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This paper posits that performance indicators (PIs) are conceptual technologies that shape what issues academics think about and how academics think about those issues by embedding normative assumptions into the selection and structure of those indicators. Exploring the assumptions embedded in Alberta's (Canada) PIs yields an initial typology of assumptions that academics can apply to performance indicators in higher education to understand, refine or critically challenge their introduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Drake Landing Solar Community in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada utilizes a solar thermal system with borehole seasonal storage to supply space heating to 52 detached energy-efficient homes through a district heating network. Systems of similar size and configuration have been constructed in Europe, however, this is the first system of this type designed to supply more than 90% of the space heating with solar energy and the first operating in such a cold climate (5200 degree C-days). Solar heat captured in 2293 m2 of flat-plate collectors, mounted on the roofs of detached garages, is stored in soil underground and later when needed for space heating, is extracted and distributed through a district system to each home in the subdivision. Independent solar domestic hot water systems installed on every house are designed to supply more than 50% of the water heating load. Annual greenhouse gas emission reductions from energy efficiency improvements and solar energy supply exceed 5 tonnes per house. The seasonal storage utilizes approximately 34,000 m3 of earth and a grid of 144 boreholes with single u-tube heat exchangers. The system is configured to maintain the centre of the field at the highest temperature to maximize heating capacity and the outer edges at the lowest temperature to minimize losses. A short -term thermal storage consisting of 240 m3 of water is used to interconnect the collection, distribution and seasonal heat storage subsystems. The system has undergone detailed monitoring since it was brought into service in July 2007 to characterize its performance and to improve the TRNSYS model employed in its design. A solar fraction of 97% in its fifth year of operation, convincingly confirms the design target, a solar fraction of more than 90% in year five, has been met. This paper describes the system and its operation, presents 5 years of measured performance and compares those results against the TRNSYS predicted performance for the same period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Licensed physicians in Alberta are required to participate in the Physician Achievement Review (PAR) program every 5 years, comprising multi-source feedback questionnaires with confidential feedback, and practice visits for a minority of physicians. We wished to identify and classify issues requiring change or improvement from the family practice visits, and the responses to advice. Methods: Retrospective analysis of narrative practice visit reports data using a mixed methods design to study records of visits to 51 family physicians and general practitioners who participated in PAR during the period 2010 to 2011, and whose ratings in one or more major assessment domains were significantly lower than their peer group. Results: Reports from visits to the practices of family physicians and general practitioners confirmed opportunities for change and improvement, with two main groupings - practice environment and physician performance. For 40/51 physicians (78%) suggested actions were discussed with physicians and changes were confirmed. Areas of particular concern included problems arising from practice isolation and diagnostic conclusions being reached with incomplete clinical evidence. Conclusion: This study provides additional evidence for the construct validity of a regulatory authority educational program in which multi-source performance feedback identifies areas for practice quality improvement, and change is encouraged by supplementary contact for selected physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of interdependence among environmental variables has been qualitatively known for centuries. Recent studies have shown that copula modelling can provide a simple, yet powerful framework for modelling interdependence among hydrological data; however, still there are several studies which use outdated and superficial methods to perform this task. By considering the current state of knowledge, this study tries to introduce a pragmatic procedure to perform copula modelling in real-world problems. Our study uses copula modelling to find a notion for conditional quantities of the maximum annual water deficit with respect to the annual cumulative evapotranspiration. Therefore, by having an estimate for the annual cumulative evapotranspiration, the hydrological performance of the reconstructed watershed can be assessed even in nearby ungauged reconstructed watersheds with similar physical characteristics and reclamation strategy. Several competitive models are developed for joint description of these variables in a prototype reclaimed oil-sands mining site in northern Alberta, Canada. The developed joint models are compared and analyzed according to their convergence feasibility, overall accuracy, tail behaviour and a goodness-of-fit test. Our study concludes that copula modelling can be considered as a powerful option in practitioners' toolkit. For the case under consideration, the Gumbel-Houguaard structure provides the most credible model of dependence. Moreover, our study provides some initial supports for the application of minimum distance methods for copula parameter estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]