Approach Of Setting Research Articles

Discussion: Methodology Architecture - an area under construction

A number of statistical agencies have recently launched major transformation programmes, generally with a corporate enterprise architecture at its core; a large number of architectural initiatives are cited by Eltinge et al. [5]. However, Lorenc et al. [6] note that while international cooperation is flourishing in the field of conceptual architectural frameworks, progress has been slower on the methodology side. To remedy the gap between architecture and methodology, Eltinge et al. [5] outline a potential a framework in which methodology is one of the key components. Whereas the potential framework [5] is at a very schematic level, Tam and Gross [7] enter into concrete detail by suggesting that the enterprise architecture for statistical agencies should be extended to include a Methodology Architecture (MA) within the Business Architecture layer. They describe MA as laying out the vision for methodology, supported by an envisaged future inventory of statistical methods and uses, contrasting with the current inventory, and a transition plan for migrating from the current methodological state to the future state. Starting with the CBS [8] inventory of the “as is” state, and proceeding via the generic process repository for existing methods and methodology outlined in the joint European Statistical System (ESS) strategy [9] and the HLG-BAS [10] library of the “could be” state, with an inventory of various possible methods, the MA approach of setting out the “to be” state of the inventory of statistical methods could be viewed as the third logical step in this sequence. The papers which we will discuss here concern Methodology Architecture initiatives at the Australian Bureau of Statistics [1], Statistics New Zealand [2], the Office for National Statistics [3] and the National Agricultural Statistics Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture [4]. We start off by presenting the key drivers for change (leading to the launch of methodology architecture initiatives) in Section 2. Thereafter, we proceed to present salient features of the four papers with respect to the five key success factors for a methodology architecture identified by Tam [1], i.e. innovation (Section 3), industrialisation (Section 4), contemporisation (Section 5), capacity building (Section 6) and the building of support (Section 7). We then present a few concluding remarks in Section 8.

Analýza citlivosti hodnot Herfidalovho-Hirschmanovho indexu slovenského bankového sektora

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) that measure the concentration of the industry belongs to well-known special indices. The paper is devoted to the sensitivity of the HHI values, which allows simulations of changes in concentration of the relevant market in case of new entry into the market. Let assume model situation in which a new entity has entered the industry with a relevant market share while keeping the total production of the industry unchanged and the production of subjects operating on the market is proportionately reduced. Based on this assumption, it is possible to derive relations that allow to set the boundaries in which the characteristic of the sector remains the same (levels unconcentrated, moderately concentrated, concentrated on the base of methodology of European Commission). Derived relations of the HHI sensitivity can be successfully used as a tool in assessing the entry of a new subject in any industry. It may be difficult to use analysis based on the methodology of the European Commission in case of smaller economies with a smaller number of subjects. Therefore we proposed our approach of setting of the border ranges to characterize the concentration of the industry. Also, empirical analysis of the Slovak banking sector, in which currently operate 14 banks, was conducted on the basis of the methodology of the European Commission.

Public-transit frequency setting using minimum-cost approach with stochastic demand and travel time

Common practice in public-transit planning is to determine the frequency of service based on accumulated hourly passenger counts, average travel time, given vehicle capacity, and the standard of minimum frequency by time of day. With the increased usage of automatic vehicle location (AVL) and automatic passenger counting (APC) systems, it is possible to construct the statistical distributions of passenger demand and travel time by time of day. This can give rise to improve the accuracy of the frequencies determined. This study presents a new approach of frequency setting by enabling the use of stochastic properties of the collected data and its associated costs within a supply chain optimization model. An optimization framework is constructed based on two main cost elements: (a) empty-seat driven (unproductive cost) and (b) overload and un-served demand (increased user cost). The objective function is to minimize the total cost incurred with decision variables of either frequency or vehicle capacity (vehicle size). That is, from the operator perspective it is desirable to utilize efficiently the fleet of vehicles which is related to the decisions of the vehicle size. From the authority perspective, the concern is to provide an adequate level of service in terms of frequency. The study contains sensitivity analysis of the cost elements involved for economic evaluation.

Priority setting for health technology assessment at CADTH

The aim of this study was to describe a current practical approach of priority setting of health technology assessment (HTA) research that involves multi-criteria decision analysis and a deliberative process. Criteria related to HTA prioritization were identified and grouped through a systematic review and consultation with a selection committee. Criteria were scored through a pair-wise comparison approach. Criteria were pruned based on the average weights obtained from consistent (consistency index < 0.2) responders and consensus. HTA proposals are ranked based on available information and a weighted criteria score. The rank, along with additional contextual information and discussion among committee members, is used to achieve consensus on HTA research priorities. Six of eleven criteria represented > 75 percent of the weight behind committee member decisions to conduct an HTA. These criteria were disease burden, clinical impact, alternatives, budget impact, economic impact, and available evidence. Since May 2006, committees have considered 102 proposals at sixteen biannual in-person advisory committee meetings. These have selected twenty-nine research priorities for the HTA program. The approach works well and was easy to implement. Feedback from committee members has been positive. This approach may assist HTA and other research agencies in better priority setting by informing the selection of the most important and policy-relevant topics in the presence of a wide variety of research proposals. This may in turn lead to efficiently allocating resources available for HTA research.

Lithostratigraphic framework and correlation of the Neoproterozoic northern West African Craton passive margin sequence (Siroua–Zenaga–Bouazzer Elgraara Inliers, Central Anti-Atlas, Morocco): an integrated approach

The Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary cover (∼0.8 Ga) deposited on the northern passive margin of the West African craton occurs in the central Anti-Atlas inliers and is a ∼2 km thick succession formally termed the Tizi n-Taghatine Group. The group comprises two sedimentary packages (lower and upper) separated by a middle volcanic unit. An integrated approach of lithostratigraphy, sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy and paleogeographic setting have been combined to provide well constrained correlation and lithostratigraphic organization. The Tizi n-Taghatine Group is formally subdivided into 12 Formations, 10 of which are defined in the lower sedimentary package while the middle volcanic unit and the upper sedimentary package constitute the two uppermost Formations. The lithostratigraphic organization and subdivision of the Tizi n-Taghatine Group constitutes a stratigraphic record of major paleogeographic settings and large cyclic changes in depositional system due to relative sea-level variations. The integrated approach of combination and comparison of various data provides significant information on the nature, origin and time significance of the formal unit boundaries. This leads to proposing a correlative scheme for the Tizi n-Taghatine Group across the Neoproterozoic central Anti-Atlas suture zone.

Connection control in ATM networks

This paper describes a new connection management algorithm called parallel connection control (PCC) that allows for fast connection setup in scaleable reliable asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks. The two main concepts of PCC are execution of connection setup actions at multiple switches on the route of a connection in parallel, and the separation of the route computation function into servers distinct from switch processors. The associated benefits of these concepts are fast connection setup and increased per-switch call handling capacity relative to the conventional approach of setting up connections sequentially switch-by-switch with switches performing route computation. The PCC solution is designed to work in conjunction with the current ATM Forum signaling and routing standards solutions, offering a means to achieve improved call handling performance. This paper also introduces the concept of application-dependent routing for setting up logical connections, which consist of multiple network-layer connections routed through application-layer resources, such as bridges and converters. In this paper, we propose two models for handling complex communication configurations: an end-host-driven model and a network-value-added model using application-dependent route (ADR) servers.

Setting Attribute Weights for Nearest Neighbor Learning Algorithms Using C4.5

Nearest Neighbour (NN) learning algorithms utilize a distance function to determine the classification of testing examples. The attribute weights in the distance function should be set appropriately. We study situations where a simple approach of setting attribute weights using decision trees does not work well, and design three improvements. We test these new methods thoroughly using artificially generated datasets and datasets from the machine learning repository.

Ecological standards for eutrophication and desiccation: Perspectives for a risk assessment

This paper describes an assessment of ecological standards for eutrophication and desiccation using the ecotoxicological approach of standard setting. In ecotoxicological risk assessment single-species toxicity data, such as No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC), are used to extrapolate maximum tolerable concentrations (MTC) which protect 95% of the ecosystem's species. In our approach single-species data consist of the species-response function for both nutrient availability and soil moisture. These data were used to calculate the maximum levels at which 95% of the plant species are protected. A case study, using data on 275 plant species of usable grasslands in the province of South Holland, has been carried out. Ecological standards are calculated for maximum nitrogen load and changes in groundwater level. The influence of nitrogen limitation and moisture shortage on the 95% species protection level is considered. Differences in methodology between our approach and the assessment of ecological standards for micro-pollutants and critical loads are evaluated.