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Background: Although image-guided interventional procedures of the elbow and wrist are routinely performed, there is poor evidence in the literature concerning such treatments. Our aim was to perform a Delphi-based consensus on published evidence on image-guided interventional procedures around the elbow and wrist and provide clinical indications on this topic.Methods: A board of 45 experts in image-guided interventional musculoskeletal procedures from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology were involved in this Delphi-based consensus study. All panelists reviewed and scored published papers on image-guided interventional procedures around the elbow and wrist updated to September 2018 according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine levels of evidence. Consensus on statements drafted by the panelists about clinical indications was considered as "strong" when more than 95% of panelists agreed and as "broad" if more than 80% agreed.Results: Eighteen statements were drafted, 12 about tendon procedures and 6 about intra-articular procedures. Only statement #15 reached the highest level of evidence (ultrasound-guided steroid wrist injections result in greater pain reduction and greater likelihood of attaining clinically important improvement). Seventeen statements received strong consensus (94%), while one received broad consensus (6%).Conclusions: There is still poor evidence in published papers on image-guided interventional procedures around the elbow and wrist. A strong consensus has been achieved in 17/18 (94%) statements provided by the panel on clinical indications. Large prospective randomized trials are needed to better define the role of these procedures in clinical practice.Key Points: • The panel provided 18 evidence-based statements on clinical indications of image-guided interventional procedures around the elbow and wrist. • Only statement #15 reached the highest level of evidence: ultrasound-guided steroid wrist injections result in greater pain reduction and greater likelihood of attaining clinically important improvement. • Seventeen statements received strong consensus (94%), while broad consensus was obtained by 1 statement (6%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Image-guided interventional procedures of the nerves are commonly performed by physicians from different medical specialties, although there is a lack of clinical indications for these types of procedures. This Delphi-based consensus provided a list of indications on image-guided interventional procedures for nerves of the upper limb based on updated published evidence.Methods: An expert panel of 45 members of the Ultrasound and Interventional Subcommittees of the ESSR participated in this Delphi-based consensus study. After revision of the published papers on image-guided interventional procedures for nerves of the upper limb updated to September 2018, the experts drafted a list of statements according to the Oxford Centre for evidence-based medicine levels of evidence. Consensus on statements regarding clinical indications was considered as strong when more than 95% of experts agreed, and broad if more than 80% agreed.Results: Ten statements were drafted on procedures for nerves of the upper limb. Only two statements reached the highest level of evidence (ultrasound guidance is a safe and effective method for brachial plexus block; ultrasound-guided non-surgical approaches are safe and effective methods to treat carpal tunnel syndrome in the short term, but there is sparse evidence on the mid- and long-term effectiveness of these interventions). Strong consensus was obtained on 6/10 statements (60%), while 4/10 statements reached broad consensus (40%).Conclusions: This Delphi-based consensus study reported poor evidence on image-guided interventional procedures for nerves of the upper limb. Sixty percent of statements on clinical indications provided by the expert board reached a strong consensus.Key Points: • An expert panel of the ESSR provided 10 evidence-based statements on clinical indications for image-guided interventional procedures for nerves of the upper limb • Two statements reached the highest level of evidence • Strong consensus was obtained on 6/10 statements (60%), while 4/10 statements reached broad consensus (40%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Image-guided interventional procedures around the shoulder are commonly performed in clinical practice, although evidence regarding their effectiveness is scarce. We report the results of a Delphi method review of evidence on literature published on image-guided interventional procedures around the shoulder with a list of clinical indications.Methods: Forty-five experts in image-guided musculoskeletal procedures from the ESSR participated in a consensus study using the Delphic method. Peer-reviewed papers regarding interventional procedures around the shoulder up to September 2018 were scored according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine levels of evidence. Statements on clinical indications were constructed. Consensus was considered as strong if more than 95% of experts agreed and as broad if more than 80% agreed.Results: A total of 20 statements were drafted, and 5 reached the highest level of evidence. There were 10 statements about tendon procedures, 6 about intra-articular procedures, and 4 about intrabursal injections. Strong consensus was obtained in 16 of them (80%), while 4 received broad consensus (20%).Conclusions: Literature evidence on image-guided interventional procedures around the shoulder is limited. A strong consensus has been reached for 80% of statements. The ESSR recommends further research to potentially influence treatment options, patient outcomes, and social impact.Key Points: • Expert consensus produced a list of 20 evidence-based statements on clinical indications of image-guided interventional procedures around the shoulder. • The highest level of evidence was reached for five statements. • Strong consensus was obtained for 16 statements (80%), while 4 received broad consensus (20%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly increasing capacity of technology to collect, organize, and manage data has spurred changes in the practice of statistics: new methods of collecting data, large data sets, new forms of data, different ways to visualize and represent data, and recognition of the importance of being able to understand and to communicate data-based arguments and findings from the perspective of data consumers and data producers. Using a narrative review based on Delphi methods, wee asked leading members of the statistics education community to describe trends they have observed in the field and to identify interesting and relevant papers related to those trends. We received 24 responses and over 200 suggestions for papers. Our analysis included papers published in journals, book chapters, conference proceedings, handbooks, and curricular documents. We focused on future directions for statistics education research, and thus included articles based on opinion or principles if the arguments made a strong case supported by evidence as to why the idea was needed. From our analysis of 50 papers in this review, we suggest four emerging themes in statistics education research, challenging what should be taught and suggesting new ways of thinking about the teaching and learning of statistics: Data Science, Visibilizing Statistical Concepts, Social Statistics, and New Contexts for Learning. The review focuses on articles from 2017-mid 2022 and highlights the relevance and importance of each theme. Our choice of a particularly important paper for each theme is annotated in the references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tries to provide a system to predict social efficiency (SOE) by relying on internal social sustainability practices (ISSPs) in the service supply chains (SCs). Because of the unclear notion of an emerging issue, this study applied the fuzzy set theory to extract the experts' opinions and overcome the vague nature of this problem. So, the ISSPs were identified by literature review and confirmed as schedulable and budgetable practices in service SCs by the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). The extracted ISSPs and SOE were, respectively, applied in the role of inputs and output of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The data from 70 hospital SCs were collected to design the knowledge base. The proposed system would help service SC managers to foresee if they are performing in an efficient way regards to social sustainability. Also, predicting the impact of adopting different levels of social practices on SOE enables managers to make a conscious decision about prioritizing and budgeting those practices. According to the extensive literature review, the research on the relationship between social sustainability practices-performance is emerging and limited. Also, one of the most important contribution of the paper is to consider the service SCs characteristics in this issue. This paper is a preliminary effort and scientific contribution to empirically determine the relations between social practices and social efficiency, especially in service SCs, along with applying FDM and ANFIS for answering this research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1970s, research on artificial intelligence in education emerged with the aim of acknowledging and accommodating the psychological aspects of the learning process. Since then, its applications have evolved and it is now used for student learning and assessment, teachers' pedagogical practice, management of educational institutions, and lifelong learning. Nevertheless, the ethical challenges of educational programmes using these systems have not been thoroughly studied. Anchored on the theoretical frame of dialogic ethics, this paper presents a section of a participatory futures research project. The goal of the research is to develop a toolkit that educators can use to ensure a smooth and ethical transition to artificial intelligence-based education while preserving the interests of educational development. This paper emphasises the need for an informed and participatory process that involves all stakeholders and begins with an expert consultation through the Delphi method, the results of which allowed the construction of eight hypothetical futures scenarios. These scenarios provide evidence that examining the ethics of using artificial intelligence systems presents an opportunity to reflect on the ethics of education as a whole. They highlight the challenge of balancing the benefits and drawbacks of such systems, especially concerning educational goals and the interplay between diverse educational actors and personal development in educational settings. The study outcomes are intended to encourage discussions on the integration of ethical artificial intelligence in education and facilitate the continuing professional development of teachers by equipping them with scenarios that can be used as a resource for training purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to conduct a systematic overview of green growth literature and reveal the evolution, hot topics, as well as future directions of this field. Given the dispersion of the existing related studies, the development and evolution process of green growth have yet to be comprehensively reviewed. The qualitative review cannot objectively and quantitatively screen out important keywords, possibly leading to bias. This study uses a hybrid method based on bibliometric analysis and the fuzzy Delphi method to review 806 papers from the Scopus database. The findings show that there is an exponential rise in publications with the leading authors, countries, and institutions concentrated in South Korea, China, and the USA. The contents of core literature are focused on pathways and influencing factors of green growth. Hot topics, including policy support, resource management, emission reduction, and the application of new technology, are summarized. The top 5 keywords for future directions are energy, economy, emission, development, and management. The findings offer some valuable contributions to both academic and practical investigations of green growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evolution is a unifying theme in biology and its understanding is essential to address sustainability problems. However, many people across the world do not understand evolution. Textbooks are among the most widely used educational resources and the way they depict evolution may greatly impact students' scientific literacy in evolution. In this paper we investigate which evolution concepts are addressed in European science textbooks, from the 1st to the 9th grade. A content analysis using the 'Framework for the Assessment of school Curricula on the presence of Evolutionary concepts", was performed on textbooks from eight European countries: Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia. At least two experienced coders per country independently analysed the texts, images and activities, discussed the results and reached a final consensus. Results: Our results show that textbooks lack or rarely address concepts considered important for evolution understanding, notably the processes driving evolution and their daily life implications, limiting opportunities for education for sustainability. Conclusions: We recommend that science textbooks emphasize evolution and its processes since the first school years. This recommendation is particularly relevant for the analysed textbooks from Cyprus and Belgium, that cover less than 45% of the concepts important to evolution literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Republic of Serbia (RS) is strategically oriented towards sustainable development, but the implementation thereof faces different limitations and problems. RS emits substantial pollution caused by fossil fuels, and pollution from agricultural sector characterized by inefficient use of energy and intensive use of fertilizers. Bearing in mind the significant agricultural capacities and the orientation towards rural development, a special green transformation must be implemented in this domain. Taking into account the specificities and tradition, the introduction of the circularity concept can be considered the most acceptable. Research on readiness for transition to circularity in RS rural areas has not been conducted; therefore, the goal of the paper is to develop a concept for assessing the capacity of rural areas for circularity. This study is the first scientific proposal that aims to provide input for policymakers, thus contributing to the creation of a new identity of RS, whose development is based on the principles of sustainability. Methods: The study was conducted as conceptual research, with the objective of examining an undiscovered phenomenon without empirical evidence and incorporating the targeted phenomenon into a conceptual framework, while providing a proposal for a solution model based on an interdisciplinary approach—the application of qualitative and quantitative methods (aggregation of composite indicators and Delphi method). Results: Paper results can be summarized as follows: (a) qualitative analysis of policy framework related to RS transition towards circularity (which shows that regulation is insufficient or non-existent, so conceptual research at this stage is necessary and only possible); (b) research questionnaire; (c) original set of indicators for measuring capacity for circularity (derived from the questionnaire); (d) concept of index of capacity of agriculture and rural areas for circularity (based on a set of indicators); and (e) concept of the monitoring of circularity implementation. Conclusions: The main research findings presented in this paper could be beneficial for countries at early stages of introducing circularity, having both low and high agricultural potential. With slight modifications, they can also be applied to other economic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires considered in this paper contain multiple subscales, although not all subscales are equally relevant for administration in all target patient populations. A group of measurement experts, developers, license holders, and other scientific-, regulatory-, payer-, and patient-focused stakeholders participated in a panel to discuss the benefits and challenges of a modular approach, defined here as administering a subset of subscales out of a multi-scaled PRO measure. This paper supports the position that it is acceptable, and sometimes preferable, to take a modular approach when administering PRO questionnaires, provided that certain conditions have been met and a rigorous selection process performed. Based on the experiences and perspectives of all stakeholders, using a modular approach can reduce patient burden and increase the relevancy of the items administered, and thereby improve measurement precision and eliminate wasted data without sacrificing the scientific validity and utility of the instrument. The panelists agreed that implementing a modular approach is not expected to have a meaningful impact on item responses, subscale scores, variability, reliability, validity, and effect size estimates; however, collecting additional evidence for the impact of context may be desirable. It is also important to recognize that adequate rationale and evidence (e.g., of fit-for-purpose status and relevance to patients) and a robust consensus process that includes patient perspectives are required to inform selection of subscales, as in any other measurement circumstance, is expected. We believe that the considerations discussed within (content validity, administration context, and psychometric factors) are relevant across multiple therapeutic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finland, agriculture is practiced in variable growing conditions that are further challenged by climate change and under external pressure caused by international competition, changing consumer preferences and demands, and the renewal of the European Union Common Agriculture Policy and Paris Agreement climate targets. Futures studies in agriculture have focused on scenario building with expert panels, though usually without farmers' involvement. This study focuses on farmers' views of shaping the future of Finnish agriculture. It builds on the disaggregative Delphi method and combines interviews and a representative survey of Finnish farmers. The study is based on a bottom-up process in which a farmer panel of 20 farms defined their views of the future in a semi-structured thematic interview. The views were turned into statements in a structured survey sent to the second panel, which comprised all Finnish farmers who had received agricultural subsidies in 2016, with 4401 respondents. The results were analyzed using quantitative factor analysis, which produced five future images for Finnish agriculture. The images were shown to the original farmer panel for reflection. They considered the probability of each future image and their own role in it. Technology solves as a future image was most favored by farmers, followed by Ecological and specializing small-scale production image. Business-as-usual was the least likely future images according to the interviewed farmers. This paper describes the process and discusses both methodological benefits and pitfalls, as well as farmers' future views of the forthcoming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of modern society, people's demand for the network is also rising. Because of its powerful function, wide coverage, and other advantages, people in modern society have higher and higher utilization rate of the network, and many things are realized with the help of the network. At the same time, some new business based on the network is emerging. The rapid development of network technology makes many people rush for it. This paper mainly studies how to improve the cache technology, reasonable, and effective allocation of resources, so that people can get a better experience. This paper studies the suitability evaluation of tourism development of regional cultural heritage resources by using Delphi method and AHP analytic hierarchy process and infiltrates the evaluation items into various levels, such as natural environment conditions, social and economic conditions, resource combination levels, and so on. Through the analysis and comparison of different geographic information, we can clearly understand whether the region is suitable for tourism and the spatial differences of some regions. To a certain extent, it lays the foundation for the future development of cultural heritage tourist attractions, and the spatial analysis based on GIS, which is consistent with the tourism suitability evaluation index in the field of regional cultural heritage. When comparing the data with different measurement levels, we can directly determine the characteristics of the spatial differences of different cultural heritage resources, which depends on the value of resources and location conditions of a specific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely delivery of products to customers is the great importance for retailers in supply chain management. Vending machines are one of the most effective retail tools for consumers to get the product they want at any time. With the developing technology, retailers tend to establish distribution with vending machines to provide faster service to the consumer. At this point, one of the primary objectives is to make the location selection decisions for these vending machines. The most suitable location selection decision includes the evaluation of each alternative under the specified criteria in a problem where there are multiple alternative locations. The present paper proposes a novel modified Delphi-based spherical fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (SFAHP) integrated spherical fuzzy combinative distance-based assessment (SFCODAS) methodology to the vending machine location selection (VMLS) problem. After determining the main and sub-criteria hierarchically, the Modified Delphi method is used to consolidate the opinions of the experts regarding the criteria and integrate them into the study. The main and sub-criteria weights are provided by the SFAHP method. And the most suitable location is determined by the SFCODAS method by ranking among the alternative locations according to these weighted criteria. The case study of VMLS is presented for a retail firm in Istanbul. Sensitivity analysis is performed to measure the flexibility of the proposed methodology. To validate the applicability of the proposed methodology, comparison analysis is presented with the results of the spherical fuzzy weighted aggregated sum-product assessment (SFWASPAS) method. Finally, the conclusions and future directions are discussed in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Community engagement is essential in effective public health programs. This paper illustrates the methods used to engage community in the development of a multi-level implementation intervention to address cancer disparities related to hereditary cancer syndromes. Methods: Implementation Mapping (IM), was used to guide the co-creation of an intervention. Key partners were recruited to a 13-member statewide community advisory board (CAB) representing healthcare and community-based organizations. As part of a needs assessment, a 3-round modified Delphi method with the CAB was used to identify implementation outcomes to use in later steps of IM. An anonymous online survey of a validated community engagement measure assessed CAB members' satisfaction with the process. Results: Using a modified Delphi method as part of the needs assessment of IM, the CAB identified three broad categories of strategies: Changing infrastructure using patient navigation; training and educating patients, navigators and providers; and supporting clinicians in case identification and management. Self-reported satisfaction with the IM and Delphi process was high. Conclusions: Implementation Mapping facilitated the use of available evidence, new data, and community engagement to identify strategies to improve the delivery of programs to reduce hereditary cancer disparities. The modified Delphi method was easy to administer in a virtual environment and may be a useful for others in community-engaged research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The task of insights extraction from unstructured text poses significant challenges for big data analytics because it contains subjective intentions, different contextual perspectives, and information about the surrounding real world. The technical and conceptual complexities of unstructured text degrade its usability for analytics. Unlike structured data, the existing literature lacks solutions to address the usability of unstructured text big data. A usability enhancement model has been developed to address this research gap, incorporating various usability dimensions, determinants, and rules as key components. This paper adopted Delphi technique to validate the usability enhancement model to ensure its correctness, confidentiality, and reliability. The primary goal of model validation is to assess the external validity and suitability of the model through domain experts and professionals. Therefore, the subject matter experts of industry and academia from different countries were invited to this Delphi, which provides more reliable and extensive opinions. A multistep iterative process of Knowledge Resource Nomination Worksheet (KRNW) has been adopted for expert identification and selection. Average Percent of Majority Opinions (APMO) method has been used to produce the cut-off rate to determine the consensus achievement. The consensus was not achieved after the first round of Delphi, whereas APMO cut-off rate was 70.9%. The model has been improved based on the opinions of 10 subject matter experts. After second round, the analysis has shown majority agreement for the revised model and consensus achievement for all improvements that validate the improved usability enhancement model. The final proposed model provides a systematic and structured approach to enhance the usability of unstructured text big data. The outcome of the research is significant for researchers and data analysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is an emerging alternative route to the Suez Canal; however, inconclusive research exists on its benefits and viability. This paper uses a two-stage Delphi approach to collect qualitative data from experts, on what actions Nordic countries (Nordic countries are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland (Nordic Co-operation, 2020)) can undertake to prepare themselves to enter NSR and capture potential benefits deriving from trading in global transport networks. By conceptually developing a framework based on first-mover advantage (FMA) and dynamic capabilities theory (DCT), this paper empirically identifies a path to develop capabilities that could allow stakeholders to reduce logistics costs through collaborations in NSR. Our paper has made a twofold contribution, first to literature by linking FMA/DCT in a single framework and elaborating it in a global transportation and logistics context. Second, a practical contribution by identifying how countries along the NSR, and specifically Nordic countries, can capture and maximise its benefits by using the right policy framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reporting standards of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in health have not kept pace with the growth of this method, with multiple reviews calling for better reporting to improve transparency, assessment of validity and translation. A key missing piece has been the absence of a reporting checklist that details minimum standards of what should be reported, as exists for many other methods used in health economics. Methods: This paper reports the development of a reporting checklist for DCEs in health, which involved a scoping review to identify potential items and a Delphi consensus study among 45 DCE experts internationally to select items and guide the wording and structure of the checklist. The Delphi study included a best–worst scaling study for prioritisation. Conclusions: The final checklist is presented along with guidance on how to apply it. This checklist can be used by authors to ensure that sufficient detail of a DCE's methods are reported, providing reviewers and readers with the information they need to assess the quality of the study for themselves. Embedding this reporting checklist into standard practice for health DCEs offers an opportunity to improve consistency of reporting standards, thereby enabling transparency of review and facilitating comparison of studies and their translation into policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research has concentrated on the project portfolio selection (PPS) in the petroleum industry. In this study, the PPS has been treated as a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) problem; therefore, a hybrid framework comprising five MADM techniques has been proposed to tackle this problem. Several MADM techniques have been integrated to acquire more reliable decisions and consequently to decrease the risk of failure in the decision-making process. Since the proposed methodology is an MADM-based framework, there was a need to discover the influential attributes on selection of petroleum projects. In this respect, the literature of the PPS has been comprehensively reviewed and the most influential attributes have been detected. Sustainable development has been a concern for the researchers; hence, the sustainability-related attributes have been embraced in the decision-making process as well. To strengthen the practicality of the developed framework, the Delphi method has been employed to gather and converge the viewpoints of experts on the identified attributes. The Kruskal–Wallis statistical test has been implemented to compute the weights of the attributes. Having determined the influential attributes and their weights, the embedded MADM techniques in the proposed framework have been implemented to prioritize the potential petroleum projects of a real case study. To obtain the ultimate ranking of alternatives, the proposed framework consolidates the outputs of the aforementioned techniques through using the Copeland method. This paper has also proposed a mixed-integer mathematical formulation for the PPS problem to assess the precision and validity of the results delivered by the decision-making framework. Comparing the outputs of the proposed framework and the model revealed that the developed framework is capable of providing credible outcomes. Furthermore, several sensitivity analyses have been performed to demonstrate the robustness of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The many challenges faced by instructors in distance education have been extensively documented in current literature. Nevertheless, the relative importance of such challenges has not been researched to the same extent. As instructors and institutions face limitations in terms of time and budget, the ability to effectively prioritise challenges becomes increasingly vital. This paper aims to investigate the relative importance of various distance education challenges to instructors. For this purpose, a ranking-type Delphi study of 90 instructors was conducted at a Swedish higher education institution of technology. In total 26 unique challenges were identified, out of which the top 13 challenges were further ranked by instructors. The ranking revealed that pedagogical challenges were regarded as being of highest relative importance, whereas technological and organisational challenges were of lesser significance. Instructors rated the following challenges as the most significant: lack of student responsiveness, diminished collaboration due to social distancing among students, substantial upfront course design investments by instructors, and limitations in instructor accessibility. These rankings were found to be largely consistent across different instructor characteristics. The findings of the study indicate the importance of investing in faculty training and support functions within higher education institutions to ensure the quality of distance education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Access to medicines is a shared goal across healthcare stakeholders. Since health technology assessment (HTA) informs funding decisions, it shapes access to medicines. Despite its wide implementation, significant access variations due to HTA are observed across Europe. This paper elicited the opinions of European stakeholders on how HTA can be improved to facilitate access. Methods: A scoping review identified HTA features that influence access to medicines within markets and areas for improvement, while three access dimensions were identified (availability, affordability, timeliness). Using the Delphi method, we elicited the opinions of European stakeholders to validate the literature findings. Results: Nineteen participants from 14 countries participated in the Delphi panel. Thirteen HTA features that could be improved to optimise access to medicines in Europe were identified. Of these, 11 recorded a positive impact on at least one of the three access dimensions. HTA features had mostly a positive impact on timeliness and a less clear impact on affordability. 'Early scientific advice' and 'clarity in evidentiary requirements' showed a positive impact on all access dimensions. 'Established ways to deal with uncertainty during HTA' could improve medicines' availability and timeliness, while more 'reliance on real-world evidence' could expedite time to market access. Conclusions: Our results reiterate that increased transparency during HTA and the decision-making processes is essential; the use of and reliance on new evidence generation such as real-world evidence can optimise the availability of medicines; and better collaborations between regulatory institutions within and between countries are paramount for better access to medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In big data era, data has become an important part of human lives and work. At the same time, data plays an important role in information acquisition and dissemination. At present, the influence of data journalism is gradually increasing. However, unlike other countries, China data journalism started late. To study the problems of data journalism and the trend of future development, we use the method of combining data and news to explore the status quo and dig out the existing problems. This article first summarizes the research status, research methods, and theoretical basis of data journalism's propagation path. Next, it uses Lasswell's 5W model: a new model to analyze data news from five aspects, namely, disseminator, disseminating channel, dissemination content, audience, and dissemination effect. Finally, based on content analysis, searching, and data mining, an indicator system is constructed for the current new media's news dissemination effect evaluation, and the Delphi method is used to assign weights to various indicators and make decisions based on them. By analyzing the results, this paper identify the problems in the process of combining data journalism and new media platforms, and provide help for the future communication strategy of data journalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In group decision making problems, linguistic approaches are extensively utilized to convey the preferences of decision makers. It is common for words to mean different things to different people, thereby requiring the modeling of the personalized individual semantics (PIS) of decision makers when employing linguistic approaches. This paper investigates the PIS-based ordinal classification group decision making problem, in which flexible linguistic preference relations are used to convey decision makers' preferences. Firstly, a minimum information violation model with PIS is proposed to address the PIS issue in flexible linguistic preference relations, while simultaneously obtaining the ordinal classification of alternatives. When the information violation level derived from the minimum information violation model with PIS is unacceptable, a minimum adjustment-based ordinal classification consensus model is presented to obtain the references for decision makers to modify their preferences. Subsequently, an interactive ordinal classification consensus reaching process is devised, which aims to help decision makers to reach the predefined information violation level. Finally, to justify the validity of the proposal, a numerical example regarding research and development project selection, a comparative analysis, and a sensitivity analysis are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Great Wall of China was a military facility that has been continuously built and used for over thousands of years, and is a world-renowned cultural heritage site today. The plants growing on top surface of the Great Wall caused the damage of the Great Wall, but the process of removing these plants may further damage the body of the Great Wall. In this paper, based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the expert Delphi method, we selected 13 specific indices from three Constraint Layer factors, and then estimated and identified 45 species/categories of plants on top surface of the Dazhuangke section of the Great Wall. The results showthe constitution and the evaluation gradeof the evaluation system. The factor of Disruptive Effects plays the main guidance role in the evaluation system of the Constraint Layer; The indices of Impact on the Near Side Wall is the core element of the evaluation model with the highest weight of the Standard Layer. And the "Preservation", "Partial Preservation"and "Removal" recommendations were given based on three evaluation grade (from Grade I to Grade III). This research provides scientific basis for the protective repair of the Great Wallheritage as well as "Garden on the Great Wall". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments in which data are collected by multiple independent resources, including multicentre data, different laboratories within the same centre or with different operators, are challenging in design, data collection and interpretation. Indeed, inconsistent results across the resources are possible. In this paper, we propose a statistical solution for the problem of multi-resource consensus inferences when statistical results from different resources show variation in magnitude, directionality, and significance. Our proposed method allows combining the corrected p-values, effect sizes and the total number of centres into a global consensus score. We apply this method to obtain a consensus score for data collected by the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) across 11 centres. We show the application of this method to detect sexual dimorphism in haematological data and discuss the suitability of the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infants with chronic kidney disease (CKD) form a vulnerable population who are highly prone to mineral and bone disorders (MBD) including biochemical abnormalities, growth retardation, bone deformities, and fractures. We present a position paper on the diagnosis and management of CKD-MBD in infants based on available evidence and the opinion of experts from the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) CKD-MBD and Dialysis working groups and the Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce. Methods: PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes) questions were generated, and relevant literature searches performed covering a population of infants below 2 years of age with CKD stages 2–5 or on dialysis. Clinical practice points (CPPs) were developed and leveled using the American Academy of Pediatrics grading matrix. A Delphi consensus approach was followed. Results: We present 34 CPPs for diagnosis and management of CKD-MBD in infants, including dietary control of calcium and phosphate, and medications to prevent and treat CKD-MBD (native and active vitamin D, calcium supplementation, phosphate binders). Conclusion: As there are few high-quality studies in this field, the strength of most statements is weak to moderate, and may need to be adapted to individual patient needs by the treating physician. Research recommendations to study key outcome measures in this unique population are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the Maker Competency Instrument (MCI) was developed to diagnose the level of Maker Competence of elementary and secondary students in South Korea. First, in this study, a draft of the test tool was adapted based on the Maker Competency Model developed as part of Yoon et al.'s research (2018). Then, two expert-level Delphi surveys examined the content validity of the MCI. To verify the construct's validity, the exploratory factor analysis and the confirmatory factor analysis were conducted in two separate stages with the involvement of both teachers and professional Makers. As a result, it was confirmed by the MCI that 6 higher-order factors (Making mind, Making practice, collaboration, visual thinking, human-orientation, integrated thinking), 19 lower-order factors (observation, sense of challenge, interest in various areas, pleasure of the making process, understanding programming, understanding electricity, information searching, direct execution, understanding production tools, planning, hand knowledge, conflict management, communication, sharing, visual thinking and insight, humanity, user-oriented, analytical thinking, intuitive thinking), and 57 items were reasonable. From the outcome of this paper, it can be deduced that the MCI can be used from elementary to secondary school due to its proven reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the construction of a performance evaluation system for the inheritance of traditional sports intangible cultural inheritors. In order to ensure the scientific nature and rationality of the indicators, a theoretical model of performance evaluation content is first established. Then, based on the theoretical model, the preliminary selection of indicators is completed, and then the expert screening of indicators is further completed by Delphi method, and the weights of each indicator are established through analytic hierarchy. Finally, in order to verify the application effect of the indicator system in practice, this study conducts an empirical study on the system from the perspective of regional performance evaluation. The results show that the discriminating power and applicability of the evaluation indicator are effective, and the evaluation system has a very distinct epochal and people-centered character. In conclusion, the construction of this evaluation system is of great significance to improve the scientific and standardized level of evaluation of Intangible cultural heritage inheritors. Article highlights: The evaluation object of the system is "people" which breaks the customary paradigm that the evaluation objects are mostly "things". The important guiding spirit of "creative transformation and innovative development" is integrated into the construction of the evaluation indicator system. The rationality of the evaluation indicator system is verified by empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food systems are not sustainable, and efforts to address this are paralyzed by the complex networks of food system actors and factors that interact across sectoral and geographic scales. Actions at the community level can positively contribute toward globally sustainable food systems (SFS). Assessing such contributions has two central challenges: 1) a lack of methods that support alignment between communities and across scales, balanced against the need to involve the community in developing relevant indicators; and 2) the absence of adequate, fine grained data relevant to the community. Addressing these two challenges, this paper illustrates a proposed procedure that supports community engagement with, and assessment of, their contributions. Engaged by a community of Canadian dietitians, researchers used the Delphi Inquiry method, guided by the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, to address the first challenge, and causal loop diagrams informed by the Cultural Adaptation Template to address the second. Indicators were developed for dietitian-identified actions and outcomes for SFS. Modeling indicator interactions provide insight into how some actions are influenced by and reinforce the value placed on SFS within the professional cultural paradigm, as well as priority areas for action and measurement. Process-oriented assessment is useful in the context of partial and subjective understandings of a dynamic system, and supports continual adjustment in action. This article offers theoretical and practical insight for community engagement in addressing some of the systemic challenges in food systems. It accommodates community-based knowledge, applies process-indicators, and emphasizes the importance of cultural paradigms as a driving force of community-level actions, and overall system change. Under current conditions, facilitating SFS literacy among dietitians can amplify adaptations for broader SFS development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green Infrastructure (GI) practices are well known strategies which are used for the source control of stormwater generated from urban land uses. However, unlike other urban land uses, industrial areas are land use types which need special attention in selecting the most suitable GI among several practices available for the stormwater management due to the certain environmental considerations. The decision making in selecting the stormwater management GI practices for an industrial area involves environmental, economic and social objectives which are represented by various performance measures. When identifying these performance measures, the opinions of stakeholders play a major role for the successful implementation of GI. This paper (part 1 of 2 part series of papers) presents the results of a stakeholder preference elicitation process carried out through a four rounded Delphi survey to identify the performance measures and obtain their weights for the decision making of GI for industrial areas. The SWING weighting method was embedded within the Delphi survey process to elicit the weights for various performance measures. The experts have identified the total runoff volume reduction as the most important performance measure in selecting a suitable GI for industrial areas. The results obtained from the Delphi survey series showed a good degree of consensus and has proven to be a valuable tool for the decision making in GI selection, for industrial areas. The stakeholder preference elicitation presented in this paper is a part of a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) conducted to identify the most suitable stormwater management GI practices for an industrial area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economical crisis affected in particular regions focused on manufacturing specializations. Considering the important role played by Italy in this industry, this paper aims at providing a measure of the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry at regional level, focusing on positioning of Piedmont, a manufacturing vocation region. Despite the important role played by Italian manufacturing, literature concerning the creation of a synthetic regional index of this type of competitiveness is practically nonexistent. The paper bridges this gap throughout the development of a global index of regional competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. Methodology consists in a systematic analysis of drivers supported by literature at the base of the competitiveness of the regional manufacturing industry and in the validation of results by means of three focus groups composed of 30 stakeholders belonging to different organizations in two phases (Delphi method). Results show a system of measure based on eight competitive drivers, and its application to the Italian and Piedmont system highlights a strong heterogeneity among regions; this shows how Italian manufacturing industry depends on a few highly competitive regional systems and emphasizes the first position of Piedmont in this field. The creation of a ranking of the Italian regional systems on the base of the competitiveness of their manufacturing industry allows to draw important developing strategies. Main limits of this research involve the level of exhaustiveness of drivers and indices, chosen throughout criteria of relevance, transferability, and accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the past decades, behavioral medicine has attained global recognition. Due to its global reach, a critical need has emerged to consider whether the original definition of behavioral medicine is still valid, comprehensive, and inclusive, and to reconsider the main tasks and goals of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM), as the umbrella organization in the field. The purpose of the present study was to (i) update the definition and scope of behavioral medicine and its defining characteristics; and (ii) develop a proposal on ISBM's main tasks and goals. Method: Our study used the Delphi method. A core group prepared a discussion paper. An international Delphi panel rated questions and provided comments. The panel intended to reach an a priori defined level of consensus (i.e., 70%). Results: The international panel reached consensus on an updated definition and scope of behavioral medicine as a field of research and practice that builds on collaboration among multiple disciplines. These disciplines are concerned with development and application of behavioral and biomedical evidence across the disease continuum in clinical and public health domains. Consensus was reached on a proposal for ISBM's main tasks and goals focused on supporting communication and collaboration across disciplines and participating organizations; stimulating research, education, and practice; and supporting individuals and organizations in the field. Conclusion: The consensus on definition and scope of behavioral medicine and ISBM's tasks and goals provides a foundational step toward achieving these goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Care for patients undergoing elective colectomy has become increasingly standardized using Enhanced Recovery Programs (ERP). ERP, encorporating minimally invasive surgery (MIS), decreased postoperative morbidity and length of stay (LOS). However, disruptive changes are needed to safely introduce colectomy in an ambulatory or same-day discharge (SDD) setting. Few research groups showed the feasibility of ambulatory colectomy. So far, no minimum standards for the quality of care of this procedure have been defined. This study aims to identify quality indicators (QIs) that assess the quality of care for ambulatory colectomy. Methods: A literature search was performed to identify recommendations for ambulatory colectomy. Based on that search, a set of QIs was identified and categorized into seven domains: preparation of the patient (pre-admission), anesthesia, surgery, in-hospital monitoring, home monitoring, feasibility, and clinical outcomes. This list was presented to a panel of international experts (surgeons and anesthesiologists) in a 1 round Delphi to assess the relevance of the proposed indicators. Results: Based on the literature search (2010–2021), 3841 results were screened on title and abstract for relevant information. Nine papers were withheld to identify the first set of QIs (n = 155). After excluding duplicates and outdated QIs, this longlist was narrowed down to 88 indicators. Afterward, consensus was reached in a 1 round Delphi on a final list of 32 QIs, aiming to be a comprehensive set to evaluate the quality of ambulatory colectomy care. Conclusion: We propose a list of 32 QI to guide and evaluate the implementation of ambulatory colectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral images have a special attribute with both spectral and spatial information, which is of great significance for the evaluation of the stealth performance of camouflaged targets. Aiming at the problems of a single evaluation index and the low credibility of traditional optical camouflage evaluation methods, this paper proposes a grayscale clustering camouflage effect evaluation method based on multifeature descriptions of hyperspectral images using similarity indicators that reflect different spectral characteristics of the target and background. From the perspective of spectrum and human visual contrast, a comprehensive evaluation index system including spectral distance feature, spectral derivative feature, curve shape feature and spatial texture feature is constructed by combining spatial–spectral multi-feature constraints. At the same time, an improved Delphi method is proposed to simulate the expert decision-making process, and better evaluation weights are obtained by comparison and screening. The comprehensive evaluation of camouflage effect based on whitening function gray clustering is realized. The proposed method can not only give the "excellent" and "bad" of camouflage effect qualitatively, but also calculate the comprehensive score of camouflage effect by model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate the key challenges to project procurement in public-sector agricultural development projects in Bangladesh. Being exploratory in nature, the study applied the modified Delphi method, the best worst method (BWM), and the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach sequentially for the investigation. Ten key procurement challenges were identified and validated through the use of a literature review and two rounds of modified Delphi with the input of 15 experts in the field. Then the BWM was applied to assess the responses of eight industry experts to estimate the relative importance of the challenges. After that, a second panel of ten experts was interviewed using ISM to look at the contextual relationships between the challenges. This led to a four-layer interpretive structural model and MICMAC (cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) analysis of the challenges. Among the 10 key challenges, 'lack of competent procurement staff' is found to be the most significant challenge; whereas, based on the inter-relationships among the challenges, 'political influence' is identified as the most influential challenge. As a result, it is recommended that relevant professionals and policymakers address these challenges in terms of their relevance, relative dependencies, and influences in a holistic manner. This study addresses a knowledge gap by offering a thorough investigation of the challenges associated with public-sector agricultural project procurement in a developing country's context. This makes it useful for professionals in the field, academics, policymakers, and future researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study first examined the factors that enhance learning effectiveness and student satisfaction when an interactive response system (IRS) is introduced to a financial planning course. Second, we examined the influence of the initial experience of using an IRS on subsequent learning results. A total of 217 financial practitioners participated in a three-session financial course. During the course, the instructor interacted with the participants using the IRS. Participants were asked to use the smartphone-based IRS to interact with their instructor, and they were requested to complete two tests (a pretest and a posttest) and a satisfaction survey after each session. Participation data were directly imported into the UMU system for statistical analysis. The results indicated that task–technology fit (TTF) and instructor ability were predictors of learning effectiveness and student satisfaction. The perception of TTF in the first session had a positive effect on the cognitive results in the subsequent stages, which was the primacy effect. Moreover, a recency effect was observed in the affective results, meaning that the influence of the perception of TTF and instructor ability in the concurrent session on student satisfaction was stronger than the influence of previous experiences. Research and practical implications are presented to conclude the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurses and other health care providers face daily challenges when delivering care in the acute care settings to adult patients on the autism spectrum (ASD). Secondary to a lack of disability-specific training, health care providers may struggle to establish and maintain a therapeutic rapport with patients diagnosed on the autism spectrum (Bury et al., 2020). The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and pilot testing of decision-making tools to guide healthcare providers as they interact with patients on the autism spectrum using a novel approach. This mixed methods project employed simulation technology and actors portraying patients. It was conducted in two phases. During Phase 1, the decision-making tools were created using video-taped encounters between nursing students (n = 11) and standardized patients (actors) who displayed a range of core characteristics and behavioral features associated with ASD. During Phase 2, we piloted the tools with a convenience sample of 17 nurses. A panel of experts using a modified Delphi technique, 17-item task completion, 22-item behavioral encounter checklists and debriefing sessions, analyzed the 17-recorded simulations. The decision-making tools show promise of being to guide nurses' efforts to establish and maintain a therapeutic rapport with hospitalized adult patients who are also on the autism spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is prevalent and debilitating among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). While many pharmacologic treatments have shown good efficacy in reducing clinical relapses, brain lesions, and improving certain physical symptoms, their efficacy for improving cognitive function is not well understood.Objectives: The current systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacologic treatments for improving cognitive function among persons with MS.Methods: A literature search was conducted through the PubMed and PsycINFO databases. Two independent reviewers assessed each paper, and a third reviewer weighed in if the two reviewers could not reach a consensus. Classification of evidence was determined using the 2017 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) criteria for therapeutic trials. Standardized effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated to compare across studies.Results: Eighty-seven journal articles published between 1990 and January 2020 were included in the current review. Overall, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of pharmacologic treatments to improve cognitive function in persons with MS. There were many contradictory findings observed in this review, which may be due to possible unidentified moderating treatment response variables and/or lack of standardization in assessment procedures. There was also an overreliance on statistical significance (most papers did not provide sizes of treatment effects), which may not be clinically meaningful.Conclusions: Higher-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to establish the cognitive efficacy of pharmacologic treatments for MS-related cognitive dysfunction, with cognition as the primary endpoint. Researchers are urged to use standardized criteria (such as the AAN criteria) to guide their research designs. Clinicians should consider effect sizes of studies before deciding whether to prescribe certain medications to ameliorate cognitive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enthusiasm of coal-fired thermal power enterprises to participate in coal futures hedging to avoid the risk of coal price fluctuations is increasing. The key to hedge operation is to determine the total coal inventory required by the power generation company according to the amount of electricity generated. Participating in the hedging of coal futures not only plays a role in avoiding the risk of price fluctuation, but also reduces the occupation of funds and improves the utilization ratio of enterprises' funds. When the total stock of the power generation enterprise has been determined, the optimal ratio of coal futures hedging is calculated scientifically, and then the virtual stock position of coal is calculated, and the actual stock and virtual stock of the coal are reasonably determined. This paper constructs the optimization model of coal hedging ratio of coal-fired thermal power generation enterprises, and innovatively puts forward the Delphi method to determine the three coefficients in the hedging ratio model based on the practical experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For an academic unit to remain relevant, it must continually evolve. This paper provides a rare view into the process taken by one academic department embracing change to improve its communications and envision its future. Tasked with planning a departmental retreat, two faculty members designed a series of activities inspired by design thinking to prototype new ways to problem solve. This paper describes the activities used before and during the retreat, why these activities were designed, and shares reflections from the facilitators. Three rounds of online Delphi-style information gathering preceded the day-long retreat to build consensus and prioritize issues. Retreat activities followed the empathize, define, and ideate design thinking stages. Based on online anonymous surveys, facilitator reflections, and artifacts gathered, this paper offers a case study from one department discovering that change requires intentional effort and practice but can spark new possibilities. Limitations and future work are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource constraints and high staff turnover are perceived as substantial barriers to high quality residential aged care. Achieving relationship-focused, person-centered care (PCC) is an ongoing challenge. This paper reports on an international project that explored how residential care leadership understand meaningful engagement for residents with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This paper critically appraises the process, and outcomes, of an adapted Delphi method. Participants were the residential care leadership (i.e. staff in supervisory capacity) from four international facilities. Participation in the Delphi process was limited even though surveys were designed to require minimal time for completion. No participants opted for the alternative option of being interviewed. Findings indicate that residential care leadership recognised the importance of meaningful engagement for residents from CALD backgrounds. Limitations of time, resources and policy infrastructure were cited as barriers to achieving PCC. These findings suggest that facility leadership understand the importance of PCC, but identify multiple barriers rather than enablers for delivering PCC. Alternative methods, such as collecting data in interactive sessions allowing real-time discussion should be initiated to more effectively engage residential care leaders for a collaborative approach to explore PCC practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited interventions exist that support student's school participation. This paper describes a theoretical model of school participation and the iterative process that led to the development of an intervention that aims to improve the school participation of students on the autism spectrum and their typically developing peers. Literature on autism, school participation and intervention research were integrated to develop a theoretical model. Focus groups, a Delphi study, online surveys, and reference group consultation helped to develop and refine the intervention. A novel school-based intervention was developed. The impetus to develop interventions with a strong theoretical rationale is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and implementation of green product certification have created new requirements for risk assessment of the certification process. Conventional methods of scoring and subjective evaluation are at odds with the requirements of timeliness, objectivity, intelligence and authority of green certification risk assessment in the era of "big data." In this study, an improved prototype decision structure was developed based on published literature. Then the Delphi method was used to reach consensus among experts, identify the key risk points of green building materials certification (GBMC), and build a formal decision structure consisting of three aspects and 11 risk points. A conventional back-propagation (BP) neural network model and a Levenberg–Marquardt (L–M) improved BP model, were used to assess the risk of GBMC. The applicability and characteristics of the two models were compared using empirical data. Both models accurately described the risk of GBMC, but the improved LMBP model performed better. The results showed that the new LMBP model performs better than the conventional BP model in terms of mean square error, gradient to a solution, and training efficiency. The enhancement effects were improved by 99.1%, 91.9%, and 33.3%, respectively. This paper believes that when assessing the risk of GBMC, considerations should include not only the risk in the certification process, but also the internal risk of certification agencies and certification businesses. Furthermore, the proposed LMBP model is suitable for use in assessing the risk assessment of GBMC, especially in the environment of "big data". In order to effectively control the risk of GBMC, the risk of certification institutions, including historical risk, experience risk and ability risk, as well as the risk related to the application enterprise, including its credit risk, satisfaction risk and green index risk, should be taken into account seriously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport is a vast and complex socio-technical system, and despite a clear need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels due to undesirable environmental impacts, it is largely locked into business-as-usual. Systems approaches are a useful way to help make sense of multiple competing influences which may be simultaneously driving change and supporting the status quo. This paper applies qualitative system dynamics modelling to help interpret the results of a Delphi study into global transport transitions, involving 22 international experts in various aspects of transport. The main contribution of the paper is its exploration of the use of system dynamics (SD) modelling to interpret the Delphi findings. SD modelling was used to reveal and elucidate the causal arguments put forward by the expert panel about the factors driving business-as-usual, the factors creating barriers to more sustainable transport systems, and the drivers of change. The SD model is used to explore and expose the key causal patterns at play, and how these interact to both support and hinder change. The resulting model shows the complex, interdependent dynamics involved in supporting the status quo. Even at the relatively high level of analysis reported here, the model is useful in revealing interdependencies between parts of the system, where change in one part may well have knock-on effects elsewhere in the system. In particular the model reveals the strong reinforcing loops that act to minimise the impact of change drivers and thus retain the dominance of automobility. The result is a system that is highly dependent on the continued existence of key reinforcements such as policies that subsidise fossil fuels. From a methodological perspective, the outcomes of the Delphi study provided a rich source of qualitative material which was highly suitable for developing a system dynamics model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a Water Access Index (WAI). Using this tool, decision-makers can identify and prioritize areas that need state intervention to develop actions to guarantee rural population access to water. Thus, was carried out is a case study, rural communities in the semi-arid region of Brazil to validate the suggested method. The WAI is based on a combined method of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), Geographic Information System (GIS), cluster analysis (CA) using Ward's agglomeration method and participation of rural inhabitants. The data for calculating the WAI were obtained by conducting interviews following a script of themes in the structured questionnaire closed to 370 residents of the communities evaluated. To calculate the WAI, weightings were used, in which the scores of the indicators and the weights of the dimensions were determined and analyzed using the Delphi method, what found to be a valid method for calculating the dimensions and indicators weights. Due to difficulty of rural population to have water access and suffer from drought, the proposed model showed appropriate to conduct a robust and well-structured decision-making. The main contributions were the study in region suffering from drought and difficulty in water access, as well as the combination of MCDA, SIG, CA and participation of rural inhabitants methods to aid in this problem. For use in other areas, researchers need to conduct public and specialized consultations to adjust the dimension weights, so the WAI method can estimate the water access situation and generate maps anywhere in the world for decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the system philosophy of human-earth relationship as the theoretical axis, and under the three-dimensional goals of economic growth, social development, and protection of the ecological environment, this paper constructs the supporting system of China's economic development. On this basis, guided by the basic principles of system theory and system dynamics, and combined with the theories of other related disciplines, we constructed an economic geography-system dynamics (EG-SD) integrated forecasting model to simulate and quantitatively forecast China's economic growth in the medium and long term. China's economic growth will be affected by quantifiable and unquantifiable factors. If the main unquantifiable factors are not taken into account in the simulation and prediction of China's economic growth in the medium and long term, the accuracy and objectivity of the prediction results will be diminished. Therefore, based on situation analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, SWOT), we combined scenario analysis with the Delphi method, and established a qualitative prediction simulation model (referred to as the S-D compound prediction model) to make up for the shortcomings associated with quantitative simulation predictions. EG-SD and S-D are organically combined to construct a simulation and prediction paradigm of China's economic growth in the medium and long term. This paradigm not only realizes the integration of various forecasting methods and the combination of qualitative and quantitative measures, but also realizes the organic combination of unquantifiable and quantifiable elements by innovatively introducing fuzzy simulation of system dynamics, which renders the simulation and prediction results more objective and accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood vulnerability assessment as an essential part of the urban flood management is done by various methods by several researchers. In fact, the improvement in assessment methods is related to the necessity for enhanced decision-making procedures; for instance, economic or infrastructural investments in cities can be assigned in the best form. To achieve this aim, introducing indices for evaluating vulnerability and identifying more vulnerable zones and then doing relevant comparisons can be useful. District flood vulnerability index (DFVI) developed by the author uses 25 indicators in its calculation. Nevertheless, it is obvious that some of these indicators have no effect on the consequences. This paper presents the results of the analysis for the selection of the most significant indicators of the DFVI construction. This index is appropriate for urban district scaling (or: the urban district scale) and the various components of flood vulnerability (social, economic, environmental and physical). DFVI was made by analyzing the indicators' relevance and by studying the main indicators needed to depict reality of the urban district floods in an effective way. For this purpose, expert elicitation was done by Delphi and AHP method in two separate phases. Then, all these results were combined in order to construct DFVI equations. Finally, the index was implemented in Kuala Lumpur city's districts. This paper outlines which district of cities (in this case Kuala Lumpur) are most vulnerable to flood hazard with regard to the system's components, that is, social, physical, environmental and economic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The validation of any new methodological proposal demands several real-life implementations. However, organizations are reluctant to invest without the firm guarantee that they will be returned the entire expended amount of money. For this purpose, expert judgment techniques are very useful to provide a less-costly initial validation that, when positive, may encourage organizations to use these new proposals. Therefore, the primary goal of the paper will be to assess how expert judgment techniques based on the Delphi method can be applied to Web Engineering field and, more in particular, to assess the validity of the NDT-Agile framework. NDT-Agile is a framework that combines Agile and Web Engineering techniques to meet Capability Maturity Model Integration development goals. The paper presents a real example of an application of a Delphi-based expert judgment method to assess NDT-Agile framework validity, explaining the design as well as the selection and usage of the different techniques it involves. The application of the method will allow assessing benefits and limitations of use in Web Engineering. As a main conclusion, we will state the utility of the proposed methods to obtain a low-resource initial validation of a certain proposal. Finally, we will identify further lines of research related to the analyzed topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-learning is an educational method which aims to provide educational or training programs for students or trainees at any time and at any place using information and communication technology (ICT). Increasing numbers of higher education institutions have adopted e-learning in order to take advantage of the opportunities that it offers. Through e-learning, learners can access resources and information from anywhere and at any time. However, the successful implementation of e-learning relies on the readiness to be able to initiate this system because, without proper readiness, the project will probably fail. E-learning readiness refers to the assessment of how ready an institution is to adopt and implement e-learning. E-learning readiness helps higher education institutions to measure their stages of readiness, identify any gaps, and then redesign its strategy in order to adopt the e-learning system. One of the most important aspects of e-learning readiness is the technological aspect, which plays an important role in implementing an effective and efficient e-learning system. There is a lack of agreement about the factors that shape the technological aspects of e-learning readiness; hence, a clear gap has been identified in the knowledge on the technological aspects of e-learning readiness. The aim of this paper is to review the technological factors of e-learning readiness by performing the Delphi technique, and develop an initial model for technological aspects of e-learning readiness in higher education institutions. It is anticipated that this model can help institutions of higher education to identify and understand the technological aspects that must be considered when assessing the readiness to apply an e-learning project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To manage a public office building efficiently, it is necessary to manage Level of Service (LoS) as well as physical performance. In this study, LoS was defined as an index for measuring the preferable level of the service provided by an asset, and a model for performance measurement by using the Delphi method was proposed to quantitatively measure the LoS. Eight LoS items were established in four fields of policy (environment/economy/society/culture). Two surveys were conducted with 17 Korean experts in asset management by using the Delphi method. A performance measurement item was derived for measuring the LoS. The weights of individual items were calculated for measuring the LoS by applying the analytic hierarchy process. Performance measurement of the asset could be conducted based on the LoS for public office buildings by using the results. This paper demonstrates the possibility of measurement of asset based on the LoS. Furthermore, this paper provides a theoretical basis for replacing the physical measurement of performance with the LoS-based measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a response to the urgent call for recovery actions against the COVID-19 crisis, this research aims to identify action priority areas post COVID-19 toward achieving the targets of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development launched by the United Nations (UN). This paper applies a mixed-method approach to map the post-COVID-19 SDGs targets on a fuzzy action priority surface at the country level in Iran, as a developing country, by taking the following four main steps: (1) using a modified Delphi method to make a list of the SDGs targets influenced by COVID-19; (2) using the best–worst method, as a multi-criteria decision-making tool, to weight the COVID-19 effects on the SDGs targets achievement; also (3) to weight the impact of the SDGs targets on the sustainable development implementation; and finally (4) designing a fuzzy inference system to calculate the action priority scores of the SDGs targets. As a result, reduction of poor people proportion by half (SDG 1.2), development-oriented policies for supporting creativity and job creation (SDG 8.3), end the pandemics and other epidemics (SDG 3.3), reduction of deaths and economic loss caused by disasters (SDG 11.5), and financial support for small-scale enterprises (SDG 9.3) were identified as the highest priorities for action, respectively, in the recovery agenda for sustainable development post COVID-19. The provided fuzzy action priority surface supports the UN's SDGs achievement and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Iran. It also serves as a guideline to help the government, stakeholders, and policy-makers better analyze the long-term effects of the pandemic on the SDGs and their associated targets and mitigate its adverse economic, social, and environmental consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]