Preliminary Benchmarks Research Articles

A Parenting Competency Model

SYNOPSISDecades of research show a significant link between parenting quality and outcomes in children. Whereas many professional caregiving groups are developing competency models for training and evaluation purposes, formation of a parenting competency model has been hindered by a lack of universally accepted standards for and the complexity of parental functioning. This article advances a consensus on the dimensions of effective childrearing and assembles a model of parenting competency based on empirically supported beneficial parenting practices and attributes from multiple psychological and health disciplines. Formed using existing professional competency development guidelines, and based on an interactive, cross-disciplinary, contextual conceptualization of competent parenting, the proposed model consists of three foundational and five functional core competencies of parenting along with subcompetencies which operationalize them. Recognizing that different levels of competency exist, preliminary benchmarks for adequate and preferred function within competency areas are also offered along with behavioral anchor examples. The model’s design allows for integration of cultural and contextual variables that impact child outcomes. The proposed multi-level, cross-disciplinary, contextual model may begin a discussion of what comprehensive competent parenting comprises. The proposed model’s integrated structure may also serve as a framework for continued refinement of elements of competent parenting, and how they interact and are affected by context and culture, as well as facilitating targeted and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Discovering Specific Conditions for Compliance with Soft Regulation Related to Work with Nanomaterials

At workplaces where nanomaterials are produced or used, risk assessment and risk management are extremely difficult tasks since there is still limited evidence about the risks of nanomaterials. Measurement methods for nanoparticles are contested and safety standards have not yet been developed properly. To support compliance with the legal obligation of the employer to care for safe workplaces a large number of ‘soft’ regulatory tools have been proposed (e.g. codes of conduct, benchmarks, standards). However, it is not clear whether and under which conditions soft regulation is complied with. This article discusses the potential advantages and drawbacks of soft regulation. It explores compliance issues when exposure measurement devices and other technology-related factors are involved. The exploration of three examples of soft regulation on occupational health and safety (a ministerial recommendation on preliminary exposure benchmarks, a nano-specific guidance of a chemical company and a public–private OHS guideline) shows that the capacity of the regulated parties to comply depends on the availability of appropriate technological devices and methods, technical expertise and other resources. When technological prerequisites are met, compliance is likely to increase

LCP droplet dispersions: a two-phase, diffuse-interface kinetic theory and global droplet defect predictions

Advanced, predictive numerical tools for liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are well established. These tools yield descriptive features (steady and unsteady behavior, gradient morphology) of LCPs in the bulk and in confined geometries; some are applicable to LCP hydrodynamics. Our goal here is to expand the hydrodynamic toolkit (a predictive theory, algorithms, and simulations) to two-phase fluids consisting of an immiscible LCP phase (initialized as droplets) dispersed in a viscous or polymeric phase. To do so, we bridge the modeling and simulation gap between molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo discrete lattice models for polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (LC) droplets and continuum scale, diffuse interface methods for LC droplets in viscous fluids. We give a brief overview of molecular-to-continuum scales of modeling and simulations for single LCP phases, and of their relative benefits and limitations. We likewise recall the sharp versus diffuse interface methods for coupling of two immiscible fluid phases in a hydrodynamic theory. From this assessment, we present a kinetic scale, diffuse interface strategy for hydrodynamic simulations of LCP droplet dispersions. The Fokker–Planck or Smoluchowski equation due to Doi and Hess for the orientational distribution function of the LCP phase is generalized to a two-phase, energy-based theory. Although feasible for simulations by adaptation of existing kinetic solvers, we first put the two-phase kinetic model through analogous preliminary benchmarks that were applied to the Doi–Hess theory for LCPs. We project onto the scalar zeroth moment and tensorial second-moment of the rod number density function to achieve a generalized Landau-deGennes two-phase model for equilibria and imposed shear of LCP droplets in a viscous fluid. A numerical algorithm in two space dimensions is developed and implemented to study global droplet defect structure versus interfacial anchoring energy. Simulations reveal topological defects (surface boojums for tangential anchoring and interior degree 1/2 or radial defects for normal anchoring) and details of their respective cores. These predictions support the hypothesis in [I. Lin et al., Science, 2011, 332, 1297–1300] that anchoring boundary conditions between the LCP and surrounding fluid phase can be satisfied by the formation of extremely localized defect cores which self-organize the orientational order external to the cores, without the need for bend-splay-twist mediated, continuous elastic strain.

Early identification of young struggling readers: Preliminary benchmarks for intervention for students in years one and two in schools in New South Wales

It is now widely acknowledged that early intervention programs should be provided for young students who are experiencing difficulty in learning to read. It is important, therefore, to have efficient ways of identifying students who are most in need of intervention. The aim of this study was to establish preliminary performance benchmarks to identify the bottom 25% of year 1 and year 2 students in NSW schools at two key points in the school year. Students from grades 1 and 2 (n = 335) at two schools nominated as performing at state average levels were assessed on a battery of tests assessing various aspects of reading and related skills at the beginning and in the middle of the school year. Preliminary estimates of benchmarks for determining the bottom quartile of students were thereby obtained together with estimates of average performance at these two points in the school year to serve as performance goals for intervention.

Clinical outcomes in residential care: Setting benchmarks for quality

Australian residential aged care does not have a system of quality assessment related to clinical outcomes, or comprehensive quality benchmarking. The Residential Care Quality Assessment was developed to fill this gap; and this paper discusses the process by which preliminary benchmarks representing high and low quality were developed for it. Data were collected from all residents (n = 498) of nine facilities. Numerator-denominator analysis of clinical outcomes occurred at a facility-level, with rank-ordered results circulated to an expert panel. The panel identified threshold scores to indicate excellent and questionable care quality, and refined these through Delphi process. Clinical outcomes varied both within and between facilities; agreed thresholds for excellent and poor outcomes were finalised after three Delphi rounds. Use of the Residential Care Quality Assessment provides a concrete means of monitoring care quality and allows benchmarking across facilities; its regular use could contribute to improved care outcomes within residential aged care in Australia.

Rapid Flexible Docking Using a Stochastic Rotamer Library of Ligands

Existing flexible docking approaches model the ligand and receptor flexibility either separately or in a loosely coupled manner, which captures the conformational changes inefficiently. Here, we propose a flexible docking approach, MedusaDock, which models both ligand and receptor flexibility simultaneously with sets of discrete rotamers. We developed an algorithm to build the ligand rotamer library "on-the-fly" during docking simulations. MedusaDock benchmarks demonstrate a rapid sampling efficiency and high prediction accuracy in both self- (to the cocrystallized state) and cross-docking (to a state cocrystallized with a different ligand), the latter of which mimics the virtual screening procedure in computational drug discovery. We also perform a virtual screening test of four flexible kinase targets, including cyclin-dependent kinase 2, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, HIV reverse transcriptase, and HIV protease. We find significant improvements of virtual screening enrichments when compared to rigid-receptor methods. The predictive power of MedusaDock in cross-docking and preliminary virtual-screening benchmarks highlights the importance to model both ligand and receptor flexibility simultaneously in computational docking.

Munition constituents: Preliminary sediment screening criteria for the protection of marine benthic invertebrates

Sediment screening criteria for many munition constituents (MC) are not available in sources typically used in regulatory-driven ecological risk assessments for contaminated sediment sites. Preliminary sediment quality benchmarks (SQBs) for MC were developed for screening potential risks to marine benthic invertebrates at a munitions contaminated sediment site in Puget Sound, WA, USA. SQBs were developed for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 13 breakdown products; six other explosive nitroaromatic compounds and nitramines (e.g., RDX, HMX); and five propellants, plasticizers, and stabilizers. The SQBs were developed using freshwater and limited marine aquatic toxicity values (and hence are considered preliminary) and equilibrium partitioning theory to relate water concentrations of the compounds to sediment concentrations. The SQBs are derived from the lowest available aquatic toxicity values for aquatic invertebrates from published reviews, original studies, and database sources; ranges of log K ow and K oc values from published reviews and database sources, and some K oc values calculated from log K ow. SQBs are presented for 25 MC as organic carbon-normalized values and as ranges of dry weight values for various levels of organic carbon content of sediments. Comparison of the preliminary SQBs with method detection limits and sample detection limits achieved at the contaminated sediment site demonstrates their utility in risk screening of benthic invertebrates.

Ovarian cycle and embryonic development in Gammarus fossarum: Application for reproductive toxicity assessment

Among freshwater invertebrates, Gammarus fossarum is an important test organism and is currently used in ecotoxicology for acute and chronic assays; nevertheless, reproductive toxicity test methods are not yet available for these species. In the present study, the reproductive cycle in Gammarus fossarum was characterized in order to propose a reproductive toxicity test encompassing molting, follicle growth, and embryonic development that will provide a better understanding of the mode of action of chemicals disrupting these hormone-regulated processes. A detailed description of the reproductive cycle in Gammarus fossarum was obtained. As in some amphipods, molt and reproductive cycles of G. fossarum females occur concurrently, lasting 30 d at 12°C. Each molt stage is characterized by a specific marsupial embryonic development stage and the size of developing follicles visible on the ovarian membrane. Based on these results, a 21-d reproductive toxicity test is proposed for this species. This new bioassay was applied to identify the specific impact of different stressors: cadmium, methomyl, nonylphenol, and a starvation diet. Good reproducibility was obtained for different endpoints under control conditions and throughout the experiments. Preliminary robust reference values or benchmarks were proposed for these endpoints. Cadmium was found to specially inhibit secondary vitellogenesis. Nonylphenol had a specific concentration-dependent effect on embryonic development, with an increase in the percent abnormality from a concentration of 0.05 µg/L. A restricted food diet led to a significant delay in the molt cycle, which in turn induced inhibition of secondary vitellogenesis.

Context-oriented software transactional memory in common lisp

Software transactional memory (STM) is a promising approach for coordinating concurrent threads, for which many implementation strategies are currently being researched. Although some first steps exist to ease experimenting with different strategies, this still remains a relatively complex and cumbersome task. The reason is that software transactions require STM-specific dynamic crosscutting adaptations , but this is not accounted for in current STM implementations. This paper presents CSTM, an STM framework based on Context-oriented Progamming , in which transactions are modelled as dynamically scoped layer activations. It enables expressing transactional variable accesses as user-defined crosscutting concerns, without requiring invasive changes in the rest of a program. This paper presents a proof-of-concept implementation based on ContextL for Common Lisp, along with example STM strategies and preliminary benchmarks, and introduces some of ContextL's unique features for context-dependent variable accesses.

Consolidation strategies in ovarian cancer: Observations for future clinical trials

Purpose. To describe the characteristics of a series of study populations of ovarian cancer patients with identical eligibility criteria in second or subsequent clinical remission (cCR) and to propose endpoint benchmarks for future consolidation studies. Patients and methods. The patient populations consisted of those (1) untreated (U; observed until progression; n = 35, (2) receiving imatinib (G; n = 32), (3) receiving goserelin and bicalutamide (A; n = 32), and (4) receiving vaccine (V; n = 68; total = 167). The endpoint of the combined analysis was progression-free survival in second remission (PFS 2). Patient characteristics were compared by chi-square test, and factors predicting PFS 2 evaluated in multivariate Cox model. Results. Groups were comparable for age, stage, grade, and debulking. Multivariate model to predict PFS 2 duration included histology, stage, optimal debulking, PFS 1 duration, and the type of intervention. As a benchmark for future studies, the median PFS 2 of the combined population of G, A, and U (removing V which had the most impact in prolonging PFS 2, n = 68) was 11.3 months (95% CI: 10.4–12.5 months). The percent of patients with PFS 2 > PFS 1 was 14/90 (16%). At 12 months, 43% remain progression-free. Conclusion. Preliminary benchmarks for efficacy endpoints are suggested for future consolidation trials of patients in cCR. However, the suggested strategies will require validation in randomized trials and larger data sets.

Building ICI Program Capacity in Small and Medium Utilities

This article discusses a collaborative effort by a group of water providers in Northern Colorado to build capacity in order to provide more robust water conservation services to their Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) customers. This group focused their efforts on three projects that would compile an aggregate database of ICI water‐use data from across the region; analyze these data and create preliminary benchmarks of end use in four priority sectors; and, create an online tool for ICI customers and managers that combines a simple assessment with benchmark data and other resources and tools. Future goals of the ICI collaborators are to increase the number and extent of records in the database, use the online tool in training and education, and increase the number and quality of end‐use benchmarks for this sector.

Partial behavioral reflection

Behavioral reflection is a powerful approach for adapting the behavior of running applications. In this paper we present and motivate partial behavioral reflection , an approach to more efficient and flexible behavioral reflection. We expose the spatial and temporal dimensions of such reflection, and propose a model of partial behavioral reflection based on the notion of hooksets . In the context of Java, we describe a reflective architecture offering appropriate interfaces for static and dynamic configuration of partial behavioral reflection at various levels, as well as Reflex, an open reflective extension for Java implementing this architecture. Reflex is the first extension that fully supports partial behavioral reflection in a portable manner, and that seamlessly integrates load-time and runtime behavioral reflection. The paper shows preliminary benchmarks and examples supporting the approach. The examples, dealing with the observer pattern and asynchronous communication via transparent futures, also show the interest of partial behavioral reflection as a tool for open dynamic Aspect-Oriented Programming.

Parallel Genehunter: implementation of a linkage analysis package for distributed-memory architectures

We present a parallel algorithm for performing multipoint linkage analysis of genetic marker data on large family pedigrees. The algorithm effectively distributes both the computation and memory requirements of the analysis. We discuss an implementation of the algorithm in the Genehunter linkage analysis package (version 2.1), enabling Genehunter to run on distributed-memory platforms for the first time. Our preliminary benchmarks indicate reasonable scalability of the algorithm even for fixed-size problems, with parallel efficiencies of 75% or more on up to 128 processors. In addition, we have extended the hard-coded limit of 16 non-founding individuals in Genehunter 2.1 to a new limit of 32 non-founding individuals.

The state of affairs of teacher education with respect to information and communications technology

If the Internet is an information superhighway, then teachers just might be the road-kill on the asphalt of the information superhighway. Possibly, for the first time in history, students are more adept at using the tools necessary for acquiring and transmitting knowledge than are their teachers. Children everywhere are creating their own virtual communities through the use of new technologies. They make use of chat facilities (MSN®, ICQ® etc.) to stay synchronously in touch with both old and new friends and email and short message services to stay in touch with them asynchronously. They take part in discussion groups, navigate through virtual worlds and assimilate new hardware and software as if it were second nature. In many ways they are light years ahead of their parents and teachers with respect to the possibilities of information and communications technology (ICT). As a result students are getting bored and frustrated and teachers are getting frustrated and distraught. To try to remedy this, the Inspectorate of Education of the Netherlands commissioned the Educational Technology Expertise Centre of the Open University of the Netherlands to lead an international study (quick-scan) on good/best practice with respect to the integration of ICT into the mental and physical toolbox of the aspirant teacher and to try to draw from this preliminary curricular benchmarks for teachers' colleges in the Netherlands. The quick-scan was carried out by a network of teacher training and ICT experts throughout the world. This special issue shows the reader the results of this quick-scan in terms of good practice and benchmarks for calibration and/or modelling of teacher training in ICT along with a number of pedagogical and policy repercussions of their adoption

A type based sharing analysis for update avoidance and optimisation

Sharing of evaluation is crucial for the efficiency of lazy functional languages, but unfortunately the machinery to implement it carries an inherent overhead. In abstract machines this overhead shows up as the cost of performing updates, many of them actually unnecessary, and also in the cost of the associated bookkeeping, that is keeping track of when and where to update. In spineless abstract machines, such as the STG-machine and the TIM, this bookkeeping consists of pushing, checking for and popping update markers. Checking for update markers is a very frequent operation and indeed the implementation of the STG-machine has been optimised for fast update marker checks at the expense of making the pushing and popping of update markers more costly.In this paper we present a type based sharing analysis that can determine when updates can be safely omitted and marker checks bypassed. The type system is proved sound with respect to the lazy Krivine machine. We have implemented the analysis and the preliminary benchmarks seem very promising. Most notably, virtually all update marker checks can be avoided. This may make the tradeoffs of current implementations obsolete and calls for new abstract machine designs.

Quantitative biomechanical analysis of wrist motion in bonetrimming jobs in the meat packing industry

This study was motivated by the serious impact that cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) of the upper extremities have on the meat packing industry. To date, no quantitative data have been gathered on the kinematics of hand and wrist motion required in bone-trimming jobs in the red-meat packing industry and how these motions are related to the risk of CTDs. The wrist motion of bone-trimming workers from a medium-sized plant was measured, and the kinematic data were compared to manufacturing industry's preliminary wrist motion benchmarks from industrial workers who performed hand-intensive, repetitive work in jobs that were of low and high risk of hand/wrist CTDs. Results of this comparison show that numerous wrist motion variables in both the left and right hands of bone-trimming workers are in the high-risk category. This quantitative analysis provides biomechanical support for the high incidence of CTDs in the meat packing industry. The research reported in this paper established a preliminary database of wrist and hand kinematics required in bone-trimming jobs in the redmeat packing industry. This kinematic database could augment the industry's efforts to reduce the severity and cost of CTDs. Ergonomics practitioners in the industry could use the kinematic methods employed in this research to assess the CTD risk of jobs that require repetitious, hand-intensive work.

Towards a complete framework for parallel implementation of logic languages: the data parallel implementation of SEL

Although logic languages, due to their non-declarative nature, are widely proclaimed to be conducive in theory to parallel implementation, in fact there appears to be insufficient practical evidence to stimulate further developments in this field. The paper puts forward various complications which arise in assuming a solely process parallel approach as a possible explanation for this situation. As an alternative, data parallelism is posited as an underutilized forte of logic programming. The paper illustrates a data parallel implementation of a particular language called SEL which is based on sets. Thus, SEL (set equational language) is introduced as an example of logic language which lends itself to an efficient data parallel implementation. The strategy of this implementation assumes an abstract machine called SAM (set-oriented abstract machine) which is based on the WAM (Warren abstract machine). SAM serves as an intermediary between the SEL language and the target machine for the implementation, the Connection Machine. Finally, some preliminary benchmarks are presented.

Towards a complete framework for parallel implementation of logic languages: the data parallel implementation of SEL

Although logic languages, due to their non-declarative nature, are widely proclaimed to be conducive in theory to parallel implementation, in fact there appears to be insufficient practical evidence to stimulate further developments in this field. The paper puts forward various complications which arise in assuming a solely process parallel approach as a possible explanation for this situation. As an alternative, data parallelism is posited as an underutilized forte of logic programming. The paper illustrates a data parallel implementation of a particular language called SEL which is based on sets. Thus, SEL (set equational language) is introduced as an example of logic language which lends itself to an efficient data parallel implementation. The strategy of this implementation assumes an abstract machine called SAM (set-oriented abstract machine) which is based on the WAM (Warren abstract machine). SAM serves as an intermediary between the SEL language and the target machine for the implementation, the Connection Machine. Finally, some preliminary benchmarks are presented.

Quantitative Biomechanical Analysis of Wrist Motion in Bone-Trimming Jobs in the Red-Meat Packing Industry

This study was motivated by the serious impact that cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) of the upper extremities have on industrial workers and on industry itself. To date, no quantitative data has been gathered on the kinematics of hand and wrist motion required in bone-trimming jobs in the red-meat packing industry. No information is known about what type and how much wrist motion is currently being used in bone-trimming jobs in the red-meat packing industry, or how much these motions increase the risk of occupational CTDs. The research conducted addressed this current research void and established a preliminary database of wrist and hand kinematics for a bone-trimming job in the red-meat packing industry. This kinematic database could augment the red-meat industry's efforts to reduce the severity and cost of CTDs. Ergonomics practitioners in the red-meat industry could use the kinematic methods employed in this research to assess the CTD risk of current and redesigned jobs that require repetitious, hand-intensive work. The study examined the wrist motions used by nine red-meat packing workers who performed bone-trimming jobs. These jobs are highly repetitive and hand-intensive. Quantitative measures of the kinematic parameters of wrist motions performed on the bone-trimming line were measured using goniometry. The wrist motion measures consisted of the following statistics in the radial/ulnar, flexion/extension, and pronation/supination planes: 1). mean, minimum, and maximum of wrist angle position, 2). mean, minimum, and maximum of angular velocity, and 3). mean, minimum, and maximum of angular acceleration. The kinematic data were compared to manufacturing industry's preliminary wrist motion benchmarks. These benchmarks were the means and variances of nine dependent variables of position, velocity, and acceleration from industrial workers who performed hand-intensive, repetitive work in jobs that were of low and high risk of hand/wrist CTDS (Marras and Schoenmarklin, 1993). Results of this comparison show that numerous wrist motion variables in both the left and right hands of bone-trimming workers are in the high-risk category. This quantitative analysis provides biomechanical support for the high incidence of CTDs in the bone-trimming line of the plant that was investigated.

EPR studies of weakly coupled oxomolybdenum (V) and low-spin iron (III) porphyrin centers

Novel compounds containing twoS=1/2 coupled spin centers (Mo(V) and low spin Fe(III) have been investigated in detail by X- and Q-band EPR spectroscopy, spectral simulation and molecular modelling calculations. For one system with a Mo−Fe distance of ≈9.4 A the dominant dipolar coupling allows distinction among structures that are consistent with molecular modelling calculations. For the second system with a Mo−Fe of ≈ 7.9 A the exchange interaction is dominant (0.5 <J < 3.0 GHz). These coupled systems are preliminary benchmarks for using EPR to investigate the Mo−Fe interaction in sulfite oxidase.