Certification Standards Research Articles

A Comparison of Training and Dispatch Criteria for Security Personnel in 119 Domestic and Overseas General Situation Rooms

This study proposes an efficient way to strengthen work capabilities based on a comparison of the education and training of guard personnel before and after their deployment in the 119 Emergency Operations Center, which is in charge of elementary responses to various disasters and accidents, with that given to advanced foreign situation personnel. Only one area of Gyeonggi-do Province was identified in an internal document on personnel standards for moving into the situation room in Korea, and it was found that most of the situation room agents were used for situation room work through the informal OJT training of senior members of each city and provincial headquarters before deployment. Japan, like Korea, is organized into several prefectures and operates the same Emergency Operations Center or Joint Command Center. However, the most distinctive feature of the Japanese system with respect to Korea is that situation room agents are employed in the day-to-day operations of the command center after education with systematic and clear contents before being put into the work of the Emergency Operations Center. Similarly, the United States comprises 50 states, each with its own laws and emergency management systems. However, the federal government actively controls disaster safety and establishes and operates regulations by state, and each state has education and training, certification standards, and supplementary education regulations for existing agents. In Germany, there is a specific system of vocational education and training to become a worker in the Emergency Operations Center, and the curricula in vocational schools for security personnel, as well as the admission requirements and professional qualifications, are specified by the government.

Quality evaluation of internet resources related to breast surgery in major search engines in Korea

Background With the increasing number of internet users, search engines have become a widely used source of health-related information. However, evaluating the quality of medical information obtained through search engines can be challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of search results related to breast implants obtained from major domestic websites in Korea using systematic evaluation standards.Methods Two main primary search terms (“gaseum” [breast] implant and “yubang” [breast] implant), along with 15 adjunct search terms, were combined and searched in Google, Naver, and Daum. The top 20 websites were evaluated and classified according to their type and provider. They were scored using the Korean Medical Association’s Internet Health Information Certification Standards. The proportion of significant websites, their categorical distribution, and the quality of information scores were then compared.Results Google yielded the highest number of appropriate results, with statistical significance. Blogs (36.4%) and news (34.8%) were the most common types of search results, while healthcare provider groups (49.5%) constituted the most common provider subgroup. Only 1.9% of the search results were from public organizations. Google had a significantly higher average quality score (14.04) than Naver (13.22), and Daum (12.45) (P<0.05).Conclusions Although almost half of the search results were provided by medical personnel, their average quality score (13.16) was below the overall average (13.36) and far below the 21 points of the journal/abstract category. The findings highlight the need for healthcare providers to provide high-quality medical information, and for users to develop high-level digital health literacy.

A training framework for food handlers in the national school nutrition programme in Gauteng province

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) in South Africa spearheads the National School Nutrition Program (NSNP), which is a holistic endeavour geared towards offering nourishing meals to students enrolled in public schools situated within financially disadvantaged neighborhoods. The selective responsive cluster training framework (SRCTF) aims to enhance skills development and competencies of food handlers, considering professional and ethical aspects. The key output of the NSNP is dependent on the skills competency levels of food handlers. The aim of the study was to develop a SRCTF for the NSNP for food handlers in Gauteng Province. Using mixed methods in the form of a convergent parallel design, the study includes structured questionnaires administered to NSNP food handlers, nutrition teacher coordinators, and school principals. The study identified both professional and ethical competencies as crucial factors for training through varimax rotation of a Likert scale questionnaire with 30 questions. The findings of this study highlight the lack of comprehensive training among NSNP food handlers in Gauteng Province, which is a common issue across South Africa and other countries. Pearson Chi-Square for independence confirms a significant relationship between training and skills competence levels among food handlers. For all food preparation competencies, the p-values were 0.000, indicating a significant relationship between training (independent variable) and competence levels (dependent variable). In response, a Selective Responsive Cluster Training Framework (SRCTF) is proposed specifically for NSNP food handlers in Gauteng Province. The two main competencies of the SRCTF will be the professional and ethical competencies. The main custodian of the NSNP is the DBE which should create a conducive environment for the training of food handlers within the identified clusters. Implementation of this framework would improve the overall performance and effectiveness of the NSNP. The food handlers training could lead to standard setting and certification of the NSNP food handlers on training. Key words: Training framework, Nutrition, Food handler, Competences, Skills development

Relationship between Cultural Intelligence of Hotel Employees and Guest Satisfaction: A Cross-Cultural Study in Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between cultural intelligence of hotel employees and guest satisfaction, a cross-cultural study in Kenya. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study investigated the correlation between the cultural intelligence (CQ) of hotel employees and guest satisfaction across different cultural contexts. Through a cross-cultural analysis, researchers found a significant positive relationship between the cultural intelligence of hotel employees and guest satisfaction levels. Specifically, higher levels of cultural intelligence among employees were associated with increased guest satisfaction, suggesting that employees who possess a better understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures are better equipped to meet the needs and preferences of guests from various backgrounds. This highlights the importance of fostering cultural intelligence among hotel staff to enhance overall guest experiences and satisfaction in the hospitality industry. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social exchange theory, service climate theory and resource-based view theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the relationship between cultural intelligence of hotel employees and guest satisfaction, a cross-cultural study in Kenya. Hospitality organizations should prioritize the integration of cultural intelligence training programs into their employee development initiatives. These programs should not only focus on enhancing employees' cultural knowledge but also emphasize the development of cultural mindfulness and adaptability skills. Government bodies and industry associations should advocate for the inclusion of cultural intelligence training requirements within the accreditation and certification standards for hospitality professionals.

Personnel certification as a component of the business process of development of employees of it companies

The article examines the main theoretical aspects of employee certification. It analyzes the approaches to applying the definition of certification as an element of professional training for employees, as well as a permit to use specific software or other tools that are an element of protection and regulation in the labor market. Based on various sources, the author systematizes the classification of certification types according to various division criteria, in particular: by type, by the number of levels, and by the origin of materials. Based on the current situation in the IT industry, a list of advantages and possible disadvantages of certification of employees of modern Ukrainian IT companies is determined. The primary certification areas are identified: «soft skills», «hard skills», and the subject area of the unit's functioning. Among the main advantages of certification of employees of IT companies are the following: advanced training of current staff, standardization of own training programs, the ability to prove to external stakeholders the level of staff qualifications, and the simplification of recognition of the level of skills in certain areas. Typical shortcomings in the certification process are that the knowledge and skills acquired during certification are not always used in practice; there is no standard international certification for many industries/topics/elements; some courses are extensive and time-consuming; and some programs require certain significant restrictions (experience, qualifications). The multi-stage certification business process involves determining the need for certification by collecting the necessary information. Based on the list of potential areas of certification, available resources, and other components, an annual certification program is formed, and employees are motivated to improve their knowledge and skills. In the professional certification process of IT company employees, current feedback and, most importantly, summarizing the certification results and fair rewards based on its results are essential. The article provides conclusions and prospects for further research. Keywords: employee certification, staff development, business process, types of certification, IT company

Sustainable Organic Farming Maturity Model

Organic farming is of the utmost importance in promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, minimizing environmental contamination, and avoiding using chemical fertilizers and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Even inexperienced and seasoned farmers frequently encounter formidable obstacles when attempting to authenticate their organic farming status by acquiring organic agriculture certification. The current level of agricultural land maturity is accurately assessed by a comprehensive model presented in this study, which also provides a framework for the transition to organic farming standards. These maturity models were formulated through an exhaustive analysis of agricultural standards, an extensive review of pertinent literature, and expert interviews conducted in 15 distinct locations, with each expert holding certification in a minimum of three organic agricultural standards. Identifying characteristics germane to organic standards, integrating them into maturity models, and establishing maturity items and dimensions are also components of the study. The outcome of our investigation is the Sustainable Organic Farming Maturity (SOFaM) model, which consists of five levels and eight dimensions, as well as a standard operating procedure manual for organic agricultural standard certification applications. This model's potential as an assessment instrument for determining the maturity level of agricultural land has been validated by experts who hold credentials in three distinct domains and three locations. The SOFaM model has the potential to function as a paradigm shift in the agricultural sector, streamline the certification process following organic farming standards, and guarantee adherence to predetermined criteria.

Quantifying the impact of modeling fidelity on different substructure concepts – Part 2: Code-to-code comparison in realistic environmental conditions

Abstract. Floating offshore wind is widely considered to be a promising technology to harvest renewable energy in deep ocean waters and increase clean energy generation offshore. While evolving quickly from a technological point of view, floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are challenging, as their performance and loads are governed by complex dynamics that are a result of the coupled influence of wind, waves, and currents on the structures. Many open challenges therefore still exist, especially from a modeling perspective. This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of modeling differences on FOWT loads by comparing three FOWT simulation codes, QBlade-Ocean, OpenFAST, and DeepLines Wind®, and three substructure designs, a semi-submersible, a spar buoy, and the two-part concept Hexafloat, in realistic environmental conditions. This extensive comparison represents one of the main outcomes of the Horizon 2020 project FLOATECH. In accordance with international standards for FOWT certification, multiple design situations are compared, including operation in normal power production and parked conditions. Results show that the compared codes agree well in the prediction of the system dynamics, regardless of the fidelity of the underlying modeling theories. However, some differences between the codes emerged in the analysis of fatigue loads, where, contrary to extreme loads, specific trends can be noted. With respect to QBlade-Ocean, OpenFAST was found to overestimate lifetime damage equivalent loads by up to 14 %. DeepLines Wind®, on the other hand, underestimated lifetime fatigue loads by up to 13.5 %. However, regardless of the model and FOWT design, differences in fatigue loads are larger for tower base loads than for blade root loads due to the larger influence substructure dynamics have on these loads.

Review of Wind Flow Modelling in Urban Environments to Support the Development of Urban Air Mobility

Urban air mobility (UAM) is a transformative mode of air transportation system technology that is targeted to carry passengers and goods in and around urban areas using electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. UAM operations are intended to be conducted in low altitudes where microscale turbulent wind flow conditions are prevalent. This introduces flight testing, certification, and operational complexities. To tackle these issues, the UAM industry, aviation authorities, and research communities across the world have provided prescriptive ways, such as the implementation of dynamic weather corridors for safe operation, classification of atmospheric disturbance levels for certification, etc., within the proposed concepts of operation (ConOps), certification standards, and guidelines. However, a notable hindrance to the efficacy of these solutions lies in the scarcity of operational UAM and observational wind data in urban environments. One way to address this deficiency in data is via microscale wind modelling, which has been long established in the context of studying atmospheric dynamics, weather forecasting, turbine blade load estimation, etc. Thus, this paper aims to provide a critical literature review of a variety of wind flow estimation and forecasting techniques that can be and have been utilized by the UAM community. Furthermore, a compare-and-contrast study of the commonly used wind flow models employed within the wind engineering and atmospheric science domain is furnished along with an overview of the urban wind flow conditions.

Global bamboo forest certification: The state of the art

Illegal logging is an important cause of deforestation and forest degradation. As a voluntary market-driven mechanism, sustainable forest management certification aims to reduce illegal logging in forests and promote sustainable management practices by creating a transparent, independent tracing and auditing mechanism. To date, around 11% of global forest areas have been certified under forest certification schemes. Biologically, bamboo belongs to the grass family and is classified as a non-timber forest product. Owing to its high fibre quality, many bamboo panel-based products, such as flooring, furniture, and kitchenware, are traded as alternatives to timber products in the global market. Forest certification is widely acknowledged as a means of ensuring the sustainability and legality of forest sources by European countries and the United States, which are the largest importers of bamboo products. Therefore, certified bamboo and its products are often required to meet the legal requirements and public procurement policies when entering these markets. Currently, 48 valid Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) bamboo forest management certificates and 3237 valid bamboo FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certificates have been issued, while only 1 bamboo forest management and 3 bamboo CoC certificates have been documented in PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) online database. Here, we describe the current development of global bamboo forest certification in terms of certification standards, practices, and markets; analyze challenges and future trends; and offer recommendations for creating interest in this issue and taking further action.

Academic Accreditation and Certification in Criminology and Criminal Justice Education: From Ricochets to Reckonings

For over a decade, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) was the official source of criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) academic program review before its “certification” program was discontinued in 2018. Several certification standards and indicators have been modified, addressing concerns raised with earlier iterations of the ACJS Quality Standards. The pressing need for a revisit has become evident due to challenges such as the emergence of proprietary schools as well as institutional financial pressures resulting in continued under-resourcing of CCJ programs. This article delves into previous initiatives focused on the pursuance of accreditation and certification, highlighting critical milestones and contextual influences that have propelled these mechanisms to the forefront of CCJ education. We also explore the aspirations and future directions for program review, with a particular focus on program integrity, curriculum relevance, and the evolving needs of students and the criminal justice system.

Reduced-Order Model for Supersonic Transport Takeoff Noise Scaling with Cruise Mach Number

The recent interest in the development of supersonic transport raises concerns about an increase in community noise around airports. As noise certification standards for supersonic transport other than Concorde have not yet been developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, there is a need for a physics-based scaling rule for supersonic transport takeoff noise performance. Assuming supersonic transport takeoff noise levels are dominated by the engine mixed jet velocity and the aircraft-to-microphone propagation distance, this paper presents a reduced-order model for supersonic transport takeoff noise levels as a function of four scaling groups: cruise Mach number, takeoff aerodynamic efficiency, takeoff speed, and number of installed engines. This paper finds that, as cruise Mach number increases, supersonic transport takeoff noise levels increase while their thrust cutback noise reduction potential decreases. Assuming constant aerodynamic efficiency, takeoff speed, and number of installed engines, the takeoff noise levels and noise reduction potential of a Mach 2.2 aircraft are found to be ∼15.3 dB higher and ∼19.2 dB less compared to a Mach 1.4 aircraft, respectively. This scaling rule can potentially yield a simple guideline for estimating an approximate noise limit for supersonic transport, depending on their cruise Mach number.

Criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from cargo handling equipment operating at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

This study reports in-use emissions from eight pieces of diesel or natural gas cargo handling equipment (CHE) moving containerized freight at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Equipment had engines certified to the legacy on-road model year (MY) 2010 or the off-road Tier 3, Tier 4 Interim, or Tier 4 Final emission standards. Overall, load factors were about half of the values in the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) current CHE emissions inventory, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions were 2.7 times higher than certification standards, and tailpipe-emitted fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions were 2.2 times higher than certification standards. This is yet another study, the first dedicated to in-use operations by CHE at a large commercial seaport, showing elevated in-use emissions from combustion-powered mobile sources compared to certification levels. These results underscore the need to perform routine surveillance emissions testing of any off-road mobile source fleet when developing emission inventories and air quality programs for any jurisdiction worldwide. The Energy Economy Ratio (EER) – or ratio of increased efficiency from converting combustion to zero-emission battery-electric equipment – ranged from 2.8 to 3.7, which highlights potential energy savings and therefore greenhouse gas benefits of transitioning CHE and other freight sectors to zero-emission technologies.

Comparative analysis of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0 in Taiwan's medical technologist certification: A study in artificial intelligence advancements.

This study examines the comparative effectiveness of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0, in the certification of medical technologists (MT) in Taiwan, exploring their adeptness in processing complex medical language and their contributory role in the educational and communicative aspects of professional healthcare training. This study used GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0 to test the medical laboratory technician professional college entrance examination questions. The questions in different fields, including six subjects, such as Clinical Physiology and Pathology, Hematology, and Blood Bank, among others were answered one-on-one using two generative pretrained transformer (GPT) versions, simulating the situations during exam preparation. A total of 480 questions were analyzed and the results showed that both versions of the GPT met the certification standards. Version 4.0 was better than version 3.5 for all subjects, particularly in Clinical Biochemistry (score = 96.25) and Microbiology (score = 91.25). Outstanding performance compared to version 3.5, which had an average score of 65.42 and a maximum score of 77.5. Overall, version 4.0, which was significantly better than version 3.5 in both median and average scores, reflects a significant improvement in professional knowledge processing capabilities. The GPT can provide valuable support for both the upstream and downstream processes of MT certification. Future research can further explore the application of GPT in different educational and certification contexts and improve the passing rate of medical personnel in the certification process. This study provides useful information for exploring the potential applications of GPT in certifying medical examiners. Furthermore, it provides new directions for future research in medical education.

Integrative building safety evaluation to mitigate disaster risks: a case study on public-use buildings in Seoul

ABSTRACT Recognizing potential hazards is imperative for devising pragmatic building inspection and management strategies. However, existing safety evaluation standards across diverse fields have inherent limitations in ensuring overall building safety. Chained and cascading damages following a catastrophic disaster necessitate comprehensive safety management. Thus, this study derived evaluation criteria and determined their priority to assess building safety against various hazardous events in urban settings. This case study targeted Seoul’s public-use buildings with high risks of potential harm to many regular users. Moreover, this study aggregated evaluation categories from existing inspection and certification standards into field-specific groups, including architecture, fire safety, electrical systems, gas systems, vertical transportation, and crime prevention. This categorical evaluation was further analyzed based on their importance for preventing disasters and minimizing damage, emphasizing fire safety as the most essential for securing building safety. In addition, categories evaluated from a preventative perspective hold significantly greater importance than those focused on mitigating damage. This finding underscores the need for proactive monitoring and enhanced building safety across six fields before a disaster strikes. The integrated assessment method facilitates determining which areas are well managed or need improvement. Furthermore, this approach enables efficient building safety enhancement by prioritizing field-specific or evaluation criterion-specific areas.

Promoting cardiac rehabilitation program quality in low-resource settings: Needs assessment and evaluation of the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation's registry quality improvement supports

BackgroundCardiac rehabilitation (CR) registries have the potential to support quality improvement (QImp). This study investigated the QImp needs of International CR Registry-participating programs and their evaluation of its' supports. MethodsICRR offers comparative outcome dashboards and QImp sessions, among other features. In this qualitative study, ICRR data stewards from the 17 active on-boarded CR programs were invited to a focus group held in November 2023 via Teams; stewards not sufficiently-proficient in English were invited to provide written input. Deductive-thematic analysis using NVIVO was undertaken by 2 researchers; member-checking ensued. ResultsNine participated, and four provided input, from eight countries. Three themes emerged; saturation was achieved. First, QImp facilitators included training, institutional requirements, dedicated staff, resources in academic centres and ICRR features. Second, QImp barriers included staffing issues, the global nature of the ICRR, and structural challenges in low-resource settings. Finally, ICRR supports for QImp included didactic webinars, hearing from other programs, 1–1 support offered and assessing minimum Certification standards. ConclusionICRR-participating programs are satisfied with QImp supports but encounter challenges, including related to language, staffing and other resources. CR registries should be leveraged and optimized to support CR programs to assess and improve their care quality.

Marine Stewardship Council’s Fisheries Standard: Updated best practices for promoting sustainable seafood

Eco-labeling can incentivize effective management to sustain productive fisheries, but certification standards occasionally need to be updated to reflect iterative advancement in marine policy. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) recently developed a revised standard for fishery certification, and the process provides case studies in policy development that are compiled in this special issue. Consultation with a broad group of international stakeholders identified several aspects of the MSC standard that required re-evaluation. Standards, expressed as performance indictors and scoring criteria, were revised based on current perceptions of best practices in fishery management. The revised standard requires greater evidence of management performance, more rigorous protection of endangered species and vulnerable habitats, more comprehensive mitigation of ghost fishing, explicit harvest strategies, more effective exclusion of shark finning, and socioeconomic performance indicators. Although the implementation of certification standards will continue to be imperfect, the process and results from MSC’s standard review offer methods and case studies for broader application to codify best practices in marine policy as they continually evolve.

The Intersections of Public Rights and Private Rules: An Analysis of Human Rights in Forestry and Fisheries Certification Standards

AbstractThis article systematically evaluates whether, how, and to what extent twelve prominent forestry and fisheries certification schemes address human rights in their standards. In line with the broader cross-fertilization of the fields of international human rights and environmental law and policy, our results demonstrate that human rights norms and considerations – primarily Indigenous, labour, and procedural rights – are increasingly reflected in the rulemaking of these schemes. At the same time, our analysis also demonstrates the mixed and underwhelming performance of certification standards in protecting human rights norms, including those relating to women, children, racialized and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, workers, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and peasants and rural peoples. Through descriptive statistics, we also show that levels of human rights adherence vary significantly across schemes and that standards developed in the forestry sector tend to outperform those for fisheries. Our methodology and results add a new dimension to efforts to assess the stringency, equity, and legitimacy of private authority in the environmental field.

THE SAMPLE SCHEDULING APPLICATION OF THE ANT COLONY OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM IN VEHICLE ROUTING PROBLEM TO FIND THE SHORTEST ROUTE

In this collaborative research initiative with the Research Center and Industry Standardization in Surabaya, the primary objective is to obtain Indonesian National Standard certificates through the collection of samples from companies in East Java. The focal challenge revolves around the optimization of delivery routes for vehicles with specific capacities, constituting the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), and is addressed through the application of the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm. The study confronts constraints, including the limitation of time and resources during the sample collection process, and grapples with challenges associated with travel distances that impact overall efficiency. The utilization of Sample Scheduling software (Si Dull) developed in Visual Basic introduces configurational constraints for route planning with the aim of minimizing distances. The overarching aim is to implement the ACO algorithm, culminating in the development of the Si Dull application, to elevate the efficacy of the sample collection process for industrial certification in Surabaya, thereby contributing to enhanced efficiency in travel distances for sample collection endeavors

Does temporary land retirement promote organic adoption? Evidence from the Conservation Reserve Program

AbstractThe Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) allows agricultural producers to temporarily remove environmentally sensitive farmland from production in exchange for a yearly rental payment. While enrolled in the CRP, land typically complies with standards for organic certification, which prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers for three years prior to harvest. In this paper, we study the extent to which recent participation in the CRP promotes organic certification. We do so by estimating the relationship between exiting CRP contracts and new organic certifications at the county level over the years 2011–2020. Our primary results are based on an instrumental variables estimator, where we use the number of expiring CRP contracts as an instrument for endogenous net‐exiting CRP contracts. We find that the exit of land from the CRP leads to increases in organic adoption, and estimate a 0.029% increase in new organic operations in response to a 1% increase in net‐exiting CRP contracts. By highlighting this important co‐effect of the CRP, our analysis contributes to contemporary discussions exploring the long‐term linkages between land conservation policies, organic agriculture, and other conservation practices.

Simulation-Based Analysis for Verifying New Certification Standards of Smart LED Streetlight Systems

The need for certification standards for new convergence products, such as a smart LED streetlight system, has been identified as a critical issue. This study proposes simulation modeling for smart LED streetlight systems and suggests three certification standards: the minimum time to initiate dimming-up, the duration of the dimming-up period, and the number of concurrently controlled streetlights. We utilized Relux to model streetlights and roads in terms of luminance levels, and used analytical formulas to compute the braking distances of oncoming vehicles. The two models were integrated into a smart LED streetlight system model using Simio. Simulation experiments were conducted with two objectives: to provide certification standards, and to apply and verify them in real-world cases. We experimented with 630 scenarios, modeling various dynamic situations involving roads and vehicles, and applied the model to two actual roads in the Republic of Korea to test its validity. The model was subsequently applied to roads for which traffic-volume data were available, to determine potential energy savings. The proposed simulation method can be applied to a smart LED streetlight system and to new products that lack certification standards. Furthermore, the proposed certification standards offer alternative approaches to operating streetlight systems more efficiently.