Benchmarks For Use Research Articles

Nucleon-to-Δ Axial and Pseudoscalar Transition Form Factors.

A symmetry-preserving approach to the calculation of baryon properties in relativistic quantum field theory is used to predict all form factors associated with nucleon-to-Δ axial and pseudoscalar transition currents, thereby unifying them with many additional properties of these and other baryons. The new parameter-free predictions can serve as credible benchmarks for use in analyzing existing and anticipated data from worldwide efforts focused on elucidation of ν properties.

An assessment of the environmental sustainability of beef production in Canada

This study assessed the environmental impacts of beef cattle production and their effects on the overall sustainability of Canadian beef production. Cradle to farm gate, cradle to processor’s gate, and cradle to consumer plate life cycle assessments were carried out to quantify greenhouse gases (GHG), resource use (i.e., water, land, and fuel), and potential water and air pollution (i.e., freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, and photochemical oxidants formation). Across the production chain, feed production had the greatest impact on most environmental indicators. The GHG intensity without dairy meat was estimated as 10.4 kg CO2-eq per kg of live weight (LW), corresponding to 32.8 kg CO2-eq per kg of consumed boneless beef. Including dairy meat reduced GHG intensity by 5.8% (0.6 kg CO2-eq kg LW–1) compared to when it was excluded. Other environmental metrics per kg of LW were 657 L, 38.7 m2 annual crop-eq, 0.4 kg oil-eq, 2.6 kg P-eq, 115.9 kg SO2-eq, and 8.7 kg NOx-eq for water use, land use, fossil fuel use, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, and photochemical oxidants, respectively. Data provide benchmarks for use in future regional and national assessments that are designed to encourage the adoption of sustainable management practices that can lower the environmental footprint of Canadian beef production.

A Review of Candidates for a Validation Data Set for High-Assay Low-Enrichment Uranium Fuels

Many advanced reactor concept designs rely on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel, enriched up to approximately 19.75% 235U by weight. Efforts are underway by the US government to increase HALEU production in the United States to meet anticipated needs. However, very few data exist for validation of computational models that include HALEU, beyond a few fresh fuel benchmark specifications in the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project. Nevertheless, there are other data with potential value available for developing into quality benchmarks for use in data- and software-validation efforts. This paper reviews the available evaluated HALEU fuel benchmarks and some of the potentially relevant benchmarks for fresh highly enriched uranium. It then introduces experimental data for HALEU fuel irradiated at Idaho National Laboratory, from relatively recent irradiation programs at the Advanced Test Reactor. Such data should be evaluated and, if valuable, collected into detailed benchmark specifications to meet the needs of HALEU-based reactor designers.

Construction of Realistic Place-and-Route Benchmarks for Machine Learning Applications

Many design optimization methods using machine learning (ML) techniques have been investigated to reduce the number of design iterations in the physical design flow. The demand for big data to support ML research has been increasing, but the lack of place-and-route (P&R) benchmarks is one of the major problems. We propose a framework to construct realistic P&R benchmarks for use in training ML applications. The framework can organize the P&R database using an artificial netlist generator, which can create any gate-level netlist from user-specified input parameters that represent the topological characteristics of the circuit. We show that a training dataset that contains many artificial gate-level netlists can improve the generalizability of the model to predict the routability for unseen real circuits without using expensive real-world data. Compared to the model that had been trained with real-world circuits, we improved the F1 score in predicting the timing and routing failure by 26.4% and 54.5%, respectively.

The Contribution of the Ion-Ion and Ion-Solvent Interactions in a Molecular Thermodynamic Treatment of Electrolyte Solutions.

Developing molecular equations of state to treat electrolyte solutions is challenging due to the long-range nature of the Coulombic interactions. Seminal approaches commonly used are the mean spherical approximation (MSA) and the Debye-Hückel (DH) theory to account for ion-ion interactions and, often, the Born theory of solvation for ion-solvent interactions. We investigate the accuracy of the MSA and DH approaches using each to calculate the contribution of the ion-ion interactions to the chemical potential of NaCl in water, comparing these with newly computer-generated simulation data; the ion-ion contribution is isolated by selecting an appropriate primitive model with a Lennard-Jones force field to describe the solvent. A study of mixtures with different concentrations and ionic strengths reveals that the calculations from both MSA and DH theories are of similar accuracy, with the MSA approach resulting in marginally better agreement with the simulation data. We also demonstrate that the Born theory provides a good qualitative description of the contribution of the ion-solvent interactions; we employ an explicitly polar water model in these simulations. Quantitative agreement up to moderate salt concentrations and across the relevant range of temperature is achieved by adjusting the Born radius using simulation data of the free energy of solvation. We compute the radial and orientational distribution functions of the systems, thereby providing further insight on the differences observed between the theory and simulation. We thus provide rigorous benchmarks for use of the MSA, DH, and Born theories as perturbation approaches, which will be of value for improving existing models of electrolyte solutions, especially in the context of equations of state.

Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice.

The Professional Oncology Navigation Task Force created this document to provide professional oncology clinical navigators and patient navigators with clear information regarding the standards of professional practice. This includes the knowledge and skills all professional navigators should possess to deliver high-quality, competent, and ethical services to people impacted by cancer. These standards also provide benchmarks for use by healthcare employers and information for policy and decision makers, as well as other health professionals and the public to understand the role of professional oncology navigators. These standards are intended to provide guidance and may be applied differently, as appropriate, in different settings. These standards are designed to address professional oncology navigator practice and are not meant to apply to individuals working in a volunteer navigation role. It is important to read this document in whole and cross-reference within the document and with relevant professional guidance as necessary.

Evidence-based benchmarks for use of cancer surgery in high-income countries: a population-based analysis.

Estimating a population-level benchmark rate for use of surgery in the management of cancer helps to identify treatment gaps, estimate the survival impact of such gaps, and benchmark the workforce and other resources, including budgets, required to meet service needs. A population-based benchmark for use of surgery in high-income settings to inform policy makers and service provision has not been developed but was recommended by the Lancet Oncology Commission on Global Cancer Surgery. We aimed to develop and validate a cancer surgery benchmarking model. We examined the latest clinical guidelines from high-income countries (Australia, the UK, the EU, the USA, and Canada) and mapped surgical treatment pathways for 30 malignant cancer sites (19 individual sites and 11 grouped as other cancers) that were notifiable in Australia in 2014, broadly reflecting contemporary high-income models of care. The optimal use of surgery was considered as an indication for surgery where surgery is the treatment of choice for a given clinical scenario. Population-based epidemiological data, such as cancer stage, tumour characteristics, and fitness for surgery, were derived from Australia and other similar high-income settings for 2017. The probabilities across the clinical pathways of each cancer were multiplied and added together to estimate the population-level benchmark rates of cancer surgery, and further validated with the comparisons of observed rates of cancer surgery in the South Western Sydney Local Health District in 2006-12. Univariable and multivariable sensitivity analyses were done to explore uncertainty around model inputs, with mean (95% CI) benchmark surgery rates estimated on the basis of 10 000 Monte Carlo simulations. Surgical treatment was indicated in 58% (95% CI 57-59) of newly diagnosed patients with cancer in Australia in 2014 at least once during the course of their treatment, but varied by site from 23% (17-27) for prostate cancer to 99% (96-99) for testicular cancer. Observed cancer surgery rates in South Western Sydney were comparable to the benchmarks for most cancers, but were higher for some cancers, such as prostate (absolute increase of 29%) and lower for others, such as lung (-14%). The model provides a new template for high-income and emerging economies to rationally plan and assess their cancer surgery provision. There are differences in modelled versus observed surgery rates for some cancers, requiring more in-depth analysis of the observed differences. University of New South Wales Scientia Scholarship, UK Research and Innovation-Global Challenges Research Fund.

SWinvert: a workflow for performing rigorous 1-D surface wave inversions

SUMMARYSWinvert is a workflow developed at The University of Texas at Austin for the inversion of surface wave dispersion data. SWinvert encourages analysts to investigate inversion uncertainty and non-uniqueness in shear wave velocity (Vs) by providing a systematic procedure and specific actionable recommendations for surface wave inversion. In particular, the workflow encourages the use of multiple layering parametrizations to address the inversion's non-uniqueness, multiple global searches for each parametrization to address the inverse problem's non-linearity and quantification of Vs uncertainty in the resulting profiles. While the workflow uses the Dinver module of the popular open-source Geopsy software as its inversion engine, the principles presented are of relevance to analysts using other inversion programs. To illustrate the effectiveness of the SWinvert workflow and to develop a set of benchmarks for use in future surface wave inversion studies, synthetic experimental dispersion data for 12 subsurface models of varying complexity are inverted. While the effects of inversion uncertainty and non-uniqueness are shown to be minimal for simple subsurface models characterized by broad-band dispersion data, these effects cannot be ignored in the Vs profiles derived for more complex models with band-limited dispersion data. To encourage adoption of the SWinvert workflow, an open-source Python package (SWprepost), for pre- and post-processing of surface wave inversion data, and an application on the DesignSafe-Cyberinfrastructure (SWbatch), for performing batch-style surface wave inversions with Dinver using high-performance computing, have been developed and released in conjunction with this work. The SWinvert workflow is shown to provide a methodical procedure and a powerful set of tools for performing rigorous surface wave inversions and quantifying the uncertainty in the resulting Vs profiles.

Cannabis Use in Young Adult Cancer Patients.

Background: The use of cannabis by young adult (YA) cancer patients is likely to increase as medical cannabis becomes more available. Clinically relevant data on cannabis use are needed to establish benchmarks for use, to identify patients who are more likely to use cannabis, and to assess outcomes associated with use. Objective: The current study sought to determine the rate of cannabis use in YA cancer patients ages 18 to 39, identify demographic and clinical correlates of use, and examine differences in moderate-to-severe symptoms between users and nonusers. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of objectively measured tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), self-reported cannabis use, and cancer-related symptomatology in YA cancer patients in active treatment referred for comprehensive supportive care. Results: Approximately 30% of YA cancer patients tested positive for THC on urine drug testing. At the univariate level, cannabis users were more likely to be male, to have a lifetime history of smoking at least 100 cigarettes, and to be more recently diagnosed. Cannabis use was associated with moderate-to-severe symptomatology, including pain, nausea, lack of appetite, constipation, difficulty sleeping, and poorer overall well-being. Conclusions: YAs referred for comprehensive supportive care may be managing their cancer-related symptoms with cannabis. Further research is needed to better understand patients' perceptions of cannabis's therapeutic and adverse effects, in patients who used cannabis before diagnosis, and in patients who commenced use in response to a cancer diagnosis.

Productivity in Top‐10 Academic Accounting Journals by Researchers at Canadian Universities at the Start of the 21st Century

AbstractWe assess the research publication productivity of Canadian‐based accounting researchers in highly ranked accounting journals for the 2001–13 period. Our research provides important benchmarks for use by individual researchers and universities for matters such as promotion and tenure decisions. For example, each Canadian‐based faculty member had approximately 0.50 of a weighted article for the 13‐year period, and 45 percent of all accounting faculty members published at least once in a top‐10 accounting journal. We also provide an overview of the type of research being published by Canadian‐based researchers in each of the top‐10 journals (financial accounting, managerial, audit, tax or other) and we assess how productivity at top‐10 journals has changed over time. In supplemental analysis, we compare and contrast the productivity of the 15 male and 15 female academics that publish most in top‐10 accounting journals to assess the breadth of outlets being used beyond top‐10 outlets (including FT 45 journals, accounting journals ranked “A”, “B”, and “non‐A/B”; non‐accounting peer‐reviewed journals, non‐peer‐reviewed outlets). The supplemental analysis also helps to shed light on the finding from this paper, and prior research, that women are less likely to be represented on lists of those with most publications in highly ranked accounting journals, by comparing the two groups of researchers across a variety of institutional and other factors.

Food for Life: evaluation of the impact of the Hospital Food Programme in England using a case study approach.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact and challenges of implementing a Food for Life approach within three pilot NHS sites in 2014/2015 in England. Food for Life is an initiative led by the Soil Association, a non-governmental organisation in the UK that aims to encourage a healthy, sustainable food culture across communities.DesignA case-study approach was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with staff and key stakeholders together with analysis of relevant documents such as meeting minutes, strategic plans and reports.SettingThree NHS Trusts in England.ParticipantsStaff and key stakeholders.Main outcome measuresSynthesis of key findings from semi-structured interviews and analysis of relevant documents.ResultsKey themes included the potential to influence contracting processes; measuring quality; food for staff and visitors; the role of food in hospitals, and longer term sustainability and impact. Participants reported that adopting the Food for Life approach had provided enormous scope to improve the quality of food in hospital settings and had provided levers and external benchmarks for use in contracting to help drive up standards of the food provided by external contractors for patients and staff. This was demonstrated by the achievement of an FFLCM for staff and visitor catering in all three organisations.ConclusionsParticipants all felt that the importance of food in hospitals is not always recognised. Engagement with Food for Life can produce a significant change in the focus on food within hospitals, and help to improve the quality of food and mealtime experience for staff, visitors and patients.

Developing classroom language assessment benchmarks for Japanese teachers of English as a foreign language

IntroductionSince the Japanese government has called for English to be taught through English (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 2003), there has been increasing interest in English language classrooms in upper secondary schools. The government has proposed English proficiency scores that Japanese teachers of English should attain, but has not yet specified clearly what English language use should be like in the classroom.Case descriptionThis case study describes the theoretical aspect of the development of a benchmark assessment for use in English language classrooms with Japanese teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL). The study first defines teacher language proficiency, the use of the foreign language in the classroom, with particular attention to teacher language awareness (Andrews, 2007) as a bridging mechanism between pedagogical content knowledge and the foreign language proficiency of Japanese teachers of EFL. This definition of teacher language proficiency is further elaborated in terms of the legitimate use of benchmark assessments in English language classrooms in Japan with a thorough literature review of L2 benchmark assessments in other parts of the world.Discussion and EvaluationThe present case study examines the ideal assessor conditions after thorough review on assessor bias from the language testing/assessment research, while the development of assessment benchmarks for use in Japan is discussed based on a high-stakes benchmark assessment for teachers of EFL in Hong Kong. The proposed benchmarks acknowledge the complexity of classroom English use, thus employing four different scale types to accommodate the multifaceted characteristics of teacher language proficiency.ConclusionsThe current case study concludes with the exploration of tasks remaining for the future development of our benchmark assessments for use in ongoing professional development.

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation in a regulatory context—an overviewof the PROTECT coordinated action project

The outcome of the PROTECT project (Protection of the Environment from IonisingRadiation in a Regulatory Context) is summarised, focusing on the protection goal andderivation of dose rates which may detrimentally affect wildlife populations. To carry outan impact assessment for radioactive substances, the estimated dose rates produced byassessment tools need to be compared with some form of criteria to judge the level ofrisk. To do this, appropriate protection goals need to be defined and associatedpredefined dose rate values, or benchmarks, derived and agreed upon. Previousapproaches used to estimate dose rates at which there may be observable changesin populations or individuals are described and discussed, as are more recentderivations of screening benchmarks for use in regulatory frameworks. We haveadopted guidance and procedures used for assessment and regulation of otherchemical stressors to derive benchmarks. On the basis of consultation with manyrelevant experts, PROTECT has derived a benchmark screening dose rate, usingdata on largely reproductive effects to derive species sensitivity distributions, of10 µGy h − 1 which can be used to identify situations which are below regulatory concern with a highdegree of confidence.

Relating nucleic acid and protein indices to growth in Mysis relicta: ration, cycling temperature, and metabolism

We investigated growth rate, nucleic acid (DNA, RNA) and protein indices and respira- tion in juvenile (8.5 to 12 mm total body length, 7 to 20 mg wet wt) and young adult (12 to 14 mm, 20 to 30 mg wet wt) Mysis relicta, as a function of temperature, body mass and molt stage in order to develop methods to assess condition or growth in the field. Mysids were exposed to either a preferred temperature (6.5°C) and 3 ration levels, or a range of constant and dielly-cycling (DC) temperatures with ad libitum feeding. Mysid growth parameters (specific rates of growth (SGR), respiration (M O2), and RNA content cell -1 ) integrated the DC temperature experienced as averaged responses weighted by the time spent at each temperature. M O2 peaked at 12.7°C on acute temperature exposure from 4.2°C. MO2 compensation with prolonged temperature exposure occurred at mean diel temperatures ≤8.5°C. Mysids could not survive at 16°C even for 5 h d -1 . These results confirm behavioral observa- tions of temperature preferences. RNA concentration in M. relicta increased with ration and decreas- ing temperatures. Protein:DNA ratio, %protein and SGR increased with ration and then plateaued. Protein:DNA ratio, %protein and DNA:weight ratio did not change with temperature with unlimited feeding. Forward, stepwise, multiple regression models for each experiment and the combined data accounted for 31 to 72% of variability in SGR. Our experimental data provide guidance, a prelimi- nary temperature-correction factor for RNA, and benchmarks for use of nucleic acid and protein indices in assessing growth or condition of M. relicta in the field.

A Conceptual Model for Benchmarking Performance in Public Sector Ethics Programs: The Missing Link in Government Accountability?

Ever since Osborne and Gaebler's Reinventing Government[1], the federal government's National Performance Review Act,[2] the American Society for Public Administration's (ASPA's) Center for Accountability and Performance and Hartry's primer on Performance Measurement,[3] performance, outcome measurement and accountability have been guiding principles for government at the close of the 20th Century. Government and society have changed, and performance (and tools of performance measurement) has taken center stage as citizens expect more and better government for less. But governments themselves have demanded performance in order to operate in the complex, interdependent, global and technologically-based environment facing all organizations in the 21st Century. Productivity and efficiency concerns are at the heart of the performance orientation of government but so too are accountability and ethics. The application of benchmarking to ethics programs administered by federal, state and local ethics commissions, boards or offices is the focus of this paper. Specifically, this article presents a variety of models that can be used to successfully adopt benchmarks for use in government ethics programs. As ethics transgressions or allegations of ethics violations continue in the public sector (e.g., Congressman Traficant's expulsion in 2002 and Secretary of the Army White's resignation in 2003), this paper posits that ethics benchmarks hold the key for achieving both efficiency and accountability in government in the 21st century.

BSC and benchmark development for an e‐commerce SME

Purpose – To report how an SME developed strategic and operational balanced scorecards (BSCs) as well as benchmarks for use in e‐commerce.

GSSIM – Grid Scheduling Simulator

Grid simulation tools provide frameworks for simulating application scheduling in various Grid infrastructures. However, while experimenting with many existing tools, we have encountered two main shortcomings: (i) there are no tools for generating workloads, resources and events; (ii) it is difficult and time consuming to model different Grid levels, i.e. resource brokers, and local level scheduling systems. In this paper we present the Grid Scheduling Simulator (GSSIM), a framework that addresses these shortcomings and provides an easy-to-use Grid scheduling framework for enabling simulations of a wide range of scheduling algorithms in multi-level, heterogeneous Grid infrastructures. In order to foster more collaboration in the community at large, GSSIM is complemented with a portal (http://www.gssim.org) that provides a repository of Grid scheduling algorithms, synthetic workloads and benchmarks for use with GSSIM.

Reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) using a silver-coated all-silicone Foley catheter versus a silver-impregnated latex Foley catheter in a Southeastern U.S. long-term acute care facility

BACKGROUND: Infection control surveillance for nosocomial catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is often performed in intensive care units (ICUs) where comparison to NNIS data is possible. There is much information regarding CAUTI incidence in large teaching facilities. However, there are few benchmarks for use in small specialty facilities. This facility is a 49 bed long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital located in the Southeastern United States. Average LOS (length of stay) is >25 days. The LTAC serves a geographic radius of approximately 100 miles. OBJECTIVES: Compare the facility's existing CAUTI rate using a silver-impregnated latex Foley catheter to the CAUTI rate using a silver-coated all-silicone catheter. Quantify the economic and patient safety impact on this hospital. METHODS: Total facility surveillance of nosocomial CAUTIs was completed using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions. A comprehensive concurrent chart review was conducted for all patients with Foley catheters who presented with positive urine cultures >48 hours after admission. The baseline period utilizing the silver latex catheter was March–December 2003. These months were then compared to the same months utilizing the all-silicone silver-coated Foley in the subsequent year. RESULTS: The novel silver-coated all-silicone Foley catheter had 17% fewer CAUTIs in the time period studied. Compliance with hand hygiene and Foley catheter care was similar during the two timeframes. The calculated cost savings in the trial period was $49,439. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a novel silver-coated all-silicone Foley catheter resulted in major reductions in the incidence of CAUTI and cost. Switching to all-silicone silver-coated urinary catheters in the LTAC setting could substantially decrease nosocomial CAUTI, thereby improving patient safety. Further investigation is recommended. BACKGROUND: Infection control surveillance for nosocomial catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is often performed in intensive care units (ICUs) where comparison to NNIS data is possible. There is much information regarding CAUTI incidence in large teaching facilities. However, there are few benchmarks for use in small specialty facilities. This facility is a 49 bed long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital located in the Southeastern United States. Average LOS (length of stay) is >25 days. The LTAC serves a geographic radius of approximately 100 miles. OBJECTIVES: Compare the facility's existing CAUTI rate using a silver-impregnated latex Foley catheter to the CAUTI rate using a silver-coated all-silicone catheter. Quantify the economic and patient safety impact on this hospital. METHODS: Total facility surveillance of nosocomial CAUTIs was completed using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions. A comprehensive concurrent chart review was conducted for all patients with Foley catheters who presented with positive urine cultures >48 hours after admission. The baseline period utilizing the silver latex catheter was March–December 2003. These months were then compared to the same months utilizing the all-silicone silver-coated Foley in the subsequent year. RESULTS: The novel silver-coated all-silicone Foley catheter had 17% fewer CAUTIs in the time period studied. Compliance with hand hygiene and Foley catheter care was similar during the two timeframes. The calculated cost savings in the trial period was $49,439. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a novel silver-coated all-silicone Foley catheter resulted in major reductions in the incidence of CAUTI and cost. Switching to all-silicone silver-coated urinary catheters in the LTAC setting could substantially decrease nosocomial CAUTI, thereby improving patient safety. Further investigation is recommended.

Phonological acquisition in Welsh – English bilingual children

Adequate assessment, diagnosis and treatment of phonological disorders require information on normal phonological development. While such data exist for many languages, they often do not exist for minority languages such as Welsh. An added factor is that speakers of such languages are often bilingual so, in the case of Welsh, it is necessary to examine norms in bilingual acquisition of Welsh and English. This article reports such a study and provides benchmarks for use by speech-language therapists in the assessment of phonological disorders in Welsh – English bilingual children. Eighty-three children from south-east Wales took part in the study. They were divided into five 6-month age groups (from 2;6 to 5;0), and into two language dominance groups (Welsh and English). There were 42 male subjects and 41 females. Data were collected via two word-lists and from spontaneous speech. The results present the ages at which the consonant systems of the two languages are acquired, and statistical analysis examine...

Improving Market Power Mitigation Rules for Peaking Units

Marginal cost bidding should not be used as a benchmark for setting mitigated prices because it can create perverse incentives that threaten long-run efficiency and financial viability in electricity markets. More broadly, it is inconsistent with competitive market behavior. Thus, marginal cost bidding should be replaced with more sophisticated and appropriate benchmarks for use by market monitoring committees.