Gingival Retraction Methods: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Tabassum, Sadia; Adnan, Samira; Khan, Farhan Raza

2017-12-01

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the gingival retraction methods in terms of the amount of gingival retraction achieved and changes observed in various clinical parameters: gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), and attachment loss (AL). Data sources included three major databases, PubMed, CINAHL plus (Ebsco), and Cochrane, along with hand search. Search was made using the key terms in different permutations of gingival retraction* AND displacement method* OR technique* OR agents OR material* OR medicament*. The initial search results yielded 145 articles which were narrowed down to 10 articles using a strict eligibility criteria of including clinical trials or experimental studies on gingival retraction methods with the amount of tooth structure gained and assessment of clinical parameters as the outcomes conducted on human permanent teeth only. Gingival retraction was measured in 6/10 studies whereas the clinical parameters were assessed in 5/10 studies. The total number of teeth assessed in the 10 included studies was 400. The most common method used for gingival retraction was chemomechanical. The results were heterogeneous with regards to the outcome variables. No method seemed to be significantly superior to the other in terms of gingival retraction achieved. Clinical parameters were not significantly affected by the gingival retraction method. © 2016 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

78 FR 43066 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; National Standard 2-Scientific Information

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-19

... situations where simpler tools and assessment methods are warranted, scientific advice should be accompanied... higher data category and improve assessment methods.'' One commenter also suggested adding... consistent with appropriate scientific methods, undergo scientific review, and peer review, which may include...

Traditional methods v. new technologies - dilemmas for dietary assessment in large-scale nutrition surveys and studies: a report following an international panel discussion at the 9th International Conference on Diet and Activity Methods (ICDAM9), Brisbane, 3 September 2015.

PubMed

Amoutzopoulos, B; Steer, T; Roberts, C; Cade, J E; Boushey, C J; Collins, C E; Trolle, E; de Boer, E J; Ziauddeen, N; van Rossum, C; Buurma, E; Coyle, D; Page, P

2018-01-01

The aim of the present paper is to summarise current and future applications of dietary assessment technologies in nutrition surveys in developed countries. It includes the discussion of key points and highlights of subsequent developments from a panel discussion to address strengths and weaknesses of traditional dietary assessment methods (food records, FFQ, 24 h recalls, diet history with interviewer-assisted data collection) v. new technology-based dietary assessment methods (web-based and mobile device applications). The panel discussion 'Traditional methods v. new technologies: dilemmas for dietary assessment in population surveys', was held at the 9th International Conference on Diet and Activity Methods (ICDAM9), Brisbane, September 2015. Despite respondent and researcher burden, traditional methods have been most commonly used in nutrition surveys. However, dietary assessment technologies offer potential advantages including faster data processing and better data quality. This is a fast-moving field and there is evidence of increasing demand for the use of new technologies amongst the general public and researchers. There is a need for research and investment to support efforts being made to facilitate the inclusion of new technologies for rapid, accurate and representative data.

Interdisciplinary research on patient-provider communication: a cross-method comparison.

PubMed

Chou, Wen-Ying Sylvia; Han, Paul; Pilsner, Alison; Coa, Kisha; Greenberg, Larrie; Blatt, Benjamin

2011-01-01

Patient-provider communication, a key aspect of healthcare delivery, has been assessed through multiple methods for purposes of research, education, and quality control. Common techniques include satisfaction ratings and quantitatively- and qualitatively-oriented direct observations. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches is critically important in determining the appropriate assessment method for a specific research or practical goal. Analyzing ten videotaped simulated encounters between medical students and Standardized Patients (SPs), this study compared three existing assessment methods through the same data set. Methods included: (1) dichotomized SP ratings on students' communication skills; (2) Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) analysis; and (3) inductive discourse analysis informed by sociolinguistic theories. The large dichotomous contrast between good and poor ratings in (1) was not evidenced in any of the other methods. Following a discussion of strengths and weaknesses of each approach, we pilot-tested a combined assessment done by coders blinded to results of (1)-(3). This type of integrative approach has the potential of adding a quantifiable dimension to qualitative, discourse-based observations. Subjecting the same data set to separate analytic methods provides an excellent opportunity for methodological comparisons with the goal of informing future assessment of clinical encounters.

Needs Assessment in Education: More Discrepancy than Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kominski, Edward S.

Significant discrepancies between ideal and real methods of needs assessment need to be rectified. Essential principles for managing an educational assessment have been set down by recognized educators. Experts' recommendations include such requirements as using a clear definition of need (as opposed to want), precise quantifiable methods, an…

Nutritional Informatics: Mining Supermarket Sales Data as a Nutritional Assessment Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brinkerhoff, Kristina Michelle

2012-01-01

Many nutritional assessment techniques, including food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) and 24-hour dietary recalls have innate limitations such as expensive protocols, high respondent burden, and self-reporting biases. Supermarket sales data have shown promise as a new, indirect, inexpensive nutritional assessment method in recent studies. The…

A Systematic Review to Uncover a Universal Protocol for Accuracy Assessment of 3-Dimensional Virtually Planned Orthognathic Surgery.

PubMed

Gaber, Ramy M; Shaheen, Eman; Falter, Bart; Araya, Sebastian; Politis, Constantinus; Swennen, Gwen R J; Jacobs, Reinhilde

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to systematically review methods used for assessing the accuracy of 3-dimensional virtually planned orthognathic surgery in an attempt to reach an objective assessment protocol that could be universally used. A systematic review of the currently available literature, published until September 12, 2016, was conducted using PubMed as the primary search engine. We performed secondary searches using the Cochrane Database, clinical trial registries, Google Scholar, and Embase, as well as a bibliography search. Included articles were required to have stated clearly that 3-dimensional virtual planning was used and accuracy assessment performed, along with validation of the planning and/or assessment method. Descriptive statistics and quality assessment of included articles were performed. The initial search yielded 1,461 studies. Only 7 studies were included in our review. An important variability was found regarding methods used for 1) accuracy assessment of virtually planned orthognathic surgery or 2) validation of the tools used. Included studies were of moderate quality; reviewers' agreement regarding quality was calculated to be 0.5 using the Cohen κ test. On the basis of the findings of this review, it is evident that the literature lacks consensus regarding accuracy assessment. Hence, a protocol is suggested for accuracy assessment of virtually planned orthognathic surgery with the lowest margin of error. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategy to Promote Active Learning of an Advanced Research Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDermott, Hilary J.; Dovey, Terence M.

2013-01-01

Research methods courses aim to equip students with the knowledge and skills required for research yet seldom include practical aspects of assessment. This reflective practitioner report describes and evaluates an innovative approach to teaching and assessing advanced qualitative research methods to final-year psychology undergraduate students. An…

How effects on health equity are assessed in systematic reviews of interventions.

PubMed

Welch, Vivian; Tugwell, Peter; Petticrew, Mark; de Montigny, Joanne; Ueffing, Erin; Kristjansson, Betsy; McGowan, Jessie; Benkhalti Jandu, Maria; Wells, George A; Brand, Kevin; Smylie, Janet

2010-12-08

Enhancing health equity has now achieved international political importance with endorsement from the World Health Assembly in 2009.  The failure of systematic reviews to consider effects on health equity is cited by decision-makers as a limitation to their ability to inform policy and program decisions.  To systematically review methods to assess effects on health equity in systematic reviews of effectiveness. We searched the following databases up to July 2 2010: MEDLINE, PsychINFO, the Cochrane Methodology Register, CINAHL, Education Resources Information Center, Education Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Index to Legal Periodicals, PAIS International, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Digital Dissertations and the Health Technology Assessment Database. We searched SCOPUS to identify articles that cited any of the included studies on October 7 2010. We included empirical studies of cohorts of systematic reviews that assessed methods for measuring effects on health inequalities. Data were extracted using a pre-tested form by two independent reviewers. Risk of bias was appraised for included studies according to the potential for bias in selection and detection of systematic reviews.  Thirty-four methodological studies were included.  The methods used by these included studies were: 1) Targeted approaches (n=22); 2) gap approaches (n=12) and gradient approach (n=1).  Gender or sex was assessed in eight out of 34 studies, socioeconomic status in ten studies, race/ethnicity in seven studies, age in seven studies, low and middle income countries in 14 studies, and two studies assessed multiple factors across health inequity may exist.Only three studies provided a definition of health equity. Four methodological approaches to assessing effects on health equity were identified: 1) descriptive assessment of reporting and analysis in systematic reviews (all 34 studies used a type of descriptive method); 2) descriptive assessment of reporting and analysis in original trials (12/34 studies); 3) analytic approaches (10/34 studies); and 4) applicability assessment (11/34 studies). Both analytic and applicability approaches were not reported transparently nor in sufficient detail to judge their credibility. There is a need for improvement in conceptual clarity about the definition of health equity, describing sufficient detail about analytic approaches (including subgroup analyses) and transparent reporting of judgments required for applicability assessments in order to assess and report effects on health equity in systematic reviews.

Subjective global assessment of nutritional status in children.

PubMed

Mahdavi, Aida Malek; Ostadrahimi, Alireza; Safaiyan, Abdolrasool

2010-10-01

This study was aimed to compare the subjective and objective nutritional assessments and to analyse the performance of subjective global assessment (SGA) of nutritional status in diagnosing undernutrition in paediatric patients. One hundred and forty children (aged 2-12 years) hospitalized consecutively in Tabriz Paediatric Hospital from June 2008 to August 2008 underwent subjective assessment using the SGA questionnaire and objective assessment, including anthropometric and biochemical measurements. Agreement between two assessment methods was analysed by the kappa (κ) statistic. Statistical indicators including (sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, error rates, accuracy, powers, likelihood ratios and odds ratio) between SGA and objective assessment method were determined. The overall prevalence of undernutrition according to the SGA (70.7%) was higher than that by objective assessment of nutritional status (48.5%). Agreement between the two evaluation methods was only fair to moderate (κ = 0.336, P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of the SGA method for screening undernutrition in this population were 88.235%, 45.833%, 60.606% and 80.487%, respectively. Accuracy, positive and negative power of the SGA method were 66.428%, 56.074% and 41.25%, respectively. Likelihood ratio positive, likelihood ratio negative and odds ratio of the SGA method were 1.628, 0.256 and 6.359, respectively. Our findings indicated that in assessing nutritional status of children, there is not a good level of agreement between SGA and objective nutritional assessment. In addition, SGA is a highly sensitive tool for assessing nutritional status and could identify children at risk of developing undernutrition. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Assessment of SOAP note evaluation tools in colleges and schools of pharmacy.

PubMed

Sando, Karen R; Skoy, Elizabeth; Bradley, Courtney; Frenzel, Jeanne; Kirwin, Jennifer; Urteaga, Elizabeth

2017-07-01

To describe current methods used to assess SOAP notes in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Laboratory Instructors Special Interest Group were invited to share assessment tools for SOAP notes. Content of submissions was evaluated to characterize overall qualities and how the tools assessed subjective, objective, assessment, and plan information. Thirty-nine assessment tools from 25 schools were evaluated. Twenty-nine (74%) of the tools were rubrics and ten (26%) were checklists. All rubrics included analytic scoring elements, while two (7%) were mixed with holistic and analytic scoring elements. A majority of the rubrics (35%) used a four-item rating scale. Substantial variability existed in how tools evaluated subjective and objective sections. All tools included problem identification in the assessment section. Other assessment items included goals (82%) and rationale (69%). Seventy-seven percent assessed drug therapy; however, only 33% assessed non-drug therapy. Other plan items included education (59%) and follow-up (90%). There is a great deal of variation in the specific elements used to evaluate SOAP notes in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Improved consistency in assessment methods to evaluate SOAP notes may better prepare students to produce standardized documentation when entering practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Primary Representational Systems with Neurolinguistic Programming: Examination of Preliminary Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorn, Fred J.; And Others

1983-01-01

Reviews the inconsistent findings of studies on neurolinguistic programing and recommends some areas that should be examined to verify various claims. Discusses methods of assessing client's primary representational systems, including predicate usage and eye movements, and suggests that more reliable methods of assessing PRS must be found. (JAC)

Diverse Delivery Methods and Strong Psychological Benefits: A Review of Online Formative Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, T.; Yan, Z.

2017-01-01

This article is a review of literature on online formative assessment (OFA). It includes a narrative summary that synthesizes the research on the diverse delivery methods of OFA, as well as the empirical literature regarding the strong psychological benefits and limitations. Online formative assessment can be delivered using many traditional…

Uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 contamination mapping using spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulations and multi-temporal monitoring data.

PubMed

Yang, Yong; Christakos, George; Huang, Wei; Lin, Chengda; Fu, Peihong; Mei, Yang

2016-04-12

Because of the rapid economic growth in China, many regions are subjected to severe particulate matter pollution. Thus, improving the methods of determining the spatiotemporal distribution and uncertainty of air pollution can provide considerable benefits when developing risk assessments and environmental policies. The uncertainty assessment methods currently in use include the sequential indicator simulation (SIS) and indicator kriging techniques. However, these methods cannot be employed to assess multi-temporal data. In this work, a spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulation (STSIS) based on a non-separable spatiotemporal semivariogram model was used to assimilate multi-temporal data in the mapping and uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 distributions in a contaminated atmosphere. PM2.5 concentrations recorded throughout 2014 in Shandong Province, China were used as the experimental dataset. Based on the number of STSIS procedures, we assessed various types of mapping uncertainties, including single-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days and multi-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days. A comparison of the STSIS technique with the SIS technique indicate that a better performance was obtained with the STSIS method.

Uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 contamination mapping using spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulations and multi-temporal monitoring data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong; Christakos, George; Huang, Wei; Lin, Chengda; Fu, Peihong; Mei, Yang

2016-04-01

Because of the rapid economic growth in China, many regions are subjected to severe particulate matter pollution. Thus, improving the methods of determining the spatiotemporal distribution and uncertainty of air pollution can provide considerable benefits when developing risk assessments and environmental policies. The uncertainty assessment methods currently in use include the sequential indicator simulation (SIS) and indicator kriging techniques. However, these methods cannot be employed to assess multi-temporal data. In this work, a spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulation (STSIS) based on a non-separable spatiotemporal semivariogram model was used to assimilate multi-temporal data in the mapping and uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 distributions in a contaminated atmosphere. PM2.5 concentrations recorded throughout 2014 in Shandong Province, China were used as the experimental dataset. Based on the number of STSIS procedures, we assessed various types of mapping uncertainties, including single-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days and multi-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days. A comparison of the STSIS technique with the SIS technique indicate that a better performance was obtained with the STSIS method.

A systematic review of methods to assess intake of sugar-sweetened beverages among healthy European adults and children: a DEDIPAC (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) study.

PubMed

Riordan, Fiona; Ryan, Kathleen; Perry, Ivan J; Schulze, Matthias B; Andersen, Lene Frost; Geelen, Anouk; Van't Veer, Pieter; Eussen, Simone; van Dongen, Martien; Wijckmans-Duysens, Nicole; Harrington, Janas M

2017-03-01

Research indicates that intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) may be associated with negative health consequences. However, differences between assessment methods can affect the comparability of intake data across studies. The current review aimed to identify methods used to assess SSB intake among children and adults in pan-European studies and to inform the development of the DEDIPAC (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) toolbox of methods suitable for use in future European studies. A literature search was conducted using three electronic databases and by hand-searching reference lists. English-language studies of any design which assessed SSB consumption were included in the review. Studies involving two or more European countries were included in the review. Healthy, free-living children and adults. The review identified twenty-three pan-European studies which assessed intake of SSB. The FFQ was the most commonly used (n 24), followed by the 24 h recall (n 6) and diet records (n 1). There were several differences between the identified FFQ, including the definition of SSB used. In total, seven instruments that were tested for validity were selected as potentially suitable to assess SSB intake among adults (n 1), adolescents (n 3) and children (n 3). The current review highlights the need for instruments to use an agreed definition of SSB. Methods that were tested for validity and used in pan-European populations encompassing a range of countries were identified. These methods should be considered for use by future studies focused on evaluating consumption of SSB.

SAMPLING LARGE RIVERS FOR ALGAE, BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES AND FISH

EPA Science Inventory

Multiple projects are currently underway to increase our understanding of the effects of different sampling methods and designs used for the biological assessment and monitoring of large (boatable) rivers. Studies include methods used to assess fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, ...

Assessing Technical Competence in Surgical Trainees: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Szasz, Peter; Louridas, Marisa; Harris, Kenneth A; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Grantcharov, Teodor P

2015-06-01

To systematically examine the literature describing the methods by which technical competence is assessed in surgical trainees. The last decade has witnessed an evolution away from time-based surgical education. In response, governing bodies worldwide have implemented competency-based education paradigms. The definition of competence, however, remains elusive, and the impact of these education initiatives in terms of assessment methods remains unclear. A systematic review examining the methods by which technical competence is assessed was conducted by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews. Abstracts of retrieved studies were reviewed and those meeting inclusion criteria were selected for full review. Data were retrieved in a systematic manner, the validity and reliability of the assessment methods was evaluated, and quality was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation classification. Of the 6814 studies identified, 85 studies involving 2369 surgical residents were included in this review. The methods used to assess technical competence were categorized into 5 groups; Likert scales (37), benchmarks (31), binary outcomes (11), novel tools (4), and surrogate outcomes (2). Their validity and reliability were mostly previously established. The overall Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation for randomized controlled trials was high and low for the observational studies. The definition of technical competence continues to be debated within the medical literature. The methods used to evaluate technical competence predominantly include instruments that were originally created to assess technical skill. Very few studies identify standard setting approaches that differentiate competent versus noncompetent performers; subsequently, this has been identified as an area with great research potential.

Criteria for assessing the quality of mHealth apps: a systematic review.

PubMed

Nouri, Rasool; R Niakan Kalhori, Sharareh; Ghazisaeedi, Marjan; Marchand, Guillaume; Yasini, Mobin

2018-05-16

Review the existing studies including an assessment tool/method to assess the quality of mHealth apps; extract their criteria; and provide a classification of the collected criteria. In accordance with the PRISMA statement, a literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBase, ISI and Scopus for English language citations published from January 1, 2008 to December 22, 2016 for studies including tools or methods for quality assessment of mHealth apps. Two researchers screened the titles and abstracts of all retrieved citations against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The full text of relevant papers was then individually examined by the same researchers. A senior researcher resolved eventual disagreements and confirmed the relevance of all included papers. The authors, date of publication, subject fields of target mHealth apps, development method, and assessment criteria were extracted from each paper. The extracted assessment criteria were then reviewed, compared, and classified by an expert panel of two medical informatics specialists and two health information management specialists. Twenty-three papers were included in the review. Thirty-eight main classes of assessment criteria were identified. These were reorganized by expert panel into 7 main classes (Design, Information/Content, Usability, Functionality, Ethical Issues, Security and Privacy, and User-perceived value) with 37 sub-classes of criteria. There is a wide heterogeneity in assessment criteria for mHealth apps. It is necessary to define the exact meanings and degree of distinctness of each criterion. This will help to improve the existing tools and may lead to achieve a better comprehensive mHealth app assessment tool.

ANALYZING SHORT CUT METHODS FOR LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT INVENTORIES

EPA Science Inventory

Work in progress at the U.S. EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory is developing methods for quickly, easily, and inexpensively developing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) inventories. An LCA inventory represents the inputs and outputs from processes, including fuel and ...

Using an Evaluability Assessment To Select Methods for Evaluating State Technology Development Programs: The Case of the Georgia Research Alliance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youtie, Jan; Bozeman, Barry; Shapira, Philip

1999-01-01

Describes an evaluability assessment of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), a technology development program. Presents the steps involved in conducting an evaluability assessment, including development of an understanding of the program and its stakeholders. Analyzes and compares different methods by which the GRA could be evaluated. (SLD)

An assessment of unstructured grid technology for timely CFD analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kinard, Tom A.; Schabowski, Deanne M.

1995-01-01

An assessment of two unstructured methods is presented in this paper. A tetrahedral unstructured method USM3D, developed at NASA Langley Research Center is compared to a Cartesian unstructured method, SPLITFLOW, developed at Lockheed Fort Worth Company. USM3D is an upwind finite volume solver that accepts grids generated primarily from the Vgrid grid generator. SPLITFLOW combines an unstructured grid generator with an implicit flow solver in one package. Both methods are exercised on three test cases, a wing, and a wing body, and a fully expanded nozzle. The results for the first two runs are included here and compared to the structured grid method TEAM and to available test data. On each test case, the set up procedure are described, including any difficulties that were encountered. Detailed descriptions of the solvers are not included in this paper.

20 CFR 628.515 - Objective assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., work history, education, basic and occupational skills, interests, aptitudes (including interests and... assessment shall include an examination of the basic skills and supportive service needs of each participant... appropriate means to measure skills, abilities, attitudes, and interests of the participants. The methods used...

Development and assessment of disinfectant efficacy test methods for regulatory purposes.

PubMed

Tomasino, Stephen F

2013-05-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates pesticidal products, including products with antimicrobial activity. Test guidelines have been established to inform manufacturers of which methodology is appropriate to support a specific efficacy claim. This paper highlights efforts designed to improve current methods and the development and assessment of new test methods. Published by Mosby, Inc.

West Valley feasibility study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pirro, J.

This report presents the results of a technical assessment of decontamination alternative prepared for the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC). The purpose of the assessment is to determine the recommended method for decontamination of cell surfaces and decontamination and removal of fuel reprocessing cell equipment to permit manual entry into the cells for the installation of waste solidification equipment. The primary cells of interest are the PMC, GPC, and CPC because they offer the largest usable volume for the solidification program. The secondary cells include XC-1, XC-2, XC-3 and the PPC which may be needed to support themore » solidification program. Five decontamination assessments were evaluated (A-E). The assessments included the estimated cost, occupational exposure, duration, manpower, waste volume generated, and final cell radiation levels achieved with the alternative decontamination methods. The methods varied from thorough destructive decontamination to equipment removal without decontamination followed by cell wall and floor decontamination. The recommended method for the primary cells is to utilize the remote manipulators and cranes to the maximum extent possible to decontaminate equipment and cell surfaces remotely, and to remove the equipment for temporary on-site storage. The recommended method for secondary cell decontamination is to remotely decontaminate the cells to the maximum extent possible prior to manned entry for contact-removal of the fuel reprocessing equipment (Assessment D). Assessment A is expected to cost $8,713,500 in 1980 dollars (including a 25% contingency) and will result in an occupational exposure of 180.3 manRem. Assessment D is expected to cost $11,039,800 and will result in an occupational exposure of 259 manRems.« less

Comparison of answer-until-correct and full-credit assessments in a team-based learning course.

PubMed

Farland, Michelle Z; Barlow, Patrick B; Levi Lancaster, T; Franks, Andrea S

2015-03-25

To assess the impact of awarding partial credit to team assessments on team performance and on quality of team interactions using an answer-until-correct method compared to traditional methods of grading (multiple-choice, full-credit). Subjects were students from 3 different offerings of an ambulatory care elective course, taught using team-based learning. The control group (full-credit) consisted of those enrolled in the course when traditional methods of assessment were used (2 course offerings). The intervention group consisted of those enrolled in the course when answer-until-correct method was used for team assessments (1 course offering). Study outcomes included student performance on individual and team readiness assurance tests (iRATs and tRATs), individual and team final examinations, and student assessment of quality of team interactions using the Team Performance Scale. Eighty-four students enrolled in the courses were included in the analysis (full-credit, n=54; answer-until-correct, n=30). Students who used traditional methods of assessment performed better on iRATs (full-credit mean 88.7 (5.9), answer-until-correct mean 82.8 (10.7), p<0.001). Students who used answer-until-correct method of assessment performed better on the team final examination (full-credit mean 45.8 (1.5), answer-until-correct 47.8 (1.4), p<0.001). There was no significant difference in performance on tRATs and the individual final examination. Students who used the answer-until-correct method had higher quality of team interaction ratings (full-credit 97.1 (9.1), answer-until-correct 103.0 (7.8), p=0.004). Answer-until-correct assessment method compared to traditional, full-credit methods resulted in significantly lower scores for iRATs, similar scores on tRATs and individual final examinations, improved scores on team final examinations, and improved perceptions of the quality of team interactions.

WATERSHED AND OTHER PLACE-BASED RISK ASSESSMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Place-based assessments include regional, watershed and other geographically focused assessments.

Watershed Assessments and Methods

The challenges of including impacts on biodiversity in agricultural life cycle assessments.

PubMed

Gabel, Vanessa M; Meier, Matthias S; Köpke, Ulrich; Stolze, Matthias

2016-10-01

Agriculture is considered to be one of the main drivers for worldwide biodiversity loss but the impacts of agricultural production on biodiversity have not been extensively considered in Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). Recent realisation that biodiversity impact should be included in comprehensive LCAs has led to attempts to develop and implement methods for biodiversity impact assessment. In this review, twenty-two different biodiversity impact assessment methods have been analysed to identify their strengths and weaknesses in terms of their comprehensiveness in the evaluation of agricultural products. Different criteria, which had to meet the specific requirements of biodiversity research, life cycle assessment methodology, and the evaluation of agricultural products, were selected to investigate the identified methods. Very few of the methods were developed with the specific intention of being used for agricultural LCAs. Furthermore, none of the methods can be applied globally while at the same time being able to differentiate between various agricultural intensities. Global value chains and the increasing awareness of different biodiversity impacts of agricultural production systems demand the development of evaluation methods that are able to overcome these shortcomings. Despite the progress that has already been achieved, there are still unresolved difficulties which need further research and improvement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Content validity across methods of malnutrition assessment in patients with cancer is limited.

PubMed

Sealy, Martine J; Nijholt, Willemke; Stuiver, Martijn M; van der Berg, Marit M; Roodenburg, Jan L N; van der Schans, Cees P; Ottery, Faith D; Jager-Wittenaar, Harriët

2016-08-01

To identify malnutrition assessment methods in cancer patients and assess their content validity based on internationally accepted definitions for malnutrition. Systematic review of studies in cancer patients that operationalized malnutrition as a variable, published since 1998. Eleven key concepts, within the three domains reflected by the malnutrition definitions acknowledged by European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN): A: nutrient balance; B: changes in body shape, body area and body composition; and C: function, were used to classify content validity of methods to assess malnutrition. Content validity indices (M-CVIA-C) were calculated per assessment method. Acceptable content validity was defined as M-CVIA-C ≥ 0.80. Thirty-seven assessment methods were identified in the 160 included articles. Mini Nutritional Assessment (M-CVIA-C = 0.72), Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (M-CVIA-C = 0.61), and Subjective Global Assessment (M-CVIA-C = 0.53) scored highest M-CVIA-C. A large number of malnutrition assessment methods are used in cancer research. Content validity of these methods varies widely. None of these assessment methods has acceptable content validity, when compared against a construct based on ESPEN and ASPEN definitions of malnutrition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disorders of nutritional status in sepsis – facts and myths

PubMed Central

Wachowska, Ewelina; Słotwiński, Robert

2017-01-01

The problem of diagnosing nutritional status disorders in septic patients remains unresolved. This is associated with the necessity of the introduction of newer and newer methods of assessing nutritional status, often requiring precise and expensive equipment as well as employment of professionals in this field in hospital wards, primarily including intensive care units (ICU). Methods that have been applied thus far for assessing nutritional status, also used in severely ill septic patients, have little impact on improving treatment results. This is due to the high dynamics of changes in nutritional status in these patients, healing process variability in individual patients, and the “mismatch” of methods for assessing nutritional status in relation to the patient’s clinical status. The diagnostic value of the traditional methods of assessing nutritional status, i.e. anthropometric analysis and selected laboratory tests, as markers of nutritional status disorders in septic patients, is still debatable. There is still no precise method that could become the “gold standard” allowing for early identification of malnutrition in these group of patients. Phase angle, bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), and the “illness marker”, obtained directly from the resistance, reactance, and impedance, can be used as prognostic or nutritional indices in severely ill septic patients, but the intensity of research on this subject needs to be increased. Detailed assessment of nutritional status should include tests of selected inflammation markers (including TLC, HMGB1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1ra, sTNFRI). PMID:28702094

Disorders of nutritional status in sepsis - facts and myths.

PubMed

Kosałka, Katarzyna; Wachowska, Ewelina; Słotwiński, Robert

2017-01-01

The problem of diagnosing nutritional status disorders in septic patients remains unresolved. This is associated with the necessity of the introduction of newer and newer methods of assessing nutritional status, often requiring precise and expensive equipment as well as employment of professionals in this field in hospital wards, primarily including intensive care units (ICU). Methods that have been applied thus far for assessing nutritional status, also used in severely ill septic patients, have little impact on improving treatment results. This is due to the high dynamics of changes in nutritional status in these patients, healing process variability in individual patients, and the "mismatch" of methods for assessing nutritional status in relation to the patient's clinical status. The diagnostic value of the traditional methods of assessing nutritional status, i.e. anthropometric analysis and selected laboratory tests, as markers of nutritional status disorders in septic patients, is still debatable. There is still no precise method that could become the "gold standard" allowing for early identification of malnutrition in these group of patients. Phase angle, bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), and the "illness marker", obtained directly from the resistance, reactance, and impedance, can be used as prognostic or nutritional indices in severely ill septic patients, but the intensity of research on this subject needs to be increased. Detailed assessment of nutritional status should include tests of selected inflammation markers (including TLC, HMGB1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1ra, sTNFRI).

GIS-based regionalized life cycle assessment: how big is small enough? Methodology and case study of electricity generation.

PubMed

Mutel, Christopher L; Pfister, Stephan; Hellweg, Stefanie

2012-01-17

We describe a new methodology for performing regionalized life cycle assessment and systematically choosing the spatial scale of regionalized impact assessment methods. We extend standard matrix-based calculations to include matrices that describe the mapping from inventory to impact assessment spatial supports. Uncertainty in inventory spatial data is modeled using a discrete spatial distribution function, which in a case study is derived from empirical data. The minimization of global spatial autocorrelation is used to choose the optimal spatial scale of impact assessment methods. We demonstrate these techniques on electricity production in the United States, using regionalized impact assessment methods for air emissions and freshwater consumption. Case study results show important differences between site-generic and regionalized calculations, and provide specific guidance for future improvements of inventory data sets and impact assessment methods.

A Cyber Security Self-Assessment Method for Nuclear Power Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Glantz, Clifford S.; Coles, Garill A.; Bass, Robert B.

2004-11-01

A cyber security self-assessment method (the Method) has been developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The development of the Method was sponsored and directed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Members of the Nuclear Energy Institute Cyber Security Task Force also played a substantial role in developing the Method. The Method's structured approach guides nuclear power plants in scrutinizing their digital systems, assessing the potential consequences to the plant of a cyber exploitation, identifying vulnerabilities, estimating cyber security risks, and adopting cost-effective protective measures. The focus of the Method is on critical digital assets. A critical digital asset is amore » digital device or system that plays a role in the operation, maintenance, or proper functioning of a critical system (i.e., a plant system that can impact safety, security, or emergency preparedness). A critical digital asset may have a direct or indirect connection to a critical system. Direct connections include both wired and wireless communication pathways. Indirect connections include sneaker-net pathways by which software or data are manually transferred from one digital device to another. An indirect connection also may involve the use of instructions or data stored on a critical digital asset to make adjustments to a critical system. The cyber security self-assessment begins with the formation of an assessment team, and is followed by a six-stage process.« less

METHOD OF LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION OF BLOOD SURROGATES FOR ASSESSING HUMAN EXPOSURE TO JET FUEL

EPA Science Inventory

A baseline method of liquid?liquid extraction for assessing human exposure to JP-8 jet fuel was established by extracting several representative compounds ranging from very volatile to semi-volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene, nonane, decane, undecane, tridec...

Method and apparatus of assessing down-hole drilling conditions

DOEpatents

Hall, David R [Provo, UT; Pixton, David S [Lehl, UT; Johnson, Monte L [Orem, UT; Bartholomew, David B [Springville, UT; Fox, Joe [Spanish Fork, UT

2007-04-24

A method and apparatus for use in assessing down-hole drilling conditions are disclosed. The apparatus includes a drill string, a plurality of sensors, a computing device, and a down-hole network. The sensors are distributed along the length of the drill string and are capable of sensing localized down-hole conditions while drilling. The computing device is coupled to at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors. The data is transmitted from the sensors to the computing device over the down-hole network. The computing device analyzes data output by the sensors and representative of the sensed localized conditions to assess the down-hole drilling conditions. The method includes sensing localized drilling conditions at a plurality of points distributed along the length of a drill string during drilling operations; transmitting data representative of the sensed localized conditions to a predetermined location; and analyzing the transmitted data to assess the down-hole drilling conditions.

Method and apparatus for assessing cardiovascular risk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albrecht, Paul (Inventor); Bigger, J. Thomas (Inventor); Cohen, Richard J. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

The method for assessing risk of an adverse clinical event includes detecting a physiologic signal in the subject and determining from the physiologic signal a sequence of intervals corresponding to time intervals between heart beats. The long-time structure of fluctuations in the intervals over a time period of more than fifteen minutes is analyzed to assess risk of an adverse clinical event. In a preferred embodiment, the physiologic signal is an electrocardiogram and the time period is at least fifteen minutes. A preferred method for analyzing the long-time structure variability in the intervals includes computing the power spectrum and fitting the power spectrum to a power law dependence on frequency over a selected frequency range such as 10.sup.-4 to 10.sup.-2 Hz. Characteristics of the long-time structure fluctuations in the intervals is used to assess risk of an adverse clinical event.

Assessing Change in the Teaching Practice of Faculty in a Faculty Development Program for Primary Care Physicians: Toward a Mixed Method Evaluation Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinheiro, Sandro O.; Rohrer, Jonathan D.; Heimann, C. F. Larry

This paper describes a mixed method evaluation study that was developed to assess faculty teaching behavior change in a faculty development fellowship program for community-based hospital faculty. Principles of adult learning were taught to faculty participants over the fellowship period. These included instruction in teaching methods, group…

Remote sensing change detection methods to track deforestation and growth in threatened rainforests in Madre de Dios, Peru

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shermeyer, Jacob S.; Haack, Barry N.

2015-01-01

Two forestry-change detection methods are described, compared, and contrasted for estimating deforestation and growth in threatened forests in southern Peru from 2000 to 2010. The methods used in this study rely on freely available data, including atmospherically corrected Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation continuous fields (VCF). The two methods include a conventional supervised signature extraction method and a unique self-calibrating method called MODIS VCF guided forest/nonforest (FNF) masking. The process chain for each of these methods includes a threshold classification of MODIS VCF, training data or signature extraction, signature evaluation, k-nearest neighbor classification, analyst-guided reclassification, and postclassification image differencing to generate forest change maps. Comparisons of all methods were based on an accuracy assessment using 500 validation pixels. Results of this accuracy assessment indicate that FNF masking had a 5% higher overall accuracy and was superior to conventional supervised classification when estimating forest change. Both methods succeeded in classifying persistently forested and nonforested areas, and both had limitations when classifying forest change.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF A HEALTH TECHNOLOGY: A SCOPING REVIEW.

PubMed

Polisena, Julie; De Angelis, Gino; Kaunelis, David; Gutierrez-Ibarluzea, Iñaki

2018-06-13

The Health Technology Expert Review Panel is an advisory body to Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) that develops recommendations on health technology assessments (HTAs) for nondrug health technologies using a deliberative framework. The framework spans several domains, including the environmental impact of the health technology(ies). Our research objective was to identify articles on frameworks, methods or case studies on the environmental impact assessment of health technologies. A literature search in major databases and a focused gray literature search were conducted. The main search concepts were HTA and environmental impact/sustainability. Eligible articles were those that described a conceptual framework or methods used to conduct an environmental assessment of health technologies, and case studies on the application of an environmental assessment. From the 1,710 citations identified, thirteen publications were included. Two articles presented a framework to incorporate environmental assessment in HTAs. Other approaches described weight of evidence practices and comprehensive and integrated environmental impact assessments. Central themes derived include transparency and repeatability, integration of components in a framework or of evidence into a single outcome, data availability to ensure the accuracy of findings, and familiarity with the approach used. Each framework and methods presented have different foci related to the ecosystem, health economics, or engineering practices. Their descriptions suggested transparency, repeatability, and the integration of components or of evidence into a single outcome as their main strengths. Our review is an initial step of a larger initiative by CADTH to develop the methods and processes to address the environmental impact question in an HTA.

A Methodology for Anatomic Ultrasound Image Diagnostic Quality Assessment.

PubMed

Hemmsen, Martin Christian; Lange, Theis; Brandt, Andreas Hjelm; Nielsen, Michael Bachmann; Jensen, Jorgen Arendt

2017-01-01

This paper discusses the methods for the assessment of ultrasound image quality based on our experiences with evaluating new methods for anatomic imaging. It presents a methodology to ensure a fair assessment between competing imaging methods using clinically relevant evaluations. The methodology is valuable in the continuing process of method optimization and guided development of new imaging methods. It includes a three phased study plan covering from initial prototype development to clinical assessment. Recommendations to the clinical assessment protocol, software, and statistical analysis are presented. Earlier uses of the methodology has shown that it ensures validity of the assessment, as it separates the influences between developer, investigator, and assessor once a research protocol has been established. This separation reduces confounding influences on the result from the developer to properly reveal the clinical value. This paper exemplifies the methodology using recent studies of synthetic aperture sequential beamforming tissue harmonic imaging.

Uncertainty characterization approaches for risk assessment of DBPs in drinking water: a review.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Shakhawat; Champagne, Pascale; McLellan, P James

2009-04-01

The management of risk from disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water has become a critical issue over the last three decades. The areas of concern for risk management studies include (i) human health risk from DBPs, (ii) disinfection performance, (iii) technical feasibility (maintenance, management and operation) of treatment and disinfection approaches, and (iv) cost. Human health risk assessment is typically considered to be the most important phase of the risk-based decision-making or risk management studies. The factors associated with health risk assessment and other attributes are generally prone to considerable uncertainty. Probabilistic and non-probabilistic approaches have both been employed to characterize uncertainties associated with risk assessment. The probabilistic approaches include sampling-based methods (typically Monte Carlo simulation and stratified sampling) and asymptotic (approximate) reliability analysis (first- and second-order reliability methods). Non-probabilistic approaches include interval analysis, fuzzy set theory and possibility theory. However, it is generally accepted that no single method is suitable for the entire spectrum of problems encountered in uncertainty analyses for risk assessment. Each method has its own set of advantages and limitations. In this paper, the feasibility and limitations of different uncertainty analysis approaches are outlined for risk management studies of drinking water supply systems. The findings assist in the selection of suitable approaches for uncertainty analysis in risk management studies associated with DBPs and human health risk.

Multiple and mixed methods in formative evaluation: Is more better? Reflections from a South African study.

PubMed

Odendaal, Willem; Atkins, Salla; Lewin, Simon

2016-12-15

Formative programme evaluations assess intervention implementation processes, and are seen widely as a way of unlocking the 'black box' of any programme in order to explore and understand why a programme functions as it does. However, few critical assessments of the methods used in such evaluations are available, and there are especially few that reflect on how well the evaluation achieved its objectives. This paper describes a formative evaluation of a community-based lay health worker programme for TB and HIV/AIDS clients across three low-income communities in South Africa. It assesses each of the methods used in relation to the evaluation objectives, and offers suggestions on ways of optimising the use of multiple, mixed-methods within formative evaluations of complex health system interventions. The evaluation's qualitative methods comprised interviews, focus groups, observations and diary keeping. Quantitative methods included a time-and-motion study of the lay health workers' scope of practice and a client survey. The authors conceptualised and conducted the evaluation, and through iterative discussions, assessed the methods used and their results. Overall, the evaluation highlighted programme issues and insights beyond the reach of traditional single methods evaluations. The strengths of the multiple, mixed-methods in this evaluation included a detailed description and nuanced understanding of the programme and its implementation, and triangulation of the perspectives and experiences of clients, lay health workers, and programme managers. However, the use of multiple methods needs to be carefully planned and implemented as this approach can overstretch the logistic and analytic resources of an evaluation. For complex interventions, formative evaluation designs including multiple qualitative and quantitative methods hold distinct advantages over single method evaluations. However, their value is not in the number of methods used, but in how each method matches the evaluation questions and the scientific integrity with which the methods are selected and implemented.

Alternatives Assessment Frameworks: Research Needs for the Informed Substitution of Hazardous Chemicals

PubMed Central

Jacobs, Molly M.; Malloy, Timothy F.; Tickner, Joel A.; Edwards, Sally

2015-01-01

Background Given increasing pressures for hazardous chemical replacement, there is growing interest in alternatives assessment to avoid substituting a toxic chemical with another of equal or greater concern. Alternatives assessment is a process for identifying, comparing, and selecting safer alternatives to chemicals of concern (including those used in materials, processes, or technologies) on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability. Objectives The purposes of this substantive review of alternatives assessment frameworks are to identify consistencies and differences in methods and to outline needs for research and collaboration to advance science policy practice. Methods This review compares methods used in six core components of these frameworks: hazard assessment, exposure characterization, life-cycle impacts, technical feasibility evaluation, economic feasibility assessment, and decision making. Alternatives assessment frameworks published from 1990 to 2014 were included. Results Twenty frameworks were reviewed. The frameworks were consistent in terms of general process steps, but some differences were identified in the end points addressed. Methodological gaps were identified in the exposure characterization, life-cycle assessment, and decision–analysis components. Methods for addressing data gaps remain an issue. Discussion Greater consistency in methods and evaluation metrics is needed but with sufficient flexibility to allow the process to be adapted to different decision contexts. Conclusion Although alternatives assessment is becoming an important science policy field, there is a need for increased cross-disciplinary collaboration to refine methodologies in support of the informed substitution and design of safer chemicals, materials, and products. Case studies can provide concrete lessons to improve alternatives assessment. Citation Jacobs MM, Malloy TF, Tickner JA, Edwards S. 2016. Alternatives assessment frameworks: research needs for the informed substitution of hazardous chemicals. Environ Health Perspect 124:265–280; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409581 PMID:26339778

Applying high resolution remote sensing image and DEM to falling boulder hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Changqing; Shi, Wenzhong; Ng, K. C.

2005-10-01

Boulder fall hazard assessing generally requires gaining the boulder information. The extensive mapping and surveying fieldwork is a time-consuming, laborious and dangerous conventional method. So this paper proposes an applying image processing technology to extract boulder and assess boulder fall hazard from high resolution remote sensing image. The method can replace the conventional method and extract the boulder information in high accuracy, include boulder size, shape, height and the slope and aspect of its position. With above boulder information, it can be satisfied for assessing, prevention and cure boulder fall hazard.

Distributed systems status and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kreidler, David; Vickers, David

1990-01-01

Concepts are investigated for an automated status and control system for a distributed processing environment. System characteristics, data requirements for health assessment, data acquisition methods, system diagnosis methods and control methods were investigated in an attempt to determine the high-level requirements for a system which can be used to assess the health of a distributed processing system and implement control procedures to maintain an accepted level of health for the system. A potential concept for automated status and control includes the use of expert system techniques to assess the health of the system, detect and diagnose faults, and initiate or recommend actions to correct the faults. Therefore, this research included the investigation of methods by which expert systems were developed for real-time environments and distributed systems. The focus is on the features required by real-time expert systems and the tools available to develop real-time expert systems.

Development of a structured observational method for the systematic assessment of school food-choice architecture.

PubMed

Ozturk, Orgul D; McInnes, Melayne M; Blake, Christine E; Frongillo, Edward A; Jones, Sonya J

2016-01-01

The objective of this study is to develop a structured observational method for the systematic assessment of the food-choice architecture that can be used to identify key points for behavioral economic intervention intended to improve the health quality of children's diets. We use an ethnographic approach with observations at twelve elementary schools to construct our survey instrument. Elements of the structured observational method include decision environment, salience, accessibility/convenience, defaults/verbal prompts, number of choices, serving ware/method/packaging, and social/physical eating environment. Our survey reveals important "nudgeable" components of the elementary school food-choice architecture, including precommitment and default options on the lunch line.

River Pollution: Part II. Biological Methods for Assessing Water Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Openshaw, Peter

1984-01-01

Discusses methods used in the biological assessment of river quality and such indicators of clean and polluted waters as the Trent Biotic Index, Chandler Score System, and species diversity indexes. Includes a summary of a river classification scheme based on quality criteria related to water use. (JN)

Methods of Quality Appraisal for Studies Reviewed by Evidence Clearinghouses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Sandra Jo; Tanner-Smith, Emily

2015-01-01

This presentation will discuss quality appraisal methods for assessing research studies used in systematic reviews, research syntheses, and evidence-based practice repositories such as the What Works Clearinghouse. The different ways that the methodological rigor and risk of bias of primary studies included in syntheses is assessed means that…

Multi-Method Assessment of Feeding Problems among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, William G.; Jaquess, David L.; Lukens, Colleen T.

2013-01-01

Estimates suggest that atypical eating is pervasive among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, much remains unknown regarding the nature and prevalence of feeding problems in this population due to methodological limitations, including lack of adequate assessment methods and empirical evaluation of existing measures. In the…

Clinical assessment of nutritional status and feeding programs in horses.

PubMed

Becvarova, Iveta; Pleasant, R Scott; Thatcher, Craig D

2009-04-01

Veterinarians are a primary source of nutritional information and advice for horse owners. This article reviews methods for clinical assessment of nutritional status and feeding programs that can be applied to an individual horse or group of horses. Physical examination, including measurement of body weight and evaluation of body condition score, estimation of nutrient requirements and the nutrient content of the horse's diet, and evaluation of the feeding method are important components of the assessment. Ongoing clinical assessment of health and body condition will gauge the need for reassessment of the feeding plan. Obvious indications for prompt reevaluation of diet and feeding include changes in health status (eg, body condition), life stage or physiologic state (eg, pregnancy), or performance status.

Assessment of sustainable urban transport development based on entropy and unascertained measure.

PubMed

Li, Yancang; Yang, Jing; Shi, Huawang; Li, Yijie

2017-01-01

To find a more effective method for the assessment of sustainable urban transport development, the comprehensive assessment model of sustainable urban transport development was established based on the unascertained measure. On the basis of considering the factors influencing urban transport development, the comprehensive assessment indexes were selected, including urban economical development, transport demand, environment quality and energy consumption, and the assessment system of sustainable urban transport development was proposed. In view of different influencing factors of urban transport development, the index weight was calculated through the entropy weight coefficient method. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted according to the actual condition. Then, the grade was obtained by using the credible degree recognition criterion from which the urban transport development level can be determined. Finally, a comprehensive assessment method for urban transport development was introduced. The application practice showed that the method can be used reasonably and effectively for the comprehensive assessment of urban transport development.

The assessment of cognitive errors using an observer-rated method.

PubMed

Drapeau, Martin

2014-01-01

Cognitive Errors (CEs) are a key construct in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Integral to CBT is that individuals with depression process information in an overly negative or biased way, and that this bias is reflected in specific depressotypic CEs which are distinct from normal information processing. Despite the importance of this construct in CBT theory, practice, and research, few methods are available to researchers and clinicians to reliably identify CEs as they occur. In this paper, the author presents a rating system, the Cognitive Error Rating Scale, which can be used by trained observers to identify and assess the cognitive errors of patients or research participants in vivo, i.e., as they are used or reported by the patients or participants. The method is described, including some of the more important rating conventions to be considered when using the method. This paper also describes the 15 cognitive errors assessed, and the different summary scores, including valence of the CEs, that can be derived from the method.

78 FR 15707 - Fisheries of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-12

... Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of... Center. Participants include: data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists...

Limb length inequality: clinical implications for assessment and intervention.

PubMed

Brady, Rebecca J; Dean, John B; Skinner, T Marc; Gross, Michael T

2003-05-01

The purpose of this paper is to review relevant literature concerning limb length inequalities in adults and to make recommendations for assessment and intervention based on the literature and our own clinical experience. Literature searches were conducted in the MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAHL databases. Limb length inequality and common classification criteria are defined and etiological factors are presented. Common methods of detecting limb length inequality include direct (tape measure methods), indirect (pelvic leveling), and radiological techniques. Interventions include shoe inserts or external shoe lift therapy for mild cases. Surgery may be appropriate in severe cases. Little agreement exists regarding the prevalence of limb length inequality, the degree of limb length inequality that is considered clinically significant, and the reliability and validity of assessment methods. Based on correlational studies, the relationship between limb length inequality and orthopaedic pathologies is questionable. Stronger support for the link between low back pain (LBP) and limb length inequality is provided by intervention studies. Methods involving palpation of pelvic landmarks with block correction have the most support for clinical assessment of limb length inequality. Standing radiographs are suggested when clinical assessment methods are unsatisfactory. Clinicians should exercise caution when undertaking intervention strategies for limb length inequality of less than 5 mm when limb length inequality has been identified with clinical techniques. Recommendations are provided regarding intervention strategies.

Representing student achievements in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fusco, Dana; Calabrese Barton, Angela

2001-03-01

In what follows, we develop a conceptual argument for expanding current visions of performance assessment to include the following three ideals: that performance/assessment addresses the value-laden decisions about what and whose science is learned and assessed and include multiple worldviews, that performance/assessment in science simultaneously emerges in response to local needs, and that the performance/assessment is a method as well as an ongoing search for method. To make this argument, we draw together ideas raised by critical, feminist and multicultural science educators to describe an inclusive science education, one we refer to as critical science education, to raise questions about the nature and purpose of performance assessment in science education. We are particularly interested in how the science of assessment is challenged and transformed within a critical science education perspective and the conditions needed to create an equitable and inclusive practice of science and science assessment across diversity. We present a case study from a youth-led community science project in the inner city to help contextualize our argument.

Teaching and Assessing Professionalism in Radiology: Resources and Scholarly Opportunities to Contribute to Required Expectations.

PubMed

Kelly, Aine Marie; Mullan, Patricia B

2018-05-01

Teaching and assessing trainees' professionalism now represents an explicit expectation for Accreditation Council Graduate Medical Education-accredited radiology programs. Challenges to meeting this expectation include variability in defining the construct of professionalism; limits of traditional teaching and assessment methods, used for competencies historically more prominent in medical education, for professionalism; and emerging expectations for credible and feasible professionalism teaching and assessment practices in the current context of health-care training and practice. This article identifies promising teaching resources and methods that can be used strategically to augment traditional teaching of the cognitive basis for professionalism, including role modeling, case-based scenarios, debriefing, simulations, narrative medicine (storytelling), guided discussions, peer-assisted learning, and reflective practice. This article also summarizes assessment practices intended to promote learning, as well as to inform how and when to assess trainees as their professional identities develop over time, settings, and autonomous practice, particularly in terms of measurable behaviors. This includes assessment tools (including mini observations, critical incident reports, and appreciative inquiry) for authentic assessment in the workplace; engaging multiple sources (self-, peer, other health professionals, and patients) in assessment; and intentional practices for trainees to take responsibility for seeking our actionable feedback and reflection. This article examines the emerging evidence of the feasibility and value added of assessment of medical competency milestones, including professionalism, coordinated by the Accreditation Council Graduate Medical Education in radiology and other medical specialties. Radiology has a strategic opportunity to contribute to scholarship and inform policies in professionalism teaching and assessment practices. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sabotage at Nuclear Power Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Purvis, James W.

1999-07-21

Recently there has been a noted worldwide increase in violent actions including attempted sabotage at nuclear power plants. Several organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have guidelines, recommendations, and formal threat- and risk-assessment processes for the protection of nuclear assets. Other examples are the former Defense Special Weapons Agency, which used a risk-assessment model to evaluate force-protection security requirements for terrorist incidents at DOD military bases. The US DOE uses a graded approach to protect its assets based on risk and vulnerability assessments. The Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigationmore » conduct joint threat and vulnerability assessments on high-risk US airports. Several private companies under contract to government agencies use formal risk-assessment models and methods to identify security requirements. The purpose of this paper is to survey these methods and present an overview of all potential types of sabotage at nuclear power plants. The paper discusses emerging threats and current methods of choice for sabotage--especially vehicle bombs and chemical attacks. Potential consequences of sabotage acts, including economic and political; not just those that may result in unacceptable radiological exposure to the public, are also discussed. Applicability of risk-assessment methods and mitigation techniques are also presented.« less

Diagnostic accuracy of different caries risk assessment methods. A systematic review.

PubMed

Senneby, Anna; Mejàre, Ingegerd; Sahlin, Nils-Eric; Svensäter, Gunnel; Rohlin, Madeleine

2015-12-01

To evaluate the accuracy of different methods used to identify individuals with increased risk of developing dental coronal caries. Studies on following methods were included: previous caries experience, tests using microbiota, buffering capacity, salivary flow rate, oral hygiene, dietary habits and sociodemographic variables. QUADAS-2 was used to assess risk of bias. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios (LR) were calculated. Quality of evidence based on ≥3 studies of a method was rated according to GRADE. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and reference lists of included publications were searched up to January 2015. From 5776 identified articles, 18 were included. Assessment of study quality identified methodological limitations concerning study design, test technology and reporting. No study presented low risk of bias in all domains. Three or more studies were found only for previous caries experience and salivary mutans streptococci and quality of evidence for these methods was low. Evidence regarding other methods was lacking. For previous caries experience, sensitivity ranged between 0.21 and 0.94 and specificity between 0.20 and 1. Tests using salivary mutans streptococci resulted in low sensitivity and high specificity. For children with primary teeth at baseline, pooled LR for a positive test was 3 for previous caries experience and 4 for salivary mutans streptococci, given a threshold ≥10(5) CFU/ml. Evidence on the validity of analysed methods used for caries risk assessment is limited. As methodological quality was low, there is a need to improve study design. Low validity for the analysed methods may lead to patients with increased risk not being identified, whereas some are falsely identified as being at risk. As caries risk assessment guides individualized decisions on interventions and intervals for patient recall, improved performance based on best evidence is greatly needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing and validating a nutrition knowledge questionnaire: key methods and considerations.

PubMed

Trakman, Gina Louise; Forsyth, Adrienne; Hoye, Russell; Belski, Regina

2017-10-01

To outline key statistical considerations and detailed methodologies for the development and evaluation of a valid and reliable nutrition knowledge questionnaire. Literature on questionnaire development in a range of fields was reviewed and a set of evidence-based guidelines specific to the creation of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire have been developed. The recommendations describe key qualitative methods and statistical considerations, and include relevant examples from previous papers and existing nutrition knowledge questionnaires. Where details have been omitted for the sake of brevity, the reader has been directed to suitable references. We recommend an eight-step methodology for nutrition knowledge questionnaire development as follows: (i) definition of the construct and development of a test plan; (ii) generation of the item pool; (iii) choice of the scoring system and response format; (iv) assessment of content validity; (v) assessment of face validity; (vi) purification of the scale using item analysis, including item characteristics, difficulty and discrimination; (vii) evaluation of the scale including its factor structure and internal reliability, or Rasch analysis, including assessment of dimensionality and internal reliability; and (viii) gathering of data to re-examine the questionnaire's properties, assess temporal stability and confirm construct validity. Several of these methods have previously been overlooked. The measurement of nutrition knowledge is an important consideration for individuals working in the nutrition field. Improved methods in the development of nutrition knowledge questionnaires, such as the use of factor analysis or Rasch analysis, will enable more confidence in reported measures of nutrition knowledge.

Remote Sensing Image Quality Assessment Experiment with Post-Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, W.; Chen, S.; Wang, X.; Huang, Q.; Shi, H.; Man, Y.

2018-04-01

This paper briefly describes the post-processing influence assessment experiment, the experiment includes three steps: the physical simulation, image processing, and image quality assessment. The physical simulation models sampled imaging system in laboratory, the imaging system parameters are tested, the digital image serving as image processing input are produced by this imaging system with the same imaging system parameters. The gathered optical sampled images with the tested imaging parameters are processed by 3 digital image processes, including calibration pre-processing, lossy compression with different compression ratio and image post-processing with different core. Image quality assessment method used is just noticeable difference (JND) subject assessment based on ISO20462, through subject assessment of the gathered and processing images, the influence of different imaging parameters and post-processing to image quality can be found. The six JND subject assessment experimental data can be validated each other. Main conclusions include: image post-processing can improve image quality; image post-processing can improve image quality even with lossy compression, image quality with higher compression ratio improves less than lower ratio; with our image post-processing method, image quality is better, when camera MTF being within a small range.

Assessment of Attention in Preschoolers

PubMed Central

Mahone, E.M.; Schneider, H.E.

2012-01-01

In the past two decades, there has been an increased interest in the assessment and treatment of preschool children presenting with concerns about attention problems. This article reviews the research and clinical literature involving assessment of attention and related skills in the preschool years. While inattention among preschoolers is common, symptoms alone do not necessarily indicate a disorder, and most often represent a normal variation in typical preschool child development. Thus, accurate identification of “disordered” attention in preschoolers can be challenging, and development of appropriate, norm-referenced tests of attention for preschoolers is also difficult. The current review suggests that comprehensive assessment of attention and related functions in the preschool child should include thorough review of the child’s history, planned observations, and formal psychometric testing. The three primary methods of psychometric assessment that have been used to characterize attentional functioning in preschool children include performance-based tests, structured caregiver interviews, and rating scales (parent, teacher, and clinician). Among performance-based methods for measurement of attention in the preschool years, tests have been developed to assess sustained attention, selective (focused) attention, span of attention (encoding/manipulation), and (top-down) controlled attention—including freedom from distractibility and set shifting. Many of these tests remain experimental in nature, and review of published methods yields relatively few commercially available, nationally normed tests of attention for preschoolers, and an overall dearth of reliability and validity studies on the available measures. PMID:23090646

Dietary exposure assessments for children in europe (the EXPOCHI project): rationale, methods and design

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background/purpose The number of dietary exposure assessment studies focussing on children is very limited. Children are however a vulnerable group due to their higher food consumption level per kg body weight. Therefore, the EXPOCHI project aims [1] to create a relational network of individual food consumption databases in children, covering different geographical areas within Europe, and [2] to use these data to assess the usual intake of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours. Methods EXPOCHI includes 14 food consumption databases focussed on children (1-14 y old). The data are considered representative at national/regional level: 14 regions covering 13 countries. Since the aim of the study is to perform long-term exposure assessments, only data derived from 24 hr dietary recalls and dietary records recorded on at least two non-consecutive days per individual were included in the dietary exposure assessments. To link consumption data and concentration data of lead, chromium and selenium in a standardised way, categorisation of the food consumption data was based on the food categorisation system described within the SCOOP Task report 3.2.11. For food colours, the food categorisation system specified in the Council Directive 94/36/EC was used. Conclusion The EXPOCHI project includes a pan-European long-term exposure assessment of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours among children living in 13 different EU countries. However, the different study methods and designs used to collect the data in the different countries necessitate an in-depth description of these different methods and a discussion about the resulting limitations. PMID:22958503

Multisite Parent-Centered Risk Assessment to Reduce Pediatric Oral Chemotherapy Errors

PubMed Central

Walsh, Kathleen E.; Mazor, Kathleen M.; Roblin, Douglas; Biggins, Colleen; Wagner, Joann L.; Houlahan, Kathleen; Li, Justin W.; Keuker, Christopher; Wasilewski-Masker, Karen; Donovan, Jennifer; Kanaan, Abir; Weingart, Saul N.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Observational studies describe high rates of errors in home oral chemotherapy use in children. In hospitals, proactive risk assessment methods help front-line health care workers develop error prevention strategies. Our objective was to engage parents of children with cancer in a multisite study using proactive risk assessment methods to identify how errors occur at home and propose risk reduction strategies. Methods: We recruited parents from three outpatient pediatric oncology clinics in the northeast and southeast United States to participate in failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA). An FMEA is a systematic team-based proactive risk assessment approach in understanding ways a process can fail and develop prevention strategies. Steps included diagram the process, brainstorm and prioritize failure modes (places where things go wrong), and propose risk reduction strategies. We focused on home oral chemotherapy administration after a change in dose because prior studies identified this area as high risk. Results: Parent teams consisted of four parents at two of the sites and 10 at the third. Parents developed a 13-step process map, with two to 19 failure modes per step. The highest priority failure modes included miscommunication when receiving instructions from the clinician (caused by conflicting instructions or parent lapses) and unsafe chemotherapy handling at home. Recommended risk assessment strategies included novel uses of technology to improve parent access to information, clinicians, and other parents while at home. Conclusion: Parents of pediatric oncology patients readily participated in a proactive risk assessment method, identifying processes that pose a risk for medication errors involving home oral chemotherapy. PMID:23633976

Visually scoring hirsutism

PubMed Central

Yildiz, Bulent O.; Bolour, Sheila; Woods, Keslie; Moore, April; Azziz, Ricardo

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND Hirsutism is the presence of excess body or facial terminal (coarse) hair growth in females in a male-like pattern, affects 5–15% of women, and is an important sign of underlying androgen excess. Different methods are available for the assessment of hair growth in women. METHODS We conducted a literature search and analyzed the published studies that reported methods for the assessment of hair growth. We review the basic physiology of hair growth, the development of methods for visually quantifying hair growth, the comparison of these methods with objective measurements of hair growth, how hirsutism may be defined using a visual scoring method, the influence of race and ethnicity on hirsutism, and the impact of hirsutism in diagnosing androgen excess and polycystic ovary syndrome. RESULTS Objective methods for the assessment of hair growth including photographic evaluations and microscopic measurements are available but these techniques have limitations for clinical use, including a significant degree of complexity and a high cost. Alternatively, methods for visually scoring or quantifying the amount of terminal body and facial hair growth have been in use since the early 1920s; these methods are semi-quantitative at best and subject to significant inter-observer variability. The most common visual method of scoring the extent of body and facial terminal hair growth in use today is based on a modification of the method originally described by Ferriman and Gallwey in 1961 (i.e. the mFG method). CONCLUSION Overall, the mFG scoring method is a useful visual instrument for assessing excess terminal hair growth, and the presence of hirsutism, in women. PMID:19567450

TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The document provides brownfields planners with an overview of the technical methods that can be used to achieve successful site assessment and cleanup which are two key components of the brownfields redevelopment process. No two brownfields sites are identical and planners will need to base assessment and cleanup activities on the conditions of the particular sites with which they are dealing. A site assessment strategy should address: the type and extent of contamination, if any, that is present, the types of data needed to adequately assess the site; appropriate sampling and analytical methods to characterize the contamination; acceptable level of uncertainty and cleanup technologies that contain or treat the types of wastes present.This document includes references to state agency roles including the Voluntary Cleanup Program, public involvement and other guidances that may be used. Information

The SIETTE Automatic Assessment Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conejo, Ricardo; Guzmán, Eduardo; Trella, Monica

2016-01-01

This article describes the evolution and current state of the domain-independent Siette assessment environment. Siette supports different assessment methods--including classical test theory, item response theory, and computer adaptive testing--and integrates them with multidimensional student models used by intelligent educational systems.…

WORKSHOP ON APPLICATION OF STATISTICAL METHODS TO BIOLOGICALLY-BASED PHARMACOKINETIC MODELING FOR RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Biologically-based pharmacokinetic models are being increasingly used in the risk assessment of environmental chemicals. These models are based on biological, mathematical, statistical and engineering principles. Their potential uses in risk assessment include extrapolation betwe...

Interview with Antony John Kunnan on Language Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nimehchisalem, Vahid

2015-01-01

Antony John Kunnan is a language assessment specialist. His research interests are fairness of tests and testing practice, assessment literacy, research methods and statistics, ethics and standards, and language assessment policy. His most recent publications include a four-volume edited collection of 140 chapters titled "The Companion to…

Self-Assessment as a Process for Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourke, Roseanna; Mentis, Mandia

2013-01-01

There are multiple ways that assessment is positioned within education: as a method for accountability, a strategy to attract funding and an approach to support learning. Different assessment practices portray students in different ways and can serve to include or exclude them in their learning and assessment. Students are often categorised and…

Review of Artificial Abrasion Test Methods for PV Module Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, David C.; Muller, Matt T.; Simpson, Lin J.

This review is intended to identify the method or methods--and the basic details of those methods--that might be used to develop an artificial abrasion test. Methods used in the PV literature were compared with their closest implementation in existing standards. Also, meetings of the International PV Quality Assurance Task Force Task Group 12-3 (TG12-3, which is concerned with coated glass) were used to identify established test methods. Feedback from the group, which included many of the authors from the PV literature, included insights not explored within the literature itself. The combined experience and examples from the literature are intended tomore » provide an assessment of the present industry practices and an informed path forward. Recommendations toward artificial abrasion test methods are then identified based on the experiences in the literature and feedback from the PV community. The review here is strictly focused on abrasion. Assessment methods, including optical performance (e.g., transmittance or reflectance), surface energy, and verification of chemical composition were not examined. Methods of artificially soiling PV modules or other specimens were not examined. The weathering of artificial or naturally soiled specimens (which may ultimately include combined temperature and humidity, thermal cycling and ultraviolet light) were also not examined. A sense of the purpose or application of an abrasion test method within the PV industry should, however, be evident from the literature.« less

A method based on IHS cylindrical transform model for quality assessment of image fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaokun; Jia, Yonghong

2005-10-01

Image fusion technique has been widely applied to remote sensing image analysis and processing, and methods for quality assessment of image fusion in remote sensing have also become the research issues at home and abroad. Traditional assessment methods combine calculation of quantitative indexes and visual interpretation to compare fused images quantificationally and qualitatively. However, in the existing assessment methods, there are two defects: on one hand, most imdexes lack the theoretic support to compare different fusion methods. On the hand, there is not a uniform preference for most of the quantitative assessment indexes when they are applied to estimate the fusion effects. That is, the spatial resolution and spectral feature could not be analyzed synchronously by these indexes and there is not a general method to unify the spatial and spectral feature assessment. So in this paper, on the basis of the approximate general model of four traditional fusion methods, including Intensity Hue Saturation(IHS) triangle transform fusion, High Pass Filter(HPF) fusion, Principal Component Analysis(PCA) fusion, Wavelet Transform(WT) fusion, a correlation coefficient assessment method based on IHS cylindrical transform is proposed. By experiments, this method can not only get the evaluation results of spatial and spectral features on the basis of uniform preference, but also can acquire the comparison between fusion image sources and fused images, and acquire differences among fusion methods. Compared with the traditional assessment methods, the new methods is more intuitionistic, and in accord with subjective estimation.

Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma: Recent Advances and Remaining Gaps in the Exposure Assessment Methods.

PubMed

Khreis, Haneen; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J

2017-03-17

Background : Current levels of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) are associated with the development of childhood asthma, although some inconsistencies and heterogeneity remain. An important part of the uncertainty in studies of TRAP-associated asthma originates from uncertainties in the TRAP exposure assessment and assignment methods. In this work, we aim to systematically review the exposure assessment methods used in the epidemiology of TRAP and childhood asthma, highlight recent advances, remaining research gaps and make suggestions for further research. Methods : We systematically reviewed epidemiological studies published up until 8 September 2016 and available in Embase, Ovid MEDLINE (R), and "Transport database". We included studies which examined the association between children's exposure to TRAP metrics and their risk of "asthma" incidence or lifetime prevalence, from birth to the age of 18 years old. Results : We found 42 studies which examined the associations between TRAP and subsequent childhood asthma incidence or lifetime prevalence, published since 1999. Land-use regression modelling was the most commonly used method and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) was the most commonly used pollutant in the exposure assessments. Most studies estimated TRAP exposure at the residential address and only a few considered the participants' mobility. TRAP exposure was mostly assessed at the birth year and only a few studies considered different and/or multiple exposure time windows. We recommend that further work is needed including e.g., the use of new exposure metrics such as the composition of particulate matter, oxidative potential and ultra-fine particles, improved modelling e.g., by combining different exposure assessment models, including mobility of the participants, and systematically investigating different exposure time windows. Conclusions : Although our previous meta-analysis found statistically significant associations for various TRAP exposures and subsequent childhood asthma, further refinement of the exposure assessment may improve the risk estimates, and shed light on critical exposure time windows, putative agents, underlying mechanisms and drivers of heterogeneity.

Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma: Recent Advances and Remaining Gaps in the Exposure Assessment Methods

PubMed Central

Khreis, Haneen; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.

2017-01-01

Background: Current levels of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) are associated with the development of childhood asthma, although some inconsistencies and heterogeneity remain. An important part of the uncertainty in studies of TRAP-associated asthma originates from uncertainties in the TRAP exposure assessment and assignment methods. In this work, we aim to systematically review the exposure assessment methods used in the epidemiology of TRAP and childhood asthma, highlight recent advances, remaining research gaps and make suggestions for further research. Methods: We systematically reviewed epidemiological studies published up until 8 September 2016 and available in Embase, Ovid MEDLINE (R), and “Transport database”. We included studies which examined the association between children’s exposure to TRAP metrics and their risk of “asthma” incidence or lifetime prevalence, from birth to the age of 18 years old. Results: We found 42 studies which examined the associations between TRAP and subsequent childhood asthma incidence or lifetime prevalence, published since 1999. Land-use regression modelling was the most commonly used method and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was the most commonly used pollutant in the exposure assessments. Most studies estimated TRAP exposure at the residential address and only a few considered the participants’ mobility. TRAP exposure was mostly assessed at the birth year and only a few studies considered different and/or multiple exposure time windows. We recommend that further work is needed including e.g., the use of new exposure metrics such as the composition of particulate matter, oxidative potential and ultra-fine particles, improved modelling e.g., by combining different exposure assessment models, including mobility of the participants, and systematically investigating different exposure time windows. Conclusions: Although our previous meta-analysis found statistically significant associations for various TRAP exposures and subsequent childhood asthma, further refinement of the exposure assessment may improve the risk estimates, and shed light on critical exposure time windows, putative agents, underlying mechanisms and drivers of heterogeneity. PMID:28304360

Advancing Resident Assessment in Graduate Medical Education

PubMed Central

Swing, Susan R.; Clyman, Stephen G.; Holmboe, Eric S.; Williams, Reed G.

2009-01-01

Background The Outcome Project requires high-quality assessment approaches to provide reliable and valid judgments of the attainment of competencies deemed important for physician practice. Intervention The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) convened the Advisory Committee on Educational Outcome Assessment in 2007–2008 to identify high-quality assessment methods. The assessments selected by this body would form a core set that could be used by all programs in a specialty to assess resident performance and enable initial steps toward establishing national specialty databases of program performance. The committee identified a small set of methods for provisional use and further evaluation. It also developed frameworks and processes to support the ongoing evaluation of methods and the longer-term enhancement of assessment in graduate medical education. Outcome The committee constructed a set of standards, a methodology for applying the standards, and grading rules for their review of assessment method quality. It developed a simple report card for displaying grades on each standard and an overall grade for each method reviewed. It also described an assessment system of factors that influence assessment quality. The committee proposed a coordinated, national-level infrastructure to support enhancements to assessment, including method development and assessor training. It recommended the establishment of a new assessment review group to continue its work of evaluating assessment methods. The committee delivered a report summarizing its activities and 5 related recommendations for implementation to the ACGME Board in September 2008. PMID:21975993

Assessing the effects of threonyl-tRNA synthetase on angiogenesis-related responses.

PubMed

Mirando, Adam C; Abdi, Khadar; Wo, Peibin; Lounsbury, Karen M

2017-01-15

Several recent reports have found a connection between specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and the regulation of angiogenesis. As this new area of research is explored, it is important to have reliable assays to assess the specific angiogenesis functions of these enzymes. This review provides information about specific in vitro and in vivo methods that were used to assess the angiogenic functions of threonyl-tRNA synthetase including endothelial cell migration and tube assays as well as chorioallantoic membrane and tumor vascularization assays. The theory and discussion include best methods of analysis and quantification along with the advantages and limitations of each type of assay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing Coral Reef Survey Methods. Unesco Reports in Marine Science No. 21 Report of a Regional Unesco/UNEP Workshop on Coral Reef Survey Management and Assessment Methods in Asia and the Pacific (Phuket, Thailand, December 13-17, 1982).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Div. of Marine Sciences.

This report includes nine papers prepared for a workshop on coral reef survey management and assessment methods in Asia and the Pacific. The papers are: "A Contrast in Methodologies between Surveying and Testing" (Charles Birkeland); "Coral Reef Survey Methods in the Andaman Sea" (Hansa Chansang); "A Review of Coral Reef…

Blind image quality assessment based on aesthetic and statistical quality-aware features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenadeleh, Mohsen; Masaeli, Mohammad Masood; Moghaddam, Mohsen Ebrahimi

2017-07-01

The main goal of image quality assessment (IQA) methods is the emulation of human perceptual image quality judgments. Therefore, the correlation between objective scores of these methods with human perceptual scores is considered as their performance metric. Human judgment of the image quality implicitly includes many factors when assessing perceptual image qualities such as aesthetics, semantics, context, and various types of visual distortions. The main idea of this paper is to use a host of features that are commonly employed in image aesthetics assessment in order to improve blind image quality assessment (BIQA) methods accuracy. We propose an approach that enriches the features of BIQA methods by integrating a host of aesthetics image features with the features of natural image statistics derived from multiple domains. The proposed features have been used for augmenting five different state-of-the-art BIQA methods, which use statistical natural scene statistics features. Experiments were performed on seven benchmark image quality databases. The experimental results showed significant improvement of the accuracy of the methods.

Needs for Robotic Assessments of Nuclear Disasters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Victor Walker; Derek Wadsworth

Following the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima nuclear reactor plant in Japan, the need for systems which can assist in dynamic high-radiation environments such as nuclear incidents has become more apparent. The INL participated in delivering robotic technologies to Japan and has identified key components which are needed for success and obstacles to their deployment. In addition, we are proposing new work and methods to improve assessments and reactions to such events in the future. Robotics needs in disaster situations include phases such as: Assessment, Remediation, and Recovery Our particular interest is in the initial assessment activities. In assessment wemore » need collection of environmental parameters, determination of conditions, and physical sample collection. Each phase would require key tools and efforts to develop. This includes study of necessary sensors and their deployment methods, the effects of radiation on sensors and deployment, and the development of training and execution systems.« less

Prospective, Multicenter Validation Study of Magnetic Resonance Volumetry for Response Assessment After Preoperative Chemoradiation in Rectal Cancer: Can the Results in the Literature be Reproduced?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martens, Milou H., E-mail: mh.martens@hotmail.com; Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht; GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht

2015-12-01

Purpose: To review the available literature on tumor size/volume measurements on magnetic resonance imaging for response assessment after chemoradiotherapy, and validate these cut-offs in an independent multicenter patient cohort. Methods and Materials: The study included 2 parts. (1) Review of the literature: articles were included that assessed the accuracy of tumor size/volume measurements on magnetic resonance imaging for tumor response assessment. Size/volume cut-offs were extracted; (2) Multicenter validation: extracted cut-offs from the literature were tested in a multicenter cohort (n=146). Accuracies were calculated and compared with reported results from the literature. Results: The review included 14 articles, in which 3more » different measurement methods were assessed: (1) tumor length; (2) 3-dimensonial tumor size; and (3) whole volume. Study outcomes consisted of (1) complete response (ypT0) versus residual tumor; (2) tumor regression grade 1 to 2 versus 3 to 5; and (3) T-downstaging (ypT« less

An Evaluation of Behavioral Health Compliance and Microbial Risk Factors on Student Populations within a High-Density Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decker, Jody F.; Slawson, Robin M.

2012-01-01

Objective: The aim of this Canadian study was to assess student behavioral response to disease transmission risk, while identifying high microbial deposition/transmission sites. Participants: A student survey was conducted during October 2009. Methods: The methods included a survey of students to assess use of health services, vaccination…

10 CFR 851.21 - Hazard identification and assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

.... Procedures must include methods to: (1) Assess worker exposure to chemical, physical, biological, or safety workplace hazards through appropriate workplace monitoring; (2) Document assessment for chemical, physical... hazards; (6) Perform routine job activity-level hazard analyses; (7) Review site safety and health...

10 CFR 851.21 - Hazard identification and assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.... Procedures must include methods to: (1) Assess worker exposure to chemical, physical, biological, or safety workplace hazards through appropriate workplace monitoring; (2) Document assessment for chemical, physical... hazards; (6) Perform routine job activity-level hazard analyses; (7) Review site safety and health...

A systematic review of methods to assess intake of fruits and vegetables among healthy European adults and children: a DEDIPAC (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) study.

PubMed

Riordan, Fiona; Ryan, Kathleen; Perry, Ivan J; Schulze, Matthias B; Andersen, Lene Frost; Geelen, Anouk; Van't Veer, Pieter; Eussen, Simone; Dagnelie, Pieter; Wijckmans-Duysens, Nicole; Harrington, Janas M

2017-02-01

Evidence suggests that health benefits are associated with consuming recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables (F&V), yet standardised assessment methods to measure F&V intake are lacking. The current review aims to identify methods to assess F&V intake among children and adults in pan-European studies and inform the development of the DEDIPAC (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) toolbox of methods suitable for use in future European studies. A literature search was conducted using three electronic databases and by hand-searching reference lists. English-language studies of any design which assessed F&V intake were included in the review. Studies involving two or more European countries were included in the review. Healthy, free-living children or adults. The review identified fifty-one pan-European studies which assessed F&V intake. The FFQ was the most commonly used (n 42), followed by 24 h recall (n 11) and diet records/diet history (n 7). Differences existed between the identified methods; for example, the number of F&V items on the FFQ and whether potatoes/legumes were classified as vegetables. In total, eight validated instruments were identified which assessed F&V intake among adults, adolescents or children. The current review indicates that an agreed classification of F&V is needed in order to standardise intake data more effectively between European countries. Validated methods used in pan-European populations encompassing a range of European regions were identified. These methods should be considered for use by future studies focused on evaluating intake of F&V.

The use of rapid review methods in health technology assessments: 3 case studies.

PubMed

Kaltenthaler, Eva; Cooper, Katy; Pandor, Abdullah; Martyn-St James, Marrissa; Chatters, Robin; Wong, Ruth

2016-08-26

Rapid reviews are of increasing importance within health technology assessment due to time and resource constraints. There are many rapid review methods available although there is little guidance as to the most suitable methods. We present three case studies employing differing methods to suit the evidence base for each review and outline some issues to consider when selecting an appropriate method. Three recently completed systematic review short reports produced for the UK National Institute for Health Research were examined. Different approaches to rapid review methods were used in the three reports which were undertaken to inform the commissioning of services within the NHS and to inform future trial design. We describe the methods used, the reasoning behind the choice of methods and explore the strengths and weaknesses of each method. Rapid review methods were chosen to meet the needs of the review and each review had distinctly different challenges such as heterogeneity in terms of populations, interventions, comparators and outcome measures (PICO) and/or large numbers of relevant trials. All reviews included at least 10 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), each with numerous included outcomes. For the first case study (sexual health interventions), very diverse studies in terms of PICO were included. P-values and summary information only were presented due to substantial heterogeneity between studies and outcomes measured. For the second case study (premature ejaculation treatments), there were over 100 RCTs but also several existing systematic reviews. Data for meta-analyses were extracted directly from existing systematic reviews with new RCT data added where available. For the final case study (cannabis cessation therapies), studies included a wide range of interventions and considerable variation in study populations and outcomes. A brief summary of the key findings for each study was presented and narrative synthesis used to summarise results for each pair of interventions compared. Rapid review methods need to be chosen to meet both the nature of the evidence base of a review and the challenges presented by the included studies. Appropriate methods should be chosen after an assessment of the evidence base.

Measurement properties of existing clinical assessment methods evaluating scapular positioning and function. A systematic review.

PubMed

Larsen, Camilla Marie; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit; Lund, Hans; Søgaard, Karen

2014-10-01

The aims were to compile a schematic overview of clinical scapular assessment methods and critically appraise the methodological quality of the involved studies. A systematic, computer-assisted literature search using Medline, CINAHL, SportDiscus and EMBASE was performed from inception to October 2013. Reference lists in articles were also screened for publications. From 50 articles, 54 method names were identified and categorized into three groups: (1) Static positioning assessment (n = 19); (2) Semi-dynamic (n = 13); and (3) Dynamic functional assessment (n = 22). Fifteen studies were excluded for evaluation due to no/few clinimetric results, leaving 35 studies for evaluation. Graded according to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN checklist), the methodological quality in the reliability and validity domains was "fair" (57%) to "poor" (43%), with only one study rated as "good". The reliability domain was most often investigated. Few of the assessment methods in the included studies that had "fair" or "good" measurement property ratings demonstrated acceptable results for both reliability and validity. We found a substantially larger number of clinical scapular assessment methods than previously reported. Using the COSMIN checklist the methodological quality of the included measurement properties in the reliability and validity domains were in general "fair" to "poor". None were examined for all three domains: (1) reliability; (2) validity; and (3) responsiveness. Observational evaluation systems and assessment of scapular upward rotation seem suitably evidence-based for clinical use. Future studies should test and improve the clinimetric properties, and especially diagnostic accuracy and responsiveness, to increase utility for clinical practice.

A scoping review of malaria forecasting: past work and future directions

PubMed Central

Zinszer, Kate; Verma, Aman D; Charland, Katia; Brewer, Timothy F; Brownstein, John S; Sun, Zhuoyu; Buckeridge, David L

2012-01-01

Objectives There is a growing body of literature on malaria forecasting methods and the objective of our review is to identify and assess methods, including predictors, used to forecast malaria. Design Scoping review. Two independent reviewers searched information sources, assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data from each study. Information sources Search strategies were developed and the following databases were searched: CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Global Health, MEDLINE, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses and Web of Science. Key journals and websites were also manually searched. Eligibility criteria for included studies We included studies that forecasted incidence, prevalence or epidemics of malaria over time. A description of the forecasting model and an assessment of the forecast accuracy of the model were requirements for inclusion. Studies were restricted to human populations and to autochthonous transmission settings. Results We identified 29 different studies that met our inclusion criteria for this review. The forecasting approaches included statistical modelling, mathematical modelling and machine learning methods. Climate-related predictors were used consistently in forecasting models, with the most common predictors being rainfall, relative humidity, temperature and the normalised difference vegetation index. Model evaluation was typically based on a reserved portion of data and accuracy was measured in a variety of ways including mean-squared error and correlation coefficients. We could not compare the forecast accuracy of models from the different studies as the evaluation measures differed across the studies. Conclusions Applying different forecasting methods to the same data, exploring the predictive ability of non-environmental variables, including transmission reducing interventions and using common forecast accuracy measures will allow malaria researchers to compare and improve models and methods, which should improve the quality of malaria forecasting. PMID:23180505

Issues in Benchmarking Human Reliability Analysis Methods: A Literature Review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ronald L. Boring; Stacey M. L. Hendrickson; John A. Forester

There is a diversity of human reliability analysis (HRA) methods available for use in assessing human performance within probabilistic risk assessments (PRA). Due to the significant differences in the methods, including the scope, approach, and underlying models, there is a need for an empirical comparison investigating the validity and reliability of the methods. To accomplish this empirical comparison, a benchmarking study comparing and evaluating HRA methods in assessing operator performance in simulator experiments is currently underway. In order to account for as many effects as possible in the construction of this benchmarking study, a literature review was conducted, reviewing pastmore » benchmarking studies in the areas of psychology and risk assessment. A number of lessons learned through these studies are presented in order to aid in the design of future HRA benchmarking endeavors.« less

The impact on healthcare, policy and practice from 36 multi-project research programmes: findings from two reviews.

PubMed

Hanney, Steve; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Blatch-Jones, Amanda; Glover, Matthew; Raftery, James

2017-03-28

We sought to analyse the impacts found, and the methods used, in a series of assessments of programmes and portfolios of health research consisting of multiple projects. We analysed a sample of 36 impact studies of multi-project research programmes, selected from a wider sample of impact studies included in two narrative systematic reviews published in 2007 and 2016. We included impact studies in which the individual projects in a programme had been assessed for wider impact, especially on policy or practice, and where findings had been described in such a way that allowed them to be collated and compared. Included programmes were highly diverse in terms of location (11 different countries plus two multi-country ones), number of component projects (8 to 178), nature of the programme, research field, mode of funding, time between completion and impact assessment, methods used to assess impact, and level of impact identified. Thirty-one studies reported on policy impact, 17 on clinician behaviour or informing clinical practice, three on a combined category such as policy and clinician impact, and 12 on wider elements of impact (health gain, patient benefit, improved care or other benefits to the healthcare system). In those multi-programme projects that assessed the respective categories, the percentage of projects that reported some impact was policy 35% (range 5-100%), practice 32% (10-69%), combined category 64% (60-67%), and health gain/health services 27% (6-48%). Variations in levels of impact achieved partly reflected differences in the types of programme, levels of collaboration with users, and methods and timing of impact assessment. Most commonly, principal investigators were surveyed; some studies involved desk research and some interviews with investigators and/or stakeholders. Most studies used a conceptual framework such as the Payback Framework. One study attempted to assess the monetary value of a research programme's health gain. The widespread impact reported for some multi-project programmes, including needs-led and collaborative ones, could potentially be used to promote further research funding. Moves towards greater standardisation of assessment methods could address existing inconsistencies and better inform strategic decisions about research investment; however, unresolved issues about such moves remain.

Validity of Dietary Assessment in Athletes: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Beck, Kathryn L.; Gifford, Janelle A.; Slater, Gary; Flood, Victoria M.; O’Connor, Helen

2017-01-01

Dietary assessment methods that are recognized as appropriate for the general population are usually applied in a similar manner to athletes, despite the knowledge that sport-specific factors can complicate assessment and impact accuracy in unique ways. As dietary assessment methods are used extensively within the field of sports nutrition, there is concern the validity of methodologies have not undergone more rigorous evaluation in this unique population sub-group. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare two or more methods of dietary assessment, including dietary intake measured against biomarkers or reference measures of energy expenditure, in athletes. Six electronic databases were searched for English-language, full-text articles published from January 1980 until June 2016. The search strategy combined the following keywords: diet, nutrition assessment, athlete, and validity; where the following outcomes are reported but not limited to: energy intake, macro and/or micronutrient intake, food intake, nutritional adequacy, diet quality, or nutritional status. Meta-analysis was performed on studies with sufficient methodological similarity, with between-group standardized mean differences (or effect size) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) being calculated. Of the 1624 studies identified, 18 were eligible for inclusion. Studies comparing self-reported energy intake (EI) to energy expenditure assessed via doubly labelled water were grouped for comparison (n = 11) and demonstrated mean EI was under-estimated by 19% (−2793 ± 1134 kJ/day). Meta-analysis revealed a large pooled effect size of −1.006 (95% CI: −1.3 to −0.7; p < 0.001). The remaining studies (n = 7) compared a new dietary tool or instrument to a reference method(s) (e.g., food record, 24-h dietary recall, biomarker) as part of a validation study. This systematic review revealed there are limited robust studies evaluating dietary assessment methods in athletes. Existing literature demonstrates the substantial variability between methods, with under- and misreporting of intake being frequently observed. There is a clear need for careful validation of dietary assessment methods, including emerging technical innovations, among athlete populations. PMID:29207495

Assessing groundwater vulnerability to agrichemical contamination in the Midwest US

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkart, M.R.; Kolpin, D.W.; James, D.E.

1999-01-01

Agrichemicals (herbicides and nitrate) are significant sources of diffuse pollution to groundwater. Indirect methods are needed to assess the potential for groundwater contamination by diffuse sources because groundwater monitoring is too costly to adequately define the geographic extent of contamination at a regional or national scale. This paper presents examples of the application of statistical, overlay and index, and process-based modeling methods for groundwater vulnerability assessments to a variety of data from the Midwest U.S. The principles for vulnerability assessment include both intrinsic (pedologic, climatologic, and hydrogeologic factors) and specific (contaminant and other anthropogenic factors) vulnerability of a location. Statistical methods use the frequency of contaminant occurrence, contaminant concentration, or contamination probability as a response variable. Statistical assessments are useful for defining the relations among explanatory and response variables whether they define intrinsic or specific vulnerability. Multivariate statistical analyses are useful for ranking variables critical to estimating water quality responses of interest. Overlay and index methods involve intersecting maps of intrinsic and specific vulnerability properties and indexing the variables by applying appropriate weights. Deterministic models use process-based equations to simulate contaminant transport and are distinguished from the other methods in their potential to predict contaminant transport in both space and time. An example of a one-dimensional leaching model linked to a geographic information system (GIS) to define a regional metamodel for contamination in the Midwest is included.

Assessment of sustainable urban transport development based on entropy and unascertained measure

PubMed Central

Li, Yancang; Yang, Jing; Li, Yijie

2017-01-01

To find a more effective method for the assessment of sustainable urban transport development, the comprehensive assessment model of sustainable urban transport development was established based on the unascertained measure. On the basis of considering the factors influencing urban transport development, the comprehensive assessment indexes were selected, including urban economical development, transport demand, environment quality and energy consumption, and the assessment system of sustainable urban transport development was proposed. In view of different influencing factors of urban transport development, the index weight was calculated through the entropy weight coefficient method. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted according to the actual condition. Then, the grade was obtained by using the credible degree recognition criterion from which the urban transport development level can be determined. Finally, a comprehensive assessment method for urban transport development was introduced. The application practice showed that the method can be used reasonably and effectively for the comprehensive assessment of urban transport development. PMID:29084281

Evaluating co-creation of knowledge: from quality criteria and indicators to methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuck-Zöller, Susanne; Cortekar, Jörg; Jacob, Daniela

2017-11-01

Basic research in the natural sciences rests on a long tradition of evaluation. However, since the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) came out in 2012, there has been intense discussion in the natural sciences, above all amongst researchers and funding agencies in the different fields of applied research and scientific service. This discussion was intensified when climate services and other fields, used to make users participate in research and development activities (co-creation), demanded new evaluation methods appropriate to this new research mode. This paper starts by describing a comprehensive and interdisciplinary literature overview of indicators to evaluate co-creation of knowledge, including the different fields of integrated knowledge production. Then the authors harmonize the different elements of evaluation from literature in an evaluation cascade that scales down from very general evaluation dimensions to tangible assessment methods. They describe evaluation indicators already being documented and include a mixture of different assessment methods for two exemplary criteria. It is shown what can be deduced from already existing methodology for climate services and envisaged how climate services can further to develop their specific evaluation method.

Relationship Between Body Fat and Physical Fitness in Army ROTC Cadets.

PubMed

Steed, Carly L; Krull, Benjamin R; Morgan, Amy L; Tucker, Robin M; Ludy, Mary-Jon

2016-09-01

The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), including timed push-ups, sit-ups, and run, assesses physical performance for the Army. Percent body fat is estimated using height and circumference measurements. The objectives of the study were to (a) compare the accuracy of height and circumference measurements to other, more accepted, body fat assessment methods and (b) determine the relationships between body composition and APFT results. Participants included Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets (n = 11 males, 2 females, 21.6 ± 3.5 years) from a midwestern university). At one visit, percent body fat was assessed using height and circumference measurements, air-displacement plethysmography, and bioelectrical impedance analysis. APFT results were provided by the ROTC director. All assessment methods for percent body fat were strongly associated (r ≥ 0.7, p < 0.01), implying that height and circumference measurement is a practical tool to estimate percent body fat of ROTC cadets. Total APFT score was not associated with any body fat assessment method. Push-up number was negatively associated with percent body fat by all assessment methods (r ≥ -0.8, p = 0.001), although run time was positively associated (r ≥ 0.6, p < 0.05). This suggests that percent body fat may be an important variable in determining or improving cardiovascular and muscular endurance, but not APFT performance. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

AN OVERVIEW OF DATA INTEGRATION METHODS FOR REGIONAL ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

One of the goals of the EPA's Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) project is to take diverse environmental data and develop objective criteria to evaluate environmental risk assessments at the regions: scale. The data include (but are not limited to) variables for forests, ...

10 CFR 851.21 - Hazard identification and assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... Procedures must include methods to: (1) Assess worker exposure to chemical, physical, biological, or safety..., biological, and safety workplace hazards using recognized exposure assessment and testing methodologies and... hazards and the established controls within 90 days after identifying such hazards. The Head of DOE Field...

10 CFR 851.21 - Hazard identification and assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... Procedures must include methods to: (1) Assess worker exposure to chemical, physical, biological, or safety..., biological, and safety workplace hazards using recognized exposure assessment and testing methodologies and... hazards and the established controls within 90 days after identifying such hazards. The Head of DOE Field...

10 CFR 851.21 - Hazard identification and assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... Procedures must include methods to: (1) Assess worker exposure to chemical, physical, biological, or safety..., biological, and safety workplace hazards using recognized exposure assessment and testing methodologies and... hazards and the established controls within 90 days after identifying such hazards. The Head of DOE Field...

Guidelines for Providing Accommodations Using CASAS Assessment for Learners with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CASAS - Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (NJ1), 2005

2005-01-01

These guidelines address methods for administering Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) assessments using accommodations for learners with documented disabilities. The suggested accommodations for disability categories include provisions for: (1) Accommodations in test administration procedures; and (2) Use of appropriate CASAS…

Assessment and Learning of Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leder, Gilah C., Ed.

This book addresses the link between student learning of mathematics, the teaching method adopted in the mathematics classroom, and the assessment procedures used to determine and measure student knowledge. Fifteen chapters address issues that include a review of different models of mathematics learning and assessment practices, three contrasting…

Assessment selection in human-automation interaction studies: The Failure-GAM2E and review of assessment methods for highly automated driving.

PubMed

Grane, Camilla

2018-01-01

Highly automated driving will change driver's behavioural patterns. Traditional methods used for assessing manual driving will only be applicable for the parts of human-automation interaction where the driver intervenes such as in hand-over and take-over situations. Therefore, driver behaviour assessment will need to adapt to the new driving scenarios. This paper aims at simplifying the process of selecting appropriate assessment methods. Thirty-five papers were reviewed to examine potential and relevant methods. The review showed that many studies still relies on traditional driving assessment methods. A new method, the Failure-GAM 2 E model, with purpose to aid assessment selection when planning a study, is proposed and exemplified in the paper. Failure-GAM 2 E includes a systematic step-by-step procedure defining the situation, failures (Failure), goals (G), actions (A), subjective methods (M), objective methods (M) and equipment (E). The use of Failure-GAM 2 E in a study example resulted in a well-reasoned assessment plan, a new way of measuring trust through feet movements and a proposed Optimal Risk Management Model. Failure-GAM 2 E and the Optimal Risk Management Model are believed to support the planning process for research studies in the field of human-automation interaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimates of Dietary Sodium Consumption in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

PubMed

Colin-Ramirez, Eloisa; Arcand, JoAnne; Ezekowitz, Justin A

2015-12-01

Estimating dietary sodium intake is a key component of dietary assessment in the clinical setting of HF to effectively implement appropriate dietary interventions for sodium reduction and monitor adherence to the dietary treatment. In a research setting, assessment of sodium intake is crucial to an essential methodology to evaluate outcomes after a dietary or behavioral intervention. Current available sodium intake assessment methods include 24-hour urine collection, spot urine collections, multiple day food records, food recalls, and food frequency questionnaires. However, these methods have inherent limitations that make assessment of sodium intake challenging, and the utility of traditional methods may be questionable for estimating sodium intake in patients with HF. Thus, there are remaining questions about how to best assess dietary sodium intake in this patient population, and there is a need to identify a reliable method to assess and monitor sodium intake in the research and clinical setting of HF. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current methods for sodium intake assessment, addresses the challenges for its accurate evaluation, and highlights the relevance of applying the highest-quality measurement methods in the research setting to minimize the risk of biased data. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing the National Assessment of Educational Progress to Serve a Wider Community of Users: A Position Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bock, R. Darrell

Efforts have been made to increase the dissemination and use of data generated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Potential users include those concerned with curriculum and methods evaluation, public policymakers, and researchers. NAEP can provide data for curriculum evaluation, including item analysis data which assist in…

Considering the normative, systemic and procedural dimensions in indicator-based sustainability assessments in agriculture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Binder, Claudia R., E-mail: claudia.binder@geo.uzh.c; Institute for System Science, Innovation and Sustainability Research, University of Graz; Feola, Giuseppe

This paper develops a framework for evaluating sustainability assessment methods by separately analyzing their normative, systemic and procedural dimensions as suggested by Wiek and Binder [Wiek, A, Binder, C. Solution spaces for decision-making - a sustainability assessment tool for city-regions. Environ Impact Asses Rev 2005, 25: 589-608.]. The framework is then used to characterize indicator-based sustainability assessment methods in agriculture. For a long time, sustainability assessment in agriculture has focused mostly on environmental and technical issues, thus neglecting the economic and, above all, the social aspects of sustainability, the multi-functionality of agriculture and the applicability of the results. In responsemore » to these shortcomings, several integrative sustainability assessment methods have been developed for the agricultural sector. This paper reviews seven of these that represent the diversity of tools developed in this area. The reviewed assessment methods can be categorized into three types: (i) top-down farm assessment methods; (ii) top-down regional assessment methods with some stakeholder participation; (iii) bottom-up, integrated participatory or transdisciplinary methods with stakeholder participation throughout the process. The results readily show the trade-offs encountered when selecting an assessment method. A clear, standardized, top-down procedure allows for potentially benchmarking and comparing results across regions and sites. However, this comes at the cost of system specificity. As the top-down methods often have low stakeholder involvement, the application and implementation of the results might be difficult. Our analysis suggests that to include the aspects mentioned above in agricultural sustainability assessment, the bottom-up, integrated participatory or transdisciplinary methods are the most suitable ones.« less

Preliminary report on methodology for calculating coal resources of the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone, Powder River basin, Wyoming and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, Margaret S.; Gunther, Gregory L.; Flores, Romeo M.; Stricker, Gary D.; Ochs, Allan M.; Schuenemeyer, John H.

1998-01-01

The National Coal Resource Assessment of the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone includes reports on the geology, stratigraphy, quality, and quantity of coal. The calculation of resources is only one aspect of the assessment. Without thorough documentation of the coal resource study and the methods used, the results of our study could be misinterpreted. The task of calculating coal resources included many steps, the use of several commercial software programs, and the incorporation of custom programs. The methods used for calculating coal resources for the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone vary slightly from the methods used in other study areas, and by other workers in the National Coal Resource Assessment. The Wyodak-Anderson coal zone includes up to 10 coal beds in any given location. The net coal thickness of the zone at each data point location was calculated by summing the thickness of all of the coal beds that were greater than 2.5 ft thick. The amount of interburden is not addressed or reported in this coal resource assessment. The amount of overburden reported is the amount of rock above the stratigraphically highest coal bed in the zone. The resource numbers reported do not include coal within mine or lease areas, in areas containing mapped Wyodak-Anderson clinker, or in areas where the coal is extrapolated to be less than 2.5 ft thick. The resources of the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone are reported in Ellis and others (1998). A general description of how the resources were calculated is included in that report. The purpose of this report is to document in more detail some of the parameters and methods used, define our spatial data, compare resources calculated using different grid options and calculation methods, and explain the application of confidence limits to the resource calculation.

Assessing the environmental impacts of freshwater consumption in LCA.

PubMed

Pfister, Stephan; Koehler, Annette; Hellweg, Stefanie

2009-06-01

A method for assessing the environmental impacts of freshwater consumption was developed. This method considers damages to three areas of protection: human health, ecosystem quality, and resources. The method can be used within most existing life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. The relative importance of water consumption was analyzed by integrating the method into the Eco-indicator-99 LCIA method. The relative impact of water consumption in LCIA was analyzed with a case study on worldwide cotton production. The importance of regionalized characterization factors for water use was also examined in the case study. In arid regions, water consumption may dominate the aggregated life-cycle impacts of cotton-textile production. Therefore, the consideration of water consumption is crucial in life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies that include water-intensive products, such as agricultural goods. A regionalized assessment is necessary, since the impacts of water use vary greatly as a function of location. The presented method is useful for environmental decision-support in the production of water-intensive products as well as for environmentally responsible value-chain management.

The importance of quality control in validating concentrations ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A national-scale survey of 247 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including organic and inorganic chemical compounds, and microbial contaminants, was conducted in source and treated drinking water samples from 25 treatment plants across the United States. Multiple methods were used to determine these CECs, including six analytical methods to measure 174 pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides. A three-component quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program was designed for the subset of 174 CECs which allowed us to assess and compare performances of the methods used. The three components included: 1) a common field QA/QC protocol and sample design, 2) individual investigator-developed method-specific QA/QC protocols, and 3) a suite of 46 method comparison analytes that were determined in two or more analytical methods. Overall method performance for the 174 organic chemical CECs was assessed by comparing spiked recoveries in reagent, source, and treated water over a two-year period. In addition to the 247 CECs reported in the larger drinking water study, another 48 pharmaceutical compounds measured did not consistently meet predetermined quality standards. Methodologies that did not seem suitable for these analytes are overviewed. The need to exclude analytes based on method performance demonstrates the importance of additional QA/QC protocols. This paper compares the method performance of six analytical methods used to measure 174 emer

Benthic macroinvertebrates in lake ecological assessment: A review of methods, intercalibration and practical recommendations.

PubMed

Poikane, Sandra; Johnson, Richard K; Sandin, Leonard; Schartau, Ann Kristin; Solimini, Angelo G; Urbanič, Gorazd; Arbačiauskas, Kęstutis; Aroviita, Jukka; Gabriels, Wim; Miler, Oliver; Pusch, Martin T; Timm, Henn; Böhmer, Jürgen

2016-02-01

Legislation in Europe has been adopted to determine and improve the ecological integrity of inland and coastal waters. Assessment is based on four biotic groups, including benthic macroinvertebrate communities. For lakes, benthic invertebrates have been recognized as one of the most difficult organism groups to use in ecological assessment, and hitherto their use in ecological assessment has been limited. In this study, we review and intercalibrate 13 benthic invertebrate-based tools across Europe. These assessment tools address different human impacts: acidification (3 methods), eutrophication (3 methods), morphological alterations (2 methods), and a combination of the last two (5 methods). For intercalibration, the methods were grouped into four intercalibration groups, according to the habitat sampled and putative pressure. Boundaries of the 'good ecological status' were compared and harmonized using direct or indirect comparison approaches. To enable indirect comparison of the methods, three common pressure indices and two common biological multimetric indices were developed for larger geographical areas. Additionally, we identified the best-performing methods based on their responsiveness to different human impacts. Based on these experiences, we provide practical recommendations for the development and harmonization of benthic invertebrate assessment methods in lakes and similar habitats. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forest Soil Disturbance Monitoring Protocol: Volume II: Supplementary methods, statistics, and data collection

Treesearch

Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Ann M. Abbott; Thomas M. Rice

2009-01-01

Volume I and volume II of the Forest Soil Disturbance Monitoring Protocol (FSDMP) provide information for a wide range of users, including technicians, field crew leaders, private landowners, land managers, forest professionals, and researchers. Volume I: Rapid Assessment includes the basic methods for establishing forest soil monitoring transects and consistently...

Fracture control methods for space vehicles. Volume 2: Assessment of fracture mechanics technology for space shuttle applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ehret, R. M.

1974-01-01

The concepts explored in a state of the art review of those engineering fracture mechanics considered most applicable to the space shuttle vehicle include fracture toughness, precritical flaw growth, failure mechanisms, inspection methods (including proof test logic), and crack growth predictive analysis techniques.

Site Selection in Experiments: An Assessment of Site Recruitment and Generalizability in Two Scale-Up Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tipton, Elizabeth; Fellers, Lauren; Caverly, Sarah; Vaden-Kiernan, Michael; Borman, Geoffrey; Sullivan, Kate; Ruiz de Castilla, Veronica

2016-01-01

Recently, statisticians have begun developing methods to improve the generalizability of results from large-scale experiments in education. This work has included the development of methods for improved site selection when random sampling is infeasible, including the use of stratification and targeted recruitment strategies. This article provides…

Dental radiographic indicators, a key to age estimation

PubMed Central

Panchbhai, AS

2011-01-01

Objective The present review article is aimed at describing the radiological methods utilized for human age identification. Methods The application and importance of radiological methods in human age assessment was discussed through the literature survey. Results Following a literature search, 46 articles were included in the study and the relevant information is depicted in the article. Dental tissue is often preserved indefinitely after death. Implementation of radiography is based on the assessment of the extent of calcification of teeth and in turn the degree of formation of crown and root structures, along with the sequence and the stages of eruption. Several radiological techniques can be used to assist in both individual and general identification, including determination of gender, ethnic group and age. The radiographic method is a simpler and cheaper method of age identification compared with histological and biochemical methods. Radiographic and tomographic images have become an essential aid for human identification in forensic dentistry, particularly with the refinement of techniques and the incorporation of information technology resources. Conclusion Based on an appropriate knowledge of the available methods, forensic dentists can choose the most appropriate since the validity of age estimation crucially depends on the method used and its proper application. The multifactorial approach will lead to optimum age assessment. The legal requirements also have to be considered. PMID:21493876

Application of Life Cycle Assessment on Electronic Waste Management: A Review.

PubMed

Xue, Mianqiang; Xu, Zhenming

2017-04-01

Electronic waste is a rich source of both valuable materials and toxic substances. Management of electronic waste is one of the biggest challenges of current worldwide concern. As an effective and prevailing environmental management tool, life cycle assessment can evaluate the environmental performance of electronic waste management activities. Quite a few scientific literatures reporting life cycle assessment of electronic waste management with significant outcomes have been recently published. This paper reviewed the trends, characteristics, research gaps, and challenges of these studies providing detailed information for practitioners involved in electronic waste management. The results showed that life cycle assessment studies were most carried out in Europe, followed by Asia and North America. The research subject of the studies mainly includes monitors, waste printed circuit boards, mobile phones, computers, printers, batteries, toys, dishwashers, and light-emitting diodes. CML was the most widely used life cycle impact assessment method in life cycle assessment studies on electronic waste management, followed by EI99. Furthermore, 40% of the reviewed studies combined with other environmental tools, including life cycle cost, material flow analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, emergy analysis, and hazard assessment which came to more comprehensive conclusions from different aspects. The research gaps and challenges including uneven distribution of life cycle assessment studies, life cycle impact assessment methods selection, comparison of the results, and uncertainty of the life cycle assessment studies were examined. Although life cycle assessment of electronic waste management facing challenges, their results will play more and more important role in electronic waste management practices.

Application of Life Cycle Assessment on Electronic Waste Management: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Mianqiang; Xu, Zhenming

2017-04-01

Electronic waste is a rich source of both valuable materials and toxic substances. Management of electronic waste is one of the biggest challenges of current worldwide concern. As an effective and prevailing environmental management tool, life cycle assessment can evaluate the environmental performance of electronic waste management activities. Quite a few scientific literatures reporting life cycle assessment of electronic waste management with significant outcomes have been recently published. This paper reviewed the trends, characteristics, research gaps, and challenges of these studies providing detailed information for practitioners involved in electronic waste management. The results showed that life cycle assessment studies were most carried out in Europe, followed by Asia and North America. The research subject of the studies mainly includes monitors, waste printed circuit boards, mobile phones, computers, printers, batteries, toys, dishwashers, and light-emitting diodes. CML was the most widely used life cycle impact assessment method in life cycle assessment studies on electronic waste management, followed by EI99. Furthermore, 40% of the reviewed studies combined with other environmental tools, including life cycle cost, material flow analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, emergy analysis, and hazard assessment which came to more comprehensive conclusions from different aspects. The research gaps and challenges including uneven distribution of life cycle assessment studies, life cycle impact assessment methods selection, comparison of the results, and uncertainty of the life cycle assessment studies were examined. Although life cycle assessment of electronic waste management facing challenges, their results will play more and more important role in electronic waste management practices.

A systematic review of dynamics in climate risk and vulnerability assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurgilevich, Alexandra; Räsänen, Aleksi; Groundstroem, Fanny; Juhola, Sirkku

2017-01-01

Understanding climate risk is crucial for effective adaptation action, and a number of assessment methodologies have emerged. We argue that the dynamics of the individual components in climate risk and vulnerability assessments has received little attention. In order to highlight this, we systematically reviewed 42 sub-national climate risk and vulnerability assessments. We analysed the assessments using an analytical framework with which we evaluated (1) the conceptual approaches to vulnerability and exposure used, (2) if current or future risks were assessed, and (3) if and how changes over time (i.e. dynamics) were considered. Of the reviewed assessments, over half addressed future risks or vulnerability; and of these future-oriented studies, less than 1/3 considered both vulnerability and exposure dynamics. While the number of studies that include dynamics is growing, and while all studies included socio-economic aspects, often only biophysical dynamics was taken into account. We discuss the challenges of assessing socio-economic and spatial dynamics, particularly the poor availability of data and methods. We suggest that future-oriented studies assessing risk dynamics would benefit from larger stakeholder involvement, discussion of the assessment purpose, the use of multiple methods, inclusion of uncertainty/sensitivity analyses and pathway approaches.

FINDING A METHOD FOR THE MADNESS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC DESIGN METHODOLOGIES

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

FINDING A METHOD FOR THE MADNESS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC DESIGN METHODOLOGIES BY AMANDA DONNELLY A THESIS...work develops a comparative model for strategic design methodologies, focusing on the primary elements of vision, time, process, communication and...collaboration, and risk assessment. My analysis dissects and compares three potential design methodologies including, net assessment, scenarios and

Cyber security risk assessment for SCADA and DCS networks.

PubMed

Ralston, P A S; Graham, J H; Hieb, J L

2007-10-01

The growing dependence of critical infrastructures and industrial automation on interconnected physical and cyber-based control systems has resulted in a growing and previously unforeseen cyber security threat to supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and distributed control systems (DCSs). It is critical that engineers and managers understand these issues and know how to locate the information they need. This paper provides a broad overview of cyber security and risk assessment for SCADA and DCS, introduces the main industry organizations and government groups working in this area, and gives a comprehensive review of the literature to date. Major concepts related to the risk assessment methods are introduced with references cited for more detail. Included are risk assessment methods such as HHM, IIM, and RFRM which have been applied successfully to SCADA systems with many interdependencies and have highlighted the need for quantifiable metrics. Presented in broad terms is probability risk analysis (PRA) which includes methods such as FTA, ETA, and FEMA. The paper concludes with a general discussion of two recent methods (one based on compromise graphs and one on augmented vulnerability trees) that quantitatively determine the probability of an attack, the impact of the attack, and the reduction in risk associated with a particular countermeasure.

NORMALIZATION, GROUPING, AND WEIGHTING IN LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

This chapter includes a comprehensive overview of weighting methods and principles. The authors propose a very interesting and useful system of criteria for the evaluation of weighting methods; and provide a structured way to discuss the characteristics of weighting methods.

Discussion on teaching reform of environmental planning and management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiugen; Chen, Suhua; Xie, Yu; Wei, Li'an; Ding, Yuan

2018-05-01

The curriculum of environmental planning and management is an environmental engineering major curriculum established by the teaching steering committee of environmental science and engineering of Education Ministry, which is the core curriculum of Chinese engineering education professional certification. It plays an important role in cultivating environmental planning and environmental management ability of environmental engineering major. The selection and optimization of the course teaching content of environmental planning and management were discussed which including curriculum teaching content updating and optimizing and teaching resource system construction. The comprehensive application of teaching method was discussed which including teaching method synthesis and teaching method. The final combination of the assessment method was also discussed which including the formative assessment normal grades and the final result of the course examination. Through the curriculum comprehensive teaching reform, students' knowledge had been broadened, the subject status and autonomy of learning had been enhanced, students' learning interest had been motivated, the ability of students' finding, analyzing and solving problems had been improved. Students' innovative ability and positive spirit had been well cultivated.

Methodology in the Assessment of Construction and Development Investment Projects, Including the Graphic Multi-Criteria Analysis - a Systemic Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szafranko, Elżbieta

2017-10-01

Assessment of variant solutions developed for a building investment project needs to be made at the stage of planning. While considering alternative solutions, the investor defines various criteria, but a direct evaluation of the degree of their fulfilment by developed variant solutions can be very difficult. In practice, there are different methods which enable the user to include a large number of parameters into an analysis, but their implementation can be challenging. Some methods require advanced mathematical computations, preceded by complicating input data processing, and the generated results may not lend themselves easily to interpretation. Hence, during her research, the author has developed a systemic approach, which involves several methods and whose goal is to compare their outcome. The final stage of the proposed method consists of graphic interpretation of results. The method has been tested on a variety of building and development projects.

Advanced MRI Methods for Assessment of Chronic Liver Disease

PubMed Central

Taouli, Bachir; Ehman, Richard L.; Reeder, Scott B.

2010-01-01

MRI plays an increasingly important role for assessment of patients with chronic liver disease. MRI has numerous advantages, including lack of ionizing radiation and the possibility of performing multiparametric imaging. With recent advances in technology, advanced MRI methods such as diffusion-, perfusion-weighted MRI, MR elastography, chemical shift based fat-water separation and MR spectroscopy can now be applied to liver imaging. We will review the respective roles of these techniques for assessment of chronic liver disease. PMID:19542391

Jordan's 2002 to 2012 Fertility Stall and Parallel USAID Investments in Family Planning: Lessons From an Assessment to Guide Future Programming

PubMed Central

Spindler, Esther; Bitar, Nisreen; Solo, Julie; Menstell, Elizabeth; Shattuck, Dominick

2017-01-01

Health practitioners, researchers, and donors are stumped about Jordan's stalled fertility rate, which has stagnated between 3.7 and 3.5 children per woman from 2002 to 2012, above the national replacement level of 2.1. This stall paralleled United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding investments in family planning in Jordan, triggering an assessment of USAID family planning programming in Jordan. This article describes the methods, results, and implications of the programmatic assessment. Methods included an extensive desk review of USAID programs in Jordan and 69 interviews with reproductive health stakeholders. We explored reasons for fertility stagnation in Jordan's total fertility rate (TFR) and assessed the effects of USAID programming on family planning outcomes over the same time period. The assessment results suggest that the increased use of less effective methods, in particular withdrawal and condoms, are contributing to Jordan's TFR stall. Jordan's limited method mix, combined with strong sociocultural determinants around reproduction and fertility desires, have contributed to low contraceptive effectiveness in Jordan. Over the same time period, USAID contributions toward increasing family planning access and use, largely focused on service delivery programs, were extensive. Examples of effective initiatives, among others, include task shifting of IUD insertion services to midwives due to a shortage of female physicians. However, key challenges to improved use of family planning services include limited government investments in family planning programs, influential service provider behaviors and biases that limit informed counseling and choice, pervasive strong social norms of family size and fertility, and limited availability of different contraceptive methods. In contexts where sociocultural norms and a limited method mix are the dominant barriers toward improved family planning use, increased national government investments toward synchronized service delivery and social and behavior change activities may be needed to catalyze national-level improvements in family planning outcomes. PMID:29284697

A damage assessment model of oil spill accident combining historical data and satellite remote sensing information: a case study in Penglai 19-3 oil spill accident of China.

PubMed

Wei, Lai; Hu, Zhuowei; Dong, Lin; Zhao, Wenji

2015-02-15

Oil spills are one of the major sources of marine pollution; it is important to conduct comprehensive assessment of losses that occur as a result of these events. Traditional methods are required to assess the three parts of losses including cleanup, socioeconomic losses, and environmental costs. It is relatively slow because assessment is complex and time consuming. A relatively quick method was developed to improve the efficiency of assessment, and then applied to the Penglai 19-3 accident. This paper uses an SAR image to calculate the oil spill area through Neural Network Classification, and uses historical oil-spill data to build the relationship between loss and other factors including sea-surface wind speed, and distance to the coast. A multiple regression equation was used to assess oil spill damage as a function of the independent variables. Results of this study can be used for regulating and quickly dealing with oil spill assessment. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

75 FR 42378 - Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); South Atlantic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-21

... (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR includes a Data Workshop, a Stock Assessment Process and a Review Workshop. The product of the... datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Stock Assessment Process is a stock...

A Review of International Large-Scale Assessments in Education: Assessing Component Skills and Collecting Contextual Data. PISA for Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cresswell, John; Schwantner, Ursula; Waters, Charlotte

2015-01-01

This report reviews the major international and regional large-scale educational assessments, including international surveys, school-based surveys and household-based surveys. The report compares and contrasts the cognitive and contextual data collection instruments and implementation methods used by the different assessments in order to identify…

Assessment and Continuous Quality Improvement: A North American Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tait, Jo; Knight, Peter

1995-01-01

Examines a five-stage assessment model used at James Madison University (Virginia) to assess student learning and to guide policy. Includes identification of program objectives, selection or design of methods that measure those outcomes, analysis of assessment data, application of data for decision making, and use of data to bid for state funding.…

A method for developing outcome measures in the clinical laboratory.

PubMed

Jones, J

1996-01-01

Measuring and reporting outcomes in health care is becoming more important for quality assessment, utilization assessment, accreditation standards, and negotiating contracts in managed care. How does one develop an outcome measure for the laboratory to assess the value of the services? A method is described which outlines seven steps in developing outcome measures for a laboratory service or process. These steps include the following: 1. Identify the process or service to be monitored for performance and outcome assessment. 2. If necessary, form an multidisciplinary team of laboratory staff, other department staff, physicians, and pathologists. 3. State the purpose of the test or service including a review of published data for the clinical pathological correlation. 4. Prepare a process cause and effect diagram including steps critical to the outcome. 5. Identify key process variables that contribute to positive or negative outcomes. 6. Identify outcome measures that are not process measures. 7. Develop an operational definition, identify data sources, and collect data. Examples, including a process cause and effect diagram, process variables, and outcome measures, are given using the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring service (TDM). A summary of conclusions and precautions for outcome measurement is then provided.

Evaluating the Diagnostic Validity of a Facet-Based Formative Assessment System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBarger, Angela Haydel; DiBello, Louis; Minstrell, Jim; Feng, Mingyu; Stout, William; Pellegrino, James; Haertel, Geneva; Harris, Christopher; Ructinger, Liliana

2011-01-01

This paper describes methods for an alignment study and psychometric analyses of a formative assessment system, Diagnoser Tools for physics. Diagnoser Tools begin with facet clusters as the interpretive framework for designing questions and instructional activities. Thus each question in the diagnostic assessments includes distractors that…

School Violence Assessment: A Conceptual Framework, Instruments, and Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benbenishty, Rami; Astor, Ron Avi; Estrada, Joey Nunez

2008-01-01

This article outlines a philosophical and theoretical framework for conducting school violence assessments at the local level. The authors advocate that assessments employ a strong conceptual foundation based on social work values. These values include the active measurement of ecological factors inside and outside the school that reflect the…

Novel Automated Morphometric and Kinematic Handwriting Assessment: A Validity Study in Children with ASD and ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dirlikov, Benjamin; Younes, Laurent; Nebel, Mary Beth; Martinelli, Mary Katherine; Tiedemann, Alyssa Nicole; Koch, Carolyn A.; Fiorilli, Diana; Bastian, Amy J.; Denckla, Martha Bridge; Miller, Michael I.; Mostofsky, Stewart H.

2017-01-01

This study presents construct validity for a novel automated morphometric and kinematic handwriting assessment, including (1) convergent validity, establishing reliability of automated measures with traditional manual-derived Minnesota Handwriting Assessment (MHA), and (2) discriminant validity, establishing that the automated methods distinguish…

Great Performances: Creating Classroom-Based Assessment Tasks. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoemaker, Betty; Lewin, Larry

2011-01-01

Get an in-depth understanding of how to create fun, engaging, and challenging performance assessments that require students to elaborate on content and demonstrate mastery of skills. This update of an ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) classic includes new scoring methods, reading assessments, and insights on navigating…

The role of assessment in competency-based medical education.

PubMed

Holmboe, Eric S; Sherbino, Jonathan; Long, Donlin M; Swing, Susan R; Frank, Jason R

2010-01-01

Competency-based medical education (CBME), by definition, necessitates a robust and multifaceted assessment system. Assessment and the judgments or evaluations that arise from it are important at the level of the trainee, the program, and the public. When designing an assessment system for CBME, medical education leaders must attend to the context of the multiple settings where clinical training occurs. CBME further requires assessment processes that are more continuous and frequent, criterion-based, developmental, work-based where possible, use assessment methods and tools that meet minimum requirements for quality, use both quantitative and qualitative measures and methods, and involve the wisdom of group process in making judgments about trainee progress. Like all changes in medical education, CBME is a work in progress. Given the importance of assessment and evaluation for CBME, the medical education community will need more collaborative research to address several major challenges in assessment, including "best practices" in the context of systems and institutional culture and how to best to train faculty to be better evaluators. Finally, we must remember that expertise, not competence, is the ultimate goal. CBME does not end with graduation from a training program, but should represent a career that includes ongoing assessment.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olsen, Tim; Preus, Robert

Site assessment for small wind energy systems is one of the key factors in the successful installation, operation, and performance of a small wind turbine. A proper site assessment is a difficult process that includes wind resource assessment and the evaluation of site characteristics. These guidelines address many of the relevant parts of a site assessment with an emphasis on wind resource assessment, using methods other than on-site data collection and creating a small wind site assessment report.

Assessing alcohol intake & its dose-dependent effects on liver enzymes by 24-h recall and questionnaire using NHANES 2001-2010 data

DOE PAGES

Agarwal, Sanjiv; Fulgoni, III, Victor L.; Lieberman, Harris R.

2016-06-22

Alcohol is a significant component of the diet with dose-dependent risks and benefits. High doses of alcohol damage the liver and early symptoms of liver disease include changes in routinely assessed liver enzymes. Less is known regarding the mechanisms responsible for the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, including their effects on the liver. The objectives of this study were to examine alcohol’s dose-dependent effects on markers of liver function (alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and bilirubin), as well as to compare the different methods of assessing alcohol intake using NHANES 2001–2010 adultmore » data (N =24,807). Three methods were used to estimate alcohol intake from all volunteers: 24-h recall; the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method of usual intake; and a specific alcohol intake questionnaire. Mean alcohol intake by 24-h recall, NCI method and questionnaire was 41.0 ± 0.8 g/d, 10.9 ± 0.2 g/d and 11.0 ± 0.2 g/d, respectively. Alcohol consumers had significantly lower levels of ALP and higher levels of AST, GGT and bilirubin compared to non-consumers (P < 0.01) and activities of ALT, AST, and GGT increased and of ALP decreased as alcohol intake increased, regardless of intake assessment method used. The most sensitive measure of alcohol consumption was GGT. Since alcohol had a graded linear effect on several liver enzymes, including at low and moderate doses, benefits as well as risks of alcohol intake may be related to liver function. In conclusion, since the NCI method and alcohol questionnaire yielded very similar alcohol intake estimates, this study cross-validated these methods and demonstrated the robustness of the NCI method for estimating intake of irregularly consumed foods.« less

Assessing alcohol intake & its dose-dependent effects on liver enzymes by 24-h recall and questionnaire using NHANES 2001-2010 data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agarwal, Sanjiv; Fulgoni, III, Victor L.; Lieberman, Harris R.

Alcohol is a significant component of the diet with dose-dependent risks and benefits. High doses of alcohol damage the liver and early symptoms of liver disease include changes in routinely assessed liver enzymes. Less is known regarding the mechanisms responsible for the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, including their effects on the liver. The objectives of this study were to examine alcohol’s dose-dependent effects on markers of liver function (alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and bilirubin), as well as to compare the different methods of assessing alcohol intake using NHANES 2001–2010 adultmore » data (N =24,807). Three methods were used to estimate alcohol intake from all volunteers: 24-h recall; the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method of usual intake; and a specific alcohol intake questionnaire. Mean alcohol intake by 24-h recall, NCI method and questionnaire was 41.0 ± 0.8 g/d, 10.9 ± 0.2 g/d and 11.0 ± 0.2 g/d, respectively. Alcohol consumers had significantly lower levels of ALP and higher levels of AST, GGT and bilirubin compared to non-consumers (P < 0.01) and activities of ALT, AST, and GGT increased and of ALP decreased as alcohol intake increased, regardless of intake assessment method used. The most sensitive measure of alcohol consumption was GGT. Since alcohol had a graded linear effect on several liver enzymes, including at low and moderate doses, benefits as well as risks of alcohol intake may be related to liver function. In conclusion, since the NCI method and alcohol questionnaire yielded very similar alcohol intake estimates, this study cross-validated these methods and demonstrated the robustness of the NCI method for estimating intake of irregularly consumed foods.« less

A review of empirical research related to the use of small quantitative samples in clinical outcome scale development.

PubMed

Houts, Carrie R; Edwards, Michael C; Wirth, R J; Deal, Linda S

2016-11-01

There has been a notable increase in the advocacy of using small-sample designs as an initial quantitative assessment of item and scale performance during the scale development process. This is particularly true in the development of clinical outcome assessments (COAs), where Rasch analysis has been advanced as an appropriate statistical tool for evaluating the developing COAs using a small sample. We review the benefits such methods are purported to offer from both a practical and statistical standpoint and detail several problematic areas, including both practical and statistical theory concerns, with respect to the use of quantitative methods, including Rasch-consistent methods, with small samples. The feasibility of obtaining accurate information and the potential negative impacts of misusing large-sample statistical methods with small samples during COA development are discussed.

Manual materials handling: knowledge and practices among Portuguese health and safety practitioners.

PubMed

Arezes, Pedro M; Miguel, A Sérgio; Colim, Ana S

2011-01-01

There are several methodologies to assess the risk involved in Manual Materials Handling (MMH). The aim of this study was to identify the knowledge and use of risk assessment methods among Portuguese Health and Safety (H&S) practitioners. The study involved the participation of 331 H&S practitioners and other related prevention professionals. An e-mail invitation to complete an online survey was sent to all Portuguese registered H&S practitioners. The previously developed and validated questionnaire included three different sections: (1) company characteristics; (2) description of types of MMH tasks performed; and (3) the respondents' use of and knowledge about risk assessment methods for MMH tasks. The answers obtained were collected from almost 350 companies. The characteristics of the companies showed that there is a predominance of external and internal H&S services for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and large companies, respectively. The NIOSH equation, Key Indicator Method (KIM) and Manual Assessment Chart (MAC) were identified as the most used and recognised risk assessment methods. Questionnaire results show that an important number of Portuguese H&S practitioners recognise some methods but have difficulty applying them correctly. Some practitioners reported that they had never used any type of risk assessment method.

Why Measure Outcomes?

PubMed

Kuhn, John E

2016-01-01

The concept of measuring the outcomes of treatment in health care was promoted by Ernest Amory Codman in the early 1900s, but, until recently, his ideas were generally ignored. The forces that have advanced outcome measurement to the forefront of health care include the shift in payers for health care from the patient to large insurance companies or government agencies, the movement toward assessing the care of populations not individuals, and the effort to find value (or cost-effective treatments) amid rising healthcare costs. No ideal method exists to measure outcomes, and the information gathered depends on the reason the outcome information is required. Outcome measures used in research are best able to answer research questions. The methods for assessing physician and hospital performance include process measures, patient-experience measures, structure measures, and measures used to assess the outcomes of treatment. The methods used to assess performance should be validated, be reliable, and reflect a patient's perception of the treatment results. The healthcare industry must measure outcomes to identify which treatments are most effective and provide the most benefit to patients.

Methods for assessment of keel bone damage in poultry.

PubMed

Casey-Trott, T; Heerkens, J L T; Petrik, M; Regmi, P; Schrader, L; Toscano, M J; Widowski, T

2015-10-01

Keel bone damage (KBD) is a critical issue facing the laying hen industry today as a result of the likely pain leading to compromised welfare and the potential for reduced productivity. Recent reports suggest that damage, while highly variable and likely dependent on a host of factors, extends to all systems (including battery cages, furnished cages, and non-cage systems), genetic lines, and management styles. Despite the extent of the problem, the research community remains uncertain as to the causes and influencing factors of KBD. Although progress has been made investigating these factors, the overall effort is hindered by several issues related to the assessment of KBD, including quality and variation in the methods used between research groups. These issues prevent effective comparison of studies, as well as difficulties in identifying the presence of damage leading to poor accuracy and reliability. The current manuscript seeks to resolve these issues by offering precise definitions for types of KBD, reviewing methods for assessment, and providing recommendations that can improve the accuracy and reliability of those assessments. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Assessment Methods for Well Integrity During the Hydraulic Fracturing Cycle, March 11, 2011

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The focus of this assessment is to concentrate on well integrity during drilling & completion activities associated with running & cementing of production casing operations, completion activities including the HF process & post-frac activities.

[FQA: A method for floristic quality assessment based on conservatism of plant species].

PubMed

Cao, Li Juan; He, Ping; Wang, Mi; Xui, Jie; Ren, Ying

2018-04-01

FQA, which uses the conservatism of plant species for particular habitats and the species richness of plant communities, is a rapid method for the assessment of habitat quality. This method is based on species composition of quadrats and coefficients of conservatism for species which assigned by experts. Floristic Quality Index (FQI) that reflects vegetation integrity and degradation of a site can be calculated by a simple formula and be used for space-time comparison of habitat quality. It has been widely used in more than ten countries including the United States and Canada. This paper presented the principle, calculation formulas and application cases of this method, with the aim to provide a simple, repeatable and comparable method to assess habitat quality for ecological managers and researchers.

Three Methods of Assessing Values for Advance Care Planning

PubMed Central

Karel, Michele J.; Moye, Jennifer; Bank, Adam; Azar, Armin R.

2016-01-01

Advance care planning ideally includes communication about values between patients, family members, and care providers. This study examined the utility of health care values assessment tools for older adults with and without dementia. Adults aged 60 and older, with and without dementia, completed three values assessment tools—open-ended, forced-choice, and rating scale questions—and named a preferred surrogate decision maker. Responses to forced-choice items were examined at 9-month retest. Adults with and without dementia appeared equally able to respond meaningfully to questions about values regarding quality of life and health care decisions. People with dementia were generally as able as controls to respond consistently after 9 months. Although values assessment methods show promise, further item and scale development work is needed. Older adults with dementia should be included in clarifying values for advance care planning to the extent that they desire and are able. PMID:17215205

Parasitology: United Kingdom National Quality Assessment Scheme.

PubMed Central

Hawthorne, M.; Chiodini, P. L.; Snell, J. J.; Moody, A. H.; Ramsay, A.

1992-01-01

AIMS: To assess the results from parasitology laboratories taking part in a quality assessment scheme between 1986 and 1991; and to compare performance with repeat specimens. METHODS: Quality assessment of blood parasitology, including tissue parasites (n = 444; 358 UK, 86 overseas), and faecal parasitology, including extra-intestinal parasites (n = 205; 141 UK, 64 overseas), was performed. RESULTS: Overall, the standard of performance was poor. A questionnaire distributed to participants showed that a wide range of methods was used, some of which were considered inadequate to achieve reliable results. Teaching material was distributed to participants from time to time in an attempt to improve standards. CONCLUSIONS: Since the closure of the IMLS fellowship course in 1972, fewer opportunities for specialised training in parasitology are available: more training is needed. Poor performance in the detection of malarial parasites is mainly attributable to incorrect speciation, misidentification, and lack of equipment such as an eyepiece graticule. PMID:1452791

Assessing biodiversity on the farm scale as basis for ecosystem service payments.

PubMed

von Haaren, Christina; Kempa, Daniela; Vogel, Katrin; Rüter, Stefan

2012-12-30

Ecosystem services payments must be based on a standardised transparent assessment of the goods and services provided. This is especially relevant in the context of EU agri-environmental programs, but also for organic-food companies that foster environmental services on their contractor farms. Addressing the farm scale is important because land users/owners are major recipients of payments and they could be more involved in data generation and conservation management. A standardised system for measuring on-farm biodiversity does not yet exist that concentrates on performance indicators and includes farmers in generating information. A method is required that produces ordinal or metric scaled assessment results as well as management measures. Another requirement is the ease of application, which includes the ease of gathering input data and understandability. In order to respond to this need, we developed a method which is designed for automated application in an open source farm assessment system named MANUELA. The method produces an ordinal scale assessment of biodiversity that includes biotopes, species, biotope connectivity and the influence of land use. In addition, specific measures for biotope types are proposed. The open source geographical information system OpenJump is used for the implementation of MANUELA. The results of the trial applications and robustness tests show that the assessment can be implemented, for the most part, using existing information as well as data available from farmers or advisors. The results are more sensitive for showing on-farm achievements and changes than existing biotope-type classifications. Such a differentiated classification is needed as a basis for ecosystem service payments and for designing effective measures. The robustness of the results with respect to biotope connectivity is comparable to that of complex models, but it should be further improved. Interviews with the test farmers substantiate that the assessment methods can be implemented on farms and they are understood by farmers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Imaging assessment of bone and cartilage destruction in rheumatoid arthritis].

PubMed

Hirata, Shintaro; Tanaka, Yoshiya

2015-12-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by synovitis and subsequent joint destruction involving bone and cartilage. Recent therapeutic development have improved outcomes including disease activity and structural progression in RA, and standardized procedures of imaging assessment including modified total Sharp score (mTSS) have contributed largely for the development of therapeutic strategy. In addition, ultrasonography and MRI of joints have been recently emerging as novel imaging methods for RA. Here, we review current imaging assessments of bone and cartilage destruction in RA.

Assessment of Cognitive Communications Interest Areas for NASA Needs and Benefits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knoblock, Eric J.; Madanayake, Arjuna

2017-01-01

This effort provides a survey and assessment of various cognitive communications interest areas, including node-to-node link optimization, intelligent routing/networking, and learning algorithms, and is conducted primarily from the perspective of NASA space communications needs and benefits. Areas of consideration include optimization methods, learning algorithms, and candidate implementations/technologies. Assessments of current research efforts are provided with mention of areas for further investment. Other considerations, such as antenna technologies and cognitive radio platforms, are briefly provided as well.

Solar technology assessment project. Volume 6: Photovoltaic technology assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Backus, C. E.

1981-04-01

Industrial production of photovoltaic systems and volume of sales are reviewed. Low cost silicon production techniques are reviewed, including the Czochralski process, heat exchange method, edge defined film fed growth, dentritic web growth, and silicon on ceramic process. Semicrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, and low cost poly-silicon are discussed as well as advanced materials and concentrator systems. Balance of system components beyond those needed to manufacture the solar panels are included. Nontechnical factors are assessed. The 1986 system cost goals are briefly reviewed.

The Assessment of Metacognition in Children Aged 4-16 Years: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gascoine, Louise; Higgins, Steve; Wall, Kate

2017-01-01

This article presents the results of a systematic review of methods that have been used to measure or assess metacognition in children aged 4-16 years over a 20-year period (1992-2012). It includes an overview of the types of tool and methods used linked with the ages of the participants targeted and how metacognition and associated concepts are…

Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: selected methods for monitoring chemical contaminants and their effects in aquatic ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, Christopher J.; Dethloff, Gail M.

2000-01-01

This document describes the suite of biological methods of the U.S. Geological Survey- Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends program for monitoring chemical contaminants and their effects on fish. The methods, which were selected by panels of experts, are being field-tested in rivers of the Mississippi River, Columbia River, and Rio Grande basins. General health biomarkers include a health assessment index based on gross observation; histopathological examination of selected organs and tissues; condition factor; and the heptosomatic and splenosomatic indices. Immune system indicators are plasma lysozyme activity and measures of splenic macrophage aggregates. Reproductive biomarkers include plasma concentrations of sex steroid hormones (17b-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone) and vitellogenin, gonadal histopathology (including reproductive stage and, in females, gonadal atresia), and the gonadosomatic index. Indicators of exposure to polycyclic aromatic and polyhalogenated hydrocarbons are the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay (performed on solvent extracts of composite fish samples) and hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity. Stable nitrogen isotope ratios are used to assess the trophic position of the fish and their exposure to sewage and other animal wastes. For each indicator we describe endpoint(s) and methods, and discuss the indicator?s value and limitations for contaminant monitoring and assessment.

Monitoring the ability to deliver care in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review of health facility assessment tools

PubMed Central

Nickerson, Jason W; Adams, Orvill; Attaran, Amir; Hatcher-Roberts, Janet; Tugwell, Peter

2015-01-01

Introduction Health facilities assessments are an essential instrument for health system strengthening in low- and middle-income countries. These assessments are used to conduct health facility censuses to assess the capacity of the health system to deliver health care and to identify gaps in the coverage of health services. Despite the valuable role of these assessments, there are currently no minimum standards or frameworks for these tools. Methods We used a structured keyword search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE and HealthStar databases and searched the websites of the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the International Health Facilities Assessment Network to locate all available health facilities assessment tools intended for use in low- and middle-income countries. We parsed the various assessment tools to identify similarities between them, which we catalogued into a framework comprising 41 assessment domains. Results We identified 10 health facility assessment tools meeting our inclusion criteria, all of which were included in our analysis. We found substantial variation in the comprehensiveness of the included tools, with the assessments containing indicators in 13 to 33 (median: 25.5) of the 41 assessment domains included in our framework. None of the tools collected data on all 41 of the assessment domains we identified. Conclusions Not only do a large number of health facility assessment tools exist, but the data they collect and methods they employ are very different. This certainly limits the comparability of the data between different countries’ health systems and probably creates blind spots that impede efforts to strengthen those systems. Agreement is needed on the essential elements of health facility assessments to guide the development of specific indicators and for refining existing instruments. PMID:24895350

A weight-of-evidence approach to assess chemicals: case study on the assessment of persistence of 4,6-substituted phenolic benzotriazoles in the environment.

PubMed

Brandt, Marc; Becker, Eva; Jöhncke, Ulrich; Sättler, Daniel; Schulte, Christoph

2016-01-01

One important purpose of the European REACH Regulation (EC No. 1907/2006) is to promote the use of alternative methods for assessment of hazards of substances in order to avoid animal testing. Experience with environmental hazard assessment under REACH shows that efficient alternative methods are needed in order to assess chemicals when standard test data are missing. One such assessment method is the weight-of-evidence (WoE) approach. In this study, the WoE approach was used to assess the persistence of certain phenolic benzotriazoles, a group of substances including also such of very high concern (SVHC). For phenolic benzotriazoles, assessment of the environmental persistence is challenging as standard information, i.e. simulation tests on biodegradation are not available. Thus, the WoE approach was used: overall information resulting from many sources was considered, and individual uncertainties of each source analysed separately. In a second step, all information was aggregated giving an overall picture of persistence to assess the degradability of the phenolic benzotriazoles under consideration although the reliability of individual sources was incomplete. Overall, the evidence suggesting that phenolic benzotriazoles are very persistent in the environment is unambiguous. This was demonstrated by a WoE approach considering the prerequisites of REACH by combining several limited information sources. The combination enabled a clear overall assessment which can be reliably used for SVHC identification. Finally, it is recommended to include WoE approaches as an important tool in future environmental risk assessments.

Triangular model integrating clinical teaching and assessment

PubMed Central

Abdelaziz, Adel; Koshak, Emad

2014-01-01

Structuring clinical teaching is a challenge facing medical education curriculum designers. A variety of instructional methods on different domains of learning are indicated to accommodate different learning styles. Conventional methods of clinical teaching, like training in ambulatory care settings, are prone to the factor of coincidence in having varieties of patient presentations. Accordingly, alternative methods of instruction are indicated to compensate for the deficiencies of these conventional methods. This paper presents an initiative that can be used to design a checklist as a blueprint to guide appropriate selection and implementation of teaching/learning and assessment methods in each of the educational courses and modules based on educational objectives. Three categories of instructional methods were identified, and within each a variety of methods were included. These categories are classroom-type settings, health services-based settings, and community service-based settings. Such categories have framed our triangular model of clinical teaching and assessment. PMID:24624002

Triangular model integrating clinical teaching and assessment.

PubMed

Abdelaziz, Adel; Koshak, Emad

2014-01-01

Structuring clinical teaching is a challenge facing medical education curriculum designers. A variety of instructional methods on different domains of learning are indicated to accommodate different learning styles. Conventional methods of clinical teaching, like training in ambulatory care settings, are prone to the factor of coincidence in having varieties of patient presentations. Accordingly, alternative methods of instruction are indicated to compensate for the deficiencies of these conventional methods. This paper presents an initiative that can be used to design a checklist as a blueprint to guide appropriate selection and implementation of teaching/learning and assessment methods in each of the educational courses and modules based on educational objectives. Three categories of instructional methods were identified, and within each a variety of methods were included. These categories are classroom-type settings, health services-based settings, and community service-based settings. Such categories have framed our triangular model of clinical teaching and assessment.

Developing an Engineering Design Process Assessment using Mixed Methods.

PubMed

Wind, Stefanie A; Alemdar, Meltem; Lingle, Jeremy A; Gale, Jessica D; Moore, Roxanne A

Recent reforms in science education worldwide include an emphasis on engineering design as a key component of student proficiency in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics disciplines. However, relatively little attention has been directed to the development of psychometrically sound assessments for engineering. This study demonstrates the use of mixed methods to guide the development and revision of K-12 Engineering Design Process (EDP) assessment items. Using results from a middle-school EDP assessment, this study illustrates the combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques to inform item development and revisions. Overall conclusions suggest that the combination of quantitative and qualitative evidence provides an in-depth picture of item quality that can be used to inform the revision and development of EDP assessment items. Researchers and practitioners can use the methods illustrated here to gather validity evidence to support the interpretation and use of new and existing assessments.

Stream Stability and Scour Assessments at Bridges in Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, Gene W.; Bratton, Lisa; Armstrong, David S.

1997-01-01

In 1989, the Federal Highway Administration mandated that every state establish a program to evaluate the vulnerability to floods of all bridges over water. The Massachusetts Highway Department entered into a cooperative effort with the U.S. Geological Survey to comply with this mandate. Geomorphic and hydraulic characteristics were collected and were used to assess the processes that affect stream stability and current scour problems and potential near 2,361 bridge sites in Massachusetts. As a result of these assessments, the Massachusetts Highway Department will prioritize the bridge inventory for action regarding scour safety. A data base was prepared that includes the geomorphic and hydraulic data collected during field assessments. In addition to the data base, this report includes the historical development of the bridge scour program, the methods used for data collection during assessments, the methods used for quality assurance and quality control, and how the data base was digitally formatted to be presented on a CD-ROM. A user's guide provides assistance in the use of this electronic data base and report.

Toward Ensuring Health Equity: Readability and Cultural Equivalence of OMERACT Patient-reported Outcome Measures

PubMed Central

Petkovic, Jennifer; Epstein, Jonathan; Buchbinder, Rachelle; Welch, Vivian; Rader, Tamara; Lyddiatt, Anne; Clerehan, Rosemary; Christensen, Robin; Boonen, Annelies; Goel, Niti; Maxwell, Lara J.; Toupin-April, Karine; De Wit, Maarten; Barton, Jennifer; Flurey, Caroline; Jull, Janet; Barnabe, Cheryl; Sreih, Antoine G.; Campbell, Willemina; Pohl, Christoph; Duruöz, Mehmet Tuncay; Singh, Jasvinder A.; Tugwell, Peter S.; Guillemin, Francis

2016-01-01

Objective The goal of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 12 (2014) equity working group was to determine whether and how comprehensibility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) should be assessed, to ensure suitability for people with low literacy and differing cultures. Methods The English, Dutch, French, and Turkish Health Assessment Questionnaires and English and French Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life questionnaires were evaluated by applying 3 readability formulas: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook; and a new tool, the Evaluative Linguistic Framework for Questionnaires, developed to assess text quality of questionnaires. We also considered a study assessing cross-cultural adaptation with/without back-translation and/or expert committee. The results of this preconference work were presented to the equity working group participants to gain their perspectives on the importance of comprehensibility and cross-cultural adaptation for PROM. Results Thirty-one OMERACT delegates attended the equity session. Twenty-six participants agreed that PROM should be assessed for comprehensibility and for use of suitable methods (4 abstained, 1 no). Twenty-two participants agreed that cultural equivalency of PROM should be assessed and suitable methods used (7 abstained, 2 no). Special interest group participants identified challenges with cross-cultural adaptation including resources required, and suggested patient involvement for improving translation and adaptation. Conclusion Future work will include consensus exercises on what methods are required to ensure PROM are appropriate for people with low literacy and different cultures. PMID:26077410

Comparison study on qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methods for urban natural gas pipeline network.

PubMed

Han, Z Y; Weng, W G

2011-05-15

In this paper, a qualitative and a quantitative risk assessment methods for urban natural gas pipeline network are proposed. The qualitative method is comprised of an index system, which includes a causation index, an inherent risk index, a consequence index and their corresponding weights. The quantitative method consists of a probability assessment, a consequences analysis and a risk evaluation. The outcome of the qualitative method is a qualitative risk value, and for quantitative method the outcomes are individual risk and social risk. In comparison with previous research, the qualitative method proposed in this paper is particularly suitable for urban natural gas pipeline network, and the quantitative method takes different consequences of accidents into consideration, such as toxic gas diffusion, jet flame, fire ball combustion and UVCE. Two sample urban natural gas pipeline networks are used to demonstrate these two methods. It is indicated that both of the two methods can be applied to practical application, and the choice of the methods depends on the actual basic data of the gas pipelines and the precision requirements of risk assessment. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation methods for assessing effectiveness of in situ remediation of soil and sediment contaminated with organic pollutants and heavy metals.

PubMed

Song, Biao; Zeng, Guangming; Gong, Jilai; Liang, Jie; Xu, Piao; Liu, Zhifeng; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Chen; Cheng, Min; Liu, Yang; Ye, Shujing; Yi, Huan; Ren, Xiaoya

2017-08-01

Soil and sediment contamination has become a critical issue worldwide due to its great harm to the ecological environment and public health. In recent years, many remediation technologies including physical, chemical, biological, and combined methods have been proposed and adopted for the purpose of solving the problems of soil and sediment contamination. However, current research on evaluation methods for assessing these remediation technologies is scattered and lacks valid and integrated evaluation methods for assessing the remediation effectiveness. This paper provides a comprehensive review with an environmental perspective on the evaluation methods for assessing the effectiveness of in situ remediation of soil and sediment contaminated with organic pollutants and heavy metals. The review systematically summarizes recent exploration and attempts of the remediation effectiveness assessment based on the content of pollutants, soil and sediment characteristics, and ecological risks. Moreover, limitations and future research needs of the practical assessment are discussed. These limitations are not conducive to the implementation of the abatement and control programs for soil and sediment contamination. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the evaluation methods for assessing the remediation effectiveness while developing new in situ remediation technologies in future research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency

PubMed Central

Beresford, Nicola; Baynes, Alice; Kanda, Rakesh; Mills, Matthew R.; Arias-Salazar, Karla; Collins, Terrence J.; Jobling, Susan

2016-01-01

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds pose a substantial risk to the aquatic environment. Ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estrone (E1) have recently been included in a watch list of environmental pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive. Municipal wastewater treatment plants are major contributors to the estrogenic potency of surface waters. Much of the estrogenic potency of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can be attributed to the discharge of steroid estrogens including estradiol (E2), EE2 and E1 due to incomplete removal of these substances at the treatment plant. An evaluation of the efficacy of wastewater treatment processes requires the quantitative determination of individual substances most often undertaken using chemical analysis methods. Most frequently used methods include Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS/MS) or Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMS/MS) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Although very useful for regulatory purposes, targeted chemical analysis can only provide data on the compounds (and specific metabolites) monitored. Ecotoxicology methods additionally ensure that any by-products produced or unknown estrogenic compounds present are also assessed via measurement of their biological activity. A number of in vitro bioassays including the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) are available to measure the estrogenic activity of wastewater samples. Chemical analysis in conjunction with in vivo and in vitro bioassays provides a useful toolbox for assessment of the efficacy and suitability of wastewater treatment processes with respect to estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds. This paper utilizes a battery of chemical and ecotoxicology tests to assess conventional, advanced and emerging wastewater treatment processes in laboratory and field studies. PMID:27684328

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF METHODS TO ASSESS HUMAN EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES

EPA Science Inventory

Note: this task is schedule to end September 2003. Two tasks will take its place: method development for emerging pesticides including chiral chemistry applications, and in-house laboratory operations. Field sampling methods are covered under a new task proposed this year.
<...

Entropy and generalized least square methods in assessment of the regional value of streamgages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markus, M.; Vernon, Knapp H.; Tasker, Gary D.

2003-01-01

The Illinois State Water Survey performed a study to assess the streamgaging network in the State of Illinois. One of the important aspects of the study was to assess the regional value of each station through an assessment of the information transfer among gaging records for low, average, and high flow conditions. This analysis was performed for the main hydrologic regions in the State, and the stations were initially evaluated using a new approach based on entropy analysis. To determine the regional value of each station within a region, several information parameters, including total net information, were defined based on entropy. Stations were ranked based on the total net information. For comparison, the regional value of the same stations was assessed using the generalized least square regression (GLS) method, developed by the US Geological Survey. Finally, a hybrid combination of GLS and entropy was created by including a function of the negative net information as a penalty function in the GLS. The weights of the combined model were determined to maximize the average correlation with the results of GLS and entropy. The entropy and GLS methods were evaluated using the high-flow data from southern Illinois stations. The combined method was compared with the entropy and GLS approaches using the high-flow data from eastern Illinois stations. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring Resource Utilization: A Systematic Review of Validated Self-Reported Questionnaires.

PubMed

Leggett, Laura E; Khadaroo, Rachel G; Holroyd-Leduc, Jayna; Lorenzetti, Diane L; Hanson, Heather; Wagg, Adrian; Padwal, Raj; Clement, Fiona

2016-03-01

A variety of methods may be used to obtain costing data. Although administrative data are most commonly used, the data available in these datasets are often limited. An alternative method of obtaining costing is through self-reported questionnaires. Currently, there are no systematic reviews that summarize self-reported resource utilization instruments from the published literature.The aim of the study was to identify validated self-report healthcare resource use instruments and to map their attributes.A systematic review was conducted. The search identified articles using terms like "healthcare utilization" and "questionnaire." All abstracts and full texts were considered in duplicate. For inclusion, studies had to assess the validity of a self-reported resource use questionnaire, to report original data, include adult populations, and the questionnaire had to be publically available. Data such as type of resource utilization assessed by each questionnaire, and validation findings were extracted from each study.In all, 2343 unique citations were retrieved; 2297 were excluded during abstract review. Forty-six studies were reviewed in full text, and 15 studies were included in this systematic review. Six assessed resource utilization of patients with chronic conditions; 5 assessed mental health service utilization; 3 assessed resource utilization by a general population; and 1 assessed utilization in older populations. The most frequently measured resources included visits to general practitioners and inpatient stays; nonmedical resources were least frequently measured. Self-reported questionnaires on resource utilization had good agreement with administrative data, although, visits to general practitioners, outpatient days, and nurse visits had poorer agreement.Self-reported questionnaires are a valid method of collecting data on healthcare resource utilization.

Low-Income, African American and American Indian Children's Viewpoints on Body Image Assessment Tools and Body Satisfaction: A Mixed Methods Study.

PubMed

Heidelberger, Lindsay; Smith, Chery

2018-03-03

Objectives Pediatric obesity is complicated by many factors including psychological issues, such as body dissatisfaction. Body image assessment tools are used with children to measure their acceptance of their body shape or image. Limited research has been conducted with African American and American Indian children to understand their opinions on assessment tools created. This study investigated: (a) children's perception about body image and (b) differences between two body image instruments among low-income, multi-ethnic children. Methods This study uses mixed methodology including focus groups (qualitative) and body image assessment instruments (quantitative). Fifty-one children participated (25 girls, 26 boys); 53% of children identified as African American and 47% as American Indian. The average age was 10.4 years. Open coding methods were used by identify themes from focus group data. SPSS was used for quantitative analysis. Results Children preferred the Figure Rating Scale (FRS/silhouette) instrument over the Children's Body Image Scale (CBIS/photo) because their body parts and facial features were more detailed. Children formed their body image perception with influence from their parents and the media. Children verbalized that they have experienced negative consequences related to poor body image including disordered eating habits, depression, and bullying. Healthy weight children are also aware of weight-related bullying that obese and overweight children face. Conclusions for Practice Children prefer that the images on a body image assessment tool have detailed facial features and are clothed. Further research into body image assessment tools for use with African American and American Indian children is needed.

How health technology assessment agencies address the issue of unpublished data.

PubMed

Kreis, Julia; Panteli, Dimitra; Busse, Reinhard

2014-01-01

Reporting bias potentially threatens the validity of results in health technology assessment (HTA) reports. Our study aimed to explore policies and practices of HTA agencies regarding strategies to include previously unpublished data in their assessments, focusing on requests to industry for unpublished data. We included international HTA agencies with publicly available methods papers as well as HTA reports. From the methods papers and recent reports we extracted information on requests to industry and on searches in trial registries, regulatory authority Web sites and for conference abstracts. Eighteen HTA agencies and seventy-three reports were included. Agencies' methods papers showed variability regarding requests to industry (requests are routinely carried out in seven cases, not mentioned in six, at the discretion of HTA authors in three, and based on manufacturer applications in two), which were reflected in the reports investigated. As reporting of requests was limited, it often remained unclear whether unpublished data had been received. Searches in trial registries, at regulatory authorities or for conference abstracts are described as a routine or optional part of the search strategy in the methods papers of 9, 11, and 8 included agencies, respectively. A total of 52 percent, 39 percent, and 16 percent of reports described searches in trial registries, at regulatory agencies, and hand searching of conference proceedings. International HTA agencies currently differ considerably in their efforts to address the issue of unpublished data. Requests to industry may constitute one strategy to access and include unpublished data, while agencies can learn from each other concerning successful practice.

Trail resource impacts and an examination of alternative assessment techniques

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marion, J.L.; Leung, Y.-F.

2001-01-01

Trails are a primary recreation resource facility on which recreation activities are performed. They provide safe access to non-roaded areas, support recreational opportunities such as hiking, biking, and wildlife observation, and protect natural resources by concentrating visitor traffic on resistant treads. However, increasing recreational use, coupled with poorly designed and/or maintained trails, has led to a variety of resource impacts. Trail managers require objective information on trails and their conditions to monitor trends, direct trail maintenance efforts, and evaluate the need for visitor management and resource protection actions. This paper reviews trail impacts and different types of trail assessments, including inventory, maintenance, and condition assessment approaches. Two assessment methods, point sampling and problem assessment, are compared empirically from separate assessments of a 15-mile segment of the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Results indicate that point sampling and problem assessment methods yield distinctly different types of quantitative information. The point sampling method provides more accurate and precise measures of trail characteristics that are continuous or frequent (e.g., tread width or exposed soil). The problem assessment method is a preferred approach for monitoring trail characteristics that can be easily predefined or are infrequent (e.g., excessive width or secondary treads), particularly when information on the location of specific trail impact problems is needed. The advantages and limitations of these two assessment methods are examined in relation to various management and research information needs. The choice and utility of these assessment methods are also discussed.

Moving Nursing Program Portfolio Assessment From Midterm to End of Program: Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Hickey, Kari; Rossetti, Jeanette; Oldenburg, Nancy; Abendroth, Maryann; Uhlken, Connie; Musker, Kathleen; Peters, Bradley; Paramore, Patricia

Portfolio assessment promotes a culture of evidence, evaluates program outcomes, and provides an opportunity to assess the acquisition of knowledge and skills that are not easily assessed by examinations and other traditional assessment methods in nursing curricula. The portfolio program of 1 Midwestern school of nursing recently moved portfolio assessment to the end of program. The process of this change including logistics, rubric development, and lessons learned is highlighted.

Development of an Evidence-Based Clinical Algorithm for Practice in Hypotonia Assessment: A Proposal

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Assessing muscle tone in children is essential during the neurological assessment and is often essential in ensuring a more accurate diagnosis for appropriate management. While there have been advances in child neurology, there remains much contention around the subjectivity of the clinical assessment of hypotonia, which is often the first step in the diagnostic process. Objective In response to this challenge, the objective of the study is to develop and validate a prototype of a decision making process in the form of a clinical algorithm that will guide clinicians during this assessment process. Methods Design research within a pragmatic stance will be employed in this study. Multi-phase stages of assessment, prototyping and evaluation will occur. These will include processes that include a systematic review, processes of reflection and action as well as validation methods. Given the mixed methods nature of this study, use of NVIVO or ATLAS-ti will be used in the analysis of qualitative data and SPSS for quantitative data. Results Initial results from the systematic review revealed a paucity of scientific literature that documented the objective assessment of hypotonia in children. The review identified the need for more studies with greater methodological rigor in order to determine best practice with respect to the methods used in the assessment of low muscle tone in the paediatric population. Conclusions It is envisaged that this proposal will contribute to a more accurate clinical diagnosis of children with low muscle tone in the absence of a gold standard. We anticipate that the use of this tool will ultimately assist clinicians towards moving to evidenced based practice whilst upholding best practice in the care of children with hypotonia. PMID:25485571

Nutritional assessment in children with cystic fibrosis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Optimal nutrition, including consuming 35–40% of calories (kcal) as fat, is a vital part of the management of cystic fibrosis (CF), and involves accurate assessment of dietary intake. We compared 3 methods of nutritional assessment in 8– to 14-year-old children (n=20) with CF: 1) a 24-h Dietary Reca...

The Role of Tests in Assessing Intellectual Functioning of Children with Special Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mearig, Judith S.

1981-01-01

Various testing methods have been developed to assess the intellectual functioning of children with learning disabilities, but testing is only one tool in the comprehensive process of assessment. The alternatives to relying exclusively on intelligence testing include ability tests, individual education plans, and beginning the teaching/programing…

Missing Children in Educational Research: Investigating School-Based versus Household-Based Assessments in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodnight, Melissa Rae; Bobde, Savitri

2018-01-01

Including all children in large-scale educational studies is a pressing concern. Omitting certain types of children from studies can lead to skewed findings that promote inaccuracies about learning levels or educational quality. Increasingly, assessments are a method for investigating the quality of education systems, but national assessments are…

Methods of Identification of Students with Learning Disabilities in Reading: Perceptions of Administrators in Illinois and Implications for School Psychologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopper, Christy L.

2014-01-01

School psychologists' training provides a variety of skills from which its practitioners may draw, including consultation, intervention, counseling, staff development, and assessment. Despite these broad skills, school psychologists' primary roles involve assessment and assessment-related tasks, generally as related to eligibility determination…

A Psychometric Study of the Infant and Toddler Intervals of the Social Emotional Assessment Measure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squires, Jane K.; Waddell, Misti L.; Clifford, Jantina R.; Funk, Kristin; Hoselton, Robert M.; Chen, Ching-I

2013-01-01

Psychometric and utility studies on Social Emotional Assessment Measure (SEAM), an innovative tool for assessing and monitoring social-emotional and behavioral development in infants and toddlers with disabilities, were conducted. The Infant and Toddler SEAM intervals were the study focus, using mixed methods, including item response theory…

A workshop on developing risk assessment methods for medical use of radioactive material. Volume 2: Supporting documents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tortorelli, J.P.

A workshop was held at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, August 16--18, 1994 on the topic of risk assessment on medical devices that use radioactive isotopes. Its purpose was to review past efforts to develop a risk assessment methodology to evaluate these devices, and to develop a program plan and a scoping document for future methodology development. This report contains presentation material and a transcript of the workshop. Participants included experts in the fields of radiation oncology, medical physics, risk assessment, human-error analysis, and human factors. Staff from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) associated with the regulation of medicalmore » uses of radioactive materials and with research into risk-assessment methods participated in the workshop. The workshop participants concurred in NRC`s intended use of risk assessment as an important technology in the development of regulations for the medical use of radioactive material and encouraged the NRC to proceed rapidly with a pilot study. Specific recommendations are included in the executive summary and the body of this report.« less

A suite of phantom-based test methods for assessing image quality of photoacoustic tomography systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, William C.; Jia, Congxian; Wear, Keith A.; Garra, Brian S.; Pfefer, T. Joshua

2017-03-01

As Photoacoustic Tomography (PAT) matures and undergoes clinical translation, objective performance test methods are needed to facilitate device development, regulatory clearance and clinical quality assurance. For mature medical imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound, tissue-mimicking phantoms are frequently incorporated into consensus standards for performance testing. A well-validated set of phantom-based test methods is needed for evaluating performance characteristics of PAT systems. To this end, we have constructed phantoms using a custom tissue-mimicking material based on PVC plastisol with tunable, biologically-relevant optical and acoustic properties. Each phantom is designed to enable quantitative assessment of one or more image quality characteristics including 3D spatial resolution, spatial measurement accuracy, ultrasound/PAT co-registration, uniformity, penetration depth, geometric distortion, sensitivity, and linearity. Phantoms contained targets including high-intensity point source targets and dye-filled tubes. This suite of phantoms was used to measure the dependence of performance of a custom PAT system (equipped with four interchangeable linear array transducers of varying design) on design parameters (e.g., center frequency, bandwidth, element geometry). Phantoms also allowed comparison of image artifacts, including surface-generated clutter and bandlimited sensing artifacts. Results showed that transducer design parameters create strong variations in performance including a trade-off between resolution and penetration depth, which could be quantified with our method. This study demonstrates the utility of phantom-based image quality testing in device performance assessment, which may guide development of consensus standards for PAT systems.

Review on pen-and-paper-based observational methods for assessing ergonomic risk factors of computer work.

PubMed

Rahman, Mohd Nasrull Abdol; Mohamad, Siti Shafika

2017-01-01

Computer works are associated with Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). There are several methods have been developed to assess computer work risk factor related to MSDs. This review aims to give an overview of current techniques available for pen-and-paper-based observational methods in assessing ergonomic risk factors of computer work. We searched an electronic database for materials from 1992 until 2015. The selected methods were focused on computer work, pen-and-paper observational methods, office risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders. This review was developed to assess the risk factors, reliability and validity of pen-and-paper observational method associated with computer work. Two evaluators independently carried out this review. Seven observational methods used to assess exposure to office risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders were identified. The risk factors involved in current techniques of pen and paper based observational tools were postures, office components, force and repetition. From the seven methods, only five methods had been tested for reliability. They were proven to be reliable and were rated as moderate to good. For the validity testing, from seven methods only four methods were tested and the results are moderate. Many observational tools already exist, but no single tool appears to cover all of the risk factors including working posture, office component, force, repetition and office environment at office workstations and computer work. Although the most important factor in developing tool is proper validation of exposure assessment techniques, the existing observational method did not test reliability and validity. Futhermore, this review could provide the researchers with ways on how to improve the pen-and-paper-based observational method for assessing ergonomic risk factors of computer work.

Life Cycle Assessment for desalination: a review on methodology feasibility and reliability.

PubMed

Zhou, Jin; Chang, Victor W-C; Fane, Anthony G

2014-09-15

As concerns of natural resource depletion and environmental degradation caused by desalination increase, research studies of the environmental sustainability of desalination are growing in importance. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an ISO standardized method and is widely applied to evaluate the environmental performance of desalination. This study reviews more than 30 desalination LCA studies since 2000s and identifies two major issues in need of improvement. The first is feasibility, covering three elements that support the implementation of the LCA to desalination, including accounting methods, supporting databases, and life cycle impact assessment approaches. The second is reliability, addressing three essential aspects that drive uncertainty in results, including the incompleteness of the system boundary, the unrepresentativeness of the database, and the omission of uncertainty analysis. This work can serve as a preliminary LCA reference for desalination specialists, but will also strengthen LCA as an effective method to evaluate the environment footprint of desalination alternatives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The methods of assessment of health risk from exposure to radon and radon daughters].

PubMed

Demin, V F; Zhukovskiy, M V; Kiselev, S M

2014-01-01

The critical analysis of existing models of the relationship dose-effect (RDE) for radon exposure on human health has been performed. Conclusion about the necessity and possibility of improving these models has been made. A new improved version ofthe RDE has been developed. A technique for assessing the human health risk of exposure to radon, including the method for estimating of exposure doses of radon, an improved model of RDE, proper methodology risk assessment has been described. Methodology is proposed for the use in the territory of Russia.

In Vivo Methods for the Assessment of Topical Drug Bioavailability

PubMed Central

Herkenne, Christophe; Alberti, Ingo; Naik, Aarti; Kalia, Yogeshvar N.; Mathy, François-Xavier; Préat, Véronique

2007-01-01

This paper reviews some current methods for the in vivo assessment of local cutaneous bioavailability in humans after topical drug application. After an introduction discussing the importance of local drug bioavailability assessment and the limitations of model-based predictions, the focus turns to the relevance of experimental studies. The available techniques are then reviewed in detail, with particular emphasis on the tape stripping and microdialysis methodologies. Other less developed techniques, including the skin biopsy, suction blister, follicle removal and confocal Raman spectroscopy techniques are also described. PMID:17985216

A checklist to assess the quality of reports on spa therapy and balneotherapy trials was developed using the Delphi consensus method: the SPAC checklist.

PubMed

Kamioka, Hiroharu; Kawamura, Yoichi; Tsutani, Kiichiro; Maeda, Masaharu; Hayasaka, Shinya; Okuizum, Hiroyasu; Okada, Shinpei; Honda, Takuya; Iijima, Yuichi

2013-08-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a checklist of items that describes and measures the quality of reports of interventional trials assessing spa therapy. The Delphi consensus method was used to select the number of items in the checklist. A total of eight individuals participated, including an epidemiologist, a clinical research methodologist, clinical researchers, a medical journalist, and a health fitness programmer. Participants ranked on a 9-point Likert scale whether an item should be included in the checklist. Three rounds of the Delphi method were conducted to achieve consensus. The final checklist contained 19 items, with items related to title, place of implementation (specificity of spa), care provider influence, and additional measures to minimize the potential bias from withdrawals, loss to follow-up, and low treatment adherence. This checklist is simple and quick to complete, and should help clinicians and researchers critically appraise the medical and healthcare literature, reviewers assess the quality of reports included in systematic reviews, and researchers plan interventional trials of spa therapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of methodologies for analysis of the dungeness B accidental aircraft crash risk.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LaChance, Jeffrey L.; Hansen, Clifford W.

2010-09-01

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has requested Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to review the aircraft crash methodology for nuclear facilities that are being used in the United Kingdom (UK). The scope of the work included a review of one method utilized in the UK for assessing the potential for accidental airplane crashes into nuclear facilities (Task 1) and a comparison of the UK methodology against similar International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), United States (US) Department of Energy (DOE), and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) methods (Task 2). Based on the conclusions from Tasks 1 and 2, an additionalmore » Task 3 would provide an assessment of a site-specific crash frequency for the Dungeness B facility using one of the other methodologies. This report documents the results of Task 2. The comparison of the different methods was performed for the three primary contributors to aircraft crash risk at the Dungeness B site: airfield related crashes, crashes below airways, and background crashes. The methods and data specified in each methodology were compared for each of these risk contributors, differences in the methodologies were identified, and the importance of these differences was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. The bases for each of the methods and the data used were considered in this assessment process. A comparison of the treatment of the consequences of the aircraft crashes was not included in this assessment because the frequency of crashes into critical structures is currently low based on the existing Dungeness B assessment. Although the comparison found substantial differences between the UK and the three alternative methodologies (IAEA, NRC, and DOE) this assessment concludes that use of any of these alternative methodologies would not change the conclusions reached for the Dungeness B site. Performance of Task 3 is thus not recommended.« less

Teaching and assessing technical proficiency in surgical subspecialty fellowships.

PubMed

Gearhart, Susan L; Wang, Ming-Hsien; Gilson, Marta M; Chen, Belinda; Kern, David E

2012-01-01

To determine how programs are teaching and assessing procedural skills, and their perceived success. Cross-sectional survey. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved training programs in pediatric urology and colorectal surgery. Program directors and recent graduates (2007-2009). Thirty-nine program directors (60%), and 57 graduates (64%) responded; 89.5% of graduates and 94.9% of program directors felt training occurred successfully for the procedures that trainees were performing in their present practice. Nearly 90% of trainees and all program directors reported that there was no formal assessment of procedural competency at the beginning of training, although 66.7% of program directors reported that trainees were assessed "informally." Both program directors and trainees reported dialogue with faculty was the most frequent method used in preparing for operative procedures. Other methods (textbook/atlas, journals, web-based programs, videos) were used less frequently. Program directors with shorter tenure were more likely to use web-based and video methods; younger trainees were less likely to use textbooks/atlases. Faculty feedback on clinical decision-making and postprocedural review were perceived by both program directors and trainees as the most effective assessment methods for improving performance; however, trainees were more likely than program directors to report that postprocedure reviews were not included in their training (15.8% vs 9%, p = 0.045). Patient outcomes, written feedback from peers, and self-assessment were included in most programs, but valued less. Simulation was used in only about half the programs and was valued more highly by trainees than program directors (p = 0.011). Training in procedural proficiency was viewed as successful by both program directors and graduates. Dialogue with, assessment by, and feedback from faculty were frequently used and most valued; stressing the importance of the facilitator role of faculty in the education of the trainee. These findings provide guidance for the development of newer methods of teaching and assessment. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Method for Dynamic Risk Assessment and Management of Rockbursts in Drill and Blast Tunnels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guo-Feng; Feng, Xia-Ting; Feng, Guang-Liang; Chen, Bing-Rui; Chen, Dong-Fang; Duan, Shu-Qian

2016-08-01

Focusing on the problems caused by rockburst hazards in deep tunnels, such as casualties, damage to construction equipment and facilities, construction schedule delays, and project cost increase, this research attempts to present a methodology for dynamic risk assessment and management of rockbursts in D&B tunnels. The basic idea of dynamic risk assessment and management of rockbursts is determined, and methods associated with each step in the rockburst risk assessment and management process are given, respectively. Among them, the main parts include a microseismic method for early warning the occurrence probability of rockburst risk, an estimation method that aims to assess potential consequences of rockburst risk, an evaluation method that utilizes a new quantitative index considering both occurrence probability and consequences for determining the level of rockburst risk, and the dynamic updating. Specifically, this research briefly describes the referenced microseismic method of warning rockburst, but focuses on the analysis of consequences and associated risk assessment and management of rockburst. Using the proposed method of risk assessment and management of rockburst, the occurrence probability, potential consequences, and the level of rockburst risk can be obtained in real-time during tunnel excavation, which contributes to the dynamic optimisation of risk mitigation measures and their application. The applicability of the proposed method has been verified by those cases from the Jinping II deep headrace and water drainage tunnels at depths of 1900-2525 m (with a length of 11.6 km in total for D&B tunnels).

Image analysis methods for assessing levels of image plane nonuniformity and stochastic noise in a magnetic resonance image of a homogeneous phantom.

PubMed

Magnusson, P; Olsson, L E

2000-08-01

Magnetic response image plane nonuniformity and stochastic noise are properties that greatly influence the outcome of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluations such as gel dosimetry measurements using MRI. To study these properties, robust and accurate image analysis methods are required. New nonuniformity level assessment methods were designed, since previous methods were found to be insufficiently robust and accurate. The new and previously reported nonuniformity level assessment methods were analyzed with respect to, for example, insensitivity to stochastic noise; and previously reported stochastic noise level assessment methods with respect to insensitivity to nonuniformity. Using the same image data, different methods were found to assess significantly different levels of nonuniformity. Nonuniformity levels obtained using methods that count pixels in an intensity interval, and obtained using methods that use only intensity values, were found not to be comparable. The latter were found preferable, since they assess the quantity intrinsically sought. A new method which calculates a deviation image, with every pixel representing the deviation from a reference intensity, was least sensitive to stochastic noise. Furthermore, unlike any other analyzed method, it includes all intensity variations across the phantom area and allows for studies of nonuniformity shapes. This new method was designed for accurate studies of nonuniformities in gel dosimetry measurements, but could also be used with benefit in quality assurance and acceptance testing of MRI, scintillation camera, and computer tomography systems. The stochastic noise level was found to be greatly method dependent. Two methods were found to be insensitive to nonuniformity and also simple to use in practice. One method assesses the stochastic noise level as the average of the levels at five different positions within the phantom area, and the other assesses the stochastic noise in a region outside the phantom area.

Assessing Stream Channel Stability at Bridges in Physiographic Regions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-07-01

The objective of this study was to expand and improve a rapid channel stability assessment method developed previously by Johnson et al. to include additional factors, such as major physiographic units across the United States, a greater range of ban...

Issues in benchmarking human reliability analysis methods : a literature review.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lois, Erasmia; Forester, John Alan; Tran, Tuan Q.

There is a diversity of human reliability analysis (HRA) methods available for use in assessing human performance within probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). Due to the significant differences in the methods, including the scope, approach, and underlying models, there is a need for an empirical comparison investigating the validity and reliability of the methods. To accomplish this empirical comparison, a benchmarking study is currently underway that compares HRA methods with each other and against operator performance in simulator studies. In order to account for as many effects as possible in the construction of this benchmarking study, a literature review was conducted,more » reviewing past benchmarking studies in the areas of psychology and risk assessment. A number of lessons learned through these studies are presented in order to aid in the design of future HRA benchmarking endeavors.« less

Environmental Risk Assessment System for Phosphogypsum Tailing Dams

PubMed Central

Sun, Xin; Tang, Xiaolong; Yi, Honghong; Li, Kai; Zhou, Lianbi; Xu, Xianmang

2013-01-01

This paper may be of particular interest to the readers as it provides a new environmental risk assessment system for phosphogypsum tailing dams. In this paper, we studied the phosphogypsum tailing dams which include characteristics of the pollution source, environmental risk characteristics and evaluation requirements to identify the applicable environmental risk assessment methods. Two analytical methods, that is, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy logic, were used to handle the complexity of the environmental and nonquantitative data. Using our assessment method, different risk factors can be ranked according to their contributions to the environmental risk, thereby allowing the calculation of their relative priorities during decision making. Thus, environmental decision-makers can use this approach to develop alternative management strategies for proposed, ongoing, and completed PG tailing dams. PMID:24382947

Environmental risk assessment system for phosphogypsum tailing dams.

PubMed

Sun, Xin; Ning, Ping; Tang, Xiaolong; Yi, Honghong; Li, Kai; Zhou, Lianbi; Xu, Xianmang

2013-01-01

This paper may be of particular interest to the readers as it provides a new environmental risk assessment system for phosphogypsum tailing dams. In this paper, we studied the phosphogypsum tailing dams which include characteristics of the pollution source, environmental risk characteristics and evaluation requirements to identify the applicable environmental risk assessment methods. Two analytical methods, that is, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy logic, were used to handle the complexity of the environmental and nonquantitative data. Using our assessment method, different risk factors can be ranked according to their contributions to the environmental risk, thereby allowing the calculation of their relative priorities during decision making. Thus, environmental decision-makers can use this approach to develop alternative management strategies for proposed, ongoing, and completed PG tailing dams.

Assessing the response to targeted therapies in renal cell carcinoma: technical insights and practical considerations.

PubMed

Bex, Axel; Fournier, Laure; Lassau, Nathalie; Mulders, Peter; Nathan, Paul; Oyen, Wim J G; Powles, Thomas

2014-04-01

The introduction of targeted agents for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has resulted in new challenges for assessing response to therapy, and conventional response criteria using computed tomography (CT) are limited. It is widely recognised that targeted therapies may lead to significant necrosis without significant reduction in tumour size. In addition, the vascular effects of antiangiogenic therapy may occur long before there is any reduction in tumour size. To perform a systematic review of conventional and novel imaging methods for the assessment of response to targeted agents in RCC and to discuss their use from a clinical perspective. Relevant databases covering the period January 2006 to April 2013 were searched for studies reporting on the use of anatomic and functional imaging techniques to predict response to targeted therapy in RCC. Inclusion criteria were randomised trials, nonrandomised controlled studies, retrospective case series, and cohort studies. Reviews, animal and preclinical studies, case reports, and commentaries were excluded. A narrative synthesis of the evidence is presented. A total of 331 abstracts and 76 full-text articles were assessed; 34 studies met the inclusion criteria. Current methods of response assessment in RCC include anatomic methods--based on various criteria including Choi, size and attenuation CT, and morphology, attenuation, size, and structure--and functional techniques including dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) CT, DCE-magnetic resonance imaging, DCE-ultrasonography, positron emission tomography, and approaches utilising radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies. Functional imaging techniques are promising surrogate biomarkers of response in RCC and may be more appropriate than anatomic CT-based methods. By enabling quantification of tumour vascularisation, functional techniques can directly and rapidly detect the biologic effects of antiangiogenic therapies compared with the indirect detection of belated effects on tumour size by anatomic methods. However, larger prospective studies are needed to validate early results and standardise techniques. Copyright © 2013 European Association of Urology. All rights reserved.

Portfolio: a comprehensive method of assessment for postgraduates in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

PubMed

Kadagad, Poornima; Kotrashetti, S M

2013-03-01

Post graduate learning and assessment is an important responsibility of an academic oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The current method of assessment for post graduate training include formative evaluation in the form of seminars, case presentations, log books and infrequently conducted end of year theory exams. End of the course theory and practical examination is a summative evaluation which awards the degree to the student based on grades obtained. Oral and maxillofacial surgery is mainly a skill based specialty and deliberate practice enhances skill. But the traditional system of assessment of post graduates emphasizes their performance on the summative exam which fails to evaluate the integral picture of the student throughout the course. Emphasis on competency and holistic growth of the post graduate student during training in recent years has lead to research and evaluation of assessment methods to quantify students' progress during training. Portfolio method of assessment has been proposed as a potentially functional method for post graduate evaluation. It is defined as a collection of papers and other forms of evidence that learning has taken place. It allows the collation and integration of evidence on competence and performance from different sources to gain a comprehensive picture of everyday practice. The benefits of portfolio assessment in health professions education are twofold: it's potential to assess performance and its potential to assess outcomes, such as attitudes and professionalism that are difficult to assess using traditional instruments. This paper is an endeavor for the development of portfolio method of assessment for post graduate student in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Inter- and intra- observer reliability of risk assessment of repetitive work without an explicit method.

PubMed

Eliasson, Kristina; Palm, Peter; Nyman, Teresia; Forsman, Mikael

2017-07-01

A common way to conduct practical risk assessments is to observe a job and report the observed long term risks for musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer reliability of ergonomists' risk assessments without the support of an explicit risk assessment method. Twenty-one experienced ergonomists assessed the risk level (low, moderate, high risk) of eight upper body regions, as well as the global risk of 10 video recorded work tasks. Intra-observer reliability was assessed by having nine of the ergonomists repeat the procedure at least three weeks after the first assessment. The ergonomists made their risk assessment based on his/her experience and knowledge. The statistical parameters of reliability included agreement in %, kappa, linearly weighted kappa, intraclass correlation and Kendall's coefficient of concordance. The average inter-observer agreement of the global risk was 53% and the corresponding weighted kappa (K w ) was 0.32, indicating fair reliability. The intra-observer agreement was 61% and 0.41 (K w ). This study indicates that risk assessments of the upper body, without the use of an explicit observational method, have non-acceptable reliability. It is therefore recommended to use systematic risk assessment methods to a higher degree. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A review of data quality assessment methods for public health information systems.

PubMed

Chen, Hong; Hailey, David; Wang, Ning; Yu, Ping

2014-05-14

High quality data and effective data quality assessment are required for accurately evaluating the impact of public health interventions and measuring public health outcomes. Data, data use, and data collection process, as the three dimensions of data quality, all need to be assessed for overall data quality assessment. We reviewed current data quality assessment methods. The relevant study was identified in major databases and well-known institutional websites. We found the dimension of data was most frequently assessed. Completeness, accuracy, and timeliness were the three most-used attributes among a total of 49 attributes of data quality. The major quantitative assessment methods were descriptive surveys and data audits, whereas the common qualitative assessment methods were interview and documentation review. The limitations of the reviewed studies included inattentiveness to data use and data collection process, inconsistency in the definition of attributes of data quality, failure to address data users' concerns and a lack of systematic procedures in data quality assessment. This review study is limited by the coverage of the databases and the breadth of public health information systems. Further research could develop consistent data quality definitions and attributes. More research efforts should be given to assess the quality of data use and the quality of data collection process.

CART V: recent advancements in computer-aided camouflage assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Thomas; Müller, Markus

2011-05-01

In order to facilitate systematic, computer aided improvements of camouflage and concealment assessment methods, the software system CART (Camouflage Assessment in Real-Time) was built up for the camouflage assessment of objects in multispectral image sequences (see contributions to SPIE 2007-2010 [1], [2], [3], [4]). It comprises a semi-automatic marking of target objects (ground truth generation) including their propagation over the image sequence and the evaluation via user-defined feature extractors as well as methods to assess the object's movement conspicuity. In this fifth part in an annual series at the SPIE conference in Orlando, this paper presents the enhancements over the recent year and addresses the camouflage assessment of static and moving objects in multispectral image data that can show noise or image artefacts. The presented methods fathom the correlations between image processing and camouflage assessment. A novel algorithm is presented based on template matching to assess the structural inconspicuity of an object objectively and quantitatively. The results can easily be combined with an MTI (moving target indication) based movement conspicuity assessment function in order to explore the influence of object movement to a camouflage effect in different environments. As the results show, the presented methods contribute to a significant benefit in the field of camouflage assessment.

A Review of Data Quality Assessment Methods for Public Health Information Systems

PubMed Central

Chen, Hong; Hailey, David; Wang, Ning; Yu, Ping

2014-01-01

High quality data and effective data quality assessment are required for accurately evaluating the impact of public health interventions and measuring public health outcomes. Data, data use, and data collection process, as the three dimensions of data quality, all need to be assessed for overall data quality assessment. We reviewed current data quality assessment methods. The relevant study was identified in major databases and well-known institutional websites. We found the dimension of data was most frequently assessed. Completeness, accuracy, and timeliness were the three most-used attributes among a total of 49 attributes of data quality. The major quantitative assessment methods were descriptive surveys and data audits, whereas the common qualitative assessment methods were interview and documentation review. The limitations of the reviewed studies included inattentiveness to data use and data collection process, inconsistency in the definition of attributes of data quality, failure to address data users’ concerns and a lack of systematic procedures in data quality assessment. This review study is limited by the coverage of the databases and the breadth of public health information systems. Further research could develop consistent data quality definitions and attributes. More research efforts should be given to assess the quality of data use and the quality of data collection process. PMID:24830450

Comparison of ergonomic risk assessment outputs from rapid entire body assessment and quick exposure check in an engine oil company.

PubMed

Motamedzade, Majid; Ashuri, Mohammad Reza; Golmohammadi, Rostam; Mahjub, Hossein

2011-06-13

During the last decades, to assess the risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), enormous observational methods have been developed. Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Quick Exposure Check (QEC) are two general methods in this field. This study aimed to compare ergonomic risk assessment outputs from QEC and REBA in terms of agreement in distribution of postural loading scores based on analysis of working postures. This cross-sectional study was conducted in an engine oil company in which 40 jobs were studied. All jobs were observed by a trained occupational health practitioner. Job information was collected to ensure the completion of ergonomic risk assessment tools, including QEC, and REBA. The result revealed that there was a significant correlation between final scores (r=0.731) and the action levels (r =0.893) of two applied methods. Comparison between the action levels and final scores of two methods showed that there was no significant difference among working departments. Most of studied postures acquired low and moderate risk level in QEC assessment (low risk=20%, moderate risk=50% and High risk=30%) and in REBA assessment (low risk=15%, moderate risk=60% and high risk=25%). There is a significant correlation between two methods. They have a strong correlation in identifying risky jobs, and determining the potential risk for incidence of WMSDs. Therefore, there is possibility for researchers to apply interchangeably both methods, for postural risk assessment in appropriate working environments.

Use of technology in children’s dietary assessment

PubMed Central

Boushey, CJ; Kerr, DA; Wright, J; Lutes, KD; Ebert, DS; Delp, EJ

2010-01-01

Background Information on dietary intake provides some of the most valuable insights for mounting intervention programmes for the prevention of chronic diseases. With the growing concern about adolescent overweight, the need to accurately measure diet becomes imperative. Assessment among adolescents is problematic as this group has irregular eating patterns and they have less enthusiasm for recording food intake. Subjects/Methods We used qualitative and quantitative techniques among adolescents to assess their preferences for dietary assessment methods. Results Dietary assessment methods using technology, for example, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a disposable camera, were preferred over the pen and paper food record. Conclusions There was a strong preference for using methods that incorporate technology such as capturing images of food. This suggests that for adolescents, dietary methods that incorporate technology may improve cooperation and accuracy. Current computing technology includes higher resolution images, improved memory capacity and faster processors that allow small mobile devices to process information not previously possible. Our goal is to develop, implement and evaluate a mobile device (for example, PDA, mobile phone) food record that will translate to an accurate account of daily food and nutrient intake among adolescents. This mobile computing device will include digital images, a nutrient database and image analysis for identification and quantification of food consumption. Mobile computing devices provide a unique vehicle for collecting dietary information that reduces the burden on record keepers. Images of food can be marked with a variety of input methods that link the item for image processing and analysis to estimate the amount of food. Images before and after the foods are eaten can estimate the amount of food consumed. The initial stages and potential of this project will be described. PMID:19190645

Assessment of Interobserver Reliability in Nutrition Studies that Use Direct Observation of School Meals

PubMed Central

BAGLIO, MICHELLE L.; BAXTER, SUZANNE DOMEL; GUINN, CAROLINE H.; THOMPSON, WILLIAM O.; SHAFFER, NICOLE M.; FRYE, FRANCESCA H. A.

2005-01-01

This article (a) provides a general review of interobserver reliability (IOR) and (b) describes our method for assessing IOR for items and amounts consumed during school meals for a series of studies regarding the accuracy of fourth-grade children's dietary recalls validated with direct observation of school meals. A widely used validation method for dietary assessment is direct observation of meals. Although many studies utilize several people to conduct direct observations, few published studies indicate whether IOR was assessed. Assessment of IOR is necessary to determine that the information collected does not depend on who conducted the observation. Two strengths of our method for assessing IOR are that IOR was assessed regularly throughout the data collection period and that IOR was assessed for foods at the item and amount level instead of at the nutrient level. Adequate agreement among observers is essential to the reasoning behind using observation as a validation tool. Readers are encouraged to question the results of studies that fail to mention and/or to include the results for assessment of IOR when multiple people have conducted observations. PMID:15354155

REDUCING AMBIGUITY IN THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

PubMed Central

Rooker, Griffin W.; DeLeon, Iser G.; Borrero, Carrie S. W.; Frank-Crawford, Michelle A.; Roscoe, Eileen M.

2015-01-01

Severe problem behavior (e.g., self-injury and aggression) remains among the most serious challenges for the habilitation of persons with intellectual disabilities and is a significant obstacle to community integration. The current standard of behavior analytic treatment for problem behavior in this population consists of a functional assessment and treatment model. Within that model, the first step is to assess the behavior–environment relations that give rise to and maintain problem behavior, a functional behavioral assessment. Conventional methods of assessing behavioral function include indirect, descriptive, and experimental assessments of problem behavior. Clinical investigators have produced a rich literature demonstrating the relative effectiveness for each method, but in clinical practice, each can produce ambiguous or difficult-to-interpret outcomes that may impede treatment development. This paper outlines potential sources of variability in assessment outcomes and then reviews the evidence on strategies for avoiding ambiguous outcomes and/or clarifying initially ambiguous results. The end result for each assessment method is a set of best practice guidelines, given the available evidence, for conducting the initial assessment. PMID:26236145

75 FR 13745 - Office of Innovation and Improvement Overview Information; Ready To Teach Program-General...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-23

... on rigorous, scientifically based research methods to assess the effectiveness of a particular... and programs; and (B) Includes research that-- (i) Employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on... hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn; (iii) Relies on measurements or observational methods...

75 FR 13515 - Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII); Overview Information; Ready-to-Learn Television...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-22

... on rigorous scientifically based research methods to assess the effectiveness of a particular... activities and programs; and (B) Includes research that-- (i) Employs systematic, empirical methods that draw... or observational methods that provide reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across...

Incorporating Formative Assessment and Science Content into Elementary Science Methods--A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brower, Derek John

2012-01-01

Just as elementary students enter the science classroom with prior knowledge and experiences, so do preservice elementary teachers who enter the science methods classroom. Elementary science methods instructors recognize the challenges associated with preparing teachers for the science classroom. Two of these challenges include overcoming limited…

Training: An Opportunity for People with Disabilities in School Foodservice Operations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paez, Paola; Arendt, Susan; Strohbehn, Catherine

2011-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: This study assessed current training methods and topics used at public school foodservice operations as well as school foodservice representatives' attitudes toward training employees with disabilities. Methods: A mixed method approach of data collection included two phases. Phase I used a more qualitative approach; interviews…

Assessing Species Diversity Using Metavirome Data: Methods and Challenges.

PubMed

Herath, Damayanthi; Jayasundara, Duleepa; Ackland, David; Saeed, Isaam; Tang, Sen-Lin; Halgamuge, Saman

2017-01-01

Assessing biodiversity is an important step in the study of microbial ecology associated with a given environment. Multiple indices have been used to quantify species diversity, which is a key biodiversity measure. Measuring species diversity of viruses in different environments remains a challenge relative to measuring the diversity of other microbial communities. Metagenomics has played an important role in elucidating viral diversity by conducting metavirome studies; however, metavirome data are of high complexity requiring robust data preprocessing and analysis methods. In this review, existing bioinformatics methods for measuring species diversity using metavirome data are categorised broadly as either sequence similarity-dependent methods or sequence similarity-independent methods. The former includes a comparison of DNA fragments or assemblies generated in the experiment against reference databases for quantifying species diversity, whereas estimates from the latter are independent of the knowledge of existing sequence data. Current methods and tools are discussed in detail, including their applications and limitations. Drawbacks of the state-of-the-art method are demonstrated through results from a simulation. In addition, alternative approaches are proposed to overcome the challenges in estimating species diversity measures using metavirome data.

Doctor performance assessment in daily practise: does it help doctors or not? A systematic review.

PubMed

Overeem, Karlijn; Faber, Marjan J; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Elwyn, Glyn; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H; Wollersheim, Hub C; Grol, Richard P T M

2007-11-01

Continuous assessment of individual performance of doctors is crucial for life-long learning and quality of care. Policy-makers and health educators should have good insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the methods available. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the feasibility of methods, the psychometric properties of instruments that are especially important for summative assessments, and the effectiveness of methods serving formative assessments used in routine practise to assess the performance of individual doctors. We searched the MEDLINE (1966-January 2006), PsychINFO (1972-January 2006), CINAHL (1982-January 2006), EMBASE (1980-January 2006) and Cochrane (1966-2006) databases for English language articles, and supplemented this with a hand-search of reference lists of relevant studies and bibliographies of review articles. Studies that aimed to assess the performance of individual doctors in routine practise were included. Two reviewers independently abstracted data regarding study design, setting and findings related to reliability, validity, feasibility and effectiveness using a standard data abstraction form. A total of 64 articles met our inclusion criteria. We observed 6 different methods of evaluating performance: simulated patients; video observation; direct observation; peer assessment; audit of medical records, and portfolio or appraisal. Peer assessment is the most feasible method in terms of costs and time. Little psychometric assessment of the instruments has been undertaken so far. Effectiveness of formative assessments is poorly studied. All systems but 2 rely on a single method to assess performance. There is substantial potential to assess performance of doctors in routine practise. The longterm impact and effectiveness of formative performance assessments on education and quality of care remains hardly known. Future research designs need to pay special attention to unmasking effectiveness in terms of performance improvement.

A review of traffic-related air pollution exposure assessment studies in the developing world.

PubMed

Han, Xianglu; Naeher, Luke P

2006-01-01

Exposure assessment studies in the developing world are important. Although recent years have seen an increasing number of traffic-related pollution exposure studies, exposure assessment data on this topic are still limited. Differences among measuring methods and a lack of strict quality control in carrying out exposure assessment make it difficult to generalize and compare findings between studies. In this article, exposure assessment studies carried out in the developing world on several traffic-related air pollutants are reviewed. These pollutants include particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In addition, it discusses advantages and disadvantages of various monitoring methods (ambient fixed-site monitoring, microenvironment monitoring, and personal exposure assessment using portable samplers) for these pollutants in exposure assessment studies. Also included in this paper is a brief introduction of standards for these pollutants in ambient air or in occupational settings established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The review ends with a summary of the limitations and gaps in recent studies and suggestions for future research in the developing world.

Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention: A Systematic Review Focusing on Veterans.

PubMed

Nelson, Heidi D; Denneson, Lauren M; Low, Allison R; Bauer, Brian W; O'Neil, Maya; Kansagara, Devan; Teo, Alan R

2017-10-01

Suicide rates in veteran and military populations in the United States are high. This article reviews studies of the accuracy of methods to identify individuals at increased risk of suicide and the effectiveness and adverse effects of health care interventions relevant to U.S. veteran and military populations in reducing suicide and suicide attempts. Trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews relevant to U.S. veterans and military personnel were identified in searches of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, and Cochrane databases (January 1, 2008, to September 11, 2015), on Web sites, and in reference lists. Investigators extracted and confirmed data and dual-rated risk of bias for included studies. Nineteen studies evaluated accuracy of risk assessment methods, including models using retrospective electronic records data and clinician- or patient-rated instruments. Most methods demonstrated sensitivity ≥80% or area-under-the-curve values ≥.70 in single studies, including two studies based on electronic records of veterans and military personnel, but specificity varied. Suicide rates were reduced in six of eight observational studies of population-level interventions. Only two of ten trials of individual-level psychotherapy reported statistically significant differences between treatment and usual care. Risk assessment methods have been shown to be sensitive predictors of suicide and suicide attempts, but the frequency of false positives limits their clinical utility. Research to refine these methods and examine clinical applications is needed. Studies of suicide prevention interventions are inconclusive; trials of population-level interventions and promising therapies are required to support their clinical use.

Method and system for dynamic probabilistic risk assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dugan, Joanne Bechta (Inventor); Xu, Hong (Inventor)

2013-01-01

The DEFT methodology, system and computer readable medium extends the applicability of the PRA (Probabilistic Risk Assessment) methodology to computer-based systems, by allowing DFT (Dynamic Fault Tree) nodes as pivot nodes in the Event Tree (ET) model. DEFT includes a mathematical model and solution algorithm, supports all common PRA analysis functions and cutsets. Additional capabilities enabled by the DFT include modularization, phased mission analysis, sequence dependencies, and imperfect coverage.

Developing a stability assessment method for power electronics-based microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Peter M.

Modern microgrids with microsources and energy storage are dependent on power electronics for control and regulation. Under certain circumstances power electronics can be destabilizing to the system due to an effect called negative incremental impedance. A careful review of the theory and literature on the subject is presented. This includes stability criteria for both AC and DC systems, as well as a discussion on the limitations posed by the analysis. A method to integrate stability assessment with higher-level microgrid architectural design is proposed. Crucial to this is impedance characterization of individual components, which was accomplished through simulation. DC and AC impedance measurement blocks were created in Matlab simulink to automate the process. A detailed switching-level model of a DC microgrid was implemented in simulink, including wind turbine microsource, battery storage, and three phase inverter. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) was included to maximize the efficiency of the turbine and was implemented through three rectifier alternatives and control schemes. The stability characteristics of each was compared in the final analysis. Impedance data was collected individually from the components and used to assess stability in the system as a whole. The results included the assessment of stability, margin, and unstable operating points to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

Concurrent validity of different functional and neuroproteomic pain assessment methods in the rat osteoarthritis monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) model.

PubMed

Otis, Colombe; Gervais, Julie; Guillot, Martin; Gervais, Julie-Anne; Gauvin, Dominique; Péthel, Catherine; Authier, Simon; Dansereau, Marc-André; Sarret, Philippe; Martel-Pelletier, Johanne; Pelletier, Jean-Pierre; Beaudry, Francis; Troncy, Eric

2016-06-23

Lack of validity in osteoarthritis pain models and assessment methods is suspected. Our goal was to 1) assess the repeatability and reproducibility of measurement and the influence of environment, and acclimatization, to different pain assessment outcomes in normal rats, and 2) test the concurrent validity of the most reliable methods in relation to the expression of different spinal neuropeptides in a chemical model of osteoarthritic pain. Repeatability and inter-rater reliability of reflexive nociceptive mechanical thresholds, spontaneous static weight-bearing, treadmill, rotarod, and operant place escape/avoidance paradigm (PEAP) were assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The most reliable acclimatization protocol was determined by comparing coefficients of variation. In a pilot comparative study, the sensitivity and responsiveness to treatment of the most reliable methods were tested in the monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) model over 21 days. Two MIA (2 mg) groups (including one lidocaine treatment group) and one sham group (0.9 % saline) received an intra-articular (50 μL) injection. No effect of environment (observer, inverted circadian cycle, or exercise) was observed; all tested methods except mechanical sensitivity (ICC <0.3), offered good repeatability (ICC ≥0.7). The most reliable acclimatization protocol included five assessments over two weeks. MIA-related osteoarthritic change in pain was demonstrated with static weight-bearing, punctate tactile allodynia evaluation, treadmill exercise and operant PEAP, the latter being the most responsive to analgesic intra-articular lidocaine. Substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide were higher in MIA groups compared to naive (adjusted P (adj-P) = 0.016) or sham-treated (adj-P = 0.029) rats. Repeated post-MIA lidocaine injection resulted in 34 times lower downregulation for spinal substance P compared to MIA alone (adj-P = 0.029), with a concomitant increase of 17 % in time spent on the PEAP dark side (indicative of increased comfort). This study of normal rats and rats with pain established the most reliable and sensitive pain assessment methods and an optimized acclimatization protocol. Operant PEAP testing was more responsive to lidocaine analgesia than other tests used, while neuropeptide spinal concentration is an objective quantification method attractive to support and validate different centralized pain functional assessment methods.

Selecting, training and assessing new general practice community teachers in UK medical schools.

PubMed

Hydes, Ciaran; Ajjawi, Rola

2015-09-01

Standards for undergraduate medical education in the UK, published in Tomorrow's Doctors, include the criterion 'everyone involved in educating medical students will be appropriately selected, trained, supported and appraised'. To establish how new general practice (GP) community teachers of medical students are selected, initially trained and assessed by UK medical schools and establish the extent to which Tomorrow's Doctors standards are being met. A mixed-methods study with questionnaire data collected from 24 lead GPs at UK medical schools, 23 new GP teachers from two medical schools plus a semi-structured telephone interview with two GP leads. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data were analysed informed by framework analysis. GP teachers' selection is non-standardised. One hundred per cent of GP leads provide initial training courses for new GP teachers; 50% are mandatory. The content and length of courses varies. All GP leads use student feedback to assess teaching, but other required methods (peer review and patient feedback) are not universally used. To meet General Medical Council standards, medical schools need to include equality and diversity in initial training and use more than one method to assess new GP teachers. Wider debate about the selection, training and assessment of new GP teachers is needed to agree minimum standards.

Memory assessment in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy to predict memory impairment after surgery: A systematic review.

PubMed

Parra-Díaz, P; García-Casares, N

2017-04-19

Given that surgical treatment of refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy may cause memory impairment, determining which patients are eligible for surgery is essential. However, there is little agreement on which presurgical memory assessment methods are best able to predict memory outcome after surgery and identify those patients with a greater risk of surgery-induced memory decline. We conducted a systematic literature review to determine which presurgical memory assessment methods best predict memory outcome. The literature search of PubMed gathered articles published between January 2005 and December 2015 addressing pre- and postsurgical memory assessment in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy patients by means of neuropsychological testing, functional MRI, and other neuroimaging techniques. We obtained 178 articles, 31 of which were included in our review. Most of the studies used neuropsychological tests and fMRI; these methods are considered to have the greatest predictive ability for memory impairment. Other less frequently used techniques included the Wada test and FDG-PET. Current evidence supports performing a presurgical assessment of memory function using both neuropsychological tests and functional MRI to predict memory outcome after surgery. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Acceptability and Feasibility of Physical Activity Assessment Methods for an Appalachian Population

PubMed Central

Tarasenko, Yelena N.; Howell, Britteny M.; Studts, Christina R.; Strath, Scott J.; Schoenberg, Nancy E.

2015-01-01

Nowhere is improving understanding and accurate assessment of physical activity more important for disease prevention and health promotion than among health disparities populations such as those residing in rural and Appalachian regions. To enhance accurate assessment of physical activity and potentially improve intervention capacity, we conducted a mixed-methods study examining the acceptability and feasibility of self-report physical activity questionnaires, pedometers, and accelerometers among rural Appalachian children, adolescents, and adults. Most participants reported positive experiences with all three physical activity assessment tools. Several acceptability ratings differed by age group and by sex within each age group. With very few exceptions, no significant differences in acceptability were found by race, education, employment status, health status, BMI categories, income levels, or insurance status within age groups or overall. Several factors may impact the choice of the physical activity assessment method, including target population age, equipment cost, researcher burden, and potential influence on physical activity levels. Children and adolescents appear to have more constraints on when they can wear pedometers and accelerometers. While pedometers are inexpensive and convenient, they may influence physical activity levels, rather than simply measure them. Accelerometers, while less influential on behavior, consume extensive resources, including high purchase costs and researcher burden. PMID:25608476

Revised Methods for Characterizing Stream Habitat in the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Waite, Ian R.; D'Arconte, Patricia J.; Meador, Michael R.; Maupin, Molly A.; Gurtz, Martin E.

1998-01-01

Stream habitat is characterized in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program as part of an integrated physical, chemical, and biological assessment of the Nation's water quality. The goal of stream habitat characterization is to relate habitat to other physical, chemical, and biological factors that describe water-quality conditions. To accomplish this goal, environmental settings are described at sites selected for water-quality assessment. In addition, spatial and temporal patterns in habitat are examined at local, regional, and national scales. This habitat protocol contains updated methods for evaluating habitat in NAWQA Study Units. Revisions are based on lessons learned after 6 years of applying the original NAWQA habitat protocol to NAWQA Study Unit ecological surveys. Similar to the original protocol, these revised methods for evaluating stream habitat are based on a spatially hierarchical framework that incorporates habitat data at basin, segment, reach, and microhabitat scales. This framework provides a basis for national consistency in collection techniques while allowing flexibility in habitat assessment within individual Study Units. Procedures are described for collecting habitat data at basin and segment scales; these procedures include use of geographic information system data bases, topographic maps, and aerial photographs. Data collected at the reach scale include channel, bank, and riparian characteristics.

[Hard to accurately determine the age of children seeking asylum].

PubMed

Hjern, Anders; Ascher, Henry

2015-10-12

Many unaccompanied asylum seeking young people in Europe lack documents proving their age. X rays of the wrist and wisdom teeth are often used by European migration authorities to assess age in this situation. The large inter-individual differences in physical maturation during adolescence create such large margins of error for these methods that their informative value is very limited. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare should reconsider its previous position on these methods and examine the possibility to include psychosocial methods in these age assessment procedures.

Sarcopenia in daily practice: assessment and management.

PubMed

Beaudart, Charlotte; McCloskey, Eugène; Bruyère, Olivier; Cesari, Matteo; Rolland, Yves; Rizzoli, René; Araujo de Carvalho, Islène; Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan, Jotheeswaran; Bautmans, Ivan; Bertière, Marie-Claude; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Al-Daghri, Nasser M; Burlet, Nansa; Cavalier, Etienne; Cerreta, Francesca; Cherubini, Antonio; Fielding, Roger; Gielen, Evelien; Landi, Francesco; Petermans, Jean; Reginster, Jean-Yves; Visser, Marjolein; Kanis, John; Cooper, Cyrus

2016-10-05

Sarcopenia is increasingly recognized as a correlate of ageing and is associated with increased likelihood of adverse outcomes including falls, fractures, frailty and mortality. Several tools have been recommended to assess muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance in clinical trials. Whilst these tools have proven to be accurate and reliable in investigational settings, many are not easily applied to daily practice. This paper is based on literature reviews performed by members of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) working group on frailty and sarcopenia. Face-to-face meetings were afterwards organized for the whole group to make amendments and discuss further recommendations. This paper proposes some user-friendly and inexpensive methods that can be used to assess sarcopenia in real-life settings. Healthcare providers, particularly in primary care, should consider an assessment of sarcopenia in individuals at increased risk; suggested tools for assessing risk include the Red Flag Method, the SARC-F questionnaire, the SMI method or different prediction equations. Management of sarcopenia should primarily be patient centered and involve the combination of both resistance and endurance based activity programmes with or without dietary interventions. Development of a number of pharmacological interventions is also in progress. Assessment of sarcopenia in individuals with risk factors, symptoms and/or conditions exposing them to the risk of disability will become particularly important in the near future.

High-Throughput Toxicity Testing: New Strategies for Assessing Chemical Safety

EPA Science Inventory

In recent years, the food industry has made progress in improving safety testing methods focused on microbial contaminants in order to promote food safety. However, food industry toxicologists must also assess the safety of food-relevant chemicals including pesticides, direct add...

Toolbox for Evaluating Residents as Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coverdale, John H.; Ismail, Nadia; Mian, Ayesha; Dewey, Charlene

2010-01-01

Objective: The authors review existing assessment tools related to evaluating residents' teaching skills and teaching effectiveness. Methods: PubMed and PsycInfo databases were searched using combinations of keywords including "residents," "residents as teachers," "teaching skills," and "assessments" or "rating scales." Results: Eleven evaluation…

Getting Real: Implementing Assessment Alternatives in Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkins, Martha H.

1997-01-01

Recounts experiences of a university professor who returned to the elementary classroom and attempted to implement the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and appropriate assessment methods, including nontraditional paper-and-pencil tasks, journal-like writing assignments, focused observations, and performance-based assessments…

A Summary of Publications on Methods and Tools for Assessing Cumulative Risk, Project Summary

EPA Science Inventory

This collection of eight publications on cumulative risk assessment was developed collaboratively among scientists within EPA’s Office of Research and Development and three other organizations. These include scientific collaborations through an Interagency Agreement with Argonne...

The Influence of Rater Effects in Training Sets on the Psychometric Quality of Automated Scoring for Writing Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wind, Stefanie A.; Wolfe, Edward W.; Engelhard, George, Jr.; Foltz, Peter; Rosenstein, Mark

2018-01-01

Automated essay scoring engines (AESEs) are becoming increasingly popular as an efficient method for performance assessments in writing, including many language assessments that are used worldwide. Before they can be used operationally, AESEs must be "trained" using machine-learning techniques that incorporate human ratings. However, the…

Comparing Methods for Assessing Receptive Language Skills in Minimally Verbal Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plesa Skwerer, Daniela; Jordan, Samantha E.; Brukilacchio, Briana H.; Tager-Flusberg, Helen

2016-01-01

This research addresses the challenges of assessing receptive language abilities in minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder by comparing several adapted measurement tools: a standardized direct assessment of receptive vocabulary (i.e. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4); caregiver report measures including scores on the Vineland-II…

Assessing the Ability of Ground-Penetrating Radar to Detect Fungal Decay in Douglas-Fir Beams

Treesearch

Christopher Adam Senalik; James Wacker; Xiping Wang; F. Jalinoos

2016-01-01

This paper describes the testing plan and current progress for assessing the efficacy of using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to detect fungal decay within Douglas-fir beams. Initially, the beams were assessed using a variety of physical, mechanical, and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) test methods including micro-resistance drilling, Janka hardness, ultrasonic...

Assessing the Alcohol-BMI Relationship in a US National Sample of College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barry, Adam E.; Piazza-Gardner, Anna K.; Holton, M. Kim

2015-01-01

Objective: This study sought to assess the body mass index (BMI)-alcohol relationship among a US national sample of college students. Design: Secondary data analysis using the Fall 2011 National College Health Assessment (NCHA). Setting: A total of 44 US higher education institutions. Methods: Participants included a national sample of college…

Assessment of the fit of removable partial denture fabricated by computer-aided designing/computer aided manufacturing technology.

PubMed

Arafa, Khalid A O

2018-01-01

To assess the level of evidence that supports the quality of fit for removable partial denture (RPD) fabricated by computer-aided designing/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and rapid prototyping (RP) technology. Methods: An electronic search was performed in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Cochrane library search engines, using Boolean operators. All articles published in English and published in the period from 1950 until April 2017 were eligible to be included in this review. The total number of articles contained the search terms in any part of the article (including titles, abstracts, or article texts) were screened, which resulted in 214 articles. After exclusion of irrelevant and duplicated articles, 12 papers were included in this systematic review.  Results: All the included studies were case reports, except one study, which was a case series that recruited 10 study participants. The visual and tactile examination in the cast or clinically in the patient's mouth was the most-used method for assessment of the fit of RPDs. From all included studies, only one has assessed the internal fit between RPDs and oral tissues using silicone registration material. The vast majority of included studies found that the fit of RPDs ranged from satisfactory to excellent fit. Conclusion: Despite the lack of clinical trials that provide strong evidence, the available evidence supported the claim of good fit of RPDs fabricated by new technologies using CAD/CAM.

Patient simulation: a literary synthesis of assessment tools in anesthesiology.

PubMed

Edler, Alice A; Fanning, Ruth G; Chen, Michael I; Claure, Rebecca; Almazan, Dondee; Struyk, Brain; Seiden, Samuel C

2009-12-20

High-fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) has been hypothesized as a modality for assessing competency of knowledge and skill in patient simulation, but uniform methods for HFPS performance assessment (PA) have not yet been completely achieved. Anesthesiology as a field founded the HFPS discipline and also leads in its PA. This project reviews the types, quality, and designated purpose of HFPS PA tools in anesthesiology. We used the systematic review method and systematically reviewed anesthesiology literature referenced in PubMed to assess the quality and reliability of available PA tools in HFPS. Of 412 articles identified, 50 met our inclusion criteria. Seventy seven percent of studies have been published since 2000; more recent studies demonstrated higher quality. Investigators reported a variety of test construction and validation methods. The most commonly reported test construction methods included "modified Delphi Techniques" for item selection, reliability measurement using inter-rater agreement, and intra-class correlations between test items or subtests. Modern test theory, in particular generalizability theory, was used in nine (18%) of studies. Test score validity has been addressed in multiple investigations and shown a significant improvement in reporting accuracy. However the assessment of predicative has been low across the majority of studies. Usability and practicality of testing occasions and tools was only anecdotally reported. To more completely comply with the gold standards for PA design, both shared experience of experts and recognition of test construction standards, including reliability and validity measurements, instrument piloting, rater training, and explicit identification of the purpose and proposed use of the assessment tool, are required.

The importance of quality control in validating concentrations of contaminants of emerging concern in source and treated drinking water samples.

PubMed

Batt, Angela L; Furlong, Edward T; Mash, Heath E; Glassmeyer, Susan T; Kolpin, Dana W

2017-02-01

A national-scale survey of 247 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including organic and inorganic chemical compounds, and microbial contaminants, was conducted in source and treated drinking water samples from 25 treatment plants across the United States. Multiple methods were used to determine these CECs, including six analytical methods to measure 174 pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides. A three-component quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program was designed for the subset of 174 CECs which allowed us to assess and compare performances of the methods used. The three components included: 1) a common field QA/QC protocol and sample design, 2) individual investigator-developed method-specific QA/QC protocols, and 3) a suite of 46 method comparison analytes that were determined in two or more analytical methods. Overall method performance for the 174 organic chemical CECs was assessed by comparing spiked recoveries in reagent, source, and treated water over a two-year period. In addition to the 247 CECs reported in the larger drinking water study, another 48 pharmaceutical compounds measured did not consistently meet predetermined quality standards. Methodologies that did not seem suitable for these analytes are overviewed. The need to exclude analytes based on method performance demonstrates the importance of additional QA/QC protocols. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Review of Hazard Anticipation Training Programs for Young Drivers

PubMed Central

McDonald, Catherine C.; Goodwin, Arthur H.; Pradhan, Anuj K.; Romoser, Matthew R.E.; Williams, Allan F.

2015-01-01

Purpose Poor hazard anticipation skills are a risk factor associated with high motor vehicle crash rates of young drivers. A number of programs have been developed to improve these skills. The purpose of this review was to assess the empirical literature on hazard anticipation training for young drivers. Methods Studies were included if they: 1) included an assessment of hazard anticipation training outcomes; 2) were published between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 2013 in an English language peer-reviewed journal or conference proceeding; and 3) included at least one group that uniquely comprised a cohort of participants <21 years. Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria. Results Studies used a variety of training methods including interactive computer programs, videos, simulation, commentary driving, or a combination of approaches. Training effects were predominantly measured through computer-based testing and driving simulation with eye tracking. Four studies included an on-road evaluation. Most studies evaluated short-term outcomes (immediate or few days). In all studies, young drivers showed improvement in selected hazard anticipation outcomes, but none investigated crash effects. Conclusions Although there is promise in existing programs, future research should include long-term follow up, evaluate crash outcomes, and assess the optimal timing of hazard anticipation training taking into account the age and experience level of young drivers. PMID:26112734

Opinion of stakeholders on existing curriculum for postgraduate (MD) course in Pharmacology: A survey.

PubMed

Badyal, Dinesh K; Daniel, Sujit R

2016-10-01

To survey the opinion about various curricular components of Doctor of Medicine (MD) pharmacology curriculum in India by stakeholders, including faculty and students. An online survey was done to evaluate the various curricular components of MD pharmacology curriculum being used in India. A total of 393 respondents including faculty, MD students, and other stakeholders completed the survey. The survey was developed using SurveyMonkey platform and link to survey was E-mailed to stakeholders. The results were expressed as percentages. There was a balanced representation of respondents from various designations, teaching experience, regions, and age groups. Most of the respondents (83%) were aware of the MD pharmacology curriculum. However, they reported that it is more inclined to knowledge domain. About half of respondents (53%) said that animal experiments are being used. The most common teaching methods mentioned are seminars (98.5%), journal clubs (95%), and practical exercises by postgraduates (73%), but there is less use of newer methods (25%) in theory and less of clinical pharmacology exercise (39%) in practical classes. The log books are maintained but not assessed regularly. Internal assessment is sparingly used. The MD pharmacology curriculum needs to be made uniform at the national level and updated to include the newer methods in teaching-learning and assessment. There should be sharing of newer methods at a common platform implemented at the national level.

Proceedings of the international meeting on thermal nuclear reactor safety. Vol. 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

Separate abstracts are included for each of the papers presented concerning current issues in nuclear power plant safety; national programs in nuclear power plant safety; radiological source terms; probabilistic risk assessment methods and techniques; non LOCA and small-break-LOCA transients; safety goals; pressurized thermal shocks; applications of reliability and risk methods to probabilistic risk assessment; human factors and man-machine interface; and data bases and special applications.

National Ecosystem Assessments in Europe: A Review

PubMed Central

Schröter, Matthias; Albert, Christian; Marques, Alexandra; Tobon, Wolke; Lavorel, Sandra; Maes, Joachim; Brown, Claire; Klotz, Stefan; Bonn, Aletta

2016-01-01

Abstract National ecosystem assessments form an essential knowledge base for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. We analyze eight European (sub-)national ecosystem assessments (Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Flanders, Netherlands, Finland, and Germany) and compare their objectives, political context, methods, and operationalization. We observed remarkable differences in breadth of the assessment, methods employed, variety of services considered, policy mandates, and funding mechanisms. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are mainly assessed independently, with biodiversity conceptualized as underpinning services, as a source of conflict with services, or as a service in itself. Recommendations derived from our analysis for future ecosystem assessments include the needs to improve the common evidence base, to advance the mapping of services, to consider international flows of services, and to connect more strongly to policy questions. Although the context specificity of national ecosystem assessments is acknowledged as important, a greater harmonization across assessments could help to better inform common European policies and future pan-regional assessments. PMID:28533561

Evaluation of methods for managing censored results when calculating the geometric mean.

PubMed

Mikkonen, Hannah G; Clarke, Bradley O; Dasika, Raghava; Wallis, Christian J; Reichman, Suzie M

2018-01-01

Currently, there are conflicting views on the best statistical methods for managing censored environmental data. The method commonly applied by environmental science researchers and professionals is to substitute half the limit of reporting for derivation of summary statistics. This approach has been criticised by some researchers, raising questions around the interpretation of historical scientific data. This study evaluated four complete soil datasets, at three levels of simulated censorship, to test the accuracy of a range of censored data management methods for calculation of the geometric mean. The methods assessed included removal of censored results, substitution of a fixed value (near zero, half the limit of reporting and the limit of reporting), substitution by nearest neighbour imputation, maximum likelihood estimation, regression on order substitution and Kaplan-Meier/survival analysis. This is the first time such a comprehensive range of censored data management methods have been applied to assess the accuracy of calculation of the geometric mean. The results of this study show that, for describing the geometric mean, the simple method of substitution of half the limit of reporting is comparable or more accurate than alternative censored data management methods, including nearest neighbour imputation methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction of adverse outcomes of acute coronary syndrome using intelligent fusion of triage information with HUMINT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCullough, Claire L.; Novobilski, Andrew J.; Fesmire, Francis M.

2006-04-01

Faculty from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga Unit, have used data mining techniques and neural networks to examine a set of fourteen features, data items, and HUMINT assessments for 2,148 emergency room patients with symptoms possibly indicative of Acute Coronary Syndrome. Specifically, the authors have generated Bayesian networks describing linkages and causality in the data, and have compared them with neural networks. The data includes objective information routinely collected during triage and the physician's initial case assessment, a HUMINT appraisal. Both the neural network and the Bayesian network were used to fuse the disparate types of information with the goal of forecasting thirty-day adverse patient outcome. This paper presents details of the methods of data fusion including both the data mining techniques and the neural network. Results are compared using Receiver Operating Characteristic curves describing the outcomes of both methods, both using only objective features and including the subjective physician's assessment. While preliminary, the results of this continuing study are significant both from the perspective of potential use of the intelligent fusion of biomedical informatics to aid the physician in prescribing treatment necessary to prevent serious adverse outcome from ACS and as a model of fusion of objective data with subjective HUMINT assessment. Possible future work includes extension of successfully demonstrated intelligent fusion methods to other medical applications, and use of decision level fusion to combine results from data mining and neural net approaches for even more accurate outcome prediction.

Rapid Health and Needs assessments after disasters: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Publichealth care providers, stakeholders and policy makers request a rapid insight into health status and needs of the affected population after disasters. To our knowledge, there is no standardized rapid assessment tool for European countries. The aim of this article is to describe existing tools used internationally and analyze them for the development of a workable rapid assessment. Methods A review was conducted, including original studies concerning a rapid health and/or needs assessment. The studies used were published between 1980 and 2009. The electronic databasesof Medline, Embase, SciSearch and Psychinfo were used. Results Thirty-three studies were included for this review. The majority of the studies was of US origin and in most cases related to natural disasters, especially concerning the weather. In eighteen studies an assessment was conducted using a structured questionnaire, eleven studies used registries and four used both methods. Questionnaires were primarily used to asses the health needs, while data records were used to assess the health status of disaster victims. Conclusions Methods most commonly used were face to face interviews and data extracted from existing registries. Ideally, a rapid assessment tool is needed which does not add to the burden of disaster victims. In this perspective, the use of existing medical registries in combination with a brief questionnaire in the aftermath of disasters is the most promising. Since there is an increasing need for such a tool this approach needs further examination. PMID:20515478

Assessing the Application of a Geographic Presence-Only Model for Land Suitability Mapping

PubMed Central

Heumann, Benjamin W.; Walsh, Stephen J.; McDaniel, Phillip M.

2011-01-01

Recent advances in ecological modeling have focused on novel methods for characterizing the environment that use presence-only data and machine-learning algorithms to predict the likelihood of species occurrence. These novel methods may have great potential for land suitability applications in the developing world where detailed land cover information is often unavailable or incomplete. This paper assesses the adaptation and application of the presence-only geographic species distribution model, MaxEnt, for agricultural crop suitability mapping in a rural Thailand where lowland paddy rice and upland field crops predominant. To assess this modeling approach, three independent crop presence datasets were used including a social-demographic survey of farm households, a remote sensing classification of land use/land cover, and ground control points, used for geodetic and thematic reference that vary in their geographic distribution and sample size. Disparate environmental data were integrated to characterize environmental settings across Nang Rong District, a region of approximately 1,300 sq. km in size. Results indicate that the MaxEnt model is capable of modeling crop suitability for upland and lowland crops, including rice varieties, although model results varied between datasets due to the high sensitivity of the model to the distribution of observed crop locations in geographic and environmental space. Accuracy assessments indicate that model outcomes were influenced by the sample size and the distribution of sample points in geographic and environmental space. The need for further research into accuracy assessments of presence-only models lacking true absence data is discussed. We conclude that the Maxent model can provide good estimates of crop suitability, but many areas need to be carefully scrutinized including geographic distribution of input data and assessment methods to ensure realistic modeling results. PMID:21860606

Workgroup Report: Incorporating In Vitro Alternative Methods for Developmental Neurotoxicity into International Hazard and Risk Assessment Strategies

PubMed Central

Coecke, Sandra; Goldberg, Alan M; Allen, Sandra; Buzanska, Leonora; Calamandrei, Gemma; Crofton, Kevin; Hareng, Lars; Hartung, Thomas; Knaut, Holger; Honegger, Paul; Jacobs, Miriam; Lein, Pamela; Li, Abby; Mundy, William; Owen, David; Schneider, Steffen; Silbergeld, Ellen; Reum, Torsten; Trnovec, Tomas; Monnet-Tschudi, Florianne; Bal-Price, Anna

2007-01-01

This is the report of the first workshop on Incorporating In Vitro Alternative Methods for Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) Testing into International Hazard and Risk Assessment Strategies, held in Ispra, Italy, on 19–21 April 2005. The workshop was hosted by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) and jointly organized by ECVAM, the European Chemical Industry Council, and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing. The primary aim of the workshop was to identify and catalog potential methods that could be used to assess how data from in vitro alternative methods could help to predict and identify DNT hazards. Working groups focused on two different aspects: a) details on the science available in the field of DNT, including discussions on the models available to capture the critical DNT mechanisms and processes, and b) policy and strategy aspects to assess the integration of alternative methods in a regulatory framework. This report summarizes these discussions and details the recommendations and priorities for future work. PMID:17589601

Clinical experimental stress studies: methods and assessment.

PubMed

Bali, Anjana; Jaggi, Amteshwar Singh

2015-01-01

Stress is a state of threatened homeostasis during which a variety of adaptive processes are activated to produce physiological and behavioral changes. Stress induction methods are pivotal for understanding these physiological or pathophysiological changes in the body in response to stress. Furthermore, these methods are also important for the development of novel pharmacological agents for stress management. The well-described methods to induce stress in humans include the cold pressor test, Trier Social Stress Test, Montreal Imaging Stress Task, Maastricht Acute Stress Test, CO2 challenge test, Stroop test, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task, noise stress, and Mannheim Multicomponent Stress Test. Stress assessment in humans is done by measuring biochemical markers such as cortisol, cortisol awakening response, dexamethasone suppression test, salivary α-amylase, plasma/urinary norepinephrine, norepinephrine spillover rate, and interleukins. Physiological and behavioral changes such as galvanic skin response, heart rate variability, pupil size, and muscle and/or skin sympathetic nerve activity (microneurography) and cardiovascular parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, and self-reported anxiety are also monitored to assess stress response. This present review describes these commonly employed methods to induce stress in humans along with stress assessment methods.

Methods for assessing the preventability of adverse drug events: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hakkarainen, Katja Marja; Andersson Sundell, Karolina; Petzold, Max; Hägg, Staffan

2012-02-01

Preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) are common in both outpatient and inpatient settings. However, the proportion of preventable ADEs varies considerably in different studies, even when conducted in the same setting, and methods for assessing the preventability of ADEs are diverse. The aim of this article is to identify and systematically evaluate methods for assessing the preventability of ADEs. Seven databases (Cochrane, CINAHL, EMBASE, IPA, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science) were searched in September 2010 utilizing the databases' index terms and other common terminology on preventable ADEs. No limits for the years of publication were set. Reference lists of included original articles and relevant review articles were also screened. After applying predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria on 4161 unique citations, 142 (3.4%) original research articles were included in the review. One additional article was included from reference lists. Outcome measures of included studies had to include the frequency of ADEs and the assessment of their preventability. Studies were excluded if they focused on individuals with one specific type of treatment, medical condition, medical procedure or ADE. Measurement instruments for determining the preventability of ADEs in each article were extracted and unique instruments were compared. The process of assessing the preventability of ADEs was described based on reported actions taken to standardize and conduct the assessment, and on information about the reliability and validity of the assessment. Eighteen unique instruments for determining the preventability of ADEs were identified. They fell under the following four groups: (i) instruments using a definition of preventability only (n = 3); (ii) instruments with a definition of preventability and an assessment scale for determining preventability (n = 5); (iii) instruments with specific criteria for each preventability category (n = 3); and (iv) instruments with an algorithm for determining preventability (n = 7). Of actions to standardize the assessment process, performing a pilot study was reported in 21 (15%), and use of a standardized protocol was reported in 18 (13%), of the included 143 articles. Preventability was assessed by physicians in 86 (60%) articles and by pharmacists in 41 (29%) articles. In 29 (20%) articles, persons conducting the assessment were described as trained for or experienced in preventability assessment. In 94 (66%) articles, more than one person assessed the preventability of each case. Among these 94 articles, assessment was done independently in 73 (51%) articles. Procedures for managing conflicting assessments were diverse. The reliability of the preventability assessment was tested in 39 (27%) articles, and 16 (11%) articles referred to a previous reliability assessment. Reliability ranged from poor to excellent (kappa 0.19-0.98; overall agreement 26-97%). Four (3%) articles mentioned assessing validity, but no sensitivity or specificity analyses or negative or positive predictive values were presented. Instruments for assessing the preventability of ADEs vary from implicit instruments to explicit algorithms. There is limited evidence for the validity of the identified instruments, and instrument reliability varied significantly. The process of assessing the preventability of ADEs is also commonly imprecisely described, which hinders the interpretation and comparison of studies. For measuring the preventability of ADEs more accurately and precisely in future, we believe that existing instruments should be further studied and developed, or that one or more new instruments should be developed, and the validity and reliability of the existing and new instruments be established.

Portfolios: An Alternative Method of Student and Program Assessment

PubMed Central

Hannam, Susan E.

1995-01-01

The use of performance-based evaluation and alternative assessment techniques has become essential for curriculum programs seeking Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accreditation. In athletic training education, few assessment models exist to assess student performance over the entire course of their educational program. This article describes a model of assessment-a student athletic training portfolio of “best works.” The portfolio can serve as a method to assess student development and to assess program effectiveness. The goals of the program include purposes specific to the five NATA performance domains. In addition, four types of portfolio evidence are described: artifacts, attestations, productions, and reproductions. Quality assignments and projects completed by students as they progress through a six-semester program are identified relative to the type of evidence and the domain(s) they represent. The portfolio assists with student development, provides feedback for curriculum planning, allows for student/faculty collaboration and “coaching” of the student, and assists with job searching. This information will serve as a useful model for those athletic training programs looking for an alternative method of assessing student and program outcomes. PMID:16558359

Damage evaluation and repair methods for prestressed concrete bridge members

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanafelt, G. O.; Horn, W. B.

1980-11-01

The types of accidental damage occurring and the severity and frequency of their occurrence are summarized. Practices and equipment used for assessing damage and making repairs are presented and evaluated. Guidelines for inspection, assessing damage, and selection of repair methods are given. Methods of repair includes adding external prestress, a metal sleeve splice, and splicing broken strands or rods. The findings of this study suggest that in some instances better repair techniques should be used. The findings of this study also indicate that proper selection of repair methods may reduce the number of damaged girders presently being replaced. Plausible methods of repair requiring additional research are identified and techniques for testing are outlined.

Critical review of methods for risk ranking of food-related hazards, based on risks for human health.

PubMed

Van der Fels-Klerx, H J; Van Asselt, E D; Raley, M; Poulsen, M; Korsgaard, H; Bredsdorff, L; Nauta, M; D'agostino, M; Coles, D; Marvin, H J P; Frewer, L J

2018-01-22

This study aimed to critically review methods for ranking risks related to food safety and dietary hazards on the basis of their anticipated human health impacts. A literature review was performed to identify and characterize methods for risk ranking from the fields of food, environmental science and socio-economic sciences. The review used a predefined search protocol, and covered the bibliographic databases Scopus, CAB Abstracts, Web of Sciences, and PubMed over the period 1993-2013. All references deemed relevant, on the basis of predefined evaluation criteria, were included in the review, and the risk ranking method characterized. The methods were then clustered-based on their characteristics-into eleven method categories. These categories included: risk assessment, comparative risk assessment, risk ratio method, scoring method, cost of illness, health adjusted life years (HALY), multi-criteria decision analysis, risk matrix, flow charts/decision trees, stated preference techniques and expert synthesis. Method categories were described by their characteristics, weaknesses and strengths, data resources, and fields of applications. It was concluded there is no single best method for risk ranking. The method to be used should be selected on the basis of risk manager/assessor requirements, data availability, and the characteristics of the method. Recommendations for future use and application are provided.

Why is Coal Ash of Concern and How to Assess Potential Impacts?

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's new test methods - the leaching environmental assessment framework (LEAF) are discussed including how they have been used to evaluate fly ash and scrubber residues. Work to evaluate high-volume encapsulated use of fly ash in cementitious material is also described.

Rowing Physiology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinks, W. L.

This review of the literature discusses and examines the methods used in physiological assessment of rowers, results of such assessments, and future directions emanating from research in the physiology of rowing. The first section discusses the energy demands of rowing, including the contribution of the energy system, anaerobic metabolism, and the…

Improved Necker Cube Drawing-Based Assessment Battery for Constructional Apraxia: The Mie Constructional Apraxia Scale (MCAS)

PubMed Central

Satoh, Masayuki; Mori, Chika; Matsuda, Kana; Ueda, Yukito; Tabei, Ken-ichi; Kida, Hirotaka; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

2016-01-01

Background/Aims Constructional apraxia (CA) is usually diagnosed by having patients draw figures; however, the reported assessments only evaluate the drawn figure. We designed a new assessment battery for CA (the Mie Constructional Apraxia Scale, MCAS) which includes both the shape and drawing process, and investigated its utility against other assessment methods. Methods We designed the MCAS, and evaluated inter- and intrarater reliability. We also investigated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values in dementia patients, and compared MCAS assessment with other reported batteries in the same subjects. Results Moderate interrater reliability was shown for speech therapists with limited experience. Moderate to substantial intrarater reliability was shown several weeks after initial assessment. When cutoff scores and times were set at 2/3 points and 39/40 s, sensitivity and specificity were 77.1 and 70.4%, respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 80.0 and 66.7%, respectively. Dementia patients had significantly worse scores and times for Necker cube drawing than an elderly control group on the MCAS, and on other assessments. Conclusions We conclude that the MCAS, which includes both the assessment of the drawn Necker cube shape and the drawing process, is useful for detecting even mild CA. PMID:27790241

Indoor air - assessment: Methods of analysis for environmental carcinogens

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, M.R.; Naugle, D.F.; Berry, M.A.

1990-06-01

The monograph describes, in a general way, published sampling procedures and analytical approaches for known and suspected carcinogens. The primary focus is upon carcinogens found in indoor air, although the methods described are applicable to other media or environments. In cases where there are no published methods for a particular pollutant in indoor air, methods developed for the workplace and for ambient air are included since they should be adaptable to indoor air. Known and suspected carcinogens have been grouped into six categories for the purposes of this and related work. The categories are radon, asbestos, organic compounds, inorganic species,more » particles, and non-ionizing radiation. Some methods of assessing exposure that are not specific to any particular pollutant category are covered in a separate section. The report is the fifth in a series of EPA/Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office Monographs.« less

Team-based assessment of professional behavior in medical students

PubMed Central

RAEE, HOJAT; AMINI, MITRA; MOMEN NASAB, AMENEH; MALEK POUR, ABDOLRASOUL; JAFARI, MOHAMMAD MORAD

2014-01-01

Introduction: Self and peer assessment provides important information about the individual’s performance and behavior in all aspects of their professional environment work. The aim of this study is to evaluate the professional behavior and performance in medical students in the form of team based assessment. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 medical students in the 7th year of education were randomly selected and enrolled; for each student five questionnaires were filled out, including one self-assessment, two peer assessments and two residents assessment. The scoring system of the questionnaires was based on seven point Likert scale.  After filling out the questions in the questionnaire, numerical data and written comments provided to the students were collected, analyzed and discussed. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) of the questionnaires was assessed. A p<0.05 was considered as significant level. Results: Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha 0.83). Interviews revealed that the majority of students and assessors interviewed found the method acceptable. The range of scores was 1-6 (Mean±SD=4.39±0.57) for the residents' assessment, 2-6 (Mean±SD= 4.49±0.53) for peer assessment, and 3-7 (Mean±SD=5.04±0.32) for self-assessment. There was a significant difference between self assessment and other methods of assessment. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a team-based assessment is an acceptable and feasible method for peer and self-assessment of medical students’ learning in a clinical clerkship, and has some advantages over traditional assessment methods. Further studies are needed to focus on the strengths and weaknesses. PMID:25512933

Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment: A Reliable Screening Tool for Nutritional Assessment in Cerebral Palsy Children.

PubMed

Minocha, Priyanka; Sitaraman, Sadasivan; Choudhary, Anita; Yadav, Rajiv

2018-01-01

To determine the prevalence of undernutrition in children with cerebral palsy and to compare subjective and objective methods of nutritional assessment. This was a hospital based analytical observational study in which 180 children of cerebral palsy, aged 1-12 y, attending tertiary level hospital, Jaipur from March, 2012 through March, 2013 were included. Subjective assessment was done by questionnaire (Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment; SGNA) in which questions related to nutrition history and physical examination, signs of fat, muscle wasting and edema was done while objective assessment was done by weight, height and triceps skinfold thickness (TSFT) measurements. In this study prevalence of undernutrition by subjective method (SGNA) was 76.67% while by objective measurement (weight, height, TSFT) was 48.89%, 77.78% 35.18% respectively. There was fair to moderate agreement between the SGNA and objective assessments including weight and height (k = 0.341, p = 0.000; k = 0.337, p = 0.000 respectively) while for TSFT agreement between both methods was poor (k = 0.092, p = 0.190). In the index study, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of SGNA was for weight was 95%, 37%, 56%, 90%; for height 84%, 50%, 85%, 47%; for TSFT 81%, 30%, 38%, 75% respectively. The prevalence of undernutrition is high in cerebral palsy children. SGNA can be a reliable tool for assessing nutritional status in children with cerebral palsy and is a simple, comprehensive, noninvasive, and cost-effective tool for screening undernutrition in children of cerebral palsy.

Using Google Earth to Assess Shade for Sun Protection in Urban Recreation Spaces: Methods and Results.

PubMed

Gage, R; Wilson, N; Signal, L; Barr, M; Mackay, C; Reeder, A; Thomson, G

2018-05-16

Shade in public spaces can lower the risk of and sun burning and skin cancer. However, existing methods of auditing shade require travel between sites, and sunny weather conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of free computer software-Google Earth-for assessing shade in urban open spaces. A shade projection method was developed that uses Google Earth street view and aerial images to estimate shade at solar noon on the summer solstice, irrespective of the date of image capture. Three researchers used the method to separately estimate shade cover over pre-defined activity areas in a sample of 45 New Zealand urban open spaces, including 24 playgrounds, 12 beaches and 9 outdoor pools. Outcome measures included method accuracy (assessed by comparison with a subsample of field observations of 10 of the settings) and inter-rater reliability. Of the 164 activity areas identified in the 45 settings, most (83%) had no shade cover. The method identified most activity areas in playgrounds (85%) and beaches (93%) and was accurate for assessing shade over these areas (predictive values of 100%). Only 8% of activity areas at outdoor pools were identified, due to a lack of street view images. Reliability for shade cover estimates was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.97, 95% CI 0.97-0.98). Google Earth appears to be a reasonably accurate and reliable and shade audit tool for playgrounds and beaches. The findings are relevant for programmes focused on supporting the development of healthy urban open spaces.

Real-time teleophthalmology versus face-to-face consultation: A systematic review.

PubMed

Tan, Irene J; Dobson, Lucy P; Bartnik, Stephen; Muir, Josephine; Turner, Angus W

2017-08-01

Introduction Advances in imaging capabilities and the evolution of real-time teleophthalmology have the potential to provide increased coverage to areas with limited ophthalmology services. However, there is limited research assessing the diagnostic accuracy of face-to-face teleophthalmology consultation. This systematic review aims to determine if real-time teleophthalmology provides comparable accuracy to face-to-face consultation for the diagnosis of common eye health conditions. Methods A search of PubMed, Embase, Medline and Cochrane databases and manual citation review was conducted on 6 February and 7 April 2016. Included studies involved real-time telemedicine in the field of ophthalmology or optometry, and assessed diagnostic accuracy against gold-standard face-to-face consultation. The revised quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS-2) tool assessed risk of bias. Results Twelve studies were included, with participants ranging from four to 89 years old. A broad number of conditions were assessed and include corneal and retinal pathologies, strabismus, oculoplastics and post-operative review. Quality assessment identified a high or unclear risk of bias in patient selection (75%) due to an undisclosed recruitment processes. The index test showed high risk of bias in the included studies, due to the varied interpretation and conduct of real-time teleophthalmology methods. Reference standard risk was overall low (75%), as was the risk due to flow and timing (75%). Conclusion In terms of diagnostic accuracy, real-time teleophthalmology was considered superior to face-to-face consultation in one study and comparable in six studies. Store-and-forward image transmission coupled with real-time videoconferencing is a suitable alternative to overcome poor internet transmission speeds.

Achieving Goal-Concordant Care: A Conceptual Model and Approach to Measuring Serious Illness Communication and Its Impact

PubMed Central

Curtis, J. Randall; Tulsky, James A.

2018-01-01

Abstract Background: High-quality care for seriously ill patients aligns treatment with their goals and values. Failure to achieve “goal-concordant” care is a medical error that can harm patients and families. Because communication between clinicians and patients enables goal concordance and also affects the illness experience in its own right, healthcare systems should endeavor to measure communication and its outcomes as a quality assessment. Yet, little consensus exists on what should be measured and by which methods. Objectives: To propose measurement priorities for serious illness communication and its anticipated outcomes, including goal-concordant care. Methods: We completed a narrative review of the literature to identify links between serious illness communication, goal-concordant care, and other outcomes. We used this review to identify gaps and opportunities for quality measurement in serious illness communication. Results: Our conceptual model describes the relationship between communication, goal-concordant care, and other relevant outcomes. Implementation-ready measures to assess the quality of serious illness communication and care include (1) the timing and setting of serious illness communication, (2) patient experience of communication and care, and (3) caregiver bereavement surveys that include assessment of perceived goal concordance of care. Future measurement priorities include direct assessment of communication quality, prospective patient or family assessment of care concordance with goals, and assessment of the bereaved caregiver experience. Conclusion: Improving serious illness care necessitates ensuring that high-quality communication has occurred and measuring its impact. Measuring patient experience and receipt of goal-concordant care should be our highest priority. We have the tools to measure both. PMID:29091522

Recommendations for the evaluation of specimen stability for flow cytometric testing during drug development.

PubMed

Brown, Lynette; Green, Cherie L; Jones, Nicholas; Stewart, Jennifer J; Fraser, Stephanie; Howell, Kathy; Xu, Yuanxin; Hill, Carla G; Wiwi, Christopher A; White, Wendy I; O'Brien, Peter J; Litwin, Virginia

2015-03-01

The objective of this manuscript is to present an approach for evaluating specimen stability for flow cytometric methods used during drug development. While this approach specifically addresses stability assessment for assays to be used in clinical trials with centralized testing facilities, the concepts can be applied to any stability assessment for flow cytometric methods. The proposed approach is implemented during assay development and optimization, and includes suggestions for designing a stability assessment plan, data evaluation and acceptance criteria. Given that no single solution will be applicable in all scenarios, this manuscript offers the reader a roadmap for stability assessment and is intended to guide the investigator during both the method development phase and in the experimental design of the validation plan. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Three methods for integration of environmental risk into the benefit-risk assessment of veterinary medicinal products.

PubMed

Chapman, Jennifer L; Porsch, Lucas; Vidaurre, Rodrigo; Backhaus, Thomas; Sinclair, Chris; Jones, Glyn; Boxall, Alistair B A

2017-12-15

Veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) require, as part of the European Union (EU) authorization process, consideration of both risks and benefits. Uses of VMPs have multiple risks (e.g., risks to the animal being treated, to the person administering the VMP) including risks to the environment. Environmental risks are not directly comparable to therapeutic benefits; there is no standardized approach to compare both environmental risks and therapeutic benefits. We have developed three methods for communicating and comparing therapeutic benefits and environmental risks for the benefit-risk assessment that supports the EU authorization process. Two of these methods support independent product evaluation (i.e., a summative classification and a visual scoring matrix classification); the other supports a comparative evaluation between alternative products (i.e., a comparative classification). The methods and the challenges to implementing a benefit-risk assessment including environmental risk are presented herein; how these concepts would work in current policy is discussed. Adaptability to scientific and policy development is considered. This work is an initial step in the development of a standardized methodology for integrated decision-making for VMPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

77 FR 46733 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Navy Training Exercises...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-06

... mathematical methods would be appropriate for estimating the probability of marine mammals entering the various safety zones undetected; (3) use the mathematical methods determined above to assess the effectiveness of..., NMFS must prescribe regulations that include permissible methods of taking and other means effecting...

Quantification for complex assessment: uncertainty estimation in final year project thesis assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ho Sung

2013-12-01

A quantitative method for estimating an expected uncertainty (reliability and validity) in assessment results arising from the relativity between four variables, viz examiner's expertise, examinee's expertise achieved, assessment task difficulty and examinee's performance, was developed for the complex assessment applicable to final year project thesis assessment including peer assessment. A guide map can be generated by the method for finding expected uncertainties prior to the assessment implementation with a given set of variables. It employs a scale for visualisation of expertise levels, derivation of which is based on quantified clarities of mental images for levels of the examiner's expertise and the examinee's expertise achieved. To identify the relevant expertise areas that depend on the complexity in assessment format, a graphical continuum model was developed. The continuum model consists of assessment task, assessment standards and criterion for the transition towards the complex assessment owing to the relativity between implicitness and explicitness and is capable of identifying areas of expertise required for scale development.

Herbal hepatotoxicity: Challenges and pitfalls of causality assessment methods

PubMed Central

Teschke, Rolf; Frenzel, Christian; Schulze, Johannes; Eickhoff, Axel

2013-01-01

The diagnosis of herbal hepatotoxicity or herb induced liver injury (HILI) represents a particular clinical and regulatory challenge with major pitfalls for the causality evaluation. At the day HILI is suspected in a patient, physicians should start assessing the quality of the used herbal product, optimizing the clinical data for completeness, and applying the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) scale for initial causality assessment. This scale is structured, quantitative, liver specific, and validated for hepatotoxicity cases. Its items provide individual scores, which together yield causality levels of highly probable, probable, possible, unlikely, and excluded. After completion by additional information including raw data, this scale with all items should be reported to regulatory agencies and manufacturers for further evaluation. The CIOMS scale is preferred as tool for assessing causality in hepatotoxicity cases, compared to numerous other causality assessment methods, which are inferior on various grounds. Among these disputed methods are the Maria and Victorino scale, an insufficiently qualified, shortened version of the CIOMS scale, as well as various liver unspecific methods such as the ad hoc causality approach, the Naranjo scale, the World Health Organization (WHO) method, and the Karch and Lasagna method. An expert panel is required for the Drug Induced Liver Injury Network method, the WHO method, and other approaches based on expert opinion, which provide retrospective analyses with a long delay and thereby prevent a timely assessment of the illness in question by the physician. In conclusion, HILI causality assessment is challenging and is best achieved by the liver specific CIOMS scale, avoiding pitfalls commonly observed with other approaches. PMID:23704820

Assessment of public health impact of work-related asthma.

PubMed

Jaakkola, Maritta S; Jaakkola, Jouni J K

2012-03-05

Asthma is among the most common chronic diseases in working-aged populations and occupational exposures are important causal agents. Our aims were to evaluate the best methods to assess occurrence, public health impact, and burden to society related to occupational or work-related asthma and to achieve comparable estimates for different populations. We addressed three central questions: 1: What is the best method to assess the occurrence of occupational asthma? We evaluated: 1) assessment of the occurrence of occupational asthma per se, and 2) assessment of adult-onset asthma and the population attributable fractions due to specific occupational exposures. 2: What are the best methods to assess public health impact and burden to society related to occupational or work-related asthma? We evaluated methods based on assessment of excess burden of disease due to specific occupational exposures. 3: How to achieve comparable estimates for different populations? We evaluated comparability of estimates of occurrence and burden attributable to occupational asthma based on different methods. Assessment of the occurrence of occupational asthma per se can be used in countries with good coverage of the identification system for occupational asthma, i.e. countries with well-functioning occupational health services. Assessment based on adult-onset asthma and population attributable fractions due to specific occupational exposures is a good approach to estimate the occurrence of occupational asthma at the population level. For assessment of public health impact from work-related asthma we recommend assessing excess burden of disease due to specific occupational exposures, including excess incidence of asthma complemented by an assessment of disability from it. International comparability of estimates can be best achieved by methods based on population attributable fractions. Public health impact assessment for occupational asthma is central in prevention and health policy planning and could be improved by purposeful development of methods for assessing health benefits from preventive actions. Registry-based methods are suitable for evaluating time-trends of occurrence at a given population but for international comparisons they face serious limitations. Assessment of excess burden of disease due to specific occupational exposure is a useful measure, when there is valid information on population exposure and attributable fractions.

Machine learning methods for credibility assessment of interviewees based on posturographic data.

PubMed

Saripalle, Sashi K; Vemulapalli, Spandana; King, Gregory W; Burgoon, Judee K; Derakhshani, Reza

2015-01-01

This paper discusses the advantages of using posturographic signals from force plates for non-invasive credibility assessment. The contributions of our work are two fold: first, the proposed method is highly efficient and non invasive. Second, feasibility for creating an autonomous credibility assessment system using machine-learning algorithms is studied. This study employs an interview paradigm that includes subjects responding with truthful and deceptive intent while their center of pressure (COP) signal is being recorded. Classification models utilizing sets of COP features for deceptive responses are derived and best accuracy of 93.5% for test interval is reported.

A review of NASA-sponsored technology assessment projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mascy, A. C.; Alexander, A. D., III; Wood, R. D.

1978-01-01

Recent technology assessment studies sponsored by NASA are reviewed, and a summary of the technical results as well as a critique of the methodologies are presented. The reviews include Assessment of Lighter-Than-Air Technology, Technology Assessment of Portable Energy RDT&P, Technology Assessment of Future Intercity Passenger Transportation Systems, and Technology Assessment of Space Disposal of Radioactive Nuclear Waste. The use of workshops has been introduced as a unique element of some of these assessments. Also included in this report is a brief synopsis of a method of quantifying opinions obtained through such group interactions. Representative of the current technology assessments, these studies cover a broad range of socio-political factors and issues in greater depth than previously considered in NASA sponsored studies. In addition to the lessons learned through the conduct of these studies, a few suggestions for improving the effectiveness of future technology assessments are provided.

RAPP, a systematic e-assessment of postoperative recovery in patients undergoing day surgery: study protocol for a mixed-methods study design including a multicentre, two-group, parallel, single-blind randomised controlled trial and qualitative interview studies

PubMed Central

Dahlberg, K; Odencrants, S; Hagberg, L

2016-01-01

Introduction Day surgery is a well-established practice in many European countries, but only limited information is available regarding postoperative recovery at home though there is a current lack of a standard procedure regarding postoperative follow-up. Furthermore, there is also a need for improvement of modern technology in assessing patient-related outcomes such as mobile applications. This article describes the Recovery Assessment by Phone Points (RAPP) study protocol, a mixed-methods study to evaluate if a systematic e-assessment follow-up in patients undergoing day surgery is cost-effective and improves postoperative recovery, health and quality of life. Methods and analysis This study has a mixed-methods study design that includes a multicentre, two-group, parallel, single-blind randomised controlled trial and qualitative interview studies. 1000 patients >17 years of age who are undergoing day surgery will be randomly assigned to either e-assessed postoperative recovery follow-up daily in 14 days measured via smartphone app including the Swedish web-version of Quality of Recovery (SwQoR) or to standard care (ie, no follow-up). The primary aim is cost-effectiveness. Secondary aims are (A) to explore whether a systematic e-assessment follow-up after day surgery has a positive effect on postoperative recovery, health-related quality of life (QoL) and overall health; (B) to determine whether differences in postoperative recovery have an association with patient characteristic, type of surgery and anaesthesia; (C) to determine whether differences in health literacy have a substantial and distinct effect on postoperative recovery, health and QoL; and (D) to describe day surgery patient and staff experiences with a systematic e-assessment follow-up after day surgery. The primary aim will be measured at 2 weeks postoperatively and secondary outcomes (A–C) at 1 and 2 weeks and (D) at 1 and 4 months. Trial registration number NCT02492191; Pre-results. PMID:26769788

Comparative assessment of three in vitro exposure methods for combustion toxicity.

PubMed

Lestari, Fatma; Markovic, Boban; Green, Anthony R; Chattopadhyay, Gautam; Hayes, Amanda J

2006-01-01

A comparative assessment of three approaches for the use of human cells in vitro to investigate combustion toxicity was conducted. These included one indirect and two direct (passive and dynamic) exposure methods. The indirect method used an impinger system in which culture medium was used to trap the toxicants, whilst the direct exposure involved the use of a Horizontal Harvard Navicyte Chamber at the air/liquid interface. The cytotoxic effects of thermal decomposition products were assessed using the MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay (Promega) on a selection of human cells including: HepG2, A549 and skin fibroblasts. A small scale laboratory fire test using a vertical tube furnace was designed for the generation of combustion products. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was selected as a model polymer to study the cytotoxic effects of combustion products. NOAEC (no observable adverse effect concentration), IC10 (10% inhibitory concentration), IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration) and TLC (total lethal concentration) values were determined from dose response curves. Assessment using the NRU (neutral red uptake) and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) assays on human lung derived cells (A549) was also undertaken. Comparison between in vitro cytotoxicity results against published toxicity data for PMMA combustion and predicted LC50 (50% lethal concentration) values calculated from identified compounds using GCMS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) was determined. The results suggested that the indirect exposure method did not appear to simulate closely exposure via inhalation, whilst exposure at the air/liquid interface by using the dynamic method proved to be a more representative method of human inhalation. This exposure method may be a potential system for in vitro cytotoxicity testing in combustion toxicity. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Combining heuristic and statistical techniques in landslide hazard assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cepeda, Jose; Schwendtner, Barbara; Quan, Byron; Nadim, Farrokh; Diaz, Manuel; Molina, Giovanni

2014-05-01

As a contribution to the Global Assessment Report 2013 - GAR2013, coordinated by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction - UNISDR, a drill-down exercise for landslide hazard assessment was carried out by entering the results of both heuristic and statistical techniques into a new but simple combination rule. The data available for this evaluation included landslide inventories, both historical and event-based. In addition to the application of a heuristic method used in the previous editions of GAR, the availability of inventories motivated the use of statistical methods. The heuristic technique is largely based on the Mora & Vahrson method, which estimates hazard as the product of susceptibility and triggering factors, where classes are weighted based on expert judgment and experience. Two statistical methods were also applied: the landslide index method, which estimates weights of the classes for the susceptibility and triggering factors based on the evidence provided by the density of landslides in each class of the factors; and the weights of evidence method, which extends the previous technique to include both positive and negative evidence of landslide occurrence in the estimation of weights for the classes. One key aspect during the hazard evaluation was the decision on the methodology to be chosen for the final assessment. Instead of opting for a single methodology, it was decided to combine the results of the three implemented techniques using a combination rule based on a normalization of the results of each method. The hazard evaluation was performed for both earthquake- and rainfall-induced landslides. The country chosen for the drill-down exercise was El Salvador. The results indicate that highest hazard levels are concentrated along the central volcanic chain and at the centre of the northern mountains.

Role of Insurance Coverage in Contraceptive Use After Abortion.

PubMed

Biggs, M Antonia; Taylor, Diana; Upadhyay, Ushma D

2017-12-01

To assess postaspiration abortion contraceptive use and the role of insurance coverage for abortion in a state that covers abortion and contraception for low-income women. This is a secondary analysis of a previously published prospective study to assess the safety of abortion provision. From 2007 through 2013, women seeking first-trimester aspiration abortion were recruited at 25 clinical facilities within four Planned Parenthood affiliates and Kaiser Permanente of Northern California. Patients' medical charts were reviewed to assess the contraceptive methods received on the day of the abortion. A 4-week follow-up survey assessed contraceptive use and contraceptive-related incidents. Primary outcomes included leaving with any method on the day of the abortion and use of any method at the 4-week assessment. Secondary outcomes included intrauterine device or implant use on the day of the procedure and at 4 weeks and switching to a less effective method at 4 weeks. A total of 19,673 women agreed to participate, and 13,904 (71%) completed the 4-week follow-up survey. Ninety-four percent (18,486/19,673) left their abortion visit with a contraceptive method: 21% (4,111/19,673) with an intrauterine device, implant, or permanent method. By the 4-week survey, 8% (1,135/13,904) switched from a high- or medium-efficacy method to a low-efficacy or no method; 0.4% (60/13,904) experienced a contraceptive incident. In adjusted regression analyses, women who paid for the abortion with Medicaid were significantly more likely to use any method (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.70, 95% CI 3.09-4.42) or an intrauterine device or implant (adjusted OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.92-2.38) on the day of the abortion than those who did not pay with insurance. Experiencing a contraceptive-related incident was associated with switching to a low-efficacy or no method by the 4-week survey (adjusted OR 3.98, 95% CI 2.20-7.22). Insurance coverage for abortion is associated with postabortion contraceptive provision and use, even in settings that cover abortions and contraception for low-income women.

The Contribution of Teachers' Peer-and Self-Assessment for the Implementation of Active Learning Strategies: Perceptions of Ethiopia Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mengistie, Solomon Melesse

2014-01-01

The present study tries to investigate the contribution of primary school teachers' peer- and self- assessment for effective implementation of active learning in their actual classrooms. In this study, areas in which self-reflection and peer assessment include three broad categories, such as methods of teaching and learning, instructional resource…

Attention, effort, and fatigue: Neuropsychological perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Ronald A.; Odonnell, Brian F.

1988-01-01

Models of attention, effort, and fatigue are reviewed. Methods are discussed for measuring these phenomena from a neuropsychological and psychophysiological perspective. The following methodologies are included: (1) the autonomic measurement of cognitive effort and quality of encoding; (2) serial assessment approaches to neurophysiological assessment; and (3) the assessment of subjective reports of fatigue using multidimensional ratings and their relationship to neurobehavioral measures.

The assessment of dentofacial esthetics in restorative dentistry: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Frese, Cornelia; Staehle, Hans Joerg; Wolff, Diana

2012-05-01

The authors conducted a literature review to determine how dentofacial esthetics can be evaluated in restorative dentistry and which quantifiable clinical parameters can be used for this assessment of dentofacial esthetics. The authors selected 35 studies that focused on assessment strategies for dental professionals. The primary inclusion criteria were intraoral and extraoral esthetic assessment methods and indexes or rating scales evaluating esthetics in restorative dentistry. The studies' protocols and assessment methods were heterogeneous. The authors grouped the studies into six categories according to topic: golden proportion, soft-tissue measurement, smile and smile line assessment, orofacial indexes and scales, incisor proportion and angulation, and facial esthetics. These categories included various esthetic parameters, including the smile line, lip line, incisal offset, location of dental and facial midline, incisor angulations and width to height ratios of the maxillary anterior teeth, gingival contour, and root coverage and papilla height. These parameters should be considered when providing dental treatment in the anterior area, as they allow for quantification and objective judgment. The findings of this review might increase interest in a comprehensive dental esthetic index that allows for objective quantification and intrastudy and interstudy comparison of dental treatment outcomes.

Statistical methods in personality assessment research.

PubMed

Schinka, J A; LaLone, L; Broeckel, J A

1997-06-01

Emerging models of personality structure and advances in the measurement of personality and psychopathology suggest that research in personality and personality assessment has entered a stage of advanced development, in this article we examine whether researchers in these areas have taken advantage of new and evolving statistical procedures. We conducted a review of articles published in the Journal of Personality, Assessment during the past 5 years. Of the 449 articles that included some form of data analysis, 12.7% used only descriptive statistics, most employed only univariate statistics, and fewer than 10% used multivariate methods of data analysis. We discuss the cost of using limited statistical methods, the possible reasons for the apparent reluctance to employ advanced statistical procedures, and potential solutions to this technical shortcoming.

Modeling pesticide risk to California gnatcatchers

EPA Science Inventory

Pesticides are used widely in US agriculture and may affect non-target organisms, including birds. Recently, USEPA has worked with other federal agencies, including USFWS and NMFS, to revise and strengthen methods for conducting pesticide risk assessments under section 7 of the U...

AUTOMATED RESPIROMETER METHOD FOR MICROBIAL TOXICITY ASSESSMENT OF LOW-LEVEL ZINC CONTAMINATION IN SOIL

EPA Science Inventory

Zinc is an essential trace element for all living organisms including humans. ecause microbial-based toxicity approaches to assess the changes in ecosystem processes are not well defined for soil application, this laboratory has developed an automated respirometer capable of meas...

Academic Performance in Introductory Accounting: Do Learning Styles Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Lin Mei; Laswad, Fawzi

2015-01-01

This study examines the impact of learning styles on academic performance using major assessment methods (examinations and assignments including multiple-choice and constructed response questions (CRQs)) in an introductory accounting course. Students' learning styles were assessed using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory Version 3.1. The results…

76 FR 12729 - Cambridge Environmental Inc; Transfer of Data

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-08

...) and/ or electronic form. Due dates for each data package and/or assessment and/or project shall be...; Transfer of Data AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice... evaluating assessments. This includes evaluating the applicability of the data and methods used in the...

New developments in transit noise and vibration criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, Carl E.

2004-05-01

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) noise and vibration impact criteria were developed in the early 1990's. Noise criteria are ambient-based, developed from the Schultz curve and fundamental research performed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the 1970's. Vibration criteria are single-value rms vibration velocity levels. After 10 years of experience applying the criteria in assessments of new transit projects throughout the United States, FTA is updating its methods. Approach to assessment of new projects in existing high-noise environments will be clarified. Method for assessing noise impacts due to horn blowing at grade crossings will be provided. Vibration criteria will be expanded to include spectral information. This paper summarizes the background of the current criteria, discusses examples where existing methods are lacking, and describes the planned remedies to improve criteria and methods.

Is Self-Paced Instruction Really Worth It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberson, J. A.; Crowe, C. T.

1975-01-01

Describes a self-paced, learning-for-mastery course in undergraduate fluid mechanics. Includes the method of course assessment, method of student evaluation, and a description of the instructor's role and work load. Summarizes aspects of self-paced instruction considered favorable and unfavorable. (GS)

Single Cell Spectroscopy: Noninvasive Measures of Small-Scale Structure and Function

PubMed Central

Mousoulis, Charilaos; Xu, Xin; Reiter, David A.; Neu, Corey P.

2013-01-01

The advancement of spectroscopy methods attained through increases in sensitivity, and often with the coupling of complementary techniques, has enabled real-time structure and function measurements of single cells. The purpose of this review is to illustrate, in light of advances, the strengths and the weaknesses of these methods. Included also is an assessment of the impact of the experimental setup and conditions of each method on cellular function and integrity. A particular emphasis is placed on noninvasive and nondestructive techniques for achieving single cell detection, including nuclear magnetic resonance, in addition to physical, optical, and vibrational methods. PMID:23886910

Including Health in Environmental Assessments of Major Transport Infrastructure Projects: A Documentary Analysis

PubMed Central

Riley, Emily; Harris, Patrick; Kent, Jennifer; Sainsbury, Peter; Lane, Anna; Baum, Fran

2018-01-01

Background: Transport policy and practice impacts health. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are regulated public policy mechanisms that can be used to consider the health impacts of major transport projects before they are approved. The way health is considered in these environmental assessments (EAs) is not well known. This research asked: How and to what extent was human health considered in EAs of four major transport projects in Australia. Methods: We developed a comprehensive coding framework to analyse the Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) of four transport infrastructure projects: three road and one light rail. The coding framework was designed to capture how health was directly and indirectly included. Results: We found that health was partially considered in all four EISs. In the three New South Wales (NSW) projects, but not the one South Australian project, this was influenced by the requirements issued to proponents by the government which directed the content of the EIS. Health was assessed using human health risk assessment (HHRA). We found this to be narrow in focus and revealed a need for a broader social determinants of health approach, using multiple methods. The road assessments emphasised air quality and noise risks, concluding these were minimal or predicted to improve. The South Australian project was the only road project not to include health data explicitly. The light rail EIS considered the health benefits of the project whereas the others focused on risk. Only one project considered mental health, although in less detail than air quality or noise. Conclusion: Our findings suggest EIAs lag behind the known evidence linking transport infrastructure to health. If health is to be comprehensively included, a more complete model of health is required, as well as a shift away from health risk assessment as the main method used. This needs to be mandatory for all significant developments. We also found that considering health only at the EIA stage may be a significant limitation, and there is a need for health issues to be considered when earlier, fundamental decisions about the project are being made. PMID:29524938

A workshop on developing risk assessment methods for medical use of radioactive material. Volume 1: Summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tortorelli, J.P.

1995-08-01

A workshop was held at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, August 16--18, 1994 on the topic of risk assessment on medical devices that use radioactive isotopes. Its purpose was to review past efforts to develop a risk assessment methodology to evaluate these devices, and to develop a program plan and a scoping document for future methodology development. This report contains a summary of that workshop. Participants included experts in the fields of radiation oncology, medical physics, risk assessment, human-error analysis, and human factors. Staff from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) associated with the regulation of medical uses of radioactivemore » materials and with research into risk-assessment methods participated in the workshop. The workshop participants concurred in NRC`s intended use of risk assessment as an important technology in the development of regulations for the medical use of radioactive material and encouraged the NRC to proceed rapidly with a pilot study. Specific recommendations are included in the executive summary and the body of this report. An appendix contains the 8 papers presented at the conference: NRC proposed policy statement on the use of probabilistic risk assessment methods in nuclear regulatory activities; NRC proposed agency-wide implementation plan for probabilistic risk assessment; Risk evaluation of high dose rate remote afterloading brachytherapy at a large research/teaching institution; The pros and cons of using human reliability analysis techniques to analyze misadministration events; Review of medical misadministration event summaries and comparison of human error modeling; Preliminary examples of the development of error influences and effects diagrams to analyze medical misadministration events; Brachytherapy risk assessment program plan; and Principles of brachytherapy quality assurance.« less

Analysis of the methods for assessing socio-economic development level of urban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popova, Olga; Bogacheva, Elena

2017-01-01

The present paper provides a targeted analysis of current approaches (ratings) in the assessment of socio-economic development of urban areas. The survey focuses on identifying standardized methodologies to area assessment techniques formation that will result in developing the system of intelligent monitoring, dispatching, building management, scheduling and effective management of an administrative-territorial unit. This system is characterized by complex hierarchical structure, including tangible and intangible properties (parameters, attributes). Investigating the abovementioned methods should increase the administrative-territorial unit's attractiveness for investors and residence. The research aims at studying methods for evaluating socio-economic development level of the Russian Federation territories. Experimental and theoretical territory estimating methods were revealed. Complex analysis of the characteristics of the areas was carried out and evaluation parameters were determined. Integral indicators (resulting rating criteria values) as well as the overall rankings (parameters, characteristics) were analyzed. The inventory of the most widely used partial indicators (parameters, characteristics) of urban areas was revealed. The resulting criteria of rating values homogeneity were verified and confirmed by determining the root mean square deviation, i.e. divergence of indices. The principal shortcomings of assessment methodologies were revealed. The assessment methods with enhanced effectiveness and homogeneity were proposed.

Use of technology in children's dietary assessment.

PubMed

Boushey, C J; Kerr, D A; Wright, J; Lutes, K D; Ebert, D S; Delp, E J

2009-02-01

Information on dietary intake provides some of the most valuable insights for mounting intervention programmes for the prevention of chronic diseases. With the growing concern about adolescent overweight, the need to accurately measure diet becomes imperative. Assessment among adolescents is problematic as this group has irregular eating patterns and they have less enthusiasm for recording food intake. We used qualitative and quantitative techniques among adolescents to assess their preferences for dietary assessment methods. Dietary assessment methods using technology, for example, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a disposable camera, were preferred over the pen and paper food record. There was a strong preference for using methods that incorporate technology such as capturing images of food. This suggests that for adolescents, dietary methods that incorporate technology may improve cooperation and accuracy. Current computing technology includes higher resolution images, improved memory capacity and faster processors that allow small mobile devices to process information not previously possible. Our goal is to develop, implement and evaluate a mobile device (for example, PDA, mobile phone) food record that will translate to an accurate account of daily food and nutrient intake among adolescents. This mobile computing device will include digital images, a nutrient database and image analysis for identification and quantification of food consumption. Mobile computing devices provide a unique vehicle for collecting dietary information that reduces the burden on record keepers. Images of food can be marked with a variety of input methods that link the item for image processing and analysis to estimate the amount of food. Images before and after the foods are eaten can estimate the amount of food consumed. The initial stages and potential of this project will be described.

Assessing CO2 Mitigation Options Utilizing Detailed Electricity Characteristics and Including Renewable Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bensaida, K.; Alie, Colin; Elkamel, A.; Almansoori, A.

2017-08-01

This paper presents a novel techno-economic optimization model for assessing the effectiveness of CO2 mitigation options for the electricity generation sub-sector that includes renewable energy generation. The optimization problem was formulated as a MINLP model using the GAMS modeling system. The model seeks the minimization of the power generation costs under CO2 emission constraints by dispatching power from low CO2 emission-intensity units. The model considers the detailed operation of the electricity system to effectively assess the performance of GHG mitigation strategies and integrates load balancing, carbon capture and carbon taxes as methods for reducing CO2 emissions. Two case studies are discussed to analyze the benefits and challenges of the CO2 reduction methods in the electricity system. The proposed mitigations options would not only benefit the environment, but they will as well improve the marginal cost of producing energy which represents an advantage for stakeholders.

Heart Rate Assessment Immediately after Birth.

PubMed

Phillipos, Emily; Solevåg, Anne Lee; Pichler, Gerhard; Aziz, Khalid; van Os, Sylvia; O'Reilly, Megan; Cheung, Po-Yin; Schmölzer, Georg M

2016-01-01

Heart rate assessment immediately after birth in newborn infants is critical to the correct guidance of resuscitation efforts. There are disagreements as to the best method to measure heart rate. The aim of this study was to assess different methods of heart rate assessment in newborn infants at birth to determine the fastest and most accurate method. PubMed, EMBASE and Google Scholar were systematically searched using the following terms: 'infant', 'heart rate', 'monitoring', 'delivery room', 'resuscitation', 'stethoscope', 'auscultation', 'palpation', 'pulse oximetry', 'electrocardiogram', 'Doppler ultrasound', 'photoplethysmography' and 'wearable sensors'. Eighteen studies were identified that described various methods of heart rate assessment in newborn infants immediately after birth. Studies examining auscultation, palpation, pulse oximetry, electrocardiography and Doppler ultrasound as ways to measure heart rate were included. Heart rate measurements by pulse oximetry are superior to auscultation and palpation, but there is contradictory evidence about its accuracy depending on whether the sensor is connected to the infant or the oximeter first. Several studies indicate that electrocardiogram provides a reliable heart rate faster than pulse oximetry. Doppler ultrasound shows potential for clinical use, however future evidence is needed to support this conclusion. Heart rate assessment is important and there are many measurement methods. The accuracy of routinely applied methods varies, with palpation and auscultation being the least accurate and electrocardiogram being the most accurate. More research is needed on Doppler ultrasound before its clinical use. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Assessment of Patient Empowerment - A Systematic Review of Measures

PubMed Central

Barr, Paul J.; Scholl, Isabelle; Bravo, Paulina; Faber, Marjan J.; Elwyn, Glyn; McAllister, Marion

2015-01-01

Background Patient empowerment has gained considerable importance but uncertainty remains about the best way to define and measure it. The validity of empirical findings depends on the quality of measures used. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of studies assessing psychometric properties of questionnaires purporting to capture patient empowerment, evaluate the methodological quality of these studies and assess the psychometric properties of measures identified. Methods Electronic searches in five databases were combined with reference tracking of included articles. Peer-reviewed articles reporting psychometric testing of empowerment measures for adult patients in French, German, English, Portuguese and Spanish were included. Study characteristics, constructs operationalised and psychometric properties were extracted. The quality of study design, methods and reporting was assessed using the COSMIN checklist. The quality of psychometric properties was assessed using Terwee’s 2007 criteria. Findings 30 studies on 19 measures were included. Six measures are generic, while 13 were developed for a specific condition (N=4) or specialty (N=9). Most studies tested measures in English (N=17) or Swedish (N=6). Sample sizes of included studies varied from N=35 to N=8261. A range of patient empowerment constructs was operationalised in included measures. These were classified into four domains: patient states, experiences and capacities; patient actions and behaviours; patient self-determination within the healthcare relationship and patient skills development. Quality assessment revealed several flaws in methodological study quality with COSMIN scores mainly fair or poor. The overall quality of psychometric properties of included measures was intermediate to positive. Certain psychometric properties were not tested for most measures. Discussion Findings provide a basis from which to develop consensus on a core set of patient empowerment constructs and for further work to develop a (set of) appropriately validated measure(s) to capture this. The methodological quality of psychometric studies could be improved by adhering to published quality criteria. PMID:25970618

[Assessment of professional practices in treating cardiac arrest].

PubMed

Mazon, Clara; Kerrou, Yamina

2017-12-01

An assessment of professional practices was carried out in 2013-2014 with the aim of improving the treatment of cardiac arrest in hospitals. Two methods were used: an assessment by questionnaire to evaluate theoretical knowledge and a practical assessment of external cardiac massage. The results highlight the need for greater knowledge. The use of cardiac massage must be included in continuing professional development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A modified and cost-effective method for hair cortisol analysis.

PubMed

Xiang, Lianbin; Sunesara, Imran; Rehm, Kristina E; Marshall, Gailen D

2016-01-01

Hair cortisol may hold potential as a biomarker for assessment of chronic psychological stress. We report a modified and cost-effective method to prepare hair samples for cortisol assay. Hair samples were ground using an inexpensive ball grinder - ULTRA-TURRAX tube drive. Cortisol was extracted from the powder under various defined conditions. The data showed that the optimal conditions for this method include cortisol extraction at room temperature and evaporation using a stream of room air. These findings should allow more widespread research using economical technology to validate the utility of hair cortisol as a biomarker for assessing chronic stress status.

[Nutritional status of adults with cystic fibrosis - current methods of assessment].

PubMed

Szabla, Anna; Skorupa, Wojciech; Milewska, Magdalena; Weker, Halina

2015-11-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most frequent monogenic disease in the Caucasian population, inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. This is a multiple organ disease and its main manifestations include pulmonary and gastrointestinal dysfunction. The exocrine pancreatic deficiency results in impaired digestion and absorption what may lead to malnutrition and vitamins and minerals deficiencies. The life expectancy of cystic fibrosis patients has been increasing over the past years, so there is a need to verify usefulness of existing or create new methods of nutritional status assessment. The aim of this paper was presentation current data on the methods of assessment and monitoring of nutritional status. Particular attention has been paid to appropriate nutritional support in prevention and treatment of malnutrition patients with cystic fibrosis. On the basis of recent literature we can conclude that the advanced nutritional status assessment is recommended in patient with CF by using anthropometrical methods, body composition analysis and biochemical data. Good nutritional status is connected with pulmonary functions, quality and life length. © 2015 MEDPRESS.

Feasibility, acceptability and clinical utility of the Cultural Formulation Interview: mixed-methods results from the DSM-5 international field trial.

PubMed

Lewis-Fernández, Roberto; Aggarwal, Neil Krishan; Lam, Peter C; Galfalvy, Hanga; Weiss, Mitchell G; Kirmayer, Laurence J; Paralikar, Vasudeo; Deshpande, Smita N; Díaz, Esperanza; Nicasio, Andel V; Boiler, Marit; Alarcón, Renato D; Rohlof, Hans; Groen, Simon; van Dijk, Rob C J; Jadhav, Sushrut; Sarmukaddam, Sanjeev; Ndetei, David; Scalco, Monica Z; Bassiri, Kavoos; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Ton, Hendry; Westermeyer, Joseph; Vega-Dienstmaier, Johann M

2017-04-01

Background There is a need for clinical tools to identify cultural issues in diagnostic assessment. Aims To assess the feasibility, acceptability and clinical utility of the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) in routine clinical practice. Method Mixed-methods evaluation of field trial data from six countries. The CFI was administered to diagnostically diverse psychiatric out-patients during a diagnostic interview. In post-evaluation sessions, patients and clinicians completed debriefing qualitative interviews and Likert-scale questionnaires. The duration of CFI administration and the full diagnostic session were monitored. Results Mixed-methods data from 318 patients and 75 clinicians found the CFI feasible, acceptable and useful. Clinician feasibility ratings were significantly lower than patient ratings and other clinician-assessed outcomes. After administering one CFI, however, clinician feasibility ratings improved significantly and subsequent interviews required less time. Conclusions The CFI was included in DSM-5 as a feasible, acceptable and useful cultural assessment tool. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

Application of advanced techniques for the assessment of bio-stability of biowaste-derived residues: A minireview.

PubMed

Lü, Fan; Shao, Li-Ming; Zhang, Hua; Fu, Wen-Ding; Feng, Shi-Jin; Zhan, Liang-Tong; Chen, Yun-Min; He, Pin-Jing

2018-01-01

Bio-stability is a key feature for the utilization and final disposal of biowaste-derived residues, such as aerobic compost or vermicompost of food waste, bio-dried waste, anaerobic digestate or landfilled waste. The present paper reviews conventional methods and advanced techniques used for the assessment of bio-stability. The conventional methods are reclassified into two categories. Advanced techniques, including spectroscopic (fluorescent, ultraviolet-visible, infrared, Raman, nuclear magnetic resonance), thermogravimetric and thermochemolysis analysis, are emphasized for their application in bio-stability assessment in recent years. Their principles, pros and cons are critically discussed. These advanced techniques are found to be convenient in sample preparation and to supply diversified information. However, the viability of these techniques as potential indicators for bio-stability assessment ultimately lies in the establishment of the relationship of advanced ones with the conventional methods, especially with the methods based on biotic response. Furthermore, some misuses in data explanation should be noted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Framework for e-learning assessment in dental education: a global model for the future.

PubMed

Arevalo, Carolina R; Bayne, Stephen C; Beeley, Josie A; Brayshaw, Christine J; Cox, Margaret J; Donaldson, Nora H; Elson, Bruce S; Grayden, Sharon K; Hatzipanagos, Stylianos; Johnson, Lynn A; Reynolds, Patricia A; Schönwetter, Dieter J

2013-05-01

The framework presented in this article demonstrates strategies for a global approach to e-curricula in dental education by considering a collection of outcome assessment tools. By combining the outcomes for overall assessment, a global model for a pilot project that applies e-assessment tools to virtual learning environments (VLE), including haptics, is presented. Assessment strategies from two projects, HapTEL (Haptics in Technology Enhanced Learning) and UDENTE (Universal Dental E-learning), act as case-user studies that have helped develop the proposed global framework. They incorporate additional assessment tools and include evaluations from questionnaires and stakeholders' focus groups. These measure each of the factors affecting the classical teaching/learning theory framework as defined by Entwistle in a standardized manner. A mathematical combinatorial approach is proposed to join these results together as a global assessment. With the use of haptic-based simulation learning, exercises for tooth preparation assessing enamel and dentine were compared to plastic teeth in manikins. Equivalence for student performance for haptic versus traditional preparation methods was established, thus establishing the validity of the haptic solution for performing these exercises. Further data collected from HapTEL are still being analyzed, and pilots are being conducted to validate the proposed test measures. Initial results have been encouraging, but clearly the need persists to develop additional e-assessment methods for new learning domains.

Nontechnical skill training and the use of scenarios in modern surgical education.

PubMed

Brunckhorst, Oliver; Khan, Muhammad S; Dasgupta, Prokar; Ahmed, Kamran

2017-07-01

Nontechnical skills are being increasingly recognized as a core reason of surgical errors. Combined with the changing nature of surgical training, there has therefore been an increase in nontechnical skill research in the literature. This review therefore aims to: define nontechnical skillsets, assess current training methods, explore assessment modalities and suggest future research aims. The literature demonstrates an increasing understanding of the components of nontechnical skills within surgery. This has led to a greater availability of validated training methods for its training, including the use of didactic teaching, e-learning and simulation-based scenarios. In addition, there are now various extensively validated assessment tools for nontechnical skills including NOTSS, the Oxford NOTECHS and OTAS. Finally, there is now more focus on the development of tools which target individual nontechnical skill components and an attempt to understand which of these play a greater role in specific procedures such as laparoscopic or robotic surgery. Current evidence demonstrates various training methods and tools for the training of nontechnical skills. Future research is likely to focus increasingly on individual nontechnical skill components and procedure-specific skills.

[Legal capacity and instruments assessing cognitive functions in patients with dementia].

PubMed

Voskou, P; Papageorgiou, S; Economou, A; Douzenis, A

2017-01-01

The term "legal capacity" refers to the ability of a person to make a valid declaration of his will or to accept such a declaration. This ability constitutes the main condition for the validity of the legal transaction. The legal transaction includes issues that are adjusted by the Civil Code with which the relations of the citizens in a society are regulated. General practitioners and legal advisors, in any case of a person with cognitive impairment of various severity, should take into account that the assessment tests of the cognitive functions are not by themselves diagnostic of the dementia and they cannot be used as the only way of evaluation of the capacity of patients with cognitive impairment or possible dementia to respond to the needs of everyday life and in more complex decisions, such as the legal capacity. The existing methods for the assessment of the cognitive functions are valuable, mainly, for the detection of any cognitive impairment which may not be perceptible during the clinical evaluation of the patient and secondly for the detection of any changes in the cognitive status of the patient during its following up. The description and study of the instruments which are frequently used in the international scientific society for the assessment of the cognitive functions of the patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, during the evaluation of the legal capacity of these patients. The literature relevant to the existing methods assessing the cognitive functions during the evaluation of the legal capacity of patients with dementia was reviewed. The scientific database searched was Pubmed, Medline and Scopus. The key-words used were cognitive functions, dementia, instruments, legal capacity. Various instruments which assess the cognitive functions have been developed and can be grouped in 4 categories. The first one includes instruments used for the general assessment of the cognitive status. These instruments can be extensive or short and consist of subtests for the evaluation of several cognitive functions (memory, attention, perception, speech). The second category includes instruments for the specific assessment of the cognitive status, namely specific tests for one cognitive domain (for example, memory, speech flow, naming). The third category consists of methods which are based on the clinical evaluation during the interview with the patient and his familiars, giving emphasis on the frontal functions of the patient. Finally, the fourth group includes instruments which assess the executive functions of the patients. There is a great need for the development of more studies for the methods/instruments with which the cognitive functions of patients with probable dementia can be assessed during the evaluation of the legal capacity of these patients. The challenge for the scientists is to develop a clinically applicable instrument for the quick and reliable assessment of the legal capacity of people with dementia. The assessment of this ability should be done in relation with the needs, the feelings and the values of the patient.

Extending Vulnerability Assessment to Include Life Stages Considerations

PubMed Central

Hodgson, Emma E.; Essington, Timothy E.; Kaplan, Isaac C.

2016-01-01

Species are experiencing a suite of novel stressors from anthropogenic activities that have impacts at multiple scales. Vulnerability assessment is one tool to evaluate the likely impacts that these stressors pose to species so that high-vulnerability cases can be identified and prioritized for monitoring, protection, or mitigation. Commonly used semi-quantitative methods lack a framework to explicitly account for differences in exposure to stressors and organism responses across life stages. Here we propose a modification to commonly used spatial vulnerability assessment methods that includes such an approach, using ocean acidification in the California Current as an illustrative case study. Life stage considerations were included by assessing vulnerability of each life stage to ocean acidification and were used to estimate population vulnerability in two ways. We set population vulnerability equal to: (1) the maximum stage vulnerability and (2) a weighted mean across all stages, with weights calculated using Lefkovitch matrix models. Vulnerability was found to vary across life stages for the six species explored in this case study: two krill–Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera, pteropod–Limacina helicina, pink shrimp–Pandalus jordani, Dungeness crab–Metacarcinus magister and Pacific hake–Merluccius productus. The maximum vulnerability estimates ranged from larval to subadult and adult stages with no consistent stage having maximum vulnerability across species. Similarly, integrated vulnerability metrics varied greatly across species. A comparison showed that some species had vulnerabilities that were similar between the two metrics, while other species’ vulnerabilities varied substantially between the two metrics. These differences primarily resulted from cases where the most vulnerable stage had a low relative weight. We compare these methods and explore circumstances where each method may be appropriate. PMID:27416031

Extending Vulnerability Assessment to Include Life Stages Considerations.

PubMed

Hodgson, Emma E; Essington, Timothy E; Kaplan, Isaac C

2016-01-01

Species are experiencing a suite of novel stressors from anthropogenic activities that have impacts at multiple scales. Vulnerability assessment is one tool to evaluate the likely impacts that these stressors pose to species so that high-vulnerability cases can be identified and prioritized for monitoring, protection, or mitigation. Commonly used semi-quantitative methods lack a framework to explicitly account for differences in exposure to stressors and organism responses across life stages. Here we propose a modification to commonly used spatial vulnerability assessment methods that includes such an approach, using ocean acidification in the California Current as an illustrative case study. Life stage considerations were included by assessing vulnerability of each life stage to ocean acidification and were used to estimate population vulnerability in two ways. We set population vulnerability equal to: (1) the maximum stage vulnerability and (2) a weighted mean across all stages, with weights calculated using Lefkovitch matrix models. Vulnerability was found to vary across life stages for the six species explored in this case study: two krill-Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera, pteropod-Limacina helicina, pink shrimp-Pandalus jordani, Dungeness crab-Metacarcinus magister and Pacific hake-Merluccius productus. The maximum vulnerability estimates ranged from larval to subadult and adult stages with no consistent stage having maximum vulnerability across species. Similarly, integrated vulnerability metrics varied greatly across species. A comparison showed that some species had vulnerabilities that were similar between the two metrics, while other species' vulnerabilities varied substantially between the two metrics. These differences primarily resulted from cases where the most vulnerable stage had a low relative weight. We compare these methods and explore circumstances where each method may be appropriate.

Team-based assessment of professional behavior in medical students.

PubMed

Raee, Hojat; Amini, Mitra; Momen Nasab, Ameneh; Malek Pour, Abdolrasoul; Jafari, Mohammad Morad

2014-07-01

Self and peer assessment provides important information about the individual's performance and behavior in all aspects of their professional environment work. The aim of this study is to evaluate the professional behavior and performance in medical students in the form of team based assessment. In a cross-sectional study, 100 medical students in the 7(th) year of education were randomly selected and enrolled; for each student five questionnaires were filled out, including one self-assessment, two peer assessments and two residents assessment. The scoring system of the questionnaires was based on seven point Likert scale.  After filling out the questions in the questionnaire, numerical data and written comments provided to the students were collected, analyzed and discussed. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the questionnaires was assessed. A p<0.05 was considered as significant level. Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha 0.83). Interviews revealed that the majority of students and assessors interviewed found the method acceptable. The range of scores was 1-6 (Mean±SD=4.39±0.57) for the residents' assessment, 2-6 (Mean±SD= 4.49±0.53) for peer assessment, and 3-7 (Mean±SD=5.04±0.32) for self-assessment. There was a significant difference between self assessment and other methods of assessment. This study demonstrates that a team-based assessment is an acceptable and feasible method for peer and self-assessment of medical students' learning in a clinical clerkship, and has some advantages over traditional assessment methods. Further studies are needed to focus on the strengths and weaknesses.

Nutritional status in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease: prevalence of malnutrition and methods for routine nutritional assessment.

PubMed

Mijac, Dragana D; Janković, Goran L J; Jorga, Jagoda; Krstić, Miodrag N

2010-08-01

Malnutrition is a common feature of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There are numerous methods for the assessment of nutritional status, but the gold standard has not yet been established. The aims of the study were to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition and to evaluate methods for routine nutritional assessment of active IBD patients. Twenty-three patients with active Crohn disease, 53 patients with active ulcerative colitis and 30 controls were included in the study. The nutritional status was assessed by extensive anthropometric measurements, percentage of weight loss in the past 1-6 months and biochemical markers of nutrition. All investigated nutritional parameters were significantly different in IBD patients compared to control subjects, except MCV, tryglicerides and serum total protein level. Serum albumin level and body mass index (BMI) were the most predictive parameters of malnutrition. According to different assessment methods the prevalence of undernutrition and severe undernutrition in patients with active IBD were 25.0%-69.7% and 1.3%-31.6%, respectively, while in the control subjects no abnormalities have been detected. There was no statistically significant difference of nutritional parameters between UC and CD patients except lower mid-arm muscle circumference in UC group. Malnutrition is common in IBD patients. BMI and serum albumin are simple and convenient methods for the assessment of the nutritional status in IBD patients. Further studies with larger group of patients are necessary to elucidate the prevalence of malnutrition and the most accurate assessment methods in IBD patients.

Guiding principles for the implementation of non-animal safety assessment approaches for cosmetics: skin sensitisation.

PubMed

Goebel, Carsten; Aeby, Pierre; Ade, Nadège; Alépée, Nathalie; Aptula, Aynur; Araki, Daisuke; Dufour, Eric; Gilmour, Nicola; Hibatallah, Jalila; Keller, Detlef; Kern, Petra; Kirst, Annette; Marrec-Fairley, Monique; Maxwell, Gavin; Rowland, Joanna; Safford, Bob; Schellauf, Florian; Schepky, Andreas; Seaman, Chris; Teichert, Thomas; Tessier, Nicolas; Teissier, Silvia; Weltzien, Hans Ulrich; Winkler, Petra; Scheel, Julia

2012-06-01

Characterisation of skin sensitisation potential is a key endpoint for the safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients especially when significant dermal exposure to an ingredient is expected. At present the mouse local lymph node assay (LLNA) remains the 'gold standard' test method for this purpose however non-animal test methods are under development that aim to replace the need for new animal test data. COLIPA (the European Cosmetics Association) funds an extensive programme of skin sensitisation research, method development and method evaluation and helped coordinate the early evaluation of the three test methods currently undergoing pre-validation. In May 2010, a COLIPA scientific meeting was held to analyse to what extent skin sensitisation safety assessments for cosmetic ingredients can be made in the absence of animal data. In order to propose guiding principles for the application and further development of non-animal safety assessment strategies it was evaluated how and when non-animal test methods, predictions based on physico-chemical properties (including in silico tools), threshold concepts and weight-of-evidence based hazard characterisation could be used to enable safety decisions. Generation and assessment of potency information from alternative tools which at present is predominantly derived from the LLNA is considered the future key research area. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Methodical Approach to the Creation, Operation, and Enhancement of a General-use Microcomputer Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seilheimer, Steven D.

1988-01-01

Outlines procedures for developing a microcomputer laboratory for use by students in an academic organization, based on experiences at Niagara University. The four phases described include: (1) needs assessment; (2) establishment, including software and hardware selection and physical facilities; (3) operation, including staffing, maintenance,…

Formative assessment in mathematics for engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ní Fhloinn, Eabhnat; Carr, Michael

2017-07-01

In this paper, we present a range of formative assessment types for engineering mathematics, including in-class exercises, homework, mock examination questions, table quizzes, presentations, critical analyses of statistical papers, peer-to-peer teaching, online assessments and electronic voting systems. We provide practical tips for the implementation of such assessments, with a particular focus on time or resource constraints and large class sizes, as well as effective methods of feedback. In addition, we consider the benefits of such formative assessments for students and staff.

Risk assessment in the North Caucasus ski resorts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komarov, Anton Y.; Seliverstov, Yury G.; Glazovskaya, Tatyana G.; Turchaninova, Alla S.

2016-10-01

Avalanches pose a significant problem in most mountain regions of Russia. The constant growth of economic activity, and therefore the increased avalanche hazard, in the North Caucasus region lead to demand for the development of large-scale avalanche risk assessment methods. Such methods are needed for the determination of appropriate avalanche protection measures as well as for economic assessments.The requirement of natural hazard risk assessments is determined by the Federal Law of the Russian Federation (Federal Law 21.12.1994 N 68-FZ, 2016). However, Russian guidelines (SNIP 11-02-96, 2013; SNIP 22-02-2003, 2012) are not clearly presented concerning avalanche risk assessment calculations. Thus, we discuss these problems by presenting a new avalanche risk assessment approach, with the example of developing but poorly researched ski resort areas. The suggested method includes the formulas to calculate collective and individual avalanche risk. The results of risk analysis are shown in quantitative data that can be used to determine levels of avalanche risk (appropriate, acceptable and inappropriate) and to suggest methods to decrease the individual risk to an acceptable level or better. The analysis makes it possible to compare risk quantitative data obtained from different regions, analyze them and evaluate the economic feasibility of protection measures.

How Reliable is the Acetabular Cup Position Assessment from Routine Radiographs?

PubMed Central

Carvajal Alba, Jaime A.; Vincent, Heather K.; Sodhi, Jagdeep S.; Latta, Loren L.; Parvataneni, Hari K.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Cup position is crucial for optimal outcomes in total hip arthroplasty. Radiographic assessment of component position is routinely performed in the early postoperative period. Aims: The aims of this study were to determine in a controlled environment if routine radiographic methods accurately and reliably assess the acetabular cup position and to assess if there is a statistical difference related to the rater’s level of training. Methods: A pelvic model was mounted in a spatial frame. An acetabular cup was fixed in different degrees of version and inclination. Standardized radiographs were obtained. Ten observers including five fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons and five orthopaedic residents performed a blind assessment of cup position. Inclination was assessed from anteroposterior radiographs of the pelvis and version from cross-table lateral radiographs of the hip. Results: The radiographic methods used showed to be imprecise specially when the cup was positioned at the extremes of version and inclination. An excellent inter-observer reliability (Intra-class coefficient > 0,9) was evidenced. There were no differences related to the level of training of the raters. Conclusions: These widely used radiographic methods should be interpreted cautiously and computed tomography should be utilized in cases when further intervention is contemplated. PMID:28852355

[Study on the risk assessment method of regional groundwater pollution].

PubMed

Yang, Yan; Yu, Yun-Jiang; Wang, Zong-Qing; Li, Ding-Long; Sun, Hong-Wei

2013-02-01

Based on the boundary elements of system risk assessment, the regional groundwater pollution risk assessment index system was preliminarily established, which included: regional groundwater specific vulnerability assessment, the regional pollution sources characteristics assessment and the health risk assessment of regional featured pollutants. The three sub-evaluation systems were coupled with the multi-index comprehensive method, the risk was characterized with the Spatial Analysis of ArcMap, and a new method to evaluate regional groundwater pollution risk that suitable for different parts of natural conditions, different types of pollution was established. Take Changzhou as an example, the risk of shallow groundwater pollution was studied with the new method, and found that the vulnerability index of groundwater in Changzhou is high and distributes unevenly; The distribution of pollution sources is concentrated and has a great impact on groundwater pollution risks; Influenced by the pollutants and pollution sources, the values of health risks are high in the urban area of Changzhou. The pollution risk of shallow groundwater is high and distributes unevenly, and distributes in the north of the line of Anjia-Xuejia-Zhenglu, the center of the city and the southeast, where the human activities are more intense and the pollution sources are intensive.

Toward Ensuring Health Equity: Readability and Cultural Equivalence of OMERACT Patient-reported Outcome Measures.

PubMed

Petkovic, Jennifer; Epstein, Jonathan; Buchbinder, Rachelle; Welch, Vivian; Rader, Tamara; Lyddiatt, Anne; Clerehan, Rosemary; Christensen, Robin; Boonen, Annelies; Goel, Niti; Maxwell, Lara J; Toupin-April, Karine; De Wit, Maarten; Barton, Jennifer; Flurey, Caroline; Jull, Janet; Barnabe, Cheryl; Sreih, Antoine G; Campbell, Willemina; Pohl, Christoph; Duruöz, Mehmet Tuncay; Singh, Jasvinder A; Tugwell, Peter S; Guillemin, Francis

2015-12-01

The goal of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 12 (2014) equity working group was to determine whether and how comprehensibility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) should be assessed, to ensure suitability for people with low literacy and differing cultures. The English, Dutch, French, and Turkish Health Assessment Questionnaires and English and French Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life questionnaires were evaluated by applying 3 readability formulas: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook; and a new tool, the Evaluative Linguistic Framework for Questionnaires, developed to assess text quality of questionnaires. We also considered a study assessing cross-cultural adaptation with/without back-translation and/or expert committee. The results of this preconference work were presented to the equity working group participants to gain their perspectives on the importance of comprehensibility and cross-cultural adaptation for PROM. Thirty-one OMERACT delegates attended the equity session. Twenty-six participants agreed that PROM should be assessed for comprehensibility and for use of suitable methods (4 abstained, 1 no). Twenty-two participants agreed that cultural equivalency of PROM should be assessed and suitable methods used (7 abstained, 2 no). Special interest group participants identified challenges with cross-cultural adaptation including resources required, and suggested patient involvement for improving translation and adaptation. Future work will include consensus exercises on what methods are required to ensure PROM are appropriate for people with low literacy and different cultures.

Assessing the health impact of transnational corporations: a case study on McDonald's Australia.

PubMed

Anaf, Julia; Baum, Frances E; Fisher, Matt; Harris, Elizabeth; Friel, Sharon

2017-02-06

The practices of transnational corporations affect population health through production methods, shaping social determinants of health, or influencing the regulatory structures governing their activities. There has been limited research on community exposures to TNC policies and practices. Our pilot research used McDonald's Australia to test methods for assessing the health impacts of one TNC within Australia. We adapted existing Health Impact Assessment methods to assess McDonald's activities. Data identifying potential impacts were sourced through document analysis, including McDonald's corporate literature; media analysis and semi-structured interviews. We commissioned a spatial and socioeconomic analysis of McDonald's restaurants in Australia through Geographic Information System technology. The data was mapped against a corporate health impact assessment framework which included McDonald's Australia's political and business practices; products and marketing; workforce, social, environmental and economic conditions; and consumers' health related behaviours. We identified both positive and detrimental aspects of McDonald's Australian operations across the scope of the CHIA framework. We found that McDonald's outlets were slightly more likely to be located in areas of lower socioeconomic status. McDonald's workplace conditions were found to be more favourable than those in many other countries which reflects compliance with Australian employment regulations. The breadth of findings revealed the need for governments to strengthen regulatory mechanisms that are conducive to health; the opportunity for McDonald's to augment their corporate social responsibility initiatives and bolster reputational endorsement; and civil society actors to inform their advocacy towards health and equity outcomes from TNC operations. Our study indicates that undertaking a corporate health impact assessment is possible, with the different methods revealing sufficient information to realise that strong regulatory frameworks are need to help to avoid or to mediate negative health impacts.

Assessment of health-care waste disposal methods using a VIKOR-based fuzzy multi-criteria decision making method.

PubMed

Liu, Hu-Chen; Wu, Jing; Li, Ping

2013-12-01

Nowadays selection of the appropriate treatment method in health-care waste (HCW) management has become a challenge task for the municipal authorities especially in developing countries. Assessment of HCW disposal alternatives can be regarded as a complicated multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem which requires consideration of multiple alternative solutions and conflicting tangible and intangible criteria. The objective of this paper is to present a new MCDM technique based on fuzzy set theory and VIKOR method for evaluating HCW disposal methods. Linguistic variables are used by decision makers to assess the ratings and weights for the established criteria. The ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator is utilized to aggregate individual opinions of decision makers into a group assessment. The computational procedure of the proposed framework is illustrated through a case study in Shanghai, one of the largest cities of China. The HCW treatment alternatives considered in this study include "incineration", "steam sterilization", "microwave" and "landfill". The results obtained using the proposed approach are analyzed in a comparative way. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a relatively new and rapidly emerging field in the U.S. An inventory of available HIA resources and tools was conducted, with a primary focus on resources developed in the U.S. The resources and tools available to HIA practitioners in the conduct of their work were identified through multiple methods and compiled into a comprehensive list. The compilation includes tools and resources related to the HIA process itself and those that can be used to collect and analyze data, establish a baseline profile, assess potential health impacts, and establish benchmarks and indicators for monitoring and evaluation. These resources include literature and evidence bases, data and statistics, guidelines, benchmarks, decision and economic analysis tools, scientific models, methods, frameworks, indices, mapping, and various data collection tools. Understanding the data, tools, models, methods, and other resources available to perform HIAs will help to advance the HIA community of practice in the U.S., improve the quality and rigor of assessments upon which stakeholder and policy decisions are based, and potentially improve the overall effectiveness of HIA to promote healthy and sustainable communities. The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool Compilation is a comprehensive list of resources and tools that can be utilized by HIA practitioners with all levels of HIA experience to guide them throughout the HIA process. The HIA Resource

Assessing the Safety of Vitamin A Delivered Through Large-Scale Intervention Programs: Workshop Report on Setting the Research Agenda.

PubMed

Tanumihardjo, Sherry A; Mokhtar, Najat; Haskell, Marjorie J; Brown, Kenneth H

2016-06-01

Vitamin A (VA) deficiency (VAD) is still a concern in many parts of the world, and multiple intervention strategies are being implemented to reduce the prevalence of VAD and associated morbidity and mortality. Because some individuals within a population may be exposed to multiple VA interventions, concerns have been raised about the possible risk of hypervitaminosis A. A consultative meeting was held in Vienna, Austria, in March 2014 to (1) review current knowledge concerning the safety and effectiveness of large-scale programs to control VAD, (2) develop a related research agenda, and (3) review current available methods to assess VA status and risk of hypervitaminosis A. Multiple countries were represented and shared their experiences using a variety of assessment methods, including retinol isotope dilution (RID) techniques. Discussion included next steps to refine assessment methodology, investigate RID limitations under different conditions, and review programmatic approaches to ensure VA adequacy and avoid excessive intakes. Fortification programs have resulted in adequate VA status in Guatemala, Zambia, and parts of Cameroon. Dietary patterns in several countries revealed that some people may consume excessive preformed VA from fortified foods. Additional studies are needed to compare biomarkers of tissue damage to RID methods during hypervitaminosis A and to determine what other biomarkers can be used to assess excessive preformed VA intake. © The Author(s) 2016.

49 CFR 195.553 - What special definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.... Buried means covered or in contact with soil. Direct assessment means an integrity assessment method that... of closely spaced pipe-to-soil readings over a pipeline that are subsequently analyzed to identify... environment includes soil resistivity (high or low), soil moisture (wet or dry), soil contaminants that may...

49 CFR 195.553 - What special definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

.... Buried means covered or in contact with soil. Direct assessment means an integrity assessment method that... of closely spaced pipe-to-soil readings over a pipeline that are subsequently analyzed to identify... environment includes soil resistivity (high or low), soil moisture (wet or dry), soil contaminants that may...

49 CFR 195.553 - What special definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

.... Buried means covered or in contact with soil. Direct assessment means an integrity assessment method that... of closely spaced pipe-to-soil readings over a pipeline that are subsequently analyzed to identify... environment includes soil resistivity (high or low), soil moisture (wet or dry), soil contaminants that may...

49 CFR 195.553 - What special definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.... Buried means covered or in contact with soil. Direct assessment means an integrity assessment method that... of closely spaced pipe-to-soil readings over a pipeline that are subsequently analyzed to identify... environment includes soil resistivity (high or low), soil moisture (wet or dry), soil contaminants that may...

49 CFR 195.553 - What special definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.... Buried means covered or in contact with soil. Direct assessment means an integrity assessment method that... of closely spaced pipe-to-soil readings over a pipeline that are subsequently analyzed to identify... environment includes soil resistivity (high or low), soil moisture (wet or dry), soil contaminants that may...

Introduction to a New Approach to Experiential Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Lewis; MacIsaac, Doug

1994-01-01

A process model for experiential learning (EL) in adult education begins with the characteristics and needs of adult learners and conceptual foundations of EL. It includes methods and techniques for in-class and field-based experiences, building a folio (point-in-time performance assessment), and portfolio construction (assessing transitional…

POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT AT THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS JOHN H. KERR DAM AND RESERVOIR - BOYDTON, VIRGINIA

EPA Science Inventory

The report describes the results of pollution prevention opportunity assessments conducted at a representative U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works facilities including a flood control reservoir and associated public use areas. ecommended methods for reducing pollution result...

Using a Quasi-Experimental Research Design to Assess Knowledge in Continuing Medical Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markert, Ronald J.; O'Neill, Sally C.; Bhatia, Subhash C.

2003-01-01

Introduction: The objectives of continuing medical education (CME) programs include knowledge acquisition, skill development, clinical reasoning and decision making, and health care outcomes. We conducted a yearlong medical education research study in which knowledge acquisition in our CME programs was assessed. Method: A randomized…

Calibrated Peer Review for Computer-Assisted Learning of Biological Research Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clase, Kari L.; Gundlach, Ellen; Pelaez, Nancy J.

2010-01-01

Recently, both science and technology faculty have been recognizing biological research competencies that are valued but rarely assessed. Some of these valued learning outcomes include scientific methods and thinking, critical assessment of primary papers, quantitative reasoning, communication, and putting biological research into a historical and…

The Assessment of School Bullying: Using Theory to Inform Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greif, Jennifer L.; Furlong, Michael J.

2006-01-01

This article examines the conceptual basis for and methods used to assess school bullying, including the core bullying behavior elements of repetition, intentionality, and power differential and instruments needed to foster comparability across studies and to improve the precision of intervention capacity. Common bully self-report procedures…

40 CFR 63.645 - Test methods and procedures for miscellaneous process vents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... applicable to the process vent. (iv) Design analysis based on accepted chemical engineering principles..., dry standard cubic meters per minute, at a temperature of 20 °C. (g) Engineering assessment may be... the highest daily emission rate. (1) Engineering assessment includes, but is not limited to, the...

Southwestern Region Deaf-Blind Center Selected Workshop Papers, 1970-1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southwestern Region Deaf-Blind Center, Sacramento, CA.

The document contains 18 presentations from Southwestern Region Deaf-Blind Center workshops held from 1970 to 1973 and covering the areas of assessment, vision, auditory training, communication, learning, family, and problems. Entries included the following titles and authors: "Methods for Assessing the Status and Growth of Preschool Deaf-Blind…

Role of Metabolomics in Environmental Chemical Exposure and Risk Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

The increasing demand for the reduction, replacement, and refinement of the use of animal models in exposure assessments has stimulated the pursuit of alternative methods. This has included not only the use of the in vitro systems (e.g., cell cultures) in lieu of in vivo whole an...

Assessing the diversity and composition of bacterial communities across a wetland, transition, upland gradient in Macon County Alabama

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wetlands provide essential functions to the ecosphere that range from water filtration to flood control. Current methods of evaluating the quality of wetlands include assessing vegetation, soil type, and period of inundation. With recent advances in molecular and bioinformatic techniques, measuremen...

The Very Essentials of Fitness for Trial Assessment in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newby, Diana; Faltin, Robert

2008-01-01

Fitness for trial constitutes the most frequent referral to forensic assessment services. Several approaches to this evaluation exist in Canada, including the Fitness Interview Test and Basic Fitness for Trial Test. The following article presents a review of the issues and a method for basic fitness for trial evaluation.

Assessment of Accelerated Tests Compared to Beachfront Test and Proposed Evaluation Method

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-03

Certification Program (ESTCP) funded project entitled “Non-Chromate Aluminum Pretreatments” ( NCAP ) – Funding began in 2000, ended 2004 for Phase I...corrosion tests to beachfront test NCAP Data Assessment Data set includes: – 4 aluminum alloys: 2024, 7075, 2219, 5083 – 9 conversion coatings

Development and Validation of an Instrument for Assessing Mathematics Classroom Environment in Tertiary Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Hongbiao; Lu, Genshu

2014-01-01

This report describes the development and validation of an instrument, the University Mathematics Classroom Environment Questionnaire (UMCEQ), for assessing the mathematics classroom environment in tertiary institutions in China. Through the use of multiple methods, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, on two independent samples…

An Evaluation of a Stimulus Preference Assessment of Auditory Stimuli for Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horrocks, Erin; Higbee, Thomas S.

2008-01-01

Previous researchers have used stimulus preference assessment (SPA) methods to identify salient reinforcers for individuals with developmental disabilities including tangible, leisure, edible and olfactory stimuli. In the present study, SPA procedures were used to identify potential auditory reinforcers and determine the reinforcement value of…

Multi-Method Assessment of ADHD Characteristics in Preschool Children: Relations between Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Darcey M.; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Several forms of assessment tools, including behavioral rating scales and objective tests such as the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), can be used to measure inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, research with school-age children has shown that the correlations…

Prediction of forces and moments for hypersonic flight vehicle control effectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maughmer, Mark D.; Long, Lyle N.; Guilmette, Neal; Pagano, Peter

1993-01-01

This research project includes three distinct phases. For completeness, all three phases of the work are briefly described in this report. The goal was to develop methods of predicting flight control forces and moments for hypersonic vehicles which could be used in a preliminary design environment. The first phase included a preliminary assessment of subsonic/supersonic panel methods and hypersonic local flow inclination methods for such predictions. While these findings clearly indicated the usefulness of such methods for conceptual design activities, deficiencies exist in some areas. Thus, a second phase of research was conducted in which a better understanding was sought for the reasons behind the successes and failures of the methods considered, particularly for the cases at hypersonic Mach numbers. This second phase involved using computational fluid dynamics methods to examine the flow fields in detail. Through these detailed predictions, the deficiencies in the simple surface inclination methods were determined. In the third phase of this work, an improvement to the surface inclination methods was developed. This used a novel method for including viscous effects by modifying the geometry to include the viscous/shock layer.

A Comparison of Fuzzy Models in Similarity Assessment of Misregistered Area Class Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Scott

Spatial uncertainty refers to unknown error and vagueness in geographic data. It is relevant to land change and urban growth modelers, soil and biome scientists, geological surveyors and others, who must assess thematic maps for similarity, or categorical agreement. In this paper I build upon prior map comparison research, testing the effectiveness of similarity measures on misregistered data. Though several methods compare uncertain thematic maps, few methods have been tested on misregistration. My objective is to test five map comparison methods for sensitivity to misregistration, including sub-pixel errors in both position and rotation. Methods included four fuzzy categorical models: fuzzy kappa's model, fuzzy inference, cell aggregation, and the epsilon band. The fifth method used conventional crisp classification. I applied these methods to a case study map and simulated data in two sets: a test set with misregistration error, and a control set with equivalent uniform random error. For all five methods, I used raw accuracy or the kappa statistic to measure similarity. Rough-set epsilon bands report the most similarity increase in test maps relative to control data. Conversely, the fuzzy inference model reports a decrease in test map similarity.

Ergonomics research methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uspenskiy, S. I.; Yermakova, S. V.; Chaynova, L. D.; Mitkin, A. A.; Gushcheva, T. M.; Strelkov, Y. K.; Tsvetkova, N. F.

1973-01-01

Various factors used in ergonomic research are given. They are: (1) anthrometric measurement, (2) polyeffector method of assessing the functional state of man, (3) galvanic skin reaction, (4) pneumography, (5) electromyography, (6) electrooculography, and (7) tachestoscopy. A brief summary is given of each factor and includes instrumentation and results.

FIELD MEASUREMENT OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN: A COMPARISON OF METHODS

EPA Science Inventory

The ability to confidently measure the concentration of dissolved oxygen (D.O.) in ground water is a key aspect of remedial selection and assessment. Presented here is a comparison of the commonly practiced methods for determining D.O. concentrations in ground water, including c...

Multiphase Method for Analysing Online Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Häkkinen, P.

2013-01-01

Several studies have analysed and assessed online performance and discourse using quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative measures have typically included the analysis of participation rates and learning outcomes in terms of grades. Qualitative measures of postings, discussions and context features aim to give insights into the nature…

The Microbial Fecal Indicator Paradigm: Tools in the Toolbox Applications in Recreational Waters

EPA Science Inventory

Summary of ORD’s recent research to develop tools for assessing microbial water quality in recreational waters. Methods discussed include the development of health associations between microbial fecal indicators and the development of culture, and molecular methods for fec...

Applying Behavioral Conditioning to Identify Anticipatory Behaviors.

PubMed

Krebs, Bethany L; Torres, Erika; Chesney, Charlie; Kantoniemi Moon, Veronica; Watters, Jason V

2017-01-01

The ability to predict regular events can be adaptive for nonhuman animals living in an otherwise unpredictable environment. Animals may exhibit behavioral changes preceding a predictable event; such changes reflect anticipatory behavior. Anticipatory behavior is broadly defined as a goal-directed increase in activity preceding a predictable event and can be useful for assessing well being in animals in captivity. Anticipation may look different in different animals, however, necessitating methods to generate and study anticipatory behaviors across species. This article includes a proposed method for generating and describing anticipatory behavior in zoos using behavioral conditioning. The article also includes discussion of case studies of the proposed method with 2 animals at the San Francisco Zoo: a silverback gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and a red panda (Ailurus fulgens). The study evidence supports anticipation in both animals. As behavioral conditioning can be used with many animals, the proposed method provides a practical approach for using anticipatory behavior to assess animal well being in zoos.

Development and comparison of Bayesian modularization method in uncertainty assessment of hydrological models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; Xu, C.-Y.; Engeland, K.

2012-04-01

With respect to model calibration, parameter estimation and analysis of uncertainty sources, different approaches have been used in hydrological models. Bayesian method is one of the most widely used methods for uncertainty assessment of hydrological models, which incorporates different sources of information into a single analysis through Bayesian theorem. However, none of these applications can well treat the uncertainty in extreme flows of hydrological models' simulations. This study proposes a Bayesian modularization method approach in uncertainty assessment of conceptual hydrological models by considering the extreme flows. It includes a comprehensive comparison and evaluation of uncertainty assessments by a new Bayesian modularization method approach and traditional Bayesian models using the Metropolis Hasting (MH) algorithm with the daily hydrological model WASMOD. Three likelihood functions are used in combination with traditional Bayesian: the AR (1) plus Normal and time period independent model (Model 1), the AR (1) plus Normal and time period dependent model (Model 2) and the AR (1) plus multi-normal model (Model 3). The results reveal that (1) the simulations derived from Bayesian modularization method are more accurate with the highest Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency value, and (2) the Bayesian modularization method performs best in uncertainty estimates of entire flows and in terms of the application and computational efficiency. The study thus introduces a new approach for reducing the extreme flow's effect on the discharge uncertainty assessment of hydrological models via Bayesian. Keywords: extreme flow, uncertainty assessment, Bayesian modularization, hydrological model, WASMOD

Vertebrate species introductions in the United States and its territories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Witmer, Gary W.; Fuller, Pam L.

2011-01-01

At least 1,065 introduced vertebrate species have been introduced in the United States and its territories, including at least 86 mammalian, 127 avian, 179 reptilian/amphibian, and 673 fish species. Examples in each major taxonomic group include domestic cat, small Indian mongoose, red fox, goat, pig, rabbit, rats, house mouse, gray squirrel, nutria, starling, Indian common myna, red-vented bulbul, brown treesnake, red-eared slider, brown trout, tilapia, and grass carp. We briefly review some of these species and the types of damage they cause. We then review the basic types of methods used for control or eradication of each taxonomic group, including physical, chemical, biological, and cultural methods. We discuss some of the challenges in managing these species, including issues with the use of toxicants, land access, public attitudes, and monitoring difficulties. Finally, we list some ongoing research and future research needs, including improved detection methods, improved attractants, improved barriers, improved capture methods, fertility control, and risk assessment methods.

The 1997 JANNAF Propellant Development and Characterization Subcommittee and Safety and Environmental Protection Subcommittee Joint Meeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cocchiaro, James E. (Editor); Filliben, Jeff D. (Editor); Watson, Anne H. (Editor)

1997-01-01

In the Propellant Development and Characterization Subcommittee (PDCS) meeting, topics included: the analysis, characterization, and processing of propellants and propellant ingredients; chemical reactivity; liquid propellants; test methods; rheology; surveillance and aging; and process engineering. In the Safety and Environmental Protection Subcommittee (S&EPS) meeting, topics covered included: hydrazine propellant vapor detection methods; toxicity of propellants and propellants; explosives safety; atmospheric modeling and risk assessment of toxic releases; reclamation, disposal, and demilitarization methods; and remediation of explosives or propellant contaminated sites.

Pesticide exposure and liver cancer: a review

PubMed Central

VoPham, Trang; Bertrand, Kimberly A.; Hart, Jaime E.; Laden, Francine; Brooks, Maria M.; Yuan, Jian-Min; Talbott, Evelyn O.; Ruddell, Darren; Chang, Chung-Chou H.; Weissfeld, Joel L.

2017-01-01

Purpose To review the epidemiologic literature examining pesticide exposure and liver cancer incidence. Methods A search of the MEDLINE and Embase databases was conducted in October 2015. Eligibility criteria included examining hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or primary liver cancer, pesticides as an exposure of interest, and individual-level incidence. The review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results Forty-eight papers were assessed for eligibility and 15 studies were included in the review. The majority of studies were conducted in China and Egypt (n=8), used a case-control design (n=14), and examined HCC (n=14). Most studies showed no association between self-reported and/or occupational exposure to pesticides and liver cancer risk. Six studies demonstrated statistically significant positive associations, including three biomarker-based studies (two using pre-diagnostic sera) that reported higher serum levels of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were associated with increased HCC risk. Studies indirectly measuring pesticide exposure using self-reported exposure, occupation, job-exposure matrices, or geographic residence demonstrated inconsistent results. These studies were limited by exposure assessment methods, lack of confounder information, minimal case confirmation, selection bias, and/or over-adjustment. Conclusions There is mixed evidence suggesting a possible association between specific pesticides and HCC risk, with the strongest evidence observed in biomarker-based studies. In particular, organochlorine pesticides, including DDT, may increase HCC risk. Future research should focus on improved pesticide exposure assessment methods, potentially incorporating multiple approaches including biomonitoring while considering the chemicals of interest, historical exposure to address latency periods, and examining specific chemicals and exposure pathways. PMID:28194594

Devices and tasks involved in the objective assessment of standing dynamic balancing - A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Petró, Bálint; Papachatzopoulou, Alexandra; Kiss, Rita M

2017-01-01

Static balancing assessment is often complemented with dynamic balancing tasks. Numerous dynamic balancing assessment methods have been developed in recent decades with their corresponding balancing devices and tasks. The aim of this systematic literature review is to identify and categorize existing objective methods of standing dynamic balancing ability assessment with an emphasis on the balancing devices and tasks being used. Three major scientific literature databases (Science Direct, Web of Science, PLoS ONE) and additional sources were used. Studies had to use a dynamic balancing device and a task described in detail. Evaluation had to be based on objectively measureable parameters. Functional tests without instrumentation evaluated exclusively by a clinician were excluded. A total of 63 articles were included. The data extracted during full-text assessment were: author and date; the balancing device with the balancing task and the measured parameters; the health conditions, size, age and sex of participant groups; and follow-up measurements. A variety of dynamic balancing assessment devices were identified and categorized as 1) Solid ground, 2) Balance board, 3) Rotating platform, 4) Horizontal translational platform, 5) Treadmill, 6) Computerized Dynamic Posturography, and 7) Other devices. The group discrimination ability of the methods was explored and the conclusions of the studies were briefly summarized. Due to the wide scope of this search, it provides an overview of balancing devices and do not represent the state-of-the-art of any single method. The identified dynamic balancing assessment methods are offered as a catalogue of candidate methods to complement static assessments used in studies involving postural control.

Why Can't They Keep the Book Longer and Do We Really Need to Charge Fines? Assessing Circulation Policies at the Harold B. Lee Library: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Duane

2014-01-01

In response to a charge from the library administration, the Circulation Committee of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University designed and implemented a thorough assessment of circulation policies. Using multiple assessment methods including surveys, focus groups, and statistical analysis, the committee determined that the…

Assessment of periodontal bone level revisited: a controlled study on the diagnostic accuracy of clinical evaluation methods and intra-oral radiography.

PubMed

Christiaens, Véronique; De Bruyn, Hugo; Thevissen, Eric; Koole, Sebastiaan; Dierens, Melissa; Cosyn, Jan

2018-01-01

The accuracy of analogue and especially digital intra-oral radiography in assessing interdental bone level needs further documentation. The aim of this study was to compare clinical and radiographic bone level assessment to intra-surgical bone level registration (1) and to identify the clinical variables rendering interdental bone level assessment inaccurate (2). The study sample included 49 interdental sites in 17 periodontitis patients. Evaluation methods included vertical relative probing attachment level (RAL-V), analogue and digital intra-oral radiography and bone sounding without and with flap elevation. The latter was considered the true bone level. Five examiners evaluated all radiographs. Significant underestimation of the true bone level was observed for all evaluation methods pointing to 2.7 mm on average for analogue radiography, 2.5 mm for digital radiography, 1.8 mm for RAL-V and 0.6 mm for bone sounding without flap elevation (p < 0.001). Radiographic underestimation of the true bone level was higher in the (pre)molar region (p ≤ 0.047) and increased with defect depth (p < 0.001). Variation between clinicians was huge (range analogue radiography 2.2-3.2 mm; range digital radiography 2.1-3.0 mm). All evaluation methods significantly underestimated the true bone level. Bone sounding was most accurate, whereas intra-oral radiographs were least accurate. Deep periodontal defects in the (pre)molar region were most underrated by intra-oral radiography. Bone sounding had the highest accuracy in assessing interdental bone level.

Acromiohumeral distance measurement in rotator cuff tendinopathy: is there a reliable, clinically applicable method? A systematic review.

PubMed

McCreesh, Karen M; Crotty, James M; Lewis, Jeremy S

2015-03-01

Narrowing of the subacromial space has been noted as a common feature of rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy. It has been implicated in the development of symptoms and forms the basis for some surgical and rehabilitation approaches. Various radiological methods have been used to measure the subacromial space, which is represented by a two-dimensional measurement of acromiohumeral distance (AHD). A reliable method of measurement could be used to assess the impact of rehabilitation or surgical interventions for RC tendinopathy; however, there are no published reviews assessing the reliability of AHD measurement. The aim of this review was to systematically assess the evidence for the intrarater and inter-rater reliability of radiological methods of measuring AHD, in order to identify the most reliable method for use in RC tendinopathy. An electronic literature search was carried out and studies describing the reliability of any radiological method of measuring AHD in either healthy or RC tendinopathy groups were included. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were appraised by two reviewers using the Quality Appraisal for reliability Studies checklist. Eight studies were deemed to be of high methodological quality. Study weaknesses included lack of tester blinding, inadequate description of tester experience, lack of inclusion of symptomatic populations, poor reporting of statistical methods and unclear diagnosis. There was strong evidence for the reliability of ultrasound for measuring AHD, with moderate evidence for MRI and CT measures and conflicting evidence for radiographic methods. Overall, there was lack of research in RC tendinopathy populations, with only six studies including participants with shoulder pain. The results support the reliability of ultrasound and CT or MRI for the measurement of AHD; however, more studies in symptomatic populations are required. The reliability of AHD measurement using radiographs has not been supported by the studies reviewed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Ageing airplane repair assessment program for Airbus A300

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaillardon, J. M.; Schmidt, HANS-J.; Brandecker, B.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the current status of the repair categorization activities and includes all details about the methodologies developed for determination of the inspection program for the skin on pressurized fuselages. For inspection threshold determination two methods are defined based on fatigue life approach, a simplified and detailed method. The detailed method considers 15 different parameters to assess the influences of material, geometry, size location, aircraft usage, and workmanship on the fatigue life of the repair and the original structure. For definition of the inspection intervals a general method is developed which applies to all concerned repairs. For this the initial flaw concept is used by considering 6 parameters and the detectable flaw sizes depending on proposed nondestructive inspection methods. An alternative method is provided for small repairs allowing visual inspection with shorter intervals.

Comparison of two- and three-dimensional assessment methods of nasolabial appearance in cleft lip and palate patients: Do the assessment methods measure the same outcome?

PubMed

Mosmuller, David G M; Maal, Thomas J; Prahl, Charlotte; Tan, Robin A; Mulder, Frans J; Schwirtz, Roderic M F; de Vet, Henrica C W; Bergé, Stefaan J; Don Griot, J P W

2017-08-01

For the assessment of the nasolabial appearance in cleft patients, a widely accepted, reliable scoring system is not available. In this study four different methods of assessment are compared, including 2D and 3D asymmetry and aesthetic assessments. The data and ratings from an earlier study using the Asher-McDade aesthetic index on 3D photographs and the outcomes of 3D facial distance mapping were compared to a 2D aesthetic assessment, the Cleft Aesthetic Rating Scale, and to SymNose, a computerized 2D asymmetry assessment technique. The reliability and correlation between the four assessment techniques were tested using a sample of 79 patients. The 3D asymmetry assessment had the highest reliability and could be performed by just one observer (Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC): 0.99). The 2D asymmetry assessment of the nose was highly reliable when performed by just one observer (ICC: 0.89). However, for the 2D asymmetry assessment of the lip more observers were needed. For the 2D aesthetic assessments 3 observers were needed. The 3D aesthetic assessment had the lowest single-observer reliability (ICC: 0.38-0.56) of all four techniques. The agreement between the different assessment methods is poor to very poor. The highest correlation (R: 0.48) was found between 2D and 3D aesthetic assessments. Remarkably, the lowest correlations were found between 2D and 3D asymmetry assessments (0.08-0.17). Different assessment methods are not in agreement and seem to measure different nasolabial aspects. More research is needed to establish exactly what each assessment technique measures and which measurements or outcomes are relevant for the patients. Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water quality and habitat conditions in upper Midwest streams relative to riparian vegetation and soil characteristics, August 1997 : study design, methods, and data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sorenson, S.K.; Porter, S.D.; Akers, K.B.; Harris, M.A.; Kalkhoff, S.J.; Lee, K.E.; Roberts, L.; Terrio, P.J.

1999-01-01

Water-chemistry, biological, and habitat data were collected from 70 sites on Midwestern streams during August 1997 as part of an integrated, regional water-quality assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The study area includes the Corn Belt region of southern Minnesota, eastern Iowa, and west-central Illinois, one of the most intensive and productive agricultural regions of the world. The focus of the study was to evaluate the condition of woodedriparian zones and the influence of basin soildrainage characteristics on water quality and biological-community responses. This report includes a description of the study design and site-characterization process, sample-collection and processing methods, laboratory methods, quality-assurance procedures, and summaries of data on nutrients, herbicides and metabolites, stream productivity and respiration, biological communities, habitat conditions, and agriculturalchemical and land-use information.

Innovative Techniques for Evaluating Behavioral Nutrition Interventions1234

PubMed Central

Laugero, Kevin D; Cunningham, Brian T; Lora, Karina R; Reicks, Marla

2017-01-01

Assessing outcomes and the impact from behavioral nutrition interventions has remained challenging because of the lack of methods available beyond traditional nutrition assessment tools and techniques. With the current high global obesity and related chronic disease rates, novel methods to evaluate the impact of behavioral nutrition-based interventions are much needed. The objective of this narrative review is to describe and review the current status of knowledge as it relates to 4 different innovative methods or tools to assess behavioral nutrition interventions. Methods reviewed include 1) the assessment of stress and stress responsiveness to enhance the evaluation of nutrition interventions, 2) eye-tracking technology in nutritional interventions, 3) smartphone biosensors to assess nutrition and health-related outcomes, and 4) skin carotenoid measurements to assess fruit and vegetable intake. Specifically, the novel use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, by characterizing the brain’s responsiveness to an intervention, can help researchers develop programs with greater efficacy. Similarly, if eye-tracking technology can enable researchers to get a better sense as to how participants view materials, the materials may be better tailored to create an optimal impact. The latter 2 techniques reviewed, smartphone biosensors and methods to detect skin carotenoids, can provide the research community with portable, effective, nonbiased ways to assess dietary intake and quality and more in the field. The information gained from using these types of methodologies can improve the efficacy and assessment of behavior-based nutrition interventions. PMID:28096132

A descriptive review on methods to prioritize outcomes in a health care context.

PubMed

Janssen, Inger M; Gerhardus, Ansgar; Schröer-Günther, Milly A; Scheibler, Fülöp

2015-12-01

Evidence synthesis has seen major methodological advances in reducing uncertainty and estimating the sizes of the effects. Much less is known about how to assess the relative value of different outcomes. To identify studies that assessed preferences for outcomes in health conditions. we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library in February 2014. eligible studies investigated preferences of patients, family members, the general population or healthcare professionals for health outcomes. The intention of this review was to include studies which focus on theoretical alternatives; studies which assessed preferences for distinct treatments were excluded. study characteristics as study objective, health condition, participants, elicitation method, and outcomes assessed in the study were extracted. One hundred and twenty-four studies were identified and categorized into four groups: (1) multi criteria decision analysis (MCDA) (n = 71), (2) rating or ranking (n = 25), (3) utility eliciting (n = 5) and (4) studies comparing different methods (n = 23). The number of outcomes assessed by method group varied. The comparison of different methods or subgroups within one study often resulted in different hierarchies of outcomes. A dominant method most suitable for application in evidence syntheses was not identified. As preferences of patients differ from those of other stakeholders (especially medical professionals), the choice of the group to be questioned is consequential. Further research needs to focus on validity and applicability of the identified methods. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Validation of a Smartphone Image-Based Dietary Assessment Method for Pregnant Women

PubMed Central

Ashman, Amy M.; Collins, Clare E.; Brown, Leanne J.; Rae, Kym M.; Rollo, Megan E.

2017-01-01

Image-based dietary records could lower participant burden associated with traditional prospective methods of dietary assessment. They have been used in children, adolescents and adults, but have not been evaluated in pregnant women. The current study evaluated relative validity of the DietBytes image-based dietary assessment method for assessing energy and nutrient intakes. Pregnant women collected image-based dietary records (via a smartphone application) of all food, drinks and supplements consumed over three non-consecutive days. Intakes from the image-based method were compared to intakes collected from three 24-h recalls, taken on random days; once per week, in the weeks following the image-based record. Data were analyzed using nutrient analysis software. Agreement between methods was ascertained using Pearson correlations and Bland-Altman plots. Twenty-five women (27 recruited, one withdrew, one incomplete), median age 29 years, 15 primiparas, eight Aboriginal Australians, completed image-based records for analysis. Significant correlations between the two methods were observed for energy, macronutrients and fiber (r = 0.58–0.84, all p < 0.05), and for micronutrients both including (r = 0.47–0.94, all p < 0.05) and excluding (r = 0.40–0.85, all p < 0.05) supplements in the analysis. Bland-Altman plots confirmed acceptable agreement with no systematic bias. The DietBytes method demonstrated acceptable relative validity for assessment of nutrient intakes of pregnant women. PMID:28106758

Prosthetic component segmentation with blur compensation: a fast method for 3D fluoroscopy.

PubMed

Tarroni, Giacomo; Tersi, Luca; Corsi, Cristiana; Stagni, Rita

2012-06-01

A new method for prosthetic component segmentation from fluoroscopic images is presented. The hybrid approach we propose combines diffusion filtering, region growing and level-set techniques without exploiting any a priori knowledge of the analyzed geometry. The method was evaluated on a synthetic dataset including 270 images of knee and hip prosthesis merged to real fluoroscopic data simulating different conditions of blurring and illumination gradient. The performance of the method was assessed by comparing estimated contours to references using different metrics. Results showed that the segmentation procedure is fast, accurate, independent on the operator as well as on the specific geometrical characteristics of the prosthetic component, and able to compensate for amount of blurring and illumination gradient. Importantly, the method allows a strong reduction of required user interaction time when compared to traditional segmentation techniques. Its effectiveness and robustness in different image conditions, together with simplicity and fast implementation, make this prosthetic component segmentation procedure promising and suitable for multiple clinical applications including assessment of in vivo joint kinematics in a variety of cases.

Assigning exposure to pesticides and solvents from self‐reports collected by a computer assisted personal interview and expert assessment of job codes: the UK Adult Brain Tumour Study

PubMed Central

Hepworth, S J; Bolton, A; Parslow, R C; van Tongeren, M; Muir, K R; McKinney, P A

2006-01-01

Objectives To compare assignment of occupational pesticide and solvent exposure using self‐reported data collected by a computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) with exposure based on expert assessment of job codes. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a CAPI to collect individual occupational exposure data. Methods Between 2001 and 2004, 1495 participants were interviewed using a CAPI for a case‐control study of adult brain tumours and acoustic neuromas. Two types of occupational data were collected: (1) a full history, including job title from which a job code was assigned from the Standard Occupational Classification; and (2) specific details on pesticide and solvent exposure reported by participants. Study members' experiences of using the CAPI were recorded and advantages and disadvantages summarised. Results Of 7192 jobs recorded, the prevalence of self‐reported exposure was 1.3% for pesticides and 11.5% for solvents. Comparing this with exposure expertly assessed from job titles showed 53.6% and 45.8% concordance for pesticides and solvents respectively. Advantages of the CAPI include no data entry stage, automatic input validation, and a reduction in interviewer bias. Disadvantages include an adverse effect on study implementation as a consequence of resources required for programming and difficulties encountered with data management prior to analysis. Conclusions Different methods of exposure assessment derive different exposure levels for pesticide and solvent exposure at work. Agreement between self‐reported and expert assessment of exposure was greater for pesticides compared to solvents. The advantages of using a CAPI for the collection of complex data outweigh the disadvantages for interviewers and data quality but using such a method requires extra resources at the study outset. PMID:16556747

Noninvasive Techniques for Intracranial Pressure Assessment: A Review from Aerospace Medicine Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, Douglas R.; Sargsyan, Ashot E.; Fogarty, Jennifer; Ebert, Douglas J. W.; Polk, J. D.

2010-01-01

Microgravity-induced changes in fluid distribution and other physiological factors due to space flight have been implicated as the cause of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in a number of space crewmembers. The modest levels of ICP elevation and absence of severe symptoms in this group do not warrant invasive diagnostic interventions. However, the long-term trends and residual or consequential changes secondary to the observed ICP elevation in this group are not yet known. Therefore, close attention is needed to evaluate the potential techniques of noninvasively assessing ICP, including those feasible for in-flight use. Of particular interest is continuity between ground and in-flight testing, whereby data from the same or different techniques allow reasonably dependable estimation of ICP trends and responses. Methods: A thorough review of current literature, analysis of NASA data, and interviews with subject matter experts were conducted to construct a presentation that reflects the state of the art for noninvasive ICP measurement and monitoring. Results: Multiple imaging and non-imaging modalities are available to assess ICP in terrestrial clinical and experimental environments. Imaging alternatives include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-resolution sonography. Non-imaging techniques include transcranial Doppler, certain audiological methods, and venous ophthalmodynamometry, among others. Special functional techniques have been proposed recently that allow the use of advanced MRI methods to calculate ICP in addition to the acquisition of high-resolution images. Our data include many of these applications, with several cases of correlation with lumbar puncture, the invasive "gold standard" measurement of ICP.

Aiding eco-labelling process and its implementation: Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology to define Product Category Rules for canned anchovies.

PubMed

Laso, Jara; Margallo, María; Fullana, Pére; Bala, Alba; Gazulla, Cristina; Irabien, Ángel; Aldaco, Rubén

2017-01-01

To be able to fulfil high market expectations for a number of practical applications, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have to meet and comply with specific and strict methodological prerequisites. These expectations include the possibility to add up Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based information in the supply chain and to compare different EPDs. To achieve this goal, common and harmonized calculation rules have to be established, the so-called Product Category Rules (PCRs), which set the overall LCA calculation rules to create EPDs. This document provides PCRs for the assessment of the environmental performance of canned anchovies in Cantabria Region based on an Environmental Sustainability Assessment (ESA) method. This method uses two main variables: the natural resources sustainability (NRS) and the environmental burdens sustainability (EBS). To reduce the complexity of ESA and facilitate the decision-making process, all variables are normalized and weighted to obtain two global dimensionless indexes: resource consumption (X 1 ) and environmental burdens (X 2 ). •This paper sets the PCRs adapted to the Cantabrian canned anchovies.•ESA method facilitates the product comparison and the decision-making process.•This paper stablishes all the steps that an EPD should include within the PCRs of Cantabrian canned anchovies.

Results of a Demonstration Assessment of Passive System Reliability Utilizing the Reliability Method for Passive Systems (RMPS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bucknor, Matthew; Grabaskas, David; Brunett, Acacia

2015-04-26

Advanced small modular reactor designs include many advantageous design features such as passively driven safety systems that are arguably more reliable and cost effective relative to conventional active systems. Despite their attractiveness, a reliability assessment of passive systems can be difficult using conventional reliability methods due to the nature of passive systems. Simple deviations in boundary conditions can induce functional failures in a passive system, and intermediate or unexpected operating modes can also occur. As part of an ongoing project, Argonne National Laboratory is investigating various methodologies to address passive system reliability. The Reliability Method for Passive Systems (RMPS), amore » systematic approach for examining reliability, is one technique chosen for this analysis. This methodology is combined with the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) approach to assess the reliability of a passive system and the impact of its associated uncertainties. For this demonstration problem, an integrated plant model of an advanced small modular pool-type sodium fast reactor with a passive reactor cavity cooling system is subjected to a station blackout using RELAP5-3D. This paper discusses important aspects of the reliability assessment, including deployment of the methodology, the uncertainty identification and quantification process, and identification of key risk metrics.« less

Gaussian Quadrature is an efficient method for the back-transformation in estimating the usual intake distribution when assessing dietary exposure.

PubMed

Dekkers, A L M; Slob, W

2012-10-01

In dietary exposure assessment, statistical methods exist for estimating the usual intake distribution from daily intake data. These methods transform the dietary intake data to normal observations, eliminate the within-person variance, and then back-transform the data to the original scale. We propose Gaussian Quadrature (GQ), a numerical integration method, as an efficient way of back-transformation. We compare GQ with six published methods. One method uses a log-transformation, while the other methods, including GQ, use a Box-Cox transformation. This study shows that, for various parameter choices, the methods with a Box-Cox transformation estimate the theoretical usual intake distributions quite well, although one method, a Taylor approximation, is less accurate. Two applications--on folate intake and fruit consumption--confirmed these results. In one extreme case, some methods, including GQ, could not be applied for low percentiles. We solved this problem by modifying GQ. One method is based on the assumption that the daily intakes are log-normally distributed. Even if this condition is not fulfilled, the log-transformation performs well as long as the within-individual variance is small compared to the mean. We conclude that the modified GQ is an efficient, fast and accurate method for estimating the usual intake distribution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mesh fixation in endoscopic inguinal hernia repair: evaluation of methodology based on a systematic review of randomised clinical trials.

PubMed

Lederhuber, Hans; Stiede, Franziska; Axer, Stephan; Dahlstrand, Ursula

2017-11-01

The issue of mesh fixation in endoscopic inguinal hernia repair is frequently debated and still no conclusive data exist on differences between methods regarding long-term outcome and postoperative complications. The quantity of trials and the simultaneous lack of high-quality evidence raise the question how future trials should be planned. PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched, using the filters "randomised clinical trials" and "humans". Trials that compared one method of mesh fixation with another fixation method or with non-fixation in endoscopic inguinal hernia repair were eligible. To be included, the trial was required to have assessed at least one of the following primary outcome parameters: recurrence; surgical site infection; chronic pain; or quality-of-life. Fourteen trials assessing 2161 patients and 2562 hernia repairs were included. Only two trials were rated as low risk for bias. Eight trials evaluated recurrence or surgical site infection; none of these could show significant differences between methods of fixation. Two of 11 trials assessing chronic pain described significant differences between methods of fixation. One of two trials evaluating quality-of-life showed significant differences between fixation methods in certain functions. High-quality evidence for differences between the assessed mesh fixation techniques is still lacking. From a socioeconomic and ethical point of view, it is necessary that future trials will be properly designed. As small- and medium-sized single-centre trials have proven unable to find answers, register studies or multi-centre studies with an evident focus on methodology and study design are needed in order to answer questions about mesh fixation in inguinal hernia repair.

The Architecture of Chemical Alternatives Assessment.

PubMed

Geiser, Kenneth; Tickner, Joel; Edwards, Sally; Rossi, Mark

2015-12-01

Chemical alternatives assessment is a method rapidly developing for use by businesses, governments, and nongovernment organizations seeking to substitute chemicals of concern in production processes and products. Chemical alternatives assessment is defined as a process for identifying, comparing, and selecting safer alternatives to chemicals of concern (including those in materials, processes, or technologies) on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability. The process is intended to provide guidance for assuring that chemicals of concern are replaced with safer alternatives that are not likely to be later regretted. Conceptually, the assessment methods are developed from a set of three foundational pillars and five common principles. Based on a number of emerging alternatives assessment initiatives, in this commentary, we outline a chemical alternatives assessment blueprint structured around three broad steps: Scope, Assessment, and Selection and Implementation. Specific tasks and tools are identified for each of these three steps. While it is recognized that on-going practice will further refine and develop the method and tools, it is important that the structure of the assessment process remain flexible, adaptive, and focused on the substitution of chemicals of concern with safer alternatives. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

A review of contemporary methods for the presentation of scientific uncertainty.

PubMed

Makinson, K A; Hamby, D M; Edwards, J A

2012-12-01

Graphic methods for displaying uncertainty are often the most concise and informative way to communicate abstract concepts. Presentation methods currently in use for the display and interpretation of scientific uncertainty are reviewed. Numerous subjective and objective uncertainty display methods are presented, including qualitative assessments, node and arrow diagrams, standard statistical methods, box-and-whisker plots,robustness and opportunity functions, contribution indexes, probability density functions, cumulative distribution functions, and graphical likelihood functions.

State-of-the-art report on non-traditional traffic counting methods

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-10-01

The purpose of this report is to look at the state-of-the-art of non-traditional traffic counting methods. This is done through a three-fold approach that includes an assessment of currently available technology, a survey of State Department of Trans...

Pesticide Environmental Accounting: a method for assessing the external costs of individual pesticide applications.

PubMed

Leach, A W; Mumford, J D

2008-01-01

The Pesticide Environmental Accounting (PEA) tool provides a monetary estimate of environmental and health impacts per hectare-application for any pesticide. The model combines the Environmental Impact Quotient method and a methodology for absolute estimates of external pesticide costs in UK, USA and Germany. For many countries resources are not available for intensive assessments of external pesticide costs. The model converts external costs of a pesticide in the UK, USA and Germany to Mediterranean countries. Economic and policy applications include estimating impacts of pesticide reduction policies or benefits from technologies replacing pesticides, such as sterile insect technique. The system integrates disparate data and approaches into a single logical method. The assumptions in the system provide transparency and consistency but at the cost of some specificity and precision, a reasonable trade-off for a method that provides both comparative estimates of pesticide impacts and area-based assessments of absolute impacts.

Telephone-based Assessments to Minimize Missing Data in Longitudinal Depression Trials: A Project IMPACTS Study Report

PubMed Central

Claassen, Cindy; Kurian, Ben; Trivedi, Madhukar H.; Grannemann, Bruce D.; Tuli, Ekta; Pipes, Ronny; Preston, Anne Marie; Flood, Ariell

2012-01-01

Purpose Missing data in clinical efficacy and effectiveness trials continue to be a major threat to the validity of study findings. The purpose of this report is to describe methods developed to ensure completion of outcome assessments with public mental health sector subjects participating in a longitudinal, repeated measures study for the treatment of major depressive disorder. We developed longitudinal assessment procedures that included telephone-based clinician interviews in order to minimize missing data commonly encountered with face-to-face assessment procedures. Methods A pre-planned, multi-step strategy was developed to ensure completeness of data collection. The procedure included obtaining multiple pieces of patient contact information at baseline, careful education of both staff and patients concerning the purpose of assessments, establishing good patient rapport, and finally being flexible and persistent with phone appointments to ensure the completion of telephone-based follow-up assessments. A well-developed administrative and organizational structure was also put in place prior to study implementation. Results The assessment completion rate for the primary outcome for 310 of 504 subjects who enrolled and completed 52 weeks (at the time of manuscript) of telephone-based follow-up assessments was 96.8%. Conclusion By utilizing telephone-based follow-up procedures and adapting our easy-to-use pre-defined multi-step approach, researchers can maximize patient data retention in longitudinal studies. PMID:18761427

Assessment of the usability of a digital learning technology prototype for monitoring intracranial pressure 1

PubMed Central

de Carvalho, Lilian Regina; Évora, Yolanda Dora Martinez; Zem-Mascarenhas, Silvia Helena

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the usability of a digital learning technology prototype as a new method for minimally invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure. Method: descriptive study using a quantitative approach on assessing the usability of a prototype based on Nielsen's ten heuristics. Four experts in the area of Human-Computer interaction participated in the study. Results: the evaluation delivered eight violated heuristics and 31 usability problems in the 32 screens of the prototype. Conclusion: the suggestions of the evaluators were critical for developing an intuitive, user-friendly interface and will be included in the final version of the digital learning technology. PMID:27579932

Exit examination: a survey of UK psychiatrists' views

PubMed Central

Hughes, Nicholas S.; Haselgrove, Angela; Tovey, Matthew S.; Khokhar, Waqqas A.; Husain, Muj; Osman-Hicks, Victoria C.

2015-01-01

Aims and method The Royal College of Psychiatrists is considering how best to introduce a post-MRCPsych-examination assessment (‘exit examination’) in anticipation of external pressures to ensure patient safety through the use of such assessments. The Psychiatric Trainees' Committee conducted an online survey to gather the views of psychiatrists regarding the possible format and content of this examination in the hope that this information can be used to design a satisfactory assessment. Results Of the 2082 individuals who started the survey, 1735 completed all sections (83.3%). Participants included consultants and trainees from a range of subspecialties. There was general agreement that the content and structure of the exit examination should include assessment of clinical and communication skills. Clinical implications UK psychiatrists believe that an exit assessment should focus on clinical and communication skills. It should assess both generic and subspecialty-specific competencies and incorporate a mixture of assessment techniques. PMID:26755972

A Methodological Review of the Assessment of Humanism in Medical Students.

PubMed

Buck, Era; Holden, Mark; Szauter, Karen

2015-11-01

Humanism is a complex construct that defies simplistic measurement. How educators measure humanism shapes understanding and implications for learners. This systematic review sought to address the following questions: How do medical educators assess humanism in medical students, and how does the measurement impact the understanding of humanism in undergraduate medical education (UME)? Using the IECARES (integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy, and service) Gold Foundation framework, a search of English literature databases from 2000 to 2013 on assessment of humanism in medical students revealed more than 900 articles, of which 155 met criteria for analysis. Using descriptive statistics, articles and assessments were analyzed for construct measured, study design, assessment method, instrument type, perspective/source of assessment, student level, validity evidence, and national context. Of 202 assessments reported in 155 articles, 162 (80%) used surveys; 164 (81%) used student self-reports. One hundred nine articles (70%) included only one humanism construct. Empathy was the most prevalent construct present in 96 (62%); 49 (51%) of those used a single instrument. One hundred fifteen (74%) used exclusively quantitative data; only 48 (31%) used a longitudinal design. Construct underrepresentation was identified as a threat to validity in half of the assessments. Articles included 34 countries; 87 (56%) were from North America. Assessment of humanism in UME incorporates a limited scope of a complex construct, often relying on single quantitative measures from self-reported survey instruments. This highlights the need for multiple methods, perspectives, and longitudinal designs to strengthen the validity of humanism assessments.

Assessing nutritional status in children with chronic liver disease.

PubMed

Taylor, Rachel M; Dhawan, Anil

2005-12-01

The metabolic changes compounded by anorexia associated with chronic liver disease adversely affect growth in children. In many cases, this requires the administration of artificial nutritional support. It is important in this group of patients that those who are becoming nutritionally depleted are identified quickly and in those receiving artificial nutritional support, the effectiveness is monitored. The current review is an examination of methods available to assess nutritional status. These include anthropometry, methods available in the laboratory and a selection of less commonly used methods undergoing evaluation at research level. A brief discussion accompanies each technique, outlining the limitations of its use in children with chronic liver disease. The review concludes with an outline of how nutritional status should be assessed in this group of children, and suggests further research.

A method to establish seismic noise baselines for automated station assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNamara, D.E.; Hutt, C.R.; Gee, L.S.; Benz, H.M.; Buland, R.P.

2009-01-01

We present a method for quantifying station noise baselines and characterizing the spectral shape of out-of-nominal noise sources. Our intent is to automate this method in order to ensure that only the highest-quality data are used in rapid earthquake products at NEIC. In addition, the station noise baselines provide a valuable tool to support the quality control of GSN and ANSS backbone data and metadata. The procedures addressed here are currently in development at the NEIC, and work is underway to understand how quickly changes from nominal can be observed and used within the NEIC processing framework. The spectral methods and software used to compute station baselines and described herein (PQLX) can be useful to both permanent and portable seismic stations operators. Applications include: general seismic station and data quality control (QC), evaluation of instrument responses, assessment of near real-time communication system performance, characterization of site cultural noise conditions, and evaluation of sensor vault design, as well as assessment of gross network capabilities (McNamara et al. 2005). Future PQLX development plans include incorporating station baselines for automated QC methods and automating station status report generation and notification based on user-defined QC parameters. The PQLX software is available through the USGS (http://earthquake. usgs.gov/research/software/pqlx.php) and IRIS (http://www.iris.edu/software/ pqlx/).

How to Measure Outcomes of Peripheral Nerve Surgery

PubMed Central

Wang, Yirong; Sunitha, Malay; Chung, Kevin C.

2013-01-01

Synopsis Evaluation of outcomes after peripheral nerve surgeries include a number of assessment methods that reflect different aspects of recovery, including reinnervation, tactile gnosis, integrated sensory and motor function, pain and discomfort, neurophysiological and patient- reported outcomes. This review makes a list of measurements addressing these aspects as well as advantage and disadvantage of each tool. Because of complexities of neurophysiology, assessment remains a difficult process, which requires researchers focus on measurements best relevant to specific conditions and research questions. PMID:23895715

Assessing senescence in Drosophila using video tracking.

PubMed

Ardekani, Reza; Tavaré, Simon; Tower, John

2013-01-01

Senescence is associated with changes in gene expression, including the upregulation of stress response- and innate immune response-related genes. In addition, aging animals exhibit characteristic changes in movement behaviors including decreased gait speed and a deterioration in sleep/wake rhythms. Here, we describe methods for tracking Drosophila melanogaster movements in 3D with simultaneous quantification of fluorescent transgenic reporters. This approach allows for the assessment of correlations between behavior, aging, and gene expression as well as for the quantification of biomarkers of aging.

How to measure outcomes of peripheral nerve surgery.

PubMed

Wang, Yirong; Sunitha, Malay; Chung, Kevin C

2013-08-01

Evaluation of outcomes after peripheral nerve surgeries include several assessment methods that reflect different aspects of recovery, including reinnervation, tactile gnosis, integrated sensory and motor function, pain and discomfort, and neurophysiologic and patient-reported outcomes. This review lists measurements addressing these aspects as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each tool. Because of complexities of neurophysiology, assessment remains a difficult process, which requires researchers to focus on measurements best relevant to specific conditions and research questions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of occupational exposures to cleaning products used for common cleaning tasks-a pilot study of hospital cleaners

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background In recent years, cleaning has been identified as an occupational risk because of an increased incidence of reported respiratory effects, such as asthma and asthma-like symptoms among cleaning workers. Due to the lack of systematic occupational hygiene analyses and workplace exposure data, it is not clear which cleaning-related exposures induce or aggravate asthma and other respiratory effects. Currently, there is a need for systematic evaluation of cleaning products ingredients and their exposures in the workplace. The objectives of this work were to: a) identify cleaning products' ingredients of concern with respect to respiratory and skin irritation and sensitization; and b) assess the potential for inhalation and dermal exposures to these ingredients during common cleaning tasks. Methods We prioritized ingredients of concern in cleaning products commonly used in several hospitals in Massachusetts. Methods included workplace interviews, reviews of product Materials Safety Data Sheets and the scientific literature on adverse health effects to humans, reviews of physico-chemical properties of cleaning ingredients, and occupational hygiene observational analyses. Furthermore, the potential for exposure in the workplace was assessed by conducting qualitative assessment of airborne exposures and semi-quantitative assessment of dermal exposures. Results Cleaning products used for common cleaning tasks were mixtures of many chemicals, including respiratory and dermal irritants and sensitizers. Examples of ingredients of concern include quaternary ammonium compounds, 2-butoxyethanol, and ethanolamines. Cleaning workers are at risk of acute and chronic inhalation exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOC) vapors and aerosols generated from product spraying, and dermal exposures mostly through hands. Conclusion Cleaning products are mixtures of many chemical ingredients that may impact workers' health through air and dermal exposures. Because cleaning exposures are a function of product formulations and product application procedures, a combination of product evaluation with workplace exposure assessment is critical in developing strategies for protecting workers from cleaning hazards. Our task based assessment methods allowed classification of tasks in different exposure categories, a strategy that can be employed by epidemiological investigations related to cleaning. The methods presented here can be used by occupational and environmental health practitioners to identify intervention strategies. PMID:19327131

Comprehensive Method for Culturing Embryonic Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons for Seahorse Extracellular Flux XF24 Analysis

PubMed Central

Lange, Miranda; Zeng, Yan; Knight, Andrew; Windebank, Anthony; Trushina, Eugenia

2012-01-01

Changes in mitochondrial dynamics and function contribute to progression of multiple neurodegenerative diseases including peripheral neuropathies. The Seahorse Extracellular Flux XF24 analyzer provides a comprehensive assessment of the relative state of glycolytic and aerobic metabolism in live cells making this method instrumental in assessing mitochondrial function. One of the most important steps in the analysis of mitochondrial respiration using the Seahorse XF24 analyzer is plating a uniform monolayer of firmly attached cells. However, culturing of primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is associated with multiple challenges, including their propensity to form clumps and detach from the culture plate. This could significantly interfere with proper analysis and interpretation of data. We have tested multiple cell culture parameters including coating substrates, culture medium, XF24 microplate plastics, and plating techniques in order to optimize plating conditions. Here we describe a highly reproducible method to obtain neuron-enriched monolayers of securely attached dissociated primary embryonic (E15) rat DRG neurons suitable for analysis with the Seahorse XF24 platform. PMID:23248613

Minimally verbal school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder: the neglected end of the spectrum.

PubMed

Tager-Flusberg, Helen; Kasari, Connie

2013-12-01

It is currently estimated that about 30% of children with autism spectrum disorder remain minimally verbal, even after receiving years of interventions and a range of educational opportunities. Very little is known about the individuals at this end of the autism spectrum, in part because this is a highly variable population with no single set of defining characteristics or patterns of skills or deficits, and in part because it is extremely challenging to provide reliable or valid assessments of their developmental functioning. In this paper, we summarize current knowledge based on research including minimally verbal children. We review promising new novel methods for assessing the verbal and nonverbal abilities of minimally verbal school-aged children, including eye-tracking and brain-imaging methods that do not require overt responses. We then review what is known about interventions that may be effective in improving language and communication skills, including discussion of both nonaugmentative and augmentative methods. In the final section of the paper, we discuss the gaps in the literature and needs for future research. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comprehensive Method for Culturing Embryonic Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons for Seahorse Extracellular Flux XF24 Analysis.

PubMed

Lange, Miranda; Zeng, Yan; Knight, Andrew; Windebank, Anthony; Trushina, Eugenia

2012-01-01

Changes in mitochondrial dynamics and function contribute to progression of multiple neurodegenerative diseases including peripheral neuropathies. The Seahorse Extracellular Flux XF24 analyzer provides a comprehensive assessment of the relative state of glycolytic and aerobic metabolism in live cells making this method instrumental in assessing mitochondrial function. One of the most important steps in the analysis of mitochondrial respiration using the Seahorse XF24 analyzer is plating a uniform monolayer of firmly attached cells. However, culturing of primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is associated with multiple challenges, including their propensity to form clumps and detach from the culture plate. This could significantly interfere with proper analysis and interpretation of data. We have tested multiple cell culture parameters including coating substrates, culture medium, XF24 microplate plastics, and plating techniques in order to optimize plating conditions. Here we describe a highly reproducible method to obtain neuron-enriched monolayers of securely attached dissociated primary embryonic (E15) rat DRG neurons suitable for analysis with the Seahorse XF24 platform.

Effectiveness evaluation of objective and subjective weighting methods for aquifer vulnerability assessment in urban context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Madhumita; Sahoo, Satiprasad; Dhar, Anirban; Pradhan, Biswajeet

2016-10-01

Groundwater vulnerability assessment has been an accepted practice to identify the zones with relatively increased potential for groundwater contamination. DRASTIC is the most popular secondary information-based vulnerability assessment approach. Original DRASTIC approach considers relative importance of features/sub-features based on subjective weighting/rating values. However variability of features at a smaller scale is not reflected in this subjective vulnerability assessment process. In contrast to the subjective approach, the objective weighting-based methods provide flexibility in weight assignment depending on the variation of the local system. However experts' opinion is not directly considered in the objective weighting-based methods. Thus effectiveness of both subjective and objective weighting-based approaches needs to be evaluated. In the present study, three methods - Entropy information method (E-DRASTIC), Fuzzy pattern recognition method (F-DRASTIC) and Single parameter sensitivity analysis (SA-DRASTIC), were used to modify the weights of the original DRASTIC features to include local variability. Moreover, a grey incidence analysis was used to evaluate the relative performance of subjective (DRASTIC and SA-DRASTIC) and objective (E-DRASTIC and F-DRASTIC) weighting-based methods. The performance of the developed methodology was tested in an urban area of Kanpur City, India. Relative performance of the subjective and objective methods varies with the choice of water quality parameters. This methodology can be applied without/with suitable modification. These evaluations establish the potential applicability of the methodology for general vulnerability assessment in urban context.

Development and comparison in uncertainty assessment based Bayesian modularization method in hydrological modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lu; Xu, Chong-Yu; Engeland, Kolbjørn

2013-04-01

SummaryWith respect to model calibration, parameter estimation and analysis of uncertainty sources, various regression and probabilistic approaches are used in hydrological modeling. A family of Bayesian methods, which incorporates different sources of information into a single analysis through Bayes' theorem, is widely used for uncertainty assessment. However, none of these approaches can well treat the impact of high flows in hydrological modeling. This study proposes a Bayesian modularization uncertainty assessment approach in which the highest streamflow observations are treated as suspect information that should not influence the inference of the main bulk of the model parameters. This study includes a comprehensive comparison and evaluation of uncertainty assessments by our new Bayesian modularization method and standard Bayesian methods using the Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm with the daily hydrological model WASMOD. Three likelihood functions were used in combination with standard Bayesian method: the AR(1) plus Normal model independent of time (Model 1), the AR(1) plus Normal model dependent on time (Model 2) and the AR(1) plus Multi-normal model (Model 3). The results reveal that the Bayesian modularization method provides the most accurate streamflow estimates measured by the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and provide the best in uncertainty estimates for low, medium and entire flows compared to standard Bayesian methods. The study thus provides a new approach for reducing the impact of high flows on the discharge uncertainty assessment of hydrological models via Bayesian method.

Passive sampling methods for contaminated sediments: Practical guidance for selection, calibration, and implementation

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Upal; Driscoll, Susan Kane; Burgess, Robert M; Jonker, Michiel To; Reible, Danny; Gobas, Frank; Choi, Yongju; Apitz, Sabine E; Maruya, Keith A; Gala, William R; Mortimer, Munro; Beegan, Chris

2014-01-01

This article provides practical guidance on the use of passive sampling methods (PSMs) that target the freely dissolved concentration (Cfree) for improved exposure assessment of hydrophobic organic chemicals in sediments. Primary considerations for selecting a PSM for a specific application include clear delineation of measurement goals for Cfree, whether laboratory-based “ex situ” and/or field-based “in situ” application is desired, and ultimately which PSM is best-suited to fulfill the measurement objectives. Guidelines for proper calibration and validation of PSMs, including use of provisional values for polymer–water partition coefficients, determination of equilibrium status, and confirmation of nondepletive measurement conditions are defined. A hypothetical example is described to illustrate how the measurement of Cfree afforded by PSMs reduces uncertainty in assessing narcotic toxicity for sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The article concludes with a discussion of future research that will improve the quality and robustness of Cfree measurements using PSMs, providing a sound scientific basis to support risk assessment and contaminated sediment management decisions. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2014;10:210–223. © 2014 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. PMID:24288273

Cognitive impairment among prostate cancer patients: An overview of reviews.

PubMed

Treanor, C J; Li, J; Donnelly, M

2017-11-01

To identify and clarify definitions and methods of measuring cancer-related cognitive impairment among prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and to assess the incidence and prevalence of cognitive impairment. A systematic review of Medline, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL up to December 2015 was undertaken to identify English-language reviews. A total of 28 reviews were identified describing 20 primary studies. There were no studies of incidence. Reported prevalence rates varied between 10% and 69%. Cognitive domains impaired by ADT included: verbal memory, visuospatial ability and executive functions. Cognitive impairment was infrequently defined and four definitions were reported. A variety of measures and methods were used to assess cognitive function including neuropsychological tests, self-report measures and clinical assessments. The finding that, often, one measure was used to assess more than one aspect of cognition is likely to have contributed to imprecise estimates. There is a need to agree a definition of cognitive impairment in the clinical epidemiology of cancer and to standardise the selection of measures in order to aid accurate assessment and fair comparisons across studies regarding the prevalence of cognitive impairment among prostate cancer patients. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparison and evaluation of fusion methods used for GF-2 satellite image in coastal mangrove area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Chengxing; Ju, Hongbo; Liu, Hua; Zhang, Huaiqing; Sun, Hua

2018-04-01

GF-2 satellite is the highest spatial resolution Remote Sensing Satellite of the development history of China's satellite. In this study, three traditional fusion methods including Brovey, Gram-Schmidt and Color Normalized (CN were used to compare with the other new fusion method NNDiffuse, which used the qualitative assessment and quantitative fusion quality index, including information entropy, variance, mean gradient, deviation index, spectral correlation coefficient. Analysis results show that NNDiffuse method presented the optimum in qualitative and quantitative analysis. It had more effective for the follow up of remote sensing information extraction and forest, wetland resources monitoring applications.

Introducing gender equity to adolescent school children: A mixed methods' study.

PubMed

Syed, Saba

2017-01-01

Over the past decade, gender equality and women's empowerment have been explicitly recognized as key not only to the health of nations but also to social and economic development. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of a mixed methods' participatory group education approach to introduce gender equity to adolescent school children. It also assessed baseline and postintervention knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding gender equity, sexual and reproductive health among adolescent students in government-aided schools, and finally, compare the pre- and post-intervention gender equitable (GE) attitudes among the study participants. A government-aided school was selected by nonprobalistic intentional sampling. On 5 predesignated days, willing students were included in the intervention which included a pretest, a group of educational-based participatory mixed methods' intervention followed by a posttest assessment. A total of 186 students participated in the study. Girls had better baseline GE scores as compared to boys and they also improvised more on the baseline scores following the intervention. The present mixed method approach to introduce gender equity to adolescent school children through a group education-based interventional approach proved to be effective in initiating dialog and sensitizing adolescents on gender equity and violence within a school setting.

Quality of life among dermatology patients: a systematic review of investigations using qualitative methods.

PubMed

Singh, Sanminder; Ehsani-Chimeh, Nazanin; Kornmehl, Heather; Armstrong, April W

2017-07-13

Quality of life may be assessed using quantitative or qualitative methods. Quantitative methods are commonly used in research settings; however, they may fail to capture the full range of patient experiences and impact on quality of life. Qualitative methods may be used to address this limitation. In this systematic review, we aim to synthesize data from articles utilizing qualitative methods to assess quality of life in dermatology patients. We performed a systematic review search using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SCOPUS databases. The search was conducted using the following search criteria: ("Dermatology" [MeSH]) AND ("Quality of Life" [MeSH]), AND ("Qualitative Research" [MeSH]), searching literature spanning from January 1, 1946- October 5, 2016. The systematic review of 15 articles included 533 dermatology patients. Patients expressed frustration over the unpredictability of disease symptoms and having to compensate for the subsequent limitations by altering their daily routines. Patients also reported profound helplessness due to chronic skin disease and social isolation in an effort to hide their disease. Patients noted the patient-provider relationship as a source of support and information exchange, with the goal to form easy to use treatment plans that met both physician and patient expectations. Qualitative assessment of patient quality of life can provide new insights into the patient experience and the impact of their skin disease. Qualitative methodology may capture meaningful information that may be overlooked by quantitative methods, and it should be included in quality of life research.

Assessment of four midcarpal radiologic determinations.

PubMed

Cho, Mickey S; Battista, Vincent; Dubin, Norman H; Pirela-Cruz, Miguel

2006-03-01

Several radiologic measurement methods have been described for determining static carpal alignment of the wrist. These include the scapholunate, radiolunate, and capitolunate angles. The triangulation method is an alternative radiologic measurement which we believe is easier to use and more reproducible and reliable than the above mentioned methods. The purpose of this study is to assess the intraobserver reproducibility and interobserver reliability of the triangulation method, scapholunate, radiolunate, and capitolunate angles. Twenty orthopaedic residents and staff at varying levels of training made four radiologic measurements including the scapholunate, radiolunate and capitolunate angles as well as the triangulation method on five different lateral, digitized radiographs of the wrist and forearm in neutral radioulnar deviation. Thirty days after the initial measurements, the participants repeated the four radiologic measurements using the same radiographs. The triangulation method had the best intra-and-interobserver agreement of the four methods tested. This agreement was significantly better than the capitolunate and radiolunate angles. The scapholunate angle had the next best intraobserver reproducibility and interobserver reliability. The triangulation method has the best overall observer agreement when compared to the scapholunate, radiolunate, and capitolunate angles in determining static midcarpal alignment. No comment can be made on the validity of the measurements since there is no radiographic gold standard in determining static carpal alignment.

Improving Pharmacy Student Communication Outcomes Using Standardized Patients.

PubMed

Gillette, Chris; Rudolph, Michael; Rockich-Winston, Nicole; Stanton, Robert; Anderson, H Glenn

2017-08-01

Objective. To examine whether standardized patient encounters led to an improvement in a student pharmacist-patient communication assessment compared to traditional active-learning activities within a classroom setting. Methods. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with second-year pharmacy students in a drug information and communication skills course. Student patient communication skills were assessed using high-stakes communication assessment. Results. Two hundred and twenty students' data were included. Students were significantly more likely to have higher scores on the communication assessment when they had higher undergraduate GPAs, were female, and taught using standardized patients. Similarly, students were significantly more likely to pass the assessment on the first attempt when they were female and when they were taught using standardized patients. Conclusion. Incorporating standardized patients within a communication course resulted in improved scores as well as first-time pass rates on a communication assessment than when using different methods of active learning.

A Clinic-Based Assessment for Evaluating Job-Related Social Skills in Adolescents and Adults with Autism.

PubMed

Lerman, Dorothea C; White, Bridgette; Grob, Carolyn; Laudont, Courtney

2017-12-01

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties obtaining and maintaining employment, yet little research has evaluated methods for assessing and improving critical vocational skills. In this study, we evaluated an assessment of job-related social skills for individuals with ASD by arranging conditions that simulated on-the-job experiences in a clinic setting. The experimenter contrived situations to assess a variety of social skills, including asking for help, asking for more materials, and responding to corrective feedback. A total of eight individuals, aged 16 to 32 years, participated. Results suggested that the assessment was useful for identifying specific social skills that could be targeted for intervention to increase success in the work environment. These findings add to the current literature by demonstrating an objective method for assessing a variety of job-related social skills under controlled, naturalistic conditions.

[The modified method registration of kinesthetic evoked potentials and its application for research of proprioceptive sensitivity disorders at spondylogenic cervical myelopathy].

PubMed

Gordeev, S A; Voronin, S G

2016-01-01

To analyze the efficacy of modified (passive radiocarpal articulation flexion/extension) and «standard» (passive radiocarpal articulation flexion) methods of kinesthetic evoked potentials for proprioceptive sensitivity assessment in healthy subjects and patients with spondylotic cervical myelopathy. The study included 14 healthy subjects (4 women and 10 men, mean age 54.1±10.5 years) and 8 patients (2 women and 6 men, mean age 55.8±10.9 years) with spondylotic cervical myelopathy. Muscle-joint sensation was examined during the clinical study. A modified method of kinesthetic evoked potentials was developed. This method differed from the "standard" one by the organization of a cycle including several passive movements,where each new movement differed from the preceding one by the direction. The modified method of kinesthetic evoked potentials ensures more reliable kinesthetic sensitivity assessment due to movement variability. Asignificant increaseof the latent periods of the early components of the response was found in patients compared to healthy subjects. The modified method of kinesthetic evoked potentials can be used for objective diagnosis of proprioceptive sensitivity disorders in patients with spondylotic cervical myelopathy.

Assessing Abuse Risk beyond Self-Report: Analog Task of Acceptability of Parent-Child Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Christina M.; Russa, Mary Bower; Harmon, Nancy

2011-01-01

Objectives: The present investigation reports on the development and initial validation of a new analog task, the Parent-Child Aggression Acceptability Movie Task (P-CAAM), intended to assess respondents' acceptance of parent-child aggression, including both physical discipline and physical abuse. Methods: Two independent samples were utilized to…

75 FR 46909 - Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding Assessments Focused on Improving Food Aid and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-04

... implemented in the field to benefit highly vulnerable populations, including recommendations on the most cost... Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA. ACTION: Notice; request for public comment. SUMMARY: The National... Extension Service (CSREES) requests input from the public regarding (1) the assessment of methods and tools...

AERIS--applications for the environment : real-time information synthesis state-of-the-practice support : state-of-the-practice assessment of technology to enable environmental data acquisition.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-06-21

In this report, vehicle-based and infrastructure-based data acquisition technologies are assessed. Vehicle-based technologies include methods for accessing the Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus on heavy vehicles, the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) on s...

Using Wildlife Species Richness to Identify Land Protection Priorities in California's Hardwood Woodlands

Treesearch

Robert S. Motroni; Daniel A. Airola; Robin K. Ma rose; Nancy D. Tosta

1991-01-01

A geographic information system was used to assess wildlife species richness (number of species) in valley-foothill hardwood habitats throughout California to set priorities for conservation attention. Species richness values were assessed and compared using three methods: one that included all species without considering canopy cover conditions and species preferences...

Institutional Assessment Tools for Sustainability in Higher Education: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Implications for Practice and Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shriberg, Michael

2002-01-01

This paper analyzes recent efforts to measure sustainability in higher education across institutions. The benefits of cross-institutional assessments include: identifying and benchmarking leaders and best practices; communicating common goals, experiences, and methods; and providing a directional tool to measure progress toward the concept of a…

40 CFR 63.645 - Test methods and procedures for miscellaneous process vents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... analysis based on accepted chemical engineering principles, measurable process parameters, or physical or... minute, at a temperature of 20 °C. (g) Engineering assessment may be used to determine the TOC emission...) Engineering assessment includes, but is not limited to, the following: (i) Previous test results provided the...

40 CFR 63.645 - Test methods and procedures for miscellaneous process vents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... analysis based on accepted chemical engineering principles, measurable process parameters, or physical or... minute, at a temperature of 20 °C. (g) Engineering assessment may be used to determine the TOC emission...) Engineering assessment includes, but is not limited to, the following: (i) Previous test results provided the...

40 CFR 63.645 - Test methods and procedures for miscellaneous process vents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... analysis based on accepted chemical engineering principles, measurable process parameters, or physical or... minute, at a temperature of 20 °C. (g) Engineering assessment may be used to determine the TOC emission...) Engineering assessment includes, but is not limited to, the following: (i) Previous test results provided the...

Assessing the Benefits of a Geropsychiatric Home-Visit Program for Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roane, David M.; Tucker, Jennifer; Eisenstadt, Ellen; Gomez, Maria; Kennedy, Gary J.

2012-01-01

Objective: Authors assessed the benefit of including medical students on geropsychiatric home-visits. Method: Medical students, during their psychiatry clerkship, were assigned to a home-visit group (N=43) or control group (N=81). Home-visit participants attended the initial visit of a home-bound geriatric patient. The Maxwell-Sullivan Attitude…

Small Learning Communities Sense of Belonging to Reach At-Risk Students of Promise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackney, Debbie

2011-01-01

The research design is a quantitative causal comparative method. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) which measures student scores included assessments in mathematics and reading. The design study called for an examination of how type of small learning community (SLC) or the type non-SLC high school environment affected student…

Integrating Individual Differences in Career Assessment: The Atlas Model of Individual Differences and the Strong Ring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Patrick Ian; Rounds, James

2010-01-01

Career assessment methods often include measures of individual differences constructs, such as interests, personality, abilities, and values. Although many researchers have recently called for the development of integrated models, career counseling professionals have long faced the challenge of integrating this information into their practice. The…

Assessing Student Scientific Expression Using Media: The Media-Enhanced Science Presentation Rubric (MESPR)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mott, Michael S.; Chessin, Debby A.; Sumrall, William J.; Rutherford, Angela S.; Moore, Virginia J.

2011-01-01

The current study evaluated an assessment designed to dually promote student understanding of the experimental method and student ability to include digital and visual qualities in their presentations of scientific experiment results. The rubric, the Media-Enhanced Science Presentation Rubric (MESPR) focuses teacher-student dialogue along the…

US EPA - A*Star Partnership - Accelerating the Acceptance of Next-Generation Sciences and Their Application to Regulatory Risk Assessment (A*Star Symposium, Singapore)

EPA Science Inventory

The path for incorporating new alternative methods and technologies into quantitative chemical risk assessment poses a diverse set of scientific challenges. Some of these challenges include development of relevant and predictive test systems and computational models to integrate...

Social Workers' Orientation toward the Evidence-Based Practice Process: A Dutch Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Zwet, Renske J. M.; Kolmer, Deirdre M. Beneken genaamd; Schalk, René

2016-01-01

Objectives: This study assesses social workers' orientation toward the evidence-based practice (EBP) process and explores which specific variables (e.g. age) are associated. Methods: Data were collected from 341 Dutch social workers through an online survey which included a Dutch translation of the EBP Process Assessment Scale (EBPPAS), along with…

Bayes Nets in Educational Assessment: Where Do the Numbers Come from? CSE Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mislevy, Robert J.; Almond, Russell G.; Yan, Duanli; Steinberg, Linda S.

Educational assessments that exploit advances in technology and cognitive psychology can produce observations and pose student models that outstrip familiar test-theoretic models and analytic methods. Bayesian inference networks (BINs), which include familiar models and techniques as special cases, can be used to manage belief about students'…

Psycho-Motor Needs Assessment of Virginia School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glen Haven Achievement Center, Fort Collins, CO.

An effort to assess psycho-motor (P-M) needs among Virginia children in K-4 and in special primary classes for the educable mentally retarded is presented. Included are methods for selecting, combining, and developing evaluation measures, which are verified statistically by analyses of data collected from a stratified sample of approximately 4,500…

IBIS FOR FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATES DEVELOPED FOR GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS: AN EPA REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (REMAP) PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

The research from this REMAP project produced results that demonstrate various stages of an assessment strategy and produced tools including an inventory classification, field methods and multimetric biotic indices that are now available for use by environmental resource managers...

Advancing methods for research on household water insecurity: Studying entitlements and capabilities, socio-cultural dynamics, and political processes, institutions and governance.

PubMed

Wutich, Amber; Budds, Jessica; Eichelberger, Laura; Geere, Jo; Harris, Leila; Horney, Jennifer; Jepson, Wendy; Norman, Emma; O'Reilly, Kathleen; Pearson, Amber; Shah, Sameer; Shinn, Jamie; Simpson, Karen; Staddon, Chad; Stoler, Justin; Teodoro, Manuel P; Young, Sera

2017-11-01

Household water insecurity has serious implications for the health, livelihoods and wellbeing of people around the world. Existing methods to assess the state of household water insecurity focus largely on water quality, quantity or adequacy, source or reliability, and affordability. These methods have significant advantages in terms of their simplicity and comparability, but are widely recognized to oversimplify and underestimate the global burden of household water insecurity. In contrast, a broader definition of household water insecurity should include entitlements and human capabilities, sociocultural dynamics, and political institutions and processes. This paper proposes a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods that can be widely adopted across cultural, geographic, and demographic contexts to assess hard-to-measure dimensions of household water insecurity. In doing so, it critically evaluates existing methods for assessing household water insecurity and suggests ways in which methodological innovations advance a broader definition of household water insecurity.

Blood pressure (BP) assessment-from BP level to BP variability.

PubMed

Feber, Janusz; Litwin, Mieczyslaw

2016-07-01

The assessment of blood pressure (BP) can be challenging in children, especially in very young individuals, due to their variable body size and lack of cooperation. In the absence of data relating BP with cardiovascular outcomes in children, there is a need to convert absolute BP values (in mmHg) into age-, gender- and height appropriate BP percentiles or Z-scores in order to compare a patient's BP with the BP of healthy children of the same age, but also of children of different ages. Traditionally, the interpretation of BP has been based mainly on the assessment of the BP level obtained by office, home or 24-h BP monitoring. Recent studies suggest that it is not only BP level (i.e. average BP) but also BP variability that is clinically important for the development of target organ damage, including the progression of chronic kidney disease. In this review we describe current methods to evaluate of BP level, outline available methods for BP variability assessment and discuss the clinical consequences of BP variability, including its potential role in the management of hypertension.

Affordable non-traditional source data mining for context assessment to improve distributed fusion system robustness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, Christopher; Haith, Gary; Steinberg, Alan; Morefield, Charles; Morefield, Michael

2013-05-01

This paper describes methods to affordably improve the robustness of distributed fusion systems by opportunistically leveraging non-traditional data sources. Adaptive methods help find relevant data, create models, and characterize the model quality. These methods also can measure the conformity of this non-traditional data with fusion system products including situation modeling and mission impact prediction. Non-traditional data can improve the quantity, quality, availability, timeliness, and diversity of the baseline fusion system sources and therefore can improve prediction and estimation accuracy and robustness at all levels of fusion. Techniques are described that automatically learn to characterize and search non-traditional contextual data to enable operators integrate the data with the high-level fusion systems and ontologies. These techniques apply the extension of the Data Fusion & Resource Management Dual Node Network (DNN) technical architecture at Level 4. The DNN architecture supports effectively assessment and management of the expanded portfolio of data sources, entities of interest, models, and algorithms including data pattern discovery and context conformity. Affordable model-driven and data-driven data mining methods to discover unknown models from non-traditional and `big data' sources are used to automatically learn entity behaviors and correlations with fusion products, [14 and 15]. This paper describes our context assessment software development, and the demonstration of context assessment of non-traditional data to compare to an intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance fusion product based upon an IED POIs workflow.

Methods for assessing pre-induction cervical ripening

PubMed Central

Ezebialu, Ifeanyichukwu U; Eke, Ahizechukwu C; Eleje, George U; Nwachukwu, Chukwuemeka E

2015-01-01

Background Induction of labour is the artificial initiation of labour in a pregnant woman after the age of fetal viability but without any objective evidence of active phase labour and with intact fetal membranes. The need for induction of labour may arise due to a problem in the mother, her fetus or both, and the procedure may be carried out at or before term. Obstetricians have long known that for this to be successful, it is important that the uterine cervix (the neck of the womb) has favourable characteristics in terms of readiness to go into the labour state. Objectives To compare Bishop score with any other method for assessing pre-induction cervical ripening in women admitted for induction of labour. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 March 2015) and reference lists of retrieved studies to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Selection criteria All RCTs comparing Bishop score with any other methods of pre-induction cervical assessment in women admitted for induction of labour. Cluster-RCTs were eligible for inclusion but none were identified. Quasi-RCTs and studies using a cross-over design were not eligible for inclusion. Studies published in abstract form were eligible for inclusion if they provided sufficient information. Comparisons could include the following. Bishop score versus transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS). Bishop score versus Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1). Bishop score versus vaginal fetal fibronectin (fFN). However, we only identified data for a comparison of Bishop score versus TVUS. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed the trials for inclusion, extracted the data and assessed trial quality. Data were checked for accuracy. Main results We included two trials that recruited a total of 234 women. The overall risk of bias was low for the two studies. Both studies compared Bishop score withTVUS. The two included studies did not show any clear difference between the Bishop score and TVUS groups for the following main outcomes: vaginal birth (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.25, moderate quality evidence), caesarean delivery (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.34, moderate quality evidence), neonatal admission into neonatal intensive care unit (RR 1.67, 95% CI 0.41 to 6.71, moderate quality evidence). Both studies only provided median data in relation to induction-delivery interval and reported no clear difference between the Bishop and TVUS groups. Perinatal mortality was not reported in the included studies. For the review's secondary outcomes, the need for misoprostol for cervical ripening was more frequent in the TVUS group compared to the Bishop score group (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.66, two studies, 234 women, moderate quality evidence). In contrast, there were no clear differences between the Bishop scope and TVUS groups in terms of meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, fetal heart rate abnormality in labour, and Apgar score less than seven. Only one trial reported median data on the induction-delivery interval and induction to active phase interval, the trialist reported no difference between the Bishop group and the TVUS group for this outcome. Neither of the included studies reported on uterine rupture. Authors' conclusions Moderate quality evidence from two small RCTs involving 234 women that compared two different methods for assessing pre-induction cervical ripening (Bishop score and TVUS) did not demonstrate superiority of one method over the other in terms of the main outcomes assessed in this review. We did not identify any data relating to perinatal mortality. Whilst use of TVUS was associated with an increased need for misoprostol for cervical ripening, both methods could be complementary. The choice of a particular method of assessing pre-induction cervical ripening may differ depending on the environment and need where one is practicing since some methods (i.e. TVUS) may not be readily available and affordable in resource-poor settings where the sequelae of labour and its management is prevalent. The evidence in this review is based on two studies that enrolled a small number of women and there is insufficient evidence to support the use of TVUS over the standard digital vaginal assessment in pre-induction cervical ripening. Further adequately powered RCTs involving TVUS and the Bishop score and including other methods of pre-induction cervical ripening assessment are warranted. Such studies need to address uterine rupture, perinatal mortality, optimal cut-off value of the cervical length and Bishop score to classify women as having favourable or unfavourable cervices and cost should be included as an outcome. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY Methods for assessing pre-induction cervical ripening, the ability of the cervix to open in response to spontaneous uterine contractions In this review, researchers from The Cochrane Collaboration examined a comparison between the Bishop score and any other method for checking pre-induction cervical ripening in women admitted for induction of labour. The Bishop score is the traditional method of determining the readiness of the cervix to open (dilate) before labour induction. It also assesses the position, softening and shortening of the cervix, and the location of the presenting part of the baby. After searching for relevant trials up to 31 March 2015, we included two randomised controlled trials that recruited 234 pregnant women. What are the methods for pre-induction softening of the neck of womb and why is it important to soften the neck of womb before induction of labour? Induction of labour is the non-natural process of starting labour in a pregnant woman after the age the baby is more likely to survive following delivery, when there is no clear evidence of serious onset of labour and the membranes covering the baby are unruptured. Induction of labour may be needed because of a problem in the mother, or her baby or both, and is carried out at or before the ninth (last) month of pregnancy. Obstetricians (specialist caring for pregnant women) have long known that for this to be successful, it is important that the uterine cervix (the neck of the womb) has the favourable characteristics that make it ready to go into the labour. The delivery method and total duration of labour are affected by many factors and cervical readiness (ripeness) is just one of these. What the research says Moderate quality evidence was available from the two included studies which compared the Bishop score with transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) (ultrasound done through the vagina). The studies were considered to be at a low risk of bias. The need for misoprostol (a drug) for softening the cervix (cervical ripening) was more common in the TVUS arm. No clear difference was seen between the two methods in terms of vaginal birth, caesarean delivery, admission of the newborn into the neonatal intensive care unit, meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, abnormal heart beat of the baby within the womb whilst the mother was in labour and Apgar score less than seven (difficulty of the baby establishing life and other life movements on its own immediately after childbirth). None of the included studies reported on tears of the womb or death of the baby just before, during or immediately after childbirth. We did not find any studies that compared Bishop score with any other methods such as the presence of vaginal fetal fibronectin or insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1. Authors conclusions Although the overall quality of evidence is moderate, there is no difference in outcomes between the two methods (Bishop score and TVUS) apart from the increased need of misoprostol in the TVUS group. Both methods could be useful to each other, or complementary as the Bishop score does not need any special equipment and uses digital examination which is required to induce labour (to insert a cervical ripening agent, rupture the membranes or separate them from the cervix) but TVUS can give additional information that may affect the course and management of the labour. The choice of a particular method may differ depending on the environment and need since TVUS requires training and may not be readily available and affordable in resource-poor countries. Future research The two included studies involved a small number of women and further studies are needed. Such studies should include outcomes such as rupture of the womb, perinatal mortality, most appropriate cut-off value for the cervical length and Bishop score to classify women as having ripe or unripe cervices, and cost. PMID:26068943

A Method for Selection of Appropriate Assistive Technology for Computer Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenko, Mojca

2010-01-01

Assistive technologies (ATs) for computer access enable people with disabilities to be included in the information society. Current methods for assessment and selection of the most appropriate AT for each individual are nonstandardized, lengthy, subjective, and require substantial clinical experience of a multidisciplinary team. This manuscript…

Development and validation of a Daphnia magna four-day survival and growth test method

EPA Science Inventory

Zooplankton are an important part of the aquatic ecology of all lakes and streams. As a result, numerous methods have been developed to assess the quality of waterbodies using various zooplankton species. Included in these is the freshwater species Daphnia magna. Current test me...

ASSESSMENT OF PC12 CELL DIFFERENTIATION AND NEURITE GROWTH: A COMPARISON OF MORPHOLOGICAL AND NEUROCHEMICAL MEASURES.

EPA Science Inventory

In order to screen large numbers of chemicals for their potential to produce developmental neurotoxicity new, in vitro methods are needed. One approach is to develop methods based on the biologic processes which underlie brain development including the growth and maturation of ce...

Qualitative Analysis on Stage: Making the Research Process More Public.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anfara, Vincent A., Jr.; Brown, Kathleen M.

The increased use of qualitative research methods has spurred interest in developing formal standards for assessing its validity. These standards, however, fall short if they do not include public disclosure of methods as a criterion. The researcher must be accountable in documenting the actions associated with establishing internal validity…

Educational Methods for Deaf-Blind and Severely Handicapped Students. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin. Div. of Special Education.

The book presents 17 papers originally presented at a 1978 Texas conference on educational methods for deaf-blind and severely handicapped students, covering the areas of motor development, auditory assessment and hearing loss, communication, cognition, prevocational training, and functional living skills. Titles and authors include "An Overview…

101 Short Problems from EQUALS = 101 Problemas Cortos del programma EQUALS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stenmark, Jean Kerr, Ed.

EQUALS is a teacher advisory program that helps elementary and secondary educators acquire methods and materials to attract minority and female students to mathematics. The program supports a problem-solving approach to mathematics, including having students working in groups, using active assessment methods, and incorporating a broad mathematics…

ORD research and results using biological end points to detect exposures to contaminants of emerging concern

EPA Science Inventory

For the past nine years the Ecological Exposure Research Division (EERD) has been developing methods for the assessment of EDCs and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). These methods include genomic techniques for detecting the presence and potential exposure to human p...

Conceptual Scoring and Classification Accuracy of Vocabulary Testing in Bilingual Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anaya, Jissel B.; Peña, Elizabeth D.; Bedore, Lisa M.

2018-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the effects of single-language and conceptual scoring on the vocabulary performance of bilingual children with and without specific language impairment. We assessed classification accuracy across 3 scoring methods. Method: Participants included Spanish-English bilingual children (N = 247) aged 5;1 (years;months) to…

78 FR 19446 - Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-01

... Fisheries Management Council, and one individual. Many comments recommended initiation or repetition of... incorporated in the reports but are not included in the summary of comments and responses below. In some cases... injury for marine mammals, which includes quantitative methods for accounting for injury cases where the...

Assessing data quality and the variability of source data verification auditing methods in clinical research settings.

PubMed

Houston, Lauren; Probst, Yasmine; Martin, Allison

2018-05-18

Data audits within clinical settings are extensively used as a major strategy to identify errors, monitor study operations and ensure high-quality data. However, clinical trial guidelines are non-specific in regards to recommended frequency, timing and nature of data audits. The absence of a well-defined data quality definition and method to measure error undermines the reliability of data quality assessment. This review aimed to assess the variability of source data verification (SDV) auditing methods to monitor data quality in a clinical research setting. The scientific databases MEDLINE, Scopus and Science Direct were searched for English language publications, with no date limits applied. Studies were considered if they included data from a clinical trial or clinical research setting and measured and/or reported data quality using a SDV auditing method. In total 15 publications were included. The nature and extent of SDV audit methods in the articles varied widely, depending upon the complexity of the source document, type of study, variables measured (primary or secondary), data audit proportion (3-100%) and collection frequency (6-24 months). Methods for coding, classifying and calculating error were also inconsistent. Transcription errors and inexperienced personnel were the main source of reported error. Repeated SDV audits using the same dataset demonstrated ∼40% improvement in data accuracy and completeness over time. No description was given in regards to what determines poor data quality in clinical trials. A wide range of SDV auditing methods are reported in the published literature though no uniform SDV auditing method could be determined for "best practice" in clinical trials. Published audit methodology articles are warranted for the development of a standardised SDV auditing method to monitor data quality in clinical research settings. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Teacher Perspectives of School-Level Implementation of Alternate Assessments for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities. A Report from the National Study on Alternate Assessments. NCSER 2010-3007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameto, Renee; Bergland, Frances; Knokey, Anne-Marie; Nagle, Katherine M.; Sanford, Christopher; Kalb, Sara C.; Blackorby, Jose; Sinclair, Beth; Riley, Derek L.; Ortega, Moreica

2010-01-01

The report is organized to provide information on the school-level implementation of alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Following the Introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 describes the study design and methods, including the development of the teacher survey and data collection procedures and analyses.…

Development of a computerized assessment of clinician adherence to a treatment guideline for patients with bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Dennehy, Ellen B; Suppes, Trisha; John Rush, A; Lynn Crismon, M; Witte, B; Webster, J

2004-01-01

The adoption of treatment guidelines for complex psychiatric illness is increasing. Treatment decisions in psychiatry depend on a number of variables, including severity of symptoms, past treatment history, patient preferences, medication tolerability, and clinical response. While patient outcomes may be improved by the use of treatment guidelines, there is no agreed upon standard by which to assess the degree to which clinician behavior corresponds to those recommendations. This report presents a method to assess clinician adherence to the complex multidimensional treatment guideline for bipolar disorder utilized in the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. The steps involved in the development of this system are presented, including the reliance on standardized documentation, defining core variables of interest, selecting criteria for operationalization of those variables, and computerization of the assessment of adherence. The computerized assessment represents an improvement over other assessment methods, which have relied on laborious and costly chart reviews to extract clinical information and to analyze provider behavior. However, it is limited by the specificity of decisions that guided the adherence scoring process. Preliminary findings using this system with 2035 clinical visits conducted for the bipolar disorder module of TMAP Phase 3 are presented. These data indicate that this system of guideline adherence monitoring is feasible.

Methods used to address fidelity of receipt in health intervention research: a citation analysis and systematic review.

PubMed

Rixon, Lorna; Baron, Justine; McGale, Nadine; Lorencatto, Fabiana; Francis, Jill; Davies, Anna

2016-11-18

The American Behaviour Change Consortium (BCC) framework acknowledges patients as active participants and supports the need to investigate the fidelity with which they receive interventions, i.e. receipt. According to this framework, addressing receipt consists in using strategies to assess or enhance participants' understanding and/or performance of intervention skills. This systematic review aims to establish the frequency with which receipt is addressed as defined in the BCC framework in health research, and to describe the methods used in papers informed by the BCC framework and in the wider literature. A forward citation search on papers presenting the BCC framework was performed to determine the frequency with which receipt as defined in this framework was addressed. A second electronic database search, including search terms pertaining to fidelity, receipt, health and process evaluations was performed to identify papers reporting on receipt in the wider literature and irrespective of the framework used. These results were combined with forward citation search results to review methods to assess receipt. Eligibility criteria and data extraction forms were developed and applied to papers. Results are described in a narrative synthesis. 19.6% of 33 studies identified from the forward citation search to report on fidelity were found to address receipt. In 60.6% of these, receipt was assessed in relation to understanding and in 42.4% in relation to performance of skill. Strategies to enhance these were present in 12.1% and 21.1% of studies, respectively. Fifty-five studies were included in the review of the wider literature. Several frameworks and operationalisations of receipt were reported, but the latter were not always consistent with the guiding framework. Receipt was most frequently operationalised in relation to intervention content (16.4%), satisfaction (14.5%), engagement (14.5%), and attendance (14.5%). The majority of studies (90.0%) included subjective assessments of receipt. These relied on quantitative (76.0%) rather than qualitative (42.0%) methods and studies collected data on intervention recipients (50.0%), intervention deliverers (28.0%), or both (22.0%). Few studies (26.0%) reported on the reliability or validity of methods used. Receipt is infrequently addressed in health research and improvements to methods of assessment and reporting are required.

Computerized assessment of placental calcification post-ultrasound: a novel software tool.

PubMed

Moran, M; Higgins, M; Zombori, G; Ryan, J; McAuliffe, F M

2013-05-01

Placental calcification is associated with an increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality. The subjectivity of current ultrasound methods of assessment of placental calcification indicates that a more objective method is required. The aim of this study was to correlate the percentage of calcification defined by the clinician using a new software tool for calculating the extent of placental calcification with traditional ultrasound methods and with pregnancy outcome. Ninety placental images were individually assessed. An upper threshold was defined, based on high intensity, to quantify calcification within the placenta. Output metrics were then produced including the overall percentage of calcification with respect to the total number of pixels within the region of interest. The results were correlated with traditional ultrasound methods of assessment of placental calcification and with pregnancy outcome. The results demonstrate a significant correlation between placental calcification, as defined using the software, and traditional methods of Grannum grading of placental calcification. Whilst correlation with perinatal outcome and cord pH was not significant as a result of small numbers, patients with placental calcification assessed using the computerized software at the upper quartile had higher rates of poor perinatal outcome when compared with those at the lower quartile (8/22 (36%) vs 3/23 (13%); P = 0.069). These results suggest that this computerized software tool has the potential to become an alternative method of assessing placental calcification. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dietary assessment in elderly people: experiences gained from studies in the Netherlands.

PubMed

de Vries, J H M; de Groot, L C P G M; van Staveren, W A

2009-02-01

In selecting a dietary assessment method, several aspects such as the aim of the study and the characteristics of the target population should be taken into account. In elderly people, diminished functionality and cognitive decline may hamper dietary assessment and require tailored approaches to assess dietary intake. The objective of this paper is to summarize our experience in dietary assessment in a number of different studies in population groups over 65 years of age in the Netherlands, and to discuss this experience in the perspective of other nutrition surveys in the elderly. In longitudinal studies, we applied a modified dietary history; in clinical nursing home studies, trained staff observed and recorded food consumption; and in a controlled trial in healthy elderly men, we used a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). For all methods applied in the community-dwelling elderly people, validation studies showed a similar underestimation of intake of 10-15% compared with the reference value. In the care-depending elderly, the underestimation was less: 5% according to an observational method. The methods varied widely in the resources required, including burden to the participants, field staff and finances. For effective dietary assessment in older adults, the major challenge will be to distinguish between those elderly who are able to respond correctly to the less intensive methods, such as 24-h recalls or FFQ, and those who are not able to respond to these methods and require adapted techniques, for example, observational records.

Development of the Final Version of the Classification and Assessment of Occupational Dysfunction Scale

PubMed Central

Teraoka, Mutsumi; Kyougoku, Makoto

2015-01-01

Occupational therapy is involved in disability prevention and health enhancement through the prevention of occupational dysfunction. Although many occupational dysfunction scales exist, no standard method is available for the assessment and classification of occupational dysfunction, which may include occupational imbalance, occupational deprivation, occupational alienation, and occupational marginalization. The purpose of this study was to develop the final version of Classification and Assessment of Occupational Dysfunction (CAOD). Our study demonstrated the validity and reliability of CAOD in a group of undergraduate students. The CAOD scale includes 16 items and addresses the following 4 domains: occupational imbalance, occupational deprivation, occupational alienation, and occupational marginalization. PMID:26263375

Communication confidence in persons with aphasia.

PubMed

Babbitt, Edna M; Cherney, Leora R

2010-01-01

Communication confidence is a construct that has not been explored in the aphasia literature. Recently, national and international organizations have endorsed broader assessment methods that address quality of life and include participation, activity, and impairment domains as well as psychosocial areas. Individuals with aphasia encounter difficulties in all these areas on a daily basis in living with a communication disorder. Improvements are often reflected in narratives that are not typically included in standard assessments. This article illustrates how a new instrument measuring communication confidence might fit into a broad assessment framework and discusses the interaction of communication confidence, autonomy, and self-determination for individuals living with aphasia.

Whakawhiti Kōrero, a Method for the Development of a Cultural Assessment Tool, Te Waka Kuaka, in Māori Traumatic Brain Injury.

PubMed

Elder, Hinemoa; Kersten, Paula

2015-01-01

The importance of tools for the measurement of outcomes and needs in traumatic brain injury is well recognised. The development of tools for these injuries in indigenous communities has been limited despite the well-documented disparity of brain injury. The wairua theory of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Māori proposes that a culturally defined injury occurs in tandem with the physical injury. A cultural response is therefore indicated. This research investigates a Māori method used in the development of cultural needs assessment tool designed to further examine needs associated with the culturally determined injury and in preparation for formal validation. Whakawhiti kōrero is a method used to develop better statements in the development of the assessment tool. Four wānanga (traditional fora) were held including one with whānau (extended family) with experience of traumatic brain injury. The approach was well received. A final version, Te Waka Kuaka, is now ready for validation. Whakawhiti kōrero is an indigenous method used in the development of cultural needs assessment tool in Māori traumatic brain injury. This method is likely to have wider applicability, such as Mental Health and Addictions Services, to ensure robust process of outcome measure and needs assessment development.

Integrating Formal Methods and Testing 2002

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cukic, Bojan

2002-01-01

Traditionally, qualitative program verification methodologies and program testing are studied in separate research communities. None of them alone is powerful and practical enough to provide sufficient confidence in ultra-high reliability assessment when used exclusively. Significant advances can be made by accounting not only tho formal verification and program testing. but also the impact of many other standard V&V techniques, in a unified software reliability assessment framework. The first year of this research resulted in the statistical framework that, given the assumptions on the success of the qualitative V&V and QA procedures, significantly reduces the amount of testing needed to confidently assess reliability at so-called high and ultra-high levels (10-4 or higher). The coming years shall address the methodologies to realistically estimate the impacts of various V&V techniques to system reliability and include the impact of operational risk to reliability assessment. Combine formal correctness verification, process and product metrics, and other standard qualitative software assurance methods with statistical testing with the aim of gaining higher confidence in software reliability assessment for high-assurance applications. B) Quantify the impact of these methods on software reliability. C) Demonstrate that accounting for the effectiveness of these methods reduces the number of tests needed to attain certain confidence level. D) Quantify and justify the reliability estimate for systems developed using various methods.

Probabalistic Risk Assessment of a Turbine Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Jace A.; Thomas, Michael; Goswami, Tarun; Fecke, Ted

Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rotor design certification practices risk assessment using a probabilistic framework focused on only the life-limiting defect location of a component. This method generates conservative approximations of the operational risk. The first section of this article covers a discretization method, which allows for a transition from this relative risk to an absolute risk where the component is discretized into regions called zones. General guidelines were established for the zone-refinement process based on the stress gradient topology in order to reach risk convergence. The second section covers a risk assessment method for predicting the total fatigue life due to fatigue induced damage. The total fatigue life incorporates a dual mechanism approach including the crack initiation life and propagation life while simultaneously determining the associated initial flaw sizes. A microstructure-based model was employed to address uncertainties in material response and relate crack initiation life with crack size, while propagation life was characterized large crack growth laws. The two proposed methods were applied to a representative Inconel 718 turbine disk. The zone-based method reduces the conservative approaches, while showing effects of feature-based inspection on the risk assessment. In the fatigue damage assessment, the predicted initial crack distribution was found to be the most sensitive probabilistic parameter and can be used to establish an enhanced inspection planning.

A Systematic Review of Assessment Tools Measuring Interprofessional Education Outcomes Relevant to Pharmacy Education.

PubMed

Shrader, Sarah; Farland, Michelle Z; Danielson, Jennifer; Sicat, Brigitte; Umland, Elena M

2017-08-01

Objective. To identify and describe the available quantitative tools that assess interprofessional education (IPE) relevant to pharmacy education. Methods. A systematic approach was used to identify quantitative IPE assessment tools relevant to pharmacy education. The search strategy included the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Resource Exchange (Nexus) website, a systematic search of the literature, and a manual search of journals deemed likely to include relevant tools. Results. The search identified a total of 44 tools from the Nexus website, 158 abstracts from the systematic literature search, and 570 abstracts from the manual search. A total of 36 assessment tools met the criteria to be included in the summary, and their application to IPE relevant to pharmacy education was discussed. Conclusion. Each of the tools has advantages and disadvantages. No single comprehensive tool exists to fulfill assessment needs. However, numerous tools are available that can be mapped to IPE-related accreditation standards for pharmacy education.

Feasibility of dietary assessment methods, other tools and procedures for a pan-European food consumption survey among infants, toddlers and children.

PubMed

Ocké, Marga; Brants, Henny; Dofkova, Marcela; Freisling, Heinz; van Rossum, Caroline; Ruprich, Jiri; Slimani, Nadia; Temme, Elisabeth; Trolle, Ellen; Vandevijvere, Stefanie; Huybrechts, Inge; de Boer, Evelien

2015-08-01

To test the feasibility of tools and procedures for a pan-European food consumption survey among children 0-10 years and to recommend one of two tested dietary assessment methods. Two pilot studies including 378 children were conducted in Belgium and the Czech Republic in the Pilot studies for Assessment of Nutrient intake and food Consumption among Kids in Europe. One protocol included a 3-day food diary which was checked with a parent, and data were entered afterwards using EPIC-Soft. The alternative protocol consisted of two non-consecutive 1-day food diaries followed by EPIC-Soft completion interviews. Both protocols included general and food propensity questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. The protocols were compared using evaluation questionnaires among the participating parents and study personnel. The parents found the questionnaires and instructions for filling in the food diaries understandable. Food description and food quantification was evaluated as problematic by 29 and 15% of the participants for the 3-day diaries versus 15 and 12% for the 1-day diaries. The protocol with 1-day food diaries was evaluated as less burdensome by the parents and logistically more challenging by the interviewers. Both dietary assessment methods with related tools and administration protocols were evaluated as feasible. The administration protocol with two 1-day food diaries with completion interviews offers more advantages for the future pan-European survey in children 0-10 years. The positive evaluation of feasibility of tools and materials is an important step towards harmonised food consumption data at European level among the younger age groups.

Assessment of the safety of foods derived from genetically modified (GM) crops.

PubMed

König, A; Cockburn, A; Crevel, R W R; Debruyne, E; Grafstroem, R; Hammerling, U; Kimber, I; Knudsen, I; Kuiper, H A; Peijnenburg, A A C M; Penninks, A H; Poulsen, M; Schauzu, M; Wal, J M

2004-07-01

This paper provides guidance on how to assess the safety of foods derived from genetically modified crops (GM crops); it summarises conclusions and recommendations of Working Group 1 of the ENTRANSFOOD project. The paper provides an approach for adapting the test strategy to the characteristics of the modified crop and the introduced trait, and assessing potential unintended effects from the genetic modification. The proposed approach to safety assessment starts with the comparison of the new GM crop with a traditional counterpart that is generally accepted as safe based on a history of human food use (the concept of substantial equivalence). This case-focused approach ensures that foods derived from GM crops that have passed this extensive test-regime are as safe and nutritious as currently consumed plant-derived foods. The approach is suitable for current and future GM crops with more complex modifications. First, the paper reviews test methods developed for the risk assessment of chemicals, including food additives and pesticides, discussing which of these methods are suitable for the assessment of recombinant proteins and whole foods. Second, the paper presents a systematic approach to combine test methods for the safety assessment of foods derived from a specific GM crop. Third, the paper provides an overview on developments in this area that may prove of use in the safety assessment of GM crops, and recommendations for research priorities. It is concluded that the combination of existing test methods provides a sound test-regime to assess the safety of GM crops. Advances in our understanding of molecular biology, biochemistry, and nutrition may in future allow further improvement of test methods that will over time render the safety assessment of foods even more effective and informative. Copryright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment methods for rehabilitation.

PubMed

Biefang, S; Potthoff, P

1995-09-01

Diagnostics and evaluation in medical rehabilitation should be based on methods that are as objective as possible. In this context quantitative methods are an important precondition. We conducted for the German Pensions Insurance Institutions (which are in charge of the medical and vocational rehabilitation of workers and employees) a survey on assessment methods for rehabilitation which included an evaluation of American literature, with the aim to indicate procedures that can be considered for adaptation in Germany and to define further research requirements. The survey identified: (1) standardized procedures and instrumented tests for the assessment of musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary and neurophysiological function; (2) personality, intelligence, achievement, neuropsychological and alcoholism screening tests for the assessment of mental or cognitive function; (3) rating scales and self-administered questionnaires for the assessment of Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL/IADL Scales); (4) generic profiles and indexes as well as disease-specific measures for the assessment of health-related quality of life and health status; and (5) rating scales for vocational assessment. German equivalents or German versions exist only for a part of the procedures identified. Translation and testing of Anglo-Saxon procedures should have priority over the development of new German methods. The following procedures will be taken into account: (a) instrumented tests for physical function, (b) IADL Scales, (c) generic indexes of health-related quality of life, (d) specific quality of life and health status measures for disorders of the circulatory system, metabolic system, digestive organs, respiratory tract and for cancer, and (e) vocational rating scales.

[Assessment on the ability of emergency response at the county center for disease control and prevention level in flooding-prone areas].

PubMed

Chen, Wei; Zeng, Guang

2006-02-01

To establish a comprehensive assessment model on the ability of emergency response within the public health system in flooding-prone areas. A hierarchy process theory was used to establish the initial assessing framework. Delphi method was used to screen and choose the ultimate indicators and their weights before an assessment model was set up under the 'synthetic scored method' to assess the ability of the emergency response among twenty county public health units. We then used the 'analysis of variation (ANOVA)' methodology to test the feasibility of distinguishing the ability of emergency response among different county health units and correlation analysis was used to assess the independence of indicators in the assessing model. A comprehensive model was then established including twenty first-class indicators and fifty-six second-class indicators and the degree of ability to emergency response with flooding of public health units was evaluated. There were five public health units having higher, ten having moderate but five with lower levels on emergency response. The assessment model was proved to be a good method in differentiating the ability of public health units, using independent indicators. The assessment model which we established seemed to be practical and reliable.

Glaucoma progression detection: agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of expert visual field evaluation, event analysis, and trend analysis.

PubMed

Antón, Alfonso; Pazos, Marta; Martín, Belén; Navero, José Manuel; Ayala, Miriam Eleonora; Castany, Marta; Martínez, Patricia; Bardavío, Javier

2013-01-01

To assess sensitivity, specificity, and agreement among automated event analysis, automated trend analysis, and expert evaluation to detect glaucoma progression. This was a prospective study that included 37 eyes with a follow-up of 36 months. All had glaucomatous disks and fields and performed reliable visual fields every 6 months. Each series of fields was assessed with 3 different methods: subjective assessment by 2 independent teams of glaucoma experts, glaucoma/guided progression analysis (GPA) event analysis, and GPA (visual field index-based) trend analysis. Kappa agreement coefficient between methods and sensitivity and specificity for each method using expert opinion as gold standard were calculated. The incidence of glaucoma progression was 16% to 18% in 3 years but only 3 cases showed progression with all 3 methods. Kappa agreement coefficient was high (k=0.82) between subjective expert assessment and GPA event analysis, and only moderate between these two and GPA trend analysis (k=0.57). Sensitivity and specificity for GPA event and GPA trend analysis were 71% and 96%, and 57% and 93%, respectively. The 3 methods detected similar numbers of progressing cases. The GPA event analysis and expert subjective assessment showed high agreement between them and moderate agreement with GPA trend analysis. In a period of 3 years, both methods of GPA analysis offered high specificity, event analysis showed 83% sensitivity, and trend analysis had a 66% sensitivity.

Overview with methods and procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey mineral-resource assessment of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming: Chapter A in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day, Warren C.; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Zientek, Michael L.; Frost, Thomas P.

2016-08-19

This report, chapter A of Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089, provides an overview of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The report also describes the methods, procedures, and voluminous fundamental reference information used throughout the assessment. Data from several major publicly available databases and other published sources were used to develop an understanding of the locatable, leaseable, and salable mineral resources of this vast area. This report describes the geologic, mineral-occurrence, geochemical, geophysical, remote-sensing, and Bureau of Land Management mineral-case-status data used for the assessment, along with the methods for evaluating locatable mineral-resource potential. The report also discusses energy-resource data (oil and gas, coal, and geothermal) used in the assessment. Appendixes include summary descriptive mineral-deposit models that provide the criteria necessary to assess for the pertinent locatable minerals and market-demand commodity profiles for locatable mineral commodities relevant to the project. Datasets used in the assessment are available as USGS data releases.

What Do Faculty in Health Professions Need to be Competent Educators? Results from a School-Wide Needs Assessment.

PubMed

Gardner, Aimee K; Waters, Vicki; McLaughlin, Robert J

2017-01-01

Teaching may be the one responsibility most distinctly identified with being a faculty member, but may be the one for which faculty is least prepared. We performed a needs assessment to understand the educational needs of health professions faculty. Faculty completed a survey examining the extent to which they valued and felt competent in 36 education-related skills within six categories, including instructional methods, curriculum development, assessment, instructional design, learners and learning, and diversity and inclusion. Participants rated each item using a 1 (not at all valuable/competent) to 5 (extremely valuable/competent) scale. Ninety-five percent of faculty (n=19/20) responded. Value means per topic included diversity and inclusion (4.61±0.65), instructional methods (4.60±0.28), learners and learning (4.60±0.34), assessment (4.54±0.31), instructional design (4.27±0.50), and curriculum development (4.21±0.28). Self-rated competence was highest for diversity and inclusion (4.18±0.76), followed by learners and learning (3.76±0.75), instructional methods (3.73±0.65), assessment (3.22±0.95), curriculum development (3.07±0.88), and instructional design (2.71±0.77). All value/competency comparisons found the value of these skills skills to be significantly greater than competence in that category (p<0.001 for each), with largest discrepancies in instructional design and assessment. Opportunities exist to improve alignment between valued educator skills and their perceived competency levels in these skills.

Teaching Structure from Motion to Undergraduates: New Learning Module for Field Geoscience Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt-Sitaula, B. A.; Shervais, K.; Crosby, C. J.; Douglas, B. J.; Crosby, B. T.; Charlevoix, D. J.

2016-12-01

With photogrammetry use expanding rapidly, it is essential to integrate these methods into undergraduate geosciences courses. The NSF-funded "GEodetic Tools for Societal Issues" (GETSI) project has recently published a module for field geoscience courses called "Analyzing High Resolution Topography with TLS and SfM" (serc.carleton.edu/getsi/teaching_materials/high-rez-topo/index.html). Structure from motion (SfM) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) are two valuable methods for generating high-resolution topographic landscape models. In addition to teaching the basic surveying methods, the module includes several specific applications that are tied to societally important geoscience research questions. The module goals are that students will be able to: 1) design and conduct a complex TLS and/or SfM survey to address a geologic research question; 2) articulate the societal impetus for answering a given research question; and 3) justify why TLS and/or SfM is the appropriate method in some circumstances. The module includes 6 units: Unit 1-TLS Introduction, Unit 1-SfM Introduction, Unit 2 Stratigraphic Section Survey, Unit 3 Fault Scarp Survey, Unit 4 Geomorphic Change Detection Survey, and Unit 5 Summative Assessment. One or both survey methods can be taught. Instructors choose which application/s to use from Units 2-4. Unit 5 Summative Assessment is flexibly written and can be used to assess any of the learned applications or others such as dinosaur tracks or seismic trench photomosaics. Prepared data sets are also provided for courses unable to visit the field. The included SfM learning manuals may also be of interest to researchers seeking to start with SfM; these are "SfM Guide of Instructors and Investigators" and "SfM Data Exploration and Processing Manual (Agisoft)". The module is appropriate for geoscience courses with field components such as field methods, geomorphology, geophysics, tectonics, and structural geology. All GETSI modules are designed and developed by teams of faculty and content experts and undergo rigorous review and classroom testing. GETSI is a collaborative project by UNAVCO (which runs NSF's Geodetic Facility), Indiana University, and Idaho State University. The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) provides assessment and evaluation expertise and webhosting.

A Recipe for Inquiry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Jesse

2003-01-01

Explains the difference between traditional and inquiry-based chemistry experiments. Modifies a traditional cookbook laboratory for determining molar volume of gas to include inquiry. Also discusses methods for assessment. (Author/NB)

A Model for Assessing Reflective Practices in Pharmacy Education

PubMed Central

Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Lonie, John M.; Smith, Lorraine

2015-01-01

Objective. To research the literature and examine assessment strategies used in health education that measure reflection levels and to identify assessment strategies for use in pharmacy education. Methods. A simple systematic review using a 5-step approach was employed to locate peer-reviewed articles addressing assessment strategies in health education from the last 20 years. Results. The literature search identified assessment strategies and rubrics used in health education for assessing levels of reflection. There is a significant gap in the literature regarding reflective rubric use in pharmacy education. Conclusion. Two assessment strategies to assess levels of reflection, including a reflective rubric tailored for pharmacy education, are proposed. PMID:26690718

Perspective: Randomized Controlled Trials Are Not a Panacea for Diet-Related Research12

PubMed Central

Hébert, James R; Frongillo, Edward A; Adams, Swann A; Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle M; Hurley, Thomas G; Miller, Donald R; Ockene, Ira S

2016-01-01

Research into the role of diet in health faces a number of methodologic challenges in the choice of study design, measurement methods, and analytic options. Heavier reliance on randomized controlled trial (RCT) designs is suggested as a way to solve these challenges. We present and discuss 7 inherent and practical considerations with special relevance to RCTs designed to study diet: 1) the need for narrow focus; 2) the choice of subjects and exposures; 3) blinding of the intervention; 4) perceived asymmetry of treatment in relation to need; 5) temporal relations between dietary exposures and putative outcomes; 6) strict adherence to the intervention protocol, despite potential clinical counter-indications; and 7) the need to maintain methodologic rigor, including measuring diet carefully and frequently. Alternatives, including observational studies and adaptive intervention designs, are presented and discussed. Given high noise-to-signal ratios interjected by using inaccurate assessment methods in studies with weak or inappropriate study designs (including RCTs), it is conceivable and indeed likely that effects of diet are underestimated. No matter which designs are used, studies will require continued improvement in the assessment of dietary intake. As technology continues to improve, there is potential for enhanced accuracy and reduced user burden of dietary assessments that are applicable to a wide variety of study designs, including RCTs. PMID:27184269

Landfill mining: Developing a comprehensive assessment method.

PubMed

Hermann, Robert; Wolfsberger, Tanja; Pomberger, Roland; Sarc, Renato

2016-11-01

In Austria, the first basic technological and economic examinations of mass-waste landfills with the purpose to recover secondary raw materials have been carried out by the 'LAMIS - Landfill Mining Österreich' pilot project. A main focus of its research, and the subject of this article, is the first conceptual design of a comprehensive assessment method for landfill mining plans, including not only monetary factors (like costs and proceeds) but also non-monetary ones, such as the concerns of adjoining owners or the environmental impact. Detailed reviews of references, the identification of influences and system boundaries to be included in planning landfill mining, several expert workshops and talks with landfill operators have been performed followed by a division of the whole assessment method into preliminary and main assessment. Preliminary assessment is carried out with a questionnaire to rate juridical feasibility, the risk and the expenditure of a landfill mining project. The results of this questionnaire are compiled in a portfolio chart that is used to recommend, or not, further assessment. If a detailed main assessment is recommended, defined economic criteria are rated by net present value calculations, while ecological and socio-economic criteria are examined in a utility analysis and then transferred into a utility-net present value chart. If this chart does not support making a definite statement on the feasibility of the project, the results must be further examined in a cost-effectiveness analysis. Here, the benefit of the particular landfill mining project per capital unit (utility-net present value ratio) is determined to make a final distinct statement on the general benefit of a landfill mining project. © The Author(s) 2016.

Comparative risk assessment of the burden of disease from climate change.

PubMed

Campbell-Lendrum, Diarmid; Woodruff, Rosalie

2006-12-01

The World Health Organization has developed standardized comparative risk assessment methods for estimating aggregate disease burdens attributable to different risk factors. These have been applied to existing and new models for a range of climate-sensitive diseases in order to estimate the effect of global climate change on current disease burdens and likely proportional changes in the future. The comparative risk assessment approach has been used to assess the health consequences of climate change worldwide, to inform decisions on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and in a regional assessment of the Oceania region in the Pacific Ocean to provide more location-specific information relevant to local mitigation and adaptation decisions. The approach places climate change within the same criteria for epidemiologic assessment as other health risks and accounts for the size of the burden of climate-sensitive diseases rather than just proportional change, which highlights the importance of small proportional changes in diseases such as diarrhea and malnutrition that cause a large burden. These exercises help clarify important knowledge gaps such as a relatively poor understanding of the role of nonclimatic factors (socioeconomic and other) that may modify future climatic influences and a lack of empiric evidence and methods for quantifying more complex climate-health relationships, which consequently are often excluded from consideration. These exercises highlight the need for risk assessment frameworks that make the best use of traditional epidemiologic methods and that also fully consider the specific characteristics of climate change. These include the longterm and uncertain nature of the exposure and the effects on multiple physical and biotic systems that have the potential for diverse and widespread effects, including high-impact events.

Histological evaluation and optimization of surgical vessel sealing systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lathrop, Robert; Ryan, Thomas; Gaspredes, Jonathan; Woloszko, Jean; Coad, James E.

2017-02-01

Surgical vessel sealing systems are widely used to achieve hemostasis and dissection in open surgery and minimally invasive, laparoscopic surgery. This enabling technology was developed about 17 years ago and continues to evolve with new devices and systems achieving improved outcomes. Histopathological assessment of thermally sealed tissues is a valuable tool for refining and comparing performance among surgical vessel sealing systems. Early work in this field typically assessed seal time, burst rate, and failure rate (in-situ). Later work compared histological staining methods with birefringence to assess the extent of thermal damage to tissues adjacent to the device. Understanding the microscopic architecture of a sealed vessel is crucial to optimizing the performance of power delivery algorithms and device design parameters. Manufacturers rely on these techniques to develop new products. A system for histopathological evaluation of vessels and sealing performance was established, to enable the direct assessment of a treatment's tissue effects. The parameters included the commonly used seal time, pressure burst rate and failure rate, as well as extensions of the assessment to include its likelihood to form steam vacuoles, adjacent thermal effect near the device, and extent of thermally affected tissue extruded back into the vessel lumen. This comprehensive assessment method provides an improved means of assessing the quality of a sealed vessel and understanding the exact mechanisms which create an optimally sealed vessel.

Systematic review of the application of the plan–do–study–act method to improve quality in healthcare

PubMed Central

Taylor, Michael J; McNicholas, Chris; Nicolay, Chris; Darzi, Ara; Bell, Derek; Reed, Julie E

2014-01-01

Background Plan–do–study–act (PDSA) cycles provide a structure for iterative testing of changes to improve quality of systems. The method is widely accepted in healthcare improvement; however there is little overarching evaluation of how the method is applied. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for assessing the quality of application of PDSA cycles and explores the consistency with which the method has been applied in peer-reviewed literature against this framework. Methods NHS Evidence and Cochrane databases were searched by three independent reviewers. Empirical studies were included that reported application of the PDSA method in healthcare. Application of PDSA cycles was assessed against key features of the method, including documentation characteristics, use of iterative cycles, prediction-based testing of change, initial small-scale testing and use of data over time. Results 73 of 409 individual articles identified met the inclusion criteria. Of the 73 articles, 47 documented PDSA cycles in sufficient detail for full analysis against the whole framework. Many of these studies reported application of the PDSA method that failed to accord with primary features of the method. Less than 20% (14/73) fully documented the application of a sequence of iterative cycles. Furthermore, a lack of adherence to the notion of small-scale change is apparent and only 15% (7/47) reported the use of quantitative data at monthly or more frequent data intervals to inform progression of cycles. Discussion To progress the development of the science of improvement, a greater understanding of the use of improvement methods, including PDSA, is essential to draw reliable conclusions about their effectiveness. This would be supported by the development of systematic and rigorous standards for the application and reporting of PDSAs. PMID:24025320

A Research Agenda for Radiation Oncology: Results of the Radiation Oncology Institute's Comprehensive Research Needs Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jagsi, Reshma, E-mail: rjagsi@med.umich.edu; Bekelman, Justin E.; Brawley, Otis W.

Purpose: To promote the rational use of scarce research funding, scholars have developed methods for the systematic identification and prioritization of health research needs. The Radiation Oncology Institute commissioned an independent, comprehensive assessment of research needs for the advancement of radiation oncology care. Methods and Materials: The research needs assessment used a mixed-method, qualitative and quantitative social scientific approach, including structured interviews with diverse stakeholders, focus groups, surveys of American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) members, and a prioritization exercise using a modified Delphi technique. Results: Six co-equal priorities were identified: (1) Identify and develop communication strategies to help patientsmore » and others better understand radiation therapy; (2) Establish a set of quality indicators for major radiation oncology procedures and evaluate their use in radiation oncology delivery; (3) Identify best practices for the management of radiation toxicity and issues in cancer survivorship; (4) Conduct comparative effectiveness studies related to radiation therapy that consider clinical benefit, toxicity (including quality of life), and other outcomes; (5) Assess the value of radiation therapy; and (6) Develop a radiation oncology registry. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this prioritization exercise is the only comprehensive and methodologically rigorous assessment of research needs in the field of radiation oncology. Broad dissemination of these findings is critical to maximally leverage the impact of this work, particularly because grant funding decisions are often made by committees on which highly specialized disciplines such as radiation oncology are not well represented.« less

Cultural adaptation and translation of measures: an integrated method.

PubMed

Sidani, Souraya; Guruge, Sepali; Miranda, Joyal; Ford-Gilboe, Marilyn; Varcoe, Colleen

2010-04-01

Differences in the conceptualization and operationalization of health-related concepts may exist across cultures. Such differences underscore the importance of examining conceptual equivalence when adapting and translating instruments. In this article, we describe an integrated method for exploring conceptual equivalence within the process of adapting and translating measures. The integrated method involves five phases including selection of instruments for cultural adaptation and translation; assessment of conceptual equivalence, leading to the generation of a set of items deemed to be culturally and linguistically appropriate to assess the concept of interest in the target community; forward translation; back translation (optional); and pre-testing of the set of items. Strengths and limitations of the proposed integrated method are discussed. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genotoxicity assessment of nanomaterials: recommendations on best practices, assays and methods.

PubMed

Elespuru, Rosalie; Pfuhler, Stefan; Aardema, Marilyn; Chen, Tao; Doak, Shareen H; Doherty, Ann; Farabaugh, Christopher S; Kenny, Julia; Manjanatha, Mugimane; Mahadevan, Brinda; Moore, Martha M; Ouédraogo, Gladys; Stankowski, Leon F; Tanir, Jennifer Y

2018-04-26

Nanomaterials (NMs) present unique challenges in safety evaluation. An international working group, the Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee of the International Life Sciences Institute's Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, has addressed issues related to the genotoxicity assessment of NMs. A critical review of published data has been followed by recommendations on methods alterations and best practices for the standard genotoxicity assays: bacterial reverse mutation (Ames); in vitro mammalian assays for mutations, chromosomal aberrations, micronucleus induction, or DNA strand breaks (comet); and in vivo assays for genetic damage (micronucleus, comet and transgenic mutation assays). The analysis found a great diversity of tests and systems used for in vitro assays; many did not meet criteria for a valid test, and/or did not use validated cells and methods in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Test Guidelines, and so these results could not be interpreted. In vivo assays were less common but better performed. It was not possible to develop conclusions on test system agreement, NM activity, or mechanism of action. However, the limited responses observed for most NMs were consistent with indirect genotoxic effects, rather than direct interaction of NMs with DNA. We propose a revised genotoxicity test battery for NMs that includes in vitro mammalian cell mutagenicity and clastogenicity assessments; in vivo assessments would be added only if warranted by information on specific organ exposure or sequestration of NMs. The bacterial assays are generally uninformative for NMs due to limited particle uptake and possible lack of mechanistic relevance, and are thus omitted in our recommended test battery for NM assessment. Recommendations include NM characterization in the test medium, verification of uptake into target cells, and limited assay-specific methods alterations to avoid interference with uptake or endpoint analysis. These recommendations are summarized in a Roadmap guideline for testing.

Objective Assessment of Patient Inhaler User Technique Using an Audio-Based Classification Approach.

PubMed

Taylor, Terence E; Zigel, Yaniv; Egan, Clarice; Hughes, Fintan; Costello, Richard W; Reilly, Richard B

2018-02-01

Many patients make critical user technique errors when using pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) which reduce the clinical efficacy of respiratory medication. Such critical errors include poor actuation coordination (poor timing of medication release during inhalation) and inhaling too fast (peak inspiratory flow rate over 90 L/min). Here, we present a novel audio-based method that objectively assesses patient pMDI user technique. The Inhaler Compliance Assessment device was employed to record inhaler audio signals from 62 respiratory patients as they used a pMDI with an In-Check Flo-Tone device attached to the inhaler mouthpiece. Using a quadratic discriminant analysis approach, the audio-based method generated a total frame-by-frame accuracy of 88.2% in classifying sound events (actuation, inhalation and exhalation). The audio-based method estimated the peak inspiratory flow rate and volume of inhalations with an accuracy of 88.2% and 83.94% respectively. It was detected that 89% of patients made at least one critical user technique error even after tuition from an expert clinical reviewer. This method provides a more clinically accurate assessment of patient inhaler user technique than standard checklist methods.

Systematic evaluation of non-animal test methods for skin sensitisation safety assessment.

PubMed

Reisinger, Kerstin; Hoffmann, Sebastian; Alépée, Nathalie; Ashikaga, Takao; Barroso, Joao; Elcombe, Cliff; Gellatly, Nicola; Galbiati, Valentina; Gibbs, Susan; Groux, Hervé; Hibatallah, Jalila; Keller, Donald; Kern, Petra; Klaric, Martina; Kolle, Susanne; Kuehnl, Jochen; Lambrechts, Nathalie; Lindstedt, Malin; Millet, Marion; Martinozzi-Teissier, Silvia; Natsch, Andreas; Petersohn, Dirk; Pike, Ian; Sakaguchi, Hitoshi; Schepky, Andreas; Tailhardat, Magalie; Templier, Marie; van Vliet, Erwin; Maxwell, Gavin

2015-02-01

The need for non-animal data to assess skin sensitisation properties of substances, especially cosmetics ingredients, has spawned the development of many in vitro methods. As it is widely believed that no single method can provide a solution, the Cosmetics Europe Skin Tolerance Task Force has defined a three-phase framework for the development of a non-animal testing strategy for skin sensitization potency prediction. The results of the first phase – systematic evaluation of 16 test methods – are presented here. This evaluation involved generation of data on a common set of ten substances in all methods and systematic collation of information including the level of standardisation, existing test data,potential for throughput, transferability and accessibility in cooperation with the test method developers.A workshop was held with the test method developers to review the outcome of this evaluation and to discuss the results. The evaluation informed the prioritisation of test methods for the next phase of the non-animal testing strategy development framework. Ultimately, the testing strategy – combined with bioavailability and skin metabolism data and exposure consideration – is envisaged to allow establishment of a data integration approach for skin sensitisation safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients.

Binding-Site Assessment by Virtual Fragment Screening

PubMed Central

Huang, Niu; Jacobson, Matthew P.

2010-01-01

The accurate prediction of protein druggability (propensity to bind high-affinity drug-like small molecules) would greatly benefit the fields of chemical genomics and drug discovery. We have developed a novel approach to quantitatively assess protein druggability by computationally screening a fragment-like compound library. In analogy to NMR-based fragment screening, we dock ∼11000 fragments against a given binding site and compute a computational hit rate based on the fraction of molecules that exceed an empirically chosen score cutoff. We perform a large-scale evaluation of the approach on four datasets, totaling 152 binding sites. We demonstrate that computed hit rates correlate with hit rates measured experimentally in a previously published NMR-based screening method. Secondly, we show that the in silico fragment screening method can be used to distinguish known druggable and non-druggable targets, including both enzymes and protein-protein interaction sites. Finally, we explore the sensitivity of the results to different receptor conformations, including flexible protein-protein interaction sites. Besides its original aim to assess druggability of different protein targets, this method could be used to identifying druggable conformations of flexible binding site for lead discovery, and suggesting strategies for growing or joining initial fragment hits to obtain more potent inhibitors. PMID:20404926

A Systematic Evaluation of Field-Based Screening Methods for the Assessment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Risk.

PubMed

Fox, Aaron S; Bonacci, Jason; McLean, Scott G; Spittle, Michael; Saunders, Natalie

2016-05-01

Laboratory-based measures provide an accurate method to identify risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury; however, these methods are generally prohibitive to the wider community. Screening methods that can be completed in a field or clinical setting may be more applicable for wider community use. Examination of field-based screening methods for ACL injury risk can aid in identifying the most applicable method(s) for use in these settings. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate and compare field-based screening methods for ACL injury risk to determine their efficacy of use in wider community settings. An electronic database search was conducted on the SPORTDiscus™, MEDLINE, AMED and CINAHL databases (January 1990-July 2015) using a combination of relevant keywords. A secondary search of the same databases, using relevant keywords from identified screening methods, was also undertaken. Studies identified as potentially relevant were independently examined by two reviewers for inclusion. Where consensus could not be reached, a third reviewer was consulted. Original research articles that examined screening methods for ACL injury risk that could be undertaken outside of a laboratory setting were included for review. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of included studies. Included studies were categorized according to the screening method they examined. A description of each screening method, and data pertaining to the ability to prospectively identify ACL injuries, validity and reliability, recommendations for identifying 'at-risk' athletes, equipment and training required to complete screening, time taken to screen athletes, and applicability of the screening method across sports and athletes were extracted from relevant studies. Of 1077 citations from the initial search, a total of 25 articles were identified as potentially relevant, with 12 meeting all inclusion/exclusion criteria. From the secondary search, eight further studies met all criteria, resulting in 20 studies being included for review. Five ACL-screening methods-the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS), Clinic-Based Algorithm, Observational Screening of Dynamic Knee Valgus (OSDKV), 2D-Cam Method, and Tuck Jump Assessment-were identified. There was limited evidence supporting the use of field-based screening methods in predicting ACL injuries across a range of populations. Differences relating to the equipment and time required to complete screening methods were identified. Only screening methods for ACL injury risk were included for review. Field-based screening methods developed for lower-limb injury risk in general may also incorporate, and be useful in, screening for ACL injury risk. Limited studies were available relating to the OSDKV and 2D-Cam Method. The LESS showed predictive validity in identifying ACL injuries, however only in a youth athlete population. The LESS also appears practical for community-wide use due to the minimal equipment and set-up/analysis time required. The Clinic-Based Algorithm may have predictive value for ACL injury risk as it identifies athletes who exhibit high frontal plane knee loads during a landing task, but requires extensive additional equipment and time, which may limit its application to wider community settings.

Toxicity assessment of tobacco products in vitro.

PubMed

Manuppello, Joseph R; Sullivan, Kristie M

2015-03-01

Driven by new regulatory demands to demonstrate risk reduction, the toxicity assessment of tobacco products increasingly employs innovative in vitro methods, including biphasic cell and tissue cultures exposed to whole cigarette smoke at the air-liquid interface, cell transformation assays, and genomic analyses. At the same time, novel tobacco products are increasingly compared to traditional cigarettes. This overview of in vitro toxicology studies of tobacco products reported in the last five years provides evidence to support the prioritisation of in vitro over in vivo methods by industry and their recommendation by regulatory authorities. 2015 FRAME.

Method and apparatus to assess compartment syndrome

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hargens, Alan R. (Inventor); Yost, William T. (Inventor); Ueno, Toshiaki (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A method and apparatus for measuring pressure buildup in a body compartment that encases muscular tissue. The method includes assessing the body compartment configuration and identifying the effect of pulsatile components on at least one compartment dimension. This process is used in preventing tissue necrosis, and in decisions of whether to perform surgery on the body compartment for prevention of Compartment Syndrome. An apparatus is used for measuring excess pressure in the body compartment having components for imparting ultrasonic waves such as a transducer, placing the transducer to impart the ultrasonic waves, capturing the reflected imparted ultrasonic waves, and converting them to electrical signals, a pulsed phase-locked loop device for assessing a body compartment configuration and producing an output signal, and means for mathematically manipulating the output signal to thereby categorize pressure build-up in the body compartment from the mathematical manipulations.

Assessment of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Models for Shock Boundary-Layer Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeBonis, James R.; Oberkampf, William L.; Wolf, Richard T.; Orkwis, Paul D.; Turner, Mark G.; Babinsky, Holger

2011-01-01

A workshop on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) prediction of shock boundary-layer interactions (SBLIs) was held at the 48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting. As part of the workshop numerous CFD analysts submitted solutions to four experimentally measured SBLIs. This paper describes the assessment of the CFD predictions. The assessment includes an uncertainty analysis of the experimental data, the definition of an error metric and the application of that metric to the CFD solutions. The CFD solutions provided very similar levels of error and in general it was difficult to discern clear trends in the data. For the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes methods the choice of turbulence model appeared to be the largest factor in solution accuracy. Large-eddy simulation methods produced error levels similar to RANS methods but provided superior predictions of normal stresses.

Data compression techniques applied to high resolution high frame rate video technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartz, William G.; Alexovich, Robert E.; Neustadter, Marc S.

1989-01-01

An investigation is presented of video data compression applied to microgravity space experiments using High Resolution High Frame Rate Video Technology (HHVT). An extensive survey of methods of video data compression, described in the open literature, was conducted. The survey examines compression methods employing digital computing. The results of the survey are presented. They include a description of each method and assessment of image degradation and video data parameters. An assessment is made of present and near term future technology for implementation of video data compression in high speed imaging system. Results of the assessment are discussed and summarized. The results of a study of a baseline HHVT video system, and approaches for implementation of video data compression, are presented. Case studies of three microgravity experiments are presented and specific compression techniques and implementations are recommended.

Human Exposure Assessment for Air Pollution.

PubMed

Han, Bin; Hu, Li-Wen; Bai, Zhipeng

2017-01-01

Assessment of human exposure to air pollution is a fundamental part of the more general process of health risk assessment. The measurement methods for exposure assessment now include personal exposure monitoring, indoor-outdoor sampling, mobile monitoring, and exposure assessment modeling (such as proximity models, interpolation model, air dispersion models, and land-use regression (LUR) models). Among these methods, personal exposure measurement is considered to be the most accurate method of pollutant exposure assessment until now, since it can better quantify observed differences and better reflect exposure among smaller groups of people at ground level. And since the great differences of geographical environment, source distribution, pollution characteristics, economic conditions, and living habits, there is a wide range of differences between indoor, outdoor, and individual air pollution exposure in different regions of China. In general, the indoor particles in most Chinese families comprise infiltrated outdoor particles, particles generated indoors, and a few secondary organic aerosol particles, and in most cases, outdoor particle pollution concentrations are a major contributor to indoor concentrations in China. Furthermore, since the time, energy, and expense are limited, it is difficult to measure the concentration of pollutants for each individual. In recent years, obtaining the concentration of air pollutants by using a variety of exposure assessment models is becoming a main method which could solve the problem of the increasing number of individuals in epidemiology studies.

Reliability and risk assessment of structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.

1991-01-01

Development of reliability and risk assessment of structural components and structures is a major activity at Lewis Research Center. It consists of five program elements: (1) probabilistic loads; (2) probabilistic finite element analysis; (3) probabilistic material behavior; (4) assessment of reliability and risk; and (5) probabilistic structural performance evaluation. Recent progress includes: (1) the evaluation of the various uncertainties in terms of cumulative distribution functions for various structural response variables based on known or assumed uncertainties in primitive structural variables; (2) evaluation of the failure probability; (3) reliability and risk-cost assessment; and (4) an outline of an emerging approach for eventual certification of man-rated structures by computational methods. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the structural durability/reliability of man-rated structural components and structures can be effectively evaluated by using formal probabilistic methods.

Assessment of numerical methods for the solution of fluid dynamics equations for nonlinear resonance systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Przekwas, A. J.; Yang, H. Q.

1989-01-01

The capability of accurate nonlinear flow analysis of resonance systems is essential in many problems, including combustion instability. Classical numerical schemes are either too diffusive or too dispersive especially for transient problems. In the last few years, significant progress has been made in the numerical methods for flows with shocks. The objective was to assess advanced shock capturing schemes on transient flows. Several numerical schemes were tested including TVD, MUSCL, ENO, FCT, and Riemann Solver Godunov type schemes. A systematic assessment was performed on scalar transport, Burgers' and gas dynamic problems. Several shock capturing schemes are compared on fast transient resonant pipe flow problems. A system of 1-D nonlinear hyperbolic gas dynamics equations is solved to predict propagation of finite amplitude waves, the wave steepening, formation, propagation, and reflection of shocks for several hundred wave cycles. It is shown that high accuracy schemes can be used for direct, exact nonlinear analysis of combustion instability problems, preserving high harmonic energy content for long periods of time.

Assessing the effects of employee assistance programs: a review of employee assistance program evaluations.

PubMed

Colantonio, A

1989-01-01

Employee assistance programs have grown at a dramatic rate, yet the effectiveness of these programs has been called into question. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of employee assistance programs (EAPs) by reviewing recently published EAP evaluations. All studies evaluating EAPs published since 1975 from peer-reviewed journals in the English language were included in this analysis. Each of the articles was assessed in the following areas: (a) program description (subjects, setting, type of intervention, format), (b) evaluation design (research design, variables measured, operational methods), and (c) program outcomes. Results indicate numerous methodological and conceptual weaknesses and issues. These weaknesses included lack of controlled research designs and short time lags between pre- and post-test measures. Other problems identified are missing information regarding subjects, type of intervention, how variables are measured (operational methods), and reliability and validity of evaluation instruments. Due to the aforementioned weaknesses, positive outcomes could not be supported. Recommendations are made for future EAP evaluations.

Assessing the effects of employee assistance programs: a review of employee assistance program evaluations.

PubMed Central

Colantonio, A.

1989-01-01

Employee assistance programs have grown at a dramatic rate, yet the effectiveness of these programs has been called into question. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of employee assistance programs (EAPs) by reviewing recently published EAP evaluations. All studies evaluating EAPs published since 1975 from peer-reviewed journals in the English language were included in this analysis. Each of the articles was assessed in the following areas: (a) program description (subjects, setting, type of intervention, format), (b) evaluation design (research design, variables measured, operational methods), and (c) program outcomes. Results indicate numerous methodological and conceptual weaknesses and issues. These weaknesses included lack of controlled research designs and short time lags between pre- and post-test measures. Other problems identified are missing information regarding subjects, type of intervention, how variables are measured (operational methods), and reliability and validity of evaluation instruments. Due to the aforementioned weaknesses, positive outcomes could not be supported. Recommendations are made for future EAP evaluations. PMID:2728498

A Comparison of Two Sampling Strategies to Assess Discomycete Diversity in Wet Tropical Forests

Treesearch

SHARON A. CANTRELL

2004-01-01

Most of the fungal diversity studies that have used a systematic collecting scheme have not included the discomycetes, so optimal sampling methods are not available for this group. In this study, I tested two sampling methods at each sites in the Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico and Ebano Verde Reserve, Dominican Republic. For a plot-based sampling method, 10 ×...

Estimating site index from tree species composition in mixed stands of upland eastern hardwoods: Should shrubs be included?

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab

2010-01-01

Site index is the most widely used method for site quality assessment in hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Its application in most oak (Quercus sp. L.) dominated stands is often problematic, however, because available sample trees usually do not meet important underlying assumptions of the method. A prototype method for predicting site index from tree...

Identifying approaches for assessing methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Pussegoda, Kusala; Turner, Lucy; Garritty, Chantelle; Mayhew, Alain; Skidmore, Becky; Stevens, Adrienne; Boutron, Isabelle; Sarkis-Onofre, Rafael; Bjerre, Lise M; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn; Altman, Douglas G; Moher, David

2017-06-19

The methodological quality and completeness of reporting of the systematic reviews (SRs) is fundamental to optimal implementation of evidence-based health care and the reduction of research waste. Methods exist to appraise SRs yet little is known about how they are used in SRs or where there are potential gaps in research best-practice guidance materials. The aims of this study are to identify reports assessing the methodological quality (MQ) and/or reporting quality (RQ) of a cohort of SRs and to assess their number, general characteristics, and approaches to 'quality' assessment over time. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE®, and EMBASE® were searched from January 1990 to October 16, 2014, for reports assessing MQ and/or RQ of SRs. Title, abstract, and full-text screening of all reports were conducted independently by two reviewers. Reports assessing the MQ and/or RQ of a cohort of ten or more SRs of interventions were included. All results are reported as frequencies and percentages of reports. Of 20,765 unique records retrieved, 1189 of them were reviewed for full-text review, of which 76 reports were included. Eight previously published approaches to assessing MQ or reporting guidelines used as proxy to assess RQ were used in 80% (61/76) of identified reports. These included two reporting guidelines (PRISMA and QUOROM) and five quality assessment tools (AMSTAR, R-AMSTAR, OQAQ, Mulrow, Sacks) and GRADE criteria. The remaining 24% (18/76) of reports developed their own criteria. PRISMA, OQAQ, and AMSTAR were the most commonly used published tools to assess MQ or RQ. In conjunction with other approaches, published tools were used in 29% (22/76) of reports, with 36% (8/22) assessing adherence to both PRISMA and AMSTAR criteria and 26% (6/22) using QUOROM and OQAQ. The methods used to assess quality of SRs are diverse, and none has become universally accepted. The most commonly used quality assessment tools are AMSTAR, OQAQ, and PRISMA. As new tools and guidelines are developed to improve both the MQ and RQ of SRs, authors of methodological studies are encouraged to put thoughtful consideration into the use of appropriate tools to assess quality and reporting.

Introduction to “Global tsunami science: Past and future, Volume I”

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geist, Eric L.; Fritz, Hermann; Rabinovich, Alexander B.; Tanioka, Yuichiro

2016-01-01

Twenty-five papers on the study of tsunamis are included in Volume I of the PAGEOPH topical issue “Global Tsunami Science: Past and Future”. Six papers examine various aspects of tsunami probability and uncertainty analysis related to hazard assessment. Three papers relate to deterministic hazard and risk assessment. Five more papers present new methods for tsunami warning and detection. Six papers describe new methods for modeling tsunami hydrodynamics. Two papers investigate tsunamis generated by non-seismic sources: landslides and meteorological disturbances. The final three papers describe important case studies of recent and historical events. Collectively, this volume highlights contemporary trends in global tsunami research, both fundamental and applied toward hazard assessment and mitigation.

A mobile phone user interface for image-based dietary assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Ziad; Khanna, Nitin; Kerr, Deborah A.; Boushey, Carol J.; Delp, Edward J.

2014-02-01

Many chronic diseases, including obesity and cancer, are related to diet. Such diseases may be prevented and/or successfully treated by accurately monitoring and assessing food and beverage intakes. Existing dietary assessment methods such as the 24-hour dietary recall and the food frequency questionnaire, are burdensome and not generally accurate. In this paper, we present a user interface for a mobile telephone food record that relies on taking images, using the built-in camera, as the primary method of recording. We describe the design and implementation of this user interface while stressing the solutions we devised to meet the requirements imposed by the image analysis process, yet keeping the user interface easy to use.

Introduction to "Global Tsunami Science: Past and Future, Volume I"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geist, Eric L.; Fritz, Hermann M.; Rabinovich, Alexander B.; Tanioka, Yuichiro

2016-12-01

Twenty-five papers on the study of tsunamis are included in Volume I of the PAGEOPH topical issue "Global Tsunami Science: Past and Future". Six papers examine various aspects of tsunami probability and uncertainty analysis related to hazard assessment. Three papers relate to deterministic hazard and risk assessment. Five more papers present new methods for tsunami warning and detection. Six papers describe new methods for modeling tsunami hydrodynamics. Two papers investigate tsunamis generated by non-seismic sources: landslides and meteorological disturbances. The final three papers describe important case studies of recent and historical events. Collectively, this volume highlights contemporary trends in global tsunami research, both fundamental and applied toward hazard assessment and mitigation.

A Mobile Phone User Interface for Image-Based Dietary Assessment

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Ziad; Khanna, Nitin; Kerr, Deborah A.; Boushey, Carol J.; Delp, Edward J.

2016-01-01

Many chronic diseases, including obesity and cancer, are related to diet. Such diseases may be prevented and/or successfully treated by accurately monitoring and assessing food and beverage intakes. Existing dietary assessment methods such as the 24-hour dietary recall and the food frequency questionnaire, are burdensome and not generally accurate. In this paper, we present a user interface for a mobile telephone food record that relies on taking images, using the built-in camera, as the primary method of recording. We describe the design and implementation of this user interface while stressing the solutions we devised to meet the requirements imposed by the image analysis process, yet keeping the user interface easy to use. PMID:28572696

A Mobile Phone User Interface for Image-Based Dietary Assessment.

PubMed

Ahmad, Ziad; Khanna, Nitin; Kerr, Deborah A; Boushey, Carol J; Delp, Edward J

2014-02-02

Many chronic diseases, including obesity and cancer, are related to diet. Such diseases may be prevented and/or successfully treated by accurately monitoring and assessing food and beverage intakes. Existing dietary assessment methods such as the 24-hour dietary recall and the food frequency questionnaire, are burdensome and not generally accurate. In this paper, we present a user interface for a mobile telephone food record that relies on taking images, using the built-in camera, as the primary method of recording. We describe the design and implementation of this user interface while stressing the solutions we devised to meet the requirements imposed by the image analysis process, yet keeping the user interface easy to use.

Reduction of Unsteady Forcing in a Vaned, Contra-Rotating Transonic Turbine Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, John

2010-01-01

HPT blade unsteadiness in the presence of a downstream vane consistent with contra-rotation is characterized by strong interaction at the first harmonic of downstream vane passing. E An existing stage-and-one-half transonic turbine rig design was used as a baseline to investigate means of reducing such a blade-vane interaction. E Methods assessed included: Aerodynamic shaping of HPT blades 3D stacking of the downstream vane Steady pressure-side blowing E Of the methods assessed, a combination of vane bowing and steady pressure-side blowing produced the most favorable result. E Transonic turbine experiments are planned to assess predictive accuracy for the baseline turbine and any design improvements.

[The study of establishment of the " Chinese provincial Blindness prevention technical guidance group performance evaluation system"].

PubMed

Lu, L N; He, X G; Zhu, J F; Xu, X; Zhang, R; Hu, X; Zou, H D

2016-11-11

Objective: To establish an assessment system, including indexes and scoring methods, that can be used for performance evaluation of the provincial blindness prevention technical guidance group properly and effectively . Methods: The indexes and scoring methods were set based on the core content of The " National Plan of Prevention and Treatment of Blindness (2012-2015)" , the specific requirement and target of the World Health Organization (WHO) "For the General Eye Health: Global plan of Action (2014-2019)" , and the current situation of the China's provinces and autonomous regions. These indexes should be of effectiveness, feasibility, comparability, guidance and advancing. Formed by a literature review of candidate indicators, the framework of the system is built by qualitative assessment. With the Delphi method, the system was further revised and improved. Empirical pilot study was then used to prove the feasibility, followed by the final qualitative analysis that establish the " Chinese provincial Blindness prevention technical guidance group performance evaluation system" . Results: Through the literature review and qualitative assessment, a six dimensional system framework was built, including 6 first-level indicators, 16 second-level indicators, and 29 third-level indicators through Delphi method evaluation. With the variation coefficient method, the coeffiences of the first-level index weight were calculated as: Organization and management 0.15, Development and implementation of blindness prevention plans 0.15, Implementation of blindness prevention projects 0.14, Training 0.17, Health education 0.18, and Cooperation and exchanges 0.21. The specific scoring method for this system is confirmed as: data and files check, field interview, and record interview, sampling investigation. Empirical pilot study was conducted in the Jilin, Guizhou and Gansu provinces, and the self-assessment results from local experts were consistent with the scores from the systems. Conclusion: This system established is appropriate at current time, and it can effectively evaluate the performance of the Chinese provincial Blindness prevention technical guidance group. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52:814-824) .

Metacognitive Prediction and Evaluation Skills and Mathematical Learning in Third-Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desoete, Annemie

2009-01-01

In a 2-year longitudinal study, 66 children were assessed in Grades 3 and 4 with a within-method-and-time design on metacognition (including the computerized Evaluation and Prediction Assessment [EPA2000]) and mathematics. Moreover, half of the children were trained in Grade 3 in the metacognitive skill of predicting their abilities in solving…

Assessing Underserved Students' Engagement in High-Impact Practices. With an Assessing Equity in High-Impact Practices Toolkit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finley, Ashley; McNair, Tia

2013-01-01

This publication presents findings from a national study conducted by AAC&U researchers to investigate the impact of engagement in high-impact practices on traditionally underserved populations (defined here as first-generation, minority, transfer, and low-income students).The mixed-method analysis includes student-level data on engaged…

Applying Argumentation Analysis To Assess the Quality of University Oceanography Students' Scientific Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takao, Allison Y.; Prothero, William A.; Kelly, Gregory J.

2002-01-01

Presents the methods and results of an assessment of students' scientific writing. Studies an introductory oceanography course in a large public university that used an interactive CD-ROM, "Our Dynamic Planet". Analyzes the quality of students' written arguments by using a grading rubric and an argumentation analysis model. Includes 18…

Twitter in the Higher Education Classroom: A Student and Faculty Assessment of Use and Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacquemin, Stephen J.; Smelser, Lisa K.; Bernot, Melody J.

2014-01-01

Social networking has become a prominent communication method in recent years. The objective of this study was to assess social media use and perception of utility in higher education classrooms among faculty, graduate, and undergraduate cohorts. As a case study, Twitter was included into a semester course to disseminate relevant course…

Evaluation of the FOCUS (Feedback on Counseling Using Simulation) Instrument for Assessment of Client-Centered Nutrition Counseling Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Beverly W.; Smith, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

Objective: To develop an instrument to assess client-centered counseling behaviors (skills) of student-counselors in a standardized patient (SP) exercise. Methods: Descriptive study of the accuracy and utility of a newly developed counseling evaluation instrument. Study participants included 11 female student-counselors at a Midwestern…

Validation of a Milk Consumption Stage of Change Algorithm among Adolescent Survivors of Childhood Cancer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mays, Darren; Gerfen, Elissa; Mosher, Revonda B.; Shad, Aziza T.; Tercyak, Kenneth P.

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the construct validity of a milk consumption Stages of Change (SOC) algorithm among adolescent survivors of childhood cancer ages 11 to 21 years (n = 75). Methods: Baseline data from a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate a health behavior intervention were analyzed. Assessments included a milk consumption SOC…

A Comparison of Two Models for Cognitive Diagnosis. Research Report. ETS RR-04-02

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Duanli; Almond, Russell; Mislevy, Robert

2004-01-01

Diagnostic score reports linking assessment outcomes to instructional interventions are one of the most requested features of assessment products. There is a body of interesting work done in the last 20 years including Tatsuoka's rule space method (Tatsuoka, 1983), Haertal and Wiley's binary skills model (Haertal, 1984; Haertal & Wiley, 1993),…

The Need for a Uniform Method of Recording and Reporting Functional Vision Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Rona; Russotti, Joanne; Strauss-Schwartz, Judy; Vail, Helen; Kahn, Ronda

2009-01-01

The use of functional vision by school-age students who have visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities, is typically reported by teachers of students with visual impairments. Functional vision assessments determine how well a student uses his or her vision to perform tasks throughout the school day. The information that is…

Relationship between Learning Problems and Attention Deficit in Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponde, Milena Pereira; Cruz-Freire, Antonio Carlos; Silveira, Andre Almeida

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the impact of attention deficit on learning problems in a sample of schoolchildren in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Method: All students enrolled in selected elementary schools were included in this study, making a total of 774 children. Each child was assessed by his or her teacher using a standardized scale. "The…

Assessing Knowledge Levels of Secondary School Physical Education and Sports Teachers about Inclusive Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Mensure

2014-01-01

The purpose of the research is to assess knowledge levels of physical education teachers in inclusive education in secondary schools. For the research, the survey method was employed. It consisted of 55 physical education teachers employed in 47 secondary schools included in inclusive education program under Kocaeli Provincial Directorate of…

The Integration of Training, Assessment and Research in a Peace Corps Training Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Edward T.

The purpose of this research project was to devise a method of personality assessment for Peace Corps trainees which would increase efficiency, decrease costs, include human relations training, and promote research. It was found that professional personality evaluators are prone to use a stereotype of the "Ideal Peace Corps Volunteer"…

Toxcast and the Use of Human Relevant In Vitro Exposures: Incorporating High-Throughput Exposure and Toxicity Testing Data for 21st Century Risk Assessments (British Toxicological Society Annual Congress)

EPA Science Inventory

The path for incorporating new approach methods and technologies into quantitative chemical risk assessment poses a diverse set of scientific challenges. These challenges include sufficient coverage of toxicological mechanisms to meaningfully interpret negative test results, dev...

Development of CD3 cell quantitation algorithms for renal allograft biopsy rejection assessment utilizing open source image analysis software.

PubMed

Moon, Andres; Smith, Geoffrey H; Kong, Jun; Rogers, Thomas E; Ellis, Carla L; Farris, Alton B Brad

2018-02-01

Renal allograft rejection diagnosis depends on assessment of parameters such as interstitial inflammation; however, studies have shown interobserver variability regarding interstitial inflammation assessment. Since automated image analysis quantitation can be reproducible, we devised customized analysis methods for CD3+ T-cell staining density as a measure of rejection severity and compared them with established commercial methods along with visual assessment. Renal biopsy CD3 immunohistochemistry slides (n = 45), including renal allografts with various degrees of acute cellular rejection (ACR) were scanned for whole slide images (WSIs). Inflammation was quantitated in the WSIs using pathologist visual assessment, commercial algorithms (Aperio nuclear algorithm for CD3+ cells/mm 2 and Aperio positive pixel count algorithm), and customized open source algorithms developed in ImageJ with thresholding/positive pixel counting (custom CD3+%) and identification of pixels fulfilling "maxima" criteria for CD3 expression (custom CD3+ cells/mm 2 ). Based on visual inspections of "markup" images, CD3 quantitation algorithms produced adequate accuracy. Additionally, CD3 quantitation algorithms correlated between each other and also with visual assessment in a statistically significant manner (r = 0.44 to 0.94, p = 0.003 to < 0.0001). Methods for assessing inflammation suggested a progression through the tubulointerstitial ACR grades, with statistically different results in borderline versus other ACR types, in all but the custom methods. Assessment of CD3-stained slides using various open source image analysis algorithms presents salient correlations with established methods of CD3 quantitation. These analysis techniques are promising and highly customizable, providing a form of on-slide "flow cytometry" that can facilitate additional diagnostic accuracy in tissue-based assessments.

Systematic review of methods for evaluating healthcare research economic impact

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The economic benefits of healthcare research require study so that appropriate resources can be allocated to this research, particularly in developing countries. As a first step, we performed a systematic review to identify the methods used to assess the economic impact of healthcare research, and the outcomes. Method An electronic search was conducted in relevant databases using a combination of specific keywords. In addition, 21 relevant Web sites were identified. Results The initial search yielded 8,416 articles. After studying titles, abstracts, and full texts, 18 articles were included in the analysis. Eleven other reports were found on Web sites. We found that the outcomes assessed as healthcare research payback included direct cost-savings, cost reductions in healthcare delivery systems, benefits from commercial advancement, and outcomes associated with improved health status. Two methods were used to study healthcare research payback: macro-economic studies, which examine the relationship between research studies and economic outcome at the aggregated level, and case studies, which examine specific research projects to assess economic impact. Conclusions Our study shows that different methods and outcomes can be used to assess the economic impacts of healthcare research. There is no unique methodological approach for the economic evaluation of such research. In our systematic search we found no research that had evaluated the economic return of research in low and middle income countries. We therefore recommend a consensus on practical guidelines at international level on the basis of more comprehensive methodologies (such as Canadian Academic of Health Science and payback frameworks) in order to build capacity, arrange for necessary informative infrastructures and promote necessary skills for economic evaluation studies. PMID:20196839

Assessing Interval Estimation Methods for Hill Model ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Hill model of concentration-response is ubiquitous in toxicology, perhaps because its parameters directly relate to biologically significant metrics of toxicity such as efficacy and potency. Point estimates of these parameters obtained through least squares regression or maximum likelihood are commonly used in high-throughput risk assessment, but such estimates typically fail to include reliable information concerning confidence in (or precision of) the estimates. To address this issue, we examined methods for assessing uncertainty in Hill model parameter estimates derived from concentration-response data. In particular, using a sample of ToxCast concentration-response data sets, we applied four methods for obtaining interval estimates that are based on asymptotic theory, bootstrapping (two varieties), and Bayesian parameter estimation, and then compared the results. These interval estimation methods generally did not agree, so we devised a simulation study to assess their relative performance. We generated simulated data by constructing four statistical error models capable of producing concentration-response data sets comparable to those observed in ToxCast. We then applied the four interval estimation methods to the simulated data and compared the actual coverage of the interval estimates to the nominal coverage (e.g., 95%) in order to quantify performance of each of the methods in a variety of cases (i.e., different values of the true Hill model paramet

Environmental Performance of North American Wood Panel Manufacturing

Treesearch

R. Bergman; D. Kaestner; A. Taylor

2015-01-01

Manufacturing building products such as wood panels has environmental impacts, including contributions to climate change. This paper is a compilation of four studies quantifying these impacts using the life-cycle assessment (LCA) method on five wood-based panel products made in North America during 2012. LCA is an internationally accepted and standardized method for...

Life cycle impacts of North American wood panel Manufacturing

Treesearch

Richard Bergman; D. Kaestner; A. M. Taylor

2016-01-01

Manufacturing building products such as wood panels impacts the environment, including contributing to climate change. This study is a compilation of four studies quantifying these impacts using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method on five wood-based panel products made in North America during 2012. LCA is an internationally accepted and standardized method for...

Tests of Measurement Invariance without Subgroups: A Generalization of Classical Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merkle, Edgar C.; Zeileis, Achim

2013-01-01

The issue of measurement invariance commonly arises in factor-analytic contexts, with methods for assessment including likelihood ratio tests, Lagrange multiplier tests, and Wald tests. These tests all require advance definition of the number of groups, group membership, and offending model parameters. In this paper, we study tests of measurement…

The Use of Techniques of Sensory Evaluation as a Framework for Teaching Experimental Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, R.; Hamilton, M.

1981-01-01

Describes sensory assessment techniques and conditions for their satisfactory performance, including how they can provide open-ended exercises and advantages as relatively inexpensive and simple methods of teaching experimentation. Experiments described focus on diffusion of salt into potatoes after being cooked in boiled salted water. (Author/JN)

Improving the Quality of Home Visitation: An Exploratory Study of Difficult Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeCroy, Craig Winston; Whitaker, Kate

2005-01-01

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to use an ecological assessment model to obtain a better understanding of difficult situations that home visitors confront when implementing home visitation services. Method: A mixed method study was used which included conducting focus groups to identify specific situations faced by home visitors…

Translation of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale into an Equivalent Spanish Version

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collazo, Andres A.

2005-01-01

A Spanish version of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS) was developed by applying a method derived from the cross-cultural and psychometric literature. The method included five sequenced studies: (a) translation and back-translation, (b) comprehension assessment, (c) psychometric equivalence study of two mixed-language versions,…

Autism Diagnosis and Screening: Factors to Consider in Differential Diagnosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matson, Johnny L.; Beighley, Jennifer; Turygin, Nicole

2012-01-01

There has been an exponential growth in assessment methods to diagnose disorders on the autism spectrum. Many reasons for this trend exist and include advancing knowledge on how to make a diagnosis, the heterogeneity of the spectrum, the realization that different methods may be needed based on age and intellectual disability. Other factors…