparison and integration of the frameworks of best practices in IT. The MetaFrame methodology for the construction of the metamodels, founded on the discipline of the conceptual metamodelling and on the extended Entity/Relationship methodology is described herein, as well as the metamodels of the best practices for the outsourcing of IT, the eSCM-SP v2.01 (eSourcing Capability Model for Service Providers and the eSCM-CL v1.1 (eSourcing Capability Model for Client Organizations, constructed according to the MetaFrame methodology.

40 CFR 430.28 - Best management practices (BMPs).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Best management practices (BMPs). 430.28 Section 430.28 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT... Soda Subcategory § 430.28 Best management practices (BMPs). The definitions and requirements set forth...

Beyond the Myth of Best Practice in Project Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihály Görög

2012-05-01

Full Text Available It is broadly accepted that projects are temporary endeavours that create some unique ‘products’. That is, projects are also unique. Yet the best practice approach postulates that projects are basically same, and that one project management tool is better than another. Thus, believers of best practice accept that project management is an avowal of faith. Consequently, project management is just an occupation. However, projects are different both in terms of their inherent characteristics and organisational context. We thus need to apply the project management toolkit in a context-related manner. This latter approach is far beyond the best practice approach and implies that project management is a profession. This paper aims to shed light on what lies behind the best practice approach and also aims to reveal the way in which the professional community may find what should be beyond the myth of best practice. The paper provides what is basically an exploratory journey based on previous research.

Manual on best practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oxlund, Bjarke

Der er mange måder at imødegå den globale hiv/aids epidemi på, men ikke alle tilgange virker lige godt. 'Best practices' er blevet lanceret af UNAIDS og andre som et værktøj til at sikre, at kun de mest effektive og virkningsfulde interventioner bliver promoveret i hiv/aids forebyggelse, behandling...

40 CFR 430.58 - Best management practices (BMPs).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Best management practices (BMPs). 430.58 Section 430.58 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT... § 430.58 Best management practices (BMPs). The definitions and requirements set forth in 40 CFR 430.03...

Best practice in situ recovery uranium mining in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, I.B.; McKay, A.D.; Carson, L.J.

2010-01-01

The Australian Government policy is to ensure that uranium mining, milling and rehabilitation is based on world best practice standards. A best practice guide for in situ recovery (ISR) uranium mining has been developed to communicate the Australian Government's expectations with a view to achieving greater certainty that ISR mining projects meet Australian Government policy and consistency in the assessment of ISR mine proposals within multiple government regulatory processes. The guide focuses on the main perceived risks; impacts on groundwaters, disposal of mining residues, and radiation protection. World best practice does not amount to a universal template for ISR mining because the characteristics of individual ore bodies determine the best practice. (author)

CDC Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs - 2007

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. Funding. CDC's Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco...

CDC Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs - 2014

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. Funding. CDC's Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco...

Best Practice in Policy Package Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kessler, Florian; Vesela, Jirina; Vencl, Vaclav

2010-01-01

This deliverable focuses on the identification and analysis of best practice examples of policy package design. For this purpose a methodology is developed that allows the systematic analysis of both national and EU policy packages. Eight packages were selected and analysed, highlighting...... the factors which supported the design and implementation process in each case. The results of the analysis show which factors led to these cases to be considered best practice. In addition, factors are identified which are not yet part of the generic policy packaging framework presented in earlier OPTIC...... Deliverables. The consideration of these factors will help to further improve the framework in the subsequent work packages....

Microsoft DirectAccess best practices and troubleshooting

CERN Document Server

Krause, Jordan

2013-01-01

This book covers best practices and acts as a complete guide to DirectAccess and automatic remote access.Microsoft DirectAccess Best Practices and Troubleshooting is an ideal guide for any existing or future DirectAccess administrator and system administrators who are working on Windows Server 2012. This book will also be beneficial for someone with a basic knowledge of networking and deployment of Microsoft operating systems and software who wants to learn the intricacies of DirectAccess and its interfaces.

Best practices in manufacturing - exploration and replication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Timenes Laugen, Bjørge; Acur, Nuran; Boer, Harry

2009-01-01

There is an abundance of best practice literature. Yet, the phenomenon is still not fully understood. In this paper, we raise the question how individual and (selected) bundles of practices affect operational performance. Based on IMSS IV (2005) data, we identify four categories of practices: bes...

Best Practices for the Security of Radioactive Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coulter, D.T.; Musolino, S.

2009-05-01

This work is funded under a grant provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) awarded a contract to Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to develop best practices guidance for Office of Radiological Health (ORH) licensees to increase on-site security to deter and prevent theft of radioactive materials (RAM). The purpose of this document is to describe best practices available to manage the security of radioactive materials in medical centers, hospitals, and research facilities. There are thousands of such facilities in the United States, and recent studies suggest that these materials may be vulnerable to theft or sabotage. Their malevolent use in a radiological-dispersion device (RDD), viz., a dirty bomb, can have severe environmental- and economic- impacts, the associated area denial, and potentially large cleanup costs, as well as other effects on the licensees and the public. These issues are important to all Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Agreement State licensees, and to the general public. This document outlines approaches for the licensees possessing these materials to undertake security audits to identify vulnerabilities in how these materials are stored or used, and to describe best practices to upgrade or enhance their security. Best practices can be described as the most efficient (least amount of effort/cost) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task and meeting an objective, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for many people and circumstances. Best practices within the security industry include information security, personnel security, administrative security, and physical security. Each discipline within the security industry has its own 'best practices' that have evolved over time into common ones. With respect to radiological devices and radioactive-materials security, industry best practices

Best Practices for the Security of Radioactive Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coulter, D.T.; Musolino, S.

2009-01-01

This work is funded under a grant provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) awarded a contract to Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to develop best practices guidance for Office of Radiological Health (ORH) licensees to increase on-site security to deter and prevent theft of radioactive materials (RAM). The purpose of this document is to describe best practices available to manage the security of radioactive materials in medical centers, hospitals, and research facilities. There are thousands of such facilities in the United States, and recent studies suggest that these materials may be vulnerable to theft or sabotage. Their malevolent use in a radiological-dispersion device (RDD), viz., a dirty bomb, can have severe environmental- and economic- impacts, the associated area denial, and potentially large cleanup costs, as well as other effects on the licensees and the public. These issues are important to all Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Agreement State licensees, and to the general public. This document outlines approaches for the licensees possessing these materials to undertake security audits to identify vulnerabilities in how these materials are stored or used, and to describe best practices to upgrade or enhance their security. Best practices can be described as the most efficient (least amount of effort/cost) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task and meeting an objective, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for many people and circumstances. Best practices within the security industry include information security, personnel security, administrative security, and physical security. Each discipline within the security industry has its own 'best practices' that have evolved over time into common ones. With respect to radiological devices and radioactive-materials security, industry best practices encompass

Industry challenge to best practice risk communication.

Science.gov (United States)

McEntire, J; Boateng, A

2012-04-01

Effective food safety and food defense risk communication helps to inform consumers without causing panic and alarm. The Risk Communication Team of the Natl. Center for Food Protection and Defense has developed a list of 11 best practices recommended for effective risk communication. These practices, designed for a food defense crisis, are currently applied to food safety issues, since fortunately a food defense crisis has yet to occur. IFT examined the utility of these best practices and the limitations on their use during food safety and food defense crises by academics, trade associations, and the government. It was hypothesized that legal and business considerations as well as the nature of the event would determine the implementation of the best practices. Through the use of focus group meetings, it was discovered that there was a low level of awareness of the best practices. However, stakeholders practiced some aspects of the recommended practices. Participants felt some of the practices were related and could be consolidated. They also agreed that a food defense event will increase the urgency of the communication and include players not typically involved in food safety issues. The challenges reported by the stakeholders varied, but legal liability, as well as the impact their communications could have on an industry, were often cited. From the government perspective, their need to act within their authorities drove some of their actions with respect to communication. Determining the differences in communication limitations during food safety against food defense events can provide key information to further developing and refining risk communications and specific messages targeted for a food defense incident. Effective food safety and food defense risk communication helps to inform consumers without causing panic and alarm. Determining the differences in communication limitations during food safety against food defense events can provide key information to

Promoting Energy Efficiency Best Practices in Cities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-01

This pilot project is the first attempt to address the lack of rigorous and transparent approach to defining best practice in city energy efficiency programmes. The project has provided interesting insights into a range of exciting projects being implemented in cities around the world. However, the potential exists for far greater benefit. The study has found that it is possible to collate the detailed information needed to identify best practice energy efficiency projects in cities. However, gathering the data is not easy. The data is often not recorded in an easily accessible format. Nor is it easy to get city officials to allocate time to the necessary data collation given the many other competing demands on their time. A key area that this project identifies as requiring urgent attention is the development of a common data management format for energy efficiency projects by Cas. Further work could also focus on refining the criteria used to define best practice, and broadening the scope of projects beyond energy efficiency.

Social media best practices in emergency management.

Science.gov (United States)

Siskey, Ashley; Islam, Tanveer

2016-01-01

Social media platforms have become popular as means of communications in emergency management. Many people use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis including during disaster events. Emergency management agencies (EMAs) need to recognize the value of not only having a presence on social media but also actively engaging stakeholders and the public on these sites. However, identifying best practices for the use of social media in emergency management is still in its infancy. The objective of this article is to begin to create or further define best practices for emergency managers to use social media sites particularly Facebook and Twitter in four key areas: 1) implementation, 2) education, 3) collaboration, and 4) communication. A list of recommendations of best practices is formulated for each key area and results from a nationwide survey on the use of social media by county EMAs are discussed in this article.

Existing and Emerging Best Practices for Ocean Observation

Science.gov (United States)

Pearlman, J.; Buttigieg, P. L.; Simpson, P.; Arko, R. A.; Garello, R.; Pissierssens, P.

2016-12-01

Best practices emerge from experience, usually at the local level - in universities, private and public research institutions and other organizations. Large programs such as the European FixO3 for fixed mooring observations or IOOS in the USA for data management may document best practices and urge propagation of techniques. Sometimes communities come together under projects such as the Ocean Data Interoperability Project (ODIP), AtlantOS or international organizations such as the UNESCO IODE or GOOS to create a forum for discussing, recommending and documenting observation and data practices. On the whole the process is fragmented and results are difficult to sustain. From this perspective, several projects and organizations such as ODIP, IODE and AtlantOS are working in collaboration with Ocean Networks Canada, IOOS and selected European projects to address means of improved access to documented best practices and a way to provide the observing community with a compendium that can be sustained for use in training new oceanographers and data scientists and also providing references for experts that are working across disciplines. Where practical, a solution should reach across science communities and networks to support multi-disciplinary applications The initial challenge is to create a base for efficient discovery of documented best practices and getting sufficient documentation in the first place. Working across disciplines, this becomes both a question of appropriate vocabularies and some means for a scientist to understand the background, provenance (including any certification) and value of a best practice. New approaches to semantics and Linked Data, and increasing use of persistent identifiers such as Open Researcher and Contributor IDs (ORCIDs) and International Geo Sample Numbers (IGSNs), will facilitate distributed search across repositories. The approach must be scalable and easy for users to engage so provision of best practice documentation has a low

Django design patterns and best practices

CERN Document Server

Ravindran, Arun

2015-01-01

If you want to learn how best to utilize commonly found patterns and learn best practices in developing applications with Django, this is the book for you. This book, like Django itself, is accessible to amateur and professional developers alike and assumes little in the way of prior experience. Although written for Python 3, the majority of the code in this book works in Python 2 or can be easily translated.

Industry best practices for the software development life cycle

Science.gov (United States)

2007-11-01

In the area of software development, there are many different views of what constitutes a best practice. The goal of this project was to identify a set of industry best practice techniques that fit the needs of the Montana Department of Transportatio...

Framework for Selecting Best Practices in Public Health: A Systematic Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Eileen; de Colombani, Pierpaolo

2015-11-17

Evidence-based public health has commonly relied on findings from empirical studies, or research-based evidence. However, this paper advocates that practice-based evidence derived from programmes implemented in real-life settings is likely to be a more suitable source of evidence for inspiring and guiding public health programmes. Selection of best practices from the array of implemented programmes is one way of generating such practice-based evidence. Yet the lack of consensus on the definition and criteria for practice-based evidence and best practices has limited their application in public health so far. To address the gap in literature on practice-based evidence, this paper hence proposes measures of success for public health interventions by developing an evaluation framework for selection of best practices. The proposed framework was synthesised from a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed and grey literature on existing evaluation frameworks for public health programmes as well as processes employed by health-related organisations when selecting best practices. A best practice is firstly defined as an intervention that has shown evidence of effectiveness in a particular setting and is likely to be replicable to other situations. Regardless of the area of public health, interventions should be evaluated by their context, process and outcomes. A best practice should hence meet most, if not all, of eight identified evaluation criteria: relevance, community participation, stakeholder collaboration, ethical soundness, replicability, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. Ultimately, a standardised framework for selection of best practices will improve the usefulness and credibility of practice-based evidence in informing evidence-based public health interventions. Significance for public healthBest practices are a valuable source of practice-based evidence on effective public health interventions implemented in real-life settings. Yet, despite the

Educational Achievement and Effective Schools: Examples of Best Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Suarez-Ortega, Magdalena; Ballesteros-Velazquez, Belen; Malik-Lievano, Beatriz

2012-01-01

In this article, we present key aspects of a research project entitled "Students' Cultural Diversity and School Efficacy: A Repertory of Best Practice in Compulsory Learning Centers." First, we present our concept of cultural diversity and a reflection regarding "best school practices" and the notion of "student…

What teacher educators consider as best practices in preparing pre ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reports on an investigation into what teacher educators consider to be best practices in how to prepare pre-service teachers to effectively deal with the challenges of teaching Mathematics in multilingual contexts, and how what teacher educators consider as best practices inform their own classroom practice.

Improving and ensuring best practice continence management in residential aged care.

Science.gov (United States)

Heckenberg, Gayle

2008-06-01

Background  Continence Management within residential aged care is an every day component of care that requires assessment, implementation of strategies, resource allocation and evaluation. At times the management of incontinence of aged residents can be challenging and unsuccessful. The project chosen through the Clinical Fellowship program was Continence Management with the aim of raising awareness of best practice to assist in improving and providing person-centred resident care. Aims/objectives •  Review the literature on best practice management of incontinence •  Evaluate current practice in continence management for elderly residents within residential aged care services •  Improve adherence to best practice strategies of care for incontinence •  Raise awareness within the nursing home of the best practice management of incontinence •  Promote appropriate and effective use of resources for continence management •  Deliver individualised person-centred care to residents. •  Ensure best practice in continence management Methods  The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System clinical audit tool was utilised to measure current practice against best practice. The results identify gaps that require improvement. The Getting Research into Practice process then allowed analysis of the level of compliance with each of the audit criteria, which would identify any barriers in implementing a selected course of action and aim to improve compliance. The project team was consulted with additional stakeholder consultation to form an action plan and implement strategies to improve practice. Results  Although 100% compliance with all audit criteria in audit 1 and 2 was not achieved, there was improvement in the criteria concerning the documented fluid intake for residents. Further strategies have been identified and implemented and this continues to be a 'work in progress'. Staff now have an acute awareness

Laravel design patterns and best practices

CERN Document Server

Kilicdagi, Arda

2014-01-01

This book is a practical guide packed with clear examples that will help you get to grips with the best practices in Laravel design patterns to create advanced web applications. This book is intended for web application developers working with Laravel who want to increase the efficiency of their web applications. It assumes that you have some experience with the Laravel PHP framework and are familiar with coding OOP methods.

A study of best practices in promoting sustainable urbanization in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yongtao; Xu, Hui; Jiao, Liudan; Ochoa, J Jorge; Shen, Liyin

2017-05-15

In the past twenty years, various sustainable urban development policies and methods had been implemented within China, such that sustainable urbanization is now more widely accepted. Some of these policies and methods have been found to be successful in improving the sustainability of cities in China. Those practices can be defined as the best practices of sustainable urbanization, which can provide useful references for future urban developments. However, few existing studies examine how to learn from these best practices. Combining the methods of content analysis and social network analysis, this paper conducts a comprehensive study on 150 best practices of sustainable urbanization in China. The methods and outcomes of the 150 best practices are identified. The research findings demonstrate the statistics of categories, methods and outcomes of the 150 best practices and the main adopted methods. The achieved outcomes in different regions of China are also presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A summary of cybersecurity best practices

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

This report contains the results and analysis of a review of best practices and observations in the field of cybersecurity involving electronic control systems across a variety of industry segments where the safety-of-life is concerned. This research...

Patient satisfaction is a best practice.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-01

There are several best practices ED physicians and nurses can adopt to minimize the likelihood of a lawsuit, but perhaps none is more important than ensuring high patient satisfaction scores. Research shows a definite correlation between increasing patient satisfaction and decreasing the medical malpractice frequency. Bad outcomes are more likely to lead to lawsuits if the patient doesn't like their doctor or nurse. Being attuned to patients and their perspective is one of the best ways to prevent complaints, which eventually can lead to lawsuits.

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiménez, Rafael C.; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther

2017-01-01

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage...... the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute...... to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption...

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez, Rafael C; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther; Barker, Michelle; Batut, Bérénice; Borg, Mikael; Capella-Gutierrez, Salvador; Chue Hong, Neil; Cook, Martin; Corpas, Manuel; Flannery, Madison; Garcia, Leyla; Gelpí, Josep Ll; Gladman, Simon; Goble, Carole; González Ferreiro, Montserrat; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Griffin, Philippa C; Grüning, Björn; Hagberg, Jonas; Holub, Petr; Hooft, Rob; Ison, Jon; Katz, Daniel S; Leskošek, Brane; López Gómez, Federico; Oliveira, Luis J; Mellor, David; Mosbergen, Rowland; Mulder, Nicola; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Pergl, Robert; Pichler, Horst; Pope, Bernard; Sanz, Ferran; Schneider, Maria V; Stodden, Victoria; Suchecki, Radosław; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Talvik, Harry-Anton; Todorov, Ilian; Treloar, Andrew; Tyagi, Sonika; van Gompel, Maarten; Vaughan, Daniel; Via, Allegra; Wang, Xiaochuan; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S; Crouch, Steve

2017-01-01

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations.

Implications of applying solar industry best practice resource estimation on project financing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacudan, Romeo

2016-01-01

Solar resource estimation risk is one of the main solar PV project risks that influences lender’s decision in providing financing and in determining the cost of capital. More recently, a number of measures have emerged to mitigate this risk. The study focuses on solar industry’s best practice energy resource estimation and assesses its financing implications to the 27 MWp solar PV project study in Brunei Darussalam. The best practice in resource estimation uses multiple data sources through the measure-correlate-predict (MCP) technique as compared with the standard practice that rely solely on modelled data source. The best practice case generates resource data with lower uncertainty and yields superior high-confidence energy production estimate than the standard practice case. Using project financial parameters in Brunei Darussalam for project financing and adopting the international debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) benchmark rates, the best practice case yields DSCRs that surpass the target rates while those of standard practice case stay below the reference rates. The best practice case could also accommodate higher debt share and have lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) while the standard practice case would require a lower debt share but having a higher LCOE. - Highlights: •Best practice solar energy resource estimation uses multiple datasets. •Multiple datasets are combined through measure-correlate-predict technique. •Correlated data have lower uncertainty and yields superior high-confidence energy production. •Best practice case yields debt-service coverage ratios (DSCRs) that surpass the benchmark rates. •Best practice case accommodates high debt share and have low levelized cost of electricity.

The integration of lean, green and best practice business principles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annelize Wiese

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Whilst there are separate streams of established research on lean, green and best practice initiatives, the intersection of these three strategic principles has not been addressed extensively in the past. Objectives: In this study a framework to integrate lean, green and best practice principles into an integrated business model was developed as a strategy for businesses to develop sustainable competitive advantages. Method: A descriptive case study was conducted on Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM to understand whether a clear link between the company’s environmental approach, lean principles and established best practice culture could be determined. In addition, the case study tested the view that the implementation of these three principles concurrently resulted in improved business results. Results: The main findings of the study revealed that TSAM’s commitment to lean, green and best practice business principles contributed and was directly linked to its business success in terms of sales and market position. Conclusion: It is recommended that businesses implement an integrated lean, green and best practice business model as a strategy to reduce costs and sustainably enhance profitably and competitiveness.

Best Practices for Wind Energy Development in the Great Lakes Region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pebbles, Victoria; Hummer, John; Haven, Celia

2011-07-19

This report offers a menu of 18 different, yet complementary, preferred practices and policies. The best practices cover all phases of the wind energy development process - from the policies that allow for wind development, to the sustainable operation of a wind project, to the best practices for decommissioning a spent turbine - including applications for offshore wind. Each best practice describes the opportunities and challenges (pros and cons), and offers a case example that illustrates how that best practice is being utilized by a particular jurisdiction or wind project. The practices described in this publication were selected by a diverse group of interests from the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative that included environmental groups, industry, academia, and federal, state and local government regulators. The practices were identified through a year-long process that included a literature review, online survey and interviews with individuals from the public, private and non-profit sectors. Optimally, a suite of these best practices would be applied in an appropriate combination to fit the conditions of a particular wind project or a set of wind projects within a given locality or region.

Best practices in demand forecasting: tests of universalistic, contingency and configurational theories

OpenAIRE

Kalchschmidt, Matteo Giacomo Maria

2011-01-01

While the literature on demand forecasting has examined the best practices in the field, the interpretation and definition of best practices can be difficult due to the different perspectives that the literature has adopted. First, a universalistic perspective can be considered because some specific practices are really best regardless of the context, the forecasting problems, etc. Some other contributions have also taken a contingent approach, which states that best practices depend on the s...

Reverse quality management: developing evidence-based best practices in health emergency management.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Tim; Cox, Paul

2006-01-01

The British Columbia Ministry of Health's Framework for Core Functions in Public Health was the catalyst that inspired this review of best practices in health emergency management. The fieldwork was conducted in the fall of 2005 between hurricane Katrina and the South Asia earthquake. These tragedies, shown on 24/7 television news channels, provided an eyewitness account of disaster management, or lack of it, in our global village world. It is not enough to just have best practices in place. There has to be a governance structure that can be held accountable. This review of best practices lists actions in support of an emergency preparedness culture at the management, executive, and corporate/governance levels of the organization. The methodology adopted a future quality management approach of the emergency management process to identify the corresponding performance indictors that correlated with practices or sets of practices. Identifying best practice performance indictors needed to conduct a future quality management audit is described as reverse quality management. Best practices cannot be assessed as stand-alone criteria; they are influenced by organizational culture. The defining of best practices was influenced by doubt about defining a practice it is hoped will never be performed, medical staff involvement, leadership, and an appreciation of the resources required and how they need to be managed. Best practice benchmarks are seen as being related more to "measures" of performance defined locally and agreed on by 2 or more parties rather than to achieving industrial standards. Relating practices to performance indicators and then to benchmarks resulted in the development of a Health Emergency Management Best Practices Matrix that lists specific practice in the different phases of emergency management.

Best Practices for Managing Organizational Diversity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreitz, Patricia A.; /SLAC

2007-05-18

should human resource specialists play in creating and managing diverse organizations? What are the best practices they should apply? The purpose of this review is to define workplace diversity, to identify best practices, and to identify how diversity management best practices can be applied in academic libraries. Finally, this review will provide a resource list for HR managers and leaders to learn more about those best practices with the goal of optimizing their organization's approach to diversity.

Best Practices for Fuel System Contamination Detection and Remediation

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-15

The University of Dayton Research Institute Best Practices for Fuel System Contamination Detection and Remediation Final Report Marlin D... Remediation Executive Summary: Fuel contamination is a broad term commonly applied to anything that causes a fuel test to fail quality assurance...Statement A: Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. 1 Best Practices for Fuel System Contamination Detection and Remediation Contents

Financial Knowledge and Best Practice Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Robb, Cliff A.; Woodyard, Ann S.

2011-01-01

The current research examines the relationship between personal financial knowledge (both objective and subjective), financial satisfaction, and selected demographic variables in terms of best practice financial behavior. Data are taken from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's (FINRA) National Financial Capability Study, a nationally…

Best Practices Guide for High-Performance Indian Office Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Reshma [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sartor, Dale [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ghatikar, Girish [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-04-01

This document provides best practice guidance and energy- efficiency recommendations for the design, construction, and operation of high-­performance office buildings in India. Through a discussion of learnings from exemplary projects and inputs from experts, it provides recommendations that can potentially help achieve (1) enhanced working environments, (2) economic construction/faster payback, (3) reduced operating costs, and (4) reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It also provides ambitious (but achievable) energy performance benchmarks, both as adopted targets during building modeling (design phase) and during measurement and verification (operations phase). These benchmarks have been derived from a set of representative best-in-class office buildings in India. The best practices strategies presented in this guide would ideally help in delivering high-­performance in terms of a triad—of energy efficiency, cost efficiency, and occupant comfort and well-­being. These best practices strategies and metrics should be normalized—that is, corrected to account for building characteristics, diversity of operations, weather, and materials and construction methods.

75 FR 4062 - Peer Review Best Practices Workshop

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-26

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Peer Review Best Practices Workshop AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of..., demonstration and deployment programs and has used a variety of peer review approaches to select the best...'' for reviewing and selecting project proposals. The workshop will explore classic peer review processes...

Framework for selecting best practices in public health: a systematic literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eileen Ng

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Evidence-based public health has commonly relied on findings from empirical studies, or research-based evidence. However, this paper advocates that practice-based evidence derived from programmes implemented in real-life settings is likely to be a more suitable source of evidence for inspiring and guiding public health programmes. Selection of best practices from the array of implemented programmes is one way of generating such practice-based evidence. Yet the lack of consensus on the definition and criteria for practice-based evidence and best practices has limited their application in public health so far. To address the gap in literature on practice-based evidence, this paper hence proposes measures of success for public health interventions by developing an evaluation framework for selection of best practices. The proposed framework was synthesised from a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed and grey literature on existing evaluation frameworks for public health programmes as well as processes employed by health-related organisations when selecting best practices. A best practice is firstly defined as an intervention that has shown evidence of effectiveness in a particular setting and is likely to be replicable to other situations. Regardless of the area of public health, interventions should be evaluated by their context, process and outcomes. A best practice should hence meet most, if not all, of eight identified evaluation criteria: relevance, community participation, stakeholder collaboration, ethical soundness, replicability, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. Ultimately, a standardised framework for selection of best practices will improve the usefulness and credibility of practice-based evidence in informing evidence-based public health interventions.

Best Practices for Reduction of Uncertainty in CFD Results

Science.gov (United States)

Mendenhall, Michael R.; Childs, Robert E.; Morrison, Joseph H.

2003-01-01

This paper describes a proposed best-practices system that will present expert knowledge in the use of CFD. The best-practices system will include specific guidelines to assist the user in problem definition, input preparation, grid generation, code selection, parameter specification, and results interpretation. The goal of the system is to assist all CFD users in obtaining high quality CFD solutions with reduced uncertainty and at lower cost for a wide range of flow problems. The best-practices system will be implemented as a software product which includes an expert system made up of knowledge databases of expert information with specific guidelines for individual codes and algorithms. The process of acquiring expert knowledge is discussed, and help from the CFD community is solicited. Benefits and challenges associated with this project are examined.

Collaborative Benchmarking: Discovering and Implementing Best Practices to Strengthen SEAs

Science.gov (United States)

Building State Capacity and Productivity Center, 2013

2013-01-01

To help state educational agencies (SEAs) learn about and adapt best practices that exist in other SEAs and other organizations, the Building State Capacity and Productivity Center (BSCP Center) working closely with the Regional Comprehensive Centers will create multi-state groups, through a "Collaborative Benchmarking Best Practices Process" that…

How to define 'best practice' for use in Knowledge Translation research: a practical, stepped and interactive process.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosch, Marije; Tavender, Emma; Bragge, Peter; Gruen, Russell; Green, Sally

2013-10-01

Defining 'best practice' is one of the first and crucial steps in any Knowledge Translation (KT) research project. Without a sound understanding of what exactly should happen in practice, it is impossible to measure the extent of existing gaps between 'desired' and 'actual' care, set implementation goals, and monitor performance. The aim of this paper is to present a practical, stepped and interactive process to develop best practice recommendations that are actionable, locally applicable and in line with the best available research-based evidence, with a view to adapt these into process measures (quality indicators) for KT research purposes. Our process encompasses the following steps: (1) identify current, high-quality clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and extract recommendations; (2) select strong recommendations in key clinical management areas; (3) update evidence and create evidence overviews; (4) discuss evidence and produce agreed 'evidence statements'; (5) discuss the relevance of the evidence with local stakeholders; and (6) develop locally applicable actionable best practice recommendations, suitable for use as the basis of quality indicators. Actionable definitions of local best practice are a prerequisite for doing KT research. As substantial resources go into rigorously synthesizing evidence and developing CPGs, it is important to make best use of such available resources. We developed a process for efficiently developing locally applicable actionable best practice recommendations from existing high-quality CPGs that are in line with current research evidence. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Campaign best practice in intravenous therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Wayne; Murphy, Jayne; Shakespeare, David; Kelly, Chris; Fox, Louise; Kelly, Matthew

Intravenous therapy is an integral part of nursing care but is associated with a high risk of infection. This article outlines a campaign that aimed to increase awareness of best practice for IV therapy and reduce the risks of healthcare-associated IV infections in hospital and community settings.

Best Practices for Online Business Education

Science.gov (United States)

Grandzol, John R.; Grandzol, Christian J.

2006-01-01

This integrative review of literature on online educational best practices is intended to provide a quick reference for those interested in designing online business courses and programs. Primarily American in its perspective, this review may be helpful for business schools seeking optimal online course designs that foster quality learning…

Debian 7 system administration best practices

CERN Document Server

Pollei, Rich

2013-01-01

A step-by-step, example-based guide to learning how to install and administer the Debian Linux distribution.Debian 7: System Administration Best Practices is for users and administrators who are new to Debian, or for seasoned administrators who are switching to Debian from another Linux distribution. A basic knowledge of Linux or UNIX systems is useful, but not strictly required. Since the book is a high level guide, the reader should be willing to go to the referenced material for further details and practical examples.

Best Practices in Hiring: Addressing Unconscious Bias

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Caroline E.

2012-01-01

Research has shown that implementing certain hiring practices will increase diversity in the workplace while enhancing academic quality. All of these practices rely on addressing the issue of 'unconscious bias.' A brief overview of unconscious bias--what it is, how it works, and simple measures to counter it--will be presented. Successful strategies, actions, and recommendations for implementing best recruiting and hiring practices, which have been proven to enhance academic excellence by ensuring a deep and diverse applicant pool, will also be presented.

The Best Practices for School Transformation: A Multiple-Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Waheed, Zarina; Hussin, Sufean; Bin Megat Daud, Megat Ahmad Kamaluddin

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the best practices of school leaders, teachers, pupils, parents and the community in selected transformed schools in Selangor, Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative multiple-case study explores the best practices in two selected transformed schools through in-depth interviews,…

Change for the Right Reasons: What Is a Best Practice?

Science.gov (United States)

Todaro, Julie Beth

2002-01-01

Explores the concept and definition of best practice and how it relates to organizational concepts such as benchmarking, leadership, innovation, and managing change. Describes the six steps of best practice: (1) identifying areas of need; (2) assessing the need areas; (3) establishing profiles; (4) looking beyond the organization; (5) establishing…

Strategies and best practices for staff renewal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cottingham, C.

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the strategies and best practices for staff renewal in the electricity sector. Strategic initiatives for staff renewal include strategic recruiting, succession planning, employee relations, knowledge management and strategic partnerships

Green Remediation Best Management Practices: Mining Sites

Science.gov (United States)

This fact sheet describes best management practices (BMPs) that can be used to reduce the environmental footprint of cleanup activities associated with common project components, cleanup phases, and implementation of remediation technologies.

Selecting and training opinion leaders and best practice collaborators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bussières, André E.; Maiers, Michele; Grondin, Diane

2017-01-01

Objectives: To describe the process for selecting and training chiropractic opinion leaders (OLs) and best practice collaborators (BPCs) to increase the uptake of best practice. Methods: In Phase 1, OLs were identified using a cross-sectional survey among Canadian chiropractic stakeholders. A 10......-member committee ranked nominees. Top-ranked nominees were invited to a training workshop. In Phase 2, a national e-survey was administered to 7200 Canadian chiropractors to identify additional OLs and BPCs. Recommended names were screened by OLs and final selection made by consensus. Webinars were...... utilized to train BPCs to engage peers in best practices, and facilitate guideline dissemination. Results: In Phase 1, 21 OLs were selected from 80 nominees. Sixteen attended a training workshop. In Phase 2, 486 chiropractors recommended 1126 potential BPCs, of which 133 were invited to participate and 112...

Best Practices in Montessori Secondary Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Donahoe, Marta

2013-01-01

This article is the result of years of study, both formal and informal; hundreds of hours of traditional and Montessori classroom observations; reading and digesting articles and books on secondary education, Montessori education, adolescent brain research, leadership, and best practices in education; and most enlightening of all, 20 years of…

Web-based classroom data collection in ADHD: a best practices case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatara, Vinod; Vogt, H Bruce; Ellis, Roland; Alshari, Ghyath; Patrick, Sarah

2003-09-01

Best practices research identifies and disseminates effective clinical strategies developed and refined by clinicians for their practices. As opposed to the content of health care, medical students and residents are typically not trained in the process of its provision. This paper illustrates a best practices approach to development of a Web-based classroom data collection method to improve medication management in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 1) To increase Primary Care Physician (PCP) awareness of the process of best practices research, and; 2) to highlight the use of the World Wide Web as a tool for integration of care of children with ADHD. Based on the review of a large national study in ADHD, the key ingredients for the best pharmacotherapy practices were identified. The lessons from the literature were adapted for local practice using the framework and steps for best practices outlined by Mold and Gregory. A conceptual model of managing information provided by parents/caregivers and teachers to PCPs was developed. Several steps were identified, including Web-based classroom behavioral data collection by a care manager and feedback reports to PCPs from a child psychiatrist based on the data collected. This model is currently being tested. Our preliminary experience suggests that a best practices approach has potential applications to a variety of primary care settings in South Dakota. We encourage PCPs to consider best practice strategies for their own practices. The practice-based research network (Rush Net) being developed by the Center for Rural Health Improvement of the University of South Dakota School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine can be helpful in this regard.

Developing Nordic Pedagogical Best Practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagger, Bettan; Kelly, Hélène; Wonsyld, Merete

2012-01-01

This article describes a Nordic educational project that supported dialogue and cooperation between nursing students and educators from eight Nordic educational institutions. An intensive course concept was developed. The course focus of prevention and health promotion among nordic youth not only...... illuminated the benefits of student exchange with respect to student learning but also how pedagogical cooperation can contribute to institutional, pedagogical innovation. Keywords Cooperation, pedagogcial development, comparative nursing, pedagogical best practice....

Comprehension instruction research-based best practices

CERN Document Server

Parris, Sheri R; Morrow, Lesley Mandel

2015-01-01

All key issues of research and practice in comprehension instruction are addressed in this highly regarded professional resource and course text. Leading scholars examine the processes that enable students to make meaning from what they read--and how this knowledge can be applied to improve teaching at all grade levels. Best practices for meeting the needs of diverse elementary and secondary students are identified. Essential topics include strategies for comprehending different types of texts, the impact of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), cutting-edge assessment approaches, and the gr

Webquest 2.0: Best Practices for the 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

Levin-Goldberg, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Over the last decade, WebQuests have grown in popularity in educational environments. In order to effectively implement a WebQuest in the classroom, best pedagogical practices must be employed; however, these best WebQuest practices should reflect the exigent 21st century skills students need to be successful, productive members of the global…

Remediation in Canadian medical residency programs: Established and emerging best practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Shearer, Cindy; Bosma, Mark; Bergin, Fiona; Sargeant, Joan; Warren, Andrew

2018-02-23

Policies to guide remediation in postgraduate medical education exist in all Canadian medical schools. This study examines concordance between these policies and processes, and published "best practices" in remediation. We conducted a literature review to identify best practices in the area of remediation. We then reviewed remediation policies from all 13 English medical schools in Canada other than our own and conducted interviews with key informants from each institution. Each policy and interview transcript pair was then reviewed for evidence of pre-defined "best practices." Team members also noted additional potential policy or process enablers of successful remediation. Most policies and processes aligned with some but not all published best practices. For instance, all participating schools tailored remediation strategies to individual resident needs, and a majority encouraged faculty-student relationships during remediation. Conversely, few required the teaching of goal-setting, strategic planning, self-monitoring, and self-awareness. In addition, we identified avoidance of automatic training extension and the use of an educational review board to support the remediation process as enablers for success. Remediation policies and practices in Canada align well with published best practices in this area. Based on key informant opinions, flexibility to avoid training extension and use of an educational review board may also support optimal remediation outcomes.

Ambulatory surgery centers best practices for the 90s.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoover, J A

1994-05-01

Outpatient surgery will be the driving force in the continued growth of ambulatory care in the 1990s. Providing efficient, high-quality ambulatory surgical services should therefore be a priority among healthcare providers. Arthur Andersen conducted a survey to discover best practices in ambulatory surgical service. General success characteristics of best performers were business-focused relationships with physicians, the use of clinical protocols, patient convenience, cost management, strong leadership, teamwork, streamlined processes and efficient design. Other important factors included scheduling to maximize OR room use; achieving surgical efficiencies through reduced case pack assembly errors and equipment availability; a focus on cost capture rather than charge capture; sound materiel management practices, such as standardization and vendor teaming; and the appropriate use of automated systems. It is important to evaluate whether the best practices are applicable to your environment and what specific changes to your current processes would be necessary to adopt them.

Documentation of polio eradication initiative best practices: Experience from WHO African Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Okeibunor, Joseph; Nshimirimana, Deo; Nsubuga, Peter; Mutabaruka, Evariste; Tapsoba, Leonard; Ghali, Emmanuel; Kabir, Shaikh Humayun; Gassasira, Alex; Mihigo, Richard; Mkanda, Pascal

2016-10-10

The African Region is set to achieving polio eradication. During the years of operations, the Polio Eradication Initiative [PEI] in the Region mobilized and trained tremendous amount of manpower with specializations in surveillance, social mobilization, supplementary immunization activities [SIAs], data management and laboratory staff. Systems were put in place to accelerate the eradication of polio in the Region. Standardized, real-time surveillance and response capacity were established. Many innovations were developed and applied to reaching people in difficult and security challenged terrains. All of these resulted in accumulation of lessons and best practices, which can be used in other priority public health intervention if documented. The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa [WHO/AFRO] developed a process for the documentation of these best practices, which was pretested in Uganda. The process entailed assessment of three critical elements [effectiveness, efficiency and relevance] five aspects [ethical soundness, sustainability, involvement of partners, community involvement, and political commitment] of best practices. A scored card which graded the elements and aspects on a scale of 0-10 was developed and a true best practice should score >50 points. Independent public health experts documented polio best practices in eight countries in the Region, using this process. The documentation adopted the cross-sectional design in the generation of data, which combined three analytical designs, namely surveys, qualitative inquiry and case studies. For the selection of countries, country responses to earlier questionnaire on best practices were screened for potential best practices. Another criterion used was the level of PEI investment in the countries. A total of 82 best practices grouped into ten thematic areas were documented. There was a correlation between the health system performances with DPT3 as proxy, level of PEI investment in countries

78 FR 38735 - Autopsy Performance Criteria: Standards, Guidelines and Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-27

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Office of Justice Programs [OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1626] Autopsy Performance Criteria: Standards, Guidelines and Best Practices AGENCY: National Institute of Justice, DOJ. ACTION... entitled, ``Autopsy Performance Criteria: Standards, Guidelines and Best Practices''. The opportunity to...

Delivering business analytics practical guidelines for best practice

CERN Document Server

Stubbs, Evan

2013-01-01

AVOID THE MISTAKES THAT OTHERS MAKE - LEARN WHAT LEADS TO BEST PRACTICE AND KICKSTART SUCCESS This groundbreaking resource provides comprehensive coverage across all aspects of business analytics, presenting proven management guidelines to drive sustainable differentiation. Through a rich set of case studies, author Evan Stubbs reviews solutions and examples to over twenty common problems spanning managing analytics assets and information, leveraging technology, nurturing skills, and defining processes. Delivering Business Analytics also outlines the Data Scientist's Code, fifteen principle

Johnson and Johnson strives to implement best practices by year 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kauffman, H.A.

1999-01-01

Johnson and Johnson is the world's most comprehensive broadly-based manufacturer of health care products. Utilizing a decentralized management philosophy, the 188 operating companies around the world operate independently. Although Johnson and Johnson is not an energy intensive company, it has had a coordinated energy program since 1972. In the 1990s, however, a renewed focus, prompted by the link between energy usage and pollution, led to some very aggressive energy reduction goals to be completed by the end of the year 2000. To assist the operating companies in meeting these goals. a comprehensive set of Best Practices was developed. They cover all facility energy-using equipment and maintenance practices. Inputs included projects completed at Johnson and Johnson facilities worldwide, best practices from several US government voluntary programs, and recommendations from consultants and engineering firms. The end product is now being used worldwide to benchmark the progress. To ensure that these Best Practices are incorporated into new construction as well as the existing facilities, the authors developed their New Facility Design Criteria which is in the format that architectural/engineering firms can easily utilize. They originally validated the Best Practices in two retrofit pilots and two new buildings. They all achieved significant energy savings. As of April 1999, they have completed 62% of the Best Practices at the 96 facilities in the US and Puerto Rico. Twenty-four of these facilities had achieved an 80% completion level in 1998 and were recognized with the internal recognition plaque. Through full implementation of these Best Practices, Johnson and Johnson feel confident that they will be able to meet the Year 2000 energy reduction goals

Benchmarking Best Practices in Transformation for Sea Enterprise

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Brook, Douglas A; Hudgens, Bryan; Nguyen, Nam; Walsh, Katherine

2006-01-01

... applied to reinvestment and recapitalization. Sea Enterprise contracted the Center for Defense Management Reform to research transformation and benchmarking best practices in the private sector...

A proposed best practice model validation framework for banks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter J. (Riaan de Jongh

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: With the increasing use of complex quantitative models in applications throughout the financial world, model risk has become a major concern. The credit crisis of 2008–2009 provoked added concern about the use of models in finance. Measuring and managing model risk has subsequently come under scrutiny from regulators, supervisors, banks and other financial institutions. Regulatory guidance indicates that meticulous monitoring of all phases of model development and implementation is required to mitigate this risk. Considerable resources must be mobilised for this purpose. The exercise must embrace model development, assembly, implementation, validation and effective governance. Setting: Model validation practices are generally patchy, disparate and sometimes contradictory, and although the Basel Accord and some regulatory authorities have attempted to establish guiding principles, no definite set of global standards exists. Aim: Assessing the available literature for the best validation practices. Methods: This comprehensive literature study provided a background to the complexities of effective model management and focussed on model validation as a component of model risk management. Results: We propose a coherent ‘best practice’ framework for model validation. Scorecard tools are also presented to evaluate if the proposed best practice model validation framework has been adequately assembled and implemented. Conclusion: The proposed best practice model validation framework is designed to assist firms in the construction of an effective, robust and fully compliant model validation programme and comprises three principal elements: model validation governance, policy and process.

STORMWATER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TEST FACILITY - SWALES

Science.gov (United States)

The NRMRL swale evaluation is part of a larger collection of long-term research projects that evaluates many Best Management Practices. EPA has ongoing research examining the performance of constructed wet lands, and detention and retention ponds. Other projects will evaluate ra...

INACSL Standards of Best Practice for Simulation: Past, Present, and Future.

Science.gov (United States)

Sittner, Barbara J; Aebersold, Michelle L; Paige, Jane B; Graham, Leslie L M; Schram, Andrea Parsons; Decker, Sharon I; Lioce, Lori

2015-01-01

To describe the historical evolution of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning's (INACSL) Standards of Best Practice: Simulation. The establishment of simulation standards began as a concerted effort by the INACSL Board of Directors in 2010 to provide best practices to design, conduct, and evaluate simulation activities in order to advance the science of simulation as a teaching methodology. A comprehensive review of the evolution of INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation was conducted using journal publications, the INACSL website, INACSL member survey, and reports from members of the INACSL Standards Committee. The initial seven standards, published in 2011, were reviewed and revised in 2013. Two new standards were published in 2015. The standards will continue to evolve as the science of simulation advances. As the use of simulation-based experiences increases, the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation are foundational to standardizing language, behaviors, and curricular design for facilitators and learners.

HIV testing and counseling: test providers' experiences of best practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Ted; Worthington, Catherine; Haubrich, Dennis J; Ryder, Karen; Calzavara, Liviana

2003-08-01

Although education is central to HIV testing and counseling, little is known about the educational processes within the testing experience. This study investigated test providers' understandings of testing and counseling best practices. Interviews with a purposive sample of 24 test providers were thematically analyzed. Analysis revealed five best practices specific to HIV education and public health--ensuring information and education for HIV risk reduction, individualization of risk assessment, ensuring test results are given in person, providing information and referrals, and facilitating partner notification--and six practices not specific to HIV counseling relationship building. The latter were building trust and rapport; maintaining professional boundaries; ensuring a comfortable, safe environment; ensuring confidentiality; imparting nonjudgmntal attitude; and self-determination. The identified best practices demonstrated remarkable consistency across respondent subgroups. Although counseling was seen as largely educational and with a preventive focus, it included individualized messages based on assessments of risk, knowledge, and social and cultural characteristics.

Mobile and Social: Ten Best Practices for Designing Mobile Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liviu LICA

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper gives ten best practices for designing mobile applications that have social-networking functions. The need for such an approach is given by the rapid growth in impor-tance of both social networks and mobile applications. In order to make it easy to follow where the best practices come from, the paper starts with a look at why social networks are more than just a buzz word and at how the field of mobile applications is evolving. It also shows how and why the two fields go together so well. To further make the point, there is a case study of four interesting mobile applications that are textbooks examples of successful applications. The best practices are based on research done for this article and on the extensive knowledge of the author.

Integrated management system best practices in radioecological laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, Claudia Aparecida Zerbinatti de

2010-01-01

The research aims to study the best practices to support a conceptual proposal for IMS - Integrated Management System (quality, environment, safety and health) applicable to Radioecology laboratories. The research design is organized into the following steps: in a first step, it was developed the bibliographic and documentary research in IMS, survey and study of standards (QMS ISO 9000 (2005), ISO 9001 (2008), ISO 9004 (2000), EMS ISO 14001 (2004) and OHSMS OHSAS 18001 (2007) and OHSAS 18002 (2008)), identification and characterization of processes in Radioecology Laboratories and study of best practices methodology and benchmarking; in the second stage of the research it was developed a case study (qualitative research, with questionnaires via e-mail and interviews, when possible), preceded by a survey and selection of international and national radioecology laboratories and then these laboratories were contacted and some of them agreed to participate in this research; in the third stage of the research it was built the framework of best practices that showed results that could support the conceptual proposal for the IMS Radioecology Laboratory; the fourth and final stage of research consisted in the construction of the proposed conceptual framework of SGI for Radioecology Laboratory, being then achieved the initial objective of the research. (author)

Changing clinicians' habits: is this the hidden challenge to increasing best practices?

Science.gov (United States)

Rochette, Annie; Korner-Bitensky, Nicol; Thomas, Aliki

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to reflect on the concept of habit as an under-explored, but critically important factor that might help explain the lack of uptake of new, scientifically sound practices by rehabilitation clinicians. The complexity relating to being a scholarly practitioner is first presented. The transtheoretical model of behaviour change, developed to better understand behaviour change such as stopping a 'bad' habit or implementing a 'good' one for health improvement purposes, is used to foster reflection on factors involved in uptake of best practices in rehabilitation. To illustrate simply the different scenarios relating to uptake of best practices, such as the use of a standardised tool over a home-grown one, two well known approaches to assessment (use of thermometer versus hand on forehead) that could be used to assess the same construct (body temperature) are contrasted. As rehabilitation clinicians, we are potentially blocked in our uptake of best practices by our habits. Although habits are often comfortable, and change is less so, we need to move away from our comfort zone if we are to adopt best practices. Given the extensive literature suggesting that there are major gaps between best practice and actual practices, it behoves us to explore the impact of habits to a greater extent.

The integration of lean, green and best practice business principles

OpenAIRE

Annelize Wiese; Rose Luke; Gert J. Heyns; Noleen M. Pisa

2015-01-01

Background: Whilst there are separate streams of established research on lean, green and best practice initiatives, the intersection of these three strategic principles has not been addressed extensively in the past. Objectives: In this study a framework to integrate lean, green and best practice principles into an integrated business model was developed as a strategy for businesses to develop sustainable competitive advantages. Method: A descriptive case study was conducted on Toyota...

Technology transfer: Promoting irrigation progress and best management practices

Science.gov (United States)

Educational efforts promoting irrigation best management practices are designed to increase adoption of these practices and increase public understanding of the importance of irrigation. They increase visibility and the impact of the Ogallala Aquifer Program and promote affiliated research and exten...

Effective coding with VHDL principles and best practice

CERN Document Server

Jasinski, Ricardo

2016-01-01

A guide to applying software design principles and coding practices to VHDL to improve the readability, maintainability, and quality of VHDL code. This book addresses an often-neglected aspect of the creation of VHDL designs. A VHDL description is also source code, and VHDL designers can use the best practices of software development to write high-quality code and to organize it in a design. This book presents this unique set of skills, teaching VHDL designers of all experience levels how to apply the best design principles and coding practices from the software world to the world of hardware. The concepts introduced here will help readers write code that is easier to understand and more likely to be correct, with improved readability, maintainability, and overall quality. After a brief review of VHDL, the book presents fundamental design principles for writing code, discussing such topics as design, quality, architecture, modularity, abstraction, and hierarchy. Building on these concepts, the book then int...

Theoretical/best practice energy use in metalcasting operations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schifo, J. F. [KERAMIDA Environmental, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (United States); Radia, J. T. [KERAMIDA Environmental, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (United States)

2004-05-01

This study determined the theoretical minimum energy requirements for melting processes for all ferrous and noferrous engenieering alloys. Also the report details the Best Practice energy consumption for the industry.

Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McIlvaine, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sutherland, K. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2013-12-01

In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multi-year field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annual energy savings of 15-30% and higher. This report describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the 'current best practices.' A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. Our new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.

Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McIlvaine, J. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States); Sutherland, K. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States)

2013-12-01

In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multiyear field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annual energy savings of 15%-30% and higher. This report describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the "current best practices". A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. The new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.

Best Practices in Zoning for Solar | State, Local, and Tribal Governments |

Science.gov (United States)

solar, cities and counties can still sign up for the SolSmart program. For more information, go to http NREL Best Practices in Zoning for Solar Best Practices in Zoning for Solar April 21, 2017 by Megan Day The price of solar energy generation has plummeted in recent years, with the average installed

Understanding Online Teacher Best Practices: A Thematic Analysis to Improve Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Corry, Michael; Ianacone, Robert; Stella, Julie

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine brick-and-mortar and online teacher best practice themes using thematic analysis and a newly developed theory-based analytic process entitled Synthesized Thematic Analysis Criteria (STAC). The STAC was developed to facilitate the meaningful thematic analysis of research based best practices of K-12…

Sustaining Higher Education Using Wal-Mart's Best Supply Chain Management Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Comm, Clare L.; Mathaisel, Dennis F. X.

2008-01-01

Purpose: The costs in higher education are increasing and need to be controlled. This paper aims to demonstrate what lessons higher education could learn from Wal-Mart's reasons for its financial success with its focus on efficient and effective supply chain management (SCM) best practices. Design/methodology/approach: Wal-Mart's best practices in…

Physical Education and Health: Global Perspectives and Best Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Ming-Kai, Ed.; Edginton, Christopher R.

2014-01-01

"Physical Education and Health: Global Perspectives and Best Practice" draws together global scholars, researchers, and practitioners to provide a review and analysis of new directions in physical education and health worldwide. The book provides descriptive information from 40 countries regarding contemporary practices, models, and…

Best Practices in Brazilian Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catia dos Reis Machado

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Competitive intelligence (CI is a systematic and ethical collection, analysis, dissemination and management of information about the external environment that may affect the plans, decisions and operations of the organization. Knowledge management (KM can be seen as a tool to promote organizational knowledge through the use of activities designed to identify, create, store, share and use knowledge. Companies face a challenge in the era of knowledge, it is the extraction and management of knowledge produced by people in the organization. CI and KM combined generates organizational intelligence. The exploratory study, based on literature and multicase study, we sought to identify best practices in processes of CI and KM in Brazilian companies. We identified practices related to the CI design process, the stages of the CI, the use of networks, and knowledge management. We also identified, points of attention on the internal/external organizational environment.

Report on July 2015 Additional Protocol Coordinators Best Practices Workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gitau, Ernest T.N. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Burbank, Roberta L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Finch, Valerie A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-07-31

After 10 years of implementation experience, the Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control (NPAC) within the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) conducted the Additional Protocol (AP) Coordinators Best Practices Workshop at Oak Ridge National Laboratory from July 29-30, 2015. The goal of this workshop was to identify implementation best practices, lessons learned, and compliance challenges from the various Additional Protocol Coordinators (APCs) at each laboratory in the DOE/NNSA complex and associated sites. The workshop provided the opportunity for participants to share their insights and establish networks that APCs can utilize to continue to discuss challenges (new and old), identify best practices, and enhance communication and coordination for reporting multi-lab research projects during review activities. Workshop participants included DOE/NNSA HQ, laboratory and site APCs, seasoned experts, members of the original implementation outreach team, and Field Element and site security representatives.

Identifying Best Practices for an Interactive Webinar

Science.gov (United States)

Zoumenou, Virginie; Sigman-Grant, Madeleine; Coleman, Gayle; Malekian, Fatemeh; Zee, Julia M. K.; Fountain, Brent J.; Marsh, Akela

2015-01-01

A webinar or web-seminar is a presentation, seminar, lecture, or workshop transmitted over the internet. This emerging technology is becoming increasingly popular due to its convenience and affordability. However, little research has been conducted on best practices for an interactive webinar that engages learners in a professional development or…

Best Practice in Environmental Management of Uranium Mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The modern uranium mining industry was born in the middle of the 20th century at a time of rapid industrial and social change and in an atmosphere of concern over the development of nuclear weapons. At many uranium mining operations, the need to produce uranium far outweighed the need to ensure that there were any more than vestigial efforts made in protecting the workers, the public and the environment from the impacts of the mining, both radiological and non-radiological. In the last quarter of the 20th century, the world began to take greater care of the total environment with the introduction of legislation and the development of operating procedures that took environmental protection into account. The uranium mining industry was part of this change, and standards of environmental management began to become of significance in corporate planning strategies. However, by the 1980s, as uranium mining companies began to address the issues of environment protection, the industry began to suffer a cyclical slowdown. By the 1990s, the industry was at a nadir, but the surviving uranium producers continued to develop and implement a series of procedures in environmental management that were regarded as best practices. This, in part, was necessary as a means to demonstrate to the regulators, governments and the public that the mining operations were being run with the intention of minimizing adverse impacts on the workers, people and the environment. This ensured that mining would be allowed to continue. The decline in uranium mining activity bottomed out in the 1990s, but a resurgence of activity began in the new century that is likely to continue for some time. This has been, in part, due to market conditions and concerns about the shortfall of current production from primary sources (uranium mines) against current reactor fuel demands; the anticipated decrease in future availability of secondary sources such as stockpiles; and the increased interest in nuclear power

APM Best Practices Realizing Application Performance Management

CERN Document Server

Sydor, Michael J

2011-01-01

The objective of APM Best Practices: Realizing Application Performance Management is to establish reliable application performance management (APM) practices - to demonstrate value, to do it quickly, and to adapt to the client circumstances. It's important to balance long-term goals with short-term deliverables, but without compromising usefulness or correctness. The successful strategy is to establish a few reasonable goals, achieve them quickly, and then iterate over the same topics two more times, with each successive iteration expanding the skills and capabilities of the APM team. This str

Challenges of Best Agile Management Practices

OpenAIRE

Kulesovs, Ivans; Korkkinen, Max

2013-01-01

Agile software development and Agile leadership are widespread topics nowadays. Management 3.0 framework is a new framework for Agile leadership implementation within the software development organization. We have performed research that should answer such question as, what are the difficulties related to and the best practices of Agile leadership implementation in software development organizations through the prism of Management 3.0 framework views. In order to do this we have performed the...

International Best Practice Basis for Assessing Recovery Operations. Annex II of Technical Volume 5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

This volume seeks to identify lessons learned related to post-accident recovery that may further improve preparedness worldwide. This objective assessment of the recovery programme is made according to international best practice. In the practice and assessment of radiation and nuclear safety, international best practice is a process or technique that is likely to consistently produce superior results. An important principle is that a ‘best’ practice can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered and lessons are learned from past experience. The lessons to be learned from the recovery programme as it unfolds in Japan will feed back into improving international best practice in post-accident recovery worldwide. Best practice is used to maintain quality and is a component of quality management systems and standards, such as ISO 9000. It is generally regarded as being the most efficient and effective way to accomplish desired outcomes. The body of best practice is used as a benchmark and for self assessment

Best Practices for Teaching in Summer Session

Science.gov (United States)

Kops, Bill

2010-01-01

The goal of a teacher or administrator with responsibility for planning quality learning experiences is to create conditions where the greatest amount of learning can take place for the greatest number of learners. Identifying and using best practices for teaching in compressed formats will help increase the likelihood that such a goal will be…

Relationship Marketing - Best Practice in the Banking Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cătălina Chirica

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to highlight best practice in relationship marketing because of adjusted companies’ strategies in a turbulent, unstable, and dynamic economic environment. By best practice, we understand specific marketing tools and strategies built upon real needs and heterogeneous consumer preferences, addressed directly in a relevant way, aiming at clients’ long-term retention. We should also take into consideration the highly competitive market, with rapid changes in purchase and consumption behavior, while the ever-increasing degree of technology changes fundamentally not only the speed, but also the information content. Since past years we can talk about consumer behavior analysis based on multiple criteria, including the emotional or moral components, consumers’ expectations, and life style, as understanding such variables is the main pillar of relationship marketing. The main objectives rely upon building long-term relations, client retention, and loyalty. As part of marketing efforts, the communication component has an increasingly important role, approaching niches with tailored messages, inviting clients to open dialogue. Economic changes, extensive use of technology, migration towards online and optimization of communication channels opened the doors for digital era, when relationship marketing and client relationship management (CRM represent not a merely working premise, but an essential ground. Best practice in relationship marketing proves that this cannot be applied in any way and at any time, as this paper highlights the main components of building and implementing such a system.

National Best Practices Manual for Building High Performance Schools (Revised)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-10-01

The Best Practices Manual was written as a part of the promotional effort for EnergySmart Schools, provided by the US Department of Energy, to educate school districts around the country about energy efficiency and renewable energy. Written specifically for architects and engineers, The Best Practices Manual is designed to help those who are responsible for designing or retrofitting schools, as well as their project managers. This manual will help design staff make informed decisions about energy and environmental issues important to the school systems and communities.

Exploring the Best HRM Practices-Performance Relationship: An Empirical Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Theriou, George N.; Chatzoglou, Prodromos D.

2009-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to empirically examine the linkages between best human resource (HRM) practices, knowledge management, organisational learning, organisational capabilities and organisational performance. The proposed framework and findings intend to add to the understanding of the specific processes that mediate between best HRM practices…

Customer service in libraries best practices

CERN Document Server

Harmon, Charles

2013-01-01

In this book, nine librarians from across the country describe their libraries' best practices in this key area. Their contributions range from all-encompassing customer service policies and models any library can both adapt and be proud of to micro-approaches that emphasize offering excellent user-focused technology planning, picture book arrangement with patrons in mind, Web 2.0 tools to connect users with the library, establishing good service delivery chains, and making your library fantastic for homeschoolers.

Best practices v řízení lidských zdrojů

OpenAIRE

Šikýř, Martin

2006-01-01

Dissertation characterizes the applicable best practices in human resource management and defines the essence of positive effect of applying best practices in human resource management on the performance achieved by the organization.

Peer Review of Teaching: Sharing Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Golparian, Shaya; Chan, Judy; Cassidy, Alice

2015-01-01

In this paper, we share examples of best peer review of teaching practices, drawing on our involvement in the design and implementation of the Peer Review of Teaching program at the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology. We review the history of the Peer Review of Teaching Initiative at the University of British Columbia and explain key…

Native vegetation establishment for IDOT erosion control best management practices.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-05-01

The objective of this report was to develop native roadside vegetation best management practices for : the Illinois Department of Transportation. A review of current practices was undertaken, along with a : review of those of other state departments ...

Managing the Right Projects: Best Practices to Align Project and Corporate Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Bobby

2012-01-01

If there's a human endeavor that exemplifies teamwork, it is space exploration. And that teamwork absolutely cannot happen effectively if the boots on the ground the people doing the work - don't understand how their work aligns with the larger goal. This presentation will discuss some best management practices from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center that have succeeded in helping employees become informed, engaged and committed to the space agency's important missions. Specific topics include: Alignment Criteria: Linking Projects To Corporate Strategy. Resource Management: Best Practices For Resource Management. Strategic Analysis: Supporting Decision Making In A Changing Environment. Communication Strategies: Best Practices To Communicate Change. Benefits Achieved And Lessons Learned.

Best practice principles for community-based obesity prevention: development, content and application.

Science.gov (United States)

King, L; Gill, T; Allender, S; Swinburn, B

2011-05-01

Best practice in obesity prevention has generally been defined in terms of 'what' needs to be done while neglecting 'how'. A multifaceted definition of best practice, which combines available evidence on what actions to take, with an established process for interpreting this information in a specific community context, provides a more appropriate basis for defining the principles of best practice in community-based obesity prevention. Based on analysis of a range of literature, a preliminary set of principles was drafted and progressively revised through further analyses of published literature and a series of consultations. The framework for best practice principles comprises: community engagement, programme design and planning, evaluation, implementation and sustainability, and governance. Specific principles were formulated within this framework. While many principles were generic, distinctive features of obesity prevention were also covered. The engagement of end-users influenced the design of the formatting of the outputs, which represent three levels of knowledge transfer: detailed evidence summaries, guiding questions for programme planners and a briefer set of questions for simpler communication purposes. The best practice principles provide a valuable mechanism for the translation of existing evidence and experience into the decision-making processes for planning, implementing and evaluating the complex community-based interventions needed for successful obesity prevention. © 2010 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2010 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Sharing best practice in partnerships

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosgaard, Mette; Remmen, Arne; Pedersen, Claus Stig

In this paper, the promotion of sustainable products through the sharing of best practices in product chains is examined. The general understanding is that the interactions in the supply chain are changing from a traditional focus on the supply of goods “just in time” towards a focus on value...... creation for the different stakeholders and closer collaboration and communication between manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, and retailers. Supply Chain Management can be divided into two main categories with rather different focus areas: ”risk minimization” related to environmental and social impacts...... of and demand for sustainable products – in other words the creation of new markets....

Best practices for reporting climate data in ecology

Science.gov (United States)

Morueta-Holme, Naia; Oldfather, Meagan F.; Olliff-Yang, Rachael L.; Weitz, Andrew P.; Levine, Carrie R.; Kling, Matthew M.; Riordan, Erin C.; Merow, Cory; Sheth, Seema N.; Thornhill, Andrew H.; Ackerly, David D.

2018-01-01

A large number of published ecological studies fail to include basic information about the climate data used. In the interest of reproducibility and transparency, we offer recommendations for best practices that we urge Editors, authors, and reviewers to adopt in future publications.

A study of best management practices for enhancing productivity in building projects: construction methods perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Argaw Tarekegn Gurmu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This research investigates management practices that have the potential to enhance productivity in building projects by focusing on construction methods. In phase 1 of the study, face-to-face interviews with nineteen experts were conducted to identify the best management practices for construction methods. The qualitative data analysis reached saturation and resulted in a list of best practices for construction methods that are relevant to the local industry. The second phase used an industry-wide survey to prioritize the best practices. Accordingly, project start-up plan, traffic control plan, machinery positioning strategy, project completion plan, and dynamic site layout plan were shown to be the top five best practices for construction methods. The study also revealed that high levels of implementation of best practices are associated with low levels of project delays. The use of best practices also varied according to the project costs. There were no discernible differences between the top five best practices. The authors suggest that they should be implemented jointly to improve productivity in building projects. Contractors could use the logistic regression model developed, to predict the probability of exceeding a baseline productivity factor and, on that basis, implement corrective actions to achieve the desired level of productivity.

Laboratory Medicine Best Practice Guideline: Vitamins A, E and the Carotenoids in Blood

Science.gov (United States)

Greaves, Ronda F; Woollard, Gerald A; Hoad, Kirsten E; Walmsley, Trevor A; Johnson, Lambro A; Briscoe, Scott; Koetsier, Sabrina; Harrower, Tamantha; Gill, Janice P

2014-01-01

Despite apparent method similarities between laboratories there appear to be confounding factors inhibiting uniform reporting and standardisation of vitamin assays. The Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB) Vitamins Working Party, in conjunction with The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs, has formulated a guideline to improve performance, reproducibility and accuracy of fat-soluble vitamin results. The aim of the guideline is to identify critical pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical components of the analysis of vitamins A, E and carotenoids in blood to promote best practice and harmonisation. This best practice guideline has been developed with reference to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Laboratory Medicine Best Practices: Developing an Evidence-Based Review and Evaluation Process”. The CDC document cites an evaluation framework for generating best practice recommendations that are specific to laboratory medicine. These 50 recommendations proposed herein, were generated from a comprehensive literature search and the extensive combined experience of the AACB Vitamins Working Party members. They were formulated based on comparison between an impact assessment rating and strength of evidence and were classified as either: (1) strongly recommend, (2) recommend, (3) no recommendation for or against, or (4) recommend against. These best practice recommendations represent the consensus views, in association with peer reviewed evidence of the AACB Vitamins Working Party, towards best practice for the collection, analysis and interpretation of vitamins A, E and carotenoids in blood. PMID:25210208

Technology in Gifted Education: A Review of Best Practices and Empirical Research

Science.gov (United States)

Periathiruvadi, Sita; Rinn, Anne N.

2013-01-01

The article aims to explore the progress of technology use in gifted education and highlight the best practices and empirical research in this area. The literature on the use of technology with gifted students and their teachers has been extensive, with articles on best practices, but the empirical research in this area is still emerging. With the…

75 FR 53639 - Best Practices for Transit, Transshipment, and Reexport of Items Subject to the Export...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

... principles and best practices that complement those already identified by BIS in its Web guidance ( http... application to the EAR. Principles These best practices are based on the following four principles: Industry... management and compliance practices. Practices The following reflect existing and emerging transshipment best...

Best Practices for Computational Science: Software Infrastructure and Environments for Reproducible and Extensible Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Stodden

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The goal of this article is to coalesce a discussion around best practices for scholarly research that utilizes computational methods, by providing a formalized set of best practice recommendations to guide computational scientists and other stakeholders wishing to disseminate reproducible research, facilitate innovation by enabling data and code re-use, and enable broader communication of the output of computational scientific research. Scholarly dissemination and communication standards are changing to reflect the increasingly computational nature of scholarly research, primarily to include the sharing of the data and code associated with published results. We also present these Best Practices as a living, evolving, and changing document at http://wiki.stodden.net/Best_Practices.

Compliance with best practice governance principles of South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The heightened interest in sport shown by politicians, legislators, sponsors and government carries with it an inherent demand to justify long-term sustainability as well as compliance with best-practice corporate governance principles. A questionnaire based on the seven pillars of good corporate governance identified in ...

Best practices for International eSourcing of Software Products and Services

OpenAIRE

Käkölä, Timo

2008-01-01

This paper analyzes how the information and communications technology-supported international eSourcing of software products and services (IeS) can be effectively executed. The extant literature falls short of providing a systematic and detailed enough set of best practices to guide IeS. This paper presents best practices for IeS to facilitate further research, and to help managers and other stakeholders to understand, execute, and proactively improve and manage international eSourcing. The p...

The Fifth Workshop on HPC Best Practices: File Systems and Archives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hick, Jason; Hules, John; Uselton, Andrew

2011-11-30

The workshop on High Performance Computing (HPC) Best Practices on File Systems and Archives was the fifth in a series sponsored jointly by the Department Of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and DOE National Nuclear Security Administration. The workshop gathered technical and management experts for operations of HPC file systems and archives from around the world. Attendees identified and discussed best practices in use at their facilities, and documented findings for the DOE and HPC community in this report.

Through the eyes of the student: Best practices in clinical facilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Muthathi, Immaculate S; Thurling, Catherine H; Armstrong, Susan J

2017-08-28

Clinical facilitation is an essential part of the undergraduate nursing curriculum. A number of studies address the issue of clinical facilitation in South Africa, but there remains a lack of knowledge and understanding regarding what students perceive as best practice in clinical facilitation of their learning. To determine what type of clinical facilitation undergraduate students believe should be offered by clinical facilitators (nurse educators, professional nurses and clinical preceptors) in the clinical area in order to best facilitate their learning. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was conducted. Purposive sampling was performed to select nursing students from the second, third and fourth year of studies from a selected nursing education institution in Johannesburg. The sampling resulted in one focus group for each level of nursing, namely second, third and fourth year nursing students. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, thematic data analysis was used and trustworthiness was ensured by applying credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability. The data revealed that participants differentiated between best practices in clinical facilitation in the clinical skills laboratory and clinical learning environment. In the clinical skills laboratory, pre-contact preparation, demonstration technique and optimising group learning were identified as best practices. In the clinical learning environment, a need for standardisation of procedures in simulation and practice, the allocation and support for students also emerged. There is a need for all nurses involved in undergraduate nursing education to reflect on how they approach clinical facilitation, in both clinical skills laboratory and clinical learning environment. There is also a need to improve consistency in clinical practices between the nursing education institution and the clinical learning environment so as to support students' adaptation to clinical

Best Practices for Sustainable WInd Energy Development in the Great Lakes Region and Beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Great Lakes Commission; Victoria Pebbles; John Hummer; Celia Haven

2011-07-19

This document offers a menu of 18 different, yet complimentary preferred practices and policies. The best practices cover all phases of the wind energy development process - from the policies that allow for wind development, to the sustainable operation of a wind project, to the best practices for decommissioning a spent turbine - including applications for offshore wind. The practices include those that have been previously tested and proven effective, as well as new practices that were identified by experts in the field as needed for future wind developments. Each best practice includes information about the opportunities and challenges (pros and cons), and offers a case example that illustrates how that best practice is being utilized by a particular jurisdiction or wind project. The practices described in this publication were selected by a diverse group of interests from the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative that included environmental groups, industry, and federal, state and local government regulators. They were identified through a year long process that included a literature review, online survey and interviews with individuals from the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Massive transfusion protocols: current best practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsu YM

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Yen-Michael S Hsu,1 Thorsten Haas,2 Melissa M Cushing1 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Anesthesia, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Abstract: Massive transfusion protocols (MTPs are established to provide rapid blood replacement in a setting of severe hemorrhage. Early optimal blood transfusion is essential to sustain organ perfusion and oxygenation. There are many variables to consider when establishing an MTP, and studies have prospectively evaluated different scenarios and patient populations to establish the best practices to attain improved patient outcomes. The establishment and utilization of an optimal MTP is challenging given the ever-changing patient status during resuscitation efforts. Much of the MTP literature comes from the trauma population, due to the fact that massive hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable trauma-related death. As we come to further understand the positive and negative clinical impacts of transfusion-related factors, massive transfusion practice can be further refined. This article will first discuss specific MTPs targeting different patient populations and current relevant international guidelines. Then, we will examine a wide selection of therapeutic products to support MTPs, including newly available products and the most suitable of the traditional products. Lastly, we will discuss the best design for an MTP, including ratio-based MTPs and MTPs based on the use of point-of-care coagulation diagnostic tools. Keywords: hemorrhage, MTP, antifibrinolytics, coagulopathy, trauma, ratio, logistics, guidelines, hemostatic

Research with Sri Lankan fish farmers brings best practices home ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2013-01-11

Jan 11, 2013 ... The resulting sustainable aquaculture practices could lead to fewer disease ... shrimp, and mussels) holds great promise for improving nutrition and reducing rural poverty in Sri Lanka. ... The challenge: Communicating best practices to farmers. Disease, poor information sharing, and a lack of measureable ...

Best practice during intrapartum care: A concept analysis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mary M. Chabeli

Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Johannesburg University. This is an ... stage of labour, which last from one to two hours after delivery of placenta .... environment and reduced costs. ...... The importance of differentiating the ontological focus. ... tripartite interregional meeting on best practices in HIV/AIDS.

Trade-offs in the performance of workflows - quantifying the impact of best practices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen-Vullers, M.H.; Kleingeld, P.A.M.; Loosschilder, M.W.N.C.; Netjes, M.; Reijers, H.A.; Hofstede, ter A.; Benatallah, B.; Paik, H.Y.

2008-01-01

Business process redesign is one of the most powerful ways to boost business performance and to improve customer satisfaction [14]. A possible approach to business process redesign is using redesign best practices. A previous study identified a set of 29 different redesign best practices [18].

Forecasting biodiversity in breeding birds using best practices

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Shawn D.; White, Ethan P.

2018-01-01

Biodiversity forecasts are important for conservation, management, and evaluating how well current models characterize natural systems. While the number of forecasts for biodiversity is increasing, there is little information available on how well these forecasts work. Most biodiversity forecasts are not evaluated to determine how well they predict future diversity, fail to account for uncertainty, and do not use time-series data that captures the actual dynamics being studied. We addressed these limitations by using best practices to explore our ability to forecast the species richness of breeding birds in North America. We used hindcasting to evaluate six different modeling approaches for predicting richness. Hindcasts for each method were evaluated annually for a decade at 1,237 sites distributed throughout the continental United States. All models explained more than 50% of the variance in richness, but none of them consistently outperformed a baseline model that predicted constant richness at each site. The best practices implemented in this study directly influenced the forecasts and evaluations. Stacked species distribution models and “naive” forecasts produced poor estimates of uncertainty and accounting for this resulted in these models dropping in the relative performance compared to other models. Accounting for observer effects improved model performance overall, but also changed the rank ordering of models because it did not improve the accuracy of the “naive” model. Considering the forecast horizon revealed that the prediction accuracy decreased across all models as the time horizon of the forecast increased. To facilitate the rapid improvement of biodiversity forecasts, we emphasize the value of specific best practices in making forecasts and evaluating forecasting methods. PMID:29441230

Forecasting biodiversity in breeding birds using best practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J. Harris

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Biodiversity forecasts are important for conservation, management, and evaluating how well current models characterize natural systems. While the number of forecasts for biodiversity is increasing, there is little information available on how well these forecasts work. Most biodiversity forecasts are not evaluated to determine how well they predict future diversity, fail to account for uncertainty, and do not use time-series data that captures the actual dynamics being studied. We addressed these limitations by using best practices to explore our ability to forecast the species richness of breeding birds in North America. We used hindcasting to evaluate six different modeling approaches for predicting richness. Hindcasts for each method were evaluated annually for a decade at 1,237 sites distributed throughout the continental United States. All models explained more than 50% of the variance in richness, but none of them consistently outperformed a baseline model that predicted constant richness at each site. The best practices implemented in this study directly influenced the forecasts and evaluations. Stacked species distribution models and “naive” forecasts produced poor estimates of uncertainty and accounting for this resulted in these models dropping in the relative performance compared to other models. Accounting for observer effects improved model performance overall, but also changed the rank ordering of models because it did not improve the accuracy of the “naive” model. Considering the forecast horizon revealed that the prediction accuracy decreased across all models as the time horizon of the forecast increased. To facilitate the rapid improvement of biodiversity forecasts, we emphasize the value of specific best practices in making forecasts and evaluating forecasting methods.

Local government and best practices in land resource management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basili, M.; Bertini, I.; Citterio, M.

1998-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the efforts of public administration in the correct environmental management of territorial systems. A data base and census on best practices over territory is desirable [it

Best Practice for Developmental Stuttering: Balancing Evidence and Expertise

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd, Courtney T.; Donaher, Joseph

2018-01-01

Purpose: Best practice for developmental stuttering remains a topic of debate. In the clinical forum following the introduction, four fluency experts balance the evidence and expertise to describe their approach to assessment and treatment.

International Workshop on Best Practices in Material Hold-Up Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickett, Chris A; Coates, Cameron W.

2008-01-01

In the fall of 2006, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) hosted an INMM-sponsored International Workshop on Best Practices in Material Hold-Up Monitoring. This workshop represented the first time in over 20 years that the international community had gathered to discuss pertinent hold-up topics and needs. More than one hundred people attended the workshop. Their expertise in the field ranged from novice to expert, and they shared their experiences and expertise throughout the week of the workshop. Presenters discussed techniques that have been used worldwide to detect and characterize nuclear materials held up in processes and equipment and the policies used to report quantities detected. The primary goal of the workshop was to compile information on the best practices and lessons learned and to make this information available for sharing throughout the international community. This paper discusses the information that was produced from four separate working groups (each composed of workshop attendees). Each group was tasked to determine what it felt to be the best practices in the field today and what issues needed to be addressed to move the field forward in the 21st century

Best Practices in Human Resource Management: The Source of Excellent Performance and Sustained Competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Šikýř

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Based on summarizing the results of the global research on human resource management and the author’s dissertation research on best practices in human resource management, the paper attempts to explain the essence of the positive relationship between best practices in human resource management and organizational performance and competitiveness. It supports the assumption that the essence is the optimal system of human resource management, based on proven best practices in job design, employee selection, performance management, employee compensation or employee training, that enables managers to achieve expected organizational performance and competitiveness by achieving desired employee abilities, motivation and performance. The author's dissertation research verified the theoretical assumptions about application of best practices in human resources management and through a questionnaire survey examined the views of executives and HR managers from Czech TOP 100 companies or the best employers in the Czech Republic.

Using social media in libraries best practices

CERN Document Server

Harmon, Charles

2013-01-01

The eight best practices presented here will help your library both actually do social media in a way that matters and do it well. The successful strategies presented here range from the Vancouver Public Library's innovative use of Twitter to the United Nations Library's adoption of a social media policy to the Farmington, Connecticut Public Library's fantastic work using social media to reach teens who weren't using the library.

The Best Practice Unit: a model for learning, research and development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Pierre Wilken

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The Best Practice Unit: a model for learning, research and development The Best Practice Unit (BPU model constitutes a unique form of practice-based research. A variant of the Community of Practice model developed by Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002, the BPU has the specific aim of improving professional practice by combining innovation and research. The model is used as a way of working by a group of professionals, researchers and other relevant individuals, who over a period of one to two years, work together towards a desired improvement. The model is characterized by interaction between individual and collective learning processes, the development of new or improved working methods, and the implementation of these methods in daily practice. Multiple knowledge resources are used, including experiential knowledge, professional knowledge and scientific knowledge. The research serves diverse purposes: articulating tacit knowledge, documenting learning and innovation processes, systematically describing the working methods that have been revealed or developed, and evaluating the efficacy of the new methods. Each BPU is supported by a facilitator, whose main task is to optimize learning processes. An analysis of ten different BPUs in different professional fields shows that this is a successful model. The article describes the methodology and results of this study. De Best Practice Unit: een model voor leren, onderzoek en ontwikkeling Het model van de Best Practice Unit (BPU is een unieke vorm van praktijkgericht onderzoek. De Best Practice Unit is een variant van de Community of Practice zoals ontwikkeld door Wenger, McDermott en Snyder (2002 met als specifiek doel om de professionele praktijk te verbeteren door innovatie en onderzoek te combineren. Het model wordt gebruikt om in een periode van 1-2 jaar met een groep professionals, onderzoekers en andere betrokkenen te werken aan een gewenste verbetering. Kenmerkend is de wisselwerking tussen

Transfer-of-Care Communication: Nursing Best Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Chard, Robin; Makary, Martin A

2015-10-01

The successful and safe transfer of the patient from one phase of care to another is contingent on optimal communication by all team members. Nurses are often in a natural leadership position to improve safe practices during hand overs. A holistic understanding of the patient allows the perioperative nurse the opportunity to identify issues and choose a nursing diagnosis based on key elements of a patient's needs and goals--information that should be relayed during patient transfers. This article reviews best practices in transfer-of-care communication to enable perioperative RNs to take an active, leading role in hand-over processes. Copyright © 2015 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Succession Planning for Community Colleges: A Study of Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

McMaster, Susan Marie

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to apply best practices for succession planning to community colleges. Succession planning is relevant to management practices in community colleges because there is a surge in retirements in higher education from the "baby boomer" generation. Community colleges need to implement a succession plan to ensure…

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: A UNIVERSALISTIC PERSPECTIVE APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loo-See Beh

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The universalistic perspective of human resource management practices perceives that a set of practices can achieve competitive advantage and firm performance. This study sought to investigate the relationship between best human resource practices and firm performance. A descriptive survey research design was used to gather primary data using self-administered questionnaire. The study population (n=312 was comprised of non-executives, executives, managers, and top management from seven major insurance firms at headquarters in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The study found that performance appraisal, internal communication, SHRM alignment in the organization, and career planning were the human resource management best practices.

Preliminary study on enhancing waste management best practice model in Malaysia construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Jamaludin, Amril Hadri; Karim, Nurulzatushima Abdul; Noor, Raja Nor Husna Raja Mohd; Othman, Nurulhidayah; Malik, Sulaiman Abdul

2017-08-01

Construction waste management (CWM) is the practice of minimizing and diverting construction waste, demolition debris, and land-clearing debris from disposal and redirecting recyclable resources back into the construction process. Best practice model means best choice from the collection of other practices that was built for purpose of construction waste management. The practice model can help the contractors in minimizing waste before the construction activities will be started. The importance of minimizing wastage will have direct impact on time, cost and quality of a construction project. This paper is focusing on the preliminary study to determine the factors of waste generation in the construction sites and identify the effectiveness of existing construction waste management practice conducted in Malaysia. The paper will also include the preliminary works of planned research location, data collection method, and analysis to be done by using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to help in developing suitable waste management best practice model that can be used in the country.

National Best Practices Manual for Building High Performance Schools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2007-10-01

The Best Practices Manual was written as a part of the promotional effort for EnergySmart Schools, provided by the US Department of Energy, to educate school districts around the country about energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Best practices and strategies for improving rail energy efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-28

In support of the FRA Energy, Environment, and Engine (E3) program, this study reviews and evaluates technology development opportunities, equipment upgrades, and best practices (BPs) of international and U.S. passenger and freight rail industry segm...

Testing of best management practices for controlling highway runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

1993-01-01

In order to obtain the necessary detailed design guidelines for storm water best management practices (BMPs) included in the Virginia Department of Transportation's storm water manual, a field program was initiated in 1991 for testing the pollutant r...

Microservices and containers : benefits and best practices

OpenAIRE

Koskinen, Miina

2016-01-01

Microservices architecture and containers are fairly new technologies used in software development in cloud environments. They have become more popular and widely used the recent years. Microservices architecture is replacing the old fashioned way of developing a software system as a monolithic architecture. Microservices architecture is claimed to solve many issues that comes with a large scale monolithic systems. The goal of the thesis was to evaluate the benefits and best practices o...

Best Practices for Tourism Concessions in Protected Areas: A Review of the Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taylor Stein

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Despite the importance of protected areas (PAs worldwide to protect biodiversity, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development, throughout the world governments struggle to adequately fund PAs to meet conservation goals. Tourism is seen as a viable financial option for PAs, with tourism concessions through private sector partnerships gaining momentum that allows the overarching goal of preservation and conservation to remain with the state. However, without appropriate planning or best practices in place, tourism concessions can lead to such problems as waste, habitat destruction and the displacement of local people and wildlife. We analyzed tourism concession agreements in government documents from 22 countries to provide an overview of what best practices for tourism concessions are being established and what practices might need to be better incorporated into agreements. The greatest weaknesses of best practices appear to be with concession qualifications, legal, and financial responsibilities, while the strengths included environmental and empowerment/social responsibilities. This initial assessment of contract components will provide a baseline to further develop best practices and assist protected area managers, local communities, and conservation practitioners working with tourism in PAs to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on protected area management.

Documenting a best practice model for successful female inmate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Documenting a best practice model for successful female inmate and female ex ... of men and women within the prison and correctional services as well as inform and ... and beyond, with scope for transforming it into a robust business model.

[Problem areas and examples of best practice in intersectoral medication treatment--a literature review].

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrmann, Lena; Ollenschläger, Günter

2014-01-01

Transitions between the outpatient and inpatient sector are a critical phase in medication treatment. This article provides an overview of published problem areas and examples of best practice in the intersectoral medication treatment. Data with regard to related problem areas and examples of best practice was collected in August 2011 by a systematic literature research. The relevant literature was identified using the following databases and search engines: MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google, and Google Scholar. Additionally, a hand search was done on the websites of SpringerLink and Thieme Connect. The initial search yielded a total of 4,409 records which were further selected in two screening steps and analysed according to their relevance. Of the remaining 63 records, 3 exclusively described problem areas, 11 of them examples of best practice, and 49 provided information on both problem areas and examples of best practice with regard to intersectoral medication treatment. Among other things, problem areas include varying legal regulations in inpatient and outpatient medication treatment, drug therapy interruptions after hospital discharge, or deficits in communication and continuity of care. Examples of best practice are projects, programmes, initiatives, recommendations, and points to consider with respect to medication reconciliation, pharmaceutical support, or transitions of care. Problem areas as well as examples of best practice are mainly focused on the transition from inpatient to outpatient care. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Best practices guide for residential HVAC Retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Iain S.

2003-08-11

This best practices guide for residential HVAC system retrofits is aimed at contractors who want guidance on delivering energy efficient, cost effective and innovative products. It has been developed around the idea of having packages of changes to the building HVAC system and building envelope that are climate and house construction dependent. These packages include materials, procedures and equipment and are designed to remove some of the guesswork from a builder, contractor, installer or homeowner decisions about how best to carry out HVAC changes. The packages are not meant to be taken as rigid requirements--instead they are systems engineered guidelines that form the basis for energy efficient retrofits. Similar approaches have been taken previously for new construction to develop extremely energy efficient homes that are comfortable safe and durable, and often cost less than standard construction. This is best epitomized by the Building America program whose partners have built thousands of residences throughout the U.S. using these principles. The differences between retrofitting and new construction tend to limit the changes one can make to a building, so these packages rely on relatively simple and non-intrusive technologies and techniques. The retrofits also focus on changes to a building that will give many years of service to the occupants. Another key aspect of these best practices is that we need to know how a house is working so that we know what parts have the potential for improvement. To do this we have put together a set of diagnostic tools that combine physical measurements and checklists/questionnaires. The measured test results, observations and homeowner answers to questions are used to direct us towards the best retrofits applicable to each individual house. The retrofits will depend on the current condition of the building envelope and HVAC system, the local climate, the construction methods used for the house, and the presence of various

Best Practices Guide for Energy-Efficient Data Center Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O. VanGeet: NREL

2010-02-24

This guide provides an overview of best practices for energy-efficient data center design which spans the categories of Information Technology (IT) systems and their environmental conditions, data center air management, cooling and electrical systems, on-site generation, and heat recovery.

BEST PRACTICES IN NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: THE ZYRAY WIRELESS CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Koekemoer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Successful high-tech start-up companies are rare. This case study investigates the New Product Development (NPD process of Zyray Wireless, a very successful startup 3G technology company that originated in South Africa but relocated to California in the USA. The research looked into the differences between generally accepted NPD best practices and those implemented by this start-up company. Zyray Wireless scored above the industry average in the following categories: customer involvement, project selection, product strategy, technological leadership, and product goal. The best practices for metrics, human resource development, documentation, and change control implemented by Zyray Wireless scored at or below the industry average. The best practice results showed that this very successful start-up company focused more on strategy and engineering and less on process control than average.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suksesvolle nuwe hoë-tegnologie maatskappye is skaars. Hierdie gevallestudie het die Nuwe Produk Ontwikkelingproses (NPO ondersoek van Zyray Wireless, ʼn baie suksesvolle nuwe maatskappy wat in Suid-Afrika ontstaan het maar na Kalifornië in die VSA verskuif is. Die navorsing het na die verskille gekyk tussen algemeen aanvaarde NPO beste praktyke en dié wat deur hierdie maatskappy geïmplementeer is. Zyray Wireless het bo die industriegemiddelde gepresteer in die volgende kategorieë: kliëntbetrokkenheid, projekkeuse, produkstrategie, tegnologiese leierskap, en produkdoelwitte. Die beste praktyke vir maatstawwe, menslike hulpbronontwikkeling, dokumentasie, en veranderingsbeheer wat deur Zyray Wireless geïmplementeer is, het onder die industriegemiddeldes gepresteer. Die beste praktykresultate het getoon dat hierdie baie suksesvolle nuwe maatskappy meer gefokus het op strategie en ingenieurswese en minder op prosesbeheer as die gemiddelde.

Enhancing the Impact of NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: Sharing Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Smith, D. A.; Astrophysics Science Education, NASA; Public Outreach Forum Team

2013-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach community in enhancing the coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of SMD-funded education and public outreach programs. As part of this effort, the four Forums (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science) work together to coordinate resources and opportunities that enable sharing of best practices relevant to SMD-funded education and public outreach. Efforts include collaborating with SMD-funded education and public outreach programs to identify community needs for professional development; raising awareness of the existing body of best practices and educational research; and, organizing distance learning and face-to-face professional development opportunities. Topics include best practices in navigating NASA SMD education and public outreach program requirements, social media, engaging girls in science, and student misconceptions / reasoning difficulties. Opportunities to share best practices and learn from experts are extended to the broader astronomy and astrophysics community through the annual Astronomical Society of the Pacific education and public outreach conference. Evaluation of community professional development resources and opportunities is in progress.

Benchmarking D and D procurement best practices at four commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arflin, J.; Baker, G.; Bidwell, B.; Bugielski, D.; Cavanagh, J.; Sandlin, N.

1999-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has as two of its strategic objectives to safely accomplish the world's largest environmental clean-up of contaminated sites and the adoption of the best management practices of the private sector to achieve business-like results efficiently and effectively. An integral part of the strategic response to the challenges facing the Department has been the use of benchmarking and best practice management to facilitate identifying and implementing leading-edge thinking, practices, approaches, and solutions

Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Suzanne Perea; Pickens, Noralyn Davel

2017-08-01

To explore inter-professional home evaluators' perspectives and needs for building useful and acceptable decision-support tools for the field of home modifications. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of home modification professionals from different regions of the United States. The interview transcripts were analyzed with a qualitative, descriptive, perspective approach. Technology supports current best practice and has potential to inform decision making through features that could enhance home evaluation processes, quality, efficiency and inter-professional communication. Technological advances with app design have created numerous opportunities for the field of home modifications. Integrating technology and inter-professional best practices will improve home safety evaluation and intervention development to meet client-centred and societal needs. Implications for rehabilitation Understanding home evaluators technology needs for home safety evaluations contributes to the development of app-based assessments. Integrating inter-professional perspectives of best practice and technological needs in an app for home assessments improves processes. Novice and expert home evaluators would benefit from decision support systems embedded in app-based assessments. Adoption of app-based assessment would improve efficiency while remaining client-centred.

Best medical practice: viewpoint of a UK oncologist.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoll, B

1989-01-01

In a clinician's view, best medical practice has two distinct meanings in a tax-funded health system: optimal management as expected by the individual patient; or, the best possible within the economic limits dictated by the society. Based on this viewpoint, this article represents an oncologist's perspective on the meaning of best medical practice in the management of patients suffering from cancer, the extent to which it is achieved in the UK health system, and how far some of the present deficiencies may be overcome. There is urgent need for medical audit in the management of cancer patients in the UK because the traditional clinical freedom of doctors can lead to wide variations in management without corresponding differences in outcome as measured by benefit to the patient. We need consensus by physicians on the guidelines for optimal management of different types of cancer at various stages, both to avoid overtreatment of the individual patient and also to direct scarce resources to their most effective use. Physicians also need to agree on guidelines for giving priority to one patient over another when resources are limited, and such criteria need to be approved by society at large. The public must accept that in a non-explicit rationing system, each individual competes with every other. In the case of even more difficult ethical choices, a multidisciplinary national committee is required to advise on decision-making and its views need to be debated by the general public.

Economic Analysis of Climate Change Best Management Practices in Vermont Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander P. Helling

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Climate change impacts local agricultural systems in detectable and distinguishable ways from large-scale shifts in water, land, and weather patterns to regionally specific distributions of weeds, pests, and diseases. Best management practices for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change include modifications to farm production through adjusted intensity and product types and changing land use through crop siting and tillage practices. Farmer perceptions of risk and profitability of best management practices are key determinants of adoption, which traditional incentive programs like the Environmental Quality Incentive Program attempt to address by providing financial and technical support. To ensure that payments offered through these programs that maximize adoption, regional incentive payments must be based upon locally established costs. This paper focuses on the cost of implementing and maintaining climate change specific best management practices (CCBMPs for twelve diverse farms in Vermont. Specifically, three CCBMPs for Vermont are examined: cover cropping, management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG, and riparian buffer strips. Results show the average cost for cover cropping is $129.24/acre, MIRG is $79.82/acre, and a tree based riparian buffer strip cost $807.33/acre. We conclude that existing incentive payments for cover cropping and MIRG are below costs, likely resulting in under-adoption.

Implementing Best Practice in Psoriasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragballe, Knud; Gniadecki, Robert; Mørk, Nils-Jørgen

2014-01-01

In the absence of Nordic-wide guidelines on the best practice management of psoriasis, this paper aims to provide Nordic recommendations for treatment goals, evaluation of quality of life impact and assessment/management of co-morbidities. This Delphi approach consisted of telephone interviews......, local Nordic face-to-face meetings, and a Nordic-wide meeting, in which questions on treatment goals, quality of life impact and assessment/management of co-morbidities were posed to 17 dermatologists with psoriasis-treatment experience to gain consensus (≥ 90% agreement). The dermatologists agreed...... on the individualisation of treatment goals using Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and Dermatology Life Quality Index, which should be measured at the same frequency. Training of healthcare professionals on the use of these tools and psychological assessments were considered important, along with the referral...

Best practices for the retention of women engineers and scientists in the oil and gas sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emerson, C.J. [Wise Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John' s, NF (Canada); Williams, F.M. [Petro-Canada Inc., (Canada); Sherk, S. [AMEC Earth and Environmental Ltd., St. John' s, NF (Canada)

2000-07-06

This conference paper was the result of a workshop discussion at a national conference that brought together those in industry who work in positions promoting diversity, together with women scientists and engineers from the sector. The objective was to identify effective workplace policies and practices that support and advance women's careers in the sector, and thus enhance retention. The conference paper discusses women in science, engineering and technology fields and in the oil and gas sector. It discusses best practices for the retention of women scientists and engineers in the oil and gas sector. It presents a summary of the workshop, best practices for the industry, and best practices for others. Best practices for the industry that are presented in the paper include: commitment from the top, management training, organizational policy and programs, balancing career and personal life, and career development and training. The paper concluded that companies should be recognized for thoughtful and forward-looking policies and best practice initiatives and that the strongest of the best practices is to make managers accountable for diversity progress in their areas of responsibility. 1 app., 8 refs.

Best Practices to Promote Diversity and Facilitate Inclusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenthal, Mark A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Snyder, Johann D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-10-01

The intent of this guide is to provide a set of “best practices” for leaders to promote diversity and facilitate inclusion within their organization and throughout Sandia National Laboratories. These “best practices” are derived from personal experiences and build upon existing resources at Sandia to help us effect change to realize an inclusive work environment. As leaders, we play a critical role in setting the vision and shaping the culture of the organization by communicating expectations and modeling inclusive behavior. The “best practices” in this guide are presented in the spirit of promoting a learning culture that values continuous improvement in the ongoing effort to make diversity and inclusion an integral part of all that we do at Sandia. This guide seeks to articulate the importance of leading through example, taking positive actions, raising awareness of practices that provide an inclusive environment, and creating a space that welcomes diverse perspectives and input.

Benchmarking D and D procurement best practices at four commercial nuclear power plants.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arflin, J.; Baker, G.; Bidwell, B.; Bugielski, D.; Cavanagh, J.; Sandlin, N.

1999-05-11

The Department of Energy (DOE) has as two of its strategic objectives to safely accomplish the world's largest environmental clean-up of contaminated sites and the adoption of the best management practices of the private sector to achieve business-like results efficiently and effectively. An integral part of the strategic response to the challenges facing the Department has been the use of benchmarking and best practice management to facilitate identifying and implementing leading-edge thinking, practices, approaches, and solutions.

Biometrics IRB best practices and data protection

Science.gov (United States)

Boehnen, Christopher; Bolme, David; Flynn, Patrick

2015-05-01

The collection of data from human subjects for biometrics research in the United States requires the development of a data collection protocol that is reviewed by a Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB reviews the protocol for risks and approves it if it meets the criteria for approval specified in the relevant Federal regulations (45 CFR 46). Many other countries operate similar mechanisms for the protection of human subjects. IRBs review protocols for safety, confidentiality, and for minimization of risk associated with identity disclosure. Since biometric measurements are potentially identifying, IRB scrutiny of biometrics data collection protocols can be expected to be thorough. This paper discusses the intricacies of IRB best practices within the worldwide biometrics community. This is important because research decisions involving human subjects are made at a local level and do not set a precedent for decisions made by another IRB board. In many cases, what one board approves is not approved by another board, resulting in significant inconsistencies that prove detrimental to both researchers and human subjects. Furthermore, the level of biometrics expertise may be low on IRBs, which can contribute to the unevenness of reviews. This publication will suggest possible best practices for designing and seeking IRB approval for human subjects research involving biometrics measurements. The views expressed are the opinions of the authors.

The National Implementation of Nuclear Export Controls: Developing a Best Practices Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viski, Andrea [European University Institute, Department of Law, Badia Fiesolana, S.Domenico di Fiesole, Firenze (Italy)

2011-12-15

The nuclear renaissance promises significant benefits to the international community, but also raises security challenges, particularly relating to the trade of nuclear materials and equipment. The objective of this paper is to examine how supply-side non-proliferation efforts can be strengthened by developing a best practices model for national nuclear export control implementation. In order to achieve this goal, nuclear export control measures identified by the 1540 Committee will be used as a framework from which a best practices model can be formed. Such a model concentrates specifically on national legislation and enforcement measures delineated by the Committee in order to bring countries in accordance with international law. Developing a best practices model seeks to deliver an ideal process for national export control law actualization in order to encourage the peaceful development of nuclear energy and develop the infrastructure and framework for precluding nuclear proliferation.

Best practices of Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation in design phase for construction project

Science.gov (United States)

Kasim, N.; Zainal Abidin, N. A.; Zainal, R.; Sarpin, N.; Rahim, M. H. I. Abd; Saikah, M.

2017-11-01

Implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) was expected to bring improvement in current practices of Malaysian construction industry. In the design phase, there is a lack of a ready pool of skilled workers who are able to develop BIM strategic plan and effectively utilise it. These create boundaries for BIM nature in Malaysian construction industry specifically in the design phase to achieve its best practices. Therefore, the objectives of this research are to investigate the current practices of BIM implementation in the design phase as well as the best practices factors of BIM implementation in the design phase. The qualitative research approach is carried out through semi-structured interviews with the designers of different organisations which adopt BIM in the design phase. Data collection is analysed by executing content analysis method. From the findings, the best practices factors of BIM implementation in design phase such as the incentive for BIM training, formal approach to monitoring automated Level of Detailing (LOD), run a virtual meeting and improve Industry Foundation Class (IFC). Thus, best practices factors which lead to practices improvements in the design phase of project development which subsequently improves the implementation of BIM in the design phase of Malaysian construction industry.

Benchmarking, benchmarks, or best practices? Applying quality improvement principles to decrease surgical turnaround time.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, L

1996-01-01

The processes of benchmarking, benchmark data comparative analysis, and study of best practices are distinctly different. The study of best practices is explained with an example based on the Arthur Andersen & Co. 1992 "Study of Best Practices in Ambulatory Surgery". The results of a national best practices study in ambulatory surgery were used to provide our quality improvement team with the goal of improving the turnaround time between surgical cases. The team used a seven-step quality improvement problem-solving process to improve the surgical turnaround time. The national benchmark for turnaround times between surgical cases in 1992 was 13.5 minutes. The initial turnaround time at St. Joseph's Medical Center was 19.9 minutes. After the team implemented solutions, the time was reduced to an average of 16.3 minutes, an 18% improvement. Cost-benefit analysis showed a potential enhanced revenue of approximately $300,000, or a potential savings of $10,119. Applying quality improvement principles to benchmarking, benchmarks, or best practices can improve process performance. Understanding which form of benchmarking the institution wishes to embark on will help focus a team and use appropriate resources. Communicating with professional organizations that have experience in benchmarking will save time and money and help achieve the desired results.

Identifying Best Practices for Engaging Faculty in International Agricultural Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexa J. Lamm

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Universities are being called upon to internationalize curriculum as the need for a globally competent workforce increases. Without globally-competent faculty, international integration within higher education cannot occur. Literature indicates that participation in short-term international agricultural education experiences is important to increasing agricultural faculty members’ cultural awareness. However, the best way to design and implement such experiences for faculty is uncharted. The purpose of the study was to identify best practices for facilitating a short-term international education experience for faculty in the agricultural and life sciences that encouraged learning, discussion, and reflection leading faculty to further integrate international perspectives in their agricultural courses in the U.S. Through a qualitative research design, reflective observations and statements from a planning team conducting short-term international agricultural education experience in Ecuador were used to provide a thick, rich description of the successes/challenges faced while designing and implementing the experience. The results provided a list of best practices future planning team members can use to emphasize learning before, during, and after a short-term international agricultural education experience for faculty.

Potential of best practice to reduce impacts from oil and gas projects in the Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N; Powers, Bill

2013-01-01

The western Amazon continues to be an active and controversial zone of hydrocarbon exploration and production. We argue for the urgent need to implement best practices to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts associated with the sector. Here, we present a three-part study aimed at resolving the major obstacles impeding the advancement of best practice in the region. Our focus is on Loreto, Peru, one of the largest and most dynamic hydrocarbon zones in the Amazon. First, we develop a set of specific best practice guidelines to address the lack of clarity surrounding the issue. These guidelines incorporate both engineering-based criteria and key ecological and social factors. Second, we provide a detailed analysis of existing and planned hydrocarbon activities and infrastructure, overcoming the lack of information that typically hampers large-scale impact analysis. Third, we evaluate the planned activities and infrastructure with respect to the best practice guidelines. We show that Loreto is an extremely active hydrocarbon front, highlighted by a number of recent oil and gas discoveries and a sustained government push for increased exploration. Our analyses reveal that the use of technical best practice could minimize future impacts by greatly reducing the amount of required infrastructure such as drilling platforms and access roads. We also document a critical need to consider more fully the ecological and social factors, as the vast majority of planned infrastructure overlaps sensitive areas such as protected areas, indigenous territories, and key ecosystems and watersheds. Lastly, our cost analysis indicates that following best practice does not impose substantially greater costs than conventional practice, and may in fact reduce overall costs. Barriers to the widespread implementation of best practice in the Amazon clearly exist, but our findings show that there can be great benefits to its implementation.

Potential of best practice to reduce impacts from oil and gas projects in the Amazon.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Finer

Full Text Available The western Amazon continues to be an active and controversial zone of hydrocarbon exploration and production. We argue for the urgent need to implement best practices to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts associated with the sector. Here, we present a three-part study aimed at resolving the major obstacles impeding the advancement of best practice in the region. Our focus is on Loreto, Peru, one of the largest and most dynamic hydrocarbon zones in the Amazon. First, we develop a set of specific best practice guidelines to address the lack of clarity surrounding the issue. These guidelines incorporate both engineering-based criteria and key ecological and social factors. Second, we provide a detailed analysis of existing and planned hydrocarbon activities and infrastructure, overcoming the lack of information that typically hampers large-scale impact analysis. Third, we evaluate the planned activities and infrastructure with respect to the best practice guidelines. We show that Loreto is an extremely active hydrocarbon front, highlighted by a number of recent oil and gas discoveries and a sustained government push for increased exploration. Our analyses reveal that the use of technical best practice could minimize future impacts by greatly reducing the amount of required infrastructure such as drilling platforms and access roads. We also document a critical need to consider more fully the ecological and social factors, as the vast majority of planned infrastructure overlaps sensitive areas such as protected areas, indigenous territories, and key ecosystems and watersheds. Lastly, our cost analysis indicates that following best practice does not impose substantially greater costs than conventional practice, and may in fact reduce overall costs. Barriers to the widespread implementation of best practice in the Amazon clearly exist, but our findings show that there can be great benefits to its implementation.

Best Practices: Power Quality and Integrated Testing at JSC

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Lydia

2018-01-01

This presentation discusses Best Practices for Power Quality and Integrated Testing at JSC in regards to electrical systems. These high-level charts include mostly generic information; however, a specific issue is discussed involving flight hardware that could have been discovered prior to flight with an integrated test.

Survey of Current Best Practices for Diving in Contaminated Water

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Steigleman, W

2002-01-01

.... Navy divers operating in contaminated water. This survey attempted to identify the current best practices and equipment for diving in contaminated water, including personal protective equipment as well as hazard identification, diver training...

BEST PRACTICES FIREM A JEJICH TRANSFER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jena Švarcová

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Learning organization and knowledge-based firm are challenges of the beginning of the 21st century. The new paradigm involves new questions and new tasks. We speak about human capital of the firm and its development, but who is owner of the capital? How can we develop and use the capital effectively and where is the border between individual development and learning of the firm as a complex? How can we measure the contributions of the knowledge development? This contribution can not answer such range of complex questions. The foundation for specific research activities was set by the involvement of Tomas Bata University in Zlin in the Europe Union projects of human resource development. Tomas Bata University in Zlin managed to win a new project within the framework of the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development, for Creating and Testing of a New Programme for Further Education at Universities entitled Work Smarter. Partner of the University in this project is Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Business and Management. The first part of the project was focused on the research of the needs of the enterprises and their employees in HRD and this contribution analyses the first results. The project is focused on the transfer of knowledge among the Czech small and medium enterprises. Universities help to this process with their professional staff and facilities. The mission of this project is to bring up and enforce innovative approaches and methods in Human and Resource Development (HRD in the Czech small and medium enterprises, to create a “learning environment” and to exercise the concept of lifelong learning in day-to-day practice of our enterprises. The first part of the project was focused on the research of the needs of the enterprises and their employees in HRD and the universities prepared a lot of videos from the enterprises and database of best practices. Then the e-Learning environment was prepared and tested in

Best practice guidelines for stroke in Cameroon: An innovative and participatory knowledge translation project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lynn Cockburn

2014-11-01

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to describe how a group of front-line practitioners collaborated with academics and students to develop best practice guidelines (BPG for the management and rehabilitation of stroke in adult patients in Cameroon. Method: A working group was established and adapted internationally recognised processes for the development of best practice guidelines. The group determined the scope of the guidelines, documented current practices, and critically appraised evidence to develop guidelines relevant to the Cameroon context. Results: The primary result of this project is best practice guidelines which provided an overview of the provision of stroke rehabilitation services in the region, and made 83 practice recommendations to improve these services. We also report on the successes and challenges encountered during the process, and the working group’s recommendations aimed at encouraging others to consider similar projects. Conclusion: This project demonstrated that there is interest and capacity for improving stroke rehabilitation practices and for stroke guideline development in Africa.

A Pathophysiological Model-Driven Communication for Dynamic Distributed Medical Best Practice Guidance Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Mohammad; Jiang, Yu; Wu, Poliang; Berlin, Richard B; Ren, Shangping; Sha, Lui

2016-11-01

There is a great divide between rural and urban areas, particularly in medical emergency care. Although medical best practice guidelines exist and are in hospital handbooks, they are often lengthy and difficult to apply clinically. The challenges are exaggerated for doctors in rural areas and emergency medical technicians (EMT) during patient transport. In this paper, we propose the concept of distributed executable medical best practice guidance systems to assist adherence to best practice from the time that a patient first presents at a rural hospital, through diagnosis and ambulance transfer to arrival and treatment at a regional tertiary hospital center. We codify complex medical knowledge in the form of simplified distributed executable disease automata, from the thin automata at rural hospitals to the rich automata in the regional center hospitals. However, a main challenge is how to efficiently and safely synchronize distributed best practice models as the communication among medical facilities, devices, and professionals generates a large number of messages. This complex problem of patient diagnosis and transport from rural to center facility is also fraught with many uncertainties and changes resulting in a high degree of dynamism. A critically ill patient's medical conditions can change abruptly in addition to changes in the wireless bandwidth during the ambulance transfer. Such dynamics have yet to be addressed in existing literature on telemedicine. To address this situation, we propose a pathophysiological model-driven message exchange communication architecture that ensures the real-time and dynamic requirements of synchronization among distributed emergency best practice models are met in a reliable and safe manner. Taking the signs, symptoms, and progress of stroke patients transported across a geographically distributed healthcare network as the motivating use case, we implement our communication system and apply it to our developed best practice

Best practices: the Utah Youth Suicide Study: best practices for suicide prevention through the juvenile court system.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Doug; Dawson, Kristin L; Grey, Todd C; McMahon, William M

2011-12-01

Utah is among a group of Western Mountain states in which suicide rates among youths are consistently high. The Utah Youth Suicide Study incorporated data from every government agency in Utah, utilizing a statewide Office of the Medical Examiner. A key finding was that 63% of suicide decedents had contact with the juvenile courts. The group developed a best practices model within the juvenile court system for early mental health intervention. Significant cost savings were demonstrated. The model includes screening at-risk teenagers with the Youth Outcome Questionnaire. Treatment includes both psychiatric care and in-home behavioral intervention. Services were effectively delivered on a large scale.

Enterprise Development with Flex Best Practices for RIA Developers

CERN Document Server

Fain, Yakov; Tartakovsky, Anatole

2010-01-01

If you want to use Adobe Flex to build production-quality Rich Internet Applications for the enterprise, this groundbreaking book shows you exactly what's required. You'll learn efficient techniques and best practices, and compare several frameworks and tools available for RIA development -- well beyond anything you'll find in Flex tutorials and product documentation. Through many practical examples, the authors impart their considerable experience to help you overcome challenges during your project's life cycle. Enterprise Development with Flex also suggests proper tools and methodologies,

An empirical identification and categorisation of training best practices for ERP implementation projects

Science.gov (United States)

Esteves, Jose Manuel

2014-11-01

Although training is one of the most cited critical success factors in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems implementations, few empirical studies have attempted to examine the characteristics of management of the training process within ERP implementation projects. Based on the data gathered from a sample of 158 respondents across four stakeholder groups involved in ERP implementation projects, and using a mixed method design, we have assembled a derived set of training best practices. Results suggest that the categorised list of ERP training best practices can be used to better understand training activities in ERP implementation projects. Furthermore, the results reveal that the company size and location have an impact on the relevance of training best practices. This empirical study also highlights the need to investigate the role of informal workplace trainers in ERP training activities.

Reference models for forming organisational or collaborative pedagogical best practices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lee, Chien-Sing; Koper, Rob; Kommers, Piet; Hedberg, John

2008-01-01

Lee, Chien-Sing, Koper, R., Kommers, P., & Hedberg, John (Eds.) (2008). Reference models for forming organisational or collaborative pedagogical best practices [special issue]. International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 18(1).

Research with Sri Lankan fish farmers brings best practices home

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

generic best management practices aimed at reducing disease outbreaks and improving ... account a farmer's language, culture, gender, production cycle time, and local ... farms are owned by men and that discrimination makes it difficult for ...

The Impact of Reason for Training on the Relationship between "Best Practices" and Sexual Harassment Training Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Elissa L.; Kulik, Carol T.; Bustamante, Jennifer; Golom, Frank D.

2010-01-01

The current study explored the use of best training practices on human resources managers' perceptions of sexual harassment training success and frequency of sexual harassment complaints. Results revealed no main effects of best training practices on sexual harassment training success. However, effects of best training practices on sexual…

40 CFR 412.4 - Best management practices (BMPs) for land application of manure, litter, and process wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Best management practices (BMPs) for... FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY § 412.4 Best management practices (BMPs) for land... implement best management practices. Each CAFO subject to this section that land applies manure, litter, or...

Recurrence quantification analysis theory and best practices

CERN Document Server

Jr, Jr; Marwan, Norbert

2015-01-01

The analysis of recurrences in dynamical systems by using recurrence plots and their quantification is still an emerging field.  Over the past decades recurrence plots have proven to be valuable data visualization and analysis tools in the theoretical study of complex, time-varying dynamical systems as well as in various applications in biology, neuroscience, kinesiology, psychology, physiology, engineering, physics, geosciences, linguistics, finance, economics, and other disciplines.   This multi-authored book intends to comprehensively introduce and showcase recent advances as well as established best practices concerning both theoretical and practical aspects of recurrence plot based analysis.  Edited and authored by leading researcher in the field, the various chapters address an interdisciplinary readership, ranging from theoretical physicists to application-oriented scientists in all data-providing disciplines.

Applying Best Business Practices from Corporate Performance Management to DoD

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

leading or governing large, complex corporations and are experienced in creating reliable solutions to complex management issues guided by best business ...recommendations and effective solutions aimed at improving DoD. Defense Business Board Corporate Performance Management REPORT FY13-03 Task...Group 1 Applying Best Business Practices from Corporate Performance Management to DoD TASK The Deputy Secretary of Defense (DEPSECDEF

Obsolescence Risk Assessment Process Best Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Romero Rojo, F. J.; Roy, R.; Kelly, S.

2012-05-01

A component becomes obsolete when it is no longer available from the original manufacturer to the original specification. In long-lifecycle projects, obsolescence has become a major problem as it prevents the maintenance of the system. This is the reason why obsolescence management is now an essential part of the product support activities in sectors such as defence, aerospace, nuclear and railway; where systems need to be supported for several decades. The obsolescence risk assessment for the bill of materials (BoM) is a paramount activity in order to manage obsolescence proactively and cost-effectively. This is the reason why it was necessary to undertake a benchmarking study to develop best practice in this process. A total of 22 obsolescence experts from 13 different organisations/projects from across UK and USA have participated in this study. Their current processes and experience have been taken into account in the development of the best practice process for obsolescence risk assessment. The key factors that have to be analysed in the risk assessment process for each component in the BoM are: number of manufacturers, years to end of life, stock available, consumption rate and operational impact criticality. For the very high risk components, a more detailed analysis is required to inform the decisions regarding the most suitable mitigation strategies. On the contrary, for the low risk components, a fully proactive approach is neither appropriate nor cost effective. Therefore, it is advised for these components that obsolescence issues are dealt with reactively. This process has been validated using case studies with several experts from industry and is currently being implemented by the UK Ministry of Defence as technical guidance within the JSP 886 Volume 7 Part 8.13 standards.

Obsolescence Risk Assessment Process Best Practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojo, F J Romero; Roy, R; Kelly, S

2012-01-01

A component becomes obsolete when it is no longer available from the original manufacturer to the original specification. In long-lifecycle projects, obsolescence has become a major problem as it prevents the maintenance of the system. This is the reason why obsolescence management is now an essential part of the product support activities in sectors such as defence, aerospace, nuclear and railway; where systems need to be supported for several decades. The obsolescence risk assessment for the bill of materials (BoM) is a paramount activity in order to manage obsolescence proactively and cost-effectively. This is the reason why it was necessary to undertake a benchmarking study to develop best practice in this process. A total of 22 obsolescence experts from 13 different organisations/projects from across UK and USA have participated in this study. Their current processes and experience have been taken into account in the development of the best practice process for obsolescence risk assessment. The key factors that have to be analysed in the risk assessment process for each component in the BoM are: number of manufacturers, years to end of life, stock available, consumption rate and operational impact criticality. For the very high risk components, a more detailed analysis is required to inform the decisions regarding the most suitable mitigation strategies. On the contrary, for the low risk components, a fully proactive approach is neither appropriate nor cost effective. Therefore, it is advised for these components that obsolescence issues are dealt with reactively. This process has been validated using case studies with several experts from industry and is currently being implemented by the UK Ministry of Defence as technical guidance within the JSP 886 Volume 7 Part 8.13 standards.

Assessment of best practice of software development in developing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... Understand the technology of the software (4.03), Memory limit set (3.91), Application pool not shared (3.88) and other parameters were examined for software development. The analysis shows the variance of the assessment of best practices in Software development firms and they are in conformity with the global trend.

Research-Based Strategies and Best Practices for Dropout Prevention

Science.gov (United States)

Smink, Jay

2009-01-01

The National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) at Clemson University has been at the forefront of identifying model dropout prevention programs and promoting the use of best practices to increase the graduation rates in schools since 1986. The structure for these varied interventions and solutions takes the form of effective strategies, model…

Green Remediation: Best Management Practices for Excavation and Surface Restoration

Science.gov (United States)

This fact sheet is one of a series describing best management practices (BMPs) for green remediation, which holistically addresses a cleanup project's energy requirements, air emissions, impacts on water, impacts on land and ecosystems, material consumpt..

Concept of Best Practices in English Language Teaching to Pakistani ELT Fraternity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Arif Soomro

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Teaching industry of English as a second or foreign language has grown massively in recent times in Pakistan. There are many public sectors universities and English academies established all over Pakistan offering English language proficiency courses. Therefore, this wave led to conduct this research. The purpose of conducting this study was to investigate contemporary pedagogical techniques used for teaching and learning English and to introduce the concept of ESL /EFL Best Practices for effective language teaching in Pakistan. Purposive Sampling method was used to collect the information from respondents regarding their contemporary-used teaching techniques in ESL/EFL class. The questionnaire was implied as the main tool for data collection among twenty English language teachers from two public sector universities. The results of the study indicated that teachers were attached  with some outdated techniques and activities secondly, they also faced problems applying new techniques while teaching in a large multilevel classrooms, thirdly, teachers’ had willingness to adopt and employ innovative techniques in classrooms and lastly, the notion of ESL best practices was uncommon among them. Most of the teaching strategies do not create better learning environment, and learners do not interestingly participate due outdated activities. Therefore, the suggested solution was utilizing best practices that are based on modern techniques, approaches considerable for multiple levels depending upon the needs and developmental state of the individual learners. Keywords: pedagogical strategies, ESL/EFL Best Practices, Pakistani teachers, English teaching/learning

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael C. Jiménez

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations.

Persistent Web References – Best Practices and New Suggestions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zierau, Eld; Nyvang, Caroline; Kromann, Thomas Hvid

In this paper, we suggest adjustments to best practices for persistent web referencing; adjustments that aim at preservation and long time accessibility of web referenced resources in general, but with focus on web references in web archives. Web referencing is highly relevant and crucial...... refer to archive URLs which depends on the web archives access implementations. A major part of the suggested adjustments is a new web reference standard for archived web references (called wPID), which is a supplement to the current practices. The purpose of the standard is to support general, global...

Blood inventory management: hospital best practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanger, Sebastian H W; Yates, Nicola; Wilding, Richard; Cotton, Sue

2012-04-01

Blood is a perishable product, and hence good management of inventories is crucial. Blood inventory management is a trade-off between shortage and wastage. The challenge is to keep enough stock to ensure a 100% supply of blood while keeping time expiry losses at a minimum. This article focuses on inventory management of red blood cells in hospital transfusion laboratories to derive principles of best practice and makes recommendations that will ensure losses due to time expiry are kept to a minimum. The literature was reviewed to identify available models for perishable inventory management. Historical data from the UK blood supply chain was analyzed to identify hospitals with good inventory management practice and low wastage levels. Transfusion laboratory managers in the selected hospitals were interviewed in 7 case studies with the aim of identifying drivers for low wastage and good inventory management practice. The findings from the case studies were compared with the literature. The extant literature asserts that the drivers for good inventory performance are the use of complex inventory models and algorithms. This study has found this not to be the case. Instead, good performance is driven by the quality of transfusion laboratory staff, who must be skilled, regularly trained, and experienced. Electronic crossmatching, transparency of the inventory, and simple management procedures also facilitate good performance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Numerical Analysis of Turbulent Flow around Tube Bundle by Applying CAD Best Practice Guideline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Gong Hee; Bang, Young Seok; Woo, Sweng Woong; Cheng, Ae Ju

2013-01-01

In this study, the numerical analysis of a turbulent flow around both a staggered and an incline tube bundle was conducted using Annoys Cfx V. 13, a commercial CAD software. The flow was assumed to be steady, incompressible, and isothermal. According to the CAD Best Practice Guideline, the sensitivity study for grid size, accuracy of the discretization scheme for convection term, and turbulence model was conducted, and its result was compared with the experimental data to estimate the applicability of the CAD Best Practice Guideline. It was concluded that the CAD Best Practice Guideline did not always guarantee an improvement in the prediction performance of the commercial CAD software in the field of tube bundle flow

Leveraging best practices to promote health, safety, sustainability, and stewardship.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Marjorie D

2013-08-01

Strategically leveraging health and safety initiatives with sustainability and stewardship helps organizations improve profitability and positively impact team member and customer attachment to the organization. Collective efficacy enhances the triple bottom line: healthy people, healthy planet, and healthy profits. The HS(3)™ Best Practice Exchanges group demonstrated that collective efficacy can leverage the social cohesion, communication channels, and activities within workplaces to promote a healthy, sustainable work culture. This in turn (1) protects the health and safety of workers, (2) preserves the natural environment, and (3) increases attachment to the organization. Community-based participatory research using the Attach21 survey assessed the progress of these companies in their efforts to integrate health, safety, sustainability, and stewardship. Monthly Best Practice Exchanges promoted collective efficacy by providing support, encouragement, and motivation to share and adopt new ideas. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Compilation Of An Econometric Human Resource Efficiency Model For Project Management Best Practices

OpenAIRE

G. van Zyl; P. Venier

2006-01-01

The aim of the paper is to introduce a human resource efficiency model in order to rank the most important human resource driving forces for project management best practices. The results of the model will demonstrate how the human resource component of project management acts as the primary function to enhance organizational performance, codified through improved logical end-state programmes, work ethics and process contributions. Given the hypothesis that project management best practices i...

Best practices for fungal germplasm repositories and perspectives on their implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiest, Aric; Schnittker, Robert; Plamann, Mike; McCluskey, Kevin

2012-02-01

In over 50 years, the Fungal Genetics Stock Center has grown to become a world-recognized biological resource center. Along with this growth comes the development and implementation of myriad practices for the management and curation of a diverse collection of filamentous fungi, yeast, and molecular genetic tools for working with the fungi. These practices include techniques for the testing, manipulation, and preservation of individual fungal isolates as well as for processing of thousands of isolates in parallel. In addition to providing accurate record keeping, an electronic managements system allows the observation of trends in strain distribution and in sample characteristics. Because many ex situ fungal germplasm repositories around the world share similar objectives, best-practice guidelines have been developed by a number of organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories. These best-practice guidelines provide a framework for the successful operation of collections and promote the development and interactions of biological resource centers around the world.

Budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy versus conventional best practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demoly, Pascal; Louis, Renaud; Søes-Petersen, Ulrik

2009-01-01

Budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy (Symbicort SMART) reduces asthma exacerbations and symptoms versus fixed-dose regimens plus short-acting beta(2)-agonists (SABA) in double-blind trials. Information is lacking regarding its effectiveness versus conventional best practice (CBP...

Adherence to best practice guidelines in dyspepsia: a survey comparing dyspepsia experts, community gastroenterologists and primary-care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegel, B M R; Farid, M; van Oijen, M G H; Laine, L; Howden, C W; Esrailian, E

2009-04-15

Although 'best practice' guidelines for dyspepsia management have been disseminated, it remains unclear whether providers adhere to these guidelines. To compare adherence to 'best practice' guidelines among dyspepsia experts, community gastroenterologists and primary-care providers (PCPs). We administered a vignette survey to elicit knowledge and beliefs about dyspepsia including a set of 16 best practices, to three groups: (i) dyspepsia experts; (ii) community gastroenterologists and (iii) PCPs. The expert, community gastroenterologist and PCP groups endorsed 75%, 73% and 57% of best practices respectively. Gastroenterologists were more likely to adhere with guidelines than PCPs (P guideline adherence (P = 0.04). Gastroenterologists are more likely than PCPs to comply with best practices in dyspepsia, although compliance remains incomplete in both groups. PCPs harbour more concerns regarding long-term PPI use and these concerns may affect therapeutic decision making. This suggests that best practices have not been uniformly adopted and persistent guideline-practice disconnects should be addressed.

Translating knowledge into best practice care bundles: a pragmatic strategy for EBP implementation via moving postprocedural pain management nursing guidelines into clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, Hannele

2015-07-01

To describe quantitative and qualitative best evidence as sources for practical interventions usable in daily care delivery in order to integrate best evidence into clinical decision-making at local practice settings. To illustrate the development, implementation and evaluation of a pain management nursing care bundle based on a clinical practice guideline via a real-world clinical exemplar. Successful implementation of evidence-based practice requires consistent integration of best evidence into daily clinical decision-making. Best evidence comprises high-quality knowledge summarised in systematic reviews and translated into guidelines. However, consistent integration of guidelines into care delivery remains challenging, partly due to guidelines not being in a usable form for daily practice or relevant for the local context. A position paper with a clinical exemplar of a nurse-led, evidence-based quality improvement project to design, implement and evaluate a pain management care bundle translated from a national nursing guideline. A pragmatic approach to integrating guidelines into daily practice is presented. Best evidence from a national nursing guideline was translated into a pain management care bundle and integrated into daily practice in 15 medical-surgical (med-surg) units of nine hospitals of a large university hospital system in Finland. Translation of best evidence from guidelines into usable form as care bundles adapted to the local setting may increase implementation and uptake of guidelines and improve quality and consistency of care delivery. A pragmatic approach to translating a nursing guideline into a pain management care bundle to incorporate best evidence into daily practice may help achieve more consistent and equitable integration of guidelines into care delivery, and better quality of pain management and patient outcomes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rigor or mortis: best practices for preclinical research in neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Steward, Oswald; Balice-Gordon, Rita

2014-11-05

Numerous recent reports document a lack of reproducibility of preclinical studies, raising concerns about potential lack of rigor. Examples of lack of rigor have been extensively documented and proposals for practices to improve rigor are appearing. Here, we discuss some of the details and implications of previously proposed best practices and consider some new ones, focusing on preclinical studies relevant to human neurological and psychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dealing with Non-Controlling Shareholders : Issues and Best Practice

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2006-01-01

There is ample evidence today that demanding best practice standards of good corporate governance and convincing enforcement processes lead to higher market valuations of enterprises in free capital markets. This paper contains the following headings: key prerequisites for success with non-controlling shareholders; institutional investors have a fiduciary duty to act convincingly in the in...

Gonadal Shielding in Radiography: A Best Practice?

Science.gov (United States)

Fauber, Terri L

2016-11-01

To investigate radiation dose to phantom testes with and without shielding. A male anthropomorphic pelvis phantom was imaged with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) placed in the right and left detector holes corresponding to the testes. Ten exposures were made of the pelvis with and without shielding. The exposed TLDs were packaged securely and mailed to the University of Wisconsin Calibration Laboratory for reading and analysis. A t test was calculated for the 2 exposure groups (no shield and shielded) and found to be significant, F = 8.306, P shield was used during pelvic imaging. Using a flat contact shield during imaging of the adult male pelvis significantly reduces radiation dose to the testes. Regardless of the contradictions in the literature on gonadal shielding, the routine practice of shielding adult male gonads during radiographic imaging of the pelvis is a best practice. © 2016 American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

Best-practice model for technology enhanced learning in the creative arts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jess Power

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a best-practice model for the redesign of virtual learning environments (VLEs within creative arts to augment blended learning. In considering a blended learning best-practice model, three factors should be considered: the conscious and active human intervention, good learning design and pedagogical input, and the sensitive handling of the process by trained professionals. This study is based on a comprehensive VLE content analysis conducted across two academic schools within the creative arts at one Post-92 higher education (HE institution. It was found that four main barriers affect the use of the VLE within creative arts: lack of flexibility in relation to navigation and interface, time in developing resources, competency level of tutors (confidence in developing online resources balanced against other flexible open resources and factors affecting the engagement of ‘digital residents’. The experimental approach adopted in this study involved a partnership between the learning technology advisor and academic staff, which resulted in a VLE best-practice model that focused directly on improving aesthetics and navigation. The approach adopted in this study allowed a purposive sample of academic staff to engage as participants, stepping back cognitively from their routine practices in relation to their use of the VLE and questioning approaches to how they embed the VLE to support teaching and learning. The model presented in this paper identified a potential solution to overcome the challenges of integrating the VLE within creative arts. The findings of this study demonstrate positive impact on staff and student experience and provide a sustainable model of good practice for the redesign of the VLE within creative disciplines.

ERP implementation and organizational performance. A Romanian case study of best practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentin Florentin Dumitru

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Best practices are conceived in management as improvement programs leading to higher organizational performance. We hereby take an interest in the effects of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP, systems implementation as managerial tools on firm performance, in connection with the organizational processes, and accounting and controlling systems. The aim of this paper is to investigate how the mutual evolution of both organizations and systems transforms the case of ERP implementation in best practices in management and accounting in an emerging economy. This research comes in the context of a slowly developing research based on empirical data in Romania in this area. However, best practices need to be promoted in order to stimulate change, in an increasingly complex and competitive environment, and with fewer resources available to organizations. By an in-depth longitudinal case study, we illustrate how both the ERP system and the case organization evolved, triggering a fit which consequently led to improving organizational performance. The paper has practical contributions for the Romanian business environment, in that Romanian managers and IT employees might become aware how they can leverage their ERP system to exploit its fuller potential, and regarding the importance of the organizational context for the implementation and postimplementation processes.

A Generic Software Development Process Refined from Best Practices for Cloud Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soojin Park

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Cloud computing has emerged as more than just a piece of technology, it is rather a new IT paradigm. The philosophy behind cloud computing shares its view with green computing where computing environments and resources are not as subjects to own but as subjects of sustained use. However, converting currently used IT services to Software as a Service (SaaS cloud computing environments introduces several new risks. To mitigate such risks, existing software development processes must undergo significant remodeling. This study analyzes actual cases of SaaS cloud computing environment adoption as a way to derive four new best practices for software development and incorporates the identified best practices for currently-in-use processes. Furthermore, this study presents a design for generic software development processes that implement the proposed best practices. The design for the generic process has been applied to reinforce the weak points found in SaaS cloud service development practices used by eight enterprises currently developing or operating actual SaaS cloud computing services. Lastly, this study evaluates the applicability of the proposed SaaS cloud oriented development process through analyzing the feedback data collected from actual application to the development of a SaaS cloud service Astation.

Collateral Optimization : Liquidity & Funding Value Adjustments, - Best Practices -

OpenAIRE

Genest, Benoit; Rego, David; Freon, Helene

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to understand how the current financial landscape shaped by the crises and new regulations impacts Investment Banking’s business model. We will focus on quantitative implications, i.e. valuation, modeling and pricing issues, as well as qualitative implications, i.e. best practices to manage quantitative aspects and handle these functions to the current Investment Banking organization. We considered two pillars to shape our vision of collateral optimization: ...

Best Practices: A Cure for the New Prep Headache?

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Alan T.; Steinbach, Theresa A.

2010-01-01

The teaching of a new course is colloquially known among faculty as a "new prep." New preps are often time-consuming and laborious for instructors. They can be particularly frustrating when this effort does not yield results in the classroom. This research explores how a best practice approach can make the transfer of new preps across…

Improving the Identification, Dissemination and Implementation of Deactivation and Decommissioning Lessons Learned and Best Practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waisley, Sandra L.; Lackey, Michael B.; Dusek, Lansing G.

2008-01-01

Approximately $150 billion of work currently remains in the United States Department of Energy's (DoE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) life cycle budget for U.S. projects. Contractors who manage facilities for the DOE have been challenged to identify transformational changes to reduce the life cycle costs and to develop a knowledge-management system that identifies, disseminates, and tracks the implementation of lessons learned and best practices. This paper discusses DoE's rationale for using lessons learned and best practices to improve safety and performance while reducing life cycle costs for Deactivation and Decommissioning (D and D) projects. It also provides an update on the Energy Facility Contractors Group's (EFCOG's) progress in supporting DoE's efforts. At this juncture the best practice efforts described are in developmental stages; however, the commitment to and the concrete nature of the work thus far is noteworthy in regard to improving the way D and D lessons learned and best practices are identified, disseminated and implemented across the DOE Complex

Compendium of best practice and innovation in asset management of water services infrastructure

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Bhagwan, J

2008-05-01

Full Text Available As part of a water services infrastructure asset management best practice and innovation initiative of the Global Water Research Coalition (GWRC), the Water Research Commission (WRC) agreed to contribute a selection of ten South African best...

World Best Practice Energy Intensity Values for SelectedIndustrial Sectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Worrell, Ernst; Price, Lynn; Neelis, Maarten; Galitsky,Christina; Zhou, Nan

2007-06-05

"World best practice" energy intensity values, representingthe most energy-efficient processes that are in commercial use in atleast one location worldwide, are provided for the production of iron andsteel, aluminium, cement, pulp and paper, ammonia, and ethylene. Energyintensity is expressed in energy use per physical unit of output for eachof these commodities; most commonly these are expressed in metric tonnes(t). The energy intensity values are provided by major energy-consumingprocesses for each industrial sector to allow comparisons at the processlevel. Energy values are provided for final energy, defined as the energyused at the production facility as well as for primary energy, defined asthe energy used at the production facility as well as the energy used toproduce the electricity consumed at the facility. The "best practice"figures for energy consumption provided in this report should beconsidered as indicative, as these may depend strongly on the materialinputs.

Identifying industrial best practices for the waste minimization of low-level radioactive materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levin, V.

1996-04-01

In US DOE, changing circumstances are affecting the management and disposal of solid, low-level radioactive waste (LLW). From 1977 to 1991, the nuclear power industry achieved major reductions in solid waste disposal, and DOE is interested in applying those practices to reduce solid waste at DOE facilities. Project focus was to identify and document commercial nuclear industry best practices for radiological control programs supporting routine operations, outages, and decontamination and decommissioning activities. The project team (DOE facility and nuclear power industry representatives) defined a Work Control Process Model, collected nuclear power industry Best Practices, and made recommendations to minimize LLW at DOE facilities.

Best Practices for Suicide Prevention Messaging and Evaluating California's "Know the Signs" Media Campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Acosta, Joie; Ramchand, Rajeev; Becker, Amariah

2017-09-01

Although communication is a key component of US strategies to prevent suicide and there are a number of marketing campaigns promoting messages that suicide is a preventable public health problem, there has been little evaluation of these campaigns. The study describes the development of a checklist of best practices for suicide prevention communication campaigns and the use of the checklist to evaluate California's investment in "Know the Signs" (KTS-M), a suicide prevention mass media campaign. We conducted a literature review and solicited expert feedback to identify best practices and then used the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method to assess whether KTS-M was consistent with the identified best practices. Overall, experts agreed that KTS-M adhered to most of the 46 checklist items and suggested that the campaign was among the best suicide prevention media campaigns they had observed. The checklist was developed through expert input and literature review and focuses only on media campaigns. Given the nascent state of the evidence about what makes an effective suicide prevention message and the growing number of campaigns, the checklist of best practices reflects one way of promoting quality in this evolving field. The consistency between the experts' comments and their ratings of KTS-M suggests that the checklist may provide important guidance to inform the development of future campaigns and the evaluation of ongoing campaigns.

Taking the prudent path. Best practices for not-for-profit boards.

Science.gov (United States)

Peregrine, Michael W; Schwartz, James R

2003-01-01

A direct outgrowth of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, best practices in corporate governance strengthen board independence, provide a framework for ethical decision-making and enhance compliance with state and national regulations.

Undergraduate Psychological Writing: A Best Practices Guide and National Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Ishak, Shaziela; Salter, Nicholas P.

2017-01-01

There is no comprehensive guide for teaching psychological writing, and little is known about how often instructors teach the topic. We present a best practices guide for teaching psychological writing beyond just American Psychological Association style, discuss psychology-specific writing assignments, and examine psychological writing…

COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT: BEST PRACTICES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena VELCIU

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In the current changing environment of work, the process of competence assessment is increasingly relevant as workers gain knowledge and practical skills through fulfilling different and new working tasks and through self-education. In this context, innovative tools for competence assessment and validation are very useful for encouraging movement of individuals between jobs and from unemployment or inactivity to employment and for increasing the capacity of companies to respond and adapt to changing and challenging environments. This article presents an overview of best practices for competence assessment and validation in order to identify and select methods that have been effective in various European countries including Romania. The article concludes with a set of „learned lessons” and short recommendations in order to improve the framework of competence assessment in Romanian context. Our findings are useful for the new human resources management that aims toward efficiently usage of the workforce, inside companies and in a global labour market, encouraging flexibility and adaptability.

Best Practices for Computational Science: Software Infrastructure and Environments for Reproducible and Extensible Research

OpenAIRE

Stodden, Victoria; Miguez, Sheila

2014-01-01

The goal of this article is to coalesce a discussion around best practices for scholarly research that utilizes computational methods, by providing a formalized set of best practice recommendations to guide computational scientists and other stakeholders wishing to disseminate reproducible research, facilitate innovation by enabling data and code re-use, and enable broader communication of the output of computational scientific research. Scholarly dissemination and communication standards are...

Creation of Knowledge Networks – the Best Practices from Russian Communities of Practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belenkaya, Natalya

2014-01-01

Communities of practice - Design principle. Sponsor: Initiate community creation, provide “recognized” status to the community in organization, allocate resources to support activity of communities, provide feedback on key issues and etc. Moderator: Organize and plan community work, creates events, start discussions, assign and track execution of tasks and etc. Expert: Facilitate knowledge exchange, interpret information, answer questions, lead discussions, recommend useful material and publications and etc. Community Members: Participate in community work, collaboratively develop documents, perform tasks, can initiate and participate in discussions, ask questions and etc. Best practices: 1. Deploy and configure IT infrastructure; 2. Create collaborative environment; 3. Choose confident subject-matter experts as community moderators

Managing the clinical setting for best nursing practice: a brief overview of contemporary initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Amanda; Winch, Sarah

2008-01-01

Leadership strategies are important in facilitating the nursing profession to reach their optimum standards in the practice environment. To compare and contrast the central tenets of contemporary quality initiatives that are commensurate with enabling the environment so that best practice can occur. Democratic leadership, accessible and relevant education and professional development, the incorporation of evidence into practice and the ability of facilities to be responsive to change are core considerations for the successful maintenance of practice standards that are consistent with best nursing practice. While different concerns of management drive the adoption of contemporary approaches, there are many similarities in the how these approaches are translated into action in the clinical setting. Managers should focus on core principles of professional nursing that add value to practice rather than business processes.

Best Practices in Photovoltaic System Operations and Maintenance: 2nd Edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whaley, Cass [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-12-01

This best practices guide encourages high-quality system deployment and operation that improves lifetime project performance and energy production while reducing, or at least optimizing, costs to deliver an operation and maintenance program.

342 Quality Assurance Using ICT Best Practices in School-Based ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2012-01-24

Jan 24, 2012 ... ... in School-Based. Assessment of Students' Learning in Nigerian University ... Guidance and Counselling, University of Port–Harcourt, Rivers State. E-mail: ... Key words: Quality Assurance, ICTs best practices, School – Based ... Quality could mean a grade of achievement or standard against which to.

A study of best management practices for enhancing productivity in building projects: construction methods perspectives

OpenAIRE

Gurmu, Argaw Tarekegn; Aibinu, Ajibade Ayodeji; Chan, Toong Khuan

2016-01-01

This research investigates management practices that have the potential to enhance productivity in building projects by focusing on construction methods. In phase 1 of the study, face-to-face interviews with nineteen experts were conducted to identify the best management practices for construction methods. The qualitative data analysis reached saturation and resulted in a list of best practices for construction methods that are relevant to the local industry. The second phase used an industry...

Adherence to best practice consensus guidelines for implant-based breast reconstruction: Results from the iBRA national practice questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mylvaganam, Senthurun; Conroy, Elizabeth J; Williamson, Paula R; Barnes, Nicola L P; Cutress, Ramsey I; Gardiner, Matthew D; Jain, Abhilash; Skillman, Joanna M; Thrush, Steven; Whisker, Lisa J; Blazeby, Jane M; Potter, Shelley; Holcombe, Christopher

2018-05-01

The 2008 National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit demonstrated marked variation in the practice and outcomes of breast reconstruction in the UK. To standardise practice and improve outcomes for patients, the British professional associations developed best-practice guidelines with specific guidance for newer mesh-assisted implant-based techniques. We explored the degree of uptake of best-practice guidelines within units performing implant-based reconstruction (IBBR) as the first phase of the implant Breast Reconstruction Evaluation (iBRA) study. A questionnaire developed by the iBRA Steering Group was completed by trainee and consultant leads at breast and plastic surgical units across the UK. Simple summary statistics were calculated for each survey item to assess compliance with current best-practice guidelines. 81 units from 79 NHS Trusts completed the questionnaire. Marked variation was observed in adherence to guidelines, especially those relating to clinical governance and infection prevention strategies. Less than half (n = 28, 47%) of units obtained local clinical governance board approval prior to offering new mesh-based techniques and prospective audit of the clinical, cosmetic and patient-reported outcomes of surgery was infrequent. Most units screened for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus prior to surgery but fewer than 1 in 3 screened for methicillin-sensitive strains. Laminar-flow theatres (recommended for IBBR) were not widely-available with less than 1 in 5 units having regular access. Peri-operative antibiotics were widely-used, but the type and duration were highly-variable. The iBRA national practice questionnaire has demonstrated variation in reported practice and adherence to IBBR guidelines. High-quality evidence is urgently required to inform best practice. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Testing of best management practices for controlling highway runoff, Phase II.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

In order to obtain the detailed information necessary to develop design guidelines for the stormwater best management practices (BMPs) included in the Virginia Department of Transportation's Stormwater Management Manual, a field program was initiated...

Managing electronic records methods, best practices, and technologies

CERN Document Server

Smallwood, Robert F

2013-01-01

The ultimate guide to electronic records management, featuring a collaboration of expert practitioners including over 400 cited references documenting today's global trends, standards, and best practices Nearly all business records created today are electronic, and are increasing in number at breathtaking rates, yet most organizations do not have the policies and technologies in place to effectively organize, search, protect, preserve, and produce these records. Authored by an internationally recognized expert on e-records in collaboration with leading subject matter experts worldwide

Logistics Best Practices for Regional Food Systems: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuj Mittal

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The modern industrial food supply system faces many major environmental and social sustainability challenges. Regional food systems, in which consumers prefer geographically proximate food producers, offer a response to these challenges. However, the costs associated with distributing food from many small-scale producers to consumers have been a major barrier to long-term regional food system success. Logistics best practices from conventional supply chains have the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regional food supply chains (RFSCs. This paper provides a structured and in-depth review of the existing literature on RFSC logistics, including recommended and implemented best practices. The purpose of the review is to provide RFSC researchers and practitioners with convenient access to valuable information and knowledge derived from years of experimentation and research. This information will help to inform practitioners’ implementation decisions and to increase researchers’ awareness of the existing work on RFSC logistics, the unmet needs of practitioners, and topics that have not been fully explored, yielding insights into potential future directions for RFSC research. The overarching aim of the paper is to facilitate improvements in RFSC logistics, thereby improving regional food system viability.

Principles and Best Practices in Successful Tourism Business Incubators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea F. Şchiopu

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The business incubators are entities that provide support to start-up companies, managing the obstacles faced by entrepreneurs and facilitating the hazardous process of business creation. This article aims to identify the existing views on best practices that can contribute to the achieving of business incubators’ objectives. Moreover, the present study investigates how the business incubators can ensure the success of tourism, with evidence grounded in both theory and case studies from around the world. In this paper, the authors have identified several types of incubators that could be used successfully for the benefit of start-ups in the tourism sector, such as network incubators, incubators in ecotourism or nature-based incubators. The authors also propose a new perspective on best practices in business incubation, emphasizing the role of the emotions that entrepreneurs have to cope with. Even though the studies in this area are still scarce, the authors strongly believe that this will be a topic highly discussed in the near future, given the fact that emotion and logical thought are intertwined, interacting in complex ways during problem solving, decision making, and other important forms of cognition that entrepreneurs use when pursuing their ventures.

Deploying Renewables - Best and Future Policy Practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-11-23

The global energy system faces urgent challenges. Concerns about energy security are growing, as highlighted by the recent political turmoil in Northern Africa and the nuclear incident in Fukushima. At the same time, the need to respond to climate change is more critical than ever. Against this background, many governments have increased efforts to promote deployment of renewable energy -- low-carbon sources that can strengthen energy security. This has stimulated unprecedented rise in deployment, and renewables are now the fastest growing sector of the energy mix. This 'coming of age' of renewable energy also brings challenges. Growth is focused on a few of the available technologies, and rapid deployment is confined to a relatively small number of countries. In more advanced markets, managing support costs and system integration of large shares of renewable energy in a time of economic weakness and budget austerity has sparked vigorous political debate. The IEA's new report, Deploying Renewables 2011: Best and Future Policy Practice: - Provides a comprehensive review and analysis of renewable energy policy and market trends; - Analyses in detail the dynamics of deployment and provides best-practice policy principles for different stages of market maturity; - Assesses the impact and cost-effectiveness of support policies using new methodological tools and indicators; - Investigates the strategic reasons underpinning the pursuit of RE deployment by different countries and the prospects for globalisation of RE. This new book builds on and extends a 2008 IEA publication, drawing on recent policy and deployment experience world-wide. It provides guidance for policy makers and other stakeholders to avoid past mistakes, overcome new challenges and reap the benefits of deploying renewables -- today and tomorrow.

Promoting better integration of health information systems: best practices and challenges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michelsen, K.; Brand, H.; Achterberg, P.; Wilkinson, J.

2015-01-01

Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report [Promoting better integration of health information systems: best practices and challenges K Michelsen, H Brand, P Achterberg, J Wilkinson - 2015 ... Authors Kai Michelsen Department of International Health, Maastricht University Maastricht,

Negotiation best practices: what a healthcare professional needs to know today.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuigan, Patrick J

2015-01-01

This article reviews negotiation best practices while highlighting some of the factors that confound or enhance the ability to negotiate. Healthcare professionals will benefit by obtaining a set of practices that they can consistently apply to obtain more value from negotiation. In today's turbulent healthcare market, more relationships are governed by and through negotiated agreements, so it is imperative that healthcare professionals develop and sharpen their negotiating acumen.

Talent management best practices: how exemplary health care organizations create value in a down economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Groves, Kevin S

2011-01-01

: Difficult economic conditions and powerful workforce trends pose significant challenges to managing talent in health care organizations. Although robust research evidence supports the many benefits of maintaining a strong commitment to talent management practices despite these challenges, many organizations compound the problem by resorting to workforce reductions and limiting or eliminating investments in talent management. : This study examines how nationwide health care systems address these challenges through best practice talent management systems. Addressing important gaps in talent management theory and practice, this study develops a best practice model of talent management that is grounded in the contextual challenges facing health care practitioners. : Utilizing a qualitative case study that examined 15 nationwide health care systems, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 30 executives and document analysis of talent management program materials submitted by each organization. : Exemplary health care organizations employ a multiphased talent management system composed of six sequential phases and associated success factors that drive effective implementation. Based on these findings, a model of talent management best practices in health care organizations is presented. : Health care practitioners may utilize the best practice model to assess and enhance their respective talent management systems by establishing the business case for talent management, defining, identifying, and developing high-potential leaders, carefully communicating high-potential designations, and evaluating talent management outcomes.

Innovation, research and best practice in open and distance education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inés Gil-Jaurena

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This last 2015 issue of Open Praxis brings together eight articles. First five contributions were awarded an ICDE prize for Innovation and Best Practice in the field of open and distance education (second edition. The three last papers were submitted to Open Praxis following the regular process. 

Discovering and Implementing Best Practices to Strengthen SEAs: Collaborative Benchmarking

Science.gov (United States)

Building State Capacity and Productivity Center, 2013

2013-01-01

This paper is written for state educational agency (SEA) leaders who are considering the benefits of collaborative benchmarking, and it addresses the following questions: (1) What does benchmarking of best practices entail?; (2) How does "collaborative benchmarking" enhance the process?; (3) How do SEAs control the process so that "their" needs…

Best Practice in Using Business Intelligence to Determine Research Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Green, John; Rutherford, Scott; Turner, Thomas

2009-01-01

The authors recognise that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to implementing business intelligence strategy within universities. Elements of best practice have been taken from a case study of Imperial College, which may be applied across other institutions. The process starts with implementing and developing systems that capture…

Best Practices marketing relacional. Caso práctico

OpenAIRE

Cardama Otero, Maria

2016-01-01

el proyecto quiere servir de guía de buenas prácticas para el marketing digital de un comercio. Se desarrolla un caso práctico referido a una tienda de ropa infantil. This Project studies how a firm should develop a digital marketing strategy. We aim to propose ways to establish collaborative relationships to deliver value to customers and stakeholders, and see how they should be integrated in the overall value proposition. A general framework of best practices is described and applied to ...

40 CFR 432.72 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). 432.72 Section 432.72... AND POULTRY PRODUCTS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Sausage and Luncheon Meats Processors § 432.72 Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT...

Routine road maintenance water quality and habitat guide : best management practices

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

Since June 9, 1999 the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has implemented the Routine Road Maintenance: Water Quality and Habitat Guide Best Management Practices (the Guide), and is considered the cornerstone of the ODOT'd Office of Maintenan...

The Improvement of Human Resources Management through the Development of Best Practices

OpenAIRE

Anohi Ionut; Bujduveanu Aurica; ?tefãnicã Virginia

2012-01-01

Human resources management practice has been subject of numerous studies. Specialists have brought into discussion the concept of human resources management best practice. The issues related with this concept have generated intense debates among specialists. This paper aims to present the theoretical background of the concept and the influence that could exercise upon the level of development for human resources management practice. A clearer image on this issue could be achieved by discussin...

40 CFR 432.12 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). 432.12 Section 432.12... attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). Except as...) In the case of process wastewater associated with the slaughtering of animals on-site or the...

40 CFR 432.42 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). 432.42 Section 432.42... attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). Except as...) In the case of process wastewater associated with the slaughtering of animals on-site or the...

40 CFR 432.32 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). 432.32 Section 432.32... attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). Except as...) In the case of process wastewater associated with slaughtering of animals on-site or the processing...

The Best Practices for Shaping School Culture for Instructional Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Jennifer; Asberry, Jacqueline; DeJarnett, Gregory; King, Gwendolyn

2016-01-01

School culture is the belief and attitude influencing every aspect of how a school functions. Culture shared by all school stakeholders makes the actualization of both short-and long-term objectives easier. In this context, the best practices for shaping school culture for professional educators are personal mastery, team learning, and building a…

Mid-market transformation programs: programs to promote best practices in system specification and installation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, Mitchell

2003-01-01

This paper summarizes the experience of programs designed to promote the adoption of best practices in equipment specification and installation among distributors and installation contractors in the residential central air conditioning and industrial compressed air equipment markets. For each of those markets, the paper identifies the current understanding of best practices, characterizes energy savings available from their adoption, assesses the nature of barriers to their adoption, and describes the operations and accomplishments of programs designed to address those barriers

Do best manufacturing practices depend on the plant role in international manufacturing networks?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demeter, Krisztina; Szász, Levente; Boer, Harry

2014-01-01

. This paper investigates the relationship between plant roles and the “goodness” of manufacturing practices using the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey. According to our results plants with higher competence (leaders and contributors) have more best practices than less competent plants. Servers can...

Evaluation of best management practices under intensive irrigation using SWAT model

OpenAIRE

Dechmi, Farida; Skhiri, Ahmed

2013-01-01

Land management practices such as conservation tillage and optimum irrigation are routinely used to reduce non-point source pollution and improve water quality. The calibrated and validated SWAT-IRRIG model is the first modified SWAT version that reproduces well the irrigation return flows (IRF) when the irrigation source is outside of the watershed. The application of this SWAT version in intensive irrigated systems permits to better evaluate the best management practices (BMPs) in such syst...

Periscope: Looking into Learning in Best-Practices Physics Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Scherr, Rachel E.; Goertzen, Renee Michelle

2018-02-01

Periscope is a set of lessons to support learning assistants, teaching assistants, and faculty in learning to notice and interpret classroom events the way an accomplished teacher does. Periscope lessons are centered on video episodes from a variety of best-practices university physics classrooms. By observing, discussing, and reflecting on teaching situations similar to their own, instructors practice applying lessons learned about teaching to actual teaching situations and develop their pedagogical content knowledge. Instructors also get a view of other institutions' transformed courses, which can support and expand the vision of their own instructional improvement and support the transfer of course developments among faculty. Periscope is available for free to educators at http://physport.org/periscope.

Sicher in der Cloud - Best Practice Sicherheitskonzept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Kuberek

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Cloudbasierte Bibliothekssysteme, die als Software as a Service von einem externen IT-Dienstleister betrieben werden, stellen das Bibliotheksmanagement vor neue Herausforderungen – vor allem im Hinblick auf die Gewährleistung von Datenschutz und Datensicherheit. Insbesondere die Risiken hinsichtlich Vertraulichkeit, Verfügbarkeit und Integrität der zu schützenden Daten sind andere als bei den herkömmlichen Systemen, die im Eigenbetrieb laufen, und neu zu bewerten. Am Beispiel des Alma-Sicherheitskonzepts der Berliner Universitätsbibliotheken wird ein Best Practice Sicherheitskonzept vorgestellt, das den Anforderungen des Datenschutzes in Deutschland genügt. Es beruht in seinem Kernbereich, der Gefährdungs- und Risikoanalyse, auf dem Eckpunktepapier „Sicherheitsempfehlungen für Cloud Computing Anbieter“ des Bundesamts für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI, in dem grundlegende Risiken benannt und Anforderungen für ein hohes Sicherheitsniveau dargelegt sind. Cloud-based library systems which are hosted by external IT-service providers in a Software as a Service model (SaaS create new challenges for the library management – especially with regard to the guarantee of data protection and data security. In particular, the risks relating to confidentiality, availability and integrity of the data to be protected are different from those in conventional systems operated by the libraries themselves. These risks have to be re-evaluated. Using the example of the Alma security concept of the Berlin University Libraries, we present a best practice security concept, which complies with the requirements of data protection in Germany. In its core area, the analysis of threads and risks, it is based on the White Paper “Security Recommendations for Cloud Computing Providers” of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI, which names basic risks and sets out requirements for a high level of safety.

40 CFR 432.22 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). 432.22 Section 432.22... attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT). Except as... limitations: (1) In the case of process wastewater associated with the slaughtering of animals on-site or the...

Best practice asset management in the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maxey, Terry M.

2004-01-01

Pursuit of operational excellence is the goal of every nuclear plant operator. Implementation of Enterprise Asset Management(EAM) solutions in the nuclear industry has significantly contributed to record performance over the last decade in the areas of reliability and production, nuclear and personnel safety, and production cost. This presentation will outline the scope of best practice EAM implementation and highlight performance results achieved from EAM deployment. It will also explore areas of future opportunity in which EAM solutions will support an era of new nuclear plant construction in the United States

Best practices for managing large CryoEM facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Alewijnse, Bart; Ashton, Alun W; Chambers, Melissa G; Chen, Songye; Cheng, Anchi; Ebrahim, Mark; Eng, Edward T; Hagen, Wim J H; Koster, Abraham J; López, Claudia S; Lukoyanova, Natalya; Ortega, Joaquin; Renault, Ludovic; Reyntjens, Steve; Rice, William J; Scapin, Giovanna; Schrijver, Raymond; Siebert, Alistair; Stagg, Scott M; Grum-Tokars, Valerie; Wright, Elizabeth R; Wu, Shenping; Yu, Zhiheng; Zhou, Z Hong; Carragher, Bridget; Potter, Clinton S

2017-09-01

This paper provides an overview of the discussion and presentations from the Workshop on the Management of Large CryoEM Facilities held at the New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY on February 6-7, 2017. A major objective of the workshop was to discuss best practices for managing cryoEM facilities. The discussions were largely focused on supporting single-particle methods for cryoEM and topics included: user access, assessing projects, workflow, sample handling, microscopy, data management and processing, and user training. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EISA 432 Energy Audits Best Practices: Software Tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maryl Fisher

2014-11-01

Five whole building analysis software tools that can aid an energy manager with fulfilling energy audit and commissioning/retro-commissioning requirements were selected for review in this best practices study. A description of each software tool is provided as well as a discussion of the user interface and level of expertise required for each tool, a review of how to use the tool for analyzing energy conservation opportunities, the format and content of reports generated by the tool, and a discussion on the applicability of the tool for commissioning.

Best Practices in Applying Multiples for Valuation Purposes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plenborg, Thomas; Pimentel, René Coppe

2016-01-01

A literature review suggests eight empirical implementation issues to which practitioners should give increased attention. Implementation issues include how comparable firms are selected, the use of reported versus forecasted earnings, and the most suitable way of calculating averages. We identif...... more informed decisions when accessing a firm’s value....... a more effective way to handle each implementation issue in order to enhance the accuracy of valuation outputs. By synthesizing the main empirical findings and thereby identifying best practices when applying market multiples, we expect to help analysts, portfolios managers, and investment bankers make...

Compilation Of An Econometric Human Resource Efficiency Model For Project Management Best Practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. van Zyl

2006-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to introduce a human resource efficiency model in order to rank the most important human resource driving forces for project management best practices. The results of the model will demonstrate how the human resource component of project management acts as the primary function to enhance organizational performance, codified through improved logical end-state programmes, work ethics and process contributions. Given the hypothesis that project management best practices involve significant human resource and organizational changes, one would reasonably expect this process to influence and resonate throughout all the dimensions of an organisation.

Best management practices for creating a community wildfire protection plan

Science.gov (United States)

Pamela J. Jakes; Christine Esposito; Sam Burns; Antony S. Cheng; Kristen C. Nelson; Victoria E. Sturtevant; Daniel R. Williams

2012-01-01

A community wildfire protection plan (CWPP) is a means of bringing local solutions to wildland fire management. In developing and implementing CWPPs, communities assume a leadership role in reducing wildfi re risk on federal and nonfederal land. In this publication, we identify best management practices for CWPP development and implementation based on the experiences...

Evidence-based Diabetes Care in Indonesia - Knowledge translation and transfer of best practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Widyahening, IS

2016-01-01

Indonesia is continuously among the top ten countries worldwide in the number of people living with diabetes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has the potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of diabetes care. However, the strategy to efficiently translate the best evidence into practice

Defense Inventory Improved Management Framework Needed to Guide Navy Best Practice Initiatives

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

In this report, we discuss our evaluation of the Department of the Navy's best practices implementation schedule for the acquisition and distribution of secondary inventory items, which the Department...

Best Practices in Academic Mentoring: A Model for Excellence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan M. Nick

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Mentoring is important for the recruitment and retention of qualified nurse faculty, their ongoing career development, and leadership development. However, what are current best practices of mentoring? The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of a model for excellence in establishing a formal mentoring program for academic nurse educators. Six themes for establishing a formal mentoring program are presented, highlighting best practices in mentoring as culled from experience and the literature. Themes reflect aims to achieve appropriately matched dyads, establish clear mentorship purpose and goals, solidify the dyad relationship, advocate for and guide the protégé, integrate the protégé into the academic culture, and mobilize institutional resources for mentoring support. Attending to the six themes will help mentors achieve important protégé outcomes, such as orientation to the educator role, integration into the academic community, development of teaching, scholarship, and service skills, as well as leadership development. The model is intended to be generalizable for faculty teaching in a variety of academic nursing institution types and sizes. Mentoring that integrates the six themes assists faculty members to better navigate the academic environment and more easily transition to new roles and responsibilities.

Implementation of pressure ulcer prevention best practice recommendations in acute care: an observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Anna Lucia; Kamar, Jeannette; Tyndall, Tamara Jane; White, Lyn; Hutchinson, Anastasia; Klopfer, Nicole; Weller, Carolina

2013-06-01

Pressure ulcers are a common but preventable problem in hospitals. Implementation of best practice guideline recommendations can prevent ulcers from occurring. This 9-year cohort study reports prevalence data from point prevalence surveys during the observation period, and three practice metrics to assess implementation of best practice guideline recommendations: (i) nurse compliance with use of a validated pressure ulcer risk assessment and intervention checklist; (ii) accuracy of risk assessment scoring in usual-care nurses and experienced injury prevention nurses; and (iii) use of pressure ulcer prevention strategies. The prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers decreased following implementation of an evidence-based prevention programme from 12·6% (2 years preprogramme implementation) to 2·6% (6 years postprogramme implementation) (P pressure ulcer prevention documentation according to best practice guidelines was high (>84%). A sample of 270 patients formed the sample for the study of risk assessment scoring accuracy and use of prevention strategies. It was found usual-care nurses under-estimated patients' risk of pressure ulcer development and under-utilised prevention strategies compared with experienced injury prevention nurses. Despite a significant reduction in prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers and high documentation compliance, use of prevention strategies could further be improved to achieve better patient outcomes. Barriers to the use of prevention strategies by nurses in the acute hospital setting require further examination. This study provides important insights into the knowledge translation of pressure ulcer prevention best practice guideline recommendations at The Northern Hospital. © 2012 The Authors. International Wound Journal © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Medicalhelplines.com Inc.

Explanation for Anomalous Readings during Monitoring of a Best Management Practice

Science.gov (United States)

The USEPA's Urban Watershed Management Branch (UWMB) has monitored storm-water drainage and best management practices (BMPs) as part of its overall research program. As part of this effort, continuous monitoring equipment was deployed to measure both storm events and periods bet...

Principles and Best Practices in Successful Tourism Business Incubators

OpenAIRE

Andreea F. Schiopu; Dragos C. Vasile; Claudia E. Tuclea

2015-01-01

The business incubators are entities that provide support to start-up companies, managing the obstacles faced by entrepreneurs and facilitating the hazardous process of business creation. This article aims to identify the existing views on best practices that can contribute to the achieving of business incubators’ objectives. Moreover, the present study investigates how the business incubators can ensure the success of tourism, with evidence grounded in both theory and case studies from aroun...

Model Test Bed for Evaluating Wave Models and Best Practices for Resource Assessment and Characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neary, Vincent Sinclair [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies; Yang, Zhaoqing [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Coastal Sciences Division; Wang, Taiping [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Coastal Sciences Division; Gunawan, Budi [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies; Dallman, Ann Renee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies

2016-03-01

A wave model test bed is established to benchmark, test and evaluate spectral wave models and modeling methodologies (i.e., best practices) for predicting the wave energy resource parameters recommended by the International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC TS 62600-101Ed. 1.0 ©2015. Among other benefits, the model test bed can be used to investigate the suitability of different models, specifically what source terms should be included in spectral wave models under different wave climate conditions and for different classes of resource assessment. The overarching goal is to use these investigations to provide industry guidance for model selection and modeling best practices depending on the wave site conditions and desired class of resource assessment. Modeling best practices are reviewed, and limitations and knowledge gaps in predicting wave energy resource parameters are identified.

Qualitative Evaluation Methods in Ethics Education: A Systematic Review and Analysis of Best Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, Logan L; Todd, E Michelle; Mulhearn, Tyler J; Medeiros, Kelsey E; Mumford, Michael D; Connelly, Shane

2017-01-01

Although qualitative research offers some unique advantages over quantitative research, qualitative methods are rarely employed in the evaluation of ethics education programs and are often criticized for a lack of rigor. This systematic review investigated the use of qualitative methods in studies of ethics education. Following a review of the literature in which 24 studies were identified, each study was coded based on 16 best practices characteristics in qualitative research. General thematic analysis and grounded theory were found to be the dominant approaches used. Researchers are effectively executing a number of best practices, such as using direct data sources, structured data collection instruments, non-leading questioning, and expert raters. However, other best practices were rarely present in the courses reviewed, such as collecting data using multiple sources, methods, raters, and timepoints, evaluating reliability, and employing triangulation analyses to assess convergence. Recommendations are presented for improving future qualitative research studies in ethics education.

Best practices in tobacco control in the South-East Asia Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Zolty, B C; Sinha, P K; Sinha, D N

2012-01-01

The tobacco epidemic is an increasing threat to public health with the tobacco burden particularly high in WHO's South-East Asia Region (SEAR). The Region has many obstacles to tobacco control, but despite these challenges, significant progress has been made in many countries. Although much work still needs to be done, SEAR countries have nevertheless implemented strong and often innovative tobacco control measures that can be classified as "best practices," with some setting global precedents. The best practice measures implemented in SEAR include bans on gutka, reducing tobacco imagery in movies, and warning about the dangers of tobacco. In a time of scarce resources, countries in SEAR and elsewhere must ensure that the most effective and cost-efficient measures are implemented. It is hoped that countries can learn from these examples and as appropriate, adapt these measures to their own specific cultural, social and political realities.

International benchmarking and best practice management: in search of health care and hospital excellence.

Science.gov (United States)

von Eiff, Wilfried

2015-01-01

Hospitals worldwide are facing the same opportunities and threats: the demographics of an aging population; steady increases in chronic diseases and severe illnesses; and a steadily increasing demand for medical services with more intensive treatment for multi-morbid patients. Additionally, patients are becoming more demanding. They expect high quality medicine within a dignity-driven and painless healing environment. The severe financial pressures that these developments entail oblige care providers to more and more cost-containment and to apply process reengineering, as well as continuous performance improvement measures, so as to achieve future financial sustainability. At the same time, regulators are calling for improved patient outcomes. Benchmarking and best practice management are successfully proven performance improvement tools for enabling hospitals to achieve a higher level of clinical output quality, enhanced patient satisfaction, and care delivery capability, while simultaneously containing and reducing costs. This chapter aims to clarify what benchmarking is and what it is not. Furthermore, it is stated that benchmarking is a powerful managerial tool for improving decision-making processes that can contribute to the above-mentioned improvement measures in health care delivery. The benchmarking approach described in this chapter is oriented toward the philosophy of an input-output model and is explained based on practical international examples from different industries in various countries. Benchmarking is not a project with a defined start and end point, but a continuous initiative of comparing key performance indicators, process structures, and best practices from best-in-class companies inside and outside industry. Benchmarking is an ongoing process of measuring and searching for best-in-class performance: Measure yourself with yourself over time against key performance indicators. Measure yourself against others. Identify best practices. Equal or

77 FR 24537 - Draft Standards and Best Practices for Interaction Between Medical Examiner/Coroner and Organ and...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-24

... Best Practices for Interaction Between Medical Examiner/Coroner and Organ and Tissue Procurement... Committee Standards and Best Practices for Interaction Between Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices and Organ... coroner/medical examiner office representatives, law enforcement agencies, organizations, and all other...

Best practices for community gardening in a US-Mexico border community.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangadu, Thenral; Kelly, Michael; Orezzoli, Max C E; Gallegos, Rebecca; Matharasi, Pracheta

2017-12-01

Minority communities such as those on the US-Mexico border are placed at disproportionate high risk for child and adult obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A built environment characterized by an arid desert climate, lack of access to healthy foods, barriers to increasing physical activity, cultural and community norms which deter healthy eating and sustainable food production, shape obesity-related health disparities in these communities. Three pilot community gardens (implemented by two local governmental organizations and one community-based organization) were funded through the local Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative in El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces and Anthony, New Mexico (US-MX border communities with high obesity rates) in order to encourage healthy lifestyles among families in the region. A mixed-methods evaluation (n = 223) examined the implementation process, immediate outcomes and best practices of implementing and sustaining community gardens in these minority binational communities. In addition to nutrition-related outcomes, the potential for psychosocial outcomes from participating in community and school garden projects were observed. The best practices in relation to (i) assessing community norms related to growing food, (ii) increasing access to land and water for community/school gardening and (iii) enhancing social support for gardening are discussed. The implications of these best practices for obesity prevention and implementing community gardens in a minority US-MX border community characterized by cultural, geographical and socioeconomic barriers are examined. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

77 FR 31041 - Draft Standards and Best Practices for Interaction Between Medical Examiner/Coroner and Organ and...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-24

... Best Practices for Interaction Between Medical Examiner/Coroner and Organ and Tissue Procurement... titled ``Organ and Tissue Procurement Committee Standards and Best Practices for Interaction Between Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices and Organ Tissue Procurement Organizations'' from May 12, 2012, to June...

Sharing best practices in teaching biomedical engineering design.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, R H; Acharya, S; Jancuk, C; Shoukas, A A

2013-09-01

In an effort to share best practices in undergraduate engineering design education, we describe the origin, evolution and the current status of the undergraduate biomedical engineering design team program at Johns Hopkins University. Specifically, we describe the program and judge the quality of the pedagogy by relating it to sponsor feedback, project outcomes, external recognition and student satisfaction. The general pedagogic practices, some of which are unique to Hopkins, that have worked best include: (1) having a hierarchical team structure, selecting team leaders the Spring semester prior to the academic year, and empowering them to develop and manage their teams, (2) incorporating a longitudinal component that incudes freshmen as part of the team, (3) having each team choose from among pre-screened clinical problems, (4) developing relationships and fostering medical faculty, industry and government to allow students access to engineers, clinicians and clinical environments as needed, (5) providing didactic sessions on topics related to requirements for the next presentation, (6) employing judges from engineering, medicine, industry and government to evaluate designs and provide constructive criticisms approximately once every 3-4 weeks and (7) requiring students to test the efficacy of their designs. Institutional support and resources are crucial for the design program to flourish. Most importantly, our willingness and flexibility to change the program each year based on feedback from students, sponsors, outcomes and judges provides a mechanism for us to test new approaches and continue or modify those that work well, and eliminate those that did not.

Best practices in peri-operative management of patients with skeletal dysplasias.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Klane K; Bompadre, Viviana; Goldberg, Michael J; Bober, Michael B; Cho, Tae-Joon; Hoover-Fong, Julie E; Irving, Melita; Mackenzie, William G; Kamps, Shawn E; Raggio, Cathleen; Redding, Gregory J; Spencer, Samantha S; Savarirayan, Ravi; Theroux, Mary C

2017-10-01

Patients with skeletal dysplasia frequently require surgery. This patient population has an increased risk for peri-operative complications related to the anatomy of their upper airway, abnormalities of tracheal-bronchial morphology and function; deformity of their chest wall; abnormal mobility of their upper cervical spine; and associated issues with general health and body habitus. Utilizing evidence analysis and expert opinion, this study aims to describe best practices regarding the peri-operative management of patients with skeletal dysplasia. A panel of 13 multidisciplinary international experts participated in a Delphi process that included a thorough literature review; a list of 22 possible care recommendations; two rounds of anonymous voting; and a face to face meeting. Those recommendations with more than 80% agreement were considered as consensual. Consensus was reached to support 19 recommendations for best pre-operative management of patients with skeletal dysplasia. These recommendations include pre-operative pulmonary, polysomnography; cardiac, and neurological evaluations; imaging of the cervical spine; and anesthetic management of patients with a difficult airway for intubation and extubation. The goals of this consensus based best practice guideline are to provide a minimum of standardized care, reduce perioperative complications, and improve clinical outcomes for patients with skeletal dysplasia. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

What Goes Into a Decision? How Nursing Faculty Decide Which Best Practices to Use for Classroom Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Killingsworth, Erin; Kimble, Laura P; Sudia, Tanya

2015-01-01

To explore the decision-making process of BSN faculty when determining which best practices to use for classroom testing. A descriptive, correlational study was conducted with a national sample (N = 127) of full-time BSN faculty. Participants completed a web-based survey incorporating instruments that measured beliefs about evaluation, decision-making, and best practices for item analysis and constructing and revising classroom tests. Study participants represented 31 states and were primarily middle-aged white women. In multiple linear regression analyses, faculty beliefs, contextual factors for decision-making, and decision-making processes accounted for statistically significant amounts of the variance in item analysis and test construction and revision. Strong faculty beliefs that rules were important when evaluating students was a significant predictor of increased use of best practices. Results support that understanding faculty beliefs around classroom testing is important in promoting the use of best practices.

USDA Snack Policy Implementation: Best Practices From the Front Lines, United States, 2013-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Asada, Yuka; Chriqui, Jamie; Chavez, Noel; Odoms-Young, Angela; Handler, Arden

2016-06-16

The Smart Snacks in Schools interim final rule was promulgated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as authorized by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (PL 111-296) and implementation commenced beginning July 1, 2014; however, in the years leading up to this deadline, national studies suggested that most schools were far from meeting the USDA standards. Evidence to guide successful implementation of the standards is needed. This study examined snack policy implementation in exemplary high schools to learn best practices for implementation. Guided by a multiple case study approach, school professionals (n = 37) from 9 high schools across 8 states were recruited to be interviewed about perceptions of school snack implementation; schools were selected using criterion sampling on the basis of the HealthierUS Schools Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms (HUSSC: SL) database. Interview transcripts and internal documents were organized and coded in ATLAS.Ti v7; 2 researchers coded and analyzed data using a constant comparative analysis method to identify best practice themes. Best practices for snack policy implementation included incorporating the HUSSC: SL award's comprehensive wellness approach; leveraging state laws or district policies to reinforce snack reform initiatives; creating strong internal and external partnerships; and crafting positive and strategic communications. Implementation of snack policies requires evidence of successful experiences from those on the front lines. As federal, state, and local technical assistance entities work to ensure implementation of the Smart Snacks standards, these best practices provide strategies to facilitate the process.

Best practices to optimize intraoperative photography.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaujoux, Sébastien; Ceribelli, Cecilia; Goudard, Geoffrey; Khayat, Antoine; Leconte, Mahaut; Massault, Pierre-Philippe; Balagué, Julie; Dousset, Bertrand

2016-04-01

Intraoperative photography is used extensively for communication, research, or teaching. The objective of the present work was to define, using a standardized methodology and literature review, the best technical conditions for intraoperative photography. Using either a smartphone camera, a bridge camera, or a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, photographs were taken under various standard conditions by a professional photographer. All images were independently assessed blinded to technical conditions to define the best shooting conditions and methods. For better photographs, an SLR camera with manual settings should be used. Photographs should be centered and taken vertically and orthogonal to the surgical field with a linear scale to avoid error in perspective. The shooting distance should be about 75 cm using an 80-100-mm focal lens. Flash should be avoided and scialytic low-powered light should be used without focus. The operative field should be clean, wet surfaces should be avoided, and metal instruments should be hidden to avoid reflections. For SLR camera, International Organization for Standardization speed should be as low as possible, autofocus area selection mode should be on single point AF, shutter speed should be above 1/100 second, and aperture should be as narrow as possible, above f/8. For smartphone, use high dynamic range setting if available, use of flash, digital filter, effect apps, and digital zoom is not recommended. If a few basic technical rules are known and applied, high-quality photographs can be taken by amateur photographers and fit the standards accepted in clinical practice, academic communication, and publications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Perceptions of Practice Characteristics: An Examination of Agricultural Best Management Practice Adoption in Two Indiana Watersheds

Science.gov (United States)

Reimer, Adam P.; Weinkauf, Denise Klotthor; Prokopy, Linda Stalker

2012-01-01

Agricultural best management practices (BMPs), or conservation practices, can help reduce nonpoint source pollution from agricultural lands, as well as provide valuable wildlife habitat. There is a large literature exploring factors that lead to a producer's voluntary adoption of BMPs, but there have been inconsistent findings. Generally, this…

Identifying Best Practices in Pavement Design, Materials, Construction, and Maintenance in Wet-Freeze Climates Similar to Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

2018-02-28

The intent of this research is to identify best practices for pavements in wet-freeze climates. For the purposes of this report, a best practice is a procedure that has been shown by research or experience to produce improved results and that is esta...

Best practices in selecting performance measures and standards for effective asset management.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

"This report assesses and provides guidance on best practices in performance measurement, management and standards : setting for effective Transportation Asset Management (TAM). The study is conducted through a literature review, a : survey of the 50...

Translatørers udfordringer i forandringsprojekter: Challenges for translators when ideas and best practices are contextualised

OpenAIRE

Christensen, Tove Svejstrup; Iversen, Frank; Kaufmanas, Charlotte Holmer

2013-01-01

Ideas and best practices that circulate between organisations are not always fully realised, as much as 66% to 90% of the goals stated in these change projects are never achieved. The objective of this thesis has been to focus on how these ideas and best practices are translated into the new organisational context, thereby highlighting the characteristics of the challenges identified and how the translators rise to these challenges in order to transform the idea into a practice. As such, the ...

Evolution of health technology assessment: best practices of the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocchi A

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Angela Rocchi,1 Isabelle Chabot,2 Judith Glennie3 1Athena Research Inc., Burlington, ON, 2EvAccess Inc., Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC, 3JL Glennie Consulting Inc., Aurora, ON, Canada Background: In 2007, Canada chose to develop a separate and distinct path for oncology drug health technology assessment (HTA. In 2013, the decision was made to transfer the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR to the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH, to align the pCODR and CADTH Common Drug Review processes while building on the best practices of both. The objective of this research was to conduct an examination of the best practices established by the pCODR. Methods: A qualitative research approach was taken to assess the policies, processes, and practices of the pCODR, based on internationally accepted best practice “principles” in HTA, with a particular focus on stakeholder engagement. Publicly available information regarding the approach of the pCODR was used to gauge the agency's performance against these principles. In addition, stakeholder observations and real-world experiences were gathered through key informant interviews to be inclusive of perspectives from patient advocacy groups, provincial and/or cancer agency decision-makers, community and academic oncologists, industry, expert committee members, and health economists. Results: This analysis indicated that, through the pCODR, oncology stakeholders have had a voice in and have come to trust the quality and relevance of oncology HTA as a vital tool to ensure the best decisions for Canadians with cancer and their health care system. It could be expected that adoption of the principles and processes of the pCODR would bring a similar level of engagement and trust to other HTA organizations in Canada and elsewhere. Conclusion: The results of this research led to recommendations for improvement and potential extrapolation of these best practices to other HTA organizations

Use and neglect of best-practice HIV/AIDS programme guides by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However, reported usage of the recognised codes and guidelines to inform workplace HIV/AIDS interventions was low. Although large companies in South Africa may recognise certain interventions as examples of best practice, it appears that these are not being readily implemented. This appears to be partly because the ...

Best Practices for Young Children's Music Education: Guidance from Brain Research

Science.gov (United States)

Flohr, John W.

2010-01-01

This article reviews best practices for young children's music experiences in light of developments in brain research. The first section reviews research music and brain topics including neuromyths, effect of music on structural brain changes and general intelligence, plasticity, critical and optimal periods, and at-risk student populations. The…

Nutritional screening, assessment and implementation strategies for adults in an Australian acute tertiary hospital: a best practice implementation report.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Louise; Chapman, Amanda; Flowers, Kelli; Wright, Kylie; Chen, Tanghua; O'Connor, Charmaine; Astorga, Cecilia; Francis, Nevenka; Vigh, Gia; Wainwright, Craig

2018-01-01

The project aimed to improve the effectiveness of nutritional screening and assessment practices through clinical audits and the implementation of evidence-based practice recommendations. In the absence of optimal nutrition, health may decline and potentially manifest as adverse health outcomes. In a hospitalized person, poor nutrition may adversely impact on the person's outcome. If the nutritional status can be ascertained, nutritional needs can be addressed and potential risks minimized.The overall purpose of this project was to review and monitor staff compliance with nutritional screening and assessment best practice recommendations ensuring there is timely, relevant and structured nutritional therapeutic practices that support safe, compassionate and person-centered care in adults in a tertiary hospital in South Western Sydney, Australia, in the acute care setting. A baseline retrospective chart audit was conducted and measured against 10 best practice criteria in relation to nutritional screening and assessment practices. This was followed by a facilitated multidisciplinary focus group to identify targeted strategies, implementation of targeted strategies, and a post strategy implementation chart audit.The project utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (JBI PACES) and Getting Research into Practice (GRIP) tool, including evidence from other available supporting literature, for promoting change in healthcare practice. The baseline audit revealed deficits between current practice and best practice across the 10 criteria. Barriers for implementation of nutritional screening and assessment best practice criteria were identified by the focus group and an education strategy was implemented. There were improved outcomes across all best practice criteria in the follow-up audit. The baseline audit revealed gaps between current practice and best practice. Through the implementation of a targeted education program and

Integrating water quality responses to best management practices in Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, André; Boaventura, Rui A R; Vilar, Vítor J P

2018-01-01

Nutrient nonpoint pollution has a significant impact on water resources worldwide. The main challenge of this work was to assess the application of best management practices in agricultural land to comply with water quality legislation for surface waters. The Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN was used to evaluate water quality of Ave River in Portugal. Best management practices (infiltration basin) (BMP) were applied to agricultural land (for 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15% area) with removal efficiencies of 50% for fecal coliforms and 30% for nitrogen, phosphorus, and biochemical oxygen demand. The inflow of water quality constituents was reduced for all scenarios, with fecal coliforms achieving the highest reduction between 5.8 and 28.9% and nutrients and biochemical oxygen demand between 2 and 13%. Biochemical oxygen demand and orthophosphates concentrations achieved a good water quality status according to the European Legislation for scenarios of BMP applied to 3 and 12% agricultural area, respectively. Fecal coliform levels in Ave River basin require further treatment to fall below the established value in the abovementioned legislation. This study shows that agricultural watersheds such as Ave basins demand special attention in regard to nonpoint pollution sources effects on water quality and nutrient loads.

Best practices in intercultural health: five case studies in Latin America

Science.gov (United States)

Mignone, Javier; Bartlett, Judith; O'Neil, John; Orchard, Treena

2007-01-01

The practice of integrating western and traditional indigenous medicine is fast becoming an accepted and more widely used approach in health care systems throughout the world. However, debates about intercultural health approaches have raised significant concerns. This paper reports findings of five case studies on intercultural health in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Suriname. It presents summary information on each case study, comparatively analyzes the initiatives following four main analytical themes, and examines the case studies against a series of the best practice criteria. PMID:17803820

Study on improving rail energy efficiency (E2) : best practices and strategies

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-23

A recent Volpe Center report [1] for the Federal Railroad Administrations (FRA) Rail Energy, Environment, and Engine (E3) Technology research and development program reviewed rail industry best practices (BPs) and strategies for improving energy e...

Leachables and extractables handbook: safety evaluation, qualification, and best practices applied to inhalation drug products

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ball, Douglas J

2012-01-01

...). It discusses best practices for evaluation and management of leachables and extractables throughout the pharma product lifecycle by providing practical knowledge about how and why safety thresholds were developed...

Science Outreach in Virtual Globes; Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Treves, R. W.

2007-12-01

The popularity of projects such as 'Crisis in Darfur' and the IPY (International Polar Year) network link show the potential of using the rich functionality of Virtual Globes for science outreach purposes. However, the structure of outreach projects in Virtual Globes varies widely. Consider an analogy: If you pick up a science journal you immediately know where to find the contents page and what the title and cover story are meant to communicate. That is because journals have a well defined set of norms that they follow in terms of layout and design. Currently, science projects presented in virtual globes have, at best, weakly defined norms, there are little common structural elements beyond those imposed by the constraints of the virtual globe system. This is not a criticism of the science community, it is to be expected since norms take time to develop for any new technology. An example of the development of norms are pages on the web: when they first started appearing structure was unguided but over the last few years structural elements such as a left hand side navigation system and a bread crumb trail near the header have become common. In this paper I shall describe the developing norms of structure I have observed in one area of virtual globe development; Google Earth science outreach projects. These norms include text introductions, video introductions, use of folders and overlay presentation. I shall go on to examine how best to use these norms to build a clear and engaging outreach project and describe some cartographic best practices that we should also consider adopting as norms. I also will briefly explain why I think norms in science outreach aid creativity rather than limiting it despite the counter intuitive nature of this concept.

Translating knowledge on best practice into improving quality of RRT care: a systematic review of implementation strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Veer, Sabine N.; Jager, Kitty J.; Nache, Azri M.; Richardson, Donald; Hegarty, Janet; Couchoud, Cécile; de Keizer, Nicolette F.; Tomson, Charles R. V.

2011-01-01

Recent studies showed wide variation in the extent to which guidelines and other types of best practice have been implemented as part of routine health care. This is also true for the delivery of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for ESRD patients. Increasing uptake of best practice within such

Aboriginal Homelessness: A Framework for Best Practice in the Context of Structural Violence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelly D. Oelke

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Homelessness among Indigenous peoples is an important issue in Canada and internationally. Research was conducted in seven metropolitan areas in the four western provinces of Canada to explore current services with the aim of developing a best practices framework to end homelessness for Aboriginal peoples. Sequential mixed methods were used. Key results found agreement that Aboriginal peoples were overrepresented among the homeless and policy determined the approach to and comprehensiveness of services provided. Funding, lack of time, and lack of resources were highlighted as issues. Gaps identified included a lack of partnership, cross-cultural collaboration, cultural safety, and evaluation and research in service provision. Best practices included ensuring cultural safety, fostering partnerships among agencies, implementing Aboriginal governance, ensuring adequate and sustainable funding, equitable employment of Aboriginal staff, incorporating cultural reconnection, and undertaking research and evaluation to guide policy and practices related to homelessness among Aboriginal peoples.

Adherence to best practice guidelines in dyspepsia: a survey comparing dyspepsia experts, community gastroenterologists and primary-care providers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spiegel, B. M. R.; Farid, M.; van Oijen, M. G. H.; Laine, L.; Howden, C. W.; Esrailian, E.

2009-01-01

Although 'best practice' guidelines for dyspepsia management have been disseminated, it remains unclear whether providers adhere to these guidelines. To compare adherence to 'best practice' guidelines among dyspepsia experts, community gastroenterologists and primary-care providers (PCPs). We

Adherence to best practice guidelines in dyspepsia: a survey comparing dyspepsia experts, community gastroenterologists and primary-care providers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spiegel, B.M.; Farid, M.; Oijen, M.G.H. van; Laine, L.; Howden, C.W.; Esrailian, E.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Although 'best practice' guidelines for dyspepsia management have been disseminated, it remains unclear whether providers adhere to these guidelines. AIM: To compare adherence to 'best practice' guidelines among dyspepsia experts, community gastroenterologists and primary-care providers

Decommissioning: guiding principles and best practices for involving local stakeholders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keyes, D.

2005-01-01

Full text: A wide range of nuclear facilities covering the entire nuclear fuel cycle have been constructed and operated for many years worldwide. For communities where the facilities are located, concerns about safety and environmental contamination are paramount. Working together with elected officials, local community leaders and the public at large during the earliest planning stages will help alleviate concerns about facility operation and ultimate disposition, and will result in better decisions about facility design, location, construction, operation and, ultimately, decommissioning. Such comprehensive community involvement has been the exception rather than the norm. Now that older facilities are being considered for decommissioning, efforts to involve local stakeholders and alleviate their concerns face major challenges. This is particularly true where some residual radioactive contamination will remain onsite and future use of the site may need to be restricted. Plans for stakeholder involvement at the decommissioning stage should be carefully designed and provide for honest, authentic and meaningful involvement of all stakeholders affected by decommissioning decisions. A set of principles and best practices is proposed to help guide the design and implementation of effective community involvement programs. The principles and best practices are drawn from the experiences of public involvement practitioners in a variety of environmental contamination applications. Successful community involvement is the result of a carefully crafted set of coordinated activities conducted over the long term. Ideally, facility decommissioning is simply the end stage of the involvement process, or the beginning of a site stewardship process in those cases where decommissioning does not produce an uncontaminated site. In either case, decommissioning will not be a new, unexpected event, and stakeholders could be involved just as they have been over the life of the facility. In

Operations & Maintenance Best Practices - A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency Release 3.0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2010-08-01

This Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Best Practices Guide was developed under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). The mission of FEMP is to facilitate the Federal Government’s implementation of sound, cost effective energy management and investment practices to enhance the nation’s energy security and environmental stewardship.

Communicating the Future: Best Practices for Communication of Science and Technology to the Public

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porter, Gail

2002-09-30

To advance the state of the art in science and technology communication to the public a conference was held March 6-8, 2002 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD. This report of the conference proceedings includes a summary statement by the conference steering committee, transcripts or other text summarizing the remarks of conference speakers, and abstracts for 48 "best practice" communications programs selected by the steering committee through an open competition and a formal peer review process. Additional information about the 48 best practice programs is available on the archival conference Web site at www.nist.gov/bestpractices.

Building America Top Innovations 2013 Profile – Exterior Rigid Insulation Best Practices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-09-01

In this Top Innovation profile, field and lab studies by BSC, PHI, and NorthernSTAR characterize the thermal, air, and vapor resistance properties of rigid foam insulation and describe best practices for their use on walls, roofs, and foundations.

A Case Study Examination of Best Practices of Professional Learning Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Akopoff, Tanya M.

2010-01-01

A current trend in education is that small teacher groups, called professional learning communities (PLC), are being advocated as a tool to help teachers reach struggling students. Educators planning to use PLC as an intervention strategy can benefit from research-based information about PLC best practices. This multiple case study addressed the…

Best Practices of Online Education: A Guide for Christian Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Maddix, Mark A., Ed.; Estep, James R., Ed.; Lowe, Mary E., Ed.

2012-01-01

The book provides best practices from online educators who are engaged in online teaching and program development in Christian higher education. It also explores the distinct aspects of teaching and developing online courses and programs from a Christian perspective and within Christian higher education institutions. As such it is can serve as a…

Brent Spar abandonment - Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-12-01

Possible methods of abandoning or re-using the Brent Spar storage and tanker offloading facility following its decommissioning in 1991 are discussed. The report assesses six of the thirteen possible methods, including horizontal dismantling and onshore disposal, vertical dismantling and onshore disposal, in-field disposal, deep water disposal, refurbishment and re-use, and continued maintenance, in order to determine the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO). The BPEO covers technical feasibility risks to health and safety of the work force, environmental impacts, public acceptability and costs. (UK)

Developing risk management dashboards using risk and quality measures: A visual best practices approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunting, Robert F; Siegal, Dana

2017-10-01

Because quality measures are ubiquitous, health care risk management leaders often use them as a proxy for risk management measures. While certain quality measures adequately reflect some aspects of risk management, they are neither a perfect nor complete substitute for well-developed and comprehensive risk management measures. Using a comprehensive approach consisting of quality measures, risk measures, and measures that are less amenable to classification would be the best approach. Identifying the most powerful and informative measures, designing the most appropriate dashboards, and incorporating visual best practices are crucial steps required for evaluating the effectiveness and value of an enterprise risk management program. The authors explain the terms and concepts, review the measures available in the literature, propose new measures, discuss visual best practices, and provide sample dashboard components. © 2017 American Society for Healthcare Risk Management of the American Hospital Association.

Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Best Management Practices: A Review and Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Best management practices (BMPs) for reducing agricultural non-point source pollution are widely available. However, agriculture remains a major global contributor to degradation of waters because farmers often do not adopt BMPs. To improve water quality, it is necessary to under...

Canadian East Coast offshore petroleum industry safe lifting practices respecting offshore pedestal cranes, offshore containers, loose gear, other lifting devices, and operational best practices : standard practices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-11-15

This document was developed by a working group with representatives from the petroleum industry, the Offshore Petroleum Boards and Certifying Authorities. It outlines industry best practices for operators responsible for the management, planning and execution of offshore lifting operations. Its purpose is to assist in the interpretation of applicable legislation and standards. Considered within the practice are safe design requirements, manufacture, certification, testing, maintenance and inspection requirements for pedestal cranes, offshore containers, loose gear and lifting devices. Operational best practices for lifting operations are also included along with a section that identifies additional requirements for personnel lifting operations, including personnel transfers by crane and man-riding operations. 82 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs., 3 appendices.

Establishing best practices for the validation of atmospheric composition measurements from satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Jean-Christopher

As a contribution to the implementation of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) is developing a data quality strategy for satellite measurements. To achieve GEOSS requirements of consistency and interoperability (e.g. for comparison and for integrated interpretation) of the measurements and their derived data products, proper uncertainty assessment is essential and needs to be continuously monitored and traceable to standards. Therefore, CEOS has undertaken the task to establish a set of best practices and guidelines for satellite validation, starting with current practices that could be improved with time. Best practices are not intended to be imposed as firm requirements, but rather to be suggested as a baseline for comparing against, which could be used by the widest community and provide guidance to newcomers. The present paper reviews the current development of best practices and guidelines for the validation of atmospheric composition satellites. Terminologies and general principles of validation are reminded. Going beyond elementary definitions of validation like the assessment of uncertainties, the specific GEOSS context calls also for validation of individual service components and against user requirements. This paper insists on two important aspects. First one, the question of the "collocation". Validation generally involves comparisons with "reference" measurements of the same quantities, and the question of what constitutes a valid comparison is not the least of the challenges faced. We present a tentative scheme for defining the validity of a comparison and of the necessary "collocation" criteria. Second focus of this paper: the information content of the data product. Validation against user requirements, or the verification of the "fitness for purpose" of both the data products and their validation, needs to identify what information, in the final product, is contributed really

DEFENSE INVENTORY: Improved Management Framework Needed to Guide Air Force Best Practice Initiatives

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

In this report, we discuss our evaluation of the Air Force's best practices implementation schedule for the acquisition and distribution of secondary inventory items, which the Secretary of the Air...

New Best-Practices Guide for Photovoltaic System Operations and Maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-05-24

Fact sheet summarizing technical report TP-7A40-67553. As solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have continued their transition from niche applications into large, mature markets in the United States, their potential as financial investments has risen accordingly. Mainstream investors, however, need to feel confident about the risk and return of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems before committing funds. A major influence on risk and return for PV is operations and maintenance (O&M) - but O&M practices and costs vary widely across the United States, making these variables difficult for investors to predict. To address this barrier to continued PV investment, the PV O&M Working Group has developed a new best-practices guide for PV O&M.

Forestry best management practices and sediment control at skidder stream crossings

Science.gov (United States)

Laura R. Wear; W. Michael Aust; M. Chad Bolding; Brian D. Strahm; Andrew C. Dolloff

2015-01-01

Stream crossings for skid trails have high sediment delivery ratios. Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have proven to be effective for erosion control, but few studies have quantified the impact of various levels of BMPs on sedimentation. In this study, three skid-trail stream-crossing BMP treatments were installed on nine operational stream crossings (three...

Organizational Context and Individual Adaptability in Promoting Perceived Importance and Use of Best Practices for Substance Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, Danica K; Joe, George W; Morse, David T; Smith, Corey; Knudsen, Hannah; Johnson, Ingrid; Wasserman, Gail A; Arrigona, Nancy; McReynolds, Larkin S; Becan, Jennifer E; Leukefeld, Carl; Wiley, Tisha R A

2018-05-18

This study examines associations among organizational context, staff attributes, perceived importance, and use of best practices among staff in community-based, juvenile justice (JJ) agencies. As part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Juvenile Justice-Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS) study, 492 staff from 36 JJ agencies were surveyed about the perceived importance and use of best practices within their organization in five substance use practice domains: screening, assessment, standard referral, active referral, and treatment support. Structural equation models indicated that supervisory encouragement and organizational innovation/flexibility were associated with greater individual adaptability. Adaptability (willingness to try new ideas, use new procedures, adjust quickly to change), was positively correlated with importance ratings. Importance ratings were positively associated with reported use of best practices. Organizational climates that support innovation likely affect use of practices through staff attributes and perceptions of the importance of such services.

The UK shielding Forum. Best Practice through consensus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hobson, J.; Gunston, K.; Gunston, K.

2000-01-01

The UK national shielding Forum has been established to represent all key industry groups in the UK (including the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), the national regulatory authority). The Forum's aim is to increase awareness and confidence in the range of professional practice within the UK shielding community, with a view to having a coherent and dynamic role within the international shielding community. In the past, no comprehensive representative body covering the whole UK nuclear industry has existed, and the different industry shielding groups have developed local ways of working to address their particular requirements. Inevitably, there are common issues arising from these requirements which benefit from a wider consensus. As a result of the formation of the Forum (initiated by the NII and subsequently chaired by BNFL as an industry key player), expertise, experience and best working practice are now being actively shared between shielding professionals, and there has been a strong and successful drive to achieving consensus on key issues, which is also reflected in the increasing quality of industry-regulator relationships. (author)

Best Manufacturing Practices: Report of Survey Conducted at Weirton Steel Corporation, Weirton, WV

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Renner, Ernie

1996-01-01

This report was produced by the Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) program, a unique industry and government cooperative technology transfer effort that improves the competitiveness of America's industrial base both here and abroad...

Best Practice Examples of Circular Business Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guldmann, Eva

Best practice examples of circular business models are presented in this report. The purpose is to inform and inspire interested readers, in particular companies that aspire to examine the potentials of the circular economy. Circular business models in two different sectors are examined, namely...... the textile and clothing sector as well as the durable goods sector. In order to appreciate the notion of circular business models, the basics of the circular economy are outlined along with three frameworks for categorizing the various types of circular business models. The frameworks take point of departure...... in resource loops, value bases and business model archetypes respectively, and they are applied for analysing and organizing the business models that are presented throughout the report. The investigations in the report show that circular business models are relevant to businesses because they hold...

Best teaching practices in anatomy education: A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Estai, Mohamed; Bunt, Stuart

2016-11-01

In this report we review the range of teaching resources and strategies used in anatomy education with the aim of coming up with suggestions about the best teaching practices in this area. There is much debate about suitable methods of delivering anatomical knowledge. Competent clinicians, particularly surgeons, need a deep understanding of anatomy for safe clinical procedures. However, because students have had very limited exposure to anatomy during clinical training, there is a concern that medical students are ill-prepared in anatomy when entering clerkships and residency programs. Therefore, developing effective modalities for teaching anatomy is essential to safe medical practice. Cadaver-based instruction has survived as the main instructional tool for hundreds of years, however, there are differing views on whether full cadaver dissection is still appropriate for a modern undergraduate training. The limitations on curricular time, trained anatomy faculty and resources for gross anatomy courses in integrated or/and system-based curricula, have led many medical schools to abandon costly and time-consuming dissection-based instruction in favour of alternative methods of instruction including prosection, medical imaging, living anatomy and multimedia resources. To date, no single teaching tool has been found to meet curriculum requirements. The best way to teach modern anatomy is by combining multiple pedagogical resources to complement one another, students appear to learn more effectively when multimodal and system-based approaches are integrated. Our review suggests that certain professions would have more benefit from certain educational methods or strategies than others. Full body dissection would be best reserved for medical students, especially those with surgical career intentions, while teaching based on prosections and plastination is more suitable for dental, pharmacy and allied health science students. There is a need to direct future research

Best Practices and Processes for Choosing Research Priorities

Science.gov (United States)

Briscoe, M. G.

2015-12-01

Individuals, teams, departments, organizations, funding agencies, committees, and others all need to select desirable research priorities from many possible alternatives. One cannot do everything, one cannot afford everything, so what to select? Essays and reports since Weinberg (1963) have suggested criteria for choosing science topics. Popper et al (2000) reviewed and summarized all that had gone before in the subject of setting priorities; their main conclusions were that the underlying principles were the promotion of excellence and relevance. Sea Change (2015) from the NRC/OSB focused on four criteria. From most important to least important, they were transformative science, societal impacts, readiness, and partnership potential; these four criteria embodied the essence of the suggestions from Weinberg on, framed with the pragmatism of ORPISS (2007). Getting to the final set of priorities from many candidates involves a sequence of formal or informal processes, only the last of which is the application of the selected, weighted criteria. As developed by professional prioritization experts, the best-practice steps and processes are: Collection of input candidates from the community. Clustering and parsing/rephrasing of the input to eliminate redundancy and repetition and develop statements at a useful level of specificity. (NOTE:there is no counting of input to see how many times a particular topic was mentioned. The goal is diversity in the input, not a popularity contest.) Development of the selection criteria, and weighting the chosen criteria. Application of the selection criteria to the clustered/adjusted candidates. Finally, two more best practices: Do continuing sanity checks, to avoid losing sight of the goals of the effort. Resist the temptation to just sit around a table and talk about it to arrive at the priorities, which depends too much on who the specific members of the prioritization team are, and provides no transparency or explanation of why

Selecting and training opinion leaders and best practice collaborators:Experience from the Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative

OpenAIRE

Bussières, André E.; Maiers, Michele; Grondin, Diane; Brockhusen, Simon

2017-01-01

Objectives: To describe the process for selecting and training chiropractic opinion leaders (OLs) and best practice collaborators (BPCs) to increase the uptake of best practice. Methods: In Phase 1, OLs were identified using a cross-sectional survey among Canadian chiropractic stakeholders. A 10-member committee ranked nominees. Top-ranked nominees were invited to a training workshop. In Phase 2, a national e-survey was administered to 7200 Canadian chiropractors to identify additional OLs an...

Best Practices and Innovations for Managing Codeine Misuse and Dependence

OpenAIRE

Norman, Ian J; Bergin, Michael; Parry, Charles D; Van Hout, Marie Claire

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: Promoting and ensuring safe use of codeine containing medicines remains a public health issue given the rise in reporting of misuse and dependence particularly in countries where available over-the-counter (OTC). The aim of this unique study was to identify best practices in management of opioid abuse and dependence, particularly codeine, and innovations to meet challenges surrounding safe and compliant use, patient awareness-raising, reducing health harms and enhancing successful tr...

Best Practices for Curriculum, Teaching, and Evaluation Components of Aquatic Stewardship Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Siemer, William F.

This paper reviews the literature to outline principles and best practices for aquatic stewardship education. Stewardship education develops an internalized stewardship ethic and the skills needed for decision making and environmentally responsible actions. Successful stewardship education programs are designed to influence beliefs, values,…

Supportive Housing for Homeless Families: Foster Care Outcomes and Best Practices. Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Lenz-Rashid, Sonja

2013-01-01

The "Supportive Housing for Homeless Families: Foster Care Outcomes and Best Practices" report describes the outcome evaluation of Cottage Housing Incorporated's Serna Village program in Sacramento, California. Serna Village is a supportive housing program serving homeless families. Outcomes from the program illustrate that it is…

Emergency management of renal and genitourinary trauma: best practices update [digest].

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Whitney K; Shewakramani, Sanjay; Zaurova, Milana

2017-08-22

In up to 10% of patients who experience abdominal trauma, renal and urogenital systems will be involved. In polytrauma patients with other potentially life-threatening injuries, renal and genitourinary trauma may be overlooked initially, but a delayed or missed diagnosis of these injuries may result in preventable complications. This review provides a best-practice approach to the diagnosis and management of renal and genitourinary injuries, with an emphasis on the systematic approach needed to identify subtle injuries and avoid long-term urinary sequelae such as hypertension, incontinence, erectile dysfunction, chronic kidney disease, and nephrectomy. [Points & Pearls is a digest of Emergency Medicine Practice.].

High-Performance Home Technologies: Solar Thermal & Photovoltaic Systems; Volume 6 Building America Best Practices Series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2007-06-01

The sixth volume of the Building America Best Practices Series presents information that is useful throughout the U.S. for enhancing the energy efficiency practices in the specific climate zones that are presented in each of the volumes.

76 FR 37119 - Development of Best Practices for Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Strategy...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-24

... Best Practices for Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Strategy; Public Forum AGENCY... processes relating to community health needs assessment (CHNA) and implementation strategy/plan development... practices in CHNA and implementation strategy development and execution for improved community health...

Selection of best entrepreneurship practices in relation to the emerging 3D internet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frølunde, Lisbeth; Flåten, Bjørn-Tore

This report focuses on entrepreneurship in relation to the 3D internet in general (aka virtual worlds, virtual environments, etc.) and the selection of best practices specifically. In preparing this report, we focused primarily on the Nordic countries and the USA and on empirically-based research...... articles. We faced three major challenges when going through the scientific research literature: 1) the lack of and fragmentation of knowledge due to the relative infancy of the 3D internet field and its interdisciplinary nature across many research fields, 2) the fluid definitions of terms regarding the 3...... of entrepreneurship in relation to the emergence of virtual worlds / 3D internet, 3) the definitions and review of literature on entrepreneurship, 4) selection of best entrepreneurial practices, and 5) discussion and preliminary conclusions....

Surfing the best practice guidelines: national clinical guideline clearinghouse in development.

Science.gov (United States)

1997-08-01

The growth in development and usage of clinical guidelines during the last five years has been remarkable. Not only are health care practitioners reaching for what's deemed to be the best in protocols and practice, consumers, too, are looking toward standards and guidelines as they become more educated about the quality and quantity of health care services they should be receiving.

Best practices for transfusion for patients with sickle cell disease

OpenAIRE

Ted Wun; Kathryn Hassell

2010-01-01

The beta-globin gene mutation in sickle cell anemia results in anemia and repeated bouts of vascular occlusion. The cumulative effect of these vasocclusive events is progressive damage to many organs including the kidneys, lungs, and brain. The transfusion of red blood cells (RBC) can ameliorate many of these complications, but can be associated with both acute and chronic complications, including iron overload. The objective of the Best Practices in Transfusion Medicine for Patients with S...

Scientific Software - the role of best practices and recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Fritzsch, Bernadette; Bernstein, Erik; Castell, Wolfgang zu; Diesmann, Markus; Haas, Holger; Hammitzsch, Martin; Konrad, Uwe; Lähnemann, David; McHardy, Alice; Pampel, Heinz; Scheliga, Kaja; Schreiber, Andreas; Steglich, Dirk

2017-04-01

In Geosciences - like in most other communities - scientific work strongly depends on software. For big data analysis, existing (closed or open source) program packages are often mixed with newly developed codes. Different versions of software components and varying configurations can influence the result of data analysis. This often makes reproducibility of results and reuse of codes very difficult. Policies for publication and documentation of used and newly developed software, along with best practices, can help tackle this problem. Within the Helmholtz Association a Task Group "Access to and Re-use of scientific software" was implemented by the Open Science Working Group in 2016. The aim of the Task Group is to foster the discussion about scientific software in the Open Science context and to formulate recommendations for the production and publication of scientific software, ensuring open access to it. As a first step, a workshop gathered interested scientists from institutions across Germany. The workshop brought together various existing initiatives from different scientific communities to analyse current problems, share established best practices and come up with possible solutions. The subjects in the working groups covered a broad range of themes, including technical infrastructures, standards and quality assurance, citation of software and reproducibility. Initial recommendations are presented and discussed in the talk. They are the foundation for further discussions in the Helmholtz Association and the Priority Initiative "Digital Information" of the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany. The talk aims to inform about the activities and to link with other initiatives on the national or international level.

Development and evaluation of best management practices (BMPS) for highway runoff pollution control.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-01

Polluted storm water runoff is commonly transported through Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). Currently, : sufficient information is not available on development and evaluation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) within an MS4 : boundary...

Nursing Faculty Decision Making about Best Practices in Test Construction, Item Analysis, and Revision

Science.gov (United States)

Killingsworth, Erin Elizabeth

2013-01-01

With the widespread use of classroom exams in nursing education there is a great need for research on current practices in nursing education regarding this form of assessment. The purpose of this study was to explore how nursing faculty members make decisions about using best practices in classroom test construction, item analysis, and revision in…

Undergraduate Internship Supervision in Psychology Departments: Use of Experiential Learning Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Sarah F.; Barber, Larissa K.; Nelson, Videl L.

2017-01-01

This study examined trends in how psychology internships are supervised compared to current experiential learning best practices in the literature. We sent a brief online survey to relevant contact persons for colleges/universities with psychology departments throughout the United States (n = 149 responded). Overall, the majority of institutions…

Regulating Cannabis Manufacturing: Applying Public Health Best Practices from Tobacco Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Orenstein, Daniel G; Glantz, Stanton A

2018-01-01

State legalization and regulation of cannabis, despite continued federal illegality, is a massive shift in regulatory approach. Manufactured cannabis, including concentrates, extracts, edibles, tinctures, topicals and other products, has received less attention than more commonly used dried flower, but represents emerging regulatory challenges due to additives, potency, consumption methods, and abuse and misuse potential. In November 2017, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released initial cannabis manufacturing regulations as part of a new state regulatory structure. As the largest U.S. medical cannabis market (and largest legal adult use market in the world beginning in 2018), California's regulatory approach will potentially influence national and global policy. Comparing CDPH's initial regulations to tobacco control best practices reveals that, while the regulations recognize the need to protect public health, prioritizing public health over business interests requires stronger approaches to labeling, packaging, and product formulations. Based on tobacco best practices, we recommend that cannabis regulations incorporate large and proportionately sized informational labels, a prominent universal cannabis symbol, rotating and pictorial health warnings, mandatory plain packaging, a comprehensive ban on characterizing flavors and addictive additives, and strict limits on the potency of inhalable products and those easily confused with non-cannabis products.

Energy Security and Restoration Exercise Program/Best Practices and Information Sharing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbara McCabe; John Kovach

2009-03-30

The first year of this cooperative agreement focused on the following elements: curriculum development and presentation, curriculum maintenance, enhancements, and effectiveness, and smart card initiative. During the second year of this grant, with redirection from DOE, the IUOE modified its mission statement under the cooperative agreement. It states: 'The mission of the IUOE is to provide expertise to provide best practices, information sharing, and develop scenarios and conduct exercises ranging in size and complexity from table top to national level to prepare all stakeholders to protect and restore energy infrastructure should an event, terrorist or natural, occur'. The Program developed a number of products under this Cooperative Agreement. These products include: FOSTER (Facility Operations Safety Training Event Response) Curriculum and Training Models, Alternative Energy Supply - Generators Training Module, Liquefied Natural Gas Training Module, Education Program - Distributed Generations, Compendium of Resources and References, Energy Security and Restoration Training Manual, Manual of Situations and Scenarios Developed for Emergency Exercises, Manual of Best Practices/Lessons Learned for Energy Load Management, Training Plan, Strategic Information and Exercise Plan, National Certification Plan Report, and a Smart Card Project Report.

Exploring Best Practice Skills to Predict Uncertainties in Venture Capital Investment Decision-Making

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, David Arthur

Algae biodiesel is the sole sustainable and abundant transportation fuel source that can replace petrol diesel use; however, high competition and economic uncertainties exist, influencing independent venture capital decision making. Technology, market, management, and government action uncertainties influence competition and economic uncertainties in the venture capital industry. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the best practice skills at IVC firms to predict uncertainty between early and late funding stages. The basis of the study was real options theory, a framework used to evaluate and understand the economic and competition uncertainties inherent in natural resource investment and energy derived from plant-based oils. Data were collected from interviews of 24 venture capital partners based in the United States who invest in algae and other renewable energy solutions. Data were analyzed by coding and theme development interwoven with the conceptual framework. Eight themes emerged: (a) expected returns model, (b) due diligence, (c) invest in specific sectors, (d) reduced uncertainty-late stage, (e) coopetition, (f) portfolio firm relationships, (g) differentiation strategy, and (h) modeling uncertainty and best practice. The most noteworthy finding was that predicting uncertainty at the early stage was impractical; at the expansion and late funding stages, however, predicting uncertainty was possible. The implications of these findings will affect social change by providing independent venture capitalists with best practice skills to increase successful exits, lessen uncertainty, and encourage increased funding of renewable energy firms, contributing to cleaner and healthier communities throughout the United States..

Resources for our Future. Key issues and best practices in resource efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weterings, R.; Bastein, T.; Tukker, A. [TNO, Delft (Netherlands); Rademaker, M.; De Ridder, M. [The Hague Centre for Strategic studies HCSS, Den Haag (Netherlands)

2013-08-15

This book provides an analysis of the issues surrounding international resources and inspiring accounts of industrial best practices. The book consists of two distinct parts. The first part of the book brings together the results of years of research into the geopolitical, economic and ecological dimensions of material scarcity and resource efficiency. Chapter 2 discusses the main challenges and constraints related to the use of energy resources, water and land, industrial and metallic minerals, construction minerals and biotic resources, including water use and ecosystem degradation. The chapter also addresses important linkages between these various resources. Chapter 3 describes the international trends that are shaping the geopolitics of natural resources and looks at the implications for Europe and the Netherlands. Chapter 4 presents a wide range of strategies by which governments, producers and consumers may contribute to the more sustainable use of natural resources. The second part of the book describes 21 inspiring best practices in resource efficiency in a variety of industrial sectors. Based on a series of interviews with industrial pioneers, these chapters relate their first-hand experiences in improving resource efficiency. These business cases demonstrate that innovation and entrepreneurship can result in substantial improvements in resource efficiency. Chapter 5 focuses on best practices in the built environment, where substantial amounts of energy and minerals are used. Chapter 6 presents four ambitious strategies to promote sustainable food production and consumption. Chapter 7 describes recent developments in the chemical process industry, which produces most of the ingredients, compounds and semi-products for the vast range of products used by society. Chapter 8 provides four examples of the state-of-the-art in resource efficiency in the metal and high-tech industries. This chapter presents four business cases highlighting the benefits of the

Best Practices and Barriers to Obesity Prevention in Head Start: Differences Between Director and Teacher Perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd-Williams, Courtney; Dooley, Erin E; Sharma, Shreela V; Chuang, Ru-Jye; Butte, Nancy; Hoelscher, Deanna M

2017-12-21

Practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity at Head Start centers may influence children's energy balance behaviors. We examined differences between directors' and teachers' perspectives on best practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in Head Start centers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of directors (n = 23) and teachers (n = 113) at 23 Head Start centers participating in the baseline assessment of the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration study. Participants completed surveys about practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Multilevel regression models examined differences between director and teacher responses. More than half of directors and teachers reported meeting most best practices related to nutrition and physical activity; few directors or teachers (foods (especially sweets, salty snacks, and sugary drinks) in front of children" and "Teachers talk to children about trying/enjoying new foods" (P food service staff support, limited time, and insufficient funds (P < .05). More barriers to healthy eating were reported than were barriers to physical activity indicating that more support may be needed for healthy eating. Differences between responses of directors and teachers may have implications for future assessments of implementation of best practices and barriers to implementation related to nutrition and physical activity in early care and education centers.

Best practice in forensic entomology--standards and guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Amendt, Jens; Campobasso, Carlo P; Gaudry, Emmanuel; Reiter, Christian; LeBlanc, Hélène N; Hall, Martin J R

2007-03-01

Forensic entomology, the use of insects and other arthropods in forensic investigations, is becoming increasingly more important in such investigations. To ensure its optimal use by a diverse group of professionals including pathologists, entomologists and police officers, a common frame of guidelines and standards is essential. Therefore, the European Association for Forensic Entomology has developed a protocol document for best practice in forensic entomology, which includes an overview of equipment used for collection of entomological evidence and a detailed description of the methods applied. Together with the definitions of key terms and a short introduction to the most important methods for the estimation of the minimum postmortem interval, the present paper aims to encourage a high level of competency in the field of forensic entomology.

Study on Best Practices in EU Entrepreneurship Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alina SUSLENCO

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study presents the analysis of the best practices in European Union on entrepreneurship education. The purpose of the research is to analyze the situation created at the national level in Romania and France regarding the development of entrepreneurial culture. The authors identified the measures used for developing the entrepreneurial environment at the local level, researching the legislation regarding the support of entrepreneurial environment development and the entrepreneurial culture, identifying the opportunities of the educational institutions regarding the entrepreneurial education. The objects of the research are two European universities: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania, and the University of Strasbourg, France. The following research methods were used in the research: documentation, analysis, synthesis, comparative analysis, induction, deduction, abduction, observation. The study was realized within the project: „Reinforce entrepreneurial and digital skills of students and teachers to enhance the modernization of higher education in MOLDOVA”, no. 585353-EPP- 1-2017- 1-RO- EPPKA2-CBHE- JP. Conclusions were formulated in order to highlight the importance of international practices, applied by well-known higher education institutions with regard to the development of entrepreneurial education.

ECOS E-MATRIX Methane and Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Emissions Best Practices Database

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parisien, Lia [The Environmental Council Of The States, Washington, DC (United States)

2016-01-31

This final scientific/technical report on the ECOS e-MATRIX Methane and Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Emissions Best Practices Database provides a disclaimer and acknowledgement, table of contents, executive summary, description of project activities, and briefing/technical presentation link.

Integrated management system best practices in radioecological laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, Claudia Aparecida Zerbinatti de

2009-01-01

This paper presents a Master dissertation advancements with the target of studying the best practices, in order to give support to an IMS conceptual model ?Integrated Management System (quality, environment, work safety and health), applied to radioecological laboratories. The planning of the proposed research comprises the following stages: first stage - the bibliographic and documental survey in IMS; a survey and study of the applied standards (QMS NBR ISO 9000 (2005), NBR ISO 9001 (2008), NBR ISO 9004 (2000), EMS 14001(2004) and OHSMS OHSAS 18001 (2007) and OHSAS 18002 (2008)); identification and characterization in radioecological laboratories processes; a methodological study of better practices and benchmarking is carried out. In the second stage of the research, the development of a case study is forecast (qualitative research, with electronic questionnaires and personal interviews, when possible), preceded by a survey and selection of international and national radioecological laboratories to be studied and, in sequence, these laboratories should be contacted and agree to participate in the research; in a third stage, the construction of a matrix of better practices, which incur in the results able to subside an IMS conceptual model proposition for radioecological laboratories; the fourth and last stage of the research comprises the construction of a conceptual proposal of an IMS structure for radioecological laboratories. The first stage of the research results are presented concisely, as well as a preliminary selection of laboratories to be studied. (author)

Integrated management system best practices in radioecological laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carvalho, Claudia Aparecida Zerbinatti de [Centro Tecnologico da Marinha em Sao Paulo (CTMSP), SP (Brazil). Dept. da Qualidade], e-mail: clau.zerbina@gmail.com; Zouain, Desiree Moraes [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], e-mail: dmzouain@ipen.br

2009-07-01

This paper presents a Master dissertation advancements with the target of studying the best practices, in order to give support to an IMS conceptual model ?Integrated Management System (quality, environment, work safety and health), applied to radioecological laboratories. The planning of the proposed research comprises the following stages: first stage - the bibliographic and documental survey in IMS; a survey and study of the applied standards (QMS NBR ISO 9000 (2005), NBR ISO 9001 (2008), NBR ISO 9004 (2000), EMS 14001(2004) and OHSMS OHSAS 18001 (2007) and OHSAS 18002 (2008)); identification and characterization in radioecological laboratories processes; a methodological study of better practices and benchmarking is carried out. In the second stage of the research, the development of a case study is forecast (qualitative research, with electronic questionnaires and personal interviews, when possible), preceded by a survey and selection of international and national radioecological laboratories to be studied and, in sequence, these laboratories should be contacted and agree to participate in the research; in a third stage, the construction of a matrix of better practices, which incur in the results able to subside an IMS conceptual model proposition for radioecological laboratories; the fourth and last stage of the research comprises the construction of a conceptual proposal of an IMS structure for radioecological laboratories. The first stage of the research results are presented concisely, as well as a preliminary selection of laboratories to be studied. (author)

Development and validation of Australian aphasia rehabilitation best practice statements using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method

Science.gov (United States)

Power, Emma; Thomas, Emma; Worrall, Linda; Rose, Miranda; Togher, Leanne; Nickels, Lyndsey; Hersh, Deborah; Godecke, Erin; O'Halloran, Robyn; Lamont, Sue; O'Connor, Claire; Clarke, Kim

2015-01-01

Objectives To develop and validate a national set of best practice statements for use in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. Design Literature review and statement validation using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM). Participants A national Community of Practice of over 250 speech pathologists, researchers, consumers and policymakers developed a framework consisting of eight areas of care in aphasia rehabilitation. This framework provided the structure for the development of a care pathway containing aphasia rehabilitation best practice statements. Nine speech pathologists with expertise in aphasia rehabilitation participated in two rounds of RAND/UCLA appropriateness ratings of the statements. Panellists consisted of researchers, service managers, clinicians and policymakers. Main outcome measures Statements that achieved a high level of agreement and an overall median score of 7–9 on a nine-point scale were rated as ‘appropriate’. Results 74 best practice statements were extracted from the literature and rated across eight areas of care (eg, receiving the right referrals, providing intervention). At the end of Round 1, 71 of the 74 statements were rated as appropriate, no statements were rated as inappropriate, and three statements were rated as uncertain. All 74 statements were then rated again in the face-to-face second round. 16 statements were added through splitting existing items or adding new statements. Seven statements were deleted leaving 83 statements. Agreement was reached for 82 of the final 83 statements. Conclusions This national set of 82 best practice statements across eight care areas for the rehabilitation of people with aphasia is the first to be validated by an expert panel. These statements form a crucial component of the Australian Aphasia Rehabilitation Pathway (AARP) (http://www.aphasiapathway.com.au) and provide the basis for more consistent implementation of evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation. PMID:26137883

Person-centred planning: an example of best practices in the field of intellectual disability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Araceli Arellano Torres

2015-04-01

Full Text Available At present, the focus of supports in the field of intellectual disability is the individual, with special emphasis on decision-making by users of different services and, therefore, on the need of consultation. In that sense, Person Centered Planning (PCP becomes an example of best practice that leads the individuals as a central reference, in order to know what is desirable for them and make it possible. This practices requires the professional’s participation and involvement, to carry out all the changes that it implies. The purpose of this paper is to present a questionnaire, which is used to assess the perception of professionals on PCP methodology. The results of a pilot study (N = 18 are described, showing the importance of professional’s training. An organization that is really committed to this approach, will be more effective if it involves those who have to implement it, providing them training related to this best practice.

Youth Work that Is of Value: Towards a Model of Best Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Judy; Boyce, Kim; Campbell, Jono; Harrington, John; Major, Duane; Williams, Ange

2009-01-01

How do funding providers make informed decisions about funding youth work programs and services? One provider in New Zealand commissioned a group of participant-researchers to explore the question "What is youth work of value?" and then develop a model of best practice. The findings have implications for both youth work practitioners and…

Best (but oft-forgotten) practices: mediation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairchild, Amanda J; McDaniel, Heather L

2017-06-01

This contribution in the "Best (but Oft-Forgotten) Practices" series considers mediation analysis. A mediator (sometimes referred to as an intermediate variable, surrogate endpoint, or intermediate endpoint) is a third variable that explains how or why ≥2 other variables relate in a putative causal pathway. The current article discusses mediation analysis with the ultimate intention of helping nutrition researchers to clarify the rationale for examining mediation, avoid common pitfalls when using the model, and conduct well-informed analyses that can contribute to improving causal inference in evaluations of underlying mechanisms of effects on nutrition-related behavioral and health outcomes. We give specific attention to underevaluated limitations inherent in common approaches to mediation. In addition, we discuss how to conduct a power analysis for mediation models and offer an applied example to demonstrate mediation analysis. Finally, we provide an example write-up of mediation analysis results as a model for applied researchers. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

Using exploratory factor analysis in personality research: Best-practice recommendations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumaya Laher

2010-11-01

Research purpose: This article presents more objective methods to determine the number of factors, most notably parallel analysis and Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP. The benefits of rotation are also discussed. The article argues for more consistent use of Procrustes rotation and congruence coefficients in factor analytic studies. Motivation for the study: Exploratory factor analysis is often criticised for not being rigorous and objective enough in terms of the methods used to determine the number of factors, the rotations to be used and ultimately the validity of the factor structure. Research design, approach and method: The article adopts a theoretical stance to discuss the best-practice recommendations for factor analytic research in the field of psychology. Following this, an example located within personality assessment and using the NEO-PI-R specifically is presented. A total of 425 students at the University of the Witwatersrand completed the NEO-PI-R. These responses were subjected to a principal components analysis using varimax rotation. The rotated solution was subjected to a Procrustes rotation with Costa and McCrae’s (1992 matrix as the target matrix. Congruence coefficients were also computed. Main findings: The example indicates the use of the methods recommended in the article and demonstrates an objective way of determining the number of factors. It also provides an example of Procrustes rotation with coefficients of agreement as an indication of how factor analytic results may be presented more rigorously in local research. Practical/managerial implications: It is hoped that the recommendations in this article will have best-practice implications for both researchers and practitioners in the field who employ factor analysis regularly. Contribution/value-add: This article will prove useful to all researchers employing factor analysis and has the potential to set the trend for better use of factor analysis in the South African context.

Best Practice Updates for Pediatric/Adolescent Weight Loss Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Janey S.A.; Lenders, Carine M.; Dionne, Emily A.; Hoppin, Alison G.; Hsu, George L.K.; Inge, Thomas H.; Lawlor, David F.; Marino, Margaret F.; Meyers, Alan F.; Rosenblum, Jennifer L.; Sanchez, Vivian M.

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to update evidence-based best practice guidelines for pediatric/adolescent weight loss surgery (WLS). We performed a systematic search of English-language literature on WLS and pediatric, adolescent, gastric bypass, laparoscopic gastric banding, and extreme obesity published between April 2004 and May 2007 in PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library. Keywords were used to narrow the search for a selective review of abstracts, retrieval of full articles, and grading of evidence according to systems used in established evidence-based models. In light of evidence on the natural history of obesity and on outcomes of WLS in adolescents, guidelines for surgical treatment of obesity in this age group need to be updated. We recommend modification of selection criteria to include adolescents with BMI ≥ 35 and specific obesity-related comorbidities for which there is clear evidence of important short-term morbidity (i.e., type 2 diabetes, severe steatohepatitis, pseudotumor cerebri, and moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea). In addition, WLS should be considered for adolescents with extreme obesity (BMI ≥ 40) and other comorbidities associated with long-term risks. We identified >1,085 papers; 186 of the most relevant were reviewed in detail. Regular updates of evidence-based recommendations for best practices in pediatric/adolescent WLS are required to address advances in technology and the growing evidence base in pediatric WLS. Key considerations in patient safety include carefully designed criteria for patient selection, multidisciplinary evaluation, choice of appropriate procedure, thorough screening and management of comorbidities, optimization of long-term compliance, and age-appropriate fully informed consent. PMID:19396070

Library information sharing. Best practices and trends. Challenges and prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Posner Beth

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Libraries share information with each other, through interlibrary loan services, so that their library users can access more of the world of information than is available in any one library. When supported with enough budget, staff and authority to do so, library resource sharing specialists can facilitate information access in a variety of traditional and innovative ways, including and beyond lending and borrowing print and digital information. Best practices, trends and new solutions for library resource sharing are reviewed. International cooperation is also highlighted.

Report on best practice for micro/nano replication process data acquisition systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Islam, Mohammad Aminul

The main objective of this deliverable is to collect detailed description on the best practice for micro/ nano replication process data acquisition system. In particular the following aspects are summed up in the deliverable: Process requirements for COTECH demonstrators General description of th....... This report presents the important processes and process parameters required for the realization of COTECH demonstrator. It also presents the cutting edge sensor systems used for different process and set a guideline to integrate sensors in COTECH tools.......The main objective of this deliverable is to collect detailed description on the best practice for micro/ nano replication process data acquisition system. In particular the following aspects are summed up in the deliverable: Process requirements for COTECH demonstrators General description...... of the processes and process parameters State-of-the-art process control and data acquisition systems Sensor integration in COTECH tools Expected COTECH improvement in process control and data acquisition system Information provide by this deliverable will be used as input to the COTECH process control system...

Health and productivity management: establishing key performance measures, benchmarks, and best practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Goetzel, R Z; Guindon, A M; Turshen, I J; Ozminkowski, R J

2001-01-01

Major areas considered under the rubric of health and productivity management (HPM) in American business include absenteeism, employee turnover, and the use of medical, disability, and workers' compensation programs. Until recently, few normative data existed for most HPM areas. To meet the need for normative information in HPM, a series of Consortium Benchmarking Studies were conducted. In the most recent application of the study, 1998 HPM costs, incidence, duration, and other program data were collected from 43 employers on almost one million workers. The median HPM costs for these organizations were $9992 per employee, which were distributed among group health (47%), turnover (37%), unscheduled absence (8%), nonoccupational disability (5%), and workers' compensation programs (3%). Achieving "best-practice" levels of performance (operationally defined as the 25th percentile for program expenditures in each HPM area) would realize savings of $2562 per employee (a 26% reduction). The results indicate substantial opportunities for improvement through effective coordination and management of HPM programs. Examples of best-practice activities collated from on-site visits to "benchmark" organizations are also reviewed.

Right heart catheterisation: best practice and pitfalls in pulmonary hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephan Rosenkranz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Right heart catheterisation (RHC plays a central role in identifying pulmonary hypertension (PH disorders, and is required to definitively diagnose pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH. Despite widespread acceptance, there is a lack of guidance regarding the best practice for performing RHC in clinical practice. In order to ensure the correct evaluation of haemodynamic parameters directly measured or calculated from RHC, attention should be drawn to standardising procedures such as the position of the pressure transducer and catheter balloon inflation volume. Measurement of pulmonary arterial wedge pressure, in particular, is vulnerable to over- or under-wedging, which can give rise to false readings. In turn, errors in RHC measurement and data interpretation can complicate the differentiation of PAH from other PH disorders and lead to misdiagnosis. In addition to diagnosis, the role of RHC in conjunction with noninvasive tests is widening rapidly to encompass monitoring of treatment response and establishing prognosis of patients diagnosed with PAH. However, further standardisation of RHC is warranted to ensure optimal use in routine clinical practice.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICE ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE USING ITIL BEST PRACTICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. WAHAB

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Service Oriented Architecture (SOA principles normally allows the software applications to integrate with other software applications by means of a service in order to achieve the reusability, interoperability and this can also reduce the time of the other applications, which results in the support of new or changed business processes. However the expectation with SOA based applications in enterprise system was quite extensive and which hasn’t been completely fulfilled for both IT and business. This paper proposes guidance in the implementation of SOA using the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL best practices and from this a realization will come about the planning, designing and operating the SOA.

Evidence utilisation project: Management of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia. The challenges of implementing best practice recommendations in the perioperative environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Munday, Judy; Hines, Sonia Jane; Chang, Anne M

2013-12-01

The prevention of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) remains an important issue in perioperative healthcare. The aims of this project were to: (i) assess current clinical practice in the management of IPH and (ii) promote best practice in the management of IPH in adult operating theatres. This project from August 2010 to March 2012 utilised a system of audit and feedback to implement best practice recommendations. Data were collected via chart audits against criteria developed from best practice recommendations for managing IPH. Evidence-based best practices, such as consistent temperature monitoring and patient warming, were implemented using multifaceted interventions. Perioperative records for 73 patients (baseline) and 72 patients (post-implementation) were audited. Post-implementation audit showed an increase in patients with temperatures >36°C admitted to the post-anaesthetic care unit (PACU) (8%) and discharged from PACU (28%). The percentage of patients receiving preoperative temperature monitoring increased (38%); however, low levels of intraoperative monitoring remained (31% of patients with surgery of 30 min or longer duration). Small increases were found in patient warming of 5% intraoperatively and 8% postoperatively. Preoperative warming was not successfully implemented during this phase of the project. Temperature monitoring, warming and rates of normothermia improved; however, barriers to best practice of IPH management were experienced, which negatively impacted on the project. Further stages of implementation and audit were added to further address IPH management in this department. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare © 2013 The Joanna Briggs Institute.

Leading Change in Tissue Viability Best Practice: An Action Learning Programme for Link Nurse Practitioners

Science.gov (United States)

Kellie, Jean; Henderson, Eileen; Milsom, Brian; Crawley, Hayley

2010-01-01

This account of practice reports on an action learning initiative designed and implemented in partnership between a regional NHS Acute Trust and a UK Business School. The central initiative was the implementation of an action learning programme entitled "Leading change in tissue viability best practice: a development programme for Link Nurse…

Supply chain management best practices: A case of humanitarian aid in southern Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ngonidzahe K. Ngwenya

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: A key contemporary issue in the southern African region is the increased frequency of the number of natural disaster occurrences. Because of the extent of the damage as a result of these disasters, beneficiary needs have to be met to mitigate against consequent hardships and the loss of lives in the affected communities. Objectives: This article reports on a study that investigated supply chain management best practices that are employed by the United Nations World Food Programme’s (UNWFP when dealing with disasters. Method: This exploratory study consisted of five in-depth interviews with voluntary participants at the UNWFP regional office in Johannesburg to determine the various initiatives adopted by the UNWFP that ensure successful disaster relief operations. Thematic analyses were used to analyse the collected data. Results: Based on the themes generated from the in-depth interviews, supply chain best practices were mainly linked to the concepts of agility, responsiveness and flexibility. Conclusion: The main findings revealed that the strategic planning, implementation and controlling of agile, flexible and responsive supply chain practices can contribute to the success of logistical operations supporting humanitarian efforts in southern Africa.

Total Quality Management and Business Excellence: The Best Practices at Toyota Motor Corporation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sorin-George Toma

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Today’s rough competition at a global level in all spheres of activity imposes companies worldwide to make sustained efforts in order to improve their products, services and processes. The automotive industry has always provided valuable examples of companies that achieved business excellence by putting quality at the core of their production system such as Toyota Motor Corporation. It has continuously designed, implemented and developed the Toyota Production System that influenced the emergence of the business excellence models. The paper aims to highlight the relationship between the concepts of total quality management and business excellence, and to identify and analyze the best practices related to them at Toyota Motor Corporation, a leader of automotive industry. The information obtained through the direct and personal observation method and from multiple secondary sources of data was collected, processed and analyzed in order to achieve the objectives of the paper. The main results show that the best practices of Toyota Motor Corporation related to total quality management and business excellence derive from the Toyota Production System and these practices are to be found in the attributes of business excellence.

Best practice strategies for validation of micro moulding process simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Costa, Franco; Tosello, Guido; Whiteside, Ben

2009-01-01

The use of simulation for injection moulding design is a powerful tool which can be used up-front to avoid costly tooling modifications and reduce the number of mould trials. However, the accuracy of the simulation results depends on many component technologies and information, some of which can...... be easily controlled or known by the simulation analyst and others which are not easily known. For this reason, experimental validation studies are an important tool for establishing best practice methodologies for use during analysis set up on all future design projects. During the validation studies......, detailed information about the moulding process is gathered and used to establish these methodologies. Whereas in routine design projects, these methodologies are then relied on to provide efficient but reliable working practices. Data analysis and simulations on preliminary micro-moulding experiments have...

Global NDE Best Practice for Technology Improvement, Outage Management, Foreign Material Exclusion and Dose Control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, S. W.; Mohr, F.

2010-01-01

Non Destructive Examination (NDE) is a critical element of both Boiling Water and Pressurized Water Reactor outages. Frequently this includes critical path activity so both the utility and the inspection vendor are under intense pressure to perform the work quickly. Concurrent with AREVA's new global organization of NDE resources, AREVA NDE SOLUTIONS, efforts have intensified for global application of lessons learned and best practices. These best practices include new developments as well as continuous improvements to well established tools and NDE techniques. Advancements range from steam generator robots, advanced steam generator deposit characterization sensors and method, new phased array approaches for PWR and BWR reactor vessel examination, new sensors and approaches for RPV head examinations, plus advanced internals examination robots and methods. In addition to specialized tools and techniques, best practice includes numerous management innovations. AREVA's multi-disciplined integrated nuclear worker strategy helps to minimize the total number of personnel deployed to multi-task outages. Specific design and on-site practice has been implemented to minimize or eliminate foreign material from the reactor system and vigorous pursuit of dose management practices keeps our nuclear worker dose as low as reasonably achievable. The industry is moving to much more conservative nuclear worker dose limits. While this is proving to be an issue with many vendors, AREVA has had an internal policy of <2R since 2006. Globalizing the organization also helps AREVA manage peaks and unplanned emergency inspections from an enlarged pool of globally qualified inspection personnel and tools. (Author)

Deliverable 3.1_ITER Project_Guidelines on best practice to be adopted in situ for TEBM use

OpenAIRE

Di Sipio, Eloisa; Berteermann, David

2017-01-01

The present guidelines concern the best practice to be adopted in situ for the installation of a special form of ground source collector, the helix system, and the use of Thermally Enhanced Backfilling Material (TEBM) as backfilling material in very shallow geothermal application. These best practice are based on the experience acquired on the ITER test site, located in Eltersdorf (Germany), and benefit from skill, expertise and multy-year experience of the two industrial partners of ITER ...

Identifying best practice in relation to Iodine-131 ablation discharges to sewers in Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, Thomas P.; Fennell, Stepehn; McGarry, Ann; Punt, Adrian

2008-01-01

Full text: In line with a commitment in Ireland's strategy on the implementation of the Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR) as well as recent developments in the provision of national oncology services, best practice in relation to Iodine-131 (I-131) ablation discharges to sewers in Ireland is under review. Preparatory to this review the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) commissioned a study of current practices in Ireland and associated doses as well as a review of international best practice and advice. Currently, there are three hospitals in Ireland at which thyroid ablation therapy procedures (large therapeutic administrations of I-131 for thyroid cancer treatment) are carried out. Only one facility has a limited capacity for delay and decay storage prior to discharge. Based on current administrations and discharges, the potentially most exposed workers comprises hospital plumbers dealing with specific incidents with estimated doses in the order of 50 to 70 μSv per incident. Doses to sewage workers and fishing communities are estimated at less than 4 μSv y -1 and 0.4 μSv y -1 respectively. Based on anticipated future service requirements in Ireland, a marginal increase in doses to some of these groups is estimated. Iodine-131 discharges to the environment and associated doses to workers and members of the public may be significantly reduced by the introduction of state-of-the-art delay and decay tanks using multi-tank vacuum systems. The justification for the introduction of a regulatory requirement to install such systems is examined taking account of: discharges to the environment, concentrations in the environment, doses to workers and members of the public, best available techniques (BAT), international best practice and advice as well as the financial implications for medical facilities. The case for retrofitting delay and decay tanks to existing medical facilities is also examined as well as the option of including such tanks in the

Identified best environmental management practices to improve the energy performance of the retail trade sector in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galvez-Martos, Jose-Luis; Styles, David; Schoenberger, Harald

2013-01-01

The retail trade sector has been identified as a target sector for the development of sectoral reference documents on best environmental management practices under the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. This paper focuses on the important energy-related needs in retailers' stores such as for food refrigeration and lighting, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning of the building. For the definition of best environmental management practices in the European framework, frontrunner retailers have been identified as those retailers integrating energy minimization and saving measures as standard practice systematically across stores. These best performers also integrate a comprehensive monitoring system in the energy management of every store or building belonging to the company, enabling the rapid identification of energy saving opportunities. An integrative approach is needed to define how best practices should be implemented in combination to optimize energy management within stores: building aspects such as insulation of the building envelope or the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, should be optimized in combination with best options for refrigeration in food retailers. Refrigeration systems are responsible for half of the final energy use in stores and of their carbon footprint. Natural refrigerants, heat recovery from the condensation stage and covering of display cases are measures with high environmental benefits to reduce the impact of refrigeration. Finally, practices for lighting, as optimal lighting strategies, and the integration of renewable energy sources in overall zero energy building concepts can save considerable amounts of fossil energy, reduce the carbon footprint and produce significant cost-savings in the long term. - highlights: • There is a high energy performance improvement potential of the retail trade sector. • We propose techniques with a high performance level and applied by frontrunners. • We identified

Local government and best practices in land resource management; Compendio delle azioni dell'Amministrazione Locale verso una definizione di best practices sul territorio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basili, M; Bertini, I; Citterio, M [ENEA, Rome (Italy)

1998-07-01

The aim of this paper is to present the efforts of public administration in the correct environmental management of territorial systems. A data base and census on best practices over territory is desirable. [Italian] Lo scopo di questo documento riguarda la ricognizione il piu' possibile completa e affidabile degli sforzi che la Pubblica Amministrazione degli Enti Locali intraprende per una gestione ambientalmente corretta dei propri sistemi territoriali e attirare l'attenzione su quelle azioni che forniscono le migliori soluzioni al problema e che possono essere d'esempio per altre amministrazioni. Si rende indispensabile la formazione di una banca dati con le informazioni e i documenti di riferimento.

Quantum customer CERN wins computerworld's prestigious 'best practices in storage' award for systems implementation

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

"Quantum Corp., the leading global specialist in backup, recovery and archive, today announced that its customer, European-based nuclear research organization CERN, was awarded Computerworld's prestigious "Best Practices in Storage" award for Systems Implementation.

The IAEA activities supporting implementation of best practice in uranium production cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slezak, J.

2010-01-01

'Full text:' Since the International Atomic Energy Agency's foundation in 1957, the Agency has had an increasing interest in uranium production cycle (UPC) developments. Recent activities cover tasks on uranium geology & deposits, exploration, mining & processing including environmental issues. The two projects titles are (1) Updating uranium resources, supply and demand and nuclear fuel cycle databases and (2) Supporting good practices in the UPC in particular for new countries. Based o the recent experience, one of the new activities is focused at human resources development to improve application of best practice called Uranium Production Cycle Network (UPNet). (author)

Best practices for implementing, testing and using a cloud-based communication system in a disaster situation.

Science.gov (United States)

Makowski, Dale

2016-01-01

This paper sets out the basics for approaching the selection and implementation of a cloud-based communication system to support a business continuity programme, including: • consideration for how a cloud-based communication system can enhance a business continuity programme; • descriptions of some of the more popular features of a cloud-based communication system; • options to evaluate when selecting a cloud-based communication system; • considerations for how to design a system to be most effective for an organisation; • best practices for how to conduct the initial load of data to a cloud-based communication system; • best practices for how to conduct an initial validation of the data loaded to a cloud-based communication system; • considerations for how to keep contact information in the cloud-based communication system current and accurate; • best practices for conducting ongoing system testing; • considerations for how to conduct user training; • review of other potential uses of a cloud-based communication system; and • review of other tools and features many cloud-based communication systems may offer.

An Investigation of Leadership Best Practices and Teacher Morale in Six Community College Child Development Centers in Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Paula V.

2010-01-01

This study was an investigation of a community college child development centers' leadership best practices and center teacher morale. A review of the literature focused on high and low teacher morale and leadership best practices. This quantitative study was conducted using the survey-design method with an adapted version of the Purdue Teacher…

Best Practice of Construction Waste Management and Minimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khor Jie Cheng

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Material management is an important issue as seen in construction waste management. Best practice of material management is accompanied by various benefits which are acknowledged by several studies. The site layout has particular effects on both materials and their waste through effective waste management practice. Ignoring the benefits of material management could result in a daily reduction in productivity of up to 40% by material wastage. Thus, the benefits of effective material management must be well comprehended for the sake of waste minimization. Another convincing fact about waste is that poor site management accounts for the largest factor of waste generation. Hence the site condition is very crucial in developing effective material management. Factors contributing to the efficiency of material management process are effective logistical management and supply chain management. The logistics system must be performing as schedule so that materials are wisely managed on-site without encountering presence of excessive materials. As materials management is closely related to logistics in construction projects, there will be delay in construction projects when materials are not delivered to site as scheduled. The management must be effective in terms of delivery, off-loading, storage, handling, on-site transportation and on-site utilization of materials.

The Question of Queue: Implications for -Best Practice- in Cross-country Transport of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.M.

2009-01-01

The 'Standard Contract' authorized by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Section 302(a)) provides that priority for acceptance of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) shall be based on the date of its discharge from civilian nuclear reactors. Through 2007, about 2,100 discharges of about 58,000 metric tons have created a priority ranking (or 'queue') for US DOE spent fuel acceptance and transport. Since 1982, consideration of the task of large-scale, cross-country SNF transport (by the National Academies and others) has led to several recommendations for 'best practice' in such an unprecedented campaign. Many of these recommendations, however, are inconsistent with the acceptance priority established by the Standard Contract, and in fact cannot be implemented under its provisions. This paper considers the SNF acceptance rankings established by the Standard Contract, and the barrier these place on best practice cross-country transport of the nation's inventory of SNF. Using a series of case studies, the paper explores the challenge of best practice transport from selected shipment origins under current arrangements. The case studies support preliminary conclusions regarding the inconsistency between best practice SNF transport and the Standard Contract acceptance queue, with reference to particular origins sites and their utility owners. The paper concludes with a suggestion for resolving the inconsistencies, and recommended next steps in the inquiry. (authors)

Spatial Dependence and Determinants of Dairy Farmers' Adoption of Best Management Practices for Water Protection in New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wei; Sharp, Basil

2017-04-01

This paper analyses spatial dependence and determinants of the New Zealand dairy farmers' adoption of best management practices to protect water quality. A Bayesian spatial durbin probit model is used to survey data collected from farmers in the Waikato region of New Zealand. The results show that farmers located near each other exhibit similar choice behaviour, indicating the importance of farmer interactions in adoption decisions. The results also address that information acquisition is the most important determinant of farmers' adoption of best management practices. Financial problems are considered a significant barrier to adopting best management practices. Overall, the existence of distance decay effect and spatial dependence in farmers' adoption decisions highlights the importance of accounting for spatial effects in farmers' decision-making, which emerges as crucial to the formulation of sustainable agriculture policy.

Ignoring "Best Practice": Why Irish Software SMEs are Rejecting CMMI and ISO 9000

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rory V. O’Connor

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Software Process Improvement (SPI "best practice" models such as ISO 9000 and the Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI have been developed to assist software development organisations by harnessing their experience and providing them with support so that they can produce software products on time, within budget and to a high level of quality. However there is increasing evidence that these models are not being adopted by Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs and primarily remain the remit of large organisations. This paper presents the results of a Grounded Theory study into why Irish SME software product companies are not using these SPI models. The key inhibiting factor found was the issue of cost. We discuss the findings in relation to cost of process and the factors affecting it, including bureaucracy, documentation, communication, tacit knowledge and organisational creativity and flexibility, and the associated impact on the adoption of SPI best practice models.

Toward best practice: leveraging the electronic patient record as a clinical data warehouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Ledbetter, C S; Morgan, M W

2001-01-01

Automating clinical and administrative processes via an electronic patient record (EPR) gives clinicians the point-of-care tools they need to deliver better patient care. However, to improve clinical practice as a whole and then evaluate it, healthcare must go beyond basic automation and convert EPR data into aggregated, multidimensional information. Unfortunately, few EPR systems have the established, powerful analytical clinical data warehouses (CDWs) required for this conversion. This article describes how an organization can support best practice by leveraging a CDW that is fully integrated into its EPR and clinical decision support (CDS) system. The article (1) discusses the requirements for comprehensive CDS, including on-line analytical processing (OLAP) of data at both transactional and aggregate levels, (2) suggests that the transactional data acquired by an OLTP EPR system must be remodeled to support retrospective, population-based, aggregate analysis of those data, and (3) concludes that this aggregate analysis is best provided by a separate CDW system.

Distributed Solar Incentive Programs: Recent Experience and Best Practices for Design and Implementation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bird, L.; Reger, A.; Heeter, J.

2012-12-01

Based on lessons from recent program experience, this report explores best practices for designing and implementing incentives for small and mid-sized residential and commercial distributed solar energy projects. The findings of this paper are relevant to both new incentive programs as well as those undergoing modifications. The report covers factors to consider in setting and modifying incentive levels over time, differentiating incentives to encourage various market segments, administrative issues such as providing equitable access to incentives and customer protection. It also explores how incentive programs can be designed to respond to changing market conditions while attempting to provide a longer-term and stable environment for the solar industry. The findings are based on interviews with program administrators, regulators, and industry representatives as well as data from numerous incentive programs nationally, particularly the largest and longest-running programs. These best practices consider the perspectives of various stakeholders and the broad objectives of reducing solar costs, encouraging long-term market viability, minimizing ratepayer costs, and protecting consumers.

Best practices in doctoral retention: Mentoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judie L. Brill

2014-06-01

Full Text Available  The aim of this critical literature review is to outline best practices in doctoral retention and the successful approach of one university to improve graduation success by providing effective mentorship for faculty and students alike. The focus of this literature review is on distance learning relationships between faculty and doctoral students, regarding retention, persistence, and mentoring models. Key phrases and words used in the search and focusing on mentoring resulted in over 20,000 sources. The search was narrowed to include only doctoral study and mentoring. Research questions of interest were: Why do high attrition rates exist for doctoral students? What are the barriers to retention? What are the benefits of doctoral mentoring? What programs do institutions have in place to reduce attrition? The researchers found a key factor influencing doctoral student retention and success is effective faculty mentorship. In particular, the design of a mentoring and faculty training program to increase retention and provide for success after graduation is important. This research represents a key area of interest in the retention literature, as institutions continue to search for ways to better support students during their doctoral programs and post-graduation. DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v4i2.186

EMQN best practice guidelines for the molecular genetic diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis (HH)

Science.gov (United States)

Porto, Graça; Brissot, Pierre; Swinkels, Dorine W; Zoller, Heinz; Kamarainen, Outi; Patton, Simon; Alonso, Isabel; Morris, Michael; Keeney, Steve

2016-01-01

Molecular genetic testing for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is recognized as a reference test to confirm the diagnosis of suspected HH or to predict its risk. The vast majority (typically >90%) of patients with clinically characterized HH are homozygous for the p.C282Y variant in the HFE gene, referred to as HFE-related HH. Since 1996, HFE genotyping was implemented in diagnostic algorithms for suspected HH, allowing its early diagnosis and prevention. However, the penetrance of disease in p.C282Y homozygotes is incomplete. Hence, homozygosity for p.C282Y is not sufficient to diagnose HH. Neither is p.C282Y homozygosity required for diagnosis as other rare forms of HH exist, generally referred to as non-HFE-related HH. These pose significant challenges when defining criteria for referral, testing protocols, interpretation of test results and reporting practices. We present best practice guidelines for the molecular genetic diagnosis of HH where recommendations are classified, as far as possible, according to the level and strength of evidence. For clarification, the guidelines' recommendations are preceded by a detailed description of the methodology and results obtained with a series of actions taken in order to achieve a wide expert consensus, namely: (i) a survey on the current practices followed by laboratories offering molecular diagnosis of HH; (ii) a systematic literature search focused on some identified controversial topics; (iii) an expert Best Practice Workshop convened to achieve consensus on the practical recommendations included in the guidelines. PMID:26153218

Best practices for veterinary toxicologic clinical pathology, with emphasis on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomlinson, Lindsay; Boone, Laura I; Ramaiah, Lila; Penraat, Kelley A; von Beust, Barbara R; Ameri, Mehrdad; Poitout-Belissent, Florence M; Weingand, Kurt; Workman, Heather C; Aulbach, Adam D; Meyer, Dennis J; Brown, Diane E; MacNeill, Amy L; Bolliger, Anne Provencher; Bounous, Denise I

2013-09-01

The purpose of this paper by the Regulatory Affairs Committee (RAC) of the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) is to review the current regulatory guidances (eg, guidelines) and published recommendations for best practices in veterinary toxicologic clinical pathology, particularly in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and to utilize the combined experience of ASVCP RAC to provide updated recommendations. Discussion points include (1) instrumentation, validation, and sample collection, (2) routine laboratory variables, (3) cytologic laboratory variables, (4) data interpretation and reporting (including peer review, reference intervals and statistics), and (5) roles and responsibilities of clinical pathologists and laboratory personnel. Revision and improvement of current practices should be in alignment with evolving regulatory guidance documents, new technology, and expanding understanding and utility of clinical pathology. These recommendations provide a contemporary guide for the refinement of veterinary toxicologic clinical pathology best practices. © 2013 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Best Practices for Water Conservation and Efficiency as an Alternative for Water Supply Expansion

Science.gov (United States)

EPA released a document that provides water conservation and efficiency best practices for evaluating water supply projects. The document can help water utilities and federal and state governments carry out assessments of the potential for future

Caring for people with dementia in hospital: findings from a survey to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing best practice dementia care.

Science.gov (United States)

Tropea, Joanne; LoGiudice, Dina; Liew, Danny; Roberts, Carol; Brand, Caroline

2017-03-01

Best practice dementia care is not always provided in the hospital setting. Knowledge, attitudes and motivation, practitioner behavior, and external factors can influence uptake of best practice and quality care. The aim of this study was to determine hospital staff perceived barriers and enablers to implementing best practice dementia care. A 17-item survey was administered at two Australian hospitals between July and September 2014. Multidisciplinary staff working in the emergency departments and general medical wards were invited to participate in the survey. The survey collected data about the respondents' current role, work area, and years of experience, their perceived level of confidence and knowledge in dementia care and common symptoms of dementia, barriers and enablers to implementing best practice dementia care, job satisfaction in caring for people with dementia, and to rate the hospital's capacity and available resources to support best practice dementia care. A total of 112 survey responses were received. The environment, inadequate staffing levels and workload, time, and staff knowledge and skills were identified as barriers to implementing best practice dementia care. Most respondents rated their knowledge of dementia care and common symptoms of dementia, and confidence in recognizing whether a person has dementia, as moderate or high dementia. Approximately, half the respondents rated access to training and equipment as low or very low. The survey findings highlighted hospital staff perceived barriers to implementing best practice dementia care that can be used to inform locally tailored improvement interventions.

Peer support for families of children with complex needs: Development and dissemination of a best practice toolkit.

Science.gov (United States)

Schippke, J; Provvidenza, C; Kingsnorth, S

2017-11-01

Benefits of peer support interventions for families of children with disabilities and complex medical needs have been described in the literature. An opportunity to create an evidence-informed resource to synthesize best practices in peer support for program providers was identified. The objective of this paper is to describe the key activities used to develop and disseminate the Peer Support Best Practice Toolkit. This project was led by a team of knowledge translation experts at a large pediatric rehabilitation hospital using a knowledge exchange framework. An integrated knowledge translation approach was used to engage stakeholders in the development process through focus groups and a working group. To capture best practices in peer support, a rapid evidence review and review of related resources were completed. Case studies were also included to showcase practice-based evidence. The toolkit is freely available online for download and is structured into four sections: (a) background and models of peer support, (b) case studies of programs, (c) resources, and (d) rapid evidence review. A communications plan was developed to disseminate the resource and generate awareness through presentations, social media, and champion engagement. Eight months postlaunch, the peer support website received more than 2,400 webpage hits. Early indicators suggest high relevance of this resource among stakeholders. The toolkit format was valuable to synthesize and share best practices in peer support. Strengths of the work include the integrated approach used to develop the toolkit and the inclusion of both the published research literature and experiential evidence. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Best-Practice Criteria for Practical Security of Self-Differencing Avalanche Photodiode Detectors in Quantum Key Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Koehler-Sidki, A.; Dynes, J. F.; Lucamarini, M.; Roberts, G. L.; Sharpe, A. W.; Yuan, Z. L.; Shields, A. J.

2018-04-01

Fast-gated avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are the most commonly used single photon detectors for high-bit-rate quantum key distribution (QKD). Their robustness against external attacks is crucial to the overall security of a QKD system, or even an entire QKD network. We investigate the behavior of a gigahertz-gated, self-differencing (In,Ga)As APD under strong illumination, a tactic Eve often uses to bring detectors under her control. Our experiment and modeling reveal that the negative feedback by the photocurrent safeguards the detector from being blinded through reducing its avalanche probability and/or strengthening the capacitive response. Based on this finding, we propose a set of best-practice criteria for designing and operating fast-gated APD detectors to ensure their practical security in QKD.

European Nanotechnology Experts Visit NCL; Harmonize Best Practices for Nanomedicine Collaboration in Europe | FNLCR

Science.gov (United States)

European nanotechnology experts visited the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) to observe best practices and methods and to share their own knowledge with NCL scientists as they prepared to launch an NCL-like operation in Europe. The Eu

Effectiveness of best management practices for sediment reduction at operation forest stream crossings

Science.gov (United States)

Laura R. Wear; Michael W. Aust; M. Chad Bolding; Brian D. Strahm; C. Andrew Dolloff

2013-01-01

Temporary skid trail stream crossings have repeatedly been identified as having considerable potential to introduce sediment to streams. Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have proven to be effective for controlling erosion and subsequent sedimentation, yet few studies have quantified sedimentation associated with various levels of BMPs for skidder stream...

Current best practice in the management of Turner syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Shankar, Roopa Kanakatti; Backeljauw, Philippe F.

2017-01-01

Turner syndrome (TS) is characterized by partial or complete loss of the second X-chromosome in phenotypic females resulting in a constellation of clinical findings that may include lymphedema, cardiac anomalies, short stature, primary ovarian failure and neurocognitive difficulties. Optimizing health care delivery is important to enable these individuals achieve their full potential. We review the current best practice management recommendations for individuals with TS focusing on the latest consensus opinion in regard to genetic diagnosis, treatment of short stature, estrogen supplementation, addressing psychosocial issues, as well screening for other comorbidities. A multidisciplinary approach and a well-planned transition to adult follow-up care will improve health care delivery significantly for this population. PMID:29344338

Best Practices in Academic Management. Study Programs Classification Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ofelia Ema Aleca

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This article proposes and tests a set of performance indicators for the assessment of Bachelor and Master studies, from two perspectives: the study programs and the disciplines. The academic performance at the level of a study program shall be calculated based on success and efficiency rates, and at discipline level, on the basis of rates of efficiency, success and absenteeism. This research proposes a model of classification of the study programs within a Bachelor and Master cycle based on the education performance and efficiency. What recommends this model as a best practice model in academic management is the possibility of grouping a study program or a discipline in a particular category of efficiency

Development and validation of Australian aphasia rehabilitation best practice statements using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method.

Science.gov (United States)

Power, Emma; Thomas, Emma; Worrall, Linda; Rose, Miranda; Togher, Leanne; Nickels, Lyndsey; Hersh, Deborah; Godecke, Erin; O'Halloran, Robyn; Lamont, Sue; O'Connor, Claire; Clarke, Kim

2015-07-02

To develop and validate a national set of best practice statements for use in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. Literature review and statement validation using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM). A national Community of Practice of over 250 speech pathologists, researchers, consumers and policymakers developed a framework consisting of eight areas of care in aphasia rehabilitation. This framework provided the structure for the development of a care pathway containing aphasia rehabilitation best practice statements. Nine speech pathologists with expertise in aphasia rehabilitation participated in two rounds of RAND/UCLA appropriateness ratings of the statements. Panellists consisted of researchers, service managers, clinicians and policymakers. Statements that achieved a high level of agreement and an overall median score of 7-9 on a nine-point scale were rated as 'appropriate'. 74 best practice statements were extracted from the literature and rated across eight areas of care (eg, receiving the right referrals, providing intervention). At the end of Round 1, 71 of the 74 statements were rated as appropriate, no statements were rated as inappropriate, and three statements were rated as uncertain. All 74 statements were then rated again in the face-to-face second round. 16 statements were added through splitting existing items or adding new statements. Seven statements were deleted leaving 83 statements. Agreement was reached for 82 of the final 83 statements. This national set of 82 best practice statements across eight care areas for the rehabilitation of people with aphasia is the first to be validated by an expert panel. These statements form a crucial component of the Australian Aphasia Rehabilitation Pathway (AARP) (http://www.aphasiapathway.com.au) and provide the basis for more consistent implementation of evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already

A Best Practices Notebook for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: Guidance and Insights for Policy and Practice from the CATALYST Project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hare, M.; Bers, van C.; Mysiak, J.; Calliari, E.; Haque, A.; Warner, K.; Yuzva, K.; Zissener, M.; Jaspers, A.M.J.; Timmerman, J.G.

2014-01-01

This publication, A Best Practices Notebook for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: Guidance and Insights for Policy and Practice from the CATALYST Project is one of two main CATALYST knowledge products that focus on the transformative approaches and measures that can support

Best Practices for HPSB Guiding Principles Implementation in Existing DOE Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, Jordan W.

2014-05-06

The intent of this paper is to document an approach to screening existing buildings at DOE sites for High-Performance and Sustainable Buildings (HPSB) Guiding Principles (GPs) potential, developing policies and programs to address a majority of the HPSB GPs, and how to prioritize buildings with the greatest potential. This paper will also include example strategies for HPSB inventory and projection schedules and best practices on approaching and interpreting select criteria that have been troublesome to sites.

Developing and Testing a Best Practice Framework for Energy Access Interventions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Xiaoxiao; Narkeviciute, Rasa; Haselip, James Arthur

2015-01-01

, absolute, measures of best practice and highly contextual realities where baselines are often lacking. However, the methodology does offer a comparative means to highlight the relative strengths and weaknesses of any given project, enabling both ex-post assessments and project learning. The study features...... an analysis of cases selected from the Energy Access Knowledge Base, published by the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment...

Best practices : bus signage for persons with visual impairments : light-emitting diode (LED) signs

Science.gov (United States)

2004-01-01

This best-practices report provides key information regarding the use of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) sign technologies to present destination and route information on transit vehicles. It will assist managers and engineers in the acquisition and use o...

ROLE OF WATERSHED SUBDIVISION ON MODELING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WITH SWAT

Science.gov (United States)

Distributed parameter watershed models are often used for evaluating the effectiveness of various best management practices (BMPs). Streamflow, sediment, and nutrient yield predictions of a watershed model can be affected by spatial resolution as dictated by watershed subdivisio...

From "best practice" to "next practice": the effectiveness of school-based health promotion in improving healthy eating and physical activity and preventing childhood obesity

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background In 2005, we reported on the success of Comprehensive School Health (CSH) in improving diets, activity levels, and body weights. The successful program was recognized as a "best practice" and has inspired the development of the Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating (APPLE) Schools. The project includes 10 schools, most of which are located in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The present study examines the effectiveness of a CSH program adopted from a "best practice" example in another setting by evaluating temporal changes in diets, activity levels and body weight. Methods In 2008 and 2010, we surveyed grade 5 students from approximately 150 randomly selected schools from the Canadian province of Alberta and students from 10 APPLE Schools. Students completed the Harvard Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire, questions on physical activity, and had their height and weight measured. Multilevel regression methods were used to analyze changes in diets, activity levels, and body weight between 2008 and 2010. Results In 2010 relative to 2008, students attending APPLE Schools were eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming fewer calories, were more physically active and were less likely obese. These changes contrasted changes observed among students elsewhere in the province. Conclusions These findings provide evidence on the effectiveness of CSH in improving health behaviors. They show that an example of "best practice" may lead to success in another setting. Herewith the study provides the evidence that investments for broader program implementation based on "best practice" are justified. PMID:22413778

Key facilitators and best practices of hotel-style room service in hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheehan-Smith, Lisa

2006-04-01

This qualitative study sought to identify the features, advantages, and disadvantages of hotel-style room service; the barriers to, and facilitators for, implementing the process; and "best practices." The study took place in four heterogeneous hospitals. Participants included hospital administrators, managers, and room-service employees. Data-collection methods included semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis. Common features of hotel-style room service were meal delivery within 30 to 45 minutes, a restaurant-style menu, procedures to feed ineligible patients, tray assembly on demand, scripting, and waitstaff uniforms for room-service employees. The major barrier to implementing room service was obtaining nursing support. The key facilitators were the hospital's service-oriented culture, using a multidisciplinary planning team, engaging nursing departments early in the planning stages, and intense customer-service training of room-service employees. The overwhelming advantage was patients' control over their food choices. The main disadvantage was cost. Initial best practices in hotel-style room service include: (a) taking a multidisciplinary team approach for developing and implementing the process, (b) customer-service training, (c) using a customer-driven menu, (d) wearing waitstaff uniforms, and (e) using carts with airpots for dispensing hot beverages.

Teacher Workshops in the US: Goals, Best Practices and Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Hörst, S. M.

2011-10-01

The goal of the workshop is to educate the teachers on a few focused topics so that they can transfer the knowledge they gain to their students. We will recruit scientists who are attending the meeting to participate in the workshops and will also pair the teachers with scientists in the field who can serve as a resource for the teacher and their class throughout the school year. The scientists can answer questions the teachers may have, be available to do video lectures or interactive question and answer sessions over skype, and work with the teachers to develop hands-on classroom activities. We will partner closely with EPO professionals in NASA's Science Mission Directorate to ensure that best practices for the workshops are employed, including ensuring that the workshop and workshop materials are designed within the framework of the state standards, surveying participating teachers before the workshops about their needs and goals, assessing the participants pre-workshop knowledge, and engaging participants as learners during the workshop [1]. The impact of the workshop will be increased by providing the teachers and students with a scientist who will serve as a long-term resource. We will maintain contact with the teachers after the workshop to ensure that the scientists are still actively engaged in their classroom and to collect feedback. References [1] Shupla C, et al. (2011) Lessons Learned: Best Practices in Educator Workshops. 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, no. 2828. EPSC Abstracts Vol. 6, EPSC-DPS2011-1775, 2011 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 c Author(s) 2011

Risk-informed Management of Water Infrastructure in the United States: History, Development, and Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfhope, J.

2017-12-01

This presentation will focus on the history, development, and best practices for evaluating the risks associated with the portfolio of water infrastructure in the United States. These practices have evolved from the early development of the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety and the establishment of the National Dam Safety Program, to the most recent update of the Best Practices for Dam and Levee Risk Analysis jointly published by the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since President Obama signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN) Act, on December 16, 2016, adding a new grant program under FEMA's National Dam Safety Program, the focus has been on establishing a risk-based priority system for use in identifying eligible high hazard potential dams for which grants may be made. Finally, the presentation provides thoughts on the future direction and priorities for managing the risk of dams and levees in the United States.

Strategic and formative collaboration between companies and University of Burgos. Anatomy of the best practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Palmero Cámara

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Given the importance and need to identify the best practices that in recent times is imposed on scientific research, Best Practice is presented with regard to strategic and educational collaboration. It takes place between theUniversityofBurgosand a company of the province in order to promote entrepreneurial culture in the context of educational and social time of university students fromBurgos. This is a descriptive study in which the five steps in the process of the selected practice are detailed, presenting the main priorities, programs, objectives, activities, methodology and results. It is concluded that, after this partnership, the participating students acquire entrepreneurial skills along with a technological and management training that will allow them to have greater competitive advantage in their professional future and lay the groundwork to build their own company. Similarly obtain benefits, in this strategic and formative collaboration, both the company and the university participant, this being extrapolated experience any combination company-educational center.

Best Practices for Operating Government-Industry Partnerships in Cyber Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larry Clinton

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Since the publication of the first National Strategy to Secure Cyber Space in 2003 the US federal government has realized that due to the interconnected nature of the Internet, securing the system would require an industry-government partnership. However, defining exactly what that new partnership would look like and how it would operate has been unclear. The ramifications of this ambiguous strategy have been noted elsewhere including the 2011 JSS article “A Relationship on the Brink” which described the dysfunctional state of public private partnerships with respect to cyber security. Subsequently, a joint industry-government study of partnership programs has generated a consensus list of “best practices” for operating such programs successfully. Moreover, subsequent use of these principles seems to confirm their ability to enhance the partnership and hopefully helps ameliorate, to some degree, the growing cyber threat. This article provides a brief history of the evolution of public-private partnerships in cyber security, the joint study to assess them and the 12 best practices generated by that analysis.

Environmental scan and evaluation of best practices for online systematic review resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin M. N. Parker

2018-04-01

Conclusion: This study revealed that resources include appropriate content but are less likely to adhere to principles of online training design and interactivity. Awareness of these resources will allow librarians to make informed recommendations for training based on patrons’ needs. Future online systematic review training resources should use established best practices for e-learning to provide high-quality resources, regardless of format or user time commitment.

Best practice guidance for the use of strategies to improve retention in randomized trials developed from two consensus workshops.

Science.gov (United States)

Brueton, Valerie; Stenning, Sally P; Stevenson, Fiona; Tierney, Jayne; Rait, Greta

2017-08-01

To develop best practice guidance for the use of retention strategies in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Consensus development workshops conducted at two UK Clinical Trials Units. Sixty-six statisticians, clinicians, RCT coordinators, research scientists, research assistants, and data managers associated with RCTs participated. The consensus development workshops were based on the consensus development conference method used to develop best practice for treatment of medical conditions. Workshops commenced with a presentation of the evidence for incentives, communication, questionnaire format, behavioral, case management, and methodological retention strategies identified by a Cochrane review and associated qualitative study. Three simultaneous group discussions followed focused on (1) how convinced the workshop participants were by the evidence for retention strategies, (2) barriers to the use of effective retention strategies, (3) types of RCT follow-up that retention strategies could be used for, and (4) strategies for future research. Summaries of each group discussion were fed back to the workshop. Coded content for both workshops was compared for agreement and disagreement. Agreed consensus on best practice guidance for retention was identified. Workshop participants agreed best practice guidance for the use of small financial incentives to improve response to postal questionnaires in RCTs. Use of second-class post was thought to be adequate for postal communication with RCT participants. The most relevant validated questionnaire was considered best practice for collecting RCT data. Barriers identified for the use of effective retention strategies were: the small improvements seen in questionnaire response for the addition of monetary incentives, and perceptions among trialists that some communication strategies are outdated. Furthermore, there was resistance to change existing retention practices thought to be effective. Face-to-face and electronic follow

The Massachusetts Community Colleges Developmental Education Best Policy and Practice Audit: Final Report

Science.gov (United States)

Sperling, Charmian

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study, funded by Jobs for the Future through a grant to the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office, was to: (1) provide an update on the status of developmental education within Massachusetts community colleges; (2) shed light on the alignment between research-based best practices to advance success among…

Net Metering and Interconnection Procedures-- Incorporating Best Practices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jason Keyes, Kevin Fox, Joseph Wiedman, Staff at North Carolina Solar Center

2009-04-01

State utility commissions and utilities themselves are actively developing and revising their procedures for the interconnection and net metering of distributed generation. However, the procedures most often used by regulators and utilities as models have not been updated in the past three years, in which time most of the distributed solar facilities in the United States have been installed. In that period, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has been a participant in more than thirty state utility commission rulemakings regarding interconnection and net metering of distributed generation. With the knowledge gained from this experience, IREC has updated its model procedures to incorporate current best practices. This paper presents the most significant changes made to IREC’s model interconnection and net metering procedures.

Satellite-instrument system engineering best practices and lessons

Science.gov (United States)

Schueler, Carl F.

2009-08-01

This paper focuses on system engineering development issues driving satellite remote sensing instrumentation cost and schedule. A key best practice is early assessment of mission and instrumentation requirements priorities driving performance trades among major instrumentation measurements: Radiometry, spatial field of view and image quality, and spectral performance. Key lessons include attention to technology availability and applicability to prioritized requirements, care in applying heritage, approaching fixed-price and cost-plus contracts with appropriate attention to risk, and assessing design options with attention to customer preference as well as design performance, and development cost and schedule. A key element of success either in contract competition or execution is team experience. Perhaps the most crucial aspect of success, however, is thorough requirements analysis and flowdown to specifications driving design performance with sufficient parameter margin to allow for mistakes or oversights - the province of system engineering from design inception to development, test and delivery.

Best Practices for Serving Students with Special Food and/or Nutrition Needs in School Nutrition Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, Alexandra; Carr, Deborah; Nettles, Mary Frances

2010-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this research project was to identify goals and establish best practices for school nutrition (SN) programs that serve students with special food and/or nutrition needs based on the four practice categories identified in previous National Food Service Management Institute, Applied Research Division (NFSMI, ARD)…

Farm-system modeling to evaluate environmental losses, profitability, and best management practice cost-effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

To meet Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load requirements for agricultural pollution, conservation districts and farmers are tasked with implementing best management practices (BMPs) that reduce farm losses of nutrients and sediment. The importance of the agricultural industry to the regional eco...

Manual for best practice for emergency response procedures, part 4: a checklist of best practice requirements for the prevention and management of inrushes, fires, explosions and other emergencies.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Spencer, KC

2000-02-01

Full Text Available . Routine cleaning of air-cooled switchgear and transformers to prevent coal dust build up. 7.3.3.1 All protection relay settings verified and recorded. Check settings have not been altered without approval COL605PART4 CHECKLIST FOR BEST PRACTICES... and/or painted with intumescent paint. Routinely test for hot connections and overheating equipment. Routinely check fire warning system. Fire extinguishers - correct and sufficient. Can overload & overcurrent relays on switches feeding...

Proposed best modeling practices for assessing the effects of ecosystem restoration on fish

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Kenneth A; Sable, Shaye; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Yurek, Simeon; Trexler, Joel C.; Graf, William L.; Reed, Denise J.

2015-01-01

Large-scale aquatic ecosystem restoration is increasing and is often controversial because of the economic costs involved, with the focus of the controversies gravitating to the modeling of fish responses. We present a scheme for best practices in selecting, implementing, interpreting, and reporting of fish modeling designed to assess the effects of restoration actions on fish populations and aquatic food webs. Previous best practice schemes that tended to be more general are summarized, and they form the foundation for our scheme that is specifically tailored for fish and restoration. We then present a 31-step scheme, with supporting text and narrative for each step, which goes from understanding how the results will be used through post-auditing to ensure the approach is used effectively in subsequent applications. We also describe 13 concepts that need to be considered in parallel to these best practice steps. Examples of these concepts include: life cycles and strategies; variability and uncertainty; nonequilibrium theory; biological, temporal, and spatial scaling; explicit versus implicit representation of processes; and model validation. These concepts are often not considered or not explicitly stated and casual treatment of them leads to mis-communication and mis-understandings, which in turn, often underlie the resulting controversies. We illustrate a subset of these steps, and their associated concepts, using the three case studies of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, the wetlands of coastal Louisiana, and the Everglades. Use of our proposed scheme will require investment of additional time and effort (and dollars) to be done effectively. We argue that such an investment is well worth it and will more than pay back in the long run in effective and efficient restoration actions and likely avoided controversies and legal proceedings.

On Best Practices for Risk Management in Complex Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan BENTA

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Risk management shall be proactive. This is one of the key preliminaries to cope with the challenges of complex projects. An overarching and consistent view on project risks and uncertainties is necessary to follow a holistic approach in project risk management. Uncertainty is inevitable since projects are unique and temporary undertakings based on assumptions and constraints, delivering project results to multiple stakeholders with different requirements. Project management can be seen as an attempt to control this uncertain environment, through the use of structured and disciplined techniques such as estimating, planning, cost control, task allocation, earned value analysis, monitoring, and review meetings. Each of these elements of project management has a role in defining or controlling inherent variability in projects. Project risk management provides approaches by which uncertainty can be understood, assessed, and managed within projects. A number of associations (e.g., Project Management Institute – PMI®, International Project Management Association – IPMA,or Network of Nordic Project Management Associations - NORDNET work constantly in acquiring, improving, and standardizing best practices in project management.Based on the industrial practice, this paper outlines strategies to identify, prioritize, and mitigate risks for achievement of project’ or organizational objectives.

From "best practice" to "next practice": the effectiveness of school-based health promotion in improving healthy eating and physical activity and preventing childhood obesity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fung Christina

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In 2005, we reported on the success of Comprehensive School Health (CSH in improving diets, activity levels, and body weights. The successful program was recognized as a "best practice" and has inspired the development of the Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating (APPLE Schools. The project includes 10 schools, most of which are located in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The present study examines the effectiveness of a CSH program adopted from a "best practice" example in another setting by evaluating temporal changes in diets, activity levels and body weight. Methods In 2008 and 2010, we surveyed grade 5 students from approximately 150 randomly selected schools from the Canadian province of Alberta and students from 10 APPLE Schools. Students completed the Harvard Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire, questions on physical activity, and had their height and weight measured. Multilevel regression methods were used to analyze changes in diets, activity levels, and body weight between 2008 and 2010. Results In 2010 relative to 2008, students attending APPLE Schools were eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming fewer calories, were more physically active and were less likely obese. These changes contrasted changes observed among students elsewhere in the province. Conclusions These findings provide evidence on the effectiveness of CSH in improving health behaviors. They show that an example of "best practice" may lead to success in another setting. Herewith the study provides the evidence that investments for broader program implementation based on "best practice" are justified.

Do corporate Web sites in Africa communicate investor information according to best practice guidelines?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Nel

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Corporate Web sites have become very popular media of information over the past decade. The Investor Relations Society published best practice Web site guidelines in December 2006 to guide companies seeking to improve the quality of their on-line communication with investors via their corporate Web sites. Guidelines were given for presentation (the way in which information is communicated and content (the information that is communicated. This study focused only on content. A 20-point checklist was developed from the prescribed best practice. The checklist focused on the six categories of best practice that entail company information, annual reports of the current year and archive, relevant news, shareholder information, bondholder information, corporate governance and corporate responsibility. Seventy-eight companies in Africa (40 from South Africa and 38 from the 'rest of Africa', that is Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia were evaluated against this checklist. Companies from the 'rest of Africa' rated lower than South African companies in all categories on the checklist. Although South African companies received ratings above 90% for all categories, besides bondholder information, many of these companies do not supply shareholder, corporate governance and corporate responsibility information via dedicated sections on their corporate Web sites. The results for companies from the 'rest of Africa' were disappointing, especially with regard to communication of annual reports, shareholder information, bondholder information and corporate responsibility. Although possible reasons for these disappointing results are discussed in this study, further research should be conducted to determine the reason(s why important elements of information are not communicated via corporate Web sites.

Evidence-Based Best Practice is More Political than It Looks: A Case Study of the "Scottish Approach"

Science.gov (United States)

Cairney, Paul

2017-01-01

National governments use evidence selectively to argue that a successful policy intervention in one local area should be emulated in others ("evidence-based best practice"). However, the value of such evidence is always limited because there is: disagreement on the best way to gather evidence of policy success, uncertainty regarding the…

Ethical issues and best practice in clinically based genomic research: Exeter Stakeholders Meeting Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrieri, D; Bewshea, C; Walker, G; Ahmad, T; Bowen, W; Hall, A; Kelly, S

2016-09-27

Current guidelines on consenting individuals to participate in genomic research are diverse. This creates problems for participants and also for researchers, particularly for clinicians who provide both clinical care and research to their patients. A group of 14 stakeholders met on 7 October 2015 in Exeter to discuss the ethical issues and the best practice arising in clinically based genomic research, with particular emphasis on the issue of returning results to study participants/patients in light of research findings affecting research and clinical practices. The group was deliberately multidisciplinary to ensure that a diversity of views was represented. This report outlines the main ethical issues, areas of best practice and principles underlying ethical clinically based genomic research discussed during the meeting. The main point emerging from the discussion is that ethical principles, rather than being formulaic, should guide researchers/clinicians to identify who the main stakeholders are to consult with for a specific project and to incorporate their voices/views strategically throughout the lifecycle of each project. We believe that the mix of principles and practical guidelines outlined in this report can contribute to current debates on how to conduct ethical clinically based genomic research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Best practice in caring for adults with dementia and learning disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Strydom, André; Al-Janabi, Tamara; Houston, Marie; Ridley, James

2016-10-05

People with learning disabilities, particularly Down's syndrome, are at increased risk of dementia. At present, services and care tailored to people with both dementia and a learning disability are unsatisfactory. This article reviews the literature specific to dementia in people with learning disabilities, including: comprehensive screening, diagnosis, management, environmental considerations, end of life care and training issues for nursing staff. Recommendations for best practice and service improvement are made to improve the quality of life for individuals with dementia and learning disabilities, pre and post-diagnosis.

ICU nurses' oral-care practices and the current best evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

DeKeyser Ganz, Freda; Fink, Naomi Farkash; Raanan, Ofra; Asher, Miriam; Bruttin, Madeline; Nun, Maureen Ben; Benbinishty, Julie

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the oral-care practices of ICU nurses, to compare those practices with current evidence-based practice, and to determine if the use of evidence-based practice was associated with personal demographic or professional characteristics. A national survey of oral-care practices of ICU nurses was conducted using a convenience sample of 218 practicing ICU nurses in 2004-05. The survey instrument included questions about demographic and professional characteristics and a checklist of oral-care practices. Nurses rated their perceived level of priority concerning oral care on a scale from 0 to 100. A score was computed representing the sum of 14 items related to equipment, solutions, assessments, and techniques associated with the current best evidence. This score was then statistically analyzed using ANOVA to determine differences of EBP based on demographic and professional characteristics. The most commonly used equipment was gauze pads (84%), followed by tongue depressors (55%), and toothbrushes (34%). Chlorhexidine was the most common solution used (75%). Less than half (44%) reported brushing their patients' teeth. The majority performed an oral assessment before beginning oral care (71%); however, none could describe what assessment tool was used. Only 57% of nurses reported documenting their oral care. Nurses rated oral care of intubated patients with a priority of 67+/-27.1. Wide variations were noted within and between units in terms of which techniques, equipment, and solutions were used. No significant relationships were found between the use of an evidence-based protocol and demographic and professional characteristics or with the priority given to oral care. While nurses ranked oral care a high priority, many did not implement the latest evidence into their current practice. The level of research utilization was not related to personal or professional characteristics. Therefore attempts should be made to encourage all

Best Practices Regarding the Use of Electronic Environment for Romanian Tourism Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Maiorescu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Information and Communication Technology (ICT plays an important role in all sectors of activity, hence in tourism sector too. Starting from this fact, authors consider as important identifying and implementing best practices in electronic environment for sustainable development of tourism in Romania. Traditional tourism - implying at all stages specialized human support – knows profound modifications. Today, current statistics show that more and more people dive into virtual environment for visualizing new places and finding out new information, for cross border business meetings, for entertainment as well as for communication. Hence, the current paper – presenting the results of a complex quantitative research, aims to discuss about the influence of virtual environment upon tourism in what concerns informing, planning and organizing a trip. The obtained results led towards recommendations for developing ICT facilities, especially for business tourism, for an extensive use of web-GIS applications during the three phases of travel, for improving infrastructure and mobile applications, especially for young people, as well as for implementing digital systems that investigate tourists’ behaviour and personalize tourism offers. The final purpose of the paper is to contribute to the development of best practices that lead to economic growth in tourism, by quantifying the impact of electronic environment upon visiting experiences.

Innovation for sustainable urban tourism: some thoughts on best practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noel Scott

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This paper examines a series of strategic initiatives that have been undertaken by Tourism Queensland (TQ, a State Tourism Organization in Australia, to develop tourism and in particular to develop networks in tourism destinations. This paper firstly examines the nature of sustainable urban tourism (SUT and discusses approaches to defining it. It suggests that developing SUT requires a generic approach to improving sustainable tourism operations amongst all suppliers in an urban area. Further, this approach suggests that best practice in marketing and policy development can be adopted to attract tourists to a SUT destination and examples of this approach are provided.

DEA best practice assesses relative efficiency, profitability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, D.T.; Thompson, R.G.

1995-01-01

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), in its Order 636 of Apr. 8, 1992, stated, ''All natural gas suppliers, including pipelines, will compete for gas purchases on an equal footing.'' This FERC order changed the economic environment in the natural gas pipeline industry. Now, gas pipeline companies must know their market position, since rate of return regulation is no longer relevant. They must be managed more than before as companies have been in less-regulated parts of the oil and gas business. How they adapt to the new environment, therefore, can be instructive to companies throughout the energy industry. In this article, DEA best-practice methods measure relative efficiency and profitability potential. This measurement reflects fundamental economic relationships. The operational efficiency model analyzed is as follows: Y 1 = f(x 1 , x 2 ), where Y 1 is gross profits, x 1 is total assets (capital employed), and x 2 is total employees (labor employed). Y 1 is a comprehensive indicator of a pipeline's output, whereas x 1 represents the pipeline's total capital employed, and x 2 represents the pipeline's total labor employed. This model reflects principles long studied in economics

Shear Ram Verification Test Protocol (VTP) Best Practices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindley, Roy A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Braun, Joseph C. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2017-01-01

A blowout preventer (BOP) is a critical component used on subsea oil and gas wells during drilling, completion, and workover operations on the U. S. outer continental shelf (OCS). The purpose of the BOP is to seal oil and gas wells, and in the case of an emergency well-control event, to prevent the uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons. One of the most important components of the BOP is the hydraulically operated blind shear ram (BSR) that shears drilling-related components, such as drill pipes, casings, tubings, and wire-related tools that may have been placed in the well. In addition to shearing these components, the BSR must form a seal to keep hydrocarbons within the well bore, even when under the highest well-fluid pressures expected. The purpose of this document is for Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to provide an independent view, based on current regulations, and best practices for testing and confirming the operability and suitability of BSRs under realistic (or actual) well conditions.

FPGA design best practices for team-based reuse

CERN Document Server

Simpson, Philip Andrew

2015-01-01

This book describes best practices for successful FPGA design. It is the result of the author’s meetings with hundreds of customers on the challenges facing each of their FPGA design teams. By gaining an understanding into their design environments, processes, what works and what does not work, key areas of concern in implementing system designs have been identified and a recommended design methodology to overcome these challenges has been developed. This book’s content has a strong focus on design teams that are spread across sites. The goal being to increase the productivity of FPGA design teams by establishing a common methodology across design teams; enabling the exchange of design blocks across teams. Coverage includes the complete FPGA design flow, from the basics to advanced techniques.  This new edition has been enhanced to include new sections on System modeling, embedded design and high level design. The original sections on Design Environment, RTL design and timing closure have all been expand...

Best practices in policy approaches to obesity prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Ashley M; Horowitz, Carol R

2013-01-01

The rapidly rising rate of obesity has prompted a variety of policy responses at national, regional, and local levels. Yet, many have expressed concern that these policy responses have a limited evidence base, are overly paternalistic, and have the potential to increase rather than shrink obesity-related disparities. The purpose of this article is to evaluate obesity policies in terms of the adequacy of evidence for action and along two ethical dimensions: their potential effect on liberty and equity. To evaluate evidence, we engage in a systematic review of reviews and rate policies in terms of the sufficiency of evidence of effectiveness at combating obesity. We then apply a libertarian-paternalist framework to assess policies in terms of their impact on liberty and inverse-equity theory to assess impact on disparities. This article provides a framework to assist decision-makers in assessing best practices in obesity using a more multi-faceted set of dimensions.

A review of best practice in relation to iodine-131 ablation discharges to sewer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punt, A.; Kruse, P.; Smith, K

2010-03-01

This report was produced by Enviros Consulting Ltd under contract to the RPII. It presents a review of best practice in relation to the management of iodine-131 ablation discharges to sewer and recommends a waste management strategy that could be adopted in the Republic of Ireland

Wind Atlas for South Africa (WASA) – Best practice guide for application of WASA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jens Carsten; Mortensen, Niels Gylling; Cronin, Tom

The present report is a best practice guide for application of results from the Wind Atlas for South Africa (WASA). A general description of the methodological framework – the wind atlas methodology – is given, including validation results of the numerical wind atlas at 10 measurement sites...

Best Manufacturing Practices. Report of Survey Conducted at Stafford County Public Schools, Stafford County, VA

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1994-01-01

During the week of August 8, 1994, a Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) survey was conducted at the Stafford County Public Schools located in Stafford County, Virginia, considered one of the fastest growing counties in the state...

North American nuclear maintenance best practices compared to Japanese utility maintenance practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harazim, M.L.; Ferguson, B.J.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare the best practices in North America concerning Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance and Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) or Preventive Maintenance Optimization (PMO) with the time-directed maintenance philosophies utilized by Japanese utilities, and how the Japanese utilities are considering (and some have begun) adopting North American ways of doing business. Preventive Maintenance Living Programs are also discussed, along with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations AP-913 process, Equipment Reliability Process. Also, a cost benefit analysis will be demonstrated showing how major cost savings can be achieved by shifting from a predominantly time-directed maintenance philosophy to a predominantly predictive strategy utilizing vibration analysis, lubricating oil analysis, thermography and other predictive technologies to better utilize resources, reduce spare part consumption and to minimize maintenance induced errors. As a result of the strides made while incorporating these new philosophies, we no longer advocate tearing apart perfectly good equipment. (author)

ANT International chemistry update and best practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordmann, F.; Odar, S.; Venz, H.; Kysela, J.; Ruehle, W.; Riess, R.

2010-01-01

economical, efficient and practical ways, under peculiar consideration of operational safety, are covered. The shutdown and start up chemistries still appear extremely complex since it is difficult to draw conclusion from short durations with a lot of transients and influencing parameters. The paper highlights the key options. Finally, the paper evaluates the various strategies for keeping the components in a clean status with the best maintenance methods. (author)

Field Measurements at River and Tidal Current Sites for Hydrokinetic Energy Development: Best Practices Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neary, Vincent S [ORNL; Gunawan, Budi [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

2011-09-01

In this report, existing data collection techniques and protocols for characterizing open channel flows are reviewed and refined to further address the needs of the MHK industry. The report provides an overview of the hydrodynamics of river and tidal channels, and the working principles of modern acoustic instrumentation, including best practices in remote sensing methods that can be applied to hydrokinetic energy site characterization. Emphasis is placed upon acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) and acoustic-Doppler current profiler (ADCP) instruments, as these represent the most practical and economical tools for use in the MHK industry. Incorporating the best practices as found in the literature, including the parameters to be measured, the instruments to be deployed, the instrument deployment strategy, and data post-processing techniques. The data collected from this procedure aims to inform the hydro-mechanical design of MHK systems with respect to energy generation and structural loading, as well as provide reference hydrodynamics for environmental impact studies. The standard metrics and protocols defined herein can be utilized to guide field experiments with MHK systems.

Digital Note-Taking: Discussion of Evidence and Best Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Grahame, Jason A

2016-03-01

Balancing active course engagement and comprehension with producing quality lecture notes is challenging. Although evidence suggests that handwritten note-taking may improve comprehension and learning outcomes, many students still self-report a preference for digital note-taking and a belief that it is beneficial. Future research is warranted to determine the effects on performance of digitally writing notes. Independent of the methods or software chosen, best practices should be provided to students with information to help them consciously make an educated decision based on the evidence and their personal preference. Optimal note-taking requires self-discipline, focused attention, sufficient working memory, thoughtful rewording, and decreased distractions. Familiarity with the tools and mediums they choose will help students maximize working memory, produce better notes, and aid in their retention of material presented.

European Nanotechnology Experts Visit NCL; Harmonize Best Practices for Nanomedicine Collaboration in Europe | FNLCR Staging

Science.gov (United States)

European nanotechnology experts visited the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) to observe best practices and methods and to share their own knowledge with NCL scientists as they prepared to launch an NCL-like operation in Europe. The Eu

Use of clinical practice guidelines to promote best practice when managing clinical interventions for liver transplant candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrett, Maree

2009-06-01

Limited organ availability and an increasing demand for organ transplantation has extended transplant waiting times and thus increased morbidity and mortality for potential recipients on waiting lists. The Queensland Liver Transplant Service identified use of clinical practice guidelines developed from evidence-based practice as a strategic clinical management/workflow tool that could improve clinical outcomes for patients awaiting liver transplant. An extensive review of publications related to the management of advanced liver disease in potential transplant recipients was undertaken and the supporting evidence was identified. In all stages of development of the guidelines, the multidisciplinary collaborative team of clinicians used recommended principles from The Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation collaboration. The liver transplant recipient coordinator acted as facilitator for the project, identifying positive factors and resolving obstacles. Key focus areas in optimizing medical management before liver transplant were identified with the aim of preventing disease progression and complications that would jeopardize patients' outcome. Clinical practice guidelines were developed for each key area to optimize care by promoting appropriate timing of clinical interventions. Practices that required change to comply with identified best practice were investigated, and clinical practice for the outpatient medical management of potential liver transplant recipients with chronic liver disease were developed collaboratively. These guidelines have been accepted and are being implemented within the gastroenterology and hepatology department at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Faculty Best Practices Using Blended Learning in E-Learning and Face-to-Face Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Mortera-Gutierrez, Fernando

2006-01-01

Presenting a higher education case study from Mexico: "Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey" (ITESM-CCM) College, Mexico city campus, describing faculty best and worst practices using a blended learning approach in e-learning and face-to-face instruction. The article comments on conceptual definitions of blended…

Implementing ERP-systems with accelerated ERP more efficient and quickly – a best practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yücel Yılmaz

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This best practice deals with the Accelerated ERP Methodology and the relevant project steps, while defining the main parameters such as administration, system availability, security and planning the project and the network. In this case, the implementation project in a food company (JKL, name altered is analyzed within the scope of project management, and it is described how this methodology put into practice. With this study, efficiency and quickness of an ERP implementation with the Accelerated ERP Methodology is pointed out.

Software ``Best'' Practices: Agile Deconstructed

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Steven

Software “best” practices depend entirely on context - in terms of the problem domain, the system constructed, the software designers, and the “customers” ultimately deriving value from the system. Agile practices no longer have the luxury of “choosing” small non-mission critical projects with co-located teams. Project stakeholders are selecting and adapting practices based on a combina tion of interest, need and staffing. For example, growing product portfolios through a merger or the acquisition of a company exposes legacy systems to new staff, new software integration challenges, and new ideas. Innovation in communications (tools and processes) to span the growth and contraction of both information and organizations, while managing the adoption of changing software practices, is imperative for success. Traditional web-based tools such as web pages, document libraries, and forums are not suf ficient. A blend of tweeting, blogs, wikis, instant messaging, web-based confer encing, and telepresence creates a new dimension of communication “best” practices.

Best Practices. An Integrated Portfolio Management Approach to Weapon System Investments Could Improve DOD's Acquisition Outcomes

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2007-01-01

.... Specifically, GAO compared DOD's processes for investing in weapon systems to the best practices that successful commercial companies use to achieve a balanced mix of new products, and identified...

A molecular informatics view on best practice in multi-parameter compound optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lusher, Scott J; McGuire, Ross; Azevedo, Rita; Boiten, Jan-Willem; van Schaik, Rene C; de Vlieg, Jacob

2011-07-01

The difference between biologically active molecules and drugs is that the latter balance an array of related and unrelated properties required for administration to patients. Inevitability, during optimization, some of these multiple factors will conflict. Although informatics has a crucial role in addressing the challenges of modern compound optimization, it is arguably still undervalued and underutilized. We present here some of the basic requirements of multi-parameter drug design, the crucial role of informatics and examples of favorable practice. The most crucial of these best practices are the need for informaticians to align their technologies and insights directly to discovery projects and for all scientists in drug discovery to become more proficient in the use of in silico methods. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of best management practices that have application to forest roads: a literature synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Pamela J. Edwards; Frederica Wood; Robin L. Quinlivan

2016-01-01

Literature describing the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) applicable to forest roads is reviewed and synthesized. Effectiveness is considered from the perspective of protecting water quality and water resources. Both paved and unpaved forest roads are considered, but BMPs that involve substantial engineering are not considered. Some of the BMPs...

An Assessment of Mississippi's Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners' Knowledge of Forest Best Management Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew James Londo; John Benkert Auel

2004-01-01

This study examined the knowledge levels of Mississippi nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners relative to best management practices (BMPs) for water quality. Data were collected through surveys of participants in BMP programs held in conjunction with County Forestry Association (CFA) meetings throughout Mississippi during 2001-02. Ten CFAs participated in this...

Perceptions of stakeholders regarding wilderness and best management practices in an Alaska recreation area

Science.gov (United States)

Emily F. Pomeranz; Mark D. Needham; Linda E. Kruger

2015-01-01

This article focuses on the collaborative and voluntary Wilderness Best Management Practices (WBMP) for managing recreation in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness in Alaska. Stakeholder definitions of wilderness, opinions about the WBMP, and whether these opinions are reflective of their perceptions of wilderness are examined. Interviews with tour operators, agency...

Business Models and Sharing Economy: Benchmarking Best Practices in Finland and Russia

OpenAIRE

Martynova, Tatiana

2017-01-01

The thesis studies the best practices in sharing economy across various industries in Russia and Finland, based on case studies of business models. It researches current legal status of the phenomenon as well as legislative changes that are to be expected in the field of sharing economy. The thesis project was commissioned in November 2015 by Association of Finnish Travel Agents (AFTA), an organization formed by travel agents, tour operators and incoming agents to promote the mutual inter...

Contracting for Efficiency. A Best Practices Guide for Energy-Efficient Product Procurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bunch, Saralyn [Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States); Payne, Christopher [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-04-01

The requirement to buy energy- and water-efficient products applies to federal purchases made through any procurement pathway (e.g., purchase cards, e-retailers, and solicitations) and to a wide variety of federal projects. The Federal Energy Management Program’s (FEMP's) Buy Energy-Efficient Products buyer overview fact sheet and Contracting for Efficiency best practices guide for product procurement are designed to support federal buyers in the purchase of energy- and water-efficient products.

Contracting for Efficiency: A Best Practices Guide for Energy Efficient Product Procurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bunch, Saralyn [Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States); Payne, Christopher [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2017-11-01

The requirement to buy energy- and water-efficient products applies to federal purchases made through any procurement pathway (e.g., purchase cards, e-retailers, and solicitations) and to a wide variety of federal projects. The Federal Energy Management Program’s (FEMP's) Buy Energy-Efficient Products buyer overview fact sheet and Contracting for Efficiency best practices guide for product procurement are designed to support federal buyers in the purchase of energy- and water-efficient products.

International Best Practices for Pre-Processing and Co-Processing Municipal Solid Waste and Sewage Sludge in the Cement Industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasanbeigi, Ali [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Lu, Hongyou [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Williams, Christopher [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Price, Lynn [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-07-01

The purpose of this report is to describe international best practices for pre-processing and coprocessing of MSW and sewage sludge in cement plants, for the benefit of countries that wish to develop co-processing capacity. The report is divided into three main sections. Section 2 describes the fundamentals of co-processing, Section 3 describes exemplary international regulatory and institutional frameworks for co-processing, and Section 4 describes international best practices related to the technological aspects of co-processing.

Evaluating the Effect of Green Infrastructure Stormwater Best Management Practices on New England Stream Habitat

Science.gov (United States)

The U.S. EPA is evaluating the effectiveness of green infrastructure (GI) stormwater best management practices (BMPs) on stream habitat at the small watershed (< HUC12) scale in New England. Predictive models for thermal regime and substrate characteristics (substrate size, % em...

THE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR BEST PRACTICES SHARING IN A DATABASE AT THE TRIBUNAL REGIONAL FEDERAL DA PRIMEIRA REGIÃO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Márcia Mazo Santos de Miranda

2010-08-01

Full Text Available A quick, effective and powerful alternative for knowledge management is the systematic sharing of best practices. This study identified in the literature recommendations for structuring a best practices database and summarized the benefits of its deployment to the Tribunal Regional Federal da Primeira Região TRF - 1ª Região. A It was conducted a quantitative research was then carried out, with the distribuition of where questionnaires were distributed to federal judges of the TRF- 1ª Região, which was divided into 4 parts: magistrate profile, flow of knowledge / information, internal environment, organizational facilitator. As a result, we identified the need to have a best practices database in the Institution for the organizational knowledge identification, transfer and sharing. The conclusion presents recommendations for the development of the database and highlights its importance for knowledge management in an organization.

Promoting Best Practices for Managing Acute Low Back Pain in an Occupational Environment.