Browsing by Subject "Certification"
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Item Open Access Analysis of the Feasibility and Efficacy of Sustainable Pollinator Bee Certifications for Almond Producers in California(2020-04-22) McNamara, EmilyCalifornia’s almond pollination period is the largest pollination event in the world due to the vast almond acreage spanning the state and the crop’s dependence on pollination by managed honey bees. Since 1996, almond acreage in the state has increased fourfold from 428,000 to 1,700,000 acres. California supplies 80% of the world’s almonds, and 70% of US honey bee hives are transported to the state each year to meet the pollination demand. However, managed honey bee populations continue to decline nationwide, which threatens the almond industry. Experts attribute this decline to pesticide toxicity, lack of diverse and abundant nutrient and pollen sources, and stress from transportation. Several scientifically supported farm management practices show efficacy in protecting and supporting managed honey bee populations in almond orchards. Current analyses show that a majority of almond producers have not adopted these bee-friendly practices. By analyzing the feasibility and attractiveness of certification systems to almond producers in California, this project examines the opportunity to use a certification to incentivize growers to adopt recommended practices to support managed honey bee health. Results indicate that almond producers desire a bee-friendly certification yet confirm that bee-friendly practices are not widely adopted. Further, there is evidence that adoption rates and barriers for implementing bee-friendly practices differ by region, suggesting the need for a new certification that is both effective in supporting pollinator health and feasible for growers to implement.Item Open Access Comparison of performance achievement award recognition with primary stroke center certification for acute ischemic stroke care.(J Am Heart Assoc, 2013-10-14) Fonarow, Gregg C; Liang, Li; Smith, Eric E; Reeves, Mathew J; Saver, Jeffrey L; Xian, Ying; Hernandez, Adrian F; Peterson, Eric D; Schwamm, Lee H; GWTG-Stroke Steering Committee & InvestigatorsBACKGROUND: Hospital certification and recognition programs represent 2 independent but commonly used systems to distinguish hospitals, yet they have not been directly compared. This study assessed acute ischemic stroke quality of care measure conformity by hospitals receiving Primary Stroke Center (PSC) certification and those receiving the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Performance Achievement Award (PAA) recognition. METHODS AND RESULTS: The patient and hospital characteristics as well as performance/quality measures for acute ischemic stroke from 1356 hospitals participating in the GWTG-Stroke Program 2010-2012 were compared. Hospitals were classified as PAA+/PSC+ (hospitals n = 410, patients n = 169,302), PAA+/PSC- (n = 415, n = 129,454), PAA-/PSC+ (n = 88, n = 26,386), and PAA-/PSC- (n = 443, n = 75,565). A comprehensive set of stroke measures were compared with adjustment for patient and hospital characteristics. Patient characteristics were similar by PAA and PSC status but PAA-/PSC- hospitals were more likely to be smaller and nonteaching. Measure conformity was highest for PAA+/PSC+ and PAA+/PSC- hospitals, intermediate for PAA-/PSC+ hospitals, and lowest for PAA-/PSC- hospitals (all-or-none care measure 91.2%, 91.2%, 84.3%, and 76.9%, respectively). After adjustment for patient and hospital characteristics, PAA+/PSC+, PAA+/PSC-, and PAA-/PSC+ hospitals had 3.15 (95% CIs 2.86 to 3.47); 3.23 (2.93 to 3.56) and 1.72 (1.47 to 2.00), higher odds for providing all indicated stroke performance measures to patients compared with PAA-/PSC- hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: While both PSC certification and GWTG-Stroke PAA recognition identified hospitals providing higher conformity with care measures for patients hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke, PAA recognition was a more robust identifier of hospitals with better performance.Item Open Access Defining Green: Lessons Learned from Eco-labelling in the Consumer Goods Industry(2010-04-22T05:23:24Z) Michalko, AlexandraIn recent years, companies have been under increasing pressure to communicate their sustainability performance to interested stakeholders. Reliable metrics and third-party validation in particular play an important role in the effort to quantify a company’s impact on the environments and communities in which it operates. This increasing focus on corporate environmental and social performance has led to a proliferation of ecolabels, but there are currently no comprehensive efforts to assess best practices in labeling. I conducted research to understand the current landscape of consumer goods ecolabels by creating a framework of success across the dimensions of market and field, analyzing survey data, and performing case studies. I discussed emerging best practices and lessons learned and made recommendations for how we can better design labels in the future. I conclude by identifying the implications of my research findings for ecolabels design and highlighting areas requiring further research.Item Open Access NatureWatt LLC.: A Guide to Environmentally and Socially Responsible Utility-Scale Solar Development in the Southeastern United States(2020-04-24) Oberholzer, Alicia; Schuster, AlexisUtility-scale solar photovoltaic electricity generation is growing rapidly across America, and as a result, concerning impacts on the natural environment are starting to add up. Recognizing that North Carolina has the second largest capacity of utility-scale solar generation in the country, the Nature Conservancy of North Carolina has been compelled to intervene (SEIA, 2019). Concerned about the negative impacts to the natural environment that solar development can cause, The Nature Conservancy of North Carolina has identified best practices for sustainable solar development and begun to explore ways to incentivize industry adoption (TNC, 2019). To this end, they called upon us, a Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment Masters Project team, to develop the first iteration of a voluntary-based certification system for eco-friendly solar farms. To create a certification program with the natural environment in mind, the first step was to identify core objectives for the guidebook, the reference document of the certification. This first objective was to compile negative impacts of solar development and provide mitigation and avoidance practices. The second was to estimate the qualitative costs and benefits of each practice so that stakeholders know what costs and benefits consider before they decide to pursue the certification. The last objective for the guidebook was to compile measurement tools for each practice so that the certification requirements are standardized and measurable. Together these objectives culminated in a guidebook that accomplishes the Nature Conservancy’s mission to protect and restore natural systems and biodiversity. The first step in the guidebook compilation process was to review the Principles of Low Impact Solar Siting and Design written by Elizabeth Kalies of the Nature Conservancy of North Carolina. This document is the foundation of the certification, as it lays out six principles that reflect the core practices of sustainable solar development. These principles include avoiding areas of native biodiversity, allowing for wildlife connectivity, using disturbed land, protecting water quality, restoring native plant species, and protecting and providing wildlife habitat (TNC, 2019). We aimed to further this research by reviewing additional literature regarding the impacts of solar development and other relevant topics, such as existing solar certification and other environmental certifications. In addition, informal interviews were used to gain stakeholder insight on existing mindful practices and new ideas surrounding community engagement. Once the research was complete, the writing of the guidebook began. The certification, entitled NatureWatt, is awarded through compliance with the NatureWatt Guidebook. This guidebook is comprised of four sections: Siting, Design, Social Impact, and Compliance. Each section contains principles supplemented by criteria that aim to provide a complete inventory of sustainable tactics for each step of solar project development. Each criterion contains measurement tools that must be used to measure compliance as well as qualitative, expected costs and benefits that stakeholders may incur. The NatureWatt Guidebook goes beyond the tangible aspects of solar development and includes tactics that address social impact. From promoting diversity, to community education, the guidebook offers innovative ways to address inequities in the communities where solar projects are built. The guidebook went through an extensive revision process, which included reviews by solar industry stakeholders. The NatureWatt certification draws attention to the importance of mindfulness of the surrounding environment during the siting and design of utility-scale solar generation. It is a comprehensive guidebook that allows for innovation and profitability, while allowing for the natural environment to thrive as it cohabitates with the new development. Further research opportunities will require subject matter experts who can place value on certain ecosystem services and experts who can create an implementation plan for industry adoption.Item Open Access The Changing Landscape of Sustainable Certifications in the Kenyan Tea Industry: An Exploratory Case Study(2018-05) DeBree, SchuylerAgricultural industries increasingly use corporate responsibility mechanisms, such as sustainable standards and certification schemes, to create sustainable production-consumption systems and sustainable products. In the case of agricultural products, the study of certifications is especially vital to ensure that they are truly improving the wellbeing of the economy, society, and environment in areas where they are applied. Data from 2012 demonstrate that Kenya led the global tea industry in percent of national tea production certified by one of the four main sustainable certifications in tea (Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, UTZ, and Organic), but there is limited literature on the impact that the implementation of certifications has had on the Kenyan tea industry. This research will highlight and discuss previously unevaluated trends within the landscape of sustainable certifications in the current Kenyan tea industry by combining existing literature, first-hand interview and observation, and data collection in an exploratory case study. The key trends illuminated by this research, which were previously undocumented, include, 1) the pervasiveness of Rainforest Alliance 2) the tensions between farm productivity, insufficient value of tea, and sustainability and 3) the efforts to transcend the capacity of certification in the short and long term. This study explores these undocumented trends to increase awareness within tea industry stakeholders and inform future research on sustainable certifications in Kenya, and elsewhere.Item Open Access Variation in Oral Board Examination Accommodations Among Specialties.(JAMA network open, 2024-05) Rowe, Dana G; Charles, Antoinette J; Luo, Emily J; Arango, Alissa M; Herndon, James E; Hockenberry, Harrison; Shortell, Cynthia K; Goodwin, C Rory; Erickson, Melissa MImportance
Board certification can have broad implications for candidates' career trajectories, and prior research has found sociodemographic disparities in pass rates. Barriers in the format and administration of the oral board examinations may disproportionately affect certain candidates.Objective
To characterize oral certifying examination policies and practices of the 16 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited specialties that require oral examinations.Design, setting, and participants
This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to April 15, 2023, using data on oral examination practices and policies (examination format, dates, and setting; lactation accommodations; and accommodations for military deployment, family emergency, or medical leave) as well as the gender composition of the specialties' boards of directors obtained from websites, telephone calls and email correspondence with certifying specialists. The percentages of female residents and residents of racial and ethnic backgrounds who are historically underrepresented in medicine (URM) in each specialty as of December 31, 2021, were obtained from the Graduate Medical Education 2021 to 2022 report.Main outcome and measures
For each specialty, accommodation scores were measured by a modified objective scoring system (score range: 1-13, with higher scores indicating more accommodations). Poisson regression was used to assess the association between accommodation score and the diversity of residents in that specialty, as measured by the percentages of female and URM residents. Linear regression was used to assess whether gender diversity of a specialty's board of directors was associated with accommodation scores.Results
Included in the analysis were 16 specialties with a total of 46 027 residents (26 533 males [57.6%]) and 233 members of boards of directors (152 males [65.2%]). The mean (SD) total accommodation score was 8.28 (3.79), and the median (IQR) score was 9.25 (5.00-12.00). No association was found between test accommodation score and the percentage of female or URM residents. However, for each 1-point increase in the test accommodation score, the relative risk that a resident was female was 1.05 (95% CI, 0.96-1.16), and the relative risk that an individual was a URM resident was 1.04 (95% CI, 1.00-1.07). An association was found between the percentage of female board members and the accommodation score: for each 10% increase in the percentage of board members who were female, the accommodation score increased by 1.20 points (95% CI, 0.23-2.16 points; P = .03).Conclusions and relevance
This cross-sectional study found considerable variability in oral board examination accommodations among ACGME-accredited specialties, highlighting opportunities for improvement and standardization. Promoting diversity in leadership bodies may lead to greater accommodations for examinees in extenuating circumstances.Item Open Access Video training and certification program improves reliability of postischemic neurologic deficit measurement in the rat.(Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 2016-12) Taninishi, Hideki; Pearlstein, Molly; Sheng, Huaxin; Izutsu, Miwa; Chaparro, Rafael E; Goldstein, Larry B; Warner, David SScoring systems are used to measure behavioral deficits in stroke research. Video-assisted training is used to standardize stroke-related neurologic deficit scoring in humans. We hypothesized that a video-assisted training and certification program can improve inter-rater reliability in assessing neurologic function after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Three expert raters scored neurologic deficits in post-middle cerebral artery occlusion rats using three published systems having different complexity levels (3, 18, or 48 points). The system having the highest point estimate for the correlation between neurologic score and infarct size was selected to create a video-assisted training and certification program. Eight trainee raters completed the video-assisted training and certification program. Inter-rater agreement ( Κ: score) and agreement with expert consensus scores were measured before and after video-assisted training and certification program completion. The 48-point system correlated best with infarct size. Video-assisted training and certification improved agreement with expert consensus scores (pretraining = 65 ± 10, posttraining = 87 ± 14, 112 possible scores, P < 0.0001), median number of trainee raters with scores within ±2 points of the expert consensus score (pretraining = 4, posttraining = 6.5, P < 0.01), categories with Κ: > 0.4 (pretraining = 4, posttraining = 9), and number of categories with an improvement in the Κ: score from pretraining to posttraining (n = 6). Video-assisted training and certification improved trainee inter-rater reliability and agreement with expert consensus behavioral scores in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Video-assisted training and certification may be useful in multilaboratory preclinical studies.