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Support Tool (support + tool)
Kinds of Support Tool Selected AbstractsINTEGRATED MODELLING OF WATER POLICY SCENARIOS IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF REGIONECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 3 2005Alexander Smajgl The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan defined a landmark in the political discussion on water use in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region. In order to develop a decision support tool that integrates market values and non-market values we combine Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling with multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) to integrate socio-economic, ecological and hydrological aspects of water use. In two scenarios the applied modelling approach of this paper is explained. [source] Continuous glucose monitoring system: an attractive support tool in diabetes educationEUROPEAN DIABETES NURSING, Issue 1 2005L Saez-de-Ibarra BSc Diabetes Specialist Nurse Abstract The study was designed to determine the usefulness of the CGMS (continuous glucose monitoring system) as a support tool in type 1 diabetes education. The CGMS is a sensor system that measures interstitial glucose levels every five minutes for three or more days, by means of a microelectrode inserted in the subcutaneous tissue. People with type 1 diabetes (n=52), who actively participated in diabetes self-management programmes, were monitored with CGMS during three to five days. Patients were selected for CGMS when unsatisfied with the glycaemic results achieved, given the effort made. Ten patients used CSII, 14 used insulin glargine plus rapid acting insulin analogue and 28 used NPH insulin plus short acting insulin. All patients used blood glucose self-monitoring, with a mean of 6.5±1.4 glucose readings per day. The CGMS register was evaluated with the patient. Mean capillary glucose during the 15 days prior to CGMS, mean capillary glucose during CGMS and mean capillary glucose during the 15 days after CGMS are compared. Discussion of the record with the patient frequently allowed detection of inappropriate solving attitudes. Mean capillary glucose dropped from 155±20mg/dL (8.60±1.11mmol/L) prior to CGMS to 143±20mg/dL (7.94±1.11mmol/L) after CGMS (p=0.000). The effectiveness of CGMS (number of patients in whom mean glucose improved) rose from 66.7% in 2001 to 70.6% in 2002, 78.9% in 2003 and 88.8% in 2004. When the patient is involved in the analysis of glucose fluctuations, CGMS is a useful tool in diabetes education that will help achieve attitude changes because of the evidence depicted by the continuous glucose record. Experience in the use of this tool by the professional will improve its effectiveness. Copyright © 2005 FEND. [source] Multi-Criteria Material Selection in Engineering Design,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 1-2 2004P. Sirisalee Material selection in real-world problems normally entails considering several, usually conflicting, design criteria/objectives. Thus, a designer has to strike a balance between these objectives to find the best compromise solution for the particular application. A novel design support tool, the exchange constant chart, has been developed in order to assist designers selecting materials in such multi-criteria situations. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the use of this tool. [source] Development and evaluation of a breast cancer prevention decision aid for higher-risk womenHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 1 2003CON(C), Dawn Stacey RN Abstract Objective, To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a breast cancer prevention decision aid for women aged 50 and older at higher risk of breast cancer. Design, Pre-test,post-test study using decision aid alone and in combination with counselling. Setting, Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Clinic. Participants, Twenty-seven women aged 50,69 with 1.66% or higher 5-year risk of breast cancer. Intervention, Self-administered breast cancer prevention decision aid. Main outcome measures, Acceptability; decisional conflict; knowledge; realistic expectations; choice predisposition; intention to improve life-style practices; psychological distress; and satisfaction with preparation for consultation. Results, The decision aid alone, or in combination with counselling, decreased some dimensions of decisional conflict, increased knowledge (P < 0.01), and created more realistic expectations (P < 0.01). The aid in combination with counselling, significantly reduced decisional conflict (P < 0.01) and psychological distress (P < 0.02), helped the uncertain become certain (P < 0.02), and increased intentions to adopt healthier life-style practices (P < 0.03). Women rated the aid as acceptable, and both women and practitioners were satisfied with the effect it had on the counselling session. Conclusion, The decision aid shows promise as a useful decision support tool. Further research should compare the effect of the decision aid in combination with counselling to counselling alone. [source] Exploiting decision theory concepts within clinical guideline systems: Toward a general approachINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 6 2006Stefania Montani Supporting therapy selection is a fundamental task for a system for computerized management of clinical guidelines (GL). To this end, decision theory concepts could provide significant advances. In this article, we propose a systematic analysis of the main GL representation primitives and of how they could be related to decision theory concepts. The knowledge representation contribution we provide can be seen as a basis for implementing a decision support tool within any of the systems described in the literature: As a matter of fact, at a sufficiently abstract level, the GL primitives we treat are shared by all of the systems. Such a tool could be adopted when executing a GL on a single patient (in clinical practice) and for simulation purposes. In particular, a decision theory tool based on this analysis is being implemented in the GLARE system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 21: 585,599, 2006. [source] Ranking projects for an electricity utility using ELECTRE IIIINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2007John Buchanan Abstract Ranking and selecting projects is a common yet often difficult task with typically more than one dimension for measuring project impacts and more than one decision maker. We describe a project selection methodology developed and used since 1998 for Mighty River Power, a New Zealand electricity generator, which incorporates the ELECTRE III decision support tool. Although several other multiple criteria approaches could have been used, features of ELECTRE III such as outranking, and indifference and preference thresholds were well received by our decision makers. More than the use of a specific decision support tool, we focus particularly on the successful implementation of a simple, structured multicriteria methodology for a yearly project selection exercise and document this over 8 years in a changing managerial context. [source] A decision support tool for irrigation infrastructure investments,IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE, Issue 4 2010Shahbaz Khan outil d'aide à la décision; gestion de l'eau; investissements saisonniers et à long terme; optimisation; simulation; analyse coûts-avantages; ensemble de l'exploitation; négociation de l'eau; économie d'eau Abstract Increasing water scarcity, climate change and pressure to provide water for environmental flows urge irrigators to be more efficient. In Australia, ongoing water reforms and most recently the National Water Security Plan offer incentives to irrigators to adjust their farming practices by adopting water-saving irrigation infrastructures to match soil, crop and climatic conditions. WaterWorks is a decision support tool to facilitate irrigators to make long- and short-term irrigation infrastructure investment decisions at the farm level. It helps irrigators to improve the economic efficiency, water use efficiency and environmental performance of their farm businesses. WaterWorks has been tested, validated and accepted by the irrigation community and researchers in NSW, Australia. The interface of WaterWorks is user-friendly and flexible. The simulation and optimisation module in WaterWorks provides an opportunity to evaluate infrastructure investment decisions to suit their seasonal or long-term water availability. The sensitivity analysis allows substantiation of the impact of major variables. Net present value, internal rate of return, benefit,cost ratio and payback period are used to analyse the costs and benefits of modern irrigation technology. Application of WaterWorks using a whole farm-level case study indicates its effectiveness in making long- and short-term investment decisions. WaterWorks can be easily integrated into commercial software such as spreadsheets, GIS, real-time data acquisition and control systems to further enhance its usability. WaterWorks can also be used in regional development planning. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. L'augmentation de la rareté de l'eau, le changement climatique et la pression pour fournir de l'eau pour l'environnement incitent les irrigants à être plus efficaces. En Australie les réformes en cours sur l'eau, et plus récemment le Plan National de Sécurité de l'Eau, incitent les irrigants à ajuster leurs pratiques agricoles par l'adoption d'infrastructures d'irrigation économisant l'eau pour s'adapter aux conditions de sols, de cultures et de climat. WaterWorks est un outil d'aide à la décision pour faciliter les décisions d'investissement à long terme et court terme au niveau de l'exploitation. Il aide les irrigants à améliorer l'efficacité économique, l'efficacité de l'utilisation de l'eau et la performance environnementale de leurs exploitations agricoles. Le WaterWorks a été testé, validé et accepté par la communauté de l'irrigation dans le New South Wales, Australie. L'interface de WaterWorks est convivial et flexible. Le module de simulation et d'optimisation dans WaterWorks permet d'évaluer les décisions d'investissement en fonction de la disponibilité en eau saisonnière ou à long terme. L'analyse de sensibilité permet d'étayer l'impact des principales variables. La valeur actuelle nette, le taux de rendement interne, le ratio coûts-avantages et la période de récupération sont utilisés pour analyser les coûts et les avantages des technologies modernes d'irrigation. L'application de WaterWorks à une étude de cas complète au niveau de l'exploitation montre son efficacité pour les décisions d'investissement à long terme et court terme. Le WaterWorks peut être facilement intégré dans des logiciels commerciaux tels que les tableurs, les SIG, des systèmes d'acquisition de données en temps réel et de contrôle afin d'améliorer sa convivialité. Le WaterWorks peut également être utilisé pour la planification du développement régional. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Learners' evaluation of a navigation support tool in distance educationJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 5 2007C. Bolman Abstract This article investigates the usability of a navigation support tool, which guides learners by generating advice on the next best step to take in a self-study e-learning course. The article draws on log data and responses from online questionnaires to provide insights into learners' evaluation of the tool, their adherence to the advice and their expectations of self-efficacy. The theoretical underpinnings of the work are described together with the experimental set-up. Results show that more than half of the learners in the experimental group adhered to the advice and held the opinion that the advice stimulated them to proceed with the course. Learners expressed a need to know what the advice was based on which can be seen as an essential element in future development of the tool. [source] A dynamic interval goal programming approach to the regulation of a lake,river systemJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2001Raimo P. Hämäläinen Abstract This paper describes a model and a decision support tool for the regulation of a lake,river system using both goal sets and goal points for the water level over the year. The inflow forecast is updated periodically, which results in a series of dynamic rolling horizon goal programming problems. This involves heavy computation, and yet it can be successfully done with the spreadsheet program. The related decision support tool with a graphical user interface is called Interactive analysis of dynamic water regulation Strategies by Multi-criteria Optimization (ISMO). The Finnish Environment Institute (FEI) actively uses it in the generation of regulation policy alternatives when considered from the different perspectives of the stakeholders. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A performance support tool for novice reading facilitatorsPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, Issue 6 2000Brenda Bannan-Ritland First page of article [source] Reliability qualification of semiconductor devices based on physics-of-failure and risk and opportunity assessmentQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2002W. H. Gerling Abstract Qualification frequently is a time-critical activity at the end of a development project. As time-to-market is a competitive issue, the most efficient qualification efforts are of interest. A concept is outlined, which proactively integrates qualification into the development process and provides a systematic procedure as a support tool to development and gives early focus on required activities. It converts requirements for a product into measures of development and qualification in combination with a risk and opportunity assessment step and accompanies the development process as a guiding and recording tool for advanced quality planning and confirmation. The collected data enlarge the knowledge database for DFR/BIR (designing for reliability/building-in reliability) to be used for future projects. The procedure challenges and promotes teamwork of all the disciplines involved. Based on the physics-of-failure concept the reliability qualification methodology is re-arranged with regard to the relationships between design, technology, manufacturing and the different product life phases at use conditions. It makes use of the physics-of-failure concept by considering the potential individual failure mechanisms and relates most of the reliability aspects to the technology rather than to the individual product design. Evaluation of complex products using common reliability models and the definition of sample sizes with respect to systematic inherent product properties and fractions of defects are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Application of the operating window concept to remediation-option selectionREMEDIATION, Issue 3 2004Duncan I. Scott An Erratum has been published for this article in Remediation 14(4) 2004, 141. The selection of remediation options for the management of unacceptable risks at contaminated sites is hindered by insufficient information on their performance under different site conditions. Therefore, there is a need to define "operating windows" for individual remediation options to summarize their performance under a variety of site conditions. The concept of the "operating window" has been applied as both a performance optimization tool and decision support tool in a number of different industries. Remediation-option operating windows could be used as decision support tools during the "options appraisal" stage of the Model Procedures (CLR 11), proposed by the Environment Agency (EA) for England and Wales, to enhance the identification of "feasible remediation options" for "relevant pollutant linkages." The development of remediation-option operating windows involves: 1) the determination of relationships between site conditions ("critical variables") and option performance parameters (e.g., contaminant degradation or removal rates) and 2) the identification of upper- and lower-limit values ("operational limits") for these variables that define the ranges of site conditions over which option performance is likely to be sufficient (the "operating window") and insufficient (the "operating wall") for managing risk. Some research has used case study data to determine relationships between critical variables and subsurface natural attenuation (NA) process rates. Despite the various challenges associated with the approach, these studies suggest that available case study data can be used to develop operating windows for monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and, indeed, other remediation options. It is envisaged that the development of remediation-option operating windows will encourage the application of more innovative remediation options as opposed to excavation and disposal to landfill and/or on-site containment, which remain the most commonly employed options in many countries. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The Delphi process , an expert-based approach to ecological modelling in data-poor environmentsANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 1 2006D. C. MacMillan Abstract Resource managers are involved in difficult decisions that affect rare species and habitats but often lack relevant ecological knowledge and experience. Ecological models are increasingly being looked to as a means of assisting the decision-making process, but very often the data are missing or are unsuited to empirical modelling. This paper describes the development and application of the Delphi approach to develop a decision support tool for wildlife conservation and management. The Delphi process is an expert-based approach to decision support that can be used as a means for predicting outcomes in situations where ,absolute' or ,objective' models are unavailable or compromised by lack of appropriate data. The method aims to develop consensus between experts over several rounds of deliberation on the assumption that combining the expertise of several individuals will provide more reliable results than consulting one or two individuals. In this paper the approach is used to engineer soft knowledge on the conservation requirements of capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, an endangered woodland grouse, into a model that can be used by forests managers to improve the quality of forest habitat for capercaillie over extensive commercial forest areas. This paper concludes with a discussion of the potential advantages and disadvantages of Delphi and other soft knowledge approaches to ecological modelling and conservation management. [source] Emergency Department Sickle Cell Assessment of Needs and Strengths (ED-SCANS), a Focus Group and Decision Support Tool Development ProjectACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 8 2010Paula Tanabe PhD ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:848,858 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives:, A decision support tool may guide emergency clinicians in recognizing assessment, analgesic and overall management, and health service delivery needs for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the emergency department (ED). We aimed to identify data and process elements important in making decisions regarding evaluation and management of adult patients in the ED with painful episodes of SCD. Methods:, Qualitative methods using a series of focus groups and grounded theory were used. Eligible participants included adult clients with SCD and emergency physicians and nurses with a minimum of 1 year of experience providing care to patients with SCD in the ED. Patients were recruited in conjunction with annual SCD meetings, and providers included clinicians who were and were not affiliated with sickle cell centers. Groups were conducted until saturation was reached and included a total of two patient groups, three physician groups, and two nurse groups. Focus groups were held in New York, Durham, Chicago, New Orleans, and Denver. Clinician participants were asked the following three questions to guide the discussion: 1) what information would be important to know about patients with SCD in the ED setting to effectively care for them and help you identify patient analgesic, treatment, and referral needs? 2) What treatment decisions would you make with this information? and 3) What characteristics would a decision support tool need to have to make it meaningful and useful? Client participants were asked the same questions with rewording to reflect what they believed providers should know to provide the best care and what they should do with the information. All focus groups were audiotaped and transcribed. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Two coders independently coded participant responses and identified focal themes based on the key questions. An investigator and assistant independently reviewed the transcripts and met until the final coding structure was determined. Results:, Forty-seven individuals participated (14 persons with SCD, 16 physicians, and 17 nurses) in a total of seven different groups. Two major themes emerged: acute management and health care utilization. Major subthemes included the following: physiologic findings, diagnostics, assessment and treatment of acute painful episodes, and disposition. The most common minor subthemes that emerged included past medical history, presence of a medical home (physician or clinic), individualized analgesic treatment plan for treatment of painful episodes, history of present illness, medical home follow-up available, patient-reported analgesic treatment that works, and availability of analgesic prescription at discharge. Additional important elements in treatment of acute pain episodes included the use of a standard analgesic protocol, need for fluids and nonpharmacologic interventions, and the assessment of typicality of pain presentation. The patients' interpretation of the need for hospital admission also ranked high. Conclusions:, Participants identified several areas that are important in the assessment, management, and disposition decisions that may help guide best practices for SCD patients in the ED setting. [source] Simulation of optimal harvesting strategies for small-scale mixed-sex tilapia (Oreochromis shiranus Boulenger 1896) ponds using a bio-economic modelAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 4 2007Francis Saiti Abstract A cohort-based bio-economic biomass growth and economic model, validated with data from experiments conducted in Malawi, was used to identify an optimal harvesting strategy for mixed-sex tilapia ponds. Three harvesting scenarios (baseline, economic optimum time +10 days and economic optimum time) were used. In each harvesting scenario four options were explored: (i) no further harvest, harvest every (ii) 60 days, (iii) 90 days and (iv) 120 days after initial harvest. The lowest simulated yield (487 kg ha,1 year,1) was obtained when no partial harvesting was carried out and fish were harvested after 365 days. Maximum yield (4416 kg ha,1 year,1) was obtained when partial harvests were carried out every 90 days starting with a first harvest of fish weighing 60 g or more at day 90. Maximum financial returns (US$2561 ha,1 year,1) were obtained when partial harvests were carried out every 120 days starting with the first harvest at day 90 and removing all fish ,60 g. The model simulations indicate that mixed-sex tilapia culture may be profitable for tilapia farmers in Africa where markets accept small (60,150 g)-sized fish. The study further shows that a cohort-based population growth model can be reliably incorporated in tilapia production models to simulate fish yields in mixed-sex tilapia production systems. However, incorporation of intergenerational competition effects could improve the model's utility as a decision support tool for managing mixed-sex tilapia production. [source] The ,CaP Calculator': an online decision support tool for clinically localized prostate cancerBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 10 2010Matthew S. Katz Study Type , Prognosis (risk model) Level of Evidence 2a OBJECTIVE To design a decision-support tool to facilitate evidence-based treatment decisions in clinically localized prostate cancer, as individualized risk assessment and shared decision-making can decrease distress and decisional regret in patients with prostate cancer, but current individual models vary or only predict one outcome of interest. METHODS We searched Medline for previous reports and identified peer-reviewed articles providing pretreatment predictive models that estimated pathological stage and treatment outcomes in men with biopsy-confirmed, clinical T1-3 prostate cancer. Each model was entered into a spreadsheet to provide calculated estimates of extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), and lymph node involvement (LNI). Estimates of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) outcome after radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (RT), and clinical outcomes after RT, were also entered. The data are available at http://www.capcalculator.org. RESULTS Entering a patient's 2002 clinical T stage, Gleason score and pretreatment PSA level, and details from core biopsy findings, into the CaP Calculator provides estimates from predictive models of pathological extent of disease, four models for ECE, four for SVI and eight for LNI. The 5-year estimates of PSA relapse-free survival after RT and 10-year estimates after RP were available. A printout can be generated with individualized results for clinicians to review with each patient. CONCLUSIONS The CaP Calculator is a free, online ,clearing house' of several predictive models for prostate cancer, available in an accessible, user-friendly format. With further development and testing with patients, the CaP Calculator might be a useful decision-support tool to help doctors promote evidence-based shared decision-making in prostate cancer. [source] Predictive Validity of a Computerized Emergency Triage ToolACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 1 2007Sandy L. Dong MD Abstract Background Emergency department (ED) triage prioritizes patients on the basis of the urgency of need for care. eTRIAGE is a Web-based triage decision support tool that is based on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), a five level triage system (CTAS 1 = resuscitation, CTAS 5 = nonurgent). Objectives To examine the validity of eTRIAGE on the basis of resource utilization and cost as measures of acuity. Methods Scores on the CTAS, specialist consultations, computed-tomography use, ED length of stay, ED disposition, and estimated ED and hospital costs (if the patient was subsequently admitted to hospital) were collected for each patient over a six month period. These data were queried from a database that captures all regional ED visits. Correlations between CTAS score and each outcome were measured by using logistic regression models (categorical variables), univariate analysis of variance (continuous variables), and the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (costs). A multivariate regression model that used cost as the outcome was used to identify interaction between the variables presented. Results Over the six month study, 29,524 patients were triaged by using eTRIAGE. When compared with CTAS level 3, the odds ratios for consultation, CT scan, and admission were significantly higher in CTAS 1 and 2 and were significantly lower in CTAS 4 and 5 (p < 0.001). When compared with CTAS levels 2,5 combined, the odds ratio for death in CTAS 1 was 664.18 (p < 0.001). The length of stay also demonstrated significant correlation with CTAS score (p < 0.001). Costs to the ED and hospital also correlated significantly with increasing acuity (median costs for CTAS levels in Canadian dollars: CTAS 1 =$2,690, CTAS 2 =$433, CTAS 3 =$288, CTAS 4 =$164, CTAS 5 =$139, and p < 0.001). Significant interactions between the data collected were found in a multivariate regression model, although CTAS score remained highly associated with costs. Conclusions Acuity measured by eTRIAGE demonstrates excellent predictive validity for resource utilization and ED and hospital costs. Future research should focus on specific presenting complaints and targeted resources to more accurately assess eTRIAGE validity. [source] Classification of Anxiety and Depressive disorders: problems and solutionsDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2008G. Andrews MD Abstract The American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization have begun to revise their classifications of mental disorders. Four issues related to these revisions are discussed in this study: the structure of the classifications, the relationship between categories and dimensions, the sensitivity of categorical thresholds to definitions, and maximizing the utility and validity of the diagnostic process. There is now sufficient evidence to consider replacing the present groupings of disorders with an empirically based structure that reflects the actual similarities among disorders. For example, perhaps the present depression and anxiety disorders would be best grouped as internalizing disorders. Most mental disorders exist on a severity dimension. The reliability and validity of the classification might be improved if we accepted the dimensional nature of disorders while retaining the use of categorical diagnoses to enhance clinical utility. Definitions of the thresholds that define categories are very susceptible to detail. In International Classification of Diseases-11(ICD-11) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-V), disorders about which there is agreement should be identically defined, and disorders in which there is disagreement should be defined differently, so that research can identify which definition is more valid. The present diagnostic criteria are too complex to have acceptable clinical utility. We propose a reduced criterion set that can be remembered by clinicians and an enhanced criterion set for use with decision support tools. Depression and Anxiety 25:274,281, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Climate Science and Decision MakingGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2007Kirstin Dow This article reviews progress in understanding climate variability and change and how such understanding might better contribute to decision processes and the design of decision support tools. We emphasize the value of collaborative engagement between climate information users and scientists to continue innovation in this area. Our assessment presents opportunities for geographic perspectives and insights that can increase understanding of the physical processes causing interannual variability and improve climate model output for climate impact assessment. As decision-makers' interests expand to address adaptation, nature-society research can also contribute significantly to understanding the diversity of climate information users, their evolving needs, and to the development of strategies for communicating risk and uncertainty. [source] Towards a taxonomy of software changeJOURNAL OF SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND EVOLUTION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, Issue 5 2005Jim Buckley Abstract Previous taxonomies of software change have focused on the purpose of the change (i.e., the why) rather than the underlying mechanisms. This paper proposes a taxonomy of software change based on characterizing the mechanisms of change and the factors that influence these mechanisms. The ultimate goal of this taxonomy is to provide a framework that positions concrete tools, formalisms and methods within the domain of software evolution. Such a framework would considerably ease comparison between the various mechanisms of change. It would also allow practitioners to identify and evaluate the relevant tools, methods and formalisms for a particular change scenario. As an initial step towards this taxonomy, the paper presents a framework that can be used to characterize software change support tools and to identify the factors that impact on the use of these tools. The framework is evaluated by applying it to three different change support tools and by comparing these tools based on this analysis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Water-Yield Reduction After Afforestation and Related Processes in the Semiarid Liupan Mountains, Northwest China,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2008Yanhui Wang Abstract:, The increase of coverage of forest/vegetation is imperative to improve the environment in dry-land areas of China, especially for protecting soil against serious erosion and sandstorms. However, inherent severe water shortages, drought stresses, and increasing water use competition greatly restrict the reforestation. Notably, the water-yield reduction after afforestation generates intense debate about the correct approach to afforestation and forest management in dry-land areas. However, most studies on water-yield reduction of forests have been at catchment scales, and there are few studies of the response of total evapotranspiration (ET) and its partitioning to vegetation structure change. This motivates us to learn the linkage between hydrological processes and vegetation structure in slope ecosystems. Therefore, an ecohydrological study was carried out by measuring the individual items of water balance on sloping plots covered by different vegetation types in the semiarid Liupan Mountains of northwest China. The ratio of precipitation consumed as ET was about 60% for grassland, 93% for shrubs, and >95% for forestland. Thus, the water yield was very low, site-specific, and sensitive to vegetation change. Conversion of grassland to forest decreased the annual water yield from slope by 50-100 mm. In certain periods, the plantations at lower slopes even consumed the runon from upper slopes. Reducing the density of forests and shrubs by thinning was not an efficient approach to minimize water use. Leaf area index was a better indicator than plant density to relate ET to vegetation structure and to evaluate the soil water carrying capacity for vegetation (i.e., the maximum amount of vegetation that can be supported by the available soil water for an extended time). Selecting proper vegetation types and plant species, based on site soil water condition, may be more effective than the forest density regulation to minimize water-yield reduction by vegetation coverage increase and notably by reforestation. Finally, the focuses in future research to improve the forest-water relations in dry-land areas are recommended as follows: vegetation growth dynamics driven by environment especially water conditions, coupling of ecological and hydrological processes, further development of distributed ecohydrological models, quantitative relation of eco-water quota of ecosystems with vegetation structures, multi-scaled evaluation of soil water carrying capacity for vegetation, and the development of widely applicable decision support tools. [source] Community knowledge in an emerging online professional community: the case of Sigchi.dkKNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 1 2005Torkil Clemmensen This paper focuses on community knowledge in an emerging online professional community. Members of a Danish human,computer interaction community, 120 usability professionals, designers and researchers, described in an online survey their interest in theory and familiarity with methods. The results are reported in detail, and show a unanimous interest in theory, with a variety of reasons behind. Furthermore, the results indicate that the community's body of theoretical knowledge is divided into clear-cut faculties, with only general usability and human,computer interaction concepts available for communication and cooperation. This implies that a view of the Danish usability professionals as sharing a special discipline is wrong, and that attempts to create a special common language or general theoretical framework (e.g. Kuutti and Bannon, 1991) will be unfruitful. Rather, an online professional community should be interpreted as a community of interest (Fischer, 2001), and we should use tools developed for these kinds of communities as support tools. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Application of the operating window concept to remediation-option selectionREMEDIATION, Issue 3 2004Duncan I. Scott An Erratum has been published for this article in Remediation 14(4) 2004, 141. The selection of remediation options for the management of unacceptable risks at contaminated sites is hindered by insufficient information on their performance under different site conditions. Therefore, there is a need to define "operating windows" for individual remediation options to summarize their performance under a variety of site conditions. The concept of the "operating window" has been applied as both a performance optimization tool and decision support tool in a number of different industries. Remediation-option operating windows could be used as decision support tools during the "options appraisal" stage of the Model Procedures (CLR 11), proposed by the Environment Agency (EA) for England and Wales, to enhance the identification of "feasible remediation options" for "relevant pollutant linkages." The development of remediation-option operating windows involves: 1) the determination of relationships between site conditions ("critical variables") and option performance parameters (e.g., contaminant degradation or removal rates) and 2) the identification of upper- and lower-limit values ("operational limits") for these variables that define the ranges of site conditions over which option performance is likely to be sufficient (the "operating window") and insufficient (the "operating wall") for managing risk. Some research has used case study data to determine relationships between critical variables and subsurface natural attenuation (NA) process rates. Despite the various challenges associated with the approach, these studies suggest that available case study data can be used to develop operating windows for monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and, indeed, other remediation options. It is envisaged that the development of remediation-option operating windows will encourage the application of more innovative remediation options as opposed to excavation and disposal to landfill and/or on-site containment, which remain the most commonly employed options in many countries. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] PERSPECTIVE: Trends and Drivers of Success in NPD Practices: Results of the 2003 PDMA Best Practices Study,THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2009Gloria Barczak Since 1990, the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) has sponsored best practice research projects to identify trends in new product development (NPD) management practices and to discern which practices are associated with higher degrees of success. The objective of this ongoing research is to assist managers in determining how to improve their own product development methods and practices. This paper presents results, recommendations, and implications for NPD practice stemming from PDMA's third best practices study, which was conducted in 2003. In the eight years since the previous best practices study was conducted, firms have become slightly more conservative in the portfolio of projects, with lower percentages of the total number of projects in the new-to-the-world and new-to-the-firm categories. Although success rates and development efficiencies have remained stable, this more conservative approach to NPD seems to have negatively impacted the sales and profits impact of the new products that have been commercialized. As formal processes for NPD are now the norm, attention is moving to managing the multiple projects across the portfolio in a more orchestrated manner. Finally, firms are implementing a wide variety of software support tools for various aspects of NPD. NPD areas still seriously in need of improved management include idea management, project leadership and training, cross-functional training and team communication support, and innovation support and leadership by management. In terms of aspects of NPD management that differentiate the "best from the rest," the findings indicate that the best firms emphasize and integrate their innovation strategy across all the levels of the firm, better support their people and team communications, conduct extensive experimentation, and use numerous kinds of new methods and techniques to support NPD. All companies appear to continue to struggle with the recording of ideas and making them readily available to others in the organization, even the best. What remains unclear is whether there is a preferable approach for organizing the NPD endeavor, as no one organizational approach distinguished top NPD performers. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||