Development Of Such Indicators Research Articles

Environmentally balanced agroecosystems – key to sustainable development

Considering the large-scale aggravation of the global environmental problem, despite the nearly thirty-year implementation of the Concept of Sustainable Development, developed in Rio de Janeiro (1992),it needs additional researchand justification today. The very fact of a large-scale aggravation of the global environmental problem makes one doubt the methodological correctness of the concept. Since the consumption of natural resources, and, therefore,the ecological state of the environment dependsto a large extent on the understanding of the ecological essence of energy relations in ecosystems, it is worth focusing on the scientific provisions of the domestic school of physical economy, elaborated inthe works of Serhiy Podolinskyi, VolodymyrVernadskyi,Mykola Rudenko, Viktor Pysmak . It is in accordance with these provisions that the system of criteria-indicators of sustainable development requires revision. A new vision of the theoretical foundations for the development of such indicators is proposed.The authors saturate the modern, post-industrial understanding of the meaning of sustainable development with noospheric content. Based on the concept of noospheric ecosystems developed in previous author's works, an attempt is also made to providea qualitatively new justification of the goals and directions of the planetary development ofthe entire human population. Conclusions.The authors see the future trend of implementing the concept of sustainable development only in theapproximationof nature management mechanisms to natural analogues. The applied implementation of the author's theoretical provisions in reforming the administrative-territorial system is proposed

Brood indicators are an early warning signal of honey bee colony loss-a simulation-based study.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are exposed to multiple stressors such as pesticides, lack of forage, and diseases. It is therefore a long-standing aim to develop robust and meaningful indicators of bee vitality to assist beekeepers While established indicators often focus on expected colony winter mortality based on adult bee abundance and honey reserves at the beginning of the winter, it would be useful to have indicators that allow detection of stress effects earlier in the year to allow for adaptive management. We used the established honey bee simulation model BEEHAVE to explore the potential of different indicators such as population size, number of capped brood cells, flight activity, abundance of Varroa mites, honey stores and a brood-bee ratio. We implemented two types of stressors in our simulations: 1) parasite pressure, i.e. sub-optimal Varroa treatment by the beekeeper (hereafter referred as Biotic stress) and 2) temporal forage gaps in spring and autumn (hereafter referred as Environmental stress). Neither stressor type could be detected by bee abundance or honey reserves at the end of the first year. However, all response variables used in this study did reveal early warning signals during the course of the year. The most reliable and useful measures seem to be related to brood and the abundance of Varroa mites at the end of the year. However, while in the model we have full access to time series of variables from stressed and unstressed colonies, knowledge of these variables in the field is challenging. We discuss how our findings can nevertheless be used to develop practical early warning indicators. As a next step in the interactive development of such indicators we suggest empirical studies on the importance of the number of capped brood cells at certain times of the year on bee population vitality.

An Overview of Recent Developmental Studies in Zooplanktons

In both saltwater and freshwater environments, zooplankton can be found floating in the sunlit zone, where food sources are plentiful. They are crucial to the functioning of the food web because they mediate between primary producers and higher trophic levels. Current methods and equipment for studying and characterizing zooplankton are discussed. Similarly, zooplankton are highly attuned to their surroundings and exhibit measurable responses to shifts in water chemistry, temperatures, and other hydrographic factors. Though zooplankton have been shown to be useful as bio-indicators of eutrophication and water quality status, widespread application and development of such indicators are still relatively new and face several challenges. In this review article traditional and modern approaches used for zooplankton analysis are well discussed and the major focus area is the characterization of zooplankton sampling. In order to cover all bases in zooplanktonic studies, a holistic approach is used.

SELF-ASSESSMENT OF OWN ACTIVITY AS A CONDITION FOR IMPROVING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE CORRECTIONAL TEACHERS

One of the components of a modern Ukrainian school is a creative and responsible teacher who constantly works on himself. In the theory of special pedagogy, it has been proven that the self-development of a correctional teacher, his ability to evaluate his activities, improve professional competence is a significant condition for the quality of education and correctional work with children with special needs. The article highlights the results of the study of self-assessment of the quality of professional activity of correctional teachers, their attitude to professional development. Experts from four educational and rehabilitation institutions from three regions of Ukraine took part in the survey using the Google Forms tool. The analysis of the survey results shows the dominance of subjective factors in teachers’ self-esteem. The vast majorities of them understand the importance of professional growth and plan to improve their qualifications. Preference is given to active forms. The analysis of the problems identified by the respondents for professional development shows that they are interested in the content and methods of working with children, modern approaches to teaching children with SEN, various aspects of student socialization. The conducted research shows that correctional teachers in different regions of Ukraine are equally serious about professional competence and the need to improve it. However, they lack real criteria and indicators for self-assessment of the quality of professional activity. The development of such indicators and corresponding methodical recommendations should become a perspective for the study of the problem.
 Keywords: professional competence; quality of pedagogical activity; self-esteem; correctional teachers; special education; certification training; education of children with special educational needs; self development.

Development and validation of an index to measure progress in adaptation to climate change at the municipal level

Given the important role that municipalities must play in adapting to climate change, it is more than ever essential to measure their progress in this area. However, measuring municipalities’ adaptation progress presents its share of difficulties especially when it comes to comparing (on similar dimensions and over time) the situation of different municipal entities and to linking adaptation impacts to local actions. Longitudinal studies with recurring indicators could capture changes occurring over time, but the development of such indicators requires great emphasis on methodological and psychometric aspects, such as measurement validity. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate an index of adaptation to heatwaves and flooding at the level of municipal urbanists and urban planners. A sample of 139 officers working in urbanism and urban planning for municipal entities in the province of Quebec (Canada) completed an online questionnaire. Developed based on a literature review and consultation of representatives from the municipal sector, the questionnaire measured whether the respondent’s municipal entity did or did not adopt the behaviors that are recommended in the scientific and gray literature to adapt to heatwaves and flooding. Results of the various metrological analyses (indicator reliability analysis, first order confirmatory factor analysis, concurrent validity analysis, and nomological validity assessment analysis) confirmed the validity of the index developed to measure progress in climate change adaptation at the municipal level. The first dimension of the index corresponds to preliminary measures that inform and prepare stakeholders for action (i.e., groundwork adaptation initiatives), whereas the second refers to measures that aim to concretely reduce vulnerability to climate change, to improve the adaptive capacity or the resilience of human and natural systems (i.e., adaptation actions). The results of a series of psychometric analyses showed that the index has good validity and could properly measure the adoption of actions to prepare for adaptation as well as adaptation actions per se. Municipal and government officials can therefore consider using it to monitor and evaluate adaptation efforts at the municipal level.

Developing a System of Indicators for Clustering Financial Cybercrime

This study aims to propose a system of indicators for dividing financial cybercrime into groups. The results of this study indicate absence of taxonomic indicators regarding clustering of financial cybercrimes and wide differences in approaches to the development of such indicators in relation to cybercrimes. The proposed system of indicators for clustering of financial cybercrime is designed to help create a unified, consistent and holistic classification of cybercrime. The results of the study can be applied in the criminal legal classification of unlawful acts corresponding to the general concept of financial cybercrime.

Perspective Discrepancy between Designers and Constructors on the Sustainability of Steel Structures: Are They Synthesizable?

City growth and its resulted environmental issues are promoting a citywide application of sustainable steel structures. However, designers and constructors often hold conflicting perspectives on the sustainable construction of steel structures, which has been identified as a barrier to achieve sustainability in this area. Given that the existing sustainability indicator systems of steel structures are either design-oriented or construction-driven, this study aims to develop a new one by synthesizing both designers’ and contractors’ opinions in the development of such indicators. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify potential indicators. A questionnaire survey was then used to collect the viewpoints of designers and constructors on the identified indicators. Finally, a fuzzy set algorithm and hierarchical clustering were employed to detect the indicators’ relationships. The results present a three-dimensional indicator system composed of social-technical sustainability, greenness, and economic sustainability. Furthermore, it is found that designers and constructors have discrepant opinions on social-technical sustainability and greenness, while their views on economic sustainability are similar. The research findings provide managerial hints to the attainment of sustainable steel structures and enhance stakeholders’ understanding of design-and-construction integration in steel structure projects.

SOCIALIZING FACTOR OF MEDIA INFORMATION IN THE FORMATION OF THE YOUNG GENERATION

The article is devoted to the influence of media information on the formation of the younger generation. It describes the views of scientists on the problem of socialization of children in the conditions of informatization of modern society. It also analyses the possibilities of modern computer technologies in the educational process and scientific sources based on the introduction of personal computers, multimedia and the Internet, as well as the key concepts of the study “media information”, “computer technology”, “mass media”. Theoretical and practical aspects of the process of implementation of computer-based learning technologies in preschool education are covered. The article also describes the main forms of influence of media information on the formation of the younger generation. It proves that the positive potential of computer technology is to create new opportunities for child development, gaining new experience. The article substantiates that the use of computer technology in preschool education not only contributes to the acquisition of new knowledge, but also to the development of such indicators as cognitive motivation, cognitive interest, independence, initiative, curiosity, creativity. Children have the opportunity to show their individual abilities. It establishes that the existence of a modern child cannot be imagined without the media influence of television and the Internet. Today, media information is not only the main source of information about what is happening around, but also one of the most important institutions of socialization of the individual. A set of tasks has been developed to contribute to the effective education and upbringing of preschool children. The article reveals the main aspects of individual qualities of preschool children, which are formed under the influence of the mass media.
 Keywords: media information, media socialization, mass media, media space, preschool child, computer technologies, personality, computer technology.

The concept of sustainable development on the eve of its thirtieth anniversary: new challenges and prospects

Considering the large-scale exacerbation of the global environmental problem in spite of almost thirty-year-long implementation of the Concept of Sustainable Development, it needs further research and justification. The article offers a new vision on the theoretical foundations for the development of such indicators. Based on the concept of noosphere ecosystems developed in previous works, an attempt to qualitatively new substantiation of the goals and directions of planetary development of the entire human population is also made. Only in bringing the mechanisms of nature management closer to natural analogues do the authors see the future trend of implementing the concept of sustainable development. The aim of the article is to establish causal links between the spatial development of mankind and the achievement of a state of sustainable development. Applied implementation of the authors' theoretical ideas in reforming the administrative and territorial system is proposed.

Toward indicators of the performance of US Infrastructures under climate change risks.

Built infrastructures are increasingly disrupted by climate-related extreme events. Being able to monitor what climate change implies for US infrastructures is of considerable importance to all levels of decision-makers. A capacity to develop cross-cutting, widely applicable indicators for more than a dozen different kinds of infrastructure, however, is severely limited at present. The development of such indicators must be considered an ongoing activity that will require expansion and refinement. A number of recent consensus reports suggest four priorities for indicators that portray the impacts of climate change, climate-related extreme events, and other driving forces on infrastructure. These are changes in the reliability of infrastructure services and the implications for costs; changes in the resilience of infrastructures to climate and other stresses; impacts due to the interdependencies of infrastructures; and ongoing adaptation in infrastructures.

Lower Income Levels in Australia Are Strongly Associated With Elevated Psychological Distress: Implications for Healthcare and Other Policy Areas.

Background: Australia is a high-income country with increasing income inequality. It is unclear whether Australia's well-developed mental healthcare system is making a difference to population mental health and the Federal Government has targeted outcomes accountability in service funding strategies. In high-income countries, evidence generally suggests that income inequalities increase mental disorders among the poor. This study examined psychological-distress rates—a marker of mental ill- health—as varying by income among Australians living within and outside of capital cities.Methods: Secondary data analysis was undertaken using the population-level mental health indicator of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) as reported for 12,332 adults in the 2011/2012 National Health Survey (NHS) of Australia. K10 scores of 22 and higher indicated high/very-high distress, and 30 and higher denoted very-high distress. Very-high distress levels are strongly predictive of serious mental illness.Results: Among the poorest one-fifth of Australians, 1 in 4 people have psychological distress at a high/very-high level; this compares to about 1 in 20 people in the richest one-fifth of Australians. About 1-in-10 people making up the poorest one-fifth of Australians have current very-high distress, and this reduces to <1-in-50 people in the richest one-fifth. These disparities are consistent both within and outside of capital cities. The national prevalence of elevated distress within income quintiles varies greatly, with Poor/Rich Quintile Ratios of typically 4–5 for high/very-high levels and 7–8 for very-high levels. These effects operate more powerfully in areas marked by higher scores on the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage.Conclusions: Altering the strong association of lower income levels in Australia with elevated psychological distress would require a multi-dimensional social policy and healthcare approach. To assess the effectiveness of adopted strategies, population level indicators need to be developed with regular data-collection. The Poor/Rich quintile ratio (P/R QR) for high/very high K10 scores is a potential candidate for a mental health inequality outcome indicator since it is easily calculated from data obtained from a regularly conducted national survey, is easily understood and resonates with a wider audience. Further research on the development of such indicators is also needed.

Benchmarking National AI Strategies: Why and How Indicators and Monitoring Can Support Agile Implementation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is considered to be the key technology for the 21st century. Many countries have adopted national AI strategies in order to take advantage of the opportunities of AI and to address important challenges. The German government has also followed suit and formally adopted and published its own national strategy in November 2018. Like many other AI strategies, the German government takes a comprehensive approach, covering implications of AI for research, transfer between research and business development, employment, education, and regulation to name just a few of the most important issue areas. However, the strategy has been criticized for not defining clear and measurable objectives. The lack of concrete goals and clear indicators of success is symptomatic of many strategy papers and announcements in German digital policy. Definitions of clear goals are missing as well as policies to monitor progress and measure success. Politicians and citizens are therefore often left wondering what precisely we are trying to achieve, when it will be achieved, and whether we are making progress. The government’s AI strategy provides the opportunity to do better this time. The advantages are clear. Defining indicators requires the development of cross-departmental goals, which lays the foundation for tracking progress and thus creates the conditions for an effective implementation of the strategy. With this paper, we would like to stimulate a discussion about input and output indicators related to national AI strategies. To generate ideas for the development of such indicators, we examined whether and how already-published AI strategies define their goals and measures to validate the achievement of those goals. The national AI strategies provide some good approaches and ideas, but lack an in-depth and systematic engagement with indicators and benchmarks. In a further chapter, we examine the methodologies of existing AI indices. In both cases, we were concerned with working through core questions and providing an initial overview. We would like to caution the reader that this is not a comprehensive study. But we hope to stimulate further discussion and research with this paper. The majority of indices and reports we examined suffer from significant methodological weaknesses. The reports have generally been received uncritically by the media and the public. Therefore, we also want to spark a critical debate around AI reports and benchmarks. That said, we do not wish to generally call into question the importance and utility of these reports. So, in the third chapter, we set out our own ideas for the development of an empirical foundation for an AI strategy. Our approach hinges on a dynamic interaction with AI trend monitoring, as a means to providing the basis for the continuing engagement with and further development of indicators. With this paper, we hope to contribute to the discussion about how to define goals for national AI strategies and about how to measure them.

The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor and the Limits of Performance Indicators

Performance indicators have long been part of the vocabulary of businesses and public administrations. Essentially, they are market-oriented tools occupying a central role in both the management and measurement of organizational performance. The present article assesses, in particular, the performance indicators adopted by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Office of the Prosecutor (OTP). In so doing, it traces the development of such indicators within the OTP strategies, and argues that current indicators do not measure prosecution effectiveness in terms of outcomes within conflict-affected societies. The article corroborates this argument by explaining how current indicators are inclined to prioritize the economy and efficiency of prosecutions, thus producing a gap in the measurement of the prosecutions’ effectiveness. The mentioned gap is explained by the OTP’s fundamental lack of clarity in precisely identifying the outcomes of prosecutions. In turn, the performance indicators adopted by the OTP may engender perverse effects, further aggravating the lack of clarity concerning outcomes. The article recommends the adoption of principles aimed at improving future OTP performance measurement.

A Research Study on the Development of the Indicators to Assess the Tourism Impacts on Protected Areas of Mongolia

A Research Study on the Development of the Indicators to Assess the Tourism Impacts on Protected Areas of Mongolia Over 80 percent of protected areas is occupied by tourism and related activities which impose such adverse impacts as environmental pollution, land degradation, loss and damage of historic and cultural heritage sites in Mongolia. On the other hand, tourism is the main source for funding Protected Area administrations. Therefore, it is crucial to develop indicators to assess the environmental and socioeconomical impacts of tourism on Protected Areas. Development of such indicators will enable the policy makers, project initiators and project beneficiaries to duly monitor, evaluate the project implementation in order to promote and sustain positive outcomes while preventing and minimizing adverse impacts.

Formulation of Agenda 21 Process Indicators for Malaysia

This paper consists of formulation of Agenda 21 progress indicators for Malaysia from its establishment in 1992 which calls on countries, organizations and non-governmental organizations to develop and use indicators of sustainable development. It provides a firm basis for decision-making on the impacts of economic activities on the environment that have to be clearly understood and taken into account. The initiatives taken by Malaysia in response to the needs identified in Agenda 21 as well as those identified through its own development planning, monitoring system and development plans. Also included are initiatives undertaken by the Federal Government, by the State Government of Selangor, and by non-governmental organizations. The approach adopted by each category of stakeholder is unique but appropriate to the mandate and modus operandi of the relevant organization. Policy- and decision-makers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to address the uncertainties and complexities of Agenda 21 more realistically. In order to do this, progress indicators must reflect the nature of relationships between disparate issues adequately. In future, the development and use of indicators to assess progress towards fulfilling the nation’s Agenda 21 requires continual commitment and activities. The development of such indicators requires the participation of policy- and decision-makers, scientists, international organizations, and a knowledgeable public to work together in a joint initiative that would result in better-informed choices of indicators that capture the inter-linkages between sectors towards achieving national Agenda 21 targets.

Performance indicators to measure dementia risk reduction activities in primary care

The increasing burden of chronic diseases including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes and dementia has led to greater emphasis on health promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI) activities within primary care. At the same time, there is growing recognition of the importance of measuring and benchmarking health-care system performance. This includes the measurement of PPEI activities. This paper considers the issue of measuring PPEI activities that are relevant to reducing the risk of dementia within the Australian primary care system. Although Australia does not currently have a comprehensive data collection regarding primary health-care services, there are a number of national, state and other data sources. These sources could be utilised, either in their current format or modified to provide data regarding PPEI activities in primary care that may reduce the risk of dementia and we have made recommendations regarding the development of such indicators.

Health indicators in the European regions: Expanding regional comparisons to the new countries of the European Union – ISARE III

Most comparisons of health in Europe take place at the national level. However, there is increased interest in looking at health data at a sub-national level. This study aimed to establish the availability of health data at a regional level and to develop a methodology for the comparisons of health indicators at a sub-national level. In previous work on indicators at a regional level in the European Union, the authors recommended the development of such indicators. This paper takes into account the expansion of the European Union which took place in 2004. Observational study using routinely available data. Similar to previous projects, a network of country correspondents was used and data were collected on a similar range of topics. In addition, a supplementary list of data was collected from one region of each country. Twenty-three countries out of the 25 member states of the European Union participated in the study. Where available, data were of relatively good quality. Data on mortality were most readily available, but data on important public health topics such as obesity were much more difficult to obtain. A database and a set of indicators for relevant sub-national areas of countries in the European Union, including new countries, were constructed. Data collection from the new countries was more straightforward due to the requirement for them to adhere to the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) levels. The lack of adherence to NUTS levels in the 'old' countries of the European Union continues to create problems. There remains an urgent need to introduce comprehensive sub-national data collection on important public health topics such as obesity and smoking.

Precautionary Defaults—A New Strategy for Chemical Risk Management

ABSTRACT In order to give adequate support to risk managers, new risk assessment methods should be developed that are (1) scientifically sound, (2) simplified, and (3) suited for precautionary risk management. In this Perspective we propose that the notion of a precautionary default can be a useful tool in the development of such methods. A precautionary default is a cautious or pessimistic assumption that is used in the absence of adequate information and that should be replaced when such information is obtained. Furthermore, we point out some promising research areas for the development of such indicators, viz. connections between chemical characteristics such as persistence and effect parameters, monitoring of contaminants in polar regions, monitoring of contaminants in breast milk, application of results from (human) toxicology in ecotoxicology and vice versa, (eco)toxicological test systems that are sensitive to effects on reproduction, and the application of bioinformatic methods to complex data, both in genomic research and in ecotoxicology. We conclude that precautionary decision-making does not require less science, but to the contrary it requires more science and improved communication between scientists and risk managers.

Developing indicators to enhance school health.

There are many indicators used to assess the processes and outcomes of school health promotion and education programs and initiatives. This paper examines the development of such indicators, and the different foci on the biological, behavioral, social and contextual aspects of child and adolescent health measures. It then develops a framework for categorizing them. The variety of stakeholders who have an interest in school health is identified. A matrix is developed which maps the levels of influence the different stakeholders have in the categories of indicators. The paper concludes by delineating a set of criteria designed to assist stakeholders to be more strategic in identifying realistic and practical indicators which will provide useful information in judging their inputs and improving their contribution to school health promotion and education.

Improving the effectiveness of palliative care education.

Over the last three decades palliative care has emerged as a discrete specialty that has brought with it a developing field of education. Problematic areas have been identified within palliative care education that may limit its effectiveness. Areas of particular concern are identified that may prove obstructive in the pursuit of effectiveness in palliative care education. The possibility of developing performance indicators is explored with reference to the development of such indicators in other areas of education. Proposals are made as a starting point for the evolution of such indicators.