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This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of biological indicators currently being employed during formaldehyde decontamination. Data suggest that detectable amounts of formaldehyde are absorbed into the paper strips contained in currently used biological indicators. Absorbed formaldehyde has the potential to inhibit the growth of indicator spores, thus leading to false negative results. Indicators composed of either stainless steel carriers or paper strips were investigated to determine whether stainless steel carriers can be used as an alternative to paper strip indicators. Biological indicators were exposed to formaldehyde gas and were tested for the presence of formaldehyde and any possible inhibition of spore growth. Absorbed formaldehyde was detected in the paper strip carriers while no formaldehyde was detected from any of the stainless steel carriers. Exposed paper strips were found to inhibit growth of up to 1 × 10 spores while the stainless steel carriers did not inhibit the growth of spores. During decontamination, biological indicators composed of paper spore strips absorb formaldehyde and inhibit growth of any surviving spores. Stainless steel carriers do not absorb formaldehyde and are an ideal alternative substrate for biological indicators. The popular paper strip biological indicator can lead to false negative results during decontamination and is unsuitable for validating formaldehyde decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart Specialization policy, Europe's place-based innovation policy, is transitioning into an innovation policy for sustainability inspired by academic debate and the urgency of societal challenges. The implications in terms of policy design remain underexplored. This paper studies the policy implications of this transition on the design of monitoring indicators. First, a theoretical framework based on the literature is created. Then, monitoring indicators used in the first policy phase are summarized into categories and themes through inductive and deductive document analysis. The indicators' strengths and limitations are discussed. By highlighting how monitoring indicators need to adjust to the policy transition, this paper contributes to the literature on innovation policy and Smart Specialization. It also provides guidance to policymakers by developing a framework on indicator design and providing practical recommendations on aspects that need to be considered, captured, and analysed through the indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governing by indicators has emerged as the predominant mode of global public policy. Consequently, global governance has become a field in which different indicators compete for policymakers' and public attention. This begs a question--what makes some indicators successful when others become irrelevant? This paper explores this problem through the inquiry into the measurement of multidimensional poverty in Sustainable Development Goal 1 ("End poverty in all its forms everywhere"). In the field historically dominated by the World Bank's dollar-per-day metric (currently 1.9$), multidimensional poverty measurement gained prominence, becoming one of the key measures of global poverty. By tracking the pathways to success of multidimensional poverty measurement--through qualitative interviews with actors in International Organisations this paper argues that the key quality of successful indicators is their ability to become parts of the broader epistemic infrastructure, linking political institutions, actors (including experts and policymakers), and data and statistics. The paper brings the focus on a specific set of actors--statistical entrepreneurs--who advocate for innovations in measurement and work toward creating such infrastructures, thus indirectly promoting new policy ideas reflected in the metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging in collaborative networks can be an important facilitator of innovation for public sector science and technology (S&T) organizations. It is also an important component of S&T policies that require indicators that can assess the networks through which these organizations innovate. In this study, we apply network indicators to two S&T organizations that are part of the Brazilian public health sector. The indicators cover two complementary perspectives: one that considers the organizations' scientific networks and the other that considers their technological networks. The indicators allowed the analysis of the networks in which the organizations were engaged and the understanding of important aspects of their collaboration patterns that can support strategic decisions. The method employed in this paper proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool and a useful mechanism for evaluating the performance and supporting the development of S&T institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds upon major ongoing work into the experiences of new migrants seeking to construct new lives in the UK (Aldridge and Waddington 2002; Goodson and Phillimore 2005; Goodson et al. 2005; Phillimore et a!. 2003; 2004; Phillimore and Goodson 2002; Robinson et a!. 2003; Zetter et a!. 2003) and focuses upon the experiences of refugees who have arrived in Birmingham since the early 1990s. The paper outlines the indicators of integration proposed by Ager and Strang (2004) for the United Kingdom's Home Office. It then uses data from household surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups conducted in the West Midlands to explore how useful indicators might be in evaluating progress towards integration within new migrant communities. The paper specifically examines the efficacy of functional indicators, which in Ager and Strang's (2004) framework are represented as 'means and markers' and include employment, housing, education and health. It aims to consider the usefulness of these functional indicators as a measure of integration and the ways in which the indicators might be shaped to help policy makers work towards promoting integration in a multi-cultural global city such as Birmingham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing meaningful indicators to track youth mental health (MH) is important to support the development and evaluation of responsive mental health promotion (MHP) initiatives that address the socio-economic determinants of youth MH. Development of relevant indicators is challenged, however, by the lack of knowledge regarding the relations among socio-economic factors and youth MH. Thirty diverse young people from a Canadian metropolitan area were engaged within a process of social praxis to explore their experiences of the inter-relationship between their socio-economic environments and their MH and their processes of seeking to realize their MH. Participants emphasized 'needs' as foundational to MH, whereas 'wants', driven by materialistic and wealth-oriented values and social norms, constrained their MH. Their reflections on the inter-relations among their MH and socio-economic processes highlight eight inter-related MH needs within the Canadian socio-economic context. In this paper, we present these needs and show how these needs, young people's affective states, and their access to resources within co-evolving socio-economic processes (to enable their needs) illustrate the fundamental inter-relation between young people's MH and socio-economic processes. We identify implications for measuring youth MH within MHP practice, including the importance of iterative indicator frameworks that include measures of young people's access to resources to enable their MH needs and their degree of distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the work of the EUHPID Project to develop a European Health Promotion Monitoring System based on a common set of health promotion indicators. The Project has established three working groups to progress this task - health promotion policy and practice-driven, data-driven and theory-driven. The work of the latter group is reviewed in particular. EUHPID has taken a systems theory approach in order to develop a model as a common frame of reference and a rational basis for the selection, organization and interpretation of health promotion indicators. After reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of those health promotion models currently proposed for indicator development, the paper proposes a general systems model of health development, and specific analytical, socio-ecological models related to public health and health promotion. These are described and discussed in detail. Taking the Ottawa Charter as the preferred framework for health promotion, the socio-ecological model for health promotion adopts its five action areas to form five types of systems. The structure and processes for each of these five systems are proposed to form the basis of a classification system for health promotion indicators. The paper goes on to illustrate such a system with reference to indicators in the workplace setting. The EUHPID Consortium suggest that their socio-ecological model could become a common reference point for the public health field generally, and offer an invitation to interested readers to contribute to this development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study developments in biotechnology, genomics and nanotechnology in the period $998-2008. The fields show changing interdisciplinary characteristics in relation to distinct co-evolutionary dynamics in research, science and society. Biotechnology emerged as a discipline in publication patterns at the same time as the number of biotechnology departments increased, whereas genomics emerged as a stable discipline, while the number of genomics departments declined. Nanotechnology maintains an interdisciplinary journal citation pattern while the number of nanotechnology departments increased. In all three fields the importance of industry-university collaborations increased, albeit to different degrees. Patterns of interdisciplinarity can thus be distinguished, as different ways in which the three dynamics co-evolve. From a governance perspective, this conceptualization provides distinct rationales for policy interventions in relation to interdisciplinarity in research, science and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents three different hunger indicators and outlines how they can be used to assess the extent of food insecurity in population groups globally and within countries at community, regional, or other subnational levels. Hunger refers to the supply, access, consumption, and intake of food at levels that are insufficient to fulfill human requirements. If the requirements are not met through the adequate absorption and use of essential nutrients, food deprivation and undernutrition occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vella, P., Bowen, R. E., and Frankic, A. 2009. An evolving protocol to identify key stakeholder-influenced indicators of coastal change: the case of Marine Protected Areas. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 203–213.In recent years, there has been a growing realization of the need to protect and conserve degrading environments. This can only be achieved through integrated management of environmental protection and the rational use of living and non-living resources. However, no management plan that aims at sustainable development can be successful unless the human factor is included. The concept of ecosystem-based management considers socio-economic issues in evaluating management effectiveness. In this paper, we present a method for selecting and prioritizing socio-economic indicators, using a bottom-up approach involving stakeholder input. This technique is developed further to measure the effectiveness of integrated coastal management, using a Marine Protected Area (MPA) as an example. Stakeholder input is essential at an early stage to ensure MPA management success, providing the opportunity to include public participation and ensure community support. This paper presents a transparent and adaptable indicator ranking protocol and evaluative rules, ensuring that an ecosystem-based approach can be more effectively implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The European Community Health Promotion Indicator Development Model has been developed as the basis for establishing a European set of indicators for monitoring health promotion interventions. This paper offers the model more generally as a common frame of reference for broader public health practice and indicator development. The model builds around the physical, mental and social health of individuals and shows how health develops by interaction between individual and environmental health determinants. It demonstrates that health development can be analysed from a salulogenic and a pathogenic perspective and explains how the differing starting points of different intervention approaches such as health promotion and health care are related to these two perspectives. Finally, a classification system for pathogenic and salutogenic public health outcome indicators is derived from the model and has been applied to the current core list of the European Community Health Indicator system. The model and its application highlight the need for systematic salutogenic indicator development in the field of public health and for strengthening the health promotion perspective in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper analyzes the trends of key indicators reflecting the epidemiological situation of leprosy in nine different states of the Republic of the Sudan after the introduction of a systematic contact screening in 2010. Methods: The routinely assessed data from the leprosy control program from 2010 to 2016 were analyzed. Results: Despite, intense contact screening, the overall number of new cases detected showed a decreasing trend. The female:male ratio among new cases was constantly low. The overall average number of contacts needed to screen in order to detect a new case among contacts was 64. However, this number varied significantly in the nine states under investigation, with the best yield being observed in the state with the lowest case detection rate. Conclusions: The total number of new cases of leprosy in nine states of the Republic of the Sudan has shown declining tendencies since 2010. Our data are not suggestive of a significant impact of contact screening on the trends of leprosy key indicators. Overall, contact screening proved to be efficient in most states, including those that exhibited very low annual new case detection rates (ANCDRs). Sensitization of personnel undergoing training and measures improving access of females to leprosy services are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem models, such as Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE), provide a platform to simulate intricate policy scenarios where multiple species, pressures, and ecosystem services interact. Complex questions often return complex answers, necessitating evidence and advice to be communicated in terms of trade-offs, risks, and uncertainty. Calibration procedures for EwE, which can act as a source of uncertainty and bias in model results, have yet to be explored in a comprehensive way that communicates how sensitive model outputs are to different calibration approaches. As the EwE community has grown, multiple divergent approaches have been applied to calibrate models through the estimation of vulnerability multipliers: parameters that augment the consumption rate limits of predators. Here we explore the underlying principles of vulnerability multipliers as well as existing calibration approaches and their justification. Two case studies are presented: the first explores how vulnerability multipliers emerge based on the chosen calibration approach using simulated data, while the second takes two operational EwE models (Irish Sea and Northwest Atlantic Continental Shelf) and compares their outputs when calibrated following alternate calibration approaches. We show how calibration approaches can impact model-derived advice and provide a list of best practice recommendations for EwE calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to compare dependency of survival rates on temperature for indicator organisms Escherichia coli and Enterococcus and the pathogen Salmonella in surface waters. A database of 86 survival datasets from peer-reviewed papers on inactivation of E. coli, Salmonella and Enterococcus in marine waters and of E. coli and Salmonella in lake waters was assembled. The Q10 model was used to express temperature effect on survival rates obtained from linear sections of semi-logarithmic survival graphs. Available data were insufficient to establish differences in survival rates and temperature dependencies for marine waters where values of Q10 = 3 and a survival rate of 0·7 day−1 could be applied. The Q10 values in lake waters were substantially lower in marine waters, and Salmonella inactivation in lake water was, on average, twice as fast as E. coli; data on E. coli substantially outnumber data on Enterococcus and Salmonella. The relative increase in inactivation with increase in temperature is higher in marine waters than lake water, and differences in inactivation between Salmonella and E. coli at a given temperature were significant in lake water but not in marine waters. Significance and Impact of the Study Microbiological quality of surface waters is of paramount importance for public health. The novelty of this work is using a large compendium of published data to develop the first comparison of temperature effects on survival of the pathogen Salmonella and water quality indicator micro-organisms Escherichia coli and Enterococcus in natural waters. The existing relatively large body of knowledge on E. coli survival appears to be useful to assess the effect of temperature on survival of Salmonella. Moreover, results of this work constitute an essential input in models to support environmental management decisions on the use of surface water sources in agriculture, aquaculture and recreation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sundelöf, A., Wennhage, H., and Svedäng, H. 2013. A red herring from the Öresund (ICES40G2): the apparent recovery of the Large Fish Indicator (LFI) in the North Sea hides a non-trawled area. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 1081–1084.As reported in a number of previous papers in this journal, the Large Fish Indicator (LFI) was developed for the North Sea. ICES Statistical Rectangle 40G2 was accidentally included in the North Sea calculations of LFI for 2004, 2007 and 2008. This inclusion significantly increased the LFI and was subsequently removed from the analysis. We identify and discuss three reasons to revisit rectangle 40G2 when considering LFI for the North Sea: (i) according to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the area belongs to the North Sea, (ii) it is a geographically well-defined area where technical regulations have prevented the use of trawls since the 1930s, and (iii) there is evidence of a productive and rather closed cod (Gadus morhua) subpopulation unit in the area, which is an important species for the North Sea LFI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on expectations for and community members' experience in the development of community indicators in a healthy communities initiative (HCI) in Alberta, Canada. The HCI process involved community visioning, the creation of action plans to further the vision by addressing key health priorities and/or community capacity building activities and the development of indicators to monitor and report on progress towards goals. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with community participants to discuss definitions of success in the HCI and participant experience in developing indicators. Three themes emerged: the formal indicators lacked relevance to community members; the community did not own the HCI indicators and participants instead drew upon measures of success which were largely experiential in nature. The study provides a critically reflective, candid account of on-the-ground work with communities. The findings reveal limitations in the process of developing community indicators in this HCI, which we attribute in part to skills and discontinuities on the staffing side of the health authority and in part to failure to recognize and fully appreciate 'different ways of knowing' between communities and agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Often the goal of health and social development agencies is to assess communities and work with them to improve community capacity. Particularly for health promoters working in community settings and to ensure consistency in the definition of health promotion, the evaluation of health promotion programmes should be based on strengths and assets, yet existing information for planning and evaluation purposes usually focuses on problems and deficits. A model and definition of community capacity, grounded in community experience and focusing on strengths and assets, was developed following a 4-year, multi-site, qualitative action research project in four Toronto neighbourhoods. There was significant community involvement in the four Community Advisory Committees, one for each study site. Semi-structured, open-ended interview and focus groups were conducted with 161 residents and agency workers identified by the Community Advisory Committees. The data were analyzed with the assistance of NUDIST software. Thematic analysis was undertaken in two stages (i) within each site and (ii) across sites, with the latter serving as the basis for the development of indicators of community capacity. This paper presents a summary of the research, the model and the proposed indicators. The model locates talents and skills of community members in a larger context of socioenvironmental conditions, both inside and outside the community, which can act to enable or constrain the expression of these talents and skills. The significance of the indicators of community capacity proposed in the study is that they focus on identifying and measuring the facilitating and constraining socioenvironmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper sets out a fresh approach to healthy workplaces, laying foundations to meet the demands of the new millennium. Professionals such as occupational hygienists deal with issues at the heart of the economy and society, which are beginning to attract the attention of politicians. Old disciplinary barriers must be crossed and communication improved so that healthy work is accepted as a mainstream concern, integral to sustainable development. This presents challenges both to professionals and to those with responsibilities for policy. As a first step, we need to develop an understanding of how conclusions from research can inform responsible decision making. We will not be able to design and build perfectly safe environments, but real progress can be made in the field of ‘workplace health defence’, using available human, technical and financial resources. A vital ingredient is partnership in the workplace, involving social partners and professionals working in collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Modern systems of official statistics require the accurate and timely estimation of sociodemographic indicators for disaggregated geographical regions. Traditional data collection methods such as censuses or household surveys impose great financial and organizational burdens on national statistical institutes. The rise of new information and communication technologies offers promising sources to mitigate these shortcomings. We propose a unified approach for national statistical institutes in developing countries based on small area estimation that allows for the estimation of sociodemographic indicators by using mobile phone data. In particular, the methodology is applied to mobile phone data from Senegal for deriving subnational estimates of the share of illiterates disaggregated by gender. The estimates are used to identify hotspots of illiterates with a need for additional infrastructure or policy adjustments. Although we focus on literacy as a particular sociodemographic indicator, the approach proposed is applicable to indicators from national statistics in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Ocean presents many opportunities, with the blue economy projected to at least double in the next two decades. However, capitalizing on these opportunities presents significant challenges and a multi-sectoral, integrated approach to managing marine socio-ecological systems will be required to achieve the full benefits projected for the blue economy. Integrated ecosystem assessments have been identified as the best means of delivering the information upon which marine resource management decisions can be made. By their nature, these assessments are inter-disciplinary, but to date have mostly focused on the natural sciences. Inclusion of human dimensions into integrated ecosystem assessments has been lagging, but is fundamental. Here we report on a Symposium, and the articles emmanating from it that are included in this Theme Set, that address how to more effectively include human dimensions into integrated ecosystem assessments. We provide an introduction to each of the main symposium topics (governance, scenarios, indicators, participatory processes, and case studies), highlight the works that emerged from the symposium, and identify key areas in which more work is required. There is still a long way to go before we see end-to-end integrated ecosystem assessments inclusive of all the major current and potential ocean use sectors that also encompass multiple aspects of human dimensions. Nonetheless, it is also clear that progress is being made and we are developing tools and approaches, including the human dimension, that can inform management and position us to take advantage of the multi-sectoral opportunities of sustainable blue growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While quantitative performance indicators are widely used by organizations and individuals for evaluative purposes, little is known about their impacts on the epistemic processes of academic knowledge production. In this article we bring together three qualitative research projects undertaken in the Netherlands and Austria to contribute to filling this gap. The projects explored the role of performance metrics in the life sciences, and the interactions between institutional and disciplinary cultures of evaluating research in these fields. Our analytic perspective is focused on understanding how researchers themselves give value to research, and in how far these practices are related to performance metrics. The article zooms in on three key moments in research processes to show how 'thinking with indicators' is becoming a central aspect of research activities themselves: (1) the planning and conception of research projects, (2) the social organization of research processes, and (3) determining the endpoints of research processes. Our findings demonstrate how the worth of research activities becomes increasingly assessed and defined by their potential to yield high value in quantitative terms. The analysis makes visible how certain norms and values related to performance metrics are stabilized as they become integrated into routine practices of knowledge production. Other norms and criteria for scientific quality, e.g. epistemic originality, long-term scientific progress, societal relevance, and social responsibility, receive less attention or become redefined through their relations to quantitative indicators. We understand this trend to be in tension with policy goals that seek to encourage innovative, societally relevant, and responsible research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and evaluating interdisciplinarity is crucial for informing decisions about interdisciplinary (ID) policies, funding, and work. Yet, the recent explosion of ID assessment approaches represents an overwhelming buffet of options that has produced little consensus, limited guidance, and minimal insights into interdisciplinarity and its value to society. This article extends findings from a companion study that systematically reviewed the ID assessment field from 2000 to 2019. Engaging with the same extensive dataset but in a new way, we employ typological analysis and condense 1,006 published assessment designs into just five main assessment approaches called Pathway Profiles. We then tailor assessment guidance to each Pathway Profile, including potential settings in which each could be most useful and ways each could be modified to reduce challenges and increase rigor. Our goal in defining and interacting with the core of the ID assessment field in this way is not only to clarify activity in this vast and disjointed space but also to simplify and facilitate processes of understanding, choosing from, and strategically developing this diverse landscape. Pathway Profiles can be used as heuristic gateways to the ID assessment field, particularly when it comes to finding relevant examples, adapting designs to situations, and ultimately uncovering the true outcomes of interdisciplinarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The sustainable development goal 3, target 2, seeks to reduce under-five mortality to as low as 25 deaths per 1000 live births by 2030. As such, seeking child health services has become a priority concern for all countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Evidence suggests that empowered women are more likely to seek child health services. Hence, this study examined the association between women empowerment indicators and uptake of child health services in SSA. Methods The study used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 26 SSA countries, which were conducted between 2010 and 2019. Two different samples were considered in the study: a total of 12 961 children within the vaccination age of 12–23, and 9489 children under age 5 with diarrhoea symptoms in the last 2 weeks before the survey. Women empowerment indicators comprised disagreement with reasons to justify wife beating, decision-making power and knowledge level, while child health services constituted complete vaccination uptake and seeking diarrhoea treatment. Frequencies, percentages and multivariable, multilevel binary logistic regression models were employed. Results The study shows that women with high decision-making power [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07, 1.35] had higher odds of seeking treatment for childhood diarrhoea compared to those with low decision-making power. It was also observed that among children aged 12–23 months [AOR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.43], mothers had higher odds of seeking diarrhoea treatment for them compared to those who were aged less than 12 months. Children whose mothers had medium decision-making power [AOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.19, 1.41] were more likely to seek complete immunization for their children compared to those with low decision-making power. Also, those with medium [AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.31] and high knowledge [AOR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.42] had higher odds of completing immunization for their children compared to those with low knowledge. Women with medium acceptance had lower odds [AOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.67, 0.83] of completing immunization for their children compared with those with low acceptance of wife beating. Conclusions This study has demonstrated a strong association between women empowerment indicators and the uptake of child health services. Therefore, efforts should be made to seek policy tools to empower women to help improve the well-being of women and the children they care for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of empowerment in sexual health is widely used in health promotion. This scoping review aims to identify how it is defined and measured. PubMed, Sage Journals, PsycInfo and the Web of Science are data sources. The inclusion criteria for studies were as follows: (1) an analysis of empowerment in sexual health, (2) quantitative evaluation and (3) publication in a peer-reviewed journal in French or English since January 1996. Data were extracted using a summary table of the definitions and indicators of empowerment in sexual health. Of the 2181 articles found, 29 met the inclusion criteria. Only 4 studies on 29 clearly defined empowerment in sexual health. Five dimensions emerged from the indicators used in the 29 studies in relation to sexual empowerment (social participation, participation in decision making, power to act, sexual health knowledge and gender norms), with two types of indicators: indicators unspecific to sexual health, which can be viewed as empowerment basic skills, and indicators specific to sexual health. Most studies concerned women and focused on individual empowerment, with a lack of measure of collective and structural levels of empowerment. Despite great heterogeneity in the definitions and indicators used, a set of core indicators emerged: participation in decision making, sexual negotiation power and sexual communication skills, knowledge and use of contraceptive methods, and HIV and sexually transmitted infections risk perception. This set could be systematically used in each study based on sexual empowerment concept, completed by supplementary indicators considering the specific context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background TB and HIV interaction increases TB incidence and HIV adverse outcomes. Integration improves patients' access to comprehensive care. This paper compares the impact of increasing integration on TB/HIV service delivery. Methods Three hospitals with different delivery models were identified and a survey of TB cases registered between June 2007 and December 2008 conducted. HIV screening, co-trimoxazole preventive therapy (CPT) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) uptake for HIV-positive TB patients were compared. Results Of the 590 TB patients, 85.9% (507/590) knew their HIV status. HIV screening was highest (98.6% [95%CI: 97.6–99.5%]) at the one-stop shop (OSS) and lowest (72.5% [71.9–73.9%]) at the referral site (RS). CPT was highest [(93.8% [91.0–96.7%]) at the RS and least (74.7% [72.8–76.5%]) at the partially-integrated site (PIS). At the OSS it was 82.3% (80.6–84.0%). ART was highest (59.5% [58.0–61.0%]) at the PIS, and 10.8% (10.4–11.1%) at the RS. No ART records existed at the OSS. Conclusions Increasing integration improved HIV screening but not CPT or ART uptake. There was insufficient evidence to identify the most effective model due to design limitations and health system barriers. More research and training is needed to improve uptake, data completeness and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To review the literature on the content and development of the sets of quality indicators used in studies on the quality of diabetes care in primary care settings. Data sources The MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase and CINAHL databases were searched for relevant articles published up to January 2011. Study selection and data extraction We included studies on the quality of adult diabetes care, using quality indicators. We excluded studies focusing on the hospital setting, patient subgroups, specific components of diabetes care and specific outcomes. In total, 102 studies (including 102 sets and 1494 indicators) were analyzed by two independent reviewers, using the criteria of the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse and international guidelines to document the content and selection of the identified indicators. Results of data synthesis Sets varied greatly in number, content and definitions of quality indicators. Most of the indicators concerned HbA1C, lipids, blood pressure, eye and foot examination and urinalysis. Few sets included indicators on lifestyle counseling, patient experiences, healthcare structure or access to healthcare providers. Seventy sets did not specify explicit selection criteria, and 19 of these did not report the sources of the indicators. Conclusions Sets of quality indicators are diverse in number, content and definitions. This diversity reflects a lack of uniformity in the concept of diabetes care quality and hinders the interpretation of and comparison between quality assessments. Methodology regarding defining constructs such as the quality of diabetes care and indicator selection procedures is available and should be used more rigorously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People who live in aged care homes have high rates of illness and frailty. Providing evidence-based care to this population is vital to ensure the highest possible quality of life.Objective: In this study (CareTrack Aged, CT Aged), we aimed to develop a comprehensive set of clinical indicators for guideline-adherent, appropriate care of commonly managed conditions and processes in aged care.Methods: Indicators were formulated from recommendations found through systematic searches of Australian and international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Experts reviewed the indicators using a multiround modified Delphi process to develop a consensus on what constitutes appropriate care.Results: From 139 CPGs, 5609 recommendations were used to draft 630 indicators. Clinical experts (n = 41) reviewed the indicators over two rounds. A final set of 236 indicators resulted, mapped to 16 conditions and processes of care. The conditions and processes were admission assessment; bladder and bowel problems; cognitive impairment; depression; dysphagia and aspiration; end of life/palliative care; hearing and vision; infection; medication; mobility and falls; nutrition and hydration; oral and dental care; pain; restraint use; skin integrity and sleep.Conclusions: The suite of CT Aged clinical indicators can be used for research and assessment of the quality of care in individual facilities and across organizations to guide improvement and to supplement regulation or accreditation of the aged care sector. They are a step forward for Australian and international aged care sectors, helping to improve transparency so that the level of care delivered to aged care consumers can be rigorously monitored and continuously improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a spatially explicit vulnerability assessment of the forest industry in Maine, USA, to climate change in an effort to (1) advance a spatial framework for assessing forest industry vulnerability and (2) increase our understanding of Maine's specific vulnerabilities to climate change in order to guide decision-making. We applied a bottom-up indicator approach to evaluate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to climate change using both biophysical and social indicators, largely driven by participatory processes. Our approach enabled us to synthesize and aggregate indicators of regional importance to evaluate vulnerability, allowing us to simultaneously examine combinations of potential changes. We found that each Maine county had its own unique combination of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indicators, with overall vulnerability highest in the rural northern and western parts of the state, where forest industry activities are most prevalent. However, results also indicate that although increased stress from climate-related changes can negatively affect Maine's forest via high exposure, reduced sensitivities and increased adaptive capacity have the potential to largely decrease overall vulnerability in many parts of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state and trajectory of some of the stocks assessed by ICES in the North Atlantic in the period 1970–2003 are synoptically represented on a single system of representation of fishing mortality and biomass with precautionary reference points used as limits and thresholds. The results indicate that for nearly 30 years, the status of the stocks in relation to the precautionary reference points has been degrading in terms of spawning biomass and excess fishing mortality, driving most resources down close to and often beyond those reference points. The situation seems to have improved during the past decade, with some exceptions, as shown by progressive shift of the mean position of the stocks away from excessive mortality (since the early 1990s) and, after a time-lag, away from low biomass (since the early 2000s). The proposed representation system sticks to the reference points and value judgements used in the ICES context, but could be used with any equivalent precautionary system of representation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Greywater, the wastewater from sinks, showers and laundry, is an understudied environment for bacterial communities. Most greywater studies focus on quantifying pathogens, often via proxies used in other wastewater, like faecal indicator bacteria; there is a need to identify more greywater‐appropriate surrogates, like Staphylococcus sp. Sequencing‐based studies have revealed distinct communities in different types of greywater as well as in different parts of greywater infrastructure, including biofilms on pipes, holding tanks and filtration systems. The use of metagenomic sequencing provides high resolution on both the taxa and genes present, which may be of interest in cases like identifying pathogens and surrogates relevant to different matrices, monitoring antibiotic resistance genes and understanding metabolic processes occurring in the system. Here, we review what is known about bacterial communities in different types of greywater and its infrastructure. We suggest that wider adoption of environmental sequencing in greywater research is important because it can describe the entire bacterial community along with its metabolic capabilities, including pathways for removal of nutrients and organic materials. We briefly describe a metagenomic dataset comparing different types of greywater samples in a college dormitory building to highlight the type of questions these methods can address. Metagenomic sequencing can help further the understanding of greywater treatment for reuse because it allows for identification of new pathogens or genes of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The English Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is widely used as a measure of deprivation. However, similarly ranked areas can differ substantially in the underlying domains of deprivation. These domains contain a richer set of data that might be useful for classifying local authorities. Clustering methods offer a set of techniques to identify groups of areas with similar patterns of deprivation. Methods Hierarchical agglomerative (i.e. bottom-up) clustering methods were applied to domain scores for 152 upper tier local authorities. Advances in statistical testing allow clusters to be identified that are unlikely to have arisen from random partitioning of a homogeneous group. The resulting clusters are described in terms of their subdomain scores and basic geographic and demographic characteristics. Results Five statistically significant clusters of local authorities were identified. These clusters only partially reflect different levels of overall deprivation. In particular, two clusters share similar overall IMD scores but have contrasting patterns of deprivation. Conclusion Hierarchical clustering methods identify five distinct clusters that do not correspond closely to quintiles of deprivation. This approach may help to distinguish between places that face similar underlying challenges, and places that appear similar in terms of overall deprivation scores, but that face different challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juridification of maternal health care is on the rise globally, but little is known about its manifestations in resource constrained settings in sub-Saharan Africa. The Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system is implemented in Ethiopia to record and review all maternal and perinatal deaths, but underreporting of deaths remains a major implementation challenge. Fear of blame and malpractice litigation among health workers are important factors in underreporting, suggestive of an increased juridification of birth care. By taking MPDSR implementation as an entry point, this article aims to explore the manifestations of juridification of birth care in Ethiopia. Based on multi-sited fieldwork involving interviews, document analysis and observations at different levels of the Ethiopian health system, we explore responses to maternal deaths at various levels of the health system. We found an increasing public notion of maternal deaths being caused by malpractice, and a tendency to perceive the juridical system as the only channel to claim accountability for maternal deaths. Conflicts over legal responsibility for deaths influenced birth care provision. Both health workers and health bureaucrats strived to balance conflicting concerns related to the MPDSR system: reporting all deaths vs revealing failures in service provision. This dilemma encouraged the development of strategies to avoid personalized accountability for deaths. In this context, increased juridification impacted both care and reporting practices. Our study demonstrates the need to create a system that secures legal protection of health professionals reporting maternal deaths as prescribed and provides the public with mechanisms to claim accountability and high-quality birth care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Valid performance indicators help to track and improve health services. The aim of this study was to test the face and content validity of a set of performance indicators for service delivery in district health systems of low-income countries. Methods A Delphi method with three stages was used. A panel of experts voted (yes vs no) on the face value of performance indicators. Agreement on the inclusion of indicators was a score of >75% and ≥50% during stages one and two, respectively. During stage three, indicators with a mean score of ≥3.8 on a five-point scale were included. The panel also rated the content validity of the overall set of indicators. Results The panel agreed on the face value of 59 out of 238 performance indicators. Agreement on the content validity of the set of indicators reached 100%. Most of the retained indicators were related to the capacity of health facilities, the quality of maternal and child health services and HIV care and treatment. Conclusions Policymakers in low-income countries could use a set of performance indicators with modest face and high content validity, and mainly aspects of capacity and quality to improve health service delivery in districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify potential performance indicators relevant for district healthcare systems of Ethiopia.Data Sources: Public Library of Medicine and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality of the United States of America, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Library and Google Scholar were searched.Study Selection: Expert opinions, policy documents, literature reviews, process evaluations and observational studies published between 1990 and 2015 were considered for inclusion. Participants were national- and local-healthcare systems. The phenomenon of interest was the performance of healthcare systems. The Joanna Briggs Institute tools were adapted and used for critical appraisal of records.Data Extraction: Indicators of performance were extracted from included records and summarized in a narrative form. Then, experts rated the relevance of the indicators. Relevance of an indicator is its agreement with priority health objectives at the national and district level in Ethiopia.Results Of Data Synthesis: A total of 11 206 titles were identified. Finally, 22 full text records were qualitatively synthesized. Experts rated 39 out of 152 (25.7%) performance indicators identified from the literature to be relevant for district healthcare systems in Ethiopia. For example, access to primary healthcare, tuberculosis (TB) treatment rate and infant mortality rate were found to be relevant.Conclusion: Decision-makers in Ethiopia and potentially in other low-income countries can use multiple relevant indicators to measure the performance of district healthcare systems. Further research is needed to test the validity of the indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe indicators used for the assessment of antenatal care (ANC) quality worldwide under the World Health Organization (WHO) framework and based on a systematic review of the literature.Data Sources: Searches were performed in MEDLINE, SciELO, BIREME and Web of Science for eligible studies published between January 2002 and September 2016.Study Selection: Original articles describing women who had received ANC, any ANC model and, any ANC quality indicators were included.Data Extraction: Publication date, study design and ANC process indicators were extracted.Results Of Data Synthesis: Of the total studies included, 69 evaluated at least one type of ANC process indicator. According to WHO ANC guidelines, 8.7% of the articles reported healthy eating counseling and 52.2% iron and folic acid supplementation. The evaluation indicators on maternal and fetal interventions were: syphilis testing (55.1%), HIV testing (47.8%), gestational diabetes mellitus screening (40.6%) and ultrasound (27.5%). Essential ANC activities assessment ranged from 26.1% report of fetal heart sound, 50.7% of maternal weight and 63.8% of blood pressure. Regarding preventive measures recommended by WHO, tetanus vaccine was reported in 60.9% of the articles. Interventions performed by health services to improve use and quality of ANC care, promotion of maternal and fetal health, and the number of visits to the ANC were evaluated in 65.2% of the studies.Conclusion: Numerous ANC content indicators are being used to assess ANC quality. However, there is a need to use standardized indicators across countries and efforts to improve quality evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to contribute to the emerging attempts to foster empirical, quantitative approaches to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), and to provide a low-resolution map of the European RRI landscape, which can serve as a vehicle for international learning. The article presents indicators of RRI aimed at characterising countries. It examines the empirical structure of the data collected in the 'Monitoring the evolution and benefits of Responsible Research and Innovation' (MoRRI) project and reports patterns across Europe. Factor analysis is applied to identify 11 empirically-anchored dimensions of RRI. Based on indices for these dimensions, cluster analysis reveals four distinct clusters of countries. These results point to diversity regarding the empirically-manifest components of RRI as well as diversity in the RRI profiles of the 28 European Union Member States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural capital is increasingly widely discussed and included in corporate and governmental accounts, using a variety of different approaches and metrics. Here I argue that natural capital is fundamentally an emergent feature of structures and functions of the natural environment. Therefore its valuation and metrics for reporting on its condition and the way that it is represented in accounts need to reflect these defining features and not rest solely on measurable flows of goods and services. Natural capital is an asset, and its many contributions to the economy and society, often called ecosystem services, are both malleable and adaptable. Their value changes with time and context as they become more or less important and relevant for particular purposes. Unlike most produced assets, natural assets are multifunctional, adaptable, and resilient, and within limits they have the capacity to regrow or reorganize themselves. Maintaining this capacity is therefore the key priority for a responsible owner or manager of natural assets. Currently most metrics for natural capital are based on the quality or quantity of flows of goods and services, on the geographical distribution of particular ecosystems or land/sea uses, and by reference to ecosystem services delivered by particular ecosystems. The advantages and disadvantages of these different approaches are discussed, but I propose instead using the quality of fundamental ecological processes and functions which properly represent the functioning and capabilities of the natural capital system upon which society and the economy depend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of temperature, mixing and sunlight exposure on the 5‐day survival of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp., F+/male‐specific coliphages, somatic coliphages and Clostridium perfringens spores in an 80/20 blend of surface water and reclaimed water approved for potable reuse in North Carolina. Methods and Results: Grab samples of tertiary treated, dual disinfected North Carolina 'Type 2' reclaimed water were collected and mixed with ambient surface waters to create the 80/20 mix and then spiked with naturally occurring organisms present in the blended water or organisms isolated from sewage. Organism survival over the 5‐day period was evaluated at 4 and 20°C, 0, 60 and 120 rev min−1 mixing speeds and exposure to sunlight or darkness. The log10 survival ratio was then calculated for each organism at each condition. Conclusions: There were measurable differences between the log10 survival ratios at 5 days for most organisms; indicating that storage can decrease microbial concentrations. Mixing conditions were not a significant factor in microbe survival over the 5‐day storage period. Sunlight was the most effective treatment factor to decrease log10 survival during 5‐day storage. Significance and Impact of the Study: No previous studies have evaluated the survival of micro‐organisms in the NC approved 80/20 blend of surface and reclaimed water over the 5‐day storage. This study provides the first results on the survival of regulated faecal indicator organisms stored for 5 days in blended water under different environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of indicators in research policy and evaluation is widely perceived as problematic. Responding to demands for explicit normative framings in STI governance, I propose an agenda for transforming the place and role of indicators in policy. Given that expert advice should not separate knowledge formation from decision-making under conditions of uncertainty and lack of value consensus, I argue that current scientometrics is too focused on technical issues, too reductionist, and too isolated from the contexts and values of its use. Using Callon's analytical framework of 'secluded research' vs. 'research in the wild', I propose three moves for improving design and use of science, technology, and innovation (STI) indicators. First, to continue ongoing trends towards pluralizing the data sources, processing and visualization techniques, and expand the research communities involved in scientometrics. Second, to develop forms of quantitative evidence that can be contextualized with the participation of a more diverse set of stakeholders. Third, to open up the policy framings implicit in measurement, and use quantitative analyses to reveal more balanced perspectives of existing and alternative STI options. I conclude by arguing that these shifts are necessary to preserve epistemic diversity and pluralism in the face of ongoing managerial push for standardization via 'platforms' run by commercial oligopolies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite their use worldwide, strategy-based performance management is limited in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This article explores Qatar's experience, the first from the Region, in implementing contractual agreements between healthcare providers and the regulator—Ministry of Public Health—to align strategy, performance and accountabilities. Design: mixed-methods including tools development and pilot-testing, guided by performance management cycle with a focus on knowledge translation and key principles: feasibility; mandatory participation; participatory approach through Steering Committee. Setting: All public, private and semi-governmental hospitals and primary healthcare centers Intervention(s): (i) semi-structured interviews; (ii) review of 4982 indicators; (iii) Delphi technique for selecting indicators with > 80% agreement on importance and > 60% agreement on feasibility; (iv) capacity-building of providers and Ministry staff and 2-month pilot assessed by questionnaire with indicators scoring > 3 considered valid, reliable and feasible; and (v) 1-year grace period assessed by questionnaire. Main Outcome Measure(s): Approach strengths and challenges; Data collection and healthcare quality improvements. Results: Contracts mandate reporting 25 hospital and 15 primary healthcare indicators to the regulator, which delivers confidential benchmarking reports to providers. Scorecards were discussed with the regulator for evidence-informed policymaking. The approach uncovered system-related challenges and learning for public and private sectors: providers commended the participatory approach (82%) and indicated that contracts enabled collecting valid and timely data (64%) and improved healthcare quality (55%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 150 cities have emerged as notable at a global scale. With a global population of fewer than 12%, they generate 46% of world gross domestic product. There is growing interest in how cities can accelerate health improvements through wider social and economic collaboration. A team led by Public Health England in London visited counterparts in New York City and Paris to examine how city health leaders addressed public health challenges. The three cities have similar health challenges but different legal, political and fiscal resources for promoting and protecting health. Consequently, there is no single model that every city could adopt. Organizational structures, interpersonal relationships and individual skills can play an important part in effective delivery of better city health. Lack of access to published evidence on how practice has been influenced by city health policies hampers learning between cities. There is little easily comparable data to guide those interested in such learning. Municipal governments are ideally situated to join researchers to fill this gap in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the practices through which scholars in advanced administrative positions in Dutch law faculties quantify the publications of their research groups for evaluation purposes. Our aim is to go beyond studying seemingly one-way effects of evaluation modalities on academic knowledge production and instead look at the 'micropolitics' of indicator use, that is, the specific ways in which researchers embed indicators in their everyday practices. Metrics of raw publication output provide seemingly clear-cut evidence about academic performance. However, our empirical material shows that such information can hide strikingly diverse quantification practices. Rather than passive reactions to externally-imposed administrative procedures, many of these practices constitute proactive attempts of individual researchers to pursue competing normative and epistemic agendas. Quantitative indicators to measure publication activity thus do not automatically resolve discussions about the nature of academic performance, but relocate them to an administrative setting characterized by specific rules of engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping trawling pressure on the benthic habitats is needed as background to support an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. The extent and intensity of bottom trawling on the European continental shelf (0-1000 m) was analysed from logbook statistics and vessel monitoring system data for 2010-2012 at a grid cell resolution of 1 × 1 min longitude and latitude. Trawling intensity profiles with seabed impact at the surface and subsurface level are presented for 14 management areas in the North-east Atlantic, Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea. The footprint of the management areas ranged between 53-99% and 6-94% for the depth zone from 0 to 200 m (Shallow) and from 201 to 1000 m (Deep), respectively. The footprint was estimated as the total area of all grid cells that were trawled fully or partially. Excluding the untrawled proportions reduced the footprint estimates to 28-85% and 2-77%. Largest footprints per unit landings were observed off Portugal and in the Mediterranean Sea. Mean trawling intensity ranged between 0.5 and 8.5 times per year, but was less in the Deep zone with a maximum intensity of 6.4. Highest intensities were recorded in the Skagerrak-Kattegat, Iberian Portuguese area, Tyrrhenian Sea and Adriatic Sea. Bottom trawling was highly aggregated. For the Shallow zone the seabed area where 90% of the effort occurred comprised between 17% and 63% (median 36%) of the management area. Footprints were high over a broad range of soft sediment habitats. Using the longevity distribution of the untrawled infaunal community, the seabed integrity was estimated as the proportion of the biomass of benthic taxa where the trawling interval at the subsurface level exceeds their life span. Seabed integrity was low (<0.1) in large parts of the European continental shelfs, although smaller pockets of seabed with higher integrity values occur. The methods developed here integrate official fishing effort statistics and industry-based gear information to provide high-resolution pressure maps and indicators, which greatly improve the basis for assessing and managing benthic pressure from bottom trawling. Further they provide quantitative estimates of trawling impact on a continuous scale by which managers can steer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Common Fisheries Policy has in its 2013 reform increased in complexity, such as a call for coherence with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and a landing obligation, posing new requirements and challenges to managers, scientists and the fishing industry. Therefore, re-evaluations of current practice are important as a basis for management actions. The Swedish fishery for Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in the Kattegat-Skagerrak area provides an interesting case study of relevance to emerging policies. Sprung from an unbalance in available fish- and Nephrops quotas and an ambition to protect coastal areas, the current fishery has been directed towards three separate fisheries (mixed trawling, directed trawling using a sorting grid and creeling). Studying direct and indirect effects from alternative Swedish quota allocations among gear types is therefore interesting. Accordingly, a screening study was conducted, taking into consideration area-gear interactions in catch rates, to compare the three different fisheries regarding quantified pressures on the target species, the by-catch species, and on the seafloor, as well as to qualitatively discuss social and economic dimensions. In the next step, alternative quota allocations were studied. In Swedish fisheries, we show that creeling offers a substantial reduction of fishing mortality of both undersized Nephrops and fish and a reduced seafloor pressure per landed kilo of Nephrops. Given that the fishing areas in many cases may be interchangeable between gears, allocating a larger quota share to creels in the Swedish fishery would therefore contribute to the integration of fisheries- and environmental management as called for in the new policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review of the international literature on evaluation systems, evaluation practices, and metrics (mis)uses was written as part of a larger review commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to inform their independent assessment of the role of metrics in research evaluation (2014-5). The literature on evaluation systems, practices, and effects of indicator uses is extremely heterogeneous: it comprises hundreds of sources published in different media, spread over disciplines, and with considerable variation in the nature of the evidence. A condensation of the state-of-the-art in relevant research is therefore highly timely. Our review presents the main strands in the literature, with a focus on empirical materials about possible effects of evaluation exercises, 'gaming' of indicators, and strategic responses by scientific communities and others to requirements in research assessments. In order to increase visibility and availability, an adapted and updated review is presented here as a stand-alone-after authorization by HEFCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate who benefits, and how, from collaboration between universities and society, it is necessary to develop solid evaluation models. The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) has been commissioned by the Swedish government to present an evaluation model for university-society collaboration, which is intended to be included in the future distribution of funding to Swedish universities. This makes Sweden an interesting example of the challenges associated with the implementation of a national evaluation model for university-society collaboration. The objective of this study is to identify challenges for evaluation of university-society collaboration in an academic context. We analyse the actual implementation process of a national evaluation system for university-society collaboration, by putting Swedish policy in relation to international research. The results suggest that there is broad knowledge on the complexity of university-society collaboration, and of the difficulties associated with evaluation, even if certain aspects, like the importance of teaching, networking, and gender aspects, are often overlooked. However, the discussion tends to focus on the construction of relevant indicators, while there is a widespread lack of discussion and agreement on the objectives and goals of university-society collaboration, as well as discussions on how to define the concept. The importance of these aspects is illustrated by the difficulties in Sweden with developing a legitimate assessment system for university-society collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation policymakers have struggled with the problem of how to develop better indicators to capture innovative activity. This study reviews and evaluates a variety of commonly used innovation indicators such as R&D, patents, and innovation. Then, using data from multiple data sources, such as US Patent and Trademark Office patent data, National Science Foundation surveys, private US innovation surveys, and Community Innovation Survey data, this study examines the overlap and differences across these indicators. Furthermore, this study suggests the need for a broader understanding of innovation and introduces new measures that complement existing measures to better capture the full population of innovations. These new measures focus on the distinction between innovations originating from R&D and those from outside of R&D (non-R&D innovation). The results show that 12% of triadically patented inventions come from non-R&D, and among US manufacturing firms, 11% of internally generated new-to-market innovations are non-R&D. This study contributes to better conceptualizing innovation by cross-validating innovation indicators, developing innovation indicators beyond the R&D-based perspective on innovation, and emphasizing the importance of understanding the broad universe of innovative activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the use of university technology transfer reporting standards developed under the aegis of the US-based Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) in Canada. Given the importance to policy-makers internationally of improving the contributions of universities in transferring technology to industry, these indicators are regarded as critical to informing the policy debate. We analyze federal science and technology policy and identify how these metrics have influenced the framing of policy problems and alternatives. Next, a micro-level analysis of Canada's largest research university unveils several major weaknesses of the survey. Our study points to the need for a more critical use of the AUTM licensing data in the Canadian policy debate, and provides recommendations on the future development of these indicators and their use in public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Payments for watershed services (PWS) as a policy tool for enhancing water quality and supply have gained momentum in recent years, but their ability to lead to sustainable watershed outcomes is uncertain. Consequently, the demand for effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of PWS impacts on coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) and their implications for watershed sustainability (WS) is increasing. The theoretical foundations and practical applications of WS frameworks, which integrate biophysical and socioeconomic indicators to assess progress toward WS goals, have been extensively explored but rarely applied to PWS. We develop the PWS-WS framework as an approach for guiding indicator selection to improve knowledge about the complex drivers, interactions, and feedback between PWS and CHANS. A review of the PWS and WS literatures provides a basis for comparing and contrasting indicators. Using two case studies, we illustrate how applying the PWS-WS framework using a place-based, contextualized approach enhances potential for sustainable watershed outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sentinel toys are increasingly used as a method of assessing young children's exposure to faecal pathogens in households in low-income settings. However, there is no consensus on the suitability of different approaches. Methods: We evaluated three types of toy balls with different surfaces (plastic, rubber, urethane) in the laboratory to compare the uptake of faecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli) on their surface. We performed bacteria survival analysis under different environmental conditions and tested laboratory methods for bacteria removal and recovery. In a field study we distributed sterile urethane balls to children <5 from 360 households in rural India. After 24 hours, we collected and rinsed the toys in sterile water, assayed for thermotolerant coliforms (TTC) and explored associations between the level of contamination and household characteristics. Results: In the laboratory, urethane foam balls took up more indicator bacteria than the other balls. Bacteria recovery did not differ based on mechanic vs no agitation. Higher temperatures and moisture levels increased bacterial yield. In the field, the only factor associated with a decreased recovery of TTC from the balls was having a soil (unpaved) floor. Conclusions: Sentinel toys may be an effective tool for assessing young children's exposure to faecal pathogens. However, even using methods designed to increase bacterial recovery, limited sensitivity may require larger sample sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]