Developing a conceptual model of lead performance measurement and benchmarking: A multiple case analysis

Purpose: Environmental turbulence including rapid changes in technology and markets has resulted in the need for new approaches to performance measurement and benchmarking. There is a need for studies that attempt to measure and benchmark upstream, leading or developmental aspects of organizations. Therefore, the aim of this paper is twofold. The first is to conduct an in-depth case analysis of lead performance measurement and benchmarking leading to the further development of a conceptual model derived from the extant literature and initial survey data. The second is to outline future research agendas that could further develop the framework and the subject area.

Design/methodology/approach: A multiple case analysis involving repeated in-depth interviews with managers in organisational areas of upstream influence in the case organisations.

Findings: It was found that the effect of external drivers for lead performance measurement and benchmarking was mediated by organisational context factors such as level of progression in business improvement methods. Moreover, the legitimation of the business improvement methods used for this purpose, although typical, had been extended beyond their original purpose with the development of bespoke sets of lead measures.

Practical implications: Examples of methods and lead measures are given that can be used by organizations in developing a programme of lead performance measurement and benchmarking.

Originality/value: There is a paucity of in-depth studies relating to the theory and practice of lead performance measurement and benchmarking in organisations.

MEASUREMENT OF SUPEROXIDE FORMATION BY MITOCHONDRIAL COMPLEX I OF YARROWIA LIPOLYTICA

Complex I (NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is generally regarded as one of the major sources of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondrial membranes from the obligate aerobic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, as well as the purified and reconstituted enzyme, can be used to measure complex I-dependent generation of superoxide (O-2(center dot-)). The use of isolated complex I excludes interference with other respiratory chain complexes and matrix enzymes during superoxide dismutase-sensitive reduction of acetylated cytochrome c. Alternately. hydrogen peroxide formation can be measured by the Amplex Red/horseradish peroxidase assay. Both methods allow the determination of complex I-generated ROS, depending on substrates (NADH, artificial ubiquinones), membrane potential, and active/deactive transition. ROS production by Yorrowia complex I in the

Enteral feeding methods for nutritional management in patients with head and neck cancers being treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy

Background: This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 3, 2010.
For many patients with head and neck cancer, oral nutrition will not provide adequate nourishment during treatment with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy due to the acute toxicity of treatment, obstruction caused by the tumour, or both. The optimal method of enteral feeding for this patient group has yet to be established.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of different enteral feeding methods used in the nutritional management of patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy using the clinical outcomes, nutritional status, quality of life and rates of complications.

Search methods: Our extensive search included the Cochrane ENT Group Trials Register, CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED and ISI Web of Science. The date of the most recent search was 13 February 2012.

Selection criteria:Randomised controlled trials comparing one method of enteral feeding with another, e.g. nasogastric (NG) or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding, for adult patients with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy and/or chemoradiotherapy.

Data collection and analysis:Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data using standardised forms. We contacted study authors for additional information.

Main results: One randomised controlled trial met the criteria for inclusion in this review. No further studies were identified when we updated the searches in 2012.
Patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer, being treated with chemoradiotherapy, were randomised to PEG or NG feeding. In total only 33 patients were eligible for analysis as the trial was terminated early due to poor accrual. A high degree of bias was identified in the study.
Weight loss was greater for the NG group at six weeks post-treatment than for the PEG group (P = 0.001). At six months post-treatment, however, there was no significant difference in weight loss between the two groups. Anthropometric measurements recorded six weeks post-treatment demonstrated lower triceps skin fold thickness for the NG group compared to the PEG group (P = 0.03). No statistically significant difference was found between the two different enteral feeding techniques in relation to complication rates or patient satisfaction. The duration of PEG feeding was significantly longer than for the NG group (P = 0.0006). In addition, the study calculated the cost of PEG feeding to be 10 times greater than that of NG, though this was not found to be significant. There was no difference in the treatment received by the two groups. However, four PEG fed patients and two NG fed patients required unscheduled treatment breaks of a median of two and six days respectively.
We identified no studies of enteral feeding involving any form of radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) feeding or comparing prophylactic PEG versus PEG for inclusion in the review.

Authors' conclusions: There is not sufficient evidence to determine the optimal method of enteral feeding for patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy and/or chemoradiotherapy. Further trials of the two methods of enteral feeding, incorporating larger sample sizes, are required.

Wideband measurement of the acoustic impedance of tubular objects

A method is discussed for measuring the acoustic impedance of tubular objects that gives accurate results for a wide range of frequencies. The apparatus that is employed is similar to that used in many previously developed methods; it consists of a cylindrical measurement duct fitted with several microphones, of which two are active in each measurement session, and a driver at one of its ends. The object under study is fitted at the other end. The impedance of the object is determined from the microphone signals obtained during excitation of the air inside the 1 duct by the driver, and from three coefficients that are pre-determined using four calibration measurements with closed cylindrical tubes. The calibration procedure is based on the simple mathematical relationships between the impedances of the calibration tubes, and does not require knowledge of the propagation constant. Measurements with a cylindrical tube yield an estimate of the attenuation constant for plane waves, which is found to differ from the theoretical prediction by less than 1.4% in the frequency range 1 kHz-20 kHz. Impedance measurements of objects with abrupt changes in diameter are found to be in good agreement with multimodal theory.

Measurement of Polymer-to-Polymer Contact Friction in Thermoforming

Contact friction plays a critical role in all the major thermoforming processes for polymers. However, these effects are very difficult to measure in practice and, as a result, have received little scientific investigation. In this work, two independently developed test methods for the measurement of elevated temperature polymer-to-polymer contact friction are presented, and their results are compared in detail for the first time. One is based on a modified moving sled friction test, whereas the other uses a rotational rheometer. In each case, friction tests were conducted between two plug and two sheet materials. The results show that broadly similar coefficients of friction were obtained from the two test methods. The measured values were quite low (<0.3) at lower temperatures and typically were higher for polypropylene (PP) sheet than for polystyrene (PS). On approaching the glass transition temperature for PS (95°C) and the crystalline melting point for PP (165°C), the friction coefficients rose very sharply, and both test techniques became increasingly unreliable. It was concluded that despite their physical differences, both test techniques were able to capture the highly temperature sensitive nature of friction between polymer materials used in thermoforming.

How long is a piece of Strix? Methods in measuring and measuring the measurers

An experiment to quantify intra- and interobserver error in anatomical measurements found that interobserver measurements can vary by over 14% of mean specimen length; disparity in measurement increases logarithmically with the number of contributors; instructions did not reduce variation or measurement disparity; scale of the specimen influenced the precision of measurement (relative error increasing with specimen size); different methods of taking a measurement yielded different results, although they did not differ in terms of precision, and topographical complexity of the elements being considered may potentially influence error (error increasing with complexity). These results highlight concerns about introduction of noise and potential bias that should be taken into account when compiling composite datasets and meta-analyses.

A comparative study of qualitative immunochemical screening assays for the combined measurement of T-2/HT-2 in cereals and cereal-based products

Many different immunochemical platforms exist for the screening of naturally occurring contaminants in food from the low cost enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to the expensive instruments such as optical biosensors based on the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The primary aim of this study was to evaluate and compare a number of these platforms to assess their accuracy and precision when applied to naturally contaminated samples containing HT-2/T-2 mycotoxins. Other important factors considered were the speed of analysis, ease of use (sample preparation techniques and use of the equipment) and ultimately the cost implications. The three screening procedures compared included an SPR biosensor assay, a commercially available ELISA and an enzyme-linked immunomagnetic electrochemical array (ELIME array). The qualitative data for all methods demonstrated very good overall agreements with each other, however on comparison with mass spectrometry confirmatory results, the ELISA and SPR assay performed slightly better than the ELIME array, exhibiting an overall agreement of 95.8% compared to 91.7%. Currently, SPR is more costly than the other two platforms and can only be used in the laboratory whereas in theory both the ELISA and ELIME array are portable and can be used in the field, but ultimately this is dependent on the sample preparation techniques employed. Sample preparative techniques varied for all methods evaluated, the ELISA was the most simple to perform followed by that of the SPR method. The ELIME array involved an additional clean-up step thereby increasing both the time and cost of analysis. Therefore in the current format, field use would not be an option for the ELIME array. In relation to speed of analysis, the ELISA outperformed the other methods.

Production of a monoclonal antibody and its application in an optical biosensor based assay for the quantitative measurement of Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) in foodstuffs

Pantothenicacid (PA), vitamin B5, is an essential B vitamin that may be fortified in food and as such requires robust and accurate methods of detection to meet compliance legislation. This study reports the production and characterisation of the first monoclonalantibody (MAb) specific for PA and the subsequent development of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensorassay for the quantification of PA. The developed assay was compared with an SPR based commercial kit which utilised a polyclonal antibody (PAb). Foodstuffs, including cereals (n = 43), infant formulas and baby food (n = 10) and fruit juices (n = 48) were analysed by both the MAb and PAb biosensorassays and comparison plots showed good correlation (R2 0.77–0.99). The results indicate that the MAb basedbiosensorassay is suitable for the measurement of PA in foodstuffs and has the added advantage of facilitating a constant, long term supply of identical antibody. Preliminary matrix studies suggest the MAb basedassay is an excellent candidate for further validation studies and routine quality assurance based analysis.

Standardisation and comparison of methods employed for microbial cell surface hydrophobicity and charge determination

Whilst there are a number of methods available to characterise the cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and cell surface charge (CSC) of microorganisms, there is still debate concerning the correlation of results between individual methods. In this study, the techniques of bacterial adherence to hydrocarbons (BATH) and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HTC) were used to measure CSH. Electrostatic interaction chromatography (ESIC) and zeta potential (ZP) measurements were used to determine CSC. To allow meaningful comparisons between the BATH and HIC tests, between ESIC and ZP and also between CSH and CSC, the buffer systems employed in each test were standardised (phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.3, 0.01 mM). Isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis derived from microbial biofilm were used as the test organism in this study. The isolates examined exhibited primarily medium to high CSH and a highly negative CSC. Good correlation of CSH measurement was observed between the BATH and HIC tests (r = 0.89). Good correlation was observed between ESIC (anionic exchange column) and ZP measurements. No correlations were observed between isolate CSC and either increased or decreased CSH. It is recommended that whenever comparisons of various methods to determine either CSC or CSH (by partitioning methods), the buffer systems should remain constant throughout to achieve consistency of results.

Measurement of DNA damage by electrons with energies between 25 and 4000 eV.

All ionizing radiations deposit energy stochastically along their tracks. The resulting distribution of energies deposited in a small target such as the DNA helix leads to a corresponding spectrum in the severity of damage produced. So far, most information about the probable spectra of DNA lesion complexity has come from Monte Carlo studies which endeavour to model the relationship between the energy deposited in DNA and the damage induced. The aim of this paper is to establish methods of determining this relationship by irradiating pBR322 plasmid DNA using low energy electrons with energies comparable with the minimum energy thought to produce critical damage. The technique of agarose gel electrophoresis has been used to ascertain the fraction of DNA single- and double-strand breaks induced by monoenergetic electrons with energies as low as 25 eV. Our data show that the threshold electron energy for induction of single-strand breaks is

Measurement of interaction strength innature

Understanding and predicting the dynamics of multispecies systems generally require estimates of interaction strength among species. Measuring interaction strength is difficult because of the large number of interactions in any natural system, long-term feedback, multiple pathways of effects between species pairs, and possible nonlinearities in interaction-strength functions. Presently, the few studies that extensively estimate interaction strength suggest that distributions of interaction strength tend to be skewed toward few strong and many weak interactions. Modeling studies indicate that such skewed patterns tend to promote system stability and arise during assembly of persistent communities. Methods for estimating interaction strength efficiently from traits of organisms, such as allometric relationships, show some promise. Methods for estimating community response to environmental perturbations without an estimate of interaction strength may also be of use. Spatial and temporal scale may affect patterns of interaction strength, but these effects require further investigation and new multispecies modeling frameworks. Future progress will be aided by development of long-term multispecies time series of natural communities, by experimental tests of different methods for estimating interaction strength, and by increased understanding of nonlinear functional forms.

Effectiveness of in situ moisture preconditioning methods for concrete

With greater emphasis now being placed on the durability of concrete and the need for on-site characterization of concrete for durability, there is an increasing dependence on the measurement of the permeation properties of concrete. Such properties can be measured in the laboratory under controlled ambient conditions, namely, temperature and relative humidity, and comparisons made between samples not affected by testing conditions. An important factor that influences permeation measurements is the moisture state of the concrete prior to testing. Moisture gradients are known to exist in exposed concretes; therefore, all laboratory tests are generally carried out after preconditioning to a reference moisture state. This is reasonably easy to achieve in the laboratory, but more difficult to carry out on-site. Different methods of surface preconditioning in situ concrete are available; however, there is no general agreement on the suitability of any one method. Therefore, a comprehensive set of experiments was carried out with four different preconditioning methods. Results from these investigations indicated that only superficial drying could be achieved by using any of the preconditioning methods investigated and that significant moisture movement below a depth of 15 mm was not evident.

Assessing modern ground survey methods and airborne laser scanning for digital terrain modelling:A case study from the Lake District, England

This paper compares the applicability of three ground survey methods for modelling terrain: one man electronic tachymetry (TPS), real time kinematic GPS (GPS), and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Vertical accuracy of digital terrain models (DTMs) derived from GPS, TLS and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data is assessed. Point elevations acquired by the four methods represent two sections of a mountainous area in Cumbria, England. They were chosen so that the presence of non-terrain features is constrained to the smallest amount. The vertical accuracy of the DTMs was addressed by subtracting each DTM from TPS point elevations. The error was assessed using exploratory measures including statistics, histograms, and normal probability plots. The results showed that the internal measurement accuracy of TPS, GPS, and TLS was below a centimetre. TPS and GPS can be considered equally applicable alternatives for sampling the terrain in areas accessible on foot. The highest DTM vertical accuracy was achieved with GPS data, both on sloped terrain (RMSE 0.16. m) and flat terrain (RMSE 0.02. m). TLS surveying was the most efficient overall but veracity of terrain representation was subject to dense vegetation cover. Therefore, the DTM accuracy was the lowest for the sloped area with dense bracken (RMSE 0.52. m) although it was the second highest on the flat unobscured terrain (RMSE 0.07. m). ALS data represented the sloped terrain more realistically (RMSE 0.23. m) than the TLS. However, due to a systematic bias identified on the flat terrain the DTM accuracy was the lowest (RMSE 0.29. m) which was above the level stated by the data provider. Error distribution models were more closely approximated by normal distribution defined using median and normalized median absolute deviation which supports the use of the robust measures in DEM error modelling and its propagation. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Assessing family members' satisfaction with information sharing and communication during Hospital care at the end of life

Context: Despite the fact that most deaths occur in hospital, problems remain with how patients and families experience care at the end of life when a death occurs in a hospital. Objectives: (1) assess family member satisfaction with information sharing and communication, and (2) examine how satisfaction with information sharing and communication is associated with patient factors. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey, data were collected from family members of adult patients who died in an acute care organization. Correlation and factor analysis were conducted, and internal consistency assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Linear regression was performed to determine the relationship among patient variables and satisfaction on the Information Sharing and Communication (ISC) scale. Results: There were 529 questionnaires available for analysis. Following correlation analysis and the dropping of redundant and conceptually irrelevant items, seven items remained for factor analysis. One factor was identified, described as information sharing and communication, that explained 76.3% of the variance. The questionnaire demonstrated good content and reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.96). Overall, family members were satisfied with information sharing and communication (mean total satisfaction score 3.9, SD 1.1). The ISC total score was significantly associated with patient gender, the number of days in hospital before death, and the hospital program where the patient died. Conclusions: The ISC scale demonstrated good content validity and reliability. The ISC scale offers acute care organizations a means to assess the quality of information sharing and communication that transpires in care at the end of life. © Copyright 2013, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Organization specific predictors of job satisfaction: findings from a Canadian multi-site quality of work life cross-sectional survey

Background: Organizational features can affect how staff view their quality of work life. Determining staff perceptions about quality of work life is an important consideration for employers interested in improving employee job satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to identify organization specific predictors of job satisfaction within a health care system that consisted of six independent health care organizations.

Methods: 5,486 full, part and causal time (non-physician) staff on active payroll within six organizations (2 community hospitals, 1 community hospital/long-term care facility, 1 long-term care facility, 1 tertiary care/community health centre, and 1 visiting nursing agency) located in five communities in Central West Ontario, Canada were asked to complete a 65-item quality of work life survey. The self-administered questionnaires collected staff perceptions of: co-worker and supervisor support; teamwork and communication; job demands and decision authority; organization characteristics; patient/resident care; compensation and benefits; staff training and development; and impressions of the organization. Socio-demographic data were also collected.

Results: Depending on the organization, between 15 and 30 (of the 40 potential predictor) variables were found to be statistically associated with job satisfaction (univariate analyses). Logistic regression analyses identified the best predictors of job satisfaction and these are presented for each of the six organizations and for all organizations combined.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that job satisfaction is a multidimensional construct and although there appear to be some commonalities across organizations, some predictors of job satisfaction appear to be organization and context specific.