Search

In the evolving field of legal information systems, Claude 3 and other advanced conversational agents (CAs) are emerging as transformative forces. This interdisciplinary study combines quantitative methods, legal analysis, and digital transformation approaches to evaluate the efficacy of leading commercially available CAs in the German legal environment. Employing a corpus of 200 unique legal tasks, the research benchmarks Claude 3 against notable systems such as Google Gemini and ChatGPT versions 4 and 3.5. Through automated evaluations of 1,600 responses generated by these CAs, Claude 3 is demonstrated to be the most effective system, capable of successfully addressing realistic legal challenges and passing a German business law examination with an overall score of 60%—significantly surpassing the 50% score of the previous performance leader ChatGPT-4. Despite its superior performance, Claude 3, along with other evaluated systems, exhibits considerable limitations that can be difficult to identify. Based on these insights, it is recommended that legal professionals thoroughly verify all CA-generated content before use. Additionally, caution is advised for novices utilizing CA-generated legal advice, due to the specialized knowledge required for proper evaluation. This study contributes to the ongoing study of digital transformation in the legal domain, offering insights for both academic and industry stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A manufacturing system can simultaneously exploit more strategies from the Circular Economy paradigm, such as reduction, reuse, repair, refurbishment, and remanufacturing. These strategies involve finished products, raw materials, and components, and each adopted strategy can unpredictably impact the system performance along one or more dimensions (technical, economic, and environmental) at both the planning and the life cycle levels. This paper deepens the simultaneous measurement of the multi-dimensional and multi-level (strategic and tactical planning and life cycle design) performance of the manufacturing system in the presence of circular economy strategies. The Multi-layer Enterprise Input-Output (MEIO) formalisation method is extended to integrate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) approaches to perform scenario analyses. The proposed approach is applied to a numerical example to show the impacts of adopting new processes for circular economy strategies in a brownfield context. The considered scenarios combine different circular economic strategies applied to different levels of the Bill of Materials of a multi-product environment. The proposed approach can help practitioners and production managers evaluate adopting circular economy strategies. Moreover, the approach can support the development of methods for simultaneous multi-dimensional performance assessment of manufacturing systems at the operational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is great interest in developing an adequate partial factor format for the assessment of existing structures, and in particular bridges, that should be able to take various aspects into account linked to the fact that the structure already exists. As the structure is existing, additional information related to material parameters, loading conditions, local structural defects, etc. can be accounted for. In addition, the degree of conservatism needs to be well balanced to avoid unnecessary investment of resources in replacement or retrofitting. This contribution considers the experience gained in recent years in parallel with some ongoing standardisation work in relation to Eurocodes and the next edition of the fib Model Code for new and existing concrete structures. The current state of the art of partial factors for the assessment of existing structures is explored and the differences are assessed based on a comparison between (i) the use of recommended fixed partial factors as provided in many national and international codes, (ii) adjusted (flexible) partial factors derived for the individual case under consideration, and (ii) reliability-based verification. In order to assess the adequacy of proposals and identify some differences, the available partial factor formats are applied to two case studies of reinforced concrete bridges and they are critically assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors with solar distillation processes is explored in this investigation, which seeks to augment the efficiency of solar distillers. Development and experimental assessment of a novel solar system, employing a PV/T collector for performance enhancement of a solar distiller, were carried out in Kirkuk City, Iraq, located at 35.46°N latitude and 44.38°E longitude. Two experimental models were constructed: a conventional double-slope solar distiller served as the baseline, whereas the second model was a double-slope solar distiller integrated with a PV/T collector. Four water depths (3, 4, 7, and 10 cm) were investigated to ascertain their effects on the system's output and efficiency. It was observed that the integration of the solar distiller with the PV/T collector resulted in a significant enhancement in system efficiency, achieving 18.81%, compared to a 5.15% efficiency demonstrated by the conventional distiller. The study further confirmed the substantial influence of water depth in the basin on the performance of both the hybrid and traditional solar distillation systems. Optimal results were achieved with a water depth of 3 cm, yielding productivity of 1.55 and 0.447 litre/day, and efficiency of 18.81% and 5.15%, for the integrated and conventional systems, respectively. When the water depth was increased to 5 cm, the respective productivity decreased to 1.252 and 0.243 litre/day, with corresponding efficiency of 16.87% and 3.22%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RED - Revista de Educación a Distancia is the property of Universidad de Murcia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, a 2.25 kWp grid integrated with the tied solar park has been implanted in the Renewable Energy Applied Research Unit (URAER) in a dry and harsh desert region. The PV plant uses micromorph thin-film solar modules (a-Si/μc-Si) technology. The photovoltaic module systems (PVS) were evaluated from May 2015 to December 2020 (around five and a half years of operation), and the electricity was injected into the internal network of the low-voltage power supply. Performance evolution has been conducted in this work as stated by the IEC61724 guideline. The monthly and annual performance indicators analyzed and assessed consist of reference yield, array yield, final yield, system losses, capture losses, PV module efficiency, system efficiency, inverter efficiency, capacity factor, and performance ratio. The annual electricity production is 3688.28 kWh, 3188.25 kWh, 3306.28 kWh, 3136.05 kWh, and 2952.81 kWh for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 operating periods, respectively. The solar park's total produced energy yield over the monitored period and the quantity of CO 2 emissions avoided are 16,271.67 kWh and 14.17 tons, respectively, which can significantly contribute to and help in purifying the environment from pollution. In addition, the energy results produced by the PVS were compared to those found by the four widely used PV simulation tools (PVsys, PVGIS, NREL's PVWatts® Calculator and Solar Med-Atlas). Furthermore, this work investigates and quantifies the degradation phenomenon of solar PVS power output after five years and a half years of outdoor exposure. There is around 0.22 % degradation per year. When this rate was compared to other studies conducted worldwide, it was shown to be highly appropriate. Technical-economic research was also conducted, revealing that the system's PVS period, which establishes its sustainability, is between 9 and 12 years. The results demonstrate that micromorph thin-film modules perform better and are more efficient under harsh real-world outdoor environmental conditions. Inventux modules preserve most of their better performance even with increasing module temperature. This kind of PV module technology is low-insensitive to the highest PV module temperature. Compared to the literature, micromorph thin-film technologies are better and preferable than crystalline modules under desert environmental conditions. The results also indicate that grid-connected solar park plants using this kind of technology are feasible in the hot arid climate to produce electricity and may participate in future energy projects in the country. • This study investigates the performance of a pilot grid-tied solar power station located in the southern region of Algeria, which has been operating in the harsh desert climate. • Data recorded between May 2015 and December 2020 was used to evaluate the system's performance, and the results were compared to those obtained from four simulation tools. • The study found that the micromorph thin-film module technology from Inventux Company was the most reliable and potent option for this site, with better performance and resistance to changes in temperature. • The system's annual electricity production and CO 2 emissions were recorded for five operating periods, and degradation in solar PV power output after six years of outdoor exposure was quantified, with a degradation rate of 1.10%/year. • Technical-economic research indicated that the system had a payback period of 9-12 years, making it a feasible option. • The findings will provide useful guidelines for decision-makers, engineers, and industrial companies interested in large-scale solar photovoltaic systems in hot, harsh semi-arid climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In sports declarative tactical knowledge (DTK) refers to the athlete's ability to verbalize or narrate the facts relevant to task performance, referred to as "knowing what to do" in a given game situation. Understanding this variable is a relevant factor for progression of content in training sessions. Purpose: This study aimed to assess DTK levels among young basketball athletes in U14 and U17 categories throughout a season, which we objectively and subjectively obtained through participation of coaches and athletes (self-assessment). Materials and methods: Sixty-seven female basketball athletes (average age, 14.6±1.2) considering U14 (n=29) and U17 (n=38), and seven coaches (average age, 32.7±7.9) from respective teams participated in the study. The DTK Test in Basketball was used for objectively assessing DTK. The Subjective Assessment of the Coach (SAC) and Athlete's Subjective Self-Assessment (ASS) were used for promoting subjective assessment. Results: Our results demonstrated significant differences in DTK levels regarding SAC and ASS throughout the season. Furthermore, most of the coaches overestimated DTK levels of their athletes in both categories and were more precise in the SAC in the U17 category. The ASS showed that the players overestimated themselves in both categories at all moments throughout the season. Conclusions: It is concluded that most of the coaches had difficulties in recognizing the DTK level of their U14 and U17 athletes, as well as the athletes, as they overestimated their knowledge when assessed subjectively. Thus, coaches and athletes were clearly found to have difficulty acknowledging tactical potential, important construct in the assessment of tactical ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A learning management system (LMS) is a software or web based application, commonly utilized for planning, designing, and assessing a particular learning procedure. Generally, the LMS offers a method of creating and delivering content to the instructor, monitoring students' involvement, and validating their outcomes. Since mental health issues become common among studies in higher education globally, it is needed to properly determine it to improve mental stability. This article develops a new seven spot lady bird feature selection with optimal sparse autoencoder (SSLBFS-OSAE) model to assess students' mental health on LMS. The major aim of the SSLBFS-OSAE model is to determine the proper health status of the students with respect to depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS). The SSLBFS-OSAE model involves a new SSLBFS model to elect a useful set of features. In addition, OSAE model is applied for the classification of mental health conditions and the performance can be improved by the use of cuckoo search optimization (CSO) based parameter tuning process. The design of CSO algorithm for optimally tuning the SAE parameters results in enhanced classification outcomes. For examining the improved classifier results of the SSLBFSOSAE model, a comprehensive results analysis is done and the obtained values highlighted the supremacy of the SSLBFS model over its recent methods interms of different measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In new low-energy buildings or buildings after thermal refurbishment, the envelope high airtightness could have an impact on air renewal and could decrease the indoor air quality (IAQ). In this context smart-ventilation systems with variable airflows could play a role in providing better IAQ without compromising the energy performance. However, smart-ventilation strategies are quite recent, and their benefits need to be clearly quantified. This article, proposes to quantify the uncertainty of a recent multi-criteria performance assessment method, using global RBD-FAST sensitivity analysis. The impact of the pollutant emissions scenarios, model input parameters and ventilation strategies is assessed. Five ventilation systems were studied: two constant airflow, one humidity-controlled and two humidity/CO2 controlled, applied on a French low-energy house. 2500 simulations were performed to calculate 504 sensitivity indices across 12 input variables and 9 output performance indicators. The sensitivity analysis shows that occupant bio-effluent, formaldehyde and PM2.5 emissions rates are responsible for 11 %–87 % of the uncertainty for the IAQ performance indicators. The PM2.5 deposition velocity parameter is responsible for 50 % of the uncertainty on the PM2.5 indicator, which was an unknown impact. In addition, the benefits of humidity-controlled ventilation were highlighted regarding energy performance, with, in average, 20 % lower heat-loss compared to constant airflow ventilation. Moreover, smart-ventilation provides clear IAQ benefits without drastically increasing the energy demand. This work demonstrates the potential of the proposed evaluation method for ventilation performance assessment. • PM2.5 deposition velocity is the main factor influencing the PM2.5 IAQ indicator. • Short-term IAQ indicators provide no additional information to long-term indicators. • Reference emission scenario does not always give median or average results. • Humidity-based control offers, in average, 20 % less heat losses than constant airflow. • With smart ventilation, there is an IAQ benefit on the CO2, but heat recovery is need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Test the effectiveness of benchmarked performance reports based on existing discharge data paired with a statewide intervention to implement evidence-based strategies on breast re-excision rates. Background: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is a common breast cancer surgery performed in a range of hospital settings. Studies have demonstrated variations in post-BCS re-excision rates, identifying it as a high-value improvement target. Methods: Wisconsin Hospital Association discharge data (2017–2019) were used to compare 60-day re-excision rates following BCS for breast cancer. The analysis estimated the difference in the average change preintervention to postintervention between Surgical Collaborative of Wisconsin (SCW) and nonparticipating hospitals using a logistic mixed-effects model with repeated measures, adjusting for age, payer, and hospital volume, including hospitals as random effects. The intervention included 5 collaborative meetings in 2018 to 2019 where surgeon champions shared guideline updates, best practices/challenges, and facilitated action planning. Confidential benchmarked performance reports were provided. Results: In 2017, there were 3692 breast procedures in SCW and 1279 in nonparticipating hospitals; hospital-level re-excision rates ranged from 5% to >50%. There was no statistically significant baseline difference in re-excision rates between SCW and nonparticipating hospitals (16.1% vs. 17.1%, P =0.47). Re-excision significantly decreased for SCW but not for nonparticipating hospitals (odds ratio=0.69, 95% confidence interval=0.52–0.91). Conclusions: Benchmarked performance reports and collaborative quality improvement can decrease post-BCS re-excisions, increase quality, and decrease costs. Our study demonstrates the effective use of administrative data as a platform for statewide quality collaboratives. Using existing data requires fewer resources and offers a new paradigm that promotes participation across practice settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• By embracing mathematical and ecological perspectives, we contribute to a deeper understanding of creativity as a dynamic process. • Game theory can be an alternative and ecologically valid assessment tool for creativity. • This approach holds promise for enhancing performance and training strategies in various sports disciplines. Creativity is a fundamental element in sports performance, impacting player strategies and outcomes. In this study, we introduce a novel approach to measure players' creativity in basketball using game theory. We observed 50 basketball players aged 18–30, meticulously recording their offensive and defensive strategies during gameplay. Our methodology encompassed two stages: capturing the creative solutions employed by each player to score and assessing the probability of deploying these solutions. Additionally, expert evaluators employed observational methodology (OM) to evaluate player creativity independently, allowing for a comparative analysis between the game theory and OM methods. Our findings reveal a significant correlation between creativity scores obtained through the game theory evaluation method and those derived from the observational method (p < 0.05). This correlation underscores the potential of game theory as an alternative and ecologically valid assessment tool for creativity in the context of basketball performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Some higher educational institutions often use a student evaluation of teaching effectiveness (SETE) as the only way to evaluate teaching. Unfortunately, this instrument often fails to serve as a tool for improving instruction. It often serves as a disincentive to introducing rigor. Studies have found that student feedback is not enough to be the basis for evaluating teaching. This paper performs a literature review of student evaluations to measure teaching effectiveness. Problems are highlighted, and suggestions are offered to improve SETEs and refocus teaching effectiveness on outcome-based academic standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This development research aims to develop a thematic-based performance assessment model for elementary school level exams to measure students' skills at the end of the level. The development of the performance appraisal model is carried out by referring to the principle of developing an assessment instrument and adapting the ADDIE development model. The development of the performance appraisal model produces outputs in the form of performance appraisal instruments and Student Worksheets (LKPD) as a guide for students and teachers in carrying out performance appraisals. The product in this development has been tested for content validity, construct validity, and reliability, and field tested to measure students' ability to determine the instrument's quality. In addition, the performance appraisal model developed has also been analyzed for its implementation and effectiveness as a tool for measuring student skills. The results of this study include the following: (a) content validity above 0.80 (high); (b) all of the assessment items/indicators have a loading factor value above 0.60 and can be said to be valid in measuring the performance appraisal construct; (c) reliability of 0.941 (very high); (d) the difficulty or item location is in the range between -2.86 to 1.80 or is in the easy to a difficult category and is accurate for measuring the ability of students in the range -3 to +2; (e) discrimination is in the range of 1.33 to 38.21 with good to very good categories; (f) the overall implementation of the performance appraisal model reached an average value of 97.96% or was well implemented; and (g) the overall performance appraisal model developed in this study has been declared effective (valid/reliable/objective/systematic/practical) in measuring students' skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referring to constructive theory and situational cognition theory, and based on the principles of reverse design and negotiation construction, this paper focuses on the theoretical and practical framework of the application of performance assessment in the ideological and political education of physical education curriculum, which fully shows the composite functions of diagnosis, feedback, promoting reform and decision-making, as well as the integrated characteristics of the process of performance assessment, namely the teaching process. Taking the gymnastics course of physical education as an example, this paper analyzes its application process, and takes clarifying evaluation objectives, creating problem situations, refining ideological and political elements, setting expressive tasks, developing scoring rules, implementing evaluation and feedback as the mainline of action. It is characterized by the creation of problem situations in the field of physical education, the key is to refine the ideological and political elements of physical education curriculum, the key is to complete the expressive tasks through negotiation, and the difficulty is to develop the evaluation criteria for the effect of ideological and political education in the physical education curriculum. The purpose is to enrich the evaluation theory, and method path of the ideological and political education of physical education curriculum, and also to provide theoretical reference for expanding the practical application of performance assessment in this physical education curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety instrumented systems often employ redundancy to enhance the ability to detect and respond to hazardous events. The use of redundancy increases the fault tolerance to single failure but remains vulnerable in case of dependent failures, including common cause failures and cascading failures. Reliability analysis of safety instrumented systems therefore involves the impact of dependent failures. The used approaches have primarily focused on common cause failures. In this paper, it is argued the need to consider the efforts of cascading failures that are caused by functional dependencies, hazardous events, and shared resources. A recursive aggregation-based approach is proposed for performance analyzing of K -out-of- N safety instrumented systems with consideration of cascading failures. General approximation formulas are developed for estimating the average probability of failures on demand of different configurations of safety instrumented systems. These formulas are compared with those for common cause failures. Then a case of fire water pump is studied to illustrate the effects of cascading failures on safety instrumented systems. • Identify the challenges for assessing SISs subject to cascading failures. • Develop an approach for analyzing KooN of SISs with cascading failures. • Summarize general approximation formulas for estimating PFDavg of SISs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the need to calibrate preceptors' use of levels of entrustment (LOE) in the evaluation of students performing entrustable professional activities (EPAs). Two introductory and four advanced pharmacy practice experience-focused cases were developed which described a fictional student, a practice site, and timing of a rotation. The cases included EPA-based tasks assigned to the student. Participants were to assign a LOE to the student for each EPA-based task. Sixty of 317 preceptors participated in the study. Statistically significant differences in mean assigned LOE were found between preceptors by age (P <.05); between preceptors with differences in residency training (P <.05); and between preceptors who spent differing amounts of time with experiential students daily (P <.05). Differences in assigned LOE were found based upon preceptor age, completion of a residency, and daily hours spent with experiential students. However, these differences did not result in changes to whether the student would pass or fail the rotation. Findings suggest that preceptors are consistent in assigning LOE to EPA-based tasks performed by students. In addition, preceptor development programming appears to be effective in establishing a standardized understanding of LOE among preceptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport that employs techniques from different combat disciplines. There are a multitude of technical and physiological characteristics that contribute to competitive success. Developing a single scientific assessment that can predict competitive outcomes poses great difficulty due to the complexity of MMA. While previous research has investigated some important physiological characteristics, there is no accepted best-practice for a comprehensive testing battery. As such, this study aimed to design and utilize a battery of physiological assessments to cover aerobic and anaerobic function, strength measures including explosive and maximal strength, body composition and repeat effort ability in Australian MMA athletes. Six participants with competitive experience were recruited. Testing involved a familiarization, three experimental sessions and including assessments such as the isometric midthigh pull, Wingate test, graded exercise test, countermovement jump and body composition scan. Results showed the testing battery in this study was realistic and able to be completed by the participants without issue and that regional Australian MMA athletes were similar physiologically to elite standard compared with previous research taken from a range of sources. However, future research with the testing battery is required with larger and more diverse samples to better understand the full profiles of MMA athletes. The results of the study can help inform athletes, researchers and support staff alike when deciding upon which testing protocols to use for MMA athletes. Future research should aim to develop normative data using the battery proposed in the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation examined the ability of two threshold detection analyses (maximum distance, Dmax; modified maximum distance, mDmax) in identifying the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) threshold, a lactate threshold (LT) estimate, from exercising tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) responses. Additionally, the test-retest reliability of exercising StO2 and total hemoglobin concentration (THC) responses were examined at moderate and peak cycling intensities. Fourteen healthy, recreationally active participants performed maximal incremental step cycling tests (+25 W / 3 minutes) to volitional fatigue on two separate occasions while StO2 and THC of the vastus lateralis were monitored. Exercising blood [lactate] was collected during Session One. LT and NIRS thresholds (NIRS1, NIRS2) were then determined using Dmax and mDmax threshold analyses. Significant (p < 0.05), moderate correlations were detected between LT and NIRS1 when using Dmax (LT = 130 ± 49 W, NIRS1 = 136 ± 34 W, r = 0.690), but not for mDmax (r = 0.487). No significant test-retest reliability for the NIRS thresholds were observed for Dmax (ICC = 0.351) or mDmax (ICC = 0.385). Exercising StO2 responses demonstrated good reliability (ICC = 0.841-0.873) while exercising THC responses demonstrated moderate-good reliability (ICC = 0.720-0.873) at moderate and peak exercise intensities. The results of this study suggest that neither the Dmax nor mDmax threshold analyses should be used to estimate the LT due to the unreliable detection of the NIRS threshold from session to session. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time for "rest and leisure" is one of the human rights established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR). Countries which ratify the ICESR are expected to account for their performance in achieving the human rights set out in the covenant in periodic reports to the United Nations. This should include statistical indicators as appropriate. Country reports have, to date, tended to ignore the right to leisure time. This paper seeks to remedy this situation by offering a methodology for assessing national levels of performance, taking account of national resources in the form of Gross Domestic Product per capita. A worked example of the application of the methodology is offered for 23 countries for which leisure time information is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given pressures to control costs and improve quality of care, one of the most prevalent transformational performance improvement approaches in health care is Lean management. However, the roles of support functions such as human resource (HR), finance, and information technology (IT) in Lean management and the relationships of these support functions with performance are unknown. Purpose: The aim of this studywas to examine the relationships between the HR, finance, and IT functions, overall Lean implementation, and self-reported performance improvement in hospitals that have implemented Lean. Methodology/Approach: Data from a national survey of Lean in U.S. hospitals (N = 1,222; 847 reported using Lean) were analyzed using multivariable regression and bootstrapped mediation analysis. The extent to which HR, finance, and IT functions support Lean management was measured using indices including six, three, and six items respectively. Lean implementation was measured by the number of units doing Lean (up to 29) and by a four-level self-reported maturity scale. Performance improvement was measured using an index of self-reported achievements (ranging from 0 to 16). Results: There were significant positive associations between Lean HR, finance, and IT functions and self-reported performance impact (controlling for organizational and market variables). Tests of mediation indicated that the associations of HR, finance, and IT functions with self-reported performance were significantly mediated by the number of Lean units (mediated proportion ranging from 40% to 73%), and HR function was also mediated by self-reported maturity (61% mediated). There were no moderating effects. Conclusion: HR, finance, and IT functions are positively associated with self-reported Lean impact on performance and primarily explained by the overall degree of Lean implementation. Practice Implications: Efforts to align HR, finance, and IT functions with overall Lean implementation can help to ensure that frontline caregivers and managers have the data and skills required to meet transformational improvement goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Personal Background Preparation Survey (PBPS) identifies students at risk for academic nonadvancement. Uniquely, the PBPS produces individualized reports making evidence-based risk-specific recommendations prescribing interventions targeting students' empirically identified risk indicators. At a large southwestern health sciences community college, after baseline PBPS administration among 409 diverse first-semester-fall 2010 students, fall 2011 PBPS administration helped target PBPS-individualized interventions among 618 first-semester-fall 2011 students. Group-oriented Advanced Academic Training (AAT) workshops augmented PBPS-targeted individualized interventions among 1,183 additional first-semester students during fall 2012 and fall 2013. AAT participants practiced a daily self-testing retrieval regimen to reduce PBPS-identified cognitive processing, information-, and time-management risk indicators. Controlling PBPS risk level, underrepresented minority status, and gender as covariates, first-semester student nonadvancement rate decreased from baseline's 42.3% and PBPS-individualized interventions' 41.4% to 16.2% and 11.6% postAAT (p <.001), respectively. AAT was designed to reduce primarily higher risk student nonadvancement; yet, retention gains did not differ significantly across risk levels, underrepresented minority students status, and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (T&TCI) seems to be the most used measure of a destination's competitiveness, even though the methodology underlying its calculation is characterized by numerous shortcomings. The viability of T&TCI as a reliable measure of a country's competitive capability should stem from its ability to explain and/or predict the performance-related consequences of tourism activity within a destination. To check whether the T&TCI can do that, a model has been constructed and tested on a sample of Mediterranean countries for the 2007 - 2017 period. The analysis revealed that the change in the T&TCI score often does not relate to a change in the performance-related indicators of tourism activity selected. Hence, the T&TCI should not be regarded as a reliable measure of a destination's competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite being adopted by a large number of hospitals, the relationship between Lean management and hospital performance is mixed and not well understood. Purpose: We examined the relationships between Lean and hospital financial performance, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction in a large national sample of hospitals, controlling for relevant organizational and market factors. Methodology/approach: A mixed effects linear regression analysis was performed to assess the relationships between adoption of Lean and 10 measures of hospital performance using data from 1,152 hospitals that responded to the 2017 National Survey of Lean/Transformational Performance Improvement in Hospitals. Hospital performance, organizational, and market data over the period 2011-2015 come from the 2015 American Hospital Association Annual Hospital Survey and the respective annual Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Cost Report, CMS Hospital Compare, CMS MEDPAR, and the CMS Hospital Service Area File. Results: Lean adoption was significantly associated at alpha < .05, with lower Medicare spending per beneficiary (b = -.005, p = .027). None of the other nine associations were statistically significant, although eight of them were in the predicted direction. Conclusion: Lean adoption is not associated with most measures of hospital performance. It is likely Lean implementation varies greatly across hospitals. Future research should examine the relationships among the various dimensions of Lean implementation and performance. Practice implications: If Lean management is to contribute to hospital performance improvement, leaders must be highly cognizant of what "adoption of Lean" actually means in their hospital. Although limited, single-unit Lean initiatives in an emergency room or other patient care unit may improve performance on some unit-specific measures, improvement on hospital-wide measures of performance requires a broad, sustained commitment to the implementation of Lean practices and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shanghai Physical Education Institute / Shanghai Tiyu Xueyuan Xuebao is the property of Shanghai Physical Education Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents a new optimization-based tuning method for fractional- and integer-order controllers. The method is based on minimizing an arbitrary cost function which is taken here as the integrated absolute tracking error, and it can be used for tuning purposes as well as the assessment of controller performance. The presented results are obtained from experiments with a servo drive system with a 2- and 3-parameter fractional-order controller. They depict performance improvement and ability of the proposed method to find the global minimum of a selected performance index in experimental conditions. The method does not need any model of the plant, and it has great potential for applications in general controllers or for an extension to different parameter tuning problems. The method offers a new way of changing dynamic properties of closed-loop systems, by rapid tuning of controllers. This makes possible new applications of this method, as opposed to other tuning methods, which basically require knowledge of the plant. • Novel method to optimally tune fractional-order controllers. • Can be used in an on-line fashion to optimal gains from a scratch, or to fine-tune the current ones. • Applicable to standard-order controllers. • Method with a very low computational complexity, suited for rapid tuning, with a deterministic running time. • Method requires no knowledge of the model of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, emerging States have been pushing the planning and design of railway megaprojects across arid and desert regions. Such railway projects are now experiencing windblown sand, an unfamiliar problem to many civil and structural engineers. The sand transported by the wind accumulates around any kind of built obstacle. Windblown sand affects infrastructure construction and serviceability, and undermines users' safety. To counter its effects, a number of sand mitigation measures have been proposed, mainly through a trial-and-error empirical approach. A rational approach to design, analysis and performance assessment of sand mitigation measures is still taken in the scientific literature, design guidelines and standards. In the present paper, readers are first familiarized with windblown sand-induced effects on railways and sand mitigation measures. Then, the study proposes a probabilistic approach to assess the action of windblown sand and plan sand removal maintenance operations on railway infrastructure, and puts this into practice. Three different sand mitigation measures are tested and their performances are comparatively discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mean turn-around time (TAT) reporting for testing laboratories in a national network is typically static and not immediately available for meaningful corrective action and does not allow for test-by-test or site-by-site interrogation of individual laboratory performance. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an easy-to-use, visual dashboard to report interactive graphical TAT data to provide a weekly snapshot of TAT efficiency. Methods: An interactive dashboard was developed by staff from the National Priority Programme and Central Data Warehouse of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa, during 2018. Steps required to develop the dashboard were summarised in a flowchart. To illustrate the dashboard, one week of data from a busy laboratory for a specific set of tests was analysed using annual performance plan TAT cut-offs. Data were extracted and prepared to deliver an aggregate extract, with statistical measures provided, including test volumes, global percentage of tests that were within TAT cut-offs and percentile statistics. Results: Nine steps were used to develop the dashboard iteratively with continuous feedback for each step. The data warehouse environment conformed and stored laboratory information system data in two formats: (1) fact and (2) dimension. Queries were developed to generate an aggregate TAT data extract to create the dashboard. The dashboard successfully delivered weekly TAT reports. Conclusion: Implementation of a TAT dashboard can successfully enable the delivery of near real-time information and provide a weekly snapshot of efficiency in the form of TAT performance to identify and quantitate bottlenecks in service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Necatibey Faculty of Education Electronic Journal of Science & Mathematics Education is the property of Balikesir University, Necatibey Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: The present study aimed to predict the cut-off point-values that best differentiate the physical demands of training and competition tasks including friendly matches (FM), small sided games (SSG), large sided games (LSG), mini-goal games (MG) and ball circuit-training (CT) in professional soccer players.Design: Experimental randomized controlled trial.Methods: Fourteen professional players participated in all tasks with the CT, SSG and MG consisting of 8 repetitions of 4-min game play, interspersed by 2-min of active recovery. The training data were compared to the first 32-min of the LSG and two competitive FM per player. All movement patterns from walking to sprint running were recorded using 10Hz GPS devices while player perception of exertion was recorded via a visual analogue scale, post-task. Decision tree induction was applied to the dataset to assess the cut-off point-values from four training drills (SSG, LSG, MG, and CT) and FM for every parameter combination.Results: Distance covered during jogging (2.3-3.3m/s; >436m), number of decelerations (≤730.5) and accelerations (≤663), and maximum velocity reached (>5.48m/s) characterized the physical demands during competition (FM) with great variability amongst training drills.Conclusion: The use of these novel, cut-off points may aid coaches in the design and use of training drills to accurately prepare athletes for soccer competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess radiologists' performance in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), with attention to the impact of the novel MIPS-Alternative Payment Models (APMs) participation option created under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.Methods: Data regarding radiologists' 2017 MIPS performance was extracted from the Physician Compare 2017 Individual EC Public Reporting-overall MIPS Performance data set, and additional physician characteristics were extracted from multiple CMS data sets.Results: Among 20,956 MIPS-participating radiologists, 16.6% participated using individual reporting, 68.9% group reporting, and 13.4% APM reporting. Average Quality scores were 59.7 84.0, and 92.5, respectively. The fractions of radiologists scored in Advancing Care Information were 4.1%, 27.0%, and 100.0%. When scored, average scores in this category were 61.9, 94.6, and 80.9. A total of 27.7% and 42.7% of interventional radiologists were scored in this category using individual and group reporting, respectively. However, general radiologists and subspecialists other than interventional radiologists were rarely (<5%) scored. Average scores in Improvement Activities were 37.5, 92.5, and 100.0 for individual reporting, group reporting, and APM reporting, respectively. Average Final Scores were 56.5, 85.6, and 90.6. The better performance of APM versus group reporting was most apparent for smaller practices (ie, for practice sizes ≤15, average Final Score of 84.1 for APM versus 75.0 for group reporting).Conclusion: Although radiologists perform much better in MIPS using group versus individual reporting, performance improves even further through APM reporting, particularly for smaller practices. Radiologists seeking better performance under MIPS should carefully explore APM opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In large industrial systems, alarm management is one of the most important issues to improve the safety and efficiency of systems in practice. Operators of such systems often have to deal with a numerous number of simultaneous alarms. Different kinds of thresholding or filtration are applied to decrease alarm nuisance and improve performance indices, such as Averaged Alarm Delay (ADD), Missed Alarm and False Alarm Rates (MAR and FAR). Among threshold-based approaches, variable thresholding methods are well-known for reducing the alarm nuisance and improving the performance of the alarm system. However, the literature suffers from the lack of an appropriate method to assess performance parameters of Variable Threshold Alarm Systems (VTASs). This study introduces two types of variable thresholding and proposes a novel approach for performance assessment of VTASs using Priority-AND gate and semi-Markov process. Application of semi-Markov process allows the proposed approach to consider industrial measurements with non-Gaussian distributions. In addition, the paper provides a genetic algorithm based optimized design process for optimal parameter setting to improve performance indices. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated via three numerical examples and through a comparison with previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-tethered loaded swimming (denoted STLS) has been used widely to develop or test swimmers skills, although its transference to increase performance seems overestimated. In addition, its relationship with dry-land tests remains obscured by imprecise reports. Sixteen competitive male swimmers (age: 18.31 ± 1.42) participated in a two-fold purpose study: Firstly, swimming performance was assessed at different STLS intensities on an adapted Smith Machine. A repeated measures 1-way ANOVA was conducted to find differences between the variables collected through a linear encoder at 15%, 30%, 45% and 60% of the maximal load (ML). Secondly, the relationships between the swimming velocities and the different sorts of variables obtained on a dry-land arm-stroke strength test were studied by Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). The results showed that less velocity, acceleration and impulse were delivered at high loads (p < 0.001). It increased the velocity fluctuation, affecting the swimming patterns adversely. On the other hand, the correlations between velocity-based dry-land variables and swimming velocities (r = 0.71) seem to be more suitable to predict swimming performance, rather than strength-based variables (r = 0.49). In conclusion, coaches should reconsider using STLS, as little or no benefit may be obtained in performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, analyses of wind-driven rain exposure on building façades have been conducted in multiple regions. Sometimes, these studies also included the driving rain wind pressure, thereby characterising both critical factors contributing to rainwater penetration into façade materials. However, practitioners typically rely on performance results obtained from standardised watertightness tests to make façade design decisions, even though these tests do not recreate the specific exposure combinations that can occur on each façade. Consequently, there is no quantitative correlation between the traditionally identified exposures and actual façade designs, resulting in pure qualitative choices and poorly optimised designs. This study addresses this issue by correcting the existing methodological deficiencies in a prior calculation procedure, which aims to relate the exposure parameters that the façade configuration withstood during any watertightness test to the expected climate exposures at its design operating conditions. New contributions are presented to enhance the method reliability as well as to reduce calculation effort and reliance on exhaustive weather data. The various climate parameters required to establish this relationship were analysed and tabulated for the Netherlands, enabling a truly performance-based design of façades to resist rainwater penetration throughout the country. Different methods of implementing this procedure, according to the availability of weather data, were also compared for façade case studies located in Amsterdam and Maastricht. • Quantitative approach for designing façades resistant to rainwater penetration. • Conceptual and mathematical improvements to reduce calculation uncertainties. • Enhanced applicability by reducing method reliance on exhaustive weather records. • Functional database for the performance-based design of Dutch façades. • Method implementation according availability of weather data in two case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to produce a valid and reliable assessment tool for junior high school students' integrated science learning and determine their improvement of science process skills (SPS) using the integrated science instruction. The research procedure consisted of ten stages, i.e., preliminary study, planning, development of draft assessment tool, validation of draft assessment tool, first revision of draft version, pilot study, second revision (stage II), operational field tests, third revision (stage III), and dissemination. The Aiken V formula was utilized to obtain instrument's validity, whilst interclass correlation coefficients were calculated for its reliability. The results showed that the instructional assessment was valid with lowest (0.89) and highest (0.98) validity values. The reliability coefficients of the first, second and third observation sheets were found to be 0.93, 0.94 and 0.92, respectively, which fell into a very good category. This means that these observation sheets were feasible for measuring SPS. The results indicated that the students' SPS levels were very good for predicting, experimenting, observing, and measuring, while 'concluding and communicating' aspects were good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigated emotion–performance relationships in rugby union. We identified which emotions rugby players experienced and the extent to which these emotions were associated with performance, considering how emotions unfold over the course of a game, and whether the game was played at home or away. Data were gathered from 22 professional male rugby union players using auto-confrontation interviews to help identify situations within games when players experienced intense emotions. We assessed the intensity of emotions experienced before each discrete performance and therefore could assess the emotion–performance relationship within a competition. Players identified experiencing intense emotions at 189 time-points. Experts in rugby union rated the quality of each performance at these 189 time-points on a visual analog scale. A Linear Mixed Effects model to investigate emotion–performance relationships found additive effects of game location, game time, and emotions on individual performance. Results showed 7 different pre-performance emotions, with high anxiety and anger associating with poor performance. Future research should continue to investigate emotion–performance relationships during performance using video-assisted recall and use a measure of performance that has face validity for players and coaches alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to cope with the increasing volume of transportation, many railway bridges are in need of being strengthened especially for the reinforced concrete lightweight pier bridge. An original strengthening dynamic performance evaluation of a benchmark monorail heavy haul rail bridge is carried out in this study, with different alternatives, the vehicle-bridge coupling system model is set up based on the time-varying theory. After extensive numerical testing, the dynamic responses of the bridge and the running safety of the vehicle are calculated for different strengthening alternatives using the program Dynamic Interaction Analysis for Heavy-Haul Train-Bridge System. The responses of the bridge and RS indexes of the vehicle are all meeting the requirements of the specifications concerned. The present study verifies that the strengthening of the bridge is desirable for the lateral stiffness reinforcement method of the bridge, in contrast with the field measured data. The present research proposed a feasible and generic method for the lateral vibration control of railway bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Football teams play following two strategies: defensive and offensive. The length of time in which the team plays under each of these two modes will depend on who the rival team is and the technical play developed. Once the match is over, an analysis of the team's performance is necessary to determine which aspects of the offensive/defensive strategies used during the game failed and which succeeded. Although there are some studies in the literature that assess the offensive and defensive efficiencies of football teams in a season, none of them deal with the performance in a single match. In this paper, a multiple modes of functioning (MMF) data envelopment analysis (DEA) model is proposed. This methodology determines the percentage of time in which the team should have played in defensive and offensive modes in order to maximize those efficiencies. The procedure has been applied to the Spanish First Division league in the 2014/2015 season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Radiologists have historically participated as individuals in CMS pay-for-performance programs, but little is known about how radiologists perform under increasingly available group participation. We aimed to assess radiologists' relative national performance on CMS quality metrics using group versus individual participation.Methods: Radiologists' group- and individual-level 2016 performance on Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and non-PQRS Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) measures were obtained from the CMS national Physician Compare database and compared.Results: Radiology groups reported an average 4.6 ± 2.0 quality measures; individual radiologists reported 2.3 ± 1.2 (P < .001). At least six measures were reported by 31.5% of groups versus 1.0% of individuals. Only one measure was reported by 5.4% of groups versus 33.0% of individuals. Groups reported 21 unique measures (20 via registries and one via QCDR). For 8 of the 11 measures reported by 20 or more groups, the average group performance rate was 3% or better than the average performance rate among radiologists participating as individuals (maximum 14% improvement with group participation versus individual participation for any individual measure). Group and individual performance were similar for the remaining three such measures. For measures reported by 20 or more groups in which a higher score indicates better performance, average group performance rates ranged from 86.2% to 98.9%.Conclusion: Compared with individual participation in CMS quality performance programs, radiologists participating as a group reported larger numbers of quality measures and achieved higher performance rates on those measures. Radiology practices seeking success under Medicare's new Quality Payment Program should carefully explore group participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Pädagogik is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To study static and dynamic postural balance control in elite and sub-elite male volleyball players with or without a history of musculoskeletal lower limb injuries. Cross-sectional study. Laboratory. Data were obtained from 45 male volleyball players, divided into healthy (CON, n = 28) and previously injured (INJ, n = 17) players by means of an injury self-reported questionnaire. Static postural balance parameters were recorded carrying out a monopodalic test with the dominant leg on a stabilometric platform. Dynamic postural balance was assessed with the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) in its version based on three directions (anterior, postero-lateral and postero-medial). No statistically significant differences were detected between CON and INJ for all the static postural balance parameters considered. Conversely, the mSEBT results underlined a statistically significant decrease of the performance in the three directions (P <.001) for INJ with respect to CON. The mSEBT should be employed in male volleyball players with a history of musculoskeletal lower limb injuries to better assess postural balance control alterations. Moreover, the decrement of the dynamic balance performance may indicate that, before returning to competitions, the rehabilitation protocol should be more focused on dynamic balance exercises. • A prior history of injury did not affect static balance in male volleyball players. • mSEBT discriminated male volleyball players with and without a history of injuries. • Balance assessment should include the modified SEBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Plantwide control (PWC) design is firstly investigated for a novel process of ethylene glycol (EG) production. • Interactions between different units and integrated effects are analyzed and eliminated through effective control schemes. • A feedforward control scheme is developed with significant improvement on control performance. • This work will be valuable for PWC design of complex reaction-separation processes. Abstract Design for plantwide control (PWC) is significantly important for stable, safe, and efficient operation of complicated processes. In this work, dynamic simulation and effective PWC structures were investigated for a novel dimethyl oxalate (DMO) hydrogenation process for ethylene glycol (EG) production. This process is a typical reaction-separation process with four recycle streams that poses challenges due to integrated effects and interactions among different sections. Single-end temperature control was applied in the initial control structure CS1, while it failed to handle disturbances due to the interactions and integrated effects. Then, the initial CS1 was modified with a cascade control to address this problem. The control structure CS2 also achieved stable control through using different criteria for selecting temperature control variables in distillation columns. And the robust control structure CS3 characterized with a feedforward ratio control significantly shortened the response time and reduced transient deviation. The control performances of these control structures were assessed by criteria in terms of DPT and IAE. The results show that CS3 provides the most effective control. This work will be valuable for the design of PWC structures for complex reaction-separation processes. Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The expansion of sensors located within the shop floor area drastically expands the amount of information being available for planning procedures. However, it is questionable on how far ever more current data, leading to higher production planning frequencies, are able to contribute to a higher logistical performance of production planning and control (PPC). For this purpose, we conducted a study to confront frequently described potentials of real-time abilities with adverse effects consequent to scheduling nervousness. The results of a curvilinear regression indicate that the risks of scheduling nervousness can outweigh potential benefits due to immediate schedule adjustments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated required repertoire lists for state music education associations' choral performance assessment events in the National Association for Music Education North Central division. Questions included: (a) How many states have required repertoire lists; (b) What categories/genres and historical time periods are represented on these lists; (c) Are there any notable differences between and among states' required repertoire lists within NAfME's North Central region; and (d) Do the required repertoire lists reflect NAfME's National Core Arts Standards for Ensembles? Analysis of 2,714 pieces revealed 74. 94% of the repertoire was representative of Western art music, with 60. 72% of those pieces composed post-1900, and 25. 06% of the total repertoire was Non-Western. Implications of these results may question the concordance between NAfME's National Core Arts Standards and values set forth through required repertoire lists as determined by NAfME state performance assessment leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities play an important role in the environmental transitions around the world. Land use is the result of interactions among politics, economy, society, culture and natural environments. Therefore, the planning of land use is a decisive factor for the coordination of urban development and sustainable development. Overdevelopment and construction in massive scale have caused many environmental problems. With the rising awareness of the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development, humanity cannot afford to neglect the influence of environmental changes on our society and ecological environments. In this study, the Delphi method and data envelopment analysis (DEA) are used. The decision making units (DMUs) in this study are 21 cities in Guangdong Province of China. The data from the annual reports published by these cities are used as the inputs and outputs of the assessment indicators in this study. The empirical DEA results of this study are intended to provide references for the improvement of environmental performance assessments for urban land use planning. According to the analysis results, it is found in this study that only one of the 21 DMUs has strong form efficiency, indicating better efficiency better than the other DMUs while seven of the DMUs have efficiency scores ranging from 1 to 0.9 and the remaining 13 DMUs have efficiency scores lower than 0.9. Through the sensitivity analysis, the key influence factors of urban land use development are found and suggestions are made according to the analysis results in the hope of helping reduce possible environmental impact of urban land use plans through better assessments beforehand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many diversified methods that can assess the business performance of the ecology industry. Usually, administrators use their experience to conduct their judgment, which lacks scientific and systematic objective evidence. Therefore, it can easily cause mistakes in the administration. Data Envelopment Analysis, a linear planning technique in research, is one of the methods that can be used to assess business performance and is often used to solve this issue. Through the information from the input and output items, this study was conducted to measure the relative business performance of eco-enterprises. In real practice, data collection and an analysis of each department are usually used to offer objective reference values and benchmark for learning, before suggestions are offered for specific directions and goals for improvement in order to help eco-enterprises enhance their business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A scenario-based framework is proposed to rank infrastructure spatial designs. • A coupled model assesses flood performance in spatiotemporal scales. • A dynamic multi-criteria decision-making method considers temporal indicators. • Waterway connectivity and green space redundancy improve flood resilience. • Waterway storage improvement outperforms green space runoff reduction at source. Flood resilience has aroused significant interest in coastal areas dealing with a growing frequency of severe rainstorms caused by climate change and urbanisation. At the core of flood resilience is the development of a resilient green-grey-blue infrastructure system that can resist, absorb, and recover from floods in a timely manner. Current flood resilience research, however, is limited to evaluating single infrastructure systems, failing to examine the dynamic process or find ideal spatial infrastructure designs for decision-makers. This research proposes a scenario-based assessment framework for integrated green-grey-blue infrastructure systems to improve flood resilience during urban design decision-making. Rainfall-runoff, drainage networks, and river system models are interlinked to provide quantitative simulation evaluations of water quantity and urban impact in various spatial organisations of infrastructure design. A dynamic, multi-criteria decision-making process is used to reveal the importance of five temporal indicators and rank design alternatives. In Guangzhou, China, the efficiency of this architecture is demonstrated on Pazhou Island, a typical river network area. Given the limited water and green space available, the results demonstrate that submerged areas exert a greater influence during peak rainfall, and blue infrastructure storage becomes an essential factor following rainfall. Furthermore, from a spatial perspective, the looped network of green-blue infrastructure enhances flood resilience, and downstream waterway connections and green space-aligned waterways boost the water storage capacity of green-grey-blue infrastructure. This paradigm can improve flood resilience in the Greater Bay Area in the future, especially in response to heavy rainstorms and river floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]